I’m very excited to announce the release of my first book, Private Gardens of Santa Barbara – The Art of Outdoor Living, launching in March 2020 with publisher Gibbs Smith. This book has been a labor of love for me — it was pure joy to pore over the gorgeous gardens we have created over… Read More
We don’t often think of a natural disaster as being a thing of random chance. But a visit to Montecito after the debris flow of January 9, 2018 proves it to be just that. Broad swaths of entire neighborhoods were destroyed in one fell swoop, leaving post-apocalyptic scenes as far as the eye could… Read More
On January 9, 2018 massive debris flows came barreling down the slopes above Montecito, devastating the community of nearly 9,000 inhabitants. In a matter of moments, 23 people lost their lives and over 400 homes, 33 commercial structures and 92 outbuildings were destroyed or damaged. This site was covered in three to five feet of… Read More
We hear about disasters around the globe on a daily basis, but it’s hard to imagine that such devastation will ever hit so close to home. In early December 2017, the Thomas Fire swept through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties to become the second largest fire in California history. On January 9, 2018, before the… Read More
Ever wonder what a day in the life of (fill in the blank) would be like? Well, here’s your chance to peak behind the scenes at some of Grace Design Associate’s day-to-day activities. Read on to find progress shots of our current projects, some charming landscape details we’re particularly proud of, images from site visits… Read More
In my last post, a whole mess of paving was transformed into one of the world’s sexiest parking lots. (Click here if you missed it: Hidden Valley Part 1 – The World’s Sexiest Parking Lot). Join us now for a peek inside the new garden gates to see how the sloping site was reconfigured to… Read More
Frank and Debbi came to us after their new garage and parking area were finished, the latter being a sprawling expanse of paving that accommodated half a dozen cars. It was far more than Debbi had envisioned, as their three cars fit neatly in the garage. Debbi called the office, nearly reduced to tears. She… Read More
In Santa Barbara, a lot of living gets done outdoors. Our clients’ personal enjoyment of their gardens–where they sip their morning coffee, entertain friends, play with the kids, read a book, take a nap–is factored into our plans as we shape their outdoor spaces. But sometimes, we get a gardener: a hands-in-the-dirt, dyed-in-the-wool gardener whose… Read More
Looking back, my role in the Victoria Garden Mews project was not so much designing a garden as it was helping the residents create a communal way of life, one that would take place at the outdoor table over laughter and tumblers of wine, a garden that would provide a bountiful harvest — fruit trees… Read More
I love grand old estates. I grew up peering through the gates of the magnificent old homes in my home town of Altadena and in neighboring Pasadena. I’ve been fortunate to have worked on a number some fabulous old properties here in Santa Barbara over the past thirty-odd years. So when the owners of Villa… Read More