TWEAKS+inspiration : How Readers Create their Own Joy
- kathleen
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Last week's Happy Hour about joy sparked some readers to let me know what brings smiles to their faces. Ellin, known for her love of color, has discovered whimsical animal ottomans. Do you know about Joshua Steinberg's ottoman collection? I had no idea! And Melanie, a gardner extraordinaire, has turned her attention to the joy of a new front garden. Let's take a look.
Joshua Steinberg is a luxury home decor brand known for its elegant, modern, and functional designs. The Classic Safaro Ottoman Series of whimiscal animal ottomans has an almost cult following. Retail prices range from $1450 to $1950. There is a strong secondary market.
Ellin, in Portland, OR has two of the ottomans. At 10-12 pounds each, Ellin's animals freely roam around the house requiring little maintenance.
Classic Safaro Ottoman Series - Pecora Maschio ("Ram" in English)
Ellin's Italian ram is named "Peccorino" after a hard cheese made from ewe's milk.
Classic Safaro Ottoman Series - Hippo Amphibius
At Ellin's house, the hippo is named "Ippo." (ee-po, long o) Retail price, $1650.
Classic Safaro Ottoman Series - Rhinocerotidae
No longer sold at Joshua Steinberg, a rhino is for sale on eBay for $600.
Ellin told me, " I never thought I’d do whimsy as art, but these are unique, a word I use about once a century. NO ONE can resist them." She's right - they are adorable!
Meanwhile, Melanie in Pleasant Hill, CA enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters (December–March) and warm, dry summers. Melanie's 51-year old grass had one last party before the yard began to move to a drought tolerant landscape. (photo of the neighborhood Halloween last fall)
Melanie's son, Brady, is a talented musician and graphic artist. He also drew the garden design. Melanie's friend, designer Brooke, followed Brady's design including the rosa flagstone paver placement. Brady also spec'd the softscape (plant materiel) with Brooke's guidance. "I did pick the color of the Crepe Myrtle (fushia) and wrote the checks," Melanie laughingly told me.
Designer Brooke works her magic with the softscaping.
A drip system was installed prior to plant placement.
The above is the collection of plants that were used in Melanie's zone 9B garden. "In California, USA garden zones are called USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, but many gardeners also use the more detailed Sunset Climate Zones which account for California's specific microclimates like fog, humidity, and elevation, offering a more precise system with 24 zones compared to the USDA's broader 11 zones, with California generally ranging from USDA Zones 5a to 11a," according to Google.
Probably what brings Melannie the most joy is little Taffy, who watches the proceedings from an empty flower pot. I'll be visiting her garden in a few months to take some final photos. Next week, I'll be off due to an eye procedure. See you (much more clearly) on February 1st. In the meantime, happy Sunday!
thanks to Ellin and Melanie for their photos
For more information ~
Animal Ottomans
Designer
Designer Brook Schwiers may be reached at https://www.brookeelissa.com
