This cottage is full of classic charm. The wall of windows draws you in. It feels as if you are living in the treetops.

The outdoor living areas are beautiful and relaxing. I can easily picture myself sipping on coffee or a glass of wine—depending on time of day! I have been trying to achieve this in my own yard and not having much success.

Again, windows bring the outdoors in. This bedroom is simply dreamy. Check out the rest of the virtual tour here.

Rebecca and John Lane were avid fans of “This Old House” and looking for a new project when they first laid eyes on this 1905 Neoclassical Victorian.  The San Jose house with its Roman-style round columns and dentil moldings was in nearly original condition, but needed a lot of work. With the help of architectural designer Lynn Miller in 2007, they took the house down to the studs and began a four-year project that included every weekend of do-it-yourself projects, from refinishing floors to stripping and replacing moldings throughout the house. They tore out a carport and built a detached garage, with John custom-making seven types of molding to match the house. They graciously opened the home for the Rose Garden Homes Tour this fall.

Along the way, John, a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, taught teenager Devon Hunter the art of carpentry (and the fun of demolition.)

“He’s practically a member of the family at this point,” said John, who began mentoring 19-year-old Devon when he was just seven.

The Lanes left the front rooms in their original configuration, but opened up the back of the house, extending a breakfast nook onto an old porch area, and converting two bedrooms into a family room and stairwell. By excavating nearly two feet of dirt from under the basement, they turned the low-ceilinged space with exposed pipes into a complete living area with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a wine cellar and a “secret door.” The couple was surprised to find that a trap door that led them to the attic revealed 10-foot ceilings above. Adding extra dormers, this became their master suite. Rebecca found vintage-style corbels to use as shelf supports for the luxurious closet. They shopped at antique shops for vintage light fixtures and recovered stained glass windows from John’s parents’ attic in Portland to use as transom windows in the kitchen.

They named the house “Villa Roseto,” Italian for “Rose Garden Estate.”

“It was a much bigger deal than we originally anticipated,” John said of the project. But the 4,000 square foot result, he said, is worth it.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

When Gretchen and Dominic Kotab first saw this 1930 Spanish-style home in San Jose, they thought it would be perfect for their growing family. The living room with its 15-foot ceilings and exposed rustic wood beams was ideal for their piano — along with all the lessons for their children to come.

“It just had a lot of charm,” Gretchen said, including original hardwood floors throughout.

 The kitchen faced the back of the house, so Gretchen could keep an eye on the kids in the backyard. The house was already graciously proportioned, with four bedrooms and three baths. But the kitchen and bathrooms hadn’t been touched in decades. The family lived in the house for five years before moving out for a substantial remodel when their oldest entered kindergarten at St. Martin’s.

“It was chaos,” Gretchen said.

Her favorite part of the project was a trip to Los Angeles to Mission Tile West, where she chose gorgeous, vintage-inspired tile for the kitchen and baths. The kitchen backsplash is especially fabulous, with a cream and green interlocking pattern. Their master bath is small, but Gretchen wanted to make it elegant, choosing Carrera marble. They expanded the front and back patios, covering the front with Spanish tile and the back with slate. With the children ages 3, 5 and 7 now, the house is just right.

They opened their doors this fall for the Rose Garden Homes Tour. Floral Designer Jose Ibarra worked his magic in nearly every room, from the dining room table and sideboard, to the branches on the living room mantle, to the front courtyard. A master at work!

Here’s the complete slideshow:

In the 10 months it took to build this house from the ground up, a lot happened in the Wetmore family. Diane’s mother, the matriarch of the family, died, and her daughter got married. What she realized then was just how important it was that this new home become the center, the gathering place, for the family.

And to Diane and Ray, whose four grown daughters all attended St. Martin of Tours, that meant big, open spaces for entertaining, both inside and out. And that starts at the majestic front door, a work of iron art with wavy glass windows that open behind it, letting the California breeze blow from the front all the way to the glass doors that slide into the wall in the back. The family graciously opened their home for the Rose Garden Homes Tour this fall.

Ray is a commercial masonry contractor and the home that Diane describes as part Arizona, part Florida and part Hawaii needed some signature stonework. With the help of architect Chris Spaulding and designer Susan Powell, they created a stone alcove that can be glimpsed from the entryway as well as a stone-covered stove hood. Even the risers on the curving staircase are covered in a distinctive tile to add interest. The living room ceiling soars two-stories high, with windows upon windows to let light in. The front room was designed as a “mancave” with leather sofas, a wet bar, stone fireplace and vintage wine barrels. Limestone tile floors make a seamless transition from the living room through the wall of windows(that disappear when opened) to the covered patio, complete with a Tuscan-style dining table and plans for a full-service barbecue area.

With a gracious master bedroom downstairs, the upstairs is reserved for family, including a nursery for the Wetmore’s grandchildren.

“Everyone comes here and stays here,” Diane said. “It was built to bring the family together.”

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Feel that crispness in the air? It’s home tour season! And Lookiloos is giving away two pairs of tickets to the 2011 Rose Garden Homes Tour in San Jose this weekend, Oct. 14-15. See below how to win! And take a look at the facades of the homes on tour below, and just imagine what’s inside!

Don’t you want to go inside this meticulously-restored Neoclassical Victorian, shown above? There’s some amazing salvaged stained glass, high ceilings, and a spectacular master bedroom, which had been an attic. How about this one below, a 1930 Spanish-style family home with remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, inlaid with special vintage-inspired tiles?

Check out this one below” A newly-built Tuscan home with exceptional stonework and a wall of windows that slide open to the garden. It’s amazing.

The traditional ranch house below has amazing woodworking details and hand-painted finishes.

 These four lovely homes, plus an elegant Victorian garden  will be featured Oct. 15-16 during the 16th annual Rose Garden Homes Tour in San Jose, benefiting St. Martin of Tours School.

Gather your friends, put on your walking shoes and enjoy an afternoon in one of San Jose’s finest neighborhoods. Afterward, indulge yourself with a gourmet luncheon and browse through a gift boutique in the gardens of a rescued and lovingly restored Italianate Victorian.

 When: Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16, 2011. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Tour begins at 2017 University Way, San Jose

Tickets: $30 in advance. $35 at the door. Lunch tickets must be ordered by Oct. 11, $13.

Tickets may be purchased through the website at www.rosegardenhomestour.com , Not Too Shabby at 481 S. Bascom Ave. San Jose; Willow Glen Home and Garden on Lincoln Avenue,  and Vintage and Vogue at 241 E. Campbell Avenue, Campbell.

Benefiting St. Martin of Tours School, San Jose.

Website: www.rosegardenhomestour.com

 To win the tickets, leave a comment on our lookiloos facebook page (we’re having a technical problem here) and tell us why you want to go and we’ll pick a pair of winners!

Photos by Marie McEnery.

But when the road narrows and the oaks make way for redwoods, you reach the old gate at San Clemente Rancho, a private enclave dating back half a century. What the 1960s-era cabins here lack in square footage, they make up for in vintage charm and, in some cases, high style.

Folks from San Francisco to Salinas have discovered this special place and brought their own sense of style – from modern organic to rustic to Americana – to these little abodes. And at nearly every one, you’ll find deck railings covered with beach towels and walking sticks for hikes and buckets at back doors for catching bullfrogs at the lake.

Three cabin owners opened their doors for a peek into how they made the most of their small spaces by combining a respect for the past with their own family heirlooms and contemporary touches.

The look: Modern organic

Kathi Fanelli-Mann, a Bay Area interior designer, shares her one-bedroom, 600-square-foot cabin with her husband, playwright Michael Norman Mann, and their two sons.

Their large Hollister home is filled with vivid colors – but not their tiny cabin at the rancho.

“I wanted to keep it peaceful in here with the color scheme,” she said. The existing whitewashed redwood walls drove the theme and texture. From the bedroom on one side, through the kitchen, she covered the floor with a neutral seagrass – a forgiving flooring that hides the tracked-in dirt and dries quickly when the boys leave their wet bathing suits behind. The chairs are covered in linen, the windows in canvas. A block of wood serves as an end table. Fern leaves picked from the property and propped in oversize jars provide the organic color that brings in the outdoors.

The most stunning focal point is reserved for the bedroom – a huge photo-on-canvas of a snow-covered Yellowstone bison that Mann took on vacation. But this lone bedroom is no master bedroom. Indeed, the Manns gave it up for their boys and flanked the buffalo with a pair of twin beds. A mirrored cabinet from Ikea provides storage and adds visual space – and a bit of sparkle – to the room. A jar next to one of the beds keeps a collection of wild turkey and quail feathers the boys gathered on the property.

An added benefit of giving the children the bedroom? Close the door and hide the mess.

The couple sleeps in the living room, in a sleek daybed with decorative pillows that doubles as a lounge space.

The real magic is outdoors, where an old patio lined by a low stone wall nestles into a grove of live oaks and a new deck overlooks a fish pond, Mann’s favorite place to write.

“In the evenings,” Fanelli-Mann said, “we sit outside, wrap ourselves in blankets and watch the bats come out.”

The look: Americana

When Lee Wilson first saw the Blackrock Creek surging past the cabin for sale at San Clemente Rancho, “I was absolutely enthralled.”

As a kid, he had spent time at a cabin in Boulder Creek with a stream running under it, so “when I saw this I thought, oh, I’ve got to have that. This is where I’ve got to be.”

The previous owners had left the one-bedroom cabin with a loft furnished – with a sofa, leather chair, an oak table and a pair of monumental elk trophy heads on the wall.

“I wasn’t real gung-ho about keeping those,” wife Terry Wilson said of the trophies. She thought their grown daughter “would have a fit and not want to be up there.”

But they didn’t seem to bother her, “so we just left them.”

They were part of the history of the cabin, after all.

An avid antiques collector, Terry Wilson filled the cabin with special touches, from vintage canoe paddles and embroidered samplers to a drum coffee table.

“I tried to pick little things that were Americana-looking, the red, white and blue,” she said. Many pieces are sentimental, from a handcrafted hutch her father made, to her mother’s handwoven Mexican blankets and her parents’ wall clock. On the hearth rest four pairs of children’s cowboy boots that belonged to her, her brother and the most recent addition – her granddaughter’s pink ones.

As much as Terry Wilson loves to decorate, it was Lee Wilson who was adamant about several statement pieces he acquired from places as divergent as the San Francisco Design Center (an American flag tile mosaic for the front walkway) and a roadside trash bin (a shutter for above the kitchen sink). He nailed to the kitchen wall his collection of Griswold cast-iron skillets and placed an old cigar-store Indian that was a gift from a friend at the front gate.

“I just walk in and have extreme calm,” he said. “I don’t go to the pool or the rec center because I’ve got everything right here, the best of all worlds.”

The look:Lakeside rustic

As you walk up the front path to this cabin, you spot the green canoe floating against the deck and wonder whether you’ve actually stepped into a Winslow Homer painting.

Carol and Lin Krebs of Los Gatos were smitten when they laid eyes on the lakeside cabin, made from a cedar log kit in 1972 from Pan-Abode, a company still in business today. The cabin was built by Mike and Donna Dormody and their four children, who bought the rancho in 1960 from the McFadden family that homesteaded the land in the 1920s. Some 16 miles southeast of Carmel, the property lies in the Santa Lucia Mountains – a two-hour drive from the South Bay.

At 1,000 square feet with three bedrooms and a loft, “it was one of the biggest,” said Bruce Dormody, who now runs the entire San Clemente Rancho development. While he and his family own the land, they sell 99-year licensing agreements to cabin owners. (Cabins for sale range from the mid-$100,000s to low-$500,000s, plus membership and other fees, and can be seen at www.mountain-cabins.com.)

At the lakeside cabin, Dormody recalled, none of the bedrooms had closets.

That was a problem the Krebs family set out to change, adding a master bedroom, bath and closet. With the help of decorator Lillian Stahl, they added a crackle finish to the kitchen cabinets, vintage chairs and Western paintings. Exposed pipes in the original bathroom were wrapped with rope.

On Fourth of July weekend, they drape red, white and blue bunting from the railing of the wraparound deck and watch the fish jump, the egrets fly and the kids jump off the swimming platform in the middle of Trout Lake. “You really feel you’re floating on the water,” she said.

Inside, she said, “small, comfortable and cozy was what I really wanted.”

And like most of the cabin owners who have found a respite here, that’s exactly what she got.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Happy Summer Everyone!

PS. Check out both Mionetto and Ciao Bella on Facebook—Great recipes, events and promotions!

Here’s the complete slideshow:

With help from Steve Gilbert of Willow Glen Home and Garden, the homeowners, Virginia and Brett Nicoletti, have created the kind of rooms you want to live in. They graciously opened their home to the 2011 Willow Glen Lifestyles home tour.

The front bedroom with the orange palette was one of my favorites. Don’t you just love the bedding?

And the youngest daughter also has a haven all in pink. I also love the vintage-style bedspread in this room.

The 1992 home began an update when the Nicolettis bought it in 2000. They extended hardwoods throughout the house and antiqued the kitchen cabinets.   The result is an elegant space, upstairs and down.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

But once they moved in, how did these new urban dwellers decorate their own spaces? And more important for the voyeur in all of them, how did their neighbors decorate theirs, especially the guys in the penthouse?

Last week, homeowners in the 22-story “The 88″ on Second Street in downtown San Jose hosted their own “progressive design party” to show off their own places and peek in on others.

“I want to see how other people live,” says Karen Mandell, who had cheese and wine waiting for her guests in the unit she shares with her husband on the ninth floor. (Hint: There was more than one white couch on the tour.)

High-rise living is new to San Jose, a city known more for its suburban sprawl than hip downtown living. Beginning in 2007, just as the real estate market was tanking, the first of four towers were built downtown, starting with City Heights, then Axis and The 88 and finally the 360 Residences. The 88 is the tallest of the four. It opened in late 2009, is 65 percent full, and the homeowners couldn’t seem happier.

About 30 neighbors gathered first in the “entertainment room” on the fifth floor that opens to the spalike pool and grand, tree-studded terrace. And a surprising mix of neighbors it was, from European singles working in local high-tech to a young couple who traded a 3,000-square-foot in Denver, to empty nesters who left their Redwood City home of 33 years.

The Colorado couple are Karen and Evan Mandell. They moved to San Jose in late 2009 when Karen Mandell, 37, got a job as the research director for the Mineta Transportation Institute. She gave up her car when she moved here and walks the half-mile to work.

“It’s a very simple, clean, sustainable lifestyle,” she says. (Grocery shopping is easy with a Safeway on the ground floor, her husband says. “It’s like having the world’s largest refrigerator in the basement.”)

When they sold their big Denver home and were moving to the one-bedroom unit in the high-rise, they were faced with the quandary of what to do with all their heavily carved, marble-topped Baroque-style furniture. “We sold everything but the bar,” she says.

“You have to maximize your style when you only have two or three rooms to work with,” Evan Mandell, 38, says.

In came a new white leather sectional, a triangle-shaped dining table that seats six and a can of dark red paint to add drama to the living room walls.

While Karen Mandell gave up a lot of furniture, she didn’t seem to get rid of any shoes. She has floor-to-ceiling shelves of them in her closet, which she illuminated with a pink crystal chandelier; it was one of the most popular rooms on the tour. “Who are you, Lady Gaga?” her neighbor, Rosa Passanisi, asks, peeking in.

Passanisi, who works at the U.S. Postal Service with her husband and is nearing retirement, took a different approach to decorating. She simply moved all the furniture that would fit from their Redwood City home, right down to the oak ladder-back dining room chairs. Her house is comfortable, she says. “We don’t have a showcase house.”

Mohamed “Mo” Marleen’s 14th-floor space couldn’t be more modern, from the white couch to the bubblelike chandelier and arching globe light.

Rob and Laurie Howe moved much of their traditional furniture with an Asian influence into their 17th-floor home, adding walls of storage to accommodate the extras they couldn’t part with from the 4,200-square-foot home they gave up on a half-acre in Belleview, Wash., when Rob Howe took a job at eBay.

The tour’s big reveal was one of the penthouses on the 21st floor. Engineers Paul Teixeira, 35, and Jose Mendez, 28, own this 1,700-square-foot home with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, 11 1/2-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. “It’s like a glass box in the air,” Teixeira says.

Teixeira was happy to give up his four-bedroom, two-story house in South San Jose that kept him doing yard work on weekends for the penthouse with the views from the eastern foothills all the way to San Francisco. Both men take the light rail to work most days. About the only things Teixeira kept from the old house were his childhood piano with the varnish flaking off (“It’s rustic and kind of weird,” Teixeria says) and the massive sectional that fit perfectly between two support columns.

“It’s that modern rustic, a cross between Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware,” he says of the comfortable, low-profile couch. “Neither of us are ultramodern. We were trying to shoot for that clean modern look, but a little bit warmer.”

The bar with the LED-illuminated shelving is new — lighting up his liquor bottles in an array of colors — along with the outsized artwork on the walls.

Before moving in, the couple modified the kitchen, adding a huge granite-topped island that has become party central. To add color to the mostly black-and-white palette, they added a trio of blue pendant lights over the island.

They also made a centerpiece on their seldom-used dining table with a giant ceramic abalone shell and blue and green blown glass that practically glows when the natural light streams through it.

As much as the couple enjoys the inside of their penthouse, it’s what’s outside that made them fall in love with it. On a clear day, they can see the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

So, have you been bit yet? You know by the Royal Wedding Bug? My friends are dropping like flies. Facebook profile pics have been changed, apps have been downloaded and alarm clocks have been set. I have to admit when Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, I was all over that. We didn’t have the internet and my parents didn’t even have cable. Do you know how hard it was to get my information?

I’ve gotten some photos of the of Buckingham Palace and thought I’d share. The opulence of the rooms is breathtaking—further confirming I had to have been switched at birth.

Using red silk damask, the walls of the State Dining Room make a proper background for the portraits of sovereigns from throughout history.

A portrait of Edward VII’s wife Queen Alexandra hangs in the White Drawing Room, apparently it is the grandest of the state rooms and it has views of the gardens. There is a secret door leading to private rooms to allow for a discreet Royal entrance. I’d like one of those—no more awkward entrances. The main focus of the reception will be the picture gallery, where the wedding cake a traditional multi-tiered fruit cake will be on display surrounded with works by Canaletto, Rembrandt and Rubens.

The lavishly appointed White Drawing Room will be one of the rooms used during the wedding reception. Can you imagine standing in the middle of it all?

The finest crystal chandeliers hang from the ornate ceiling of the Blue Drawing Room. I believe I’m going to start refering to the rooms in my own home this way—”Get that skateboard out of the Gold Living Room”! It works—doesn’t it?

You can purchase tickets either day at the ticket house 3245 Bryant Street, Palo Alto or online here.

Leave a comment here and the winner will be announced on Thursday evening.

Thierry Buisson’s parents met in a French military hospital in Marrakech, Morocco. She was a local nurse born and raised there. He was a doctor from a farming village in the south of France.Growing up in Paris, Buisson spent time in both places, from his grandparents’ rustic farmhouse to the colorful marketplaces of Marrakech.Buisson, who came to the United States two decades ago, is a personal shopper at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco and does interior design work on the side. A dining room he decorated with zebra skin and a custom-made topiary of his dog Winston, of all things, was featured in the Summit League’s “Homes for the Holidays” tour last Christmas.

His love of collecting started with his father.

When Buisson was a boy, he and his father would spend weekends at Paris flea markets and antique shops, searching for

“just that magical piece that turns you on.”

It was there he learned “the patience of finding something that makes your heart beat.”

His father would often collect small things, silver and china.

“The biggest piece he ever bought was an 18th-century Aubusson tapestry. My mom just freaked out,” Buisson said. “My dad had to justify every purchase, either hide it or bring it out for a birthday.”

In summers, they would often visit his grandparents in the village of Le Breuil. He remembers two things about the farmhouse in particular:a huge fireplace in the kitchen along with a “gigantic dining room table,” as well as the handmade, white linen sheets in the bedroom that were so cold “it would take us hours to get in bed.”

And every Christmas, the family would travel to his mother’s homeland of Marrakech, where he absorbed the spicy aromas and the colorful textiles. “It’s the most phenomenal, magical place I’ve ever been to,” he said.

And now the home he shares with his partner is filled with the influences of his youth, inside and out.

The front walkway is lined with potted citrus trees, giving you the feeling of approaching a French “orangerie.” Inside, a 19th-century, hand-painted French vaisselier for storing and displaying china sits in the living room — a find from friend Darin Geise who owns the Coup d’Etat showroom across from the Design Center in San Francisco. Atop a leather ottoman is a bright green tray and a Moroccan lantern. Louis XVI chairs are covered in charcoal grey Pierre Frey toile. French doors lead you to a deck that looks like the courtyard of a boutique hotel, with topiaries and Moroccan-tiled wrought-iron tables. On an end table in a guest room is a collection of miniature porcelain busts he collected from the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. In his room, he keeps a collection of antique boxes. His sister, who owns an antique shop in the seventh arrondissement of Paris called “Fauve,” sends him a tiny box for every birthday.

And in an ode to his grandparents, on his bed he keeps French linen sheets. But unlike the farmhouse in France, in his masterbedroom, he has a fireplace to keep them warm.

(Thierry Buisson can be reached at thierryinteriors@gmail.com or 408-828-1685.)

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Hiding TVs has been a chronic conundrum for designers, architects and significant others who once tackled the problem in the olden days by tucking them into with furniture-like wardrobes. But 60 inches across aren’t easy to conceal. That’s why Bill Cardoza of San Jose started a business called “The Art of TV,” transforming your flat panel into a beautifully-framed mirror or a stunning piece of digital art formatted to fit your wide screen HDTV when not in use. Mona Lisa on the living room wall, anyone? You can choose from a library of digital images and rotate them as well. A family portrait can also takes its rightful place –integrated into the TV screen. The Art of TV will create a boot that consists of a custom frame and special two-way glass. The boot fits right over your existing flat panel and the two-way glass gives you the option to the display digital art or the mirror. Since each is custom, the turnaround time can take two to three weeks.
And it’s not cheap _ it costs about $3,200 for a 37-inch screen. The TV is included in the price. So, you might say it’s worth it!
And with wives now able to enjoy the look of their husbands’ electronic monstrosities, Cardoza says, “it’s better than marriage counseling.”
For more information, go to The Art of TV.

Crab Melts

1 loaf sweet french bread
1/2 cup pesto (roughly–I’ve never measured it)
4 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced
1 lb. lump crab meat
15 slices of Havarti

Pre-heat broiler. Slice french bread into approximately 15 slices. Spread a thin layer of pesto and top with a slice of tomato. Next, mound a small amount of crab and top with cheese. Place under broiler for approximately 4 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbly and turning brown.

Here’s an offer you can’t refuse—The Godfather house is on the market. For $2.9 million you can own a piece of Hollywood history. Along with the sale you get one of Marlon Brando’s cue cards and a piece of the stone wall the studio created out of canvas. This home needs some updating, but c’mon to say you live where the Corleones’ once did? I say pretty darn cool.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Favorite Whitter Cheddar

This week we are having Mac and Cheese. This recipe is actually a blend of two—Martha Stewart’s and Ina Garten’s. I love Martha’s for the bread crumb topping, but not the elbow macaroni or the gruyere. I love Ina’s for the penne and all the different cheeses, but not the tomatoes. I’m not a tomato hater—in fact I love them—just not in my mac and cheese. So, I made it my own. I will serve this with a big salad and all will be happy.

Delicious Gooeyness

My Mac And Cheese
Serves 12

6 slices brioche pulsed in food processor
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups grated Havarti
1 1/4 cups Parmesan
2 pound Penne

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with breadcrumbs, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Havarti and 1 cup of the Parmesan. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add penne; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. Drain penne and rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir penne into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Havarti and 1/4 cup Parmesan; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

I got to thinking which books have meant the most to me. Which stories made me stop and think? Made me laugh or cry? I created a list of my top books. Most of these are still on my bookshelf and some have moved on to other shelves. I wanted to limit the list to five but my brain said no—how can you choose?

I didn’t start out loving to read—in fact I hated it. It was a giant pain in my backside. I read only what was required. It wasn’t until my seventh grade English teacher assigned Durango Street by Frank Bonham, that the world of reading was different for me. I read ahead of the class—I re-read chapters. I can say, I may have even skipped other homework in lieu of reading. It wasn’t just the book, but that seventh grade teacher who held amazing discussions about the previous nights required reading. This was learning? Miss Bell, I thank you.

I digress—back to cleaning my bookshelf. Here are my top choices for books that made me stop. And, yes I know I’m kinda all over the place with these choices. My only defense—that’s just me. I’d love to hear what books have stuck with you year after year.

1. Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
2. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
3. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
4. Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
5. Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg
6. Shutterbabe by Deborah Copaken Kogan
7. Dry by Augusten Burroughs
8. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
9. Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris

Logitech and the entire Harmony line has finally come to along to solve the problem of managing multiple remote controls and devices.  Count ‘em up – flat screen TV, surround sound speakers, DVD player, apple TV, cable TV and video game consoles fill my living room with remote controls!  The clutter is Killing Me and is an eye sore.    Sure, there are plenty of universal remotes that can manage your DVD player and TV, but the Logitech Harmony One replaces up to 15 remotes and does it with grace (talk about multi-tasking!)

Enter to win a Harmony 650!

I’ve been using the Harmony One (retail $249.) for the past month and can’t sing its praises enough.   What makes it nicer than other universal remotes?  It is well designed – fits in the palm of my hand and is not awkwardly shaped.  It feels balanced, like it can handle my channel changing obsessed family.  The Harmony One has a touch screen, so I can see my devices – my son’s Xbox, the wii and surround sound.  Best of all, I hit one-two buttons and it turns on my tv, switches inputs and finds the device.  It is also rechargeable, so no more looking for batteries.  Where has this been my whole life?

Don’t just take my word for it, you must read Desiree’s thoughts on the Harmony One.

We love it and know you will too, there are 5 types in the Harmony line from the Harmony 300i which manages 4 devices to the Harmony which is touch screen.   We are giving away a Harmony 650 to one lucky reader, this remote controls 5 devices, has a color LCD screen and a one-click activity buttons. (retail $99.99  ) Simply leave a comment here telling us which remote you’d most like to get rid of.  We’ll pick one winner at random.

Be sure you leave your email address so we can find you.  You can have an additional entry by tweeting our contest. Be sure you leave proof of tweet in our comments.   Contest ends on Monday, January 31, 2011 by midnight.  You have 24 hours to claim your prize after we notify you via email.  Good luck!

Disclosure: Logitech provided the prize for us and items to review, but the opinions are all our own.

Logitech's Harmony One

About six weeks ago I received a package, a brand spankin’ new universal remote. The kind folks at Logictech wanted me to try out their Harmony One advanced universal remote. I admit we have too many remotes in my house—one for the TV, one for the cable box, one for the DVD player—each one claiming to play with the others. As my household can attest, I’m often calling someone from another room to fix the TV. “Mom, it’s not that hard first hit this button on this remote then hit this button on the other remote and viola now you can watch your HGTV.” The voice is sometimes sarcastic and to that, I roll my eyes. I can never remember the sequence of which remote first, what button—it’s very confusing. This is how it works if you have all the remotes. I can’t stress enough you must have all the remotes. Did I mention I live in testosterone land and I know that 4 out of the 5 constantly re-program the remotes to their liking. This is why I can’t keep up.

Why can’t you watch TV the way I did when I was 10. It was so easy. Get up of the couch, push the on button and then using the rotary dial select your station. Well, it is that easy again. The Harmony One remote is the catalyst to switch between any one of the devices plugged into your TV. I now feel invincible. It’s OK that the TV was last used to play Black OPS, I know how to change that. I don’t have to remember that a certain device is HDMI 1, 2, 3 or 4—The Harmony One does that for me. Besides the fact all my little devices play nicely together, here are a couple of features that have sold me on this piece of technology. I love the sleek look of the Harmony One and the way it feels in your hand. The weight is balanced perfectly and the body seems to fit like a glove—and I’ve heard that from different members in my house. So, it doesn’t seem to matter if you have big or small hands—it fits. You can customize your set-up screen to program your favorite channels. The only issue we had was all of us agreeing on what OUR favorites would be. The set up takes some time and we did make a call to customer support who had the answer in under 5 minutes!

NOTE: WE ARE HAVING A GIVE-AWAY OF A HARMONY 650 HERE. HOW SWEET!!!!

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

Gingered Carrot Soup

* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 4 carrots (about 3/4 pound), grated coarse
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh gingerroot
* 3/4 cup chicken broth, or to taste
* 2 cups boiling water
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

In a 2-quart microwave-safe dish melt the butter in the microwave at high power (100%) for 15 seconds, stir in the carrots, the sugar, the gingerroot, the broth, and the water, and microwave the mixture at high power for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. In a blender purée the mixture with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and divide the soup between 2 bowls.

***I doubled this recipe to feed my lot.***

Szechwan Chicken Stir-Fry

5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons garlic olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
one bunch of green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Dredge chicken in the cornstarch. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry until opaque, about 5 minutes. Add soy mixture and stir-fry 30 more seconds. Add green onions and serve with rice.

This feeds 4—I always double it hoping for left overs. It hasn’t happened yet!

Again, sorry for the lack of photos—I’m having a hard time with this new habit—getting all the pieces put together. There’s always next Sunday!

When Ayesha Sikandar and her husband walked into
the 1960s ranch-style house in San Mateo, it had the signs of an angry
exit _ walls with holes that looked as though someone kicked them in.
Neighbors told them the owner had lost his job, his relationship, his
health and finally, in foreclosure, his home.  The house had become an
eyesore.
But this couple from Pakistan, who had studied and worked in the Bay
Area for a decade and saved for so long, finally found a house they
could afford.
“It’s not a good feeling to go into someone’s house who has gone
through that,” she said. “But the time and price were right for us and
we made it our own.”
The single-story, 1,350-square foot tract home needed a lot of work, but had a nice floorplan that opened to a south-facing backyard. They saw potential .
So they took it upon themselves to turn this house of sorrow back into a happy home.
First, the budding designer and her husband, Musa Sayyed, an artist who designs games for LucusArts in San Francisco, had to agree on a style.
“I’m very modern. My husband likes warm and traditional,” she said. “He was a tough client to please.”
And they needed to stay on budget, which meant many do-it-yourself projects that had them working side-by-side past midnight.
They tackled the big projects first — new handscraped hardwood flooring and double-paned windows. A straight replacement would have meant customizing windows to fit in the spaces. Instead, they made the openings a bit smaller to accommodate standard-size windows.
They also ripped out a kitchen wall and hanging cabinets that separated the kitchen from the big dining and living rooms, creating an open, entertaining space. From Ikea to Lowe’s and Home Depot, they found rolling coffee tables, modern pendant lights and peel-and-stick, rectangular metal plates to add a contemporary dimension to the kitchen backsplash — as well as the corners of her dining room table legs.
A huge brick fireplace separating the dining and living rooms was also given a new look, with a creamy stucco finish.
Sikandar, who has launched her own Maddimensions design firm, embraced a bold, modern palette of black and white, but also introduced warm gold and orange hues to satisfy her husband’s aesthetic. Travertine was used in the bathroom and bands of warm-hued glass mozaic tiles were used to add sparkle and depth to the kitchen and fireplace.
Sikandar’s favorite design element, and by far the cheapest, was the swirling stencil pattern she used on several walls throughout the house to unify the rooms and add a signature element.
They also re-landscaped the back yard to give themselves a bigger lawn and removed the corrogated green roof from the trellis to bring more light into the house.
“My husband and I had our moments,” she said. “But at night, when we sit by the fire, we think we did alright and we’re happy.”
The neighbors are happy, too. Often through the summer, they would stop by with gifts of fresh vegetables from their garden.,
“This was a milestone for us,” Sikandar said. “We’ve come a long way.”

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Boasting 5880 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 5 1/2 baths. Plus you get use of the Ritz Carlton Pool! Sign me up—well first I probably need to fall into a big cash flow—but then you know skiing all day and fabulous times sitting around the fire with friends and some good wine.

Susan Hershey, Broker
Tel: 970-948-2669
Email: shershey@rof.net

I’ve never really been a resolution making kinda girl—but this year I’m feeling a little different. So, here it goes! I only have 2 but they are really important to me. They say to create a new habit you must do it for roughly 6 weeks to have it feel more natural.
I’m going to really try to stick with it intensely the first month and a half and hopefully it will get easier with time. The first resolution is a mandatory family dinner night.

I admired the Soprano Family for having those Sunday night dinners. Carmela and Tony meant business when it came to family—and so do I. When you live with adults (4) and teenagers(2), everyone is always going in different directions. Between work, school, hanging out with friends and other activities there is at least one open seat at my dinner table every night. The only excuse I’ll except will be work. If you live here guess what—dinner is at 6 sharp. Since this resolution will affect more than just myself—I’ve let my kids know their friends are welcome to dinner as well—the more the merrier. So to keep myself in check I will be posting my menu and photos of my family having dinner TOGETHER!

My second resolution is to work smarter. I know that sounds sooooo vague, but sometimes I feel I’m doing things the hard way. So, I will try to work smarter not harder—organization is the key here—that way I will have time to make slightly more elaborate Sunday night dinners. Everybody wins!

Tomorrow night will be the first Sunday night dinner. To kick it off I’m choosing from Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Cookbook. I love Tyler’s recipes—and he’s not too hard on the eyes either.

Sunday Night Dinner # 1

Roasted Cauliflower Soup serves 6
1 quart of milk
Kosher salt
1 head of cauliflower, cored and broken into florets
1/2 onion, sliced
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 (1 cube of butter) unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground black pepper

Brioche-Cauliflower Crumbs

4 slices brioche, toasted
1/4 pine nuts
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Pour the milk in a large saucepan, add a little salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Set aside about a half a cup of the florets for garnish. Put the rest of the cauliflower in the pan with the milk. Add onion, 4 sprigs of thyme, butter and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Discard the thyme and the bay leaf. Puree the soup in a blender ( I used an immersion blender—seemed easier than all that transferring). Put soup back in pan and season with a splash of olive oil, salt and a little pepper. Tyler says white pepper is “very cool” here but black works just fine. I used black pepper.

For the brioche croutons I took a few liberties—I used a food processor to chop the brioche adding the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs and pine nuts. Slice the remaining cauliflower and to the crumb mixture. Drizzle with the melted butter, spread onto a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or so until they are golden and slightly crunchy. Remove from oven and ad the chopped parsley.

Put soup into serving bowls and top with the brioche crumbs. Yum!

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken serves 6
(Added chicken because some of my family HAS to have some type of meat)

We eat a lot of Caesar Salad. So this is how I make this for my family.

2 heads of Romaine Lettuce
1 grilled chicken breast, cut into 1/2″ dice
garlic olive oil
4 slices of french bread, cut into 1/4″ dice
good quality Caesar dressing

Tear, rip or chop the lettuce into bite size pieces. Add chicken. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a warm skillet, add french bread and toast until golden and crunchy—about 5 minutes. Toss all the ingredients, adding dressing carefully—nobody likes a soggy salad.

La Gondola

I could spend hours wandering around Etsy—You can find the most amazing shops. Stil Novo is one not to miss.

Rocking Horse

Using recycled oak barrel staves, Stil Novo creates uniquely designed items for your home. I purchased a gift from Stil Novo to give to my Aunt and Uncle for the holidays. I could hardly wait. Then a few days later this wonderfully wrapped package was on my doorstep.

Key Chain with Daisies

As I opened it to see my prize, I knew something wasn’t quite right. My heart sank it was damaged during shipping. I thought “Great, this is all I need.” Well, let me tell you Camilla at Stil Novo was as sweet as can be. After jumping through all the hoops fedex tossed at her—I got my gift in time for the holidays—and that was all Camilla and her talented husband. The second shipment came in a crated wood box. It was thrilling to use tools to pry it open. So, I urge you to check out Stil Novo. Follow them on FaceBook, so you won’t miss a single creation.

Unpacked boxes were everywhere. Only the living room and kitchen looked presentable. And she needed a privacy curtain for the front bathroom or her guests would be flashing the neighbors. She had already raced around Indian shops in Sunnyvale looking for fabric that would work in the iridescent blue bathroom and found nothing. As she was unpacking a box full of old clothes she hadn’t seen in a year, she pulled out a sari-like dress.

Hmm, she thought. “Dress or curtain? Dress or curtain?”

She took out the shears, cut it, and began the whirr of the sewing machine.

The entire remodel, which has been a year in construction and chronicled by Lookiloos and the Mercury News, has been a hands-on, nail-biting project from the start. Murray is an artist and wanted the home to reflect her avant-garde style as well as their international roots. Like many Silicon Valley families, they have traveled a circuitous route to get here. Murray’s husband, Craig Hinkley, is an Australia native. She grew up in Canada. With their two children, now 14 and 12, they have traveled the world and the United States, moving every two years or so following Hinkley’s jobs in high tech.

Unlike other homes Murray has transformed to suit their needs and prepare for resale over the years, she designed this one with creative abandon. She isn’t worried about pleasing a potential buyer anymore. After more than two years enjoying the life and climate of Silicon Valley and the town tucked into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, they plan to settle down this time.

So when they moved their family, plus their rambunctious boxer Millie, back into the house just in time for Christmas, they began to feel a whole new sense of home. And with a giant angel on their shoulder — or tucked under the bed until the towering stained-glass window was safely installed in the living room — they have survived rainstorms and mud bogs, accidents and injuries, cramped quarters and a leaking storage unit that left many family keepsakes in ruins.

And now, after all that, Murray said, “We finally stopped moving, stopped renovating, stopped the dirt, stopped the noise and just put on the music.”

They can finally sit back and enjoy the home they built for no one but themselves. The peacock-blue backsplash in the kitchen. The quatrefoil ironwork on the banister. The colorful Moroccan lanterns above the dining table and the industrial pendants over the kitchen island.

And across the room from the stained-glass angel that casts colorful light across the floor is a sensuous portrait of Proserpina, the Roman goddess of spring, that Murray painted on the sliding pocket door.

“By saying to yourself, ‘I am not going to move; this is the house I would like my grandchildren to come to,’ you make it in a way that is incredibly personal,” she said. “You don’t need to answer to neutrality. You can take who you are and run with it.”

All along the way, her contractor, Vinnie Tran of VT Construction, put up with her brainstorms and second-guesses and finished the project within the year he promised.

Murray even changed the size and scale of the house early on, giving up a formal dining room and more interior space when they reined in their budget and decided to better enjoy what the Bay Area has to offer that their former residences of Charlotte, N.C., and Seattle didn’t — great weather. Instead of a formal living room, they now have a covered terrace.

The landscaping will have to wait. Inside, boxes remained unpacked and rooms undecorated. But after a full year of the parents sleeping in the cottage and the kids in bunk beds in the garage, they are all sleeping under the same roof.

Even now, they look back fondly on the past year. Son Cal says his best Christmas was in the cottage when they decorated the Charlie Brown Christmas tree in about 20 minutes and the smell of ham filled every square inch of the 360-square-foot dwelling.

In the new house the other night, Murray lit the outdoor fireplace and called the family to join her.

“I said to everyone, put down the homework, stop the texting, get off the phone. Let’s sit and listen to the crackling fire and the music and the frogs from the creek,” she said. “Everyone stop and be thankful for this moment and where we are.”

And then, for a memorable moment, the four of them sat together and talked.
Contact Julia Prodis Sulek at jsulek@mercurynews.com. Read the previous stories in “This Darned House” saga at www.lookiloos.com.

LESSONS LEARNED

Have a renovation in your future? Here is Lisa Murray’s advice to other homeowners:

Know your style. If you are not confident in your design abilities, hire a designer who can communicate your style to your architect, contractor, stonemason, tiler, painter, etc.

Building green is relatively easy thanks to new state energy efficiency standards. It’s the demolition of the old home that is difficult.

Find a contractor that you like, respect and trust. This choice will affect your experience more than any other one. A good contractor will have good subcontractors and good subs collectively create well-built homes.

Never compromise on your finishes as this is what you will touch and feel every day.

The renovation will seem like it is taking forever. But, upon reflection, it will seem like it went at light speed.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Thierry, who was born and raised in Paris and spent weekends scouting
flea markets and antique shops with his father, decorated the dining
room for the Summit League Homes for the Holidays tour in early
December.
“I wanted to mix earthy and a casual feeling with a really formal
environment,” Thierry said.
The inspiring artwork was a painted piece of carved mahogany that a
friend lent him from artist John Byers. It rests on a credenza at the
end of the room, with a pair of modern lamps in the foreground.
To add drama, he used a zebra skin rug as a table runner layered over
a piece of pale burlap he custom made with a Greek key border. He also
found some white dishes with stark black geometric patterns.

Perhaps from his Parisian roots, Thierry loves to bring the outside in
with vintage garden urns (adding metallic orbs and snowglobes on top
for sparkle).

The antique garden credenza, the base from the 18th century, has a
modern cement top. It’s one of his favorite pieces.
He kept the flowers simple, he said, using paperwhites on the
credenzas, and adding mini Christmas trees and cabbage plants on the
table.

For whimsy, he had a custom topiary created to look like his Norwich
Terrier “Winston,” stuffed it with moss and placed it in the center of
the table.
“Winston is such a huge part of my life. I just adore that dog, so I
put him right there” he said. “It’s pure whimsy, quirky, different and
unexpected.”

As he puts it, “I had fun in that room.”

If you’re looking to add fun to your own rooms, and want Thierry’s
help, you can contact him here:
Thierry Buisson Interiors
thierryinteriors@gmail.com.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Designers and florists all lent their talents to this home. Mary Ann Scolari Interior Design in Saratoga decorated the entry hall, while Elle D’Lin Design was responsible for the living room.

Four Seasons of Style in Los Gatos appointed the office  and hallway. The family room was decorated by Inspired Interiors & Design. Judith M. Floral Design filled it with flowers, while the tree was decorated by Jeff Fiorito of Scotts Valley.

The sunny cook’s kitchen that opens to the family room was made festive by Maria’s France-Italy-England in Los Gatos .

The powder room was glammed up by Seashell Reflections of California and the dining room got special attention from The Fat Robin-La Mesa Linens.

The girl’s and boy’s room, which Lookiloos already featured, were appointed by Chris Gomo.

The house is also coming on the market. For more information, call John Faylor at Coldwell Banker Previews International at 408-605-8133 or email him at j.faylor@att.net or see more details of this home at www.JFTeam.com.

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Here’s the complete slideshow:

Inside, you will see vintage decor, from wrought iron garden chairs to sparkling chandeliers; sterling silver pieces to crystal compotes. (Not Too Shabby is where my Lookiloos partner, Desiree, and I fought over a set of ultra-cool Asian fretwork iron chairs and where I found a mirror that is going to be the centerpiece of my remodeled bathroom.)

Not only can customers rent the charming new space for parties — the interior setting with vintage tables, chairs and china is perfect for showers, bridesmaid’s luncheons, mother-daughter teas — but some of the garden arches and benches can be rented out for special occasions as well.

An open house is set for this weekend, 11-4 on both Saturday and Sunday. Mention Lookiloos and enjoy 10 percent off of items in the new store!  In the short term, Not Too Shabby-ette will only be open on weekends, but once Vikki is up and running, expect full hours.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Fleur*t Shop on San Francisco's Clement Street

Because I can’t get enough of Clement Street in San Francisco, I stumbled upon Fleur*t.  One of my all time favorite urban flowershops,where “French country meets London industrial”.   The owner has a great eye and assembles an eclectic mix of sophisticated new and found pieces that will make your home or office pop.  Whether you pick up a NEST candle, hand painted tiles or a small watercolor, you are sure to find something that you couldn’t pick up at Pottery Barn.

One could easily spend 30 minutes just looking around at the treasures big and small, and I did on a recent

trip before I got around to buying a birthday bouquet for a friend.  Did I mention you can also buy flowers?  Sure you could get roses here, but why would you when she can put together something amazing with flowers as unique as the gal you are giving them to.   You can pick up gorgeous hostess gifts, a succulent arrangement for your dinner party table and some thing lil’ for yourself!

Fleur*t

15 Clement Street

San Francisco, CA 94118

(415) 751-2747

Lookiloos partnered with Scene Magazine to profile high-powered literary agent and philanthropist Jillian Manus, who raises money for cancer research, speaks to women at shelters and has a ghost in her garden. Read her fascinating story and get a glimpse of her gorgeous conservatory and the gardens of her Atherton estate.

By Julia Prodis Sulek

For Scene Magazine

As the electronic gate slowly opens, the grand estate built nearly a century ago reveals itself. A curving driveway takes you to the edge of the gray stone mansion that is in the heart of Atherton, but looks transplanted from the French countryside. Broad front steps lead you to the leaded glass front doors, where the staff invites you into the library and out back to the tennis court and pool, putting green and redwood grove. The grounds are so vast that you hear Jillian Manus’ voice, with its hint of a British accent, before you see her.
Then there she is, the high-powered literary agent with bestsellers and Oprah picks, gliding down the conservatory steps into the garden, her long camel jacket floating behind her. Like Grace Kelly in “High Society,” you half-expect her to toss back her blond hair and ask, “Are you having a wonderful time?”
She and her husband, venture capitalist Alan Salzman, have indeed thrown their share of fabulous parties here. At one of their legendary Valentine’s Day galas that raise $300,000 a year for the Stanford Cancer Center, a live elephant greeted guests at the door.
So it seems all the more unimaginable when you learn that as vivacious and strong-minded as Manus is now in her late 40s, two decades ago she experienced harrowing, life-threatening abuse. As Manus puts it, “I’ve had everything in my life, and I”ve had nothing in my life.”
And it was when she was left with nothing, “no pride, no hope, no integrity and no possessions,” that she rebuilt herself into the woman she has become.
She speaks at women’s shelters and raises money for women’s causes. She throws swanky fundraisers and wishes on stars. She has a ghost in her garden.
Along the way, she has earned the respect of everyone from domestic violence survivors living in shelters (whom she has invited home for lunch),  a close-knit group of friends she calls her “broad squad” and California first lady Maria Shriver, who recruited Manus to chair her annual women’s conference and has attended her Valentine’s Ball with her grown daughter.
“Jillian is incredibly smart. She’s late for every meeting – she flies in because she’s so busy. In 30 seconds or less, and 25 words or less, she gets to the core of the issue, and she’s always right,” says Barbara Ralston, vice president of international patient services at Stanford Hospital. “I wish she would get more sleep, and I wish she would take care of herself. But I’ve never seen her do that, because she’s always taking care of someone else.”
Manus has come a long way, mentally, spiritually and professionally, from a horrific turning point in her mid-20s. She was living in Switzerland working for an international finance company when she fell in love with a young Swiss baron, true royalty, who promised her a fairytale life. Instead, the fantasy fell apart when she learned he was keeping secrets, including his alcoholism. She says when she confronted him on the phone to call off the engagement two weeks before the wedding, he came home in a drunken rage.
“He beat me to a pulp,” she says, and left her in a bleeding heap. She was whisked back to her hometown of Manhattan and hospitalized in critical condition, so badly injured she feared she would never have children. At the same time, the man she had intended to marry cleaned out her bank account, and gathered all her possessions and burned them in a towering bonfire.
“I was broken. I had allowed a man to break me,” Manus says. “I was so ashamed. I didn’t know how to explain it.”
She couldn’t bring herself to ask for her high-profile job back. (“No one wants to hire someone who’s that pitiful,” she says.) And she didn’t want financial help from her entertainment lawyer father or her literary agent mother.
“I wanted my pride back,” she says, “not for my parents to save me, but for me to save myself.”
She needed to prove to herself that she was worthy of something, of anything. And so she took a job as – of all things – a roller-skating waitress at nightclubs. (And this from a woman who had written her first TV screenplay at 16, studied English literature and dramatic writing in England and New York, landed a job as a talent agent in Hollywood and was named development director at Warner Bros. and Universal Studios – all by her mid 20s.)
“I called it the ‘H and H’ year – humbling and healing,” she says. “It was the most important year of my life.”
After her roller-skating stint, she modeled shoes, then worked the graveyard shift as a receptionist for a year until finally, she felt ready to return to business, this time in magazine publishing for “Upside,” a technology publication in the Bay Area.
By then, in her late 20s, she was ready to say yes when she met a handsome young man at Sak’s Fifth Avenue in New York while she was there on business. He was buying a belt. She was choosing a tie for her father’s birthday.
“Can I help you with this?” Alan Salzman, a lawyer and venture capitalist going through a divorce at the time, asked. They had dinner that night and within two years were married, under a willow tree in a rented home on the Peninsula, with 11 guests. She was able to have children after all, two boys, and with his two young children from a previous marriage, they began to raise their family.
She joined her mother’s literary agency, a small niche firm in New York, opened a Palo Alto office and grew the agency tenfold.
Along the way, she found herself drawn to books about women overcoming challenges. She then began seeking out authors who had stories to tell of tragedy and triumph. “Cane River,” by Lalita Tademy, was on Oprah’s Book Club list. “Geisha: A Life,” was a best-seller. Jerry Rice and Newt Gingrich are clients.
She added California friends to her “broad squad,” a group that started as a circle of her teenage friends in New York who not only supported each other, but also reached out to other girls in need. (They were so earnest they once got lost on their way to Harlem to help a girl they read about in the newspaper who had been abandoned.)
“We don’t whine, we don’t judge,” Manus explains, a motto that has endured for 35 years. “And we’re on 24/7 for each other.”
They now number 42, and support one another like they always have, whether taking midnight phone calls from each other, or volunteering and donating to each other’s causes.
As chairwoman of the Governor’s California Women’s Conference since its inception, she speaks about women’s empowerment across the country. Meg Whitman asked her to lead her  women’s coalition for her 2010 gubernatorial campaign, which Manus aptly named “MEGaWomen.” She meets homeless women at churches and abused women at local shelters, and encourages them to see themselves not through a man’s eyes, but also through their own. Sometimes she tells them her own story.
Christina Dickerson, a board member of the Shelter Network that serves women in the Bay Area, remembers the time Manus invited women from a shelter to her garden for an author’s luncheon.
“She makes everybody feel welcome,” Dickerson says. “I think the women at the shelter knew that she understands them and can help them. She’s got a voice that they might not have, and she’s willing to use it on their behalf.”
And on top of that, she said, Manus is pure fun to be around. Every year, she hosts one of the most talked-about parties on the Peninsula – the Valentine’s Ball at her home to benefit the Stanford Cancer Center. The gala is a tribute to her mother-in-law, Helen Salzman, who has survived three bouts of cancer with the center’s help.
Every year, moving trucks arrive to remove all the ground-floor furnishings, and 100 workers build new sets in each room according to theme. Last year, with a “Love Is a Game” theme, actors dressed as a “Barrel Full of Monkeys” welcomed guests at the front door. The game “Clue” was played out in the living room. And that was a year after the elephant was brought in from Southern California. Manus and her husband underwrite the entire evening.
Manus is also on the steering committee for a campaign that is reorganizing and remodeling a cancer clinic to be dedicated just to women.
Manus is rarely in bed before 2 a.m., whether she’s staying up to study Latin with one of her sons or returning from one of their soccer tournaments or football games. She takes midnight swims in her pool. And when an old swing that hangs from an oak tree seems to sway without a hint of a breeze, she’s certain it’s the ghost of a little girl who once lived and died there – a testament to her belief that “the spirit lives on.”
She’s still on a journey, she says, only recently having a spiritual awakening that gave her life a sense of peace that seemed to elude her. After months of soul searching, it was a Biblical quote carved into a church bench that has inspired this newfound peace: “Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in all circumstances.”
This year, when Manus and her husband celebrated their anniversary in Hawaii, he rested two chairs on a rock jutting into the ocean and got down on one knee. As the sun set, he proposed again.
“He said he wanted to give me the fairytale wedding I deserved,” she says.
But she told him she didn’t want to live in a fairytale. Even with the challenges she’s faced, it’s the real world she cherishes most.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

Walk in the front door of this charming 1940 brick cottage and the front rooms are as traditional as you’d imagine: graceful dining room on the left, formal living on the right. But step through the front hallway and the back of the house opens to a modern, light-filled space.

Phil Health, who works at Nasa Ames Research Center, and Sam Miller, who owns a Mountain View laundromat, bought the house in June 2009, deciding they wanted to downsize after remodeling their big house on a big lot on the Peninsula.

They turned to San Jose architect Steve Hinderberger to update the dated and chopped up space and add a second story with a master suite. The couple wanted sleek, modern lines, but also were adamant about connecting with the rest of the traditional house. Hinderberger used wood detailing in rich stains, but gave modern details, including aluminum accents, on the stair railings and support columns.

The kitchen features green, orange and yellow tiles from San Jose’s Fireclay Tile. While the windows in the front of the house are divided light, the couple used no panes in the French doors overlooking the backyard.

Slate tile floors run from the kitchen through to the outdoor patio, connecting indoors and out. Upstairs, frosted sliding glass doors give privacy to the master suite, but let in light. The master bath was tiled in “boneyard” pieces of tile in different shapes and sheens to give added interest. A neighbor once likened the shower tile to a “bamboo forest.”

They have decorated the house with artwork collected along their travels as well as local “open studio” events. A prized pair of art deco console tables purchased at a San Francisco auction adorn the living room. The couple opened their home to the Rose Garden Homes Tour, benefitting St. Martin of Tours schools.

GreenDesign provided the floral pieces. The landscaping and hardscaping was done by Rodriquez Landscape.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

When Nora Sandoval first stepped into this house in 1997, lockers lined the entry way, desks were scattered through the living room and baby cribs lined the library. Surely this wasn’t a house for sale, she thought. In fact, though, it was a home for some 16 teenaged unwed mothers run by the Volunteers of America.

It was time for this 1912 home originally owned by a dentist and his wife and their six children to revert to a single family. But with stenciled rattles painted up the stairway and each bedroom painted in a flower theme (daisy, rose and violet) it needed a lot of work.

Still, said Nora, a Realtor with the Sereno Group, “when I came in here, I felt good karma. There was a lot of love in this house.”

Over the past 13 years, Sandoval and her husband, Adobe executive Digby Horner, and their now-grown son, Matthew, made it their own. Digby did most of the detail work himself, including stripping hinges, and adorned the ceilings throughout the home with his collections of antique light fixtures and shades. They splurged on Bradbury and Bradbury wallpaper for the living room, which hadn’t been produced by the Benicia manufacturer since it ran the 17-color paper for singer Linda Ronstadt 11 years earlier.

A century-old pool table from Pennsylvania adds gravitas to the room. The couple recently finished a major kitchen remodel, adding a sunny breakfast room with a beadboard ceiling they had milled to match the original laundry room walls.

Upstairs, the house has what appears to be twin master bedrooms connected by a walk-through closet. The couple is waiting to finish the front landscaping until they determine whether their efforts to save the oak tree out front are successful.
For years after they moved in, people would leave bags of baby clothes and diapers on their front porch. When the mailman left soap samples, he would stuff 20 through the mail slot.
“This house has wrapped its arms around a lot of people,” Nora said, “and now we’re wrapping our arms around this house.”

The couple readied the house for the Rose Garden Homes Tour, benefitting St. Martin of Tours school. Hill’s Flowers providing the floral arrangements.

Here’s the complete slideshow:

There are 5 or 6 home tours that run between October and December.  And,  I try to get to as many as I can—but I never miss these two!

1940 Brick Ranch-style home

First up is the Rose Garden Tour this coming weekend. I’m so looking forward to seeing all the homes, but there are a couple I’m dying to see!

The Summit League’s Holiday Home Tour is the pièce de résistance of the home decor for the holidays.  I haven’t gotten any preview material yet, but I know this tour won’t disappoint.  Here’s a link to one of last years Rose Garden homes and The Summit League from 2008.

A few finds in the Clement Street shop

Chock full of surprises

After grabbing lunch with friend in San Francisco’s Clement Street neighborhood, we stumbled across Urban Color.  I love neighborhood shops that require you to look around and spend time to find the treasures it holds. This neighborhood gem, not only holds interesting ceramics, painting and gifts, but hosts art classes and camps.

I had the opportunity to meet Kendra Lock, shop owner.   From her perch on the second floor landing, she shared info about the classes she offered and was a wealth of knowledge about many of her store’s one of a kind works of art and trinkets.  For example, she spoke a length about the delicate beautiful blue Spanish ceramic I fell in love.   The ceramics were beautiful to look at and were sure to improve the look of simple crudites!

Gorgeous Lady Portraits

I was enamored by these portraits and at only $15.00 each what a deal!   Perfect to add a pop of color and interesting detail for a small space.  She also carried a line of vintage postcards, pillows and soaps ready to be packaged up as hostess gifts.  Check out this bright spot bustling with activity and unique finds.

Urban Color

12 Clement Street (between Arguello Blvd and 2nd Street)

San Franciso, CA 94118

My husband, Chris, and I are finally ready to bite the bullet on our so-called master bathroom. Ever since he took the sledgehammer to our tiny shower eight years ago because the pan leaked through to our laundry room, we have been using the kids’ bathroom down the hall. Our shower became storage for our Costco supply of bath tissue.

In those eight years, our 1970s-era irridescent green tile on the floor and walls has come back into retro-fashion. But it’s too late to salvage. The sledgehammer took to the bathroom floorboards as well when we replaced the plumbing with copper piping some years ago.
What remains is a funky patchwork of neglect and afterthoughts. Like an unhappy housewife, our master bathroom has “let herself go.” One of the cane doors on the cabinet beneath the sink has a hole in it. The towel rack fell off the wall long ago leaving big holes where the screws once were. And even though the entire space is barely eight feet by four feet, I still manage to have three separate piles of Vanity Fair and Elle Decor magazines: on a book shelf along the wall, a rolling cart between the sink and toilet and on a vintage rack on the floor. A once-special Navajo rug I bought from a shaman’s wife seems contrary and disrespected underfoot. And as much as I like a newly-purchased, vintage mirror with an Asian motif, the whimsy I was going for falls as flat as a bad joke. And please forgive me, my fellow Lookiloos, the metal blinds. (I can’t believe I even committed that to print!)
Our bathroom needs a makeover and we need help!
Our house is 1938 unadorned art deco-style. It is angular and asymetrical, with windows meeting in the corners. The only special touches are the glass block on either side of the front door, which has a chevron pattern matching the garage doors. When it comes to the bathroom, we want simple, clean lines. Nothing tumbled. Nothing too trendy. I like the idea of gray and white (I’m thinking Deco cruise ship) with pops of accent color. Chris likes a warmer palette, perhaps yellow tile.
We need storage and two “stations” in this tiny, one-sink bathroom: one for my husband shaving at the sink, another for me drying my hair right behind him (cheek to cheek so to speak.)
We’re open to ideas. Please share!

I wanted a quilt or blanket to take to the beach. I had a great one that somehow went missing. My professional mom guess?—a teenager went to the beach with some friends and somehow that blanket was left behind or left at someone else’s home. And, I’m sure that mom, like me has asked “Who does this belong to? It’s not ours.” And, I’m sure the usual response was ” Huh? What? Ya, I don’t know.”

This is my color inspiration for my denim quilt. I love the pink and coral with denim. It seemed to be the perfect combination.

I cut the jeans into 6 inch squares. I used left-over fabric that I recently used to re-cover an ottoman to go in between the denim squares. Stitched the whole thing together. I added a small layer of cotton batting and a fun tie-dye fabric for the backside. I’m not a seamstress or a quilter—so I know that how I put this sucker together was very unconventional. I didn’t use a pattern and when something didn’t line up it stayed that way. I love the results. The reason—I look at all those squares and know that they came from one of my kids at some point in their lives. I did save one pair I just couldn’t bring myself to cut up. All four of my boys wore that single pair of jeans when they were toddlers. Let me tell you, those Baby Gap jeans that I purchased back in 1989 for my oldest son, have held up. And, to last through 4 boys now that is some feat!

Linking up with Romantic Home.

I have always adored this park, even though it was in disrepair for awhile.
My mother-in-law, Joan grew up in this neighborhood.I love the story she told me about how she remembers the day the fountain was installed. One of my favorite photos when I first decided to jump ship and become a photographer was taken at the fountain. This park has held so many memories for our family.

Every June about 7 high schools hold their graduation ceremonies at the park. I know the parking is a nightmare and quite often I’m picking up trash left over from my lawn–but to be honest with you–I wouldn’t trade it for one minute. We have parked our cars on the street to save parking for families we know who have a student graduating. The requests come in via my older kids–so and so’s “little sister is graduating on Tuesday—Mom who has the driveway”? This year our driveway was reserved on three different days and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love hearing the pomp and circumstance playing, the names being called and the cheers! I am anticipating the twins graduating in 3 years form this very spot! So here I am on bended knee—yes really on bended knee asking you to please vote for The San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. I promise to hold my driveway any time you need it! I’m attaching a slideshow of some of my personal favorite photos I’ve taken of the Rose Garden and you need to check out the links to movies my kids have made at the park as well. What would I do without this wonderful space.

So, I am here with a shameless plug. Yes, I know what your thinking “how could she? This is blog-land darn-it full of honor, trust and no shameless plugs”. But it’s not like that–really!

Here’s the complete slideshow:

I’ve been anxiously watching my salsa garden grow – tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos. While my garden is tiny, been thinking about how to spruce up the containers as my garden grows – Garden Markers! Take a looki at these unique stakes I found on Etsy.com.  Perfect gifts for the gardner in your life or an homage to your tomatoes, ’cause everyone (even your veggies!) can use a little bling. 

These stamped Vintage Silverware Garden Markers are made by Wooden Hive.  The set of 4 is $21.00

Takit from Michigan makes these Copper Plant Markers. (Set of 10 for $30.00)

For a little pop of color, these Artisan Hands’ Veggie Garden Stakes (3 for $20) would fit the bill.

I could live here if you twisted my arm a little. I mean if I really, really had to move I guess this would be OK.  I love the views from the pool. The house seems very modern from the outside, but I found it to be very warm and inviting on the inside. The beams in the living room and the terracotta tile on the kitchen floor definitely add that warmth. You can check out the complete listing with more photos here.  And if your decide to buy–can you invite me for a weekend?

Montecito’s prime gated oceanfront enclave, Fernald Point, offers the perfect location for this spectacular luxurious contemporary villa overlooking its gently curving sandy cove with unparalleled panoramic ocean and island views. Custom designed and completed in 1995 with exotic architectural influences from the Greek Isles, North Africa and the Mediterranean, the highest quality components, materials and finishes were applied in its construction. The entry level offers a spacious living room, formal dining room, large family room and expansive chef’s kitchen, all with ocean views, office/library, two large bedroom suites, and dramatic entry hallway. Central to these rooms is an inner sun-filled courtyard with tiled fountain that brings the outdoors into the home. The master suite on the upper floor provides a magnificent ocean view bedroom and terrace, his and her baths and spacious walk-in closets, and a large office. A second upper floor bedroom suite provides guests with privacy and a penthouse view of the sea. The lower level consists of a family/media room with its own ocean view terrace, a bedroom and bath with separate entrance, and a large museum-quality storage area. The vast 3-level ocean terrace features a stunning L-shaped blue-tiled pool and spa, al fresco living room, dining room and barbeque, wood-burning fireplaces and a private gracious stair descent to the beach. Featured in a number of European design magazines, this is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the landmark estates of the California coast.

• 
  

  Suzanne Perkins

  Sotheby’s International Realty

• Phone: 1.805.895.2138

Watch the video:

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Ready to spend a weekend touring some of the most beautiful homes in Willow Glen? This Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd and 3rd, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., five gorgeous homes will be on show in one of San Jose's most beautiful neighborhoods, including a classic Spanish bungalow and a new, single-story ranch with a Tuscan flair. And we Lookiloos will be there to meet you! We're setting up at the tea, in the gardens of a historic Georgian mansion, with a camera and microphone to talk to you! Are you ready for your close up? We'll be interviewing tour-goers about their favorite spots on the tour — I'm excited about the outdoor kitchens — and posting them on Lookiloos.

Tickets on Saturday and Sunday may be purchased for $35.00 on the corner of Lincoln and Minnesota Avenues, in front of Chase Bank (formerly Washington Mutual). See you there!

Lookiloos received so much reaction to our story about the 60th anniversary of Big Sur’s Nepenthe restaurant that we decided to give you more! More photos that is. If you haven’t heard of Nepenthe, it’s a fabulous example of mid-century modern architecture in 1949, perched on the cliffs of California’s coast. Lookiloos also took readers to the lesser known, but fascinating log cabin just above the restaurant — a cabin that Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth bought for a love nest away from Hollywood in 1944, a cabin that is still home to the granchildren of the couple who founded Nepenthe in 1949.

So, here, please enjoy a whole slideshow of photos from Nepenthe as well as more shots of the log cabin inside and out. And if you ever find yourself heading down Highway One, make sure to stop. It’s just south of Ventana Inn and the Post Ranch. (On the coast side, of course.)

Nepenthe
48510 Highway #1
Big Sur, California 93920
(831) 667-2345

(Historic photos are courtesy of Nepenthe. Cabin photos by Julia Prodis Sulek for www.lookiloos.com.)

Can you say "hyperventilate"? My friend Dhelia and I drove up to the annual White Elephant Sale that benefits the Oakland Museum of California on Sunday, and boy, did we score.

The best thing about it is that it was a last-minute trip and I had basically no expectations. I had heard that it was a fabulous rummage sale, but with little to no budget for spending, I didn't expect to buy a thing. But, when you go on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. and by 2:30 they're putting up signs that say "75 percent off" — watch out people!

When we walked into the giant warehouse in an industrial district off Highway 880 and paintings lined the walls in a whole quadrant of the space, we felt practically paralyzed. Dhelia had long-wanted a modern art painting for her living room, to mix up her collection of plein aire landscapes and add a bit of an edge to her formal room. And, there it was — a large abstract piece in purples and golds with a reckless scribble of black. To me, it said Dhelia — feminine with the purple, elegant with the gold, and a bit daring with the black. Price? $300. By 3 p.m? $150. SOLD!

I found a little pastel female portrait — a study of a Manet — but it was original and lovely. The sticker said $6. I got it for $3.

I browsed through the 96,000 square-foot warehouse, filled with everything from furniture and linens, to sports gear and china, and came upon champagne glasses with hollow stems. I had broken more than half of my wedding crystal and these seven fun glasses for — get this — $4, were perfect.

A few minutes later, all the glassware that fit into a brown paper bag could be had for $1. I piled in another eight, almost matching flutes. 

When we went back to the art area, and Dhelia was ready to buy her painting, I couldn't help but hope for a special find. And there was another large abstract — with purples and sands. It reminded me of the estuary near the river beach in Carmel. But I wasn't here to spent $500, much less $150. Dhelia suggested we take a closer look. The saleswoman pulled it off the wall and said, "I can't believe this. It couldn't be right." (Now this was music to my ears.) This was a four-by-five-foot painting. Including the late afternoon discount, the price? $25. Not $2,500. Not $250. Plain and simple $25. "Are you sure?'' I asked.

"That's what it says," she said. So, lickety split, I said, "sold!" We high-tailed it out of there before anyone could say it was a mistake. 

We barely fit it into the station wagon. But once home, we put it on practically the only wall it would fit on — on the screened porch. Like Dhelia's piece, it added a little edge to my traditional space. We're still moving it around a bit, but I'm thrilled with my cool piece and great bargain. When we asked my husband how much he thought I paid for it, he had the nerve to say $25. Can you believe it? Man, can husbands take the wind out of your sails — or sales. He'll learn to love it.

Next year, we're there!

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“Presidio del Mar” on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands (US)
Bed: 6

Bath: 6 + 3 partial

Living Space: 18777

Lot Size: 1.63 Acres

Status: Active

Type: Residential

Category: Corporate Retreat, Estate, Island, New Construction, Ocean, Private Islands, Tropical, Villa, Waterfront, Water View

Asking Price: $32,000,000 (in US Dollars)

WATERFRONT “Presidio del Marâ” is sited on the point of Peter Bay, a gated enclave within the Virgin Islands National Park. Its commanding views encompass the adjacent white sand beach, (accessed from this gated estate by a paved pathway), Cinnamon, Maho and Francis Bays to the east and the British Virgin Islands across the water to the north. A masterpiece of understated sophistication this 6 bedroom stone “Fortress of the Sea” on 1.63 acres, is surrounded by 645 of natural shoreline overlooking pristine coral reefs, with extraordinary privacy and unobstructable views. This one of a kind property combines refined old world elegance with the latest in modern technology and Caribbean luxury.

The main residence features craftsmanship on a grand scale in the octagonal entry foyer. To the right is the East Verandah– perfect for outdoor lounging and dining, a comfortable great room with breakfast nook and impressive gourmet chefs kitchen, formal dining room and butlers pantry, an elegant powder room and leeward barbeque court. On the lower level are a spa and grand tiled pool with swim in grottos, a covered poolside bar, an exercise gym, and a private guest suite. In adjacent buildings are two additional guest suites and there is a fully enclosed, 4 car garage plus a trellis covered carport off the parking court.

The west wing of the main residence houses the airy North verandah with pool table and fireplace, a comfortable club room, an executive office, and the elegant master suite which is detailed to perfection. An arched stone bridge and steps lead up to another guest suite and a separate guest house with its own sitting area, kitchen,
bedroom suite, and a lower level office. The “Presidio Parapet” is a roof top sun deck which overlooks the entire stone walled compound with
unparalleled views. This property is like no other and is the Caribbean estate to which all others will aspire.

Features

OCEANFRONT with 645 of natural shoreline and private path to pristine white sand beach.

Exceptional quality new construction– undoubtedly the finest anywhere in the Caribbean– which took 7 years to complete.

Spectacular one of a kind location with unobstructed 270 degree water views along St. John’s north shore and across the water to the British Virgin
Islands.

This property is like no other and is the Caribbean estate to which all others will aspire for posterity!

Christie O’Neil

Phone: 1 (340) 774-8088

Fax: 1 (340) 774-8042

Christie@HolidayHomesVI.com

Belle Terre, NY

Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 10
SqFt:    13,500
Lot:    8.25 acres

List Price:   $10,500,000

Gated 4 acre waterfront Estate with private road , 335′ on Long Island Sound with unsurpassed views, one-of-a-kind inground pool with fountains and 14′ diameter center isle, three room pavilion, outdoor kitchen and bar, Epe deck with self-irrigating planters, screened gazebo with hot tub, cottage with fireplace. Main house indoor pool and spa, grand entry with curved double staircase, elevator, granite kitchen and four 1+ acre lots.

Agent: Miriam Ainbinder; Phone: 631.689.6980×216; Email: miriamainbinder@danielgale.com

Watch Jill describe her favorite space:

Legendary Robert Taylor Ranch
Los Angeles, CA

Bedrooms: 17
Bathrooms: 17.5
SqFt:    5930

List Price:   $65,000,000

Incomparable Brentwood estate on 112 magical acres. Incredibly charming Robert Byrd house with separate guest cottages, office complex, horse stables, championship tennis court, swimmer’s pool and great outdoor entertainment area. Truly a lifestyle for someone wanting the finest.

Please contact Joyce Rey at 310-273-3113 x480 for more information.

Chateau Saisons
Steamboat Springs, CO

Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 5
SqFt:    16,437
Lot:    53.35 acres

List Price:   $15,250,000

Chateau Saisons, Steamboat’s premier estate property, is nestled behind private gates on a secluded mountaintop. The estate is situated on a magnificent 53 acre parcel, commanding profound tranquility. A graceful staircase with a Rocky Mountain Forge custom railing dominates the two story foyer which adjoins the great room, library and gourmet kitchen. Of the seven bedrooms, five have their own luxury bath en suite. The majestic master suite features the cozy warmth of a stone fireplace, a secluded executive office with views of the Steamboat Ski Area, a fitness room and a balcony with views of the and surrounding mountain.

Please contact Chris Paoli with Colorado Group Realty at 800.556.6717 for more information.

Watch Jill describe her favorite space:

Mercer Island, WA

Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 8
SqFt:    15,591

List Price:   $29,950,000

Breathtaking Lake Washington Waterfront Estate in premier Mercer Island East Seattle neighborhood. 1.37 park-like acres; a true playground! Gorgeous 1932 Brick home completely rebuilt and expanded, featuring elegant formal rooms taking in the Western Lake vistas. Welcoming family room opens to the fantastic indoor swimming pool complete w/ waterslide and spa, game room, sport court, home theatre, heated terrace. Dock w/ boat lifts, sandy beach, 2BR guest house, 3-office carriage house.

Betsy Terry 206.322.2840 x 818

After a family-filled Thanksgiving, I set off on a drive of scenic solitude along the Big Sur coastline, with the Carmel Pinecone's list of open houses on the passenger seat. Being a Lookiloo, it's still hard to admit that even on the most beautiful stretch of roadway in the world, I'm still looking at the houses peaking through the Monterey Cypress.

My destination was a 1950 house, the ad said, on a "low promontory just feet from the rocky shoreline." Along the way, I'd catch glimpses of grand modern architecture.

But I had a feeling this wouldn't be so grand, and therefore it was more appealing to me. Indeed, as I took a sharp right turn off the highway and down a graceful driveway, I came upon little more than a shack _ maybe 1,000 square feet. The front door takes you into the galley kitchen with linoleum counters, then opens up into the living room with windows straight across. No matter how small, there was no withholding the view.

Looking out the picture windows, I felt as though I were watching a movie on the big screen of waves crashing into giant rocks and reefs. The house appeared to be untouched since the day it was built, only tempest tossed. But realtor John Saar of John Saar Properties told me an artist had lived here with her husband until they died. She had set up her easel in the north-facing bedroom/studio with tall vertical windows, the kind you might see in an old Paris loft. The metal casings were all corroded by the salt.

This place was meant for an artist, or a writer — someone who appreciated the beauty and loneliness of the place. Someone who didn't have to tear it down and put up another modern mansion.

But I don't know any writers or artists who could afford it. They're asking $5.8 million for the views. Someone who has that kind of money wouldn't appreciate this little old place. So it will be torn down. It's a shame really. Because it's perfect.

Paradise Valley, AZ

Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 5
SqFt:    14,000

List Price:   $12,565,000

Located within a tranquil neighborhood in the heart of Paradise Valley, this magnificent 14,000 square foot estate sets a new standard for quality, elegance and unsurpassed style.  Stunning views of Camelback and Mummy Mountains create a beautiful setting while the walled and gated 2.2-acre compound offers a true sense of privacy and security.  The floor plan strikes the perfect combination of gracious sophistication and family-friendly warmth.  Formal spaces are comprised of an elegant great room with fireplace and a large dining room, which are served with a wet bar and wine cellar.  A spacious family room, billiards room and home theater make up the casual entertaining spaces.  The chef’s kitchen includes an impressive array of premium appliances while the adjacent sun-drenched breakfast area offers incredible views of the lush rear grounds and Camelback Mountain beyond.  The master wing includes a romantic bedroom, sitting room with coffee bar, lavish his & her baths, custom fitted his & her closets and a private patio.  The children’s wing offers four large bedrooms with private baths and walk-in closets along with a play/study room.  This wing also includes a two-bedroom nanny’s quarters with living room, kitchen and one-car garage. A handsomely-appointed study and two laundry rooms complete the main residence.  A one-bedroom guest house with a full kitchen and garage provide privacy and comfort to your visitors.  The landscape plans call for expansive patios, rolling lawns and a sparking pool with spa.  A private gated drive with motorcourt and garage parking for six cars completes this magnificent estate.

The Walt Danley Group Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Phone: (480) 991-2050

45101 Highway 82
East Aspen, CO

Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 5+ 2 Powder Rooms
SqFt:    14,171
Lot:    6 acres

List Price:   $18,900,000

Dramatic and sophisticated Aspen estate just 3 miles east of Aspen. This incredible residence features the finest workmanship and finishes including: custom stonework, mahogany walls and floors, Spanish onyx and European marble. Nearly 6 wooded acres include adjacent building site, 5 five ponds, meandering streams and soothing waterfalls…all set to a backdrop of stunning views from Independence Pass to Aspen Mountain. State-of-the-art home theater, magnificent office/den, spacious exercise room, separate 1-bedroom, 1-bath caretaker unit and private gated entry are just some of the additional features that make this one of the rarest estates ever offered in the Aspen area. Check out more fabulous photos here.

Joyce Hoffspiegel talks about her favorite space in her Andalusian Spanish Style Home in Palo Alto, CA. As a serial home restorer, she knows a house with “good bones” when she sees it. In this Lookiloos’ video, she talks about renovating this exquisite home and the details that make it perfect for hosting a huge party or a cozy evening for entertaining close friends.

A perfect drizzly day for the Hillsborough Antiques Show. I went with a few girlfriends to the San Mateo Events Center and roamed through 175,000 square-feet of antiques dealers. If only I had a mission. Without one, though, I still found myself drawn to a few special things: diamond and peridot drop earrings for $3,700 (the dealer said he could do better and I said, "don’t even bother"); a contemporary Chinese white ceramic end table for $450 (could have added that modern element I’ve been looking for in my living room); and a 110-year-old portrait of a Saint Bernard sitting in a field for $1,450.

Oh well, fun to look! I wasn’t moved enough to splurge, though. What about those deals I was looking for? Aren’t we in a recession? The Hillsborough show has quite a reputation and I have a number of friends who make the three-times-a-year show. The next one is scheduled for Feb. 13-15. Put it on your calendar and hope for a rainy day.

If you see these photos and have to buy what I couldn’t you can contact Lorraine Rose Petersen at (707) 829-2151 for the dog portrait, or if you like the ceramic end table, contact Larry Martin at Robolo in San Francisco at larry@robolo.com.

It was a gorgeous weekend here in Northern California.  We were able to squeeze in one more Indian Summer celebration, which means – barbecues! Like many of you our BBQ is used year round, we even BBQ our Thanksgiving turkey.   I think that was the theme for this weekend’s round up.  California living is definitely about spending a lot of it outside, which makes a functional yard a key feature to any home.

I had the chance to check out a few open houses this weekend, but by far the best back yard had to be the outdoor sanctuary at 2874 Rustic Drive in San Jose. 

It had great backyard furniture and a swing, which made it easy to see yourself hosting a summer or fall party.  The koi pond/fountain was soothing and the grass lush.  Pavers topped the whole thing off making it picture perfect for an afternoon of lounging and reading.  The yard made great use of a small space for both relaxing alone and entertaining a large crowd.   If the realtors passed out lemonade at the open house, I would have sat down all afternoon.

Updated 6/25/09: The post has been updated to reflect the latest open house listing.

Was it the cubbies for the tea pots in the kitchen, or the red chair in the living room? Maybe the salt water pool was the coolest. Or perhaps it was the secret staircase or the mysterious chapel. Guests at the Oct. 18-19 home tour sponsored by St. Martin of Tours school in San Jose tell you their favorite things.

   This past weekend I was lucky enough to be able to attend the St. Martin’s Autumn Home Tour. While all the homes had wonderful style and beauty, my favorite stop was the final stop, the garden. The Martz Garden was hosting an afternoon tea and lunch. The yard, from the lush lawn to the towering cypress trees, was an amazing expanse of greenery.

   Paul Rokovich Designs was the designer. I loved what he had designed around the pool. It made me feel like I had entered a resort where lounging is the only requirement. Oh to take a vacation in your own backyard, now that would be perfect.

   After the tour was over, I came home to reassess my own home and yard. I suppose that is what a home tour should do. Make you want to step it a bit. Inspire you to create that ultimate space where family and friends gather. And with the Holidays slowing creeping up on us that is what I intend to do.

   Thanks to all the designers, shops and parents of St.Martin’s who donated time and goods to put on this parade of homes. You have all inspired me.

In our book, one of life’s guilty pleasures is an afternoon of being a lookiloo in sumptuous homes.  What could be better than that?  Getting to do it for free!

Lookiloos is proud to be partnering with the Rose Garden Home Tour benefiting the St. Martin’s Elementary School.  We are happy to spread the word about this worthy cause and to give access to our fellow lookiloos to see these homes live and in person. 

We have 2 tickets to the Rose Garden Home Tour which takes place this weekend.  Leave a comment here or emails us at info@lookiloos.com and tell us what you are looking forward to seeing on the tour.   We will draw the winner at random and have the tickets waiting for you at the beginning of the home tour.  All entries must be submitted by 8 a.m. Saturday, October 18th.  We will award tickets at 10 a.m. via email.

Be sure to check us out at the Tea House on Sunday between noon and 2 p.m., where we will be doing short video interviews.  After lunch, we hope you’ll be willing to share your favorite part of the tour with us.  We’ll have a recap of the entire show on Monday too.

Good Luck!

The Lookiloos Team

Typically home tours are all about the Persian rugs, the antiques, crown molding and the designer window coverings, the Build It Green Home Tour featured that and so much more.  I spent the morning comparing the homes in Santa Clara county and found that my fellow lookiloos and I talked more about the "bones" of the house than what we could find adorning it. 

There were a total of 14 homes on the tour, 2 stood out for their sheer difference in approach.  Both homes were in located in the upscale Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose off the 280 freeway, within walking distance to the trendy Willow Glen main street, Lincoln Avenue.

The first home on sunny Cherry Avenue was built by Lorrie Broderick, for whom this was her second venture as a developer.  She purchased the plans for the home online and set out to find ways to make her investment  more green.   I am not quite sure what I expected when I walked in, but the home was gorgeous and modern and frankly, blew my expectations for what "green" meant.  It  quickly inspired me to think about how I could replicate many of the amenities Lorrie installed in my own home.

The bathrooms had Watersense ultra low flush and dual flush toilets and occupancy sensors. They also featured Energy Star bathroom fans, which meant that these fans used 65% less energy, reducing rot, mold and other moisture problems.  The house is well insulated and built with high-performance windows, thus the three story home only has air conditioning on the top floor.

Most interesting to me as a parent was the backyard.  Willow Glen being a family friendly neighborhood, Lorrie assumed that the buyers of her home would most likely have a family with small children.  Rather than pouring a full concrete backyard, she saved part of the yard in case a family wanted to put in a jungle gym.  She put down recycled rubber mulch on the right side of the yard which matched the real mulch on the left side.  Purchased at costco.com, she said this recycled material ensured that there would be no mold, slight cushioning for those inevitable falls and no splinters for little toes.  Great idea. 

Overall the home had big and small touches for easy green living.  Lorrie was able to recycle 90% of construction waste, used spray foam insulation and low VOC interior paint.

In contrast, the home on Hicks Avenue, called Villa Terra,  is architect’s Noel Cross’ dream home. Hidden from the main street by a garden of native California landscaping, this home can be described as a modern day "adobe".  The exterior walls are PISE (pneumatically impacted stabilized earth) – a type of rammed earth construction, where a moistened mix of earth and concrete were sprayed through a hose under pressure against form work.  When the form work is removed then the walls are done.  The results are old world rustic.  The house stays cool and is warmed with radiant floor heating.   The ceiling is insulated with recycled blue jean materials.   The house also featured both a passive solar heating system and a 5.5kW photovoltaic system, where any extra energy generated can be sent back to the power grid for a credit on their monthly bill.

What stood out to me was how much of the home’s materials were reclaimed, that is to say came from other tear down remodeling projects.  Cross used ceiling beams from Eli Thomas store from the old Town and Country Village shopping center, bought two sinks for $15.00 from Whole House Salvage Yard and lockers from the "Robe Room" from the O’Connor Mansion from Notre Dame High School.  The side patio is made up of used bricks reclaimed from 15 different homes. 

Overall, the home was absolutely spectacular.  The home was expansive, yet inviting.  I could easily see myself cooking Thanksgiving dinner in their large kitchen or hosting a dinner party that spilled out onto the brick terrace. 

Green can certainly be gorgeous and Villa Terra on Hicks Avenue certainly drove that point home.

Kari and Kijsa at the Designing for Life Blog are hosting a fun blog carnival where bloggers are posting up their favorite rooms.  My fellow Lookiloos Desiree and Julia have posted videos about their favorite spaces here and here.  I haven’t done so yet so I thought this is my chance to give you all a sneak peek.  Check out the other peeks into other’s homes here.   Better yet, join the fun and post one of your own!

Here are my answers to the questions they posed:

1. Where it is in your home…
These photos are from my dining room.  There are two things I LOVE about the dining room.  First, the plates I bought from Pottery Barn.  They are all my favorite colors and just match the house perfectly.  Plus it was CHEAP wall art! 

Secondly, I love the view from sitting in my dining room and looking into the foyer and living room.  I love bright colors, so I have painted each room a different color.  When you sit in my dining room, you see all the colors and how they blend together.  Note the different shades of yellow.  The floral pictures were hard won at my children’s school auction.

2. Your favorite style (eclectic, Traditional, Cottage, retro, unfinished, Shabby Chic…).
My style is eclectic, colorful, California casual, child friendly,unique, Matisse-like, sometimes abstract.

3. A favorite item in the room (a story about it too, if you want!!)
I love the round window in my living room that you can sort of see above the red Asian media cabinet. It is an unusual feature you would not expect.

Karen McMillan invites us into her favorite space.  A Living Room that has kept to its true Spanish Revival heritage.

A lot of Desiree’s life happens in her living room. This is her favorite space.

As co-founder of Lookiloos, Julia describes her ultimate entertaining area – her screened porch.