Portobello Design: At Home with VELVET & LINEN: Brooke & Steve Giannetti

Brooke and Steve Giannetti really need no introduction as they are the inspirational, stylish authors of the book Patina Style and Brooke's very popular blog Velvet & Linen. Steve is an architect, Brooke is a decorator, together they are the owners of Giannetti Home, a west L.A. retail shop that shouldn't be missed. What you may not know is they made the decision to re-design their lives and move from the bustle of Los Angeles, to four and a half acres of meadow and pasture in the small town of Ojai, California. Their beautiful home, Patina Farm, is nestled amongst cypress and oak trees, a profusion of white roses, lavender, and boxwood gardens. If their beautiful home and out-buildings, exquisite surfaces, sumptuous furnishings and antiques, surrounded by lush California native gardens weren't enough to convenience you that they made the right choice, their menagerie of chickens, dogs, rabbits, darling miniature donkeys, and goats are sure to charm you into changing your view.

I am always looking for inspiration, which Brooke and Steve never fail to provide. Are you ready to be inspired? Enjoy.

"We named it Patina Farm for a reason. It's the idea that you use natural materials and

let them age gracefully over time, - as I'm trying to do myself."

- Brooke Giannetti

"We're not concerned with provenance so much as with what just appeals to us."

-Steve Giannetti

"We built the house to be able to use it as our family changed..."

"It's an open floor plan. The children's bedrooms are in a separate wing,

so it still works when it's just Steve and me and the animals."

"There's not a space in this house we don't use."

-Brooke Giannetti

"It was a way to make decisions, following the story of the building."

"Each part of the house and outbuildings called for materials consistent with its character; thus the stucco portions of the main house required a traditional tile roof,

while the barn siding on the office paired with a corrugated-metal roof."

-Steve Giannetti

Applied finishes and paint were used sparingly.

"To make it look natural, you have to leave it natural."

-Steve Giannetti

"You have to decide how you're going to live in the space. For example, I wanted to be able to sit at my desk and look out at the garden." - Brooke Giannetti