I’m back and excited to share this controversial space with you all!
Waaaaaaay back in August of last year I shared that I was planning a space to put a hot tub from Goodland. We had the teeny tiny issue that Gremmy had escaped (out of this very window!) during this time and was gone for 6 long weeks. We got the Goodland hot tub at some point during that 6 weeks and it sat in the driveway making parking/getting into my garage almost impossible. You see, there was a crawl space under the window where we had successfully trapped him twice before so we had to (obvi) halt everything and wait until we trapped him (Sept 2nd) to move forward with the construction. It was a long saga. See my saved Instagram stories “Gremmy” if you are so inclined. Once we finally trapped Gremmy we had to lay the foundation for the hot tub because it was on a slight hill.
We made the plans, we decided to keep it simple and cheap, a concrete base with a wood L shaped wall (like that technical drawing?) to enclose it a little bit for privacy. They framed it out and then on Sept 10th Daffy started having seizures, on the 15th we went to say goodbye to her, and on the 19th a miracle happened and we brought her home, a lot poorer but very, very happy.
The poorer part was a problem though. Because I am an absolute oversharer, here’s a breakdown of the cost for something very “simple” like this…
We were between a rock and a hard place. The hot tub was already in our possession and I had agreed to this shoot. At the same time, I was shooting our back unit’s yard and installing the kitchen cabinets for my kitchen reveal. All of that costs money. Doing these reveals is so fun and we get some real perks that I am so thankful for, but it isn’t cheap and takes up a lot of time as well. Luckily, Goodland has been very gracious with us because this has been the longest turnaround of any shoot of mine ever. We had nowhere else to put the tub so we had to wait another month before we were able to save up money, know that Daffy was ok, and not going to cost us more money before starting work again.
As you can see, they covered half of the crawl space entrance, don’t worry it’s not the only way to enter or exit that space, we have two other areas. We wanted to keep it as a vent though, so they replaced it with a permanent screen. The wood wall is made of pine (because it was cheap) and obviously, it needed to be stained to help protect it and I wanted there to be some contrast between this wood and the wood hot tub. While they were doing this work I was working on a big job so I have essentially no photos of the process other than the two above until October 22nd, which I think is the first time we filled up the hot tub…
The stain on the wood wall turned out way darker than I wanted but, you know, I was busy and couldn’t micromanage the situation. I wanted it to be darker than the wood on the hot tub but not that dark, but here we are. As a fix, I decided I would just need plants to grow on it so it didn’t feel so much like a dark hole.
So it’s now the end of October, why couldn’t I shoot the space then? Well, at first it was because I needed time and money to plant things to make the space look nicer. I found that the amount of space I had between the hot tub and the house was perfect for fitting one of my Veradek planters. Veradek has beautiful planters that you can see in this post and you will see in my next post about my front garden. In this case though I wanted it to disappear against the side of the house and their Blok Span Planter was perfect for the job.
I planted this crawling vine in November and then…it rained.
And rained and rained and rained and rained.
If you’re curious, the wire grid already existed because on the other side of that wall is a jasmine plant we are encouraging to climb around this area, as well as around the other corner onto the patio. You can see some of her tendrils coming in from the left side of the photo. Let’s get to some reveals so we can understand a little more about where this hot tub area is.
Directly to the left of this photo is my patio which still hasn’t been properly revealed because I don’t know…I’m tired? But you can see some of it in this Halloween post or in this post (from almost three years ago?!?) about the process of my backyard. We’ll get to it eventually. There’s a door to that patio and you walk around where the jasmine is to get to the hot tub. We quickly found out that we needed to make a proper walkway because walking through the garden we were getting dirt in the hot tub and then in the house as we walked in or out. You can see one of our stepping stones near the jasmine in the photo above.
Here’s an old process photo from summer 2020 for more context…
Awww…look at that baby Jasmine. The grass will get greener like this as the weather warms up.
This reveal was finally photographed on February 17th, between rain storms. Apparently, it’s rained more in LA this year than it has in Seattle. It’s been wild – and my garage agrees. I *may* have been able to do the shoot in January between the rain but I was gone in Utah for half of the month and 2 days after we got home (one day after I shot my kitchen) we found out Puck had an aggressive case of cancer. The window above the hot tub was his favorite so he hung out and watched us for the entirety of the shoot. I was in a bit of a haze of shock on this day tbh, but there’s so many sweet pictures of him that I will treasure forever and I’m happy in the end that the timing worked out this way.
The window above the hot tub is in our bedroom. Puck’s basket that he slept in every day sits on our dresser in this window, we can’t bring ourselves to move it. He always had a fascination with water and really loved watching us in the hot tub.
She’s a beaut, eh? The rain helped everything grow so fast and now, a month later the vine (potato vine) on the left is up on the roof. I took this bad iPhone pic to show you how much it’s grown:
It may need me to go out there and tame it a little bit, but I’m really enjoying the view from my bed with all the little flowers in the window.
Surprisingly adding this little space feels like getting a lot of bang for our buck. As you may remember from one of the process posts about this, a big reason we wanted this tub is because our one and only bathtub (in our one and only bathroom) is tiny and way too shallow to soak in and my husband is a BIG bath boy – a BBB if you will. For us, this adds a lot of value to our lives and is another place to hang out together. However, I was thinking about if we ever move out of this house and took the tub with us, it would be a nice (more) private and definitely more shaded place to sit outside. Because our backyard is a walk-through for the back unit and their living room and bedroom windows look out onto our backyard, you’re sort of on display for them. This isn’t a problem for us now because we love and are friends with our back tenants, but who knows what the future brings? Also, the shade factor. Our patio is in full sun most of the day. It would actually be nice in that situation to replace the window here with a door from the primary bedroom to make it an on-suite situation. This fact makes the $$ spent seem well invested outside of the hot tub of it all.
This photo is taken standing up so you can imagine if you were sitting down, especially later in the spring/summer, the plants and the house tuck you in a bit.
Back to the hot tub though…
The tub itself is absolutely beautifully made. The tubs are made in Canada from 100% recyclable materials. Goodland uses marine grade aluminum, western red cedar as well as oak and raw brass detailing. The quality is outstanding and it was very easy to assemble. Goodland as a company is so good at getting information out there. You can ask away in the comments but I will also direct you to their FAQs and YouTube channel. On the YouTube channel, you can find a set up video. When I say it’s easy to set up, I mean you could probably figure it out without instruction – it’s that intuitive, maybe takes 15 minutes, and doesn’t require a professional as no plumbing or electricity is needed. As far as moving it to the desired location, the cedar planks on the side easily slide out, and if you do so the tub itself is only 125 lbs and all the other pieces can be moved separately.
Couple of honorable mentions before we get into how the hot tub works…
The tub is nice and deep, which is exactly what we needed, but we were having a hard time finding a side table to set things on that would 1) fit in this small area and 2) was tall enough to be easy to reach. Our trusty Article Hendry accent table is great but sometimes we need more real estate. For example, when I’ve handed Andrew his lunch through this very window so he could enjoy it WHILE BATHING (I mean, if that’s not luxury, what is?), it’s helpful to have a surface that is big and accessible. My conclusion was that what we needed was a bath tray. After searching far and wide on the internet and either not finding one long enough or not wanting to spend HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, I tasked my husband to make one for us. It’s a simple construction as you can see, I bought a 1”x6”x8’ piece of walnut and a smaller piece that I believe was 1”x2”x24”(not online that I can find). Andrew cut the smaller piece in half to use for the ends (so it doesn’t slide around or accidentally fall into the water) and the 8’ piece he cut into 2 pieces, enough to be wider than the hot tub which is 29” wide + 2” for the end pieces +1” wiggle room (so two 34” long pieces). He screwed the end pieces in from the bottom on each side, finished with a matte poly we had in the garage, and voila! A beautiful (and very secure!) bath tray. It was a little more pricey because I chose walnut but nowhere near what I was finding online and a huge plus that we made it to fit exactly. FYI, we don’t keep it outside, we just grab it from our storage bench on the side of the house when we need it.
It also doubled as a cat bridge when Puck would get curious enough to jump out. *single tear*
Goodland also makes a very beautiful firewood holder but we simply didn’t have the space. I bought this cheap one on Amazon that works just fine for us and has even done ok with all the rain, probably because we cover it with this firewood rack cover. It’s leaked some rusty- residue but one of the benefits of having a concrete slab is I don’t really care about that kind of thing.
Firewood Holder | Net | Heat-Resistant Gloves | Teak Bath Mat | Green Accent Table | Lantern (similar)
We keep the net, heat-resistant gloves, axe, and lighter on the hooks around the firewood holder. The final mention is the extra long teak bath mat that also assists in keeping our feet from getting too dirty on the way in or out of the bath. Teak is expensive but I splurged on it so I wouldn’t have to worry about leaving it outside. Lanterns are vintage Target, I’ve talked about them before and have had them for years. Every year I spray them with a high heat spray paint to keep them looking new. I hung one on the edge of the wood wall with this hook. All the pots are collected over time from local nurseries. I keep a couple of smaller pots of small-diameter kindling ready to go. Which brings us to how this gorgeous Goodland hot tub works…
Lantern Hook | Lantern (similar)
Craig from Goodland does a great video on how to start your fire here. He recommends starting with some balled-up paper but I’m going to let you in on a little secret…toilet paper rolls filled with lint are the best fire starters out there. I keep a roll on my dryer at all times, when it is filled up I throw it in a bag by my back door to use when I need it.
We have a few trees so it’s easy for us to grab a handful of small limbs along with the small-diameter kindling. We have a stump in the garden for cutting the wood up into the kindling and smaller pieces of wood (seen below with the net we forgot to move before taking the pic 🙂 ).
Arrange paper (or toilet paper rolls of lint), smaller sticks if you have them, and small-diameter kindling in the bottom and once the fire gets going, you can add slightly larger pieces of wood (up to 4” diameter).
As Craig explains in the video, there should be very little smoke coming out of the chimney, and if there is it means the fire needs more air. The lid can slide around to allow more or less air in.
After the fire is going, we cover the tub so the heat doesn’t escape. We’ve found that the tub takes about 90 minutes to heat up. Every 20 minutes or so we will check on the fire and add wood if necessary, pull the cover back and stir with the Goodland paddle that comes with the tub. I have the paddle and the fireplace tongs mounted close by for easy access.
The seats inside are cedar and have I mentioned that it still smells like cedar every time we heat it up? I hope that lasts forever. Speaking of smells, I have strategically (and accidentally) planted herbs and flowers around and near the hot tub so that I can easily throw together a bundle for the bath. There’s lavender and rosemary in the planter with the potato vine. I used them, along with a cutting from the potted eucalyptus tree next to the tub, some fragrant Mexican marigolds, and some other variants of rosemary that are planted in the garden nearby. If it’s the first time we are using the tub after cleaning and filling it, I put a half a (almost 20 lb) bag of Epsom salt in it as well.
Goodland has a number of bath accouterments, including this brass hand shower. You can tell just by looking at that photo how fun and relaxing it is to be under it. We have left it outside to patina naturally and I think it’s more beautiful than it was the day we got it. It’s also a great over-the-top gift for a loved one who likes bathing.
We keep our water for 10-14 days if we are using it regularly. There is a hose attached underneath on the left side. There’s just enough room between the house and the planter to shove it back there after it’s drained the tub. We use the hose, along with large watering cans to use the water to hydrate the garden and all of our pots and planters especially those that don’t have irrigation. Being able to recycle the water this way, along with not having drying and irritating chemicals on our skin, is the main reason we wanted this tub. Goodland does note that “Our hot tub’s water returns to ambient temperature when not in use, which doesn’t allow harmful bacteria to thrive as they do in always-warm hot tubs. The use of safer alternatives like bromine or hydrogen peroxide can prolong the life of your tub water to three weeks of daily use.” We have not had the need so personally, I haven’t tried using bromine or hydrogen peroxide. A quick Google shows that neither are dangerous for plants though, so I assume you can still use the water for your garden if you chose to go that route.
After emptying, I throw some vinegar in and give it a good scrub with my power scrubber brush (makes it way easier), rinse with the hose and I’m done. Protip: the bottom of the tub is very square and therefore a little hard to empty all the way. You *can* tip the whole thing over when cleaning, but that would be hard with one person and given the space I have. Last time our tub was empty we put a couple of shims on the right side so it tilts slightly towards the drain to help empty completely. Before we did that I would have to sop up the remaining water with a old towel, which wasn’t the end of the world. Before we build our next fire for the tub, we use the Goodland Ash Scooper to clean out the old ash, which is good to do for fire safety.
In case you’re curious about where the hose is to fill it back up it’s next to the Jasmine bush around the corner:)
Some final thoughts:
There were a LOT of opinions on the process post about this hot tub. Mostly people being concerned about the proximity to the house (it’s a smidge closer than Goodland recommends) and to other houses in an area that is prone to fire. I know now, after having and using it for a number of months that yes, of course, you must practice fire safety. We never leave while the fire is burning and we follow the guidelines of the city. If there is a fire ban, for instance, we would not use the hot tub. We can use it as a cold plunge though and I’m excited to try that! There should be little to no smoke or burning ash. The fire that you make for the tub feels way safer to me than a fire pit for instance or even a charcoal grill. It’s more contained and the chimney helps in keeping debris from flying around. I will have to be even more careful in the dry season but if LA keeps up this weird weather, it seems like for half the year I don’t need to be very concerned at all. It was wonderful using the tub in the rain because I didn’t have to worry about anything and it was such a sensory experience!
We have enjoyed having this relaxing space, especially in this very busy, stressful, and grief-filled season. We have had a lot going on, even more than I share here of course, and then there’s the wildness that it is to be a human in 2023… It’s all a lot and I hope everyone is ok. I feel like everyone I know is just going through it and I have a feeling it may be bigger than my group of friends and family. It’s important that we find ways to slow down and connect with each other. This tub has been a part of that practice for me and I want to thank Craig and Goodland, EHD, and of course all of you for engaging. If you have any questions, pop them below, maybe I can even get Craig over here to talk to you all 🙂 Or honestly, if you have any ways you are keeping sane in 2023 or just want to complain/connect as humans, do that below as well. See you soon to talk about another way I’m staying sane – my Down to Farm urban garden!
*Design and Styled by Emily Bowser
**Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
This looks amazing! I didn’t comment on the planning post but couldn’t see how this was going to be appealing at all! Apologies, but I thought it looked like an oversized laundry sink/crab boil pot stuck on the back of the house. That wood screen beautifully extends and defines the area so nicely and I don’t think it’s too dark at all. Kinda makes me wish I was enough of a girl scout to build fires but, then again, I’m also in So Cal and would be worried about sparks and embers. Kudos and many relaxing soaks to you!
The styling of this post and the photography is amazing. I feel like this entire scene could be set in Europe somewhere. Kudos to the entire team!
This looks like heaven! I love a hot tub and I have a great memory of sitting in a wood fired hot tub during a winter solstice party in New Hampshire surrounded by snow. It was so lovely and I vowed to someday have my own hot tub like this for soaking. Thanks for the inspiration and sharing your gorgeous styling! The space is transformed!
ash is also good for plants! and I love the darker stain of the fence; it looks a bit like weathered teak.
Only to an extent, however. Water poured through wood ash is the traditional way to produce lye for making soap, so if a person already had alkaline soil or wanted to keep their soil acidic, this would not be a smart move.
I should get my soil tested to find out if it’s a good idea for me
SoCal has alkaline soil.
This is such dreamy space!! I love the whole vibe!!
This looks amazing! The wood tones are so pretty – I love the contrast of the darker fencing/privacy screen with the warm cladding on the tub. Perfection.
I’m honestly flabbergasted that you installed a wood burning unit in Southern California. I’m not trying to environmental shame you but you know our climate situation here and it seems incongruit with your usual thoughtfulness. Did the city allow you a permit for a wood burning unit.
It does look beautiful just not appropriate for Southern California.
I have to agree with you. You can’t even get a permit here to instal a new wood-burning fireplace in your home. As a person who is extremely allergic for the wood burning ashes and smoke this would be a total nightmare if you were my neighbor. I also live in Southern California. It looks very pretty though and the pictures are gorgeous.
Bahahaha. You are 100% trying to environmentally shame.
You obviously haven’t lived through a California wildfire season. Or years of drought and then floods. It is a serious question.
I think on this blog there is only “crazy weather” (so rainy! so hot! on fire!) but never climate change as that would risk slowing the consume, consume, consume lifestyle that’s being promoted.
yeah to me that was the big selling point on this tub though, getting 8-10 baths out of filling it up once and being able to water my garden? Huge upside. Also the emotional/connection piece by making space and time for myself or myself and my husband in a busy city.
A lot of thought did go into it actually and there’s many reasons environmentally speaking, that it does make sense for us. It has kept me from doing construction to get a bigger tub or adding a bathroom, I don’t need plumbing or electricity, we conserve water by getting about 8-10 baths worth of water out of it instead of filling up my indoor bath whenever we want and we use it to water our garden – including a vegetable garden. As I said, I will not be heating it up when it’s not safe to do so because of air quality or fire season and instead will use as a cold plunge during that time. It’s a win-win for me, heat when it’s cold and rainy, cool on hot days. Plenty of people on my street, especially the people who live directly next to me, have fire pits and grill out all summer long, they aren’t going to be bothered by smoke. The hot tub is way more contained and definitely more safe than fire pits and grilling. I’ve lived in LA for 14 years, I know the risks and my neighbor’s temperaments and we will act accordingly.
You know what adversely affects the climate a lot more (like, many times more) than the minuscule amount of emissions from this soak tub or a wood burning stove? Driving cars. Even electric cars have an outsized impact on the earth. When you’ve made the switch to only taking transit and riding your ebike everywhere, come back and environment-shame. But if you’re still car-dependent, it’s hypocrisy.
Nice example of “whataboutism” – no need to change my behaviour on this point because that behaviour you have is worse. The truth is there is no big chunk to tackle in order to dramatically slow climate change down. It’s a battle on all fronts and there’s no need to criticize someone’s environmental consciousness even if that person isn’t perfect (which you don’t know actually, since I suppose you don’t know her).
What a gorgeous space! Love all your styling work, love seeing how you are putting your own stunning home together, & love learning about all the details that going into thoughtfully planning & creating it. Can’t wait to see more! Also, I’m so sorry for your loss… What beautiful photos of sweet Puck!
Thanks, I’m so thankful to have these photos of him. We miss him so much.
This is absolutely gorgeous and so serene. And the oranges!! Its like you live in another world. Thank you for sharing all the details and I am sorry about Puck.
Looks really beautiful, even idyllic but man, that’s a lot of work for a bath! If you’re going to spend 90 minutes heating the water, (AND you’ve got to make the fire yourself), you really want it to be worthwhile.
Sorry you’ve had such a hard time. The grief and exhaustion are very palpable, even when you’re talking about other things. I hope things turn around for you. Good idea to nurture yourself a bit.
On a final note – that orange tree!!! So beautiful! I’m planting one asap.
I think the fire burn is part of the ritual and likely doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s like lighting a charcoal grill vs a propane
Thanks! Yeah, the point is to slow down and be more thoughtful. Instead of watching netflix, we will get in the hot tub and connect. Honestly though, it’s not hard, you just check on it every 20 mins or so, maybe add a log, stir the water, check the temp. Not a huge deal, you just have to be home. Usually we’re right inside making dinner or something.
The orange tree was here when we moved in so no idea how long it takes to become what it is, but plant one! Why not? Well actually maybe not if you hate every creature in the world coming into your garden to steal the fruit. We don’t mind though 🙂
Agree! We have a wood-fired hot tub but it is huge and takes forever to heat up (I’m talking 8 hours). However, when it does, my husband and love being out under the stars and talking/connecting, rather than watching TV. We are looking for alternatives that take slightly less effort as 8+ hours is a bit too much delayed gratification. That orange tree is amazing!
Emily, the spaces you create are ALWAYS stunning. What a gift you have, and this space in particular is magical. That orange tree and all the wood tones and lanterns. I just love it. So glad you were able to do this and that you and Andrew are truly enjoying it.
You add beauty to whatever you touch! And that you can do so in the midst of pain is a real gift for yourself – and those you love. Keep sharing your resilience and creativity. The world needs more of this.
Absolutely beautiful. I think it can be hard for people in other parts of the country to understand the way our outdoors is our indoors in California, because of the temperate climate. I feel like you’ve illustrated the California experience so well. All your choices are perfect, IMO.
Thanks! Yeah when you add outdoor space here it’s like adding rooms to a house in most other states. We are outside all the time.
Your backyard is beautiful and your cat pictures made me tear up. I especially love that you put so much thoughtfulness into the surrounding garden and foliage. Florida gets quite a bit of rain and I am always happy for it because it makes all the greenery and flowers so much more lush. Plus, you know, water!!
I am wondering if the epsom salts are ok for plants?
Epsom salts are good for citrus! Most other plants are okay too, but not too much.
I just wanted to tag onto Rusty’s post. The epsom salt water can kill or hinder the growth of your plants, especially the magnesium component. If you can do without the epsom salt, then hooray for the reuse!
Absolutely. 👍
My brother uses it occasionally on many things, (I’ve really only used it on my citrus) but there are pros and cons:
https://extension.umn.edu/manage-soil-nutrients/coffee-grounds-eggshells-epsom-salts
The real answer to the epsom salt question is it probably depends on your plants and your soil. Does great with mine, clearly. Roses, tomatoes, and peppers all require a lot of magnesium for example and many people supplement with epsom salt for them.
Can you use wood pellets for fuel? I’m not sure why 2023 feels so unsettled but it does.
that’s a good question – unsure.
Beautiful space! I am wondering whether the cedar on the tub is sealed or will weather to a silvery grey over time?
It will silver!
I’m so sorry about Puck. The whole setup is fantastic and I love all the thought you put into it. The bath tray!
I’m now trying to figure out if and where a Goodland hot tub could work in our Manitoba backyard. Sadly I think it wouldn’t work the 6 months we have our outdoor faucets shut off to avoid pipe bursts, which are the months I’d most enjoy it.
oh man, you can’t even turn your hose on and off to fill it up? How do people who live in Canada use these things then?
I live in Alaska and love a hot tub in winter (air temp at 10 degrees, water at 107 degrees), but I also cannot figure out how one would use this set up when whole lakes freeze over (enough to drive on) for several months here. Because of the cold, continuous heat would be necessary to keep tub plumbing from freezing. We have a Softub, which reuses the heat generated by its pump to efficiently heat the water and only requires 110v electricity. It is significantly cheaper than a traditional tub, both to purchase and to operate. Plus, it’s portable (when empty).
Oh hi! I’m also a Manitoba reader! I also wish this could work, but I’d be worried about the freezing as well.
The photos of Puck are treasures.🐾💓
The best statement: “It’s important that we find ways to slow down and connect with each other.”
It’s been a whacker of a year for everyone so far!!!
While I am personally not in favour of burning wood (for a multitude of reasons), what you’ve created looks beautiful.
You’ve become quite the gardeners and all your plants look very happy indeed.🌱🌳🌿
What permits were required? Can you speak to that? I thought there was a ban on new installation of all wood burning units inside and outside in Your area of CA, but maybe not?
I live two neighborhoods away in LA and a restaurant down the street from me opened about 9 months ago that cooks the majority of its menu on a newly constructed wood burning fireplace. I’m sure they had to go through a very long permit process as a new restaurant and the city very much allowed the wood burning fireplace. So there is for sure not a city ban.
It would be crazy for any company to send a prohibited device to Los Angeles. These are the rules for the South Coast Air Quality Management District (i.e., Los Angeles): http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/rule-iv/rule-445.pdf?sfvrsn=4. And burn ban days can be found here (if you are in the L.A. area): http://www.aqmd.gov/home/programs/community/community-detail?title=check-before-you-burn
The exceptions are very broad and commercial restaurants allowed to burn firewood seven days a week apparently.
it meets and surpasses the CA rules
Thanks Rusty! I should add that we put the back garden in in 2018 so it’s had a lot of time to grow in nicely and we were fortunate to inherit the orange and clementine (we think) trees.
looks like heaven! I’m glad you are getting so much use from it! But all those oranges! What did you do with them?
haha have too many all the time so we pick them and put them in a crate for the neighbor’s to take. Reminds me, I need to do it again soon, especially with all the new blossoms that have appeared in the past week.
Omg, that is the sweetest!
WOW. and, Congratulations -on making it through truly trying times (I lost my cat Bubelah during the shelter-at-home covid times and these touching images of Puck reconnected me to the grief of losing him. I am grateful for the reminder of having so deeply loved and been loved…) as well as carving out space, time and function that supports you both in doing so -plus, my lord is it a beautiful addition to your outdoor space!!! BEAUTIFUL. I always need time to process your posts as they are so voluminous and well rounded and somehow remind me to be compassionate with myself (? -not sure why? but i do know it’s good!). I live a VERY insulated/detached from other humans life and your posts always leave me feeling Connected (which might even be a little scary and why I need time to process..?) and I don’t always make it back here to comment so today I wanted to be sure to let you know how much I appreciate you, your time & energy in creating these oh-so-helpful process and lovely reveal posts (shout-out to Sara L-T for the GORGEOUS accompanying images -I can feel the love : ). And before… Read more »
Your response is so thoughtful and heartfelt. Thank you for sharing. Hugs to you!
I’m sorry for the loss of Bubelah. 💗
Emily Jane,
Do you live this “VERY insulated/detached from other humans life” by your own choice??
Or, do you need some help?…
Wow, thanks, that’s a very sweet and thoughtful response. I’m sorry to hear about your baby Bubelah. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been during shelter in place. I hope you got yourself a new fur baby and I wish you connection and continued compassion for yourself. We all need that.
Really beautiful.
I was laying in bed last night (too late) looking a pictures of the Superbloom – that happened because of all of the rain. Have you gone to see it anywhere? Gah, it looks so pretty! I wish all of this Oregon rain could create something like that.
Also – you have an orange tree and jasmine in your yard? So awesome.
They’ve been stunning, even just next to the freeways and regular roads. I heard the rangers have pre-emptively blocked entry to some of the more popular areas because in the past people trampled the flowers just to get their selfies. Isn’t that so sad (poor flowers not the people!)? Oregon gets cherry blossoms and beautiful bulb flowers which I wish we could get in southern california!
all the rain has made everything so gorgeous. I noticed especially this week everything is going wild, so much new growth, the orange blossoms are DEVINE and the potato vine growing next to the tub has a million flowers on it now, I had to add some content to my Instagram stories because it’s so beautiful.
This is so beautiful! Who knew a hot tub was in my future 🙂
Your yard is so beautiful – and what a super cool tub!! The sensory pleasure is probably SO much better than a traditional hot tub. I have a 20 year old hot tub that costs about $80/month to heat and has zero aesthetic appeal. This seems much better to me, especially the fantasy version of myself that is motivated to do gorgeous bespoke things like this :).
believe me, I can only handle about 2 bespoke beautiful things in my life. Unless you count “not ever wearing makeup or putting on outside clothes” bespoke
This is so much more stunning than I could have imagined! And the photos of dear sweet Puck are very touching. You have a magic touch that has absolutely made me want one of these immediately!
I always love an Emily Bowser post and reveal! As usual, this one is beautiful!
Your own oasis, very cool. Hugs for Puck.
FYI to the environmentalists, Goodland says that properly built fires are carbon neutral. Up here in Oregon, we are thinking about getting a hot tub that is fueled with pellets. We have a pellet barbecue, called a Traeger, and my parents used to have a pellet stove when they lived in Tahoe. We currently have a woodstove, and all the ones that are currently made have catalytic converter’s that scrub pollutants before the smoke is released to the atmosphere. Definitely a complex topic.
We must be aware that some companies may greenwash too, to sell a product.
It’s entirely dependent on more large trees being planted and growing to maturity.
“Burning wood is not CO2 free; it releases carbon, stored over the previous decades, in one quick burst. For an equal amount of heat or electricity, it releases more CO2 than burning gas, oil and even coal, so straight away we have more CO2 in the air from burning wood. This should be reabsorbed as trees regrow.”
another point is to look at the whole picture, how are the tubs made? what are they made with? are people paid fairly? There’s good things to consider here
I HATE hot tubs, the heat makes me nauseous. But this reveal has me googling THIS hot tub. I want one so bad. hahaha, never thought I would! I’m also so jealous of how well plants grow in LA. A bit of water is just magic!!
Ice baths??
I want that hot tub but damn it I need that orange tree! That is unbelievably beautiful and to be able to sit and look at that all the time would make me so happy! (Too bad I’m in MO).
ha, yeah she’s pretty. Comes with a lot of possums and rats and squirrels but I don’t mind 🙂
Possums are awesome! They eat all the ticks!
This turned out better than I expected. The hot tub is just beautiful. My husband and are thinking about getting a hot tub, but I don’t want an ugly plastic one. I don’t think word burning would work for us as we have numerous no-burn days in the winter. Are solar hot tubs available? And does Goodland build custom hot tubs or just the one model?
So sorry about Puck. I loved seeing him in all these pictures, enjoying the lovely view.
There are a range of solar options.
They just have this one model but maybe they have some ideas up their sleeves because in the FAQs it says “At this time we don’t offer other heating options. Please join the mailing list to be the first to know when we release alternate heating solutions. An alternative is to fill the hot tub with a domestic hot water system, just like a bathtub.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I believe we beat you with rain in Seattle this spring. OMG, please rain stop already! A cold and wet spring this year.
Love everything about what you are posting about the backyard! It crazy wonderful.
Tracy
Came for the post (beautiful work!), stayed for the cats. Because cats.
Gorgeous!! And so unique; I’d never heard of anything like this before! Well done!!
Your place looks beautiful. Making a fire to heat the water sounds like a really lovely, calming process.
I’m sorry about Puck. He looks like a doll.
This space is absolutely gorgeous. I’m sorry that life is so hard right now – I feel it too. I’m glad you have such a restorative ritual available for your family.
The space is beautiful! Love the shot with the rosemary and orange tree in the foreground. I can imagine how sitting in there during the rain must have been wonderful. I can’t wait for more yard reveals!