Welcome to Patina Farm a beautiful, inspiring new book by Brooke and Steve Giannetti of the blog Velvet and Linen. When Brooke and Steve decided to leave their suburban Santa Monica home to build a new life on a idyllic farm, they bought 5 acres in the heart of the beautiful Ojai Valley, California, a lovely wooded area with rolling hills and pink sunsets. Hidden from view by an abundance of white roses, lavender, and citrus, Patina Farm is the vision of rustic elegance with an unerring eye for quality and of course, a gorgeous time-loved patina that takes a typical brick and mortar home into a life well lived. I am pleased to say that in Patina Farm, we see every corner of the family home, as well as the guesthouse, gardens, greenhouse and a charming chicken coop. Steve is a classically trained architect, who also had training in his family's ornamental plaster studio, which was a natural extension for inspiration for their home. Brooke is an interior decorator, making the two of them a full service design team. They also own Giannetti Home, a curated shop in Brentwood, CA that sells furniture, lighting, and accessories for the home in their signature patina style.
In love with Belgian design, the Giannetti's decided to take a trip to Belgium and Paris seeking information and inspiration from designers such as Greet Lefèvre of Belgian Pearls, (one of my favorite blogs) and visually absorbing the patina of cooper pots, tattered books, paneled doors in flea markets and the Marché aux Puces. The take away? A refined European sense of a home that became the blueprint for their design. Ideally the home would be situated entirely based on the sunlight, aware that the direction of the sun affects the quality of light in the home, while keeping the two very large oak trees into consideration. Through careful attention to details they brought their vision of Patina Farm to life. It is truly a gorgeous, timeless, inspirational home that will forever have you coming back to study... learn ... see ... plant ... do.
Patina Farm is the must buy book of the season. Here is your Sneak Peak, you will thank me later...
xxRié
"The design of Patina Farm mixes classical and modern architectural details. In our entry hall, an elegant series of vaults appear as if they were sculpted out of white plaster. Having no baseboard or moldings around the doors or on the ceiling gives the space a more modern aesthetic."
"We fill the rooms at Patina Farm with antique pieces that we love. Swedish antiques tend to have perfect proportions and just the right amount of detailing. Because we are always filling vases with freshly cut flowers from the garden, we chose to plant flowers that would complement the interiors of Patina Farm."
"Steel doors frame the view of the garden and provide access to the porch. Wood screens pocket into the walls adjacent to the doors, while a small operable panel allows for night-time ventilation."
"A composition of antique paper and vellum books become artwork on the plaster shelves in my office. Natural linen curtains hide the dog and rabbit supplies."
"We fitted the prefabricated greenhouse with two rows of shelves for protecting delicate plants during the winter and starting seedlings in early spring. An allée of Fuji apple trees planted in vintage barrels adds some mid-level height elements to the garden."
Purchase Patina Farm here
A personal thank you to the lovely Brooke for the opportunity to celebrate her gorgeous new book in writing this post. Thank you for being an inspiration.
Thank you to Elizabeth Cohen at Jill Cohen Associates Where Beautiful Books Begin for the kind consideration and photos.
And to Gibbs Smith, Publisher for sending me Patina Farm.
Here at Portobello Design it is our hope that we inspire you to ...
*All photos and quotes from the book, Patina Farm
To view more with Brooke & Steve Giannetti see the post: At Home with Velvet & Linen Jan. 2015
