Let me start out by making clear that I am not an exhibitionist. As a small child, I have fond memories of coming back from the beach sandy and a bit sunburned but eagerly looking forward to the outdoor shower (or “plein air”, as I like to call it). It was the only one in the rented bungalow! Never mind that there were often a dozen of us in need of washing off the sand and suntan lotion…it was worth…
When we bought our Big Sur home, it came with permits for two studios. We have been working on one of them. When it is completely finished, I will do a blog on the before and after as we await more permits. Last month, I ordered a sofa from RH. (As I’ve mentioned before, RH is one of the only companies that will deliver here!) According to the RH site, it wouldn’t fit through the doorway of the studio. My…
Big Sur has something I like to call the “funk factor”. The creativity is off the charts, and often it is out of necessity. With the closest hardware store an hour away and frequent road closures due to mudslides, people learn to make do with what is available and it often leads to creative solutions. Our contractor Brendan Wahl is just such a person. He has lived in the area all his life and to him there aren’t problems, only…
You know how when you improve one part of your home, it makes the other parts look tired and old? That’s exactly what happened with our deck. We were told we could likely get another few years out of it, and so we had put it on the back burner along with a kitchen remodel. Fast forward ten months, we had new windows, siding , and outdoor furniture. The deck stuck out like a sore thumb! It was old redwood…
After a very wet winter (over 50″ of rainfall) it has been a beautiful spring at The Big Sur House. The poppies and wildflowers are blooming and there is a veritable small green field in front of our deck! Next spring I’m going to toss a bunch of wildflower seed and hope for even more flowers. Of course, lest you think it is perfect, poison oak and ticks are in great abundance and seem to have an affinity for me.…
A lot of bad things have happened to some good people I know lately. A decor post just didn’t feel right this week. I could go into a long list of sad and tragic events, but instead I just want to say live the moment for we don’t know what tomorrow (or even the next minute) will bring. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth the effort. I will continue to have faith and a positive attitude. Thank you for…
After visiting Big Sur for 15 years, and now a happy home owner, I am still in awe of the incredible scenery to be found just off of Highway 1. It’s been a wet and wild winter with over 10″ of rain at a time. Don’t get me wrong, California still needs the rain and we are appreciative of every drop…just not all at once. When we do get a few dry days, I head up to our home in…
It’s almost impossible for me to believe that we first laid eyes on The Big Sur House in late January of 2018. By March 1st it was ours and the work began. I thought it would be fun to look back to a year ago and see the changes and progress that we’ve made. There is still much to be done, but we’ve come a long way, baby! It was a sunny and unseasonably warm January day when we went…
There is so much beauty in Big Sur, it can hardly be contained in a single blog post! This is part 2 of a series of winter photos I took. Many of these were taken at Garrapata State Park. It is almost 3,000 acres and can be reached by numerous turnouts along Highway 1. The word ‘garrapata’ means tick in Spanish and the park is aptly named! Ticks are numerous in Big Sur and one should always check themselves carefully…
Winter is my favorite season in California. That may sound strange as it is also our rainy season, however, most Californians love the rain as it is such a rare occurrence the rest of the year. After one or two storms, everything begins to turn green again. The air is crisp and clear without the marine layer/fog that persists in the summer. The surf can get huge and is quite a sight to behold. What I love most are the…