Inside Out

For this very, very brief moment in time, the weather in Austin is perfect. Last week dumped buckets of needed rain on the city, leaving such swaths of pastoral verdure (not to be confused with its close friend manure) all around town that I fully expect to see a flock of sheep crossing Congress Avenue whenever I drive downtown. It's so lush and atypically green that I want to live outside all day long. And so the Hunny and I have worked in the yard, barbecued, dined al fresco on patios, and generally lounged like lizards in the sun. All this is well and good, but by the end of the week it's going to be in the mid 90's (yep, it's Texas) and the glory of air conditioning will be our only saving grace. I think what I really need is a glass house so that I can enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors from the temperate, bug free comfort of the cushy indoors.

I suppose this would do for a start.

The Jodlowa House in Krakow, Poland, would suit my need for an interrupted view, plus it has a few added amenities that I think I could make quick use of.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I have lived my entire life without an indoor pool. I have obviously been sorely deprived.

It's ok to be naked in front of the tiny woodland creatures, right? I dream of having a house with neighbors so far away that curtains are totally superfluous.

Also, I feel that if I had such an awesome view, my fingers would be magically inspired to bust out some Beethoven -- never mind that I am musically challenged.

Still I personally like a little more pizazz in my pad, so I'm all about the L House designed by Philippe Stuebi.

I'm not usually into big box houses -- generally preferring low, sprawling structures -- but this house has a seductive mix of light and color that makes me want to break in and lock out the owners. Shouldn't be that hard to get into a glass house, right?

Hubba hubba, do you see what I see?

Yes, that is a glass walled LIBRARY, folks.

And I really don't have the guts to paint a room fuchsia, but it looks so fabulous in an architecturally appropriate setting.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle keeping me from living the outdoor dream is my damn computer, which I am tethered to 24/7. A glassy office would at least allow me to daydream about escape.

I think the most practical solution to that particular dilemma would be to construct a glass office in the woods like this one, designed by Iwan Baan.

Don't these poor workers look like they are suffering terribly, what with the sunny yellow floors, mod furnishings and gorgeous views? Alright, maybe it's better that I don't work here, because I'm quite sure I would be too distracted by the beauty to get anything done.

Luckily, there is an escape hatch for when the going gets tough. Wouldn't want anyone to feel cooped up, now would we?

Since my yard is actually starting to look like this, I think I'm going to use my own escape hatch (ok, plain old door) and do some relaxing outside before the temperature becomes insanely unbearable and the mosquitoes carry me away. Ah, sweet, sweet nature.

Moroccan Slumber Party

Last week, Sherri requested that we post more bathrooms.  I was all geared up to fulfill that request today, however, whilst searching the interweb for glorious potty pics, I stumbled upon a Riad in Morocco that was so stunning I had to do the unthinkable:  give a raincheck to a fellow blogger. So sorry, Sherri, I promise to post bathroom decor porn next week.

There's lots to love in this Moroccan guesthouse, the tile, the wood work, the greenery.  But what I adore most of all is that you can sleep outside without having to deal with, well, the outside.

I LOVE sleeping outdoors but I absolutely HATE camping.  My idea of a perfect night's sleep is on a comfy daybed on a screened in porch during a moderately warm summer night by the ocean.  See:  I'm outside, but totally protected from the bugs and the elements.  I may even have a latch-hook on my screen door, so there.

Each of the rooms in this space is openly connected to the outdoor courtyard but (yay!) they have real beds and roofs.

Enough small talk, let's collectively drool:

I know you all remember the time we had make-believe ladies night at the Goldbar, and the other time we went out for cocktails at the Barcelona Ravel, right?  Well, from here on out, whenever we go pretend camping, this is where we will be staying.

Ok, You Got Me, It's Officially Spring

Welcome to the first day of Spring, everyone.  I know I was Debbie Downer mid week with all my talk of snow fall and icy slopes.  But I got my fix and I'm ready to admit what the calendar tells me is true:  it is officially spring.  The Southern California-esque weather here in Austin is absolute perfection and I'm not so mad to see my plants coming back to life.  Of course, I would be really, really not mad if my yard looked a thing like I want it to.  While I am blessed with a lush layer of deeply saturated green grass, and have a few trees to hold up my hammock, my yard is light years away from the landscaped wonder of my dreams. While I have confidence in my interior design choices, landscaping is an entirely different story:  plants and yard layouts are magical beasts that I can't quite figure out how to tame.  Whenever I talk with one of my plant-friendly pals I simply say "I want my yard to look like the Hotel San Jose"

The San Jose is an adorable hotel made up of several bungalows here in Austin.  The cocktail patio outback is open to all, not just hotel guests and is one of my favorite spots to get a drink (psst, try the champassion, it will rock your face off).  Cool cocktails on hot summer nights are just a front:  I really go to this place to admire the landscaping.

None of these photos do the space the justice it deserves, but trust me when I say:  it is freekin awesome.  Until now, I did not know who the genius was behind the landscaping, I didn't even think to look it up.  I suppose I assumed that grounds so lovely just magically appeared after the Gods waved their hands over the land or something.  I guess I was wrong.  There is a designer, and he has a name:

Meet Mark Word.  While I had never heard of him before today, almost every outdoor space in Austin that I adore can be traced back to him.  His mix of wild grasses, over sized agave, and invasive (but stunning!!) ivy have me week at the knees.  

Uhhhh!!! My dream front yard.  My house is on a small hill, so this vision isn't totally unreasonable.  Well, unless you factor in the whole Karly doesn't understand how to layout plants thing.  I think it's a fair guess to assume that Mark's services are out of my price range, but what if I were to ply him with vodka? 

I tore this image out of a magazine ages ago, not realizing that it was even in Austin, much less the work of my new yard hero.  I would love to have a little cubby bench surrounding loose gravel behind my house.

Or, maybe a little grassy platform is right for me?  I love how he mixes structured spaces with wild growth.

While several of you may be able to attest to my dislike for water features, especially when they involve fish or loud motors, but I find his custom metal pieces quite charming.  Ok, I'm starting to see a formula surface:  rusted industrial + minimal structure + some wild native Texas crap= Karly's heart literally bleeds.  Maybe I can try to pull this off on my own?

Ok, maybe I can't do this myself.  This is another picture I tore out ages ago, from a different magazine than the last one I pointed out.  Seriously, how did I not figure out who this guy was?  Oh, and just incase you're wondering, here's what the front of the house pictured above looks like:

Funny story:  I actually made the final decision to buy the house I live in now because my entry walkway is not unlike the one pictured above.  Just a thousand times less cool.

This seems a bit more attainable, but still light years beyond my landscaping ability.  So if any of you readers out there happen to know Mr. Word, and, if, by chance he owes you a favor, how about you go ahead and hook a sister up?