AT HOME Indiana Countyepaper.indianagazette.com/docs/sections/100620... · baby. PAGE 5 How to help your teen express their style in their bedroom and keep the design tasteful at

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Man Cave ManiaThe Great

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Downright Delightful Decor!Toddlers to Teens

AT HOMEIndiana CountyIndiana County

Designs for Living 2010

&&Inside OutDesign

Inside OutDesignNon-stop Inspiration Both Indoors & Out!

2 — Indiana Gazette Designs For Living, Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Adding useful space, enjoy-ment, appeal and value tohomes, outdoor living spacescontinue to be a popular homeimprovement project. While theeconomy slowly recovers, manybudget-conscious homeownersare looking for simple, cost-effec-tive ways to transform theirhomes’ exteriors into invitingoutdoor “land-escapes” that canbe enjoyed year-round.

If you are like many homeown-ers who are interested in addingan outdoor living space, time andmoney may be preventing youfrom getting started. The goodnews is that creating a durableand aesthetically appealing out-door area does not require a lot oftime or a large budget if youfocus on the basics and choosethe right materials. Here are a fewtips that can help turn your proj-ect into a reality in a weekend.

CREATE A DECKED-OUT PATIOTo begin your outdoor living

space, start from the ground up.Consider using interlockingcomposite decking tiles as aquick and easy-to-use surface tocreate a new patio or improve anexisting one. Deck tiles can beused to enhance virtually any

hard, level exterior surface, in-cluding bare ground, gravel, con-crete, brick or asphalt. The decktiles simply snap into place forsecure installation, instantlytransforming a drab exterior sur-face into an eye-catching foun-dation for an outdoor livingspace — no special tools, skills orinstructions needed. You’ll savetime and eliminate worry aboutmisaligning tiles or uneven spac-ing, while creating a versatilefloor that can be easily re-arranged into new designs.

Composite deck tiles are avail-able in multiple colors, patternsand sizes, and complement a va-riety of architectural styles. Likeother composite products, theyare durable and easy-to-main-tain, and provide a splinter-free,slip-resistant surface.

ADD A PERGOLA OR AN ARBOR

To further define your outdoorliving space and provide shadefor hot summer days, add a per-gola or an arbor. Both can use at-tractive composite deck boardsas nonstructural finish elementsto match the composite decktiles. How-to books and websites

provide material lists and easy-to-follow installation instruc-tions for motivated do-it-your-selfers, or a professional can behired to do the job.

FURNISH FOR FUNCTIONALITY

With the flooring and structuralelements in place, it is time todecorate your outdoor space.This year’s most popular outdoorliving features will be essentialitems, including seating and din-ing furniture, grills and firepits/fireplaces, according to theAmerican Society of LandscapeArchitects.

To help guide you in your prod-uct choices, consider the size ofyour outdoor room and its in-tended use.

Will you use the space for en-tertaining and dining withguests, relaxing, cozying uparound a fire pit, or a combina-tion of these activities?

With a wide selection of ameni-ties to choose from, do your re-search and choose the productsthat best fit your needs andbudget.

Or work to save money andcomplement the flooring and

structure by constructing yourown Adirondack chairs, benchesand planter boxes with compos-ite decking boards in the same orcomplementary color. Adding vi-brant weatherized outdoor cush-ions to the chairs and bencheswill make the space more invit-ing and comfortable.

ENHANCE WITH LIGHTINGTo ensure the maximum enjoy-

ment of your outdoor space, out-fit it for evening hours by addinglighting fixtures. There are manyways to do this, from simplyhanging string lights from over-head beams to installing perma-nent lighting fixtures on posts.“Some composite decking linesoffer complementary railing andposts with pre-cut channels tohide wiring for lights and soundsystems,” says Gwatney. “It’s anattractive and easy way to ex-pand the enjoyment of yourdeck.”

By focusing on the basic fea-tures of an outdoor space andchoosing durable, easy-to-usematerials to construct it, you cancreate a simple and affordableoutdoor room that can be en-joyed for years to come.

— Courtesy of ARAcontent

Creating outdoor living spacesCREATING an aesthetically appealing outdoor space for summer doesn’t have to take a lot of time or a big budget.

Photo courtesy of Family Feature

PAGE 3■ Get your home ready for summerwith these easy and quick ideas.

PAGE 4■ Organize the perfect nursery forbaby.

PAGE 5■ How to help your teen expresstheir style in their bedroom andkeep the design tasteful at the sametime.

PAGE 7■ Take the “man cave” up a notch.

PAGE 8■ Creating the ultimate cookingspace.

PAGE 10■ The secret to creating a sensational summer mantel.

PAGE 11■ Bringing garden statues inside is a stylish way to bring the outdoors in.

WWhhaatt’’ssiinnssiiddee??

Indiana Gazette Designs For Living, Wednesday, June 30, 2010 — 3

Easy ways tospruce up your

home for summerBy NICOLE ROSER

[email protected]

It’s finally that time of year. It’stime to get out the summerwardrobe and soak up the sun.Chances are you have alreadywashed the car, planted a gardenand mowed the lawn. But, haveyou thought about how to makethe inside of your home ready forsummer?

One of the simplest ways tospruce up your home for summeris to bring the outside in. WaltCarter, an interior designer atDouds of Plumville, suggestsdoing whatever you can to bringthe outside in by taking down thedrapes and opening your homeup to the outside.

According to Marilyn Moore,also an interior designer atDouds, bringing fresh flowersinto your home can make all thedifference. If you are worriedabout fresh flowers dying toosoon, silk floral arrangements arean option.

Hobart Bell, owner of ExecutiveHouse Furniture, in White Town-ship, agrees.

“Bring the outside into yourhome by placing several pastelfloral arrangements throughoutyour home.”

If you don’t have floral in mind,Carter suggests painting yourwalls a new color, because youcan open the windows in thesummertime.

Mary Sirwell, a designer at Af-fordable Interiors, in Indiana,suggests painting with brightercolors.

White, light greens and blueshelp let the sunlight in and makerooms look bigger.

Another great option to help letthe sunlight in, Sirwell said, is toupdate window treatments.

She suggests replacing curtainswith shears or Roman shades,which are designed out of differ-ent types of fabrics or wood.

If looking for a small invest-ment, Andrea Eller, an interiordesigner at Furniture World East,in White Township, said area rugscan give your house a whole newlook.

“You can buy one or two a year,and that will make a collection,”

Eller said.Accessories such as pillows,

placemats, slipcovers and can-dles are also an inexpensive in-vestment and can create a wholenew look by adding color andpatterns, according to Eller.

Ila Weaver, an interior designerat Douds, believes that changingartwork and pictures can alsogive your home a fresh look. Shealso suggests having a dramaticcenter of interest so everyonesees that.

Updating light fixtures by usingfluorescent lights with warmerbulbs will also give a new look,said Curtis Lentz, owner of LentzKitchen and Bath, in Indiana.

For updating your kitchen,Lentz suggests changing yourcountertops and cabinet hard-ware, such as knobs and handlesto make an impact.

When changing countertops,Sirwell suggests using natural re-sources, such as granite or recy-cled glass countertops. “Theseare things that are going to lastforever and add value to thehome.”

For changing the bathroom,Maylene Miller, the showroommanager at Penstan Bath Bou-tique, in Indiana, suggeststhemes such as the beach to giveyour bathroom a summer look.She suggests changing the colorof rugs and towels by using whiteand light colors to create abeachy feel.

Updating the bedroom can beas simple as changing the bed-ding to lighter colors and lighterfabrics.

“I change all of my bedding tomake it seem fresh and a littlesummery,” said Lori Gradwell, aninterior designer at Douds.

There are many ways to makeyour home look fresh for sum-mer, but keep in mind that it isimportant to keep spaces unclut-tered and streamlined, accordingto Sirwell.

It is also important to keep itsimple and decorate with whatmakes you happy.

“I think you have to decidewhat you like yourself, and makeit yourself,” Weaver said. “Usesomething you love and are pas-sionate about.”

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Home and Garden Television

These tips and tricks fromHome & Garden Television areperfect for baby’s room.

BABY CLOTHES: Layette itemsshould be available at the chang-ing table/bureau for easy reachduring frequent newborn chang-ing.

Use baskets, bins and contain-ers that are designed specificallywith the changing table in mind.

Keeping similar items togetherwill help create a system that willmake staying organized easier.

A well-designed closet will keepall the little items of clothing to-gether.

Shelving fitted with appropriatecontainers and baskets is the bestfor keeping folded items organ-ized and categorized.

Small wooden hangers are greatfor special-occasion clothing andfor keeping upcoming sizes ofspecial clothing in view.

Store diapers, wipes and creamsin a basket with handles so youcan easily tote everything fromone room to another.

DIAPER-CHANGING ESSENTIALS:The changing table/bureaushould include all essential itemsfor changing the baby’s clothingand diapers.

A diaper caddy is a great way tokeep diapers, wipes, lotions andcreams together.

Once a family determines therooms or areas outside of thenursery where it will spend mostof the time with the baby, diaper-changing essentials should alsobe kept in these areas.

BEDDING: Reserve a shelf or anappropriately sized container inthe closet or under the crib forextra bedding.

MEDICINES: Keep medicinewhere you would administer it.

If your child is teething, you willwant to have the teething gelboth in the nursery and in yourdiaper bag.

A small-lidded plastic containeris a good place to store all neces-sary medicines (of course, out ofreach of the baby or other chil-dren). Returning everything to itsplace will ensure that you willhave what you need when neces-sary.

FINDING THE RIGHT FURNITURE:Time frame is an important con-sideration.

It is best to order furniture 12 to15 weeks before the baby’s sched-uled due date.

This will ensure that the furni-ture arrives, that it can be assem-bled and that other nursery com-ponents can be put into the prop-er place.

Consider how the furniture isgoing to fit in with the overalldecor of the house and the size ofthe room.

Pick pieces that are timeless.Some will last well past when thebaby is out of the crib.

ASK YOURSELF: Will the furni-ture be used for more than onechild?

If so, gender-neutral colors andclassic styling is important.

You wouldn’t want to purchasefurniture that is so trendy it willfeel dated by the time your sec-ond or third child is born.


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The Bath Boutique

By DOUGLAS BROWNThe Denver Post

One day they are 9-year-olds af-fixing Hannah Montana or Spider-Man posters to their walls.

Then they are teenagers. He wants to paint his bedroom

walls black. She demands a vam-pire-themed suite. Mom and Dadare bummed out and preparedneither to embrace nor indulgethis evolving outlook.

Relax, say interior designers withexperience negotiating parent/teen tensions over room décor.

Establishing independence isthe very marrow of adolescence.And bedrooms are oases of auton-omy. For most kids, it’s the onlypart of the house over which they— and nobody else — can claimsovereignty.

When it comes to children’srooms, experts recommend givingkids some leeway. Work with — notagainst — them to change thespace and make it feel like theirown.

“I had a kid who wanted his bed-room black, and the mom was like,‘What do I do?’” says Kristi Dinner,a Denver interior designer. “Wecompromised with a very darkchocolate brown with white trimand white built-ins. The mom wasscared, but it ended up beingbeautiful.”

It’s just paint, Dinner adds.“There are a lot of things thatwould be a lot more permanentand cost a lot more money thanpaint.”

Another example: A girl whowanted the frilly Victorian canopybed versus the mother with a re-fined taste for clean and contem-porary.

“We ended up getting a customupholstered bed with differentfabrics,” Dinner says. “The daugh-ter had her own taste and voice,but it was in the context of thisvery modern house.”

Negotiation is key, says JoyceClegg, owner of Daydream De-signs in Denver.

“Can we paint the headboard ofyour bed, instead of the walls? Canwe give you a black bedspread? Ihad a kid who painted his ceilingpurple rather than black” (after hetalked about it with his parents),she says.

As kids age, some things remainthe same. Teenage girls, in general,cling to their love of bright colorsand shiny things, Clegg says.What’s in right now? Beaded door-ways (the kind popular during the1970s), and mirrors. The designerrecently created a chair rail around

a girl’s bedroom made entirely ofsmall, round mirrors.

Boys have “very one-word-spe-cific design inspirations,” she says.Like blue. They might want an en-tirely blue room, perhaps withsome favorite team stuff on thewalls.

Boys, Clegg adds, value their pri-vacy more. “They want a darkroom,” she says. “Heavy drapes(for) sleeping until the crack ofnoon.”

One thing that sticks with boysand girls alike as they grow older,Dinner says, is a reluctance to jetti-son childhood possessions.

Kids tend to gather piles ofstuffed animals, trophies or col-lectibles. When they are 15, theydon’t spend much time with themanymore, but they still cherishthem.

“They don’t want to get rid ofthem, but they don’t have room forthem,” says Dinner. “So we tend todo very high shelving, sometimeson two or three walls, above thedoor height, where they can stillsee their stuffed animals and tro-phies, but it gets them up and outof the way.”

As tweens turn into teenagers,though, it’s not just wall colors andposters that change. Suddenly,their homework duties have in-creased dramatically. They want tohang out with friends in theirrooms — not down in the base-ment “playroom” or in the kitchenwith Mom.

Both factors influence how bed-rooms evolve as kids marchthrough high school.

“I divide rooms into different


Let teenagers rock their room decor

Continued on Page 6

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spaces: sleep, study and enter-tainment,” says Clegg. The“study” portion of the equation,she says, can foster the mostchanges.

“They need a lot of storage op-tions. It’s important when theyget into high school. Morebooks, more research materials,and it has to include technology.Teenagers all study with music.They have to have their dockingstations, they have to have theInternet, so they can do their re-search.

“It’s important that space isfunctional for them and that ithas some organization to it.”

One difference from the recentpast: The spread of wireless con-nections within houses, coupledwith laptops, means studyinghas the potential to be more mo-

bile. Some parents create sepa-rate rooms just for studying.Others turn quiet nooks or cor-ners in their houses into dens forscholarship.

“Life has changed. You don’thave to be in a specific spotdoing homework,” says MarjieGoode, owner of The GoodeTouch Interiors in Denver. “Theold idea, that you have to havethe desk in the room, especiallyfor teenagers, has totallychanged.”

The owners of one home shedecorated removed all deskareas from the kids’ bedrooms.In their place, they had Goodedesign “socializing areas,” com-plete with couches and televi-sions. “They became mini-suites,” she says.

Goode advocates puttingstudy areas in places other than

bedrooms. Kids, she says,should learn how to work innoisy environments.

“Look at how many people dowork in coffee shops,” she says.“I think we have to think of ourteenagers growing up and work-ing in this world.”

It is natural for parents tolament the old days, when bed-room walls and shelves werespectacles of innocence.

But in many ways, workingtogether with teenagers onrooms is more rewarding thanwhen the parents dictated thedécor.

“This is a great opportunity forparent and child to bond,” saysClegg. “Remember that whenyou reach the point where youdon’t want to talk about it any-more. Everybody gets frustrated,but it’s a great opportunity.”

Let teenagers rock their room décor6 — Indiana Gazette Designs For Living, Wednesday, June 30, 2010

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By ELANA ASHANTI JEFFERSONThe Denver Post

■ Open your mind. There’s away to implement nearly everybizarre decorating idea a youngperson can come up with. “Thinkabout the fact that your child isstarting to make decisions and ex-press their individuality,” Mon-tano says. “This is not the besttime or place to stifle that.” Allowthem some freedom, and ignorethe urge to insert your own tastes.

■ Research and development.Ask your teen to spend some timeresearching ways to implementtheir ideas. They can look atrooms on the Internet.

■ Make a game plan. For in-stance, start with bedding, thenpick wall color and lamps later.Another popular approach: Pickthe rug or carpeting, then selectother well-coordinated pieces.

■ Meet them halfway. When ateen requests all black walls, com-promise by painting one wallblack, or doing black and whitestripes.

Or, if they requests that an entireroom be an intense purple, do onewall in that color.

■ Shop together. Besides beinga chance to spend time togetherand learn more about your youngperson’s developing style andtaste, this drives home the ideathat the teen is spending someoneelse’s money and should take intoconsideration that person’s opin-ions.

Negotiating teenroom makeover

Continued from Page 5

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Kitchen & Bath

By MARY CAROL GARRITY Scripps Howard News Service

Does the guy in your life have a“man cave”? You know, that sacredspot he’s carved out for himself inyour home, the one outfitted withthe ugly recliner he can’t live with-out and the other dubious furnish-ings you’ve banned from the restof the house?

He may ardently declare his lovefor this sanctuary of masculinity,but chances are, if you could helphim make this space more attrac-tive, comfortable and functional,he’d be over the moon.

Like most men I know, my hus-band, Dan, has a man cave. It’s sortof like a clubhouse with a “No GirlsAllowed” sign hung from the door.I call this small upstairs officeCommand Central because it’sfilled with computers, stacks of pa-pers and piles of books.

I am not allowed in the mancave, not even to clean it. In fact,the only family members wel-comed there are the kittens, prob-ably because they’re males. Butwhenever Dan is out of town, Ibreak the rules and barge in with abroom and dust rag. Once, I founda dust bunny that was so huge, itcould have served as a science-fairproject for a high-school student.When Dan gets back in town anddiscovers that the trash can hasbeen emptied, the furniture dust-ed and the floor swept, he’s mad atme for an entire day. But it’s worthhis ire, because without this inter-vention, our house would likely becondemned by the health depart-ment.

For too long, the men in our liveshave been relegated to the leastdesirable spots in our home — acorner of the basement or even inthe garage. Now it’s time to maketheir man caves every bit as ap-pealing as the rest of your home.Here are some ideas to get youstarted.

If your guy loves pool, poker orany other sort of guy game, whynot make his cave into a smart-looking game room? I’m a lover ofthe English-men’s-club look, withits dark woods, rich leather furni-ture, menswear-fabric details andmasculine artwork. This is the per-fect place to bring that look intoyour home.

Dan about flipped when he sawthe pool table we’d gotten in at NellHill’s Briarcliff. To make this gam-ing table a bit more sophisticated,we replaced the standard green-felt top with black felt. I can’t be-lieve what a difference that onechange made in the overall ap-

pearance of the room. We’ve alsocarried marvelous leather-toppedpoker tables that help elevate thegame room from cheesy to sophis-ticated.

Hunt for attractive furnishings tohold game accessories. A replica ofan antique pool-cue holder addsloads of Old World style while itcorrals all those cues that wouldotherwise be laying on the floor orleaning against the walls.

How about making the man caveinto a study where he can workfrom home?

A friend recently transformed alittle-used formal living room intoa study for her husband. It turnedout so wonderfully that I wanted tomove in. First, she outfitted theroom with a marvelous desk andcomfortable chair. Then she addedmuch-needed weight to the spaceby filling one wall with cabinets

that would keep his papers out ofsight. She finished off by softeningthings up a bit with winged-backchairs and curtain panels.

If your study has a fireplace, con-sider replacing the mantel withsomething decidedly masculine,like a cast stone surround. Then,style it with guy-friendly accents,like hunting trophies or antlers.

For most guys, paradise is acomfy sofa and a big-screen TV. Ifyour man would flip over a TVroom that’s his alone, start byhousing his flat screen and otherhigh-tech gear in a beautiful book-case that’s also got plenty of roomfor storage and displays. This is agreat place to tastefully showcaseaccents that celebrate the thingshe loves, like golf, hunting orsports memorabilia.

Pick out a sofa that’s sizableenough to fit him comfortably. I

love sofas that have high backs andarms because you can easily propyourself up to watch TV or read abook.

And there is no better place tonap than on a deep, soft sofa.Make it more manly by adding afew accent pillows in menswearfabrics like hound’s-tooth check,paisley and tartan plaid.

If your guy wants a bar in hisman cave where he and his friendscan gather for a drink, make it asfetching as it is functional. Howabout getting a great-looking but-ler’s cart, then filling it with barsupplies? I’m partial to these at-tractive carts because you canwheel them wherever you wantand they aren’t so large that theydominate the room, like built-inbars do.

For seating, consider adding ahigh-top table and chairs.

Taking the ‘man cave’up a notch Indiana Gazette Designs For Living, Wednesday, June 30, 2010 — 7

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By MELISSA RAYWORTHFor The Associated Press

The kitchen is the heart of manyhomes, an all-purpose area wheremuch of life happens. But in theend, it has just one function thatmakes it unique among rooms: It’swhere you cook.

Clutter, distractions, poor work-flow — sometimes a kitchen’s lay-out can hinder the cookingprocess more than it helps. Deco-rating can create similar pitfalls.“We get too caught up in colorpalettes and soft fabrics, and weover-think it,” says GenevieveGorder, co-host and judge ofHGTV’s “Design Star.”

But a well-planned kitchen canboost your cooking experienceand make the room an even moretreasured space, says Gorder andfellow designers Betsy Burnham

(founder of Burnham Design) andBrian Patrick Flynn (founder ofdecordemon.com).

It’s all about focusing. “A kitchen is the most task-ori-

ented space in the house, so itmust honor function as well asaesthetics,” Gorder says. “A light,bright, clean kitchen is a niceframework for the dance that isabout to happen, which is cook-ing.”

How can you re-imagine yourkitchen to make it the best possi-ble place to cook?

THINK IT THROUGH More than any other room,

Burnham says, kitchens need to beprecisely planned. If you’re remod-eling, “you need to go out and real-ly touch and feel all the appliances,see what’s out there,” she says. “It’snot just, this is cool. My friend has

this, so I want it. It’s, how do I real-ly cook? Where do I put my spoon?Where do I like to have my tow-els?”

Leaf through food magazines tosee how professional cooksarrange their kitchens.

“Professional stuff is so availableto the public now,” Burnham says.“You can arrange your drawerswith those dowels that organizerestaurant plates. They’re spring-loaded.”

Installing a second sink or sec-ond dishwasher has also becomemore common.

Big changes don’t have to be ex-pensive, Flynn says. But since akitchen won’t be remodeled often,“think of how far each dollar goesin relation to durability first, thenaesthetics second.”

All three designers preach sim-plicity and timelessness: “Go with

classic colors, a classic back-splash,” Burnham says.

“You really don’t want a date onthat kitchen.”

CLEAR THE DECK “When there’s a clean butcher

block out on the counter,” saysGorder, “I want to cook.”

Devote counter space to cookingtools and fresh fruits and vegeta-bles, but nothing else. Keep yourgo-to items (wooden spoons,whisks, etc.) next to the stove inone large, open container.

An airy, uncluttered kitchen isthe goal.

“Especially by the stove,” Gordersays. “People tend to overfill thespace.”

Lose the decorative baskets andknickknacks, she says: “If it’s notsomething I cook with or I eat, itdoesn’t belong in here.”

SIMPLE SHADES, DASHES OF COLOR

All three designers praise themerits of a white kitchen. An un-cluttered, white space with a large,white farmhouse sink is “an invita-tion to play,” Gorder says.

Burnham and Gorder are fans ofwhite Cararra marble countertops,which work with contemporary orclassic decor. Don’t worry aboutfragility, says Gorder: White Carar-ra marble “made up the entire cityof Athens and it’s still standing.You’re not going to ruin it by onelittle spill or scratch. In fact, themore it’s worn, the more beautifulit is.” Flynn loves doing kitchens inwhite-on-white or white with lightgray. For clients who don’t wantwhite, he favors brown with gray orblack with gray.


Creating the ultimate cooking space

Continued on Page 9

“These color combos,” he says,“work with virtually any accentcolor.”

The placement of those accentcolors is the key.

“Choosing a bold-colored tilebacksplash is enough to give acommitment-phobe an instantcoronary,” Flynn says, since thosetiles will likely remain on the wallfor many years.

Keep the inspiring dashes ofbold color relegated to items youcan replace inexpensively.

To add a backsplash without ex-pensive tilework, Flynn suggestsusing textured vinyl wallpaper. “It’sthe same material used in restau-rants and hotels, so it’s easy to carefor and it’s flame-retardant,” hesays.

For a bold punch of color in ablack-and-white kitchen, Flynnadded “fire-engine red in accentssuch as a pendant light over an is-land, a steel console table andvinyl stool cushions. The smalldoses packed a ton of color intothe space.

“But if the homeowner’s tastewere to change, it’s simple to bringin a new color.”

STORAGE CHANGES Consider changing your cabi-

nets and storage to suit your cook-ing style, Burnham says. Do youprefer closed drawers or openshelving?

Could you use more storageclose to your stove?

It’s possible to change just one ortwo cabinets, rather than the en-tire set.

Gorder suggests extending cabi-nets to the ceiling and storing

rarely used items up high to clearmore space in the immediatecooking area.

For an infusion of fresh style,Flynn says, “cabinet doors cansometimes be very cost-effectiveto update. New cabinetry getspricey because of fabrication, re-moval and installation,” he says,but “if cabinets are in good shape,I have a carpenter add a band of

molding to the front of my cabinetdoors, then spray them with oilpaint in a gloss finish.”

Replacing cabinet hardware canadd style, while making cabinetseasier to use. “Glass and chromehardware adds an element ofglamour,” Flynn says. “The bestpart about hardware updates? Youcan do them yourself!”

FINISHING TOUCH Once the space is cleared of all

clutter and decked out in a clean,crisp color palette, and all yourcooking tools are conveniently athand, Flynn has one last recom-mendation: Hang just one or twopieces of inspiring art.

“It’s not necessarily somethingmost people think of doing,” hesays, “but it really personalizes aspace.”

Continued from Page 8


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Creating the ultimate cooking space

Metro Creative GraphicsKEEP KITCHENS clear of anything not used to cook or to eat.

“A KITCHEN is the most task-oriented space in thehouse, so it must honor function as well as aesthetics.”

Betsy Burnham,designer


You can say goodbye to mantel-decorating angst because it’s reallyvery easy to make magic on yourmantel when you know how. Allyou need is a few tips from thepros, and you’ll be off and run-ning.

So I grabbed Nell Hill’s visual di-rectors Becky and Marsee andasked them to show us how theystyle the show-stopping mantels atthe Nell Hill’s stores.

SET THE STAGE Marsee says when she styles a

mantel she always starts with ablank slate. Clear everything offthe mantel and give it a good dust-ing.

Then, stand back and decide

what look you want to create.Something simple or complex? Se-rious or playful?

What colors, textures or themesdo you want to introduce? Do youhave a favorite piece you want toshowcase?

Once you decide on what direc-tion you’re going, pick the rightbackdrop.

What do you want to havehanging or leaning above yourmantel?

For our example today, the girlshung a gorgeous replica of an an-tique gilded mirror. This wonder-ful mirror is one of my favorites,and we sell a ton of them in thestores.

Becky and Marsee liked how thefeminine curves of the mirror off-set the coldness of the stone man-tel.

ADD WEIGHTY ACCENTS Becky warns that one of the

biggest mistakes people makewhen decorating their mantel is tofill it with little knickknacks, creat-ing a mass of diminutive piecesthat get lost and give off a feeling ofclutter.

Instead, pick a few weightypieces that are larger in scale toserve as the foundation of yourdisplay.

For our example, Becky andMarsee selected six similar ma-hogany pillar candlesticks in vary-ing heights and shapes. By pickingcandlesticks that repeat the samecolor and style, they’ve createdharmony in the display. But bymixing up the heights, they alsobrought in lots of energy and inter-est.

When you pick the pieces thatwill anchor your mantel display, besure to pay keen attention to scaleand height.

We picked tall candlesticks be-cause we have a massive mantelsurround and very tall ceilings atthe store.

But if this were a home withlower ceilings and a smaller man-

tel, we would have likely gone withslightly smaller pieces.

I love how the girls also toppedthe pillars with battery-operatedcandles.

I used to use only real candles inmy decorating.

But after waiting on far too manycustomers who were replacing thecontents of their homes becausethey lost everything in fires causedby candles, I have changed mytune.

I’ve found a few companies thatmake battery-operated wax can-dles that are every bit as beautifulas the real thing.

You can even get fake candlesthat work on a timer or are con-trolled by a remote.

They are absolutely fabulous,and now I couldn’t live withoutthem.

If you are going for a simple,clean look on your mantel, stophere. It looks sensational.

ADD LAYERS OF INTEREST If you love displays loaded with

layers, you can easily add a uniquefocal point to this simple manteldisplay.

For our sample, Marsee andBecky first picked a riser to lift upthe pieces they will use in theirtableau, giving the display moreprominence so it is not lost amongthe large candlesticks.

They used one of my favoritetypes of risers — a replica of an an-tique wooden box.

Pedestals, books and cake platesalso make ideal risers for manteldisplays, so use your creativity.

Next, the girls topped thewooden box with a faux fern tointroduce a pop of color and soft-en up all the hard surfaces in thedisplay.

To finish out, they added a blueand white Chinese import jar tobring some much-needed patternto this sea of solids. You could usejust about any favorite piece as thethird object in this display, like aconch shell from your last vaca-tion, a bronze figurine or even alovely dish.

Adapted from nellhillsblog.com,which can be linked from the nellhills.com home page. Mary CarolGarrity can be reached at [email protected].

Scripps Howard News Service

Secrets for a sensational summer mantel 10 — Indiana Gazette Designs For Living, Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Scripps Howard News PhotoSTAND BACK and decide what look you want to create for your mantel. Once you decide on what directionyou’re going, pick the right backdrop and play with colors, textures and sizes.

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What started as a crush has nowripened into a lifelong love thatshows no signs of fading: Gardenstatues are in my house to stay.

If you share my weakness forthese rustic beauties, but aren’tquite sure how to weave gardenstatues into your interior displays,try these ideas.

Last fall, I faced a decoratingchallenge extraordinaire. ColinCowie, designer and party plannerfor the stars, was coming to NellHill’s Briarcliff for a benefit lunch-eon. For the event, we needed 60table centerpieces that were ele-gant and interesting, yet packedenough punch to hold their own inthe massive venue. What could bemore perfect than garden statu-ary? On each table we featured dis-tinctive statuary tricked up withhoneysuckle vine, pumpkins andgourds. The effect was stunning.

While we used a mixture of stat-uary on each table, I have to say,the ones featuring birdbaths wereamong my favorites.

I know it’s unconventional, but Ilike to use tall, thin cement bird-baths as table centerpieces be-cause they really grab guests’ at-tention. Before you plunk a bird-bath down on your table, makesure it’s not too heavy. For years, Iloaded my dining-room table withmassive statues — and almostmade the legs give out. You’ll alsowant to put a piece of cardboardunder the birdbath (or any statu-ary) to protect your table’s finish.

Place the birdbath at your table’scenter, then fill in around it withinteresting accents like a pair ofcandlesticks or urns holding sea-sonal greens. Rest a wreath on thebasin and insert a gazing ball inthe center. Or place a compoteholding fruit in the basin. Howabout a vase filled with faux vinesthat hang down over the bath’ssides? Or put a large lantern on topthat has a birch bark candletucked inside.

If you have a short, squatty bird-bath, use it as the focal point of anarrangement on your coffee table.Put it atop a stack of books or on asilver tray. Fill it with pinecones orgreen apples. For an interestingtwist, cover it with a glass cloche.

A friend just gave me a tour ofher new home, and of all the lovelythings she had on display, the onethat grabbed my attention the

most was a concrete birdbathfilled with seashells and coral.That was it. Simple. And so, so dra-matic.

I really enjoy decorating withgarden figurines like busts or full-figure statues. While antique con-crete statues are fabulous, I oftenuse reproductions made from alightweight material like terracotta because they are inexpensiveand easier to lift.

Figurines, meanwhile, look won-derful in any tabletop tableau.Place them on your kitchen island,powder-room vanity, mantel orconsole table or in a bookcase. Foradded fun, ring them with a sea-sonal wreath or encircle theirheads with greens.

I’ve discussed how much I like touse iron garden urns to holdarrangements of seasonal greensand fallen branches. But don’t stopthere. Urns are great for so manythings. Place a concrete urn byyour fireplace to hold wood foryour winter fire. Top one with around piece of glass to make aunique table. When you entertain,ask your urns to help serve. Linean urn with a clean plastic liner,then fill it with ice to chill drinks,appetizers like shrimp — or sim-ply use it as an ice bucket.

Add a bit of whimsy to a displayby including a quirky gardenplanter. My friend Cynthia has avery elegant Tudor home that’sdecorated magnificently. When weshot some pictures for my book“Nell Hill’s: Feather Your Nest”there, I just had to include a shotof her elegant bar, which is any-thing but stuffy, thanks to the in-clusion of a curious garden planterfeaturing a woman’s head with aplant as her “hair.”

Garden statuesadd flair inside


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Scripps Howard News PhotoGARDEN statues are a great wayto bring the outdoors in.


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AT HOME Indiana Countyepaper.indianagazette.com/docs/sections/100620... · baby. PAGE 5 How to help your teen express their style in their bedroom and keep the design tasteful at