Dept. of Summer. You may all remember Enrique from our I Cook! Kitchen contest. Well, he's at it again, with a narrative on the way.
In keeping with the warm weather that is only just beginning to flow into our homes, he has a bit of a jump on things out there in LA. It gives us a notion that we might do an outdoor spaces competition in the next few months as there are so many ideas to share and so many ways to make the outdoors cozy and useful.
I just wanted to share some images with you of my enclosed patio. Both the living room and bedroom open up into the space. This project has been my obsession for the past 3 months. The patio used to have a concrete Japanese-style fountain that was left by the original owners.
What's the Moroccan word for "Jealous?!?!
allright, remember how I always said I wasn't really a cranky guy? Well... This beauty of a space has made me crank up the cranky quotient... with the caveat that this workday had already made me CRANKY... But this sumptuous vision just took me out of cracky bounds.
Okay, rein it in and try to be happy for a kubla kai kinda guy whose got a private Xanadu.
Thanks for sharing.
(i think that means Paul likes it.)
Wow, I was already an Enrique groupie, but this seals it. Your patio is nicer than my house, but I'll use this as motivation, since I wanted to go for an exotic decor as I advanced in my moving-in process. Really lovely!
I love it! Also very jealous!! I'd like to see pictures of whatever is on the other side of the room (across from the daybed).
Enrique--you are truly talented.
true love, all of it...that lantern!
It is perfect. I concur with Fiona - your patio is nicer than my whole apartment. Just the right amount of plants, great privacy and va-va-voom, the mood lighting is sumptuous.
Enrique,
You've created a really nice calming environment. Could you recommend a good place for plants in LA?
What's the name of the taller green plant on the left in photos 11 and 12?
Thanks,
Jonathan
niiiiiiiice. thats one sweet patio, enrique.
I keep coming back to that lantern. What a score that was!!!
Wow, so deliciously swanky. I am inspired to work on my sad patio out back.
Nice job with the passion flower in the pot with the bamboo teepee. I'd never thought to put passion flowers in pots, I've only seen them draping sexily over fences.
Yum.
Hi Enrique - great job! I love the smaller candle sconces on the wall - where did you get them? (I'm an Angeleno too)
Oh, you can get those lanterns in NYC probably at that moroccan place in Chelsea Market...
I have a good friend who got this amazing lantern in Istanbul... Not as far away as you might think, by the way... They are definitely gorgeous.
Ebay and craig surely have stuff like that.
Tasteful, baby, tasteful.
Not to rain on the parade, but what happens if it does?
This space makes me crave a cool Spring evening, a glass (or two) of Syrah, fresh hummus on warm toasted pita, and a stack of design mags.
It's California. We ain't got no rain... most of the time... and usually not in May (it's raining here in SF today-- which is very unseasonal. These pictures are making me wish that I was, for once, in LA).
It may be partially covered. My family's patio (when I was growing up) had a significantly covered portion, and then a big open space.
Very impressed. It looks very original to me and looks like a great place to chill. Great job Enrique and, BTW, you should know that at THOR Patrick and I were lamenting the fact that you were on the West Coast and we could not meet you. If you are ever in NYC let us know.
Yeah, we were! And not in the catty way we were talking about other people who weren't there!!! ;)
Beautiful. Life is so unfair.
Wow. Thanks for all the really nice comments, everyone! I've been offline because for work travel and actually have to rush off again in a few. I'll address everyone's comments later this evening when I'm back at the hotel. Sincere thanks to everyone! (I feel like Sally Field...)
"...because OF work travel" is what I meant to type.
Enrique,
If I havent told you lately, you never cease to amaze me when it comes to creating the unexpected.
For those of you on the East Coast, I'm an LA boy too, and have been very privileged to actually hang out in Enrique's "Midnight at the Oasis Lounge" (as I call it) -- and I can tell you that it truly is one of the most pleasant places to chill in all of LA.
You truly do have the Midas Touch when it comes to creating amazing spaces, Enrique. (and NO, East Coast, he didn't pay me to say that)
Patrick--Thanks for the advice (from a few weeks back) about clustering the plants and objects closer together--and all the words of encouragement throughout this process. Actually, that area is now even more tightly-clustered than pictured on the slideshow. And it's a big improvement. Hopefully, we'll get to meet in person next week when you are in L.A.? (I'm holding over your head the chance to rifle through my fave vintage design book "Luxury Designs for Apartment Living" by romance queen Barbara Taylor Bradford. Very Jonathan Adler/Kelly Wearstler meets Studio 54/West Palm Beach. Is it camp or is it good? You'll have to decide.)
Paul--The high crank-factor seems like a good thing. So, I'll take it.
Fiona--I feel your pain about the prolonged moving-in process. I've been working on this place since January and I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel--but not, you know, in a Poltergeist kind of way. And yes, you're right about most of the patio being covered. The space is basically a concrete box measuring 140"x90"--and 90"x90" of it is covered. When we had torrential downpours over here in January, I made note of how much of the space got rained on and made furniture placement choices accordingly. Neither the furniture nor the rug get wet.
Dorio--I've actually sat out there one day, sipping wine while it rained... It was kind of a cool feeling because it didn't feel at all like I was in L.A. And luckily, only the plants, lantern, wooden screen and curtains got wet. Not me or the $10 Pinot.
Terry--Opposite the daybed is a large glass slider that opens into the living room. And it's a totally different vibe in there. The patio has been such a fun project because stylistically it's so unlike anything else in the apartment. I never even thought I would like a space this exotic-looking (too "Shakira-meets-Stevie Nicks" would have been my assessment a year ago). But really, my love for the large Moroccan lantern kind of set the tone for the space. Everything fell into place once I committed to it.
Orangered--I think the Moroccan lantern totally rocks, too. I also have smaller one (pictured) close to the opium tables, and actually have an even smaller one coming in the mail. So there will be a total of 3 lanterns out there. Paul is right. Moroccan stores are the best places to get authentic lanterns, but prices vary widely. So, shop around! I overpaid for the large one at Mosaik on Beverly Blvd in L.A., found the medium-sized one for cheap at a Moroccan vendor at the Rose Bowl flea market, and ordered the small one from a place in S.F. called Tazi Desgins. Go to www.tazidesigns.com. Tazi is a nice man and seems to have the best prices for lanterns I've found online.
rr--Funny what you can do with 2 shower curtain liners and 4 tie-top cotton curtain panels, huh? The enclosing wall/fence is decorative '60s concrete block (similar to the blocks used on the grounds of Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs) topped with a simple iron security fencing. No privacy. Hence the two layers of curtains.
JonathanD--Except for the clumpy ornamental grasses (from Lowes), I got all the plants from either The Garden District Florist (at the Farmer's Market/The Grove) or Moe's Roses on Melrose/Crescent Heights. I basically brought in some pots I liked, described the types of plants I wanted, and they did the rest. Although these shops are technically florists, both have a great selection of out-of-the-ordinary plants, are very design-minded and will do custom-work. Also, there's a nursery in Riverside that sells an interesting selection of plants at the Rose Bowl flea market every month... If you were asking about the large branchy succulent in the white bowl, that's a pencil cactus or pencil plant. If you were referring to the leafy vine with the violet blooms, that's called clematis.
Kyra--I can't take credit for the design for the potted vine. The folks at Moe's Roses came up with the bamboo teepee/oxidized urn thang... I saw it on display and just bought it as-is. The great thing about the plant is that the blooms are long-lasting and it will flower through the summer.
Laurie--The candle sconces were from Pier One. Sssshhh... don't tell anybody because it doesn't really make for an interesting story.
jamie pup--I was so bummed that I couldn't be in town for the event! I really wanted to meet everyone. Yes, I'll definitely plan that trip to N.Y.
sjr--Aww... Thank you for your patience... running around all over town with me to every flea market and funky import shop--every weekend for the past 4 months! See you tomorrow, yes?(And, yeah, I DID pay him to say those nice things!)
Finally, if you can believe it, I think the space is ALMOST done. I'm still trying to decide on a light fixture for the ceiling. And think I have it narrowed down to two--a Moravian Star frosted-glass pendant light on a chain or a large round vintage spun-resin lamp on a simple white cord (it looks like a crystal moon when lit). But I believe the Long Beach City College flea market is this Sunday, so...
Enrique--
Didn't you also say the small wall sconces were Pier 1 finds? I love that this look was achieved through sucha mix of sources, humble and otherwise!
Patrick--You are correct, sir. They are Pier 1!
This looks like it would be a really great place to hang out. Congratulations on putting this together.
I've never been much of an outdoor person; perhaps because in my native Louisiana the mosquitoes pretty much eat you alive.
But this outdoor space that you've created, which really seems like a great mix of luxurious in a comfortable direction, combined with the kind of weather that your area is famous for makes this a very tempting piece of the world to want to be in.