Project Update

The lower patio at Villa Cantina is coming along thanks to the boys, and our fabulous friend and woodworker extraordinaire Jim.

Here is what this big ole wall looked like before

Now it  looks like this thanks to the amazing table that Jim came up. 

The table base is made of cedar and the top is zinc. My original plan was to give the base a washed gray look but after we put it in place I decided on the green. I first tried a new trick which I found on good old pinterest.  Soak steel wool in vinegar over night and rub it on the brand spanken new wood the next day.  The wood takes on a blackish gray cast.  If you want the piece to look like it has a little age instead of brand spanken new…try it!  I used to always go over my painted finish with colored briwax or stain after distressing.  This saves a step.  It works especially well for a piece that is not in need of additional sealing.  The shutters came from Michael at Capitol Salvage. And the chairs are from World Market.

Here is a close-up of the finish

On top of the table I planted an old galvanized sink with succulents.  I purchased the galvanized sink from Dani at Patine here http://patinedecor.com/Patine_Decor/Home.html.  I think I may have purchased the last two but I know she will probably  have more when her next container arrives in September. 

We used California Gold (gravel) for the “floor”.   The fountain area is still a work in progress.  As I mentioned in my previous post we copied Katie Denham’s fountain that she designed for her own home in Sacramento.  I will send a picture Katie when it looks a little more finished.  

 

Now it looks like this.  We are letting the fountain rust naturally until we are happy with the effect.  Then we will seal it.  Katie used pvc pipe and covered the pipe with channels for a sleeker look.  We decided to go for a more industrial look and use copper pipe and leave it exposed.

As you can see there is a nice large space available for a coffee table that will coordinate with the dining table.

Guess who offered to make us one! Here is the inspiration photo for the coffee table. It will be rectangular and larger obviously.

 

At some point there will be a trellis constructed of pipe that will stretch from the fountain to the house. That could be awhile as we are all busy working on other projects.  One other totally unnecessary thing that I had to add was an interesting area to grow some herbs.  I can never depend on Basil growing very well at my home (it rarely gets hot enough) so I was anxious to give it a try at the lake where it is much hotter.  It is also really hard for me to cook without fresh herbs so here is my solution.  An old cart (also purchased from Dani) filled with an old olive gathering basket (from Atelier de Campagne) and some vintage sap buckets.  Don’t mind the drip lines..hopefully they will be obscured soon.

That’s it for now!  I will post another update once the coffee table, cushions, etc are completed. I am happy with our progress!

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