New Mailbox From Modbox

We just ordered a new Modbox mailbox. The mailbox is one of the first things you see when you approach a house. A great one can make a fantastic first impression. After we went to all this trouble and expense to renovate the whole house, our cheap plastic tunnel mailbox on a rusting post doesn’t quite cut it. (All pictures below are from the Modbox site; I’ll post my own pictures when we install ours.)

Here’s a funny thing about mailboxes: there’s a really limited selection of attractive post-mounted boxes that coordinate with a mid-century modern home. Almost no one sells a modern mailbox suitable for mounting on a street side post. That’s why I was so happy when Chuck found Modbox!

The people behind Modbox had a similar problem, so they decided to start their own mailbox company. The Modbox is inspired by mid-century mailboxes like this one from the 1961 Sears catalog. Modbox even created a sleek forward sweeping stand like the mid-century inspiration; the 65º angle gives a space age vibe.

Modbox comes in many different color combinations. We picked paprika and white, as the red will contrast beautifully with the soft blue gray and white house color scheme. Here’s a picture of the Modbox in front of someone else’s house. I’ll post pictures of our Modbox soon!

The Front Yard Is Done!

Chuck has finished the front yard! I love it. In place of the weeds and crabgrass, we have a virtually zero maintenance landscape with palms, native grasses and flowers, and a super-efficient drip irrigation system – perfect for a place that can go 180 days without rain. This is the view from the right side of our living room, which overlooks other houses. The palms add shade, privacy and visual interest.

Chuck did all of the design and the work himself, except for excavating the three foot pits necessary for the palms. Our dense clay soil required a jackhammer! The irrigation required a lot of planning, because each plant has its own drip – no need to spray water all over the entire yard, which is a no-no during our ongoing drought.

The precise grid of grasses coordinates perfectly with the geometry of the house. Chuck used two different sizes of gravel to indicate paths.

Each tuft will grow to about a foot across.

The additional seating area is really fun. Notice how the blue chairs reference the blue-gray house trim, and pick up on the overall coastal color scheme.

Now we a great yard to go along with our fantastic view.

Here’s what it looked like when we bought the house in December 2012. What a transformation!