Spring Spruce Up 2011 complete PDF

8/7/2019 Spring Spruce Up 2011 complete PDF

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SPRING SPRUCE-UPApril 7, 2011 Page 3

BYCATHYCASSATA

Decidingwhat to cook for meals is challeng-ing enough without having to fightthrough an unorganized kitchen. Make this dreaded

daily decision a bit easier by whipping

the kitchen into cooking and dining shape with help-

ful tips from chefs, a kitchen designer and a profes-sional organizer.

PANTRY PERFECT

If your dream walk-in pantry is a nightmare of a mess,

divide it into zones. Put items you dont use often

up high, items that are heavy down low and items

you regularly use at eye-level, says Marlene Buckner,

designer and owner of The Urban Realm.

Make rotating items a habit, says Devin Alexander,

host of Healthy Decadence on FitTV and author ofThe Biggest Loser Cookbook series. Instead of put-

ting a new can of soup in front of an older can, put it

behind, she says. It takes a little longer, but its worth

it because youll eat fresher food and throw away less

expired food.

To manage the oft-untidy snack cabinet, Lea Schneider,

owner of a .com design company, has a solution. Use

an easy-to-reach large basket placed at eye-level to hold

opened packages of things, such as cookies, crackers,

chips and granola bars, she says. Then, use a labeled area

of a top shelf to hold the new, unopened replacement

boxes. Not only does this system encourage family

members to eat the already opened packages first, but

makes it much easier for you to judge when you need to

stock up, she adds.

Remember not all dry goods belong in the pantry, says

Dean Zanella, executive chef at Rhapsody restaurant in a

major city. Some things make more sense if theyre clos-

er to where youll be cooking, he says. I keep my spices

in a cabinet by the stove rather than the pantry, so I can

easily reach them when needed. Zanella says this also

opens up room in the pantry for bulkier items or appli-

ances you dont always use. Since I keep some dry

goods throughout cabinets in my kitchen, the bottom

shelf of my pantry is free for things like my blender.

STUFFED WITH STUFF

Before you begin a mad hunt for the best spot for dishes,

glasses, utensils and gadgets, Schneider says take every-thing out and purge. Only keep one of each item unless

you are sure that you use two at the same time. For

instance, keep two ladles if you tend to make two differ-

ent pots of soup at once, she says. Alexander agrees

and says multiple sets of certain things can actually

make your life in the kitchen easier. For things like

measuring cups and spoons, if you have dry and wet

ingredients, you dont want to extend your cooking

time by washing and drying a measuring spoon in-A KITCHEN WORTH COOKING IN

continues on page 4


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SPRING SPRUCE-UPPage 4 April 7, 2011SPRING SPRUCE-UPPage 4

A KITCHEN WORTH EATING INcontinued from page 3

between steps. But, do you really

need more than one ice cream

maker? Decide what youll need

more of and what you wont.

Once you decide whats staying in

the kitchen, Schneider suggests

applying the next-to rule. If an

item has a companion piece, it

Keep oft-used items like utensils and

spices near your cooking area, as

shown in this photograph.

should be stored next-to that

item. Coffee should go next to

mugs, which should be near the

coffee maker, she says. Zanella

follows this method regularly. I

keep utensils that Im going to

use for certain types of cooking

with each other. I have a drawer

where my measuring cups andspoons are that I use for baking

close to my pans for baking, and

my silverware drawer is near my

dinner table. while my utensils

drawer is closer to my stove.

FRIDGE FRENZY

Stretch your grocery budget and

keep your family healthy by orga-

nizing your refrigerator weekly,Schneider says. Before making a

weeks menu and grocery list,

clean out the expired foods,

wipe up messes, make a note of

leftovers that need to be eaten

and incorporate those items into

your next weeks meal plan, she

says. To keep track of leftovers

and opened items, Alexander

says to mark cooked dishes and

opened items by labeling themwith the date they were cooked

or opened. Then place the stuff

that will go bad first near the

front of the shelf. If you have

children or multiple people in

the house cooking, its a great

way to communicate what needs

to be eaten when, she says.

Zanella says to be honest about

what will be used. Think aboutwhen youre going to use that

condiment again and if you really

need it, he says. Theres no point

keeping something in the fridge

for months for a recipe youve

been meaning to get to, but

wont. To make space, Zanella

recommends cutting up fruits

and veggies into small pieces and

storing them in containers.

Instead of whole grapefruits tak-ing up my produce bin, Ill cut

them up, store them in contain-

ers and put them on a shelf, he

says. This way I cant miss them

and I can use the produce bin for

other things that wont expire

as quickly.


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Gardeningmay be on hold until planting

season arrives, but that doesnt

mean a gardeners imagination

is at rest.

Inspiration is everywhere. Seed

catalogs beckon with glossy pho-

tos of baby lettuce, supermarket

produce displays challenge

green-thumbed shoppers to

dream of even better home-

grown crops, and lists of new

plants offer endless ideas.

For anyone who experienced

a harsh winter, the vision of a

lush garden is dangerously

compelling.

When it comes to the vegetable

garden, people design way

beyond their means, says Robert

F. Polomski, extension horticul-

turist at Clemson University,

Clemson, S.C. Overly ambitious

plans can sabotage a gardeners

efforts, he says.

Before purchasing a single seed

packet, develop a season-long

plan, the best way to save money,

time and energy. Heres what to

consider:

THE SITE

For a vegetable garden, choose a

spot that gets at least six hours of

sunlight a day.

It should be in sight, so its in

mind, says Jennifer R. Bartley, alandscape architect and garden-

ing writer who lives near Colum-

bus, Ohio. If you dont see it, you

dont work it, says Bartley.

Do a reality check. Plotting a gar-

den on paper is helpful, but actu-

TheOrganizedGardener

THE ORGANIZED GARDENER

continues on page 10

Containerssupplement

limited growingspace and showcase

vegetablesdecorative beauty.

Here, ReneesGarden WineCountry mesclun.


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SPRING SPRUCE-UPPage 6 April 7, 2011

Challenge:Open floor plans, though stillpopular, put design skills to thetest because there are few walls to place furniture

against. On the other hand, small spaces can feel as

though the walls are closing in.

Proposed solution: Pull furniture away from the wallsand float it in the room. In an open floor plan, this pro-

vides a cozy seating area. In a small room, it creates the

appearance of airiness.

Bigger challenge: Getting the proposed solution

to work.

AIRY ARRANGEMENTS

A floating arrangement is difficult to pull off, since

anything other than perfect placement can make

furnishings look like ships cast at sea or as thoughsomeone cleaned the walls and forgot to move the

furniture back, says designer Scott Salvator.

For the average person, and even for pros, a successful

outcome requires a lot of arranging and rearranging,

says designer Dawn Falcone, another designer.

You have to set aside time to work with your furniture.

Sometimes just pushing something back one

inch makes all the difference in the world.

In certain rooms, a floating arrangement simply wont

work, no matter how many rounds of musical furni-

ture you undertake. Its really an architecture-driven

thing. If the room is, remove everything from the roomexcept your largest furnishings, such as your sofa and love

seat. Identify the rooms focal point, or create one. In a liv-

ing room, its usually the fireplace or television.

The focal point is your anchor, Falcone says, and guides

the placement of your remaining furniture. Generally,

the sofa looks good directly across from the focal point,

facing it at a comfortable distance. Other pieces can then

be angled toward the focal point or oriented around the

sofa to create a balanced arrangement conducive to con-

versation.

Alternately, you can place the sofa and a love seat to

form an L, with the arms close together for cohesion.

You probably will need to place furnishings with com-

parable visual weight across from the love seat for

If the room is big and open in all directions, a floating floor plan works great, says designer Scott Salvator.

FLOAT YOUR FURNITUREcontinues on page 8

Floating Your Furniture


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FLOAT YOUR FURNITUREcontinued from page 6balance. An area rug can be used to

define and unify your arrangement,

Falcone says.

With your primary pieces in place,

you need to figure out how to use

the rest of the space. In a hugeroom, if everythings in the middle

you need to have other groupings of

furniture, Falcone says. Against one

wall, you could place two chairs

with an occasional table between

them, for example.

In the best-case scenario, these

groupings would accommodate

other activities, such as reading,

Falcone says.

OFF THE WALLS

A floating floor plan leaves you

with blank, gallery-like walls. If

smaller furniture groupings arent

possible, fill in the space with

framed photos and artwork, or

place a console table against the

wall and hang a striking piece

of artwork above it, Falcone

suggests.

For smaller rooms, consider moving

furniture off the wall at an angle

instead of unmooring it altogether.

For example, angle your sofa off thewall slightly and put a table and

table lamp behind it in the widest

part of the pie-shaped space youve

created. Or keep the sofa parallel to

the wall but bring it out far enough

to put a rectangular table behind it.

One problem with floating floor

plans is that theres no place to plug

things in, though in some homes its

possible to retrofit floor outlets.

Make no mistake: Youll need table

lamps and floor lamps no matter

how much natural and overhead

lighting you have, Falcone says.

Face the sofa toward the rooms

focal point, then angle in other

pieces to create a balanced

conversation area

SpringGarden Time

Fewthings are anticipatedmore in spring than thearrival of new leaves on the treesand budding flowers in the gar-

den. A landscape awash with

fresh colors can brighten the spir-

it and make anyone want to head

outdoors.

There are many different plants

that begin to show their colors in

the spring. A number of perenni-

als, annuals and trees begin to

flower or show new sprouts

come the springtime. Plant somein your garden and enjoy this

wonderful season!

AnnualsLooking for first signs

of color? Look no further than

these wonderful annuals.

PerennialsThese plants will

come back year after year and

offer spring shows.


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THE ORGANIZED GARDENERcontinued from page 5ally measuring the space is essential,

says Polomski, author of Month by

Month Gardening in the Carolinas

(Cool Springs Press, 2006).

A 10-by-10-foot garden is a good

starting point. Set up stakes and runtwine around them. Walk through

the area and imagine a garden.

This space will command your

attention from spring through the

fall, says Polomski. He says this tech-

nique can rescue an overly ambi-

tious plan before a single seed is

planted, tamping the fantasy of a

large garden.

Cant decide between perennial

herbs and flowers or annual vegeta-

bles? Cultivate two smaller plots.

That way perennials will not be dis-

turbed when its time to yank out

annuals in the fall, says Bartley,

author of The Kitchen Gardeners

Handbook (Timber Press, 2010).

THE CROPSEvery seed packet looks mouthwa-

tering in nursery displays. But a

vision of trying to feed the neigh-

borhood might not be realistic,

says Polomski.

Instead, decide what you want from

your garden and focus on that.

If its saving money, tomatoes (espe-

cially heirloom varieties), lettuce

and herbs from seeds are great bar-gains. If its feeding the family, plant

what you love to eat, says Bartley.

List the vegetables you cook with

most often and grow those. Spice up

the basics with new varieties or

assortments.

For an abundant return from a lim-

ited space skip spreading vine

plants, such as squash and water-

melon, and opt for carrots, onions,broccoli and leafy greens. If a short

growing season is an obstacle, be

sure to check with the local county

extension service for the best pro-

duce for your region.

THE TIMETABLE

Sow and sow again. Thats the

new strategy for maximizing a

seasons harvest. You can use this

technique to even out harvest

times.

It doesnt make much sense to

plant all your beans at once and get

a bucket full of beans, says Renee

Shepherd, founder of Renees Gar-

den, which sells seeds to garden

centers, nurseries and online.

For example, sow seeds for spring

cool-season lettuce, arugula, parsley,

chives, spinach and other leafy

greens, after the last danger of frost

and the ground can be worked. Save

some seeds and sow more two

weeks later.

Use a similar strategy for warm-sea-

son beans, cucumber and squash,

starting when night temperatures

hit 50 to 55 degrees. Add more seeds

every two weeks, for a total of two

or three plantings, until July, says

Shepherd.

Succession sowing can bring variety

to the garden and the table.

Divide and conquer: Create aseparate plot for perennial herbs

and flowers. Here, Echinacea 'SecretPassion' from Terra Nova Nurseries

ItsNeverTooEarly

Heres how to encouragechildren to adopt anorganized approach to theirbedrooms without using

those awful four words

Thefour most dreadedwords in a parents

vocabulary: Clean upyour room.

The answer to this angst,organizing experts say, is toremember they are children,

with all the feelings andmotivations that come with

the job.

MOTIVATION

The key thing to rememberwhen working with children

is they feel things differentlythan adults which is why

they cry more openly, laughmore deeply, feel fear more

dramatically and play withmore vigor than most adults,says Wenndi Freer, owner of

Engage The Flow, a space-clearing service.

ITS NEVER TOO EARLYcontinues on page 11


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THE ORGANIZED GARDENERcontinued from page 5ally measuring the space is essential,

says Polomski, author of Month by

Month Gardening in the Carolinas

(Cool Springs Press, 2006).

A 10-by-10-foot garden is a good

starting point. Set up stakes and runtwine around them. Walk through

the area and imagine a garden.

This space will command your

attention from spring through the

fall, says Polomski. He says this tech-

nique can rescue an overly ambi-

tious plan before a single seed is

planted, tamping the fantasy of a

large garden.

Cant decide between perennial

herbs and flowers or annual vegeta-

bles? Cultivate two smaller plots.

That way perennials will not be dis-

turbed when its time to yank out

annuals in the fall, says Bartley,

author of The Kitchen Gardeners

Handbook (Timber Press, 2010).

THE CROPSEvery seed packet looks mouthwa-

tering in nursery displays. But a

vision of trying to feed the neigh-

borhood might not be realistic,

says Polomski.

Instead, decide what you want from

your garden and focus on that.

If its saving money, tomatoes (espe-

cially heirloom varieties), lettuce

and herbs from seeds are great bar-gains. If its feeding the family, plant

what you love to eat, says Bartley.

List the vegetables you cook with

most often and grow those. Spice up

the basics with new varieties or

assortments.

For an abundant return from a lim-

ited space skip spreading vine

plants, such as squash and water-

melon, and opt for carrots, onions,broccoli and leafy greens. If a short

growing season is an obstacle, be

sure to check with the local county

extension service for the best pro-

duce for your region.

THE TIMETABLE

Sow and sow again. Thats the

new strategy for maximizing a

seasons harvest. You can use this

technique to even out harvest

times.

It doesnt make much sense to

plant all your beans at once and get

a bucket full of beans, says Renee

Shepherd, founder of Renees Gar-

den, which sells seeds to garden

centers, nurseries and online.

For example, sow seeds for spring

cool-season lettuce, arugula, parsley,

chives, spinach and other leafy

greens, after the last danger of frost

and the ground can be worked. Save

some seeds and sow more two

weeks later.

Use a similar strategy for warm-sea-

son beans, cucumber and squash,

starting when night temperatures

hit 50 to 55 degrees. Add more seeds

every two weeks, for a total of two

or three plantings, until July, says

Shepherd.

Succession sowing can bring variety

to the garden and the table.

Divide and conquer: Create aseparate plot for perennial herbs

and flowers. Here, Echinacea 'SecretPassion' from Terra Nova Nurseries

ItsNeverTooEarly

Heres how to encouragechildren to adopt anorganized approach to theirbedrooms without using

those awful four words

Thefour most dreadedwords in a parents

vocabulary: Clean upyour room.

The answer to this angst,organizing experts say, is toremember they are children,

with all the feelings andmotivations that come with

the job.

MOTIVATION

The key thing to rememberwhen working with children

is they feel things differentlythan adults which is why

they cry more openly, laughmore deeply, feel fear more

dramatically and play withmore vigor than most adults,says Wenndi Freer, owner of

Engage The Flow, a space-clearing service.

ITS NEVER TOO EARLYcontinues on page 11


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When a parent takes the time to recognize that

the room feels good when its clean, kids get it.

If you can start early and work with your child at

this level, the feeling level, they will quickly rec-

ognize that a clean room just feels better than a

messy one.

The most effective way to teach this skill, saysFreer, is to be in the room with your child and

break each task down into mini steps.

By gently guiding them through the process

rather than doing it for them, children learn to feel

a sense of accomplishment, says Freer.

ORGANIZATION

Explain to them that everything has a home,

just like they do, says Jan Hayner, professional

organizer in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. So at night,everything goes back home until the next time

they need it.

Make sure that there is a hamper for dirty clothes,

says Hayner. Add clothes rods that kids can reach.

They will hang things up if they can reach a rod

without using a chair.

For small items, use a hanging shoe bag (the

pockets are great), labeled check boxes wrapped

in contact paper to match the room or muffin tins-

painted to match the room.

SCHOOLWORK

Designate a specific place for backpacks, lunch

boxes and books, says Freer. Homework needs

to go back into the backpack as soon as its com-pleted. By having folders in the backpack, children

can use their backpacks like adults filing cabinets,

says Freer.

TOYS, TOYS, TOYS

Select appropriate shelving and storage containers

that will work for toys, labeling containers with let-

ters or pictures of the item so the child will know

where they go, says Barry J. Izsak, a professional

organizer in a nearby city. When your child gets

a new toy, ask them which toy they would liketo give away, adds Izsak. When a child is finished

playing with a toy, he or she must put it back

before playing with another toy. All toys must be

put away before dinner, bedtime and other

appropriate times.

Page 11SPRING SPRUCE-UPApril 7, 2011

ITS NEVER TOO EARLYcontinued from page 10

The trick is to make organizing your childs playroom as much fun as playing in it!


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Come and Get It!Pull up an extra chair for dinner

theres a place setting for everyonethis year. New trends in tabletop dcorleave plenty of room for personalpanache

Kid Friendly

BYHILARYMASELL OSWALD

Therules of table settings have changed: Nolonger does the table have to be a stuffytribute to too many heirlooms or a dull rerun of last

falls dinner party. Thanks to the proliferation of

fabulous products and

brilliant ideas, the tabletop is a prime place to reveal

personal style. Here, a look at trends worth bringing

home.

Give even the littlest guests a chance to feel special by

allowing them to use real dinnerware so long as

its not Great Aunt Ednas fine china. Theres some-

thing to be said for treating kids like theyre not always

going to break everything, says lifestyle and food

expert Heather Christo, mother of two young chil-dren. You teach them how to behave around lovely

things. For a touch of whimsy, Christo recommends

setting the kids table with mismatched, inexpensive

pieces found at thrift shops.

If the kids arent quite ready for adult dinnerware,

there are more options than the personality-free

paper plates of dinner parties gone by. Manufacturers

are turning out kid-friendly dishware in bold colors

and graphic patterns. For example, Green Toys just

announced its new Green Eats tableware, made from

100-percent recycled milk jugs. Available in early 2011,

the line is an eco-conscious parents dream, free of

BPA, melamine, phthalates, PVCs and external coat-ings. Plus, the bright colors make the tableware far

more fun than standard white paper plates.

Au NaturaleFlorals are flourishing. Many well-known china

manufacturers, including Villeroy & Boch, Haviland

and Wedgwood, recently released collections in-

spired by flowers. Wedgwoods new Cuckoo tea set

collection is an elegant riff on the companys 19th-century bird-and-flower design. A more modern

take on flowers, Villeroy & Bochs new Althea Nova

collection features a botanical print design of herbs

and edible flowers.

COME AND GET IT!continues on page 13


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COME AND GET IT!continued from page 12To complete a nature-inspiredtabletop, crown the table withan organic centerpiece. Wehave so many wonderful thingsin our yards that stay greenall year long: holly, magnolia,

pine, cedar trees and shrubs,says event planner WilliamFogler, founder of WM Events.Mix these elements withfruit a bowl of oranges, say,with magnolia leaves from theyard and you have an elegantcenterpiece.

Throwbacks

Everything old is new again

or at least, hip again. One

of my favorite trends is using

vintage or heirloom pieces

to decorate the table, Fogler

says. He prefers mining the

family china cabinet for just

the right pieces, but if thats

not an option, he recommends

visiting local vintage and thrift

stores to find china that suits

fits the bill.

If sorting through piles of mis-matched pieces to find just theright salad plates doesnt thrillyou, take heart: Legendary Eng-lish china manufacturer RoyalCrown Derby China has madehonoring history easy with itsrecently released Titanic line,

a reproduction of the china itproduced for the ocean linersill-fated maiden voyage nearly100 years ago. The pattern iselegant, marked by encrustedgold accents and Louis XVI-in-spired green painted chapletsand festoons.


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ley became famous for the namesake fabric based on thisshape. Paisley became synonymous with free spirits and thhippie culture of the 1960s, explains Murrye Bernard, anarchitecture writer and LEED accredited professionaldesigner. In 1967, John Lennon had his Rolls Royce, a long-

standing symbol of British dignity, painted in abumper-to-bumper paisley explosion, which thBeatles used throughout their heyday.

Today, designers arent pulling their paisley

punches. San Diego-based graphic designer Juli-ana Giacini just launched her Paisley Blossom pattern for Beaverton, lighting shop Allumin-are. The sleek yet lush print is a prime exampleof paisleys pliable personality.

Its current reprisals are the cornerstone ofboho-chic designs. For a modern take on paisleLynnfield, designer Yvonne Blacker uses over-sized paisley patterns in soft pastel colors ortone-on-tone prints.

These days, paisley patterns appear on shawls

and scarves, shirts, dresses and even pants, Ber-nard says. The team from the little-known coutry of Azerbaijan wore bright paisley pants forthe 2010 Winter Olympics.

The bold, spiral pattern may be an intimidatingchoice when decorating a home,but the contemporary iterations of paisley arenot even close to the pattern on grandmasshawls.

Keep paisley current and fresh by using it with

bright punchy colors for a funky, boho-chic aesthetic, says Michelle Salz, principal interiordesigner at Studio Surface. She also suggestsusing cream or charcoal grays for a high-end,universal appeal.

Using the admittedly busy fabric wisely can beanother option for the truly fearless. Whetherits wall art, wall covering or wall decals, addingpaisley to the walls is a fun way to incorporateits allure, Salz says.

If the idea of incorporating paisley seems daunt

ing, Bernard says that its all about how andwhere the pattern is used. Avoid pairing paisleywith other patternsanything else floral is sureto clash, she adds.

As far as color goes, though the traditionalshades appear in reds, burgundies and golds,dont be afraid to try paisley in unconventionacolors like blue, yellow or even pink,Bernard says.

retty in aisleyFrom India to John Lennon to the living roompaisley is the hot retro pattern that packs a punch

Theresnothing trendier than a retro resur-gence, and paisley, the timeless clas-sic, is no exception. The South Asian teardrop-shapedmotif is based on mangoes of the region and suggestsbounty and fulfillment, and the Scottish town of Pais-

Bring the elegance of

paisley into your home!


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Springcleaning is a taskmost people tackleeach and every year. Many proj-ects are tailor made for the warmerweather. Here are some time-sav-ing tips to conquer spring clutterand cleanup projects.

WASH THE BLINDS.Metal blinds canbe removed from the window andtaken outside for washing. Use ascouring brush with a mild cleanerand some water to loosen dirt.Hang the blinds on a slanted sur-face and hose down with the gar-den hose to clean off the dirt.

CLEAN THE WINDOWS. Use waterand dish soap and a sponge to wipethe inside and outside of windows.A rubber-tipped squeegee can beused to remove the excess mois-ture and provide a nice sheen onthe window. Its less wasteful thanusing a handful of paper towels.

SWITCH FAN DIRECTIONS.

Ceiling fans set to spin in a clock-wise rotation draw air upward andthen redistribute the warm thatcollects at the ceiling. Clockwise isthe ideal direction for the winter,but when spring arrives, its timeto hit the switch to change theblades to spin counterclockwise.Be sure to thoroughly dust the fanblades first, or you could end upwith dust bunnies blowing aroundthe room.

REPLACE SURFACE PROTECTORS.The small, adhesive pads that areplaced on chair legs and furnitureto protect against wood floorscratches need to be changed peri-odically. Thats because dirt canaccumulate under the pads andeventually damage the floor.

SWITCH THE LINENS. Change outcomforters and darker shaded fab-rics for lightweight items thatbring a fresh, clean feeling thats

perfect for spring.CLEAN THE REFRIGERATOR.Remove old food and discard andtake out other items and place in acooler. Use a baking soda andwater solution to scrub stains andsanitize the shelves and walls ofthe refrigerator.

Time-SavingSpringCleaning Tips


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Spring Spruce Up 2011 complete PDF