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Global-Inspired DEDON & A Rich Cultural Spirit for Outdoor Exuberance

ByJenn Thornton
September 3, 2020

The true beauty of DEDON—aside from its artisan, raw-materials aesthetic—is how the global producer’s handcrafted outdoor furnishings and accessories are so perfectly at home nearly everywhere.

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Woolworth Building, Woolworth Tower Residences, Alchemy Properties, New York, New York City, Tribeca,

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Alchemy Properties Goes Next-Level with Woolworth Tower Residences

ByJenn Thornton
June 24, 2020

The Woolworth Tower Residences gives rise to one of the more enticing real estate opportunities that one might imagine. That is, to own a piece of history while living like royalty in the luxury-condo equivalent of a “Castle in the Sky.” Is there a better, more spectacular prospect?

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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).

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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.

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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…

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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.

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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.

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Jeff Stimpfig Discusses Starting JDS Outdoor Designs

ByWendy Bowman
June 18, 2020

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.

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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.

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