Before I begin your tour of my freind’s beautiful home…I wanted to thank my best blog buddy, Victoria,  for nominating me the the 2013 Homies over at Apartment Therapy.  I’m nominated to the Best Home Design & Inspiration Blog.  I’m touched and flattered.   If you have a moment to vote visit HERE…I would love your vote and would reciprocate if you are a fellow blogger.  You can vote for as many blog sites as you like, I’d love it if you vote for Victoria’s site [Restoring our 1890 Victorian] too.  You might have to sign up to vote, so if you choose not to do that (although they do make it simple), I understand.  In any event, I enjoy this hobby and it’s always fun to receive a nod from a talented, fellow blogger.

{This antique gate, when entered, leads to one side of the property}

Glenys, a dear friend of mine, recently moved into their new, custom made home.  It has taken more time than you might expect for selection of the lot, planning the home’s design with the architect, building the home and finally, moving in.

By the way, you can tell by the sky that the day I visited was a Chamber of Commerce day for the area.  The blue skies and sunshine were amazing.

{The exterior front door was designed by the architect and built by a craftsman in the region.  The door marks the entry to a hallway that takes you to another door that allows you to enter the courtyard that their home surrounds}

I was thrilled to be given a tour and had hoped my images would turn out better than they have, I may be able to edit some of the photographs but I don’t have them ready for a post yet. (Note to self, until you actually buy a better camera your photos will never turn out great).

{(above) One of two or three, I can’t remember, antique lantern lights that light the covered, exterior hallway to the courtyard}

{A spectacular oak tree takes center stage in the courtyard, while a fountain in the yard immediately relaxes each visitor, there was an audible sigh between me and my friend, Jean, who took the tour with me when we crossed the threshold into the courtyard}

{Ready? This post will be all about about the lighting, but it’s okay to notice the incredible doors and the view just beyond}  [the designer informs me these doors were very old doors they discovered and that a talented craftsman on the project worked very hard to get them to operate properly]

One of the things that struck me with this home was the obvious thought and care that went into selecting lighting.  Glenys didn’t want a ton of canned lights (who can blame her) and what she ended up with was a home with wall sconces and light sources that are reminiscent of a historic villa in the south of France.

The floors are either reclaimed wood or stone, depending on which room you’re in, and some of the walls are stone.  The chandelier (above) looks antique but in fact isn’t.  Glenys and her designer spent  a great deal of time tracking down the right pieces for the home and as a result everything seems as though it was meant for the space and imparts a history and comfort that you don’t often find in “new” homes.  Many of the lighting fixtures were custom made for the home.

The chandelier above came from a favorite nursery here in Newport Beach, Rogers Gardens.  This was used in one of the nursery’s displays during the month of October.  Rogers always hosts a fabulous  Halloween room with seasonal decor items, as well as pieces such as this.  I love it!  The size suits the stairwell perfectly.

I cannot remember which room this chandelier is in, but by it’s simplicity it is wonderful.  All of the beams in the home are authentic old beams with so much character.

This little wall sconce in the guest room is a favorite of mine, the antique iron bed and wall sconce (made to look antique) take me to a little guest house in the South of France…well, in my imagination

I love the restoration glass in this lantern, which I believe was one of two in the kitchen.  The lantern isn’t old but the glass and rustic frame create the look.

I’m going to have to revisit and get back to you on some locations…isn’t this a great lantern?

Throughout the house there are wall sconces…they are especially attractive when mounted on a stone wall.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.  Below is the view from one part of the yard…

It feels like you could be on a hillside in France, doesn’t it?