Saffron and Genevieve

The black and white striped awning catches your eye as you are strolling down Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz. As you approach the large Victorian windows—it’s apparent—you must stop in. Owner Scarlett Reed, is a self-proclaimed buyer extraordinaire. Her shop Saffron and Genevieve is proof that she has got a great eye for unexpected gems.

Growing up in the Bay Area, she has always had a passion for design. After working with many designers, she took the plunge and started her own design business.

Front Window Display

Metal Garden Chair

Saffron and Genevieve has been offering the most wonderful treasures of antiques and furnishings for your home and an eclectic collection of gifts for the past five years. Her shop is always evolving. One of her many talents is taking old vintage pieces in desperate need of care and redesigning and reupholstering. Classic well made frames are the only requirement to get a new lease on life. Scarlett seems to know where to find great handmade items from local artists. Finding that special one of a kind gift is a snap at Saffron and Genevieve.

Leather Boots

Scarlett has recently partnered up with Oak & Company, an organic, fair-trade, sustainable clothing label and together they are hosting an celebration on January 14th. Tea and treats from 11am to 4pm and an opening party from 5pm to 9pm. I love these boots—they are handmade and the soles are crafted from recycled tires. No two pairs are alike—you can even see the white wall on some! Keeping old tires out of landfills and looking fabulous at the same time—now that’s an amazing feat!

Saffron and Genevieve
910 B Soquel Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831.462.4506

Eight miles away from the bustle of their home and garden shop in Aptos, up a winding country lane, is the two-acre sanctuary of John and Jerri Hammond.

Perhaps you would expect that the purveyors of “Outside In” on Soquel Drive would live in a fabulous space, both inside and out. And, indeed, they do. But until you breathe in the sea salt air, enjoy an elegant lunch on hand-painted pottery, and meander through the unique house and elegant garden, it’s hard to imagine it could be so stunning.

It didn’t start that way.

When the Hammonds bought the place in 1997, a year after they opened their shop, it was a wreck.

“It was red, but not even cute, barn red,” Jerri said. “It was late 1960s ranch house with no moldings. We called it funky, farmy, cottagy barny.”

But the setting was magnificent. Among apple orchards and redwood groves, the house had a beautiful view of the Monterey Bay, all the way to Moss Landing on a clear day.

The couple spent the next seven years remodeling with new siding and windows throughout, keeping the house open and full of light. But they didn’t obliterate the “funky, farmy, cottagy, barny” feel. Instead, they embraced it.

“It’s an eclectic house with a lot of color,” Jerri said. “It’s fun and it reflects the two of us.”

The house also reflects the industry they’re in, with elegant serviceware and linens. And they bring home foreign treasures for themselves on their buying trips abroad for Outside In.

“But when we come home we didn’t want to feel like we’re still at work,” Jerri said, explaining that their home has a much more ethnic feel than the store.

Instead of classic paintings and prints on the walls, Jerri said, “We use a lot of artifacts as art.”

The kitchen wall is covered with vintage entry arches from a “Cattle Fair” in Paris. (“It took a year to crate and we paid to get its own passport,” John said.)

A Spanish lamp came from a Paris flea market, a mirror was made from old ceiling panels, a French marching drum hangs from a wall.

Outside, the couple have their choice of entertaining spaces. Depending on the weather, they can sit on the front deck overlooking the bay surrounded by huge French urns, or enjoy the fully landscaped back yard. A huge trellis covers the back flagstone patio, where friends gather for summer dinners on a tile table from Morocco.

“We love to cook,” Jerri said. “We open the doors and have everyone go in and out.”

And Outside In.

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Outside In, a home and garden shop, is easy to miss, situated as it is in a nondescript strip mall in Aptos. But once you find it and step inside, a beautiful world of French linens, Hungarian pottery and American chandeliers opens up before you.

The shop is the passion of John and Jerri Hammond, who have traveled the globe looking for unique pieces and whimsical gifts. Along the way, “we try to support the small family businesses around the world,” Jerri said. “Small factories are closing down. You try to help save some of them.”

Their travels take them to Thailand and Cambodia, India and Paris, where they have found colorful glass torcheres for the garden (from $10.95), distinctive pottery with raised glazes of golds and rusts (from $29.95), to jeweled napkin rings (from $3.95)

They also discover unique local finds, from rooster glasses hand painted in Carmel (from $12.95), to a stunning $2,000 chandelier from New Jersey.

One alcove is filled with melamine plates, bowls and platters, each more substantial than regular plastic and embossed with Italian-style patterns. Perfect for summer parties in the backyard or poolside (or to add a bit of non-breakable sophistication to everyday family dining indoors.)

The shop is most known for its large apple-scented candles for $48 that burn for 200 hours. (Realtors buy them by the box load for open houses. The shop once sold 75 of them in one hour.)

The Hammonds also opened a children’s gift boutique a couple of doors down in the same complex, filled with everything from tutus to animal wallpaper, Chinese silk baby hats to vintage-style wind-up toys.

Outside In
7568 Soquel Drive
Aptos, CA 95003
just north of State Park Drive, which can be accessed from Highway One.

If you stop by Outside In in Aptos, you mind also enjoy visiting other antique and garden shops along Soquel Drive:
Wisteria
Center Street Antiques

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Whether your Fourth of July picnic will take you to the beach or a tiny back yard, San Jose floral designer Jose Ibarra has set a holiday buffet table for any space on any budget. And for this All-American holiday, Ibarra is embracing the simplicity of red, white and blue. But, as always, he does it with a fanciful twist.

Here are some of his tips for setting a table for a fabulous fourth:

1.  Round up your American Flags:  For a patriotic backdrop (or just to hide an unattractive corner of the yard) hang the stars and stripes from strung wire behind the table. Ibarra found some of his favorite vintage flags at flea markets.

2.  Paint a tablecloth blue and white:  Ibarra used a sheet of linen, but a white sheet or even a roll of paper will do (get the kids involved!). For added interest, he laid it perpendicular to the table, instead of end-to-end.

3.  Stripes, stripes, stripes!  To dress up plain glass vases, wrap them in red, white and blue ribbons. Top with white carnations ($5.99 at Safeway) and red roses ($9.99 at Safeway) and, if you don't have blue delphiniums in your yard, splurge a little. Look through your cabinets for colored glasses and plates. Jose pulled out a red-and-white striped water pitcher.

4.  Hello Jello:  It took Ibarra three days of watching each layer set in his fridge, but the effect is worth it. He was ready with his blue and red Jello to layer in his large candy jar. But what about the white? He stopped at the Mexican market, and there it was, white Hazelnut gelatin. Add shredded coconut, raspberries and blueberries on top and you've got a grand old flag.

5.  Salute this Cake!  Ibarra ordered a sheet cake with white frosting from a Mexican market. Add blueberries for the stars and cherries for the stripes. Dig in. (But whatever you do, don't let a crumb touch the ground!)

Other table decorating ideas:
Wabi Sabi: Where the Imperfect is Beautiful
Floral Chic Mother's Day
Going Green on a Budget for St. Patrick's Day
How to Make Paper Roses for Valentine's Day

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Karen Knell is a mother of four big kids and with a 2,200 square-foot house, life got kind of tight. Take away the dining and living rooms — which were rarely used — and the house seemed even smaller.

Ever the organizer, Karen came up with a plan to maximize every square foot of her traditional home in Pleasanton’s “Gas Lamp” neighborhood, from converting the dining and living rooms to usable space and reconfiguring her hall closets to be models of efficiency. (She even created drawers just the right size for wrapping paper rolls. Now that’s my kind of woman!)

And here’s one more thing: she did it with style! (Insert applause here.)

Walk into the spacious entry hall and you’ll be greeted by tone-on-tone striped walls that let you know this is a family home with flair. The dining room on the left, which was only used twice a year, is now an office and study area with built in desks and two computers. But glancing in from the entry hall, it looks like a designer library, with a big white table (for projects and puzzles) as the focal point.

“We use it all the time now,” she said of the dining room. “There’s always at least two people in this room.”

Her four children range in age from 11 to 19 and it’s the 16-year-old who gets the living room as a bedroom. Now that’s not something Karen likes to brag about (“It kills me. I hate it.”) At least she can close it off with French doors. But that hasn’t stopped her from asking, “You want to go away to college, don’t you?”

But Karen is a practical woman, and used as inspiration the best-selling “The Not So Big House” for ideas on every inch.

From the broad, entry hall closet, she stole about a foot off the end and turned it into open bookshelves. In the hallway linen closet that faces the bedrooms, she converted the sliding doors into built-in cabinetry, with classic pull-open doors on top and sliding drawers on the bottom. (This is where she keeps her gift wrap and ribbon and the kids’ games.) Some of her neighbors were so impressed, they did the same.

But it’s Karen’s laundry room that is the real envy of the neighborhood. What used to have a side-by-side washer and dryer with a rarely-used sink, now has stacking appliances with a deep folding counter on top of a set of organizing cubby holes. Each child has their own cubby for their laundry.

“It’s so functional,” she said. “It’s like the best room in the house.” (Spoken like a true mother of four!)

But still, she finds the time and desire to fuss a bit with designer details. In the children’s bathroom, the family’s collection of heart-shaped stones is embedded into the tile backsplash. In her master bedroom, a neutral palette is spiced up seasonal with colorful pillows. “I have a problem with pillows,” she said, as she opens a cabinet full. She splurged on smocked curtains for her bedroom from the Warmth Company in Aptos. But many of her favorite finds come from the Alameda flea market and garage sales.

Her kitchen, which opens to the family room, is classic Americana. PG&E even chose it to film a commercial there. “It’s so normal,” they told her. “Who has a white fridge? No one has a white fridge.”

She tried to take that as a complement.

Karen loves her home. But that doesn’t stop her from dreaming about having her own retreat space someday. And that room behind the French doors might be the perfect spot.

“In my head I’ve got my living room all decorated and painted,” Karen said.

Ah. Don’t we all?

(photos by Desiree Northend)

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Last week I met with designer Kim Furhman to talk about decorating your tree. While I was there, she showed me some amazing Christmas wreathes made by Christine Asmus. Christine, a Pilates instructor in Aptos, uses old ornaments to create these works of art. She came up with this idea when her teenagers made comments about how “old” some of the ornaments were. Determined not to lose those family memories she decided to get out the glue gun and make a wreath.

So, I got to thinking, I have some teenagers, some old ornaments that I hate to throw away for sentimental reasons, and besides the landfills have enough old junk in them. I made a call to Christine for a quick how-to tutorial on these eco-friendly Christmas wreaths. Then off to Michael’s my local craft store to pick up my supplies.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 wire wreath frame
• ribbon or garland
• old ornaments
• glue gun and glue sticks

First, wrap the wire frame with your ribbon or garland. I chose a silver glittery ribbon since the majority of my ornaments had a little silver in them.

Pre-heat that glue gun and get ready. I tried balancing the wreath based on size and color of ornaments, but I ended up throwing that thought right out the window. It took me a while to really get going, but a few squeezes of the trigger and I was in the zone. There’s something about a glue gun in your hand. Oh the possibilities!

My Christmas Wreath is not as beautiful as Christine’s, but I’m quite happy with my first attempt. I’m also feeling like I could do this again.

Are you longing for that designer tree? A tree that glistens and sparkles in a perfect kind of way? Well, I think I’ve found the secret. I met up with Interior Designer Kim Furman of Key Impressions for some tree trimming tips.

First, she suggests you choose colors that compliment your home. Is it jewel tones or more earthy rustic colors? Are you going for that new cool blue? Before you start decorating your tree, remember, it’s lights first, fabric swags or ribbon next and ornaments last.

Now let’s talk lights. The more the better. But don’t use more than 2 different colors. On Kim’s tree this year, she is using gold and teal lights. Truly beautiful. The gold gives a warm glow that clear or white lights lack. On a safety note, never connect more than three strands of lights together. Any more than that and you run the risk of a fire hazard. Kim suggests, “Always keep an extra strand of lights in case one goes out and use long black twist ties to keep lights where you want them.”

Swags or ribbon are a great way to add dimension and texture to a tree. Remnants are a cost effective way to achieve this look. Your local fabric store will have loads of choices. Kim says to just rip the fabric into long 4 to 6-inch wide sections — no cutting or sewing needed. Start at the top working the fabric in and around the tree. If you want to use ribbon, wired ribbon works best.

Time to hang the ornaments. Heaviest ornaments first and you will most likely want them on the strongest branches, near the top of the tree. (Try to avoid too many heavy ornaments, since these branches are limited.)

Finally the topper. Literally. It doesn’t have to be a traditional one you buy in the store. Kim created this topper with peacock feathers, beaded mardi-gras style sticks, some florist wire and a glue gun. You could call her the Christmas MacGyver.

Lastly, it’s time to make some hot chocolate, gather everyone, light the tree and bask in its beauty. There you now have your designer tree.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Manderley is the exquisite estate by the sea made famous in the opening line of "Rebecca," a classic 1938 romantic thriller by British author Daphne Du Maurier. And when I first drove up the country lane toward La Selva Beach last weekend, through the eucalyptus groves and farm fields, and laid eyes on the gleaming white estate perched alone on a hilltop overlooking the sea, that famous line coursed through my brain.

Even the name of the lane _ Sanderling Hill _ has a Manderley ring to it. It might not look like Du Maurier’s Manderley, but to me it feels like it _ a house that was as much a character in the book as Rebecca herself. In the novel, Manderley holds dark secrets. On Sanderling Hill, the setting sun envelopes it in a golden glow, but it still has a sense of mystery around it. It’s a house that has the bearing of a building that has withstood the fog and the wind and the sun and the salt for generations. It is an 1872 Italianate Victorian and has stories of its own, including the fact that it was literally quartered and moved from its original site in Watsonville just a decade ago to its present location down the road from Seascape and closer to Santa Cruz.

In all its 136 years, it has only been owned by three families: the Palmtags who owned a Watsonville brewery and built the house, the Muzzios who held great parties there since the 1920s, and the Bowens who rescued it in 1998. And perhaps soon, a fourth family may own it. The house is for sale, along with the four acres of farmland and a newly-built carriage house.

My friend, Maria, first spotted the house returning from a camping trip to the beach. She grabbed a flier and, like me, has been obsessing ever since. It’s listed by Sotheby’s for nearly $2.7 million, a lower price than either of us expected, but still the stuff of fantasy.

"I want to have my family for Thanksgiving dinner in that dining room," she said.

Now I dream of it, too.

The house had been condemned after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. And as much as Marina Muzzio hated to leave the house she grew up in, the plaster was crumbling off the walls and the brick fireplaces had been reduced to rubble. The neighborhood along the banks of the Pajaro River had also deteriorated and investing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more to restore it didn’t seem to make sense. The city of Watsonville acquired it and offered it up for $1 to the family with the best proposal to relocate and restore it.

Julie and Dayle Bowen, who had two young sons and already restored a Victorian in Santa Cruz, were awarded the Palmtag-Muzzio Mansion.

They purchased four acres of farmland in La Selva beach, hired a house mover, and replanted it on the hilltop with its handsome balcony facing the lights of Santa Cruz across Monterey Bay. The kitchen and huge dining room look out to the ocean. The living room parlour looks down the sloping hillside over the organic row crops. The exterior of the house remains at is did in the 19th century, although the interior was relatively unadorned at the time. The Bowens assume the Palmtags might have run out of money to do the finishing touches. So when the Bowens stripped down the crumbling plaster walls to move the house, there was little ornamentation to preserve. When they put the house back together, they added picture rails and crown molding and widened the entrance to the living room. A fifth bedroom upstairs was converted to a bathroom, and the master bedroom was downsized a bit to include a master bath. The floors upstairs are original. Many of the windows still have the old wavy glass.

Julie Bowen restored the old house as a project. Now, she’s itching to do another one. Maybe she will look back and dream again of Sanderling Hill. Maybe the next family will buy it to live in for the next 100 years. No matter who comes to live here and what stories they will bring, this much is certain: this house has a character of its own.

(Photos by Marty Forsyth)

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What happens when a former buyer for Asian-inspired Gump’s in San Francisco, who manages a French-inspired home and garden shop in Aptos, buys a nondescript tract home in Freedom?

Something special, you can be sure.

With the orange and blue colors of Imari porcelain, personal collections of mother of peal compacts, a French end table, and a room painted in none other than “Gump’s red,” Temia Demakopoulos has created a unique sanctuary in an ordinary box.

She loves her Greek Orthodox heritage, and has adorned a wall in her master bedroom with religious icons. But when it comes to her overall decor, Asian wins every time.

“Once the Asian bug bites you,” Temia said, “you can never get beyond it.”

She fell in love with all things Asian as a child growing up in Palo Alto next to a Japanese family. She served tea to her family and collected wooden Kokeshi dolls _ the kind that open to reveal a series of smaller dolls.

She studied art history at U.C. Berkeley, then got a job at Gump’s in San Francisco as a buyer of Asian antiques, where she stayed for 15 years. She still catches her breath when she remembers the loads of colorful Japanese porcelain piled high across the Gump’s work table at 250 Post Street. “That was it,” she said. “That was it.”

She has collected antiques for 30 years. So when it came time for her to buy a house in 2002 not far from her job at Wisteria in Aptos, “I bought the house to fit my furniture.”

With collections from Gump’s, street fairs, flea markets and dealer sources, she turned the 1,600 square-foot, white-walled house into an elegant, interesting, colorful space.

While she has large Asian pieces, like old Tansu chests and table lamps, most of her collections are smaller and easy to rotate and fit into her small space.

She enjoys her etchings of Ryohei Tanaka, her dolls and compacts, and for the fall, her collection of artistic persimmons.

Other than painting the walls, she hasn’t modified the interiors much. But she did swap out the carpeting for wood floors. Oak, you might ask? Guess again. Temia chose bamboo.

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Walk into Center Street Antiques and Interiors in Soquel, and hang a quick left. Among the 23 dealers sharing space in this home and garden cooperative is a space of such scale and texture you practically stop in awe.

Antique garden statuary, a giant palladium window-turned-mirror, rustic Greek amphoras, blue-striped linen sacks. This is the space of Trinidad Castro, who calls his French import business Atelier de Campagne. If you go to his website, you can be added to his email list for invitations to his container sale from his warehouse in Freedom, near Watsonville.

At his space at Center Street Antiques (at 3010 Center Street at the corner of Soquel Street), you feel the history of his pieces. Old gray French amoires, shimmering chandeliers. There’s no real bargain here, though. Chipped red bistro chairs are $250 a piece. The Greek urns are $2,095. The linen sacs are $95 a piece. But they are authentic, and they feel and look like it.

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