a publication of the peninsula daily newsww2.peninsuladailynews.com/specsectpdf/homeint08.pdfthis...

A publication of the Peninsula Daily News

Peninsula Daily news2 Home Interiors FriDay, november 28, 2008

shopping downtown finds

I recently spent an afternoon scouring stores with Trisa Chomica, whose business — Trisa & Co. Interior Design — is located in the heart of downtown.

We concentrated on downtown Port Angeles. Along the way, she showed me some of her favorite things and proved one thing for sure — there’s no need to travel off the Peninsula to find beautiful, unique items for your home.

Here’s a sampling of some of her great finds and many ideas for how to use them in the interior of your own home.

Items are listed by the store where you can find them, and while we weren’t able to hit them all, Trisa assures me there’s no shortage of amazing shopping here in Port Angeles.

Mccrorie HoMe FurnisHings

FiddleHeads

< hand-held devices These glass knobs and door handles are a classy way to update your kitchen or bathroom, Trisa says. For as little as $4 a piece you can choose from a crate of knobs in the back corner of Fiddleheads — mostly in the classic gold and clear colors. The vintage door knob goes for $19.95 and adds a subtle beauty to any door.

photo story by Jennifer Veneklasen

8B321960

500 Gal.+........$1.699

300 Gal.+........$1.799

150 Gal.+........$1.999

500 Gal.+........$1.799

300 Gal.+........$1.899

150 Gal.+........$2.099

$1.699

89317638

Lexington's Newest Tommy Bahama Home Kingstown Collection available at:

1114 East First • Port Angeles • 457-9412www.angelesfurniture.com • Mon. - Sat. 8:30 - 5:30

Kingston by Tommy Bahama Home

is a unique collection with a sense

of adventure. It is a relaxed

traditional look inspired by British

Colonial style with a hint of

Campaign and a whisper of safari.

BedroomDining RoomOccasionalHome OfficeEntertainment

little bucket chair > This bone-colored, leather chair boasts clean lines and a sweet price at just $189. Because of its small size, Trisa

says it can fit in any space. The chair is perfect for an office entry, bedroom or even a large, master-bedroom

closet where you can sit and put your shoes on. Trisa also recommends this size of chair

for in front of a picture window. “It’s great because it won’t obstruct your view,” she says.

table tops the list > Maple, cedar, fir and alder, mixed in with a little turquoise, and you’ve

got this amazing, hand-crafted table that stands approximately

19-inches high and 3-feet wide. It was crafted by local artist

Margaret Lawrence who says it took her and a friend two weeks to

complete. Trisa dubs this table a true Northwest item — and a

personal favorite — that would look beautiful in a family room paired with a

modern, leather sectional. “I love the infused turquoise and the raw,

organic feel makes it an artsy piece,” Trisa says. She also touted the table’s size —

not too big, not too small; $595.

< illuminating find Trisa says this lamp is hip with

what’s happening in shapes. Add it to any room for contemporary

fun, a modern touch for $90. Stencils on the wall are another way to add shapes or phrases to our home’s decor, Trisa says. To buy locally, she recommends Bailey Signs & Graphics in Port Angeles or you can find great ideas on wallwords.com. Removable wall art is a great way to decorate for the holidays because much of the it comes in vinyl and when the holidays are over, simply peel it off.

urban chic This velvety dream chair comes in black, chocolate, cream and sage green. It has a 1940s feel with contemporary flair and a small, $250 price tag. Trisa calls this her “first choice” in downtown finds, has one in her own bedroom and says she contemplating buying a second.

everything has a place >

These tin bowls are a wonderful place to store

towels, washcloths, guest towels, shampoos

and other toiletries. They offer a classic,

clean, vintage look, for $7.50 to $9.95.

velvet by the yardThis zigzag ribbon can, of course, be used for gift wrapping or scrap booking, but you can also use it add a sweet accent to your home. Trisa says she would tie back a shower cur-tain or hang a picture frame with the ribbon. You could also sew it onto towels or a win-dow valance. Sells for $1 per yard.

splash of color Faux coral, $29.95, in this stunning turquoise will add intense color, especially to a black and white bathroom.

WaterFront art gallery

Peninsula Daily news FriDay, november 28, 2008 Home Interiors 3

shopping downtown finds

Antique MAll

necessities & teMptAtions look whAt we found At BAy VAriety . . .

8B309920

XP19 The most quiet and efficient

heat pump you can buy*

* In accordance with ARI’s standards

Draperies Northwest(serving the Peninsula since 1983)

We have the largest selection of fabrics on the Peninsula• Custom Draperies • Shades • Custom Bed Spreads

• Free In Home Estimates •Call Jan Perry to schedule an appointment

(360) 457-9776

8B319825

8B320724

^ martha, martha, marthaTrisa calls this “the total Martha Stewart look.” Jadite bowls, at $8 each, would add beautiful color to a white or chocolate kitchen, she says.Pair them with these milk-glass shakers, $14 each, a checkered table cloth and you’ve got a complete art-deco look. Antique stores are filled with items you can mix and match for a kitchen look all your own.

The Antique Mall at 109 W. First St. is the first place Trisa brings her mom when she’s in town. They love to treasure hunt.

If you feel overwhelmed when entering what appears to be a somewhat cluttered store, Trisa says to be open-minded and “if you see something and you love, then buy it, because it may not be there later.”

Antique stores take a little more time to walk through and look, but the rewards can be worth it.

“Sometimes that perfect piece can make a room because it’s not new,” she says.

< delicate treasures >Upon entering the Antique Mall, Trisa admits to having a bit of a blown-glass fetish This delightful little vase to the right is only $10. Anything in blown glass, at a reasonable price, will make a great gift, she says. The Blenke amethyst vase to the left goes for $75, and glasses are three for $15.

vintage lamp > “It has a good classic look to it,” Trisa says

of this lamp. She envisions it on a desk, the top of a

dresser or as a subdued entryway

piece. Just $18, and for a little extra you could easily update

the shade.

^ second time around A conversation piece that shows you care about the planet. Candlestick holders, bowls and vase are actually made of recycled magazines. Can you believe it! “These are the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” Trisa says. “In my industry it’s all about reuse, recycle, restore.” Prices range from $20 to $60.

close ups< < retro revival

This retro shower curtain, $11, is the perfect example of finding one thing you love and decorating around it. The little black polka-dots bring on visions of crisp white towels paired with light-pink walls, tiny black and white octagon tiles and a pedestal sink, Trisa says.“Really you could put together a whole bathroom from what’s here,” she says while perusing the bath mats, less than $10, and towels, around $6, at Bay Variety. Many of the towels are 100 percent cotton, which Trisa says many people prefer because it’s a purer product.

See page 6 for two more of Trisa’s downtown finds >


greening make your home energy efficient

We asked Mattias Jarvegren, utility services advisor with PUD of Clallam County, if a home owner has only $500 to spend on energy-saving measures, what would produce the biggest bang for the buck?

Here was his response:

Switch to CFLs. — The first thing that you should do is consider switching to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL), if you haven’t done so already.

A CFL uses about a 1/3 of the electricity of an incandes-cent lamp, but more importantly, used correctly it can last up to 10 times longer than an incandescent lamp.

Switching to CFL lighting will pay for itself merely from the fact that you will not have to change the lamps as often, and then you will get the lower electrical cost essentially for free. Cost is approximately $2.50 per CFL.

Install a low flow showerhead. — A typical showerhead uses about 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) of warm/hot water. By reducing the flow of hot water you reduce the energy that you use to heat water.

Low flow showerheads are available in 2.0 gpm and 1.5 gpm models. A 1.5 gpm model might not provide enough hot water for some people to find the shower satisfactory.

If that is the case, settle with a 2.0 gpm model. By using a low flow showerhead you can also take longer showers, but then, of course, you are not reducing your energy use.

The cheapest and simplest way to reduce your energy use while showering is by taking shorter showers.

You will also save on water costs if you are using a low flow showerhead if you are paying for your water.

One low flow showerhead costs $5 to $20.

Install a low flow sink aerator. — A low flow sink aerator is not much different from a low flow shower head.

They reduce energy use by restricting the flow of water which will save hot water and therefore electricity.

Keep in mind that you will not save much by putting the low flow aerator on your bath tub faucet. It will just take longer to fill up your bathtub.

You will also save on water costs if you are using a low flow aerator if you are paying for your water.

Low flow aerators come in 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0 gpm models and cost between $1 and $5.

Start weather-stripping.— Weather-stripping is a black foam tape that you use to make a tight seal for your doors.

If you can see daylight around the edges when your door is closed, you need to weather-strip.

But the weather-stripping should be replaced every few years to make sure that it’s still soft and makes a tight seal when your door is closed. This keeps cool drafts from entering your house. Cost is about $5 per roll.

Get a new exterior door. —Some older doors are either solid wood or hollow core. These types of doors do not keep the heat in your house very well.

A good door should have an insulated core and like most items that affect your energy use, they should be Energy Star (R) rated. A new insulated door will cost you about $250.

Then we have the most underrated appliance of them all, the dehumidifier.

Most homes are damper than they should be. At relative humilities (RH) of greater than 50 percent, bed bugs can grow in your bedding and couches, and a typical home has a RH of 70 percent.

But how does this fit into energy conservation? If you are heating your home with some sort of

electric resistance heating (baseboards, wall cadets or a cen-tral electric furnace) you can use a dehumidifier to do part of your space heating cheaper than a built in electric resis-tance heating system.

Because a dehumidifier removes moisture from the air you

actually get more energy out of a dehumidifier than the appliances uses to operate, resulting in lower heating bills in the winter and better indoor air quality.

The cost of a dehumidifier is $250.Finally, if you are living in a manufactured home that was

built prior to 1995 you should have your home’s heating ducts tested and sealed, even if you are using a heat pump to heat your manufactured home.

In a typical home, 20 percent of the hot air blowing through the heating ducts can be lost through holes and leaks in the duct system.

Currently, Clallam County PUD has a rebate program where you can have this procedure done for no cost at all (for manufactured homes). Contact the Utility Services Depart-ment at 360-565-3249 for more information.

Clallam County PUD’s customers should feel free to call its Utility Services Department with questions about energy use and what they can do to keep their electrical costs low.

Some rebate and incentive programs require pre-approval, so it is always a good idea to call before you spend money on an item that is meant to reduce your electrical costs.

There are programs for all customers — residential, non-residential, commercial and industrial.

Feel free to stop by Clallam PUD’s Idea Barn and 83 Idea Place in Carlsborg, or call 360-565-3249.

Another good option for those that have Internet access is Lawrence Berkley National Laboratories’ Home Energy Saver, self-audit internet tool, located at hes.lbl.gov.

There you can find some assistance with making a home energy audit.

The Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renew-able website, at www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings offers lots of good information about energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Appliance rebates:Mattias says that to apply for Energy Star appliance rebates, all PUD customers have to do is purchase an Energy Star appliance (if it has the Energy Star logo, its Energy Star) and then fill out and send in a copy of the appliance rebates coupon along with a copy of the receipt and a copy of the energy guide. Send to:Attn: Utility ServicesPUD No. 1 of Clallam CountyPO Box 1090Port Angeles, WA 98362

The coupons are available at:www.clallampud.net/conservationIt’s recommended that you contact the PUD before spending money on any big tickets items that are supposed to save you energy. Phone 360-565-3249.

“In my opinion, dehumidifiers are the best thing since sliced bread, cliches aside.”Mattias Jarvegren,

Clallm PUD

8B318666

• Vinyl window replacement• Custom glass work• Mirrors• Thermal windows• Emergency replacement

MATHEWS GLASS

117 N. Lincoln • PA • 457-5277

8B318038

LARGE SELECTIONOf Energy Star® RatedAppliances Available at Your Port Angeles Sears.

ENERGY STAR ®

AppliancesMay be eligible for$25 or $50Customer Rebate

Mary GalvinSandi Frantz

PORT ANGELES520 S. LINCOLN STREET457-9481

BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR!FRI. NOV. 28, 5 AM & SAT. NOV. 29, 7 AM

FRIDAY 5 AM TO NOON ONLY ALL DAY FRIDAY & SATURDAY20% OFFALL KENMORE APPLIANCES

10% OFFALL OTHER BRANDS

25% OFF KENMORE ELITE®

APPLIANCESREST OF WEEKEND $699 PAIR

$599Kenmore Front Load Pair

Washer 48102Dryer 88042

See store for details



Nov. 28 & 29WEEK-END HOURSFri. 5 am - 7 pmSat. 7 am - 6 pmSun. 11 am - 4 pm

Save yourself some money with tips from Clallam PUD

Organize the kitchenstory by Melissa Rayworth | AssociAted Press

If your kitchen feels inefficient or clut-tered, here’s good news from interior design-ers: Even the oldest kitchens can become streamlined, attractive work spaces without major remodeling.

The first step is assessing how you really use your kitchen.

Do you do lots of cooking and baking, or is the microwave your best friend?

What items do you use and which collect dust? (“There’s only three things in my kitchen I know how to use,” admits interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, and the main one is the microwave.)

Once you know how you work, says designer Janine Carendi, “trim down to the bare necessities.”

People often keep unwanted, worn or dam-aged kitchen items just in case they might come in handy.

But unless you have ample kitchen stor-age, saving that set of chipped dishes or that space-hogging sandwich maker will only make it harder to conveniently store what you do use.

Donate to charity or share these items with friends or family members.

Spices, too, should be jettisoned once they get old.

And things used only on special occasions (like an oversized roasting pan for Thanks-giving turkey) can be stored in a transparent plastic bin in your garage or basement.

Once the culling is done, Flynn, Carendi and Mallory Mathison, all named to domino magazine’s “10 Designers on the Verge” list this year, say it’s time to think outside the cabinet:

• Display your favorite nonperishable foods on open shelving.

For example, streamline your family’s breakfast routine (while freeing up space in cabinets), by displaying several cereals in transparent canisters on a shelf next to a stack of pretty bowls and spoons, says Flynn.

“I like to keep the foods that I eat most often completely separate from other things stored in the cabinets or pantry,” he says. “It keeps me from rummaging through things, which will ultimately lead to more disorga-nization. I go all out with it and actually kind of style the open system like an old general store.”

• Another vertical idea: Mathison sug-gests attaching hooks or towel racks to a wall or pantry door for hanging your supply of dishtowels.

She also recommends hanging pots, pans and glassware on racks to save space.

“If you don’t have a traditional pot rack,” she says, “get 2-inch dowels. Hang the dowels straight across, put hooks on them and hang up the pots.”

• Know at a glance what you have by emp-tying half-full boxes of pasta and rice into clear plastic containers.

If you can quickly see your supply, you’ll be less likely to mistakenly buy things you don’t need.

If canned goods tend to get forgotten in the recesses of your pantry or cabinets, place them on small “lazy susan” turntables where you can see everything.

“The more you know where things are and the more you can see them, the more you’ll end up using them,” says Carendi.

• If your cabinet doors are solid, have a carpenter cut out the center of each door and replace it with plexiglas, says Flynn.

No more opening the wrong cabinet in search of something.

If you’d rather not have your cabinets’ contents fully visible, have the plexiglas frosted so that you can see just outlines of what’s inside.

• Small appliances take up vital counter space and attract clutter, so Carendi recom-mends storing them out of sight.

If you worry that these appliances will get ignored, devote one cabinet to all of them.

See kitchens Page 12 >


(360)452-3366 OR 1-800-750-7868 257151 Hwy 101

(Midway between Port Angeles & Sequim - Look for the Big Yellow Rocking Chair!)

Free In-Home

Consultation!

Monday - Friday8 am - 5 pm

Saturday9 am - 3 pm

8B320723

www.everwarmhearthandhome.com • Contr. lic #everwi*088NL

Locally Owned Since 1977

Nothing says “HOME” like a wood-burning fireplace from Everwarm Hearth & Home

Annual Service Available

8B318664

20% OFF SPECIALHOLIDAY CLEANING!

queensofgreenclean.moonfruit.com

QUEENS OF GREEN CLEANENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE

CLEANING SO IN TUNE WITH TODAY’S NEEDS!

“Green” has become the new buzzword when it comes to homes — green appliances, green cleaning products, green floors, green building.

It is an umbrella word that is used for everything from an energy-efficient light bulb to a house with solar panels on the roof.

So what does “going green” mean?

Well, it means a lot of things. A green home often refers to a sustainable home that has low impact on a site, is made of durable, long-lasting materials, and is energy efficient, among other factors.

Kevin Coker, owner of Coker DesignWorks in Port Townsend, points out that most modern green designs are actually just smart designing.

Any good designer should look at utilizing space and constructing with a “univer-sal design” that won’t restrict a person as they grow older, he says.

(For example, still being able to move about the home easily as you get older.)

Similarly, energy effi-ciency, durable materials and use of site are also smart design elements.

Sustainable building

Building a home will have some impact on the environment, no matter how “green” you make it.

As Coker points out, even the environmentally friendly electric or hybrid car still impacts the earth because its batteries run on materi-als from the earth.

He tries to keep the homes he builds small, measuring from 900-2,200 square feet.

When it comes to building, there are a number of factors that people can look at when deciding how sustainable and environmental they want their home, including:

• Site — The outside of the home is just as impor-tant as the inside.

You want the building’s location to have a low impact on the land. Maybe orient the house to the south to get as much thermal heat as possible, or set up sys-tems to have rainwater used for irrigation.

• Materials — Look at the amount of consumption it takes to build the house, how long before materials have to be replaced and the toxicity of the materials.

Use local, alternative building materials instead of importing them.

• Energy and water — Look at how much energy is used to run the house.

• Space — Does the house’s design and your life-style enable you to utilize all the space?

Remodeling solutions

There’s a lot of hype to build green homes, but focus also needs to be given to

existing homes.“A lot can be done to

make current homes more durable and energy effi-cient,” Coker says.

There are plenty of easy, inexpensive ways you can make your current home more energy efficient, such as caulking gaps to prevent air from escaping, or pur-chasing an automatic ther-mostat to adjust the room temperature when you’re away at work or when you’re home.

Low-emissivity (Low-E) film is a material you can apply to window panes that is great on improving energy efficiency on old windows.

Low-E film reflects the sun’s rays to keep the heat out in the summer, but reflects interior heat back inside during the colder months to help with winter insulation.

You can also purchase insulated curtains that include the Low-E film.

The popular compact fluo-rescent light bulbs (CFL lights) typically use less energy and last longer than standard incandescent lights.

Coker recommends using CFL lights in rooms where lights are on for an extended period of time, such as kitch-ens and living rooms. CFL lights take a while to receive full brightness and their life is significantly shortened if only turned on for a few minutes at a time

How green do you want to go?

Bigger remodeling proj-ects can include replacing uninsulated windows and ensuring that the pipes and water tank are sealed and insulated.

To conserve water, there is even a product available that filters used water from your sink to the toilet, using this second-time-around water instead of perfectly good drinking water for flushing.

You can even go as far as having solar heating systems, electric systems and hot water systems, with the grid of solar panels being located on your roof, Coker says.

Air quality is another fac-tor in green homes.

Many older homes were built with carpets that con-tain formaldehyde and should be replaced.

Even though companies now have natural fiber car-pets available, any type of carpet could affect the air quality in your home.

“On average, a carpet will double in weight two years after it has been installed,” Coker says, due to all the dust and dirt it collects.

But not everything labeled as a “green product” should be taken at face value.

For example, even a paint labeled as “low VOC” or “no VOC” (volatile organic com-pounds) — which is impor-tant for air quality in a home — could still contain chemi-cals that someone is sensi-tive to.

can you go?story by Trisha McMahon | Peninsula Daily news

The exterior of a home is just as important as the interior when it comes to “greening.” These homes illustrate several green qualities in the site and materials. The structure is blended into the site, stepping down with grade and causing minimal impact to existing vegetation. They are also constructed of durable, low maintenance materials — fiber cement siding, metal roofing, all natural finish on timbers and with ipe wood decking. Plus they’re oriented to have lots of natural lighting.

See green Page 6 >

greengreening sustainable homesJust how


greening sustainable homes

www.trisa.us

8B318041

Inquire about ourDESIGN CLINIC

on Dec. 5

Introducing the Jotul

GF 300 DVAllagash

Jotul’s ExclusiveOpen Door Fire

Viewing has been incorporated into the

newly designedAllagash direct vent.

With handsome detailing and efficient operation, this stove

makes a warm addition to bothhearth & home.

• No electricity required to operate• Numerous venting options• Heats up to 1,300 Sq. Ft.• Excellent clearance• 88% Steady State Efficiency• Large fire viewing area• On/Off thermostat switch• Optional screen or remote• Optional wall thermostat• Five (5) year limited warranty.

www.mountainpropane.com360 385-6883

or

360 683-1881265 Chimacum Rd., Port Hadlock

Cont#MOUNTPI98306

8B321968

As the interior of this home shows, there is lots of use of natural lighting and ventilation, as well as LED and low voltage light-ing. High performance EnergyStar appliances help reduce energy usage. There is a natural no-VOC, easy-to-maintain-finish on timbers, low-VOC paint, and a radiant heat slab with programmable thermostat. The structural insulated panels roof system allows for increased thermal performance.

green:[continued from Page 5]

“It takes a lot of diligence to determine how green something is,” Coker says.

Increase the value of your home

Greening your home can be seen as an investment.

Similar to how remodeling a kitchen will improve the value of your home if you decide to sell, a green home can increase its value as well.

The growing business of going green has led to the development of several pro-grams that certify homes as green based on a list of crite-ria, including Built Green, Earth Advantage and LEED (Leader-ship in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design).

“On average, a home could be worth 5 to 7 per-cent more if it is green,” says Coker, who also serves as the chairman of the Built Green committee in Jef-ferson County.

You can do as little or as much as your budget and conscience allows when it comes to greening your home.

“Each client sets a list of priorities,” he explains, “such as, ‘I want good air quality,’ ‘I only have $5,000 to spend,’ or ‘I want materials that will last and won’t have to be replaced soon.’ ”

Kevin Coker is the owner of Coker DesignWorks in Port Townsend. For more than 15 years he has been working on green design and alternative building. He also serves as the chairman of the Built Green committee in Jefferson County. He can be reached at 360-385-2739 or via e-mail at [email protected].

downtown digs:[continued from Page 3]

no-risk candles >>

Trisa uses these electric candles as ambient lighting in some of her clients’ homes. “They just love them,” she says. Completely safe and only $4.99 for a 3x4-inch and $5.99 for a 3x6-inch, available at Bay Variety.

sweet scents Much cheaper than potpourri, cinnamon sticks add aroma and a rustic beauty to any room. Trisa Chomica loves the scent and recommends throwing them in a vase, jar or other display piece. They are especially wonderful around the holiday season and only $2.99 for a 6 or 12-inch bundle at Bay Variety.

Visit Trisa’s Web site at www.trisa.us.

Coker


You’ve decided you want to add some color and life to a room, but where do you begin?

You might like what you saw in a maga-zine, or what your friend recently did, but will that look good in your own home?

With so many color choices out there, it can be difficult figuring out where to begin. And nobody wants to paint their entire room in a color they end up regretting.

The interior designers at Blake Sand & Gravel in Sequim — Lucille Blydenstein, Judy Reno and Stephany Shackelford — offer some tips to help with paint colors, color coordination and decorating.

Where to beginClosets are an excellent place to get ideas.“Look in your closet,” Shackelford recom-

mends. “What colors are you drawn to?”Many times, if you look at the clothes in

your closet, you’ll notice that you are drawn to certain colors.

“Don’t decide based on what’s in a magazine or what’s in your friend’s house,” she says. “It’s about finding a piece or two that you love and building off of it.”

To make sure everything in the room will go together, Blydenstein recommends tak-ing separate pictures of everything you plan on put-ting in the room.

Then arrange the individ-ual pictures together to see what everything will look like together. These photographs can also give your a starting point for room colors, such as the colors from a painting or from a piece of furniture.

Be careful not to overload the room with too many colors.

“Too many colors and your eye doesn’t know what to look at,” Reno explains.

It is good to stick with two or three colors for the room when decorating, she says.

It looks good in the store, but what about the home?

Sometimes people will find a color they absolutely love and paint an entire room, only to realize afterwards that it doesn’t look quite as good as imagined.

The designers recommend painting the color on some-thing large, such as a foam board, and hanging it on the wall.

See what the color looks like during both day and night, and what it looks like as it hangs in different areas of the room.

“It might look wonderful in the day, but bad at night, or good in one room and not in another,” explains Shackelford.

A good tip is to also choose a lighter color for the hall-ways, as the color will end up appearing darker on the hall-ways’ walls.

In the past, people have avoided painting rooms in dark colors, but the colors are slowly becoming more and more popular in home designs.

People are often wary about painting a room in dark colors, as it can take more prep work, the colors are more difficult to paint over, and they are afraid it will make the room appear smaller, the designers say.

However, dark colors can actually give a room a sense of warmth and coziness, mak-ing them nice in bedrooms and living rooms.

The high ceilings that are common in newer homes also create a warm and relaxing room when painted in darker colors.

Painting a wall a different color to make an accent wall is a simple way to add a little excitement to the room, but many times people pick the wrong wall, or paint a color that doesn’t blend with the other walls.

“Don’t do a long, skinny wall,” Blydenstein recom-

mends. “It will make a room look narrower.”People also often paint the accent wall in a

color that’s not in the same family as the main color.

“You want to stay in the same hue and base,” she says.

So how do you pick which wall to paint as the accent wall?

“It’s about balance,” Reno says. “What’s the focal point of the room? What do you want people to look at when they walk in?”

Lucille Blydenstein, Judy Reno and Steph-any Shackelford are interior designers at Blake Sand & Gravel. They offer a range of services, including tile design, color coordinat-ing and in-home consultations.

Blake Sand & Gravel has two North Olym-pic Peninsula locations to serve you — Sequim (490 South Blake Ave.; 360-681-2877) and Port Angeles (4001 Tumwater Truck Route; 360-457-3371).

decorating the impact of paint

Paint wanted.Now what?

602 EAST FIRST STREET, PORT ANGELES452-2357 • www.swainsinc.com

Semi-GlossWall & TrimScrubbable, durable-gloss finish.

Reg. 22.87 Gal.

SatinWall & TrimLow gloss satin finish gives a fashionable look with outstanding durability.

Reg. 21.87 Gal.

FlatWall PaintPremium quality, easy to apply. Resists drip-ping and splattering. Non-glare finish.

Reg. 18.87 Gal.

Color Your Life Beautiful

See Swain’s for all your paint &

painting supplies

Prices Effective thru December 6, 2008Custom Colors Included

Swain’s General Store now proudly stocks the full line of Ace Royal Touch and Royal Shield paints!

8B318042

SAVE $2 A GALLONROYAL TOUCHINTERIOR PAINT

One Coat Supreme™ Roller Covers3 pack, 3/8” Nap. Reg. 6.87

H249c

Save $2

Paint is one of the easiest, least expensive ways to make a big impact on the home, but many of us become daunted at the prospect of wrong choices, hated colors and wasted time. Interior designers at Blake Sand & Gravel give tips on how to choose the right color without the regret.

story by Melissa Rayworth | AssociAted Press

Ask an interior designer about rich, dark colors and they’re likely to bubble over with praise: “Dark colors are my favorite for my own home and for clients,” says designer Brian Patrick Flynn.

Chocolate brown, midnight blue, deep scarlet — even black.

Deep colors are welcoming and cozy, they say, perfect for fall and winter.

“I really like that warm, enveloping feel-ing that using layers of dark colors can give you,” says designer Mallory Mathison.

These shades make a room distinctive and memorable, says designer Janine Car-endi, but they can be tricky to use.

Clients are often interested in colors like eggplant or olive green, but skittish about how the final product will look.

If you’re thinking of taking the plunge, here’s some advice from Flynn, Mathison and Carendi on using dark colors without creating a black hole:

Choose the right room

In large rooms, Flynn says, dark colors are a great problem-solver. The sprawling size and high ceil-ings of living rooms commonly found in newer houses can make a home feel impersonal.

Deep colors add warmth and coziness, he says, especially if you opt to paint the walls and ceiling the same rich color.

These large rooms are often flooded with natural light, which helps to balance dark walls or furniture.

But large, well-lit rooms aren’t your only option: Carendi says dark colors can be won-derfully dramatic in tiny spaces with little natural light.

She uses them to add glamour to hall-ways and small bathrooms — places where you don’t spend a lot of time and thus won’t get overwhelmed by the impact.

Carendi recently used a deep red for the walls and ceiling of a client’s small foyer.

The effect? An unexceptional space in this New York

apartment suddenly became “a sort of Chi-nese lacquer box,” she says, creating a gor-geous first impression for visitors.

One caveat if you use dark colors in a small space: You’ll need to beef up the pres-ence of artificial light.

That 100-watt bulb you used before, Car-endi says, probably won’t be enough anymore.

Don’t make every element darkContrast is key: “Define the room with a

perimeter of brightness,” says Mathison, by balancing dark walls with light-colored

molding. (Molding can be added inex-pensively, if the room doesn’t already have it).

Besides adding brightness, Flynn says, light-colored paint will highlight the beauty of intricate molding against a dark background. “It pops in a completely different way,” he says.

Dark walls also can be leavened by white or pale window treatments.

If you’re planning a dark floor — a choco-late brown rug, for example — choose one made of natural fibers that includes a sprin-kling of blonde or ivory, Mathison says.

’Tis the season for dark colors

See dark colors Page 13 >

dark colors are welcoming and cozy, designers say, perfect for fall and winter.

story by Trisha McMahon | PeninsulA dAily news


decorating home interiors

8B318665

Your onlineexchange for gently used holiday gifts,

large householditems and reusablebuilding

materials

• Computers• Printers• TVs• CD and DVD Players• Kid’s Toys• Gardening Equip.

• Pet Supplies• Tools• Furniture• Sporting Goods• And more!!

Sponsored by Washington State Department of Ecology, City of Port Angeles and Clallam County

8B317054

302 Kemp St. • Port Angeles, WA • 452-9813ALLWEHC150KU

IS THEIR ENVIRONMENT CLEANER THAN YOURS?

You make sure your house is clean. The oil in your car is clean. You even filter the water your fish swim in. So why don’t you purify the air in your home?

The Infinity© Air Purifier by Carrier captures and kills airborne germs and allergens in 100% of your home’s conditioned air.

In 2000 Marga Church and her husband sold their log home on East Sequim Bay and found this 1980s Sunland house, built in a contemporary Northwest design. Marga didn’t love it at first, but they decided to live there while looking for something they really liked.

It was meant to be a transition home — that was eight years ago. The original builders were “I think quite ahead of their time,” Marga says referring to the

open floor plan, big rooms, high ceilings and skylights.She’d never had a home that big and quickly realized they’d be able to display their angklung,

a large Indonesian instrument made out of bamboo, a gift from Marga’s in-laws that had sat in boxes for many years due to lack of space.

The Churches were delighted with how the instrument and the high angles of their new living room complimented each other.

As time passed, Marga found more and more about the house she liked and began to have fun playing with the interior. She has turned the “transition” home into the perfect combination of contemporary design and vintage charm.

growing into a homestory and photos by Jennifer Veneklasen | Peninsula Daily news

bust out the colorThe house had all white walls

when the Churches moved in, which Marga found to be some-what cold.

She chose blush as the showy base color for her kitchen walls, and a toned-down blush for the kitchen pantry doors.

She wanted to break up the monotony of the long back wall, but because she is always in and out of the pantry, hanging things on the doors wasn’t’ really an option.

To get the lighter color, she mixed in whites and blacks to the original blush until she found the perfect lighter shade.

Two colors — alike yet differ-ent — offer a pleasing contrast for the eye.

The blackboard on the far wall is painted on.

Marga says the paint is easy to find, easy to apply and is a lot of fun for kids.

She’s even seen people cover an aging refrigerator in the blackboard paint.

To make things compliment each other, and because she loves the old “occident feeds” sign on the back wall, Marga mimicked its border on to the blackboard.

^ corner spaceTrina Berg, Marga’s friend and owner of Fiddleheads in Port Angeles, helped her to set up this sweet vignette.The home’s size has allowed Marga to use bigger scale items like the clock, hutch and dark screen.“I think the bigger pieces can give more of an impact,” Marga says.The hutch houses her small collection of white, Ironstone dishes, some passed down from her grandmother and some received as gifts. She says this is her favorite place to sit and read.

no seating available >“I like to buy chairs that don’t have seats,” Marga jokes.Both this antique chair and stool sit in her dining room — not as seating, but as decoration.The large float balls, highly prized in most antique stores, were found by Marga’s husband, washed up in a beach in Mexico. She placed them beside a table full of other glass bottles and water-themed pieces.She likes that they have a story — Japanese float balls used for fishing that broke loose and somehow traveled many thousands of miles to end up on the beaches of Mexico.

Grouping things you love, like Marga has done with her water-themed pieces and white Ironstone, is a wonderful way to showcase your collections.{ }• See larger dining room photo on Page 9 for a better look at the water-themed grouping displayed against the back wall.


< the roomMarga bought the dining room table from Fiddle-heads in Port Angeles. She loved the interesting leg joints and says she believes the top is made from an old wooden floor. Always mixing old and new, she paired the table with chairs from IKEA because they were sturdy and inexpensive, plus the natural fibers and metal legs appealed to her sense of style. Rugs break up the large black tiles and add a splash of color. Marga says that the sea grass rug under the table never shows dirt or spills. A Benjamin fig tree sits in the corner, because without it, Marga says it would feel “dungeon-like.”Many of the pieces — like the tobacco dryer hang-ing on the far wall — have a story behind them.


8B309917

8B318027

85296727

INTERIOR DESIGN

Let Jean redesign your homeinto a comfortable, beautiful, functional living space.

Create the perfect look for you or for a prospective Buyer.1-day redesigning using your own furnishings.

www.byarrangementwithjean.com

By Arrangement With Jean 360-797-0081 Redesign your Home in a day… [email protected]

8B320738

< work with what you haveThe Indonesian angklung sits behind the main

couch and is not only a conversation piece, but the Churches and their guests sometimes play the wind instrument that creates soothing, whimsical sounds.

When Marga first saw the home’s yellowish carpet, stretched from wall to wall, she immediately thought, “that’s gotta go.” However, her more practical side won over, and she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of perfectly good carpet.

The carpet stayed, as did the black tiling throughout the kitchen and dining room. Ironically, the modern black and yellow is trendy again.

To offset the carpet, Marga added a neutral area rug and new sofas.

The beautiful red, Victorian paisly-printed throw is a garage sale find, as is much of the home’s decor.

“I like the challenge of mixing old with new,” Marga says. She also likes to “take weird things and

make something out of them.”A perfect case in point is the living

room’s coffee table, made from rusted-out iron left over by the owner of Marga’s previous home. She saved the iron and had new pieces of glass fitted on top for a double-level table.

Sitting on the top tier of glass is an antique shield Marga fashioned into a bowl for apples or other fruit.

The crisp, colorful look of fruit adds contrast and appeal to the rusted shield and allows Marga to use pieces collected over the years in new ways.

^ measure upNear the turn of the century, Marga’s Swedish grandfa-ther ran their town’s general store. The wooden box shown above was used at the store to measure any number of things from grain to sugar. Shown directly above the 2-liter mark, is the official stamp of the crown — indicating that a government official had inspected the box and given his approval. Marga uses several of these boxes to hold kitchen utensils.

Memorabilia from Egypt, Persia, Sweden, Spain, Mexico and Japan bring the home alive with worldly travel and tales of far away places.

Throughout the home are pieces from many lifetimes, passed down through the generations and on display, ever reminding the owners of their own history, their own roots.

“That was part of the fun of this big house,” Marga says. “Being able to use the things you inherit. I love old things.” { }

This apple bowl is actually an antique shield.


decorating a designer’s touch

457-1411 • 1404 E. Front St. • Port Angelesfairchildfloors.com

8B318037

Since 1947

Sante Fe Greystack by Statements

From minimal to traditional our collections offer a stylish solution for the Northwest home.

story by Jennifer Veneklasen | Peninsula Daily news

The pine cone display is an example of hurricanes Janet decorates seasonally. The before and after photos are of her Sequim home where, among other things, she added color to the walls and updated the overall decor.In the living room they bought furniture that fit the room and was conducive to the architecture, plus renovated the fireplace to be more inline with the home’s colonial style.

Janet Gray worked for eight years designing the inside of those Starbucks stores we all love so much.

Because the Starbucks development department was so big, Janet says she was able to benefit from the influence of many talented designers.

While no store is identical, they are all built from a “kit of parts that you work with to create brand identity,” Janet says, and while she loved the work, it wasn’t the same as creating for individual clients.

Now that she’s back in Sequim, Janet looks forward to working with residen-tial customers — none of whom are the same, all with their own personal style.

Janet is a Sequim native, married to Jon Gray, a Port Angeles native whose family co-owns Angeles Furniture.

The couple wanted to raise their two sons here and be closer to family, so after several years in Seattle they came back to the North Olympic Peninsula.

Janet holds a bachelor of arts degree in interior design from Washington State University and her specialty is in space planning.

“Lots of customers know what they like but aren’t sure how to best fit it into their home,” Janet says.

She hopes to teach people about the basic rules of design and how to incorpo-rate them.

First, she says, people should find a room’s focal point and arrange around it.“Find something that inspires you whether it be a fireplace, a water or

mountain view, whatever,” she says. “Find what’s most important to you and start there.”Next, look at the layout and decide what will fit best where. Rearrange

the pieces you want to keep and if possible, buy additional pieces to com-pliment the area.

“Lots of customers will want something new so they can also arrange around that,” Janet says. Sometimes it’s necessary to phase in change a little at a time be it because of money, time or apprehension.

Something as simple as painting a table can often make a big impact, she says.

Pull together the complete packageIt’s ideal if people want to do more than just bring in some new

pieces. Bring in the color with wall paint, she encourages.Janet says it’s easiest to match paint to a sofa or piece of art than to

paint the room and then try to match pieces to it. You can get a dramatic change in a whole room for around $50 if you

do your own painting.And you can always change it. Janet’s been in her Sequim home only

three years and has already changed the colors. Also, re-purpose by stealing from other rooms in your house. Maybe a

table that’s been sitting in the guest bedroom for years will actually be perfect in the living room — no money spent. Janet can help people look at their homes differently and see what could be re-purposed.

If a client doesn’t have a vision, she trusts her eye to make things work.

A lot of space planning is about layout and the functionality, she says. Ask yourself: How will the room be used? What do I like about the room and what don’t I like?

She also touts using versatile pieces like white dishes that can be paired with colorful or seasonal napkins, place mats and centerpieces for a whole new look.

She uses glass hurricanes to display apples, gourdes, holly, seashells, rocks and cherry blossoms to reflect the seasons.

“There’s so much free stuff you can use, especially where we live,” she says. “And it can change with the seasons.”

Recently she woke up to a slew of fallen leaves in her backyard and thought, “oh good, I’ll bring them in as decoration.”

Plus, it’s economical to decorate with Mother Nature’s loot.“I like to do things inexpensively so that you can change them out,”

she saysWhen designing a room, Janet relies on scale as it relates to the

human and takes into consideration balance, proportion and harmony. She often finds two or three things that work well together creating rhythm and symmetry and will then accessorize around those items.

One of her favorite ways to practice this skill is setting up vignettes at Angeles Furniture. Walk around the store and you’ll find little nooks full of her handy work.

Staging is everything, she says.Janet encourages people who don’t have — or can’t buy — brand

new stuff to re-arrange. After arranging a room, to trim costs for her clients, she’ll leave

them small to-do lists that say things like: take down or replace the curtains, add three blue pillows, etc.

This way they are not being charged for her time, and are tak-ing a hand in their own design. Of course, she offers the full-ser-vice approach as well.

When working with clients, Janet does a lot of screening for them — narrowing down selections based on their personality, likes and dislikes.

She educates them on different materials and pricing, and works to find a cohesiveness among elements, with the fundamentals of design always at play in her work.

Design clinicJanet will offer a

90-minute design clinic at Angeles Furniture, 1114 E. First St., at 1 p.m. on Dec.

5 to help you better decorate your home.

The clinic will cover the fundamentals of design

and basic techniques you can apply towards any

room at any time.She will also talk about

holiday decorating. For information on the

class and pricing, phone 360-683-1101.

Janet also offers in-home Christmas decorating services.

Give her a call for help decking the halls at your

home or office.

photo by Jennifer Veneklasen

PerfecT PaIrS

fundamentals of design + personal style

before

before before

after

after

Janet Gray sits at one of the vignettes she created at Angeles Furniture. Janet will offer a design clinic using pieces of this same vignette on Dec. 5.


decorating create personal space

story by Jennifer Veneklasen | Peninsula Daily news

Port Angeles547 N. Oakridge457-7500

Sequim22 Lee Chatfield Ave.683-7500

Port Hadlock11662 Rhody Drive379-9500

Creating Beautiful Homes Since 1958

8B320722122 E. Front • Port Angeles • 457-6111

Not your ordinary Stationery Store

8B318703

Having a meditation room in your home is about creating a sacred space. It’s about acknowledging that you need time to turn inward, to disconnect from the day-to-day bustle of life and maybe to connect with a bigger picture.

Quiet time with yourself everyday can help you cultivate a state of inner calm and stillness — something you can take with you long after you leave the cushion.

There is no right or wrong when creating this retreat, but here are a few suggestions to get you started:

First, find a space It doesn’t need to be a whole room — a quiet corner will

work fine. Choose a place in your home where you won’t be

interrupted. This can be easier said than done, but try to find somewhere free of televisions, computers, ringing phones, animals, people and other distractions.

Kitchens and living rooms are often too distracting, but a spare bedroom or other less-used area might be perfect.

Having a large screen to partition off a corner of your home can also give added privacy.

Work with the space that you have.De-clutter and clean whatever space you choose.It should be as empty as possible, minus a few

key pieces. You don’t want to be distracted by chaos.

When your room is clean and clutter free, it’s more likely that your mind will follow suit.

It’s good to avoid harsh cleaning products like bleach — they can leave scent not conducive to meditation.

Customize the areaThis is where you get to

be creative. Comfortable seating is

of utmost importance, and that means different things for different people.

You may prefer large floor pillows, a comfortable chair with a straight back, a floor mat or a bench.

You’ll have a hard time meditating if you’re not comfortable, so choose wisely.

Vickie Dodd, a meditation teacher whose home base is in Port Angeles, has been meditating as a regular part of her life for more than three decades.

“I need comfort in my meditation practice,” Vickie says.“I want a chair that is comfortable for me, one that my feet

touch easily and that my spine can be supported by cushions, that it is a fairly quiet, uninterrupted zone.”

Often finding such a place means that Vickie must get up earlier than the rest of the household.

You might want to have a CD player handy for playing soft music, chants, hymns or natural sounds.

Pondicherri, at 119 E. Washington St. in Sequim, offers many items to compliment a meditation practice.

From candles and incense to floor pillows and Buddha statues, they can help you create a sanctuary.

Store Manager Autumn Gray says that depending on what’s going on in your life or what you’re meditating on, you can use scents and colors to aid you.

For example, citrus incense is said to spark creative thought, lavender is calming and tranquil, and vanilla is warming and promotes peace and safety.

She also recommends aligning your candle color-choice with the body’s chakras for meditation.

There are seven main energy centers, or chakras, of the body which resonate with the seven rainbow colors.

These chakras are used in acupuncture, yogic and other healing modalities. According to ancient Vedic tradition, each chakra corresponds to a different area of the body and an aspect of the psyche.

“If you wanted to focus on speaking your truth, for example, choose a blue candle,” Autumn says. Blue represents the throat chakra and you can focus on that color while meditating.

An alter or prayer table can give you a place to put your incense, candles and other items.

Some people have images of God or the Buddha on their table. If you’re not a religious person, use other uplifting things like flowers, a stone, a crystal or a card with an inspiring quote.

Some people like to have photos of nature or of their family. There are endless possibilities — just make it your own. “I personally have altars all over my house,” Vickie says. “If one looks closely, I think many of us do, and do not call

them that.”Lighting, again, is a personal preference. Some people find dark rooms more peaceful while other

prefer to be kissed by the sun through windows or skylights. Some prefer to meditate to the glow of candlelight.

When the weather is nice, consider having an outdoor mediation space where the fresh air will keep you alert.

The rewardsVickie spends much time traveling and scouting out

meditation spots wherever she happens to be. But at home in

Port Angeles, she has more control over her meditation space.“I have my favorite chair and cushions, so that I can get

on to my knees comfortably and pray and then into my chair that supports my posture for easy breath,” she says.

She also has a small table next to the chair with a few of her favorite inspirational readings

that she uses to conclude her daily practice.Some people say their meditation space is like a switch

they turn on to de-stress, feeling instantly relaxed when they step into it.

“I have been in this particular place for nearly six years,” Vickie says of her Port Angeles meditation space.

“And the atmosphere becomes stronger with time. Now when I sit in my chair, my nervous system responds and starts to relax and settle very easily.”

Autumn Gray, manager of Pondicherri in Sequim, holds one of the store’s floor pillows, ideal for meditating on. Autumn who practices meditation at her own home, suggests if at all possible to face towards water when meditating. “Water is the basis for all life,” she says, and so facing towards it is symbolic of the life force.

Candles at Pondicherri are unscented and custom dyed to match the store’s table clothes

and other linen. For more information, phone the store at 360-681-4431.

The Snail MartyrsThere is a legend that when the Buddha was sitting under the Bodhi tree he was so deep in meditation that he was unaware that it was extremely hot. A group of snails saw him and realizing the importance of his thoughts, crawled up to cover and protect his head with their bodies. The snails died from exposure to the hot sun and became honoured as martyrs who had died to pro-tect the Buddha. In some images of the Buddha, such as these available at Pondich-erri in Sequim, his hair curls do indeed resemble snails to remind people of this story.— www.vam.ac.uk

photos (3) by Jennifer Veneklasen

Improve your state of mind


storage find more space

story by Trisha McMahon | Peninsula Daily news

Murphy beds have been around for decades, but have grown in popularity in recent years as designs have become sleeker, people downsize homes and empty nesters transform old bedrooms into spare rooms.

With designs that can include shelves, fold out desks, closet space and more, today’s beds can be seamlessly incor-porated into any room.

Stick Stack Stow in Sequim designs and sells custom stor-age systems, including Murphy beds.

“People are often surprised it’s a bed,” designer/owner Anne Milligan says of the beds she sells. “Many think they are entertainment centers or closets.”

The wallbeds work perfectly in sewing rooms, spare rooms, living rooms — any space people want to temporarily trans-form into a guest room.

While people often use the Murphy beds as guest beds, they can withstand the everyday use as someone’s main bed.

“They look delicate, but they are meant to be abused,” Mil-ligan comments, adding that they are common in studio apartments.

Milligan sells Murphy beds in twin, double and queen sizes. King-sized beds can be specially ordered.

Transform your spaceThe beds can be designed as simple or elaborate as you

want, from a basic twin bed to a queen complete with side tow-ers, pull-out nightstands, closet space and other custom options.

“Whatever your ideas are, just ask me,” Milligan says.The sleek, slim design of the beds makes them inconspicu-

ous in a room.The Murphy beds at Stick Stash Stow measure a mere 16

inches deep when folded up.They are compatible with most 11-inch thick mattresses

and are as comfortable as the mattress you put on it, Milli-gan says.

You can store the bed completely made, so it is always ready for instant use.

Prices at Stick Stash Stow start at $1,900 for a basic Murphy bed, and can range upwards to $9,000 if you were to include custom design options, such as cabinetry, crown molding and wood stains.

Spring technologyWhile the initial cost migh seem high, you are paying for

quality technology.There are different types of mechanisms used in Murphy

bed designs, including spring mechanisms, cables and piston mechanisms.

According to Milligan, wires and cables can tangle and break, while the hydraulic or piston mechanisms can lock up and become extremely heavy.

She sells beds that use the spring design, which keeps them light.

One person can effortlessly pull down the bed and put it back — all with as Milligan describes it, “a feather touch.”

As you pull down the bed, the balanced spring system prevents the bed from coming down quickly.

Instead of using a mesh bottom or slats, the bed is a platform bed, with the mattress resting on the other side of the “door.”

The beds are attached to the wall with L brackets, rather than being attached to the floor.

After an in-home consultation and measurements are taken, the design takes about a week to complete and then

an additional four to six weeks are needed for the bed to be constructed, depending on how complex its design is.

Stick Stash Stow is located at 90 Marian Way, Sequim. To visit the Sequim showroom or to set up an appointment, contact designer/owner Anne Milligan at 360-683-8038.

For more information, visit www.stickstashstow.com or e-mail [email protected].

Murphy beds — not just for tiny apartments anymore8B320725

They’ll be stashed away but easily accessed.

Flynn recommends put-ting your microwave in a cabinet, too, assuming it’s small enough and there is good ventilation.

You may need to have an electrician add an outlet.

• Replace the chairs on one or both sides of your kitchen table with benches that have storage space inside, says Mathison.

Clutter that gathers on the kitchen table or counters can be stored inside the benches at mealtime.

Once a week, have family members go through the benches to claim their own items. Or the benches can be used to store toys or reading material kept in the kitchen.

• Don’t forget the highest spaces, says Carendi. Have a stepstool nearby to easily access things stored on top shelves or above cabinets.

Whether you are remodel-ing or just fine-tuning your kitchen, Carendi says, it’s vital to put aside old habits governing where things should be stored. Look beyond what you’re accus-tomed to” she says, and feel free to create any arrange-ment that works for you.

photo by Trisha McMahon/Peninsula Daily NewsStick Stash Stow owner/designer Anne Milligan shows how light the Murphy bed is in her showroom. One person can easily use the Murphy bed.

backsplash solutions

When folded up, the Murphy beds blend into the room. Although pictured here with wooden cabinetry and design, there are several options available.

photo by Trisha McMahon

Kitchens are one of the most-used areas of a house, and as such are often one of the first places people spruce up when remodeling or redecorating.

While a fresh paint job or new cabinets are common ways to spice up the area, adding a decorative — and useful — tile backsplash can brighten the kitchen.

More than just a functional sur-face that’s easy to clean and protects the wall, a backsplash can add a visual, creative touch to your kitchen.

People also often focus too much

on the countertops and cabinets when it comes to designing their kitchen, forgetting entirely about the option of a backsplash, explains Lucille Blydenstein, interior designer at Blake Sand and Gravel in Sequim.

“There’s so much you can do with a backsplash to be creative and fun,” she says.

Popular backsplash materials include tile and glass.

While counters can quickly get covered up with miscellaneous items from the kitchen’s day-to-day traffic, the backsplash can be a focal point.

kitchens:[continued from Page 4]

Peninsula Daily news FriDay, november 28, 2008 Home Interiors 138B321781

Best Price Guarantee is for same merchandise from competitor’s printed sales receipt within the last 30 days. Best Price Guarantee does not apply to clearance merchandise. McCrorie Home

Furnishings will either meet or beat competitor’s best price or we will pay customer $25.

We’ll beat anybody’s price onhome furnishings or we’ll pay you $25.00.

w w w . m c c r o r i e f u r n i t u r e . c o m | Open Monday-Sunday124 East First St. | Downtown Port Angeles | 417-1219

HUGE SAVINGS OF UP TO 70% ON HOME FURNISHINGS!

Available in Twin, Queen,Full & King.

$1995

PLANTSTANDS

$499GAME/DINING

TABLE

$49MAGAZINE

TABLE

$69KITCHEN

CART

$859CAPTAIN’S BED

FROM

$179OCCASIONAL

SET

$699

LEATHER RECLINING

SOFA

$1495

COAT RACKS

$299MICROFIBER

RECLINER

Two Colors AvailableLeather $399

$1199GATHERING

TABLE

W/8 Chairs

Then top it with furniture uphol-stered in those lighter shades.

Get creative with color pairings: Navy and white are deliciously crisp together, while dark brown is warm and inviting with pale green accents.

Flynn’s favorite? Contrasting stark black with a

classic Tiffany blue.

ReflectionsIf you’re painting walls dark, con-

sider using high-gloss paint rather than a flat or eggshell finish, say the experts. Glossy paint reflects light, multiplying it and adding sparkle to the room.

Keep in mind, though, that this draws attention to any imperfections on the surface of the walls.

You may have to refinish the walls before painting.

Next, add elements that reflect light: Think gleaming chrome mir-rors, crystal lamps or a clear, acrylic coffee table, says Mathison.

These items bring brightness while amplifying the colors you’ve chosen.

If a full-scale conversion to the dark side is too much, you can always try a few splashes of deep color. Try painting the inside of a bookcase a dark shade but leaving the outside white or light-colored. Or do the floor in an ebony stain.

You can soften the molding idea above by reversing it — keep the walls a light color and paint the molding black or navy.

Subtler still, try one of Mathison’s favorite tricks: Paint baseboards and molding a deep shade of gray. The effect is soft and harmonizes well with many color palettes, she says, but you still “get a hint of darkness.”

William’sGallery in Port Townsend

Some people want their homes to be a show piece.

If you’re one of those people, you won’t find more elegant, unique home art than at William’s Gallery in Port Townsend.

These candle holders, lamp and vase are just some of stunning examples of what you’ll find to beautify any room in your home.

William’s Gallery offers a wide selection of fine arts and crafts from a variety of local northwest and national artists, as well as other hand-made items from around the world.

Visit the gallery, at 914 Water St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Phone 360-385-3630 for more information.

We found these decorative beauties at: dark colors:[continued from Page 7]

photos by Trisha McMahon



Homeis wherethe heart is

A Sequim home all about comfort and ease

8B318023

8B318026

8B320721

Linda & EdBauer

20% offSelect upholstery & drapery fabrics.Work done in our own workrooms.

Exp. 1-30-09

All other window treatments also available.

119 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim • 683-6338

Serving the Olympic Peninsula since 1967!Serving the Olympic Peninsula since 1967!

Home Interiors 2008Published by:

Peninsula Daily News Main office: 305 W. First St.Port Angeles, WA 98362

360-452-2345

John C. Brewer editor and publisher

Sean McDonald advertising director

Jennifer VeneklasenTrisha McMahonspecial sections editors

Juan Cisneros, cover design

The ideal home takes shape in different ways. Kathy King’s began with a phone call.

“We were living in a condo, perfectly happy,” she says, when one day her realtor friend called and said, “Kathy, you’ve gotta come see this house — you’re the only one who’ll get it.”

“It” turned out to be a 1970s kit-home carpeted in avocado-green shag 2-inches thick and a landscape dotted with little wooden tulips.

“It was horrible,” Kathy says. “But I loved the bones of the house. It’s build like a Sher-

man tank.”Constructed completely of wood, with strong foundation

beams around the perimeter, the house requires no interior walls, Kathy says. Plus, the wooden walls throughout appealed to her Scandinavian side.

What really grabbed the Kings’ attention was the south-fac-

ing wall of windows, allowing for natural light, and an open view of tall pine trees and a manicured golf course — ensuring they will never have a backyard neighbor.

Well, probably never anyway.They bought the three-bed, two-bath cottage and began a

three month renovation process.The wood walls were exceedingly dark and depressing,

Kathy says, so they white-washed them to lighten things up, and of course, got rid of the green shag, replacing it with wood floors.

Kathy brought in her eclectic design style and bold use of colors to add character to their new home.

She sprinkled collections and family heirlooms throughout and hung one of her favorite farm paintings near the entry way. As a child, that same painting hung in her mom’s Wisconsin home, and now brings history and individuality into its modern surroundings.

A big chunk of the cozy, unpretentious decor is from things Kathy collected during her 27 years traveling the globe as a

flight attendant.Antique Wedgewood from London, hand-hammered copper

cookware from Paris and rugs from India are just a few of the things illustrating Kathy’s well-traveled life — all brought together to adorn her Sequim home.

Since retiring from the airlines and relocating to Sequim, Kathy has worked as an interior designer, both privately and at Lady Truffles.

As a designer, she encourages clients to — above all else — make their homes personal.

“Everybody has some family things,” Kathy says, adding that it’s also never too late to start collecting.

Find something you like, she says, whether it be paintings, sculptures or vases and then group them together in your home. Kathy takes her own advice, displaying many collec-tions, everything from crystal to decorating books.

But don’t overdue it, she cautions.

See story next page >

story and photos by Jennifer Veneklasen | Peninsula Daily news



8B309922

Authorized Dealer for

990 E. Washington, Suite DSequim - 681-7805

Mon - Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-5 • Sun 11:00-3:00

Extra 10% off

ALL SLEEPERS!with coupon only

must be presented at time of purchase • good til 12/07/08

coupon

FREE delivery (anywhere on the

Peninsula)set-up & disposal

Bill Ellison

Greg Russell

Noel Joseph

Margy Hall

There is a fine line between decorating your home with things you love and being overrun by too many purchases.

The most important thing is that your home represent your life, who you are and what you like — not what will impress others.

She quotes Suze Orman, saying: “We buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t know or like.”

A new way of looking With the down trodden economy, Kathy says she thinks

many Americans are beginning to evaluate what is really important to them.

She foresees a back to the basics trend in design, with people using more of an honest, plain layout and natural fibers instead of over-the-top or elaborate design.

She sees the country’s financial situation as “a great time to look at what the home is all about.”

As Americans tighten their purse strings, travel is becom-ing more and more of a luxury for most people — which means more time spent at home.

People are examining what they want those homes to be.Kathy wants hers to be a place that is nurturing, a safe

haven where friends and family can gather, play board games and find common ground.

She describes her home as small, not very fancy, but com-pletely inviting.

Kathy, her husband, and now Kathy’s 94-year-old mother “live in every inch” of the 1,800 square-foot cottage where the main room is the kitchen, dining and living area.

The open floor plan allows guests to curl up on the couch, be warmed by a fire and converse with whomever’s cooking dinner that night.

What Kathy loves best about her home is that when peo-ple come to visit, they don’t want to leave.

“I think people are going to gather together and find hope and community during these times. We will be inviting people in,” she says.

For more information on interior design services, contact Kathy King at 360-461-9012.

Kathy keeps the television housed in a large armoire, because, she says, “I don’t think television should be the focus of a room.”Kathy admits she usually encourages people to buy neutral colored couches, and she would never tell anyone to buy this bold, patterned sofa. “It’s really ridiculous,” she says. “But I was going through a phase where I wanted French country.”

A chandelier of 15 candle holders sits above the dining room table. To keep things new, Kathy changes the candle colors each season. “We light them every time someone is over for dinner,” she says. “The candlelight creates movement and it’s really magical.”

Peninsula Daily news16 Home Interiors FriDay, november 28, 20088B

309919

$5.99 sq. ft.

$1.99 sq. ft. $1.99 sq. ft.Starting at

Catalina s/s 150 Swim Spa w/Exercise Equipment

• Freestanding Swimming & exercise pool with current

• Allows you to have an aquatic swim or workout for your fitness or recreational needs

• Equipped with temperature control to keep the water just the way you like it

• Low impact exercise to strengthen, tone & shape your body

• Dimensions 90 x 174 x 52” Deep

• Water capacity 1,450 gallons

• 19 Therapy Jets & 3 Swim Spa Jets

• Exercise Equipment Included

Provides Fun, Fitness& Relaxation for the Whole Family!

MUST SEE!!! STOP IN TODAY!!!

Addison Addison Electric StoveElectric Stove

a value ofa value of

$2.99 sq. ft.$2.99 sq. ft.

$1.49 sq. ft.$1.49 sq. ft.

a publication of the peninsula daily newsww2.peninsuladailynews.com/specsectpdf/homeint08.pdfthis...

Documents