Resolution: Spruce Up Outdoor Rooms

Linda Grasso - Having her home selected to be on the South Pasadena Beautiful annual garden tour of historic South Pasadena homes inspired Joan Estes Lindskog to re-do her garden. “I wanted succulents and sub tropical cacti. I just felt like that was what belonged here.” And, as is so often the case with home improvements, that re-design lead to something else.

"As I talked to my gardener about what we were going to do he said, 'God, Joan, now you'll have to paint the floor in the pergola.' It suddenly occurred to me, he was right! I hadn’t done anything with the pergola since moving in a year ago. I’d originally envisioned something Mediterranean. Then, I changed my mind. It happened when I bought some furniture and enlisted the design services of Alyssa Ashton Shah at Design MIX Furniture on La Brea. I'd bought these really great Moroccan lamps and after seeing those in the pergola, Alyssa suggested a Moroccan painted tile floor. That idea really got me going!"

The LaBrea designer/shopkeeper even suggested using the artist, Christian Kasperkovitz. The process of transforming Joan's floor took several steps. First, Christian had to remove a layer of paint. Then the floor had to be sanded smooth. Next, she sketched the design on the floor using stencils. "Once the floor was stenciled, we had to work on color. I really wanted red but it had to be a warm red. We had to do several coats to get it just right. The entire process, which included several coats of varnish, took two weeks."

Joan, seen here with son Alexander, is thrilled with her vibrant, colorful floor. "To me, Christian's floor is a work of art. I just love going out to the pergola now. It's a great entertaining spot for when I have friends over. Doing the garden and then the pergola has really felt fantastic. It's made us feel like this is our home."

Linda Grasso is the energetic engine that drives SheSez. Her site exemplifies great living, with a California flair, for women of style and substance. Its mission is to inform, inspire, and entertain. Linda says,

We love sharing the unique, interesting, cutting-edge things west coast women are doing. Women all over the world look at California for ideas and inspiration from beauty to health to style. They want to replicate our open-air lifestyle, amidst such breathtaking natural beauty: the ocean, sun, mountains, warm weather. Let's face it, west coast women lead the way for progressive living - whether it's practicing alternative medicine or the latest type of Yoga, we aren't afraid to try something new.