oh my god, this place!

i recently took a quick trip to denver for some snowy r&r and was totally BLOWN AWAY by the restaurant that my host took me to on my last night in town. the food at beatrice & woodsley was outstanding (crawfish beignets? all kale caesar? whole roasted colorado striped sea bass? YES PLEASE!)

but what really took my breath away was the interior design. it was like being transported to a different world the moment you walked through the door.

filled with aspen trees and creative accents, i felt like we were sitting in a magical forest.

and no wonder. here's their story...

A room that emulates the story of two lovebirds: Beatrice, the life-loving daughter of a French wine making family who relocated to California in the 1800’s to create a small vineyard. And Woodsley, the handsome and crafty son of Lumberjacks-turned-Coopers who provided barrels for the fledging wine producers. Upon first sight Beatrice & Woodsley fell in love and quickly married.

Stirred by his new bride, Woodsley built a remote cabin amid the woods of the Colorado Mountains. Built with skilled and loving hands, Woodsley constructed a strong abode complete with the day’s amenities and a large wine cellar between the roots of the aspens... Life was lived with appreciation amongst the forest birdsong, and the snow-capped peaks… happily ever after.

the bar is made of live edge, untreated wood supported by vintage chainsaws.

re-wired antique lamps hang from beamed ceilings.


tables are swathed in gauzy white curtains for privacy.

the shingled back wall hides doors to the men's and ladies' rooms.


paper rolls suspended from the restroom ceiling.

wonderful pulley system to turn on the sink faucets. strings of ball bearings guide the water from the ceiling into your hands.

whimsical touches all around!

visiting beatrice & woodsley motivated me to get started again on some of the little projects that are hanging around the house waiting to be completed. above all, when someone visits our home, i want them to feel comfortable and happy - just the way i felt when i visited b & w.

what's inspiring you right now?

oh, geez...

i have a soft-spot for hobos (he's actually a table lighter)...

it has been far too long since i have written! things have been crazy here in fog city (i know, it's no excuse) but i'm ready to fire-up this here blog once again...

as most of you know, we had a fire 6 months ago. things worked out just fine, the work is almost complete, but g has opted to keep things private - so i'll just say that it looks beautiful and leave it at that!

i've also taken a fab trip to vietnam (!) - i'll post pics soon - and started a new project for a friend. it's another gorgeous san francisco home - this time late edwardian (as opposed to my VERY victorian one) and BIG. like, it even has a garage. which is a true luxury here in fog city. stay tuned for some news on that front.

anywhoo, today i'm going to start with an easy post...

i took a trip up the california coast (with many stops for wine-tasting) for a weekend of antiquing with the girls. and picked up a few new cuties for the house. check out all of my new boyfriends!

and also for ringmasters (esp. when pose as adorable piggy banks).

and who could resist "clippy" the paper-clip holder? (though he may actually be promoted to toothbrush holder.)

i love old neon signs. this one is made more awesome by the fact that the acrylic has faded to yellow and hot pink - making it OH SO GIRLY. perfect with the pink and orange flowers in my office.

here are a few photos from the trip, in case you're interested...

everything's just perfectly rusted up here. and check out those beautiful california poppies!

lunch at sequoia burger! nomnomnom.

water lilies at j vineyards

the inn in timber cove. so so so great. nothing around for at least 20 miles.

after dinner - toes up by the fire at the inn! (and time for S'MORES!)

what trip is complete without thomas magnum? perfect late late late night viewing (with wine and cheese, of course).

early morning walk along the cove

and a view back towards the hotel from the walking trail

brunch in guerneville. sometimes, in wine country you have to branch out and drink something other than wine. like sparkling wine. with fresh lemonade and mint. mmmmmmmm...

wild lupine on highway one.

iceland again.

if you read this the first time around, go ahead and give it a skip.

i was reading more about the motherland, and eyjafjallajokull volcano today (fascinating, right), when i thought to myself that it might be a good idea to remind my readers (all two of you) that iceland isn't so bad!

so, here again is the post i put together after christmas in iceland, meeting the fam!

me at the blue lagoon. the colors were indescribable!

i know that this blog is supposed to be about the process of renovating and decorating the house, but i still thought it relevant to include a post about my trip to iceland last month. after all, each place that we go leaves an indelible impression upon us and changes us - which ultimately influences how we live. for me iceland was about the colors, the simple and modern interiors, and all of the fabulous art.

street art in reykjavik. i heart graffiti.

some of you will undoubtedly ask "WHY ICELAND? and why iceland in the MIDDLE OF WINTER?!" well, it's simple really. my grandmother was from a small town in the north of iceland, akureyri (note: this is the 2nd largest city in the country at 17 thousand people. a HUGE portion of the population, 200k+ out of 300, lives in reykjavik).

my grandfather met her when he was stationed in iceland during WWII - and she broke off her engagement with some poor local boy to run off to the u.s. and marry this tall, handsome american boy.

the fjörds of akureyri, where my grandmother was from.

akureyri architecture - surprisingly like home!

i'd never visited but my dad and i had talked about it for years as he had not been either. and so, when he saw a great deal in one of his travel newsletters, we leapt at the chance. and i then got in touch with my family there (not hard since we are actually in almost daily contact despite the fact that we'd never visited) and made plans to meet them all.

we flew in for a very short trip - just 6 days because i have taken so much time off this year to deal with the house, and had a fantastic time.

perpetual dusk in the wintertime - great since it's my favorite time of day!

iceland LOVES christmas.

meeting my family was a memory i will treasure forever. i was the only non blue-eyed person there (my mother is from taiwan, my father met her when he was stationed there during the vietnam war), but i felt like i fit right in. i saw my freckles, i heard my laugh, and felt my grandmother's spirit in them all.

my family (and me looking, and feeling, like a drowned rat!)

what struck me, too, wass how big a part of the culture art, in all its forms, is with icelanders. from food to sculpture to street art to fashion - iceland is at the cutting edge of it all. you can't walk through reykjavik, in particular, without noticing.

SWOON! local fashion is gorgeous (and expensive- these were over $600 u.s.)!

bronze statues in reykjavik's town center.

tasted as good as it looked!

there's so much to see in iceland and the people are so warm and lovely - there's no doubt that i will return.

enjoying our favorite pastime.

one too many for dad?

i hope you've enjoyed "getting away from it all" with me, even for a few minutes! i've kept this VERY brief, but will write more if you all seem interested - it's a fascinating place.

jen x

me and dad at gullfoss.

and one of my favorite songs from "cousin" björk for your entertainment:

christmas in iceland!

me at the blue lagoon. the colors were indescribable!

i know that this blog is supposed to be about the process of renovating and decorating the house, but i still thought it relevant to include a post about my trip to iceland last month. after all, each place that we go leaves an indelible impression upon us and changes us - which ultimately influences how we live. for me iceland was about the colors, the simple and modern interiors, and all of the fabulous art.

street art in reykjavik. i heart graffiti.

some of you will undoubtedly ask "WHY ICELAND? and why iceland in the MIDDLE OF WINTER?!" well, it's simple really. my grandmother was from a small town in the north of iceland, akureyri (note: this is the 2nd largest city in the country at 17 thousand people. a HUGE portion of the population, 200k+ out of 300, lives in reykjavik).

my grandfather met her when he was stationed in iceland during WWII - and she broke off her engagement with some poor local boy to run off to the u.s. and marry this tall, handsome american boy.

the fjörds of akureyri, where my grandmother was from.

akureyri architecture - surprisingly like home!

i'd never visited but my dad and i had talked about it for years as he had not been either. and so, when he saw a great deal in one of his travel newsletters, we leapt at the chance. and i then got in touch with my family there (not hard since we are actually in almost daily contact despite the fact that we'd never visited) and made plans to meet them all.

we flew in for a very short trip - just 6 days because i have taken so much time off this year to deal with the house, and had a fantastic time.

perpetual dusk in the wintertime - great since it's my favorite time of day!

iceland LOVES christmas.

meeting my family was a memory i will treasure forever. i was the only non blue-eyed person there (my mother is from taiwan, my father met her when he was stationed there during the vietnam war), but i felt like i fit right in. i saw my freckles, i heard my laugh, and felt my grandmother's spirit in them all.

my family (and me looking, and feeling, like a drowned rat!)

what struck me, too, wass how big a part of the culture art, in all its forms, is with icelanders. from food to sculpture to street art to fashion - iceland is at the cutting edge of it all. you can't walk through reykjavik, in particular, without noticing.

SWOON! local fashion is gorgeous (and expensive- these were over $600 u.s.)!

bronze statues in reykjavik's town center.

tasted as good as it looked!

there's so much to see in iceland and the people are so warm and lovely - there's no doubt that i will return.

enjoying our favorite pastime.

one too many for dad?

i hope you've enjoyed "getting away from it all" with me, even for a few minutes! i've kept this VERY brief, but will write more if you all seem interested - it's a fascinating place.

jen x

p.s. more photos here for those of you who are interested and more on the way...

me and dad at gullfoss.