Things have been very busy/crazy at Apartment 46 (in a good way!) and I know I have been slack about keeping you updated. If you happened to pop in for a visit in the past several weeks, you may have been surprised to find my friend Donna at the desk. She was the owner of She Sells Resale on 25th for over 10 years. She sold the store this year and I have been lucky enough to have her help. I’ve been working in Menlo Park Monday through Thursday and so Donna will be helping through August and then I’ll figure out something new so I can continue to be open for you. Miss Miranda has been off enjoying her summer vacation in both Arkansas and Arizona, so my gorgeous little redhead assistant hasn’t been here to keep me on track. I’m so excited that she’s coming home!
I have been SO blessed the past several months (the car fire and explosion notwithstanding). I nearly finished a wonderful garden job in Hillsborough for Jenny, a “dream client” if I ever had one. I posted a blog about one of the two chairs I had reupholstered for her new home a little while back. I worked on her property for several weeks redistributing her plants and bushes, adding new flora and fauna and generally giving her a more cohesive but “wilder” look. We had a few mishaps – the existing sprinkler system didn’t work right, and Jenny is an exceptionally busy mother of two young children so watering an acre of land is too much to put it mildly. On the whole though, her garden is gorgeous and I’ll post the Before and After shots once the yard has settled in a bit and the plants fill out.
I then updated the backyard garden of a neighbor several houses up and I’m currently doing a ground up makeover of the front yard of my wonderful neighbors across the street, Donna and Eric. With THREE very small children, taking care of a yard is the last thing they have time to do. I’m creating something lush and lovely to complement the spanish Mission Style they love so much. Really beautiful Canna flowers are on order along with this amazing 3/8″ stone from Lyngso for the front pathway. I went to Talavera Ceramics in Berkeley to pick up two very special front garden pots hand painted in the very unique Talavera style. Expensive, yes. Out-of-this-world pretty, YES! I’ll be working on Donna’s garden for a week and then I’ll be able to post the Before and After pics for you.
I’m also doing a total front and backyard refresh for Angel and her husband Karl to turn their unusable, sad, space into a warm and inviting French Provencal style garden. Angel and I went shopping and scored a great old, distressed, painted wood cabinet to store the barbeque equipment, then we found a set of 4 authentic wood French folding chairs for impromptu paired seating under a lemon and a Eucalyptus tree. We added several vintage wrought iron hanging lanterns, a large cement urn and a vintage wood slat planter from the Apartment 46 collection to begin accessorizing the space. I’m sifting through her large collection of vessels to add smaller plantings of miniature violets and dwarf lavender here and there. I’m SO excited to see this one come to life as they have been hating their outdoor space for a very long time and want to enjoy it. Again, stay tuned for Before and After pics!
Another part of my service business that has been healthy lately is the custom painting and furniture revitalization that I offer. If you know me well, you’ll know that I am very bad about taking pics of work in progress but I promise to get better. I just finished a wonderful wall cabinet for a client who wanted a distressed beach cabin feel. She picked it up today and loved it. WHEW! It’s always tricky trying to turn my client’s visions into a reality but I give it my best based on my own design aesthetic and their wishes. Thankfully I’ve had nothin’ but love in return! đ
Finally, people often ask me if my home looks like the shop. Short answer – no. Longer answer – the shop is an extension of all the things I love, am fascinated by and appreciate.
My home is my sanctuary and other people (husband and daughter) live there besides myself and have strong design opinions of their own. I’ve created a space that is ALWAYS evolving, to the dismay of my family, and is calm, fairly spare, and very organic – lots of Danish wood, comfortable textiles, shiny objects and things with loads of love and soul like shells I’ve collected surfing and much antique religious art. Things that intrigue me most are not represented here in the store so I thought I’d post a few snapshots I’ve taken recently of what I find beautiful. It might surprise you.
As always I want to hear from you so don’t hesitate to drop by, send me a note or just call. The motto stays the same at Apartment 46 – You are always welcome here and I hope you always FEEL welcome here!
Much love,
Melisa
