Villa Castelluccio is a restored villa located in the heart of Puglia, Italy, set within 5 acres of olive groves. Designer Andrew Trotter was brought on to assist with renovations and interior design of this beautiful home which is available as a rental vacation property. Sign me up!!! This would be such a relaxing, calming space to spend time in, while enjoying the traditional Puglian architecture.

Photos: Salva Lopez

At the beginning of August I received a surprise direct message in Instagram from local photo-based artist Christine Fitzgerald. I recognized her name immediately because I have admired her work that is sold through Studio Sixty Six, an art gallery here in Ottawa. She received a government grant for a project and decided to photograph gardeners in the time of the pandemic, and to my absolute delight, she wanted to include me. Her process is very antiquated, involving wet collodion photographic plates and the subject standing completely still for upwards of 12 seconds. Christopher Snow, a videographer, produced a video on Christine’s process and this latest project of hers which explains more in detail of how she created these incredibly beautiful photos.

For those who don’t know what I look like, this was my photo, shot in my backyard with my potted flowering hostas in front of me.

I am so honoured to be part of Christine’s project. It’s been a very tough year for me, and the month of August in particular as my husband spent it in Prince Edward Island saying goodbye to his father who passed away a couple of weeks ago and on my birthday (while my husband was still away), I had to make the really heartbreaking decision to have our sweet cat Milo, who had been with us about 16 years, put down due to the sudden onset of an apparent brain tumour. Seeing the results of this photo shoot and being a part of something so special is something I will not soon forget. My backyard had been my refuge during all of this so it really meant alot to me.

I wanted to share some screenshots of Christine’s work available at Studio Sixty Six. Each one is just stunning.

And because I am slightly obsessed with this 8mm film filter I found on Instagram, here are some photos I snapped around the yard.

This art-filled Georgian Revival home in Charlotte, North Carolina was designed to be family friendly and is so warm, comfortable and casual. Style was not compromised here, and I am particularly smitten with the simple, Parisian café vibe of the kitchen. The home has a subtle beachy, Caribbean vibe. By interior designer Barrie Benson.

This house!!!! Those views!!!! Set on a private lagoon adjacent to a pristine stretch of northern California coastline, the Seadrift House lets nature in from all angles. The site was designed to make the most of lush mountain views and foster connectivity to the active and social lagoon-life. This is indoor-outdoor living at its finest. The landscape features deer resistant, drought tolerant and fire resistant plantings. Landscape design: Boxleaf Design, Architect: Butler Armsden Architects, Contractor: Gubbins Building Company, Landscape Contractor: New Leaf Gardens.

The other day I was talking to my twin about how much I love neutral, earthy spaces but with lots of dark pieces mixed in because drama is always necessary, and fabrics with lots of texture and warmth to them. I feel like L.A. designer Katie Hodges has really nailed what I had in mind with this home she designed. There is a uniqueness to each room which I can also appreciate.

Photos: Haris Kenjar