Category: travel
Design: Even More Fabulous Biltmore
| October 21, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under antiques, architecture, Design, furniture, interiors, Places, textiles, travel |
Last Friday I shared photos from my trip to the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara. I was totally taken with the interior, a mix of historical mission and traditional rustic design. If you also remember, I had a bit of a tragedy in the photography department. So I was really happy to get ahold of some images I shot with a companion’s camera because there were several things I wanted to share that didn’t make the official website.
Here they are:
The ethereal ambiance of the restaurant.
The intricate structure of the grand entrance.
A better view of the fresco map mural.
This adorable antique chest with fancy little doors and drawers…and something I wasn’t supposed to see hidden behind that door!
And this Am-ahhhh-zing upholstered chair. Officially the Biltmore is my happy place.
Design: A Day in the Life of Luxury
| October 14, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under antiques, architecture, Design, design history, design obsession, doors and windows, entry way, Explore, furniture, hall and stair, interiors, lighting, Places, textiles, travel |
Yesterday I got to spend my afternoon at the luxurious Four Seasons Biltmore resort in Santa Barbara. I went nut-so over this place; No detail went overlooked in the interior design. Built in 1927, this is classic Mission architecture and I Loooove it.
An ocean view from the patio
Unfortunately for you, my pictures turned out pure crap due to my inability to operate a camera and the harsh contrast between the bright sunny sky (shining through walls of glass everywhere you turn) and the dark, romantic interior. Alas, this poor excuse of a photo was salvaged from my phone because I simply could not skip pointing this out. These are the air vents throughout the building – no cheap looking metal grates here, no sir.
It would be mean not to show a couple good pics, so here are some professional shots of this lovely place…trust me, it looks even more like this in person 
Images from http://www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara
This was the side entrance, which you come upon after walking through several dramatic archways. What I love most is those thick wood doors, with intricately carved posts and no glass (because there’s no such thing as bad weather). Loving that sunny yellow.
Hallway lounge
This photo is well done, but kind of misses the gloriousness of the details that I loved so much. Like the gorgeous chevron patterned wood ceiling with rustic exposed beams. And the textiles appear a little dated here but were quite the the opposite – lush and inviting antique fabrics – the place is filled with antiques. Very warm and romantic!
I don’t think I need to explain why I could spend a few hours in here…
In the lobby, look over to the right, where you’ll see a fresco of an old world map behind the check-in counter. Yum.
image from 2blowhards.com
Okay, I’m waiting to get some photos I took from another camera so I promise there will be an update with a few other cool spaces soon. Stay tuned.
Ain’t No Ordinary Town
| July 26, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under antiques, Design, Flea Market, found objects, Inspiration, Outdoors, Places, plants and gardens, travel |
I’m clearing the haze away from my recent vacation and getting back into the swing of things. I mentioned last week that I was heading to the lake – Big Bear Lake in Southern California.
Big Bear is known for it’s ski resorts and lakefront homes, but I found something unexpected there: quality antique shopping. Most touristy towns offer quaint looking ‘antique’ shops that are more like garage sales than anything else. But I was impressed by several roadside venues that had some pretty nifty stuff.
I picked up a couple of chairs (that I will post in another segment) and got inspired to create some new container gardens using found objects like these old railroad carts.
Or this old bathtub. Wouldn’t it look great to have some spindly plants growing out of that tear in the side?
Though a tourist town, the locals seem to be more interested in keeping life simple than catering to visitors every whim. This was evident by the expressions on our Paddlewheel boat operator’s face when the “adorable” children aboard tried to use the upper deck as their personal bunk bed, as well as hubs getting yelled at when going to the wrong side of the chair lift a second time.
“Hey buddy, get it together,” he said. “That’s strike 2. One more and you’re walking down the mountain.” (I must also mention that David was all bandaged up from a knee injury and could hardly walk. This guy was hilarious.)
I also loved this sign:
All in all, a great place to get away when you’re in the mood for something rustic. Beautiful mountains, perfect size lake with plenty to do. One of the best meals I’ve had in a while was as Jasper’s Smokehouse - I rarely eat bbq since I prefer my pigs and cows living. But this place had white meat turkey and vegetarian bbq options and they were mighty good. Our meal came complete with a jolly (chatty) proprietor who gave us the lowdown on Big Bear. His claim to fame is the regular visits by George Clooney who has an estate in the area.
Stay tuned for my flea market finds later in the week. Happy Tuesday.
Visual Vacation
| March 3, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under dining room, Inspiration, interiors, Outdoors, Places, travel |
In my mind, I am here today.
Living Roof Road Trip…
| July 29, 2010 | Posted by Lauren Moss under architecture, Guest Bloggers, Sustainable Living, travel |
With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time for a weekend getaway…
A popular road trip for those of us in Orange County is the drive up to Northern California, where beautiful natural landscapes and a dynamic city keep visitors and locals busy both indoors and out during the warmer summer months. And then, of course, there’s the architecture…
A fantastic site to visit while in the Bay Area is the California Academy of Sciences, at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit this extraordinary interactive center, it’s reason enough to plan a trip up north!
In addition to housing the world’s largest digital planetarium, a living rainforest and natural history museum, the design features an extensive, undulating planted roof that takes the concept of ‘green roof’ to another level. The domes formed by this element respond to the natural landscape of the city, establishing a strong visual connection to the larger environmental context (and a great view for the volunteers in the image below).
The sloping topography of the four domes is also a way to help control microclimate, using the means by which air movement interacts with steep site conditions to cool exterior gathering spaces below. It also provides for insulation and minimized runoff, as rainfall is absorbed by the numerous species of California native plants, chosen specifically to attract wildlife and provide habitats for insects, birds, and butterflies.
Additionally, the roof has integrated, automated skylights that respond to changing temperature and humidity levels, providing ventilation and creating an open, comfortable interior space, with natural light illuminating the steel and glass structure and highlighting the central rainforest dome.
Also noteworthy is the great view of the de Young museum across the plaza…
Transparent photovoltaic panels surround the planted roof, enhancing the sense of lightness and transparency distinct to the architectural aesthetic.
For more information on visiting the California Academy of Sciences and for further details on this unique convergence of urban ecology and sustainable architecture, visit www.calacademy.org.
Happy Travels!
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