29 January 2014

Day Trip: Sausalito, resto FISH and HEATH Ceramics!


Just across the Golden Gate from San Francisco is a magical place called Sausalito. Come with me!

What better place to spend some time last Friday.. "working" with one of my favorite clients my daughter Lisa and one of the most upbeat sales managers at Heath Ceramics one of Lisa's best friends Sarah.

Lunch at FISH was great as always...freshly-caught sustainable seafood served up right at the edge of the sea. Fish tacos? perfection. The sun shone and we talked fabrics and projects and laughed a lot. And we were just a stone's throw away from the incredible Heath Ceramics Factory and Store, where Sarah took us for a tour of the factory and a spin around the store. A refreshing and inspiring Friday afternoon after a long busy week, don't you agree?

cross over the Golden Gate, five minutes you are in Sausalito


Sarah, left, and Lisa as we go in to a fabulous lunch!

the view from my seat in FISH



a block away from FISH is the Heath Ceramics Factory & Store; 
the original site of Heath Ceramics, 
it was built in the mid-20th century and remains unchanged


our tour of the factory begins in the meeting room, 
and shows the factory design around an open courtyard allowing in light, 
views of greenery and fresh air into the work areas

a basic coffee cup... on the left it is still formed clay; on
the right you see the finished cup after firing... it loses quite a
bit in size 

Lisa with Garrett,  one of the mold makers


I love that the wet area is tiled with.. Heath Ceramic tiles!

a very steady hand is needed to make these casserole lids 
and this is just the man for the job!


I love this little workspace... corner windows and lots of personal mementos... an artisan's corner!


probably my favorite part of the factory process... 
developing the colors for the glazes and
seasonal offerings!

beautiful pieces finished and ready for sale



 

three design boards of the gorgeous Heath Ceramic tile line... 
look at these stunning colors!




the timeless, elegant Coupe line has been in continual production since 1947 


I like that Heath keeps it relevant by collaborating with other artisinal, original and
handmade product lines.. such as Alabama Chanin, a longtime
favorite of mine, loved for her embroidered pieces of
hand fashioned table linens and clothing


above is the tableware designed in collaboration with Alabama Chanin...
and it rests on Alabama Chanin placemats with her signature embroidered border


another favorite of contemporary designers is the YOLO Colorhouse paint line... 



love this happy poster for "Sau sali to"   above a great selection of Heath vases

a happy sales associate... and wouldn't you be happy to come to work here everyday? 




leaving Sausalito for San Francisco... I had to take a picture of the beautiful hillside 
with trees blooming in our faux (drought-induced!) springtime... such a pretty sight for mid-winter!

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images from the early days of Heath Ceramics... on top, the factory as built in
1940's, still the same today... next are buttons made by Edith Heath as
she experimented with color; next a marketing piece I think from the 60's;
and finally, a collection of images of the beautiful Edith Heath at work
through the years

the fountain in Sausalito about the time
Edith Heath opened her studio there...
in the 1940's


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see details and what happy guests have to say:


questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883






27 January 2014

Enter Now: Chic Provence Design Tour 2014 Giveaway from { Rough Linen }



CONGRATULATIONS to our winner!

LIBBY WILKIE of the wonderful blog


AN EYE FOR DETAIL

Thank you to everyone who participated, 
your support is greatly appreciated!




Hi everyone! Hope your New Year is going really well!  I'm excited to announce a wonderful giveaway! You have a chance to win four 24" Linen Dinner Napkins from Rough Linen... just the thing for your rustic-chic table settings! This wonderful Chic Provence Design Tour Printemps 2014 special giveaway is worth $100!

The talented and very lovely Tricia Rose of Rough Linen has teamed with me to offer her gorgeous 24" Dinner Napkins in her signature natural linen for a Chic Provence readers' drawing! Her linens evoke the spirit of the south of France and are handmade from the oldest fiber known...incredibly durable, chic and smart, you will use these linens for generations. To receive fabric samples from Tricia, go here.  Find Rough Linen on Facebook  & Pinterest too.

This incredible giveaway is to promote our extremely popular Chic Provence Design Tour 2014. Do join us, cherie! Download the brochure below and come with us!




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that's Tricia herself (can you say Grace Kelly lookalike?) ... demonstrating on
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check out all her videos here 




***

All you have to do to earn a chance in the drawing:
  • be a Follower and Subscriber to Chic Provence
  • leave a comment on this post
  • Share my Tour button and link on your favorite social media site (blog, FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc)... and I'll post your link on my social media to thank you for helping me get the word out about our Chic Provence Design Tour 2014



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Thank you for helping me spread the word about our  



***



Come join me this spring, cherie!  






see details and what happy guests have to say:
download registration forms here 




questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883







22 January 2014

Old Houses by the Gulf of Mexico


The first three weeks of January we took a trip through the deep, deep south, including the north Gulf Coast of Florida.  If you ever yearn for a simpler, quieter way of life...one without stoplights, sirens, buses, or even regular sidewalks, this forgotten coast is a treasure. Since I grew up here, it is in my DNA to love old southern homes with deep porches and darkened interiors. The crunch of walking on oyster shell pathways and the sound of the waves lapping the shore is with me always. Come with me and take a peek at these coastal lovelies. 

Miss Margaret's house is a stunning Queen Anne style dating from
1890 and sits high on a bluff above the Gulf...I used to visit this
house when I was a little girl




Chris is checking out the spectacular wraparound porch.. note how foggy the
day was... the roofline is in the fog line!


the radiused painted porch with Victorian trim

looking the other way on the porch

the blue tiled fireplace and black cypress paneling of the living room

the gorgeous black cypress and heart pine staircase to the second floor

the pretty fireplace in the dining room

the outdoor shower... on the back porch... is provided with privacy by the trellising

one of the wonderful upstairs bedrooms with fireplace.. here the paneling
has been painted a cheery yellow

the upstairs hallway with arched doorway and mint green painted walls

another view from the porch... I couldn't get enough of the porch!

and that is the screened porch to the rear, outside the kitchen... lovely!



the nearest neighbor's house is rather lovely as well...


and the smaller Craftsman cottages are adorable...
the palm trees in the front of another Craftsman cottage

the 300 yard pier next to Miss Margaret's house over the marshland... the pavilion is
in the water...

a little further inland the pathway leads through incredible southern gardens

this amazing southern Oak tree draped with moss is a stunning work of nature


this 1870's home is now a small museum showing winter retreats favored by the Yankees who came down
to Florida to escape the snow and ice...

Chinoiserie decor was popular with the wintering over owners of
this lovely home... and the color was the homeowners custom blend of
turquoise... gorgeous even after all these years!

wintering over means lots of leisure time for reading....

Chinese imports adorn the bookshelves in the library

striking color combination in the great room 

another view of the great room with the beautiful carpet and turquoise and black

this coral is also a custom blend and covers the
outside of the home...

this is one of the vistas created in the immense gardens... my younger brother
got married here many years ago...

a striking combination of mondo grass border and a succulent in the middle of the fountain... I love this look
the front of another winter home near the Gulf Coast


a view of the trellised swimming pool built many years ago...


wrought iron, shutters, lace curtains and the fiddle leaf fig tree on the front porch

the small service cottages for the winter home with the majestic moss covered oaks








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see details and what happy guests have to say:


questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883






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