Overlooked: Five home and garden photo galleries that deserve a little more love

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Last week we ran down the 10 most popular photo galleries from the first half of 2011. This week we offer five overlooked picks -- galleries that you may have missed the first time around. We love them for different reasons and think you might too.

1. Mosaic folly. Vintage salt and pepper shakers flavor the fireplace and ceramic fish flop from the outdoor shower. In the bungalow of two Silver Lake artists, anything goes. Full gallery.

2. DIY fire pit. Mom Ilse Ackerman builds her own backyard fire pit using earth bags. The result is a whimsical, hot pink creation that proves a hit during a kids party. Full gallery.

3. Small space made modern. Landscape designer Elizabeth Low invited us to see the surprises in her garden -- the outdoor living rooms carved out on a modest-sized lot, the sustainable plantings, the surprising use of artificial turf. But we were equally taken with how Low and her husband had turned their 900-square-foot house into a fresh indoor-outdoor space. Full gallery.

4. Water-wise wonder. Looking at Frank Pasker and Grit Leipert’s house in Mount Washington many might simply admire the view. But hidden from sight is a water-saving system that stores rainwater underground and recycles laundry and shower water for use as garden irrigation. Full gallery.

5. Top furniture trends. In a spectacle that dwarfs Milan’s famed fashion week, the world’s top furniture designers and manufacturers gather in Italy every April to premiere looks headed for stores in late 2011 and 2012. Our report from the scene has been one of the most viewed galleries this year, but because it’s not a home profile we kept it from last week’s top 10 list. Full gallery.

RELATED:

Home of the Times: California design profiles in pictures