November/December 2016 Omaha Home

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

ALWAYS LOCAL, ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

Holiday, HoliDIY

FRAMING PERFECT

HOLIDAY MEMORIES

MARY BETH HARROLD

Papillion Flower Patch and the Christmas Caravan

EMILY ANDERSEN & GEOFF DEOLD

Balancing Life and Work at 1717 Vinton St.

GOLD STANDARD

The 2016 ASID Awards

from the Editor

Sandy Matson Contributing Editor, OmahaHome

E

very year as the holidays get closer, I start to think about traditions, and we all have them in some sense. Maybe it’s a certain dish or hot drink that we share.

One of my very favorite Christmas memories happens to be that bag of fresh fruit and peanuts we received as we left our little country church in Miller, Iowa, with music playing in the background. I can still hear the choir’s rendition of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

On Christmas, my mother always impressed me with tiny, fun gifts: a box of lifesavers, or these fuzzy little bootie socks. I looked forward to them each year so much that I decided I would give socks as small gifts to my children while they were growing up.

Even as adults, they know they are going to get some socks or slippers.

But over time these traditions change to reflect the changes in our own lives.

As much as we celebrate the holidays, the passing of another year also holds individual significance for everyone. For me it was getting to “road trip” with my father to Missouri.

It had been over 40 years since I had the pleasure of spending a short weekend with both of my parents, something I feel so many take for granted. For me, it will remain one of the most significant memories of family togetherness, even if it was for a short time.

MARY BETH HARROLD

Papillion Flower Patch Joins the Christmas Caravan of homes

From our Omaha Home to your home, we hope any gift—large or small—has a joyous and memorable impact.

Cheers!

EMILY ANDERSEN & GEOFF DEOLD Balancing Life and Work at 1717 Vinton St.

GOLD STANDARD

The 2016 ASID Awards

Sandy OmahaHome

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”—Helen Keller

November/December 2016

EDITORIAL

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Executive Editor DOUG MEIGS Associate Editor DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

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Contributing Editor SANDY MATSON

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Editorial Assistant MICHAEL NICHOLS Interns MADISON BESCH LUKE BULLER LINDSAY WILSON Events/PR ALESHA OLSON Contributing Writers JENNIFER LITTON • CLAIRE MARTIN PATRICK MCGEE • ALEX PRIEST ASHLEY WEGNER • JENN CARROLL WHITE, ASID

CREATIVE Creative Director BILL SITZMANN Art Director KRISTEN HOFFMAN

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

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Holiday, HoliDIY FRAMING PERFECT

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HOLIDAY MEMORIES

RNATE PICTURE FR AMES can be used for more than

framing photos or prints; however, that wasn’t my original intention when I found the perfect frame at a thrift store last year. It contained a hideous old photo, but I just loved the frame and decided it was going to “frame” my coffee table’s holiday décor.

Instructions:

Place items inside the picture frame or arrange as a vignette.

Consider different heights and textures for added interest, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. This DIY project doesn’t have to be just for the holidays. It can be adapted for any season.

Items used on the front of Omaha Home • Ornate picture frame

I went through most of my decorations looking for items to highlight until I was at the bottom of the Christmas box. I created two versions: one is pictured on this page, the other is pictured on the front of Omaha Home.

• Christmas greenery

Even without the picture frame, holiday ornaments can be used to create vignettes—small ornamental designs to fill a space—for tables and nooks around the house. Include any of your favorite decorations.

• Mercury glass décor candle holders, several styles and sizes.

These are my favorite; they work all year long.

OmahaHome

• Christmas bulbs • Glass candle holders (place décor of different heights in the center)

Items used on the current page:

• Christmas greenery (different types) • Christmas ornaments • String of white lights • Christmas bulbs

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Spaces story by Jennifer Litton photography by bill sitzmann / design by matt wieczorek

The dining room of the General Crook House would have been one of several entertaining rooms, which are now available to be rented for special functions.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

WHERE DIGNITARIES WAITED ENTERING THE

GENERAL CROOK HOUSE MUSEUM

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Spaces

O

U T OF THE Douglas County

Historical Society’s collection of 6 million artifacts and records, the biggest showcase is the General Crook House Museum. The Italianate-style brick home was built in 1878. Now located on Metropolitan Community College’s Fort Omaha campus, the museum is named for its first occupant, Gen. George Crook.

Just inside the museum’s front doors is the reception room, which displays fine objects like Battenberg lace, embossed leather tables, and dried flowers under glass. There are scenic oil paintings depicting simpler times and curious antiques, such as Bohemian ruby glass vases and candlesticks dripping with crystals. >

The reception room boasted all the latest musical technology of its day. / H104 /

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< "The reception room would have been a place that servants would have greeted guests," says Kathy Aultz, director of the Douglas County Historical Society.

“We really strive to make people feel like you’re welcome in this house. We’ve done all this work to restore it and preserve it for you to enjoy and see a piece of history of Douglas County.”

Aultz says the reception room is an intimate space where the general’s wife, Mary Crook, might have enjoyed tea or entertained friends. Today, the reception room holds weddings, baby showers, anniversary parties, and is also a popular spot for holiday photo sessions. In recent years, the greatgreat grandson of Charles Dickens, Gerald Dickens of Oxford, England, greeted fans in the reception room after performing adaptations of his ancestor's classics.

-Kathy Aultz

Artifacts fill the museum. Plaster carvings instead of wood carvings in some places (and labor from troops) allowed the general to reduce initial construction costs from an estimated $10,000 to $7,716.

A silver-plated tray that rests off the entrance hints at the popular Victorian ritual of using calling cards, where guests would leave their cards to see if the lady or the general were accepting visitors. >

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Out of the Douglas County Historical Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection of 6 million artifacts and records, the biggest showcase is the General Crook House Museum.

The reception room / H108 /

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< History indicates that the height of a woman’s card pile might be interpreted as a clue to her social standing. One can just imagine Mary Crook’s calling card pile overflowing, as dignitaries such as President Ulysses S. Grant and President Rutherford B. Hayes visited.

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Aultz says she loves to sit on the Rococcostyle velvet-upholstered loveseat and soak it all in. “The furniture is different than what I am used to. Look at the design. Look at the quality craftsmanship and how it was built.

Notice how small the furniture is and how low to the ground it is when you’re sitting on it. That’s because people were just so much smaller then.”

Some pieces in the room are original: the fireplace, the flooring, and the cherry woodwork with maple trim. The room’s focal points are the Regina music box that plays metal disks and the rosewood Steinway square concert grand piano that was brought up the Missouri River by steamboat.

Aultz welcomes volunteers who want to serve as greeters. “We really strive to make people feel like you’re welcome in this house. We’ve done all this work to restore it and preserve it for you to enjoy and see a piece of history of Douglas County.” OmahaHome Visit douglascohistory.org/visit.html for more information.

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Aultz spearheads the maintenance of the house. She recently ordered new carpet for the stairs from Europe. “We want it to be loomed the exact width that they would have used during the time, and we can’t get the correct width here.”

The Douglas County Historical Society also studied wallpaper authentic to that period from the John Sautter Farmhouse in Papillion. “We used that pattern to have new wallpaper reproduced that would have been paper not only authentic to the period, but also authentic to this area of the country,” she says.

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November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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At Home story by Alex Priest / photography by Bill Sitzmann / design by Rachel Joy

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Previously based in New York City, the husband-wife architectural duo has found inspiration in Omaha.

November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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At Home Cycling is part of the couple's eco-friendly lifestyle.

A courtyard affords plenty of room for plants and a grill.

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MILY A NDERSEN A ND Geoff DeOld’s two-

story storefront/residence on Vinton Street is an ongoing study in public and private space.

The husband and wife duo of DeOld Andersen Architecture began their courtship in Nebraska while studying architecture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. They completed their postgraduate degrees in 2001 and moved to New York City that same year—a week before September 11.

While living in New York, they each worked at architecture firms, and in 2010, they began developing their own architectural practice. Their theoretical interests focused on ideas of suburbia, big box stores as civic centers, and the concept of “Walmart as a city.” New York City, while full of inspiration, was not an ideal location to study these topics. >

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Emily Andersen and Geoff DeOld live above their office.

November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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At Home Their bookshelf offers a glimpse at the couple's shared theoretical passions.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

< “New York is a highly constructed place, a place where every block has been theorized and studied,” says DeOld. In 2012, Andersen and DeOld began working with Emerging Terrain and its founder, Anne Trumble, on projects in Omaha. Seeing the progressive and critical dialogues fostered by Emerging Terrain made the idea of leaving New York an easier decision. For them, rogue conversations about urban relations could take place in Omaha. Additionally, Omaha provided a lower cost of living, making it possible to own a domestic space with a private outdoor area complete with a dog.

Willa the dog acts as the architectural firm's doorbell (when she's not sleeping).

Their nearly complete live-work space mixes ephemerality with distinct design features, a continuing investigation into their notions of hybrid domestic-work tranquility.

After deciding to relocate to Omaha in 2012, Andersen and DeOld began sharing a rented office space with Emerging Terrain on Vinton Street. One day, Trumble took her design fellows on a research trip, and the couple was able to be alone in the space in its totality. They thought, “This could be a great apartment!”

As it happened, their intuition became reality.

The architects now fully occupy both floors of the storefront, their live-work architecture studio and private apartment with an exterior courtyard at 1717 Vinton St. Willa, their spunky dog, acts as a doorbell, announcing visitors and clients. She is usually perched at the large bay windows on Vinton Street, sitting in the crisp northwest light.

This same light blankets a curated selection of furniture and cascades upward to the original tin ceiling tiles. Andersen acknowledges, “The best thing (about the storefront) is the light.”

A stairway divides their home and work lives.

Immediately inside the voluminous white studio, large flat tables are stacked with the latest architecture periodicals and design paraphernalia. A well-stocked bookcase of architecture monographs separates this front entry space from the open office behind.

Each workstation, for the couple and their intern architects, is decorated with an iMac, a tornado of tracing paper, physical architectural models, and their subsequent renderings and construction documents. The fervor of design-in-the-making is palpable. At the rear, more windows fill the functional office with warm southern light and views into an in-process patioscape.

There is an aspect of sustainability that they enjoy living above their office—the morning and evening commute is literally a flight of stairs. A cerulean stairwell ascends into their private apartment above the storefront’s 12-foot ceiling. The hike establishes mental and spatial distance between work and home.

“Once we go upstairs for the evening, we usually do not go back down,” says DeOld. Upon entering the 1,200-square-foot apartment, a sense of the couple’s studied aesthetic is at the forefront. Remnants of their lives punctuate the space. There’s a silver metallic curtain in an ultra-simplistic kitchen and an almost haphazard collection of modernist furniture. Space-defining arches give the apartment “a weird personality we would have never added,” says Andersen.

Populating the airy apartment is a long blonde wood table adjacent to a glossy white fireplace, which splits the kitchen from the living room.

A set of graphic prints pulls the eye into the living room, where a complementary mustard-colored chair and merlot-colored sofa face a wraparound bookshelf. It is also from the living room that the angular nature of Vinton Street is most apparent. Two windows bounce northwestern light onto the wooden floors. As with the studio below, Andersen explains, “Watching the light daily and yearly is one of the joys of the apartment.”

Renovations have been ongoing throughout the entire structure, with Andersen and DeOld first focusing on the envelope of the building, then the workspace below, and now concentrating on the apartment and exterior courtyard.

At first, much of the apartment did not work.

But after rapid construction and precise wall removal, the once-segmented apartment has been opened into one clean volume for public entertaining areas and compact private spaces.

“We can’t live in a typical house,” say Andersen and DeOld. Their nearly complete live-work space mixes ephemerality with distinct design features, a continuing investigation into their notions of hybrid domesticwork tranquility. OmahaHome Visit d-aarch.com for more information.

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Feature

FOR 15 YEARS, THE OWNER OF PAPILLION FLOWER PATCH HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE CHRISTMAS CARAVAN OF HOMES FUNDRAISER FOR THE ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF OMAHA. story by Claire Martin photography by bill sitzmann design by Rachel Joy

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

A winter woodland theme permeates throughout the interior dĂŠcor.

feature

“My decorations are very simple and not overly done,” Harrold explains. “I’m not a bright-color decorator, so the style is more subdued. I just like the closeness and the warmth of looking out at wintertime, and feeling cozy, and getting the thought of, ‘I love my house.’”

-Mary Beth Harrold

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Pinecones offer an easy seasonal accent that lasts all winter.

F

OR M ARY BETH Harrold, “decking the halls” means

“I had a love for beautiful home décor,” Harrold says of her conception for the business. “I had to learn with experience, and buy books, and get support. After that, I competed in contests and learned more to become a designer that traveled the United States.”

Harrold started her company, Papillion Flower Patch, 40 years ago with a dream and minimal experience. She currently manages the store with the help of her daughter, Stephanie Crandall.

The most wonderful time of the year also happens to be Harrold’s busiest decorating season. >

something a tad more extravagant than outfitting a fir tree with antique Santa-themed artifacts. A long-time Papillion resident, Harrold has spent the last four decades doing what she loves: decorating homes.

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Feature

< For the past 15 years, Harrold’s holiday home decorating style has been featured on the Christmas Caravan Tour of Homes, a fundraiser on the first Thursday of November (Nov. 3 this year) to benefit the Assistance League of Omaha. Preparation for the grand tour, Harrold explains, involves spending a full week prepping houses with fellow decorators and florists.

“It’s a lot of work because we have to build a shop in the basement from scratch,” Harrold says of the week-long frenzy. “Then we sell (products) from there.”

The Christmas Caravan gives attendees the opportunity to browse high-end homes decorated by local florists and interior designers, as well as purchase products from the vendors. >

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Like pinecones, snowmen offer a traditional touch of holiday decorating that can be displayed throughout the winter.

November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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Feature

< Each house includes a boutique where attendees can purchase featured decorations. Twenty percent of revenue is donated to the Assistance League, with proceeds directly benefiting programs such as Operation School Bell (which has provided clothing to more than 58,000 Omaha children in need).

“We put up our decorations the first week of November and they last long after Christmas,” she says. “So, I decorate in more warm, earthy, wintery tones so it lasts through the season.”

Harrold prefers to design homes with winter in mind, as opposed to the Christmas holiday, so decorations can be used all season long.

“We put up our decorations the first week of November and they last long after Christmas,” she says. “So, I decorate in more warm, earthy, wintery tones so it lasts through the season.”

Harrold’s home on the Christmas Caravan tour demonstrates her philosophy of seasonal décor. Natural elements like pinecones, birch branches, holly berries, and sprigs of pine provide an ambiance of warm wintery tones despite the chill. Glowing candles halo Harrold’s stone figurine nativity set; the color palette of browns, earthy greens, and pale blues set each scene. The main piece on the dining room table features white branches, small cardinals, and a dusting of faux snow. >

Pinecones provide a subtle thematic unity from the living area to the bathroom. / H122 /

OmahaHome November/December 2016

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

@OmahaMagazine

Feature

“Family is always the best part.

I love the warmth and joy, and the feeling of happiness and love, that come with the holidy time.”

< A collection of birch branches wrapped with clear lights, small logs, and large pinecones preface the main staircase—a greeting to anyone wandering in through the front door. Every room of the house, including the master bathroom, contains a subtle touch of Harrold’s woodsy holiday flair. And yes, there is the occasional, familiar snowman.

“Cozy” is the word that would best describe the atmosphere of Harrold’s Christmas Caravan home, but it seems oddly over-simplistic for the attention to detail and artistic eye that clearly drove the decorating process.

The consistency of design carries through even the most minimal of elements— towel racks, windows, bedroom shelves.

Harrold has decorated what she estimates to be hundreds of homes over the years, tailored specifically to her customers’ aesthetic tastes and desires.

“For the Christmas season, the glitz and glamor is gone,” she says of time’s passing decoration trends. “Now, (people prefer) the more natural, simple home look.”

The most rewarding part of the job, she says, is her relationship with customers. Harrold spends weeks leading up to the holiday season consulting with clients who often return each year for her decorating services.

“It’s fun to try to please a lot of different types of people and try out a bunch of different tastes,” Harrold says.

After all the good tidings and decking of halls, perhaps Harrold can enjoy a well-deserved day off on Christmas Day with her family.

Afterwards, the preparations for next season will begin.

“Family is always the best part,” Harrold says with a smile. “I love the warmth and joy, and the feeling of happiness and love, that come with the holiday time.” OmahaHome Visit alomaha.org for more information about the Christmas Caravan Tour of Homes.

What about decorating her own home?

“My decorations are very simple and not overly done,” Harrold explains. “I’m not a bright-color decorator, so the style is more subdued. I just like the closeness and the warmth of looking out at wintertime, and feeling cozy, and getting the thought of, ‘I love my house.’”

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Neighborhoods

PONCA HILLS

A REFUGE FOR COMMUNITY AND WILDLIFE story by Ashley Wegner photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Rachel Joy

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

The entryway to a property in Ponca Hills off of Ponca Road evokes the essence of the neighborhood.

November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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Neighborhoods

The Ponca Hills Fire Department (which hosts an annual barbecue) is situated along Ponca Road.

I

T’S A RUR A L neighborhood with a

small-town feel, full of rolling hills, large trees, wildlife, and huge plots of land.

This same area is just minutes from downtown Omaha, which gives residents a short drive to performances, restaurants, and everything else the city has to offer. Residents of the old neighborhood would call Ponca Hills the best of all possible worlds for its convenience.

“It’s just beautiful,” says Sara McClure, who moved to the area from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her husband, Dave, 11 years ago. “The drive home, no matter what time of year, is spectacular. And the wildlife and the proximity to the rest of Omaha is amazing.”

Parameters of Ponca Hills are flexible depending on whom you talk to. McClure says the neighborhood extends west to 72nd Street, east to the Missouri River, north to Fort Calhoun, and south to Interstate 680; however, the heart of the Ponca Hills seems to be east of Highway 75 to the river, and just north of the Douglas County line.

The history of how the area got its name is equally ambiguous. The name “Ponca Hills” sounds like it was named after something, says Clare Duda, a Douglas County

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Commissioner and third-generation Ponca Hills resident. But that’s not the case, he says.

“Somebody just picked the name. I don’t know who, when, or why, but it wasn’t because the Ponca Indians were here,” Duda says. “It would be more correct to call it the Otoe Hills because the Otoe Indians were here as well as the Omaha Indians.”

While the area’s historical connection to the Ponca tribe is uncertain, the hills remain packed with history from local families. Duda says at least some Ponca Hills residents are descendants of the area’s original homesteaders. The Dudas have kept farms or land in the area for several generations. Other families have no specific tie to the land other than they could not imagine living anywhere else.

Ages and demographics of the Ponca Hills’ approximately 1,000 residents are all over the map. Duda, who has served as an active member of the area’s volunteer fire department for the past 40 years, says he still sees a great number of young families, many who move to the area to be closer to older generations. Meanwhile, a fair number of residents are older or retired folks who have lived in Ponca Hills their entire lives—and have no intention of moving.

Why is Ponca Hills such a draw? Why do families not only decide to move there, but end up staying for the rest of their lives? And what motivates their children to follow in their footsteps, deciding to build their lives in the same area as their parents and grandparents?

The main attractions are the sense of community among residents, the beauty of the land, and the wildlife.

Neighbors get together for several community gatherings throughout the year, including the Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department’s annual barbecue, which draws approximately 2,000 people, including residents and their friends.

“It does raise money for the fire department, but really in my mind, the better reason for having it is that it is a community celebration,” Duda says. “The whole community is together.”

Other events throughout the year include the Ponca Hills Preservation Association’s annual chili feed, a steak cookout at Ponca Hills Farm stables, and smaller events like dinners and potlucks.

“My wife and I travel a lot on the motorcycle,” Duda says.

“We can go across the country and will see more wildlife on the three miles near our home than we will on our entire trip.”

“My wife and I travel a lot on the motorcycle,” Duda says. “We can go across the country and will see more wildlife on the three miles near our home than we will on our entire trip.”

While events bring everyone together, what really keeps people in Ponca Hills is the relationships developed through shared commitment to helping one another. When a neighbor is sick, you bring him a meal. When a neighbor gets stuck in the snow, you help pull him out. It’s just what you do.

“We’re a very caring community,” Duda says.

“The people are the best asset we’ve got, but

the natural environment we’ve been blessed with is right up there, too.”

Deer, foxes, raccoons, possums, skunks, groundhogs, and coyotes, along with turkeys, geese, and many other birds inhabit the area. This is in addition to other animals that neighbors keep on their land, including dogs, cats, chickens, horses, and goats.

For an animal and nature lover like McClure, living in the midst of it all, while still being able to drive to her job in downtown Omaha in less than 20 minutes, is a dream come true.

The extra land is more work. And the older homes mean more to repair and more to update, McClure says. “But the benefit of being so close to Omaha, yet so far from the city, is really worth it.” OmahaHome Visit poncahills.org for more information.

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Harvest story by Patrick McGee / photography by Doug Meigs / design by Rachel Joy

HUNTING FALL OYSTER MUSHROOMS

F

ALL IS THE season when local woodland wanderers

stock cellars with oyster mushrooms. These fungi are no secret to Nebraska mushroom hunters. The white-to-tan fan-shaped, or oyster-shell shaped, mushrooms sprout from the sides of trees and logs. Given the right conditions, they will even pop through snowmelt. A single find is often bountiful; a good haul of oyster mushrooms can exceed 20 pounds. They can be dried, pickled, or canned. They pair well with nearly every dish. Oyster mushrooms make an extra-special stuffing for your Thanksgiving guests.

Chris Wright is a mycologist with special interest in oyster mushrooms. Wright has a Ph.D. in plant, soil, and microbial sciences and is the executive director of Midwest American Mycological Information. He researches how oyster mushrooms break down biopollutants.

Wright also regularly finds and eats wild oyster mushrooms.

He points out three species of these mushrooms in the Midwest region: Pleurotus ostreatus (the predominant species), Pleurotus populinus (characterized by a white to pink fan), and Pleurotus pulmonarius (the so-called lung-shaped oyster). They are not difficult to identify. Wright says decurrent gills (those running down the stalk) are a distinguishing characteristic of oyster mushrooms. The fungi also have a white to lilac spore print on paper. Wright says it is difficult to mistake something poisonous for oyster mushrooms; however, there is one poisonous look-alike that mushroom hunters should be aware of—Pleurocyubella porrigens.

When asked where to find oyster mushrooms, Wright says, “Look in the woods or on your supermarket shelf.” He also says oyster mushrooms are saprotrophic—they recycle nutrients locked up in woody matter, i.e., “They are a wood rot fungus.”

Oyster mushrooms can be found on ash, aspen, cottonwood, and poplar trees. They will push through the bark of trees after a cold rain. They can sometimes be found in public parks and in neighborhoods, especially on freshly cut trees. Sustainable harvesting requires removal of only the fruiting body and allowing some mushrooms to remain for reproduction.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Patrick McGee approaches a mushroom-laden tree.

Wild or domestic, they’ve become a popular commodity.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, from 2015 to 2016, the nation’s oyster mushroom production measured roughly 3,749 tons. In 2016, the total value of oyster mushroom sales surpassed $36 million. Whether you buy them or find them, Wright says they all smell “mushroomy.”

“It is a mild smell. Not a strong odor,” he says. “They will pick up the flavor of what’s cooking—garlic, etc.”

He says they have a relatively soft texture and are a nice complement to stir fry or steak. Wright thinks that wild oyster mushrooms differ from commercial mushrooms.

Wild oyster mushrooms grow in a great variety of hues, like a fall bouquet. They smell like rainfall—a trait that cannot be substituted. They are biochemically unique and may play a role in cleaning our planet. Native to the Great Plains, they are delicious and easy to find during this time of year. OmahaHome Visit midwestmycology.org/Mushrooms/Species%20listed/ Pleurotus%20species.html for more information.

Disclaimer: Some varieties of wild mushrooms are poisonous, even deadly. If you choose to harvest or eat wild mushrooms, do so at your own risk.

Wild oyster mushrooms grow in a great variety of hues, like a fall bouquet.

They smell like rainfallâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a trait that cannot be substituted.

Scan this page with the LayAR app to watch the harvest.

Close up: a local oyster mushroom, aka Pleurotus ostreatus November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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Asid Awards

GOLD STANDARD

T

2016 ASID WINNERS

HE NEBR ASK A /IOWA CH A PTER of the American

Society of Interior Designers' mission is to communicate the impact of interior design to enhance the human experience as it relates to designed spaces. With that in mind, every year ASID hosts an event called “impactFULL” where ASID interior design members are given the opportunity to submit their best projects of the year.

A panel of judges carefully assesses each project and considers how effectively the interior designer accomplished the goals in categories such as aesthetics, functionality, space planning, and sustainability.

Interior designers are awarded gold, silver, or bronze designations in both residential and commercial categories.

— Courtney Otte, communications director of the Nebraska-Iowa chapter of ASID

Visit asid-neia.org to learn more.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

impactFULL Winner Stacie Muhle, Allied ASID Artistico Thomas Grady Photography

Bespoken finishes infuse rustic charm into the modern basement, forming the perfect union of domestic utility and alluring elegance. A presentation of sentimental objects stands in harmonious contrast with time-worn salvaged materials and the interplay of light and shadow.

November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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Asid Awards Gwen Ahrens, ASID Interior Design Firm Photography by Gwen Ahrens

A remodeled open main floor is now connected to the backyard through the kitchen and a convertible sun room.

Adequate circulation space and custom finishes allow daily functions and entertaining to be performed with ease. Most importantly, a master bedroom addition gives the homeowners the ability to age in place.

Jerome Bergmeier, Allied ASID Interiors Joan & Associates Photography by Tom Kessler Photograhy

Inspired by their travels to the Palm Springs area, a love of the artist Shag, and a desire to simply have a house that would make the homeowner happy when she walked inside, this major renovation achieved a clean, fresh, midcentury modern look and emulated the feeling that a Shag painting evokesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a Palm Springs ambience.

Jenny Colson, Allied ASID Interiors Joan & Associates Photography by Tom Kessler Photograhy

A collection of warm tones was selected for the upholstery fabrics and carpet, while the wall color and accent colors trend toward cool and contemporary. A mixture of putty, stone, charcoal, thundercloud, seal gray, slate, and citron perfectly answers the challenge.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Marian Holden, ASID Designer’s Touch Photography by Amoura Productions

This design reflects the homeowner’s clean, classic, taste with a contemporary twist. Soft, gray neutral tones were used to contrast with the dark, rich wood floors. Deeper color was strategically placed to accentuate architecture. Bright white cabinets and trim create a crisp contrast, and natural stone finishes add texture.

Lisa McCoid, ASID Alexis Trout, Allied ASID D3 Interiors Photography by Amoura Productions

This design brings in bursts of color through the furniture, artwork, accessories, and the use of textured wall coverings.

The bright red sofas and lime green accents provide a major focal point. Contrasting darker gray trim and doors added a clean, crisp look; using taupe and gray for the main walls brings in warmth.

Shawn Falcone, Allied ASID Michele Hybner, Allied ASID Falcone Hybner Design Photography by Amoura Productions

This new construction home features edgy curb appeal.

Some of the design features include rustic wood ceiling beams, original cable railing design, rift oak cabinetry, large scale concrete gray porcelain floor tile, and open shelving on a reclaimed Old Chicago style brick wall.

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Asid Awards Julie Odermatt, ASID Alexis Trout, Allied ASID Rachel Costello, Allied ASID D3 Interiors Photography by Tom Kessler Photograhy

The Street of Dreams design needed to appeal to a wide audience. The design features a mix of light and dark tones.

Highlights include a large island with a waterfall edge, a linear fireplace surrounded by oversized tile, and a linear floor drain in the master shower. Great design gave continuity to the space.

Kristine Patton, ASID Interiors Joan & Associates Photography by Tom Kessler Photograhy

The project mandated attention to detail, requiring a renovation that would incorporate modern amenities while still involving every architectural and design detail from yesteryear. A thoughtful use of appropriate hardware, leaded glass, and glazing keeps the historic look alive and allows the addition to blend seamlessly with the rest of the home.

Beth Settles, Allied ASID Interiors Joan & Associates Photography courtesy of Virgin Islands Property and Yacht Magazine

The goal was to create a Balinese-styled high end vacation home. The design incorporates colors and fabrics that evoke a resort feel. An oceanic color palette, access to the pool and the ocean, and seamless outdoor eating and lounging areas create a tropical paradise.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Alexis Trout, Allied ASID D3 Interiors Photography by Amoura Productions

This kitchen design achieves a modern clean look without becoming stark and cold. The white perimeter cabinets brighten the space while the dark gray island becomes the focal point in the center of the room.

A glass tile backsplash, colorful art, accessories, and textures were added to keep the space fun and vibrant.

Colby Washburn, ASID Interiors Joan & Associates Photography by Tom Kessler Photograhy

The design of this new construction home incorporated a multitude of stain and paint finishes, as well as combinations of textures, patterns, and colors to create an environment that would appear acquired and approachable. Intricate detailing in every space was incorporated to achieve a high-end custom home style.

Omaha Magazine also wishes to congratulate the following ASID Winners: Silver: Stacie Muhle, Allied ASID Artistico Lisa McCoid, ASID Julie Odermatt, ASID Rachel Costello, Allied ASID Alexis Trout, Allied ASID D3 Interiors Marilyn S. Hansen, FASID The Designers

Marian Holden, ASID Designer’s Touch, Inc. Shawn Falcone, Allied ASID Michele Hybner, Allied ASID Falcone Hybner Design, Inc. Sallie Elliott, Allied ASID Inspired Interiors Deb Munro, ASID Pam Stanek, ASID Liz Lempka, Allied ASID The Interior Design Firm

Joan Sorensen Ronan, ASID Jerome Bergmeier, Allied ASID Diane Gernstein, Allied ASID Kristine Patton, Allied ASID Interiors Joan and Associates Bronze: Marian Holden, ASID Designer’s Touch, Inc.

OmahaHome

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Transformations story by Jenn Carroll White, ASID photography by Paul Piskorski, Amoura productions design by Rachel Joy

COLONIAL EXPANSION IN LOVELAND

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

MEET THE DESIGNER

Jenn Carroll White, ASID JCW Interiors Transformations is a regular feature of Omaha Home that spotlights a recent project by a local ASID interior designer. Text and photos are provided by the designer.

November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ omahamagazine.com

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A clawfoot tub completes the bathroom.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

Transformations

The multifunctional family room was previously known as "the big empty room."

O

N THE EDGE of the Loveland neighborhood stood

a modest colonial house. When it was built in 1940, the home had a mere 1,320 square feet. When the Ahlers family bought the home in 2009, they made big plans to overhaul the colonial beauty.

The Ahlers underwent a 2,600-square-foot addition to make space for their growing family. They enlisted my help with the renovations.

In the Ahlers' home, it was important to keep the charm of the original colonial style while subtly incorporating modern amenities. I began the four-year renovation process with one goal in mind: “Make the spaces usable, livable, comfortable, and beautiful to the unique needs of the family using this home.” Striving to keep the home’s original design in line with the new addition resulted in some uniquely shaped spaces that were unlike modern counterparts of contemporary construction. My expertise in space planning and construction would bring sense and structure to furnishing otherwise awkward spaces. As a result, I custom-designed many of the furniture pieces exclusively for these rooms.

One of these challenging spaces was affectionately nicknamed the “big empty room.” In the beginning, there was literally

nothing in the space other than two dog beds and a child’s trike with plenty of room to ride. Our goal for the space was to create an area where the family could read books together, watch a movie, work from home, or gather with friends and family. I got to work designing the multi-functional space—beginning with wall-to-wall bookshelves nodding to the colonial feel of a traditional home library. The bookshelves were painted dark gray to keep the look updated. Natural grass cloth wallpaper softens the walls, bringing texture and warmth, while bold patterns mix with a contemporary color palette of navy and tangerine to keep the room fresh and modern. The custom draperies diffuse the bright afternoon light, and the wool carpet tiles (perfect for pets) bring cohesiveness to the room.

The various furniture groupings allow for many different activities to take place in this versatile space, and now their young son enjoys reading in the room and saves the trike riding for outdoors.

In the master bedroom, the look is traditional with a fresh color palette. Neutral linen fabrics with a soft damask pattern adorn the bed, while custom draperies in a bright grass-green color, along with black-and-white accents, liven the neutral color palette. I created a small seating area for watching morning cartoons and designed a custom kennel table for the unique use of the space for the family. Finally, what traditional master >

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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Transformations

There is a cohesiveness in this house that is anchored by the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deep-rooted East Coast ties, flair for subtle modernity, and interest in creating family tradition.

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

From left: the nursery and kitchen after renovations, and the room Omaha formerly known as “the big Magazine March/April empty room” before renovation 2016 Issue

Color 1/2 Page Vertical 5'' x 7.458'' Deadline 1.25.2016 Contact - Alicia Smith Hollins

DesigneD | groWn | installeD | unmatCheD

< bedroom would be complete without an en suite bathroom boasting a custom claw-footed bathtub, crystal chandelier, classic black-andwhite plaid wallpaper, and puddling green linen drapes?

The kitchen plays center field with honed marble countertops, custom white cabinetry, and an intimate fireplace. A challenge in the kitchen was where to share meals. The narrow footprint was another area where I customized the space for the needs of the family. The light in the morning is truly fantastic in this room.

To capture that light and inspire family meals, I designed a narrow dining table stained in a deep black hue, which could take a beating and accommodate the dinette area. The result is a family-style area with room for eight.

There is a cohesiveness in this house that is anchored by the family’s deep-rooted East Coast ties, flair for subtle modernity, and interest in creating family tradition. This house reflects those qualities for this family, and I couldn’t be happier to help create this way of living for them. OmahaHome Visit asid-neia.org for more information.

192 & West Center | lanohanurser ies.com

November/December 2016 • omahamagazine.com

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OmahaHome November/December 2016

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Purchase your tickets now at

bestofomaha.com/tickets LAST YEAR A RECORD-BREAKING CROWD OF 4,000 people attended Omaha Magazine’s second annual Best of Omaha Festival. This year we are as excited as ever to break those attendance records again and make this the best festival yet. We are also making some new improvements and changes that we know you’ll love.

This year’s event will be held at Baxter Arena from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13. We are very excited to announce that we will be teaming up with the Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska for this year’s festival, and 100 percent of the paid door cash revenue will go directly to them.

Don’t forget to come early because the first 1,000 attendees in line will receive a swag bag full of goodies valued at over $100 each. As soon as you walk through the door, you will be handed a Best of Omaha results issue to check out all of the winners. After that, make your way through Baxter Arena, stopping by each booth to sample some food, enjoy the entertainment, and even win prizes.

You see the iconic Best of Omaha logo all over town, but there’s nothing common about being a Best of Omaha winner. Did you know that only 3 percent of area businesses earn the distinction of being voted Best of Omaha?

And how do they win that honor? Why, through you!

The Best of Omaha is your contest, and, just as in years past, almost 30,000 of you cast a tremendous total of over 600,000 individual votes for everything from pizza to plumbing.

The festival takes place on a Sunday, so there’s no excuse to watch Husker football; instead you can come out and experience all that Omaha has to offer and also support your local Girl Scouts.

The Best of Omaha booths will be occupied by contest winners, which guarantees you’ll have a chance to connect with the city’s elite when it comes to delivering award-worthy products, services, value, and customer satisfaction.

Swag Bag • Over 30 Prize Giveaways ($50 value each) Food & Drink Samples • Support Local Girl Scouts

SUNDAY, NOV. 13 • 1 P.M. TO 5 P.M. • BAXTER ARENA • TICKETS $10 For more details, visit omahamagazine.com/festival

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