Close Heaven - Photos & Ideas

With this client who has been passionate about plants all his life, there was naturally a close collaboration and a lot of input from him. Upon closer inspection you'd find some very exceptional plants that are sort of experimental but "all worth the try" in Gordon's eyes. And he is right! I relished the opportunity to use Star Magnolia stellata, Redbud Cercis 'Avondale' and 'Silver Cloud', Arabian Lilac 'Grand Duke of Tuscany', Royal Bromeliad Vriesea imperialis, also many unusual bulbs such as Scilla. Besides structure providing shrubs and trees (Tecoma, existing Indian Hawthorne with beautiful structures, Sweet Pea Bush, Golden Breath of Heaven, Ilex, Ginkgo, Bronze Loquat etc.) you'll see here also my favorite perennials, succulents and grasses, all as low care and undemanding as well as low-water as possible, to keep the landscape colorful and interesting year round. One of the highlights of this garden are the dry stream beds, bird bath and garden bench that we added. Built originally by himself and his wife, the dry stream beds were overgrown, mostly hidden by plant debris, or half rolling down hill. We had fun selecting a mixed collection of colorful and richly textured boulders of various sizes over, and with the input from 7 team members: Gordon, me, the contractor, the supervisor and three workers, we re-created the stream beds, making sure that anchor stones on the sides were well embedded in the slope, and that stone shelves and “top dressing” with smaller pebbles would add to the visual interest. Now these beds form very pleasing architectural features that look like they have always been there. We were all surprised how quickly all plants adapted to the site and started growing and putting out bloom. Now the old birdbath, a traditional white thing with dove figurines resting on the scalloped bowl, looked out of place, and I suggested to replace it with a stone bowl. And that part of the garden just called for a bench under the Macademia nut tree, to observe the birds and contemplate the whole creation. Only stone would do, but not any stone! Gordon picked a Basalt boulder that was naturally bowl shaped. It’s so heavy that it took 8 men to heave it into place! The Basalt bench was not much lighter, and together they make a very inviting scene. This job should last for a while. Photographed by Emma Almendarez at http://www.emmatheodoraphotography.com/

Cellador

Talie Jane Interiors & Construction

Vacation Rental Living Room Photograph by Hazeltine Photography. This was a fun, collaborative effort with our clients. Coming from the Bay area, our clients spend a lot of time in Tahoe and therefore purchased a vacation home within close proximity to Heavenly Mountain. Their intention was to utilize the three-bedroom, three-bathroom, single-family home as a vacation rental but also as a part-time, second home for themselves. Being a vacation rental, budget was a top priority. We worked within our clients’ parameters to create a mountain modern space with the ability to sleep 10, while maintaining durability, functionality and beauty. We’re all thrilled with the result. Talie Jane Interiors is a full-service, luxury interior design firm specializing in sophisticated environments. Founder and interior designer, Talie Jane, is well known for her ability to collaborate with clients. She creates highly individualized spaces, reflective of individual tastes and lifestyles. Talie's design approach is simple. She believes that, "every space should tell a story in an artistic and beautiful way while reflecting the personalities and design needs of our clients." At Talie Jane Interiors, we listen, understand our clients and deliver within budget to provide beautiful, comfortable spaces. By utilizing an analytical and artistic approach, we offer creative solutions to design challenges.

Historical Brick Modern Flat - San Diego, Ca

embrio design studio

Have you ever dreamt about your pie in the sky home? Well I have! That is, our wonderful client’s dream home. It includes a place with 72-degree weather everyday, a wondrous view of a harbor, a walkable city & with clean, modern accommodations. And voilà… a penthouse flat in downtown San Diego by the bay. We stripped away the cheap 80’s rental finishes, opened things up to bring in the sunshine, added new flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, a fireplace refresh and modern furniture for a little slice of heaven and comfort. Don't tell anyone, but there’s even a Lazy Boy chair in there!

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz

Cellador

Talie Jane Interiors & Construction

Cellador

Talie Jane Interiors & Construction

Urban Hacienda

Catrina's Ranch Interiors

Just recently I had the pleasure of working on a remarkable ranch in the Texas Hill Country. The ranch belongs to John and Betty Martin, two extraordinary people with impeccable taste. The Martins live in the hustle and bustle of Katy, enjoying life with children and grandchildren. One thing that they share as a family is their appreciation of nature. In addition to raising trophy deer and exotic animals, they love to hunt and fish. They also take long nature walks in search of arrowheads, fossils and other treasures which they often incorporate into their own designs on walls, walkways and patios. Having found this remote corner of God’s country, it would not be easy to find a builder who could be on site daily and truly listen to the specific directions, details and overall vision of how this “San Miguel de Allende” style ranchero was to be constructed. Would it prove to be impossible? Not with a little luck, and a whole lot of Girl Power! The amazing Betty Martin ended up with an equally amazing builder named Judy Ramsey. This woman rancher, who raises exotic animals and trophy deer, is involved in real estate, leases her ranch for hunting and builds high end “casas” for the most discerning clients! Heck, she builds great little cabins too! When Catrina’s Ranch Interiors became involved with the ambitious project, and I first viewed the blue prints and renderings, I was speechless. The plans were for a 17,000 square foot home built around a central courtyard. The courtyard had a bell tower over the front entrance gate; a real one. The main house had an observation tower that overlooked the dammed up river and a picturesque view of Heaven on Earth. There was a magnificent outdoor kitchen off of an enormous porch. The plans showed a large, ornate, fountain in the middle of the central courtyard. This home was to have all the bells and whistles, with unimaginable details, while sparing no expense. It would take two years to build and finish. Judy, Betty and I had many meetings over the next two years. We designed and built 58 chandeliers and sconces, indoors and out. We designed and built custom doors, custom cabinets, custom kitchens and candle holders. “If you can dream it, we can build it” is Catrina’s Ranch Interiors’ motto and, as always, we delivered on this promise. I like to think of myself as a “Can Do” kind of girl, but this job tested my abilities on a regular basis. Antler chandeliers measuring 7 ft. by 7 ft. would be no problem! Hammered copper panels in the cabinet doors? Not a problem! I have much to tell you about this experience, but nothing says it better than the stunning color photographs taken by San Antonio’s most famous magazine photographer, for Urban Home Magazine’s next issue. See for yourself. When Urban Home Magazine owner Louis Doucette went with me to photograph the ranch, Louis told me that it was my best work and then corrected himself to tell me that it was the best work he had ever seen. Take a close look at the details of the Martin Ranch project in the January 2014 issue and come see us at Catrina’s Ranch Interiors in Boerne. No job is too big or too small. No idea is too far outside the box when making dreams come true.

Cellador

Talie Jane Interiors & Construction