{A summer update from LeAnn}

Alex and I have been busy with the usual and not-so-usual line-up of summer activities - 

Our family celebrated my sister's wedding just a few days ago. She and her long-time beau married the end of December and had a beautiful celebration this past weekend in Topanga Canyon.  The gorgeous blossoms above are just a small indication of what was an idyllic, romantic setting my sister put together.  I was given a couple of arrangements to take home hence the in-depth photo shoot that ensued. 

A few more shots (of many)

 - exceptionally lovely, aren't they?

Also on our agenda this summer were house guests and road trips and beach days as well as two trips to my childhood home to help my parents decide on and then install new flooring. 

At our house, we just installed a new shower flower.  We got a little creative with some flat landscape pebbles. 
(These you see are the result of several hours of us washing and sorting for color and size so be forewarned if you plan to give this a try!)

Our installer had no idea what he was in for (his boss having misunderstood our design plan), but he was soon on-board and by the time he was finished, very proud of the result.

This is the pebbles installed before grout...the sunlight coming through the window and skylight above enhancing the very zen quality of the concentric design.

Finished and in-use, the coloration blends well with our existing stone floors and the pebbles not only give the natural zen aesthetic we were looking for, they work perfectly to massage tired feet. 

Plans are still being discussed as to how exactly we are going to enclose our deck. (This has been ongoing for months.) When we renovated the kitchen and did new stone floors throughout the house, we continued the same stone floor and radiant heat onto the deck without any interruption in the height or pattern to visually expand the bedrooms and to capture more livable space we can use year-round.  

A few pics I've collected with various elements I hope to incorporate:

Simple windows...

 ...wall of windows and doors to garden...

...love these paneled bottom doors.

We've been tossing around several ideas with regards to the roof configuration...we want to add ceiling height and bring in as much light as possible but also want to keep the whole project as simple as possible...not wanting to take on major re-structuring of the whole back of the house.  (Wish us luck!)   Our architect is sending new drawings soon based on the last meeting we had with her (engineer) husband and we hope to begin work the end of September.  (Stay tuned for updates.)

Many of you have written asking questions about the various phases of our renovation and my former life as a designer.  I'm always happy to provide advice, ideas and sources.  If I can't get back to you individually, I will address oft-asked questions in a post or within the pages of our digital magazine...(much of our kitchen renovation featured in the next issue.)

Currently, Alex and my youngest sister Kim (an inspiring yoga instructor) are in Portland Oregon visiting friends and scouting out the city to see if Kim wants to make it her new home. 
 This is an image Alex sent me today:

Heart-shaped crema and hydrangeas -check and check.  

-Looks like their in-depth investigation is coming along fine.   

Before I finished writing this post, I received another iphone pic from Alex (see below.)  This is an area adjacent to the hospital where her friend is interning and she says the whole city of Portland is this way, - just a few steps from where you work or live you can be on trails like this, completely immersed in nature.  

This led me to look up a few stats:  I did not know that for over a century Portland has been known as the "City of Roses" with a climate ideal for the petaled beauties. Portland is also often referred to as the "Greenest City in America" having made green space planning a priority as early as 1905. Amazingly, with a population of over 588,000,  80% of Portlanders live within a 1/2 mile to a park and over 16% of Portland's city area is parkland. - (statistics via:  Portland, Oregon, Wikipedia)

In the works and almost ready for public consumption is the latest issue of our digital magazine. We've had many inquiries about advertising - please be aware that we do not take on traditional ads. We do, however, create features on products and businesses we love.  If you have a product or service you think meshes well with the l&l aesthetic and lifestyle, please send your proposal or questions here: linenandlavender@ {gmail.com}. We're happy to review your ideas and explain the opportunities we have available.

Coming up - a feature on a most amazing hotel we simply can't get enough of ...we'll reveal all in our next magazine {here}.

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful 

August with family and friends!

LeAnn

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NOTE: If you arrived here from Belgian Pearls, 

you may be looking for this image/post:    Simple Home Essentials

A visit to Garnier Antiques and Interior Architecture, Belgium

Today, a visit to Northwest Belgium to visit the beautifully renovated, historical property, "Vaucelleshof" – owned by Brigitte and Alain Garnier of Garnier Antiques and Interior Architecture, a company that resides among the best of the best on our l&l loves list.

Vaucelleshof is located in the countryside just ten minutes from Bruges, near the medieval village of Damme a bucolic locale amid pastures, farmland and beautiful tree-lined canals and bike paths.

(hover over each image for description/further details)

The property is comprised of buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th century, formerly an abbey for ten monks installed there by the Cistercian Abbey "Vaucelles" in the North of France, their primary goal to construct dikes in the area to protect the land from flooding.  

Antiquarians Alain and Brigitte Garnier lived nearby in the village of Damme and had admired the derelict abbey, so when it was offered for sale in 1999, they lost no time in acquiring the property and beginning the massive renovation required. 

The restoration was carried out over 10 years time, bringing all the modern conveniences to each of the buildings, but with great care to preserve the integrity and charm of the original structures.

Brigitte with her penchant for art and interior design and Alain, a 5th generation antiquarian, make a brilliant team. Blending antiques and reclaimed building materials with contemporary artwork and modern technology, they have turned the former farmhouse, stable and other outbuildings into a comfortable and beautiful home and showroom. In addition, they have allocated and designed areas to function as event spaces available to rent for weddings, seminars and other gatherings. (See links at end of post for more information.)

(hover over each image for description/further details)

The grand kitchen (140 square meters) occupies what was once the stable.

(hover over each image for description/further details)

 (see links to Garnier offerings by category at bottom of post)

(hover over each image for description/further details)

While I was visiting Garnier.be enjoying a tour of this enchanting property, I also browsed through their current antique inventory and selected a few (of many) lovely items to share with you.  (Hover over the image for a brief description and please visit the Garnier website if you would like to purchase or to obtain further details.  -See quick links to Garnier offerings by category at the bottom of this post.)

(hover over each image for description/further details)

Rock crystal chandelier, royal provenance, 18th century, Genova, Italy - Rock crystal is in reality quartz. A material of exceptional hardness with indices of light refraction close to that of a diamond, quartz has been mined and worked since antiquity.  In the Middle Ages, this rare material was used almost exclusively on religious objects.  A prohibitively expensive material, Cristal de roche was first mined in small quantities in the 17th century and its rarity forced artisans to innovate...

-excerpt from the Garnier website.  

continued (see pg 2/Chandeliers):  {Rock Crystal}  

Quick Links
 to 
Garnier Antiques & Interior Architecture 
offerings by category:

ANTIQUES:

New Arrivals

Armoires

Commodes

Coffers

Tables

Consoles 

Desks

Settees

Fauteuils & Chairs

Benches & Stools

Beds

Chandeliers, Lanterns & Appliques

Lamps

Mirrors

Objects & Curiousities

Paintings

Porcelain & Potteries

Sculptures

Tapestries & Suzani Embroideries

Historic Building Materials

Cambodia

HOME COLLECTION:

New Items

Sofas and Chairs

Coffee Tables

Tables

Desks

Consoles

Beds

Lighting

Garden Furniture

Various

TEXTILES & CURTAINS:

Curtains

Upholstery & Wood Furniture

Upholstery

Lamp Shades

Carpets

Tablecloths, Cushions, Bedlinen

Textiles & Fabrics

For information on renting Vaucelleshof, 

including capacity and catering details, go here:  {Your Event} 

 More images:  {Weddings} 

Recommended reading for more on the Garnier estate and other exceptional homes:  

New release (Jan/Feb 2013) from a publishing company at the top of our l&l loves list, Beta-Plus:  

The 100 Best Interiors in Colour

 - Along with 99 other inspiring interiors, the Garnier's home is featured in its pages. 

"The historic Vaucelleshof is situated between Bruges and the north Sea coast. The abbey and farmhouse complex belonged to the Vaucelle fathers and includes 17th, 18th and 19th century buildings.  The antiquarian couple Garnier acquired this domain in 1999 and started the restoration works that have lasted more than ten years."  –excerpt, The 100 Best Interiors in Colour.

..

100 Best Interiors in Colour (us)
100 Best Interiors in Colour (uk)
100 Best Interiors in Colour (ca)
100 Best Interiors in Colour (fr)
100 Best Interiors in Colour (de)

Garnier residence featured in the book

"Quiet Living" 

click image to order in the U.S.

 
Also available in these countries:
Quiet Living (de)
Quiet Living (fr)
Quiet Living (ca)
Quiet Living (uk)

In parting, a winter scene from Brigitte Garnier (her blog):

"This is the canal from Bruges to Damme (work of Napoleon), one of the most romantic places. In winter, when the water is frozen, we can walk or skate on the canal from Bruges to The Netherlands, through the historical village of Damme..." -Breathtaking Winter Views, Brigitte Garnier's Lifestyle

  

Such an idyllic setting...I hope you are feeling as inspired as I am after visiting the Garnier's beautiful home.

visit our new site:
www.linenlavenderlife.com

  

Most images via www.garnier.be

(hover over each image to see full credit/description)

{linen  & lavender}

visit our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

See these previous posts:

Design Daily - Kitchen    and    Design Daily - A favorite kitchen 

and our collection on pinterest: