Custom fence fabricators such as Cedar Coast Fence will construct each fence panel to the designer’s specifications. Details such as the fence height, post dimensions and even stain are predetermined.

There is a vast array of materials that can be used for a custom fence, including cedar, bamboo, acrylic and glass. Below are just a few examples to spark your imagination for your own custom fence.  I love fences covered with vines such as grapevines or evergreen clematis, and this is a way to make it your own.

The first step is to identify the intended purpose of the fence.  Then draw on materials and colours that inspire you and fit into the existing environment, keeping in-mind the scale of the surrounding architecture.  Large, historical homes lend themselves to a solid fence, such as this one, where I used 6″x6″s for the posts.  Even the panels, lattice and gate are chunky, stained to complement the home’s wood trim features.

Links:
Cedar Coast Fence (http://www.cedarcoastfence.ca)
Coolite Bamboo (http://www.coolitebamboo.com)

Inspirational footage!

They are made of palm tree trunks, hollowed-out and finely-sanded; the insides burned and the bottoms capped. The tree is Borassus flabellifer (Toddy Palm); renewable and fast growing, similar to bamboo.  All the trees used for these pots are plantation-grown.  All harvesting and sanding is done by hand using traditional methods in Bali, Indonesia.

I have incorporated the Palm Pots into an intimate little outdoor living room that I recently designed.

The furnishings are from Bradford Lifestyles, with the Palm Pot and the coffee table from  The Urban Gypsy, 614 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC (www.theurbangypsy.com), one of my favourite resources for funky furnishings!

One of the newest trends in outdoor cooking is the outdoor oven.  Vancouver-based Urban Ovens builds fixed structures that can be incorporated into a variety of facade structures and materials to complement your garden.  Mediterranean, rustic or contemporary; the choice is yours!  Urban Ovens can be incorporated into your outdoor kitchen plans.

Imagine baking sourdough bread, breadsticks, calzones and thin-crust pizzas surrounded by your garden!

Share your passion for outdoor cooking and entertaining with the addition of an outdoor oven. You may find that you get pizza orders from your friends, family and neighbors.

For further information, visit the Urban Oven’s website:  urbanovens.com

The UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is situated in the Bel-Air community of Los Angeles.  Inspired by the gardens of Kyoto, it was originally designed in 1959 by Landscape Architect Nagao Sakurai and Garden Designer Kazuo Nakamura.  A reconstruction was required after the garden suffered damages from heavy rains in 1969; UCLA Professor of Art and Campus Architect Koichi Kawana led the re-design.

This spectacular garden is a must-see if you are in the Los Angeles area.

According to the Garden Guide:
“The complex aesthetic values of traditional Japanese gardens stem mainly from Zen Buddhism.  Among Zen concepts expressed in garden design are asymmetry and a preference for the imperfect and for odd numbers;  naturalness and an avoidance of the forced and artificial; hiding part of the whole to achieve profundity with mystery; a quality of maturity and mellowness that comes with age and time; tranquility, simplicity, and austerity.”

One of the most amazing artifacts in the garden is a stone carved more than 1,000 years ago.  It features Buddha seated in 16 different positions of worship!

For more information and to book a reservation (which is required) go to http://www.japanesegarden.ucla.edu/

- reduces the amount of runoff collected by sewers

- save water and $$$

- be environmentally-responsible

HOW IT WORKS

Rain barrels come in all shapes and sizes.  The one pictured is designed to look like a terra cotta vase.  It stands approximately 48″ tall.  Terra Luma Design has several sizes and styles to choose from!

For some, this is statuary. For others, Music. Each elements adds meaning to your space.

The Urban Gypsy (in Vancouver) and Berbere World Imports (in Los Angeles) are great resources.

Another favourite is 18 Karat!

Terra Luma Design clients get a discount at each of these venues!  If you are looking for something specific, just ask…  we probably have a source that is perfect for you!

Perhaps a Baby Ganesha will inspire you as much as it has me!

Imagine sitting quietly outdoors…  in a outdoor meditation room where you can escape and empty your mind… a breathing space from the chaos of the day. Increasingly, many of my clients want their outdoor space to be a place where they can decompress.

As you begin to envision your meditation room, take some time to consider both the function and how each element will create harmony with your environment.

In my experience, here are the top 5 considerations in the design:

• Noise – What can you hear as you sit quietly?  If you hear the overwhelming noise of traffic,  consider adding additional plants  to buffer noise or include outdoor speakers for you iPod.
• Decor – How can you bring soothing elements into the space?  Water fountain, natural wood and cushions create calm in any space .
• Colour – What colour(s) would you like to be in you space?  Color as a psychological tool is very powerful. Consider the effects of your favorite colours on your mood.  Build a palette of calming and soothing foliage and textiles.
• Location – How does the sun and wind impact your space?  Would you like to meditate in or out of the sun? What is the best layout for the space?
• Privacy – How private is your space?  Enclose your outdoor meditation room and use sheer curtains to create privacy.

In terms of functionality, plan for storage of cushions and blankets to ensure they stay dry in inclement weather.

Regardless of the size of your outdoor meditation room, your design should be as unique as you – unlike any place else.

Inspiration, productivity and inventiveness are all strongly shaped by your workspace. Whether you feel energized or experience low energy is a direct result of the working environment.

In a recent study completed by Netherlands based research firm, TNO Quality of Life, after an office plant was introduced to the workspace and placed in a peripheral view, workers experienced:

• improved energy
• less stress
• greater productivity

Noise reduction and better air quality may also result in the workplace.  The study recommended one large plant should be provided for every two employees or for every 12 square meters of office space.

My favorite office planter is the Lechuza Delta 15.  With a 4.5″ footprint, it takes up very little space on my desk and with a built-in reservoir  - it eliminates clean up after watering and ensures that plant has a water accessible at all times.

The window was modified to allow for easy pass-through from the home’s indoor kitchen to the shelf on the outside!