#diningroom Archives - Northern California Style

On this weekend post, San Francisco houses, skincare I am loving, ideas for a dining room refresh and more..

How’s your week been? We finally ended this week with sun and I feel so upbeat and happy!

While it was dreary, I found these yellow pillows on a Homegoods run and added them to my little office to give it some brightness. A little yellow seems to be the thing just now.

Found these pillows online there that are nearly exact as mine, but with matching piping instead of the dark on mine.

I also took my dear dad for an eye surgery this week. He’s 84 and his primary recommended he get Blepharoplasty where they lift excess skin from your eye so you can see better. His insurance covers it as it affects his vision. . He’s a very active person and having his peripheral sight diminished is not great.

Many older folks just get used to it, but did you know any impairment of your vision or hearing can contribute to cognitive decline and even dementia? I just wanted to share as many of us have this hereditary issue or our parents do, and this procedure can help keep vision clearer and in turn, you can stay more active.

I will do it if I need it when the time comes and thank my dad for being a good example of taking care of yourself! He still drives everywhere, cooks a ton and gardens and I am so proud of him. It’s been almost 8 years since my mom passed and it hasn’t been easy for him, but he inspires me so much to stay busy and interested in life!

A little Dining Room refresh

Starting the new year always gets me focusing on what changes I would like to make and I’m so not excited by my dining room. I need a change in there and I think it begins with new chairs..

I fell in love with this Mesa chair and thinking of getting two for the ends at my black dining table and if I like, switch them all out.. They will make it a it more airy than my skirted chairs, which have put in their time, and I will likely sell.

Other ideas on my inspiration board…

Love these two rugs, both on huge sale plus additional now…. The Larkin Rug has warmer tones and would be pretty with these accent pillows. The Glenwood rug I love mixed with the stripe pillow– a little casual with the floral. The blue and gold pillow is a beauty from OKA.

I’ve also been eyeing black cabinets for extra dishes, cookbooks and pretty things and the silhouette on this solid wood cabinet with the oak wood interior is beautiful. Of course I had to add two vases. The chambray vase comes in two sizes and is so springy- and the clear and lovely shape of the clear Pilar vase is a classic.

The cabinet is something I can really use and have thought about…Other options are the same cabinet is also in ‘drifted oak‘ below, this iron cabinet with drawers, and this large wood one.

If you are thinking of changing things up, Serena & Lily is having a fantastic sale, with 20-25% off depending what you spend and additional on many items already reduced, so if you had your eye on something, like a chair or rug, ( especially the rugs!) this is a good time to get it.

Skincare and cosmetics I am loving right now..

I’ve been loving this Skinceuticals Redness Neutralizer which was suggested at Blue Mercury and I can’t tell you how good this feels on -in this cold winter it truly helps with my redness.

My Blue Mercury SPF 30 Daily Moisturizer has been excellent and leaves a lovely look on the skin.

The Clarins Total Eye Lift I buy about once every 9 months to a year..My eyes can’t tolerate much else and this always feels so good and makes my eyes look less tired.

I’m crazy for Ilia Limitless Lash Lengthening Clean Mascara and gave it as a gift to a few friends. Once you try it, you will love it. Makes my fine straight lashes look lush. Dior Lip Addict Glow Balm in Mahogany is all I wear in winter. Love the moisture and color, which looks natural, but gives color that stays.

I was given this lovely Necessarie plant based body wash for Christmas which leaves my skin feeling clean and moist. I also now adore the lotion that has a creamy richness I so want in the winter months.

San Francisco Homes

I had to share this San Francisco home in AD this month.. very different and built for two tech execs and their family… More pics online.

Architect was John Maniscalco and design by The Archers. The gorgeous hand painted tiles are by artist Bruno Grizzo.

A San Francisco Story…

When we walked through San Francisco’s Presidio Heights last week, I came across this amazing home being renovated…On the photos I shared, a friend Linda remarked on the Maybeck Houses there. That intrigued me, so I did a deep dive on Bernard Maybeck, architect of many San Francisco homes and the Palace of Fine Arts. Maybeck was an instructor at UC Berkeley after studying at Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He was a mentor to Julia Morgan and most of his projects were in San Francisco.

This home we snapped was his most famous SF home, The Roos House, which was a sold in 2018 for 11 million.. It was built in 1909 for the nineteen year old daughter of an Orpheum Theatre partner as a wedding gift. Elizabeth Meyerfield choose Maybeck for his theatrical style, and the architect had free rein while she and Leon Roos, of the Roos clothiers empire, (later Roos-Atkins) took a European honeymoon. How very Downton Abbey!

The home is constructed of redwood and has twenty foot ceilings in the back portion.

At 9,000 sq feet, with little changes over the years, and in the same family until the recent sale, it’s an architectural gem. I couldn’t help fawning over the 2018 real estate photos and wondering what renovations the new owners are making. The home has views over the Presidio and to Marin and the Golden Gate.

If you want to know more about Maybeck’s homes this book looks like a good one. More interesting SF history on this article about the Roos family, immigrants, who who began as clothing suppliers in Virginia City during the Gold Rush and later set up shop in San Francisco and ‘carried the largest inventory of ready-made clothing in the world, employing 70 men, including six tailors’ at the peak of their success..More about the Roos House here and real estate photos here.

Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding gowns

I loved this revisit of Elizabeth’s eight weddings and unique gowns. How gorgeous is this yellow she wore to her first wedding to Richard Burton in 1964? I think I’m yellow obsessed right now.

My grandfather actually attended her first wedding to Conrad Hilton, above. My dad’s father worked in the frozen food industry, and was the head of American sales for Minute Maid when frozen orange juice was first invented in the early 50’s when they lived in Fullerton. He was a friend of Conrad Hilton Sr., who was an investor in the business and was invited! More of Elizabeth’s beautiful gowns on Vogue here.

Yoga With Adriene

I started back on yoga this week with Yoga With Adriene’s 30 Day Start and I think anyone could do it. She begins slowly and with 20 + minute daily videos, you gain some basic skills, strength and flexibility. Even by day three, I can feel a difference.. It’s free and so why not give it a go?

If you missed it, Juliet and I did our first Live of 2023 on Thursday. We chatted about couches, popovers, the Prince Harry book and more and you can still watch it here. We plan on trying to do this each Thursday at 9 am Pacific time, if you want to catch the next one! Thanks everyone who left comments and chimed in!

If you missed last weekend’s post I shared a California spin on the chocolate chip cookie, day trip to SF’s Laurel Village and Presidio Heights, the winter coat you may be missing and more..

Have a good weekend and I hope you enjoy some sunshine!

Kim

Please visit my pals Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs..

MAKE MINE A SPRITZER

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It’s that time of year when many of us are motivated to spruce up the house for guests with the upcoming holidays and a new rug is one of the easiest ways to do that. I just added a Serena & Lily rug to my dining room and I think it makes the space.

This is my new Stella Rug, which I am thrilled about. I love the tones and its graphic design for my house. It just pulled everything together- the neutrals and the greys in here, and I like the modern look. I also love the New Zealand wool it’s made of, which is so soft underfoot.

This Stella rug is hand-tufted so it has an artisan feel as each one is slightly different. It’s also Oeko-Tex certified which means it’s free of harmful chemicals. I love that. It also comes in a gorgeous navy.

This is the one thing I needed to cozy up the open space together and make the dining room feel more elegant. I’m still in love with my Malibu Chandelier! I think that is the best purchase I made for the remodel as it sets the vibe for the house with it’s California look.

Well the cats certainly love the rug.. Not sure if I’m thrilled about that! Up close you can see, the rug is so lovely. It has small dots in a lighter cream, and another kind of weave in the zig-zags. Photos don’t do it justice. It’s literally the nicest rug I’ve ever owned.

A larger shot of the whole space. The Balboa Counter Stools have been great and are wearing beautifully, though in constant use! You can see I still have bare walls.. I am working on that. About one thing a week is getting done..

I recently added this Carson Bench I had my eye on. It fit perfectly in our entry space. I am crazy about the weaving on this bench. Everyone stops here to put their shoes on so it’s been most convenient as well as cute!

I still need to figure the wall space. I hope to wallpaper this entry area, and possibly add a large round mirror above the bench.

The Winter Beach Pillow is nice here. Both have that natural vibe.

My Seaview Runner is still looking spiffy and if you get one thing from the rug sale- this is such a good value with it’s stain and water resistance.

Other chic rugs to take a peek at during this sale ..

This Jute Border Rug..really affordable and durable for a family room area or an entry, or I was thinking it could be cute in one of the boy’s bedrooms. It also comes in an ivory stripe and a denim.

The Casco Wool Rug is heathered and would be a nice option for a family space as it won’t show wear as much. I love this blue, but there is also a beautiful fog color.

The Lakeview Rug is also cool..

The Ryder denim & wool rug is another I’ve had my eye on for a bedroom or a runner. .. I love it in this dining space on the Serena & Lily site.

All of Serena & Lily’s beautiful rug collection can be found here. I can tell you anything you buy from them is exceptional quality. I’ve been so happy to share about this Northern California company and be a partner in design with them.

P.S. I just noticed they added a lot of pretty new pieces to their site that I am drooling over like this Wooster Console..