Patina Living

by Brooke Giannetti, Steve Giannetti

The heartwarming story of how the Giannetties live and entertain in the well-designed and lushly planted gardens of their farm in Ojai, California. An intimate look at life on Patina Farm enjoying the interplay of rustic and modern European farmhouse charm―including the sheds, outbuildings and well-designed gardens where the Giannettis entertain and enjoy their miniature goats, sheep and donkeys, the chickens and ducks, and dogs. In addition to the home, charming sheds and outbuildings in the Patina landscape are inspiration for a beautiful life in the popular Patina Style. “We decided to write this book to share why we decided to create this life and what we have learned along the way. We share how we decided where to live, how to design and lay out our property and how to think about the individual spaces. One of the main nuggets of wisdom that we have learned is that there is not only one way to live this life. The idea of this book is to give you some options.”

Genres: Design, Interior Design, Gardening, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published April 16, 2019

Reviews

[Teres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want chickens and goats 🐥🐐 Maybe some sheep? 🐑

[Rebecca Neustel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book filled with knowledge

This book is filled with stunning photographs and knowledge of how to have a home place shared with loving animals, such as chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and miniature donkeys. I really learned a lot about tips and trick on caring for these animals and how they relate to their environment. There’s also information about a potager garden, which is a garden mixing food, edible and decorative plants.

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book filled with gorgeous photography. I especially loved the photos of the flowers, dogs, and donkeys. If you are considering getting farm animals, I would recommend reading this first. It gives a lot of tips to put into consideration; but of course, it’s just the beginning point. The photos alone are worth the read.

[Vicki ODonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many good suggestions!

For me, this book is beautifully written and illustrated. I loved the modesty in these people, in that they don’t claim to know it all. They’re open about the ways and places to gain tips on vegetable gardening. If you’ve ever wondered about adding animals and have questions about what’s involved with their care; this book is for you.

[Stephanie Toigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

They make having animals look easy and beautiful! It was really inspirational and beautiful to build a quiet life with rhythm's of rest and care. There is a great tips section at the end for all you need to know about raising animals and plants.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ojai CA farm based architects with chicken, goats and donkeys.

[Joetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos and good advice about a hobby farm in California.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pre-ordered this book because I'm such an ardent admirer of the Giannetties & their gorgeous Ojai Farm. It wasn't my intention, but because it features way more pictures than writing, when I sat down to look at it (the minute it arrived) I read it cover to cover right then & there. I will certainly be re-reading it at a more leisurely pace and savoring the photos time and time again.

After reading, I can say it's a beautiful coffee table book ~ I wouldn't have expected anything less ~ with lots of inspiring & darling photos of their gardens and sweet animals. I understand why Brooke wants to bring so many baby chicks, birds, ducklings, etc., home with her. I feel exactly the same way when I see them! Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make it work for me as lovely as they've been able to do. There are some great tips in the book to consider about each type of animal (that they have on their farm) should one be considering a similar menagerie. I also totally understand the feeling that their animal companions & garden give them back as much, if not more, than it takes to care for them. Having a garden myself, I find peace in that plot of nature just by being in it. I can only imagine how enriching the experience would be surrounded by everything they've worked so hard to create. I'm glad they're willing to share it thru their books & social media so we can all enjoy it too. They have such an exquisite eye & touch for beauty, their Ojai haven is a balm for the soul.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful and charming book. The pictures are lovely and restful. The narrative tells about settling the Patina estate. The tales of the resident animals bring a smile to the face. A great coffee table book or just a restful book to pause with during the day.

[Terri Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Love the pencil sketches! Wish you would make prints and sell them!

Love it! Hope you will write something similar for your new home in TN!! Are you going to do tours?

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equally as impressive as the prior book, Patina Farm, this one shows the further growth and development of their residence and farm. Lovely!!

[Janis Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and inspiring!