Home and Garden - Fall 2012

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FALL 2012

Woodworkers abound Local crafts people go with the grain Fall color is here Dan Petrich’s quirky abode The big makeover

Published as a supplement of the Whidbey News-Times & South Whidbey Record

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Home

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Wood works

Island craftspeople go with the grain.

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{ capturing

6 8

FALL BLOOM

Gardens are a year-round passion.

QUIRKY ABODE

Dean Petrich carves out a unique niche.

whidbey ’ s island style }

10 12

BIG MAKEOVER Interior designers transform homes.

15

TOWN, PAINTED

Coupeville businesses show their colors

KITCHEN KABOODLE

This space transcends the centuries.

contents

H&Gstaff Publisher Kasia Pierzga

Advertising Manager Lee Ann Mozes

Editor Jessie Stensland

Marketing Sales Gail Rognan, Kimberlly Winjum & Angela Wood

Design & Layout Michelle Wolfensparger Copy & Photos Justin Burnett, Tresa Erikson, Betty Freeman, Rebecca Olson & Kathy Reed

Production Manager Michelle Wolfensparger Advertising Design Rebecca Collins, Ginny Tomasko & Leslie Vance

Additional copies of this publication, subscriptions and advertising information can be obtained by contacting: WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES | 360-675-6611 SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD | 877-316-7276 GENERAL CONTRACTOR PO Box 1200, 107 S. Main Street, Suite E101 Living and serving Coupeville, WA 98239 locally for 30 years • New Construction • Remodeling • Additions

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Already trees are beginning to offer up golden foliage. It’s best to plant trees during the cooler months in late fall, while they are still dormant, especially if planting bare root trees and shrubs. Coral Bark Maple photo taken in Freeland by Rebecca Collins.

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Wood works, p.4

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Custom craftspersons abound

Wood works

By BETTY FREEMAN | Whidbey News GROUP

To find a local woodworker for a custom project or unique piece of furniture, go to the Woodworkers Guild website – whidbeywoodworkers.com – to view representative work and learn about each artist’s specialties.

G

ary Leake began playing with wood when he was 4 years old. He remembers being in his grandfather’s shop, learning about caring for and restoring wood furniture.

“My grandfather told me to listen to the wood,” he said. “He told me to let the wood be what it is, and not change it too much.”

Leake’s grandfather and greatgrandfather were in the business of restoring and selling antiques in Portland, Ore., so he learned at an early age to appreciate beautiful wood.

Leake and his wife Sandy both had busy careers in Seattle when they decided to quit their jobs and move to acreage outside Coupeville in 2000 to open their own woodworking studio and restoration shop.

“We’re happy with the change.

Now I can build what I want to build.

I plan to work in my shop until the day

Christy and Bruce Schwager pose in front of their entry door, which they made from a piece of madrone they found on their property. Photo courtesy of Schwager Collection I die,” Leake said.

Their business is one-third antiques restoration, one-third art gallery sales, and one-third custom furniture.

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grandfather about antiques, Leake is self-taught in the woodworking trade.

He does a lot of his finish work by hand, using some of his grandfather’s tools.

Sandy Leake is an expert at furniture stripping, sanding and finishing and does the scheduling and basic bookkeeping for their home business.

“I like working with Gary,” said Sandy. “We each have things we like to do and we complement each other.”

Together they take buying trips to track down unusual wood sources.

Gary is always interested in finding wood that has led other lives prior to coming into his possession.

“Wood lives and breathes, and is still alive after it has been cut down. I like to think I’m honoring a long, true life by making it into something new,” Leake said.

He often repurposes or reclaims

wood that has been used for something else. He utilizes storm debris and wood that has been hoarded by other collectors.

“I got some really hard wood from a gunstock maker’s estate once,” he said.

Holding a beautiful walnut board, Leake points to a hole where a branch once emerged, with the tree’s rings undulating around it.

“Once I would have seen this as a flaw, but now I incorporate it into the design,” he said. “Lately I’ve been experimenting with adding stained glass ‘windows’ beneath a hole, so a finished table looks like it has a tiny lake in it.”

F

or his art gallery furniture, Leake favors clean lines and hand-cut mortise and tenon joinery. He also loves Japanese joinery techniques. Leake will often leave a live bark edge on a particularly beautiful piece of wood.

Leake’s wood furniture is shown on the island at Brackenwood Gallery in Langley and Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville.

He is active in the Whidbey Woodworkers Guild, and is generous with praise for fellow woodworkers and their specialties.

“I’ve found my woodworking niche, and I’m focused on that,” said Leake.

“We’re all keeping the old skills alive.”

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Another woodworking couple, Bruce and Christy Schwager, has worked together since they met in the University of Washington architecture school in the early 1970s.

“We had a lot in common,” said Christy, “including the fact that we both decided we didn’t want to be architects. Instead we decided that what we liked to do was to make things with wood.”

The Schwagers bought acreage on East Harbor Road in 1977, and built their home and shop there in 1981. Their home incorporates cedar and Douglas fir from their property, and most of their furniture was handmade by the couple.

“I don’t think we’ve ever bought a piece of wood furniture,” said Bruce.

Over the years, the Schwagers have learned to respect each other’s particular gifts, and to work together on projects amicably.

“We always collaborate on our designs because we see things differently,” said Christy. “The end result is always better for having two different perspectives.”

“We’re both perfectionists,” said Bruce. “But we can each sacrifice our egos for the sake of doing better work.”

The Schwagers have made a name for themselves among local architects and designers for their carved entry doors and architectural woodwork.

Many custom homes on the island have Schwagermade doors that reflect the owner’s values – echoing the beach scene outside, incorporating Northwest Coast tribal motifs, or glorifying the beauty of trees and nature.

“We work closely with homeowners to choose

Details of an entry door (at left) designed and carved by Christy and Bruce Schwager reflect the owner’s love of the seaside where they live. Photo courtesy of Schwager Collection “Blue Beginnings” (above), a cherry wood table by Gary Leake, features a bird’s nest glass insert. Photo courtesy Leake Collection

See WOOD, page 11

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Autumn brings out the best in nature

Fall bloom

By KATHY REED | Whidbey News GROUP

S

ummer’s over, spring seems a long way off and gardening season is over. Stop right there! Nothing could be further from the truth.

“That is a huge misconception in the Pacific Northwest,” said Maureen Murphy, owner of Bayview Farm and Garden in Langley. “There’s a whole group of winter-flowering plants that will bloom from October through February.

“There are lots of options regarding foliage color, texture, berry displays and there are all kinds of other plants to give gardens strong winter interest.”

“Winter pansies are a great choice and they come in lots of different colors,” agreed Catrina Glasl, manager of Sally’s Garden in Coupeville. “Violas are also lovely through the winter and there are a lot of winter-blooming heathers. Those are just starting to bud up now and will just get better and better as fall progresses.”

Chrysanthemums are

a colorful choice for fall containers and gardens.

The blooms will typically last through the first heavy frost.

Kathy Reed photos

One of the first things gardeners should do in the fall is to prepare for the spring. That includes putting down a good mulch. Both Murphy and Glasl recommend an organic compost rather than bark.

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“Organic compost will release its particulates and nutrients very slowly, more in the warm weather than the cold, so it regulates itself,” said Glasl.

“If you add a chemical fertilizer now, it’s going to give a big boost right away, when you don’t necessarily want that new growth on plants that can be damaged by frost.”

Fall is also a good time to plant bulbs for spring flowers like crocuses, daffodils, tulips and hyacinth. Murphy recommends dropping a few smallervariety bulbs into your fall and winter containers, too.

“It’s a great thing to do,” she said.

“It extends the season on your containers and you get this really gorgeous surprise in the spring when you’ve forgotten you planted them.”

According to Murphy, another good thing to do in the fall is to weed your flower beds and get them neat and tidy for the winter. And don’t forget the lime.

“Our soils are very acidic because

it rains a lot,” said Murphy. “Having a bag of lime around is a good thing.

It sweetens the soil and raises the pH. Most ornamentals like it. Healthy plants are all about the soil.”

This is also the best time of year to plant most trees and shrubs, said Murphy.

“The soil is still warm so it won’t shock the roots, rain is on the way, which will allow the plants to spend the winter rooting in so they’re ready to blast off in the spring,” she said.

Murphy suggests spending a little time planning where to put winter-interest plants. Because of weather, we typically don’t tend to spend as much time out of doors, so placing plants in the far corner of the yard doesn’t make much sense.

“I always recommend planting in close proximity to winter traffic patterns, in other words, from the car to the house,” she laughed. “But think about the view from the windows where you spend the most time indoors.”

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And don’t forget about veggies!

“There are a lot of good winter vegetables, like lettuces, spinach and kale,” said Glasl. “They grow best in cold weather and have the best flavor in cold weather.

“You can also do brussell sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages of course and parsley is a good one in cold weather,” she continued. “So there are a lot of good salad-making things for winter.”

For containers, Glasl suggests combining flowering plants and vegetables. Lettuces or kale in the center of a flower pot with violas or pansies surrounding them make for a nice presentation, she said.

In general, Glasl said there are several miniature evergreens that do well in containers and viburnum will do well in large containers or in hedges.

Clusters of small flowers are just beginning to bud and will bloom all the way through Valentine’s Day. A winter-blooming species of camellia can be very appealing.

“The sasanqua variety is much more graceful, blooms for a longer period of time and are more adaptable than the more familiar camellia,” she said.

The true aristocrat of the winterbloomers, though, is witch hazel, said Murphy.

“It’s a small tree or large shrub that blooms in January or February,” she said. “It creates the basic structure of a winter garden.”

The best thing to do if you’re interested in a winter garden is to visit your local nursery. Learn what’s available and whether it’s suited to your specific needs.

After all, nothing can brighten a winter day more than the sweet fragrance of Sarcococca ruscifolia, or sweet box.

“The vanilla plant, it’s sometimes called,” said Murphy. “It’s really easy to grow and a winter-blooming plant that has a wonderful scent. To smell that beautiful fragrance makes me happy during what can be a dreary time of year.”

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(Clockwise from top left) “Yuletide” is just one variety of Camellia sasanqua that does very well here, blooming most of the winter. Several different colors are available.

Photo courtesy of CamelliaWeb and The Southeastern Camellia Society Asters, similar to chrysanthemums, are a nice addition to a fall garden. Blooms should last until the first hard frost.

Colorful pansies are just one of several flowers that do well over the fall and winter, adding a splash of color to what can be a dreary landscape.

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Kathy Reed photos

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Dean Petrich’s design for living

Quirky abode Dean Petrich emerges from the exit of his “secret” tunnel (at left).

The kitchen island in Petrich’s house is on wheels (top inset) so he can reconfigure the space as needed. Petrich painted the forest mural in the background.

At the entrance to Petrich’s five-acre retreat is his piano repair shop and clown prop storage. Twenty-two pianos wait for repair inside, while 125 other pianos are stored in tents and a Quonset hut at the rear of the property.

By BETTY FREEMAN | Whidbey News GROUP

D

ean Petrich’s house, set into the woods near Goss Lake, is as quirky and playful as its owner/builder. Petrich is a man of many talents and interests and his unique house and property reflects them all.

“I built everything you see here,” said Petrich.

Peer into the windows of the conicalroofed workshop at the entrance to his five acres and you’ll see the sign for Petrich’s Piano Shop, just one of his vocations. Inside are 22 pianos ready for repair and tuning.

Also stored in the workshop are some tools of his other trade – six unicycles, performance backdrops, juggling toys, magic paraphernalia, inflatables, parachutes, stilts, tug ropes and a hula hoop.

Petrich has enjoyed a long career as Deano the Clown, entertaining children at Northwest events and parties

Betty Freeman photos since 1973. Outside his shop, there’s a tree house, sandbox, jungle gym, swing, zip line and secret tunnel. Two ponds connected with slippery slides add to the atmosphere of fun and frolic.

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You can almost hear the squeals of delight echoing in the trees.

“I love the woods, and the outdoors,” said Petrich. “I just couldn’t live in a small space.”

Petrich bought the land outside Freeland in 1977, and built his home from recycled and repurposed materials.

“I got the poles that support the house from a clearcut on Keller Road,” he said. “They were too small for lumber so they’d been left to rot, but they were perfect for my house.”

The house’s greenhouse entry opens to a lightfilled living room that overlooks the trees and ponds, made cozy with a central wood stove and built-in seating. One alcove off the living room holds a baby grand piano, a few propped-up guitars and conga drums. In another nook, a chess game is set up on an inlaid chessboard table Petrich’s dad built when he was 16.

“The window walls overlooking the pond open completely to the outside,” said Petrich.

When asked if birds ever fly in, he said, “of course.”

“I built this place to blend in with the environment,” said Petrich.

His eco-friendly home is full of inventive ideas and solutions. It has three composting toilets, and a built-in kitchen waste system. Petrich scavenged floor and wall tiles at the recycling center or from dumpsters.

A forest scene mural painted by Petrich brings the outdoors in to the large kitchen space. The kitchen island is on wheels so he can reconfigure the space as needed. Petrich traded the “floating island” countertop work for repairing a friend’s piano.

A gleaming industrial-size stove in the kitchen’s center is big enough to cook for a crowd.

“I can make 12 pancakes at a time on that grill,” he said.

Every year, Petrich throws a big party for his birthday on Sept.

15.

“It’s a potluck, so we always have plenty of food, music, dancing, hottubbing, saunas, sliding in the ponds and playing on the toys,” Petrich said.

“People come for the day or for the weekend. Some bring RVs or tents.

The house has 35 sleeping places, and there’s also a camper and a tipi in the field out back.”

Some of the home’s bedrooms are tucked into odd-shaped nooks. His son’s tiny childhood bedroom has a cozy elevated bunk with a bird’s eye view of the trees outside. When his

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son got older, he He envienjoyed a bigger sions buildspace that still ing small feels like it,” nescabins near tled in the trees. the clearing A tower bedfor guests or room is reached organic farmby climbing a ing interns creaky ladder. who could “I made it live there in creaky on purreturn for pose when I had working on teenagers here,” the land.

Dean Petrich’s House is a multi-level Petrich laughed.

In the combination of recycled and repurposed “I wanted it to future, he feel like you were materials built to blend into its forest hopes to going somewhere environment. The blue window walls open plant a vegespecial.” completely to the outside. In the foreground table garden The tower, sep- is one of two pools connected by a slide. in a big open arated from the field and give rest of the house veggies to the and very quiet, feels like a meditation food bank. space among the towering firs.

Adjacent to the future vegetable The master bedroom is combined patch are six tents and a Quonset hut with office space and a lounging that hold more pianos, awaiting repair area. Poles retrieved from windstorm or new owners. debris became the stair rail leading to “Each tent has 12 pianos each,” he the master suite. said. “And the metal building had 53 Back downstairs, Petrich also has pianos at last count.” a workout room that doubles as a liThat’s 125 pianos, not counting the brary and a triangular mirrored closet- 22 in the repair shop. turned-dressing room for his clown “I’ll give them away rather than see costumes, small props and make-up. them get ruined by being in the damp Petrich says his house is finished, but outside air,” he said. “Just give me a he still has outdoor projects in mind. call.“ A wooded trail leads to a fire circle, Reach Dean Petrich at 360-730a trampoline and a tipi clearing.

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Interior designers transform homes

Big makeover before

By JUSTIN BURNETT | Whidbey News GROUP

W

hether it’s a major redesign or just a one-day makeover, a little advice can go a long way.

And although Lisbeth Cort only just opened Whidbey Island Style this past April, the Coupeville resident wouldn’t be a bad place to start.

She’s already worked on about 10 different interior decorating jobs.

“I’ve had projects on Whidbey, Camano and Seattle, so I can’t complain,” Cort said.

“It’s been better than expected.”

Cort has worked all over the country in fields of historic preservation, consultation and grant writing.

Since moving to Washington more than a dozen years ago, she’s worked for organizations such as the Whidbey Camano Land Mary Anderson laughs with Lisbeth Trust, SeattleCort, owner of Whidbey Island Style, based Grantas they go over design concepts for makers in the Anderson’s home renovations.

Arts, and most Justin Burnett photo recently, her own consulting firm for non-profit groups.

Thinking about future retirement plans, Cort decided a few years ago it was time for a change and decided to fall back on a long-lost love, design. Her master’s degree in historic preservation was earned from Ball State University’s College of Architecture in Indiana.

“I feel like I’m really getting back to my roots,” Cort said.

They must not have been buried too deep because, along with landing a lot of work, she appears to be doing a great job. Mary Anderson, an Oak Harbor resident and current customer, had plenty of nice things to say about Cort.

“I didn’t trust myself,” said Anderson, of her plans to redesign her home overlooking Polnell Point. “I

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after knew I needed some help and every step she has just been great.”

“When she brought things (paint colors and art), I thought I love that and I love that,” Anderson said.

Interior design can sometimes be challenging because the job entails putting aside your own tastes and intuiting the wants and imaginings of clients, Cort said. Her job is to bring their unrealized wants to life.

Whenever possible, Cort said she tries to do that with island or regional vendors. For example, Anderson’s “new” living room will includes weaved fish created by a South Whidbey artisan and a coffee table from Port Townsend woodworkers.

“I think that’s really important,” said Cort, who subscribes heavily to the “buy local” concept. “It

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also brings personality and meaning to a home.”

Anderson, the wife of Best Friend’s Veterinary Center veterinarian Eric Anderson in Oak Harbor, She has her own business designing stationery and wedding invitations. So far, she said she’s been very happy with Cort and her choice and can’t wait to see the finished result.

“I’m just super happy and excited,” Anderson said.

Coming from someone who also makes their living in a similar field, Cort said it was a particularly nice compliment.

Cort is a certified interior decorator and will take on jobs both large and small, from major renovations to one-day redesigns. For more information about her business and her portfolio of work, visit www.whidbeyislandstyle.com.

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WOOD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 woods and designs that will lend themselves to carving,” said Christy, who does most of the hand carving.

Madrone, alder, cherry and walnut are easier to carve than maple or Douglas fir, said Christy.

Bruce takes care of the engineering, as well as selecting, matching, sawing and finishing wood, and working with other artists to design metal hardware.

He and ironworker Jeff Holtby have collaborated on a number of projects.

One unusual project involved designing and installing a woven ceiling made with Douglas fir that did not reveal the hardware suspending it.

“Those clients didn’t want any boring ceilings in their home,” Bruce said.

M

Gary Leake (at left) plans to put a piece of blue stained glass behind the hole in this piece of walnut he’s going to make into a table. Betty Freeman photo Gary and Sandy Leake (above) pose with one of Gary’s tables currently on display at Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville.

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steam madrone properly.”

Wood continues to expand and contract after it’s been sawn and crafted into a new shape, so proper steaming and aging are important to fine woodworkers.

Most clients want furniture or doors made with native Northwest trees.

One particularly beautiful pair of tables Bruce made combines wood from spalted holly and Whidbey Islandgrown black walnut.

“I think there’s more value when the wood has a story or a history in the place,” said Bruce.

“We’re making lifetime products that are meant to last several generations.”

B

ost of the Schwagers’ work is commissioned directly from clients, and the only gallery event they participate in is the annual Woodpalooza show.

At the 2012 Woodpalooza show, the Schwagers displayed a huge book-matched madrone table and several of Christy’s carved “shell” bowls.

“I’ve always loved beachcombing and I’ve collected shells since I was little,” said Christy.

“Then I realized that the grain in wood is similar to the patterns in shells, and decided to try to make shell bowls and vessels.”

Her stunning oyster shell carved from quilted maple looks like the real thing. She’s also carved mussels, an abalone and a bubble shell she said was so hard to carve it will probably be the only one of its kind.

Like Gary and Sandy Leake, Bruce and Christy are always on the lookout for unusual wood, whether it’s storm debris or an old tree that needs a new life.

They often purchase stock from Edensaw woods in Port Townsend, and get madrone from a supplier in Klamath Falls, Ore., because, Bruce said, “He’s the only person I know on the West coast who knows how to

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An island remodel spans the centuries

Kitchen kaboodle

By REBECCA OLS0N | Whidbey News GROUP

T

he first step into Gay Santos’ Coupeville home is a big one, taking visitors back in time to an 1859 log home, chinking visible between the whitewashed logs inside and Penn Cove sparkling outside the wavy glass windows.

By using the materials of the 1800s to restore the former sea captain’s home, everything about the house is authentic. The home was featured on the American Association of University Women’s recent Dream Kitchen Tour.

Aside from the breathtaking restoration of the home, Santos’ home is unique because it features two kitchens: the 2012 kitchen and the 1859 kitchen.

The 1859 kitchen is the original kitchen of the home: a rock fireplace built by Chief Snakelum. An antique rotisserie hangs in front of the fire, often with an herb-stuffed chicken rotating before the flames. Santos winds the rotisserie with a key and it swivels the chicken, cooking it in about an hour, Santos said.

The 2012 kitchen is a dream itself, adhering to history but decked out with state-of-the art appliances. Not a splinter of plywood can be found in the home. Since kitchens didn’t have upper cupboards in the 1800s, a long shelf runs along the wall, holding blue and white Transferware, decorated dishes made circa 1800.

Santos’ collection of rolling pins -- including a patterned one for making pasta -- reside on honed soapstone countertops above the French stove. A French-inspired pot rack sorts pots by size in an elongated triangular rack. A farm sink and candlelight chandelier complete the scene.

At first glance, a refrigerator and freezer don’t appear present in the kitchen. But that’s Santos’ favorite part of the kitchen. The refrigerator and freezer are located in four under-counter, wood-fronted drawers, retaining the integrity of the period.

“I love to cook. I designed it to be functional as well as decorative,” said Santos, who owns 90 cookbooks and is a huge fan of Julia Child. She volunteers to cook fancy salmon dinners as auction items for the Boys and Girls and Soroptimist clubs.

Windows – complete with old, wavy glass -- look

ART FLEMING

Gaye Santos’ home features French-inspired items like this stove and the pot rack in the background. When researching the sea captain who built the home, she discovered that he often traveled to France and Santos paid tribute to this part of his life to enhance her kitchen.

Rebecca Olson photos

out on Penn Cove. It’s a perfect vacation spot, and Santos rents rooms out through the website Airbnb.

The home is rented out nearly every weekend. The location was also chosen by NBC for filming.

In Santos’ home, the improvements weren’t limited to the kitchen. The maple floors were put down by hand and the log walls were chinked by hand using the original recipe of horsehair, sand, cement and lime. Santos and Todd Heppner did the majority of the work themselves.

An antique grandfather clock stands beside the windows, a relic similar to the many treasures a sea captain of the 1800s would have owned. Outside, a 100-year-old tobacco barn adorned with wagon wheel hub lights sits beside a vegetable garden, fruit trees and chicken coop with a water view.

“So you could survive here,” Santos said. And that’s just how she likes it because that’s how it was

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for Capt. James Henry Smith, who passed the home to his daughter, Maude Fullington, who later passed it to her daughter, Mary Fullington.

Santos loves the history. She tried to imagine coming to the island on a ship with no grocery stores or amenities.

“You took your chicken and you cooked it on your fireplace,” Santos laughed. “I like to think that someday, someone else will live here long after I’m gone and wonder how I lived.”

Santos has restored 24 houses total.

“I like everything old. I like antiques, always have,” Santos said, adding that most of her belongings are period to the house and she even decorates her Christmas tree with antique Victorian ornaments.

“I love the history of it and I love the fact that someone lived here before me and the history of that.”

Santos’ love of restoration grew from learning she could fix just about anything.

Her first job was for a “tyrant” dentist and one day, he demanded she fix the raising and lowering mechanism on the patient chair, Santos said. Without a clue of what to do, Santos rummaged around until it worked.

“It taught me somehow I could do anything and everything,” Santos said. “I could lay tile, I could finish floors.”

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FALL2012

Pg 13

De-clutter Get rid of that extra stuff!

By Tresa Erickson | Multi-Ad

Y

our home is nice, but some of the rooms are starting to look a little shabby. You haven’t updated your decor in a while, and it shows. Before you can get out that can of paint and roller tray, however, you’re going to have to declutter. Your stash has grown considerably over the years, and it’s time you started clearing out some of it to make way for the new.

Decluttering is rarely easy, especially if you hang onto things because they mean a lot to you or you might need them one day. If you’ve tried to declutter in the past or suspect you’re going to have trouble doing so now, you might want to enlist the help of a friend who can act as your trusted advisor and provide you with the objectivity and motivation you lack.

There are various methods for attacking the clutter. One of the most common is dividing things into keep, sell, donate and trash piles. If you’re not one for following through, you might opt for fewer piles-perhaps just keep and trash. There is no point in boxing up items you’ll never find the time to sell or deliver to charity or family and friends.

If, on the other hand, you are really good at following through, you might want to divide your donate pile into two piles, one for charity and one for friends and family.

For the best results, pace yourself. If you try to tackle your whole house all at once, you will burn out quickly and that paint can and tray will end up back in the garage. Start in the corner

of a room that doesn’t get much traffic and work your way out over a period of days or weeks.

Be ruthless in the sorting. If you haven’t used an item in the past year, chances are you’re not going to and can get rid of it. (Yes, this applies to all of those clothes you’ve been saving because you think you’re going to get back into them. You may be losing weight, but when all is said and done, you will probably want to purchase clothes that are in style.)

C

heck the condition of items as you are sorting through them.

If something is stained, ripped or broken beyond repair, toss it. Don’t fool yourself into thinking someone out there will have the time and money to fix it. Most won’t, unless the item is an antique. Be wary of keeping items in need of repair for yourself. If you haven’t fixed the items by now, chances are you aren’t going to. Toss them or give them to someone who will fix them.

Watch out for surplus. Do you really need 45 sets of sheets or 80 pairs of shoes? Throw away what’s stained, ripped or broken, select a reasonable number to keep and get rid of the rest. Key word?

Reasonable. Forty sets of sheets for a twobed household are not reasonable, nor are 75 pairs of shoes for one person.

Once you’ve cleared out a corner, re-examine your keep pile and make sure everything really is worth keeping. Pay special attention to mementos and heirlooms. You don’t have to keep every single doodle your child ever did or every little thing they made you.

Do you really need 45 sets of sheets or 80 pairs of shoes?

Throw away what’s stained, ripped or broken, select a reasonable number to keep and get rid of the rest.

Look familiar? Maybe it’s time to tackle the clutter in your life. Courtesy photo Select some of the most memorable and throw out the rest. If you have several heirlooms, consider giving away some of them now. What’s the point in keeping that family tea set tucked away in the closet when your daughter could be using it?

While you are sorting, don’t overlook the furniture in the room. You might not need that large armoire now that you have gotten rid of most of the clothes that were in it. Either repurpose it or get rid of it. Is there anything someone else in the family wants that you’re willing to part with now?

Be just as ruthless with the big stuff as you were with the little stuff.

W

hen everything has been sorted and boxed, make time to deal with it then.

Don’t wait until you have gone through everything in the house.

Chances are you’ll end up doing more reshuffling than removing. Move the stuff you are keeping to another room. Take the trash to the curb. Sell what you can, either through ads or a garage sale. Drop off your donations.

Arrange for drop-offs or pick-ups with friends and family. Should you get the runaround, don’t hold onto the items wanted. Set a deadline, and if your friend or family member misses it, donate or sell the items.

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Pg 14

WhidbeyH&G

Seamless flow Tying your home together

By Tresa Erickson | Multi-Ad

I

n many of today’s homes, the floor plans are open, with one room flowing into another. Walk into the front door, and you might catch a glimpse of the living room, kitchen and dining room. With such a vantage point, many homeowners look to create flow from one room to another.

If you are among them, here are some tips.

Paint

Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to create flow.

And no, you do not have to paint every room the same color.

For interest, select a palette of complementary colors and pull from it for the various rooms.

Use a deep brown in your living room and a lighter brown in your dining room with teal accents throughout.

Paint the walls of your light-filled kitchen teal and add touches of brown throughout. Creating flow is all about selecting two to four complementary colors and using them in different ways from room to room.

There should be some similarities among them, however, in particular in color and scale. If you use stripes in your living room, make sure you carry the pattern into the other rooms, even if it’s just in a valance or a throw pillow here and there.

Finishes It’s all in the details, and to maintain flow, the finishes from room to room should be from similar color families.

Bronzed and black fixtures and handles will complement each other well, whereas chrome and brass will not.

The chrome handles on your kitchen cabinets will clash with the brass sconces, chandeliers and fixtures everywhere else.

When possible, try to stick to the same basic finish.

Choose one basic style of decor or complementing styles for the rooms you want to create flow in.

Pattern

Pattern is another way to connect the rooms together. As with paint, you do not have to use the same patterns throughout the rooms.

Moldings

Moldings create a line from room to room. Imagine what happens to that line when the baseboards, casings, etc. are of differing sizes and colors.

To keep the flow moving from room to room, make sure your baseboards, window casings, chair rails and crown molding are of the same size and color where possible.

This is especially important with the baseboards. If you can’t afford to replace the moldings, rework them with some paint or stain to match.

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If your living room feels rather homey, don’t break it up with a mod kitchen.

Keep your cleaned-lined cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, but add homey touches here and there to carry the theme through. Courtesy photo

Decor

Finally, there is decor. Nothing disrupts flow more than a western theme in one room and a nautical theme in another. Choose one basic style of decor or complementing styles for the rooms you want to create flow in.

If your living room feels rather homey, don’t break it up with a mod kitchen. Keep your cleaned-lined cabi-

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netry and stainless steel appliances, but add homey touches here and there to carry the theme through.

Keep in mind that it takes time to create flow in your home. Don’t expect it to happen overnight unless you have a brand-new home and the budget to shop for all-new things. Work on it one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to mix things up here and there for interest.

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FALL2012

Town, painted

Pg 15

Coupeville shows its colors has been held twice before, the last time in 2000. Coupeville is no stranghis will come as no surprise: er to the competition, either, having Coupeville is one of prettiest been a finalist once before. places in the state. Actually, the “The places involved in our competitown is one of five Washington tion are a tremendous inspiration to us communities nominated in the Paint all,” Zimmer said.

Quality Institute’s “Prettiest Painted Coupeville, the second oldest town Places in America” competition. in the state, along with Edmonds, “That makes sense,” said Coupeville Leavenworth, Port Townsend and Chamber of Commerce president Vashon-Maury Island, will vie with Lisa Barnhardt. “Citizens here keep about 200 nominees from other states up their homes and across the nation for we take pride in our regional and national history. We want to awards. Judges with convey and share that expertise in color sewith others.” lection, exterior paint“I think we have a ing and home imreal unique place,” provement will review agreed Sue McDaniel. the entries, conduct She and her husband, additional research Marty, own the Blue and make selected Goose Inn, two historsite visits. ic homes side by side It is Coupeville’s on North Main Street. rich history and its “It’s a very small people that make the town, but people in difference, said BarnThe Blue Goose Inn, one the community are hardt. of several historic homes in supportive of the “I’ve lived in some Coupeville, was painted in this history,” she said. beautiful places,” salmon and blue color scheme “Everybody’s very she said, “but I’ve involved. It’s unique in when owners Sue and Marty never connected with McDaniel purchased it. the nation, I think.” people like I have Kathy Reed photo The Paint Quality in Coupeville. The Institute, formed in people that own these 1989 by a subsidiary of the Dow homes, they not only take pride in it, Chemical Company, provides informa- there’s a pride in ownership that goes tion on the virtues of quality paint, col- way beyond.” or trends and decorating with paint.

“You’re not really owning it,” said The purpose of the competition is to McDaniel. “You’re a steward of it. show how an attractive color scheme Each person who takes care of one of can enhance a home’s curb appeal. these homes puts their heart and soul “We feel there is no better way to into it. They’re living histories and we demonstrate the importance of extehave great feelings about them.” rior paint color than to focus on these Nominees in the competition range beautiful real-world communities that from small communities like Coupeville take so much pride in their appearto well known areas like Cape Cod, ance,” said Debbie Zimmer, color Mass. and Napa, Calif. The nation’s expert at the Paint Quality Institute.

12 “Prettiest Painted Places” will be The Prettiest Painted Places contest revealed in mid-October.

By Kathy Reed | Whidbey News Group

T

Attractive exterior paint themes like this one at The Cove Thai Restaurant in Coupeville, are part of the criteria for the Prettiest Painted Places in America contest. Coupeville is one of five communities in Washington to make the finals in the competition.

Kathy Reed photo

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