The brains behind this brilliant concept of reuse is artist Geoff Fisher of Geoffrey Fisher Designs in Buckinghamshire, England. Buckinghamshire…doesn’t that name conjure up images of Robin Hood (or is it just that compost tea again)?

Okay the reality is Geoff is a very humorous man whom I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with and would be happy to meet in person one day. As he explained in an interview given on William-Sonoma’s blog: “The word “Trook” comes from the words “Tree” and “Hook,” which I made up because it seemed to fit perfectly with the nature of the product and describes exactly what it does. Like a lot of designs it came about almost by accident when I had to cut down a tree in our garden. I tried to save part of it in a useful form, so I made a number of hooks for the studio. I first started selling them in a London East End store called Mar Mar Co and they took off from there. Part of their attraction is their individual character but also the label that accompanies each one and tells you exactly where it came from and which type of tree.”

I love that you know where each piece comes from. The batch we just received at Potted came from Penn Wood and are from a Beech Tree.

Geoff shared with me how it was still quite chilly when he gathered our little trooks and I tried not to be too cruel when informing him that I was wearing a tank top and sandals. It’s a tough job living in Los Angeles, but someone has to do it.

They are very useful and put a little smile on my face to think about their journey over the pond.

Trooks. Available in three sizes, Small 4″ $14, Medium 5″ $18 and Large 6″ $22. Purchase them in our store (you know, the one in sunny Los Angeles) or online here.

Thank you for the emails I got trying to give me solutions. Most people were open minded about the synthetic as it’s come a long way, baby, but really wanted me to ponder all the alternative first, which I did. But at the end of the day what I really wanted in my 192 square feet of lawn was lawn. So I had the synthetic grass installed (I’m not the kind of person who mulls things over for too long which is why I got engaged on the third date to my husband of 20 years…works for me).

Looks pretty nice, huh? It’s from a company called Turfevolutions and was recommended to me by Joan Grabel of Park Slope Design (a fabulous designer who did another garden on the tour). It looks and feels absolutely amazing (make sure to get the kind with gold in it so it looks even more like California grass). The only thing I will say on the negative side is cost (yikes…glad I only had 192 square feet) and the fact that it glistens a bit in the sun…but that makes it looks like it’s just been watered (or at least that’s what I tell myself). Even the last issue of Garden Design Magazine (may it rest in peace) had an article singing its praises. Anyway, all three dogs seem to be fine with it and I just capped 6 sprinkler heads. I’m happy. When you take the tour (because you are, right?) find me and let me know what you think.

So since it is “A Potted Garden” of course it has to be decked out in all our newest and coolest products for the tour. I’ve been dying to have a City Planter by my front door and when someone changed their mind on an orange Color Blocked one we did custom a couple of weeks ago I knew that was the way to go.

Then I got to put on the new Plexi-Numbers we just designed and I was even more excited (I know, I need to get out more). But it looks pretty cool, don’t you agree?

And here’s the whole entry. Wait, I was only going to tease you so you’d be sure to come and see for yourself. Okay, no more wide shots.

But here’s a cute little concrete Owl we sell sitting to the left of the door…

And here’s an amazing Campania pot to the right I’ve topped dressed with rocks like I saw at last year’s SF Garden Show.

We love top dressing at Potted…it takes a planting from ordinary to extraordinary.

And you don’t have to always use rocks or glass. Succulents are one of my favorite top dressings and sometimes, as in the case of this container, I add in little things that are meaningful but I really have no idea what to do with like the “face” rock my now teenage daughter made for me when she was 9 or the painted red valentine rock my grandson gave me a couple of years ago. Putting them into arrangements like this is the perfect way to give them a permanent home.

I find that sempervivums (hens & chicks) make the best top dressing (with echeverias running a close second) but as with all living things, they need to be freshened up every so often. I’ve added this different variety into the front here and used it again…

…on the top of my Julius Pot that was filled with Sunburst Aeoniums. Sometimes it’s hard to add new plants into an existing planting so I find that a good plastic chopstick is an excellent tool to help work out a little opening and guide the “tail” of these babies down where they can root.

When this totally fills in and the whole bottom of the pot is a carpet of rose colored sempervivums, this is going to be stunning.

And lastly (at least for today), I’ve taken one of our Wedding Cake Planters and just stuffed it with sedum. I love it. I never understood why this planter didn’t take off…it makes plants look so amazing and it actually has a drain that we designed so it doesn’t have to have a separate saucer. Sigh, I guess we just aren’t going to be fully appreciated as designers until we’re dead. I guess there could be worse things (like actually being dead).

So that’s this week’s tease for the Open Days Tour. Remember you can purchase tickets here, or get them the day of the event which is May 5th from 10am-4pm at the lead garden at 2333 Fern Dell Drive in Griffith Park. Be there or be square!

At some point my driveway became the land of broken pots…one of the perks (or not depending on your perspective) of having a store.  Something got chipped and I took it home. But everything was mismatched and worse, nothing could stand the burning heat of all that concrete. I always longed to cut it up and grow Dymondia between the pieces. So we cleared off, no kidding, 50 pots and I gave them all to my sister. She better be a lot nicer to me.

Then we started drawing how we wanted the lines to be cut. I knew I wanted to grow Alphonse Karr Bamboo (can’t get enough of those stripy stalks) on the side to finally hide our neighbor’s house, but it was a real trick to get a pattern going with the lines so they seemed random in width. It’s such a long narrow path, it seemed important that they not be so perfect.

Here’s a view from upstairs before the fence went in and also before we randomly cut off the ends of some of the pavers so they were more chopped up.

And here’s the final view with the bamboo planted. Since this photo was taken I’ve added or am adding a potting bench and little shed, more pots, a small fountain and crossing my fingers that the bamboo gets a little height before the tour. I can’t show you everything because then you would have nothing to live for (and wouldn’t come to the tour!)

So since as they say, the devil is in the details, following are some of the things I have repotted or added to punch everything up. This huge pot was from a landscape client of mine who didn’t want it so I planted it with an Acacia purpurea which unfortunately is still going to be quite stick-like for the tour, but I love underplanting…

…and think these will get a chance to fill in by May. Succulents make such good housemates for an acacia.

And I love the detail of this cork pot giving me some height. I’m sure as things mature I’ll make adjustments but that’s the fun part.

Here’s an old Bauer coffee mug with Jade that I’ve put on the ledge of my outdoor shower. Much prettier than shampoo bottles.

This is a Furcraea macdougallii I underplanted with aeoniums. I don’t know how long it will last in that pot as these guys get huge, but I think they’re pretty slow growing and I just couldn’t resist the squid-like quality.

Here is my extremely pathetic piece of lawn…

…and here are two of the three cute reasons it looks that way. I only have that patch of lawn so the dogs would have a place to, you know, enjoy, and they’ve just destroyed it. I’m thinking synthetic. It really has come a long way. I can’t look at that sad dirt and weeds any more. Opinions?

Using slag glass to keep the gates open. Much prettier than a brick.

These pots were being made at Gainey Ceramics before they closed down ceramic production. I’m so happy I snagged one.

And this beautiful little pot was a gift from Sara of Petersen Pottery, a prototype for the evolution of the Nantucket series. The plant is a Monadenium schubei from Tanzania that I just bought from California Cactus Center for a million dollars but I couldn’t resist. I also refreshed the Geo Planter by Kelley Lamb and my Julius Planter. It’s a lovely trio.

On the other side of my house I also decided to do a bunch of work. I added this Modern Bench from Campania on the fig tree patio that actually started Potted (another story for another time). All the walkways around this patio were mismatched and sinking so we ripped them all out and laid pavers with tile that matched the patio.

My favorite thing about this bench (besides it being gorgeous) is that it’s totally customizable. Here I’m making it a planter but you could easily add a fountain insert or a longer bench or a corner piece for two benches or…lots of options. Best Modern Bench ever.

And next I’ve got to replant the baby’s tears that got wiped out in the construction.

Please come to the Open Days Tour on Sunday May 5th from 10-4 if you want to see how it all turns out and lots more. Besides my house, there are 5 more amazing gardens in a three-mile radius that should make for an amazing garden gawking afternoon. Tickets are available for purchase on the Garden Conservancy Website and also on the day of the event at the lead garden which for us is Ferndell Park. So come and better yet, become a member!

Titia’s work is very different as you can see. The texture is unbelievable.

“I became interested in ceramics about 7 years ago and made the transition from designing and fabricating jewelry. Because of my love of cacti, succulents, and plants in general, my first series of pots were planters of all shapes and sizes. Over the years these pots have morphed into planters that are simple in shape and highly textured.”

“The pieces textured with torn strips of clay resemble ripples of water. In contrast, the pieces textured with crisp, clean lines imply movement like the wavering lines of a pin stripe suit. Mellow brown clay, highlighted with a soft matte black glaze, create an interesting and natural surface for the planter that does not distract but, rather, enhances the beautiful color and structure of the plants themselves. Enjoy.”

Estes Pottery is already flying off the shelf here at Potted. Come see it for yourself.

Susan Wong uses ceramics in a different way…

“Pottery has been one of my passions for many years, and being from an Asian culture that highly values ceramics, I gravitated to this craft with great enthusiasm. Being of a practical nature, I have endeavored to incorporate its elements into my day-to-day life, either through the production of functional forms, ie. bowls, platters, cups, serving pieces, etc. However, over the last few years, sustainable edible gardening has become another passion, and it seemed a natural progression for me to create pieces that could be integrated into my garden.”

“Initially, I used pottery to make over 100 ollas (water jugs) which I presently use in my raised beds and containers to aid plants through the very hot summers here in LA. However, gradually, I wanted to create decorative elements which I could enjoy while toiling in my natural space. Henceforth, ever in the practical plane, a series of bells, lanterns and bird baths have evolved from this yearning. Hearing the resonance of a well rung bell evokes a sense of peace and well-being whilst being surrounded by green space, as well as an essence of just being.”

Susan has also created these dreamy tea light holders in beautiful transparent glazes. Each one throws light in a striking pattern. All of Susan’s pieces are one-of-a-kind and must be seen (and heard!) to be truly appreciated.

We are very proud to be able to bring you these two strong new artists. Susan Wong and Titia Estes…the newest and best from Potted.

We were honored to be asked to participate (they imagined it like a mini Dwell) and decided to use the venue to launch our new Plexi House Numbers. We thought we’d share some of the highlights of the first weekend in case you wanted to head out there to catch the second weekend. The weather was fantastic!

Our booth was really nice right in the middle of the tent with our very own tree. We featured all of our designs including the Circle Pot, the Orbit, Iron Spheres, Clam Chairs and, of course the City Planters with our new Plexi Numbers.

I really love how Cristina, our planting genius, has been using Tillandsias mounted on branches to plant the City Planters too. They are so unique.

And look exceptionally good with the new Plexi Numbers.

These striking Sanseverias looked amazing in our new Brushed Aluminum City Planters. We only had a prototype to display at the show, but I think they are going to be exceptional…lightweight, non-rusting and super modern. They were a big hit.

Besides our booth, I was mad for these exceptionally designed coat racks from Blue Dot. They just make you happy.

I liked a lot of furniture from them. They have a store on Melrose, but are based in Minneapolis. They were very happy to be in Palm Springs.

Our neighbor was an exceptional designer of lighting and furniture, Brandon Morrison of Whyrhymer.

We loved how he used wood and ceramics and glass in his designs and his wood working was truly exceptional. He has a showroom on La Brea and also does custom work.

This was a concept that I could really get excited about…semihandmade. The idea here is to have you buy all your cabinetry from Ikea-let them measure, etc. but you just don’t buy the door covers. Then these guys make you beautiful customized door panels. It’s a brilliant concept for about a quarter of the price of true custom-made cabinets. All done in Southern California but shipped anywhere in the country!

Love Urbio. They were on the show Shark Tank and it was fun hearing about their experience. Watch their episode here…very interesting.

The Palm Springs store Pelago had a nice booth including this brand-new re-issue of the Russel Wright Residential Melamine collection. I love melamine.

Another amazing find was Modology of Ohio. They make these incredible lucite credenzas but also amazing art work. I really enjoyed seeing what they were up to.

This mobile was made with paint brush handles…genius!

These planters (featured recently in Garden Design Magazine) are from Steel Life. We will very shortly be carrying some of their amazing designs at Potted. Look for them.

And how could you go to Palm Springs without flamingos? Actually the True Value Hardware store which had a booth is very high end there and loved the flamingos so much they actually rescued them from near extinction. So now you know where to get them.

There are also a couple of pre-fab houses and this very cool Silver Bullet trailer and next weekend there will be more and different vendors not to mention all the house tours and fabulous parties and restaurants and…oh, you should just go. And if you do, come by and say hi.

Here are some of the Frasadas we love to get. I discovered these on an earlier buying trip when I stumbled upon a booth in the Global/Handmade section of the show that looked like it had been descended upon by locusts. People were throwing blankets to each other and trying to be civilized when secretly wanting to rip a coveted textile out of someone’s hand. It was amazing. But when I saw what they were all so excited about, I threw down my bag and jumped right in.

Every blanket is one-of-a-kind and what you pick at the show is what you get. Usually by the end of the first day there isn’t much left. I’ve now learned to plan every one of my shows to start at this vendor so I can get first dibs. This year I found out some people had actually bought vendor passes so they could sneak in early. Grrrrrrr.

We’ve done really well with the Turkish towels, but when I saw these African ones, I just had to get them. Similar concept…thin, dry out quickly, work great as cover ups or table cloths…but the colors were so saturated and gorgeous I just couldn’t resist. I bought the tea towels in the reverse colors for a nice combo.

If you wanted to take those towels to the beach, these very elegant baskets (that one thin line just made me so happy) would do just the trick.

And if you got cold, these absolutely stunning throws made of alpaca and synthetic wool are so soft and warm you will think you’ve died and gone to heaven. In fact I first saw these throws at the Unique LA event just before Christmas and I basically told my sister if she didn’t get me one for Christmas she could just forget about Christmas dinner. There I go being a bully big sis again.

Really liked the marbleized effect of these baskets. They would be beautiful with plants or general catch-alls. Very unusual.

This new planter by Campo de Fiori called The Echeveria was a real show stopper and I bought a few of them in large sizes too. Not sure how the natural moss will hold up if you were to use them for succulents because moss and succulents aren’t really bedfellows, but the shape of the planter is so nice it wouldn’t really matter.

This planter is also quite cool and fairly lightweight. It reminded me of one from a Belgium company whose name escapes me at the moment. It’s pretty large with a great balance of rustic and modern.

From the same company we also got these Peacock Planters which we had last year in a different finish and they just flew out the door. In fact I just featured it in my last blog post. They will also be available in a celedon green.

Then there’s the truly unusual. Whenever we go to any show we are always hoping to find something that makes us stand up and say, “Wow, I’ve never seen that,” because unfortunately or not, we’ve seen a lot. And these planters by a local Brooklyn artist did just that. Previously he did objects for huge events and store displays but decided to create a line that can be more easily reproduced to keep costs in check and make it more affordable. I didn’t buy this huge one (not practical or affordable), but the following are so amazing I just can’t wait until they arrive.

We will have several sizes and styles arriving in 8-10 weeks which will be well worth checking out.

Anything with birds usually peeks our attention and these cute beverage dispensers definitely did that. The ice sits separately in the center and the little bird sits invitingly on the spout waiting for you to pull.

Also these Bird Vases from Chive were fantastic. Sort of the Adams Family meets Downton Abbey. I loved them. We also got some really great little colored planters and vases from Chive as well.

And finally these beautiful bells we didn’t get (yet) as we’re on the fence about cost but not about beauty. But they are handmade by a really talented artist in Brooklyn (hmm, a lot of talent in Brooklyn it seems). She also made these:

So that was the New York Gift Show highlights. We also purchased some beautiful jewelry, linen scarfs, gifts and lots more. Three straight days of walking from 10am until 6pm writing orders. You can start playing those violins for me right now.

Some items will be arriving right away and some will take their time so please visit us often to see what’s arrived.

Since we mostly sell succulents and cactus at Potted, everyone wants to know if you can grow them inside. General wisdom is they don’t particularly like the indoors (poor air circulation, heaters, too dark, over watering), but if you can avoid all those pitfalls, you might do okay.

I hadn’t tried too many succulents inside myself so one day I potted up this guy. I love using Tub Trugs to do my potting. They make pouring soil so much easier to direct and cleanup is a snap.

I added this chartreuse sedum for contrast…

…and inside this baby went. And it’s done fabulously. I ended up moving it to a North facing window were it got lots of indirect light because this particular sedum will burn with too much sun, and I’ve only watered it about once a month. I have noticed the sedum not looking too happy lately though as the heaters have been going full blast in the house. I’m trying a little more water but I want to be careful. I’m sure it will revive in the Spring.

What I’m always trying to find, though, is the perfect plant for my dining room table. What I’ve learned is that it’s good to enjoy things while they are looking good and swap them out when it’s time to move on. That’s why cachepots are a girl’s best friend. In fact, except for one terrarium, NONE of my houseplants are actually planted in their container. More on that later.

If you know me at all, you know I have a huge thing for black pots. Maybe it’s the whole black and green combo that gets me going…I don’t know, but I love it. Anyway, here is one of my favorite black 9″ Bauer Flower pots that is just perfect for a 6″ nursery pot. And a trick I’ve learned over the years (thanks to my husband’s love of good wine) is to save corks and use them to lift pots. If the plant is at the correct height and then you use moss to conceal the nursery pot, it looks great. This hydrangea will probably last a few more weeks and then I get to try something else. Hmm…

I really liked the detail of this little vase next to the larger plant and the pewter Moroccan tray by Roost (we often sell them in the store) pulls the whole thing together. I have a very long table so I like to have something large on one end to “decorate” that space when it’s not in use. Obviously you would never eat with something this big on the table but we almost never eat here anyway.

Here’s a little terrarium I put together today in about two seconds. I love cloches which is basically what this Pill Terrarium by Chive is. I’ve assembled my 4″ Hypoestes (Polka Dot Plant), my terrarium container and some spanish moss. That’s it.

Plant goes in terrarium, moss hides nursery pot, glass dome covers whole thing and voila…

You have this beautiful arrangement. And the best part…if you kill the plant by say forgetting to water if for 6 months (because you almost never have to water it as it creates its own moisture in the dome), this plant costs about $4 and you can just throw it in your green bin to become compost and go buy another one. Cost less than a cappuccino.

This final beauty is my favorite and one of my only finicky plants, the alluring Rex Begonia. It’s not hard to take care of them if you just remember one thing…consistency. They do not like to EVER dry out and the one time this one did (thanks to hapless teenagers left in charge for a long weekend), it immediately was devoured by a disgusting slug that nearly consumed it. But being extremely fond of this plant, I picked them out one by one (wondering where in the heck they came from in my kitchen) and nursed it back to health. Same advice for Maidenhair Ferns.

Most houseplants are actually quite easy but some, like the begonia and the maidenhair, do not thrive on neglect. But for all my houseplants right down to my agave (which gets watered once every three months) I take each one and put them in my sink and put diluted sea kelp in the water to give them a little boost. This is the main reason I never plant them. It’s so much easier to water them this way. They don’t get too big. And if I want to redecorate by putting different plants in different pots, it’s no big deal.

Stay tuned…I’ve got lots more plants in my house to show you.

As we pulled into the parking lot I practically leapt out of the car with my camera, fully expecting to be told that I wouldn’t be allowed to take any photos. But just the opposite happened.

I was greeted by very friendly people who actually didn’t know that much about the art but were very excited to tell me about their organization that helped the elderly in the Morongo Basin get to and from their doctor’s appointments. All the proceeds from the sculpture sales were benefiting them. I was intrigued.

It turned out that the infamous Simi Dabah (he was no where to be found) apparently ONLY donates his work to charities. He either gives a piece to the non-profit (say the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles) or, as in this case, he allows the charity to sell his work and keep 100% of the profit. How amazing.

The pieces ranged from 12″ to 20′ and you can imagine how much 20′ of steel weighs. You had to figure delivery out on your own, but these pieces were so unique and beautiful that they would be worth it. And they weren’t really that expensive considering how amazing they were.

Mr. Dabah apparently took one welding class over 30 years ago and was hooked but still, some how, doesn’t consider himself a professional artist. I guess if you give all your art away then technically you aren’t.

From the photos of him on his website he looks to be in his late 70s or early 80s but he still welds every day in his Los Angeles studio creating new works all the time.

A lot of the pieces he creates from old die casts or scrap pieces.

I think I may be a bit smitten with Mr. Dabah because he reminds me a little of my grandfather who was also a metal worker…though of the more menial labor variety. But he did work on the Golden Gate Bridge.

As I was looking for more information about Simi Dabah for this piece, I found a facebook posting from the Boys and Girls Club from just last week where they were selling his work as a benefit for their organization…so if you’re interested in purchasing anything you might try doing searches like that.

And now you might start noticing some of his work in public spaces through Southern California…especially the Morongo Basin in places like Copper Mountain College.

And if you happen to find yourself in Joshua Tree on Sunfair Avenue, you can probably leer through the chain link and gaze upon all the rusted beauty yourself.

This was the one I almost bought…just couldn’t spend the money that day. But I know I’m going to regret it.

And this was a very affordable cute little guy.

And this is my last shot as I sobbed off into the sunset hoping that some day I would get to meet the mysterious Simi Dabah. I’m sorry, Mr. Dabah, you’re a professional in my book.

But Fermob has grown to be much more than their iconic Bistro chair. In fact, as our US distributors found out on their recent visit to the factory in Thoissey, France, in Europe Fermob has become the rock stars of outdoor living. So I have stolen shamelessly from their website in order to share a little of their enthusiasm with you. I know I got excited.

The factory is about one hour from Lyon and employs 200 people.

And although they use state-of-the-art technology, many items are still welded by hand.

Factory workers are both men and women, young and old. This is a lovely video showing much more of what they do:

In Paris Fermob has a retail concept store.

Talk about walking into a world of color.

Here you see the new seat pads and the new color “Prune” or plum as we Yanks call it.

New Luxembourg Rocker.

We were lucky enough to get to see one of the only two prototypes of this brand new Luxembourg Rocker that will be available later next season. Super cool (imagine that with a bad French accent).

New Monceau Low Chair.

Here is the new Monceau low chair which has a similar vibe to the much pricier Luxembourg low chair. I really appreciate that Fermob thinks about all of our customers. Don’t worry; we’ve ordered some of these for the spring. You’ll be very surprised at what they cost.

It was also really fun to be educated on some of the contract installations of Fermob furniture like this one at the Oakland Museum of California designed by Jensen Architects..

How incredible when practicality actual becomes art.

And in case you’re wondering how sturdy Fermob furniture really is…

…that’s a Luxembourg chair being hurled by that guy during an Occupy Wall Street demonstration that tried to ruin the installation in Oakland. Nothing a little touch up paint and love couldn’t fix however. The wall is back up and going strong.

Fermob Bistro on the High Line Park in New York

I posted about my visit to the High Line last year and was very happy to see Fermob in the beautiful park.

Who says Bistro isn’t comfortable to lounge in?

And of course there is the Luxembourg Gardens.

The original chairs there were actually made of steel, but Fermob makes them in aluminum which won’t rust and is perfect if you live in a coastal situation (or just want a gorgeous chair).

We’ve just ordered lots of new product to come in for spring but remember, it takes 12-14 weeks for a special order to come from France so plan ahead! We have some Luxembourg kid chairs coming, Sixties Chairs and Benches, Monceau Low Chairs, bar carts, Luxembourg benches, double top tables and LOTS of Bistro but there is so much more to Fermob so if there’s something special you want, we will be happy to order it for you.

Gretchen Moll, Hotel Lautner Swimming Pool from Towne & Country Magazine

John Lautner built the Desert Hot Springs Motel in 1947 with the idea of creating more of the interlocking structures as alternative desert getaways. Unfortunately a fire burned down the pool structure and the project seemed to be abandoned.

Desert Hot Springs Motel 1950, photographer unknown

The property fell through different owners and different degrees of “remodeling” and over the years lost its edge.

Unit 2 – Photo by Paul Soulellis Date Unknown

Until it was purchased in 2010 by Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Trowbridge.

Unit 2 in the Hotel Lautner, 2012

Beckmann, a collaborator of Kelly Wearstler and one of the designers on the Avalon Hotel, has given the revamped hotel (hotel just sounds better than motel, don’t you think?) a meticulous overhaul. Her years in the design industry have given her an eye for detail that leaves nothing to chance in this amazing getaway experience.

The new gate that surrounds the property. Some Lautner purists don’t like it, but it sure makes the experience magical inside.

We arrived at Sunset and were enchanted to find this little Lautner fairytale world awaiting us.

The front entry “compound” where the cars used to park.

It was a bit windy the two days we stayed, so we didn’t get to use the outdoor facilities as much as we would have liked, but I would love to come back here with a group of people, rent all four rooms and just never leave (I guess a group of architects had done just that right before us…apparently they’re big partiers. Who knew?)

Several seating areas. Look how they’ve used the aloes in that Architectural Pottery pot to resemble a fire pit. Love it.

The real fire pit with lots of comfy seating and places to set your drink and watch the sun set.

Those beautiful acid yellow pots by the swimming pool again.

One of the many succulents and cactus that have been planted on the property.

Unit 4 – The last unit still sporting the original wood wall designed by Lautner between the kitchenette and the living area.

I would have to say, besides the gorgeous gardens they’ve planted and the wonderful restoring they’ve done on this significant site, what I love most about what Tracy and Ryan have brought to the Lautner is sexiness. I’m not kidding, I totally felt Dean Martin was gonna walk in and have a drink with me while I was staying there.

Our bed in Unit 4…soft sheets, down comforter…pure heaven.

The view from the bed at twilight. It is not a place you want to leave. It’s like being in your own terrarium.

View from Private Patio of Unit 4.

And if you do feel like you just have to get out of the hotel, there is always that little park that’s only a half hour away.

Joshua Tree National Park.

Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree.

And if Nature isn’t your thing, Palm Springs is only 15 minutes in the other direction where I highly recommend going to eat at Workshop Kitchen & Bar where they have a whole patio of Bend chairs with custom cement tables and food to die for.

View of Unit 1 which sits by itself around the corner.

The Hotel Lautner. A perfect adult getaway wether you’re a Lautner enthusiast or just plain love staying somewhere that gives a damn about your experience. I will be going back.

Join us this Saturday morning, October 27, to learn about succulents and plant a pumpkin planting.

Does it need light? What kind of soil? How much water do I give it? Do these plants go together?

Get these and all your succulent questions answered at Potted. This Saturday, October 27, from 10:30 to 12:30, belly up to the Potting Bar and explore the facets of growing succulents.

This is the first in a new, ongoing monthly class at Potted. Cristina, our resident plant wrangler, will guide you through the do’s and don’ts of successful planting.

Halloween is right around the corner, so we’ll have some mini-pumpkins ready to plant. These are great party gifts or fun seasonal additions to your home.

The Skinny:
Saturday, October 27th, 10:30 to 12:30
Class Fee is $20.00
Includes a festive holiday DIY pumpkin planting, including the plant, the pumpkin, the soil and decorative rocks.

Click here to RSVP via email.

And a bit compulsive and downright garish with others (to be fair, I’m sure these people were just design hoarders and couldn’t help themselves).

But whether you’re a hoarder or not, I think most would agree that this pottery is amazing. I’m sure Adam Silverman’s sexy chunky glazes were influenced by it.

Produced predominately from the late 1940s to the 1970s, Mid-Century aficionados have started snapping up pottery pieces all over the world as can be seen by the numerous esty and ebay sites claiming collections. But for that very reason, it’s starting to get harder to find. That’s why we were thrilled to obtain a small collection direct from Germany.

Each piece is elegant on it’s own…

Or beautifully paired.

The entire collection is available online or better yet, come into the store and see it for yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about this pottery, this is a helpful website with a lot of good information. Some of the pieces, like the matte white and the red fish scale are quite rare and worth more but you don’t have to know all the ins and outs of collecting to appreciate its beauty. Just maybe don’t be a hoarder.

This is the lowest terrace right off the back of the house. The whole property climbs straight up and was a real challenge for the designers. We made the tile table (we also made a dining table) and that is, of course, a Mad Mat on the floor and a Fermob Bistro Table in the background. But my favorite thing is the fire place wall piece made out of steal. Lust, lust, lust. And how crazy are those wing-back chairs? I’m pretty sure they are made of teak.

Here is one of the middle terraces that has a kitchen garden. Notice the lovely Luxembourg Bench by Fermob? That turquoise color is really striking. They use it as an accent throughout and it really works.

Here are two shots of the highest terrace with another built-in fire pit. The Iron Spheres we make look so great on that gravel. And that view…well there’s nothing to be said about that. And see how they’ve used the turquoise again? A great accent but they haven’t hit us over the head with it.

And finally here is a shot from the front. The way Sean Femrite from EDS ribbons his plantings is really dynamic. I saw this garden a year ago and it’s so great to see it grown in. This garden was one of those spaces that most people would have no idea what to do with and Sean has made it into a paradise. Bravo…and thanks for letting us share these amazing photos.

Environmental Design Studio
901 Micheltorena St. | Los Angeles, CA 90026
310-994-6486 Mobile | 323-660-1307 Fax
www.EDStudioLA.com

If you’ve never been to a showcase, it’s where a group of designers is asked to get together and each designer does a different room (or in our case, outdoor room) how they see fit. As you can imagine it’s a lot of fun for the designers but sometimes the effect can be a bit disjointed with everyone going crazy on their own space. However in the case of our group, the effect was fantastic. We’re not going to show you the whole loft because you just have to go see if for yourself, but we wanted to share our two spaces so you could see first hand where we started and how we got to where we ended.

I love before and afters, so here’s a progression of one angle of the main outdoor patio from first viewing to concept to completion to party…

This is how the patio looked when we first saw it. It was bland and beige. We began our design by using blue tape to lay furniture out to get an idea of layout, etc.

After doing much research, we came up with the basic design we wanted and did a conceptual drawing.

After installing we realized that the Modfire looked better in the spot where we had planned the Tree Aloe and vice versa. Always be prepared, then be flexible. Sometimes things just don’t look the way you think they will.

Then we really got to enjoy the space for the opening party and see it as we imagined…as an amazing entertainment patio. With the flickering flames from the Modfire and the illuminated crystals from the Cleveland Art Firelight and the beautiful bronze Moroccan fixtures from Badia Design, the space really came to life.

The little balcony had a privacy issue as you can see in this before photo.

We solved that problem with a Ficus Nitida hedge in some lightweight planters. In the long term the hedges would be kept trimmed to block out the lower unattractive view and raise your eyes up to the beautiful views above.

The lovely fuchsia Fermob Bistro Set was chosen to match a recurring theme of hot pink that ended up running throughout a lot of the loft. It really tied things together as you can see from the stunning living room designed by Christopher Kennedy (this is the only tease you get of the rest of the space!)

Our initial inspiration for the space came from a tile designed by our good friend Tracey Reinberg of Kismet Tile.

Tracey and Annette at the CH+D opening party.

Using a traditional Moroccan design, Tracey punched up the blue to a point that took our breath away.

Potted Tile Table using Kismet Tile. 24″ Bauer Canoe in Chartreuse on top.

Probably the biggest decision for the space was our colors. They have definitely drawn a lot of attention and quite a lot of thought went into them. We knew we needed a pallet that would evoke a bit of nature since the harsh sun conditions in our space made it a bit difficult to have too many plants and we also knew we wanted drama.

We did a lot of tests before we came up with our choice of “Dark Lime” for the top and “Carolina Gull” for the bottom, both from Benjamin Moore.

With the bold white line, this choice really helped us to make our space crisp and modern and also helped us to define the built-in bench we had to incorporate into our design. I really wish people weren’t so afraid of color because paint is the least expensive, most amazing way to totally transform a space.

A beautiful view of the “bench.”

The other major obstacle of our high rise getaway was the major heat the enclosed box generated with no covering. Not wanting to cut off the view, we designed a pergola that, thanks to the geniuses and all-around great guys from Warner Brothers Studio Services, went up in no time.

And they even helped us to hide the eyesore that was this service door to the AC unit and the first thing you saw when you came out on the patio.

This is much nicer to look at, don’t you think? And it just hangs on a french cleat that easily comes off if you need to get into the AC unit.

As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Here are some “details” we wanted to highlight up close and personal.

The Lucy Chair by Bend in white. Looks pretty fabulous on the Diamond Black & Ivory Dash & Albert Rug, I think.

That rug makes everything look even better.

On the main patio, these olive trees will be kept trimmed as shrubs to block out the unattractive lower views but bring your eye up to the amazing Hollywood Hills beyond.

Okay, this is not technically an outdoor light (on a covered patio it would be fine), but we could not resist the hand blown glass from Cleveland Art. If you’ve never been to their downtown showroom or their new showroom on La Brea, you really have to go. Not your everyday run-of-the-mill lighting, I’ll tell ya.

This mirror is from Badia Design in North Hollywood. They have everything Moroccan and are extremely wonderful to work with. Most of the upholstery was custom (another thank you to Warner Brothers) except the ever popular grass pillows by Firmly-Planted which are always available at Potted.

Most of the tabletop will be available in the store very soon and includes these beautiful cut glass champagne flutes.

The Circle Pot really popped here in orange with the white accents.

And finally, we used this opportunity to release our newest version of the City Planter in crisp, modern white. We were thrilled with how they turned out. That’s also an Orbit Planter on the console (also from Badia) and those are Constellation Lanterns and are also available at Potted (as is most everything is our installation).

And if any of these items have caught your fancy (like the Kismet Tile Table, which is one-of-a-kind) or the Modfire which will be available at a discount as will a few other items, One King’s Lane will be featuring these and many other items from the whole loft in a Tastemaker’s sale in January. Check our Facebook Page (or better yet, “Like” us) and we’ll keep you posted.

The California Home + Design “Small Space Big Style” Showcase house is running now through November 18th. Click here to get all the details and tickets. The event benefits the A + D Architecture and Design Museum so it’s a very good cause.

The Folly Bowl is a natural amphitheater created by water wise garden designer Susanna Dodds and her husband fine artist, James Griffith.

One of James’ paintings.

And one of Susanna’s (so to speak). I love the mauve paint on the wall. This is by the pool above the Folly Bowl.

Susanna’s use of drought tolerant plants and naturalistic plantings is just gorgeous.

The house sits up on a ridge with the Folly Bowl on one side.

And this amazing canyon of succulents and aloes on the other. I was pretty amazed to see all these plants doing so well in this deep little canyon.

This is the biggest Epiphyllum I’ve ever seen. I can’t imagine what it looks like when it blooms.

Every where you look there is some little surprise. These faces came from a mold the couple found in Spain and carried back with them. They then recast it again and again and inset it into the side of the mountainside walking back up to the house. It’s creepy and cool all at the same time.

The views from the house are incredible…

And the sky is another show going on above the one below.

Several times a year Sue and James open up their incredible property to host events. Sometimes it’s free or there’s a nominal charge that goes straight to the artists. You can bring in your dinner and wine, a blanket and pillow and sit back and enjoy a memorable evening.

Here is not the best picture of Sue and James introducing Saturday night’s event…Unpoppable, which is basically a quartet led by a guy on a balloon. Really, I’m not kidding. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.

Addi Somekh taught himself to be a balloon artist when, he says, he spent 8 months in bed recovering from Lyme’s disease. A self-proclaimed “idiot savant” musically, Addi surrounded himself with some pretty amazing musicians who were making it up as they went along and it was amazing. And in between songs, Addi dazzled us with his real passion, balloon hats.

So of course I had to go to his website and found these photos (all credits to Addi) of his beautiful balloon hats making people happy throughout the world.

This little girl is in Turkey.

And this one makes me so happy I can’t stand it.

So I made two incredible discoveries last night…there is a beautiful natural amphitheater right in Alta Dena that anyone can go to and have a fantastic evening and a balloon makes one hell of a bass! I highly suggest you check out both.

Sara has several different series she is creating, but the one we fell in love with Sara calls Nantucket and describes it as an artistic play on the interaction of fog and beach.

The photos just speak for themselves (by the way, we stole some from her site…hope you don’t mind, Sara). So clean and minimal, any plant would look good in them, even a dead one.

Sara’s company is very young and we are excited to see all the pieces she has and will produce.

Here are a few of her other pieces. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

So please come in to Potted and check out our selection of Petersen Pottery. We’re proud to be carrying these lovely pots.

And one plant I’ve really come to love is Yarrow.

This Yellow Yarrow grows in my raised bed. I know Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has many medical properties including blood clotting (here is a fascinating post), but I was mainly interested in it’s decorating possibilities. But beauty and brains…you gotta love it.

This lovely Maroon Yarrow from Shenandoah Farms in Virginia shows you how varied the colors can be. Grown easily from seeds, they come in colors like apricot, pink, red, rose, violet and several more.

Here’s a beautiful Teco Vase I have by my bed. I love how the yellow of the Yarrow picks up the yellow in my comforter cover and it’s so cheerful to wake up to each morning. Tip: Dip flowers in cool water for a few minutes to remove any insects that might be hanging out…especially when you’ve got them so close to where you sleep.

I also really love the drama of the same yellow Yarrow in this black bud vase against the backdrop of another black Bauer vase. Yellow and black is too beautiful. I remember once someone telling me that black wasn’t a color. Perhaps not…but it’s my favorite non-color then. And bud vases are such a quick way to bring a little happiness into a drab room.

What are your favorite flower plants?

I love those chairs and had them powder coated aqua (to match a Bauer oil jar I have). I think fondly of my grandmother when I see them and marvel at the fact that they are close to 70 years old and still perfect. Which proves the point that quality furniture is, in fact, worth it.

We are always on the look out for beautiful vintage chairs at Potted and when the patina is this beautiful, the key is to seal them with a clear matte or satin finish sealer so you get a little kick but you stop the rust.

A beautiful patina is like a work of art…it would be a crime to make it look perfectly new again but if that’s what you want, you must be careful.

Especially with thinner chairs like these amazing wire ones. The problem is that in order to powder coat anything, you first have to sandblast them and if they have already been damaged, sometimes the sandblasting just does them in. We have lost countless chairs this way. Always really look at every part of a chair before you submit it to harsh sandblasting.

Often in our hunt for vintage chairs we find remarkable ones that we want to “re-imagine.” Okay, we’ll just admit that it’s a fancy way of saying we want to remake them, but nobody else is and it seems like such a shame to see such great designs going to waste like this one that we have no idea where it came from but we’ve dubbed it The Pelican Chair.

And this has been the best one yet, what we call the Clam Chair I saw at a party where the host told me she had pulled it out of a dumpster. I asked her if I could borrow it and gave her back two. We then found out it was actually a Salterini chair that had been out of production for years and people started scooping it up.

Compact but surprisingly comfortable, the Clam Chair is one of those retro pieces that works really well with our funky eclectic style.

The chair craze really started for us with the Egg Chair, shown here at a customer’s home in an assortment of colors. We were getting them from Mexico and it was a pain in the neck because we never knew when we were going to get them and we couldn’t control the colors and then we discovered someone locally who could make whatever we wanted.

And then we got to sell the Hoop Chairs too.

He was also making what he called The Sling Chair (I don’t know who the designer is).

And this very cool X Chair (photo by Bethany Nauert)

These are called Biscayne Chairs by the company that sells them, but they are really just “re-imaginings” of Woodard Sculptura chairs in a glorious red. With this wood table, they are fantastic.

Now we are selling the heavenly Bend Seating.

With their intricate welding details and beautiful lines…

I have a feeling these are going to be pieces our grandchildren are going to be begging us to give to them. We have them in stock. Come see for yourself.

The Large City Planter on Display in the C6 House at Dwell on Design

Like most ideas, we got our inspiration from somewhere and in this instance, it was from this amazing garden done by Ketti Kupper.

I first saw the garden in, I believe, an issue of Sunset Magazine and it really made me pause at how artful it was. We thought how cool would it be to create something like this on a smaller scale, you know, for that little space everyone has between their sliding door and window or just to the left of the front door?

Ketti used brass for her installation, but we decided on 14-guage steel for it’s strength and the beauty it takes on when it patinas. We didn’t choose Corten Steel because we felt the additional cost wasn’t worth it. The point of Corten is that it weathers and then “self seals.” But in reality you still get rust stains running down the side of your house and that is exactly what we didn’t want to happen. So we chose to seal our planters with matte lacquer and then, when the sealer wears off eventually and you never get around to sealing it again because you have a life, we hung the planters on an aluminum cleat (that doesn’t rust) and floated them so they don’t actually touch the wall.

This first prototype we did we tried to patina with vinegar. The results were kind of cool, as you see here, but it worked way too slow and we realized we were going to have to find something that would patina them more quickly. We also discovered with the prototype (hence the need for prototypes) that we had to create drainage and that it needed to drain forward to further stop the possibility of any rust running down a wall.

Making things locally when we can is important to us, so we were excited to be working with a new and very talented metal artist, Isaac Correa, located in Frog Town, not 5 minutes from the store. He hooked us up with his buddy Damon Robinson of Nomad Studios and Damon tried these crazy etchings on the planters. I never realized that it was not so easy to etch onto metal without nasty chemicals, something that Damon was trying to accomplish here. In the end it didn’t prove cost effective to do the etchings but hey, you never know what we might come up with in the future.

Ultimately we did have to buy acid patina (which is what vinegar is but these were more concentrated) and they worked great except when little accidents happened like this one where we left them outside before they were sealed and it rained with a bottle sitting on one. But I love happy accidents.

And then we got the bright idea to color dip them (something I had obsessed over after seeing a blog post on The Brick House a while back). But in our world it evolved to more color blocking as the literal dipping just wasn’t possible and made a messy disaster out of the hanging cleat. But we really gave it the old college try.

But ultimately it was when we made them larger that they really took my breath away.

They’re so new we haven’t even gotten a chance to see all their possibilities yet.

I could imagine a wall of them lined up along a long entry…

Or just one perfectly lit like a painting.

We showed them at Dwell with stainless steel house numbers that we had, on a whim, purchased the night before at OSH, glued on magnets and presto, instant function. People loved them. I see the next phase of evolution, don’t you?

City Planters. Available in 12″ x 20″ or 20″ x 30″ Vertical or Horizontal