BRADBURY
Presented by Peggy Fong Chen Cover story on page 2
June 25 - July 1, 2011
| PAGE 6
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from INSIDE OUT
Conversations on Interior Design
The New Garden
L.A.’S POOL OF LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS MOVE BEYOND FLOWERBEDS By Adele Cygelman | www.domain-la.com
While the deans of Los Angeles landscape design—Nancy Goslee Power, Pamela Burton, Jay Griffith, Mia Lehrer—have set the tone for L.A.’s landscaping for the past 30-odd years, the new generation is spreading a different gospel. Self-sufficient gardens stocked with citrus orchards, raised vegetable beds and California natives are replacing thirsty exotics from the tropics, Mediterranean groves of olive trees and high-maintenance lawns. “Raised planters for edible gardens, fire pits, hanging light fixtures, and great outdoor spaces for entertaining, including a pergola with retractable awnings, are our top requests,” says Judy Kameon of Elysian Landscapes. Kameon’s art background serves her well in her hillside tapestry gardens, where she treats slopes as a giant vertical canvas, as well as in her color saturation, whether it’s
a black and white garden or one based on a rainbow of green, from chartreuse to sage to emerald. Sean Knibb of Knibb Design sees his work as creating a new language and a new freedom of expression. “The important change in the last 20 years is the shift toward creating gardens that are more mindful of their immediate surroundings,” Knibb says. “Our clients are requesting environments that are completely tied together with water-wise plants, smart materials, recycled elements and furnished in a way that’s luxurious and chic while still being aware of their carbon footprint.” Designers now pay the same attention to detail on outdoor living spaces as indoor living rooms. Both Kameon and Knibb have their own furniture lines. “We are getting
more and more clients who want our furniture as part of their garden plan,” says Kameon, who launched Plain Air as a comfortable line of modern built-ins, outdoor furniture and accessories that complement the architecture of the homes. Knibb’s SK1 line includes the Eldo Picnic Table and colorful Boxwood Cubes for indoor and outdoor use. He is launching inside/out pieces at Calypso Home in Santa Monica that will include tables, benches and chairs handcrafted in L.A. from recycled wood and framed in white powder-coated steel. Both, naturally, shop locally for plants. Knibb recommends Rolling Greens and Hashimoto Nursery. Kameon turns to Sunset Nursery, California Cactus and Worldwide Exotics. “It’s always a pleasure to buy straight from the grower,” she says.
Elysian Landscapes, www.elysianlandscapes.com Plain Air, 213.380.3185, www.plainair.com 2340 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles Knibb Design, 310.450.5552 www.knibbdesign.com 1522 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice Calypso Home, 310.587.0703 225 26th St., Santa Monica brentwoodcountrymart.com/shops/shops_ calypso_home.php