New Outdoor Loggia Curtains

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I’ve been all about outdoor decorating lately.  I guess because we are spending so much time outside my focus has been out there.  It was a beautiful weekend here and hubby and I spent Saturday morning hanging the new Sunbrella drapes from Ballard Designs.   I love them!

This is the view from the door leading out to the loggia.

We have a problem with the evening sun coming in strong under the loggia and I’ve been wanting to try these curtains for awhile.  They add a soft quality to all the hardscape and I am so far thrilled with them.  

I’m able to loosely tie them to the columns when not in use or let them down when we need them to block the sun.  So simple and yet so effective.

So far I ordered 5 panels to try on the ends. I love them so much I’m going to order 3 more and put them in the center around the middle column, too.  I think Ballard Designs still has a sale going on.  I hope so!!!

They were easy to hang.  The outdoor rods are really just like standard rods with brackets.  The curtains themselves have grommets and the fabric is a nice middle weight.

It feels like more of a room with the curtains.

You should have seen me trying to steam these bad boys (they were so wrinkled from their packaging!).  I brought out my large indoor steamer and went to work.  They were so tall that I even stood on a step ladder and put the steamer in a chair so the hose would reach.  It was too funny.

 I really need some kind of outdoor artwork on the wall over the sofa to break up all the brick.  I’m looking at Horchow and Grandin Road.  I’ll keep you posted on what I decide.  I don’t want any more ironwork.  I’m thinking more of an outdoor canvas painting that adds a pop of color.  I really like the lime green pillows and pool lounge chair cushions.

This is the wall where I had my French lavabo hanging and we just removed it.  Not sure where I’m going to use it now, but I know I’ll find a spot.

In case you’re wondering, that’s a decorative tile insert on the floor. 

Yep, I definitely need to add more panels to the center column.  

Did I mention I love them?  They’re definitely keepers.  My hubby will be glad he doesn’t have to take them down and send them back!!!

Guess who was laying in the sun?

I’m headed to the Haven Conference next week!  I can’t wait!!!

Blessings,

Kim

Linking up to these great parties.  Please check them out:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Cowgirl Up! at Cedar Hill Ranch

Tuesday’s Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

WOW! Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Did Anyone Say “Trésors”?

There is so much inspiration in blogland that it blows my mind sometimes. It’s fun to watch certain design movements create such artistic excitement. There was a time I might have passed up these yummy morsels for “bigger” things, but now I see a simple beauty that definitely labels them as treasures.   Although I usually shop for larger home décor items and antiques (statement pieces), sometimes I just like to browse and find really neat small things that don’t have a lot of monetary value, but are just “cool”!

On a recent treasure hunt outing, here is what I came up with and I simply adore these finds.

An early vintage softball. Can you believe it? No, not splayed, this is it’s original cover and it’s stamped. My daughter just finished her senior year of softball and she thought it was so cool. It will look good in a glass jar or one of my giant clamshells and it reminds me of her.  This has to be the coolest thing I’ve found in a while.

Check out the variety of  skeleton keys. These will come in handy for projects. Oh, and the little cut glass salt shaker with mother of pearl top. It’s to die for. I think it calls for German glass glitter.

This English graphic is amazing. Nice little crock that can stand on it’s own with a label like this.

Two precious milk glass pieces and the most beautiful blue bottle marked Made in Belgium.  It will make a gorgeous summer vase for a fresh flower bouquet from the garden.

Oh, the ideas are running through my head.  Here’s to simplistic beauty.

It’s the little things in life, right?

Hoping you find all sorts of “trésors”.

Blessings,

Kim

Linking up to:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Knick of Time Tuesday at Knick of Time Interiors

La Belle Époque Backyard Tour

It is a beautiful sunny morning here on the ridge, and I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera and snapping some photos of the backyard and gardens.  It is such a relaxing oasis for us and we are very fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing scenery in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

I’ll show you the back today and post about the front later.  There’s lots of landscaping.  Here is a view of the back of our house.  Please forgive the glare of the sun….

There are stairs to the left (which takes you to the garden overlook) and right (which takes you to the garage side of the house).

Last year our backyard was featured on Pikeville’s Garden Tour.

Let’s start with the left side.  This is the view as you come to the top of the stairs. We had the cobbled stone laid in a couple different places on the property.  This gate leads you to our side yard.

And, there’s the bench we sit on that overlooks Pikeville.

The city of Pikeville below.  Yes, we really do live on top of a mountain.

This is the view as you are sitting on the bench.

This is the only magnolia tree that I have and it sits just outside the sunroom window.  It is getting ready to bloom although you can’t tell in this photo.  Love my cherub statue.

Headed back down the steps.

Reclaimed log with an artisan made concrete leaf.  I like to have cool things hidden in the landscape.  They add an unexpected surprise and excite the senses when found.

Looking toward the pool house.

All of the stone is bluestone.  The planter on the wall is made from an antique piece of French iron fencing and a vintage French copper gutter (which you can’t see because of the flowers).  The daisies are beginning to bloom.

The pool is concrete and gunite with a raised hot tub.  The waterfall is one of my favorite features.  It has such a soothing sound.  My husband and I like to say it’s a small pool or a large water feature!  We’d already had pools with diving boards and slides in the past, and didn’t want that type to maintain when the kids left home.  So I guess it’s more of a grown-up pool.

This is the dog run, although Murphy never runs.  LOL  He reminds us that Cavaliers are definitely lap dogs who like to lay around.

Looking back toward the house.

Some of our property over the hill.

I’m gonna have to replace that icky looking umbrella.  The sun has faded it terribly.  When it is raised it has lights underneath that look pretty at night. 

The lavender is shooting up and looks like it is going to do well again this year.

Here is what we call the garden wall.  The roses were blooming during prom, but aren’t doing so well now.

This is a late 1800s poly-chromed terra cotta freize that came from an old building in Chicago.  You can see it came in pieces and our stone mason was nervous about tiling it into the new stonework.  But, I love architectural details like this and had to have it when we found it at Architectural Salvage in Louisville.

All of the hot tub, outdoor kitchen, and garden wall stonework was cut, chiseled, and laid by hand in separate individual pieces.

Steps to the hot tub.  The lavender smells so good.

Our landscaper used a lot of large boulders in the landscape that came from the back of the house when they were excavating.

The outdoor kitchen area.

It’s not very big, but we were able to add a sink, an outdoor cooktop in addition to the grill, and an under the counter refrigerator. This set of furniture is by Gloster.  It’s probably my favorite outdoor furniture and is made in England.

This is the loggia.  We love to hang out here in the evenings when all of the outdoor lighting and pool lights are on.

Most all of the other furniture pieces are either Lloyd Flanders or from the French company Fermob.   I really need to get new cushions next year!!!

These are the stairs to the right leading to the garage side of the house.

There’s a large field to the left and this is where we took some of the prom pictures of the group of kids.

Coming back down the stairs.

Murphy and Ollie checking out the water temperature!  You can rest assured neither one will jump in!

I have basil growing on the balcony for fresh summer caprese salads.

I showed you my hydrangeas in the front yard yesterday, but these are potted on the balcony.

The fencing around most of the property is aluminum, but we wanted something special for the balcony and had this wrought iron design custom made with gold fleur-de-lis.

And, lastly the view from the balcony. I have coffee out here a lot on summer mornings.  The balls in the pool are stainless steel and make for great pool decorations when we are entertaining.  I think I got them from CB2 a couple years ago.

It is a privilege to live in the Appalachian Mountains.  We see deer, turkey, and fox regularly here on the ridge.  But they are safe…..there’s no hunting allowed in the city limits!!!

BTW….for those of you who watched the Hatfields & McCoys mini-series starring Kevin Costner on the History Channel this past week, I live in THE Pikeville where a lot of the feud took place.  I can just about see the Dils Cemetery where Randall and Sarah McCoy are buried from my house and the original courthouse still stands downtown.   Lots of history here…

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend,

Kim

Linking up to:

Favorites on the First: Gardens at The Polo House

Garden  Tour Linky Party at Jennifer Rizzo