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Home and Garden
After nearly two decades of living with off-white sofas, I was ready to spin the color wheel and welcome some brighter, bolder hues to my living room when I reupholstered some furnishings this spring.
Robb & Stucky offers free design seminars
Carl and Tony have lived in their charming semidetached house for 14 years. They are the social butterflies of their neighborhood and are always hosting get-togethers, poker games, barbecues and even Easter egg hunts. The duo recently decided they had outgrown their small home — especially their dark, cramped living and dining rooms — and started contemplating a move into bigger and brighter digs.
You can find furniture designed for a specific decorating style, furniture designed for comfort and furniture designed for function. But, how often do you find furniture that is designed to make you look good? That’s exactly what the new Pure collection from Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman does.
DEAR GAIL: We have a bay window in our breakfast nook and want to dress it up with a window treatment. There are two windows in the center that are just 5 inches apart, so we feel that we can’t put two valances over the windows and need to make them look as one. We’re open to any design suggestions that you have. — Ann D.
Collectors can tell you strange stories about how an antique or collectible will come in and out of their lives until at last it finds a home with them.
Lighting is one of the most important elements to think about when designing rooms, inside or out. Lighting is both practical and decorative; a variety of lighting options allows us to work and play safely and creates a mood that enhances the way we live.
When I’m not on the road, I enjoy cooking meals at home. I’m big on using fresh ingredients, yet store-bought “hot house” tomatoes in winter will never compare to the quality and taste of homegrown. Many fruits and vegetables travel about 1,000 miles to get to us. It’s no wonder they’re picked well before maturity and never really develop the taste or nutritional value that only locally grown food can provide.
: Just off of my kitchen, I have a built-in desk with some cabinets hanging above it. I thought it would make a nice work area to pay bills, take phone calls, etc. I would like to install some undercabinet lighting. There is an outlet under the cabinets but I don’t want a plug-in light, and I certainly don’t want a cord to show. So, how do I go about installing the light?
: My cape honeysuckle is growing very well but only has about one flower on it. It seems as though the flower production has been declining for the last year or two, or maybe more. Would some Miracle-Gro or some other fertilizer help? We cut it back pretty severely last winter.
One of the greatest pleasures of summer is enjoying outdoor meals and parties, which sometimes include gathering around an outdoor fireplace. Nostalgia simmers as we recall campfires from childhood at the beach or a campground.
Through the years, I’ve come up with a short list of absolutely essential and incredibly awesome home accents that I have got to have on hand when I decorate. The items on my VIP list are so gorgeous, so hardworking and so versatile that they stand head and shoulders above the rest.
July Fourth weekend is here and the price of gasoline is too high to drive anywhere. What in the world are you going to do?
It’s the details that make your home décor unique. Vintage items can help, since you’re less likely to see the same pieces in your friends’ homes, but an embellisher can always turn a great find into a brilliant personal statement.