Inspired Living Omaha January-February 2017

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SERVING NEBRASKA & W E S T E R N I OWA

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Archive Your Life.

We’ll Preserve Every Single Memory With Care & Expertise.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

VOL. 15 NO. 1 Editor-in-Chief Chris Christen 402-444-1094 chris.christen@owh.com Creative Director/Designer Heidi Thorson 402-444-1351 hthorson@owh.com Assistant Editor Kim Carpenter 402-444-1416 kim.carpenter@owh.com

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Photography Contributors Jeffrey Bebee, Bethany Gilbert, Heather & Jameson, Chad Lebo, Kenneth Petersen, Megan Pettipoole

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1314 Douglas St., Suite 700 Omaha, NE 68102 402-444-1094 Inspired Living Omaha (ISSN 23795948) is a publication of the Omaha World-Herald. ©2017, Omaha World-Herald, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed by those interviewed are their own. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information, no responsibility can be accepted by the publisher for content, opinions or practices, or how the information herein is used. All materials submitted, including but not limited to images, logos and text that appear, are assumed to be the original work of the provider, and the publisher is not responsible for unintentional copyright infringement.

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DINING Bonefish Grill | Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar | Paradise Bakery & Café

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EDITOR'S NOTE

IN WITH THE NEW AND A FOND LOOK AT THE OLD A year in review can be drudgery, but the past 12 months for

CHRIS CHRISTEN editor-in-chief

FUN FACT Chris takes pictures of every beautifully plated meal that’s served to her. Kinda like saying grace, no one can eat until she puts down her camera. Her goal for 2017 is to prepare something in her own kitchen that’s pretty enough to photograph.

Inspired Living have been filled with great moments. Because of you, our readers, we've had the pleasure of sharing personal stories of dream homes, unforgettable experiences and lifelong passions. Each issue, we've been intrigued (and delighted) to see which articles readers have liked the most. This year's Top 5: • "Give Me Sanctuary," a family haven in Elkhorn with an indoor basketball

Stay connected between issues.

Get sneak peeks of styled shoots, bonus photos from current issues, recipe links and more. facebook.com/InspiredLivingOmaha

court, and in outdoor pool and cabana.

Interior design by Lisa Cooper, Allied ASID, Interiors Joan & Associates.

(September-October 2016)

Be inspired by people, places and things that we  . Food, fashion & décor top the list. instagram.com/inspiredomaha

• "Happy Chic," the Council Bluffs home that landed the cover of The Color Issue. Jerome Bergmeier, Interiors Joan & Associates, helped Linda and Dick Meredith bring a Palm Springs vibe

Find thousands of projects to fit your lifestyle on our Pinterest boards. Our current obsession: Pantone's greenery. pinterest.com/inspiredomaha

to their home with pops of greenery, Pantone's latest color pick – a year ahead of the curve! We were saddened to learn of Dick's passing shortly after publication. (January-February 2016)

Have a story idea, question or comment? Send us an email. inspired@owh.com

• "Home Is Where the Harts Are," a Queen Anne restoration in Wahoo, Nebraska, that took 20 years – seven for the magnificent rosewood and walnut staircase alone. Eric and Barbara Hart poured their souls into this one, and readers were wowed. (May-June 2016) • "Virtual Beth," a chronicle of Creighton University professor Tim Guthrie's

6 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

memorial tributes to his beloved wife.

We continue to follow his journey on his blog, "Traveling With Virtual Beth."

(September-October 2016) • "The Gathering Place," the 116-yearold Hanscom Park home that was saved from the wrecking ball by Brett Foster and Eric Lotzer. Bonus: The homeowners have heard from dozens of readers who share a connection with their stately house on the hill.

(November-December 2016) Special thanks to every homeowner who has welcomed us inside and not panicked at first sight of photographer Jeffrey Bebee's camera gear. (He packs a lot!)

In this issue, we offer an ode to a local interior design icon. His home features a living room without a sofa, a den without a computer, a kitchen without a cook.

Also read about Kabin and Mary Thomas, whose love story has been 30 years in the making. Then there's color, our cover story; plus a jolt of java, a bit of chocolate (brigadeiros, anyone?), comfy threads and a trip to the Deep South for good measure.

We look forward to bringing you another year of Inspired (and inspiring) Living. Send us photos of your latest project, gorgeous interior or transformative redo, and one of the homes you see this year just might be your own.

Happy 2017!

unexpected meets unforgettable Whether your romance is brand new or years in the making,

��� � ���� ���� ������ �� ��� ����� ��� � ����� ��� ��� ������� ���� �� ������� ������ – expect an experience.

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HOMESPIRATION 12 | Restrained Approach, Bold Results BEFORE + AFTER 18 | No Holds Barred DESIGN DONE RIGHT 28 | Ode to Berry EXPERIENCE LOCAL 37 | Better Homes & Gardens THREADS 38 | Athleisure + Yoga AU COURANT 46 | Espresso Yourself 48 | Greenery HOST 50 | Oh, Chocolat!

Sirens necklace, $128 GRAMERCY

THE HIDDEN PANTRY 54 | Out of a Jam

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Teeki Jimi bellbottoms, $100 LOTUS HOUSE OF YOGA

PROFILE 58 | For the Love of Mary

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Free People sweater, $128 Zenzii bead bracelet, $34 Brune silver bracelet, $136 HUSH LA BOUTIQUE

DESTINATION 61 | Tripping, Southern-Style

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Slip-on shoes, $80 BACKWOODS BACKWOODS.COM

PHOTO: HEATHER & JAMESON

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S TAY I N S P I R E D . S TAY C O N N E C T E D .

A N O M A H A W O R L D - H E R A L D P U B L I C AT I O N

TELL U S YOU R S TORY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 INSPIREDLIVINGOMAHA.COM

SERVING NEBRASKA & W E S T E R N I OWA

YOU COULD BE FEATURED NEXT! Show off your spaces – tag us on social media or share beforeand-after photos of your home projects in an email to the editor at chris.christen@owh.com.

You just may spark our interest.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Have you taken a room in your home from drab to fab? Show us your work! Hosting a party that is blooming with inspiration? Send us an invitation. Maybe you have a unique way of celebrating that others might find interesting. We love telling these kinds of stories!

THE

COLOR ISSUE

NEW YEAR, NEW HUES

TRENDING

THREADS: UNRAVELED

YOUR INSTAGRAM FAVORITES



Our real-life mother-daughter models (Jordi and Olive) are also real life yogis. It was Jordi's insanely cool Instagram photos of her different poses that first caught our attention. The fact that her daughter plays along made them the perfect fit for our fashion editorial. Follow @jordiinwonderland and be inspired to try yoga yourself.



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FOLLOW US @inspiredomaha

"@thecontainerstore has about 10,000 ways to organize your life."

"On our way to the voting booth! Polly the Trolley provided rides for voters."



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

"Crazy beautiful pattern play. Sneak peek into our Color Issue coming out in January."

"We know you're dressing up your space for the holidays. Tag us in snaps of your mantel decor."

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"Look! The obelisk at Stinson Park is smiling!"

ON LOCATION Last spring we spent an afternoon at the Oma's Deli and Storage Lofts building photographing a few Omaha furniture makers. We returned for another shoot – this time to sister storefront Natural Therapy and Yoga Studio.

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IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Back by popular demand: home projects galore.

! /inspiredlivingomaha

/inspiredomaha

@inspiredliving

TRENDING VIEW MORE ONLINE LOOK FOR THIS ICON Find bonus inspiration at inspiredlivingomaha.com

inspiredlivingomaha.com 9

CONTRIBUTORS

HEIDI THORSON

KIM CARPENTER

DEB M c CHESNEY

FUN FACT Heidi has never been able to say the word "bagel" correctly.

Don't judge.

FUN FACT Kim was inspired by this issue’s chocolate recipes. She's dusted off her stand mixer and is making way too much sweet stuff.

FUN FACT Deb got married in October, is thoroughly enjoying newlywed life and honeymooning in Mexico in January.

MIKE WATKINS

assistant editor

GAY LIDDELL

advertising account manager

SARA BAKER

travel writer

advertising account executive

advertising account executive

FUN FACT Mike is living fearlessly in all aspects of his life. This year, he's ready for more adventures, whatever they might be.

FUN FACT Gay often falls for gray tones when it comes to décor in her home. She keeps it neutral except for small accents.

FUN FACT Sara’s New Year's resolution is to enjoy the little moments with her family and not worry about the mess.

EMILY MARTIN

CATHY VANHAUER

HOWARD K. MARCUS

FUN FACT Emily tends to find one element that she loves and decorates around it. Sometimes it’s a mirror, wallpaper, chair, etc.

FUN FACT Cathy's favorite winter comfort food is homemade chicken noodle soup.

FUN FACT Howard realizes that taking a swatch of his dog's hair is a smart idea when couch shopping. Saves money on lint brushes.

advertising account executive

10 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

advertising account executive

copy editor

PHOTOS: HEIDI THORSON, KURT A. KEELER, HEATHER & JAMESON, JEFFREY BEBEE, LANE HICKENBOTTOM, MORGAN JADE PHOTOGRAPHY

creative director + designer

Details... matter to us.

HEATHER + JAMESON

JESSICA LUNA

FUN FACT Heather and Jameson both grew up in small towns. They love that Omaha is a big city but still feels like a friendly small town.

FUN FACT Jessica's winter wardrobe staple is a hooded parka – camel colored with black Aztec pattern and faux fur hood.

fashion photographers

fashion stylist

CHAD LEBO

KALI RAHDER

FUN FACT Chad's New Year's resolution is that his dog finally starts to pitch in for all the Wagyu beef scraps she eats.

FUN FACT Kali was so inspired by the real life yogaloving model in our Threads editorial, she's decided to take up yoga in 2017.

KURT A. KEELER

JEFFREY BEBEE

FUN FACT Kurt is his wife's Emergency Response Unit for daily requests: Hurry! Take photos in Fremont. Proofread this, stat!

FUN FACT Jeffrey has enjoyed going through all his favorite photographs he's taken in 2016. It's fun to look back at all the different projects.

food columnist

copy editor

hair & makeup stylist

photographer

7700 Serum S mA Avenue Ralston, NE 68127 402.331.4708 www.taylormadehomesolutions.com

inspiredlivingomaha.com 11

HOMESPIRATION

How one young couple turned an empty shell into a home for their growing family STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY KENNETH PETERSEN

The new house in the new subdivision on the outskirts of Lincoln was a blank canvas just waiting for the right flourishes to make it stand out and shine.

Enter Julia Russell. The Omaha interior designer and owner of Julia Russell Designs was tasked with creating “something warm and welcoming that would work for years to come” for her clients, a young couple who moved in two years ago.

The homeowners, just learning that their first child was on the way, were drawn to Julia’s elegantyet-casual decorating style blending classic elements with pops of contemporary flair in color, pattern and texture.

A Julia Russell project typically starts with lighting and moves to drapery fabrics and then rugs.

“You can really change the way a house feels,” she says of her carefully ordered checklist. “I spend the most time on them.”

The expert made an exception to her sequencing rule, though, for one of the most important rooms in the house: the nursery.

While the homeowners were leaning toward a red-and-blue color scheme for their newborn son’s room, Julia deemed it “too old man-ish. It just didn’t feel like a baby.”

Instead she opted for drapes featuring vibrant blue hexagons framed with interlocking bright green squares. It’s a deeply dramatic combination that is

both lively and calm.

“I believe color should inspire and energize a room,” Julia says. “I saw the pattern and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I built the whole room around it.”

Bedding and carpentry remained subdued, but Julia brought out the drapery’s rich colors through cushions and throw pillows in stripes and checks.

While most people steer clear of combining several patterns in one space, particularly a smaller one, the designer embraces it as a way to create visual interest.

“I love any kind of houndstooth or herringbone.

People are afraid of mixing patterns, but I usually like to do three or four in a room. You can break things up but still be cohesive.”

Julia used color more sparingly throughout the rest of the home, often complementing neutral hues with small bursts of color or hints of it in furnishings and upholstery.

For the living room, the homeowners chose gray as the dominate color, using Sherwin Williams’ “Mindful Gray” on the walls and “Dovetail” on the ceiling. A lighter gray sofa pairs perfectly with both.

“My husband and I really like the gray concept,” explains the new mom. “We get so many compliments on it, and we can use more colors with it and add pops of color elsewhere.”

To make the space feel warm, casual and inviting,

(continued on page 15)

12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

The homeowner wanted something dramatic for her son’s nursery, so Julia chose bold colors for the drapes and more subdued hues for the carpet and furniture. In addition to making a colorful statement, the curtains are heavy, block light and muffle noise, so the couple’s toddler can nap during the day and sleep at night.

The homeowners love the versatility of the navy rocker. “It looks modern. We have it in the nursery, but it would work elsewhere.”

inspiredlivingomaha.com 13

The kitchen is a quiet study in white and gray. Features include custom cabinetry painted with Sherwin-Williams’ 7065 “Argos” gray, stainless steel appliances, Rocky Mountain granite countertops veined with gray, black and white, barstools upholstered in muted gray leather and opaque white pendants wrapped in gray chain link. “I love the granite.

The pattern is a little busy and has a little heft, so we kept everything else simple,” says Julia. “The approach here was an absence of color.”

The laundry room echoes the kitchen with the same style of cabinetry, granite and stainless steel accents, making for a seamless transition from one room to the next.

(continued from page 12)

The bed linens, pillows and drapes all work together to accent the distinctive bedframe, which boasts an upholstered headboard.

The floor covering in the living room is an understated blend of colors. “The pattern ties in the gray and blue and isn’t too abstract,” the designer says.

The sofa is custom upholstered with extra-durable fabric. “Thankfully, we knew we were pregnant before we bought it, so we were mindful of the furniture. My son spilled something red on it, and you really can’t tell. It looks like it did the day we got it!

The bright painting in the dining room reflects the couple’s approach to collecting.

“We wanted to add a lot of color through art,” says the homeowner, “not through the walls or furnishings.”

Julia chose deep blues for the drapes, carpet, armchair and ottoman, adding unexpected color via throw pillows with black and soft purple threads.

“I started by looking at the different colors in the room, and then I searched for the fabrics,” says Julia of her choices. “The main pieces are solid, so the drapes, rugs and pillows have patterns and different textures, including chenille and herringbone.

It’s a nice flow, and everything plays well together.”

In the adjacent dining room, a blue and green abstract painting dominates.

For that reason, Julia chose dark blue drapes with silver embroidery. “We didn’t want to overpower the art,” she explains. “The silver gives them just enough definition and detail and also picks up the silver of the curtain rod.”

The designer employed that same carefully considered approach throughout the rest of the home. The lower-level family and gathering rooms are neutral, blending both light and dark grays with earthy browns and tans to achieve settings where guests can kick back and relax.

Bedrooms, both main and spare, remain sedate by continuing the deep blues or pops of purple used in the main floor rooms. While each room is unique, the overall aesthetic is coherent and unifying.

The important thing, of course, is how the couple feels about Julia’s work.

“We wanted something our family could grow with, and this will,” says the homeowner.” It’s so nice to be in a home that we really enjoy. We love the look!”

In the family room, the warmth of the cattail wall art is echoed in the throw pillows and armchairs. Ottomans can be used as surfaces for food or drinks or as extra seating. They look heavy, but can be moved easily.

The contemporary teak pool table triples as a Ping-Pong table and extra-large table perfect for entertaining larger crowds.

Burnished gold hardware on the pendant fixture echoes the table's warm browns.

Gray figures throughout the room from the felt on the pool table to the upholstery on the gray leather bar stools. The granite pattern is “Silver Snake.” “We really like the movement of it and had never seen anything like it before,” says the homeowner. The upholstery on the bar stools was chosen with that in mind. “The pattern works really well with the granite.”

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Vibrant art and accessories punch up the bathrooms. In one, the purple and blue in the carpet mirror the colors found in the abstract wall art; in the second the shower curtain and carpet work together to fill a small space with big design elements.

inspiredlivingomaha.com  17

BEFORE + AFTER

Designer takes bold, punchy approach to color, pattern

M Pettipoole approaches

STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY BETHANY GILBERT, MEGAN PETTIPOOLE

18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

decorating with a retro-rad sensibility that belies her oh, so stiff-upper-lip-sounding moniker. Her lively room designs burst with bold color and serve as highly stylized spaces for the people who inhabit them. Her aesthetic is East End edginess meets SoHo chic – with a good, solid grounding of Midwestern Mayberry charm in between.

“M” is Megan, a 32-year-old visual/sales associate at Hutch, the Midtown Crossing mecca for modern, local and vintage furnishings. Her husband, Luke, suggested the lack of punctuation as a design flourish.

It just looks “cleaner,” she laughs of the way her name neatly displays on her website and blog.

Megan credits her mother with her eclectic decorating approach both at home and for clients.

“I was a military brat. Everywhere we moved, she made the new house a home for my five siblings and me.”

Like mother, like daughter. Megan similarly tackled her new bedrooms with gusto, choosing themes with each new locale. A wreath hot-glued with seashells made for a sweet beach retreat, and bed linens printed with Mickey Mouse created a private Disney World.

“My family never made trips there, but I remember finding these sheets that were red with an all-over print of black-and-white Mickeys. It was less about the subject and more about how punchy and graphic the bedding was.”

Punchy and graphic became her hallmark, with kiddie bedding eventually giving way to high fashion as inspiration. “I’ve always gravitated toward patterns and bold colors,” Megan says. “Fashion is a big influence.”

That’s why, perhaps, the designer embraces color so unapologetically. She eschews tried, true and staid shades, instead opting for hues that jar, jolt and jump up interiors. (continued on page 20)

“I collect and collect. It’s the little stuff that makes a room feel personal. That’s what makes a space feel done – and people want something that looks complete.”

M Pettipoole, interior decorator and stylist

The brass umbrella stand was an eBay score. The homeowner already had the Nashville print, which brings an element of fun to the traditional space.

A crisp blueand-white throw rug from One King’s Lane adds a light touch to the space. “We needed some pattern,” the designer says.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 19

For an impactful entry, Megan added much-needed verve – with some restrictions. “Tonally, I kept all the colors on the same side of the color wheel. The space is a lot more traditional. The owner wanted a more refined color palette, so I played with pattern and texture for visual interest ... I don’t know if it was subliminal, but the wall and door colors steered the design into a federal, patriotic/town and country vibe. It was meant to be very preppy. Like an English countryside.” Walls: “Washington Blue,” Benjamin Moore Door: “Million Dollar Red,” Benjamin Moore The brass ship on the entryway table was a secondhand find as was a pair of Chinoiserie patterned lamps.

“It was important to add pieces that looked like they belong.”

(continued from page 18)

“Although colors like yellow and cobalt might seem bold, they’re very natural to me,” she says of a favorite combination. “I either like staying on the same side of the color wheel or being on the complete opposite!”

Megan’s use of accent pieces is an outgrowth of her interest in fashion, functioning much as accessories do to complete a haute couture ensemble. She curates her accent pieces with intention, culling them from estate sales, thrift stores and secondhand shops.

Quirky tchotchkes vie for space with pedigreed collectibles, dime store-era bric-a-brac with fine objets d’art. The combinations make it look like her clients have lived with the pieces for years, as if the one-ofa-kind items go back to a great-grandfather in Decatur – of course, they might, just not back to one Megan’s clients could claim on their own family trees.

“In some ways, I like to classify myself as a stylist

20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

and an interior designer. That’s what you see with the little objects,” she explains. “I collect and collect. It’s the little stuff that makes a room feel personal. That’s what makes a space feel done – and people want something that looks complete.”

That’s why she’ll snap up something like a random needlepoint of a British hunting scene from an Omaha thrift shop or a portrait of a horse from a Kansas City shop. Megan knows the perfect home awaits.

Her decorating passion translates back to people.

“My favorite part is sitting down with a client and hearing their story and learning about what they want to create in a room. I really try to build their rooms around them. That embodies what I do.

There’s a bit of an art that goes into it.”

The gallery wall is the focal point of this entryway. A needlepoint flag and a print of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln inspired the tableau. The horse print was found at a thrift store in Kansas City; the pineapple sconces are from Goodwill.

inspiredlivingomaha.com  21

Wallpaper: “Fabulous,” Graham & Brown Bookcase accent: “Deep Space,” Valspar

Black and white plays a starring role in Megan’s decorating schemes. “It’s a very easy color palette. It works with anything.” In this space, the rug sets the tone for accessories.

22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

No dark, dreary lower level here. Wallpaper makes a big impact.

“You walk down the stairs, and the fluid flower pattern is the first thing you see.” Covering a single wall conserved costs.

The homeowner’s clock inspired an organic look for a gallery wall. Working with a limited budget, the designer relies on unorthodox elements as art. A black-and-white-striped tablecloth finds its way into a frame; a gold-foil heart gift bag becomes a display piece in this room.

The gold-accented painting, on foam board, is an M Pettipoole original. “I like metallics as accents,” says Megan. Brass and gold add glow to spaces and frequently find their way into her decorating schemes. More designer DIY: TV console, coffee table, Darth Vader throw pillow.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 23

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Megan takes a free-spirited approach to a bright living room for a freelance writer.

Black-and-white wallpaper provides the focal element while a rug from Rugs USA adds visual interest and provides a dominant color. “I love the way it relates to the wallpaper,” Megan says. Eclectic items picked up at favorite secondhand haunts make the room feel lived in and not decorated.

Megan found the gold branches decorating the mantel on a cross-country trip. The vintage brass rubbing was purchased via Craig's List.

Megan’s approach to arranging books is casual. “I just let them be,” she laughs. “Books always work!”

Wallpaper: “Knots,” Hygge & West Walls: “Possibility,” Valspar

inspiredlivingomaha.com 25

Walls: “Sensual Jade,” Valspar

Mexican amate paper art pieces had frames that were old and tired.

Megan swapped them with inexpensive white frames from Target.

The room’s previous pale blue felt cold. “This rich color gives the space some movement and highlights the furniture,” Megan says.

The wall hue was color picked from the table runner.

26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Jasmine Greenwaldt

Kelly Kontz

Megan Hoch

We adore our clients.

Thank you for choosing us.

– Your Realtors at The Key Group

C ll today Call d ffor a FREE in-home estimate.

402.884.9600 nhance.com/omaha

Kara Bellino

Christie Oberto

openadore.com

JULIA RUSSELL INTERIOR DESIGN PROFESSIONAL DESIGN STUDIO & GALLERY P

BY APPOINTMENT

1110 DOUGLAS STREET

402.891.0691 JRDESIGNSASID.COM JULIA@JRDESIGNSASID.COM

PROFESSIONAL MEMBER ASID

inspiredlivingomaha.com 27

DESIGN DONE RIGHT

Designer’s passion for Asian antiques lives on in his ‘last hurrah,’ a home filled with color and motion STORY CHRIS CHRISTEN PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY BEBEE

Interior designer Leslie H. Berry may well have been the “Pucci of Omaha.”

Just as the flamboyant Italian designer loved geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of color, so too did Berry. Noted in art and design circles both locally and nationally, Berry – who died in April 2011 at age 74 – created a legacy that lies in his unabashed use of color, pattern and texture in home interiors from Palm Springs, California, to New York City.

None may illustrate his talent better than his own home in the Regency area.

Occupied now by his partner of 35 years, who asked to remain anonymous for this tour, the home remains largely as Berry left it. The couple shared the residence for a decade after living several years in Palm Springs.

The homeowner recalls it as a blank canvas upon their purchase in 2001.

That changed. Floral prints, plaids and polka dots in rich hues of gold, teal and terracotta find harmony among fine Asian antiques and collected works by Nebraska artists. Each room is a study of symbolism — happiness, wealth, longevity, success — found in ancient Chinese culture, a passion shared by designer and partner.

Symmetry defines every tableau.

“The world needs a little balance,” my host says of Berry’s ability to balance objects with what seems like casual nonchalance.

“Most people like it being in my space and not theirs,” he offers, scanning a spacious living room with seating for 22, a dizzying array of antique Chinese and Japanese furniture, art objects and a contemporary 12-foot-long cut-crystal chandelier.

“I’m never in this room unless I have people over,” he confides as I try an exaggerated wing-back chair upholstered in an abstract floral motif reminiscent of one of

28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Pucci’s signature prints. Its twin sits nearby, with a sassy polka-dot velour ottoman placed in between.

“Leslie believed everyone should have their own space. So after he died, I rearranged the living room into conversation areas for two or four people.”

He swapped out art, too, filling expansive halls and walls with paintings from mostly Nebraska artists.

The ranch-like floor plan allows guests to circulate between rooms – the kitchen, foyer, living room, dining room and back into the kitchen. Sliding doors off the living room allow guests to spill onto a courtyard patio, where an Asian-themed sculpture delights the eye.

The kitchen, painted in high-gloss ginger spice, is mostly for show.

“I don’t cook. I eat most meals out, either at a restaurant or at homes of friends,” my guide confesses. “The kitchen serves as the bar area when I entertain.”

That explains the wallpaper backsplash and stove burner as easel for a Milton Wolsky painting.

An antique Chinese fruit ripener and fine art ginger jar, along with a wooden tea cup caddy from Vietnam, rest on a polished countertop painted by a muralist to look like marble.

“It was a seven-day process,” the homeowner recalls.

The breakfast nook is devoid of a dining table and chairs. Instead, an upholstered settee and a small triangular table crowned with a “very old” ceramic Chinese dragon bowl define the space. Morning cereal with milk often is enjoyed here, or down the hall in a guest bedroom that doubles as a TV room.

No matter the room, corner or wall, Berry’s inimitable style prevails. “Leslie had the ability to walk into a space,” his partner says fondly, “and see what it was going to look like in the end.”

In the foyer, a butterfly painting by Susan Tinker hangs above a cloisonnĂŠ butterfly bowl on a French buffet with a faux-marble top.

Elaborately carved poetry panels from China flank the entrance to the grand living room.

Near the front door; a Japanese altar table holds an incense burner. Cinnabar vases on pedestals crown each side.

inspiredlivingomaha.com  29

The chandelier is three fixtures hung end-to-end.

The electrical load from its original 1,200 bulbs was too much for the home’s circuitry, so about half of the bulbs were removed. A dimmer switch keeps the mood just right when entertaining.

Constructed canvas, Larry Roots

The hallway to the master suite is a gallery for scenes of New York by Myron Heise, a native of Bancroft, Nebraska. Sharing the space: Contemporary paintings by Omaha-based artist Larry Roots.

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Leslie H. Berry’s design career began in 1955 in New York City, where he worked for 16 years. Upon returning to his native Omaha in 1971, he worked in the Interior Design Studio at Brandeis Department Store and became studio director in 1977. His career eventually led to a partnership with Jan Buckingham and Karlyn Kuper Carson. For many years the Berry, Buckingham & Kuper Design Studio was in the historic Hilltop House at 49th and Dodge Streets. Through the decades, Berry designed high-end interiors for private clients and participated in many ASID-Omaha Symphony Showhouses. He retired in 1999 to Palm Springs, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, before returning to Omaha in 2001. He passed away at Hospice House in the spring of 2011.

inspiredlivingomaha.com  31

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The oldest items in the room: Pre-Colombian figurines from the Americas, a ceramic fragment from the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, and a coffee tree root from Jakarta.

“Everything has a story.”

13817 INDUSTRIAL ROAD • OMAHA NE 68137 402-445-2596 • JHCOMAHA.COM

baggallini has a style that is perfect for around town & travel

Objects acquired on worldwide travels fill shelves.

Among those most cherished: A child’s bank from Korea, a Chinese lunchbox, a pair of rice bowls and an ivory elephant train inherited from an uncle. The rice bowls and elephants, Berry’s lifelong partner says, ignited his own interest in Asian artifacts at age 7. “I’ve never been to China, but I have been to Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan,” says the homeowner, a retired teacher of world cultures and geography.

402-502-1962 | Legacy West 17650 Wright Street Stay updated with our newest items by visiting:

facebook.com/njandcompany

1991372-01

inspiredlivingomaha.com 33

Faux-painted ironwork decorates the face of the kitchen island.

Chalk on paper, 1992, Fritz Bally

34 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

A Japanese temple door pull hangs on a wall in the den. To its left, a detail of a Chinese temple panel.

The Chinese temple panel “of some age,” embellished with jade, ivory and gold leaf (all Chinese symbols of wealth), commands an entire wall in the den.

Chinese royalty could be entertained here, happily surrounded by Chinese lacquered chests, cloissonnĂŠ, cinnabar and majolica.

Chinese carved wooden columns turn run-of-themill doors into art pieces.

inspiredlivingomaha.com  35

EXPERIENCE LOCAL

The lower level isn’t used often. “Mostly it’s a boudoir for a long-time friend from New York City.” Wallpaper has the look of gold leaf.

The headboard is a secton of a Chinese opium bed.

"The Monk," which has been used in the Cathedral Flower Festival, was made by an artist in Palm Springs, California. To the right, Italian-made foo dogs, reproductions of those at the gate of the Forbidden City.

SARAH MAIER, BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE

S

arah Maier has found her perfect place in Omaha by helping a growing number of home buyers find theirs.

“This business is about building relationships with people,” says Sarah, a licensed real estate agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-The Good Life Group.

Embracing a “client first” philosophy, Sarah says she blends innovative tools and marketing expertise with extensive local knowledge. That result has been a three-fold increase in closings over the last three years.

“It’s really important to listen to your clients’ needs and learn about their lifestyles. Then, it’s about putting in the time, making sure you’re available, reliable and ready to walk them through the process from start to finish.”

With Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate since May, Sarah says she loves being affiliated with a trusted household brand that prizes quality, personalized service.

“We follow five core values: passion, authenticity, inclusion, growth and excellence. That’s what we strive for every day.”

Whether she is working with a buyer or ushering a seller to closing, Sarah says her foundation in real estate is helping people.

“I love being able to call and say, ‘You got the house.’

Knowing I helped make their dream come true is, to me, the ultimate reward of this business.”

4009 Farnam St. 402-830-2879 OmahaSelectRealty.com inspiredlivingomaha.com 37

THREADS

Whether doing downward dog or just lounging, these easy pieces will keep you relaxed PHOTOGRAPHY HEATHER & JAMESON ART DIREC TION HEIDI THORSON MERCHANDISE ST YLING JESSICA LUNA HAIR & MAKEUP KALI RAHDER, VICTOR VICTORIA SALON & SPA MODELS JORDI & OLIVE LOCATIONS DUNDEE APARTMENT HOME & NATURAL THERAPY, OLD MARKET

38  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Opposite page: (On Jordi) Skin plaid top, $90, and bottoms, $108 CHRISTEL’S

CHRISTELSCLOTHING.COM

(On Olive) Graphic racerback, $30 Cropped leggings, $22 Wrap sweater, $26 BOBBY’S DANCEWEAR BOBBYSDANCEWEAR.COM

This page: (On Jordi) Moon phases tank, $48 LOTUS HOUSE OF YOGA LOTUSHOUSEOFYOGA.COM

George double-layer skirt, $198 CHRISTEL’S

CHRISTELSCLOTHING.COM

BYLYSE sweater, $168 NJ & Co. NJANDCOMPANY.COM

Chainmail choker, $108 Porter tote, $80 GRAMERCY GRAMERCYOMAHA.COM

(On Olive) Bloch bubble knit shorts, $28 Matching sweater, $50 Capezio knit leggings, $14 BOBBY’S DANCEWEAR BOBBYSDANCEWEAR.COM

inspiredlivingomaha.com 39

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Opposite page: Milly Silk shirt, $228 CHRISTEL’S

CHRISTELSCLOTHING.COM

Thunderstorm leggings, $64 Velvet necklace, $12 LOTUS HOUSE OF YOGA LOTUSHOUSEOFYOGA.COM

Toad & Co. jacket, $199 BACKWOODS BACKWOODS.COM

Cigar ring, $78 GRAMERCY

GRAMERCYOMAHA.COM

Liforme mat, $140 LOTUS HOUSE OF YOGA LOTUSHOUSEOFYOGA.COM

This page: 3x1 embroidered silk bomber, $658 CHRISTEL’S

CHRISTELSCLOTHING.COM

Criss Cross bralette, $49 Gleam tights, $79 ATHLETA ATHLETA.COM

inspiredlivingomaha.com 41

42  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Pages 42-44 (On Jordi) Mesh Sonar capri pants, $79 ATHLETA ATHLETA.COM

Believe bracelet trio, $38 Studs, $38 GRAMERCY

Pages 42 & 44 (On Olive) Motion wear wrap, $32 Your Grace leotard, $28 Capezio harem pants, $40 BOBBY’S DANCEWEAR BOBBYSDANCEWEAR.COM

GRAMERCYOMAHA.COM

Graphic tank, $48 B Yoga mat, $104 LOTUS HOUSE OF YOGA LOTUSHOUSEOFYOGA.COM

Hydro flask, $39.95 BACKWOODS BACKWOODS.COM

inspiredlivingomaha.com 43

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Shine Renew tank, $49 Saucony red bullet sneakers, $79 ATHLETA ATHLETA.COM

Toad & Co. printed leggings, $55 Icebreaker Vertex leggings, $110 Northwest trucker hat, $26 OluKai Pehuea slipons, $80 BACKWOODS BACKWOODS.COM

Julia shag vest, $220 Porter tote, $80 GRAMERCY GRAMERCYOMAHA.COM

Skinny gold bracelet, $36 HUSH LA BOUTIQUE HUSHLABOUTIQUE.COM

inspiredlivingomaha.com  45

AU COURANT

TEXT KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY HEIDI THORSON

PICK YOUR GROUNDS

ARCHETYPE COFFEE, STARTING AT $16.50 Archetype Coffee 3926 Farnam St. archetype.com

BEANSMITH COFFEE, $17 Beansmith Coffee Roasters 1213 Harney St. beansmith.com

PICK YOUR GADGET

HANDGROUND PRECISION COFFEE MAKER, $79 Archetype Coffee 3926 Farnam St. archetype.com

CHEMEX FILTER DRIP COFFEE MAKER, $34.90 Roast Coffeehouse 1904 S. 67th St. facebook.com/ROASTaksarben

PICK YOUR GO-TO MUG

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LEAH GOREN CAT STUDY, $14

REBOOT ROASTING, $10

Anthropologie anthropologie.com

Reboot Roasting rebootroasting.com

SEVEN DAYS OF COFFEE

Move over craft cocktails and micro brews, the crop-to-cup movement is giving coffee its “foodie” moment. Jump-start your morning and the New Year with a jolt of java. We sourced some of our favorite local coffee roasters and coffee shops for the best in beans, vessels and accouterments. Mix, match and brew the perfect cup o’ joe.

KARMA MIRACLE BLEND STARTING AT $13.49

MUGLIFE SUMATRA STARTING AT $13

HARDY COFFEE, BENCHMARK STARTING AT $16

INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE STARTING AT $14

Karma Koffee 587 N. 155th Plaza karmakoffee.com

Muglife Coffee Roastery 2452½ Harney St. muglifecoffee.com

Aroma's 6051 Maple St. aromasbliss.com

Well Grounded Coffee 707 S. 24th St. wellgroundedomaha.com

PREPARA EVAK FOOD STORAGE CONTAINER, $24.95

AEROLATTE CAPPUCCINO ART STENCILS, SET OF 6, $7.95

AEROPRESS BREWER, $29.95

RANDWYCK COFFEE FILTER, $6.99

ZOKU ICED COFFEE MAKER, $29.95

Barnes & Noble barnesandnoble.com

Barnes & Noble barnesandnoble.com

Village Grinder 8706 Pacific St. facebook.com/villagegrinder

Barnes & Noble barnesandnoble.com

MESSAGE ON A CUP, $16

WHITE FIGURAL OWL, $6.50

QUOTABLES, $10.95

Spruce spruceomaha.com

Pottery Barn potterybarn.com

PEACOCK FEATHERS, $9.95

Beansmith Coffee Roasters 1213 Harney St. beansmith.com

PETAL PALETTE MONOGRAM, $14 Anthropologie anthropologie.com

Barnes & Noble barnesandnoble.com

A HILL OF BEANS COFFEE STARTING AT $13.95 A HILL OF BEANS 14512 West Center Road ahillofbeans.com

Barnes & Noble barnesandnoble.com

inspiredlivingomaha.com 47

AU COURANT

TEXT CHRIS CHRISTEN PHOTOGRAPHY MEGAN PETTIPOOLE

Megan Pettipoole lives as she works.

The pink geometric wall is in her living room. “I did it in 2014. I bought the green sofa at an estate sale, and pink and green look so good together.”

48 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

BRIGHT. POWERFUL. OPTIMISTIC.

Greenery is making quite an impression as the Pantone Color Institute’s 2017 color of the year.

Is it any wonder, especially following last year’s lackluster rose quartz and serenity blue?

“Greenery is a color that puts smiles on faces when walking into a room,” says Libby Pantzlaff of Creative Interiors by Libby. “It can grow effortlessly with other shades of green by its side, and the accent colors are endless. It’s so refreshing and ageless.”

Ann Etienne of Voila! Blooms and Decor in Dundee agrees. “Everyone should bring a touch of greenery into their life. It’s uplifting to your home and your mood.”

Pantone’s greenery is “lively and its strength is refreshing, both when paired with brights or used as a pop of life against a more neutral palette,” observes interior designer Karie Boggs of Interiors Joan and Associates.

Greige is an example. “To balance the intensity of greenery in a neutral or greige space, use a variation of green tones in your accents and consider color blocking with a second bold accent, such as a vibrant royal blue, suggests Courtney Otte of The Modern Hive.

Here are five easy ways to add it into your own décor.

THIBEAUDESIGN.COM

WHAT LOCAL PROS ARE SAYING “I have paired greenery with yellow in my house. I always walk into the room happy. It is God’s neutral base! Calm it down with white accents or punch it up with orange accents.”

– Rose McCormick, Beyond the Vine

“I love it – in moderation! In fact, I think Pantone is onto something for this year.

I’ve been using green as an accent in a few of my recent projects.”

– Courtney Otte, The Modern Hive

“Velvet is ‘in’ right now, and I have dreams about green velvet sofas. Mixing green velvet with natural tones will be a sure hit this next year.”

– Nick Huff, Hutch

“It’s bold without being garish. I prefer to use colors that are more organic in my designs, so it’s a great option. It’s an easy color to use where previous ones were more difficult to drop into any scenario. Pantone’s description of it taking on the color of spring is spot-on.”

– Diane Flynn, Tweed Couch

“I don’t see this color making much of an impact for 2017. Greenery is a color that I only pull for kids’ rooms and sunrooms. I have seen more dark green being used, and it comes off rich and inviting in a space, the opposite of greenery.’’

– Julia Russell, Julia Russell Designs

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2

3

4

5

PAINT Paint an accent wall or the interior of a cabinet or bookcase to give a neutral space an unexpected pop.

ACCESSORIES You’ll find an explosion of greenery in home décor items.

A lamp, vase or bowl can be a practical addition.

LIVE GREENERY Succulents? Fiddle leaf fig tree, anyone?

Nature itself is greenery’s truest form. Try botanicals in various shades of green.

TEXTILES Throw pillows, drapery panels or a playful rug are quick, easy ways to introduce a pop of color without overpowering a room.

WALLPAPER Though more permanent, a lively print adds interest to an otherwise nondescript space. Use in moderation.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 49

HOST

We say chocolate, the French say “shohkoh-lah.” No matter how you pronounce it or where it’s from, it’s rich, decadent and delicious.

RECIPES KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY HEIDI THORSON

50 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

MADELEINES AU CHOCOLAT

Makes about 2 dozen

For my bridal shower, my soon-to-be sister-in-law Molly presented me with a molded madeleine pan and the following recipe written on an index card in her beautiful, sloping script.

Of course, traditional madeleines are wonderful in their own right, but when made with chocolate, as Molly does, these small, shell-shaped dainty cakes evoke all things French.

When eaten warm, they’re also irresistible accompaniments to tea, coffee and even a glass of wine or snifter of brandy.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brush an even coat of room

temperature butter in madeleine molds and dust with flour. 2. In a large saucepan heat 13 tablespoons butter (1¾ sticks) over moderately high heat. The butter will go through several stages, from foamy white liquid to one that’s almost clear and golden, with big, airy bubbles. When butter begins to brown (about 5 minutes), transfer to a bowl to stop cooking. Let cool. 3.

Place 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, in a saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently and remove from heat when melted. 4. Sift 12/3 cup confectioner’s sugar and ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour in a medium bowl. Stir in ½ cup finely ground, unblanched almonds (optional) and set aside.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk 6 large egg whites until frothy. Add mixed dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk browned butter and 1 tablespoon mild honey. Stir in melted chocolate and mix until blended. 6. Spoon batter into molds, filling almost to tops. 7.

Refrigerate molds for 50 minutes to firm batter. 8. Bake in a 375-degree oven until madeleines are evenly dark brown and spongy to touch, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and unmold immediately, using the tip of a sharp knife if necessary. Cool on a rack. Repeat baking until all batter is used. 9. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Recipe: Molly Garriott

WARM CHOCOLATE TART

Serves 6

When I got married, a dear aunt told me, “The only thing better than a good cook is a good cook with lots of chocolate recipes.” This is one of my – and my husband’s – all-time favorites. Chef Gray Kunz devised this deep, dark chocolate tart while heading the legendary fourstar restaurant Lespinasse in Manhattan.

Dusted with powdered sugar, the presentation is gorgeous. And the flavor?

Exquisite.

CRUST: 1. Sift 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons allpurpose flour and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder into a small bowl.

2. Using a stand or electric hand mixer, beat together ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, and ½ cup sugar into a large bowl. Beat in 1 large egg and then add in flour and cocoa mixture. 3. Stir in 1 cup finely chopped pecans. 4. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in wax paper and chill at least 1 hour.

Can be prepared 1 day in advance. Let

dough soften slightly before using.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round. Place dough into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold in over-hanging edges and press into crimped sides of the pan. Pierce crust bottom with a fork and bake for 15 minutes or until crust is firm to the touch. Let cool. Maintain oven temperature.

FILLING:

1. Melt 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter

and 5 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until blended and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool. 2. In a medium bowl beat 2 eggs and ¼ cup sugar until blended. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour into tart pan and bake about 20 minutes, until the top is puffed and firm to the touch. Let tart cool slightly before removing rim.

3. Lightly sift tart with a fine coating of powdered sugar.

Adapted from Bon Appétit

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BRIGADEIROS Makes about 20

While far afield of France, brigadeiros are reminiscent of French bonbons. They’re traditionally served at children’s birthday parties in Brazil, and when I made these for my daughter’s classroom, the kids didn’t just want one. They wanted three. For the 18-and-under set, sprinkles are the preferred choice for toppings, but brigadeiros can be gussied up for adults with chopped nuts or shredded coconut.

But then again, even grown-ups should indulge in sprinkles from time to time. Best part? These require only three ingredients and are ridiculously easy to make.

52 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa,

1 tablespoon butter and 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and mixture pulls away from the pan, about 10 minutes. It should have the consistency of fudge. 2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until mixture becomes firm and easy to handle. 3. Using hands, form into small balls, then roll in sprinkles or other toppings.

Refrigerate until firm.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Security • Privacy • Elegance

MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT (CHOCOLATE MOUSSE)

Serves 6

The city: Paris, 20 years ago. The location: Left Bank. The bistro: Le Petit Navire. Among the tightly packed tables, Maman, clad in a white apron, circled a room filled with animated chatter and the clatter of cutlery against white Limoges. When time for dessert came, she used a well-worn wooden spoon to dole out chocolate mousse from a large earthenware bowl firmly cradled on her hip. The mousse, cloud-like on the tongue, was beyond sublime. If Maman liked you, maybe you were favored with an extra large portion. While the bistro no longer exists, the memory of that mousse persists. This is the closest I’ve come to her recipe.

15803 PACIFIC STREET • OMAHA, NE • 402.333.5722 • WWW.SW-FENCE.COM 1993466-01

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place ¼ pound roughly chopped chocolate

in a double boiler over gently simmering water.

Stir until chocolate melts, roughly 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, and stir until thoroughly incorporated with chocolate, about 30-60 seconds. Set aside. 2. Separate 3 eggs, placing whites into a small bowl. Quickly whisk egg yolks into melted chocolate and butter.

Let cool to lukewarm. 3. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt to egg whites and using a stand or electric hand mixer, beat until whites form stiff peaks, then beat in 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate, being careful not to deflate the whites. 4. Spoon the mousse into one large bowl or individual serving dishes. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight. 5. Serve with freshly whipped cream, roughly chopped or lightly grated chocolate or raspberries.

Beautify your HOME & LIFE

Adapted from Savoring France by Georgeanne Brennan

FURNITURE 4922 Dodge St M-F 8am-6pm

ACCESSORIES voilaflowers.com Sat 8am-4pm

FLORALSS 402-991-1970 Sun Closed

inspiredlivingomaha.com 53

THE HIDDEN PANTRY

Flavor and color from the cupboard RECIPES + PHOTOGRAPHY CHAD LEBO

I

do not make PB&Js. Don’t get me wrong. I am not a food snob; my wife simply makes a far superior peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Like my dog, I have almost no restraint when it comes to peanut butter, and my ratio of PB to J always ends up embarrassingly and unhealthily askew.

I honestly can’t say I have much restraint for jams and jellies either. I just rarely ever use them for sandwiches or A PRIMER ON JAMS

• In general, the whole jam/ jelly family can be referred to as preserves, and there are a lot of delectably different ones.

• Preserves are jams that have large chunks or even whole pieces of fruit. Jams are thicker than jellies, which have been strained of all the fruity bits.

• Conserves are preserves that have more than one type of fruit.

• Compotes have large chunks of fruit and are often used right away instead of canned.

• Marmalade is nothing more than jelly with citrus rind. Sit a pot of fruit puree on the stove, cook low and slow until the cows come home, and you have thick sweet fruit butter.

54 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

toast. More often than not, I reach for them to make pan sauces for pork and glazes for ribs or to add a touch of fruit to chocolate truffles or a splash of color and sweetness to cheese.

Seeing jam as an ingredient rather than a condiment can open up a lot of colorful and tasty options. Reading and cooking the recipes here will give you a good start with all the possibilities.

SWEETNERS + THICKENERS

Think of jams as sweeteners and thickeners full of flavor and color.

• Replace some of the sugar in things as varied as barbeque sauce and brownies.

• Punch up a drab fresh cheese with a dab of jam.

• Almost effortless sauces can be made by simply thinning out a jam. For a sweet sauce, thin with water, wine, juice, cream, Greek yogurt and more.

• For a savory pan sauce, heat the jam and add some stock, broth, wine, beer, even whiskey. Finish away from the heat with some herbs, salt and cold butter, and you have a 3-minute sauce that will not disappoint.

• Mix jam with some fresh fruit, warm and serve over ice cream, cake or shortbreads.

• Spice up with a spot of liqueur or add some counterbalance to the sweet with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

• And finally, a wonderful way to use the dregs of jam at the bottom of a jar: Whip up a tart vinaigrette with a hint of sweetness. Add right to the jar: 1 part jam, 1 part vinegar of choice, 3 parts olive oil and a pinch of salt. Shake, serve, enjoy.

TORTA DI RICOTTA WITH BALSAMIC JAM SAUCE

6 to 8 servings

This is a simple, lightly sweetened cheesecake with just enough savory rosemary and black pepper to make a dessert that is satisfying but not overwhelming. Best if made with true ricotta cheese and not whole milk ricotta. For a sweeter version, increase the sugar or add some honey. For a straight savory version that works for breakfast or brunch, cut down or leave out the sugar, increase the rosemary and maybe add some garlic.

Torta di Ricotta 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. 2. In food processor or blender, puree 1½ cups ricotta cheese, ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 3 whole medium eggs, ¼ cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, pinch of salt and ¼ teaspoon ground rosemary or ½ teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary. 3. Pour mixture into a buttered 8-inch spring form pan or a couple of 4-inch pans (recommended). Can also be made and served in individual ramekins. 4.

Bake until middle of cake is still slightly glossy and wobbly. Depending on size of pan or ramekin, it may take 20 to 40 minutes. 5. Allow to cool completely before cutting. 6. Serve with Balsamic Jam Sauce (recipe follows).

Balsamic Jam Sauce 1. In small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup jam or jelly, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey and a healthy pinch of black pepper.

PRESERVES AS INGREDIENTS:

• • • •

Pan sauces for pork Glazes for ribs Fruity flavoring for chocolate truffles Color, sweetness for cheese

inspiredlivingomaha.com 55

WARM PEAR & ENDIVE SALAD WITH FRIED GOAT CHEESE AND RASPBERRY JAM VINAIGRETTE

Makes 4 to 8 servings

An easy recipe to make your own. Swap the dates for dried apricots or cranberries. Use fromage blanc or even fresh mozzarella instead of goat cheese.

Allow yourself flexibility and swap radicchio for endive or apples in place of pears.

Fried Goat Cheese 1. Chill 4- to 6-ounce log of fresh goat cheese in the freezer for an hour. Cut into 4 to 6 equal-size medallions. 2. Dredge each piece in flour and shake off excess. Dip in mixture of beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water. Coat with mixture of sesame seeds and herbed cracker crumbs. 3. Heat ¼ inch of olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Fry each side until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.

Drain on paper towel.

Vinaigrette Dressing 1. In small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons raspberry jam or jelly, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and pinch of salt.

Salad 1. Prepare 1 thinly sliced large pear, ½ cup chopped walnuts, ½ cup pitted dates cut into quarters, 1 large or 2 small heads Belgium endive divided into individual leaves with large leaves cut in half. 2. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet and sauté the pear, walnut, date and endive mix over high heat until lightly browned and slightly wilted. 3. Remove from heat and dress with half the vinaigrette. 4. Top with fried goat cheese, fresh raspberries and sesame seeds and drizzle with remaining dressing as desired.

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SAVORY ONION BACON JAM

Yields 2 cups

A quick jam that takes less than 20 minutes to make. Fantastic on sandwiches or with cheese or charcuterie plates.

For a less sweet version, decrease sugar and increase onions. Bump up the savory quotient with extra black pepper, rosemary, tarragon or perhaps sage. For a nice twist, substitute some of the sugar with dates, honey, dried figs or dried apricots.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. 2. Add all at once: 1 thinly sliced large yellow onion, ¼ pound chopped bacon, ¾ cup white sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon fine black pepper. 3. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring constantly until thickened and most of the onions are translucent. A spatula drawn across the bottom should leave a trail in the thickened jam. This takes about 10 minutes. To test final texture, keep a few spoons in the freezer and dip into jam. Return to freezer for a minute then check consistency. 4. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 month or freeze for long-term storage.

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PROFILE

Man meets soul mate in college, takes three decades to marry her STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHRISTEN + KURT A. KEELER

58 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Kabin Thomas sits at the front of First Unitarian Church, a shiny silver tuba with brass accents resting on his lap. He pauses for effect and then blows. What follows is an evening of performance art filled with tuba playing and funny, poignant and often heart-rending stories. He’s accompanied throughout by a singer with flaming red hair. She’s his wife, Mary.

It took him 30 years to get to this point, 30 years of restlessness punctuated with continuous career changes, 30 years to play tuba at the front of a church in Omaha, Nebraska. In between, he has gone from lauded university professor to homeless actor to game-show host in Abu Dhabi.

Today, he describes himself as “a humble janitor” at an apartment complex. He also says he’s the happiest man on earth.

Kabin was born in 1962, he says riffing on Steve Martin, “a poor black child,” the youngest of five kids, on the east side of Detroit. His father, a public school science teacher by day and janitor by night, had schizophrenia and took his life in front of his family. Kabin was 1 year old and didn’t speak until he was 5. “Now I can’t shut up,” he jokes. “I’ve been catching up ever since.”

In the meantime, his mother became a nurse and sent Kabin to a Catholic middle school, where he toyed briefly with becoming a priest. It wasn’t to be. “I discovered the female breast on a bus in the eighth grade,” he explains with a grin.

“Colleen Murphy changed my world.”

So did the tuba.

While a sophomore at a public high school, he encountered the instrument for the first time.

“I had no idea what the tuba was,” he recounts.

“The music teacher showed us instruments. I looked at this big wooden one with a whole lot of buttons. I thought it was the best thing I had ever seen. I asked the kid next to me what it was, and he said it was a tuba. I said, ‘Man, I want to play the tuba!’”

The music teacher took him into a back room and handed him a tuba. “It looked like a beat up brass toilet,” laughs Kabin. “I said, ‘That isn’t a tuba! I want to play the wooden, cylindrical one!’

He looked at me, and said, ‘No, son. That’s a bassoon.’ He made me play the tuba instead and stick to it. It changed my life forever.”

By then, inner-city Detroit had become perilously dangerous, so Kabin left public school to attend an elite boarding school in Wisconsin, where he had a scholarship, worked in the kitchen and served as a tour guide. After graduating in 1980, he attended the University of WisconsinMadison as a music major before transferring to Oberlin.

It was his dream school. It was also expensive.

Kabin couldn’t afford to stay, so he transferred again, this time to Wayne State University.

There, he had the opportunity to play as a guest musician with the renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He was only 22. “I believe in fate,” he says. “A lot of good things have followed me my whole life.”

The best thing, though, was Mary.

In 1985, while working in a hobo band at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, Kabin spied a young woman near a vending machine, stuffing a hot dog into her mouth. “I knew she was the one,” he says.

He called to her, asking her name. She turned around, red-faced, her mouth full, unable to do anything other than mumble.

Her name was Mary Bort. Coincidentally, she, too, was a music major, although she was studying voice at Central Michigan University. Like Kabin, she was working at the park during summer break.

The meeting, Kabin and Mary say, became known as “The Great Hot Dog Incident.”

“I never believed in love at first sight,” admits Mary. “I’m a very practical person, but boom! Love at first sight, the moment I laid my eyes on Kabin.”

The couple fell deeply, madly, irrevocably in love. “We dated only six months!

That was it!” Kabin says. “I loved her from the second I saw her, and we lived six years in six months! Those months at Cedar Point were the most perfect months of my life.”

But Kabin panicked. He wanted to propose to Mary, but life was hard. He was poor. He had little to offer. So he broke up with her.

Mary was crushed. Kabin was crushed.

He knew what he had lost, so the following June he contacted Mary and asked to get back together. “I was too scared that he would break my heart again. So instead of saying what I wanted to say, which was ‘Yes,’ I said ‘No,’” says Mary. “He left, and I cried and cried and wished I had said ‘Yes.’ I replayed that moment in my head for all the years we were apart.”

They both tried to move on. Kabin dropped out of college and joined the Marines. The only time he could stop thinking about Mary was in boot camp. He became an expert marksman and joined the helicopter squad. He finally earned his college degree from the University of Michigan.

Restless, he left the Marines and joined the Navy, planning to become a pilot. An eye injury derailed that plan, so he joined the Naval Academy Band at Annapolis.

There, he met his first wife. Getting married seemed like a good idea, a practi-

cal idea. It was the right thing to do. Mary also got married for the same reason.

They were both in their late 20s. Settling down was sensible. But that was just it; they were both settling. They never stopped thinking about one another, they both admit.

After Kabin’s discharge from the Navy, he got his master’s degree in music from the University of Wisconsin and eventually secured a position as a full-time professor in the music department at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. While there, he brought in prominent guest speakers like James Earl Jones (whom he got to stammer the line “L-l-l-uke, I am your f-f-f-father”). He played with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. The Detroit Symphony occasionally flew him to Michigan for extra gigs. He was the narrator for the Emmy-winning team of the 1999 PBS documentary “The Sounds of Dreams,” about the Hot Springs Music Festival.

He created “Symphony Sam,” a classical music program for children that received substantial funding from a PBS station.

By any measure, Kabin was a monumental success. The chancellor even called him and offered to support him for tenure.

Kabin declined. “It would make me lose my edge,” he argued. “Plus, it would make it harder for you to fire me.”

Little did he know.

Always one to push his students and boundaries, Kabin wanted to make Beethoven accessible. While explaining why the first few notes of the Fifth Symphony worked so well, he used a profanity to illustrate his point.

A nontraditional student was in his class, an older woman who also happened to have influence, Kabin says. She lodged a complaint with the university. Kabin, who had been with the school for 11 years, was fired. Shortly thereafter, his wife divorced him.

It was 2006. He was 44 years old. “My world was spinning out of control,” he says. “I was going to pull a dad. I was going to kill myself.”

Fortunately, a friend in the drama department called and told him about a production assistant position for “War Eagle, Arkansas” starring Brian Dennehy.

The movie was shooting nearby, and Kabin

got the job. The experience influenced him to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

He had $230 in his pocket and lived in his car for three months. He got small parts – two Super Bowl commercials, a part on “Nip Tuck,” a cameo in the Reese Witherspoon/Robert Pattinson movie, “Water for Elephants,” and a speaking role with William Shatner in the short-lived CBS series, “$#*! My Dad Says.”

(continued on page 60)

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(continued from page 59)

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He stayed in L.A. for six years. Just as his acting roles were drying up, he received an offer to host a game show at Ferrari World, an amusement park in Abu Dhabi. He was 50. It was a dream job, one that earned Kabin “serious coin,” as he describes it. “I was firing on all cylinders,” he says. “I was happy. I was doing that which I was born to do.”

Still, he couldn’t get Mary off his mind. He tried finding her on Facebook. The first Mary Bort he contacted was in Vermont and wished she were Kabin’s Mary. His tender note made her cry.

The second Mary Bort was in Nebraska, working for the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Surely, that couldn’t be her. She wasn’t Jewish, he thought. But while Kabin had been professionally itinerant, Mary had moved to Lincoln and almost earned a Ph.D. By then she had switched from music to communications. She settled in Omaha, working for a television station and teaching at Midland Lutheran College (now Midland University) in Fremont before securing a job at the Jewish Federation.

Her marriage was also crumbling and leading to divorce. She had been married for more than two decades, and all those years she had kept her employee badge from Cedar Point. She saved it because she was wearing it the night she met Kabin. And every night since then, she says, “I fell asleep hugging my pillow and thinking about him.”

And then came his Facebook message in September 2012.

“I started to cry,” recalls Mary. “I couldn’t believe he had found me.”

This time, they weren’t going to let one another get away.

After a few months of tentatively getting to know one another again, they confessed their love. Mary hopped on a plane to Abu Dhabi. It was a heartfelt reunion. “He was waiting for me at the airport terminal, and I walked into his arms,” says Mary. “It felt perfect. It felt like we had only been apart a week.”

She couldn’t stay, though. Mary had serious health conditions and remaining in the Middle East simply wasn’t an option.

Kabin didn’t hesitate. He left his job and headed to Omaha.

On the way, the cargo bin of his plane caught fire. He lost his luggage, arriving only with his tuba and a carry-on bag. But he finally had Mary.

Kabin and Mary married on May 23, 2015. It was almost 30 years to the day since The Great Hot Dog Incident.

Today, Kabin is plunging toilets and fixing leaks. He’s happy to be playing tuba at the front of First Unitarian Church.

To be sure, life isn’t easy. Finances are tight, and the couple shares one car, Mary shuttling to work at Boys Town National Research Hospital, Kabin taking care of apartments.

The former university professor doesn’t mind being a janitor.

He’s married to his soul mate, the woman it took him three decades to marry.

“She has been all I ever wanted,” he says.

Every morning, Mary lays her hand on his heart and says, “Know that you are loved.”

And every night, as Kabin falls asleep, he says, “I love you, Mary.”

DESTINATION

A family’s multi-generational vacation offers fun times, great food and new memories STORY + PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE WATKINS

When you’re a kid on a family vacation, your parents call the shots, handle the legwork and take care of pretty much everything for you along the way.

When you’re an adult traveling with your siblings as well as your now-older mom who has mobility issues, trip-planning takes on a whole new dimension.

That was my experience last summer when my mom, three brothers, a sisterin-law and two nieces traveled together to South Carolina and neighboring states.

Our family lived in upstate South Carolina – my dad’s home state – for most of the 1980s and returns every 10 years or so

for nostalgia’s sake.

The last time was in 2006, when we took Dad’s ashes “home” to the lake where he swam and played as a child (and where we did, too).

This time, we went mostly for entertainment and a chance to relax. We were gone for nine days, with almost four dedicated to driving to and from southwest Iowa. Our route took us through the Midwest into Nashville, then Atlanta and down to our hometown of Greenwood and incorporated interesting stops such as lunch in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

After spending two days catching up

with people we hadn’t seen in a decade (or longer), we set off for Georgetown, South Carolina, then to Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Savannah (which, incidentally suffered no severe damage from Hurricane Matthew).

On the way back home, we stopped in Asheville, North Carolina, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where we enjoyed amazing views of the Smokies.

All in all, the trip was great for everyone in our party. We made new memories, celebrated time together and enjoyed lots of laughter. Not to mention the sun and sand along the Atlantic Ocean.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 61

GETTING THERE We abandoned the idea of all eight of us fitting in a large rented van and traveled instead in two SUVs. Our route took us 2,500 miles round-trip from our starting point of Council Bluffs. We traveled through Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina. En route home, we passed through Asheville, North Carolina, to see the Biltmore House and Gardens and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to see Dollywood.

WHEN TO GO It’s best to visit cities along the Atlantic Ocean in the summer so you can enjoy the sand, sun and water. If you love Christmastime, the Biltmore House and Dollywood are decorated to the hilt in November and December.

WHERE TO STAY In Myrtle Beach, we rented a spacious beachfront condo for a few days via HomeAway. com. I can recommend it, but make sure to go through the website to protect your money and reservation. In Charleston, we stayed in a suite at a chain hotel across the Arthur Ravel Jr. Bridge, an architectural gem in itself. It’s not in the downtown district, but it was less expensive and within short driving distance of the city center.

We also spent an evening in Georgetown before heading to Charleston and Savannah for a night’s stay in each city.

In both cases, we opted for a chain hotel not far from the ocean.

62 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

WHERE TO EAT Having two young nieces on the trip made for some interesting and limited dining options. Our favorites: • The Waffle House in Missouri and Charleston for Southern-style grits and country ham.

• Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant in Myrtle Beach. The food stations are shaped like ships with huge sails.

• The Buzz’s Roost in Georgetown, which has great food choices for adults and kids.

• Sunnyside Up in Savannah, a charming local place for the best French toast. Ever.

LOCAL RESOURCES F I N D Y O U R I N S P I R AT I O N .

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MUST-SEES • Myrtle Beach: Visit the beach and enjoy the sand and rhythmic waves of the ocean. Broadway at the Beach is an ideal rainy-day destination for shopping and people-watching. Arranged like a small community, the property offers many unique stores surrounded by numerous attractions and interactive options, including South Carolina’s largest water park.

• Charleston: We spent our day on an air-conditioned guided motor coach tour of downtown that included a stop at the Aiken-Rhett House, built in 1820.

We also took a boat ride to Charleston Harbor and spent an afternoon at Fort Sumter, site of the first battle of the Civil War. Though much of the original fortress and barracks were destroyed during battle, the island fort still has its original cannons and cannonballs, a great visitor center and fantastic views of the Charleston battery. You can’t go to Charleston without seeing the battery and Rainbow Row – the colorfully-painted historic homes along the waterfront.

• Savannah: This city resembles Charleston in its layout. We started with a picnic lunch in Forsyth Park, which occupies 30 acres in the historic district. Mom loves the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” which was filmed here. Visits to the Mercer-Williams House and Bonaventure Historic Cemetery, both featured in the movie, were high points for her.

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IF YOU HAVE AN EXTRA HALF-DAY Tour the many restored plantations throughout Charleston, including Boone Hall Plantation and Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Both are beautiful and lush in the summer and accurately show what life was like in the days of the Old South. Driving through the majestic Avenue of Oaks on the way to the main plantation house at Boone Hall (the front of the house was used in the 1980s TV miniseries, “North and South”) is like being on the set of “Gone With the Wind.”

The plantation’s slave houses are a main attraction.

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PHOTO: BETHANY GILBERT

END NOTE

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64  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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