Natural Fantasies

Someone once told me that Jose Canseco used to keep live giant turtles on the fenced-in front lawn of his home in the posh gated community of Blackhawk, near my hometown. Ever since then, whenever I see or hear of semi-wild animals kept exotically in regular-old homes, I find myself lusting over such a fantastical lifestyle. Wouldn't it be amazing to see not just a garden sculpture of a swan, but an actual swan, in an actual garden? I love the idea of it.

That's why I was so excited and inspired by a recent spread in C magazine (above and far below). What? No staff on hand to clean up after the swans? Here's how I would add a bit of fantasy to my house and garden in a practical way. Like anything, this lifestyle is kept stylish, not tacky, by limiting the elements to one or two per space.

Swoon over swans. Swan sculpture (like this one from Mecox Gardens, right) is best when combined with water features--sculpture near a swimming pool or carved into a fountain filled with waterlilies.

Really row your boat. I love the playful way a real canoe is brought into the swimming pool in the C shoot (right). I would love to add a real polished-wood canoe to a corner of a client's childrens' play room, filled with pillows or books, with oars hung criss-crossed on the wall above.

Up, up and away! As a little girl, my favorite thing on the playground was always the swings. Even the motion of it feels magical, fantastical and carefree. Like a little bit of an escape. Pamela Anderson famously had one hung above Tommy Lee's piano (!). I would love a tall, authentic swing with an oversized plank seat hung from thick rope on a giant tree. For a more unique and fun take, hang one inside your home, in a childrens' play room or even as a bold statement in an entry hall. Or be like Pam and hang a feminine swing in a special place (cover ropes with pastel silk chandelier chain-covers to replace rusticity with romance).

However you choose to play, I hope you bring a bit of youthful, outdoorsy joie d'vivre fantasy to your week.

Mecox Gardens Swan Sculpture: http://www.mecoxgardens.com/pageItemDetail.asp?RECORDID=6166

Old Town Classic Wood Canoes: http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/