Roanoke Valley Home Magazine 2019 Winter

HOME R OA N O K E VA L L E Y

design ✦ improve ✦ garden ✦ live

POSH POWDER ROOMS LOCAL CREATIVES EASY ENTERTAINING PLANTATION SHUTTERS NATURAL DECOR

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R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

CONTENTS Roanoke Valley HOME Holiday/Winter 2019

28 62

77 features

showcase home

PUMP UP THE POWDER ROOM The home’s smallest space can pack a big punch

HOLIDAY CHEER AT RIDGEWOOD FARM The Machers make the most of the season

28

BY NOELLE MILAM

50

BY NOELLE MILAM

62

THINK OUTSIDE THE GIFT BOX Holiday shopping with local makers

BY KATHERINE FULGHUM KNOPF

77

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY Natural seasonal decor within reach

BY PERRY PAYNE MILLNER

50 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK HOME Magazine

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H O L I DAY/ W I N T E R 2019

DESIGN

37 2020 VISION + ON-POINT

Holiday prelude to top trends

BY PERRY PAYNE MILLNER

66 PLANTATION SHUTTERS

Versatile, timeless and traditional

BY KENDALL LIVICK

72 DESIGNERS SOUND OFF

Where to splurge, where to save?

BY ANNE MARIE POORE

IMPROVE

45 UN-DECKING THE HALLS

24

Take a hard look at old decorations

BY MITZI BIBLE

59 WHAT THE WATT?

An illuminating look at modern-day lighting

BY CHUCK TAYLOR

74 PLANNERS FOR 2020

21

Kicking it old school

BY AMELIA POORE

37

GARDEN

21 CAMELLIA REIGNS

Queen of the winter flowers.

BY KATE ERICSSON

69 GREENHOUSE ENVY

Year-round havens for green-thumbed enthusiasts

BY JANE RENNYSON

LIVE

16 SEASON’S GREETINGS

Evolution and etiquette of holiday cards

BY MARGIE LIPPARD

24 BEAT YOU TO THE PUNCH

Punchbowl culture and libations

BY JULIE BARGER

42 CULINARY CORNER

Festive and easy holiday entertaining

BY MARSHA GALE

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EDITOR’S note In my mind, November—logically—is the beginning of the holiday season.

Each month of this holiday issue of HOME—November, December and January—offers a variety of seasonal celebrations. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, it sounds as if winter in our area will be a mixed bag, with the first snow predicted sometime toward the end of November!

As you ready your home for the season, be inspired by the traditions and trimmings featured in HOME’s holiday Showcase home, Ridgewood Farm. Dating back to 1908, this home— originally a working farm—has been lovingly cared for and restored, maintaining its integrity for over a century.

The many occasions over the next few months revolve around friends and family. Our readers will enjoy brunch recipes found in this issue’s Culinary Corner. What goes around comes around; take the quintessential punchbowl, for example. Learn about its provenance and the renewed enthusiasm for this classic vessel.

Plus, we’ve included a couple of recipes to add “punch” to your festivities. Of course, entertaining and decorating go hand in hand. We offer tips on the care and repair of holiday ornaments as well as how to create garlands and wreaths with fresh flora and fauna found in your own backyard. Looking for color in the depths of winter? Enjoy Kate Ericsson’s article on the lovely camellia, queen of the winter flowers.

Local designers and experts offer advice on investment furniture worthy of the splurge (and, conversely, where to

save). The Roanoke Valley has an abundance of local makers and talented craftsmen. Readers will enjoy learning about their products, making holiday gift giving unique and personal to our region. Holiday cards are a favorite tradition; understand the history as well as what’s currently acceptable in seasonal greetings to those on your correspondence list—near and far.

Looking ahead, we turn our attention to a new decade and it may be comforting to know that personal planners are regaining popularity. We are once again embracing pen to paper when mapping out our obligations and events—be it day-to-day, weekby-week or month-to-month. As you plan for the year ahead, so is HOME. We look forward to providing engaging content as you continue to design, improve, garden and live your best life in the Roanoke Valley.

We at HOME wish you and yours a delightful holiday and a happy, healthy 2020!

Anne Marie Poore annemarie@westwillowpublishing.com

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HOME ROANOKE VALLEY

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VOLUME 12 ISSUE 5 PUBLISHER Julie Pierce EDITOR Anne Marie Poore LOCAL EDITOR Noelle Milam ART DIRECTOR Edwana Coleman

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Julie Barger Mitzi Bible Kate Ericsson Marsha Gale Katherine Fulghum Knopf Margie Lippard Kendall Livick Noelle Milam Perry Payne Millner Amelia Poore Jane Rennyson Chuck Taylor PHOTOGRAPHER Kevin Hurley GRAPHIC DESIGNER Donna Collins OPERATIONS MANAGER Marianne Schatvet

Bathing Solutions for People of Every Ability

ADVERTISING SALES Julia Belvin Lisa Bowers Anne Marie Poore SUBSCRIPTIONS

Roanoke Valley HOME is published five times annually

by West Willow Publishing Group, LLC. For an annual subscription, please send $20 and your name, address and telephone number to: Roanoke Valley HOME 2003 Graves Mill Road, Suite B, Forest, VA 24551 For advertising information please call (434) 386-5667 or sales@rvhomemagazine.com.

To discuss coverage of an event relating to home or garden, please contact Roanoke Valley HOME at info@rvhomemagazine.com.

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Copyright 2019 by West Willow Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from West Willow Publishing Group, LLC. All pictorial material reproduced in this magazine, whether in a produced ad or by itself, has been accepted on the condition that it is with the knowledge and prior consent of the photographer or the artist concerned. As such, West Willow Publishing Group, LLC is not responsible for any infringement of copyright or otherwise arising out of publication thereof. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, West Willow Publishing Group, LLC makes no warrant to the accuracy or reliability of this information. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

UBS congratulates Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2018 and 2019

Being named as a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor is truly an honor and we are proud to announce that two advisors in the Roanoke, VA Office—both of whom are on the Meridian Wealth Management team—have been awarded this distinction for the second year in a row. This reflects their commitment to addressing the full range of clients’ needs helping them achieve what’s most important.

Who you choose to work with to manage your wealth had never been more critical. We have the experience and access to global resources you need to help you pursue what matters most—for today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

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Michael B. Kemp Senior Vice President–Wealth Management Senior Portfolio Manager 540-855-3346 mike.kemp@ubs.com N. Edward Link Senior Vice President–Wealth Management Senior Portfolio Manager 540-855-3344 eddie.link@ubs.com Meridian Wealth Management UBS Financial Services Inc. 10 South Jefferson Street, Suite 1050 Roanoke, VA 24011

ubs.com/team/meridianwealth

Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list is comprised of approximately 2,200 financial advisors. It was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to measure factors such as: quality of practice, industry experience, compliance record, assets under management (which vary from state to state) and revenue. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor its employees pay a fee in exchange for these ratings. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers both investment advisory services and brokerage services. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that clients understand the ways in which we conduct business and that they carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to them about the products or services we offer. For more information, visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA/SIPC. © UBS 2019. All rights reserved. ACC_DC_03052019-2a Exp.: 08/31/2020

LIVE holiday cards

season’s greetings TRADITIONS & TRENDS IN HOLIDAY TIDINGS

BY M A R G I E L I P PA R D

Much of the charm of the holidays lies in the season’s greetings cards we send to dear ones in and out of town. For many, a traditional seasonal greeting card adorned with a festive stamp best conveys the warmth and buoyancy of the holiday spirit. For others, a holiday e-card or photo card delivers the perfect digital greeting that saves money, time and paper. Whether for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s or the Winter Solstice, season’s holiday greeting cards connect us to those we love and therefore deserve special consideration.

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HOLIDAY CARD ETIQUETTE These helpful tips will ensure that your season’s greetings cards are memorable, heartwarming and in perfect holiday taste.

As part of our family holiday tradition in the 1950s and 1960s, my parents enjoyed compiling their handwritten holiday card list together while they listened to Christmas carols. They lingered over holiday catalogs until they found their ideal greeting and ordered a gracious plenty to take to a local printer, who added our names in a festive Christmas red. The final chores for us kids were to add the seasonal stamp and mail the hundreds of cards in time to arrive by December 25th.

Of course, you can do all of this today with a click or two on an e-card or photo card website. Although the young and technologically savvy among us generally prefer digital holiday tidings, the traditional greeting card industry remains robust. According to the Greeting Card Association, Americans purchase $7 billion in holiday greeting cards each year. Not surprisingly, women buy 80 percent of them.

The greeting card industry’s roots intertwine with entrepreneurship and technological innovation. According to John Hanc in his December, 2015 Smithsonian.com article entitled The History of the Christmas Card, Sir Henry Cole, a prominent British educator, created the first known holiday card in 1843 to reply to the stash of Christmas and New Year’s correspondence that had gone unanswered. Cole engaged artist J.C. Horsley to design a triptych with an image of a family celebrating their holiday dinner, framed by images of good samaritans ministering to the poor. Cole wrote the greeting “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” and hired a London printer to produce 1,000 copies. Britain’s “Penny Post” stamp galvanized Cole’s project that launched the seasonal greeting card industry.

By the mid-1800s, America’s season’s greetings cards emerged as a popular art form and thriving business propelled by advances in printing and color lithography. According to the Greeting Card Association, Louis Prang, a German immigrant, opened a small lithographic company in Boston in 1856 and published the first complete suite of Christmas cards. Today, the association bestows a prestigious award in Prang’s honor that pays tribute to the skill and ingenuity he exhibited as a printing and lithographic pioneer.

By 1857, Nathaniel Currier, who apprenticed as a 15-year old in a Boston lithography shop, partnered with his accountant James Merritt Ives to establish Currier and Ives, a successful and prolific printmaking firm based in New York City. As noted on the Currier and Ives official website, the duo’s business published at least 7,500 hand-colored lithographic prints of designs by celebrated artists of the day, including Louis Maurer, George H. Currie and Frances Flora Bond Palmer, whose genre and winter scenes are collector’s items today.

America’s two greeting card industry giants—American Greetings and Hallmark— arose from big dreams and humble beginnings. In 1906, Jacob Sapirstein, a Polish

KNOW YOUR RECIPIENTS Be respectful of differences of religion and culture. You can’t go wrong with “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays,” according to business etiquette expert Lydia Ramsey.

MAKE YOUR LIST Marilee McKee of Manners Mentor says holiday cards are meant for those who live out of town or you won’t see during the holidays, but to whom you wish to send warm tidings. Keep your list up to date with correct names and current addresses.

CHECK IT TWICE Trim your list to save time and budget.

If you haven’t received a return card for two years, or acquaintances have relocated without letting you know their new address, it is not rude to cull them, says McKee. TAKE IT PERSONALLY Take the time to sign each card and write a personal note to share holiday sentiments. Your family, friends, colleagues and business acquaintances will appreciate this special effort, notes Ramsey.

TO “E” OR NOT TO “E” E-card tidings are economical, efficient and appropriate for social networking friends. But for enjoyment throughout the season and lasting emotional impact, your dearest ones are delighted most by cards you send by post.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING Proper means prompt in matters social, and holiday card etiquette is no different. Mail holiday cards soon after Thanksgiving to make sure they arrive on time, leaving you plenty of time to shop, wrap, bake, decorate and entertain during the festive season.

r vhomemaga zine .com 17

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immigrant and rabbi’s son, loaded his family’s horse-drawn cart with picture postcards made in Germany and sold them to local Cleveland merchants. Unhappy with the quality of the cards he peddled, Sapirstein decided to design and print his own cards.

His shop evolved into today’s American Greetings Corporation, headquartered in Cleveland, which employs 17,250 people and generates annual revenues of $1.9 billion, according to the corporate website.

In 1910, a Nebraska teenage entrepreneur named Joyce C. Hall dropped out of high school to pursue his fortune and arrived on a train in Kansas City with two shoeboxes of picture postcards.

After selling manufactured cards to local merchants, Hall and his brothers bought an engraving firm so they could print and design their own greeting cards, a business destined to become Hallmark. They commissioned prominent artists as illustrators and card designers, including the beloved and prolific American illustrator Norman Rockwell. According to its corporate website, Hallmark today employs 30,000 people and generates annual revenues of $4 billion.

American Greetings and Hallmark adroitly diversified their product portfolio to compete successfully in the digital market.

Techradar recently awarded its 2019 Editor’s Choice for free e-cards to American Greetings’ JustWink e-card mobile platform.

Hallmark delivers an e-card platform that, for a small subscription fee, gives unlimited access to all Hallmark holiday e-cards and discounts on other Hallmark merchandise. Other popular mobile e-card apps include BlueMountain and Punchbowl.

R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

Photo card mobile apps flourish through astonishingly rapid innovation. According to Techradar and Top Ten Review, highly rated photo card apps include Mixbook, Amazon Prints, Snapfish, Simply to Impress, and Walmart Photo. These platforms upload photos from your mobile devices, personalize them into your perfect holiday card, and print and mail them to your loved ones, all with a click or two.

Despite the allure of digital greeting cards, our family’s holiday card tradition endures. I adore browsing the beautiful season’s greetings cards by Caspari, a Charlottesville company whose creations are sold in Roanoke at Ellie Proctor Antiques and Fine Things. This boutique printing company hires the same Swiss printers and suppliers with whom its founder H. George Caspari collaborated in 1945. Their cards feature exquisite art licensed from museums and artists worldwide on paper produced only in managed forests. While my sisters are also Caspari fans, my brother writes a charming family Christmas letter that brings a smile to us all.

As noted at a holiday exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Rockwell perceptively captured the deep source of our family’s Christmas card tradition—and that of a multitude of others, I am sure—when he wrote: “Children want to believe in Santa Claus just as fervently as we adults want to believe in peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.” Peace on Earth to you and goodwill towards all this holiday season. ✦

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GARDEN camellias

camellia reigns QUEEN OF THE WINTER FLOWERS B Y K AT E E R I C S S O N

With their striking evergreen foliage and showy blooms, camellias reign supreme, just as they did in ancient China when emperors and temple priests revered them. If you’ve ever enjoyed a cup of tea, you have sampled the leaf of the camellia. All tea—black, oolong, green, or white—comes from the Camellia sinensis plant in the same way that all wine comes from the grape. r vhomemaga zine .com 21

Come Home for the Holidays to Our Lady of the Valley

Enjoy the holiday season doing what you love at Our Lady of the Valley.

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Tea was first sourced in China from the camellia. Popular legend says tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong in ancient China. As the story goes, he stopped to rest beneath a tree and began boiling water for a pot of soup, but before he could add ingredients, dried camellia leaves floated down, infusing the water for the first pot of tea.

Camellias were cultivated in the gardens of China and Japan centuries before they were discovered in Europe (samovartea.com/ how-tea-is-made). To the ancient Chinese, camellias produced the ideal blossoms: smooth, flat petals in a rounded form with perfect symmetry. In ancient Japan, the plant held a special place in Japanese thought and was imbued with religious symbolism.

Camellia plantings were an essential feature of temple gardens and graveyards. Today many of the oldest camellia varieties are found in temple compounds.

With the expansion of the tea trade in the 18th century, new varieties began to emerge in England, imported through the British East India Company. Camellia japonica was the first camellia plant to be grown in England around 1740 and was imported to America in 1797. It was a plant for the wealthy, often grown in glass greenhouses in the north because the winters were too harsh for the plant to survive. Camellias soon made their way down south where conditions were more suitable for their cultivation. Some of the oldest camellias today can be found in southern plantation gardens.

By the 1840s the camellia was at the height of fashion as a luxury flower. After World War I, plants were highly sought-after as woodland shrubs in milder climates. Camellia shows began springing up in the 1930s and the American Camellia Society was founded in 1945. Today the society has 53 clubs and boasts approximately 5,000 members. There are over 200 species of camellias, with varieties numbering to 20,000, though many of these are not found in the western world.

Camellias are grown as ornamental plants for their blossoms, highly valued for their early flowering—usually in late winter.

Most camellias on the market in the United States are one of three species—japonica, sasanqua, or reticulata—or hybrids thereof. Camellia japonica is a large shrub or small tree with an upright habit of eight to 10 feet and glossy green leaves. Camellia sasanqua, a profuse fall bloomer, is bushier than japonica; its leaves are smaller making it an excellent choice for hedges and R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

ground cover. Camellia reticulata has a more open and upright branching habit than the others, with leaves that are matte rather than glossy and large flowers of six inches or more.

All camellias thrive in acidic soil and light shade; in Virginia’s hardiness zone seven camellias flourish outdoors. A soil pH (degree of acidity or alkalinity) of 6.0 to 6.5 is considered best for camellias; ground should be tested before planting to see if the soil needs amending. According to Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners, Camellias should be grown in a rich soil, high in organic matter and fertilized once a year in early spring.

Proper shade and wind protection will enhance the growth of camellias. They need protection from winter sun and wind, so northern exposure is generally the best choice for planting. In humid climates, white and pale pink blossoms may burn if exposed to bright sun. Sasanqua cultivars can tolerate more sun than the others

In the language of flowers, the ancient tradition of associating blooms with sentiments or virtues, Camellia japonica embodies perfect and supreme loveliness, a surefire remedy for the winter blues. ✦

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and is the better choice for a spot with no shade.

Maintenance of established camellia bushes and shrubs is minimal—pruning is only needed if a branch is damaged. They don’t attract pests and deer tend to leave them alone. The only important grooming task for camellias is deadheading—removing spent flower heads.

Here in Virginia with our bleak winters and bare gardens, a shrub boasting pink or red blossoms is a most welcome and delightful sight.

Late fall is the time, during our area’s mild weather, to plant camellias for a winter show. Since sasanqua is fall blooming and reticulata is hardy to only 25 degrees, choose japonica, available at most local nurseries and garden stores.

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LIVE punch culture

beat you to the punch

TODAY’S PUNCH IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE GIN & JUICE

BY J U L I E BA RG E R

When you think of a punchbowl, what comes to mind? Church socials with sticky-sweet sherbet concoctions and polite conversation about Aunt Mildred’s prize-winning petunias? Something to spike at school proms or homecoming dances? Punch was once celebrated at all types of gatherings but sadly, the modern party-thrower dusts off the punchbowl only for holiday dining, baby or bridal showers—then puts it away without fanfare. Patrick Swayze said so famously in Dirty Dancing, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner,” or in this case, the cupboard; punch culture needs to stir it up!

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PHOTO: VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

The punch line

Punch wasn’t always relegated to occasions you felt obligated to attend; punch fought its way up the social ladder and wove itself into an integral part of American history.

The word punch is derived from a Hindi word meaning five, as its base consists of five ingredients; alcohol, sugar, water, lemon and tea or spices. Punch originated in India and was brought back to England by sailors working for the East India Trading Company. Once this sailor’s delight reached the mother country, it was quick to spread to other European countries and our 13 colonies, where hydrating with booze was safer than drinking water of unknown origin and distracted early Americans from the uncomfortable cold. The average colonist drank six gallons of alcohol annually, compared with our more measured, modern annual intake of two. Indeed, it is said that the founding fathers emptied 76 bowls of punch to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Flash forward to the Victorian age, when the rise of teetotalism caused spirits to fall further and non-alcoholic punch become the favored drink of ladies and children. Punch became less of a vehicle to consume alcohol and more of a tool for hosts to show off their entertaining prowess. What had been the plain ceramic punch bowl was transformed into a medium for artisans to showcase their talents; wealthy families commissioned silversmiths to create elaborate decorative designs that showed off their taste and means. A fine example resides in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Tiffany Room in Richmond. The Punch Bowl with Three Ladles was designed in 1900 and is one of the most important works r vhomemaga zine .com

created by the Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company. This stunner debuted at the Paris World’s Fair of 1900 where Louis Comfort Tiffany won a grand prize and received the French Legion of Honor.

Throw the first punch

Few of us are lucky enough to have a museum-worthy punchbowl stashed away, but modern entertaining is less about showing off wealth and elaborate culinary skill and more about embracing time spent with friends in delightful and intimate settings. Luckily, a festive punch is easy to prepare, beautiful to look at, a cinch to serve, and a natural gathering place for guests to converse. The modern hostess can create a party sensation with a few simple ingredients, garnishes and gorgeous cocktail glasses; add some witty party napkins and a well-curated cheese board and it’s an occasion.

Punch list

Let’s be realistic—we can’t spend our days drinking like sailors or founding fathers. At some point we need to put away the punch bowl and lead our mundane lives.

“But, its Tiffany!” you say.

Of course it is (wink, wink). You shouldn’t have to crowd those copper mule cups in the corner cupboard to make room for your punchbowl after every gathering.

Why not make the divine vessel part of your everyday décor?

While most people’s hand-me-down punch bowls are less indicative of wealth and societal status and more of, well, a large and fancy bowl, they deserve a place of honor. When it’s not holding court as the belle of your social gatherings, the container can serve a variety of useful and beautiful purposes; pull out the

Punch is poised to be the next Moscow Mule, racing past the Aperol Spritz to the classy, cool status of a Manhattan or even its posh cousin, the martini.

SPARKLING POMEGRANATE PUNCH

2 oranges, thinly sliced crosswise 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds 3/4 cup late-harvest white wine, such as late-harvest Riesling, chilled Ice cubes, for serving 2 750-milliliter bottles sparkling wine, chilled 3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup diced fresh pineapple (1/2 inch) 1 cup pomegranate juice In a punch bowl, dissolve the sugar in the pomegranate juice, stirring vigorously. Add the sparkling wine and late-harvest white wine, then add the orange slices, diced pineapple and pomegranate seeds. Serve the sparkling pomegranate punch over ice cubes. (Food and Wine)

POINSETTIA PUNCH

A classic Champagne cocktail, the Poinsettia is a festive orange-andcranberry-flavored, rose-tinted punch that’s perfect for Christmas.

Use floating frozen orange slices and cranberries to keep the punch nicely chilled and decorated.

8 (1/4-inch-thick) orange slices, from about 2 oranges, for garnish 2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, for garnish 3 cups chilled cranberry juice 3/4 cup chilled Cointreau 2 (750-milliliter) bottles chilled brut sparkling wine or champagne This punch is not served with ice, so make sure all the ingredients and the punch bowl are well chilled. If you have an extra bowl that’s larger than your punch bowl, fill it with ice and nestle the punch bowl inside to keep it cold.

(Chowhound)

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punchbowl and let it show off its multiple personalities! While dining in D.C. at the waterside restaurant Fiola Mare, I noticed a gorgeous seafood tower being presented to group after group. It was brought out in a silver punchbowl-like vessel of polished stainless steel with a writhing pewter octopus holding the bowl in his tentacles; it lavishly displayed oysters, mussels, lobsters, prawns, sea urchin and scallops. Over the top in appearance and decadence, it delighted the diners, who smiled as if they were winning a coveted prize like the Stanley cup, which as fate would have it, is nicknamed the “punchbowl.”

Get creative with unconventional uses for the punchbowl in your own home.

Shine it up and display seasonal décor and small wrapped gifts or favors to surprise and delight party guests. In the autumn, use it to showcase gourds and pumpkins as a fall centerpiece. Year-round, make a gorgeous terrarium of moss and succulents or shed antlers and pine. Why not upgrade your hallway catchall and drop daily mail and keys in classier fashion?

Turn the punchbowl upside down as a base, to give a vase or plant extra height. If you’re entertaining sans punch, simply use it as a supersized ice bucket to chill your champagne.

When it’s your turn to host book club or a Monday night Bachelor watch party, be the first to break out the punchbowl and bring back the elixir of the gods, sailors, founding fathers, homecoming queens and yes, even dear Aunt Mildred. Punch is back in fashion and your punchbowl will not be ignored! ✦ R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

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BY NOELLE MIL AM

powder room, known in real estate parlance as a half bath, is often located near the entrance of the home. Used by the family and guests alike, the powder room deserves special attention when thinking about upgrades and renovations. The tiny powder room often misses out on its share of creative design, as homeowners dismiss its small space as purely functional and boring. That

neglected powder room is a missed opportunity to have some design fun: try bold ideas or luxury fixtures that might be impractical in larger spaces. It is also the place to inject a little refinement, personality or whimsy that will bring a smile to guests’ faces. The powder room’s diminutive size offers an oversized chance to make this room a showstopper.

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Considering a powder room facelift? First, take a moment to analyze the rest of your home’s style. You’ll want your powder room design to be cohesive with the rest of your home. Then, decide upon your vision for the updated space. Often choosing a theme can be helpful. Maybe you find inspiration in leafy botanicals or travel-inspired features such as Moroccan tile or Italianate features. Maybe a dominant design element such as a unique piece of marble, a wall-covering, or even a color, can focus a powder room project, and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Determining your own style and vision at the outset will guarantee your tiny gem doesn’t end up a jarring mishmash.

Walls (and ceilings and floors, oh my!)

The common conception that a small room should only be painted in light colors is passé. Today’s powder rooms are R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

powerhouses of color and texture achieved through combinations of paint, wallpaper and tile.

Painting the walls (or the ceiling!) a rich, vibrant hue makes a bold statement. If strong color feels overpowering, consider breaking up the space by painting only the upper half. The lower half of the bath can be painted or tiled a simple white or other complementary color. Architectural details such as wainscoting, shiplap, or bead-board are imminently achievable in a small space and lend your project a high-end, refined feel.

Wallpaper is another good option for powder rooms. Sumptuous wallpapers abound at every price point, and homeowners and decorators alike are finding ways to use these stunners; the rise in popularity of large print florals and gem-toned patterns with metallic highlights are enjoying a comeback. There are even several lines of removable wallpapers in every style for commitment-phobes (or those who like to change their mind frequently)!

Don’t forget to investigate tile for flooring and walls. The last few years have seen a veritable explosion of beautiful tile patterns, from woodgrained and stone look-alikes to vibrant European and African-inspired designs. Worried that patterns will make your small space feel smaller? Fear not!

The liveliness of stronger patterns and textures can make a room feel larger. Choosing grout in an unexpected coordinating color is on-trend as well.

r vhomemaga zine .com 31

Fixtures– think outside the box

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The sink, vanity, toilet and accompanying hardware are often the most expensive items in a powder room renovation.

Design choices will be partially driven by cost, of course, but also by size constraints.

Again, here is where the powder room’s smaller size and scope make it possible to consider higher-end items that would stretch the budget in a larger room or a master bath.

Powder rooms don’t require all the storage or fixtures that a full bath needs, so trading some storage for style is a real possibility. Your sink is where the eye will rest and it needs to capture attention, so think of it as the centerpiece of your powder room. swap out that clunky square behemoth of a vanity for a more stylish piece and select hardware—faucets, drains and towel racks—that compliment rather than compete with the sink.

Pedestal and washstandstyle sinks are timeless and authentic in historic homes, especially when paired with shiny chrome or solid brass hardware. A unique piece of furniture can be converted as a base for a vessel or under-mounted sink, and can give a powder room a classic look. “Floating” vanities of wood, stone or even concrete, which attach to the wall rather than the floor, are also popular, with their clean, contemporary good looks and spacesaving allure. Don’t forget to have a look at the sleek new floating toilets that come with more features than some appliances. Since we unconsciously measure a room’s size by its visible floor area, smaller powder rooms can benefit from floating both the toilet and the vanity.

Lighting–flip the switch

The powder room is an excellent place to showcase a wellthought out lighting plan. Here is another area where it is possible to splurge a little on quality and inject your project with more personality. An elegant glass and chrome globe, a whimsical painted lantern, or a glittering chandelier will add more to your room’s character than say, a cup light. But don’t stop with the overhead lighting; powder rooms benefit from a layered lighting approach. In addition to a fixture overhead to illuminate the room from above, you’ll need to include lighting next to, or on either side of the mirror—maybe sconces or pendants, though a table lamp can also cast a warm, inviting glow. Remember, warmer light will always be more flattering than harsh bluish fluorescents, so choose fixtures and bulbs that show you and your guests in the best light.

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Through the looking glass and more

Next to the sink and toilet, the mirror is probably the only other critical piece of powder room design.

Not only do mirrors provide guests the place to apply lipstick or make wardrobe adjustments, they also make the room feel larger, drawing the eye upward and visually expanding small areas. Every powder room should have one. A basic mirror is, well, fine, but a stunning powder room mirror, centered above the sink, is a critical design element and should be treated as such.

Accessories should be kept to a minimum unless your powder room is larger than most, as they can detract from the design rather than enhance it. However, even the smallest powder room will benefit from good quality hand towels, an attractive soap dispenser and trash bin, and perhaps a small green plant or orchid and carefully selected wall art.

A word about storage: less is more

Ok, that was three words, but an important concept. Storage in a powder room can and should be kept to a minimum. Everything extra that you place in the room eats up the visual space and makes your small room feel smaller. Stacks of stuff competing for visual attention becomes clutter— think over-the-commode etageres, shelving units, or magazine racks. Most storage in a powder room

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is unnecessary. What, really, do you need to store in there? The answer is not much beyond extra supplies of the necessities you and your guests will use: toilet and facial tissue, towels, soap and perhaps sanitary items.

Those items don’t take up much space, but are better out of sight. If you have sacrificed the box vanity with its commodious storage, consider a small shelf or cabinet that can be wall-mounted.

You want guests to focus on your fabulous design—the luxe wall treatment, the sparkling light fixture, the unique mirror hung over a beautiful vanity—not on a stack of toilet paper.

From selected improvements to entire overhauls, the powder room offers the chance to experiment with texture, color and pattern. In the world of design, most attention is spent on big impact rooms— the kitchen, great room and master suite— but it is the tiny powder room which delivers an oversized opportunity to take some design risks.

It’s true for sure: the home’s smallest space can pack a big decorating punch. ✦

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ON-POINT HOLIDAY DECOR prelude to top trends B Y P E R R Y PAY N E M I L L N E R

As we flip our kitchen calendars to the last two pages of the year, it’s time to peer into the crystal ball and see what trends in design and decor are coming down the HOME stretch to usher in a sparkling new decade. See how current trends translate to holiday decorations. r vhomemaga zine .com 37

Sustainability + Style

Finding a house is just the beginning, making it YOUR HOME is the perfect ending.

Start to finish, Amy Cullen and MKB.

It should come as no surprise that eco’s the word, design-wise.

From paler palettes and more light-reflective interiors painted with non-toxic products, to efficient, insulating carpets, floor covers, window treatments and recycled elements, design pros turn regularly to companies committed to best sustainable practices, low-carbon-impact processes and eco-friendly products.

Sustainable no longer means institutional; beautiful home decor is abundant from a variety of companies founded by hip, young and globally-conscious entrepreneurs. Urban Gypsy, located in Grandin Village, is an eco-friendly women’s clothing store and also carries some home decor and seasonal accessories. Reid’s Fine Furnishings carries lines including Charleston Forge; the company creates hand-made furnishings one at a time in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

To reduce your family’s footprint at holidays and keep it festive, shop locally. Buy a live tree from a sustainable farm and either plant, recycle or convert it to mulch in the new year. Rely on LED lights for holiday twinkle and decorate with recycled and repurposed beauty and bounty from your home and garden.

Choose e-cards over snail mail for season’s greetings and avoid gift wrap that is not labeled as 100 percent recycled; also steer clear of papers coated with foil and glitter.

Sustainable decor and rustic elegance deliver delights for all the senses—think live greens, unshelled nuts, oranges and

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apples, berries and cinnamon sticks. Make wreaths, garlands and seedpod ornaments and birch candles.

Create a live, green mantel display and give gifts of homemade sweets, treats and potions.

Scandi + Japani

This new trend is a hybrid between modern Scandinavian design and timeless Japanese elegance.

Known as both Japandi and Scandinese, though they come from different sides of the globe, they share similar principles: both are minimalistic and emphasize the importance of creating functiondriven spaces defined by statement pieces rather than abundance. The rustic elements of Nordic design and the sleek style and rich palette of Japanese decor marry well. Each enhances the other in yin-yang fashion; both bring nature inside. As to function, Scandinavian furnishings, accessories and accents are meant for comfort, where the Japanese style tends to utility. Spaces are furnished with a variety of dark and light wood pieces with both curved and straight lines, still simple and scaled down.

To create a Japandi holiday vibe both festive and tranquil, keep it clean and spare. Work with greenery, candlelight, wooden ornaments and clear glass vessels; there’s no room for glitter, baubles, beads and bling. Vintage primitive or rustic ornaments referencing nature add sentiment.

Though Nordic decorations are often red, white,

POP Powerfrom Warhol to Koons

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wheat and light wood-colored, bring in vibrant Japanese hues and paper lanterns; add a live tree or winter berry branches decked with origami cranes—a cultural symbol of peace.

Graceful and spare, amaryllis sprung up from bulbs in red, pink and white, surrounded by moss, are perfect for tabletops in simple white or glass containers.

Industrial + Glamour

Pantone is the recognized giant and guru of all things relating to color in graphics and design; their new palettes for 2020 include the intriguing Metropolis. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explains on the Pantone website that the palette refers to urban elements such as skyscrapers, windows, light and asphalt, resulting in a mix of glamour and industrial chic. Rich, multifaceted and warm, Metropolis embraces deep wood grain and striated stone; strong, industrialinspired centerpiece fixtures—even from concrete—for kitchens Requires a 2x commitment and baths; luxe burnished metallic occasional pieces and heavy, textured fabrics for upholstery and windows. To add industrial glamour to seasonal decor, Fall - September 1st Winter - November 15th think of farmhouse chic turned edgier by a click or three. Mix in ornaments and figurines made of raw, Space Reservation - July 22 Space Reservation - October 7 aged and reclaimed woods, galvanized metal and glass; welcome CONTACT LISA BOWERS FOR DETAILS Ads Due - August 1 Ads are Due - October 18thitems. Silhouettes are simple; this style vintage and salvaged 540.353.2380 or lisa@westwillowpublishing.com feels strong and masculine and appeals to fans of sustainability.

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Art Deco + Redux

The Art Deco movement rocked the 1920s when cultures from far and wide converged and changed the American lifestyle in everything—architecture, advertising, arts and culture. Think abstract design, styled florals, geometric and streamlined motifs. Also called the Jazz Age, the decade rolled along— prohibition be damned—with glamour, jazz music and bathtub gin. Ladies’ dresses got a raise of the hemline as flappers bobbed their hair and danced the Charleston. Home decor was rich and colorful in tones of bright and saturated gemstone colors; furniture incorporated lacquer, steel chrome and polished wood, all done up in sumptuous velvets, geometrics and brocades. Towers in the classic Art Deco style—Manhattan’s Chrysler Building, Roanoke’s Appalachian Electric Power Building and Lynchburg’s Allied Arts Building, for example— reached for the sky in this decade of industry and innovation, until it all came crashing to a halt when the stock market tanked on Black Friday in 1929. Modern designers are poised to deliver updated Art Deco inspiration for the 2020s in furniture

and décor that is trimmer, sleeker and more subtle for modern pursuits.

To add a splash of Deco panache to holiday decor, take inspiration from classic Hollywood, a la Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals. For holiday festivities turn up the shimmer and shine. Add a glitzy silver-leaf chandelier, dripping with dazzling crystals and gold bars in the iconic, upside-down wedding cake style. Try a white tinsel tree with bright white lights and silver and gold or jeweltoned ornaments. Go monochromatic on the mantel—choose white figurines, geometrics and candles in shades of white and pearl, with silver and mercury glass accents for added razzle dazzle.

Come New Year’s Eve, embellish with a dramatic centerpiece of ostrich feathers and long-stemmed white roses in a clear, lithe vase; for an extra shot of glam drop a submersible LED to the bottom and set it aglow.

Happy holidays, dear readers! Cheers to jumping ahead of rising trends, stylish and entertaining holiday fêtes and 2020 vision for home decor in the decade to come. ✦

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LIVE culinary corner

BY M A R S H A G A L E

Feeding the family or a crowd amidst the chaos of the holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful. Even if you aren’t a morning person, with easy, make-ahead recipes, breakfast or brunch can be a snap to pull together.

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BLOODY MARY MIX

Mimosas and Bloody Marys are nearly synonymous with brunch. A Mimosa is so simple to make, it doesn't need a recipe at all—just some fruit juice and bubbly and you’re good to go. Bloody Marys, however, are a different story. Though some recipes feature dill pickle juice, oysters and raw eggs; this basic recipe appeals to the masses and allows for individualized tastes and garnishes.

3 T dijon mustard 3 T Worcestershire sauce 2 T prepared horseradish (or finely grated horseradish root) 2 T hot sauce (Cholula or Tabasco) Juice of 2 lemons Juice of 2 limes 2 T olive brine (juice from a jar of olives) 1 t celery seed Fresh ground black pepper to taste 2 t kosher or sea salt 64 oz V-8 juice (regular, lowsodium or spicy hot) Mix all of the ingredients except the V-8 juice. It should yield about 1 1/4 cups of mix.

For individual drinks, add as much or as little mix as you prefer to a glass of V-8, then add your preferred alcohol.

Vodka is the typical choice, but some like gin; for a Bloody Maria, use tequila. Or, drink it as a Virgin Mary; this mix is delicious on its own.

To make several drinks at once, pour 1/2 cup of mix in a pitcher, then add a quart (32 oz) of V-8.

(This is especially helpful if you want to make up pitchers ahead of time.) When ready to serve, add your alcohol of choice, stir well and pour over ice.

To make your Bloodys extra special, pick up a package of Bloody Mary Rimmer, a combination of pre-mixed salt and spices. Alternatively, create your own combination of salt and spices, or make a Maryland Bloody Mary rimmed with Old Bay seasoning—easy and super tasty! Run a lime or lemon wedge around the glass rim and dip it into the mixture to

coat it like salt on a margarita glass A great trick to keep your drink from diluting is to pre-mix a few to your liking and freeze in ice trays. When ready to serve, pour the Bloodys over the frozen cubes. Serve them in an ice bucket alongside the glasses so guests can help themselves.

For garnishes, put out long toothpicks in shot glasses so guests can skewer their garnishes. Keep it simple with celery stalks, olives, cocktail onions, lemons and limes for a classic cocktail, or offer crispy bacon, cubes of cheese, cold shrimp and pickled vegetables like green beans, pepperoncini and okra to take your Bloody Mary over the top.

HOME-MADE IRISH CREAM

For most, coffee is a must at breakfast or brunch. At the holidays it's nice to offer something special for a little extra panache. Whether you prefer your coffee iced or hot, Irish cream is a boozy, delicious addition; your guests will be impressed when you tell them you made it from scratch!

1 c heavy cream 1 t instant coffee powder or espresso 1/2 t cocoa powder 3/4 c Irish whiskey 1 t vanilla extract 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk Combine 1 T cream with the coffee and cocoa powders to make a smooth paste.

Slowly add remaining cream, whisking until smooth. Add whiskey, vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk; stir to combine. Pour into a 24-oz jar and keep refrigerated, up to 2 weeks. To serve, shake the jar or stir the pitcher to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Then, pour into coffee and stir. This divine concoction also makes a lovely after-dinner drink served over ice. (Saveur)

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Breakfast casseroles are similar to quiche, but much easier to make since you don't have to fuss with a pie crust. When you need to feed a crowd, but have little time to spend in the kitchen, you'll love having these in your recipe file. You can whip them up the night before and pop them in the oven in the morning, leaving you time to enjoy that delicious cup of joe with your family or guests!

HAM & CHEESE BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING This particular casserole is like a savory bread pudding. The buttery brioche combines with melty cheese and salty ham to create a light, yet filling meal.

1 T butter, for greasing the pan 1 (12-oz) brioche loaf or smaller brioches, cut into 1-inch cubes 6 eggs 4 c half-and-half or whole milk 2 t salt 1/2 t ground black pepper Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of cayenne 1/2 c thinly sliced scallions 6 oz thinly sliced ham, cut crosswise into matchsticks (about 1 1/2 cups) 8 oz grated Gouda or Gruyere cheese (about 4 cups) If you plan to make and bake this at once, heat the oven to 375 degrees, or refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning.

Butter an 11 X 11-inch baking dish. Fill with brioche cubes and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Whisk in half-and-half, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and scallions. Pour mixture over cubes in baking dish. Sprinkle ham and cheese on top of the mixture, and

press down to make sure everything is submerged. Refrigerate overnight if desired, or go ahead and bake it now. If baking after refrigerating, remove casserole from the refrigerator while the oven heats to 375 degrees. Set baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.

Transfer baking dish and baking sheet to the middle shelf of the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the casserole emerges dry. Let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving. (New York Times)

SPICY EGG & CHEESE CASSEROLE

This casserole is a vegetarian version, but feel free to add your favorite cooked breakfast meat and sautéed vegetables to jazz it up. My sister-in-law shared this family recipe with me just after I married my husband, and it has been a staple for almost every holiday breakfast and brunch since. You can make it and bake it in the morning, but I like to whisk it all together in a mixing bowl, put a lid on it, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Pour into a pan in the morning and pop in the oven with zero mess!

1 dozen eggs 1 (8 oz) carton sour cream 1 can Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (drained) 3 drops Tabasco or Cholula (not very spicy—add more or less to taste.)

8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese Beat eggs with a whisk. Blend in the remaining ingredients and pour into a greased 11 X 11-inch baking dish. Bake for an hour at 350.

Start checking for doneness after 45 minutes. The casserole is done when the top is lightly brown, and a skewer inserted in the middle of the dish emerges dry. (Susan Sellers-Butram) ✦

Photo courtesy of Phillip Barrett ,Jr.

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IMPROVE restore decor

un-decking the halls

DO YOUR OLD HOLIDAY DECORATIONS NEED A TUNE-UP OR A TOSS-OUT?

BY MITZI BIBLE

After the Thanksgiving turkey dinner, excitement builds when we traipse up to the attic, grab the Christmas decorations and embark on the adventure of turning our home into a Winter Wonderland.

Weeks later, though, after that champagne toast and midnight kiss to ring in a new year, excitement turns to dread when we have to put it all back where it came from. The Christmas spirit is gone as we haphazardly pack all the decorations away for another year and trudge on into January. r vhomemaga zine .com 4 5

The post-holiday doldrums can have us all bent out of shape—and that includes our decorations, too. We carelessly stuff wreaths, bows and garland into boxes. Those dainty tree ornaments we admired in the glow of their tiny spotlights every night? We hastily drop them into containers and tell ourselves that we’ll just assess the situation when the holidays roll around again.

But we all know we can save ourselves a lot of trouble if we take care of our decorations before we store them. As far as I know, there’s no lively song to go along with this task, but below are some handy tips to un-deck your halls and get a head start on the fa-la-la-la-la’s of the future.

Repair and restore

I have a box I like to call my “Christmas clinic.” Before I start packing away, I look over the decorations and shake them a bit to make sure there aren’t any parts coming loose. After kids and cats, there’s always a few ornaments that just can’t “hang on” any longer without my help. I clean off a table, grab the superglue and hot melt glue gun, and go to work on anything in the box that needs repair. If you’re as sentimental as I am about decorations that are part of your family tradition, you’ll try everything you can before saying your goodbyes. For glass ornaments and decorations, use superglue; after it dries, scrape rough areas smooth with a razor blade. A small paint set or even a set of Sharpies can help, too, to fill in scratched places on ornaments or figurines and wall décor. If you have paper ornaments or kids’ schoolwork you want to keep, use contact paper or a laminator to preserve them.

For cracked ball ornaments, consider covering with a decorative Christmas ribbon.

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If you have any decorations you can’t repair, try upcycling. If a part of your favorite ornament is still intact, drop it in a clear, fillable ball ornament with beads, glitter, curling ribbon or raffia. Or find a wooden cutout, paint it, and glue on the salvaged piece to revive your wounded keepsake.

Take stock of seasonal towels and linens, too.

Though they may be functional, designs fade with use and multiple washes, and become hard to even recognize as part of your holiday decor.

Odds are you’ve received some new ones as gifts anyway, so instead of letting them pile up on the shelf, gather the ratty ones to use as scrap towels for tougher jobs, like checking your car’s oil.

Outdoor decorations also need a careful look.

For lawn ornaments, check to see if the ground posts need fortifying or replacing. Weather may have done a number on bows and wreaths, and it’s better to repair or replace them now than be disappointed when you unpack them later.

Faded artificial greenery can be refreshed with exterior spray paint. Bows can be replaced (take advantage of those post-holiday discounts at local craft stores). Outdoor lights are always a gamble, right? Sometimes there’s an easy fix to squeeze another year’s life out of them. Test the fuses (found in plugs) and replace any that are blown. Buy inexpensive bulb testers to check

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out your string lights every year before storing them. Many problems with string lights are caused by carelessness in putting them up or packing them away, so don’t forcefully pull them down or push them tightly into containers where bulbs can knock against each other. Handy light organizers work, but so does a scrap square of cardboard from the recycling bin; cut one-inch slits on two sides to wrap the lights around and label the cardboard.

Finally, take advantage of the postholiday slowdown to sort and purge any decorations that you haven’t used in several years. Seasonal decorations are certainly easy to collect, with cute new designs available every year. Most years we receive some as gifts, but they can take more space than we have. Pick your favorites and donate the rest.

Reorganize

Once repairs and culling are done, take stock of your storage system. If containers are wearing out, maybe it’s time for new ones. There are hundreds of durable specialty storage options nowadays, all for specific uses—gift wrap, wreaths, ornaments and trees.

Regular totes work wonders, too—if you pack them and label them correctly.

Clear totes are especially helpful. A simple trick for turning generic bins into ornament keepers is to glue the bottoms of plastic cups to a piece of sturdy cardboard.

An additional row will usually stack on top. Egg cartons work for tiny ornaments and small village items. Use original packaging if it’s still in decent shape. It may be a pain to store individual ornaments away on their own but taking special care will ensure their safety. One idea for storing many of your decorations in one place is to use a self-standing closet organizer; hang wreaths and linens on hangers then place other items on the shelf below.

Even though we may be in a haste to take everything down at once, making a strategy can help in the long run. First, label multiples of items such as garland with gift tags, to remind you which piece goes around the stairwell and which piece decorates the fireplace. Also, pack away your items in the groups in which they were displayed. If you were especially fond of your mantle ensemble, for example, put the items away together and include a picture in the box of what it looked like.

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I rarely put all my decorations up at the same time, so I always have an “Early Christmas” box with all the items I need at the very start of the month—an advent calendar and Christmas cards—stowed away in the most accessible location.

Also, don’t forget to remove batteries, which discharge and corrode after time and could put an end to singing Santa.

Candles need special care, too; keep in a dry, cool place and wrap individually in tissue paper or even old pantyhose.

For an artificial tree, it’s worth it to invest in a durable container; try packing it in the original box and you’ll likely give yourself a post-holiday headache. Options include large bags, bins and upright coverings—the perfect solution if you’re lucky enough to have nearby storage space for a fully decorated tree. A quick internet search will take you to how-to instructions for shrink-wrapping your tree.

The season of giving may have drawn to a close for now, but when it arrives again, all the extra time and effort you spent caring for your decorations could be the first and favorite gift you open next year. ✦

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holiday cheer

at ridgewood farm

BY N O E L L E M I L A M Photography by Kevin Hurley

Driving up to Beth and Richard Macher’s home, Ridgewood Farm, is like stepping back in time. It sits atop a gentle rise on the southwestern side of Salem. Local tanner Samuel McVitty originally built the sprawling manor home situated amidst a working farm in 1908. McVitty lived at his beloved Ridgewood Farm until his death in the 1960s.

The home was designed by New York architect Otis Chapman. At nearly 25,000 square feet, and boasting an imposing front portico, seven fireplaces, soaring ceilings, a third-floor ballroom, Virginia’s first indoor tennis courts, a swimming pool, a wine cellar and formal gardens, the residence was built to both entertain and impress. After McVitty’s death, the farm was purchased by local architect Gil Mattern, who carefully converted the manor into six apartments while preserving many of the structural embellishments unique to the home. Ridgewood Farm’s manor house remained as upscale apartments for the next several decades, as the farm’s surrounding acreage was gradually sold and developed.

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Father Christmas figures peek between fresh magnolia leaves with cream and gold accents on the dining room mantle. A pair of lovely off-white poinsettias flank the hearth.

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The stately manor endured as the twentieth century drew to a close. In the late 1980s Richard Macher, a young restaurant owner and his fiancée, Beth, first saw the apartments. “Richard knew one of the residents,” Beth explains, “and so we got in to see the place before it went on the market.” Richard, according to Beth, has always loved antiques: furniture, collectibles, and yes, houses. An inveterate collector since his early 20s, Richard’s restaurant group, the popular Macados, is both a testament and a beneficiary of his lifelong antique-collecting hobby. Needless to say, the couple’s brief preview of Ridgewood Farm was enough to pique their interest, and they purchased it in 1989.

Initially the Machers lived in two of the six apartments.

“We moved in with a bunch of borrowed furniture and college furniture,” Beth recalls, “and boy did we make a lot of mistakes, but slowly we added space and antiques and made it our own.”

Decorating a home of this size is no small undertaking. Beth credits designer and friend Randall Neely of Joran’s Interiors with the guidance that has brought her vision of Ridgewood Farm to life. Their working relationship, begun in the early days, is now

measured in decades, not years. “I’ve known him forever; in fact, Randall did the flowers for my wedding. That’s how long we’ve been working together!” Beth laughs. Together, they’ve managed to design spaces that pay homage to the home’s grand past while also making Ridgewood Farm a comfortable family home for Beth, Richard and their two children, now grown.

The couple has, over the years, and with the expansion of their family, taken over two more of the six apartments, reclaiming the house a little at a time. “We do still have two apartments, with longtime tenants in them on the far end of the house, but we now occupy most of it,” says Beth. “As the holidays approach, and our kids come home and we entertain, it fills up.”

Arriving at Ridgewood Farm, guests cross a wide brick patio complete with fountain that extends out from the covered portico, and are welcomed through a wide glass-paned door into an expansive front hall whose central feature is a dramatic carved mahogany staircase. For the holidays, the gracefully curved handrails are decorated with cheerful cascades of live evergreens and festive bows.

Comfortable and elegant, the home’s spaces pay homage to its grand past.

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In the formal living room the Christmas tree stands beneath egg and dart molding, one the many intricate moldings original to the home.

At the landing on an antique Chinese table, the family’s wooden nativity scene is arranged under the pair of grand windows that illuminate the upstairs hall where the bedrooms are located. Several large paintings by Walter Biggs hang in the stairway. “These were Richard’s choice,” explains Beth, indicating the artwork. “He loves a painting that tells a story.”

Over the years, the Machers have painstakingly restored all the intricate wainscoting and moldings throughout the house, dramatically obvious in the central hall. McVitty spared no expense in creating a turn-ofthe-century home that would rival other great Virginia historical homes in architectural significance. There are layers of molding—at the ceiling, at the chair rail, at the floor, and offsetting every door and window. The ornately carved marble-topped central table, decorated with a large arrangement of seasonal greens, was custom made for the home by Ernest Bryant, an artist and furniture maker out of Floyd. Beth credits Bryant with the custom mahogany dining table, chairs and sideboard as well. Both Beth and Richard have tried to find or commission pieces that are in keeping with the age, scale and style of the home. For example, the dining room table, which comfortably seats ten or more, stretches the length of the large room and is not dwarfed by the room’s large carved fireplace. Dark walls allow the moldings and traditional artwork to shine, including oil portraits of the Machers’ children and a still life over the fireplace.

The formal dining room opens into a large kitchen that Beth calls the “occasional kitchen,” since it is used only

Ernest Bryant, an artist and furniture maker from Floyd, VA, custom made the mahogany dining table, chairs and sideboard. r vhomemaga zine .com 5 3

when the Machers entertain large groups and when handy access to the dining room is needed. Once part of the original butler’s pantry, it features an eggshell color and extensive built-in cabinetry—some of it original as well. The space is now outfitted as a full kitchen with dreamy amounts of storage. Beth explains that the home’s original kitchen is still contained in one of the two remaining tenanted apartments.

Behind the dining room is the home’s original breakfast room, with stunning bowed windows, an emerald-green glazed tile floor and even built-in planters so that the home’s original owners, the McVittys, could breakfast surrounded by lush tropical plants. Today the space is used

by Beth as her home office. The walls are covered in geometric-patterned wallpaper, and of note is the painting of the manor house that was painted, according to Beth, at one of the many fundraisers held there.

“The artist, Daniel Nelson, painted this during the party, so of course we had to purchase it,” says Beth. Her painted Queen Anne-style desk in the center of the room is lit by the oversized windows. By French doors leading outside to the front portico, Beth has placed a comfy chaise lounge, creating the perfect spot for reading or an afternoon nap.

To the left of the central hall lies the formal living room, whose ceiling is dominated by a large oval inset. At first glance the area inside the oval appears to be a slightly darker shade from the rest of the ceiling, but on closer inspection, there is subtle movement there, and lo and behold, it’s a mural—a hunt scene painted in very light monochromatic tones. “I wanted something very subtle that would blend with the neutral walls and trim,” Beth explains. Below the mural, the large fireplace mantel is decorated for the season with fresh evergreens and embellished with gold ornaments and poinsettias, but even the profusion of holiday greens can’t hide the intricately carved mantle and crown molding in this room. Beth explains that some of these original details, such as these carvings, present a real challenge should they ever need to be repaired. “Finding craftsmen who understand how to repair woodwork and plaster in a home of this age and style can be very hard,” Beth says. Over the years, the Machers have cultivated a small army of workers to help them keep Ridgewood Farm looking its best.

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A collection of nutcrackers amidst fresh magnolia leaves sit atop an antique player piano in the formal living room.

The furniture in the living room is formal but livable. It’s a place where the family still gathers and a room that they use to entertain guests as well.

Against the wall is an antique player piano—another of Richard’s “finds”—which today is adorned with greenery and a collection of nutcrackers. Not only is the piano dressed for the season, but it is ready to perform: Inside there are dozens of scrolls of Christmas music, ready for the holiday gathering the Machers will host later that evening. In the front corner of the living room a live tree shimmers. Even though the Machers’ son and daughter are now young adults, the family still makes finding and decorating the tree a priority. “My kids love traditions, and we have always gone to Floyd to cut our tree together,” she says. “Heaven forbid I put the tree up before they get home!”

At the far end of the living room lies what was once the sunroom of the original home. Surrounded on all three sides by floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, vestiges of the room’s original purpose remain: the glazed square terra cotta tiles, sunny views overlooking the lawn, a fireplace, and built-in tile planters. However, when the Machers originally occupied the space as newlyweds and new owners, they decided to make this space a unique eat-in kitchen for their family, and it remains the family’s primary kitchen today. The Machers’ cabinets are made to ingeniously incorporate the original tile planters

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as their bases. To accommodate three walls of glass, they opted to “float” the bank of cabinets opposite the U-shaped configuration containing the sink and stove, thus preserving the wall of windows along the back of the room.

The bold floral wallpaper Beth credits to Randall Neely. The room has an original fireplace with an oversized stone surround which complements the room’s atmosphere of familial warmth. The metal fireplace screen is also large and perfectly fitted to the firebox. “Funny story there,” Beth explains. “Believe it or not, we actually spotted the screen in an antique store shortly after we bought the home.

It was listed as ‘From the McVitty Home.’

I thought…what? I’ve got to have it. So I bought it and look: a perfect fit.”

At the rear of the kitchen is a pass through to what could perhaps be deemed the home’s most memorable room: a library/billiard room, lined with built-in arched bookcases and cozy window seats. At Neely’s suggestion, Beth

Three walls of windows in the primary kitchen— formerly a sunroom— offer sweeping views of the estate and the Roanoke Valley beyond.

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A cheerful wreath adorns every window and evergreen garlands drape the grand front entrance of Ridgewood Farm.

wallpapered the ceiling of this room in a small pattern that complements the understated neutral-colored walls, and the multiple layers of crown molding which are painted tan and white. The imposing carved billiard table stands sentry in the middle of the room, but the truly unexpected element in this room is Richard’s jaw-dropping collection of bobblehead dolls that sit on practically every shelf. There are hundreds, if not thousands—both antique bobbleheads and brand new ones. Cartoon characters, sports figures, politicians, you name it, there’s a bobblehead made of it, and it’s likely present in this collection. “My husband is a collector, as anyone who’s ever been in one of our restaurants can tell,” says Beth. “I often say that when we were dating and he first took me into a Macados, I should have known right then and there what our future home would look like!” Despite the abundance of bobble, Beth has managed to find space to bring her vision of holiday spirit into the space. The fireplace mantel is festooned with fresh greenery, candles, and trios of carolers. In the adjoining room, which connects to the powder room, another set of built-in shelves display the family’s collection of heirloom china figurines depicting a traditional English Christmas scene.

The view from the wicker chairs under the front portico provides a sweeping look at the long drive up to the manor. Every window displays a cheerful wreath, and garlands drape the grand front entrance.

To the left of the portico, down the hill from the house, lies the guest house and carriage house for the original home, which the Machers now utilize as rentals.

Standing at the edge of the drive is a charming white playhouse—a remnant of her children’s youth, which Beth holds on to both for the memories and because it was made by hand by her own father. To the right of the house, a brick path leads through enormous old boxwood hedges to Ridgewood Farm’s formal gardens that Beth and Richard have, over many years, restored. Surrounded by a serpentine wall and entered though a pair of classical iron gates, which Beth and Richard gave each other as a 25th anniversary present, the formal gardens are a study of orderly beauty. “Mrs. McVitty was an early member of the Roanoke Valley Garden Club and she took her landscaping seriously,” Beth says. This garden is laid

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out much as it was in Mrs. McVitty’s day: large expanses of green lawn are punctuated by orderly flowerbeds and benches placed symmetrically. The Machers have used this beautiful garden to host countless parties, fundraisers, and even a few weddings.

Ridgewood Farm has indeed changed over the years. It’s no longer a working farm, it doesn’t have cadres of live-in servants, and the world it now exists in looks very different than it did in 1908.

There’s been significant updating over the years, and of course a modern family lives in a home much differently than people did 100 years ago, but the Macher family has made this grand dame their home for more than 30 years. They have put their creativity and love for beautiful old things to work restoring, preserving, and maintaining their very own piece of the past. “It has very much been a labor of love,” says Beth. “This house is not only a project, it’s where we’ve worked, played, and raised our family. It sometimes makes you proud and sometimes makes you want to pull your hair out, but it’s always home.” ✦

Furniture for Life.

ReidsFurnishings.com 5 8

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IMPROVE lighting primer

WHAT THE WATT?

AN ILLUMINATING LOOK AT MODERNDAY LIGHTING

BY C H U C K TAY LO R

The subject of light bulbs used to be as dull as 25 watts. A lamp burns out?

Replace it with a 60W, 75W, 100W or—if you’re feeling fancy—a 3-way bulb, and life is bright again. r vhomemaga zine .com 59

End of adventure

Welcome to a brave new world in which lighting one’s home has come to a convergence of science and art—with options that not only change the ambiance of each room, but actually shave hundreds of dollars off the electric bill each year.

Add to that “smart lights” that you can control with a smart speaker or your smartphone, color-changing bulbs with mini remotes, and all things LED. This requires a bit of untangling, with an understanding of such enlightening modern-day terms as lumens, soft vs. daylight, and the fundamental differences between incandescent—the technology developed by Thomas Edison that remained relatively unchanged after more than 100 years—alongside Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL), Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Halogen.

First, to throw some shade on a well-established rumor. No, incandescent bulbs are not illegal.

The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which went into effect in January 2014, did indeed phase out the 25-cent, traditional 60-watt light bulbs that employed tungsten-filament incandescents—they no longer met new energy standards. Today’s versions of standard household bulbs, according to Energy Star, use at least 27 percent less energy with advancements in halogen technology (actually part of the incandescent family).

There’s more to come. Next year, EISA is mandating that light bulbs must be 60–70 percent more efficient than the standard incandescent on the shelf.

And that brings us to the puzzle of today’s CFLs and LEDs, which are dramatically more efficient and offer lifetimes that extend beyond the decade marker. Still, the terms on the box can be seriously perplexing. Let’s try to simplify that journey down the bulb aisle.

First, there are differences in light color. Warm yellow light, similar to old-fashioned incandescent, has a color temperature around 2700K. The K stands for “Kelvin,” 6 0

a temperature scale that measures light color. Most Energy Starqualified bulbs are in the 2700K to 3000K range. As you move higher up the scale, bulbs with a 3500K to 4100K rating cast a whiter light, while those measuring 5000K to 6500K give off a bluer-white light.

But there is perhaps nothing more confusing than discerning the difference between Lumens and Watts. So, here goes: The more lumens, the brighter the bulb (the term is derived from “luminous”).

For bulbs used in lamps and ceiling fixtures, known as A-type: n 800 lumens = 60 watts n 1,100 lumens = 75 watts; n 1,600 lumens = 100 watts

One of the benefits of the newer bulbs is that they purport to last a great deal longer than incandescent filament light bulbs. Because of high heat levels, the standard filament workhorse typically lasts between 1,500 and 3,000 hours. Second-generation halogen lamps are essentially improved incandescent bulbs. The process of incandescence is still there, but the glass bulbs are filled with halogen gas to counter the detrimental effects of heat and thus improve longevity. So with halogen, the lamp’s lifespan averages between 4,000 and 8,000 hours.

Next in line are Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), which provide an even longer lifespan and more light for much less electricity. These are the curlyshaped gizmos, and they endure up to 10,000 hours. Then there are today’s standard Light-Emitting Diode bulbs (LED), offering unprecedented durability and a previously unheard-of life span.

Energy Efficient Pros offers on its website: “Featuring solid-state lighting technology, LEDs are much closer to computers than light bulb technology, and thus do not suffer from [traditional light bulb] problems, such as flickering, heat and premature burnouts. Because of their low heat levels, LED light bulbs can last up to 25,000 hours.”

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Lighting the smart home

If all of this is starting to read like a science fiction novel, it’s about to get even more space-age. Among the latest innovations in smart home technology is the ability to control one’s entire home lighting grid with your smartphone or smart speaker.

Rising in the dark before dawn? “Alexa, turn on the stairway lights.” Heading to the slightly scary cellar? “Okay, Google, turn on the basement lights.”

How ubiquitous have smart speakers become? In the five years since Amazon introduced Echo, more than one in five Americans (21 percent) own a smart speaker, or 53 million folks, according to Edison Research and NPR. “Smart bulbs” are becoming less expensive, too. CNET points to the Wyze Bulb, which costs $8.

These bypass the need for additional hardware—the $10 add-on plug— that most smart home applications require: “With Wi-Fi radios built into each bulb, screw them in, turn them on, pair them with the Wyze app and bask in the glow of a dirt-cheap smart light,” the tech website says. These also

offer a spectrum of white light color temperature settings, ranging from a warm, candle-like 2,700K to hotter, whiter daylight tones that approach 6,000K. Beyond that, the latest, greatest technology reaches even further into Jetsons territory. Color-changing smart bulbs, from $9 to $30 on amazon. com, utilize a mini remote allowing users to switch between 10 colors and such multiple modes as Flash, Strobe and Smooth, along with a cascade of changing colors and your choice of brightness to set up any kind of ambiance, from dim to disco.

It was 60 years ago that Joel Spira invented one of the marvels of modern lighting—the wall-mounted dimmer switch. With the technology patented, he founded Lutron Electronics in 1961.

Based in Coopersburg, PA, the company is still shining bright—and it continues to innovate. For one, it is known for lighting the Statue of Liberty. That feat alone is certainly tell-tale of just how brilliantly lighting has evolved. And who said bulbs were boring? ✦

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Local Makers Have the Gift(s)

holiday shopping with area artisans B Y K AT H E R I N E F U LG H U M K N O P F

The holidays are upon us and buying gifts may feel like a chore. With all the “havetos” that demand our attention in this season of giving, why not make shopping an adventure? After months of hectic schedules, taking a day to shop for gifts provides a respite from decorating the house, office parties, and rushing to kids’ holiday programs. One of the nicest features here in southern Appalachia and the New River Valley is the extensive offering of artisans and makers who live and work in our region. Their products are unique, one-of-a-kind gifts suited to many tastes and needs; you’re sure to find a local handmade gift for everyone on your list.

Head out to local shops where handmade products are sold. Just seeing the colorful array of items will make you happy and feed your soul as a museum trip would, only more so because these works of art can go home with you.

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Emerson Creek Pottery

Miss Emma’s Clothes for Cool Dogs

The Hudson’s YARD art

Shopping Black Dog Salvage is an adventure.

Located near the Memorial Street Bridge at 902 13th street, the warehouse is full of architectural salvage and antiques, offering an abundance of delightful artisans’ works. There is a rack of beautiful iron tools, skillets, hooks, and brackets that Parker Jamieson forges from metal, useful and beautiful for any style home. Customers flock to the cutting boards that Cameron Florin makes from leftover lumber scraps—as well as the charcuterie boards he carves from live edge wood—as fast as he can make them. Cameron also constructs fractal-burned magnetic bottle openers; no two are the same, as the electrical current runs through each piece of wood differently. Black burn lines give a hand-painted look to the wood behind each opener.

For the little ones on your list, Connie Moody’s knitted baby hats are pieces of art. Little ones will love wearing these colorful caps that look just like the animals they represent: some sport kitty ears and whiskers; others are holiday-themed.

Connie also decoupages boxes and sews beautiful pillowcases.

You won’t want to leave without buying a Dana James stained glass ornament for your tree.

Pallets with a Purpose

connie Moody’s baby hats

These colorful stars twirl in glass combinations of reds, blues, yellows and greens, ready to dazzle a special someone’s tree or hang year-round in a sunny window. For outside décor, there are yard art flowers made by Dennis and Linda Hudson crafted from antique china plates and glass knobs.

For these pieces, the couple repurposes vintage dishware to make statement pieces for the garden.

Downtown Roanoke offers fabulous shopping in art galleries, bakeries, and small local businesses.

One new addition provides many unique gifts in one spot. Crafteria, located at 16 West Church Avenue, showcases an impressive collection of handmade food and goods stocked by area makers.

Spices, jams, jellies, and sauces line the shelves in the food section. Appalachian-themed gear holds another spot, and the year-round Maker’s Market offers goods from more than 60 craftspeople.

In the booth at Transcendent Glass, find bright red hummingbird feeders and unusual barware made by Andy Dillon. Taylor Smith designs leather jewelry including earrings she crafts with a magical, feathery look; they dangle and dance as you move. Brad and Stacy Boris of Pallets with a Purpose reclaim discarded wood pallets to create eye-catching, inspirational

Get out into our community and visit some of these shops for unique gifts.

The thrill of the hunt, the stories you find and tell of the presents that you share, make memories their recipients will cherish.

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signs and racks. Buy one with a metal hook and add a holiday dishtowel for your favorite cook. Find one with several heavy hooks for a family on your list to hang rain gear or backpacks by the door.

Don’t forget the pets! Stop by Miss Emma’s Clothes for Cool Dogs to find festive holiday collars and coats to dress up furry friends for winter weather. Other booths feature pottery and natural skincare products; Crooked Mountain Crafts makes thick, wooly afghans and warm, hand-knit scarves in yummy colors. Before you leave, take a brochure or check the Crafteria Facebook page for weekend and evening events, including Meet the Maker openings and Wine & Art Wednesdays.

Right next door on Church Avenue, Bread Craft displays a case full of sweets and breads. If you need something delicious for the office party or a gift for a pastry lover, Bread Craft offers an array of croissants, Baylee’s Best Chocolates cookies, cakes, and pecan shortbread made from scratch year-round. Special holiday treats include gingerbread men, croissant loaves (fans are obsessed with making this into French toast for brunch), scones, tarts and special breads. Boxed up in their signature blue boxes, any combination of these delights will make someone’s bread craft day.

For chocolate lovers, visit Baylee’s Best Chocolates in West Village on Route 419 in Roanoke County. Bayla Sussman greets you in her black chef’s hat and uniform as you step in the door of this fabulous spot. Baylee’s will box your selection of buttercreams—peppermint and dark chocolate are favorites this time of year–she also packages truffles, salted caramels, homemade marshmallows, almond butter cups, fudge, handdipped pretzel pops and caramel bites in red holiday boxes.

For special orders, stop by early and chat with the chef. Bayla creates most of the candy recipes herself; for gifts she offers signature chocolates and custom creations. Flavors change with the seasons; Bayla lines her glass case with chocolate varieties of milk, white, dark and ruby couverture, yes, those are red chocolates calling your name, made from ruby cocoa beans.

Treat yourself to a ride in the country and head to Emerson Creek Pottery in Bedford, Virginia. With the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, wind the quiet roads surrounded by fields of hay rolls and hills on the horizon to find Emerson Creek’s cabin store, full of gorgeous pottery. Started in the 1970s

by Jim Leavitt, this business has grown to include dishware sets, bakeware and unusual pieces—lamps, clocks, garlic preservers, honey pots, vases, soap dishes and colanders. There’s a gift here to discover for just about everyone in this shop.

The pottery offers Scottish shortbread mixes to go with the handmade shortbread pans. Choose a motif for the pan from R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

PHOTO: CHRISTINA O’CONNOR / CHRISTINA + DAVID

Appalachia Press Letterpress Stationery

clovers to flowers to holiday themes and add a shortbread mix; just add ribbon to tie up a stunning gift. There are bread pans and bread bowls, casserole dishes, even pet bowls designed with a signature paw print in various colors.

It is hard to leave Emerson Creek empty handed. There are five rooms of dishware; each room features stunning collections in tempting colors and patterns. Stacks of plates, bowls, and mugs glazed in beautiful colors line the shelves. Solid pieces are available in cream, copper, green, black, and traditional brown; some mimic old blue and white tinware. Emerson Creek patterns feature clean, organic designs—dragonflies, mountain scenes, apples, olives, dogwood, birds, fishes, pinecones and flora. A set of mugs and a bag of good coffee will make someone’s holiday memorable for sure.

Appalachia Press Letterpress Stationery creates handmade cards with letterpress printing, the ideal touch to refine your gifts.

John Reburn, who also creates silkscreen prints of Valley landmarks, designs and prints cards and stationery using the centuries-old technique. His work is sold at Black Dog Salvage, Bread Craft, and Ellie Proctor Antiques and Fine Things and over one hundred stores around the country. Browsing the racks of his high-quality cards— made on 100% cotton paper—reminds you the best things in life are simple, but fine.

Shop local this season and support area artisans. Doing so is good for the economy and a happy pursuit in making “forever” memories you and your loved ones will treasure. Get out into our community and visit some of these shops for unique gifts. The thrill of the hunt, the stories you find and tell of the presents that you share, make memories their recipients will cherish. ✦

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DESIGN plantation shutters

open a new window PLANTATION SHUTTERS: A PERENNIAL FAVORITE B Y K E N DA L L AT K I N S L I V I C K

I

B Y K E N DA L L AT K I N S L I V I C K

f eyes are the window to the soul, and windows are the soul of the house, then shutters are the lashes that provide both beauty and utility. Plantation shutters are something of a shutter-blind hybrid for a home’s interior, distinguished by their sturdy, large and wide louvers. Experts tout plantation shutters as a timeless window feature with modern updates, that continue to turn heads as a home staple. Both buyers and sellers are opting for this style for three big reasons—resale value, aesthetic adaptability, and techie traction.

Mike Lake, Budget Blinds franchise owner, has seen notable recent trends that speak to both personal homeowner preferences and current market conditions.

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Resale value

Write-ups on mainstream house hunting websites like Zillow and Realtor.com typically include a mention of plantation shutters in the first line or two of a listing, Lake says. The reason? “It is a selling point to the buyer,” he explains. “It tells them a lot about the previous owner.” A little TLC—from maintenance to recent updates and flashy bells and whistles—can go a long way with those searching for “the one.” When making a risky investment, these touches speak volumes. Plantation shutters evidence previous efforts and ongoing conscientiousness in keeping up a home’s condition and functionality, providing potential buyers a cushion of comfort as they consider taking the financial leap of faith.

Another trend Lake has observed is folks juggling multiple buying and selling processes within a short timeframe. Homeowners often have their own house to deal with as they handle, for example, selling a parent’s home so they can move to an assisted living facility. Older homes are commonly structurally sound, but might need a few aesthetic updates to catch the eyes of prospective buyers. “This is a perfect circumstance for plantation shutters,” Lake says.

But what about different housing styles?

Aesthetic adaptability

Regardless of the style, size, period, or décor, Lake says plantation shutters are highly customizable to a homeowner’s taste and individual needs. “Plantation shutters are constant,” he says, regardless of trends or the nitty-gritty specifics of a house’s layout or quirks.

“You can make them look like they belong there.”

The risk of buyer’s remorse is minimal, since plantation shutters are available in a wide variety of sizes and frame types. They can be custom fit and even built around window cranks if needed. Modifications can be invisible and yet allow for effective window cleaning. Reasons homeowners have been opting for plantation shutters as of late range from wanting to dress up a room, to making a longtime wish list item a reality, says Lake. Whatever the reason for their installation, these shutters seem to be a win across the board when it comes to timelessness.

Techie traction

What better way to celebrate timeless style than to roll with the tides of tech? “What is really hot is motorized shutters,” Lake notes of new trends. Plantation shutters are easily motorizable and synced with apps such as Alexa and Google Home. The latest ones come with a rechargeable port and include no messy wires or batteries in need of juice.

Imagine this scene. You’re having coffee with a friend, and note on your weather app that this afternoon will be gloriously sunny. Wouldn’t it be perfect to be greeted with the warm glow of sunshine when you return home?

“Excuse me a moment…Alexa, please open the plantation shutters,” you command. Just like that, you r vhomemaga zine .com 67

have let the sunshine in, miles away from home base—with the help of your trustee voice assistant.

A few other benefits of plantation shutters are worth noting. According to a Realtor.com article, entitled How Much Do Plantation Shutters Cost, and How Do They Pay Off, although plantation shutters tend to be pricier than other styles, homeowners find return value in energy conservation and temperature maintenance, privacy, and durability that stands the test of time.

When it comes to plantation shutters, your choices are many. Like eyelashes on a pretty face, plantation shutters can dress up various styles of homes.

Whether you go large, small, traditional, modern, classic, cutting edge, motorized or any combination thereof, you can be confident that with this upgrade you will add value to your property, adaptably improve the aesthetic of your home, and gain traction as a techie. Which style fits your home, draws your eye, and speaks to your soul? âœŚ

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GARDEN greenhouses

Greenhouse Envy YEAR-ROUND HAVENS FOR GREEN-THUMBED ENTHUSIASTS

BY JA N E R EN N YSO N

While crisp mornings in stocking feet with hot chocolate on the stovetop, and a fire roaring nearby can make just about anyone feel content, you may still long for the lush greenery and fresh vegetables of summertime that are a distant memory this time of year. Perhaps you are a gardener looking to make your hobby more of a priority. Or maybe stress is creeping into daily life, and you need an inviting place to escape and decompress. A home greenhouse could be the answer if you feel creative and need a new project this season. With a variety of sizes and designs for gardeners and craftspersons at all levels, creating a haven for your plants and flowers is easier than you think. r vhomemaga zine .com 6 9

The evolution of greenhouses

History shows us that the idea of creating a greenhouse was conceptualized by Roman emperors who wanted to grow vegetables year-round for health, not unlike many of us today.

The first modern greenhouses were botanical gardens built in Italy to display plants and flowers never seen before, brought home by explorers from far-off lands. Holland and England were quick to follow, with the English creating conservatories—more refined spaces not just for growing plants, but for enjoying them.

Eventually, specialty greenhouses were adapted for certain fruits— specifically oranges (orangeries) and pineapples (pineries).

While these early conservatories were expensive to build and geared towards the aristocracy, they spawned an interest in botany—the scientific study of plants. The first practical botanical greenhouse was built in Holland in 1599, where plants were studied and grown for medicinal purposes. Eventually, building materials became less expensive and by the mid-1800s, massproduction of greenhouses began. Today, many cities across the country maintain historical botanical gardens and greenhouses, including Wye Orangery, the oldest greenhouse in America, built in 1785 on Maryland’s eastern shore.

Personal greenhouse perks

Building a greenhouse on your property can serve many purposes.

The unpredictability of the seasons can bring early frost or late snowfall. Adding a greenhouse allows an early start to the growing season, and an extension of that season well into fall.

A greenhouse creates an optimal environment for young plants and seedlings. Starting these youngsters inside gives them a better chance to thrive before hardening off; choose seedlings 70

and plants that will thrive in your area if you plan to move them outdoors. The advantages of greenhouses for year-round gardeners are numerous—the chance to grow plants not native to local gardening zones, and protection from direct sunlight, wind and drought. Inside, plants are pampered with filtered sunlight, plenty of moisture and no wind. Critters and pest control are a thing of the past and garden tools can be stored inside. We all know from science and personal experience that spending time immersed in nature is beneficial to overall health and well-being. A greenhouse can be a sanctuary as well—a calm and relaxing place to enjoy all that nature has to offer.

From simple to substantial—a variety of sizes

Greenhouses come in a variety of shapes and sizes to enhance the look and feel of your house and yard. Most compact is a windowmounted greenhouse, built into a south-facing frame. This tiny setup provides an easy introduction to greenhouse gardening and allows for plants and herbs to be grown within reach. If you are ready for something more substantial, consider a leanto greenhouse, built right up against a house or other structure.

Since this type of greenhouse only has three sides, it should be placed on the side of the house that gets the most sunlight. The proximity to your home allows for easy maintenance and access to plants, herbs and vegetables, and makes water and electricity from the home convenient and more affordable than in a stand-alone structure.

The serious gardener can make a statement with a free-standing greenhouse, adding beauty to the garden and a year-round retreat for the enthusiast. Freestanding greenhouses can be larger and have more architectural interest than lean-to structures, with R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

roof lines that may be peaked, curved, flat or gabled to complement your existing house. Careful consideration should be taken when choosing a spot for a free-standing greenhouse, as exposure to sunlight and adequate drainage are both crucial to its success. Plan for its future; what may seem like a good size now may be too small once your plants begin to grow.

To build or to buy?

Whether you build from scratch or purchase a kit, the materials you choose are paramount to the longevity of the greenhouse and the plants inside. Glazing is the material that lets sunlight into your greenhouse; glass is a classic choice for glazing but can be cost-prohibitive. A better choice is polycarbonate, a thick plastic recommended by experts more than glass because of its strength, cost and ability to retain heat. The most common types of framing are aluminum, galvanized steel and wood. Choose a frame that will be strong enough to support the glazing material and withstand area weather conditions. Any of these materials are strong and reliable choices; once you decide on your materials, there are numerous local professionals and webbased resources for designing and planning your garden oasis. For a simpler approach, a variety of kits is available for purchase, with materials included.

Whichever path you choose, the result will be a welcome retreat for refining your gardening skills, relishing the beauty of nature and enjoying the fruits of your labor. ✦

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DESIGN investment furniture

SPLURGE VS. SAVE designers sound off

BY ANNE MARIE POORE

P

Proceed with careful consideration as you begin the seemingly dangerous mission of acquiring investment-worthy furnishings. The search may seem daunting—what is the best investment furniture for your home? Rest assured, HOME has polled the experts in and around the Roanoke Valley, and they are willing to share their insight and expertise! These talented individuals also offer advice on where it’s best to save money furnishing and accessorizing your home. Realize you are investing in your quality of life, and comfort is worth the investment. Technology is expensive and rebooted every couple of years, making a considerable expenditure unworthy all too soon. Instead, invest in a gorgeous piece of furniture that you will love and enjoy for decades to come.

ELAINE STEPHENSON

Elaine Stephenson Interiors Elaine Stephenson of Elaine Stephenson Interiors suggests where to begin before purchasing investment piece(s). “It is important to know how you want the room to feel, and the centerpiece of the room will set the tone. Invest in an anchor piece like a beautiful rug or a clean-lined sofa that you will love for years to come. Antiques are, thankfully, coming back into the focus of design. A mahogany antique chest is always a welcome addition to a room. It provides warmth, great storage, and weight.”

Elaine suggests splurging on lighting, “Good lamps are crucial to a room scheme, like a good pair of shoes is to an outfit. They finish the room.”

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Her budget-friendly tip—“You can save on occasional tables.

Get pretty books at a second-hand bookstore. Well-priced accessories are also fairly easy to find.”

ANDREA REID

Reid’s Fine Furnishings “At Reid’s, we always recommend investing in quality upholstery for seating used daily. Sofas and chairs that are eight-way handtied, and have solid hardware frames will stand up to constant use. Today, there are also many ‘performance’ fabrics that hold up well, even with children and animals in the home.”

Andrea also offers, “Another important investment should be solid wood chests, dressers, and nightstands.” It’s important to keep in mind that, “Since these pieces are used every day, the R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

drawers should be dovetailed, center guide, and side-hung, if possible. This level of quality ensures that the drawers will open and close very easily for a lifetime of use.”

“Other pieces worth splurging on are interesting accessories, lamps, chandeliers and art. Why have a standard, plain ginger jar lamp or candlestick lamp, when you can find a beautiful lamp or chandelier to set off a room, like a jewel.” Andrea agrees with Elaine Stephenson’s perspective regarding lamps: “I look at lamps as illuminated art.” She goes onto say that the same consideration goes for art. “If you truly love a painting or an unusual accessory, go for it. It can make the room.”

Pretty upholstered pieces that are not going to get heavy use can be purchased quite reasonably and work well in a foyer or living room. Therefore, this is where you can save money.

ELLIE PROCTOR & MEREDITH DRAPER

Ellie Proctor Antiques and Fine Things Ellie Proctor and Meredith Draper can agree with the concept that a beautiful antique chest of drawers can ground a space and easily move from one room to another. They like to “incorporate timeless pieces into contemporary design because trends come and go, but a classic will last forever.”

Fine European antique lighting never goes out of style, and both women agree that investment pieces are not limited to furniture. Throughout their shop, one can find bronze sculpture, antique leather-bound books, a pair of Chinese jars or an antique tole lamp.

Ellie adds, “Investment pieces have ‘staying power,’ and will stand the test of time.” Other items Meredith and Ellie deem “splurge-worthy” include: English bamboo, antique rugs, antique boxes or humidors, antique Asian screens, and anything silver or brass.

JODI SHIRKEY

Designers II & Tate Interiors “In general, every design project has a budget. This budget may or may not be realistic. For the best-desired results, I advise clients to prioritize their needs and spend the money where they can achieve the most impact. A single purchase of a key piece can carry an entire project. A customized, unique one-of-a-kind piece can be that key. In regards to case goods furniture, it could be the material elements, style, or the finish used that make it unique. Upholstery furniture can also make that impact by being covered in an exclusive, wonderfully designed textile fabric. The furniture can be art to a room and just as important as the art on the wall.”

SUZANNE SELLERS HOUCK

Houck Asset Verification “There’s always a market for quality.” Suzanne believes all purchases should be “passion purchases.” If you love it and it speaks to you, then based on your taste and preferences, you should splurge and enjoy your purchase. “These days small, unique, and very high-end, top-of-the-market, museum-quality pieces are what’s popular.” She advises smart expenditures to include copper, natural artisan wood with natural patinas and garden objects. Suzanne adds, “Custom pieces by living designer artisans hold strong appeal.”

EVAN BERDING

Evan Berding Custom Furniture & Woodwork “Furniture resides in an interesting place between art and utility. Yes, it serves a functional role, and because of this, it is easy to define what furniture “does” as only that. Recognizing that it can, at its best, do more than serve a practical purpose, it begins to move back and forth between something useful and something else entirely. It can catch your eye the way a favorite painting will, or it can remind you of another time the way a song might. As with an artist composing a song or a painting, the maker/designer will put their voice into the work, and you will know if it speaks to you. Look first for that connection when considering a piece to invest in and try to see past current trends. Instead, find work that resonates with you in some intangible way. If you are going to have this piece forever, it should not only look good this year, but it should still appeal decades from now. And in that respect, there is something else to consider when thinking about investing in furniture and that is time, both the destructive and constructive forces of time. Time is going to impart some scratches and dents to furniture (as it does to us) so you will want to make sure the piece is built to withstand our hectic lives. A quality piece—built with select materials using timetested construction—will not only weather daily use but grow more meaningful and beautiful with it. This patina of use is a record of the lives we lived around this furniture. When the piece is then entrusted to the next generation, it is not only the furniture itself but this history that is passed on.” ✦

VALETA PITTMAN

Halifax Fine Furnishings “We suggest that our customers not compromise on the structure of a nice quality sofa.” Valeta adds: “The variety of fabrics available at significant price differences means one can often find a fabric that looks very good, at a reasonable price point.”

“A beautiful decorative chest can be a lovely addition to any room and offers versatility and good storage. It truly could be an investment piece.”

“Never underestimate the effect of a pair of great lamps that provide impact in both the quality of the light it provides and the value of a dramatic accessory.” r vhomemaga zine .com 73

IMPROVE planners

FORESIGHT IS 2020

PLANNING YOUR WAY TO THE BEST YEAR YET

BY AMELIA POORE

A

s we approach the New Year, now seems as good a time as ever to start getting organized. An essential step for getting organized is feeling organized, and using something as simple as a day planner can be an important step in achieving that feeling. We are much more likely to complete a task if we physically write it down, and what better place to write than a fantastic 2020 planner that you can take anywhere?

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Buying a new, empty planner can be daunting. With a blank canvas, starting to get organized can seem impossible. However, there are plenty of blogs and websites from which planner users can draw inspiration. Some rely on color-coding, keeping categories of events and activities easy to differentiate. Work events may be green; family is pink, friends are orange— each aspect of your day is laid out systematically. Some users employ symbols like preceding dots and dashes to indicate the importance of a task. A dot might indicate an email that needs to go out first thing in the morning, while the “pick up drycleaning” line has a dash that means, “before the place closes (this time).” And though many planner bloggers obsess over pen and marker quality, if you prefer an easily erasable “pencil you in” method, try erasable colored pencils for the best of both worlds!

Personal best

Many planner companies produce sticker sets that match the planner you purchase, including general headings or symbols, or specialized to your career or hobbies you enjoy. The Happy Planner company has specialized sticker sets for teachers, students, new and expectant parents, and even a set to help you keep track of a Bible Study curriculum. Erin Condren creates more generalized stickers for new parents, habit tracking, goal setting, and meal planning to help track and prioritize tasks.

Alternatively, a packet of star or circle stickers from the office supply store can help you accomplish the same organization if you don’t need a super-specialized sticker set.

Erin Condren planners offer a wide variety of customization options, from the outside laminated cover, personalized with your name and the year, to the layout of the pages inside. Their coiled, notebook-style LifePlanner is seven inches wide and nine inches tall, large enough to see your writing but small enough to fit inside most bags. The paper is thick so that pen ink won’t leak through, keeping each week’s layout neat and easy to read.

Along with weekly planning pages and full calendars for each month, the LifePlanner has 20 pages for goal-setting, notes and habit-tracking, and also includes stickers to make to-do lists and appointments easier to integrate into the weekly layouts and calendars; the company offers even more fun stickers to highlight a weekend getaway or special birthday. Erin Condren also makes specialized LifePlanners for teachers that include pages for lesson planning and a wedding planner for brides-to-be to keep track of all the details of their special day.

Humor me

Easy, Tiger Stationery creates some of today’s most humorous cards and notes, and their planner collection is no different.

Cloth-bound and available in two sizes—the pocket-sized mini (3- by 5.5-inch) and large (5- by 7.5-inch)—Easy, Tiger planners are available in daily or weekly styles. The daily schedule has one day on each page with an hourly breakdown for scheduling, a gridded section for writing checklists, and a holiday every day (hello National Waffle Iron Day, June 29!). The weekly schedule has the same components as the daily but is laid out to show the entire week. All of the Easy, Tiger planners have the same sense of humor as their cards—self-described as “finely crafted sarcasm (+stuff)”—so they’re perfect if you like a little cheekiness in your day-to-day.

Available in three sizes, the Happy Planner is another highly customizable planner option. Instead of a notebook-style coil or

traditional cloth binding, Happy Planner uses sturdy laminated covers and discs to hold the pages together. Pages snap in and out of a solid plastic disc with a heart-shaped ring in the middle, allowing the user to add new sections to their planners, such as fitness trackers and meal planning guides available through the company. You can take pages out as you use them so the planner doesn’t become too bulky. The Happy Planner fillers come in 18-month sets instead of 12, so you have to reload less often; accessories include stickers for holidays and activities, so you can decorate your planner as you please!

Less is more

For those who are looking for a straightforward planning style, brands like Moleskine and Ink+Volt offer a streamlined layout that’s intuitive and simple. Moleskine planners have easy-to-read weekly layouts with a page for notes or lists beside each week.

They are available in either hard or softcover, with lots of color options and three sizes: pocket, large and extra-large. Moleskine

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planners, like their classic notebooks, are accessorized with an attached ribbon bookmark and an elastic band to keep the book closed when not in use. Ink+Volt planners offer a bit more than the basics of Moleskine, but still feature simple calendars and weekly layouts to make schedules easy to write in and read. The Ink+Volt planner includes unique monthly and weekly goal pages to reflect and focus on projects and aspirations, with a bullet sheet to graph habits, boxes to write down a weekly focus, and a checklist to record goals. The Ink+Volt planner, with its compact 6- by 8.5-inch profile, fits in your bag and on your desk. It is covered with durable book linen and hard-bound with a lie-flat binding; the book will lie flat no matter which page you’re on. The planner also includes two attached ribbon bookmarks, one for the current month’s calendar and one for the current week.

2020 vision

Planner options are limitless, but choosing one is highly personal. None is better than the other but all can be a real help in structuring our daily lives. Keeping a written record is shown to aid time management, improve productivity, relieve stress, and increase creativity; a planner you start on New Year’s Day will begin your personal chronicle of the events of your year in one customized tome. Whatever size, purpose, or style suits your needs, utilizing a planner can help you become your best self, and this time next year as 2020 winds down, you can look back over all the great things you’ve accomplished. ✦

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the holly and the ivy Homemade Garlands, Swags & Topiary

BY P E R RY PAY N E M I L L N E R

As a child I remember Christmas Eve at my parents’ house in Lynchburg. The tree would have been decorated a week or so earlier and tree lights would finally be switched on that night after the long waiting season of Advent.

My sisters and I would be there with our mother on the kitchen floor amid great piles of greenery, helping her make the tabletop boxwood trees she created each year. We’d trim tiny sprigs, poke them into the topiary forms she made, give them

a haircut when complete and decorate them with tiny lights and ornaments.

I still love to make my own natural decorations, so this time of year, my husband and I forage for whichever evergreens, berries, cones and magnolia are prettiest, from our backyard or our generous neighbors. These decorations are more than simply beautiful and great fun for the family; they’re also thrifty during this season.

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Fresh tabletop topiary tree

These are traditionally made with boxwood. Roanoke Valley Garden Club suggests, “Hollies and rosemary are beautiful substitutions, though holly can be prickly to handle. Tabletop trees can also be made with lemons, lady apples, rose cones, even unshelled nuts.”

MATERIALS 12-inch cone-shaped foam topiary forms Garden clippers 8 large branches of fresh greens Floral wire Wire cutters Pot, urn or planter Topiary forms are available as cones, spheres, half spheres and tiered. Select a form—we used a cone—and an attractive pot that fits. (It’s important to buy a container that is big enough. Once greens are added the finished topiary will be much larger than the form.) Use the clippers to trim branches off a large boxwood.

Trim sprigs down even further to about 2- to 3-inch pieces. Cut just above a row of leaves for the best results. For a cone-shaped topiary, create four or five bunches of boxwood sprigs with three or four springs bundled together with a length of florist wire.

Tuck those bunches into the top of the form. Working your way down, cover the topiary form with bundled bunches of boxwood sprigs, leaving an inch or two around the bottom uncovered. Pot the topiary, and make sure all the foam is covered. Add individual boxwood sprigs to bald spots. Secure the form with a dab of hot glue to the bottom if needed. Trim leaves with scissors to groom the topiary. Keep out of intense, direct sunlight and mist with water every couple of days to keep leaves hydrated and looking their best (adapted from HGTV).

Succulent topiary

This project can be started before first frost; enjoy your topiary indoors from now through winter. Emily McCahill of Bay and Branch Plant Design in Roanoke offers helpful advice: “Once outside temperatures dip below 40 degrees move the plants inside.”

The succulent topiary can be a beautiful, early accent for the holidays, and add cheer to the bleak midwinter months that follow.

MATERIALS Long-fibered Sphagnum moss Fishing line (monofilament) Gloves Light floral wire One of the oldest forms of sculpture, the traditional art of topiary involves meticulous pruning and shaping of plants over years to create 3-D masterpieces. Creating your own topiary is easier than you think, and succulents are great starter plants for this project— easy to propagate, low-maintenance plants with compact growth habits that maintain a tight form over time.

Collect or purchase plants that are compact in form and maintain the shape of your topiary, from a generous friend, florist or supplier. If you purchase potted plants, clip off at stems for the topiary but keep the pots, as these will regrow quickly to a full plant. Remove the lower leaves from about an inch of stem; this will be the part that you use. Do collect plants a few days before 78

R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

assembling your topiary so these new wounds can callous over.

Find an ample and sturdy frame. Finished topiary is heavy, so choose a wide base to support the weight of the plants and planting media. Shapes can range from traditional to whimsical.

Sphagnum moss works well for topiary—it holds water, is easy to compact and will expand to hold cuttings and small plants in place until they root. Soak the sphagnum moss in a bucket of water until fully saturated. Wearing gloves, fill the frame with sphagnum moss. If the spaces in your form are too wide to keep the moss in, use a light floral wire to create a netting that restrains outliers. Pack moss into the form tightly to give the topiary a strong foundation. Start small as you pack it in, then fill the form densely until the form is almost hard to the touch. If you can push your finger in and make an indent then you need more moss. Don’t worry about escapees; this densely packed preparation of the moss will make it look like a store-bought topiary. Use the fishing line (invisible in the

reveal to come) to wrap the frame tightly over and over until all of the small pieces are pulled in. This is the rewarding part of the process.

Planting your cuttings in the prepared frame is as simple as using a pen or pencil to make a hole in the sphagnum moss. The moss should be tough to poke the pen into, so move quickly to push your succulent stem into this opening after the pen is removed. The opening will stay visible for a few seconds before the moss starts to tighten back in around the stem and hold it in place. Work with the largest cuttings first and finish with the smaller ones. Using an assortment of different plants will add color, texture and whimsy to your topiary; achieve a more formal look by using a single variety for the entire frame. Your succulents should be rooted in two to three weeks. Keep the frame in a bright area and resist the temptation to water often.

As the sphagnum moss starts to dry out it will turn lighter in color—an indicator to you that it is time to water the form (adapted from World of Succulents).

TOPIARY CARE: Your succulent topiary will grow and spaces will fill in over the next couple of months. Most topiary forms with succulents need to be watered once a week. For best results, shower the frame with water for several minutes until the moss is fully saturated. A light application of water soluble fertilizer every other month will keep your plants healthy. If your topiary starts to look a little “unruly” as plants begin to grow, take a pair of pruners and cut back any long plants. These will soon regrow and the pieces you cut off can fill in gaps or be the start to your next project (misssmartyplants.com).

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2020

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Magnolia garland

MATERIALS 25 or so magnolia branches with five or six shiny leaves each Floral wire Wire cutters If you don’t have your own magnolia tree, make friends with someone who does. You will need about 25 branches to make this garland. Clean the leaves thoroughly before you begin. Cut a few pieces of floral wire approximately 6 to 8 inches long. The wire should be lightweight, but strong enough to hold the branches together—26 gauge wire works fine. Begin by twisting the wire on the end of one of the bundles. Attach the end of one branch to the beginning of another. Loop around several of the bottom smaller stems for support. When you’ve finished with the first branch, wire to the end of the next branch, hiding the wire as best you can as you go along. Work in this manner, hiding the wire, branch after branch. Continue the process until the swag is three feet long.

Check the swag for stability; secure with additional wire in places that appear to be weak. Repeat the process until you have finished three, 3-foot lengths of R o a n o ke Va l l e y H O M E H o l i d a y / W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

garland. Attach one end of two lengths to each end of the mantel. Let them hang down; find the mantel’s center and attach the third length at its center. Use whatever hardware or adhesive is appropriate to your surface. (Note: I use hidden nails; I’ve tried tape and even command hooks, but if you light fires often during holidays, tape adhesive fuses somehow with the paint and makes removal difficult.)

Finally, wire the three lengths of garland together to form two swags. Test for weak areas and reinforce if necessary (adapted from Thistlewood Gardens).

Fresh white pine garland

Go fresh with garland, and you’ll never again be tempted by the artificial variety. There’s no better way to start the season. I use white pine but cedar, holly and fir work equally well.

MATERIALS Assortment of fresh greens 1/4" hemp rope or similar Floral wire Pruning shears Pine, cedar, holly and fir branches all work well in fresh garland. Use a single type of foliage or mix a few varieties of greens into a pattern.

Accent with pinecones or holly leaves—their red berries pop against the green of the boughs. Whatever you choose, snip branches that are between eight and 18 inches in length.

Make this an opportunity for thoughtful pruning; avoid cutting too many pieces from the same small tree and choose branches that are touching the ground, the sides of a building, or the branches of neighboring trees. Counterintuitively, the place to begin seems like it should be last. Tie a loop at the end of your rope, so you can hang your completed

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garland. Next, use floral wire to attach your first piece of greenery to the rope.

Wrap the wire two or three times around the branch until it’s securely in place. Be sure to position that first bough in such a way that it hides from view, but does not completely obstruct, the loop that you tied into the rope. Lay a second piece of greenery so that it slightly overlaps the first, hiding the floral wire that binds it to the rope. Then tightly wrap additional wire two or three times around the second piece, just as you did for the first.

Continue adding greenery in this way, piece by piece, until your garland reaches the desired length. Cut the rope so that it’s two or three feet longer than your garland.

That extra rope may come in handy as you set about hanging the completed garland. Tie a loop at this end of the rope to match the one you made in Step 1.

Once the garland is hung, spot-check it for bare sections, wiring in additional boughs where necessary. If the garland is too long for the space in which you’re going to display it, simply snip it to length with pruning shears and use the excess elsewhere in your home (adapted from Bob Vila).

Easy greenery swag

This simple project takes 30 minutes or fewer. Make an easy and festive holiday swag out of magnolia leaves and other natural materials to hang under windows or on your front door as an alternative to a wreath.

MATERIALS Magnolia leaves Magnolia seed cones Fresh greenery, such as small pine branches or Fraser fir cuttings Staple gun and staples Floral wire Wood board Wide holiday ribbon or pre-made bow

Choose the biggest, prettiest, shiniest magnolia leaves and cones and clip them off the tree. Orient the board. If you’re making a window swag, arrange horizontally; for a door swag, work vertically. Start by arranging the first several rows of magnolia leaves in a pattern on the piece of board. If you’re making a horizontal swag, the leaves can point up and down and they can fill the space around each end. For a vertical swag, crisscross the leaves facing downward, except at the bottom, where they will fill the space around each end.

Fill the staple gun and begin stapling leaves to the board. For a vertical swag, staple the crisscrossed stem tips together to the board. For a horizontal swag, place the tips of the stems up and down, one on each side, and staple to the board at the same time. Don’t worry about visible staples which can be covered up later.

Use additional leaves to fill in gaps and hide the staples. Once the swag is filled out, staple some stems underneath other leaves to hide as many staples as possible.

Use floral wire to bundle two or three seed cones, then attach to the board in the same manner. For a vertical swag, select a long pine branch to extend down the center of the swag, nearly to the ends. For a horizontal swag, select several branches to extend out from the middle; bunch and tie them together with floral wire and attach with additional greenery or holly berries if desired. Using wire clippers, tie a 2-foot length of wire; this will be used to secure the wreath. Horizontal swags can be secured using several foot-long pieces of wire. For vertical swags, wrap the wire around the swag, twist and secure tightly.

With the excess, create a loop that can be used to secure the swag to a wreath hanger or hook. Attach a festive bow to complete your holiday swag, then hang and enjoy! (adapted from Home Depot) ✦

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