PLANS FOR A SPANISH OASIS: PHASE ONE

posted by Elshane on Jul 2 2014, under Home Decor/Entertaining

I'm turning my sweet little Spanish home into an extraordinary Spanish oasis.

Living in Los Angeles, I find that outdoor space and indoor space are one in the same. I want to transform my 3-bedroom home with outdoor courtyard and swimming pool into a free-flowing space of indoor and outdoor modern luxury, while staying true to its original Spanish roots.

In short? I want an epic compound. A compound that leads you from the street through a secret garden to its golden wooden, hand-carved, larger-than-life gates. And once you've made it through the doors, anything goes...

So here's how we're executing...

We met with our space and design planner, Doug from ReDesign Properties for two months prior to drawing our final plans. In those first few weeks, we walked through my home together time after time, exchanging visions and ideas. For our outdoor oasis, he wanted clean lines, impressive architecture and features that were important in raising the functionality and quality of the home, in turn adding value for when it becomes time to sell. Smart!

Me? I stressed the importance of an evolving space; a space where nothing was fixed to the ground, rather, everything could be moved around to accommodate all possible outdoor scenarios. A space that could flow freely from a quaint dinner party to a raging house party, an adult game of table tennis to a toddler play date. And most importantly putting guests and hosting aside, a space fit for the two people who hustled to own this home; a space where I could walk outside, dressed or undressed, sit in an oversized chair facing a fire pit or water feature and feel like I'm still inside the privacy of my home.

The plan came to fruition. We're enhancing our already attractive outdoor courtyard by tiling the grounds from front to back, building tall archways detailed with small mosaic tile, installing water features, and inserting strategic low-maintenance landscaping.

By adding a reclaimed wood pergola over part of the outdoor space where our 6-person dining table sits, we can layer Spanish rugs underneath and create a warm outdoor dining environment. Installing a light fixture and heat lamps around the pergola will make the outdoor space feel like indoor square-footage.

Mobile outdoor furniture, BBQ, and firepit will be carefully placed throughout the space, and easy moved to the side if needed.

Phase one has been focused on space planning: where are the entrances and exits, where does one material start and the other stop, where is the build out, up, down, and around. After three rounds of space planning, we are now ready for phase two: picking materials. 

Stay tuned for more on my Spanish oasis. The fun is just beginning!

Home Inspiration Images courtesy of Houzz.

Space & Design Direction and Planning by ReDesign Properties.

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Los Angeles, CA
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HI! IT'S ELSHANE FROM LOS ANGELES, CA
(BY WAY OF NEW YORK CITY)

I STARTED MY BLOG IN 2010 AS A WAY TO ARCHIVE ALL OF THE ONE-OF-A-KIND RUNWAY PIECES THAT I OWNED FROM WORKING AS THE IN-HOUSE STYLIST FOR DIANE VON FURSTENBERG IN NYC.

THEN, IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST... BIO

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