Summer 2009
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Invitation to Summer
I LOVE cocktail napkins. Aside from their graphic appeal — and the options of paper, linen, holiday, seasonal, formal, or fun — just having a supply of the hospitable squares on hand implies the possibility of socializing. The fantasy of throwing a party provides its own gratifying entertainment. You compose an ideal guest list with […]
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Stretching the Boundaries of Yoga
Designers tend to be conceptual, big-picture types. But even given that, pairing yoga with architecture and urban planning seems a stretch, so to speak. It’s a connection that makes sense, however, to urban designer-cum-yoga instructor Barbi Stalburg Bell. “One is creating a physical space and one is creating a mental, spiritual, and physical space,” she […]
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Kemble’s Keepers
Sought-after interior designer Celerie Kemble has released a coffee-table book attractive enough to grace the sophisticated rooms she creates. But Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste ($45, Clarkson Potter/Publishers), is more than a pretty look book. Kemble, a principal in Kemble Interiors, a firm started by her mother, Mimi McMakin, dishes philosophy, affordable hints, and opinions. […]
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A Welcoming Spirit
In June, six metro Detroit women are eagerly awaiting their move into a new home in Farmington Hills. Call it a kinder, gentler house — kind, because its configuration is mindful of developmental disabilities, and gentle, because it goes easy on the environment. The residence, a group home on a quiet side street in Farmington […]
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Décor with an Italian Accent
In addition to the arrival of Italians in the form of Fiat personnel at Chrysler’s Auburn Hills headquarters, several other Italian manufacturers are establishing higher profiles here.
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Almost Invisible
Appropriately named Float glassware, by Vancouver-based Molo Design, is visually airy and minimally elegant. Crafted by master glassblowers in the Czech Republic, the Float line is made from water-clear German borosilicate glass, which is said to be an extremely pure and chemically inert material that is resistant to thermal shock. The line includes champagne flutes, […]
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Living Light
1. Neutral: The color of sand or inherited wicker in a lakeside cottage keeps interiors warm and organic year-round. Hyacinth Natural Drum Table, $229, at area Ethan Allen stores; ethanallen.com. 2. Archival: Properly placed wall coverings lend architectural interest and warmth. Farrow & Ball artisanal “Lotus Papers” block-printed wallpaper collection is drawn from 19th-century archives (available in […]
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A Garden Plot
Flint-born artist Kelly Reemtsen’s output isn’t subject to simple interpretation. For instance, her 2008 oil, Pink Waterhose (With White Dress), above, looks innocuous enough; a woman appears ready to water her flowers. But look at the way she’s clutching the hose, almost as if it’s a weapon. “Kelly herself has a sense of humor, but […]
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Setting Pretty
Lunch at Tiffany’s David McGowen, president of Chapman House, used items from his home-design emporium in downtown Rochester. Patterned pillows (made in-house) were tucked into Jonathan Charles Wildwood chairs for comfort and a vibrant accent that played off the coral china. McGowen’s floral designer, LorrieAnn Minock, created the faux-flower centerpiece. Animal-shaped boxes by Olivia […]
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Summer Tomato Salad
With Baby Spinach and Fresh Aromatics. Makes 8 servings.
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Sultry Sounds for Hot Nights
In Portuguese, bossa nova means “new trend,” and this lovely Brazilian music swept through America like a caressing Rio breeze in the late 1950s and throughout the ’60s. Its roots are in the samba, but bossa nova is less percussive and more melodic, typified by the lilting, soft music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, […]
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Outside the Box
GROWTH INDUSTRY Even tiny plots can benefit from the services of a landscape architect or designer, whose extensive knowledge of plants and their proper placement can help you avoid costly mistakes and keep your investment growing for years to come. It’s important to consider the big picture when thinking about landscaping, area experts say. […]
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Common Ground
1959 Cape Cod it isn’t. Airy, transparent, and woodsy, the only obvious element this contemporary shares with the former home is their literal common ground — an enviable bluff-top site overlooking the Huron River near Ann Arbor.
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‘Like 24-hour Zen’
When the draperies are closed, the look is sophisticated New York penthouse. But when the curtains are opened on the expansive windows in this Birmingham condo, a Midwestern scene appears, becoming a panoramic pastoral painting in Terry and Ron Hughes’ home. “We moved from a much larger house where we sat in our living room […]
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Brush Up on Paint
Jill and Andrew Greene had been house-hunting for several months before settling on a well-maintained colonial in Farmington Hills. When they took possession, their first order of business was to make it their own by changing the wall color. Thinking “paint is paint,” and hoping to save money, the couple decided to go to their […]
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The ABCs of AC
Uneven Cooling? All winter long, we dream about warm days ahead — right up to the point when sweltering summer nights keep us tossing and turning, wondering why the air conditioning isn’t cooling the bedrooms or, worse yet, how high the next utility bill will be. Uneven cooling is a common problem. Because hot air […]
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Crawl Space or Slab?
Slab foundationCrawl spaceWhat is it?A concrete slab foundation is made up of several inches of concrete and reinforcement iron rods, sitting slightly above ground…
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Garden-patch Organics
1. Treat soil as a living thing. Loosen it to allow air and water to flow. Feed it with compost. 2. Act rather than shop. Organic means simple, thoughtful, direct action without accessories. 3. Pick hard-working, disease-resistant varieties. Capital letters V, F, N, or T on a plant’s label indicate disease resistance. 4. Focus on […]
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Home Eco-nomicsd
True Green Home: 100 Inspirational Ideas for Creating a Green Environment at Home, by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin (National Geographic Society, $19.95), offers practical tips for shrinking your carbon footprint. Some examples: High-quality, durable kitchen utensils are less likely to end up in landfills after a short life of culinary service. Toasters and other […]
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Water Torture
When Robert Frost wrote the lines “Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice,” the gloomy poet must have been holed up in a dry, toasty room. That could explain why he omitted one other obvious calamity: water. When bucket-kicking time rolls around, I’m certain there’ll be a deluge of Old […]
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