Exterior Archives

Uncontrived, lush with exotica and featuring ponds and porticos, stonework and sculpture, “garden” actually seems too provincial a term for the hybrids of function and fantasy that Grace creates. Hers is a fine eye and a remarkable hand. “As a licensed landscape contractor, I build what I design,” she says. “That’s when my work took a big leap forward. There is no separation between design, installation, and maintenance, it’s all one and happens on a continuum. Unless it’s integrated, it doesn’t work—period.” This is how she thinks too, both pragmatically and painterly. Much like an artist, she uses “broad and fine brushstrokes” to transform a two-dimensional canvas into a three-dimensional work of art. And in a systematic fashion; first is attending to infrastructure beneath the ground, then to its surface with the layering of elements. Rocks, for instance, are not so much placed as they are selected and then worked such that their shadows will cause additional depth or bring color forward. From there the garden grows. One also sees this artistry in Grace’s exquisite new tome Private Gardens of Santa Barbara: The Art of Outdoor Living (Gibbs Smith), a rapturous showcase of her elegant outdoor Edens, from rustic to coastal to modern. Each of the book’s made-to-age milieus represents a temple of residential garden know-how and is illustrative of nonderivative design that reflects the character of the native landscape. “The Art of Outdoor Living” idea certainly accounts for the substantial exterior living rooms and heated floors of our era. “About 10 percent of outdoor living comes down to ‘my fort is cooler than your fort,’” Grace refreshingly confesses. But at the root, “it is a way to describe a lifestyle connected to nature.” For Grace, who went from toiling in the family garden to forsaking a career in medicine after a 13-week stint as a park ranger proved she’d long lost her heart to the natural world, this is the point. “Step outside and you hear birdsong, you smell water evaporating. It’s a rich and simple experience, but relaxed and comfortable. We take a deep breath and feel better. It’s so automatic we don’t even think of it, but it is a very profound thing. It’s experiential, there is intentionality to it.” Landscape as soul, nature as a relief—what a thing of beauty. gracedesignassociates.com Photos: Grace Design Associates And Holly Lepere Johnson (Home).

3 minute read

A Lush New Tome: Margie Grace Cultivates Exquisite Gardens

ByJenn Thornton
May 14, 2020

Landscape designer and author of a lush new tome, Margie Grace cultivates exquisite gardens with singular flora and flourish.

2 minute read

Venice Design Series 2020

ByWendy Bowman
June 5, 2020

From a tour of the iconic architecture in the bohemian beach community of Venice to a glimpse inside the studios of some of L.A.’s emerging and leading artists—not to mention a special dinner and private concert with a renowned musician—the sixth-annual Venice Design Series…

3 minute read

Designers To Watch—Egg Collective and O&G Studio

ByJenn Thornton
June 12, 2020

At the forefront of this movement, Egg Collective and O&G Studio are innovating all categories, honestly and sustainably, with a reverence for art and nature.

4 minute read

Heath Ceramics: A Cabin As A Physical Extension

ByJenn Thornton
June 15, 2020

For the last seven years, Cathy and Robin have transformed a modest 1973 Tahoe cabin into their personal retreat. Now, this humble space—prioritizing simple, beautiful living—is available for short term rent and interior inspiration.

3 minute read

Jeff Stimpfig Discusses Starting JDS Outdoor Designs

ByWendy Bowman
June 18, 2020
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After following in the footsteps of a family rife with talented designers, artists and architects, Jeff Stimpfig has naturally emerged as one of Southern California’s top landscape design and build professionals.

2 minute read

Harbour Outdoor Brings New Martyn Lawrence Bullard Outdoor Furniture Collection

ByKarine Monié
July 13, 2020

For the English-born Los Angeles-based designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, with the celebrity following, deep seating is one of the keys to achieving that level of comfort, as demonstrated through his new MLB collection created in collaboration with Australian luxury home furnishings brand Harbour 1976.

2 minute read

Jeff Stimpfig of JDS Outdoor Designs Discusses Artistry & Exterior Design

ByDIGS
July 31, 2020

“I’ve been an artist and a designer my entire life,” confesses Jeff Stimpfig, owner, designer and contractor at…

3 minute read

Caroline Burke—Flexibility, Practicality & Classic Beauty

ByConstance Dunn
July 14, 2020

“If you watch little children, and see what they’re doing at a very young age,” says designer Caroline…

2 minute read

Harmonious Living with Nature in Malibu with Alexander Design

ByKarine Monié
July 13, 2020

Although Vanessa Alexander started her career in the entertainment industry—working in the field for several years—it is not…

2 minute read

Reading Corner: Books with Outdoor Space Ideas for Summer

ByJenn Thornton
August 7, 2020

With the heat of summer ahead, new books to explore the cooler side of home design, whether in the garden or the shadow of fabulous indoor-outdoor spaces.

@southbaydigs

Alchemy Properties Goes Next-Level with Woolworth Tower Residences

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