What it Takes to Revitalize a Legend

Sometimes, if you’re lucky and prepared, serendipity comes calling in a career. For San Diego horticulturist and landscape designer Nan Sterman, serendipity arrived in 2022 when she was asked to create a plant list for the first phase of the soon-to-be transformed Botanical Building in Balboa Park. Unlike projects for her residential clients, where a plant list is a part of a full design and installation, this plant list was the sum of the assignment. Until it wasn’t.

You can read about how Sterman became the project’s designer—truly the project of a career—and how she approached the project in my story in the new edition of Pacific Horticulture. It’s an amazing tale. And you can see photos of the transition into a magnificent Botanical Garden for our times.

Strawberries!!!

Strawberries! Strawberries! Strawberries! Is this your favorite fruit? It’s one of mine. Obviously, for the flavor, but also because it is so connected to spring and our transition from heavy winter foods. In San Diego County, Carlsbad is strawberry central and during peak strawberry season you owe it to yourself to do more than eat them by the handful or slice them into cereal. So, I met Russ Bruhn of Carlsbad Gourmet and the Strawberry Shack to learn some cool ways to feature strawberries in pies and sauces. The result is you’re getting recipes for a strawberry pie, strawberry-key lime pie, and his sweet and savory roasted strawberry chipotle sauce—which he served me with a pork loin. Check out my new story in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section for the recipes—and gorgeous photos by photographer K.C. Alfred.

Hue-Phoria Triumphs Over Neutrality

Too many people shun glorious technicolor in their homes in favor of neutrals. Neutrals have their place, of course, but the world is filled with color so why wouldn’t you embrace it in your living space? World traveller William Beyer took the latter approach for his Encinitas home and brought in interior designer Carmen Coutts of Tracy Lynn Studio. She created a marvel of color, pattern and texture for the first floor of Beyer’s Spanish-Mediterranean style home, incorporating his many art pieces with their shared vision of eye-popping decor. It’s fun; it’s whimsical. It’s also a tribute to the art and countries he’s visited around the world. If you are keen on breaking free of neutrals, read my new story in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section about the design features of Beyer’s home and Coutts’ tips for doing it yourself.

Featuring 2 Renovations from the 2025 ASID Kitchen and Bath Tour

It’s that time of the year again when we get to openly ogle other people’s kitchens and bathrooms — and take inspiration for reinventing our own. The San Diego chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers is holding its self-guided ASID Kitchen and Bath Tour 2025 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 3.

The tour will feature eight homes in San Diego. Two of them are 100-year-old Spanish-style homes in Kensington — and both feature the creative work of interior designer Sheryl Wohl Chaffee, who is also a Kensington resident. I featured her projects in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section. Take a look and get your tickets for the Tour. Info is at the bottom of my story.

It's Asparagus Season and Have I Got Some Special Recipes for You!

Well, two stories in the UT in one week and I’ve been waiting with anticipation for this piece to come out. It’s spring, and asparagus is at peak season. There are few people I know who don’t love it, but I did recently mention to someone that I was going to be writing about it, and I got that classic crinkled nose. How do you prepare it, I asked? When she said she boiled it, it was clear that her lack of enthusiasm was justified. Boiling is fine, but, oh, there are so many better ways to prepare it that will make you lust for spring just so you can eat those slender green spears.

I have my favorite go-to techniques but went to chef Kelli Crosson, executive chef at The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla for inspiration for new ways to think about asparagus—and she delivered. Not only did she prepare three very distinctive dishes for me, but also offered some tips for selecting and preparing them. You’ll want all of this, including the recipes, in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

How to Create a Moody Bathroom

Chances are you’re reading this on a bright, sunny spring day — a typical SoCal experience. It’s a vibe we tend to bring into our homes, with an emphasis on light-filled rooms and breezy decor. So, why would we want to add moodiness to our delightful sun-drenched world?

But moodiness is a decor choice, and while it might not translate well in home kitchens or living spaces in our part of the world, it can be a great choice for, say, a guest bathroom or powder room. Think of it as an enticing ornament you can share with guests — a space small enough that you can have fun playing around with the concept. I learned the do’s and don’ts of creating a moody bathroom from three local interior designers and am sharing their ideas with readers in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section. Hope you find inspiration!