I’ve spent the last few posts talking all things interior and taking you through every nook and cranny of our home, but now it’s time to give some proper and undivided attention to the exterior of our home. We’ll start from the front, then head to the back, and talk about every detail along the way. Our home is situated on nearly one acre of land, and we wanted every inch of the property to feel like our own little oasis in the hustle of LA, surrounded with trees and privacy. My vision was to transport us somewhere in between the Belgian countryside and the California coast. I’ve always been inspired by old European architecture, the cliffs along the California coastline, and all the colors in nature that I feel deeply and love so much. I certainly feel like that’s where we live now, and I am not complaining one bit. Our outdoor spaces have become such a blessing to my little family over the last few months hunkering down at home, and I’m excited to finally show you guys a little more. I can’t wait for the day when I can throw a massive pool party and BBQ hang for all my friends and fam, but until then… I’ll share some pretty pics of it instead :)

If you’ve missed any part of our mini reveals, take a look at our previous tours and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Part 1: Entryway and Living Room

Part 2: Kitchen and Dining Nook

Part 3: Family Room

Part 4: Bathrooms

Part 5: Main Bathroom, Bedroom and Hallway

xoxo Amber

front yard

As soon as I enter our front yard, I get an instant feeling of zen. Let me paint you a picture: you can hear the trickling sounds from the fountain and the breeze rustling through the old olive trees, and you can smell hints of citrus from the orange tree and jasmine from the vines growing on the stone. The sound of walking on the Pea Gravel make me feel like I’m on a ranch, and that’s a feeling I love more than anything. 

One of the first design decisions I chose for the exterior was picking stone. I quickly settled on beautiful stone from Horizon Stone and their 19th Century Series in the color ‘Hermitage.’ I knew I wanted to incorporate a whole lotta stone in some way, and I ultimately decided to mix in some vertical plank siding as well, to add a bit of a modern vibe, but still feel overall traditional and timeless. I worked with my amazing mason to create a custom color grout that felt bright, but also blended perfectly with the lighter stone. When it came to the color on that vertical, well I vacillated for a split second about which color I wanted to go. I always wanted it to be black, but we live in a place that gets HOT in the summer, and I was worried about our selection being just that… HOT in the summer. I am here to report… it is the perfect color for us, and we didn’t notice any difference in the summertime heat.. I am soooo glad I stuck with my first instincts. You know I love a mood, and this was 100% the right call for our space. 

I worked with Ryan from GSLA Studio for our landscaping, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We already had some beautiful, mature trees, but we added a whole lot more throughout the entire property that made the exterior feel complete. She is the best if you live in LA and need a landscape architect BTW!

I can’t forget to to mention our reclaimed barn wood garage doors from Crown Garage Doors that gave a little bit of the rustic feel I wanted to achieve. Add in some of my favorite Swan Neck Exterior Wall Lights, and voila!

sources

Stone // Horizon Stone 19th Century Hermitage with Custom Grout

Siding // Hardie Panel Vertical Siding 

Landscaping // GSLA Studio

Windows // Marvin Signature Ultimate Collection

Outdoor Sconces // Darya Swan Neck Wall Light from Shoppe Amber Interiors

Driveway // Chip seal with Pea Gravel

Roof // Berridge “Dark Bronze” Corrugated Metal 

Planters and Fountain // Vintage

Garage Doors // Crown Garage Doors

backyard and pool

Our backyard was designed with the ultimate goal of hanging and chillin’ with our fam, real hard. And of course, have lots of grass for my kiddo and animals to run wild and free. California living means we can pretty much sit outside 365 days a year, so I made sure to create spaces for us to enjoy all sorts of moments throughout the year, whether it’s for BBQing with friends, loungin’ in the pool, or sipping hot toddies by the fireplace. I hired Brian from PCH Construction who worked with me to make all the hardscape, pergola, outdoor kitchen, and front driveway a reality!

I carried the same stone from the exterior of the main home to the outdoor fireplace, and built a big ‘ole pergola with reclaimed wood and vintage pendants. Like I mentioned before, our property is framed with the most beautiful oak trees, so I wanted to keep the entire backyard earthy and tonal to feel like we’re removed from the city.

Last, but certainly not least, our pool is one our favorite places in our entire home, especially Gwynnie! And I don’t blame her one bit! Like I mentioned above, the summers get real hot in LA and she has definitely found her happy place. I lined the entire pool with Fireclay Tile in ‘Magnetite’, which gives the pool an elevated look and feel. I admittedly spent a lot of the summer right in there with G, too. How can you blame me?!

sources

Pool Tile // Fireclay in Magnetite

Stone // Horizon Stone 19th Century Hermitage with Custom Grout

Siding // Hardie Panel Vertical Siding 

Landscaping // GSLA Studio 

Exterior Hardscape and Outdoor Kitchen // PCH Construction

Windows // Marvin Signature Ultimate Collection

Outdoor Sconces // Darya Swan Neck Wall Light from Shoppe Amber Interiors

Pergola // Reclaimed Wood

Floaties // Oliver James (use code Amber2020 for 10% off!)

Pendants // Vintage

shop the look

And that’s all for now! I have a few more posts from our home coming soon…but in the meantime, leave a comment below and let me know what you think! xoxox Amber