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It’s Porch Weather!

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Inspired. Exteriors. – The Home Stylist

by Nan Bridgeman

In the South, we love our porches, our verandahs and our piazzas! These shaded outdoor rooms were necessary before air conditioning, and offered a cool place to sit and visit with friends, rock a fretting baby or sit and snap beans while enjoying a cool breeze. I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother’s home in South Carolina with its large wrap-a-round porch outfitted with white rockers and adorned with large ferns. It was a great place to congregate, with adults sitting and talking, children playing chase on the lawn, and later taking turns cranking the churn of peach custard ice cream.

Here are some simple spring rituals that were passed down in our family to have our porches ready for warm weather, relaxing and entertaining.

1. Spring Cleaning!
Mid April is a good time to wash away the remaining pollen that greets us every spring. I use a large bucket of warm water with mild detergent and a very small splash of bleach to wash floors and metal furniture, and then rinse well. It is also a great time to sand away any hints of rust and then touch up paint. White has always been a classic porch color but “Charleston green” and “cottage black” are also excellent, versatile colors.

Also, if it is time to repaint your porch, you might consider painting your porch ceiling “sky blue”. This is an old trick to keep wasps and bees from nesting on your ceiling.

2. Assess your furniture needs.
Porch furniture should be comfortable and able to withstand moisture. Wicker and metal have long been ideal choices for outdoor use but there are new plastic pieces that resemble wicker that also work well. Rockers are usually the first seats to be taken so consider having one or two on your porch. Chinese garden stools have become very popular again offering extra pull up seating or a space to rest a drink. If space allows, a dining table is a great addition for dining alfresco or a spot to cut watermelon and serve children without worries of drips on the carpet.

3. Add some fresh accents.

  • Accents are a great way to freshen up and give personality to your outdoor room.
  • You might think about adding one or two of these accents to your porch.
  • A rug feels good to bare feet and anchors the sitting area. While we love natural fibers, the newer rugs that appear natural woven can be washed with a spray hose are very practical. You can also have an artist paint a “rug” on your wooden porch floor to give interest.
  • Toss out some throw pillows in cool colors made of indoor/outdoor fabric that resists fading and mildew. Throw pillows are an inexpensive way to freshen up any room.
  • Lighting is a nice addition. Hurricane globes offer soft candle light, lanterns and iron chandeliers fitted with candles are popular. Also, there are some great new lamps on the market made for outdoor use.

4. Make your space a garden room.
Ferns and palms add a sense of coolness to the porch and also visually soften the hard surfaces of the porch. Begonia are a great shade plant that add touches of color. Wind chimes, gurgling water from a nearby fountain are delights to the ear as are the hum of crickets in the evening. A gardenia or jasmine vine planted near the porch offers great seasonal smells that make us enjoy our garden room.

Now is the perfect time to extend your living area to the outdoors. Enjoy planning your space and take time to enjoy nature.

Nan Bridgeman is the owner of Blythe Gallery in downtown Belmont. Blythe Gallery specializes in home furnishings, interior design, and gifts. p: 704.825.8809

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News From The Furniture Market

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Every April and October, I have the wonderful opportunity to attend the High Point Furniture Market. It is an exciting time when like-minded people come together from all over the world to see and discuss what’s available in the world of interior design. It’s always exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time!! One of the highlights of the week was seeing Kathy Ireland surprise Angelo Surmelis (Host of HGTV’s “Rate Your Space”) in his showroom where he was previewing his new line of home furnishings. Even Angelo seemed a little star-struck!
Of course, another highlight was getting to see the color and style trends up close and in person. And, thanks to Gaston Alive!, you, too, can be among the first to discover the current trends for interior design.

STUDS, STUDS AND MORE STUDS!
Everywhere I looked there were nailheads and metal studs. Nailheads have always been used on traditional upholstery styles. Now, we are also seeing them on more contemporary styles in a brighter, livelier fashion. But, it doesn’t stop there. Nailheads, or studs, are appearing on casegoods (wood furniture), accent pieces and accessories. And, they’re not just being used around the edge of pieces but they are being applied in patterns that truly make the pieces unique and interesting.

MARCHING TO YOUR OWN BEAT
Drum shades widely populated the showrooms, both in overhead lighting and lamps. They were seen in all sizes. In furniture showrooms, large drum chandeliers were used over dining room tables while oversized drum chandeliers were used as center lights over seating arrangements. And, the use of drum-shaped shades on the lamps dominated the scene, taking one back to the 60’s.

THE 60’S, REALLY?
Yes, really. The drum-shaped lamp shades weren’t the only thing which was reminiscent of the 60’s. The use of metal on upholstered furniture and the clean, uncomplicated lines of the furniture designs easily took one back to the 1960’s. However, many of these pieces easily mingled with the more transitional styles popular today. Some of my favorite items included the low barrel-shaped chairs. These can be pulled either toward the traditional or the contemporary side of design simply by the fabric used on them. In fact, great accent chairs are being offered by most of the furniture companies today. A couple of well-chosen accent chairs with coordinating throw pillows for your sofa can be a fairly inexpensive way to give your room new life.

LAYERS OF NEUTRAL
One of the predominate color palettes in the showroom settings was neutrals layered with neutrals. In these settings, there was no true color used. It was either a combination of varying shades of white and taupe or white and gray. These “non-color” schemes created a very soothing and relaxing, yet classic setting.

POPS OF BOLD COLOR
On the other hand, there is another trend towards bold pops of true color against a fairly neutral background, especially a white background. This is a fun and energetic look. It also creates a palette that is easy to modify as one’s mood or trends change! The key is to make sure the larger pieces in the room are white or neutral and the bold color is brought in through throw pillows, accessories and accent furniture.

All in all, it was a great market, leaving me inspired and looking forward to sharing these design trends with you. Just remember, your style never goes out of style. Let’s decorate!

by Anna McMahan Hastings

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Steampunk

Friday, September 16th, 2011

The definition of Steampunk is one that will differ from person to person, but this one is a collaboration of my thoughts…“An imaginary Victorian age, that features metal clockwork and steam-powered inventions that go far beyond 1800′s technology. Steam powered mechanical wonders, optimistic gear driven computers, clockwork firts, vintage keys, nuts & bolts and so much more! It’s a genre and a design aesthetic. A philosophy which entitles us to challenge our artistic side and combine the future with the past.”

In the Jewelry world, Steampunk has become a aesthetic style for a lot of designers. Every person creates their own trend, helping this movement to keep evolving. It is amazing to see some of the things that people can create and let their imagination take them!

DO YOU WANT TO TRY?

Make this trend your own, remember, there are no directions.. just your creativity… The best place to begin your journey on this every growing trend, is open that jewelry box, find a thrift store, antique store.. and tear apart old costume jewelry, watches, brooches, earrings, even find those old keys, coins…anything can be used… and just start piecing it together like a puzzle!

If you would like to create a piece for yourself, and are lost in your array of “vintage” items.. just stop by DenimNotes Beads & Boutique, and I would love to help you create your very first steampunk piece!!!

Here are some pieces I have created, maybe this will help in- spire you! I have also created: mother’s vintage watches with their grand childrens pictures inside and was able to wear it as a bracelet; lockets with collage images, clock gears and butter- fly wings; and so much more!

NOT INTO JEWELRY MAKING?

This style has grown over the past couple of years, and doesn’t just pertain to jewelry, but also to appliances, home decor, even vehicles. Check out the internet to find some great examples!

Deni Shultz
www.denimnotes.com
704.479.1260

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Fun Paper Beads, You Can Make!

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

By Deni Shultz

GoingGREEN…

Everyone’s trying to go green this year, so why not try it with everyone’s favorite accessory..

Jewelry!!!

Instead of putting it in a bin… why not use your old newspaper, magazines, wrapping paper,

torn books or even those small pieces of scrap book paper that you don’t  know what to do with,

and recycle it into wearable jewelry! Below are super easy instructions on how to create

paper beads, so easy that it’s even a great project for kids! And with these paper beads …

you can create one of a kind necklaces, earrings or bracelets!!

 

materials

• Any type of paper (cardboard or cardstock are not great for this project, as it is too thick and

may split or tear while rolling into bead shape, and may be to hard for children to roll)

• Scissors or exacto knife

• Pencil/ Pen

• Ruler

• Needle or toothpick

• Glue such as Tacky Glue or Mod Podge

• Fishing wire or plastic wire, or similar thread

• Surface safe for cutting & gluing

 

instructions

1. On your protective surface, you want to start by measuring a

triangle from one corner to the opposite end of the paper, as

shown in the image to your right.

BEAD SHAPE & SIZE: The shape of your bead is created by

how thin or wide you make your triangle. The wider the bottom

of your triangle the wider your bead. The size of your

bead is also created by how long the strip of paper you make

your triangle on, the longer the strip, the larger the bead becomes.

(If you would like a round flat bead, use thick paper

such as card stock or cardboard)

2. Once you have your triangles drawn out, cut them along the

drawn lines, either with your scissors or your exacto knife.

3. Now you are going to start the construction of creating your actual bead. Use your toothpick or needle,

and start from the thickest part of your stirp, begin rolling it tightly around the toothpick or needle. When

you get to end of the paper, put a small dab of glue and press it down onto the bead, and hold it for a few

seconds.

4. Once you have created all your beads, string them temporarily onto fishing line or similar wire, and brush

a thin coat of mod podge. Once dry put one more coat and leave for a couple hours to dry.

When the beads are dry you can use them to create a beautiful piece of jewelry, using other beads to accent

them. Use them to create a necklace, bracelet or even earrings!

And remember, as you create your beads, you can experiment, etc.

For more information visit me at

www.denimnotes.com

704-479-1260

 

 

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Room Makeover Success!

Thursday, April 7th, 2011
By Anna Hastings
The day has finally come to makeover that certain room in your house.  So, where do you begin?  First and foremost, you need to ask yourself a few important questions so you know what needs to go in the room.  Some questions you might ask would be:
·         What is the purpose of the room?  (Watching TV, playing games, reading, visiting, etc.)
·         Who will use the room?  (Primarily adults, children, animals)
·         What are all of the activities that will take place in the room?
These questions will help you to determine what type of furniture, equipment or accent pieces should or should not go into the room.
Once you have defined the purpose and use of the room, you should do a floor plan.  One of the mistakes people most often make is buying too much furniture for the space they have.  Furniture looks much smaller in a 10,000sf building with high ceilings than it will when placed in a 12’x14’ room in your home.  This is why a floor plan is vital to a successful room design.
The simplest way to do a floor plan is to measure and draw out the perimeter of the room on graph paper.  Be sure to mark all of the windows, doors and openings to other rooms, along with any other architectural elements such as bookshelves and fireplaces.  Once this is done you can cut out furniture pieces from an additional piece of graph paper in simple shapes, making them to scale (i.e., an 84” sofa or a 75” loveseat).  Then, you can move the pieces around until you get the ideal layout for the room, making sure that you have plenty of room for all of your main traffic areas.
So, now that you know what items you need in the room, it’s time to get creative.  If you don’t already have a vision for how you want to decorate the room, start looking for an inspiration piece.  You will know it when you see it.  It might be a great area rug, piece of artwork, or a fabulous fabric.  This will help to give your design some direction and cohesiveness.  Now, you are ready to start selecting the specific items for your room.
I usually start by selecting the items for which there are the fewest choices and then work my way out to the items or accents which offer the most choices, such as paint.  Since there are an infinite number of paint colors, I recommend letting this be the last decision you make for your design even though it might be one of the first things you need to do when you actually put the room together.  If your design calls for an area rug, you might want to start with this selection and then move to fabrics for your upholstered furniture, bedding, window treatments and accessories.  Be sure to keep your inspiration piece in mind, and preferably in front of you, as you make your selections.
Once the major pieces are selected, it is time to put the “jewelry” on.  Now, you can choose the style and hardware for your window treatments and determine what accessories (lamps, artwork, throw pillows, etc) you want to place in the room.  And, last but certainly not least, choose your paint color for your walls if that is part of your plan.  It should be an easy decision to make once you have your inspiration piece and all of your fabrics laid out before you.
But, most importantly, don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the process.  It makes the end result that much sweeter!
For more decorating tips, please visit my website at www.decdens.com/ahastings
704-813-6560 or 704-825-1993
anna.hastings@decoratingden.com

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All About Wine!

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
By Glenn  Stryker
Welcome to my occasional new column at Gaston Alive! which is modestly entitled  “All about Wine”!     And although these columns will be about wine, they won’t be recommendations for specific wines, but rather wine styles, varieties, regions and wineries.  Now you may be thinking “ I want recommendations!”.  Two reasons why you won’t get that here; first I sell wine for a living and do not want to influence you to buy a product that I may or may not sell.  The other and more important reason; I want you to make your own choices based on what you like , rather than what I think of a wine.  So with that out of the way, let’s talk about our first wine.  Drum roll please….Sparkling Wine (Champagne, Cava, Cremant, Prosecco, Spumante, Sekt, they are all synonymous).
Champagne and Sparkling wines are a category of wine typically from a blend of grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, but there are many more varieties from many different countries. A great description of what a good Champagne or Sparkling wine should offer was succinctly stated by  Dom Perignon’s famous quote : “Come quickly, I am tasting stars !”
Where do those bubbles come from? The bubbles of sparkling wines are formed during a second fermentation process.  For the second fermentation the winemaker takes still wine and adds a few grams of sugar and a few grams of yeast. This yeast and sugar convert to carbon dioxide (bubbles) and, of course alcohol.  This conversion makes for millions of bubbles trapped in a very small space, sending the pressure soaring to about 80 psi in the typical bottle of sparkling wine.  This second fermentation typically occurs in the actual bottle, but can also take place in the fermentation tank; it’s up to the winemaker’s preferred method.
What am I smelling and tasting? The aroma can be reminiscent of fresh applesauce, spiced apple, ripe pear and “fresh baked bread” smells, compliments of the yeast that’s added during the second fermentation. The flavors- apple, pear, citrus, strawberry, cream and vanilla (typically on the finish), yeast and nutty flavors are all common denominators in Sparkling wines and Champagnes
How can you tell if the wine is sweet or dry? On the label if it reads “Brut Nature” it is bone dry, ”Extra Brut” and ”Brut” are dry, “Extra Sec” is medium dry, “Demi Sec” is sweet and “Dolce” is very sweet.
What do I eat with these wines? Well salted foods are a natural pairing, everyone has probably heard of Caviar and Champagne.  Most have never had caviar so here are my lists, Brie and Gouda, buttered popcorn (add some fresh rosemary in with the popcorn), potato chips, shrimp and shellfish, dried salami’s, sweet breads and mascarpone cheese, fruit based desserts, and shortbread cookies.
When do I drink these wines? Of course special occasions are what most people reserve these wines for, but I believe every day can be a special occasion!
Cheers,
Glenn Stryker
Questions?  If you have questions or there is a wine topic you’d like to see explored, please email them to info@gastonalive.com with “Wine” in the subject line.

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