Monday, June 26

[gottawonder]

Today I am grateful for:

More beautiful warm weather.

I went to town today for pottery. I threw two hopefully mugs, and a really nice vase.

Two others showed up shortly before I was finishing up, but it was nice to see them.

Nice to be done a little early (I got there a little early, for me) so that I didn't have a mad panic to get to the grocery store.

I saw a beautiful little fawn and it's mother on the grounds of the building where our pottery studio is housed. There are quite a few deer that live in that area, and big rabbit.

I then went to get groceries, and ended up also buying some clearance shrubs and plants. The shrubs I might plant where I am hoping to mulch near the house, and the plants will go to the perennial bed by the garden.

The grocery shopping was mentally taxing, as the whole store is disorganized as they are doing store wide rearranging and renovation, so nothing is where it used to be, the layout (where it is complete) has changed drastically, and it's just WORK trying to find my usual items. That store had been exactly the same for the whole time I've shopped there, which is kind of what I liked about it. I knew where everything was.

Oh well, I know I'll figure it out. It's just nice to be able to go into a store and go on autopilot because you know the layout.

I came home and put it all away, and let everyone out for a while.

I learned about Usonia; a planned community that Frank Lloyd Wright helped design. It is now a historic district, and the houses are protected.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usonia_Historic_District

Comments

[ratunderpaper]

One of the houses, Toyhill, was on the market a few years ago for $1.5M - that's the price of a tiny starter home here. It is quite lovely on the outside... probably not to the average American's taste on the inside.

Clearance shrubs and plants are the best! I'm planting some today!

[gottawonder]

It seems like that would be such a lovely neighborhood to live in; the curving roads and lots of space and trees. As you say though, maintaining the house decor FOREVER would be a nuisance.

[ratunderpaper]

It's the kind of house that is more museum than home; you'd better be living and breathing Frank Lloyd Wright 24-7 to do the place justice.

I've visited some "lovely on the outside" houses in this neighbourhood that were built at the turn of the last century, but often the interiors are grey, white and soulless.

My neighbour bought a 1914 farmhouse that had been turned into a Tuscan villa by a gardener couple. The yard was beautiful, but the Tuscan theme did not work inside the house. She spent a year and a half bringing her own vision to the house, and it is now quite lovely. It is much more upscale and refined than you might expect a farmhouse to be, but every detail is well-conceived and well-crafted. I will ask her for another tour one of these days. I like looking in people's homes.

[gottawonder]

Your friend sounds very talented.

Our place has lovely bones, but I am no decorator. I know that when we are done, it will look "fine", but will likely not inspire anyone.

Some people really like grey and soulless, and I suppose they would be very happy then in one of those houses.

[ratunderpaper]

My friend had a vision and she hired a talented designer. I've only worked with a designer once - to design this kitchen over 20 years ago - otherwise, it's all just winging it.

I think some people are comfortable in safe decorating: colours that are not bold, furnishings that do not make a statement, accessories that do not express personality. Safe and neutral are seen as tasteful, but there is a lack of interest.

Studio McGee made white-on-white very popular, and the trend is only now beginning to ebb.