I don’t know about you, but I could use a balmy escape even if it is strictly virtual. While the agenda today was hardly demanding, a polar vortex means driving an hour away to go anywhere feels oppressive! (Gotta love getting naked for a polar vortex melanoma screening appointment to be inspected shivering head to freezing toes.) Let’s ditch all that is bone chilling to bathe in the warmth and beauty of these inspiring and romantic ivy-covered homes.

Ivy Covered Homes for a Balmy Virtual Escape
Is It Okay to Allow Ivy to Grow on Houses?
“Avoid using invasive species such as the English ivy on your house, especially on buildings with cracks in the walls. It is even banned in several communities. Instead, turn to similar, but less destructive, species like Boston ivy and Virginia creeper, or other types of vines if you want something more colourful.” – FANTASTIC GARDENERS

Lush Greenery & Inspiring Garden Moments
I suppose seeing the abundance of lush, wild greenery growing wildly is a vibe completely counter to my experience of January.
I love the majesty of white snow on the evergreens, and as fires spread, we can all appreciate what devastation may come to warm sunny places. But the dormancy drags on. Fly me to spring’s greening and that hopefulness arriving after the harsh weeks rage.
There’s such a conservative spirit about winter and the ways we hibernate and rest in it. So much is held back, so much waits for the new.
On the prairie, it takes a fair amount of mental stamina and mindfulness to relax in the waiting for the new. To exercise the body and keep moving indoors (when it’s unsafe to move outdoors) often takes a backseat to carb and Netflix binges.
Dreaming of your spring and summer gardens?
Is winter your time to rest from work and cares depleting you?
These romantic courtyards! What is it about private, set apart outdoor rooms that feel timeless and transcendent?
Sending you extra reserves of sunny hope, right where you are, should the cold winds blow.
How Do You Grow Ivy on a Building?
Parisian Interiors & a Designer’s 1935 Ivy House
One of Hello Lovely‘s followers alerted me years ago to this 1935 charmer with lush courtyards, Just my style!

Look at that ivy out front!

And outside, it could be Paris, oui?

Inside, the Parisian style interiors, and simply pale decor scheme is a serene paradise for admirers of modern French whites.

Thish 1935 ivy covered cottage was home to the late interior designer Myra Hoefer.

What a creative dynamo, floral designer, and visionary Myra was!

Myra Hoefer partnered with daughters Lisa North and Gina Gattuso who continue the work today.

Their designs reflect the rustic elegance and cozy opulence Myra brought.

Hoefer even designed apartments in Paris, and pieces like the benches (with goat feet!) were a part of her A La Reine furniture collection.
Paris-Inspired Gardens
The lushly romantic entrance truly feels storybook magical and otherworldly, doesn’t it?

This home’s transformation was featured in House Beautiful and a testament to the wondrous possibilities even with a small footprint.

The real estate listing described it as a hidden gem located steps away from the historic Healdsburg Plaza…


The ivy covered exterior camouflages the two story residence from the commercial streetscape.

Lush courtyards located in both the front and rear of the property offering privacy and tranquility.

Also included is a detached studio which makes for a perfect home office or business.”

Collecting for Color & Joy
There is something utterly timeless mixing casual California cool with Parisian elegance.

So much whimsy, joy, and little goat feet!

I recall seeing this rusty gate and sighing at the garden urn shape on top!


The contrast of rich lush landscape outdoors and spare, pale interiors creates a unique tension.

Pale Paint Colors in This Home
These grey walls are a similar hue my own.

Try Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray or Pavilion Gray from Farrow & Ball.

The paint color on Myra’s white shelves looks as if it could be Sherwin Williams Pure White.
See THIS for three white paint colors to try.

You have to admit GREEN + WHITE is hard to beat!
Don’t you love the intimacy of European inspired little courtyards and terraces tucked away?

Look at the lantern upstairs!

I’m also fond of all of the petite sconces throughout this home.

They add so much romance, soul, and cozy factor.

According to House Beautiful, “The ivy-covered house had a walled front garden with a French-style arbor to buffer it from the street. Butterscotch climbing roses grew in metal planters down the center of a former driveway.”

A turn-of-the century plan d’oiseau (bird’s-eye map) of Paris is perfect in this stairway:

Reimagined Empty Nest & Gardens
After raising her family here, Hoefer redesigned the interiors.

She told HB, she approached the redesign
“…with a lighter touch — less drama, more peace.

It’s a softer, more refined version of French, and even more romantic than before.

“It’s all so intimate,” Hoefer noted. “The house makes its own magic.”

What a timeless room, and the art! I’ll never tire of the work of Paul Villinski!
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Lovely Finds




I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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