Pools, Porches, Patios

Summer is here in full force. New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles has devoted their whole current issue to Summer. This is our local shelter magazine, and I think many of you would love to get it, so go ahead and subscribe. Locals can pick it up around town, at Helm Paint, Le Blvd., and other places that sell home furnishings.

Sara Essex Bradley and I had a blast shooting this story. Nine or so homes were scouted, and a lot of them made the final editorial cut. My aim in producing this story was to show the wide gamut of how people decorate their outdoor spaces, and as usual the people in New Orleans have a very distinct, and I think beautiful and exciting viewpoint.

Elegance - this incredible spa setting is in New Orleans

Sleeping porch in New Orleans

A classic front porch in New Orleans

A front porch with a twist - classic white wicker with Trina Turk fabric on the cushions

My patio - indoors is outdoors in my own quirky way - My majolica plate collection has moved outdoors, and the cushions were recovered in Chinoiserie toile (an outdoor fabric by Waverly)

Lots of old brick floors are in many New Orleans courtyards - Can you tell how much Sara and I love to have the family dog (or cat) in the shot - I say it makes a space more human

Fabulous funky party time patio in New Orleans

I styled an alfresco dining table in New Orleans with the home owners bunny rabbits

You can go online to see more New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, "Backyard Bliss".
But really you need to go get the magazine and see the gorgeous full size photos. We have an awesome art director and editor!

What have you done new this year for your pool, porch, patio, (balcony)?

Hello Dalai!

A different type of colorful flags have been popping up all over New Orleans. They are prayer flags to welcome the Dalai Lama to New Orleans!

Prayer flags to welcome the Dalai Lama in my side yard visible from the street

from the Dalai Lama website:
"In honor of this historic visit, we are inviting you, business owners and residents across the Greater New Orleans Area, to raise up colorful Tibetan prayer flags outside your homes and businesses beginning April 20, 2013 and leaving them up through May 20 as a celebration of and welcoming to His Holiness the Dalai Lama."

Tracy Thomson made a special New Orleans edition of prayer flags that made to Mount Everest - photo by Marc Pagani

Local artist and milliner Tracy Thomson made a special New Orleans edition of the prayer flags that actually made it up to Mount Everest! Tracy says, "I make them in strings of 12 flags, either in multi colors, or in traditional Tibetan colors. I call the set 'A Prayer for New Orleans', and the prayers are rebuild, recover, recycle, rejoice, etc. They're each hand made." They are out of stock, but Tracy says she is making more and they will be ready in about two weeks. Find her on her website Kabuki to get yours.

Tracy Thompson making the NOLA prayer flags in her shop Kabuki

I got the traditional ones at one of my favorite home furnishings shops, Spruce. Stop by and get a string of them and hang them up outside of your house. His Holiness The Dalai Lama arrives any day now in New Orleans.

The New Orleans prayer flags by Tracy Thomson

As we all know Buddhas of every kind have invaded home decor and fashion over the past few years. I found some rally wonderful pieces of jewelry at Trashy Diva. What a perfect time to get a ring or a pair of earrings to wear when you go see the Dalai Lama.

Wonderful Buddha rings at Trashy Diva at 2048 Magazine Street - They are made from vintage materials

Asian inspired earrings at Trash Diva at 2048 Magazine Street

How many of you have a Buddha in your house, or on a T-Shirt? I have a couple in my garden that I really love. I wonder of His Holiness The Dalai Lama will be cruising around the Irish Channel to see my prayer flags to welcome him.

I made the painting of this Pink Buddhas for my patio

This Buddha came from a restaurant and ended up in an antique shop on Magazine Street before it came to my yard - I love how it looks with all the iris pants

Hello Dalai! Welcome to New Orleans!

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Gardening The Easy Way

You know you are itching to get out and dig in the dirt, even if you are a city dweller with a pot on the fire escape.

A nice new magazine is just out, Gardening The Easy Way. It has the feeling of a vintage seed catalog, and is very useful.

From the press release:

Make this the year you succeed in the garden with expert advice and inspiring photographs harvested from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Country Living and Woman’s Day.  Whether you’ve never picked up a garden spade or you’ve been digging in the dirt forever, you’ll find useful tips and breathtaking pictures (full of ideas to steal).  Find out:

 

This Provence inspired garden uses only two plants in the knot garden, boxwood and lavender

*which always-reliable plants the pros go to first

*the best way to start an organic vegetable garden

*how to raise old-fashioned favorites like peonies, dahlias, and climbing roses

 

Love the striped shades on the porch - from Gardening The Easy Way

Plus fresh ideas for window boxes and container gardens, insider tips from gardeners across the country, and so much more.

 

Get this special edition for only $6.99, available at your supermarket or bookstore, or as a digital version at Zinio.com or Nook.bn.com.

I'm dying to try climbing roses over my garage! From Gardening The Easy Way

Love the idea of raised beds ever since Brooke Giannetti put them in in her front yard

In Gardening The Easy Way they show you how to turn your garage into a potting shed

There's a story about turning a garden shed from Lowe's into this sweet retreat

I enjoyed the entire issue. There's a feature on peonies and dahlias, two of my favorite flowers. This is one of those special little magazines that you will save forever to use as a reference and for inspiration.

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Queen Of The Night

Several years ago I spent a good part of winter in Negril, Jamaica. I was a New Yorker then, and escaping the cold was something I looked forward to every year. Because I returned to Negril many times, I experienced the small town life there.

Power outages were normal, and I would often be caught walking home at night on a pitch black road with only the stars to guide me. The stars and the sweet scent of night blooming jasmine. I got to know at what points on the road the jasmine bloomed, a kind of scented marker. I had never smelled anything like it. It even surpassed the hot house gardenias found in the flower shops in New York.

Night Blooming Jasmine

There were certain turns in the road where the jasmine was the strongest. I knew the road by daylight, and was always amazed that the scent was never revealed when the sun was up. In fact I never even saw the plant. It could be hidden behind walls, and tendrils of fragrance would catch your nose in the night air.

I didn't know then that I would end up living in a sub tropical climate, and that at certain times of the long Summers I would once again drink in the heady scent of the night blooming jasmine. In fact I have a plant in the back garden. But it's my nightly walks with Cholo that are the most enchanting. I can't see the blooming jasmine in my neighbors yards, but I can smell it.

In Jamaica, I was told to snip a bit of the Queen of the Night, and put it on my pillow for sweet dreams. In the evenings, I often bring a snippet in the house for Alberto. Sometimes I put it in a bud vase on the kitchen counter, and one little sprig will fill the kitchen with intoxicating scent. Sure enough by morning there is no fragrance, but once the sun goes down the scent magically returns.

My friend Miss Ann had night blooming jasmine in her French Quarter courtyard, and she broke off a small branch and told me to plant it in the ground. I did, and now that little piece of stick is four feet tall, and has come back after many a freeze.

Early Autumn brings the blooms scenting the soft night air. It will remain quite warm here for another month or two, but there is a subtle feeling in the scented air that the season has changed.

Where Y'At Vamp? The Yard Reveal!

If you have been reading Visual Vamp for a couple of years or so, you know I live in New Orleans, and that our home survived Katrina, and that the yard took a beating. The yard is big by city standards, and it had been neglected by the previous owner, and I had made a start at fixing it up. You can see many previous photos if you go to the right hand margin and scroll way down to "labels". Click on the label "Yards", and on the label "Outside-Gardens", and you will see my yard, front porch, etc., and several inspiration photos and ideas I have collected over the years.

Today, the reveal!

Visual Vamp patio now

Of course the elements I always use are: Working with what one has, color, art, flowers, comfort, and a sense of fun, and so it goes with this project.

Visual Vamp patio then, after Katrina

It took over five years to get to this reveal. The fence between our neighbor's home had blown down in the hurricane, and the process to rebuild took a long time. About 7 months ago, the beautiful fence was completed, and that was what I was waiting for to realize a project I had been planning and dreaming about.

A similar view to the post Katrina photo as it looks now

I had started to add rock to the beat down drive way, one bag at a time from Home Depot. I also tried to get a rock path going along the side of the house, upping it to six bags at a time. My friend Sabina and Alberto would buy me those six bags as a gift once in awhile! Needless to say it was like filling a swimming pool with an eye dropper.


A few months ago I saw a young man, Derek Brown (504 813 9428), doing some hard scape for a neighbor, and we struck up a conversation, and he came over and listened to my "I Love Lucy" schemes for dealing with crappy cracked concrete, a wood handicap ramp, a huge weed patch, some chain link gates, and my insatiable desire for a ton of rocks. As luck wold have it, Derek had a rock pile with my name on it, a surplus left from another job, and a price I could afford. He arrived with rock and a Bobcat, and the demo of the ramp and gates happened, and the rock in the driveway was put down. I was in heaven!

The back portion of my yard, had three concrete patois. It was divided into two separate spaces divided by a chain link fence and gate, creating two yards for the once double shotgun house this had been. I had the fence and gate removed to open up the space.

Painted patio floor

I have finally become a true New Orleanian! I paint cement!!!! I have always hated when people painted concrete. But here in New Orleans everyone paints their porches and patios. It took eleven years for me to get with the program!

One of the patios is raised, so I painted it the same deep hunter green that the neighbors (Julie and Larry) painted the fence. I like using green outside, the color of nature.

Four piece patio set by Martha Stewart at Home Depot

I made this patio the main sitting area. I opted for a coffee table and four comfy chairs, rather than a dining table. The coffee table has a top that comes off and becomes a fire pit. I bought this set at Home Depot on sale long before the renovation started. I know you know what I mean when I tell you I was stockpiling it for the future. It's by Martha Stewart. It came with the cushions, and it is very nice quality.

River rock covers a cracked concrete patio

Other elements on the patio are art, lighting, plants, a bar. I covered the lower cracked concrete patio with river rock. I love the pea gravel used in European gardens, but I opted for the larger river rock.

Rope lighting and lanterns are nice at night

Yes Patricia, there is a modest fountain now!

Every garden needs a tranquil Buddha, or a Virgin Mary statue, so I thought I would add oversize art to the patio, and paint a huge Buddha. I call it "Pink Buddha". I thought to use pink as an accent color in honor of the 2011 color of the year. I started with some little pink plastic folding tables ($10. each), pink flowers and foliage, and pink fabric in the pillows.

I painted this pink Buddha!

The third patio is in front of the back door we use, the garage, and a shed, so I did not put rock here. I painted it another shade of green, and also painted the two back doors a third green. The rock is held in place by a gray bricks that were laid out in a serpentine pattern. There's also another Buddha here, a glow-in-the-dark one that my friend Jack gave me for my 60th birthday. We think it came from a Chinese restaurant. Jack found it in a store on Magazine Street that sells vintage and antique things, and I just love it and have used it in several rooms in the house, but I think he looks swell on the new patio.

Serpentine placement of gray brick contain the rock bed
I spy the Buddha Jack gave me!

Patio in front of garage and shed is painted Martini Olive green

The bar and the lighted "@" sign
As in Where it's at!

The bright green back door

Trina Turk pillow from Etsy

Planters with bamboo sticks in front of AC unit

I had some funky planters that I put bamboo sticks into to screen the air conditioner. I'm not fooling anyone that the huge AC unit is there, but it is a little cuter! I had a collection of bird houses that I was ready to get rid of, but I used them as a "screen" on another side of the AC unit.

Funky bird houses

All of this has been happening at a crazy pace, because our home is on a house tour on Saturday!

We even did a quick fix on the attic window that Katrina blew out. We painted the plywood, put back the old window trim we saved, and hung a fragment of an old iron gate I had picked up years ago because I thought it was cute, and had it stashed in my shed for use one day!

The attic window quick fix

The front porch got spiffed up too. The porch floor (it's concrete) got the dreaded paint job, in this case an opaque concrete stain, and all the fence and railings were painted too.

Porch and steps and gates were painted
The spots are the Spring falling of pollen

I replaced all the outdoor rugs with some new ones from perch. (504 899-2122), and edited the furniture.

A fun vintage yellow Eames chair was added

New indoor/outdoor rugs from perch. - 504 899 2122

Entree des artistes!

The river rock driveway

Gray bricks contain the rock

The driveway ends at the lawn

After all the rock was down, I had to decide what to do with a huge ghetto weed patch. I considered fake grass, until all you bloggers screamed NO, beware of dog pee! I could have extended the rock to the garage, which would make sense if cars went into the garage. But cars have never been in this garage. It was used as a card party room by the original owners, and a workshop by subsequent owners. Alberto uses it as workshop.

And there was another family member to consider! It's Cholo! Cholo needed grass to play on! And it is so nice to have a patch of grass in a city setting.

Cholo says he needs some grass to play on

St. Augustine sod was laid down just before Mardi Gras, and it was a little brown and patchy. But the feed store said it would fill in, to water it, and I have done that and babied it, and Cholo's lawn is getting more lush with every day. I was told it would look pretty good by April, and by the miracle of nature, it is!

Pink flowers down the 100 year brick sidewalk

Another candidate for river rock was an area on the other side of the house, what I call the breezeway. The 100 year old brick was a mess, and it would have been easy to cover it up. But in the end I opted to restore it the best it could be, wanting to see and walk on those old bricks for another 100 years.

I added the visual design element of repetition by hanging multiple baskets of pink petunias. Oh that it could be the giant Kartell Misses Flower Power vases! But I think this looks charming, and a surprise awaits at the end of the path. Remember I said I took another chain link gate down at the beginning of this walkway. I wanted the passer by to peer down the old brick walkway, and see a fountain at the far end, my Valentine to the secret courtyards in The French Quarter.



My dreams for the house involve ripping off the plastic siding and restoring the old cypress boards, and rebuilding the old window and door frames, and putting shutters back on the house.
All I need is fifty thousand dollars ha ha. Alberto and I have done all the DIY projects that we are capable of, so maybe the siding will never get done. So I keep the house clean and in as good of repair as possible.

100 year old Sweet Olive tree near an entrance of the house
Sweet Olive is traditionally placed at an entrance,
it's beautiful fragrance to welcome all who enter

So this is what has taken me away from blogging! Alberto and I are so happy with the yard. As the trees and plants grow back after the Winter frost, it will look even prettier. We look forward to hanging out, and invite you all to come and sit a spell, and toss the ball to Cholo!

Driveway gates and iron fence got a paint job

Special thanks to neighbors Julie and and Larry on one side, and Deb and Michael on the other side, and Jack for helping me paint, and Derek and his helper Scott for never laughing at my ideas, and always making them a reality, and mostly to Alberto who is always cheerful when I ask him to build, fix, or install, and for telling me he loves the home I have made for us, and that he appreciates my dynamic decor style.