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San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2012

Mildred Arredondo — Sun, 13 May 2012 22:04:15 +0000

Salivating for a feast of design? The tables are set and the pillows are plumped for the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2012, opening this weekend.

More than 30 talented West Coast designers have breathtakingly transformed the historic and stately mansion at 2020 Jackson Street, for this 35th annual Showcase—a benefit for San Francisco University High School’s financial aid program.

I was privy to a peek the other day, and I came away impressed and filled with inspiration. Many spaces are memorable, but I found myself reflecting on the creative and cozy eating areas. (It

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Interior Design Ideas: Bedroom Colour Revivals – Olive

Damon Meehan — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:35:32 +0000

Once again we look back to the 70’s when olive and avocado green were hitting the top of the ‘must have’ colour charts. Olive green quickly lost its position as people thought the colour was depressing and murky. With yellow undertones olive green is making a come-back within the world of interior design, partly due to people’s need to feel reconnected to all things natural, as well as being a colour which is surprisingly warm and easy to live with. Like many colours olive green is also known under new names, such as thyme, ivy and caper – all of which are shade variations of olive. Whatever Read full post…

Environmentally Conscious Australian Home Built Using Reclaimed Wood

Peggy Hutzler — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:57:46 +0000

Home

Encircled by an 18 hectare property, the Stores Road Residence within the small capital of Scotland- Peach ester, Australia, shows just one story architectural body emerged in the original building combined with modern design to shape the evolution story behind this now contemporary farmhouse.

Rising from an orchard-defined surrounding, the residence “aims to mirror in miniature the website in general and it is history.” That old existing dam once the middle of entertainment for children was built-into the dwelling by hooking up it to some pond while watching house.

Wrapping around a central courtyard, the areas specified for to become in some way area of the garden, developing a surprising connection with the aid of modern technologies. Thi

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Bob Choppa rejoins Lexington as upholstery operations VP

Peggy Hutzler — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:45:51 +0000

THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Industry veteran Bob Choppa has returned to Lexington Home Brands as senior vice president of upholstery operations, a newly created position.
Bob Choppa

Choppa was most recently president of high-end manufacturer Hickory White, and served in a leadership role at sister company CTH Sherrill Occasional.

Before joining Hickory White, Choppa was vice president and general manager of upholstery operations for Lexington Home Brands. He held that role from 2006 until May 2010 when he joined Hickory White.

Before joining Lexington, he was senior vice president of upholstery merchandising at Thomasville Furniture. Ov

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5 Mistakes to avoid in gardens and landscapes

Mildred Arredondo — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:44:01 +0000

Gardeners are total optimists. Each new year brings hope for our best garden yet. Perhaps — but it’s not likely if we keep making the same mistakes. Getting our new plants and trees off to a good start and providing the right conditions for our existing ones certainly sets us up for success. And yet, doing the same things over and over while expecting different results — well, that’s another story.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last several years contemplating what I think are the five biggest mistakes we make in our gardens and landscapes. We do so

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Gardening news and notes: Display gardens in Eugene; another ridiculous lawsuit; an impressive collection

Damon Meehan — Sun, 06 May 2012 13:10:27 +0000

Play chess in a big way at Eugene garden event.DISPLAYS BLOOM IN EUGENE: Ten Eugene garden designers and landscape architects have teamed up to present BLOOM: The Art of Gardens, an exhibit inspired by gardens from around the world. The event, which continues through Mother’s Day, May 13, is being held at Fifth Street Public Market and the new Inn at the 5th. Displays include Taste of Tuscany, Le Jardin Royal and Sunshine in Oregon, but the attention-getter is Game of Thrones, a giant chess board with moveable pieces fashioned out of Agave spheres at Eugene garden event.boxwood. Read full post…

Coastal Interior Design Ideas for Guest Rooms

Damon Meehan — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:38:35 +0000

Our last post in this mini-series takes us to guest rooms, which could also be for main bedrooms if you like the style! With a coastal theme which chic and stylish, the interior design ideas in the guest room can of course be used throughout your home. White and blue as we’ve established is the main-stay colour combinations for coastal themes. Pops of turquoise lift a room from okay (ish) to give it some much needed oomph without being too dominant. Plain white duvet cover sets always give a bedroom an air of cleanliness, which goes a long way in a guest room, even for the most finicky of guests and visitors will have nothing to grumble about if you use luxury bedding in white. A Read full post…

Beginner’s Guide to Greenhouse Gardening

Mildred Arredondo — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:09:07 +0000

If you are new to greenhouse gardening, you may be wondering where to start. Theres a multitude of information available about greenhouse gardening, and it can be a bit overwhelming to find reliable sources of information and then decide what qualifies as essential info for beginners. Well, we know your pain and have put together a beginners guide to greenhouse gardening filled with only the essential info you need to get started.

Beginner’s Guide to Greenhouse Gardening

1. Gather your supplies. Th

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Metal Sculpture Lamps by Nathalie Bernollin – Oups

Peggy Hutzler — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:50:17 +0000

These fun metal sculpture lamps by Nathalie Bernollin, called Oups, remind us not to cry over spilled ‘paint’. Oups was inspired by Bernollin’s father, a painter. She remembers the colorful paint spills all over his studio space. Ooups! This lamp is a design object that will bring originality to any space and pleasantly surprise anyone that sees it. It comes in a variety of colors to suit your tastes and interior scheme. The black and white one is pretty fabulous, don’t you think? Oups will bring joy to children and adults alike – a real people pleaser. Go to Nathalie Bernollin for more information.

Hortlandia: Bring your wish list to the Hardy Plant Society’s spring sale on April 7-8

Damon Meehan — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:49:15 +0000

Primula auricula ‘Linotype’With the Hardy Plant Society spring sale coming up in a week, it’s high time to get your must-have list wrapped up. With almost 100 specialty nurseries ready to fill booths with thousands of plants, you’re more than likely to find whatever you desire.

Looking for ferns? Head to Fancy Fronds. Snap up carnivorous plants from one of the best-named nurseries of all time: Courting Frogs. Buy alpines from Edelweiss Perennials and Wild Ginger; roses from Heirloom; peonies from Brothers; rhodies from Bovees, Red’s and Thompson’s; and conifers from Porterhowse. Read full post…

Trend Alert — Rockin’ Decor

Mildred Arredondo — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:25:02 +0000

As studded-up shoes stomp down the fashion runways, watch for more ways to out your inner rocker with your home accents.

Side-studded Faux Suede Decorative Pillow at Overstock.

Spot-On Studded Leather Boxes

Studs and nailheads are leaping off edges, moving from trim to the featured decoration. And the pyramid stud—formerly punking only leather cuffs and collars—is going mainstream.

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Private Residence by Lanciano Design

Peggy Hutzler — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:22:03 +0000

Basing their designs on initially and individuality, Israel-based studio Lanciano Design produces contemporary homes “for people who comprehend the difference”. You may recall the design studio’s work in the Ocean Spend Residence Lavinia presented some time back. This specific private residence you can observe within the photos below captures both convenience of residing in a carefully designed assortment of spaces and also the welcoming effect a wonderfully well-kept garden offers.

The sunshine colored volumetric architecture is pierced by sliding glass doorways around the very beginning, hooking up the living space towards the large deck and alluring proprietors to invest a while within the pool. An ou

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Couples Bond Over Grandsons at The Orchards of East Cherokee

Damon Meehan — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:14:01 +0000

Liane and Dennis Dolezar purchased a home at The Orchards of East Cherokee after moving from Wisconsin to be closer to their son and his family last fall. They fell in love with this active adult and maintenance friendly community built by The Orchards Group, which had a lot to offer their whole family including the great location and gorgeous ranch homes. Little did they know that their own grandsons would actually help them start forming bonds with their new neighbors.

One of the couple’s grandsons attends the same school as their neighbor’s grandkid. Plus, their other grandson played on a baseball team with another neighbor’s grandson. This ha

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Fertile soil is important to our garden

Mildred Arredondo — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:59:06 +0000

A few weeks ago we got shovels then we started digging in one of our garden beds. We love to be outside digging. Then we put the dirt into a wheelbarrow and dumped it in a pile in a quiet spot back by some bushes. Then we sprinkled cornmeal on top of the dirt.

Next, we found a lot of worms in our garden bed and added them to the dirt pile. We put a hay bale on top of the dirt and the worms to make a worm farm. Before we put the hay bale on top, our teacher soaked it in some rainwater for a while. This will become a home for the worms. They’ll live in the hay bale and then we’ll use the castings as fertilizer to add to our garden beds.

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