SG581: Stylish Outdoor Garden Containers with DIY Divas Annette Gutierrez and Mary Gray of Potted

In Today’s show I’m getting to do something I truly love to do, talk DIY with two DIY Divas - Annette Gutierrez and Mary Gray. They are the authors of the new book Potted: Make Your Own Stylish Garden Containers.  Decorating can be incredibly expensive, but Annette and Mary are masters at repurposing and they often troll hardware stores for inspiration. Their new step-by-step book shows you how to create 23 show-stopping containers made from everyday materials such as concrete, plastic, metal, terra cotta, rope, driftwood, and fabric.

The projects that Annette and Mary shared in their book are affordable, made from accessible materials, and most importantly - gorgeous. They include clever takes on everyday objects found at the big box hardware stores around the country, like the cinderblock garden that made its way into the hearts of Apartment Therapy and their readers.  They riffed on the amazing designs of Pawena Studio using a common chimney flue and turning it into a graphic planter. Their book is jam-packed with color photographs and simple instructions.   Potted is for anyone who wants to turn an outdoor space into a stylish oasis

That said, I am obviously over-the-moon tickled to share my conversation with Annette & Mary. These gals are proof that you can re-invent yourself at any point in your life, Annette and Mary actually met many years ago in their former careers in the film industry.  With no retail experience, they bought a run-down pottery store which they built into a gardening destination and brand.  Today, they co-own and operate their brick and mortar store Potted in Los Angeles.    Potted is an outdoor-lifestyle destination and brand. Annette runs the marketing and design work for Potted. She writes the Potted blog and contributes to Sunset Magazine’s blog and many print publications. Mary was a set decorator and art director for TV and commercials. Mary is the head of all things visual at Potted, creating compelling installations and curating the diverse objects used as planters. Potted has been featured in the LA Times, Sunset Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine Best Of, California Home and Design, Country Living, Gardenista, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, Garden Design, and The Huffington Post.

As the creative forces behind the brand, Annette & Mary are always on the lookout for everyday objects and unique uses for products geared toward outdoor living to excite and inspire our customers. It’s one of the reasons they are a successful business and why many people choose their store over the big chain stores. What sets them apart are our their original Potted designs—garden pavers, tile tables, and especially pots (they are called Potted, after all).

Annette and Mary share a passion for design - and that created the opportunity for them to write their book, which is filled with inspirational and original ideas to help you make your own planters from everyday materials.

Beyond being affordable, they wanted to create projects that were gorgeous and accessible. You do not need a workshop or countless tools at your disposal to build these planters. In fact, when coming up with possible ideas for the book, they asked ourselves three questions:

1. Is it affordable?
2. Are the materials easy to find?
3. Could we do it on our own?

If the answer to any of these questions was no, we threw out the idea.
Finally, the most important consideration was that the finished product had to look fabulous.

You’re going to love listening to Annette & Mary - and hearing about their Potted style first hand.