A San Francisco Office Space: Inspired By The Gold Rush

For the past few months, Cocoon Home has been decorating a San Francisco office space for a venture capital firm with a Barbary Coast/Gold Rush theme.  The building is located the part of the city that gave birth to the Barbary Coast, which in its heyday was known as a red light district.  This was also the time the California Gold Rush of 1849 began bringing thousands of miners looking for gold and opportunity, hence the combination of the two themes.

Wanting to pay homage to the area's history and California's entrepreneurial spirit, the partners wanted the space to reflect a bit of its colorful past.  Careful not to go overboard with the themes, Cocoon Home used reclaimed wood, a mix of metals, steam trunks and art that reflected the era as well as modern accents and vibrant botanicals to lend the offices a contemporary feel. Take a look:

Before And After: A Renter's Garden & Tips On Creating One

Almost every time I drop by to see my mother-in-law, Natalia,  I feel drawn into her garden.  It's full of personality just like the rest of her home.   Granted,  she rents, but that doesn't stop her from transforming the small outdoor space into her own private haven.  Since she has been a passionate gardener for most of her life, finding a rental with an outdoor area was of the utmost importance.  When she first moved into the cottage (almost 2 years ago), its small yard was lifeless, barren and depressing.   Now it's slowly becoming verdant (drought permitting) and alive.  Utilizing lots of ceramic pots, a wide array of plants and a few interesting accents she has managed to extend the indoors out.  I asked Natalia to give us a few pointers on creating an inviting outdoor space as a renter.  She shares them below.

1.   Use pots to display the more interesting, pricier plants.  If or when you decided to move, you can take them with you wherever life takes you.

2.   Mix plant materials that are compatible with each other visually and physiologically, i.e. requiring the same amount of shade or sunlight and degrees of humidity or dryness.

3.   Whenever possible use plants indigenous to your geographical zone for ecological reasons or exotic plants that would thrive in your climate.

4.   Don't be afraid to use flea market finds such as mirrors or chandeliers to add whimsy and character to your outdoor space.

5.   Repurpose accessories from previous homes.  The guardian angel plaque has accompanied me through my last 5 moves[!!]

6.   Do plant things in the ground, especially if they will enhance the appearance of your rental.  I am in love with the Pampas grass I planted in the front of the cottage.  It wasn't expensive and it added movement and softness to the rigidity of the containers around it.

7.   Create seating or lounging areas that will encourage you to spend time outdoors, whether it's reading, meditating or just sipping good wine.

8.   Attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies to your little corner of the world by choosing flowers and shrubs that welcome life and color to it.

9.   If your outdoor space is limited, utilize walls and fences as backdrops for vertical gardens.  Dramatic and showy, they provide great focal points.

10.  Be patient (mind you, not MY best quality).  The drought, or the floods, or the bug infestations will pass, and your garden, albeit rented, will eventually live up to your initial visions for it.

'Til Monday: 5 Friday Favorites

 

Images:  1./2./3./4./5.

Featured In Australian 'Inside Out' Magazine:

This is super exciting!  Natalia's vertical [folding screen] garden has been featured in Australia’s Inside Out Magazine's March issue.  After seeing this post, an editor contacted me for an upcoming article on creative and inspiring ways to incorporate Nature into the home.  I immediately obliged and have been patiently waiting for its release.  At last, here it is among other great indoor gardening ideas.  Congratulations, Natalia, for inspiring so many with your love for plants!

To see more of Natalia's work click here.

Vertical Gardening On A Folding Screen

Staying true to her love for botanicals inside the home, my mother-in-law transformed an Art Nouveau screen that she found many years ago into a vertical garden.  By using several Woollypocket's living wall planters she created a garden that's not only vertical but 3-dimensional and artsy.  Take a look:

This is the first stage of Natalia's vertical garden, and she would like to thank Alex for its installation.  As the plants thrive and grow, the planters will become invisible and a lush wall of shade loving plants will grace her bedroom.  This project inspired future ones, so stay posted for more of Cocoon Home's botanical designs.

Soon I will reveal more of Natalia's California home on The Way We Live.  Stay tuned for that as well.