Bonjour April. Feels strange right? One month ago, we were shooting the install of this outdoor space and little did we know that one month later, we will be completely indoors. We were planning to do a nice reveal for this space but we never found the right time…. Is this the right time? Well, we think that all we need NOW is INSPIRATION and positive vibes, so yes, this is actually the perfect timing to get some outdoors inspo.
Palo Alto has been one of our dream projects, mainly, as it has been the journey of interiors heaven and so many finds for C’est ici. We can honestly say that our beautiful client has become a member of the team. We basically think IDENTICAL. To tell you that we keep sending each other inspirations and approaches which are weirdly the same. It has been a swift ride and almost eight months IN the project, we are almost there – a bit delayed but hey… there was no predictions of a virus in our contract... one to take into account for the future.
For now, let’s talk about O U T D O O R S. Tati and I have done very little interiors work on this side of the road. Aside from our own casitas, we have done a minimal amount of work on outdoor spaces. This time, we wanted to go different but keep the style and the aesthetic of this beautiful project, light and minimal. Sourcing new products and trying new brands was our top priority.
In collaboration with THE LAKE HOUSE for the landscaping, we completed this space just in time before the lockdown. Unfortunately, the landscaping did not happen when shooting our styling. That said, we promise that as soon as we get out to our normal lives, the landscaping will be out and about.....for now let's call this a PRE- REVEAL post.
THE BEFORE
Not really a BEFORE for us but a really nice white canvas. Our client has done an amazing job on structural and material selection. Key elements that were essential for our plan.
All we had in mind for this outdoor space was one city, Palo Alto - California. Yes yes - where all the startups and amazing intellectuals live but most importantly real estate heaven is also located at the heart of Palo Alto. Simple but with character, were the incorporation of wood and linear spaces were key features to this design.
On these lines, our design was quite straight forward, white on white with wooden touches and terracotta accent pieces.
PLANNING DIFFERENT
This project has been all about waiting and quite a bit of patience. Believe it or not, 90% of our outdoor space was sourced from abroad – mainly Italy. Designers & brands such as Paolo Lenti, MDF Italia, Tribu, Sand, Vondom and many others were on our wish list. We were very keen in exploring news brands and getting all the right choices in order without overwhelming the space.
Have a peek at some of our favorites.
1. Paola Lenti Afra Lounge Chairs
2. MDF Italia Dining Table & Tribu Chairs
3. Paola Lenti Sun Beds
4. Coffee Tables trio from Desalto
5. Sofa Loungers from Desalto
6. Vondom Side Table
7. Stools from Sand
LOCALLY SOURCED
January arrived with lots of presents including all our outdoor orders. February was all about styling it up. For the styling, we thought of two words: Geometrical + Terracotta with a pinch of wooden touches. A cocktail of shops were at the top of our list, including our friends from THE BOWERY COMPANY – URBANNEST – TRIBE – WEST ELM and CRATE & BARREL.
The making of this space could be summarized in three words. Bright, minimal, and cozy. This had to be a super relaxing space yet sophisticated area. So, we tried to keep it as minimal as we could, without feeling empty. When it came to designing this space, we were thinking simple, simple, simple with a pinch of colors such as Terracota.
We hope you enjoyed this quick read. Have a glimpse at the video and the end result of this space.
Keep safe and tuned to the landscaping reveal.
Besos
Moni et Tati
xoxox