Fall Home & Garden

1A

Sunday, October 24, 2010 The Anniston Star LIFE 1E

Fall

Home &

Garden

Photo illustration

by Jessica Stephens and Bill Wilson/ The Anniston Star

The nights grow longer, and thoughts turn inward, to warmth and comfort • This week’s Life section is devoted to home • Gardening columnist Shane Harris lists do’s and don’ts for fall (Page 3E) • Local designer Amy J. Staples advises we surround ourselves with our favorite things (Page 8E) • Bestselling author Bill Bryson details the history of the dining room (Page 9E) • Local designer Scott Skinner predicts that gray and purple are the new brown (Page 10E) • In between are tips for bathrooms, bedrooms, kids’ rooms and more ...

COLORS • TEXTURES • FURNITURE • ACCESSORIES

PAGE 6E

PAGE 8E

PAGE 10E

PAGE 5E

lisa davis, SMALL TALK and celebrations, PAGE 2E

+

+

Page 2E Sunday, October 24, 2010

z horoscopes

By Bernice Bede Osol Do everything that you can in the year ahead to keep in your corner allies that you already have as well as any new ones that you make.

Although friends have been fortunate for you in the past, they’ll be even more crucial in the future.

ä

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Check with the group before making any social plans that you think everyone would enjoy. People might have commitments to engage in other activities, and will have to disappoint you.

ã

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21) - Bury any foul mood you might be harboring, so that you don’t unintentionally cloud an involvement that is running smoothly as yet. It’ll help you in the process, as well.

å

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - Do not compete against the one you love for the attention of your friends, even if you think s/he is hogging the limelight. Events will unfold naturally and even out the score.

ç

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - When in a competitive involvement, don’t let your guard down for one minute.

Being lackadaisical or indifferent would immediately shift the odds in favor of your opposition.

é

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - Be careful, if you’re feeling a bit left out, that you do not contradict companions for the sake of drawing attention to yourself. Instead, smile and everyone will smile back.

É

ARIES (March 21-April 19) - There is nothing that is quicker to cause a spat than money matters, but if what is occurring is disturbing to you, you’ll have better things to say if you wait until you calm down before responding.

Ñ

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - Be mindful of your behavior so that you don’t react harshly to something that disturbs you, and alienate a good associate in the process. An explosion on your part could wipe out any cooperation.

Ö

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - A distasteful task that you and everybody else have been dodging might rear its ugly head and demand immediate attention. Attempting to pass the buck will cause even more trouble.

life

It’s beginning to look a lot like … Christmas?

While Christmas is still a couple of months away (this, despite candy corn and candy canes jostling for shelf space at your friendly big box retailer), you can “get your merry on” in less than two weeks at the Empty Stocking Gala, scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Anniston City Meeting Center.

Empty Stocking began Annette 22 years ago as a way to Maddox supply Christmas gifts to Small Talk foster children in Calhoun and Cleburne counties.

Thanks to the generosity of the community and the growing success of the annual Empty Stocking Gala, the organization has been able to meet the needs of all the foster children every year, and even have a little left over to take necessities to nursing home residents who have no relatives to bring gifts for Christmas.

The Gala is the premier Christmas party of the season, with an extraordinary show band — Party Nation — plus an open bar and catering by David Mashburn’s Classic on Noble.

But all of its sponsors will tell you that their favorite part of Empty Stocking is the day they shop for Christmas gifts for more than 300 children.

This year’s ball chairperson, Sherlyn McWhorter, has her committees busier than Santa’s elves as they prepare for the festive, fun event.

New to the Empty Stocking board this year are Brenda and Melvin Morgan, Karlynn and David McCormack, Tammy

When it comes to love, people seek wisdom from all sorts of strange places.

From self-help books about moving cheese to Dr. Phil, Dr. Laura or any of the pseudo-shrinks in between, few ever find anything more than debit card receipts, frustration and a deepening sense of self-loathing whose voice Brett sounds like Morgan FreeBuckner man.

“Have you lost your The Dirt ever-lovin’ mind?” it says. “You can learn more about love and happiness from an episode of Good Times than from these quacks.”

That’s your conscience talking.

I’m guilty of it, too. When it comes to unlocking the mysteries of marital bliss, I look to one man: Garth Brooks.

Hold on … just hear me out.

True, the country crooner defines cheesy, but that doesn’t mean his music is without merit, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Exhibit A: “Unanswered Prayers.” This little ditty about a happily married man who runs into an old flame during a high school football game speaks volumes about how sometimes love is best when it’s unrequited.

As of Friday, Oct. 22, I have been married for five years.

Five years! That’s longer than it took for me to quit smoking.

This from the doofus who, as a misanthropic college kid, once railed openly about the “fraud of marriage,” while also talking about how “contentment led to spiritual and emotional death.”

For some reason drinking keg beer out of a trash can had turned me into a dark poet the likes of which would’ve gotten Anne Sexton elected Miss Congeniality.

It was also the voice of the young, dumb, easily wounded and often distrustful. Sadly, I believed what I spewed, mainly because I’d loved and lost (and no, it ain’t better), so I decided to give up on the whole thing.

Sure there were other relationships, but everything had an expiration date.

I even once proposed to a girl — totally hypothetically and accidentally, only she missed that part of the conversation. We broke up three days later.

Marriage wasn’t something I wanted.

It seemed too hard, too old-fashioned, too contrived, lasted too long and getting out of it required signatures and paperwork. The deepest commitment I’d been willing to make was sharing a dresser drawer. Now, that’s romance.

I was a hypocrite-in-training. All it took was one blind date to show me the flaws in my philosophy and set my life on course.

Since that first date and the six-month courtship (including a brief break-up that built the foundation for a strong friendship), My Lovely Wife has brought me more joy and happiness than I thought possible back when weekends started on Thursday afternoons and five hours was considered a “full load.”

She is the love of my life.

True, it’s not all poetry, champagne and love songs. Sometimes it’s leftovers, beer and reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but no matter what happens, we face this world together … and that’s what makes life worth living.

While I may have never run into any ex-girlfriends at hometown football games (thanks to those restraining orders and the fear of being pelted with corn dogs), sometimes I still thank God for unanswered prayers … and the one that came true.

Contact Brett Buckner at brett.buckner@yahoo.com.

The manager for human resources was making the rounds of the newspaper office recently, signing people up for the flu shots that are given every year up here.

“Flu shot, Lisa?” she asked.

“No thanks,” I answered.

“I’m good.”

“Ah,” said a co-worker standing nearby. “You Lisa must be one of those.”

Davis Those being the folks who steadfastly refuse to Features get flu shots, despite any Editor scientific evidence and common sense to the contrary.

Now, I’ll admit, I used to be one of those.

Flu shots hurt, I’d heard. They might actually give you the flu, I’d heard. They don’t allow your immune system to develop naturally, I’d heard.

For more than 40 years, I never had a flu shot, and I never had the flu. I used to brag about that. I figured I shouldn’t mess with the streak by doing something as silly as actually getting a flu shot.

And then, four years ago, when my daughter was in second grade, she got the flu. And I saw firsthand just how awful it is.

This was in the B.T. era (Before Tamiflu), so my daughter was out of school for a week. Actually, more than half of the entire second grade was out for a week.

My daughter didn’t want to move out of the bed. She felt so bad she actually took naps. She subsisted on chicken soup and Tylenol, and I read aloud all 320 pages of Ginger Pye to keep her entertained.

I had seen the flu, and I did not want it.

Ever since, all four members of the family have been forced to get flu shots every year.

This edict has fallen hardest on my son, who hates shots with a purple passion.

One year, it took two nurses to give him his flu shot. They had to chase him around the exam room, and only caught him after they trapped him between the exam table and the wall.

And the flu shots protected us well, until last year’s swine flu outbreak.

It was fall break, and we were having such a lovely time at the beach. There had been a few cases of swine flu at school, but I thought we had skated around it. And then, on the last day of fall break, my daughter woke up with 102-degree fever.

I did the math. She had been feeling bad the night before. Tamiflu is supposed to be started within 24 hours of the first flu symptoms. Factoring in a six-hour drive home, there was no way we could make it back to our own doctor in time.

And that’s how we found ourselves spending the last day of fall break in the emergency room of Sacred Heart Hospital in Florida.

When the manager for human resources asked if I wanted a flu shot, and I said no thanks, I didn’t mean that I was one of those.

I just meant that I’d already gotten my flu shot — in September, no less, thank you very much.

Call me smug and self-righteous if you like, but just realize, I’m leaving more Tamiflu for the rest of you.

Contact Lisa Davis at 256-235-3555, ldavis@annistonstar.com.

celebrations:

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries and births

Do you have any info about this photograph?

This photo is part of the Banks photography collection housed in the Alabama Room of the Public Library of Anniston and Calhoun County.

In the late 1940s, Mayor Exum D. Banks hired an official city photographer to document city life.

If you have any more information about this photo, contact the Alabama Room at 256-237-8501 or at P.O. Box 308, Anniston, AL 36202.

To browse the photo collection, visit the library’s homepage, www.anniston. lib.al.us and click on “Searching Digital Photos Tutorial.” (It’s a video file; you will need to have Shockwave installed.)

Copies of the photos can be ordered through the website.

á

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Trying to compare your lot in life against another’s is needlessly asking to be discontent with your situation. Strive to be grateful for what you do have.

à

â

and Gary Wiggington, Kelly and Bill Miller, and Mary Jo and Todd Tripp.

Returning board members include Brenda and Joe Bynum, Donna and Mac Gannon, Betty and Robert Jackson, Toni and Art Hathorn, Tracie and Bobby Foster, Julie and Jeff Hansek, Karen and Mark Lee, Lisa and Mike Askew, Mysti and Chuck Ward, Jennifer and Steve Swafford, Edith and Paul Trammell, Kenny Steppe, Linda McLaughlin, and Sherlyn and Corey McWhorter.

For more information about Empty Stocking, go to www.emptystocking.net or call 256-832-5399.

To share your news with Small Talk, contact Annette Maddox at starsmalltalk@ yahoo.com.

Shoo f lu, don’t bother me

Time Travels

Ü

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - You are a fair person who always tries to share with others, but be careful that a selfish manipulator doesn’t coerce you into relinquishing more than your practical judgment dictates.

Head to Tyson Art and Frame (3326 Henry Road, Anniston) at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28 for a very special wine tasting with Syndee Isbell of International Wines and Leigh Monroe of Pinnacle Imports. They will be pouring 14 different wines, with a portion of the proceeds going to the local chapter of S.A.V.E. (Saving Animals Volunteer Effort). Tasting fee is only $5! Check out S.A.V.E. at www.alsave.org.

Happy anniversary to My Lovely Wife

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Instead of trying to appease the majority and yielding to peer pressure when you believe what they ask of you is wrong, have the gumption to stand up to them and show them where they’re mistaken.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) If you are an individual who is blessed with seeing life from a humorous perspective, be careful at whom you aim your wit. The wrong person might not appreciate seeing life as funny.

Save the date

The Anniston Star

NEWS YOU CAN USE A fall festival is to be 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 30 at Cane Creek Community Gardens at McClellan. Fall farmers market, kid’s activities, hayrides, treasure hunt, quilt show, arts/crafts contest, live music and more are to be available. Admission is to be $1 or wear a Halloween costume and get in free.

Call 256-237-1621 or visit www.aces.edu/ calhoun for more information.

••• A Halloween carnival for ages 0-12 is to be 4:30-7 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Oxford Civic Center. Free admission. Games, prizes,

costume contest, hay ride, concessions and more are to be available. Costume contest begins at 5 p.m. Call 256-831-2660 for more information.

••• “Downtown Halloween safe trick or treat,” sponsored by the Piedmont Housing Authority and the Piedmont Police Department, is to be 3-5 p.m. Friday in the downtown Piedmont area. Everyone is asked to come dressed in Halloween attire. Call Keith Word at 256-447-6734 or 256-239-8342 for more information.

▶ Jernigan, Hamby Robin L. Pearce of Yorktown, Va., announces the engagement of her daughter, Lindsey W. Jernigan, to Joshua J. Hamby, son of Lynn and Diana Hamby of Bristol, Va. Ms. Jernigan is also the daughter of the late Robert L. Jernigan.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Jewel W. Thaxton of Ohatchee and the late Ernest L. Jones, and the late Ora Jean Jernigan, formerly of Suffolk, Va. Miss Jernigan is a 2005 graduate of Tabb High School in Yorktown, Va. She will be a 2010 graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Charles and Nancy Howard of Harriman, Tenn., and the late Herbert and Louise Hamby, formerly of Harriman, Tenn.

Mr. Hamby is a 2006 graduate of Virginia High School in Bristol, Va. He will be a 2011 graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., with a bachelor’s degree in international cultural studies.

The couple is active in foreign missions.

The wedding will be in May 2011, at Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton, Va.

11A 3E LIFE

The Anniston Star

Sunday, October 24, 2010 Page 3E

Gardening in the fall Of all the seasons, fall ranks next to spring as my favorite time of the year. Being a naturalist by heart, I love spending time outdoors either enjoying the scenery or just working in the yard. I believe it’s the cooler weather that motivates me to tackle those outdoor chores. Here are some gardening chores to do and not do this fall: • DO mow the lawn one or two more times. It’s a very good idea to bag those grass clippings at this time.

Shane Mowing while bagging is sort of like Harris vacuuming your lawn; it sucks up On Gardening unwanted weed seeds, picks up any small debris or trash and makes the lawn nice and neat. • DON’T scalp the lawn. Be careful when you mow that you don’t cut the lawn too low. Be sure your lawn mower blade is sharp and that you are mowing the grass at the proper height. Scalping your lawn takes off the upper green portions and exposes the brown parts underneath, resulting in a bad-looking lawn. Scalping also stresses the lawn, inviting other problems. • DO plant spring-flowering bulbs. Although not all flowers are true bulbs, I am referring to all bulb-like structures, including daffodils, narcissus, tulips, lilies, crocuses, hyacinths and irises. Planted in the fall, most bloom the following spring, well before most perennials and annuals. In Alabama, spring flowering bulbs can be planted from late October through late December in most areas. Always buy from a reputable dealer. Avoid bulbs that are soft, moldy-looking or discolored. Select large, firm bulbs without blemishes or rotten spots and store them in a cold, dry place until planting time. If you cannot plant the bulbs right away, store them at around 60-65 degrees before planting. Temperatures above 70 degrees may damage the bulbs. • DON’T burn or throw away those raked-up leaves and pine straw. Yard debris is very valuable and is a great source for organic matter or mulch. Plus it’s free! Place those leaves in your compost pile, scatter them out to create natural areas, put them in your vegetable garden or use them as mulch. • DO mulch those leaves onto your lawn. You can rake or bag the leaves off your lawn, but mulching them directly back into the lawn is very beneficial. Shredding grass clippings, leaves or even pine needles into the lawn when mowing breaks them up for faster decomposition.

Although not very appealing at first, it requires no raking, and the nutrients and organic matter are returned directly to the soil. • DO start a compost pile. If you want to improve your soil or need soil for planting, why not grow your own?

Through composting, yard and garden waste, plant materials, paper and even some food products can be recycled into an excellent soil conditioner. Once broken down, the composted plant material become a dark, crumbly, soillike product called humus, which is an ideal soil medium for plants and vegetables because it improves soil structure, drainage and fertility. • DO replenish the mulch around your plants. A fresh layer of mulch should be added almost every year. No more than 3 inches is best. Mulch helps hold in moisture,

keeps the plant warm in the winter and cooler in the summer, suppresses weeds and gives the landscape a more attractive and formal appearance. The leaves and pine straw that are falling in your yard make great free mulch. • DO take a soil test. Fall is a good time to apply lime if your lawn, orchard or garden needs it. It will have plenty of time to soak in and take effect by spring. Instead of guessing, refer to a soil test to determine your soil’s pH and appropriate lime and fertilizer recommendations.

Many crop failures are a direct result of improper soil pH and wrong fertilize applications. A $7 soil test is such a small investment compared to all other expenses. • DO plant winter annuals, shrubs and trees. Many winter annuals such as pansies are now available and can be placed in containers and flowerbeds. They will provide much-needed color during most of the winter.

Fall is also the ideal time to add new trees and shrubs to your home landscape. Maybe you recently saw a tree with fantastic fall color that you simply must have in your yard. Planting in the fall gives plants more time to get their roots established before the spring growing season arrives. This is critical for surviving the hot dry summers of Alabama. Be sure to water all new plants as needed to ensure survival. • DON’T prune your shrubs and trees in the fall. Plants that get pruned in the fall may respond by putting on a new flush of growth. This new tender growth is more susceptible to damage during a frost or freezing weather.

Most plants should be pruned in January and February, or after they have finished blooming in the spring. • DO put out a pre-emergence herbicide on your lawn to help prevent those winter weeds from coming up. You must apply the herbicide in the fall if you want no weeds this winter. Once the weeds start sprouting, you will have to look at other control strategies. Always read the herbicide label for directions and instructions. • DON’T fertilize the lawn in the fall. Despite all the TV ads reminding homeowners to winterize their lawns in the fall, such an idea does not work on Alabama turfgrasses. Winterizing only applies to areas north of Alabama that are able to grow cool season lawns such as fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass or ryegrass. Our lawns in east central Alabama do not grow in the winter, but go dormant in the fall. There is absolutely no advantage to fertilizing your lawn in the fall. Doing so only makes your lawn vulnerable to being killed by the first frost or freeze. It is a total waste of fertilizer, unless you enjoy fertilizing those winter weeds.

Shane Harris is a regional extension agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System serving east central Alabama. For help on other home and garden questions, contact your local county Extension office or visit www.aces.edu.

X534

The Anniston Star

Monday record Your guide to Calhoun County’s public records and vital statistics.

#1 Energy Star Rated - Simonton Windows

THE WINDOW MAN, INC. Satisfying Alabama Customers since 1993

Help Reduce Your Heating Bill Quality Products - Warranty Workmanship - Windows - Doors

Free Estimates

(256) 846-0641 or (256) 892-5559 www.WindowManAlabama.com

274225

It’s screen tIme! • custom sIze screens • sun screens • screen repaIrs • rescreen Your Frames • screen Doors/slIDer screens • screens rooms • storm WInDoWs & Doors

securItY storm Doors )&!(- (%&# %% * &

'! $'

&' )&

over 50 DesIgns )'(%# !. ' custom sIzes avaIlable * !" "

'

)'( !. * !"

Stormco mfg. co.

5395 US Hwy 431 • Alexandria

(256) 820-1412

NO INTEREST FOR 12 MONTHS FOLLOWED BY 9.9% APR 1 $

500 off 2

all X500 Select Series™ Tractors NEXT SPRING’S LAWN THANKS YOU IN ADVANCE. X729 SELECT SERIES

X360 SELECT SERIES

•$700 off •27-hp* •48-in, 54-in or 62-in mower deck •Full-time 4WD •Exclusive 4-wheel steer •4-year/700-hour limited warranty

•$300 off2 •22-hp* •48-in mower deck •Power Steering •One-touch hydraulic lift •4-year/300-hour limited warranty

2

WWW.JOHNDEERE.COM

PIEDMONT OUTDOOR 613 NORTH MAIN, PIEDMONT, AL 36272-1113 (256) 447-7211 www.piedmontoutdoor.net 12 months no interest with payments followed by 9.9% APR on Select Series Tractors and EZtrak™ Series Zero-Turn mowers offer available August 31, 2010, through October 29, 2010. Subject to approved credit on John Deere Credit Revolving Plan, a service of FPC Financial, f.s.b. Some restrictions apply. For consumer use only. No interest for 12 months only. Payments of 2.5% of amount financed are required during and after the promotional period. After promotional period, interest charge will begin to accrue at 9.9% APR and is for qualified buyers. Other special rates and terms may be available, including installment financing and financing for commercial use. Available at participating dealers. See your dealer for details. 2Save $300 USD on Select Series X300 Tractors and $500 on Select Series X500 Tractors and $700 on Select Series X700 Tractors offer available August 31, 2010, through October 29, 2010. Prices and models may vary by dealer. Savings based on the purchase of eligible equipment. Offers available on new equipment. See your dealer for details. *Engine horsepower information is provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower will be less. John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company.

1

AD3JBU1A146760-00335159

!(-

267672

The do’s and don’ts of fall gardening

4E Page 4E Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Anniston Star

LIFE

Recycling in the garden

On the shelf:

Garden designer recycles castoffs

MCT photo

Enhance your garden

By Norman Winter McClatchy Newspapers

Without question the best yard art I see in gardens comes from recycling.

Mention recycling and the first thing that comes to mind is waste materials like plastic and paper or cardboard. But what about weathered rusty old tin for the garden?

That is precisely what one gardener searched for, found and then used in making the roof of a rustic gazebo. In the hot Mississippi Delta farmland, it was picture perfect. There was a wall in the gazebo made of recycled shutters in combination with giant bamboo.

The landscape also featured white columns from an historic old home.

The columns set an imaginary boundary between the garden and a huge sea of cotton. The columns certainly gave an almost archaeological feel to the garden.

Somewhere near you,

perhaps on the other side of town, there is an old house either being torn down or waiting for the next big wind or spark to bring it to its final demise.

Whether it is some columns, an ornate front door, a stately fireplace mantel, windows or a pick-up load of bricks, there is treasure waiting for you to use in creating the finishing touches to your garden.

A great way to start your own recycling project is with a bottle tree. Your first thought might be, “how tacky,” but I assure you with a little thought and planning on your part you can turn these into picturesque objects of art.

The Delta garden had one of my favorite touches — several recycled bottles echoed the colors found on the trim of the house.

Another garden featured bottles that were predominantly orange and yellow, complementing color for the nearby blue-blooming vitex tree.

Using recycled materials in the garden is hardly new, but few do it with Matthew Levesque’s flair.

Levesque creates custom artwork, furniture and lighting for garden designers and has had his work featured on national TV. Now he shares ideas and techniques for creating your own garden accents from castoffs in The Revolutionary Yardscape: Ideas for Repurposing Local Materials to Create Containers, Pathways, Lighting, and More.

The book is geared toward gardens with a contemporary style. Some of the projects depend on serendipitous

finds, but many feature items that are widely available.

Among them are a railing for an outdoor stairway made from free-form copper tubing, a tool shed made from louvered shutters and a patio assembled from scrap granite and other stone.

His ideas can be copied literally, but he also helps readers look at old junk with fresh eyes and come up with their own reuses.

The Revolutionary Yardscape is published by Timber Press and sells for $22.95 in softcover.

— Akron Beacon Journal

Introducing the compact track loaders only Kubota could build. Call today for your Kubota SVL Series demo.

Talladega International Tractor 35450 Alabama Hwy. 21 North Talladega, AL 35160 (256) 362-6113

www.kubota.com

�������������������������������� ���������������������������������

11A 5E LIFE

The Anniston Star

Sunday, October 24, 2010 Page 5E

In the home

Fragrances can awaken a room

By Kim Cook

cleaned house. And they’ll provide a temporary freshening-up for closets or bathrooms without laying on You may have sensed, pardon the heavy fragrance. pun, that there are hundreds of new “Over the past couple of years, home fragrance products in stores. gourmand fragrances — like vanilla The industry has sniffed out a trend: and pumpkin — have become very We’re spending more time at home, popular,” says Mei Xe, founder of and we want our rooms to smell Chesapeake Bay Candles. “Generally good. speaking, these scents help bring Always wanted to visit a Morocback happy memories. They make can bazaar? Craving a spa day? you feel safe and warm, and in these Comforted by the waft of a freshtimes people are longing for a sense baked cookie? Whatever your prefof security.” erence, chances are there’s a spray Pier 1 has also focused on “cozy,” for that. Or a luminary, plug-in or with scents such as Spiced Cake and diffuser.

Fall Fireside.

Among the newest products are Glade and Febreze, mass market scent “stories” that cycle through a leaders in home fragrances, recently timed series of fragrances; wooden launched an array of products in wicks that evoke crackling fires; attractive containers to accent home flameless candles; and no-spill difdecor; scents for fall include Cranfusers. berry Pear, Pumpkin Pie and Cash“I want my house to smell like mere Woods. the great outdoors even if all the To avoid fragrance overload, Xe windows are shut,” says Holly Bohn, recommends “staying within the founder of online retailer See Jane same category, whether it’s florals, Work. fruity notes, woodsy fragrances, Her go-to product is Good Home whatever. Don’t mix fragrances that Co.’s Beach Days. It’s part of a catare too different from each other.” egory known as the “ozones” — Not sure what you like? Take the scents that are considered refreshing fragrance profile quiz on the Chesaand evocative of fresh air and water. peake Bay Candle website.

There are half a dozen versions of Christopher Brosius was the first crisp, clean linen alone. Citrusartist to have fragrances showcased based scents are similar; many find by the Cooper Hewitt Museum. His them a finishing touch to a newly 1999 concoction, “Snow,” won two Associated Press

Fragrance Foundation awards. His perfumes and home sprays carry names such as Gathering Apples and Burning Leaves. Others capture his interpretation of Russian caravans (smoky black tea and bergamot) and gardens (hyacinth, green shoots, moss).

For those who prefer to go completely natural, essential oils such as citrus, rose, lavender and others can work well as air fresheners. Mix 4 ounces of distilled water, 2 ounces of rubbing alcohol and 30 drops of essential oil (or blend fragrances such as 15 drops of orange and 15 drops of clove for a winter holiday air freshener) and put in a carefully labeled spray bottle.

Special to The Star

Creating a beautiful bathroom

By Melissa Rayworth For The Associated Press

Five years ago, the ideal master bathroom was supposed to be large and lavish, with a huge Jacuzzi tub and a mile-long marble vanity.

Times have changed, of course, and so have budgets. “Everyone’s scaling down in every single room,” says Sabrina Soto, a real estate agent and host of HGTV’s Real Estate Intervention and Get It Sold.

And yet, Soto says, people still want their bathroom to be something special. It’s where their day begins and ends, “so it’s really a destination for them within their homes.”

How can you create a fabulous bathroom without overspending?

Soto, decordemon. com founder Brian Patrick Special to The Star Flynn and Los Angelesbased interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, founder of decordemon.com, Betsy Burnham weigh in suggests using a chandelier in a bathroom instead on the best ways to create of a standard ceiling light. an extraordinary, truly personalized bathroom: bowl rests above the vanlikes to go “a bit crazier on the floors, like a black-andity, can work well with this CUSTOM white pattern or a stone kind of design.

CREATIONS mosaic.”

They come in a huge Burnham often makes A wooden bathroom array of colors and materimedicine cabinets for als. But Burnham cautions floor is also a possibility. clients. It’s surprisingly The wood can be treated to that they are very trendy resist moisture and can be simple: “The contractor or right now and might feel painted any color. builder creates a box for dated as time passes.

What about wallpaper? me, and I pick a wonderIt’s hugely popular right ful frame at my framer and THE RIGHT now, though it’s more have a mirror made. We MATERIALS common in small powuse a big hinge on the side Consider the overall der rooms than in master that opens 180 degrees. design of your home as you baths.

“In a bathroom, you choose the permanent ele“Can you do wallpaper want to use every bit of ments of the bathroom. in a bath you use daily? space you have for stor“A more classic bath in Yes,” says Burnham. age,” she says. a classic, traditional house “My wallpaper guy told “So it’s a great way to have an original piece over really does ask for ceramic me abut this wonderful fintile” in crisp white or a soft ish-coat that your painter your sink” and also create cream, Burnham says. can paint over the wallample shelf space.

“If you’ve got a more paper” to protect it from Rather than buying a modern house, and you’re moisture over time. complete sink and vanity, If you don’t want to Flynn suggests choosing a putting in metal windows, commit to an entire room cabinet or dresser at a flea then I love stone” for of wallpaper, Soto suggests floors, countertops and market and then having papering one wall in a even walls. a sink fitted into the top. large, bold pattern.

Other possibilities: Choose a cabinet with legs “People are now going into if you want the illusion of CHOOSING HUES the eco-friendly options, more floor space. like bamboos or recycled Like Burnham, Flynn You’ll just need a carglass,” says Soto. “And recy- favors baths done in all penter to cut holes in cled tires and paper are white or black and white. the top and back. Then a being used for countertops These choices “never get plumber can attach the old,” he says, “and then any — it’s really durable.” sink and install the whole single color you mix in will thing.

If the walls are a solid, go great.”

Vessel sinks, where the neutral color, Burnham

Flynn also likes white in contrast with charcoal or black/brown (which he describes as “basically a mix of super-dark brown and charcoal, richer than black and not as harsh”).

You can bring in a bold accent color by painting one wall, or just through towels and accessories. In choosing accent colors, Soto says, pick something that works well with the decor of the master bedroom.

Also, Flynn says, consider how a given color makes you look in the bathroom light. This is a place where “you spend a lot of time looking at yourself,” he says, and if the walls give off a greenish hue you may not feel very attractive first thing in the morning.

Another color tip, this one from Soto: Use darker shades of grout, because they’re easier to keep looking clean.

POPULAR SPLURGES “Instead of a big Jacuzzi tub, people want a soaking tub. Or they’re getting rid of the tub altogether,” says Soto. “People would rather have a huge shower that maybe has two showerheads, or do the steamroom shower.”

Rain and waterfall showerheads come in many styles, and some units have sprays that run head-to-toe.

If you want a tub, consider a freestanding model.

They are modern versions of old clawfoot tubs, but with a base that goes all the way to the floor.

They feel more like a distinctive piece of furniture than a built-in part of the bathroom.

Heated floors are a splurge that some people consider well worth it.

Heated towel racks, which are less expensive, offer some of the same luxury.

And some of Burnham’s clients say they must have a TV in the bathrooom for watching news in the morning.

One last fabulous touch? Flynn loves using a chandelier in place of a basic ceiling light.

Because she came by the Bed Boss Kiosk At Quintard Mall too late and found out she spent 3 times more money for a similar quality memory foam mattress after the 90 day money back guarantee expired. If you bought theirs – don’t despair, take comfort - you bought a great mattress – you just spent too much.

Don’t Cry! Compare Before You Buy! Memory Foam with natural and renewable materials.

Confidence in Textiles Certified Toxin-Free

Dare to Compare!

Free Delivery & 2 Free Memory Foam Pillows with $599 or more purchase from the BED BOSS Kiosk at Quintard Mall.

GRIZZARD LIVING AIDS Improving lives through better mobility since 1993 1227 Noble Street, Anniston, AL • 256-237-2006 www.glalifts.com

275235

For the latest in local news, visit www.AnnistonStar.com

Why is this person crying?

Page 6E Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Anniston Star

LIFE

In the garden

Get great fall color in pots

By Kathy Van Mullekom Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

MCT photo

The award-winning Ultima Morpho pansy is considered to be among the prettiest pansies on the market.

Pansies: T he cool season favorite

By Norman Winter

shades of blue that remind you of that time when you were in a boat and went from clear, shallow water to the deep blue.

Cool crisp mornings are a clear signal that it’s pansy Then you see the rose that reminds you of the beginning planting time just about everywhere. of a new day as night gives way. Then come the creams, A trip to the garden center will shock you with how yellows and what appears to be a rusty rose of the sunrise. many pansies are on the market. Even though the choices Though the Matrix is large, I give the ‘Monolithic’ award are staggering, I assure you that what you will see is only to the pansy series called Colossus. If you want giant-sized a tiny sampling of this cool season, tough-as-nails flower. pansies, this series will not disappoint. There are 17 colors Since it can seem overwhelming, I decided to share my top and mixes available, with Colossus Neon Violet an absochoices. lute stunner.

Classifying prettiness is subjective to say the least, The longevity or ‘Perseverance’ award goes to the medidepending on favorite colors, clear or blotch. To this um-sized pansy known as Panola. Like its name suggests, humble admirer of the pansy, the most beautiful one ever it offers the best traits of both its parents: the pansy and the created is the Ultima Morpho. viola.

Though it is considered a mid-sized pansy, the Ultima There are 15 colors and nine mixes in the series. This Morpho offers rare contrasting color, with upper petals is the series that commercial landscapers choose when that are medium blue and lower petals that are bright they need to be guaranteed autumn-though-spring perlemon-yellow, with rays or whiskers that radiate from the formance. The Panola Deep Blue with Blotch and Panola center. Ultima Morpho is named after the tropical Morpho True Blue are two of my favorites. butterfly, which is also blue and yellow.

As with almost any other flower, the key to success lies in If you want a dazzling mix or array of colors, then by bed preparation. Pansies do not perform well in tight, heavy all means consider the Matrix Coastal Sunrise mix. The soil. Amending the planting area is one of the best ways to Matrix is a large pansy, and the series has taken a large have success over these conditions. Add organic matter share of the market because of performance. such as fine pine bark (pieces less than one-half inch), leaf When you look at the Coastal Sunrise mix, you’ll believe mold, compost, peat and sand. Incorporating a 3- to 4-inch an artist, perhaps a modern-day Monet, hand-painted the layer of organic matter with the native soil allows the bed to blossoms and lovingly chose the colors. You will first see be built up and provides excellent drainage.

McClatchy Newspapers

When the weather cools and pumpkins color the landscape, it’s time to create pretty fall containers for your outdoor spaces. Place the pots on porches and patios, or tuck them into beds among evergreens.

Autumn containers are enjoyable and relatively carefree because temperate weather means disease and pest problems are fewer, and watering needs are less.

Use these fall container gardening tips and “recipes” from Joan Mazat of Ball Horticultural Co. • Fill them full. In the fall, a shortened day-length means plants in containers won’t fill out as vigorously, so add extra plants to create a lush look.

• Mix it up. Lettuce and spinach varieties like the cooler temperatures of fall. Don’t be afraid to mix edibles with flowers.

• Add in texture. Perennial grasses and sedum varieties (nice alternatives to mums) offer a lot of texture options, and are great choices for low-maintenance containers that don’t need frequent watering.

• Pansies are perfect. Colors in the fall are enhanced with the cool weather. The extensive color range of pansies and violas really lets you get creative.

• Perennials play well, too. Perennials like asters and goldenrod are not just for the landscape; go ahead and mix them in containers as well.

MCT photo

When the weather cools and pumpkins color the landscape, it’s time to create pretty fall containers. Here, WhiteFire dianthus, Matrix rose pansy and Silver Falls dichondra mix with Blue Dart juncus.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

BamaFactCheck.com A Partnership of Statewide News Organizations

Keeping Alabama’s Politicians Honest ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

THE ANNISTON STAR’S NEW PARTNERSHIP with some of Alabama’s premier news organizations Fact checks on Alabama politicians and political organizations • Find out the truth about the latest political ads • Get information on state and local candidates for office • See if the latest campaign statements are accurate • Keep track of the campaign stops by Bentley and Sparks.

Log on to BamaFactCheck.com so that you can be prepared to vote

on November 2.

11A 7E LIFE

The Anniston Star

For the kids

Kids rooms that aren’t ‘kiddie’

By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press

Betsy Burnham loves designing bedrooms for young children. But before she can begin, she sometimes has to steer clients away from painfully cute design ideas.

“I don’t like cutesy things — the murals, the Disney things,” says Burnham, an interior designer based in Los Angeles.

“Why give them a really babyish room, when it’s so expensive to change everything” as the kids grow older?

A child’s room can be wonderfully whimsical, she says, “but it can also fit in with the rest of your decor.”

Many parents feel obligated to stick with colors and imagery commonly associated with little kids. “But when you do that,” says designer Brian Patrick Flynn, founder of decordemon.com, “you create a powder keg, because then you have to redecorate when they get bigger.”

How do you create a space that is kidSarah Dorio/ Decor Demon/Associated Press friendly, but will also grow with your child and mesh with the rest of your home?

Instead of pink and blue, consider green Flynn, Burnham and HGTV’s latest and orange for kids’ rooms, as in this Design Star winner, Emily Henderson, one designed by Betsy Burnham. share their advice: ing table. And rather than buying a prefab BREAK THE RULES kids’ table and chairs set, Henderson Forget the typical pastels and primary recommends hunting at flea markets for colors. Flynn loves vibrant oranges and vintage school chairs and desks. No need greens for kids’ bedrooms: “They’re high to buy a toddler bed: Your child doesn’t energy, but totally gender-neutral.” need one.

White and brown are also a great com“If you invest in a couple of really nice bination, he says, because you can accestwin beds, or just one twin bed,” Burnham sorize them with a range of other colors as says, “you can probably turn that bed into a daybed once the child moves on to a fullthe child’s taste changes.

If you’re set on pink, Burnham suggests or queen-size bed.” using a shade like salmon or watermelon CREATIVE SPACE instead of a more predictable bubblegum pink. And rather than a basic royal blue, Let the room be a canvas for selfconsider a deep navy for a look that’s crisp expression. Frame some of the child’s and a bit more grown-up. favorite artwork and make it a changing Consider painting stripes on kids’ ceil- gallery. Or affix a row of cork tiles floor-toings, or wallpapering the ceiling to bring in ceiling for tacking up their latest creations. a pop of texture and color. “Especially for For babies, decorate one wall of the nursa baby,” says Henderson, decorating the ery with framed artwork done by older ceiling “is kind of going to wake up their siblings. imagination.”

Henderson suggests creating a simple Flynn likes using geometric print stage for impromptu performances or wallpaper that evokes ‘60s or ‘70s style, stringing up some vibrant fabric to create perhaps in black and white or olive and a secret fort. taupe. He also likes using indoor/outdoor Chalkboard paint and dry-erase wall fabric in children’s rooms, because of the paint can be used to delineate an ample impressive durability. area for scribbling and drawing.

“Say you happen to have a kid who SKIP THE KIDDIE FURNITURE loves to read and has books everywhere,” Flynn says. “Do a built-in bookshelf,” and Burnham says a dresser with a changlet the child know you’re investing in ing pad on top can be a functional and something special. stylish alternative to a traditional chang-

Sunday, October 24, 2010 Page 7E

You Will Never Have To Worry About Falling In Or Out Of Your Old Tub Again.

If you’ve been missing the comfort of a bath simply because it’s too hard to get in and out, our American Standard Walk-In Tub is perfect for you. Simply walk in, sit down, and enjoy a warm, comfortable, and therapeutic bath, relieving your aches and pains!

What Else We Do: Transform your old worn our tub to a beautiful walk-in shower.

Replace your fiberglass unit with a brand new shower or tub and shower system.

Turn your unbearable old worn out tub into a new tub with our custom liner and wall system!

Call NewBath NOW for our FREE In-Home Estimate!

Let NewBath assist you with ALL your bath needs.

Mention this ad and receive: 50% OFF INSTALLATION FREE LUXURY TOWEL PACKAGE WITH PURCHASE. WITH PURCHASE, 50% OFF INSTALLATION CHARGES. NOT VALID WITH PRIOR PURCHASES. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS. EXPIRES 11/4/10.

256-399-4322 1-866-920-7219 www.MyNextBath.com

R &R

Cooper Cocoa rocker recliner by

Duraplush Mocha rocker recliner by

324

$

99

Motivation Chocolate reclining sofa by

$

62999

Galaxy Burgundy rocker recliner by

32499

$

Duraplush Mocha recliner by

$

204

99

$

37499

Durablend Brindle Low Leg recliner by San Lucas Harness reclining sofa by

61499

$

ROOM BY ROOM

1119 Hwy. 78 Oxford Mon-Sat 10-6 / 256-831-7868

MIDTOWN OUTLET 1730 Quintard Ave. Anniston Mon-Sat 9-6 / 256-236-2642

$

37499

Matinee Durablend Eclipse by

$

44499

Page 8E Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Anniston Star

LIFE

In the home Local designer

Tips for giving a home some personality

By Lisa Davis ldavis@annistonstar.com

Photos David Eulitt/MCT

ABOVE, BELOW: The fifth wall, the ceiling, is getting attention from decorators. A textured wallcovering gives texture to the dining room ceiling at a home in Kansas City, Mo.

Psst … up here!

If ceilings could talk …

By Stacy Downs McClatchy Newspapers

Things are finally looking up for ceilings. As we’re staying put in our homes, the fifth wall is getting attention.

For decades, ceilings have been ignored blank canvases and missed opportunities. But that’s never been the case in Sally Hilkene’s Mission Hills, Kan., home.

The interior designer’s music room already had ceiling details, but Hilkene darkened and distressed the corbels to really play them up. And then there’s her dining room, inspired by an Italian monastery’s version of the heavens, with hand-painted Latin terms for sunsets and her three sons’ birthdates.

But the piece de resistance is the family room Hilkene added to the home. Wooden beams accentuate the cathedral ceiling. The focal point of the room is a salvaged 15th century Italian ceiling as wall art with eyebrow windows to let in light.

“Don’t we spend most of our lives sitting or lying down?” asks Hilkene. “So why shouldn’t ceilings be interesting? They can tell our personal stories, our family histories and even our fantasies, taking us away and bringing us peace.”

Hilkene’s story is clearly about her love of Europe.

With clients, she plays therapist to project their interests and dreams through design. And that isn’t limited to the walls, furniture and decor. Using overhead space, one client’s ceiling creates the feeling of sitting under a cherry blossom tree.

“Maybe my need to make the ceilings pretty comes from growing up in a four-poster tester bed with draperies, and I’d stare at the fabrics and folds above me,” she said. “I use thick crown molding to play ceilings up. It doesn’t have to be super expensive; you can put together two trim pieces.”

Interior designer Becky Mosby of Edgevale Interiors also appreciates ceilings with charm and character.

Her store’s powder room ceiling is papered with a red Jaima Brown wallpaper, adding a rich layer to an already opulent room with gold-and-silver cabinetry and black draperies.

“It’s comforting while still adding a pop of color,” Mosby said. Still, she concedes that when you wallpaper or paint the ceiling in a dark color, you’ll need more lighting. The tiny-but-tall bathroom contains four light fixtures.

Mosby, an architectural history buff, has worked on homes that were among some of Kansas City’s first showpieces, including Janssen Place in Hyde Park. She loves the fish-scale plaster ceilings made by master craftsmen in the late 1800s.

Artist Devon Himes of Kansas City, who works with paint and plaster, creates interesting ceilings using old and new methods. One coffered ceiling in a Colorado project featured rosettes made of barn wood accented with lichen, silvering and baked-off paint. Another ceiling project featured a tortoise-shell pattern.

“People have been coming around from the plain white ceiling because they do really complete the space,” Himes said. “But they’re tricky. They reflect everything around them.”

Modern furniture maker Jason Milford of S(Lab) in Kansas City wanted the interior character of his Midtown brick over-under duplex, built in 1905, to live up to its interesting exterior, featuring a terracotta roof. He started with the ceilings.

In the dining room, Milford used Lincrusta, a British wall covering invented in 1877, heralded as the first washable wall covering. It appealed to Victorians who liked its durability and ornate effects. The name comes from Lin for linum (flax, from which linseed oil is made) and Crusta (relief).

Before choosing Lincrusta, Milford also considered Anaglypta, invented in the 1880s as a flexible alternative to Lincrusta . Anaglypta is made of wood pulp and cotton, and like Lincrusta, the textured pattern can be painted.

Working with the deeply embossed Lincrusta was challenging. Each of the four rolls weighed 40 pounds.

It also required more trimming and cutting than he expected.

“Next time, I’d definitely hire a professional wallpaper hanger,” said Milford, who estimates he spent $800 in materials. “Still, people love it. When they see it, they say ‘Oh, my.’”

Milfrord’s bedroom ceiling, which he installed with his wife, Amy Bhesania, uses wooden ship lap in random widths. The effect is modern and interesting.

“I like the idea of living in a space,” Milford said.

“Not a box.”

CEILING STYLES • Coffered: Sally Hilkene designed a stencil of her family crest and had it painted on a ceiling. “It personalizes the space,” Hilkene says.

• Painted: Talk about a conversation starter in the dining room: Sally Hilkene had her three sons’ birthdays painted on the ceiling in Latin. “Ceilings can be whatever you wan them to be,” she says.

• Wallpapered: A powder room is an opportunity to wallpaper walls and the ceiling. Becky Mosby of Edgevale Interiors chose a red wallpaper with chandeliers to play up her powder room.

• Textured: Modern furniture maker Jason Milford wanted a ceiling with more architectural detail for his dining room. He searched the Internet and found Lincrusta, a paintable embossed wall covering.

Painted in Sealskin by Sherwin-Williams, a grayed brown hue, it resembles leather.

• Planked: The 1905 home of Jason Milford and Amy Bhesania contains a strange soffit in the bedroom. Using random widths of ship lap, the couple planked the ceiling, which not only added interest to the ceiling but camouflaged the odd detail.

• Stenciled: A trend in ceilings is paint stenciling, a modern spin on classic plaster medallions, says Sonu Mathew, senior interior designer for Benjamin Moore Paints.

If you’re trying to find your design groove, Anniston designer Amy J. Staples has two pieces of advice: Your home should be comfortable, and it should reflect your personality.

“To me, the biggest compliment is when somebody comes in the house and says, ‘I feel very comfortable here.’

To me, that’s what good design is. Not just elegant or pretty or distinguished — it can be all those things — as long as you’re comfortable in it.”

Staples has worked for 18 years in commercial and residential design. Her specialty is lighting; she did the lighting design at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, and helped with the lighting design at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Here are some of her other tips for making personal, comfortable rooms: • Discover your style: Having a hard time deciding what you want in your house? Look in your closet. “A lot of time I’ll ask to look in clients’ closets, to see what colors their clothes are, and the type of textures,” Staples said. “Is it a comfortable style? A sophisticated style? More traditional, or modern?” Another clue to your personal style is the type of car you drive.

• Showcase the things you love: “If the client just loves something, we find a place for it. I like for each room or item to tell a story, be a conversation piece,” Staples said. Even if you’d never see those things in the pages of a design magazine.

For instance, in her home, she has found a prominent place for a painting she has dubbed “Warrior Pig.” “It’s a pig, it’s got a grin on its face, it has an Indian warrior headdress on it. It’s framed beautifully, and the colors are gorgeous, but you either love it or you hate it,” Staples said. “I love it, it’s my house, it’s one of those things that make me happy.”

She also found a tasteful way to showcase her husband’s grandfather’s collection of old Schlitz beer lights, and they have become another conversation piece.

• Don’t be afraid of color: You can put a different color on each wall in a room if you want to. But be consistent. If you use a warm color in one room, then use warm tones in the rest of the house, as well.

• Compare and contrast: Use contrast to make things stand out. It can be a contrast between colors, or between light and dark, or between modern and traditional.

Staples has a Middle Eastern camel stool — used for mounting and dismounting camels — that is covered in blue leather and bells. She has it sitting near a traditional antique table.

• The little black lamp: “I always put something black in every room, to anchor the room,” Staples said. It could be as small as a pillow, a lampshade or a piece of pottery — or as big as a sofa.

• Reuse and recycle: You don’t have to buy all new things. You can recover the furniture you already have. Staples likes to shop at antiques auctions and estate sales.

She’ll take vintage pieces and refurbish them with modern or funky fabrics.

RESOURCES • Contact Amy J. Staples at 256-453-3021.

CEILING PAINT TIPS Start with good tools: a strong ladder, the right tape and ergonomic brushes.

Popcorn ceilings? No problem. You don’t have to scrape and skim coat them if your time and budget won’t allow. A matte finish in a deep shade will minimize the textured effect.

Don’t use gloss paints unless your ceiling is in excellent condition. If it is, it’s an excellent look.

A lighter color than the walls makes them look taller. That includes tinted whites and cool blues and greens. Black and near black also create a more expansive effect. Warm colors make the room come down, like a hug.

A trick for making a tall room feel cozier: Paint the ceiling a different color than the walls, and bring that ceiling color down 3 feet or so into the walls.

Use a color that varies from the walls and trim.

Martha Stewart Living for Home Depot takes away guesswork by suggesting ceiling and trim colors for its wall-color paint chips.

Timid about a ceiling color outside of white? Try a yellow-tinted white such as Niveous, which adds warmth to the room, or Sonnet, which contains a touch of pink, flattering to all skin tones. Both are Benjamin Moore. Sky Blue is a classic.

Color-confident? Benjamin Moore’s Caribbean Azure is deep turquoise. Benjamin Moore senior interior designer Sonu Mathew used Sesame, a greenish-yellow, for the ceiling in her recently repainted Gray Owl home office.

Photos special to The Star

Anniston designer Amy J. Staples added personality to her home by showcasing quirky, ethnic objects.

11A 9E LIFE

The Anniston Star

Sunday, October 24, 2010 Page 9E

Room by room

Quick f ixes for the bedroom

Downsizing?

How to live large in a small space

By Debbie Arrington McClatchy Newspapers

Some rooms scream — “Help!”

Others say nothing, and that’s a problem, too.

Take the typical bedroom. Michael Payne has seen thousands, just this month.

“The bedroom tends to get forgotten — you spend all your money elsewhere in the house,” said Payne, a celebrity interior designer and makeover specialist best known for his Designing For The Sexes series on HGTV. “You end up with a totally forgettable room that you don’t want your best friend to see.”

Based in Los Angeles, Payne served as a judge of the Big Bad Bedroom Break-Up contest.

More than 6,200 people entered to win a $10,000 makeover of their bedroom.

Here are Payne’s tips for a quick bedroom makeover: 1. Less is more.

An uncluttered bedroom makes for a more restful space. Make use of area under the bed for storage.

2. Remember: It’s a bedroom.

The bed should be the dominant feature. Other furnishings are secondary, but look better if they match in style, wood and stain.

3. Start with the right bedspread or comforter.

Use that to pick up colors for paint and carpeting.

The result will be more harmonious.

By Jaclyn Banash McClatchy Newspapers

It’s a constant battle: Small versus big. Less or more? There are arguments to support both sides.

Having just downsized to the smallest apartment I have ever lived in, I was intrigued by the idea of small being the new big. The challenge of storage and saving space is usually the No. 1 problem for most small-home dwellers. Organization is key, as is making the space work for your lifestyle.

I have been racking my brain for months over how to make my new 656-square-foot apartment work best for me. I have found some great new ideas to integrate with some of my old tricks of the trade.

Creative use of furniture is essential in small spaces, or even in larger spaces that might need to be multifunctional.

Take, for instance, a guest bedroom that doubles as an office.

Instead of crowding the room on a daily basis with a bed that only gets used a few times a year, why not use a sleeper sofa or a chair and a half with a twin sleeper sofa? This will free so much space for day-to-day activities in the office.

A daybed is another good-looking piece of furniture that multitasks. A daybed is a great way to divide a large space, but in a small space, if positioned against the wall, it doubles as a sofa with pillows across the back and an extra sleeping spot when the pillows are removed.

Lots of furniture pieces are known for their great multipurpose and space-saving qualities. The ever-popular pouf, for example, can double as an ottoman, become a small table for books, computers and drinks to rest upon or even turn into extra seating.

Kansas City Star/MCT

WWW.BAMAESCAPES.COM

A closet was converted into a media and book case with custom shelves. Clear acrylic nesting tables and small, movable storage ottomans are some of the small space solutions used in this room.

Nesting tables also provide options for tiny spaces because they are small and easily moved. Storage ottomans are an obvious choice for doubling as a bench or coffee table that can house toys, blankets and extra bedding.

In dining room/eating areas, a custom-built bench/banquette with storage underneath is a great option for tight spaces.

If your budget does not allow for custom, then good-looking storage boxes fit nicely under most premade banquettes. If you are not looking for more storage but are just short on space, a breakfast nook can be created with a small table and stools that can tuck underneath

when not in use.

Simply by pushing a dining table against a wall or window you can save at least three feet.

All you have to do is pull the table out for dinner parties. And don’t forget, an old or unattractive table can always be put to use and instantly jazzed up with a custom table skirt in a fabulous fabric. Voila, another spot for hidden storage!

One of my recent favorite smallspace solutions is installing built-in top-to-bottom mirrors on the inset of closet doors.

How brilliant! No longer are you taking up precious wall space in the room with a floor-length mirror.

Hinkle Chimney Sweep Service

AnnistonStar.com

Serving local customers for 17 years with experience in • cleaning • inspections • chimney caps • repairs of all types

Dale Hinkle (256) 832-0205

TAX CREDITS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Federal tax credits for buying an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home are available.

Here are some examples of what’s covered by the various credits. For more information, go to www.energystar.gov.

The tax credit gives you 30% of the cost up to $1,500 for: • biomass stoves • heating, ventilating, air-conditioning • insulation • roofs (metal and asphalt) • water heaters (non solar) • windows and doors

The credit expires Dec. 31 and applies only to existing homes and principal residences.

A tax credit of 30% with no upper limit is for: • geothermal heat pumps • small wind turbines • solar energy systems

Thinking about replacing your existing windows?

The credit expires Dec. 31, 2016, and applies to new and existing homes.

Principal residences and second homes qualify, but not rental properties.

We have windows starting as low as $100.00

— Detroit Free Press

Book excerpt

A brief history of the dining room What caused dining rooms to come into being wasn’t a sudden universal urge to dine in a space exclusively dedicated to the purpose, but rather, by and large, a simple desire on the part of the mistress of the house to save her lovely new upholstered furniture from greasy desecration.

Upholstered furniture was expensive, and Bestselling author the last thing a Bill Bryson (A Short proud owner History of Nearly wanted was to Everything, A Walk in have anyone the Woods) turns his wiping fingers uncanny eye and sense on it. of humor on that most The arrival familiar of places in of the dining his newest book, At room marked Home: A Short Hisa change not tory of Private Life only in where (Doubleday, $28.95). the food was Bryson examines served but homelife, room by also in how it room. What follows was eaten and is an excerpt from the when. For one chapter on dining thing, forks rooms: were now suddenly becoming common.

Forks had been around for a long time but took forever to gain acceptance. Fork originally signified an agricultural implement and nothing more; it didn’t take on a food sense until the mid-15th century, and then it described a large implement used to pin down a bird or joint for carving.

The person credited with introducing the eating form to England was Thomas Coryate, an author and traveler from the time of Shakespeare who was famous for walking huge distances — including once to India. In 1611, he produced his magnum opus, Coryate’s Crudities, in which he gave

much praise to the dinner fork, which he had first encountered in Italy. The same book was also notable for introducing English readers to the Swiss folk hero William Tell and to a new device called the umbrella.

Eating forks were thought comically dainty and unmanly — and dangerous, too, come to that. Since they had only two sharp tines, the scope for spearing one’s lip or tongue was great, particularly if one’s aim was impaired by wine and jollity.

Manufacturers experimented with additional numbers of tines — sometimes as many as six — before settling, late in the 19th century, on four as the number that people seemed to be most comfortable with. Why four should induce the optimum sense of security isn’t easy to say, but it does seem to be a fundamental fact of flatware psychology.

The 19th century also marked a time of change for the way food was served. Before the 1850s, nearly all the dishes of the meal were placed on the table at the outset.

Guests would arrive to find the food waiting. They would help themselves to whatever was nearby and ask for other dishes to be passed or call a servant over to fetch one for them.

This style of dining was knows as service a la francaise, but now a new practice came in known as service a la russe in which food was delivered to the table in courses.

A lot of people hated the new practice because it meant everyone had to eat everything in the same order and at the same pace. If one person was slow, it held up the next course for everyone else, and meant that food lost heat. Dinners now sometimes dragged on for hours, putting a severe strain on many peoples sobriety and nearly everyone’s bladders.

your energy bills?

Do you •Lower •Eliminate drafts and increase room comfort? the value of your home? want to: •Increase •Beautify your home?

Call or come in to Oxford Lumber and let our friendly and knowledgeable staff assist you in choosing the best product to fit your needs.

We can help you here at our store or will be glad to come out to your home to give you a free estimate.

Ask about the ENERGY TAX CREDIT program. You may qualify for up to $1,500 tax credit. Offer expires on 12/31/10.

Do you feel uncomfortable using an out of town company you don’t know? Buy local from people you know and trust.

Oxford Lumber has been serving this area since 1958.

1400 Barry Street, Oxford, AL (256) 831-0540

www.oxfordlumber.com

OPEN Mon. – Fri. 7am - 6pm Sat. 7am - 5pm

10E Page 10E Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Anniston Star

LIFE

From a local designer

What’s in for fall? Rich colors and textures

By Lisa Davis ldavis@annistonstar.com

Shades of gray. Pops of pink. And purple, purple, purple. Those are the colors of fall, according to Anniston designer Scott Skinner. “Purple is the new brown,� Skinner said, and it’s showing up everywhere, from kitchens to bedrooms. “It’s not kids’ purple. It’s not Mardi Gras purple. It’s English-period royalty purple,� Skinner clarified. Pair that royal purple with a gleam of antiqued gold, and suddenly your rooms take on a sumptuous air.

Skinner, of STS Decorating Consulting, has been designing for more than 12 years. His residential work stretches from Alabama to Florida, Memphis to Atlanta. His commercial work includes the Special to The Star Purohit Pediatric Clinic and the recently revamped clubhouse at Cider Ridge Golf Local designer Scott Skinner created custom bedding using royal purple, the Course. most popular color for fall.

Here are Skinner’s other essentials for Fall 2010: softer, moodier blue than robin’s-egg blue. sider a silk pillow, instead. • Rule of thumb for walls: The color on • Large-scale floral and geometric COLORS the wall is the color you see first, followed patterns — sort of an ‘80s feel — are also by furniture and accessories. If you want becoming popular. • Dark gray — a rich, slate gray — is your furniture to be noticed, then don’t • Wallpaper can add depth and texture, taking the place of dark brown. Skinner especially if your house has become all recently redid a Jacksonville home, paint- overdo the walls. • Pink is also hot, especially when paint. Consider wallpaper for bathrooms, ing the walls dark gray with black trim. He hallways — even ceilings. and the homeowners went through about paired with brown. It’s easy to add a pop of pink with a pillow, a throw or a candle. • Reclaimed wood — rough-hewn two dozen shades of gray before finding You don’t have to go overboard. “Just like wood reclaimed from old barns or houses, the right one. “They were all either too in clothing,â€? Skinner said, “if pink is in, you bearing the marks of history — has blue, or too cement,â€? Skinner said. don’t go out and buy a whole new pink become a high-priced commodity. It’s • While gray walls with black trim is used for flooring and paneling. Restorastriking, Skinner also said “there’s nothing wardrobe.â€? tion Hardware has a line of reclaimed prettier than gray with white trim.â€?

TEXTURES wood furniture, in which imperfect planks • Another trend, which was popular are paired with distressed metal. back in the 1940s and ‘50s, is to paint the • Natural fibers such as jute or silk are walls and the trim the same color. “People another way to add richness. Although they’re not necessarily practical. You don’t FURNITURE like that unified look,â€? Skinner said. really want to recover that sofa in silk if you • Think clean, sophisticated lines. • At the lighter end of the spectrum, have three children, now do you? ConDraw attention to furniture by adding blue-gray is a popular color. It’s a subtler,

NATIONAL

E E R F

N O I T A G! L N I L R A INSTALL FLOO • ONr excludes Tile.

Offe

Exclusive Lifetime Warranty Stain • Soil • Wear

GET PEACE OF MIND

ACCESSORIES • Wood objects with brass accents play well with dark colors and gleaming accents. • Oil paintings are beginning to edge out prints, Skinner said. More of that opulence at play. • Skinner has also added picture molding to walls to highlight works of art. In one long hallway, Skinner created an “art areaâ€? by attaching stained molding to the wall to create a large “frame.â€?

The wall inside the frame was painted a darker shade, then framed photographs were grouped within the space.

RESOURCES • Contact Scott Skinner at 256-5917148.

FLOORING SALE

NO D Pay own NO ment!

Inte Unti r l 201 est!

2!

Includes moving furniture!

Includes removal of old carpet & pad!

0 .31.1 s 10 e ir r Exp Offe

piping or nail-head trim to upholstery. • Add a gleam of antiqued, matte-finish gold, in a chandelier, a lamp, a picture frame, a mirror frame or furniture trim. It’s especially nice with that royal purple. • Mix up styles. “No matchy-matchy,â€?

Skinner declared. • Antiques and reproductions are making a comeback, but more as accent pieces. Folks are reluctant to do the whole place in antiques, Skinner said.

Looks too much like Grandmother’s house. • Instead, mix in a few crucial pieces or accessories with more modern furnishings. “You can always have a few pieces and not become an antiques shop,â€? Skinner said. For instance, that may be a beautiful antique dining table, but those antique dining chairs are probably not very practical. So bring in modern chairs, instead.

With app rove d cr edit .

Rug Market All A rea 25% Rugs

OFF

Alexander Smith • American Showcase Premier StainmasterŽ Carpet Collections Ask a sales associate for details.

We’ll help you select the ideal rug for your dÊcor and lifestyle.

Before you go anywhere else, come check us out.

Chances are, we have exactly what you’re looking for!

t )JHIXBZ /PSUI t "OOJTUPO t "OOJTUPO #VZ"CCFZ DPN 4IPXSPPN IPVST .POEBZ 'SJEBZ 4BUVSEBZT

We are a locally owned family business.

The dollars you spend with us stay in our community.