House Tours

Prairie-Style House Gets Modern Makeover

Friday, January 29th, 2010

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Hillary Fox and Matt Jacobs had lived in their 1920s Prairie-style home in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood for eight years before they remodeled. They loved the bones of the house, but they had to walk through a warren of rooms to get to the dark, galley kitchen.

4171100966_8a3c11ea47_b“We wanted to open it up with more light,” Hillary said. And she wanted it to be more modern, “but consistent with the principles of the house.”

Two years ago, they started the remodel. With two living rooms, they turned one into a dining room.

In the kitchen, they opened walls and added a new family room that stepped up their hillside lot. That gave them more space for their growing family.

4170346307_1d0a84c2a8_bThe couple love clean lines and neutral colors. In the kitchen, they installed white Caesarstone countertops with translucent, white glass subway tiles, then added red-topped stools for a splash of color. They opened their home to the Rockridge Kitchen Tour last fall.

The family decorated with Matt’s original paintings, inspired by Modigliani.

Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Whimsical Christmas Decor at Bloomsters

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Bloomsters Red

This Christmas season at Bloomsters, one of the foremost floral design businesses in Silicon Valley, owner Kren Rasmussen added whimsy with a contemporary twist to his Almaden shop.

Kren started with a traditional palette of golds and deep reds, but added a modern flare by introducing the color of Michelle Obama’s inaugural address outfit — bright chartreuse green.Bloomsters

“When you’re using all your Christmas colors, it can get a little heavy,” he said. “Adding a bright burst of color,” he said, “adds a needed pop.”

Bloomsters, which often donates its time and talent to add drama to homes for local home tours, is known for using natural foliage in its decor, including eucalyptus and curly willow.  For Christmas, he added spray snow, glitter and ribbons.

“Taking nature as your motivator and giving it a splash of glitz takes that object and makes it visually approachable,” he said.

Santa TinsFor those choosing artificial trees this year, he suggested insetting pine bows through the branches so “it just tells you it’s Christmas.”

And for whimsy? Kren had fun with icycles and snowmen.  There’s still time to find something unique to set your home apart this year.

Bloomsters: 5945 Almaden Expy • San Jose, CA 95120 • 1.800.377.4595

Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

Tween Room Inspired by Audrey Hepburn Style

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

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Ashleen Cummins was tired of her room with the pink, green and yellow garden theme. She was 12 now and wanted a more sophisticated look that reflected her passions.

“I wanted it to be Audrey Hepburn — kind of French looking,” said Ashleen, standing in her bedroom overlooking the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland.3991515431_c0be59eae3_b

Her parents had fun remodeling the kitchen downstairs in the French country style (which will be featured on Lookiloos soon). So it was Ashleen’s  turn to make her room her own. With the classic black and white photo of Hepburn on her wall and a palette of pink, black and white, she created a room perfect for her.  

“She was very picky about the drapes,” her mother, Clarice Cummins said. The black and white swirling fabric was actually tablecloths from Home Good that she converted to drapes.

3991515779_3cf05487f4_bAshleen also wanted an antique, vintage feel. She asked her grandmother if she was willing to part with her crystal chandelier. “My grandmother took it off her ceiling,” Ashleen said.

Julia Looking Left - LookiloosAnd in her room, it looks right at home.3991515223_f10b057cb5_b

To take a peek at a couple of other Tween Rooms, check these out:

From Little Girl To Tween Room;

Downsizing and Restyling from French Country to Modern Neutral

And a lovely nursery: Modern Nursery with Vintage Flair

Remodeled Kitchen and Bar, Plus Special Dining Room

Friday, November 13th, 2009

mezzetti dining room

Sue Mezzetti has a ritual every time one of her grown children pulls out of the driveway. She walks into the beautiful formal dining room and up to the front window and watches them leave.

mezzetti monterey colonialShe does it because that’s what the previous owner of the house, Eloise Martin,  did with her children — and Sue is so grateful that she and her husband, Rob, were able to purchase this house from her 10 years ago, that this is her way of paying homage to those that went before her.

A Waterford chandelier once hung over the dining room table, but she moved it into her bedroom to be inspired each day when she wakes up. Sue, an interior decorator, considers her style eclectic and comfortable.

mezzetti outdoor seatingThe couple completely relandscaped the back yard around the pool, adding a hot tub, fireplace and tiki bar. They also remodeled the kitchen opening into a bar area. “I love everything about my home,” Sue said. “I love the fact that the best people in the world trusted in us enough to have it.”Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

Her home was featured in the Rose Garden Homes Tour in October. Floral arrangements on the dining room table by Green Designs on The Alameda in San Jose.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Jose’s Tabletop Decor Inspired by Chinese Take-out

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Jose Ibarra -Chinese Tabletop

When floral designer Jose Ibarra stepped into Tina and David Sheffler’s Asian-inspired home, he knew just what he needed to set a smashing dining room table for her. The house was featured on the Rose Garden Homes Tour in October and needed a designer’s touch. As always, you can count on Jose to turn up the creativity a notch.

Jose Ibarra-Chinese TabletopFor the Shefflers’ table, while he celebrated the Asian inspiration by using wooden Geisha statuettes and delicate orchids, he honed in on a  simple yet whimsical concept: Chinese take-out.

“Just because you have a party doesn’t mean it has to be catered,” Jose said. “It can be fun with what you have and at the same time look good.”

Next time you order Chinese takeout with friends and want to make some simple, but special touches, here are some of Jose’s ideas:

1. Use the white take-out containers as vessels for creativity: insert a small cup with water and add red roses; or fill with moss to give a “bok choy” effect. Jose stuck a pair of chopsticks in the moss and crinkled the paper chopsticks wrapper at the top to play with the color and texture. Wrap colored string around the boxes for extra color.

Jose Ibarra-Chinese Tabletop2. Add tall, wispy orchids in clear glass or simple vases to add height.

3. Keep the rest of the table minimalistic to showcase your special touches.

Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

You might also enjoy these stories:

Asian-inspired backyard

Zen-like courtyard on Home Tour

Tract Home Extraordinaire

Leku Eder-A Beautiful Danville Place for Asian Inspiration

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Cape Cod Classic Keeps Charm with Enclosed Porch

Friday, November 6th, 2009
Rose Garden Homes Tour-O'Brian
Growing up on the east coast, Tom and Carol O’Brien loved the charms of traditional old homes. So after years of living around the South Bay, the couple found exactly what they wanted — a 1940 Cape Cod.
In the heart of San Jose’s Rose Garden neighborhood, the house also brought them closer to two of their grandchildren who live nearby and attend St. Martin of Tours school. With shingles, bay windows, plus an enclosed porch on the back, the house just felt like home.
Rose Garden Homes Tour-O'BrienThe home was built by the Gallagher family, who owned Gallagher Fruit Co. when the area was known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight.” One of Carol’s favorite pieces is a tile serving tray she keeps in the kitchen that shows the Gallagher’s pear packing label with their company name on it — a gift from her daughter-in-law, Rita.
When the couple bought the house in 1999, the previous owners had already enclosed the back porch in the 1980s. The side brick wall includes a unique circular window.
“Our granddaughter Julia used to call it the cold room,” Carol said, before they added heat, a new slate floor and skylights. “Now, it’s the sun room.”
Rose Garden Homes Tour-O'BrienIt has become a favorite game room for all three of their grandchildren and a place for Tom to read since retiring as vice president of Argo Systems.
With the help of their designer Dawn Williams, and work done by DeMattei Construction, the couple remodeled their kitchen, adding just 35 square feet but giving the space a complete facelift.
They have maintained the vintage charm of an upstairs bathroom whose original pink and salmon-colored tile still look good today. The O’Briens were happy to open their home in mid-October to the Rose Garden Homes Tour, benefitting St. Martin of Tours School. Citti’s Florist in San Jose provided the flower arrangements.

Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

You might also enjoy these stories:

Julia’s Screened Porch Video

From French Country to Modern Neutral

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Ticket Give-away for Los Gatos Historic Home Tour

Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Los Gatos Historic Homes Tour
Like this house? Wanna see inside? Lookiloos has a pair of tickets to get you in! This house is one of seven on the Los Gatos Historic Homes Tour on Saturday  and Sunday (Nov. 7-8). The tour promises to show off great examples of Victorian architecture, as well as an unusual Hawaiian-inspired house, an old hunting lodge and, as a bonus, a new Provence-inspired farmhouse.
The tour benefits the Museums of Los Gatos, providing the operating revenue to keep their doors open for the next year. So if you don’t win this pair, buy a pair for yourself and a friend. (See below for contest rules.)
Here are a few sketches of the tour highlights:
The Queen Ann Cottage

Queen Anne Cottage

Queen Anne Cottage

charming Queen Anne Cottage, built in 1893, and fully restored by the current owners. Once the home of a Los Gatos grocer, the home features an unusual five-sided wrap-around front porch. Inside, you’ll see original windows, wainscoting, transoms and chandeliers.

Victorian Hunting Lodge

Victorian Hunting Lodge

Victorian Hunting Lodge

This home was built in 1884 as a Victorian hunting lodge and summer home. The current owners restored the home, and with antique treasures from their travels in Botswana, embraced the hunting theme.

A Hawaiian Plantation Home

Hawaiian Plantation Home

Hawaiian Plantation Home

This house was designed in 1912 after a Hawaiian plantation home to reflect the original owners’ fascination with Hawaii. The new owners kept the facade, but updated the rest of the home inside.

To win two tickets to the tour — worth $35 a piece — please leave a comment here or at the Lookiloos Facebook page and we will draw a name randomly on Thursday, Nov. 5.  Please leave a valid email address so we can contact you with details on where to pick up tickets.

If you don’t win, but still want to support the Museums of Los Gatos and see these homes, tickets may be purchased at the Art Museum, 4 Tait Avenue in Los Gatos. You may also purchase tickets on line at www.museumsoflosgatos.org or call 408 375-7386.

UPDATE:  The winner of the tickets is Michelle Bogdan!  Congratulations.  We know you will have a great time and hope to see you there.

Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos(Photographs by Mert Carpenter)

Mediterranean With Remodeled Kitchen A Child’s Dream

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Rose Garden Homes Tour-mediterranean
For years as a student at Lincoln High School, Mary Martin would walk down Calaveras Street and fantasize that one day she would live in one of the graceful homes there. Her dream came true four years ago when a classic two-story Spanish-style home with a charming front courtyard came on the market.

She had wondered for years if this particular house was as beautiful on the inside as out. And when she first stepped inside, “I knew this was the one,” Mary said. “It was more stunning that I expected.”

Rose Garden Homes Tour-MediterraneanSaltilo tile floors greeted her in the entryway with a sweeping staircase with curved wrought-iron railings. Two steps down took her to the grand formal living room with plenty of space for the baby grand piano and their whimsical orange and black “Halloween tree” that adorns the front window for the autumn Rose Garden Homes Tour in mid-October.

A rear addition had been added at one point to the 1938 home, opening up the kitchen to a new family room, with a master suite on top. The Martins have just completed a kitchen update.

Michael Martin is in the broadcast industry and has adorned his study and stairwell with his collection of electric guitars with signatures of major bands, including The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith.

rose garden homes tour-MediterraneanOne of Mary’s favorite spots for a little solitude is the lovely balcony off the master bedroom where she often reads or enjoys a cup of coffee while overlooking the lush backyard and swimming pool.Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos

To read about the courtyard makeover, click here:

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Before and After: Spanish Courtyard Makeover

Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Courtyard Makeover With Wine Bottle Barrel and Vintage Mirror

Courtyard Makeover With Wine Bottle Barrel and Vintage Mirror

The front courtyard of the lovely Mediterranean home clearly had potential. A charming gateway led to it from the driveway. Two Spanish-style arches lined it heading to the front door, and a lovely picture window from the dining room framed the space.

 
The Problem: But the plantings were dark and overgrown. A big dead tree trunk took up space in the corner. A purple plant hid the window. 
Before Makeoever: Overgrown plant blocks window

Before Makeoever: Overgrown plant blocks window

 
 Worst of all, the homeowner said she never used it.
 
Well, for the Rose Garden Homes Tour in San Jose last weekend, the homeowner was ready to spruce things up.
 
In came Dhelia Fahrner, who has a San Jose seasonal container gardening business called La Jardiniere, to transform it.
 
“Because you enter the front door and walk through the courtyard, I thought it could be such a more welcoming and usable space,” she said.
 
The Solution: To lighten and freshen the shady space, Dhelia decided to stick with white and green, adding blooming azaleas and cyclamen, ferns and moss.  The homeowner also wanted a low-maintenance space, so Dhelia added succulents in several containers, including in abalone shells.
She also wanted to highlight the arched window, both from the outside and the inside, so pulled out the overgrown plant, and added a formal knot garden of box hedges below and a pedestal with a female bust on top.
After: New plantingsfreshen fountain; vintage bust frames window

After: New plantingsfreshen fountain; vintage bust frames window

 
To add interest and a bit of whimsy, she turned an old metal wine bottle barrel on its side and loaded it with pumpkins and moss, which can change with the seasons. (At Christmas, it can be filled with big silver ornaments, or just planted with verigated ground cover.)  A mirror made from a vintage Palladian window  leans against the courtyard fence wall.
 
She removed an old bench and replaced it with a tile console table, and topped it with concrete urns with orchids, the abalone shell succulents, and a tray of drinks. “That will alllow them to serve wine and appetizers in the courtyard if they’re having a party,” Dhelia said.
After:This courtyard is ready for cocktails!

After:This courtyard is ready for cocktails!

Before: A lonely bench sits empty.
Before: A lonely bench sits empty.
 
When they do, this courtyard is ready.Julia Looking Left - Lookiloos
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Rose Garden Home Tour Recap

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
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As expected the Rose Garden Home Tour was a grand success complete with a width breadth of architectural styles, great furniture and breath taking vignettes and floral arrangements.  The little touches throughout the tour made all the difference.

Personally, I would find myself pretty happy living in any one of these heavenly abodes! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting more extensive photos of each home and a video of home tour attendees favorite spots and finds! Here is a peak of some highlights along the way.
Sheila Looking Left - Lookiloos

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