Container Gardens Provide A Great Entrance.

Containers with Topiary can create a grand entrance to garden and home. I like the flexibility of these planters to move and place as needed to create spaces and grace the stairs or entrance gates of my home. A great way to define the space.

Create Tablescapes; Our New "At Home" Video! Use Sunbrella To Start The Process.

Hot But Beautiful Morning In Southern California!

As the sun rises here in California, it will be another "hot one" but as I realize the days of summer are quickly passing; I will savor the beauty, hot or cold and be thankful for the surroundings that we have to share.

Grandpa Project. A Sail Boat For My Grand Daughter!

On a hot summer day it is fun to make simple things for my grand daughter. Here we made a sail boat out of paper, tape, and ribbon. We put it on a float and even made two characters to put on the boat, me and my grand daughter CoCo.

Pink In The Garden And On The Table! Sunbrella Deville

Pink Roses are the most perfect color in the garden and on top of my Deville/Cameo stripe Sunbrella Cloth. What a beautiful day in California.

Sunbrella Venezia, An Elegant Fabric That Performs. What A Beautiful Performance.

These are fabrics you can rely on to perform for your home design. The look of a fine Italian Damask, Venezia is a Sunbrella fabric and part of the new Joe Ruggiero Italian Classico Collection to debut this fall at Miles Talbott.

Finally, an elegant fabric you can live with and not be afraid of the sun or heavy wear!

Last Days Of Summer In Positano, Italy.

Positano, this coastal village in Italy is legend. The beauty of the houses on the hillside look out to the sea and what a delicious spot to be. The gardens of some of these villas are spectacular and the music, food and laughter are all part of my memories of Summer In Italy.

Photos: The New York Social Diary.

Indian Themed Dinner With Bright Table Setting.

We hosted an Indian themed dinner party over the weekend. The cloth I bought in "Little India" here in Los Angeles. It is covered in tiny little mirrors sew in between the stylized leaves. The combination of blue violets and bright marigolds and Zinnias make a bold statement. I especially like the cushions on the chairs in Sunbrella Trax/Persimmon. A bright way to see the close of summer. Make summer last a little longer!

Sunbrella JR/Chevy/Marine Seems To Be The Summer Look.

This pattern just seems to be Classic, Fresh and well received. You can not go wrong with this color combination. Chevy/Marine available at Miles Talbott.

David Barrett, An American Design Icon.

One of our most talented decorators, David Barrett had a flair for the theatrical. His romantic designs will be treasured. His shop in Manhattan was a constant source of inspiration to me and I would wait for Thursdays when he would change his windows so I could be inspired and learn. I salute this wonderfully talented creator: David Barrett.

Susan Story New York Designer With Kid Friendly Interiors.

New York Designer Susan Story certainly has an eye for "kid friendly" interiors. Her New York Apartment has designed spaces for her children and the are clever and colorful. I especially love her framed kid art.

Thanks for sharing Susan.

Photos:New York Social Diary

Our First Series Called "At Home with Joe Ruggiero" Debuts On The Internet.

Our First series exclusively for the internet debuts on facebook and twitter. Check it out.

Structures In The Garden Give Interest To The Landscape.

Structures are so important in our garden. I especially like the bay laurel trees in the French planter boxes from accentsoffrance.com. I have trained these trees to be short and full to give a statement to the entrance of our pool garden. The lanterns hanging from the tree are beautiful at night and of course the lattice wall that marks the center of the garden. The boxwood creates outdoor rooms to relax and entertain.

Sunbrella Puts A Roof On Our Entertaining Outdoors!

Outdoor Entertaining is something we do a lot in California. When you have a specific outdoor room designed especially for entertaining it makes it so much easier. This bold Sunbrella awning creates a wonderful dining pavilion on our upper terrace. We use this space maybe 10 months a year and in the evening with candles it is even more beautiful. The furniture is my Chelsea Collection from Terra Furniture.

Plant Mini Gardens At The Bottom of Rose Tree Pots.

The Rose Trees always look a bit bare at the base of the tree; I like to create these "mini gardens" of mixed flowers to give color to the base. This year I have added color to what is usually a white garden.

It makes a nice welcome to our entry court.