Home By Design Magazine

HOME BY DESIGN|DECEMBER JANUARY 2006 1

MOMENTS

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.

“

~Sydney J. Har r i s

Happiness“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.

Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face,

kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”~Mothe r Te re sa

2 HOME BY DESIGN|DECEMBER JANUARY 2006

KIDS ROOMS

14 All Aboard

16 FUNctional

18 Sweet Dreams

20 A Room to Grow In

22 Storybook Appeal

SPECIAL SECTION

24 Digs A Go-Go

30 No More White Walls

34 Biltmore EstateA Look into Luxury and Grandeur

FEATURES

ContentsDECEMBER|JANUARY|2006

22

346

4 Reading RoomNew Kidscape Idea Book

6 CookingJust DessertsJust in Time For the Holidays

10 GardeningSimple and Elegant Water Gardens

42 GalleryPhotofiddle.comThe Easy Solution to Personalized Photo Art

44 DestinationSouth Pacific-style GetawayLittle Palm Island, FL

DEPARTMENTS 630


DECEMBER|JANUARY|2006

EDITOR MEGHAN LEE

CREATIVE TEAM ABIGAIL CATE, PAT MONTGOMERY, MADDIE O’BRIEN,

BECKHAM RYAN, LAURA SWAYNE

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JILLIAN BLUME, JANE COLOCCIA,

CATRIONA TUDOR ERLER, KIM FUQUA, ROXANNE JONES, DEBBIE L.

SKLAR, RONDA SWANEY, REBECCA SWEAT, JAN WALKER, PHIL WOOD

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS NELS AKERLUND, BILTMORE

ESTATE, KATHI INGLESBY, LITTLE PALM ISLAND, BILL MCNAMEE,

RON RUSIO, KAREN SHELL, ANDY TEMPLETON, PHIL WOOD

OFFICE MANAGER PAT MONTGOMERY

PROGRAMMING BILL BAKER, TODD NEUMILLER

DESIGN NICOLA AUGUSTSON

PUBLISHER TWENTY-TWO FIVE PUBLISHING, INC.

PROOFREADERS GAIL DARNELL, AMBER LINDROS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BRANDON LEE

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER STEVE SWAYNE

ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICE

11626 N.Tracey Road, Hayden ID 83835 208-772-8060, FAX 208-772-8061Advertising Inquiries: [email protected] Inquiries or feedback: [email protected]/editorial.html

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Home By Design is a complete custom publisher with many options tohelp you promote your business. If you are interested in more informationabout your own customized magazine or marketing program pleasecontact us at our sales office.Copyright 2005 Twenty-Two Five Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Ahouse where kids live is a house filled with energy,imagination, activity, and fun. Parents are eager forideas for children’s spaces that celebrate that spirit of

play, while addressing such practical issues as storage, safety,and kids’ changing needs. Such concerns go much deeper thansuperficial decorating options—parents need solutions thataddress the whole design of a house and its adaptability for themany stages of childhood.

For just these kinds of questions, New Kidspace Idea Book is aplanning handbook full of fresh ideas for rooms that are justfor kids and for rooms where the whole family spends timetogether-including bedrooms, baths, kitchens, family rooms,playrooms, study areas, treehouses, and playhouses. “It used tobe that American homes were designed mainly for the adultsin the family,” says author Wendy Jordan. “Kids had to fit intostaid, decidedly adult environments how best they could.Now, I’m happy to say, it’s the other way around: MostAmerican families are centered around the kids, and they wantbright, kid-friendly home environments.”

Jordan avoids trendy decorating ideas, putting the focusinstead on why storage, materials, layout, lighting, and morecan make a real difference in how well a room works for thewhole family. “Parents want to create fun, distinctive, age-appropriate rooms for their kids,” says Jordan. “I see NewKidspace Idea Book as precisely that—a compendium of freshideas that parents can mix, match, copy or adapt to produce rooms

just right for their own children. Some parents may want to tacklethe designs themselves. Others may want to use the book as asort of notebook of ideas to discuss with an architect, remodel-er or designer.” All of the ideas keep one goal in mind: makinga comfortable and safe place where kids enjoy spending time.

Jordan feels that there are three kinds of projects that areespecially fun. “One: Projects designed with help from thekids themselves. Examples are the colorful preteen’s roomthat features furniture fashioned and made by the girl herself,and the bathroom where the walls are decorated with rubberstamps made from a little boy’s drawings. Two: Rooms withsecret compartments and fun, kid-size features, such as thebed with the time capsule in the bedpost, and the little door-way between kids’ rooms.Three: I think the rooms that changeas the kids grow are very helpful to parents.”

One of Jordan’s favorite projects for this book was thevibrant, whimsical, and outdoorsy toddler’s room she calledStyle on a Shoestring. Jordan says, “It is so clever, so fun andfunctional, and yet was so inexpensive to do. I like this projectbecause it does such a good job of showing that great kidspacesdon’t have to be expensive or elaborate. They just need to beyoung at heart.”

Wondering where to start with your kid’s room? From bed-room makeovers to clutter control, New Kidspace Idea Bookpresents up-to-date ideas for every house and every budget forcreating fun and practical places for children.

READING ROOM


New Kidspace Idea BookQUICK MAKEOVERS, CLUTTER CONTROL, STORAGE ROOMS THAT GROW UP,OUTDOOR PLAY AREAS AUTHOR: WENDY A. JORDANREVIEW WRITTEN BY KIM A.FUQUA

Softcover: $19.95160 pages

Publisher:The Taunton Press

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Ah, the holidays. What an incredible time of year. No matter your religious beliefs,December is a great time of the year. People are a little friendlier, companies have parties,the weather is cooler and it’s a great time to think about our youngest generations.

In this issue, we wanted to find out what is new and hot in interior design for the little onesand teens.We bring you 5 fabulous examples of kid’s rooms. If you are planning a re-model orjust want to update a room for a favorite child in your life, this issue will be a great resource.If you are on a tight budget but want to spruce up a kid’s room in your home, you mustread the article about Digs A Go-Go on page 24. Digs A Go-Go is a wonderful DVD thatwill help you plan and finish your next project. I plan on using the step-by-step guide in ournext bedroom makeover for my own kids.

Not to leave out adults entirely, we also have two wonderful articles for you. First,Debbie Sklar wrote an article on Color. It is an easy-to-read article on how to add andselect color in your home with confidence. I have always found that no matter how muchexperience I have with color I am always a bit nervous making the final selections becausea color sample is never quite the same as when it’s put on a large wall in your home.

Finally, I am very excited to bring you the article on the historic Biltmore Estate.Trulythe most intriguing residence in the United States, the Biltmore Estate is a 250-roomFrench Renaissance-style chateau tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains in NorthCarolina. The article is a must-read but the home itself is a must-see for any history buff,designer or anyone who just loves to visit fascinating homes.

As always, I encourage you to thank the person who sent you this magazine. By sendingyou Home By Design is their way of saying thank you and they look forward to working withyou soon. Please let them know that you appreciate their thoughtfulness with a short noteor quick phone call to tell them “thanks.”

Enjoy!

Greetings!letter from the editor

T

Candy Cane Cookies

T

COOKING


DessertsThe house is decorated inside and out inholiday cheer and the shopping is (nearly)finished. Now it’s time to light the applecinnamon candles and begin the annualtradition of baking up some fun and festivetreats! Nothing satisfies that sweets-lovinginner child like a batch of warm out ofthe oven cookies. Holiday cookies are notonly great to have on hand to serve guests,but make great gifts presented in deco-rator tins. Better than a fruitcake any day!

Laura Swayne has provided two of herfavorite cookie recipes here; CandyCane Cookies and Russian Tea Balls areboth standards that transport us back toour own childhoods. Don’t forget toinvolve the kids in preparing thesetreats! For a really sweet finale, let yourguests dive into Swayne’s ChocolateBread Pudding with peppermint ice-cream, or fill up on a couple of slices ofwarm Pumpkin Cake Roll. No matterwhat sort of celebrations you’re plan-ning this year, these fun dessert recipesare sure to help you survive the season insweet style.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

CANDY CANE COOKIESThese cookies are a simple and festive Christmasstaple. Swayne likes to use plastic gloves whenworking with the red food coloring so that herhands don’t stay red for days! Kids of all ageslove these!

(SERVINGS: 18 cookies)Prep Time: 13⁄4 hours.

Bake Time: 8-10 minutes

1⁄2 Pound butter1 Cup powdered sugar1 Egg1⁄2 Teaspoon vanilla1⁄2 Teaspoon peppermint extract1⁄4 Teaspoon salt21⁄2 Cups flour1⁄4 Teaspoon red food coloring1 Tablespoon corn syrup10 Hard peppermint candies, crushed

Cream butter and powdered sugar untilfluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, peppermint, and salt.Slowly add flour until well mixed. Dividethe dough in half, adding food coloring toone half, until it is evenly colored.Wrap bothhalves in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Shape a teaspoon ofdough into a 4-inch cylinder. Do the samewith the red dough. Twist the two togetherand shape into a candy cane. Place on greasedcookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 8-10 minutes, not allowing cookies tobrown.While cookies are warm, brush lightlywith corn syrup and sprinkle with crushedpeppermints.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDINGWITH PEPPERMINT ICE-CREAMThis one is a little time consuming, but fun ifyou have time. Decadent and yummy!

(SERVINGS: 8-10)

Prep Time: 11⁄2 hours

Bake Time: 13⁄4 hours

1 12” loaf French bread or brioche,cut into 12 slices

3⁄4 Cup butter 8 Ounces semisweet chocolate2 Cups whipping cream2 Cups milk1 Cup sugar 12 Egg yolks1 Teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425. On cookie sheet,brush bread slices with butter. Toast untilgolden brown on first side, then flip andtoast until golden brown on second side.Place side by side, overlapping, in a greased12x9 baking dish.

Coarsely chop chocolate and place in asmall bowl. Place bowl in another bowl fullof hot water. Allow chocolate to melt, stir-ring occasionally.

In a saucepan, bring the cream and milkalmost to a boil over medium heat. Whilecream mixture is heating, whisk together ina large bowl the egg yolks and sugar untilwell blended. Slowly add the hot cream mix-ture, whisking continually. Strain the mix-ture into another bowl, and skim off any

RECIPES BY LAURA SWAYNE|WRITTEN BY KIM A. FUQUA|PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHI INGLESBY

just

foam. Slowly pour this mixture into themelted chocolate, mixing well. Add vanillaand salt.

Pour chocolate mixture evenly overbread and gently cover with plastic wrap.Place a smaller pan on top to weigh downthe bread and keep it submerged. Allow tosit for 1 hour, making sure the bread hassoaked up the chocolate.

Remove pan and plastic wrap. Cover withfoil. Poke a few holes in the foil for steam toescape. Place pan in a larger pan filled withwater to 3⁄4 the sides of the pudding dish.Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 13⁄4

hours, until chocolate liquid is absorbed andtop looks glossy. Serve warm with pepper-mint ice cream.

TWIST: Serve with vanilla ice-cream and caramelsauce instead of the peppermint ice-cream.

PUMPKIN CAKE ROLL This is Swayne’s friend Judy’s recipe, which shesays is a bit different, beautiful, and always a hitat Christmas dessert exchanges.

(SERVINGS: 8)

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes

CAKE3 Eggs 2⁄3 Cup canned pumpkin 3⁄4 Cup flour3 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice1 Cup finely chopped pecans

or walnuts1 Cup sugar1 Teaspoon lemon juice1 Teaspoon baking powder1⁄2 Teaspoon salt

FILLING1 Cup powdered sugar 6 Ounces cream cheese 4 Tablespoons butter1⁄2 Teaspoon vanilla

For cake:Preheat oven to 375. Beat eggs on high

speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar.Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. In a separatebowl mix together dry ingredients. Fold dryingredients into pumpkin mixture. Spread into

a greased and floured jelly roll pan, 15x10x1.Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn out onto a hand towel sprinkledwith powdered sugar. Starting at narrowend, roll towel and cake together and letcool completely.

Mix filling ingredients. Unroll cake.Spread with filling and roll back up. Chilluntil ready to serve. Slice, and sprinkle withpowdered sugar before serving.

HINT: Put in the freezer to freeze hard, andthen allow to soften a bit in the refrigeratorbefore serving.

BRANDY’S FAVORITE RUSSIANTEA BALLSThis is another favorite holiday recipe that people are always looking for.

(SERVINGS: 3 dozen cookies)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 10-12 minutes

1 Cup butter, softened1⁄2 Cup powdered sugar 1 Teaspoon vanilla21⁄4 Cups flour 1⁄4 Teaspoon salt3⁄4 Cup finely chopped pecans3⁄4 Teaspoon baking soda

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Cream togetherbutter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Mixremaining ingredients together, and add tobutter mixture. Mix until dough holdstogether. Shape into 1” balls and place onungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 min-utes. Don’t allow to brown. While stillwarm, roll in powdered sugar. After ballshave cooled, roll in powdered sugar again.

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“Cooking is like love.It should be entered

into withabandon,or not at all.

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~Har r i e t van Hor ne


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GARDENING


simple and

AAn attractive water garden can be made out of a well-chosen

ceramic pot. Select a style of container that reinforces the themeof your garden. Italian terra cotta will enhance a Mediterraneaninspired garden, while an Asian or contemporary pot will seta different tone. If your pot has a hole in it, plug it with a corkor epoxy a patch of plastic or metal over it.You may want todrain the pot in the winter and turn it over in a sharp freeze soexpanding ice will not break it, or simply remove the cork.Wood half barrels make good water containers too.

Add a pump and you have a self-contained fountain. Youneed a power source near the fountain to plug the pump into.Place the pump in the bottom of the container and run a rigidpipe straight up from it so it breaks the surface.This will createa gentle splash of water. Control the height of the jet by addinga valve to the pipe.

Instead of putting it together yourself, consider purchasinga stand-alone fountain that is ready to go. Many of them aremade of durable cast stone and most include a pump that issized to match the fountain.You will be able to find one to suitany garden style, from English to Italian to contemporary.Wallfountains are another simple easy-care solution.These are self-contained units that hang on a fence or wall. Add water, plugit in and away you go. Find stand-alone fountains and wallfountains at garden centers. A good online resource isCampania International at campaniainternational.com.

Be aware that standing water in pools can offer breedingplaces for mosquitoes, definitely a concern with threats of WestNile virus, a mosquito-born disease. One solution for controlis to change the water weekly; another is to use mosquitodunks, doughnut shaped bacteria tablets.The bacteria toxin in

these won’t hurt birds, pets or ornamental pond fish but willeliminate the mosquitoes.

Another idea is to add a few goldfish, which will eat themosquito larvae.The fish may attract raccoons, even in urbanneighborhoods, so provide hiding places for the fish with a fewbricks stacked up to make voids where they can hang out whendanger strikes.

If you want a larger feature, an above ground pool is moreeasily built than digging a hole to put one in the ground.You willbe able to use the top edge of the pool for seating. The wallscan be built of 4 x 6 timbers and lined with a rubber pool liner.For a more classic look consider having a mason build one outof stone. A good size is about four to five feet square. Be sureto have a drain installed in the bottom for easy cleaning.

Add a pump and a fountain to get the sound of movingwater.A whimsical fountain in my garden is made out of an oldmetal watering can. The water runs through plastic tubingfrom the pump up through the bottom of the watering can andout the spout.

Pondless water features are becoming very popular becauseof their ease of care. An elegant one can be created with astone container.Water flows over the top and down the sidesinto rounded beach stones at the base.The water actually flowsinto a hidden basin and is pumped back into the pot by aninvisible pump. A pondless waterfall can be made a similarway, with water flowing over a few decorative rocks into thegravel, without the fuss of cleaning a pond.

Enjoy the essential element of water in your garden. Keepit simple to start.You can always add larger and more complexfeatures if time, budget and interest allow.

Add the magic of water to your garden even if you do not have the time or inclination to care for a largepool or waterfall. Even a small feature can have a big impact. The key is to keep it simple if you want tokeep it easy to maintain.

WRITTEN BY PHIL WOOD|PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL WOOD

elegantwater gardens

for Kids and Teens!RoomsKid’s rooms do not seem to get as much attention as other rooms in our homes. We tend to think that kids willput their own things on the walls or worse,they will just color directly on the walls andmake their own eclectic designs. However, itis very important for kids to have a space thatthey can call their own. Whether they aresharing a room with a sibling or they are for-tunate enough to have their own room, a little

personal touch is good for them.In this section, you will see 5 examples of

rooms for kids. They are decorated with atheme but more importantly they are decorat-ed to be functional and sturdy. These roomsare designed to help their occupants grow,learn and imagine.

Enjoy!

Cool


All Aboard!

“When I originally looked at the room, theclients had some current-day trains and air-plane bedding. I decided to go along with

that theme but do a 1900s vintage style to match the era of thehome,” says Andi Cassem of Andi Cassem Interior Design Inc.

Cassem’s jumping-off point for the design was the trainmural. She says, “I started by figuring out how to create an areawhere the kids could sleep and then an area where they couldactually utilize the room and have a play area.” The muralsdone in the room were created by professional artists. MuralistRobert Ryan of Over the Moon Studios created the trainmural as well as the ceiling art. Cassem explains how themural is used to divide the space: “It’s painted on heavy-dutyfoam core. By doing the train mural, which has a three-dimen-sional effect, and attaching it to the front of the bed, that cam-ouflaged the bed and made the sleeping area its own entity andthe play area its own entity.”

Ryan also created the ceiling art, which includes clouds andtwo airplanes personalized with the names of the two boys

sharing the room. He painted the airplanes on canvas off siteand then adhered them to the ceiling later.The rock wall andtunnel from which the train seems to emerge were created byanother muralist, Michel Laurine, of Great Walls.

The color palette of the room is restful and calming. SaysCassem, “The walls are light sage green. I chose that colorbecause it was a soothing vintage color of green. I was tryingto give it a den-like feeling.” Other vintage pieces dot theroom, making it seem timeless. Cornice boards top the win-dows and are wrapped in a traditional map pattern. The rail-road sign in the corner of the room belonged to the home-owners and now serves double duty as a coat rack and lamp.Cassem explains: “When [the homeowners] gave it to me tosee if I could use it in the room, the whole thing was paintedwhite.We painted it to look rustic and weathered, and then weattached lights to it.”

The gas pump also is a current piece made to look weath-ered and old. It, too, serves multiple functions. The sign ontop lights up, the front houses a clock, and the door and the

WRITTEN BY RONDA SWANEY|PHOTOGRAPHY BY NELS AKERLUND

By avoiding a trendy look and relying on vintage colors andaccents, this children’s room promises to stay in style for years to come.

interior provide shelving and storage for the room.There was a method to the choices Cassem made in the

room. As for any child’s bedroom, the trick is making thedesign span several years. Cassem offers this tip: “For chil-dren’s rooms I try and do things that are not trendy. For thisone, I felt that by using vintage, it would never go out of style.By doing it in a den-like feeling it would grow with the child.We used a lot of adult colors in the room.”

But the vintage items and grown-up palette don’t make the

room stuffy. Children’s rooms provide a blank canvas forinventiveness. She explains, “You can be a lot more creative.You can do things that you wouldn’t normally do in a liv-ing room setting. We became very creative with ourmurals, which show that you can do a lot of unique thingsin children’s rooms.”

By avoiding trends and relying on timeless pieces, this roomis certain to provide room to grow for these two boys for yearsto come.

Vintage never goes out of style. Traditional accents and colorscomplement the style of the home and ensure that this

children’s bedroom won’t wear out its welcome.


“The homeownerswanted the childrento look forward to

coming over and for the room tobe special,” says Judy Fox of JudyFox Interiors. The homeownersare grandparents who dote ontheir grandchildren and wantedto provide a special place in theirhome just for them.

The space is roughly 15 by 20feet, and many features neededto be packed into it. More thanany other room in a home, achild’s bedroom allows for fun.Fox says, “I think that it’s anopportunity for some whimsy.You want to engage a child’simagination, and you have to think of what’s going to do that.When you start thinking about what children like to do, whichis use their imagination, you just need to provide them withthe tools. They can occupy themselves for a long time.” Thisroom provides many jumping-off points for a child’s imagination,

starting with the toy area.“Instead of toy storage we madeit look like a toy shop.You stepup, walk in, and the toys arearranged on the shelves.Everything is lit and pretty andmakes it look special,” says Fox.

Next to the toy shop is thetheater, a perfect place to playmake-believe. There is a ticketbooth so the children can “sell”tickets to their show. The cur-tain raises and lowers as in a realtheater. Behind the mirror is acloset to provide clothing storage.The mirror itself provides afunctional and practical purpose,letting the little playmakers see

themselves as they dress up in frilly frocks, jewelry, hats, and wigs.And, as every actress knows, her most important accessory isthe makeup table, which also is housed in this area.

Two queen beds sit opposite each other with a window seatbetween. Even this area shows a touch of whimsy.The valance

FUNctionalWRITTEN BY RONDA SWANEY|PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAREN SHELL

Full of fun and function, this bedroom delivers an away-from-home retreat when the grandchildren come to visit.



above announces the presence of the sweet shop, and, beneaththe window seat, pretend pastries sit on display. The bedsidetable serves two functions: first as a nightstand when it’s timefor sleeping and second as a tea table.The sides flip up to createthe perfect place for a tea party. However, always mindful offunction, Fox made sure the tables were hinged to the wall sothey could swing out and provide access for making the bed.

The room also provides a restful area for the children tosleep.The mural by the bed is an outdoor scene that seems toenlarge the space. Fox says of the mural, “We wanted it to pullyour eye in that direction and make it feel more open.” Themuted colors of the palette don’t compete with the stronger

primary colors of the children’s toys. “We tried to have a verypeaceful palette because there was so much going on.We didn’twant the room to be over-stimulating. All of these functionswere going on, so we wanted to be rather restrained in our useof color,” comments Fox.

Of course, the children were thrilled with the end result.“They were just delighted,” she says. “They were in and outthroughout the [design] anticipating what new thing theywould see each time they visited.” Naturally, the adults weretickled too. Says Fox, “I think we enjoyed the whimsy of it alland how many different functions that we could fit in. It’s reallya surprise when you walk in there.”

This page: The nightstand also plays a role as a tea table perfectfor playing with the pretend pastries beneath the window seat.Opposite: The pretend toy store provides a place for storage, asdoes the mirrored closet in the theater area.


Sweet DreamsWRITTEN BY JAN WALKER|PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY TEMPLETON

A little girl with big dreams gets a room of her very own…

Sweet dreams are practically guaranteed in this pinkconfection of a room designed for a little modern-dayprincess named Diana. A bona fide girly-girl, this fortu-

nate four-year-old is an aspiring ballerina who also shows earlypromise as an interior designer.

“She was very involved in the decision making process forthe room,” said Trudy White, owner and principle designer forInternational Interior Design of Orange County, California.“Such a petite little thing, and very precocious!”

Diana’s bedroom was part of a renovation of the entire fam-ily home in Diamond Bar, California.At the time, Diana was 21/2 years old, and making the transition from a crib to a twinbed, so the change in décor was accompanied by a change infunction for the room.

“The little girl was our first consideration in planning,”White said. “It had to be light, airy, playful and happy.”

“Pink is her favorite color,” said homeowner and Diana’smother Sirine Roumi. “She wanted everything pink, pink, pink!”

Inspired by her favorite animated character, “Angelina theBallerina,” a ballet-dancing mouse, Diana chose many ele-ments of the décor herself.

“I sat her on my lap while we were looking for bedding onthe computer,” Roumi said, “and let her pick what she wanted.”

Diana chose a lavishly quilted bedspread adorned withcolorful flowers and swirling ribbons. Matching decorativepillows feature sheer georgette trim. The bedding comple-ments the white, sleigh trundle bed. Beside the bed, a match-ing half-moon table holds a pink, ribbon motif lamp. Ornatecarved accents on the new bed, table, full-length mirror, andmatching armoire lend a vintage feel to the new bedroomsuite by Stanley.

“I wanted a warmer, more elegant look than the usual plain,white surfaces that is often seen in children’s furniture,”Roumi said.

Ruffled, cloud style draperies feature a pink liner and semi-sheer curtains with delicate embroidered dots. White crownmolding tops the pink walls and a white floral motif metal

chandelier with crystal dangles adds an extra touch of eleganceto the room.

A built-in desk with shelving provides plenty of displayspace for books, knick-knacks and other little-girl keepsakes.Sliding doors open to a balcony overlooking a view of theSouthern California hills, which White says, rivals the Italiancountryside.

Diana’s passion for ballet is also reflected on the walls.Muralist Victoria Ann Harris, of Culver City, California, paint-ed a cluster of white clouds, each featuring a tutu-clad balleri-na, on the pink wall above Diana’s bed. On an adjoining wall,Harris painted a pink and white striped trompe l’oeil bannerwith Diana’s name in elegant script.

Near the bed, a whimsical “princess chair” with Queen-Anne style legs, ornately scrolled arms, soft pink upholsteryand a carved crown back adds seating and provides a fittingperch from which Diana can survey her rosy domain.

“She just loves her room,” said Roumi.“When she first saw it, shesaid ‘Is this my room, Mommy? Can I sleep here all by myself?’”

The room, which took about one month to complete, wassomething of a departure for the designer.

“I had never done a child’s room before,” said Trudy White.“Most of my clients don’t have young children, and I loveddoing this. It added a wonderful, playful aspect to my work. Ienjoyed it very much.”

For Diana’s mother, the project was a resounding success.“It turned out even better than we had expected,” said Roumi,

who enjoys watching her young daughter put on her balletslippers and try to imitate the ballerinas painted on her wall.

That freedom to express herself might be the most appealingaspect of Diana’s bedroom.

“That’s what it was all about,” said White, “creating a won-derful, childlike environment where she could develop her little dreams.”

For more information about this project, and designerTrudy White, visit www.iidesign.net.



Homeowners Joe and Kathy Poindexter had onerequirement for the nursery for their newborn son,Benjamin: “We wanted to decorate just once and

have the room grow with him,” Kathy says. Babyish furnishingsand trendy motifs were off limits.That meant no lambs, bun-nies, or pastel color schemes. “We have two other children,and their nurseries were all clouds and bunny rabbits, so we’vekind of had our fill of newborn decor,” Kathy says, chuckling.

She and Joe wanted the room to be fun and cute for a babybut still be fitting for an older child.They also liked the idea ofa traditional, Americana-style theme. “We were really lookingfor a classic, kind of vintage feel,” Kathy says. “We wanted tostay away from the trendy cartoon characters that are populartoday but probably won’t be a few years from now.”

The starting point for the room was Kathy’s collection ofold-time teddy bears, the most special of which was a stuffedbear made from her grandfather’s blue cardigan sweater. Shewanted the teddy bear included in the room design. “When mygrandfather passed away a few years ago, I had the teddy bearmade out of his favorite sweater,” Kathy says. “Having this bearin Benjamin’s nursery gives him a connection with his great-grandfather, who he never met.”The bear was also a great wayto incorporate some nostalgia into the room.

Before Benjamin was born, the room had been used as aguest bedroom. Once Kathy had the old furniture taken out,she started at the room’s plain white walls. She moved in acrib, a changing table, and a rocking chair, but some decorativefurnishings and painting were obviously needed. That’s whenKathy contacted interior designer and children’s bedroomspecialist Sherri Blum.

With the couple’s vintage tastes in mind, Blum came upwith a plan for the nursery that is both simple and timeless.Kathy had told her that she wanted a red, white, and blue colorscheme for the nursery and that she wanted to use a teddy bearmotif. She already had a denim blue cover for the rockingchair, the blue teddy bears, a red crib sheet, and a blue quiltwith tan teddy bears. Blum took over from there.

The first step was to put a chair rail on the room’s four walls.After that was in place, Blum painted a faded faux denim paintfinish below the chair rail.This involved putting on a pale blue basecoat followed by a dark blue glaze. A stippling brush was usedto remove some of the glaze and to allow the baby blue to showthrough and give the wall a soft, worn-out denim look.The tophalf of the wall was painted a light beige color. Directly abovethe chair rails, Blum stenciled brown teddy bears and red stars.

With the walls finished and the furniture in place, it wasjust a matter of finding some decorative elements to fill theblank areas on the walls.Together, Blum and Kathy rummagedthrough some boxes in Kathy’s attic and basement to look forold photos and wall hangings.They came across a framed 1939New Yorker magazine cover of a toddler boy jumping on hisparents’ bed while they were trying to sleep.They also founda framed photo of Kathy’s father and his twin brother as youngboys wearing blue and white sweaters. Both of these werehung on the walls, adding to the sentimental tone already setin the room by the teddy bears.

Buried under some boxes, Blum discovered an old wood shelfwith hanging pegs. She painted and hung it on the wall as well.From the pegs she hung a pair of baby-sized denim overalls and abaseball cap. She placed the special grandfather bear on the shelf.

A Room to Grow inWRITTEN BY REBECCA SWEAT|PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MCNAMEE

Tired of newborn décor, these parents wanted a design that would last.


There was still some empty wall space, but there was nothingelse lying around the house that seemed to work. To fill onespot, Blum took a black and white photo of Benjamin andframed it for display on the wall. For the other empty wallspace, Blum went to a local craft store, purchased three woodenletters—B, P, and R, for Benjamin’s initials-and painted themto match the decor in the room. She then hung the lettersusing ribbons.

The end result is a nursery that has timeless appeal. “It’s abrand new room for Benjamin, but with all the sentimentaltouches, it also takes me back to the kind of room I had whenI was growing up,” Kathy says.

Certainly it’s a room Benjamin will enjoy for many years tocome. “The nursery can be easily turned into an older child’sroom by simply removing the crib and painting over the teddy bearborder above the chair rail,” Blum says. “The more expensive fauxfinish that’s below the chair rail can work for a boy no matterwhat his age and with many themes throughout the years, whichmeans less time and money having to be spent on redecorating.”

Storybook AppealA cute but sophisticated room for a 3-year old girl.WRITTEN BY REBECCA SWEAT|PHOTOGRAPHY BY NELS AKERLUND


“We want a bedroom for our3-year-old daughter that’scute yet sophisticated at the

same time,” the homeowners told Cary, Illinois,interior designer, Patricia Bailey.When Baileylearned that the couple’s daughter was inter-ested in art, she suggested a design for thebedroom that was based on the children’sbook, Linnea in Monet’s Garden.This is the storyof a young girl named Linnea, who travels toClaude Monet’s home to learn to paint likehim and see the garden which was the inspira-tion for so many of his masterpieces.

Bailey’s design incorporated a garden motifthroughout the room. She chose a colorscheme of periwinkle blue, pink, yellow andsoft green—the same hues Monet typicallyused in his paintings. The ceiling was paintedperiwinkle to resemble the sky, and the wallswere painted with a bright yellow glaze tosimulate sunshine. She painted the baseboardgreen, using long brush strokes that lookedlike blades of grass, and adorned that withwhimsical ladybugs. A mural of a willow treewas painted in one of the corners of the room.

Furniture selection was the next step. Thehomeowners already had a daybed and a largeFrench-style armoire in the room, whichworked well with the Monet theme. To dressup the daybed, Bailey selected a very colorfulgreen, yellow, blue and pink patchwork quilt,and a pink bed skirt that had ladybugs embroi-dered on it. Four large pillows were placed onthe daybed—two that were pink with yellowribbon trim and two that were yellow withpink ribbons. She also brought in a child’s sizechaise lounge that was a bright yellow.

The homeowners had a stained glass Tiffanylight fixture down the hall which Baileymoved to the bedroom. “The light fixture wasvery colorful, and picked up all the blues andyellows in the room,” Bailey notes.

For the hardwood floor, Bailey found twocircular area rugs. One was green shag, whichlooked like grass. This was offset by another,smaller off-white rug.

For the window treatment, Bailey used a129" silk crewel cornice that was embroi-dered in flowers. On each side, she hung

straight silk drapery panels. She put linenRoman shades on each of the three windows.“We went with soft, pastel-colored fabrics, tokeep with the light, airy feel for the room,”Bailey says.

There were already shelves on the walls,and these were painted yellow to match the wall.“The shelves had French-style brackets, whichalso added to the Monet theme,” Bailey notes.She placed some glass horse figurines on theshelf to pick up on the theme of a country gar-den, along with a couple of Linnea dolls.

A decorating touch that was both functionaland carried on with the storybook theme forthe bedroom was an old child-sized easelwhich Bailey found at a resale shop, and thenstained and refurbished. “The easel fit in nicelywith the bedroom since the girl who lives herelikes to paint, and Linnea, the character from thestory, was also learning to paint,” Bailey notes.

Other finishing touches included anantique green etagere, two step stools withladybugs on the upholstery, a copy of Linnea inMonet’s Garden to display next to the chaiselounge, and a framed painting of the bookcover for the wall.

Put it all together and you’ve got a roomthat’s cheerful, perky and relaxing. “Mydaughter can go to her bedroom on a cold,gloomy winter day, and still feel like she’s in awarm summer garden,” the homeowner says.“It’s exactly what we wanted—a cute roomthat’s not too cute. This is a room she cangrow into. Chances are, she'll still love it fiveyears from now, as much as she does today.”

Digs A Go-Go:WRITTEN BY JILLIAN BLUME|PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON RUSIO

A guide to redoing your teenager’sbedroom for the family on a budget

Your teenager has outgrown their little kid’s bedroom, and it’s timefor a change. You would like to create a room in which yourteenager will want to hang out.But your budget is tight and your time

is limited, so the idea of taking on such a large project is overwhelming.Begin by having a simple conversation with your son or daughter. Find

out what he or she doesn’t like in the room and what might make him or herfeel more comfortable.Then consider watching a DVD called Digs A Go-Go,a video guide to redecorating a teenager’s bedroom on a tight budget.

Don’t let the retro graphics and the adjective “groovy” turn you off—or make you feel old.This DVD isn’t enough to get you through the entireprocess, but it does break it down into numbered elements and teenroom basics that make the process feel more doable. Its quirky sense ofhumor sets a good example for the attitude to take when exploring theartistic recesses of the teenage mind.

The longest segment, called Jessica’s Room, is a step-by-step guide fornavigating the project.To help you devise a plan, the DVD uses a five-step

process. Step one is to decide on your budget, which willdictate the options from which you may choose. Step twois to find a theme by focusing on an inspiration piece inthe current room, such as a poster or an object such as asnowboard. If there is not an item in the room that sug-gests a theme, then skip to step three and start with beddingto determine the color scheme. The fourth step is tothink about paint, with the possibility of using additionalcolors to highlight trim or molding.The fifth and last stepis to set a timeline for how long the project will take.According to the DVD, families with busy schedules


AFTER BEFORE

completed all the rooms shown in the video within four tosix weeks.

The next segment gives you a list of teen room basics toconsider in your redesign, with suggestions about recyclingfurniture and artistically transforming old furniture youhave around the house.The room basics list is a guide to thedifferent elements of the project, with brief explanationsfor each item in the list. For example, when deciding on abed, aim to create storage and maximize space. The listincludes lighting, shelving, flooring, and other important ele-ments in a bedroom redesign.

The DVD offers a range of options both for families whowant to invest time in shopping in various stores and forfamilies who would prefer the convenience of shoppingonline. On the downside, the DVD doesn’t offer guidance forchoosing quality items that will go the distance until yourteen leaves home nor for versatile pieces that can be adaptedeasily for a guestroom or an office while still providing aplace for your son or daughter to sleep when visiting.

The long segment on the redesign of thirteen-year-oldJessica’s room is a helpful overview for families on a budget,though it doesn’t cover the cost of the designer the family isusing or how to choose a trustworthy designer who will giveyou the most bang for your buck. Five short segments follow,covering a range of themes from Urban Sprawl to Maui Wow.

The video emphasizes keeping costs as low as possible, soif you are looking for a high-end redesign with new furnitureand flooring, discuss your options with a professionaldesigner. For the do-it-yourself family on a tight budget,Digs A Go-Go will help you organize your plan and relievesome of the anxiety inherent in taking on a large project.

BEFORE AFTER


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NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THISPROMOTION. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. To participate in thePromotion, refer one potential customer to the person or company who sent you this magazine.To make a referral, go to: www.HomeByDesignReferral.com, or send your written referralcontaining the name and address of the potential customer, to whom you desire to refer thispotential customer, your name, address, e-mail address (if any), phone and number addressed toBy Design Publishing Referral Program, 11626 North Tracey Road, Hayden, Idaho 83835.Mailing instructions: mail your written referral on a standard postage-prepaid, postcard or in asealed postage-prepaid envelope. For the Official Rules visit: www.HomeByDesignReferral.com,or write to By Design Publishing, Inc., 11626 North Tracey Road, Hayden, Idaho 83835. Allentries must be received by 5:00 p.m. P.S.T., December 30, 2005 to be eligible. This Promotionis open to legal U.S. residents 18 years or older, except residents of Florida, New York and RhodeIsland, or employees or the immediate family members of employees of By Design Publishing,Inc., its participating sponsors, their respective affiliates and advertising/promotion agencies.One entry permitted per person. One grand prize will be awarded with an approximate retailvalue of $15,000. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.Restrictions apply. Sponsor: By Design Publishing, Inc.

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WHITE WALLS NO MORE

IS THERE ANY METHOD TO CHOOSING THE CORRECT COLOR?WRITTEN BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR

“I’ve always been paranoid about using color, and thebiggest worry was if the shade was going to be right,” said theCoto de Caza, California, resident. “I wanted to use red, butmy thought was, ‘What red?’ It could turn out looking like apalace or a bordello.”

Keller is not alone in the difficulty in deciding which colorto paint a home’s walls. In fact, most homeowners don’t havea clue about colors, nor do they know where to get help.

But how important is color to home décor? Very.“Color is important because it is a reflection of your per-

sonal style. Your home should be a place that you feel com-fortable in and thus reflect your style. Color is a major attrib-ute to any environment,” explains color expert CherylDimson of Color Concepts.

Dimson, based in Santa Ana, California, studied color theoryfor six years and is a graduate of the Art Center College of Designin Pasadena, California. She said color has always been a strongpoint in her design work, and she currently helps befuddledhomeowners choose the right colors for their homes.

“Homeowners usually become flustered when choosingcolor themes because size affects color, surrounding coloraffects color, lighting affects color,” she explained. “Oftenthese factors are not taken into consideration by homeowners,and they become frustrated when the small chip of paint doesnot translate to a room.”

For homeowners like Keller who suffer from color-phobia,Dimson said it’s best to seek the help of an expert.

“I spent hours on Web sites trying different paint colors invarious rooms, and all it did was confuse me more,” Kellersaid. “I still couldn’t figure out what I wanted, and I becameincredibly stressed.”

She decided to call Dimson, who brought various books,swatches, and paint colors to help make the decision easier.These days, the Keller home is undergoing a paint makeoverthat is sure to add some pizzazz.

“We’ve been in this house for eleven years and remodeledit six years ago primarily using shades of beige. I felt it wastime to change the walls and be daring,” Keller said. “We spent

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER HEATHER KELLER HAS DARED TO BE DIFFERENT—SHE’S DECIDED TO PAINT HER WHITE WALLS SOMETHING MORE VIBRANT.



a few years living in Spain, and I fell in love with thedeeper, warmer, richer colors and wanted tobring them into my home. I wanted to beedgy, daring, and now I’m looking forward tothe change.”

The Keller family room will be repainted “saf-fron gold,” the living room “pool blue,” and thedining room “pumpkin spice.”

But if you want to try it on your own, taking smallsteps is the safest way to start.The easiest thing to do is topaint an accent wall in a favorite color. Most people surroundthemselves in a favorite palette of color without even realizingit, Dimson explained.

“We tend to buy things in colors we like, and this becomesa personal palette. So, an accent wall will most likely go withthe things you have surrounded yourself with over the years,”Dimson said.

If you do decide to go it alone, thereis some additional help. Color Savvy, acolor technology company based inOhio, has created the Color-Helper, aproduct that takes the guesswork out of

picking colors.“We’ve all struggled trying to find a matching shade of paint

or deciding if one color goes with another,” said Color SavvyCEO Gary Bodnar. “The Color-Helper eliminates all of theguesswork, but most important is the confidence it gives youthat the colors you’re picking will work just the way you wantthem to.”

When making a decision about a color, most ask how wellit matches another color in the room or how well it goes withanother color in the room. The Color-Helper answers bothquestions for any pair of colors. Simply “click-in” two colors,and the results automatically appear on the large display.

You can click-in a color at home and take the Color-Helperto a local home improvement store to click-in the colors youare thinking about buying. Do they really match? Will they reallylook good together? The Color-Helper tells you for sure.

The Color-Helper may be ordered through the Color SavvyWeb site at www.colorsavvy.com.

Dimson says there are some tricks ofthe trade to keep in mind when consid-ering colors. For instance, blue tonesusually equate a cool sense, red shadesstir up excitement and energy, and

greens are considered to be soothing.“There have been many studies done in this area.Trends are

watched and followed very closely in the product and adver-tising world,” Dimson said. “The big problem with makinggeneral statements like ‘green is soothing,’ ‘red is aggressive,’‘blue is calming,’ ‘brown is comforting,’ is what red? whatgreen? what brown? A red can be made to be calming, as wellas a green can be made to be exciting. It comes back to howcolor interacts with other colors [and] what is the environ-ment that is surrounding the color or that the color is sur-rounding.What is the proportion of the color? So many factorsaffect color that sweeping statements should be avoided.”

As for color choices varying from state to state, Dimsonsaid those too have changed.

“Now with print, TV, the Internet, and travel, geographyplays a much smaller role.We all see trends move at a similartime.There are people that want Classic, Modern, Country, orTraditional in all parts of the country,” she said.

Dimson believes socioeconomic factors play a bigger role indeciding color.

“The more disposable income there is, the faster a commu-nity can move with what trends are new,” she said. “Often theyhave traveled more and are open to newer ideas.”

Going It Alone

MoreTricks


The concept of “living large” takes on new meaning at the historic Biltmore Estate, a remarkable

residence that takes luxury and grandeur to new dimensions.

Biltmore EstatePreserving a Dream

WRITTEN BY ROXANNE JONES|PHOTOGRAPHY BY COURTESY OF BILTMORE ESTATE

BILTMORE HOUSE, located in Asheville, NC, is the historichome of George W. Vanderbilt.


LIBRARYThe Library in Biltmore House holds

approximately 10,000 of Vanderbilt’smore than 23,000 volumes.


away in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, NorthCarolina, this 250-room French Renaissance-style chateau isthe largest private residence in the United States, coveringfour acres of floor space that includes thirty-four bedrooms,forty-three bathrooms, sixty-five fireplaces, sixty-six servantrooms, thirteen staircases (including the 131-step grand staircase),an indoor pool, and a banquet hall measuring 42 feet wide, 72feet long, and 70 feet high.The estate grounds comprise 8,000acres, including gardens designed by renowned landscapearchitect Frederick Law Olmsted and an award-winning winery.

Biltmore Estate was built in the late 1880s for GeorgeWashington Vanderbilt, youngest grandson of industrialistCornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, patriarch of one ofAmerica’s richest families. At 26, George Vanderbilt visitedthe Blue Ridge Mountains and dreamed of building a grandcountry estate that would showcase not only his extensive artcollection but also the state-of-the-art technology of the day.He purchased 125,000 acres of land and hired Richard MorrisHunt, a popular society architect of the day, along withOlmsted, to help him realize his dream.

The estate took six years to design, build, and furnish, withthe help of an estimated 1,000 masons, carpenters, and otherartisans. It formally opened on Christmas Eve 1895. In 1898,Vanderbilt married socialite Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, and thecouple became known for their gracious hospitality, hostingnumerous gala events on the estate. Guests marveled at suchfeatures as electricity, central heating, an elevator, running hotand cold water to upstairs baths, cold-storage refrigeration,and an electric communication system for calling the servants.Mr.Vanderbilt’s bedroom walls were covered in fabric gildedwith 22-karat gold leaf.And the house was filled with pricelessartwork, antiques, decorative objects, and furnishings fromaround the world, including a 23,000-volume book collection.

From the outset, however, the estate also was a workingfarm. Its extensive acreage yielded firewood and lumberprocessed at Biltmore’s own mill.What’s more, the estate wasthe largest commercial nursery in the Southeast until 1916,even selling its products through mail-order catalogs.

After George Vanderbilt’s death in 1914, his widow deededclose to 90,000 acres to the federal government to preservePisgah Forest for public enjoyment. She moved out of thehouse in 1925, leaving her daughter Cornelia and son-in-law

John Cecil, to manage Biltmore affairs. Biltmore Estate wasopened to the public in the 1930s and designated a NationalHistoric Landmark in 1963, but it remains privately owned byGeorge Vanderbilt’s grandson,William A.V. Cecil.The estate iscompletely self-sustaining—its preservation is supportedsolely from revenues derived from tour admissions (nearly onemillion visitors a year) and income from its gift shops, winery,restaurants, and the Inn on Biltmore Estate, which opened in 2001.The for-profit Biltmore Company generates annual revenuesin excess of $50 million and employs more than 1,000 people.

“It can be overwhelming to think of all that’s involved in thepreservation of a property this size,” says Darren Poupore,curator of collections for Biltmore Estate, “so we take it projectby project.”

The “we” to which Poupore refers is the estate’s MuseumServices staff of twelve curators, conservators, collections man-agers, and archivists. With specialized expertise in such areasas historic interiors, landscape and forest history, and periodfurniture and upholstery, the staff is entrusted to interpret andmaintain the historical accuracy of the estate. They are aidedby sixty full-time Engineering Services staff, which includeshousekeepers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters,and other maintenance workers.A recent project was restorationof rooms on the home’s fourth floor, including three maids’bedrooms, the Servants’ Hall, the Architectural Model Room, andthe Observatory.These spaces opened to the public in July 2005.

Painstaking research is conducted prior to any restorationwork. For example, in the fourth-floor servants’ quarterswere two large cedar closets that didn’t appear on the home’soriginal architectural drawings. The cedar was stamped withthe name of a company that didn’t move to the area until1929, further proof that the wood wasn’t used in the originalconstruction. And paint analysis revealed that the originalwalls had been painted brown, then green, while the addedwalls were painted only green.

The restoration work is just as meticulous. “Our wood-workers were able to save the quarter-sawn oak baseboardswhen the closets were removed,” Poupore says. In anotherarea, the cornices were damaged, but they replicated the elaboratecrown molding to fill it in. “And our paint analyst is able todetermine the home’s original colors and create mixes tomatch those colors,” he notes.

Tucked

Above: WINEMAKER BERNARD DELILLEWinemaker Bernard Delille was trained in France

and now crafts award-winning wines along with Winemaker Sharon Fenchak

ITALIAN GARDENThe Italian Garden is one of a series of outdoor “rooms” Landscape Architect

Frederick Law Olmsted designed in the formal gardens surrounding Biltmore House.


Above: AZALEA GARDENSometime around May each year,

Biltmore Estate’s vast collection of azaleas burst into bloom.

Left: LAGOON VIEW—FALLLandscape Architect Frederick Law

Olmsted designed the Lagoon to reflectthe western view of Biltmore House.


BANQUET HALLThe Banquet Hall is 72 feet long,42 feet wide and 70 feet high. It could seat up to 64 guests.

MR. VANDERBILT'S BEDROOMGeorge Vanderbilt’s bedroom enjoys

spectacular views of the estate in addition to 22k gold leaf on the walls.


Restoration work that requires highly specialized expertiseis contracted out, as was the case in restoring the gilded wallcovering in Mr.Vanderbilt’s bedroom.The tarnished wall coveringwas removed, and a linen fabric similar to the original burlapwas fabricated and applied by a local craftsman.Then studentsfrom Asheville-Buncombe Tech’s Decorative RestorationProgram gilded the fabric with 22-karat gold leaf similar towhat was used at the turn of the 19th century.

The curators also source products and artisans from aroundthe world. For example, to replace the twenty-four silk tassels thatadorn the roping up the grand staircase, Poupore says they locat-ed an Egyptian company that could produce the items by handand sent an original tassel to the company to have it replicated.

“Our aim is to not alter the house,” Poupore says, “but tofully restore and furnish rooms as they would have appearedduring George Vanderbilt’s time.”

Restoration this grand, however, comes with an equallygrand price tag. “To fulfill the mission to preserve BiltmoreEstate as a privately owned, profitable working estate, we arealways looking for other ways to generate revenue,” says TimRosebrock, director of business development. One such wayhas been to develop Biltmore Estate-branded products.

“Starting in the mid-1980s, guests began to ask for ways tobring home something from the estate beyond a souvenir,”Rosebrock explains. “We did research and confirmed that theBiltmore Estate name has a strong, positive emotional attach-ment, and we could leverage that through a variety of con-sumer products.We’ve used a licensing model with manufac-turers to reproduce, in a strict and high-quality manner, cer-tain items from the Biltmore collections.”

Today, Biltmore Estate has licensing agreements with thirtypartners who produce “Biltmore Estate for Your Home”-branded consumer products in three categories: home fur-nishings, specialized building products, and horticulturalproducts.These partners include Kravet Inc. (fabrics), CarpetOne (Anderson Hardwood Floors), Habersham (hand-paintedfurniture), and Olympic Paints (a palette of forty-two paintcolors inspired by Biltmore Estate available exclusivelythrough Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouses).

“Mr.Vanderbilt made a tremendous investment in his estateand transformed it into a revenue center,” Rosebrock says.“We’re still doing that 100-plus years later.We’re just gettinginto businesses that are appropriate to the core of the BiltmoreEstate brand experience with a focus on the 2005 consumer.We’re confident that classic, well-designed, traditional fur-nishings will always be in demand.”The marketplace seems toagree: retail sales of the branded products will exceed $70million in 2006.

This success ensures that the experts who work year-roundto preserve the dream of George Vanderbilt can continue todo so and that this national treasure will retain its originalgrandeur for generations to come.


PhotofiddleTRANSFORM YOUR OWN PICTURES TO A WORK OF ART.WRITTEN BY CATRIONA TUDOR ERLER

RRaise your hand if you have a backlog of digital photographsstored on your computer that you’ve been meaning to “dosomething with”, or if you have a shoebox filled with photo-graphs that you plan to put in an album “one day”. Now youcan take your favorite digital photographs and, with the helpof a new Internet company, transform them into works of artto hang on your walls.

Imagine that charming picture of your child on his or herfirst day of school as a framed charcoal or colored pencilsketch, enlarged to, say, 16" by 24". How about that fantasticvacation shot of Yosemite Valley as an oil painting or watercol-or stretched on canvas? Or perhaps you’d like a collage withphotographs representing milestones in the life of your son ordaughter or a framed collection of wedding photographs?Feeling wild and crazy? You can turn a funky photo into popart a la Andy Warhol or transform it so it looks like stainedglass or a needlepoint tapestry. Fancy the comic strip pop-artstyle of Roy Lichtenstein? That’s another option you have withPhotofiddle, a company founded in February 2005.

The process of turning a favorite photo into hangable art is easy.Photofiddle’s easy-to-navigate Web site (www.photofiddle.com)walks you through the steps, directing how to upload the

photograph you want. Then you can have fun trying differentlooks and effects until you find the one you like. Do be awarethat certain photographs lend themselves better to some treat-ments than others.

If you aren’t happy with any of the final results on yourcomputer (the grain on the edge of “oil” paintings can be quitecoarse), you can send your photo by e-mail, cropped the wayyou want it, to Photofiddle along with an explanation of how youwould like it improved.Within hours you’ll get a response fromthe “head fiddler” with adjustments made to solve the problem.If none of the online designs work for you, Photofiddle offerscustom-designed artwork in the Premium Design section.Yousupply the photo and indicate what you would like done, andone of the designers will make it to your exact specifications.

Once you’ve decided on the form and style your photo willtake, you have four options for presentation.The least expensivechoice is to have the picture printed on professional archivalphoto paper. These are shipped rolled in a tube, ready to beframed or hung as they are. Prices begin at $15 for an 8" x 12"or 8" x 8" picture.

For a few dollars more, you can have the photo printed ona 100% cotton, archival-quality artist canvas. This also is

shipped rolled in a tube; however, if you plan to have the canvasstretched on boards for framing, Photofiddle will do it for youand ship the picture in a heavy-duty box or crate to preventdamage. Prices for the stretched canvas pictures begin at $40for an 8" x 12" or a 4" x 16" photograph.

You also can choose to have your creation professionallyframed behind glass. In that case, the picture is printed onarchival photograph paper, mounted on foam board, andframed in one of Photofiddle’s standard solid color woodenframes with glass. Framed prints begin at $25 for an 8" x 8",

$30 for an 8" x 12" picture, and go up to$2,199.95 for a 280” x 70” framed print.About seven days after placing an order, theart print will arrive along with a pair ofwhite cotton gloves to prevent soiling thework when handling it.

Customer response to Photofiddle hasbeen excellent. One letter that particularlypleases company President MichaelKarmatz came from a man who gave hiswife a Photofiddle “painting” for Valentine’sDay.The customer wrote, “It brought tearsto my wife’s eyes. Thank you so much. Itwas the best gift ever.”


GALLERY

Above: Two distinctive Photofiddledesigns adorn a bedroom wall in Oil Painting style (over bed) andMetropolitan style.

Left: Photofiddle Pop Art creates a dramatic effect at the staircaselanding.

Below: A panoramic Watercolor stylepainting on canvas adds warmth andcharacter to a living room.


Live like Robinson Crusoe in a luxury thatched-roof villaset amongst the flowering plants on Little Palm Island.

DESTINATION


WRITTEN BY JANE COLOCCIA|PHOTOGRAPHY BY LITTLE PALM ISLAND

JUST OFF MILE MARKER 28.5 IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

Getaway

Leave it to Hollywood to find Little Palm Islandfirst.This secluded isle in the lower Florida Keys was used

as the setting for the movie PT 109 in the early 1960s because of

its South Pacific-style ambiance. Four

American presidents including Harry S.Truman have fished here,

and Al Gore, Marvin Hamlisch, Katie Couric, Paul Newman,

Michael J. Fox, and Ivana Trump can be counted among its guests.

South Pacific-style

AApproximately four miles offshore fromLittle Torch Key, Little Palm Island is accessibleonly by boat or seaplane. If you’re headingdown US1 in the Keys, turn left onto PiratesRoad at Mile Marker 28.5, park in the ShoreStation, grab a rum cooler, and board theresort’s mahogany yacht for the tranquil journeyto the island—far away from civilization, as weknow it. Once here, you can completely detachfrom the pressures of everyday life. Forgetabout the alarm clock, the telephone, and thetelevision—there aren’t any.There is, however,dial-up Internet accessfor those who simplycannot do without e-mail and stockquotes—a nod to theubiquity of technology,one might say.

More than 250Jamaican coconut palmtrees grace LittlePalm Island’s shore-line—a legacy fromthe island’s firstinhabitant, NewtonMunson.Today all fiveacres comprise the Little Palm Island Resort &Spa, a romantic island getaway where luxuryand pampering are the way of life.

The compound is composed of thirtythatched-roof villas surrounded by bougainvillea,oleander, and hibiscus and scattered amongcrushed seashell paths (tiny torch lightsromantically illuminate the walkways at night).Upon further exploration onewill find a Balinese-style spawith outdoor massage pavilions;a Zen garden; private hammocksstrung from palm trees; secludedhot tubs; and a freshwaterlagoon-style pool complete withwaterfall, a life-size chess board,and a pristine white beach.Sound like paradise? It is.

If this were indeed aHollywood set, one would say

that the accommodationscould not have been dressedmore perfectly for romance.Four-poster beds clad infine linens, comfy pillows,and drapes of butterfly net-ting are the focal point.Theone-bedroom suites featurea spacious living room, anindoor and private outdoorshower, a dressing room,and a private verandahoverlooking the ocean.Thedécor in these spacious550-square foot hideaways

reflects one of three island themes: Indonesian,Polynesian, or British Colonial.

Little Palm Island is a completely inclusiveresort; no matter what you may be looking for,you will find it here. Visit the SpaTerre forpampering body treatments, including exoticBalinese and Thai body rituals incorporating ablend of ancient traditions once reserved for

royalty. The healingproperties of flow-ers and spices areused liberally toenhance each expe-rience. A variety ofhealing and medita-tive classes fromyoga to reiki are alsooffered. Barnes &Noble lovers willappreciate the resort’scollection of classicliterature—and thethoughtful inclusion

of a book light on the nightstand.If you are more of an adventurous

type, Little Palm Island will not disap-point. The Keys are known for superbscuba diving and snorkeling, and theresort offers daily trips to Looe KeyNational Marine Sanctuary and thewreck of the Adolphus Busch.You can evenarrange to receive PADI scuba certification


while here. Other island activities include tours to GreatWhite Heron National Wildlife Refuge; sailing charters; anddeep-sea, backcountry, and flats fishing. The resort also has avariety of water sports equipment at your disposal includingkayaks, sailboats, and windsurfers. Key West is nearby, providingan opportunity to tour the Ernest Hemingway Home andMuseum and stroll past the boutiques, galleries, and restaurantsalong historic Duval Street.

Dining at Little Palm Island is a true exercise in indulgence.You can have an exquisite meal in the dining room, or feel freeto turn any setting around the island into your ideal diningspot, from ocean-side banquets to romantic dinners on theSunset Dock to a pajama party in your villa. Lobster crois-sants, conch chowders, crab cakes, and chocolate soufflés arejust some of the chef’s offerings. His menus vary each daydepending on what is fresh and available.

So when you feel it’s time to truly get away, head on downto Mile Marker 28.5 in the Keys. And remember: let’s keepLittle Palm Island Resort & Spa our little secret.

CALENDAR OF EVENTSJanuaryNov 1 to May 31- Key West Old Island Days (Key West)

January 15 to March 17 - Sculpture Key West Edition (Key West)

January 20 to 22 - Key West International Jazz Festival (Key West)

January 28 to 29 - 21st-Annual Key West Craft Show (Key West)

FebruaryFebruary 5 - Terry Cassidy’s Pickin’ Party (Big Pine Key)

February 10 - Island Opera Theatre presents “An Evening of Love”(Big Pine Key)

February 20 - Keys Chamber Orchestra Fundraiser featuring Lynne Greenwood on saxophone (Big Pine Key)

February 25 to 26 - 41st-Annual Old Island Days Art Festival (Key West)

AprilApril 14 - Island Opera Theatre presents “Love that Lerner & Loewe”

(Big Pine Key)

JuneJune 25 - Island Opera Theatre presents “Love that Lerner & Loewe”

(Big Pine Key)

INFORMATIONLittle Palm Island Resort & Spa800.3.GET.LOST or www.littlepalmisland.com orwww.noblehousehotels.com

The Florida Keys & Key West/Monroe County TourismDevelopment Councilwww.fla-keys.com


Left: Every villa features a private verandah overlooking the ocean.Above: Throughout the island there are secludedspots just for two.

Resources


PAGE 14 ALL ABOARDAndi CassemAndi Cassem Interior Design, Inc.Shorewood, IL815-725-7388www.andiinteriors.com

PAGE 16 FUNCTIONALJudy FoxJudy Fox InteriorsScottsdale, AZ(480) 860-6475www.judyfoxinteriors.com

PAGE 18 SWEET DREAMSTrudy WhiteInternational Interior DesignIrvine, CA 949-551-8726www.iidesign.net

PAGE 20 A ROOM TO GROW INSherri Blum Jack and Jill InteriorsWestminster, MD (410) 857-0220 www.jackandjillinteriors.com

PAGE 22 STORYBOOK APPEALPatricia BaileyFaceted InteriorsWinfield, [email protected]

PAGE 24 DIGS A GO-GOwww.digsagogo.comLane Elisabeth Oliver Interior Design Inc (303) 722-4288

PAGE 30 NO MORE WHITE WALLSCheryl DimsonColor ConceptsSanta Ana, CA714-544-3312

Color Savvy www.colorsavvy.com

PAGE 34 BILTMORE ESTATEAsheville, N.C. 800-624-1575www.biltmoreestate.com

PAGE 42 PHOTOFIDDLEwww.PhotoFiddle.com

PAGE 44 LITTLE PALM ISLAND RESORT & SPA800-3-GETLOSTwww.littlepalmisland.com

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