Home & Real Estate
Eichler landscape (continued from page 45)
Olson will talk about how to properly connect the garden of a house with the house itself. She will cover a vast array of topics, ranging from what plants to surround the house with as well as the shape of the garden itself. One of her points — to curve or not to curve — deals with the validity of curvilinear forms used in the garden of a house with strong rectilinear elements. What matters most is that the garden and the architecture of the site match; a lack of communication between the two creates an overall disjointed living space, she said. “I like to find out a person’s comfort plants,� Olson said. She encourages homeowners to think about what kinds of plants they feel most comfortable with, beginning with the homeowner’s idea of home — perhaps what they grew up with. “Creating a space� is most important, she said. These spaces will rarely, if ever, be the same, depending on the individual. Environmental responsibility remains a strong factor in her design, as well. “I consider myself a steward of the land,� she said, looking out over the eco-lawn she just installed for her client in Los Altos Hills. Despite the larger size of the site, the design tenets remain the same: a heavy use of succulents, handselected plants by the user all in coordination with a larger theme, and a strong placement of these plants from the most visible spots within the house, inviting the user to extend the living space beyond the physical borders of the inside. Much of Olson’s lecture will focus on vegetation that requires less frequent watering and can survive easily in the California climate. “Form, function and flow,� Olson said, briefing her design process in a few short words. Pragmatism pushes strongly in her design, doing away with waste and refuse. Sometimes a
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client will ask for something that may be a nice idea, but won’t really be used. Olson said she would discourage a project that didn’t make sense. Born in Beaufort, S.C., Olson moved to Los Angeles when she was 2 years old, living there for the majority of her life. At the age of 4 her mother took her to a Frank Lloyd Wright site in Pasadena, where she had her “first real revelation of a sense of place.� Her interest in architecture and spatial understanding would develop over the years, her mother pushing her forward into art as she got older. Before starting Dreamscapes Landscape Design, Olson explored architecture by working as an interior designer. Later, she would go to Foothill College in the Environmental Horticulture program for landscape design and soon realized her passion. Interior design was too “static� as she puts it, not allowing for as much control because the space itself had already been created. Landscape design is a different story. “There’s serendipity with these plants — they’re alive. There’s tens of thousands of plants so you can play. You’ve got a huge palette to play with, especially in California,� she said. N Editorial Intern David Ruiz can be reached at druiz@paweekly.com. What: Garden Design for Eichler and Mid-century Modern Homes When: Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to noon Where: Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto Cost: $35 for nonmembers, $25 for members Info: www.gamblegarden.org or 650-329-1356 ext. 201
East Palo Alto
Palo Alto
Total sales reported: 5 Lowest sales price: $178,000 Highest sales price: $275,000
Total sales reported: 15 Lowest sales price: $594,000 Highest sales price: $2,637,500
Los Altos
Portola Valley
Total sales reported: 11 Lowest sales price: $580,000 Highest sales price: $2,700,000
Total sales reported: 3 Lowest sales price: $1,400,000 Highest sales price: $2,750,000
Los Altos Hills
Redwood City
Total sales reported: 2 Lowest sales price: $1,870,000 Highest sales price: $3,812,500
Total sales reported: 35 Lowest sales price: $380,000 Highest sales price: $1,230,000
Menlo Park
Woodside
Total sales reported: 12 Lowest sales price: $308,000 Highest sales price: $1,027,500
Total sales reported: 3 Lowest sales price: $1,503,000 Highest sales price: $3,300,000 Source: California REsource
Mountain View Total sales reported: 12 Lowest sales price: $269,000 Highest sales price: $1,250,000
HOME SALES Home sales are provided by California REsource, a real estate information company that obtains the information from the County Recorder’s Office. Information is recorded from deeds after the close of escrow and published within four to eight weeks.
East Palo Alto 2269 Addison Ave. J. Wang to I. Abarca for $178,000 on 8/29/11; previous sale 10/08, $103,500 1530 Bay Road M. Nguyen to L. Nguyen for $250,000 on 8/17/11; previous sale 9/05, $570,000 1129 Jervis Ave. Ten Star Investments to B. Zheng for $275,000
on 8/26/11; previous sale 3/00, $300,000 1606 Michigan Ave. R. Daniel to J. Azar for $235,000 on 8/12/11; previous sale 9/04, $515,000 2376 University Ave. J. & D. Turner to East Palo Alto Community Alliance for $270,000 on 8/19/11; previous sale 9/06, $550,000
Los Altos 1437 Arbor Ave. C. Lee to A. & V. Lufkin for $1,300,000 on 9/1/11; previous sale 3/86, $175,000 1220 Eva Ave. M. Zawojski to S. Lee for $1,140,000 on 9/7/11 13 Farm Road Heffley Trust to Thede Trust for $765,000 on 9/1/11; previous sale 12/88,
$252,000 140 S. Gordon Way Mcnicol Trust to K. Mosalem for $1,510,000 on 9/8/11 900 Madonna Way W. Schreiber to W. Ngan for $1,845,000 on 8/31/11 80 E. Portola Ave. Szete Trust to D. & S. Ziegler for $1,850,000 on 9/7/11; previous sale 6/84, $255,000 135 W. Portola Ave. R. & A. Kern to L. Cheng for $1,502,500 on 9/9/11; previous sale 12/01, $1,070,000 664 N. San Antonio Road #10 K. Powell to Y. Weng for $580,000 on 8/31/11; previous sale 10/95, $310,000
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2324 Olympic Avenue, Menlo Park Stunning Remodeled Sharon Heights Home day
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Buyers to verify square footage and school availability
Offered at: $1,799,000 Virtual Tour: www.2324Olympic.com
Samia Cullen
Broker Associate www.samiacullen.com
650.384.5392 DRE #001180821
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