List 45

Love: Plum, Daniel Patterson's newish spot in Oakland. It's a study in approachable artfulness. The interior is warm and inviting, and the food is delicious - high end, yet never stuffy (and organized into categories like snacks, starters, vegetables, animals and desserts). Go with four people so you can sample the whole menu.

Like: Pillows from Jonathan Adler - especially his modern take on old grandma needlepoint pillows. I particularly like his British Flag pillow and his one for Flint, Michigan (which is where my Mom grew up).

Discovery: Pickle-brined chicken. I tried this recipe last year for the first time and loved the super simple brine idea, which imparted an interesting, but not overpowering, flavor to the chicken.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pickle-brined-chicken

Obsession: Painting walls and floors black. This hasn't made the jump from thought into action yet, but I'm considering trying one wall in our bedroom (which is similar to the walls in the first room below). And perhaps the floor in the backyard guest studio will be an old salvaged wood floor painted black instead of a new grey hardwood floor, as originally planned.

Complaint: The Permit process at the City of Berkeley has pushed back the start of our backyard construction project by 8 months. But we're finally starting in a week. This is a before shot of our all-but-falling-down garage. By mid-summer, it should be replaced by studio with French doors to the garden.