propane fireplace on a Caesar Stone pedestal

guest bedroom - takes advanage of natural light all day

ironwood decking is termite and fire resistant
Sycamore House is surrouded by native plants and Syscamore trees

images: NY Times

The eyes have it

Cheers for the nifty juxtaposition at Stanford Art Spaces. You've got the compelling, slightly creepy faces in paintings by Kenney Mencher (one of my favorite local artists), and the compelling, slightly creepy faces in paintings by Lynn Rubenzer (one of my new favorite artists). It's like hooking up two wild friends you just knew would get along. Ha. Then they burn down your house.

People are always telling secrets in Mencher's paintings. In Rubenzer's "The Inquiry" (above right), it looks like the secret is too ooky to tell -- but the gang is still leaning in with horrified fascination in case someone decides to confess.

It's a pleasure to sidle up close to these paintings; you can feel the whisper tickling your ear in Mencher's "Art Amnesia" (above, detail), and sense it in the warm, almost embarrassing glow suffusing the woman's face.

Rubenzer must have had fun with "French Doors" (above, detail), in which a warren of a city crowds onto the panels of two windows-slash-doors. It's a sort of reverse-Magritte realism that gets another dimension here: This work is up between two yellow windows in a nanotech facility. As you walk along the long hall, you catch glimpses of workers in bunny suits, more workers, Rubenzer's city, and more workers. Double-take.

Upstairs, Rubenzer's "House of Spades" (above, detail) gets the prime position in a break area cluttered with tables and chairs. Prime? Yep: It's across from a tall window that lets in cool natural light, bringing out the generous, thick, dig-your-fingers-in texture of the paint. Maybe no one will notice if you touch it.

Photos by Rebecca Wallace

The love of Teak

When I think of teak I think of far off tropics in southeast Asia. Teak is used extensively there as a wood for furniture. I love its use in an outdoor environment where it takes on a soft patina as it ages. Its highly resistant to termites and rot and takes on a soft gray in color with weather exposure. Reclaimed and recycled teak have become extremely popular in the US and Europe. It's a highly durable tropical wood that only gets better with time.

The teak deck adds a place to relax among this Indian garden pool.I understand why this homeowner in Oakland, CA preferred reclaimed teak for a backyard gazebo over using wood from a big box store.
image: NY Times

Reclaimed teak from Indonesia is used for floorboards in this Minnesota house. The weathered boards add to the old world charm.
image: NY Times

Teak is a popular wood for Indian furniture makers. I would use these chairs in a sun room, patio setting or any room where I want to add a rustic element. White cotton canvas cushions add sophistication or a floral print for a casual feel.

Time to Spring !

Now that we've officially sprung into spring and the days are a bit warmer, at least they are in the mid-Atlantic, I'm feeling the need to see more green and florals in decor as well as plants and flowers. Yes, trees are showing the tiniest of buds and the smallest of shoots are coming forth in the garden so there's nothing tangible yet to bring inside. In a few weeks I'll be able to force a few branches and clip a few daffodils.

What I've loved to do for years is decorate with plants and visit my favorite wholesale floral shop in Alexandria. Decorating with plants is a year round way to take the edge off the sparseness of winter. It's a great way to commune with living things inside when its gloomy and cold outside. The great benefit of decorating with plants is improved air quality...you're creating a micro climate. Air quality is increased the more plants you have in a space. But, don't create a jungle! Trim, water, feed and displace to visually enhance your environment. Cut flowers can also add color and warmth to a room like nothing else....they're the accessory that adds the greatest impact for the least cost. Think of cleaver and creative ways to table scape and pull it all together with flowers and plants!

image: NY Times

A little night music

We were happy to spend a recent evening with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra in Palo Alto -- a free concert, well worth a Saturday night.

I already knew conductor Ben Simon is a hoot to interview (for instance, musicians' bios can be staid, but his gives the alias "Boris Slowbowsky" and says he was once arrested smuggling plutonium out of Kazakhstan). Nice, too, to see the satisfying melange he can stir together: a velvety flute of Vivaldi; a hearty helping of Bach; a dash of salty Roberto Sierra; and some spicy-sweet Joaquin Turina.

Guitarist David Tanenbaum was featured, and his strains were a powerful surprise in Vivaldi's "Guitar Concerto in A Major," originally written for the lute. They brought a sprightly kick to the Allegro, while Simon swayed like a dancer before the orchestra.

I had more trouble with Sierra's "Pequeno Concierto for Guitar and Five Instruments," which is distinctly modern (1998). There was too much dissonance for me, too many jagged rhythms; it was hard to find a foothold. But my father, sitting in front of me, listened with rapt interest, and later pronounced the piece his favorite of the night. He's a painter, and for him the music conjured up visions of abstract canvases.

In Bach's Piano Concerto in F Minor, seventh-grader Audrey Vardanega captivated on the piano, playing with a composed maturity so fluid that I could practically feel the keyboard under my own fingers.

I also enjoyed Turina's "La Oracion del Torero," in which the composer captures the excitement, fear and fervency of bullfighters praying before entering the ring. Its end reminded me of why I'm so passionate about the performing arts -- and why nothing can compare with seeing a performance live.

The last note was ethereal, providing a perfect resolution to the highly emotional piece. As the note died away, some people in the audience sighed, "Ahh." That was exactly how I felt, and knowing I was sharing the feeling with fellow music lovers made the moment all the richer.

Pictured: Audrey Vardanega. Photo from the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra's website, http://www.sfchamberorchestra.org/.

Foyer

The foyer is more than a place to enter, gather oneself before proceeding on. The foyer is a place to be welcomed, greeted... a place to anticipate what happens next and you observe your surroundings. That's why a foyer should always be warm and inviting... a place to tell your guest you're in a safe place, you can relax. There's more in store for you to enjoy as you're invited in.... welcome.

Time Out

Doesn't it always seem extra special when you attend an event outside? Whether under a canopy, a safari tent or under the stars, just the thought of dining outdoors sets the expectation of an event full of grandeur and simple elegance.

image: NY Times

image: NY Times