Inspired Living Omaha March-April 2017

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MARCH/ARPIL 2017 INSPIREDLIVINGOMAHA.COM

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VOL. 15 NO. 2 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 Photo Imaging Specialist Patricia “Murphy” Benoit Content Contributors Cedric Fichepain, Kurt A. Keeler, Chad Lebo, Jessica Luna, Howard K. Marcus, Heather Winkel

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Photography Contributors Jeffrey Bebee, Heather & Jameson, Chad Lebo, Matt Miller On the Cover Photo: Jeffrey Bebee Custom Publishing Sales Manager Deb McChesney | 402-444-1448 | Debbie.Cavalier@owh.com Account Representatives Sara Baker | 402-444-1442 | Sara.Baker@owh.com Gay Liddell | 402-444-1489 | Gay.Liddell@owh.com Emily Martin | 402-444-1411 | Emily.Martin@owh.com Cathy Vanhauer | 402-444-1209 | Cathleen.Vanhauer@owh.com Event Manager Tam Webb | 402-444-3125 | Tam.Webb@owh.com Event Coordinator Emily Gerhardt | 402-444-1161 | Emily.Gerhardt@owh.com

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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EDITOR'S NOTE

READERS SHARE & SHINE! Welcome to The Project Issue, where reader-submitted endeavors take the limelight.

Queen among the contributors: Omahan

CHRIS CHRISTEN editor-in-chief

FUN FACT Last year at this time, Chris was contemplating painting her kitchen cabinets. Her extended family cried, “Don’t do it!” She ignored them. And couldn’t be happier with the results.

Nancy Metzler, who left me a “long, rambling voice mail” (her description) about her passion for decorating on the “neat and cheap” and her husband Frank’s talent for woodworking. Those loves, she said, put them on a remodeling journey that has spanned nearly 40 years and two major additions to their 1960s split-entry house.

Stay connected between issues.

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

During the interview (over appetizers and wine), I learned that Frank was on the mend from heart bypass surgery, a temporary frustration for him because it was delaying completion of the kitchen.

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

The day before our shoot, a half-dozen garden and car club friends helped Nancy “fluff” the house. Some dusted. Some did floral arranging. Some pruned houseplants.

Find thousands of projects to fit your lifestyle on our Pinterest boards. Our current obsession: backsplashes and tile. pinterest.com/inspiredomaha

Some just had wine. “We laughed and had fun,” Nancy assured me. “I’m not cleaning for another two years.”

As we wrapped up the photo shoot, Nancy and Frank were prepping for an

Have a story idea, question or comment? Email the editor at chris.christen@owh.com

impromptu cocktail party. “Come on over at 7,” we overheard Frank saying on the phone earlier in the day. “Inspired Living is here today, and the house is clean so we’re having an open house.”

Don’t miss this one, page 12.

David Klitz from Habitat for Humanity

6 MARCH/APRIL 2017

also invites us to his home to share his handiwork. See how he and his partner, Tony, have made-over their 100-year-old Dundee home by taking Habitat’s motto of “simple, decent and affordable” to heart. Begin your tour of their residence on page 22.

We additionally feature a Field Club artist’s rather ingenious solution to an uneven basement floor on page 26, and a Boys Town couple’s dramatic kitchen makeover on page 28.

Assistant editor Kim Carpenter also interviews Nebraska landscape artist Hal Holoun at his Bellevue home. Reclusive by nature, Hal speaks by creating luminous skies and rolling prairies. Kim’s enlightening interview with the intensely private artist begins on page 56.

Seaside-loving Heather Winkel transports us to iconic Cape Cod, beginning on page 60.

For those who savor culinary delights, chef Cedric Fichepain fondly recalls the rainbow of natural colors in his grandmother’s beautiful crudités platters in our Host feature (page 48), while chef Chad Lebo introduces us to speedy pan sauces on page 50. Retro fashion is having a supreme moment in designer collections for fall 2017; see our DIY spin on the trend in Threads, page 40.

May all of your projects show progress this spring!

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HOMESPIRATION 22 | ReStore King 26 | Faux Real 28 | Kitchen Redo

THREADS 40 | Right Here, Right Now

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HOST 48 | Creative Crudités

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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. Metro Omaha Builders Association

EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE FOR YOUR HOME We've filled this issue with novel ideas, ingenious solutions and savvy decorating tips. Browse our pages, then take your home improvement plans to the next level at the Metro Omaha Builders Association Omaha Home Show. Talk with experts. See the latest trends. Be inspired.

April 7-9, CenturyLink Center Omaha omahahomeshow.com

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TRENDING

THREADS: UNRAVELED

YOUR INSTAGRAM FAVORITES

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"Ice storm or not, "Play misty for me. Photo @ryryeberhart reports: by @buckchristensen" "from the looks of it, most of Omaha will be having toast in the morning."

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Our wardrobes are constantly in progress.

In this issue, we give a nod to retro themes as a way to upcycle and reuse. Think of it as our way of hitting pause on fast fashion – mixing high-quality new pieces with well-made statement threads of the past.

See these refreshing transitional looks starting on page 40.

"Nature's take on Chihuly.

Photo by Kurt A. Keeler. #icemageddon"

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55

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE "Love of Nebraska was on display at the St. Cecilia Cathedral Flower Festival. #TheSower "

"Editor @chrischristen and creative director @heidithorson on the same color wavelength."

@inspiredlivingomaha

@inspiredomaha

"Job perk: fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, courtesy of a homeowner as we photographed her 'neat and cheap' spaces."

@inspiredomaha

Design solutions for living with kids and pets.

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TRENDING VIEW MORE ONLINE Look for this icon to find bonus inspiration at inspiredlivingomaha.com

inspiredlivingomaha.com  9

CONTRIBUTORS

HEIDI THORSON

KIM CARPENTER

DEB M c CHESNEY

FUN FACT Heidi enjoys spring because it makes her stress-cleaning and procrastinate-cleaning look normal.

FUN FACT Kim was dazzled by the skyscapes Hal Holoun shared for this issue's profile.

FUN FACT Deb is obsessed with the vanilla she found on a vacation to Mexico.

She puts it in everything.

HEATHER WINKEL

MATT MILLER

MURPHY BENOIT

FUN FACT Heather is currently renovating a 1960 ranch-style home that she bought sight unseen!

FUN FACT Matt's hairstyle hasn't really changed since kindergarten (minus a few flat-tops and buzz cuts).

FUN FACT Murphy is finally beginning to remodel her bathroom – starting with linoleum for the floors and a pedestal for the sink.

EMILY MARTIN

CATHY VANHAUER

HOWARD K. MARCUS

FUN FACT Emily's spring plans include sprucing up her screened porch and working on her garden.

FUN FACT Cathy's goal this spring is to give the exterior of her home a facelift that’s long overdue! Stay tuned for updates on her progress.

FUN FACT Howard is working to revitalize a space that was hip in about 1962, and maybe not even then.

travel writer

advertising account executive

10 MARCH/APRIL 2017

assistant editor

photographer

advertising account executive

advertising account manager

photo imaging specialist

copy editor

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

creative director + designer

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 gardening trick is to add egg shells to boost soil nutrients. It didn't do much last year, but there's hope for this year.

CHAD LEBO

KALI RAHDER

FUN FACT Chad is looking forward to the warm spring, but sad about wearing fewer long-sleeved plaid shirts.

FUN FACT Kali's most recent project is opening a brand new salon called The Salty Blonde in her home town.

KURT A. KEELER

JEFFREY BEBEE

FUN FACT Kurt enjoys driving 30 miles away from the Metro area to find the first small town with a café or bar for good food, people and stories.

FUN FACT Jeffrey replaced his front entry door last fall. That was a great decision. Up next?

Replacing the front windows.

fashion photographers

food columnist

copy editor

fashion stylist

hair & makeup stylist

photographer

inspiredlivingomaha.com 11

BEFORE + AFTER

BEFORE

ENTRYWAY “Frank bent that steel and shaped that wood,” Nancy says of the staircase. The railings were purchased in sections, cut and welded by Frank.

Nancy painstakingly "aged" the metal with liquid solder and silver, brass and gold metallic paints.

BEFORE

AFTER 12 MARCH/APRIL 2017

‛Neat and cheap’ split-entry redo is a DIY masterpiece STORY CHRIS CHRISTEN PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY BEBEE

A Motel 6 in

(continued on page 15)

THE HOMEOWNERS Frank Metzler retired in 2007 after a 38-year career as the owner of American Auto Body. Nancy is a retired nurse. They have three children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

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the middle of a residential neighborhood?

Omahans Frank and Nancy Metzler get teased about building just that in Maenner Meadows.

What started out as a fairly conventional split-entry home 38 years ago now sprawls 90 feet across two lots on a quiet block near 90th Street and Western Avenue.

“We have more talent than sense,” Nancy says of the house that grew and grew.

The metamorphosis – including two major expansions from 1994 to 2004 – has been a passion for the nowretired couple, who initially knew little about construction and carpentry yet largely did the work themselves (in between raising three kids and running an auto-body repair business, not to mention Frank’s four heart attacks, two heart surgeries and seven bypasses).

Nancy shakes her head at the memory. “We look at the early pictures and ask ourselves, ‘How in the world did we get from there to here?’ Frank would come home at 5 or 6 p.m. and work on the house until 1 or 2 a.m., and do it all over again the next day – for years,” Nancy shares. “It’s our journey. It has been the glue to our marriage. I can’t tell you how many Sunday mornings we have sat at the kitchen table and talked about what we’re going to do next.”

Nancy and Frank chose the house together just before they were married.

“It was outdated,” she says. “One day, I pulled off a strip of flocked wallpaper, and that was the start of it.”

“I should have known,” Frank says. “One time she put a hole in a wall just to get me to move it.”

It’s a playful yin-and-yang approach. He has his ideas. She has hers.

“Each holds on until one of us gives in,” Nancy jokes.

Frank’s strong suits are construction and finance.

Hers, thrifty design (she takes DIY to the extreme), wallpapering, painting and maintenance.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 13

(continued from page 13)

From the beginning, they have had pet projects.

Nancy yearned for an impressive entry.“When you opened the front door, you had to back up to let someone in,” she recalls.

Frank wanted a master bedroom suite and a study where he could relax and recharge.

Together, they needed a place to entertain family, neighbors and car and garden club friends – sometimes all at once.

Today, they have all that and more.

The Metzlers mostly speak of their remodeling journey in terms of the East Wing and the West Wing, with the original house in between and their two-story entry with its “stairway to heaven” as the pinnacle of the fruits of their labors.

The staircase, perhaps more than any other area of the house, represents a victory in craftsmanship for Frank – who generally doesn’t work from plans.

“I’m the kind of guy who looks at something and knows what needs to be done and does it,” he says with a shrug.

“Frank is an analytical precisionist, engineer and fabricator,” his wife interjects.

Their mantra: If you don’t know how to do something, start small and study up.

“When you are passionate about your dreams, small successes give you the courage to tackle bigger and bigger projects,” Nancy says of the confidence gained with each home improvement. “Frank isn’t a carpenter by trade, yet he mastered stairs, crown molding, welding ... We love the challenge.”

Blueprints for the East and West Wings were drawn up by an architect neighbor based on the Metzlers’ ideas and sketches. Work on the East Wing started in the fall of 1994. By January, the couple had a cozy master bedroom suite and a handsome study (or “Rehab Room,” as Frank calls it). They also gained a family room and a guest bedroom with walkout patio.

Construction-savvy neighbors helped lay the foundation block and frame the addition; Frank went solo on the finishing work, serving as his own general contractor for the electrical, HVAC and plumbing.

The process repeated itself for the West Wing, completed in 2004. That plan called for relocating the double-car garage to open the way for a formal twostory entry with ash paneling in a custom cherry stain and a sweeping staircase to the main living area.

The Metzler residence is decorated with an eye toward “comfortable elegance,” but Nancy gleefully reveals: “I want it to look great, but I don’t want to spend a fortune. I find the most reward in being thrifty, repurposing and using less-than-perfect items in new or unusual ways. I’m all about neat and cheap.” (continued on page 19)

14 MARCH/APRIL 2017

KITCHEN FLOORING “I wanted tile, but Frank wasn't ready to tear out the wood floor. So I painted it to get the look,” Nancy says. Eventually, leftover tile from the entry will be installed in the kitchen.

BEFORE

KITCHEN ISLAND Frank’s prototype island was good enough to stay.

It’s plywood, tricked out with paint and stain to look as though it has a cherry wood top.

HEARTH ROOM Leftover travertine tile from the fireplace surround was stored for nine years then found its way into the kitchen backsplash in January.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 15

STUDY Bookcases from Habitat ReStore were an unbelievably perfect fit. Originally honey blonde oak, Frank scuffed and sprayed the wood with cherry-tinted varnish. The study has mirrored ceiling tiles, also obtained from ReStore.

BEST ADVICE The Metzlers entertain several times a year. Nancy’s advice to remodelers: “Don’t wait for the work to be done before you invite people over. If we had, we’d have had no life.”

16 MARCH/APRIL 2017

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MASTER BEDROOM “I fall in love with fabrics and keep them for years before I use them,” Nancy says. Ditto for wallpaper.

Grass cloth purchased when Tretiak’s closed its downtown store, for example, proved perfect for the Asian-inspired West Wing. For the master suite, she dove into the treasure trove again – for a timeless pattern purchased for 25 cents a roll.

18 MARCH/APRIL 2017

(continued from page 14)

Nancy buys discontinued textiles and “bump and scratch” furniture. “If something is dented, scratched or torn, I just turn it to its best side.” She’s a whiz at upholstering and makes her own draperies and window treatments. And she has DIY tricks worthy of her own HGTV series.

This spring, the Metzlers will finish the kitchen, where Frank is building cherry wood cabinets, and then turn their attention to the yard, which backs up to green space once occupied by a 9-hole, par 3 golf course that gave way to an elementary school and assisted living community.

“Our kids say, ‘All you do is remodel.’ Well, it could be worse. We could be sitting in a bar all day,” Nancy teases.

“Right or wrong. Sink or swim. We’re over-improved for the neighborhood. But we don’t care. We plan to outlive the giant silver maple in the backyard.”

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MASTER BATH A brass ashtray from the 1960s inspired the frosted-glass etching on the shower door. Nancy traced the Art Deco design on paper, enlarged the tracing, then transferred it to contact paper. She adhered the paper to the shower door, applied etching glass spray, then pulled off the contact paper to reveal the design.

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GREAT ROOM The dining room table seats 12 at chairs upholstered by Nancy. For the woven backs, she hand-cut pleather strips to get the high-end look she wanted. The oak buffet was purchased in Palo Alto, California, for its size. Nancy wasn’t crazy about its honey finish. “It took six years to convince Frank to let me enhance the bas-relief carving with a chocolate glaze. Now I love it.”

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HOMESPIRATION

Habitat for Humanity pro’s ‘basement projects’ get done in their own sweet time, and that’s just fine STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY BEBEE

When David Klitz gave

his partner, Tony Green, a Christmas present in 2014, he packaged it with extra care and even more creativity. Inside were paint swatches, fabric samples and decorating ideas galore.

It was a mood board in a box, a gift that wouldn’t be enjoyed immediately, but instead held the promise of a lightfilled living room that would showcase the couple’s eclectic love of art and travel.

Not that the house really needed major work. The fourbedroom, 2,200-square-foot Dundee home built in 1916 was move-in ready when the couple purchased it in the late 1990s.

But late 1990s it was, especially the kitchen.

“It had dark oak cabinets, a fruit backsplash and a whole lot of beige,” recalls David.

Fortunately, David knows a thing or two about home improvement. He’s a family service project specialist with Habitat for Humanity. Before taking that position in January, he helmed the organization’s ReStore for nine years.

The home improvement store carries new and gently-used furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances, with proceeds benefiting the construction of new and renovated Habitat homes.

Working there wasn’t without its occupational hazards.

“I’ve ‘rescued’ things a little here and there,” David admits. Over the years, many have made their way into what he wryly describes as “basement projects,” a treasure-trovein-waiting.

Though unwilling to allow a public peek at the home’s lowest level, he says some projects take a while to come to fruition. (continued on page 24)

22 MARCH/APRIL 2017

KITCHEN SHELVES The couple jettisoned their kitchen table and replaced it with shelving purchased from Hobby Lobby. Items on the shelves range from utilitarian to sentimental.

Canisters, a silver coffeepot, a brass kettle and a simple blue Mason jar are prized possessions. “My grandmother used it for canning,” says David. “She canned anything and everything. She made amazing pickles!”

Wall paint: Debonair, Sherwin-Williams

LIVING ROOM SHELVES Shelves next to the fireplace are filled with treasured objects from the homeowners' world travels, as well as gifts from friends and family – a Roman urn; a ceramic plate and hand-turned earthenware vases from Costa Rica; artifacts from Kenya and Tanzania. Artfully arranged shells and rocks gathered in Maine hold just as much importance as watercolors and Venetian glass acquired in Italy.

FIREPLACE

PAINT COLORS Wall: Lazy Gray, Sherwin-Williams Fireplace accent: Serious Gray, Sherwin-Williams

The burnished fireplace tools belonged to David’s grandmother, as did the log in the firewood holder. “It’s as dry as dry can be, but they always had it out. It’s probably been in that holder for about 60 years!” says David.

The maroon clay vessels were ReStore scores. Above, a piece of art David snagged from Hobby Lobby. “I saw it, and I just wanted it,” he says, unconcerned about the lack of artistic provenance.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 23

(continued from page 22)

“We had a sink and a faucet in the basement for three years before we installed them,” he says with a laugh.

How does Tony feel about the basement projects?

“He always enjoys them when they’re done,” David says.

Tony, though, was delighted with the living room project from the start. Over eight months, the couple transformed the dull space into a chic great room, focusing on “a chunk at a time,” ultimately creating an aesthetic that better showcases art and sentimental objects.

“We started with the paint color,” David says. The room’s “very beige walls” were transformed in Lazy Gray by SherwinWilliams for a cleaner, calmer contemporary look.

New, sleek furnishings came next.

“Our furniture was outdated,” David says.

24 MARCH/APRIL 2017

“It was 15 years old — big monster stuff.”

The makeover wasn’t without glitches. A corner of a brand-new area rug was promptly chewed by Nico, the couple’s mischievous lab-shepherd mix.

“The rug was inexpensive, and thank God!” David laughs. “I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? I’ve had it a few minutes! This is why I can’t have nice things. What are you going to do? It adds character.”

David and Tony have added character of their own, albeit the kind they’re far more inclined to show off to visitors.

When a supply line to the upstairs toilet tank caused severe water damage to the dining room ceiling in April 2014, the homeowners saw opportunity instead of disaster.

“We came home and heard dripping. We looked up and just watched pieces of plaster fall to the ground. It took a few months to figure out, but we decided to wallpaper the

ceiling. We put up drywall, taped the middle and started hanging. It was a big job.”

David is glad they didn’t dive into major remodeling early on.

“You have to be patient, take your time and do things just a step at a time. There’s a lot of stuff you can do yourself, it just requires planning and patience. It might not be perfect, but it looks nice — and it fits with the Habitat mission of creating housing that is simple, decent and affordable.”

All three apply to David and Tony’s home and are encapsulated in the living room Christmas gift.

“I wanted the room to be big, open and comfortable,” David says. “I really wanted it to be timeless, so that we could hang on to it for as long as possible. It may not be perfect, but it looks nice. I just wanted it to be us.”

POWDER ROOM The sink, another “basement project,” was on clearance at Lowe’s. David came across the cheeky bathroom sign at Found Vintage Market in Benson. The mosaic tile is from ReStore.

MAP David found the U.S. map, circa late 1950s, at a thrift store in Norfolk, Nebraska, for about $10. The 1980s ottoman was $5 at ReStore.

“It was a basement project,” David says. “I just put a bright, clean fabric on it. Have staple gun, will travel!”

DINING ROOM The Mission-style table and chairs, purchased from a friend, perfectly fit the style of the century-old home.

The rug, from Nebraska Furniture Mart, was the last item added to the dining room to complete the look.

Paint color: Cyberspace by Sherwin-Williams

inspiredlivingomaha.com 25

HOMESPIRATION

I

Artisanally painted wood floor solves a basement challenge STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY BEBEE

A drop ceiling,

dull paneling and a battered linoleum floor.

The basement in a couple’s 100-year-old Field Club home was anything but inviting. But if owners Dot Stovall and Craig Lee wanted to transform the dark, dingy, dated room into a light, airy space, they would need to get creative. Fortunately, they had some talent at their disposal.

Themselves.

Dot is a photo stylist with Oriental Trading Company, and Craig brings magic to the local stage as a scenic stylist for the Omaha Community Playhouse and Blue Barn Theatre.

The basement didn’t stand a chance.

For the most part, design decisions were easy to make. Ceiling tiles were removed to expose beams and ductwork, instantly making the room seem bigger. Tired wood paneling was scrapped in favor of clean, smooth drywall.

The problem – a very big one – lay underfoot. The floor bowed and bulged.

“We had one-foot-square linoleum slabs that were really wavy,” says Craig. “We priced a bunch of materials like hardwood and vinyl laminate – anything to make it look flat – but we would have had to lay subflooring, which would have cost more money, and we would have lost much of the height we gained taking out the ceiling.”

Dot had an idea. Craig was a master of painted set pieces. Why not apply the same skilled approach and paint the existing basement floor to camouflage its flaws?

“I do a lot of planks for scenic work,” Craig explains. “What were a few more?”

He got to work, first sanding the existing tiles smooth before coating them with an oil-based primer, followed by a wood-colored base coat.

26 MARCH/APRIL 2017

From there, Craig deployed everything he had in his artisanal arsenal.

He tinted latex paints in several shades of dark brown. After wetting the floor thoroughly with water, he dragged a paintbrush dipped in the desired color across the surface, carefully manipulating the bristles in chevron, driftwood and knot patterns to create an appearance of wood grain. He added splatters here and there for dimension.

Once finished, Craig topped his masterwork with several protective layers of polyurethane.

It was a meticulous, time-consuming process that involved about a week and a half for the painting and another several days for the top coats. Craig completed all

of it freehand.

“I’d come down into the basement, and he’d be standing there using two brushes in two hands,” Dot recalls.

She now uses the room as an office and loves the look of the floor. “It’s bleached and aged-looking and a little different from the rest of the house. It makes the basement so comfortable.”

The floor also requires very little care – just regular wipe-downs with a damp mop.

“It’s a really good solution for a problem like ours,” says Dot. How does Craig feel about his masterwork? “Everyone comes down here and remarks on the floor, but honestly, what I’m really proud of is the drywall!”

SOFA The sofa, from IKEA, converts into a bed for out-of-town guests. The rug is from Target; the drapes, T.J. Maxx. “A lot of what we have down here is indoor/outdoor stuff. If the room floods and something gets destroyed, it’s not expensive to replace,” says Dot.

HOMEOWNERS Dot and Craig with their 9-month-old yellow lab, Sunny June. “It’s her hangout room,” says Dot of the pup’s preferred place in the house.

BEFORE

AFTER

DURING

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HOMESPIRATION

Remodel adds light-filled spaces for comfy living STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY BEBEE

BEFORE

A kitchen peninsula.

That’s what Bill and Nisi Wax jokingly dubbed the long counter that divided their kitchen. Dark overhead cabinets made the kitchen seem even smaller. After finally committing to a major overhaul, the Boys Town couple decided in 2015 to bring an open-space concept to the 1970s ranch they’ve owned since 1991.

“The kitchen and dining room were so closed off,” says Bill. “We had had it!”

Out came the cabinets above the peninsula. In went sleek white shakers that immediately brightened the room. Formica countertops were scrapped in favor of polished ebony oxide laminate.

For the backsplash, the Waxes jettisoned tried, true and tired tile for distinctive, distressed red brick. “It’s different, and it’s

28 MARCH/APRIL 2017

timeless,” says Nisi.

While she initially thought she’d prefer a wide-open kitchen, she ultimately chose a kitchen island capped in riverstone quartz. It’s perfect for food prep, and guests inevitably mingle around it before dinner.

“It’s perfect for buffets,” Bill says.

Overhead, minimal industrial pendants cast just the right amount of light.

Vinyl plank flooring is elegant and eminently practical, chosen for its ability to handle moisture.

“You can actually put it in a bathroom or beach house,” says Bill. “We love the way the dark color works with the white cabinets,” Nisi adds.

The Waxes ditched the dining room entirely, turning the seldom-used space

into a cozy sitting room. A window added to an exterior wall fills the new space and kitchen with natural light. A wall separating the original dining room and living room was removed to increase the spaceenhancing effect.

“The dining room was always too small because of the wall,” says Bill.

The Waxes gave their massive dining room table to their daughter. She reciprocated with two comfy armchairs.

“We use the room now more than we ever used the dining room,” chuckles Bill.

“We enjoy the openness of it,” he says of the revamped floorplan. “We lived with confined spaces for far too long. It’s ideal for the way we live now.”

KITCHEN • FLOORING: Shaw Floorte Classico vinyl plank tile, Rosso 00710 • PAINT: Benjamin Moore, Lenox Tan H-C 44 • CABINETS: Koch, Savannah/Windsor finish • BRICK BACKSPLASH: Home Depot, Old Mill Brick, Boston Mill Brickweb Thin Brick Flats • ISLAND: Midwest Countertops, Riverstone Quartz, St. Croix • PERIMETER COUNTERTOP: Cabinet Factory Outlet, Plus Ebony Oxide, MatteFutura edge laminate with Karran black laminate undermounted sink

BEFORE

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DESIGN DONE RIGHT

Lester Katz of LK Design

Designer’s personal space is an insider's guide to using porcelain STORY CHRIS CHRISTEN PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY BEBEE

KITCHEN VIEW The homeowners currently are adding a 16-foot, fourseason room onto the back of the house to better enjoy their wooded lot. "We’re also talking about adding six feet to the kitchen, which would give us room for a 10foot island," Katz says. "Everybody thinks we’re crazy, but it would be a wonderful space for entertaining."

30 MARCH/APRIL 2017

continues to tweak what is his fifth personal wholehouse renovation. “It’s an expensive hobby,” admits the Omaha interior designer. “But I love the process of creating and living in beautiful spaces.”

He and husband Jack Becker, executive director of Joslyn Art Museum, bought their current midcentury home in the Oakdale neighborhood three years ago. Originally built by architect Gary L. Goldstein as his private residence, the house is undergoing remodeling for a live-work lifestyle that includes client consultations and small dinner parties for business and pleasure.

Large-scale porcelain tile factors prominently in the hard finishes, including about 800 square feet of flooring. The entry, dining room and kitchen feature 5-by-10-foot honed porcelain panels from StonePeak’s Plane collection. Called Calacatta, the style is white with greige marble-like veining in a pattern repeat that lends itself to strategic placement for artistic effect (which Katz does in a few open areas).

Among porcelain’s positives in his home: It’s easy to clean – just sweep and damp mop; no polishing required (or advised); it’s scratch-resistant (Tillie, the resident pooch, clicks 15 feet across the floor without a flinch from her owners); the look is timeless, especially in natural stone interpretations; and the grout width is minimal because the tiles have precision-cut edges that butt closely together.

The drawbacks: Installation of large-format tile is tricky, tedious and should be left to a pro. “Our floor installation took two weeks,” the designer recalls. “It required four people to lift and position a single tile, and only three or four tiles could be installed per day.” Before you even get that far, surfaces must be absolutely level to prevent cracking and breakage – both immediately and over time.

While you’ll pay about 30 percent more per square foot for porcelain over ceramic tile, it’s likely to be worth it in both the classic look and lifetime of the product, Katz has found.

Visits to his own home have turned see-ers into believers. “Clients who stop by are loving it and using it.”

KITCHEN DETAIL Glass, marble and unglazed porcelain mosaic tile combine in the kitchen backsplash.

inspiredlivingomaha.com  31

32  MARCH/APRIL 2017

March 18, 2017 Saturday 10AM-11AM April 22 , 2017 Saturday 10AM-11AM

ENTRYWAY Calacatta Vena from StonePeak’s Plane collection continues into the dining room and kitchen.

May 20, 2017 Saturday 10AM-11AM

HEARTH The fireplace surround in the living room (which doubles as a design showroom), features 6-by-24-inch unglazed porcelain planks from StonePeak’s Materia 3D collection. The color is Leather.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 33

DINING ROOM FLOOR When the 11-foot-wide dining room threatened to break the 5-by-10-foot grid, a 6-inch band of inlaid copper along the perimeter provided a solution. The pattern repeat in the porcelain is played to artistic advantage.

34  MARCH/APRIL 2017

inspiredlivingomaha.com  35

MASTER BATH Wood-rectified porcelain planks provide flooring while large-format honed porcelain dresses the zero-entry shower floor and vanity top. The vanity backsplash and shower walls and ceiling are polished porcelain from the same collection, Plane by StonePeak, sourced through Sunderland Brothers Co.

36  MARCH/APRIL 2017

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TRENDING IN PORCELAIN

AU COURANT

• Tile thicknesses of 6 mm to 20 mm • Near-zero grout width (1/8th inch) • 12’’ x 24‘’ as the new standard dimension • 18” x 36” tiles in tiny spaces like bathrooms • Woodgrains with chatter marks from nails and saw blades.

• Veining that mimics marble

Large-scale tiles are designers’ darlings STORY CHRIS CHRISTEN PHOTOGRAPHY HEIDI THORSON

Porcelain is the tile of the moment. Manufacturers are rolling out large-format panels, planks and squares that have architects, interior designers and landscapers abuzz and skilled installers solidly booked for months.

“Porcelain has unlimited design potential,” explains Mat Pruitt, a product specialist with Sunderland Brothers Co. in Omaha. Created with clay in a kiln-firing process much like ceramics, porcelain gets its tile-as-art quality from digital printing technology that replicates wood, leather, marble, metal – virtually any surface or texture.

It’s even possible to take a photo, email it to a manufacturer and have a custom tile digitally created for a large project.

Thanks to precision-cut edges, grout joints of 1/8th-inch practically disappear in wide areas.

But porcelain isn’t just about its good looks. Pros give it high marks for durability, maintenance and affordability (averaging $4-$5 per square foot, uninstalled). Tougher than stone, porcelain is resistant to scratches, dents, stains and moisture and hard-wearing enough to be used in exterior design, including nearly every area of any property.

“It’s now possible to carry an interior

floor into an outdoor living space,” Pruitt says. “Landscapers and pool companies are excited for the ability to up their design game.” This spring, Sunderland Brothers is introducing a thick (20mm) honed porcelain paver in 24-inch and 36-inch square formats designed for pool decks, patios and other outdoor living spaces, as well as sidewalks and driveways. “You don't need to set the pavers on concrete. They can be set directly on the ground or on a sand bed,” Pruitt says.

Additionally, the pavers are freeze-thaw stable and tolerate salt and pressure washing.

Pros, however, issue a disclaimer regarding porcelain’s lifespan: “It can outlive everyone – if it’s installed correctly.

Cracking and breakage are installation issues,” Pruitt says.

Surfaces must be completely level before a single tile is laid. The skill to level and place large tiles that can weigh 145 pounds typically is beyond that of the average do-it-yourselfer. Yet, the challenge can be finding an installer willing to do the job because of the breakage risks. Sunderland Brothers, according to Pruitt, works with four porcelain-certified installer contractors, and one reports that he is booked through 2017. “If you can wait, it’s worth it in the long run.”

FORMATS

Panels 12’’ x 24‘’ 16’’ x 30’’ 24’’ x 48’’ 18’’ x 36’’ Planks 6” x 24” 8” x 36” 8” x 48” Pavers 24’’x 24’’ 30’’x 30’’

FINISHES

• Polished • Honed • Textured

PORCELAIN PLUSES

• • • • • • • •

DESIGN USES

• Interior, exterior walls • Floors, walkways, patios • Outdoor rooms, pool decks • Fireplace surrounds • Zero-entry showers

TRENDING ELSEWHERE IN TILE

• • • • • 38 MARCH/APRIL 2017

Nonporous Freeze-thaw stable UV-resistant Heat-resistant Stain-resistant Scratch-resistant Wear-resistant Slip-resistant (honed)

Mosaics Natural stone Glass Metallics 3-D shapes

Porcelain tiles sourced at Sunderland Brothers Co., Omaha

inspiredlivingomaha.com  39

THREADS

In a season of transitions, contemporary looks pull from days gone by

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Lareida blouse Suncoo shift dress Rag + Bone slim trousers Pedro Garcia Yenta sandals CHRISTEL’S J.Luna bespoke acrylic earrings JESSICA LUNA Gold choker HUSH LA BOUTQUE Silver ring GRAMERCY

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HOST

RECIPES + STYLING CEDRIC FICHEPAIN STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY HEIDI THORSON

Composed crunch takes the vegetable platter to the next level – and then some

E

at your vegetables? As a child, Cedric Fichepain didn’t have to be told twice.

He grew up in France, where seasonal produce is cherished for its full flavor.

His paternal grandmother, Marie-Louise, had a knack for making fresh vegetables irresistible.

“She made the most gorgeous and delicious crudités platters,” he recalls.

Now head chef and owner of the French restaurant Le Voltaire in Omaha, he was only too happy to school us in the art of the perfect crudités platter.

The main rule: use only raw or lightly blanched vegetables.

Crudités get their name from “cru,” French for “raw,” so the fresher the vegetables, the better the crudités.

“It’s pretty simple. You can use anything in season,” says the chef.

“That’s when you get the best results. There’s so much beauty and color already. You just have to be creative.”

Think color, shape, size and balance when composing your versions, and use dips to bring out and enhance flavor.

48 MARCH/APRIL 2017

PROVENÇAL

Organic greens provide a bed for finely sliced mushrooms, red onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. Shredded carrots rest on endive spears.

DIP: A simple balsamic vinaigrette, made with a 3-to-1 ratio of olive oil to balsamic vinegar and red wine. An optional dash of Dijon mustard can provide more zing, if desired, and fresh herbs such as chopped oregano add further nuance.

“I really like dressing to be more acidic for crudités,” says Chef Cedric Fichepain.

“Salad and raw vegetables can be bland. Dressing can really spike them up.”

To create the perfect emulsion for your balsamic vinaigrette, blend all the dry ingredients together first, then add the wet ingredients, with the exception of the oil. For the last step, slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until blended.

TOMATO ROSETTE

A beautiful accompaniment to any crudités platter, this elegant garnish is easy to make – with practice.

Using a sharp knife, peel the tomato skin in a ½-inch to ¾-inch-wide ribbon. Peel the tomato in one, continuous strip, as you would an apple. Carefully roll the ribbon in a swirl motion to create the shape of a rose. Set atop fresh green herbs as flower “leaves.”

SPRING/SUMMER

Broccolini, blanched green beans, shredded carrots, cauliflower, hard-boiled eggs.

Add green or white asparagus during peak season.

DIP: Combine plain heavy Greek yogurt with red vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

MEDITERRANEAN

Sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, black olives and hard-boiled eggs sit atop individual Romaine lettuce leaves. “I really like including these leaves, because you can use them to dip,” the chef says.

DIP: Combine plain heavy Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, finely diced shallots, grape tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. To boost acidity, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

MARIE-LOUISE’S RADISHES

A favorite of Fichepain’s growing up, only the finest ingredients will do. Serve red or white radishes with European-style butter and coarse, crunchy sea salt.

A baguette is optional.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 49

THE HIDDEN PANTRY

Sauces straight from the cooking pan RECIPES + PHOTOGRAPHY CHAD LEBO

J

ulia Child said, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

To paraphrase America’s Queen of French cuisine, allow me to humbly add, “The only time to make a sauce is while you’re letting the steak rest.”

Ok, perhaps not the “only time,” but at least the most convenient and efficient time.

Sauces can be as simple as a beaten raw egg yolk and a pinch of salt (a personal favorite) or as complicated as an Oaxaca mole negro requiring more than 20 ingredients and an elderly abuela.

Somewhere in between are pan sauces, a.k.a. sauces made directly in the cooking pan in minutes. There are thousands of varieties, but all pan sauces share simple techniques, ones well worth understanding and practicing.

PAN SAUCE BASICS

MIX AND SWAP

LEARNING TOOLS

• Start with "fond," French for the delicious brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

• Add tasty liquid to "déglacer" (deglaze), French for bubbling and dissolving those brown bits.

• Simmer briefly to reduce the tasty liquid after adding "aromatiques" (aromatics), French for delicious herbs, vegetables and even fruits used for flavorings.

• Remove from heat and "monter" (mount) the sauce, slightly inappropriate French for adding cold butter to emulsify, thicken and glisten.

The countless variety of pan sauces comes from all the mixing, swapping and fun to be had with the deglazing liquids, aromatics and butters or other creams.

The recipes here show a wide variety of options that all use the same techniques to accompany everything from rare peppered beef to pan-seared pound cake. Use these recipes as learning tools. Focus on the techniques and not so much on the exact amounts. After a few times, you will be able to simply whip up your own in minutes. And while basking in the glory and simplicity of it all, feel free to gloat to your dinner guests that you have made a sauce before they have finished pouring the drinks.

50 MARCH/APRIL 2017

• Deglazing with wine is fine, but so is stock, broth, cider, bourbon, juice, beer or combinations thereof. Bourbon and beef stock makes a rather nice sauce for beef or venison.

• Aromatics can be onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, celery, etc. Fresh herbs are best but dried work, too. Spices can be minced or powdered or left whole then removed from the finished sauce. Fruits, both fresh and dried and preserved, make great aromatics for pork.

• Butter is the most common fat for finishing a sauce, but don’t be afraid of heavy cream, sour cream, crème fraîche, drained yogurts and even soft cheeses. Just add them to the pan off the heat. If they get too hot, they will curdle and “break” the sauce.

SIMPLE PAN SAUCE

Makes enough for a medium-sized steak.

Heat the “fondy” frying pan over mediumhigh heat and add ½ cup wine, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 small sprig rosemary and black pepper to taste. Reduce liquid by about half. Remove pan from heat, remove rosemary and whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter until melted. Add salt to taste.

SEARED BEEF ROAST WITH CUMBERLAND-STYLE CRANBERRY PAN SAUCE

Makes 6-8 servings

Cumberland sauce is classic for beef, lamb and game that stretches back to the Middle Ages. This version uses dried cranberries, but any dried fruit does the job. Port wine is traditional, but a good, strong red works, too.

1. Coat a 2-3 pound beef roast liberally with salt and black pepper.

2. Heat oven to 350 F. 3. Heat thick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 small yellow onion, finely sliced. Brown for 1-2 minutes.

4. Pat the beef roast dry with paper towel and sear each side in the skillet until browned. If onions start to burn, reduce heat.

5. Leave onions in skillet and transfer roast to baking sheet and cook in oven until meat reaches internal temperature of 130 F. Rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

6. Start sauce while roast is finishing in oven.

7. Deglaze skillet with the onions over medium-high heat using 1 cup port or red wine and 1 cup beef stock.

8. Add 3 tablespoons fruit jam of choice, ½ cup dried cranberries and ½ teaspoon black pepper and continue to simmer until reduced by about half.

9. Remove from heat and whisk in 4 tablespoons cold butter until melted. Add salt to taste and serve over thin slices of beef. Garnish with fresh chives and fresh ground black pepper. Good warm or room temperature.

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inspiredlivingomaha.com 51

ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CAPER & DIJON PAN SAUCE Makes 4 servings

This thin-but-rich sauce has a bright finish from the pickled capers and a fresh squeeze of lemon. Chicken thighs are best for this recipe, but other cuts or a whole bird are fine, too. Use the sauce as an accompaniment for fish, turkey, pheasant or even pork.

1. Heat oven to 300 F. Remove, but reserve skin from 4 bone-in chicken thighs. Salt the nowskinless thighs and removed skin.

2. Chop each skin into 4-5 pieces.

3. Heat thick skillet over mediumhigh heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add salted chicken skin. Fry until browned and crispy. Remove, drain and pat thighs dry with paper towels.

4. Remove half the rendered fat from skillet and fry thighs over medium-high heat. Flip every 30 seconds until browned.

5. Move thighs to a baking sheet and cook in oven until 160 F. internal. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

6. Start sauce while thighs are finishing in oven.

7. Deglaze skillet with 1 cup white wine of choice.

8. Add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons drained capers. Continue to simmer until reduced by about half.

9. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons cold butter until melted and 1 tablespoon cold sour cream. Taste for salt and spoon over the roasted chicken thighs. Serve with potatoes or rice and simple frozen peas (thawed, but uncooked). Top dish with chicken skin cracklings and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

(More, page 54)

52  MARCH/APRIL 2017

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CRISPY POUND CAKE WITH BOURBON & FIG SAUCE Makes 4 servings

Though pan sauces are normally savory affairs, that doesn’t mean the same techniques cannot be used for desserts. Feel free to swap the bourbon for whiskey, etc. Or add some vanilla or almond extract.

54 MARCH/APRIL 2017

Try serving over ice cream.

Experiment and enjoy.

1. Make or buy a good pound cake or other plain dense cake. Cut 4 slices 1-inch thick.

2. Heat thick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon bourbon, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter.

Heat until bubbling.

3. Add pound cake and “fry” until crispy on just one side. DO NOT FLIP. Remove from skillet.

4. Deglaze the skillet (in this order) with ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons white sugar and 2-3 minced dried figs. (Add cream first to keep the bourbon from catching fire.)

5. Simmer over mediumhigh heat until boiling and slightly reduced.

6. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons cold butter until melted.

7. Spoon over pound cake slices (crispy side up) just before serving. Garnish with lemon, minced fresh mint, a sprinkle of granulated sugar and ½ dried fig per serving.

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PROFILE

Behind the brush strokes of Nebraska landscape painter Hal Holoun STORY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY MATT MILLER

It was 4 o’clock on an unusually warm winter morning in 2008, and Hal Holoun couldn’t sleep.

"I looked outside, and I thought, ‘Something’s going to happen today.’ I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I thought, ‘As long as I’m up, I might as well go outside and watch the sunrise,’" he recalls.

Mother Nature didn’t disappoint. As the sun rose, a deep, long, red band of light

56 MARCH/APRIL 2017

began to form on the horizon.

"That was one of the most awesome experiences of my life. It was totally dark, completely quiet. I almost fell to my knees.

I was absolutely overwhelmed. I felt the entire universe with me and around me. At that moment I really felt like I was on the planet on the first day of creation."

Hal knows a lot about creation. The Nebraska artist, who works from a studio in his Bellevue home, has been capturing the

prairies, pastures and skies of the state for almost five decades.

Reclusive by admission, he’s a man of few words who, instead, speaks volumes with brush, canvas and palette.

Perhaps both his lack of loquacity and gift as an artist are moored to his rural upbringing in central Nebraska. Born in 1939, he grew up on a corn and wheat farm near Ord. The closest neighbors were more than two miles away.

"I spent a lot of my time alone. I loved the openness and the rolling hills," he recalls. "I was very much aware of the weather ... I loved the variety of skies, the still areas of pastures and prairies and irregular roads. I even loved the farm calendars."

Hal started drawing at an early age, "as most kids do," he says. Around age 9, he entered some paintings and drawings in the county fair. "They were rejected because they were so good. They said they were copies. That’s when I first thought I might have some talent."

During his teens, he tried his hand at "Draw Me!" – a popular magazine ad series that encouraged would-be artists to vie for scholarships for correspondence courses to the Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis. Hal won and learned the basics of ad layouts, illustrations and portraits.

When he graduated, "Dad made sure that I didn’t go into farming," Hal says.

He went to Hastings College in 1957 on a football scholarship. "I was cannon fodder," he chuckles. "I felt like I couldn’t continue, so I brought my portfolio into the art department. The professors were impressed and offered me a scholarship to study art instead. It saved my life."

From Hastings, Hal went on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He then headed to Denver to become a professional artist.

"I was flat on my rear with nothing but my portfolio," he recalls. There, he met his wife Mary, who was working in the insurance industry. It was 1967.

"He was a starving artist," Mary says.

"I was giving a dinner for all my single friends, and one of them asked if they could bring Hal. I saw him, and I thought, ‘Gosh, he’s cute. It’s too bad he’s too short!’ It turned out it didn’t matter."

The couple married in 1968 and moved to Nebraska, spurred, by what Hal jokes was "poverty" in Colorado. It was tough being a full-time artist, and after doing

some freelance work in Ord, he snagged jobs teaching at John J. Pershing College in Beatrice and John F. Kennedy College in Wahoo. In 1971, he received a job offer from the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, Nebraska. "Just by chance, I met the new director, and he talked about developing programs and asked if I’d like to come on board."

Hal stayed for a decade, overseeing educational programming and eventually becoming exhibits director. It was a guaranteed paycheck, but it wasn’t the profession Hal wanted. In 1981, he left to become a full-time artist. By that time, Mary was a registered nurse with the Veteran’s Administration hospital.

"I thought I’d give it a try. Mary was supportive. I said, ‘If I can’t do this in two years, I’ll go back to teaching.’ I had to do it . . . I didn’t want to wake up one morning at the age of 70, wondering what would have happened if I’d tried."

Over the next three and a half decades, Hal developed an oeuvre that focused on what he describes as the ″earth and sky relationship," compelled by the pull of the Nebraska landscape. "I knew I had to work outside. It was terrible trying to reduce a life-size universe down to a painting. Eventually, I got the idea, and I zeroed in on skies for the most part. They allowed me to play around."

He’s obsessive about his technique, focusing on everything from the discipline of his brush strokes to the best way to dislodge paint from his brushes’ ferrules – the metal parts that keep the bristles in place. He has spent years researching how the Old Masters brought light to life on their canvases, replicating their techniques and formulas to a meticulous degree. He studied Willa Cather for her insights into the primal nature of the prairies and practiced Zen Buddhism to clear his mind.

This intense focus is key to understanding Hal as an artist. And as a person. But Hal doesn’t really like to talk much about himself, shying away from gallery talks

and doggedly steering clear of self promotion. "I’m just not that interested," he says with a shrug.

Perhaps one of the best insights to Hal Holoun, then, is through his writings, recently made public thanks to his long-time student and friend, Linda Welsch. Linda met Hal in 1980 just as she began dating her husband, Roger (writer and former senior correspondent with CBS News Sunday Morning for which he contributed his long-running segment, "Postcards From Nebraska"). Roger owned a property on the Middle Loup River and brought Linda along for a visit. "We went through the gate, and there was Hal painting, and I was just so amazed. I ran over right away to watch him paint – and annoy him. He was gracious at the time," she recounts.

Linda was dabbling with becoming a painter herself, but needed direction.

She began asking Hal for advice, with a serious correspondence beginning in 1998.

Struck by the expertise in each letter and email, Linda saved them. "I started to realize how important they were because of all the technical information. I had never gotten anything like it anywhere else. I thought it was important to document his working methods and materials."

To that end, she gathered the correspondence into the book, "Hal Holoun on Oil Painting: Living an Artist’s Life," which she self-published late last year. While much of the volume focuses on technical details, it’s his reflections and confessions, observations and musings that shed light onto his life as a painter and bring alive his keen wit and deep veneration for nature.

He talks about how "damned interesting, and visually compelling" Nebraska is and that "to paint out here on the Plains requires quick work, comprehension."

And a sense of humor about the weather.

"I remember reading, in more than one book on outdoor painting, the idea of coming back to the same site at the same (continued on page 59)

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(continued from page 57)

time each day to keep the light consistent. Imagine ‘consistent’ weather in Nebraska? Also, forget your beach umbrella for shade. You’ll probably end up chasing it down a hillside in a sudden gust of wind."

Hal has an affinity for Russian olive trees, scrubby trees that are more of a nuisance than pleasure for most Nebraskans. In 2010, he wrote Linda:"Today, the Russian olives were in bloom here, and I cut four bouquets to spread around the house and in my studio. Gawd, I’ll never, ever forget that day at your place when I got totally zonked on Russian olive blossoms!"

In person, it takes a while to get Hal to talk expansively and reveal himself. He opens up during a tour of his studio. "Oils are so versatile. Nothing can touch them," he explains of his medium of choice.

"They take longer to dry, but there’s more time to manipulate the color and the brush strokes."

He’s generous with his tricks of the trade. In a demonstration, Hal deftly stirs powdered chalk into a plastic cup with yellow paint. "Watch what happens," he says, his eyes shining as he blends the two.

The paint balloons in volume, eventually swelling to double the size. It’s a money-saving strategy that doesn’t affect the integrity of the paint. "The color doesn’t change!" he says with satisfaction.

He heats paint, adding elements like powdered glass to strengthen it. "I probably go to the extreme.

I enjoy the chemistry of painting," he confesses.

"The tradition goes back centuries. Heating oil changes the molecular structure (of paint). It thickens it. It removes some of the elements and improves the oil. It makes a stronger paint film and lessens yellowing."

When discussing his work, the artist is more philosophical. "Energy comes from the color. It’s like music. Colors make certain chords," he says, explaining how he approaches creating one of his brilliantly illuminated skyscapes. "Color is emotion, and combinations of colors are like notes in a chord.

It’s a composition that you build by colors."

For Linda, those compositions in color are what make Hal a true master.

"You walk in front of a Hal Holoun painting, and you’re just transfixed. You see the artist in the work.

There’s magic there that you just don’t see with other artists. You really need to see his work in person.

You can just look at a painting and see that it is not ordinary. They have a presence. They exist. They’re alive. That only happens in the best paintings, and that’s why I think Hal is going to be remembered as one of Nebraska’s great painters."

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DESTINATION

Seafood, lighthouses, quaint villages, beautiful beaches with seagrasscovered dunes. Cape Cod captures the beachloving soul.

STORY + PHOTOGRAPHY HEATHER WINKEL

LAY OF THE LAND Cape Cod is that crescent-shaped peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts. On maps, it resembles a flexed human arm. And that’s exactly how you need to think of it to get the lay of the land. The southern third of the Cape is known as the Upper Cape, the Mid-Cape really is the middle of the peninsula, and the Lower Cape makes up the northern third.

ANY SEASON WILL DO The weather here tends to be mild (warm winters, cool summers) and delightfully perfect. Cape Cod is most popular during the summer months (from June through September), but frequent vacationers know to visit during the less-busy shoulder season (April, May, October and November), when the beaches clear out, but the weather is still nice. Locals close up shop during the off-season, so if you do come here during the winter months, plan accordingly.

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THERE SHE BLOWS! Provincetown (P-town to locals) sits at the tip of the peninsula on the Lower Cape. Whether you’re looking to browse art galleries or catch a whale-watching boat, P-town’s friendly, bohemian vibe has a little something for everyone. The Canteen has a superb lobster roll, and the crispy Brussels sprouts in fish sauce are a bit strange, but delicious. Head to Happy Camper next door for dessert – it’s a bakery, ice cream parlor and coffee shop in one.

Splurge on an ice-cream cone with Fruity Pebbles cereal on top.

THE BEST OF THE CAPE There’s so much to do on Cape Cod that it’s impossible to narrow it down to a checklist. With seemingly endless miles of beaches, countless seafood shacks and a myriad of shops, museums and trails, the best strategy is to go, get lost and explore.

Each of the 15 towns on Cape Cod is distinct. Hyannis is the largest and home to the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory. Take a free self-guided walking tour, then pick up a bag of the famous kettle chips and head for Eastham for a photo op.

The iconic red-and-white Nauset Lighthouse on the chip bag is located here.

The lighthouse guards Nauset Light Beach, providing a picturesque view.

During winter months, you can see the brick foundation of one of the historic Three Sisters lighthouses offshore.

Nearby Coast Guard Beach is a popular oceanside hangout for beachcombers and surfers alike.

Brewster is a charming old sea captain’s town on Cape Cod Bay. You can buy just about anything at Brewster Store, a converted 1866 church. Soak up the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History before hitting Breakwater Beach, known for its calm waters and sea creatures at low tide.

LIGHTHOUSES, SAND & FOG Set on Cape Cod’s elbow, Chatham is a classic seaside town. Main Street is dotted with small shops, including Chatham Candy Manor, a family-owned sweet shop. Just below Chatham Light, which is an active Coast Guard station, is Lighthouse Beach. With strong currents and great white shark signs posted, it’s a no-swimming beach, but is perfect for a long stroll (and almost more beautiful in the fog!). Located inside the Chatham Municipal Airport, Hangar B Eatery serves up breakfast and lunch. Get there early; the line for breakfast is out the door. The creative menu and housemade baked goods and jams make Hangar B a top pick.

ISLAND HOP Catch a ferry to the resort islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard from Woods Hole or Hyannis. Both islands are equally idyllic, but perhaps the most adorable site is maintained by the historic Martha’s Vineyard Campmeeting Association in Oak Bluffs. MVCMA is a community of 300 tiny cottages – many of which you can rent – built between 1859-1880. The streets here are too narrow for cars, and you can spend hours exploring the colorful homes.

Vineyard Vines was born on Martha’s Vineyard, and their signature print bow ties make fun souvenirs. Pop into the pink-and-navy-shingled cottage in Oak Bluffs or the first store in Edgartown. If you do head to Martha’s Vineyard, be aware that many establishments are cash-only.

inspiredlivingomaha.com 61

BIKE & HIKE One of the best ways to explore the Cape is by bike. If you’re looking for a meandering route with plenty of sights, cafés and ponds along the way, pedal along the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Built on an old railway bed, the 22-mile paved trail starts in Dennis and winds its way to Wellfleet. If you’re hardcore and looking to bike the dunes, The Province Lands Bike Trail is the place to be. The trail loops around the Province Lands, passing through sandy dunes and cranberry bogs. Beachgoers can take the trail to Race Point Beach, where dolphins and whales are often spotted offshore.

SEAFOOD, SEAFOOD BY THE SEASHORE No trip to the Cape is complete without an overflowing platter of fried seafood from a seafood shack. Try the fried lobster tail at Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar in Eastham or a clam strip basket and onion rings from Liam’s at Nauset Beach. Mac’s on the wooden pier in Wellfleet is the perfect place to grab a plate of steamers and linger at a picnic table by the water. And you simply can’t leave the Cape without devouring a cup of creamy New England clam chowder, a.k.a. “chowdah.” Sir Cricket’s in Orleans and Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company in Oak Bluffs make memorable cups.

Province Lands is also the place to spot a historic beach shack. Park in the lot at the intersection of Route 6 and Snail Road, and hike the unmarked Snail Road Trail up the dunes about a mile. You’ll see the artists’ shacks perched on the bluff.

This is not a hike for the faint of heart, but the views are worth it.

For a more relaxing dune experience, head to Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. The Beachcomber restaurant sits atop dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

With more than 300 fresh-water ponds on Cape Cod, there’s a place to cool off if saltwater isn’t your thing. But good luck finding one!

Great Pond right off The Cape Cod Rail Trail in Eastham is one of the few that’s easily accessible. Bikers cool off here.

And then there’s Cape Cod National Seashore. Extending 40 miles around the curve of the Cape, it’s a treasure trove of pristine sandy beaches, grass-covered dunes and nature trails. You can walk for miles and see no one. This is Cape Cod.

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ELEGANCE

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PHOTO: HEIDI THORSON

END NOTE

"May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility."

Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey, author and artist

64  MARCH/APRIL 2017

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