Hi. It’s Bonnie and Jeffrey. We love taking day trips and discovering great hikes, off the beaten path farm food stands, cozy chef-driven restaurants and cafes and cool venues to listen to music outdoors.
We’ve put some of our fave places on our digital map which you can get only in our shop in Downtown Mill Valley. We love sharing these suggestions with visitors! —Hikes like Matt Davis, Coast View, Big Rock and others. Wineries like Fort Ross Vineyards that you practically have to off-road to get to. Authentic farm to table Estero Cafe in Valley Ford… and more. Yesterday we day tripped to North Beach which is known as Point Reyes Beach, Great Beach and Ten Mile Beach. We also ate at fave @saltwateroysterdepot — new chef has flavors down! Happy to tell you more about any of these destinations or others on our map!
Do you have any fave spots across the North Bay, Sonoma Coast and Wine Country that we should be visiting? Let us know in comments!!
Photo of Mt Tamalpais by @tiffanymkim#poetandthebench#curatedbydesign#lovewhatyougift#curateddesign#jewelry#homedecor #artcurator #artgallery #designshop#moderndesign#millvalley#visitmarin#7x7bayarea#sfguide#shopmillvalley#gooutsideandplay#sonomacoast#winecountry
The man behind the inhouse and custom jewelry collection and workshop in our Mill Valley shop along with being co-curator of the Poet and/the Bench edit. Jeffrey Levin. Born and raised in Cape Town South Africa and where his jewelry career began. First US experience was in NYC, working in the jewelry district and for famous brands at the time. Then to Los Angeles where his hands created collections for other well-known jewelry brands in addition to launching his own. We moved to Marin nearly 10 years ago and our shop concept was born almost 9 years ago. Jeffrey’s handwriting is very European, architectural at times, naturally elegant and clean with a bit of edge.
#poetandthebench #curatedbydesign #newheirlooms#engagementrings#weddingring#stackingrings#layeringjewelry#millvalleyjewelry#sanfranciscojewelry#sfguide #visitmarin #7x7bayarea#shopmillvalley
Exterior and landscaping-related details of our Front Yard Exterior Renovation below. More at 🔗 in bio.
🏘️Paint the full house white
- To lengthen the eye, b/c black trim details everywhere were too choppy and made the house feel super short
- Painted all the bare natural brick steps and window box planter bricks white to tie it all together and feel more fresh
🚪Paint the doors
- From avocado green we changed them to Poolside Blue for a vibrant pop of color and complement to the succulents we would plant
🚜Level front yard and remove grass
- Conscious of our environmental impact we wanted to approach our land with an understanding of drought and climate issues
- Removing the grass not only saves water, it is less maintenance!
- We tilled the soil as a first step and then removed 3 cubic yards of vegetation
🧱Install front walkway
- To enter our house from the street. We mapped out a schematic of the area we wanted to work within and developed a few different ideas for laying out the tiles
- We went to 5-6 different tile and quarry places to look for as white a stone as possible—not easy!! The most efficient way of creating the walkway without pouring concrete was to double up tile squares to give the effect of a rectangle. We followed our fave scheme for placement.
〰️Use black mulch for softscape
- A few seasons assessing the leaves dropping from trees, animal life, especially how the moles tunnel through our yard, and the patterns of the kids running through a sidewalk-less neighborhood
- We started with black mulch for softscape and have come to enjoy the dramatic aesthetic of the front yard. We might consider gravel or stone in the future. For now, we add to the mulch with new layers as it gets dull in direct sun
🌵Plants
- We planted drought tolerant yucca plants (spineless or stick yucca, nodding yucca), agave (neglecta, americana, blue glow), cactus and succulents
- We love how they fit with the look of the house once the other details were completed and the Palm Springs vibes we’re giving
- Adding a large piece of driftwood to the front entry garden is one of our fave details!
Did you know that the Palm Springs “desert modernism” was a design aesthetic created by a notable group of architects and developers from the 20’s but especially the 1940’s-1970’s? Their idea was to merge mid-century modern with indoor-outdoor desert living with all the style, allure and casual sophistication of what is still a real modernist’s oasis. The aesthetic grew out of the architects and designer’s adaptive use of inventive materials, modern construction techniques, and new (post-war) technologies.
And Northern California? We have a combination of sun-kissed beaches, bays and lagoons combined with majestic redwood forests. Each destination has its unique charm, diverse eco systems and breath-taking views. Take the beach culture of Stinson, the coastal oyster picking of Point Reyes National Seashore, the lengthy walks on Limantour Beach and Drakes Beach and the dual water views of the Pacific and the Bay of the Tomales Point Trail to the farmlands inland where cheese trails, vineyards, country roads, and shady orchards co-exist, and of course, the natural allure of Muir Woods, and hikes and sunsets on Mount Tam which are quintessential redwoods.
In our home renovation and design world, we want to create a delightful sanctuary that effortlessly evokes the essence of summer, casting a perpetual glow upon our abode throughout the year. Ommmm! We also know that the science of climate change suggests will again have an abundance of rain with longer winters as well as increased heat. So the idea is to remove all grass— and plant cactus, palms, succulents and other drought tolerant plants as a focus.
We’re curating a new culture club experience. Get on the list for all the happenings and creative pursuits. 🔗in bio to join or DM and we’ll add you! Follow here for BTS and launch.
#poetandthebench#rivieralibre#beforeandafterhome#diyhomeprojects#foodculture#summer#sanfranciscoart#artfullconversations#gatheringspace#supperclub#homerenovation#homedecor#homegoods#artgallery#designessentials#designshop
Truly, it’s the conversation with all of you who visit, your appreciation of the talented artists in our curation, and the connection we experience to community. The music is a fab backdrop, the view of Mt Tam and the neighbors in the marketplace who keep it all happy, fun, joy joy! @millvalleymusicfest day 2 was a delight celebrating Mother’s Day and all who bring momma energy. Fun times with @mr_eric_lindell@rebirthbrassband@stpaulandthebrokenbones@missmargoprice@greenskybluegrass
Day 1 @millvalleymusicfest — could not have been a better day! So many permanent jewelry memories made! Uncommon gifts by our fab artists brought home! The line up of musicians was spot on! @meelsmusic@daniellepondermusic@fruit_bats@theesacredsouls@fleetfoxes + our volunteers who helped tell the stories of our artists made the day! Can’t wait to do it again today and to celebrate the moms! 🤩🎸⚡️#millvalley
