Roanoke Valley HOME Magazine Summer 2015

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SUMMER 2015, vol. 8, No. 3

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West Willow Publishing Group, LLC (434) 386-5667 westwillowpublishing.com Copyright 2015 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.

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n editor ’ s note When I was a little girl, I used to love reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” book series. I especially liked learning about how frontier moms did their homekeeping during those pioneer days. All that rug beating sounded like fun to nine-year-old me! Now that I’m a grown-up (who thankfully owns an electrically powered vacuum), I prepare my home for summer in different ways—and I bet you do, too.

This edition is full of ideas of how to “lighten up” your home’s look for summer. You’ll learn how to brighten and cool your interiors with homey quilts and textured matelassé in unexpected places throughout your home. We have a story that might inspire you to perk things up in your bathrooms (without having to renovate). Bathrooms are one place where little updates can make a big difference! We’ll also share some fresh ideas for giving your foyer a welcoming boost. The slower pace of summer is a good time to rework your home’s entryway because we seem to have more time (and maybe less gear to wrangle) to focus on this important space.

Of course, you might be spending all your time outdoors during these next few months. If that’s the case, we have a factfilled story about deck materials you’ll want to read if you’re considering a deck replacement or installing a new one. We’ll acquaint you with ornamental vines—so pretty as they adorn

arbors and fence lines. We’ll teach you which varieties are welcome additions to your garden. And if you really want to get into the spirit of summer, think about finding a charming little spot in your yard where you can install a decorative gate. We’ll give you the ins and outs of what it takes to have a swinging little gate.

But don’t work yourself too hard! Take some time off and read a good book (check out our special “Summer Reading List” article!), and enjoy the beautiful weather.

—LAUREL FEINMAN, managing EDITOR laurel@westwillowpublishing.com

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R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

contents Ro a n o ke Va ll ey h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 15

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features LOCA L F L AVO R

A neighborhood butcher can be a home cook’s best ally

BY J e ss i e T h o m ps o n

A LO V I N G H I S T O R I C R E N O VAT I O N I N D A L E V I L L E

Conservation efforts protect an estate for the future

BY R o ry R h o d es

FORM A L F O Y E R S

Essential tweaks to make this space terrific

BY D e b o r a h S m ith s o n

Cover photography by KG Thienemann

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK HOME Magazine r vhomemaga zine .com

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Ro a n o ke Va ll ey h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 15

departments 38

28

59

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DESIGN

IMPROVE

GARDEN

LIVE

24 G I N GER JARS Porcelain beauties are a classic look for any space

28 ON THE SURFA C E : DECK MATERI A L S Your top choices, demystified

20 SOCIABLE CLIMBERS Ornamental vines create colorful strongholds

38 SOUTHERN SPREADS Summery snacks with a southern accent

BY C har lotte AF Far ley

BY K ath e r i n e K n o p f

BY Lau r e l F e i n man

33 S U M MER R E A DING LIST Favorite design books 59 L I G HTEN UP F O R SUMMER Coverlets add cool colors, textures and patterns

64 BATH BAUBLE S Update your bath without renovating

BY Lu cy C o o k

54 SPICE IT UP Grow the ingredients for homemade salsa

74 T R A D I N G S PA C E S Financing a house swap

BY D e n i z ATAMAN

BY Lau r a M itc h e ll

BY R ac h e l B ean lan d

76 ENCHANTING ENTRANCES Add a delightful garden gate to your yard

BY P h o e b e D i n s m o r e

80 TA K I N G I N V E N T O RY Keep a record of your belongings for safety’s sake

BY C o ry M o r gan

BY Catr i na Ryan

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24 S pecial I nterest 8 2 Index of advertisers 12

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A CUT ABOVE

Local butcher shops focus on customer service

By J ess i e T h o m p s o n

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R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

As the weather warms and cookouts are right around the corner, there is one thing all self-respecting cooks should have in their back pocket: The name of a good butcher.

Luckily, in the Roanoke Valley, there is no shortage.

Although the funky apron, oversized spatula and branding iron are cool tools in a griller’s arsenal, you have to start with good meat. And the best source for good meat is your local butcher—someone who works as both a consultant and a culinary artist.

Just ask Todd O’Brien, of O’Brien’s Meat Market in Salem. The difference between being someone who just cuts meat and a butcher, he says, is deeper than just understanding the physical characteristics of meat; it’s about forming relationships with customers.

“Very often, customers want to know what types of cuts they should buy for particular dishes,” he says.

“We offer them information, as well as help with the quantity needed to feed a given number of people, and we offer recipes and cooking tips, too.”

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It’s a Family Thing

In a time before supermarkets—before meat came pre-cut and shrink-wrapped—shopping was a longer process. Meat was purchased from either a butcher or a corner store. The butcher supplied the meat, but also helped tight budgets go farther. He could offer cooking techniques to make tougher, cheaper cuts of meat taste more tender; he could suggest ways to stretch a cut into two or more meals, and could offer recipes.

In the early 1950s, O’Brien’s father, Conrad, got a job as an apprentice, journeyman, and head meat cutter before being sent to a rigorous meat-cutting school. There, he learned additional skills, including how to grade meat, how to identify the age of cattle by bone structure, the anatomy of cattle, and different processes of aging beef. In the 1960s, he worked as the first head meat cutter at the then-new Crossroads Mall Kroger. Once he earned a promotion as the store’s regional meat buyer, he learned about procuring suppliers and buying large quantities of meat. In 1971, he opened his own store, and his sons have been with him from the start.

“My brother Tim and I grew up learning the meat business from our father, as well as from the other meat cutters he employed,” says O’Brien. “The first meat cutter my dad hired, Mark Able, is still with us in the Salem store today. Mark was a mentor to me when I was younger. I learned a great deal from him, and continue to do so.”

Across town, Rett Ward was also learning about his family’s business: Tinnell’s Finer Foods. Founded by his grandfather, the grocery store became well-known to those in Roanoke and beyond for its cooked Smithfield hams and terrific steaks.

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When his grandfather was running the store, Ward says, he would go to fairs and handpick which animals would be slaughtered. Now, he explains, it’s rare for Tinnell’s to get whole sides of meat because so much would go to waste.

“Our butcher has learned over the years from our customers about what they want,” says Ward. “Our general meat sales are prime cuts, which is the highest grade. Our business model is built on the fact that if we’re not eating steak as often, why not spend the extra two dollars per pound and get the best.”

Customers are King

The draw to the butchers’ cases, besides the beef, pork, chicken and charcuterie, isn’t rocket science, say the store owners: it’s customer service.

These businesses—both of which are family-owned and relatively small—are built around the idea that happy customers will return. They also know their inventory, and many of their customers, if not by name, then by sight.

Running behind but still needing that ingredient? O’Brien’s will take orders over the phone. Over at Tinnell’s, customers are still able to put items on their account, and have orders delivered.

Both places make every effort to fill special requests.

“Customers who must avoid nitrates and other curing chemicals often request pork bellies, fresh hams, pork butts, and even small whole pigs,” says O’Brien. “We can accommodate that. We also get requests for meats that have not been injected with hormones, and we carry that as well.”

What they don’t carry on a regular basis is ostrich. Still, when a customer asked for some, they were able to get it. Ditto for alligator meat.

R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

Ward says he’s worked very hard over the decades to forge great relationships with distributors, so that when an unusual or special request comes in (like the one lamb shoulder last Easter), he’s able to deliver, quickly.

He’s also beefed up the beer (microbrews are a growing trend, he says) and wine selections at the store.

A beverage manager stocks hard-tofind, highly rated but reasonably priced selections, and is happy to offer pairing advice for everything from a dinner for two to a party for 100.

For those who are tight on time, Tinnell’s prepares—either fully cooked or ready to sauté, roast or barbecue in 15 minutes or less—specialty items daily, including chicken tetrazzini, baby back ribs, rotisserie chicken and hand-pulled, smoked pork barbeque.

“We love to help our customers eat well, and with ease,” says Ward.

What’s Cooking?

Another part of what’s fueling the movement toward specialty stores is the rise of the “foodie” culture—people with refined tastes who make eating and drinking a hobby. They are educated, but they also like to try new things.

Enter the butcher; a good one will, at a minimum, offer advice on how to cook certain cuts. They can also provide recipes and even suggest side dishes.

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Take, for example, beef. The most tender cuts, which come from the center of the animal where the muscles are not used as much, are generally the more expensive cuts. These cuts include tenderloin, ribeye and strip steaks. Because these consistently taste good and are easy to prepare, these are some of the more commonly sold cuts. But butchers say there are also less expensive cuts that can taste just as good, or better, when prepared correctly, such as skirt, hanger and flat iron.

A butcher can also encourage you to try different kinds of meat you might not have considered before. Many foodies also identify with the increasingly popular “nose-to-tail” philosophy, in which no part of an animal is wasted. Roanokers, says O’Brien, are part of that movement.

“Perhaps the biggest trend lately is for organ meats, known as offal,” says O’Brien. “We carry beef tongue, hearts, liver, along with pork brains and pork intestines. Another popular request is for meat blends, such as bacon ground with beef, beef ground with lamb, or beef ground with pork.”

The butcher-as-artist comes into play to make sure the meat is trimmed properly, at the right angle, so customers are getting less waste, and the meat will cook evenly and taste as it should.

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Butchers suggest another benefit of going to a specialty shop is that you are in control of the portions. You only need an ounce of bacon for your dish and not a pound? No problem: two slices it is. You are cooking for two and only need one chicken breast? Done. So customers aren’t paying for things that they aren’t using.

For the rare customer, cost is not an issue. Ward says there is a farm in Lexington that raises a specific breed of cattle that brings $100 per pound for tenderloin. And he can get that, he says, but it’s not the norm.

More common are those who view the butcher as a special occasion treat, say at Christmas or Easter.

Ward says Tinnell’s is “slammed” at the holidays—the store cooks and ships hams all over the country, sells at least 60 whole beef tenderloins and prepares another 300, offers standing rib roasts, leg of lamb, and hundreds of turkeys—and he loves it.

Such orders are usually for people planning tricked-out holiday meals for a crowd, and their bill might be higher than the norm. This may be off-putting on other days of the year, for the everyday grocery shopper…but if one-timers average out the cost of buying from a butcher throughout the year, O’Brien suggests R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

they might find that a specialty shop is no more expensive than a supermarket, the quality is usually higher, and the products much more reliable.

“Our customer base is as varied as the population,” says O’Brien. “We have customers who are looking for the best possible prime cuts as well as those who are trying to feed a family on a small budget.”

O’Brien’s also offers cost-saving specials, which bundle different amounts of meat and various cuts, that cost from $30 to $80.

The bottom line is this: specialty shops want your business and will work hard to keep it. You can be proud to support local businesses, for reasons as varied as keeping more money in the local economy to just supporting the commitment to the community that these families make.

Quality products at these smaller shops may get the customers in the door, but their devotion to customer service is what differentiates them.

“If we can’t do something fantastic,” says Ward, “We won’t do it.”

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n GARDEN ORNAMENTAL VINES

CLIMBING VINES Let’s Go Vertical

By K at h er i n e F u lg h u m K n o p f

It’s only early summer, but before we know it the dog days of August will be upon us. Want something spectacular to view while you sip lemonade or a whiskey sour in the shade? Consider planting a climbing vine—there are lots of varieties, and no, these are nothing like your grandmother’s ivy. These vertical dazzlers bring color and charm to your yard.

Look around and find an area in your yard that lacks interest. Planting something colorful or with fascinating leaves will catch everyone’s attention. It might be that bare brick wall on the side of your garage or your house—a large empty space like this is a great place to install a trellis for these plants to climb. Is there a shed in the backyard that could be more attractive with just the right planting? A plain spot along a garden path? This is a great place to install a trellis or archway as an entry to another part of your garden. Do you have a bare fence or wall? These structures, too, make great sites for climbing vines.

Once you locate a spot, you must decide what type of plant (shade-or sun-lover) will grow there. To do this, watch the sun pattern over the next few days, and think about the other color in that area. What color would complement the surrounding plants? You may choose to keep it all one color for a serene look, or choose a climbing vine with vibrant color that calls attention to this spot. Texture is another consideration. Select a vine that either berries, flowers or hosts unusual leaves to create a real accent. Once you know your plant specifications, you will be able to find the perfect vine.

2 0

WISTERIA R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

HONEYSUCKLE r vhomemaga zine .com

CLIMBING ROSE

Clematis 21

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Up, Up and Away

To train your vine to grow upward, you will need to tie it on to a trellis, fence or latticework with string. Another option, if you are comfortable with a little do-it-yourself project and use a slowgrowing, non-invasive plant, is to create a wire grid for the plant to grow on. To do this, attach small eyehooks into your brick, siding or stucco wall and connect them with wire. On a flat wall, the trellis design can be any pattern that suits your space. Draw it on paper first to decide if you want a square or a diamond grid.

Measure the space and mark with a pencil the places where you want your anchor points. Make the grid by using a mason drill to form small holes where each of your pencil points are marked, fill the drilled holes with anchors, and screw eyehooks into the anchors. Start at the top and run the wire between the hooks to create the wire grid. Alternately, you can buy a wooden trellis kit at the garden store.

Plant your vine according to the grower’s tag instructions.

Be sure to leave room for the plant to grow and for your wall or other structure to “breathe.” Attach loose strands to the trellis or grid to train the vine’s ascent upward and outward. If you want to add more depth to the vignette, place a small garden statue in front of it. Or consider putting a birdbath in front of the vine, providing another dimension and offering birds a cool spot to land.

So Many Choices

Flowering vines come in many types, so it should be easy to find one that enhances your garden and grows well in our climate.

Traditional vines that work well here include clematis, climbing roses and honeysuckle. Clematis comes in vibrant colors—pinks, purples, reds, yellows, and blues, as well as shades of white (and black, called “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”)—and the flower petals and stamen are miniature works of art. Some look like pieces of candy dangling from a leafy green vine.

Climbing roses offer beautiful colors and shapes. Some even stray from the traditional look of a rose, with ruffled-edged petals or tiny flowers that look like clusters of buttons from a distance.

Climbing roses look stunning ascending up a bare wall of a garage or garden shed. They like lots of sun and their colorful petals contrast with the thorny green stalk that supports them.

And honeysuckle vines smell divine and bring to mind memories of summer days. Their flowers are smaller dots of color, but there are so many on the vine that they give a textured look when they climb up a wall. There is a lot of color and pattern to see, and when the wind blows, you get whiffs of their deep perfume.

Honeysuckle comes in reds, whites and yellows, and lends that traditional southern look to a yard.

If you are looking for something a little more unusual, consider a chocolate vine, jessamine or climbing hydrangea.

Chocolate vine features sweet-smelling lilac flowers, and the vine produces edible fruit that tastes like tapioca pudding. Chocolate vine is known for this oblong blue fruit that makes wonderful jams and preserves.

Jessamine vine is easy to grow, and flowers abound on its glossy, green-leafed stems. A beautiful southern vine, jessamine grows well on fences and trellises, spreading a coat of yellow when it flowers each spring. The “Yellow” or “Carolina” varieties are likely the hardiest for our zone. They produce fragrant flowers and will grow unsupported if you choose to let them mound in your garden rather than train them on a trellis or fence.

R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

JESSAMINE

TRUMPET VINES

r vhomemaga zine .com

CHOCOLATE VINE

Climbing hydrangeas are simple, serene vines that take a little more care, but the rewards are worth it when those flowers bloom. Climbing hydrangea need extra protection during extremely cold winters until they are well established in your garden. They come in several shades of pink as well as a beautiful white with deep green leaves. One variety offers a textured bark that peels in the winter to keep your garden interesting all year long.

Vines with a little more edge include trumpet and wisteria vines, which catch your eye with their prolific, colorful flowers. Trumpet vines call attention with their long, bright orange flowers; hummingbirds love them too, bringing active nature to your yard. They grow aggressively, and can fill in a bare spot quickly, so if you are not interested in pruning, you might want to choose a different plant. Wisteria evokes wistful sighs, with its dangling purple clumps and twisting vines. It requires patience and shears as it climbs quickly and sends runners to create little wisteria. It also requires a strong trellis for support.

Climbing vines give so much to your yard by growing up and out, pulling the eye in a different direction than your old faithful garden beds. Paired with big pots or sculptures on the ground, your vine can be part of a garden vignette, camouflaging spots that are otherwise barren or unattractive. And they are so much fun to watch as they grow and change over the years. It’s time to try one and see what a splash they make in your yard this summer.

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n DESIGN GINGER JARS

VALUABLE VESSELS FOR EVERY HOME

By Ch a r lott e A F Fa r l e y

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There are few decorative accessories that can speak to lovers of both traditional, classic home design as well as contemporary, modern design.

Much like the June peonies that look great inside them, ginger jars are the quintessential accessory for enhancing just about any space in any home. From a single, oversized jar to an exhibit of graceful urns en masse, these pieces of earthenware provide color, texture and grace to help you make an impact through your home décor.

Also known as temple jars or general jars, porcelain ginger jars became the inspiration for the ever-popular Dutch Delftware.

Oddly enough, their roots are as far from the Netherlands as could be: the urns have a rich history with roots stemming from Chinese culture and royalty. In fact, experts say some of the blue and white vessels we see today reflect the designs preferred by the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Originally intended as storage for salts, oils and herbs, ginger jars earned their name from serving as containers for ginger during shipping and transport to r vhomemaga zine .com

Western countries. It was only in the 19th century that Western culture began collecting these jars for the love of their form over function; in fact, people started such a craze that local potteries began mass-producing imitations of the genuine Chinese jars at this time.

Characterized by domed lids, globular shapes, and tall shoulders, authentic ginger jars depict landscapes, birds, dragons and floral designs, have been painted by hand, and are typically seen in blue and white. It’s also common to see a rose medallionstyle embossment around another scene on the urn, essentially creating a kind of a framed story. An authentic Chinese ginger jar is indeed a rare find; these delicate jars are centuries old. Even if you find one that doesn’t show signs of age or wear, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a lid that matches exactly.

Just as we don’t keep our ginger in these beautiful jars (although we certainly could), they no longer come in just shades of blue or white: today’s ginger jars can be found in an array of colors, shapes and sizes. From bold and vibrant reds and yellows to soft and subtle grays and whites, today’s ginger jars also feature a variety of motifs—chevron patterns, animal prints, Swiss dots and more. You can purchase brand-new jars from home furnishings dealers locally or online, or you can enjoy a Saturday afternoon of antiquing or browsing thrift shops. Either way, you’re bound to find a jar that appeals to you and your preferred budget.

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f New Ways with Old Jars

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We love to feature our most cherished treasures in our home. So when you come across a ginger jar that you find simply divine, you’ll want to show that off that, too. But how do you show off a simple jar? Won’t it get lost in the sea of family photos and artwork you already have on display? Actually, you can celebrate the beauty of your jar (or collection of jars, as it might be) in any way that you like; the possibilities are only limited by your physical space or your imagination.

A fresh, natural way to present your ginger jar is to use it as a vase that celebrates the seasons. To build contrast, fill a blue and white ginger jar with pink tulips or peonies in the spring, and pumpkin-colored marigolds in the fall. On the other hand, you can go for a tone-on-tone look in the summer with white and blue hydrangeas. When the cold weather comes, swap those summer blooms out for branches of holly or other winter greens; you can even attach small pinecones with floral wire for a truly wintry look.

If you want an all-seasons arrangement, stand two vessels of the same size beside each other as holders for topiaries. Create textural contrast by placing traditional ginger jars in rooms that feature otherwise rustic textures like sisal and burlap. To that end, don’t feel that you’re limited to using jars only with interior design; illuminate white wicker tabletops with a sweet vignette that includes a ginger jar, or adorn your patio or porch floor with large vessels to brighten your outdoor living space.

For a truly one-of-a-kind decoration that is both fun and functional, bring your ginger jar to your local lamp shop and have it converted into a custom lamp. If you want, you can give your jar a makeover and paint it in a shade that goes best with your personal furnishings and style.

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The living room, study or home office are prime spots for using your ginger jars. Style your bookcases artistically by using ginger jars at the finishing touch to your design. Select a spot on each shelf for a small piece of porcelain to take up residence. You can also cluster your jars in the fireplace after winter passes, or combine jars of different heights and shapes to be the focus of your mantel. Use two jars as anchors to showcase another beloved item. Any ledge deep enough to hold your jars is the proper place for your collection—even a deep ledge over a set of French doors.

Ginger jars don’t just come in small sizes; an extra-large urn serves as a statement piece for holding dramatic arrangements on the dining room table or for sitting at the base of a stately staircase.

Tall, wide vessels are also perfect for filling in the empty space under a console table.

If you like to avoid bridal registries, consider bestowing a bride and groom with a pure white ginger jar to commemorate their special day. One customary Chinese wedding gift is a ginger jar that carries the image of a dragon to represent the groom and a phoenix to represent the bride.

From their Chinese cultural heritage and 19thcentury knock-offs to the updated designs of today, ginger jars belong to a unique set of decorative items that can have both aesthetic and utilitarian value, and can find a place in any home.

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n IMPROVE DECK MATERIALS

Durable Decking Materials

BY L au r el F ei n m a n

Adding a deck is one of the most requested home improvement projects. Decks can extend your entertaining space by creating an enjoyable outdoor spot for dining, grilling or lounging. An elevated deck (rather than a ground-level patio) is an ideal solution for sloped yards where a flat area is wanted. Most decks tend to be located in proximity to the kitchen—an important site consideration when cooking outdoors.

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make about your new deck is selecting the material to construct it. A professional deck builder can make recommendations about materials, size and style and any additional structures you could add to enhance the deck and integrate it into your home’s exterior. Many work with landscapers, pool companies and other outdoor professionals to create an outdoor entertaining space that truly “elevates” the appearance and functionality of a backyard deck.

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One of the biggest decisions you’ll make about your new deck is selecting the material to construct it. A professional deck builder can make recommendations about materials, size and style and any additional structures you could add to enhance the deck and integrate it into your home’s exterior.

Know Your Materials

There are three main deck material options for decks: wood, plastic, and composite—a manufactured material that’s a combination of the first two choices. Each option has unique features and benefits to consider.

Wood

Generally, wood is the most common and least expensive material used for a deck.

But if you don’t take care of wood, it will rot, crack, splinter and warp—nails can even pop out of it. So if you choose to build a wood deck, it’s recommended that you power wash it twice a year—after the spring pollen season and the last of the autumn leaves have fallen—and apply a sealant to the deck’s surface (think of it as applying a protective coat of sunscreen to your deck). Throughout the year, regularly remove debris from your deck and tend to loose boards and splinters when you notice them. Every few years, you’ll need to strip, seal or stain the surface of your deck, for its appearance and longevity.

Keep in mind that the availability of certain woods varies across the country.

For instance, though redwood is a popular deck choice on the West Coast, it is harder to come by here on the East Coast. Lyn E. Caldwell III, owner of Better Decks Plus Construction, says that most wood decks in our area are made of pressure-treated pine. Cedar and pressure-treated pine are favorites r vhomemaga zine .com

for decks because of their budget-friendly price and widespread availability. You can expect to replace boards here and there about five to 10 years after the initial installation.

But Caldwell says he’s seen a decrease in pressure-treated pine’s quality and performance in recent years and often recommends that homeowners choose a different product for their decks. He says, “I have noticed that some of the small problems we had with treated wood have multiplied. Posts seem to twist more, decking boards now shrink width and lengthways.

The bottom line: Domestic wood, like cedar and pressure-treated pine, is the least expensive option for deck materials, but will require the most upkeep to keep the deck looking great and protect your investment.

Eventually, parts or all of a wood deck will probably need to be replaced. If you’re not constructing a deck for the ages, domestic lumber may be a perfect choice.

Tropical hardwoods like ipe—which comes from Brazil—have become popular in recent years because of their attractive appearance and easy long-term care. “Ipe wood is a high-end, long-lasting choice for decking. It has the rich color of an oiled hardwood, and weathers out to a pale gray. It looks great,” says Caldwell.

He also says you don’t have to do much

to keep ipe decking looking great once it’s installed. “Water-based sealants are totally unnecessary with tropical hardwoods like ipe. The only care that’s needed is to spot clean any stains that occur,” he says.

Ipe is known for its incredible durability and for being weatherproof.

Though it’s not necessary for longevity, ipe can be treated with a UV-protectant oil to maintain its shimmery deep reddish color, or it can be left untreated to weather to gray over time. This material is said to last 30 years or more. You will pay more for the material itself, and it is labor-intensive to install because the wood is so dense.

(Caldwell says your contractor will spend a lot of time counter-sinking the fasteners and he’ll burn through many drill bits and saw blades during the installation of an ipe deck.) However, when you consider its long-term durability and comparative ease of maintenance, it may be a wash in the end, as tropical hardwoods have better rot- and insect-resistance than their domestic wood counterparts.

The bottom line: Tropical hardwoods are the most expensive materials option for decks—costing more than other woods or top-of-the-line plastic and composite materials. Tropical hardwoods are heavy and difficult to install. But decks made of tropical hardwoods stand up extremely well to insects and environmental conditions, so once it’s installed, it will likely stand firm for many years to come.

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Plastic

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The bottom line: Though more expensive than any wood and (most) composite materials, a deck made from plastic could be the closest thing to “carefree” a homeowner can get. As long as your deck isn’t in full sun or without a shade-providing structure, a deck made from plastic decking material may offer an ideal outdoor spot for hassle-free lounging.

Composite

“Your Fire & Wate r Dam Consolidated Construction Services Inc.

Manufacturers boast plastic decking materials’ resistance to stains and grease, an important consideration if your deck will be used primarily for grilling and dining. No decking material is completely maintenance free, but plastic may be the closet thing to it. Most plastics are treated with an applied finish and will need only to be washed with a mild detergent and garden hose or power washer.

Jason Nuckols of The Vinyl Porch Rail Company installs decks, railings, pergolas and other outdoor structures using vinyl, a type of plastic polymer. Also called PVC, short for its laboratory name of polyvinyl chloride, this product is generally appreciated for its lifetime warranty and the durability advantage it holds over other materials. Nuckols explains, “PVC has no organic matter; the core of it is recycled material and the hard outer shell allows [manufacturers] to emboss wood-grain patterns into the product. PVC won’t degrade, expand or contract in changing temperature and humidity conditions.”

But plastic is the least heat-resistant material of the three options, so before you choose plastic for your deck, consider if it is in the sun for the majority of the day. Additionally, plastic decking isn’t as stiff as lumber, so it generally needs more support underneath it to prevent sagging. The cost per square foot of the material itself is comparable to that of a tropical hardwood, but the installation costs will likely be higher than other options, because the supporting structure of a plastic deck will need to be more extensive. Nuckols says his favorite brand names for decking materials are Azek and Paldek.

For years, “Trex” was the only name in composite deck materials, but now TimberTech, Fiberon and many more companies join it. Composite decking is a hybrid product, manufactured from wood fiber and plastic to form a plank that requires less maintenance and typically has a longer lifespan than natural wood decking. Like plastic decking materials, you won’t have to stain or treat composite decking to maintain its good looks. Many manufacturers offer not only different colors, but also textures and grain patterns similar to those of tropical hardwoods. Nuckols says, “The technology for decking materials has come so far. Today’s materials have excellent stain resistance and wood grain looks that are extremely close to that of real wood.”

For homeowners who love the look of a tropical wood deck, but want the easier care of a manufactured material, Caldwell says he recommends that homeowners choose a high-quality composite decking like the upper-end Trex Transcend product line. He says, “High-end composite deck materials like Trex Transcend come with a 25-year stain and fade warranty.

Plus, it’s less expensive than a tropical wood product, which has no warranty.”

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Composite boards often come with a warranty of 20 to 25 years and they’ll stay the same color as the day you installed them. Composite is about 40 percent more expensive than real wood initially, but because you don’t have to keep re-staining it, the cost over time can be equal to or less than real wood.

The bottom line: Composite decking materials are a manufactured hybrid of the best qualities of wood and plastic. Composite decking materials carry reasonable guarantees for their long-term performance. If you’re looking for a product that looks like wood but performs over time like only an engineered product can, composite decking is worth your consideration.

Though the cost for deck design, materials and labor will vary, you can expect the amount of time it takes to install an averagesized deck (300 square feet) to be about two weeks. If you’re also adding a porch, pavilion or gazebo, expect it to take at least another week. Such a small investment of time, relatively speaking, will bring your family countless hours and days of relaxation and enjoyment on your new backyard deck.

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n DESIGN DESIGN BOOKS

HOME Magazine’s

Summer Reading List Must-have design books for your home library It’s summertime, and who doesn’t like getting caught up in a good book? If your idea of a great book is one that carries you away to a land filled with dreamy homes, then this is the summer reading list for you! The beautiful photography alone will draw you in, but these books aren’t just pretty—they also offer everyday tips and ideas about entertaining, organizing and, of course, decorating your home.

We’ve compiled some of the best-selling books in the worlds of interior decorating, design, gardening and stylish living. They may be too pretty to toss in your beach bag, so carve out some quiet time and take a little mental vacation with one of these lovely books about homes and gardens. Happy reading!

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CREATING A HOME

By Kathryn M. Ireland

The Great American House

Tradition for the Way We Live Now

By Gil Schafer III

Acclaimed architect Gil Schafer specializes in building new “old” houses as well as renovating historic homes. His work takes the best of American historic and classical architecture—its detailed moldings and harmonious proportions— and updates it, retaining its character and detail while simultaneously reworking it to be more in tune with the way we live now: comfortable, practical, familyoriented. Filled with hundreds of interior and detail shots, The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now is an invaluable resource for anyone who loves old houses and traditional design.

American Modern

By Thomas O’Brien

Thomas O’Brien is a New York City-based tastemaker who’s been celebrated for his ability to translate modernism into a warm, livable style. His partnerships with Safavieh, Reed & Barton, Hickory Chair, Target, Visual Comfort and Waterworks are examples of how classic and relatable his design aesthetic is. In American Modern, O’Brien covers important design principles such as architectural authenticity, color relationships, correctness of scale and informed collecting. It reads like a master class in modern American interior design.

APARTMENT THERAPY’S BIG BOOK OF SMALL, COOL SPACES

By Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan

According to Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan (co-founder of the popular interior design website “Apartment Therapy”), living in a small dwelling encourages homeowners to focus on what’s essential and to devise inventive solutions for carving out storage and living space in their homes. Leading us through entrances, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms, bedrooms, home offices, and kids’ rooms, Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces is brimming with tips and ideas for finding opportunities for storage and decorating small spaces with style.

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Kathryn Ireland, a California-based designer known for her French country linens and textiles, offers a fresh take on classic materials and design in her book, Creating a Home. In it she shows us how to deftly mix fabrics with international market “finds” and schools us on how to blend ironwork, wood, tile and furniture together for a sense that’s expressive of the casual way many of us live today.

THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE

A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live

By Sarah Susanka

In The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live, noted architect Sarah Susanka gives homeowners the language they need to ask for the house that they want: a house that values quality over quantity and that emphasizes comfort, beauty, and a high level of detail.

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Decorating is Fun!

How to be Your Own Decorator

By Dorothy Draper

The Language of Interior Design

By Alexa Hampton

Alexa Hampton owns and operates a design firm in New York City and designs licensed products within the home furnishings industry. In The Language of Interior Design, she gives us the vocabulary and elements that define good design. She provides 18 classic spaces that illustrate in rich detail the elements that govern cultivated design—contrast, proportion, color and balance—and she shares design expertise on everything from fabric schemes to the particulars of paint.

Dorothy Draper was the first to “professionalize” the interior design industry by establishing, in 1923, the first interior design company in the United States. Decorating is Fun! (How to be Your Own Decorator) is a book about how to have a good time decorating.

The book, originally published in 1939 on the eve of World War II, is still practical, amusing and inspirational today. Draper’s enthusiasm feels fresh and contemporary. She believed that though there were troubles in the world, one’s home should be a refuge—a cheerful place for entertaining one’s friends and a comfortable shelter from the storm.

A favorite for me is Live, Love & Decorate by interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. I like his chic and eclectic style and how he pulls from his clients’ personalities and interests as he creates a design for their personal spaces.

- Kathy Spark, Accents on Windows

LIVE, LOVE & DECORATE

By Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Drawn to glamour, Martyn Lawrence Bullard moved from London to Los Angeles to pursue acting but became a star decorator instead. His designs balance the contemporary with the traditional. In Live, Love & Decorate, Bullard’s chic and sumptuous celebrity clients’ homes include Sir Elton John’s disco-luxurious apartment; “Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo’s hip Mediterranean villa; Cher’s Moorish palazzo in Malibu; and Tamara Mellon’s New York City penthouse that dazzles with bold artwork and striking color. With a knack for beautiful and dramatic spaces that don’t sacrifice comfort, Lawrence Bullard reveals his know-how for creating a sensational home. r vhomemaga zine .com

One of my favorite books at the moment is Elements of Style: Designing a Home and a Life by Erin Gates. She has a very similar aesthetic to my style, which is exciting. The author is very honest in the ups and downs of interior design, which I love, and she is absolutely hilarious. I love seeing pieces throughout the book that we currently have at Magnolia.

- Jessica N. Durham of Magnolia

Elements of Style

Designing a Home and a Life

By Erin Gates

Erin Gates is a 30-something Bostonbased interior designer and blogger who focuses on interior design and how it can be inspired by fashion, travel and pop culture. Elements of Style: Designing a Home and a Life is a practical decorating guide that shows how designing a home can be an outlet of personal expression and an exercise in self-discovery. Drawing on her 10 years of experience in the interior design industry, Gates combines honest design advice and gorgeous professional photographs and illustrations with personal essays about the lessons she has learned while designing her own home and her own life—the first being: none of our homes or lives is perfect.

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Following a similar theme as Needleman’s book, Gloria Fox and Lisa Fuller of Potentially Chic say, “Our favorite decorating book right now is The Nesting Place’s It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith.

We love her philosophy of decorating and really living in your home, no matter how perfect or imperfect it is.

There is beauty in the imperfection!”

Scrapbook for Living

By Bunny Williams

The Perfectly Imperfect Home How to Decorate and Live Well

By Deborah Needleman

Deborah Needleman is a publishing executive who’s spent her career focusing on homes and décor. In The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well, Needleman offers simple how-tos and techniques to put your home together for an effortlessly chic look. According to Needleman, the point of decorating is to create the background for the best life you can have—with all its joys and imperfections. Virginia Johnson whimsically illustrates the book.

Bunny Williams is renowned for her attention to every little detail in her clients’ homes. In Scrapbook for Living, Williams takes the reader through several homes room by room, showing creative ways to organize and add personal touches. Williams empowers the reader with her practical and inspiring tips for making a house a home.

Collected

Living with the Things You Love

By Fritz Karsh

Fritz Karsh, director of collecting at Martha Stewart Living, teaches readers the basic principles of hunting for collectible treasures, while exploring the thoughtful and inventive ways people display their various collections. Collected: Living with the Things You Love showcases 16 different collecting personalities—from no-frills to ornate—each with its own chapter, featuring gorgeous photographs of different vignettes to showcase and display collectible objects.

ONE MAN’S FOLLY

The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood

By Julia Reed

When it comes to interiors, style, antiques and Southern vernacular architecture, Furlow Gatewood is an expert. This book presents his home in bucolic Americus, Georgia, where he has meticulously restored his family’s historic home, including its carriage house and outbuildings, saving them from demolition and bringing them back to life to become an oasis of Southern style.

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

By Marie Kondo

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing offers guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t) and will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

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Landscape architect Melissa Hodgkinson of Fiddlehead Landscape and Garden Design knows the value of great gardening reads. She says, “When I want to feel truly transported to some of the most gorgeous garden spaces, my ‘go to’ inspiration is Veranda: The Art of Outdoor Living by Lisa Newsom. From classic European landscapes to clean-lined contemporary courtyards, the exquisite photographs (which literally feel as if you can step into them) not only capture the character and mood of each space but also illustrate how important the final dressing of a garden is with sculpture, furnishings and decorative objects—truly exterior design.”

Garden Inspirations

By Charlotte Moss

Just released this spring, Garden Inspirations by famed interior designer Charlotte Moss turns an eye to the garden as a resource for interiors, entertaining and good living. Moss offers insights on how to bring the garden into home life—including ideas for elegant flower arrangements and table settings, garden seating for entertaining and relaxing, and interior color schemes drawn from nature.

English Cottage Gardening for American Gardeners

By Margaret Hensel

Noted garden designer Margaret Hensel asserts that the elegant intimacy of the English cottage garden is a practical possibility for amateur gardeners in diverse regions of the United States. The gardens in this beautiful book are not those of the great estates of England, manicured by staffs of professional gardeners. They are, instead, labors of love on the part of individual homeowners, many of whom started with bleak, rubble-strewn lots and went on to create the enchanted settings. English Cottage Gardening for American Gardeners focuses on easily grown, readily available plants that are adaptable to a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions. r vhomemaga zine .com

A-Z ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GARDEN PLANTS

By The American Horticulture Society

With more than 15,000 plants in 6,000 photographs and illustrations, the A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is the likely the most comprehensive, detailed and lavishly illustrated guide to garden plants ever published. Plants are arranged alphabetically by their botanical names for fast, straightforward access. All names are completely up to date, and previous names (synonyms) appear as crossreferences throughout. Any plant can be located quickly, even if the current botanical name is unfamiliar or not known.

A PASSION FOR FLOWERS

By Carolyne Roehm

The Gardener’s Palette

Creating Color in the Garden

By Sydney Eddison

Written by a trained artist, The Gardener’s Palette: Creating Color in the Garden offers inspiration and instruction on “painting” with nature’s colors. With a simple introduction to the color wheel and basic color theory, green thumbs learn to use harmony and contrast in the garden as an artist does on canvas.

With more than 300 glorious color photographs, The Gardener’s Palette explores brilliant uses of color in gardens as well as suggestions on using pots, fabrics, and other outdoor decorating materials to enhance nature’s hues.

Carolyne Roehm may be better known as one of the fashion industry’s top designers, but in her book A Passion for Flowers, Roehm turns her design talents to teaching us how to design floral arrangements.

Roehm instructs readers about the overall features of dozens of the most popular flowers, and helps readers understand how these elements relate to each other from a design perspective. Organized by season to profile the blossoms as they come into their glory, Roehm offers bouquet “recipes” with step-by-step instructions and specialcare instructions for more sensitive blooms.

This book features 250 breathtaking photographs and is a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration that will help readers stop and smell the roses every day.

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n LIVE CULINARY CORNER

Southern

SPREADS

Special Ingredients for Light Summer Meals

By Lu cy Co o k

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S

ummer in the south is a state of mind. We grow our own vegetables (or get stellar choices at the farmers market). We move a little slower, and drink mind-boggling amounts of iced tea. We continue to gather around the table and share food, but the style of food changes to match the weather. We hesitate to heat up the kitchen after a warm day, and tend to eat lighter and savor the fresh flavors of the season. Meals shared on the porch seem to be more casual, and more about grazing than a formal meal.

Summertime meals are often centered around the bounty of the garden: fresh tomatoes, corn, green beans, okra and other vegetables. The centerpiece of a meal consumed outdoors may be all about the abundance of available heirloom tomatoes, with some mozzarella, fresh herbs and olive oil. Sometimes, we’ll add a biscuit or some fried chicken from the store down the road to round things out. On the hottest days, meat becomes more of a flavoring—like a little bacon on a tomato sandwich instead of a big slab of pork as the center of the meal.

I’ve included some of my favorite recipes for summer—a few simple recipes that, if served together, can make a great casual summer “grazing” meal. Or, on another night, the recipes could be great appetizers for a casual summer get-together. For a no-fuss cocktail hour, I use a collection of different sized jars that I fill with different pickled vegetables, pimento cheese, hummus, roasted nuts and other nibbles. For a summer party, I group them on a cutting board with fresh bread and crackers for spreading.

The recipe for homemade mayonnaise will add a little something to every recipe in which you use it—from the pimento cheese recipe here to your own homemade potato salad. Or make some delightful cucumber sandwiches: add a little chopped dill to the mayo, slather it on thin white bread and top with sliced cucumber. Cut off the crusts and enjoy a perfect appetizer, or part of a lovely “grazing meal”! Happy Cooking!

Homemade Mayonnaise (makes about 1 ½ cups) Making mayonnaise at home might never have crossed your mind, but you probably didn’t know that it takes less than five minutes! Homemade mayonnaise will change you—especially when you start adding flavors to make it personal. Try it at least once, just to see what you’re missing!

2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon wine vinegar (I like Virginia Vinegar Works) ½ teaspoon Dijon or dry mustard 1 teaspoon salt 1 ½ cup oil (light-flavor olive oil, or canola oil, or a combination of the two) Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard in a food processor and pulse to combine.

Add the oil a drop at a time (I’m not joking; this is crucial!) until the mixture starts to thicken. Then, continue to add the oil slowly in a steady stream, and blend until the mixture is thick. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.

To add flavors: add minced garlic, smoked paprika, any herb or Parmesan cheese to make some of my favorites to serve as a dip with veggies or protein. r vhomemaga zine .com

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Pickled Garden Vegetables (makes about six jars) Pickled vegetables seem to be a hot item in restaurants. They’re great with drinks, go well with cheese, and don’t spoil your appetite! These are best after a few days of pickling. I skip the sterilizing and canning procedure and store them in the fridge, but there are lots of instructions on safe canning available online if you want to preserve some for the colder months. I serve these straight out of the jar!

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1 pound vegetables, like carrot sticks, cauliflower florets, green beans (trimmed), okra or cucumber sticks (Blanch carrots and cauliflower for 3 minutes in boiling salted water, then immerse in ice water to stop the cooking. All other vegetables can be pickled raw.)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled 3 cups cider vinegar 1 cup water ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon dill seeds 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

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1 tablespoon sugar Divide the vegetables between the jars, packing tightly. Add a garlic clove to each jar.

In a non-reactive saucepan, bring remaining ingredients to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Carefully ladle hot liquid over the vegetables. Cover tightly and let cool for a few hours, then refrigerate for two days, up to one month.

Corn Soup (makes about 8 cups) There is a time in the summer when the corn is just perfect and needs very little to improve. This soup makes the best use of the freshest, justfrom-the-market seasonal corn—so don’t bother if your corn is more than a few days old. This is a terrific summer soup, served chilled. It would be a great party starter in small cups.

One dozen ears of fresh corn 6 cups water 1 tablespoon kosher salt Chopped chives, for garnish

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With a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cobs, scraping the cobs to get all the juice. Combine the corn, water and salt in a stock pot bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until quite tender.

Puree in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender.

Strain into another large bowl and chill for a smooth soup. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with chopped chives.

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Pimento Cheese (makes about 2 ½ cups) There’s a long argument about whether its “pimento” or “pimiento”—but who cares? Pimento cheese has long been a staple in the South, but it is popping up everywhere—and for a good reason! One of our new favorite ways with it is as a burger topping—YUM! Make this classic, or jazz it up with the options listed at the end. ¾ cup mayonnaise, homemade or commercial (see recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise) 4 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons grated yellow onion ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon fresh pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (I like sharp, but you can use a combination of white and yellow, sharp, extra-sharp or mild, depending on your taste. Freshly shredded is best, but pre-shredded will do in a pinch!) ¼ cup chopped, roasted red pepper (I prefer to roast my own, but jarred pimento is the classic.)

In a mixer, combine the mayo, cream cheese, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne and Dijon mustard. Mix on low until smooth and combined. Add cheese and peppers and mix just until blended. Refrigerate for at least an hour, then serve with butter crackers.

Optional, updated add-ins: ½ cup drained and chopped martini olives, ½ cup roasted and chopped pecans, or 3 slices crisp bacon, crumbled.

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SCAN THIS PAGE TO SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THIS HOME

Family Home Full of

Heart History

By R o ry R h o d es

and

P h ot o gr a p hy by KG T hi e n e m a nn 42

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P h ot o gr a p hy by T im B a r ke r

Y

ou could easily drive by the entrance to the Chisoms’ historic home in Daleville without knowing what you’re missing. A simple wooden fence borders the road, and a pea-gravel drive edged with trees shields the property from view. The lane winds gently back through the 24-acre estate, arriving at a circular driveway. The meandering white clapboard and red brick home is topped with a metal standing seam roof and set amid rolling lawn, mature trees and ancient boxwoods. Rusty, an 8-year-old Labradoodle, greets visitors at the drive, along with his owners, Jim and Kathy Chisom. Jim, an investment advisor, and his wife, Kathy, bought this stunning property from Kathy’s cousins, Joe and Laura Logan, in 2008. It has been in the Logan family for close to 100 years, and the scene of many family events through the decades.

Though you can’t tell from looking, the hidden heart of the Chisom home is a one-room log cabin dating back to about 1790. In the early 20th century, an addition that is now the dining room was built. In the 1920s, a kitchen and library were added, and in 1938, major additions were done by noted Roanoke architects John Thompson and Randolph Frantz. The result of all this improvement by successive generations is a 6,133-squarefoot home featuring six working fireplaces, five bedrooms, four full baths and two half baths, and a layout filled with charming nooks and hidden staircases. Add to that acres of lush landscape to explore, and you have the perfect set-up for the Chisoms’ family of five. Kathy says, “We thought it was a great place for three young boys to play.” r vhomemaga zine .com

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A brick pathway leads off to a courtyard in front of the living room, while a second path leads to the kitchen entrance, which is the one the family uses regularly. The current kitchen design is thanks to the Logans, who bought the property in 1983 from Joe’s aunt, Maud Logan Hopkins. Maud married Garland Hopkins in 1916, not long after he had purchased the property, which was then an orchard. The Hopkins ran “Garland Orchards” for many years, and “Mrs. Hop” was responsible for much of the home’s 20th-century renovations. The kitchen was actually remodeled twice during Joe and Laura Logan’s years here, and if most of the house retains its historic character and style from Mrs. Hop, this room has all the comforts of modern living. The space is airy and fresh, with high ceilings, walls washed in pale green, and polished Saltillo floor tiles accented with black diamond inserts. Near the entry is a family command center outfitted with a cork bulletin board, outlets for charging electronics, and storage cubbies for mail and personal items.

The eating area features a farmhouse table surrounded by chairs finished with a distressed green paint. The Chisoms bought the set 20 years ago, and Kathy had seat cushions made from fabric purchased at The Second Yard. She had the cushions laminated and states that, having raised three boys, it was one of her best decorating decisions.

The kitchen features granite and butcher block countertops.

White custom cabinetry offers ample storage space, and the 4 4

central kitchen area is flanked by a pantry on one side and a wet bar on the other, offering even more cupboards. Modern amenities include a Dacor six-burner gas range, Bosch dishwasher, Subzero fridge, warming drawer, prep sink and convection oven. The backsplash above the stove includes hand-painted tiles the Logans bought in Italy. The tiles, featuring farm scenes, inspired Laura to paint a matching mural along the front of the kitchen counter, certainly the room’s most charming feature.

The arch and keystone above the range echo other arched doorways in the house, which were installed by Maud Hopkins during her 1938 renovation. According to Laura Logan, Mrs. Hop took a trip to Williamsburg with the architects, Thompson and Frantz, to point out all the things she liked. Arches, along with old-fashioned door hardware and hinges, are the result of this visit, along with the home’s distinctive short, wide doorways, and wood paneling.

Near the wet bar, a slightly crumpled oil painting of the Eiffel Tower has a funny backstory. Kathy bought it on the streets of Paris and says, “I was running across the Champs-Elysees with my sister, and it dropped and got run over. So I had to smooth it back out, but I saved it.” Another piece depicting a scene from Pawleys Island is by well-known Roanoke artist, Eric Fitzpatrick. Eric is a friend of Jim’s, and several of his works hang in the house.

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The kitchen leads to the formal dining room, which the Chisoms believe was added onto the log cabin in the early 1900s.

They are unsure of its original layout and how many rooms it encompassed, but today it is an expansive space over 27 feet long. Apart from its size, the most stunning aspect of the room is the Bailey & Griffin hand-blocked wallpaper, with a matching drape framing the window. The Logans purchased it through Stedman House to replace the original hand-painted silk wall coverings whose tropical scenes had become extremely yellowed over the years. A Queen Ann cherry dining table rests on a vegetable-dyed Oriental rug that Kathy and her father purchased at Green Front Furniture in Farmville. Although the table seats eight, at Thanksgiving and other family events, the Chisoms often host 20 to 30 guests by adding several additional tables to the room to accommodate everyone. Their home is the gathering spot for their extended family. “It’s wonderful for holiday eating because you can all be together,” says Kathy.

The crystal chandelier above the table is a French antique ordered from California, and complements a pair of antique bronze crystal sconces that flank the buffet and are original to the room. A large gold mirror looks vintage but was actually purchased at Reid’s Fine Furnishings, an example of the Chisoms’ careful blending of old and new. Other finds come from local estate sales, such as the antique cherry corner hutch with wavy glass, purchased in Raleigh Court. Jim says, “It was one of the first things we bought after we were married. I was cruising down Grandin Road and saw signs for an estate sale.”

An early 19th-century lady’s writing desk was purchased at the estate sale of Sally Fishburn Crockett, a Roanoke civic leader and philanthropist.

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Two sets of French doors lead to the library, which was built in the 1920s. “We spend a lot of time in here,” says Kathy, “It’s a nice place to read.” The room is long and narrow, and the walls are lined with built-in bookshelves and sixover-six windows, whose slightly wavy panes are topped with grasscloth shades to filter the ample sunlight. A pair of lounge chairs are from Reid’s Fine Furnishings, while other pieces are from Logan Furniture, the store relatives once operated in Salem. (In fact, Andrea Reid Waide, owner of Reid’s, worked at Logan Furniture before going out on her own when the shop closed.) Kathy has added several personal touches here, painting the interior of the bookshelves a classic hunter green and outfitting the window bench with custom cushions made of silk fabric purchased from The Second Yard. In front of the bench is a chess and checker game table which Jim says has been the site of “epic battles” between their sons. During the holidays, the bench offers extra seating, particularly for game spectators, and is also a favorite spot of their youngest son. The library shelves are filled with an assortment of antique books and objects garnered from estate sales or passed down from family. The Berber carpet is from Carpet Art Home Accents and Design in Daleville. Owner Sandra Harter helped the Chisoms with several carpets and area rugs in the home.

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The focal point of the library is the wood-burning fireplace.

The mantel, along with a few others in the home, is pine and was purchased by Mrs. Hop from an old house somewhere in Botetourt County. Mrs. Hop was evidently a fan of repurposing materials; some of the brick used in her 1938 renovation was acquired years earlier from much older buildings—supposedly from Washington and Lee University—and stored on the orchard grounds until needed. “She was green before green was cool,” says Jim. Above the fireplace is an impressionist painting by Radfordbased artist Mei Shui, who is also the wife of Dr. Z.L. Feng, a fellow painter and Radford University art professor. The Chisoms have one of his watercolors above the mantel in their living room, which is located on the other side of the dining room.

(Both the dining room and living share a wall with a small office whose footprint is the original log cabin.)

The living room measures almost 30 feet long, and was built in 1938. The Chisoms painted the walls in Benjamin Moore’s “New Chestnut,” which sets off the dentil crown molding and complements the warm tones throughout the space. An Oriental rug from Olde Salem Furnishings frames a furniture grouping that includes a round tufted ottoman, antique cream armchairs in the style of Louis XVI from Present Thyme, and a sofa that rests beneath a massive gilded mirror. The impressive mirror, whose scale, detail, and slightly tarnished silvered glass declare it a piece from a bygone era, is a family heirloom from Philadelphia.

It has been hanging in the same place since 1938, and Jim and Kathy joke that there are decades of photographs showing various family members on various sofas beneath it. Furnishings also include a pair of antique leopard-print chairs, also from Present Thyme, and a pickled wood chair and ottoman covered in toile that the Chisoms had custom-made about 25 years ago The couple is particularly proud of a walnut armoire that Kathy and her cousin, Rob Logan, found at an estate sale.

Rob, whose parents owned Logan Furniture and an antique store, immediately recognized a gem in this battered armoire.

It is an early 1800s piece that breaks down into sections, as it was originally designed to be transported on wagon trains.

Rob convinced Kathy to buy it, saying he knew a man at Logan Furniture who could restore it, and today it is in pristine condition.

The large fireplace, with a white custom wood surround, houses a pair of large brass andirons. Dr. Feng’s watercolor has pride of place above the mantel. The room also features an oil pastel by Roanoke artist Bonnie D. Burt, and an oil portrait of their oldest son at age four, done by the late portrait artist Dottie Pierce of Salem. Similar portraits of the other two boys also hang in the home.

At the far end of the room, three steps lead to the back quarters of the house, which contain four of the five bedrooms.

The first belongs to their oldest son, who is now at UVA, and has another fireplace with one of Mrs. Hop’s pine mantels. Down the hall is the master suite, a light-filled room painted in “Friendly Yellow” by Sherwin Williams. The cherry four-poster bed is from Olde Salem Furnishings, and the floral linens are from The Second Yard. A yellow chaise rests in front of the fireplace, above which is a painting by the late Salem artist Harriet Stokes, a wedding gift.

A large window looks out onto the formal boxwood garden, designed in 1938 by landscape architect Albert A. Farnham, who R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

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also designed Hollins University’s Beale Garden and the garden at the historic Rockledge home on Mill Mountain. The garden has been the scene of at least six weddings for nieces and great nieces of Mrs. Hop. Several of the boxwoods are over 200 years old, and during the Logans’ time, several aged specimens in the central parterre were replaced with bulbs and red-bark maples to open up the space.

The Chisoms renovated the master bathroom two years ago, replacing a smaller version by knocking out walls and incorporating an old sewing room.

The work was done by H.M. Darby Construction of Roanoke, and the stunning result is a spacious bathroom complete with Picasso travertine floor tile from Valley Tile, and granite double sinks

by Premiere Stone Fabrication, both of Salem, plus cabinetry from Restoration Hardware, chosen for its resemblance to the fireplace mantel. Jim says, “We were looking through magazines trying to get ideas, and saw the cabinetry and said, ‘That’s the mantel!’ Why try and have something made when it’s right there?”

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The Chisoms renovated the master bathroom two years ago, replacing a smaller version by knocking out walls and incorporating an old sewing room. The pièce de rèsistance is the 9-foot walk-in shower.

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The pièce de résistance is the 9-foot walk-in shower—Kathy’s request—that boasts rain showerheads, two sets of four body sprays, plus a handheld spray. A soaking tub sits next to the shower, with a hotel towel rack on the wall above. The bathroom also holds some of Jim’s favorite artwork, several watercolors he found during a 50th birthday trip to Scotland with three of his best friends.

Heading back through the hallway that leads to the master suite, Jim opens a small door to reveal a surprising set of winding wooden stairs. This is the secret entrance to the upstairs wing where the two younger sons’ bedrooms are found.

Gabled ceilings, leaded glass windows, lacrosse sticks, wood paneling with builtin shelves, a fireplace, and even a cozy built-in bed give these quarters a classic lad feeling. The two bedrooms are linked by a hallway filled with dormer windows and six cedar-lined closets. The amount of closet and storage space is unusual for a home of this era—yet another example of Mrs. Hop being ahead of her time.

The last of the home’s five bedrooms can be found by returning to the kitchen entry, where a covered walkway leads to what used to be the office for Garland Orchards. These days it is a guesthouse complete with a wood-paneled living room with fireplace and large TV, as well as a kitchenette, the bedroom and a bath.

Jim jokes that it’s the most coveted guest quarters during family get-togethers.

During other times of the year, Kathy says it’s a popular spot for teenage hangouts and slumber parties. r vhomemaga zine .com

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The covered walkway is lined on one side by a spectacular gnarled wisteria, which the Chisoms believe was planted around 1939. Beyond it, the backyard is a brick patio with an in-ground pool by National Pools. The Chisoms redid the pool with Italian tile to complement the patio space and surrounding rose and perennial gardens designed by Chip Callaway of Charlotte.

A fun feature is a row of fountain jets concealed in the adjacent raised bed, which shoot streams of water into the pool, and is how the pool is actually filled.

The Chisoms point out that during their years here, apart from the master bath renovation, their main focus has been on preserving the home’s beauty while updating items such as the heating and cooling system to make it more energy efficient.

They added custom shutters designed to match the original ones of the home and completed extensive interior and exterior painting. Much of the restoration was done by Joe and Laura Logan, who not only installed new wiring and plumbing, but also reclaimed the garden from honeysuckle and wild grape vines, and added more plantings. There are over 5700 trees on the grounds, and the property has been featured in Roanoke’s Historic Garden Week Tour four times (1948, 1955, 1970 and 1990).

Jim and Kathy say their many fond memories of time spent at Garland Orchards inspired them to purchase the property seven years ago. They have enjoyed continuing the family gatherings and holiday celebrations, as well as making new memories with their boys, and hope that their conservation efforts will help protect the beauty and history of the property for many years to come.

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A pool by National Pools surrounded by Chip Callawaydesigned rose and perennial gardens provides a relaxing oasis for family and friends.

Rusty Chisom

A covered walkway leads to a guesthouse, which was once the office for Garland Orchards and is now a popular spot for overnight visitors, teen hangouts and slumber parties.

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n GARDEN SALSA GARDENS

Salsa Gardens

Plant a Fiesta in Your Yard

By D en i z Ata m a n

The great thing about growing your own garden is having your favorite ingredients right at your fingertips. You can explore different flavors, textures and colors to create meals that are both healthy and oh-so-delicious. Specialty gardens, like salsa gardens, are blooming in popularity with summer right around the corner.

“Salsa,” meaning “sauce” in Spanish, is one of the most popular condiments in the country. And why not? Its eye-catching greens, reds, yellows and whites are perfect for your summer fiestas. Ranging from sweet to spicy flavors, salsa is a great way to accompany your favorite summer dishes and snacks. Whether you are cooking burgers and kabobs on the grill, or just need a mid-day snack while hanging by the pool, this delicious veggie combo is a great accompaniment to your appetite.

Planting Your Produce

When deciding whether to plant your salsa garden in a container or in the ground, it’s all about how much space you have and how much produce you’d like to yield. In-container planting is great for those who are busy and who have limited space. If you are planting in a pot, be sure to fill the bottom with rocks prior to adding soil to help with drainage. In-ground planting is perfect for large spaces and for those who wish to devote time outside getting your hands dirty.

When planting your salsa garden, make sure you do so in a spot that will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Regardless of planting in a container or in the ground, the soil should always remain damp, and pests must be kept away for a successful yield. Keep in mind that if you want to use pesticides, there are alternatives to chemical pesticides that you might want to consider, particularly since you will be consuming this garden. Natural pesticides that can help deter pests from your garden include: ■ D iatomaceous earth: As a natural compound made of tiny fossilized plants, the minerals slice insects’ exoskeletons, killing them on contact. Sprinkle a cup on the soil’s surface.

■ C opper pest stopper: To prevent snails and slugs, use their enemy: copper. Lay a wire around the plants they attack, which may act as a fence for them, due to their strong copper aversion.

■ A pple cider vinegar: Combine three parts water to one part vinegar for a safe and effective insect repellant. Be sure to spray above the plant, letting the mist settle on top. Spraying directly on your plants can harm them as the solution may be too acidic. You can even add a few drops of essential oils, such as lavender, cedar, or lemon as an extra deterrent.

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Your Garden is a Work of Art

Get creative with your garden design. Even though this is a useful garden, it can still be a thing of beauty that provides visual interest in your summer yard. Consider the concentric circle, a popular salsa garden design. Since tomatoes are the base of salsas, plant them in the middle. Try Roma tomatoes, which are juicy and bursting with sweetness. Use bamboo stakes or sticks gathered from outside as a trellis to keep them upright. Tie them with twine.

Next, plant some pepper plants. Jalapenos are popular since they are the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. But there are also many other varieties of peppers…habanero, serrano, and bell peppers… oh my! Peppers are the sass in your salsa. Whether you are looking to turn up the heat with habaneros or sweeten the base with bell peppers, a salsa isn’t complete without them.

The next circle should be onions. Candy hybrid onions offer a bright white color to your salsa, as well as a sweet flavor.

Herbs, like cilantro or basil, are great to plant on the outside of the circle. Once they grow, the leaves cascade down the side of your garden, giving you the appearance of a lush salsa jungle.

Depending on how large your space is, you can plant more or less of your favorite ingredients. Another popular salsa ingredient is tomatillos; they may be tiny, but these green tomatoes pack a puckered punch. If you’re looking to add a tart flavor to your salsa, tomatillos are a great way to go. Add scallions, mint and basil, and you have salsa verde, or “green salsa.”

Serif Regular

Salsa Isn’t Just a Dance

YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT, at least once.

When it comes to creating your favorite salsa, it’s all about how the two elements—texture and flavor—dance together.

Depending on your favorite texture, you can use a variety of kitchen tools to get the right consistency.

Finely chopped or chunky pieces make up the pico de gallo style, where you can see each ingredient with each bite. All you need is your handy chef’s knife! A smoother consistency calls for using a blender or food processor. If you’re unsure about blending or processing all at once, the “pulse” button is a great way for you to slowly achieve the desired texture.

Now that you’ve grown your own salsa garden, it’s time to feast! Enjoy this recipe for a simple grilled habanero salsa at your next summer soiree using the bounty from your own garden.

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Slice tomatoes, pepper and onion into large wedges. Set aside one wedge each of the tomato and pepper, and two wedges of the onion. You will add these at the end.

In a large bowl, toss the sliced tomatoes, bell pepper and onion with the habanero peppers and garlic cloves with a thin coating of oil and a pinch of salt. Grill the veggies, except garlic, over direct heat for 10-15 minutes until the edges are charred. Place the garlic cloves in a foil pouch on the grill. If you’re using a broiler, place the tray in the upper third rack and broil for 15-20 minutes until the edges are charred, but the veggies aren’t completely cooked.

Grilled Habanero Salsa 1 1/4 lbs. tomatoes (Roma, beefsteak, heirloom—whatever you prefer) 1 bell pepper 1 small red onion 2 habanero peppers* 3 cloves garlic, peels intact Olive oil 1 teaspoon smoked salt or sea salt 1 large, juicy lime

Set your grilled/broiled veggies aside to cool completely. Remove stems of habaneros, leaving the seeds intact. Push the garlic out of its skin.

Using a food processor, pulse the cooled, grilled veggies with the habaneros and garlic until they are just chopped up. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Using a chef’s knife, finely chop the reserved raw tomato, pepper and onions to add them to the salsa mixture. Stir them in along with the salt, lime juice and cilantro. Adjust your seasoning to taste—a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes aren’t sweet, chipotle powder for a smoky/ hotter taste, or more cilantro.

1/3 cup well-chopped cilantro

Yields 2.5 cups. Keeps refrigerated for about a week.

*feel free to substitute with another type of pepper

Recipe adapted from the Sprouted Kitchen blog, sproutedkitchen.com.

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R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

n DESIGN QUILTS AND MATELASSÉ

Summery Coverlets The textures and timeless beauty of quilts and matelassé

BY P h o eb e D i ns m o r e

As the weather heats up, it feels so refreshing to lighten our dress—not just on ourselves, but also inside our homes! It’s time to pack away the wool blankets and down comforters in favor of breezy, lightweight bedding. Nothing says “summer” quite like a cheerful coverlet on a bed made with crisp, cotton sheets.

Coverlets—lightweight quilted bedspreads—are intended for use as the top layer of linens on a bed. They can be decorative and warming, used alone, or with a top sheet and a light blanket. They can also be layered at the foot of the bed, simply for decorative purposes. But why relegate them to the bedroom? They can add color and texture to your home in a number of ways.

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Dream in Color with a Patchwork Quilt

If you’ve never thought that a quilt could be a part of your modern décor—think again! Their bold patterns are clean and confident, certain to infuse your home with a unique character.

Quilts that feature geometric patterns especially seem inspired by modern art.

Quilts have a special way of conjuring feelings and memories of family, history, tradition and simple beauty—whether they are an heirloom antique, recently made using a computerized sewing machine, or store-bought new. Whatever its origin, when you look at a quilt, it’s hard not to imagine a group of women spending many meticulous hours working together to complete it—perhaps for a special life event like a marriage or a birth. Or maybe because they were expressing themselves through the only art form they knew—creating a mosaic out of fabrics that held special memories for them.

Quilts are traditionally composed of three layers of material: an insulating layer of batting sandwiched between the decorative woven top and the backing material. Patchwork quilts are unique from other bed covers because their decorative top layer is “pieced together” from many swatches of cloth and sewn into geometric designs or fanciful patterns. (Originally, this was a practical “waste not, want not” homesteader’s aesthetic of making full use of leftover scraps of fabric.) The fabric used for the backing is usually a different color or pattern than what’s found on the topside of the quilt, so when the bed covers are invitingly folded back over the foot of the bed, glimpses of the contrasting fabrics can be shown.

R

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Quilts are certainly works of art, so it makes sense that you could refashion them to be displayed on a wall. As with any other kind of displayed artwork, be mindful of where you’ll be hanging your quilt, as sunlight beaming through a nearby window will certainly fade its colorful palette and potentially damage the fibers in the fabric. Choose a spot that receives filtered or indirect sunlight, if not a place that is completely away from the sun’s rays.

Quilts can be hung from special rods or clamps designed especially for the purpose. To display a quilt from a rod, you’ll need to sew tabs or loops onto the back of the quilt so you can slip the rod through. The quilt will hang from the rod, giving a homespun twist to the medieval tapestry wall hanging. Or consider kicking the style up a notch, and use an ultra-mod rod for an interesting juxtaposition of old and new. An acrylic rod or one in a contemporary square shape in a bright color could add an element of fun to the display!

Also playing on this idea, you could position a quilt to drape behind your bed as a “headboard” by attaching a pair of r vhomemaga zine .com

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brackets and a drapery rod to the wall then draping the quilt over the rod. What a cool twist for a contemporary Japanese- or mid-century-modern style platform bed!

Quilt clamps safely pinch the top edge of the quilt in a cushioned clamp that won’t damage the quilt as it suspends from the padded hanger. The benefit to displaying your quilt in this manner is twofold: you can easily remove it for cleaning, and no special tabs/loops have to be attached to the back of the quilt, possibly altering or damaging its original handicraft. If you’re a collector of quilts, quilt clamps make it easy to change your display for this same reason.

A sleek, contemporary look for displaying quilts on the wall is to have them framed under glass and hang them just as you would any other framed picture. Due to size, framing just a portion of a quilt (or several different ones, hung in a grouping) is a practical choice, although there’s no question that a full-sized wall hanging of an entire quilt would be a dramatic accent if you wanted to add a strong jolt of color and pattern to a room. The interplay between a contemporary-styled frame and an antique handmade quilt would add loads of interest and become a focal point in your home.

One very common out-of-bedroom use for quilts is to tuck them onto a sofa or armchair, to help protect it (similar to a slipcover). Toss pillows can also be made from quilt fragments as a delightful way to display multiple patterns and colors. This is a great way to salvage a portion of a quilt that may have suffered stains or damage.

Using a quilt as a tablecloth is a lovely way to display it, allowing you to trace the stitches with your fingertip and admire it up close. Many newer quilts are machine washable, which alleviates much of the worry about spills. But if it is a vintage quilt, have a glass top cut to fit your table to help protect it.

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Similar to quilts, matelassé coverlets are made from cotton but woven on a Jacquard loom, which results in a coverlet with a raised pattern upon it. This special style of weaving is thought to have been developed by an Englishman named Robert Elsden to mimic the style of handcrafted quilts made in the south of France. In fact, Elsden was honored by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in 1745 for his textile innovation!

R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

Matelassé coverlets are lighter-weight than most quilts, as they are made from just a single layer of fabric.

Matelassé are usually in monochromatic tones—white thread stitched onto white fabric, or ivory-on-ivory— and they depend on their texture for design.

Thanks to the simple textures on a neutral background, matelassé exude purity and refinement but also can make a crisp, contemporary statement, too.

Of course, you could substitute a matelassé and display them in your home in any of the ways you would a quilt. Of course, they are terrific on a bed, but they also look great tucked onto the couch—especially if you want to lighten up your living room’s color palette for summer. You’ll need to check the care and cleaning instructions for your coverlet, of course, but many can be machine-washed (some, even bleached!), so they can be a particularly resilient choice for use as a slipcover.

A few other places where matelassé look especially fresh are at the bedside, when used as a skirt on a round table or as shams on the bed, or even hung as a shower curtain in the bathroom. Matelassé look so cool and clean, even if at their heart they’re simply a humble bedcovering. It’s no wonder they call them “shabby-chic.”

Quilts and matelassé coverlets can give your home so much character. Showcase your sentimental side by displaying a quilt in an unexpected way this summer.

Summer is the perfect time to get your quilts out of the hope chest and into your home décor!

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n IMPROVE BATH FIXTURES

BATH Easy Updates for Your Bathroom

BY R ach el B e a n l a n d

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the average mid-range bathroom renovation costs more than $17,000 and—unless homeowners are extremely handy— requires the use of a general contractor. The average bathroom update, on the other hand, can cost as little as $1,000 (or less!) and be accomplished by do-it-yourselfers.

A down-to-the-studs renovation is the obvious solution to many homeowners’ bathroom woes. A renovation can solve everything from a bad layout to ongoing water and mildew issues to faulty appliances. But when a bathroom is completely functional—just ugly and outdated—choosing to renovate can be a tough call for homeowners to make. It becomes harder to justify the cost of a full renovation, and it can be equally difficult to envision the impact a few simple and inexpensive updates can have on their bathroom’s big picture.

Here are a few ideas to inspire that update-over-renovate mindset.

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Upgrade the Fixtures

Sarah Baker is the showroom manager at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery in Roanoke. She says that when people come into the store, wanting to do small bathroom updates, they almost always start with swapping out their hardware and accessories.

“We do a lot with chrome and a lot with polished nickel,” says Baker. “They’re popular with designers, and they’re just clean, timeless finishes.”

Swapping one faucet out for another is an easy Saturday afternoon project, assuming both the old and new faucet are comparably configured. If purchasing a new basin isn’t in the plan, it’s important to choose a faucet type that will work with the sink’s existing drillings.

Towel rings, bars and hooks, along with toilet paper dispensers, are all relatively inexpensive and can be switched out to match the finish of the new faucet. Cabinet hardware is another place where the new finish—be it chrome, nickel or oil-rubbed bronze—can be incorporated. Tubular or flat-edged pulls give bathrooms a more contemporary look, while footed pulls are more traditional. For an eclectic accent, consider mixing in glass knobs.

Lighting fixtures are also easy to upgrade and can make a big difference in the bathroom’s overall appearance. Baker sees customers gravitating toward sconces, which are great complements to overhead lighting, and even mini-chandeliers.

Having the right amount of light is key to making a bathroom feel airy and inviting, so it’s worth adding more light if the room is windowless or dark.

Baker warns homeowners to pay close attention to the color temperature of the lights they install. “The higher the Kelvin temperature of the light, the more blue the light will be. It can feel institutional and won’t render very pleasant coloring on your skin,” says Baker, who recommends purchasing lighting that measures between 2700 and 3500 degrees of Kelvin. “Compact fluorescent bulbs are energy efficient and they don’t cost a lot of money, but they’re going to change all the colors in your bathroom.”

With some research, most homeowners can tackle replacing one light fixture with another. Just be sure to cut the bathroom’s power off at the fuse box. For new installations, a licensed electrician should be able to add a junction box and accompanying light switch in a couple of hours. r vhomemaga zine .com

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It’s been said before and it will be said again: never underestimate the power of paint. For bathrooms, look for a mildew-resistant paint. Most brands sell a specific paint product just for bathrooms and kitchens. It’s a good idea to use a primer on the walls, particularly if the bathroom has had mildew issues in the past.

If it’s a powder room that’s getting made over, where moisture is less of a concern, wallpaper might be the right solution.

Wallpaper has come a long way in the past few decades.

Designers like Kate Spade and Amy Butler have jumped on the wallpaper train and the results are striking graphic designs in vibrant colors.

“The powder room is the bathroom that most people who come into your home are going to see,” says Baker. “We definitely see people putting more thought into its presentation.”

While the paintbrush is out, don’t overlook that old oak vanity. Painting the grainy wood a bright white or a cool gray will instantly make the bathroom look 20 years younger. To make sure the cabinet is adequately prepped, many homeowners will remove a door and take it with them to their local paint store. Painting pros give great advice on sanding, priming and the right kind of paint to use for the job.

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While it’s easier to design new storage solutions with a full bathroom renovation, it’s not impossible to build in some extra space with an update.

Think about how to incorporate shelving into the bathroom’s existing design. Floating shelves can be installed over a toilet and are easy to find at many retailers locally and online. If the bathroom is big enough, look for an antique dresser that can act as a de facto cabinet.

Medicine cabinets—while not nearly as popular as statementmaking mirrors—are a good option for homeowners who need more storage, though Baker says her customers often run into problems finding new recessed cabinets that will work in older homes.

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“Often, the studs are very close together, so it can be hard to fit another recessed cabinet in the same space. A surfacemounted cabinet can be an easier fix,” she says.

Even existing cabinetry can be retrofitted to provide better storage. Consider purchasing tray dividers for drawers as well as rollout shelves for under-sink cabinets. Or add a skirt to a pedestal sink and tuck baskets beneath, providing softness, interest and extra storage in one fell swoop.

One space-creating solution people often overlook is their shower curtain rod. Most retailers now sell shower curtain rods like the ones in hotels. They’re curved, and the result is more arm room in the shower.

Don’t Forget Décor

With the fixtures installed and the paint dry, it might be tempting to call the bathroom update finished. Resist the temptation, and keep shopping!

A new shower curtain and a non-skid area rug that ties the bathroom’s color scheme together will go a long way in refreshing the look of your bathroom. Don’t overdo it on the tchotchkes, but do shop for a vase, some glass jars or a pretty ceramic tray that can lend the bathroom a sense of attention to detail. And remember, a bathroom update provides the perfect excuse to pitch those old ratty towels and shop for nice new ones.

Look for art that ties the bathroom together. In a bathroom with muted colors, a bold, bright painting can make the room pop.

“In Roanoke, we don’t see a ton of super-contemporary bathrooms,” says Baker. “We love the Martha’s Vineyard look, with lots of cool grays, whites and light blues.”

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GRACIous Foyers First-class features for your home’s entryway

BY D e b o r a h S m i t hs o n 6 8

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S t ag i n g by J e s s i c a D u r h a m , M ag n o l i a

f the transition point between your public life and your private life happens in the entrance to your home, then it should be welcoming and beautiful. Certain elements make a grand first impression in your foyer—no matter its size.

Essential furnishings and fixtures for your foyer include a place to stash your daily necessities and friendly, flattering lighting. But most of all, a gracious foyer puts its best foot forward and sets the tone for the rest of your home.

Dressing it well, taking great care to pay attention to its appearance, shows just how much you value your home and those who enter it.

Decorating your home is about more than just having attractive furniture— it’s about expressing your personality. In yesteryear, there was a trend in decorating that really was more about the furniture than the family, but today’s homeowners are aware that their décor helps make a personal statement about them. Everyone who walks into your home should be able to take a quick look around and instantly get a sense of who you are and what interests you, whether your style is traditionally classic, a little bit eclectic, downright bohemian or very upright and formal. r vhomemaga zine .com

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S t ag i n g by J e s s i c a D u r h a m , M ag n o l i a

A Flat Surface

You need a place to safely stash your necessities as you enter your home (keys, wallet, mail) and the things you need to remember to take out (keys, wallet, overdue DVD rental). In other words, you need a flat surface to set down your stuff!

Depending on the size and shape of your foyer, a console table could be the right choice for your space. A console tends to be a narrow, leggy table that’s meant to be placed against a wall.

Sometimes consoles have a lower shelf, but just as often, they are open underneath. Some people like to tuck a pair of stools under a console so that, if needed, someone could have a place to sit as they remove their shoes. Either way, placing stools beneath a console is a great look. A console might even help you reduce your clutter situation, because there are no undercover, behindclosed-doors hiding places for your things.

The foyer table will be a strong focal point for your entryway, so choose one with lots of personality and interesting details.

In a small, isolated place like a foyer, you can get away with styles that might seem more elaborate than other furnishings throughout your home. Just as you dress yourself for special occasions in outfits that are more detailed or of finer materials than your day-to-day clothing, entryway furniture can have more aplomb. Look for a table with a curvy leg, a leather inset, Chinese Chippendale details, nail head trim—any special flourishes that elevate the table’s look.

Your console will probably be decorated with a lamp or two, maybe something decorative and a small tray. Here’s an interesting entryway tradition: during the 1800s and early 1900s, the etiquette of paying a visit to someone dictated the use of a “calling card.” When “calling” upon a friend, the visitor 7 0

would place his calling card on a silver tray in the entryway, which would then be carried by a servant to the homeowner.

If the person being called upon was not home, the servant would leave the card in the silver tray for when the homeowner returned. Though most of us don’t have servants answering our doors, it could be fun to use a silver tray on your hallway table anyway—if not for catching calling cards, then for catching our cellphones and car keys.

Any other type of narrow table positioned against the wall could stand in for a console table. Drop-leaf and demilune tables (small, half-moon shaped tables) are often used in entryways.

Interpret your choice in hallway table as needed to suit your particular space.

If the idea of a console table is unappealing, there is another entryway option you might prefer: using a dresser or chest of drawers as the main piece of entryway furniture. The beauty in this is that you get to store things inside its drawers. Let’s face it, there are just some things you need near the front door: the dog leash, your purse, umbrellas. (And in winter—all those hats, gloves and scarves.) To elevate an ordinary bedroom dresser or a found treasure to foyer-worthy status, you can add a fun pop of color and interest through chalk paint or a lacquered finish, and a new set of decorative knobs.

If your foyer is small, choose a vertical dresser (sometimes called a “highboy”), but keep in mind your “flat surface” could now be as much as seven feet in the air—therefore useless on top for anything more than a decorative display. So, you’ll probably need a second flat surface, perhaps a wall shelf or small table, that’s a more user-friendly height for catching your daily necessities.

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One of the most effective updates you can make to your foyer is to install a dramatic overhead light fixture. Stylish and functional flush-mount fixtures and chandeliers can be found in any shape, size and material imaginable. The foyer fixture is one of the first things your guests will notice when they enter your home and their warm glow can make your home feel so inviting.

In many older homes especially, the front door might open directly into the living room or onto a flight of stairs. You can fudge the look of a foyer and create an entryway with your living room furniture placement. Try arranging the sofa with its back to the front door and place a narrow console/sofa table behind it to give the illusion of an entryway, gaining that buffer space to transition from outside and that flat surface you need near the door.

Another trick you can employ if your entryway is narrow-tononexistent is to redirect the incoming traffic flow to the nearest room by setting up an eye-catching focal point that will lead people in the direction you want them to go.

An elegant table—with a cluster of vases, sculpture and books (or even just one massive flower arrangement)—will beckon visitors in that direction, into a neighboring room where you might have more space to devote to welcoming them, and also space to set up a proper landing pad for your day-to-day necessities yourself.

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A Flattering Light

One of the most effective updates you can make to your foyer is to install a dramatic overhead light fixture. Stylish and functional flush-mount fixtures and chandeliers can be found in any shape, size and material imaginable. The foyer fixture is one of the first things your guests will notice when they enter your home and their warm glow can make your home feel so inviting. Whether you choose a fixture that exudes simple elegance or a grand baroque style, you can customize your foyer and set the tone for the rest of your home through your choices in foyer lighting. The “reimagined lantern” is one such example of a contemporary play on a classic foyer light fixture. Today, you see that otherwiseclassic Colonial style, reinterpreted in extra-large sizes, bright, unexpected colors, or with sleeker, more contemporary lines.

The interplay between “traditional” and “contemporary” is a great accent that suits today’s modern lifestyle well.

Height is a major consideration when choosing your overhead foyer light fixture. If you have low ceilings, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful foyer light fixture; you just have to choose something that is scaled for your space. Flush-mounted or semiflush-mounted foyer fixtures can beautify your space without crowding it, and they’re perfect for rooms that have standard 8-foot ceilings.

The lowest hanging point for most chandeliers should be at least seven feet from the ground. That means if you’ve chosen a chandelier that has dangling crystals adorning it, measure from the one that dangles the lowest. r vhomemaga zine .com

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If you have a two-story foyer, especially one with a staircase and a visible landing, don’t let the bottom of your chandelier hang below the level of the second-story floor. Depending on the layout of your foyer and your stairs, it might make sense to have two foyer lighting fixtures: one centered in front of the door and a matching one centered over your stairs. If you have a large window over your door, try to position your chandelier so it shows through the window, perfectly centered and framed by it—visible from your walkway. Nothing will look lovelier at night.

Many homeowners install wall sconces (sometimes flanking a mirror or perhaps a painting) instead of using table lamps in their entryways. This helps free up the tabletop, especially if you’re working with a small space. Of course, if you do install sconces on the wall, your furnishings will be forever defined by their placement, so make sure you really like where your furniture is placed before you choose this option.

An eye-catching light fixture makes a glowing entrance for your home—or, try a matching pair or even a trio if your home’s entrance is more of a long passageway leading from the front door to your home’s living and entertaining spaces.

If you add a mirror to the wall in the foyer, you’ll accomplish two more things: having a place to check your hair and reflecting the light from your new overhead fixture throughout the space.

Your foyer mirror can be more than just about function, however.

Your entryway mirror can be your foyer’s bold visual statement piece. Depending on its frame or design, the mirror might be the very thing that captures all the attention.

When you are putting together the look for your foyer, the same rules you might employ when you’re dressing yourself could apply: to keep from looking garish, don’t over-accessorize.

Be conscious of how the key elements work together—the main

S t ag i n g by J e s s i c a D u r h a m , M ag n o l i a 7 2

table/dresser, the light fixture, the mirror. Maybe all three of them don’t need to make a bold statement.

Finishing Touches

Once you’ve determined your main “statement piece” of furniture, you can go about adding the rest of your entryway’s accoutrements.

Coat racks or hooks can be handy to have in your entryway if you don’t have a coat closet, but they’re not a necessity. In fact, they can contribute to a cluttered look in the entrance to your home, as most of these items should be hung in a bedroom closet in another part of the house anyway. If you’re hosting a party, you can make arrangements for coats to be placed on a bed in the nearest bedroom or use a portable coat rack that can be put away when the party’s over. Don’t let your coats become the focal point in your entryway when you can instead create a prettier view.

After mapping out where your main furnishings will go, create an accent wall in the foyer by painting the wall in a contrasting color/pattern, adding wood paneling or wallpaper, or displaying a wonderful piece of artwork, an antique screen or an oversized mirror. An accent wall will draw your guests into your home and give them a great first impression.

Fabled decorator Dorothy Draper suggested in her 1939 book Decorating is Fun! that painting the back of the front door in black high-gloss paint (instead of white, to match the door’s trim) was a detail for homeowners to enjoy every time the front door was closed. She also recommended homeowners buy the prettiest door hardware (knocker, knob, lockset) they could afford and to keep it well polished. She said the door’s hardware was “jewelry for the home.” What a great perspective on enjoying your home down to the last detail!

S t ag i n g by J e s s i c a D u r h a m , M ag n o l i a R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

Many people like to have a bench in the entryway so they have a place to sit down. A leggy bench or dainty settee makes such a pretty perch, and old church pews are also great in an entryway, for a more rustic look. They’re easy to find at antique stores and tend to be found in lengths and widths that suit the small space of an entry hall. A cushion or arrangement of toss pillows helps soften their look and adds a festive dose of color, too. Sometimes, you’ll see a boot tray or a row of baskets positioned underneath the bench. Just be careful about baskets—they can become overflowing clutter catchers if you aren’t careful to go through them and empty them out from time to time, returning items to their proper homes.

Finally, an area rug (and/or runner) softens your steps and helps keep your floors clean. Beautiful rugs come in all styles and the foyer can be just the right spot to showcase one.

Whether yours is an antique Persian rug or an inexpensive outdoor rug, make sure that your foyer rug can withstand foot traffic and dirt. Choose one that has a low profile, which is important if your front door is going to swing across the rug.

Many people have tile or wood floors in their entryway, and a well-placed area rug is an attractive accent that helps protect your hard surface floors, too. The use of a non-slip rug pad is recommended to prevent the rug from sliding around and will also help protect the durability of the rug itself.

It takes a combination of elements to make an entryway a welcoming and pretty space. Furniture, lighting, accessories, rugs. Together, they elevate the style of your entryway, allowing functionality to comingle with a little bit of flair, making your home one that visitors will want to call upon.

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n LIVE TRADING SPACES

HOUSE SWAP Creative financing enables couple to retire on Smith Mountain Lake

By L au r a M i tch el l

“Our dream was always to get a house on the lake.”

That’s a common refrain in this region. Smith Mountain Lake’s 500 tranquil miles of shoreline call to more and more families every year. Jim and Nancy Rawlings* began hearing the call of the lake when their children were small, and they heard it grow louder when they lived in their comfortable—but landlocked—home in Daleville’s Ashley Plantation development.

When Jim was ready to retire, they consulted with a Realtor®, put their home on the market, and quickly had a purchase offer. They were finally ready to begin building their dream home on the lake, but the deal fell through just before closing.

“We were disappointed,” says Jim, “but the same day, our neighbor told us about friends of theirs who were trying to move from the lake to Ashley.”

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Nancy had heard of vacation house-swaps before, but a permanent one? They immediately scheduled a visit to the lake house.

“As soon as we saw it, we knew it was what we wanted,” says Jim of the open-plan home built in 2007. Located at the end of a gravel road on a gently sloping waterfront hill, it is both private and accessible. Several sets of French doors open onto decks that offer serene lake views from bedrooms as well as the main living area. A matching boathouse sits like a model at the shore.

Why would a family choose to leave such an idyllic spot? It turns out that like the lake, children have a call of their own. The sellers have a young daughter, and they wanted her to grow up near her playmates in Daleville. Ashley Plantation promised a shorter commute to their jobs in Roanoke, meaning more family time with their daughter.

They toured the Rawlings’ home, and found it just as perfect for them as their lake home was for Jim and Nancy. And so a swap was arranged.

“Within a week, we had a contract on both our homes,” says Jim. The Rawlings had initially planned to take out a construction loan, so they didn’t know how to go about financing a pre-built luxury home, especially as part of a house swap. The home they were purchasing was valued much higher than the home they were selling, so they consulted with various lenders on financing options. “We were fortunate to work with Freedom First because of the customized service they offered,” he says.

Purchasing a home can be stressful under any circumstances. Jim and Nancy had not purchased a home since before the recession, and reporting and documentation requirements have increased significantly in recent years. “Good communication with your mortgage company is first and foremost,” says Jim. Creative financing is not do-it-yourself financing. As with any real estate purchase or sale, buyers intending to swap homes should seek the advice of an experienced real estate professional, a tax advisor, and a real estate attorney before entering into any agreements.

Jim Rawlings agrees. “Borrowers should shop around and educate themselves,” he says. “In the end, it’s your signature and your commitment.” *Not their real names.

Laura Mitchell is the staff writer at Freedom First Credit Union. This article does not represent Freedom First or its lending policies. For more information about Freedom First Credit Union, visit www.freedomfirst.com. Freedom First is an Equal Housing Lender.

FINANCING OUTSIDE THE BOX As the economy has rebounded, traditional lenders have cautiously returned to mortgage lending, which has further helped to strengthen the housing market. Not all buyers are prepared for conventional mortgages, however. A few of the creative financing arrangements growing in popularity are: House Swap: Permanent house swaps, also referred to as real estate trading, have gained popularity in regions where property values dropped considerably during the recession and people have few options if they need to move. It can be a challenge for struggling homeowners because both parties still need to be prepared to make a down payment and pay closing costs.

Lease/Rent to Own: This option allows a homebuyer who has reliable income but no down payment to rent a property for a specified time period before purchasing. Monthly payments are generally higher and include a down payment portion. Often the agreement will allow the homebuyer to “lock in” the price at the beginning of the lease period.

Portfolio Loans: More common with credit unions and local banks, portfolio loans are mortgages that the lender keeps in its own investment portfolio rather than packaging it with other loans and selling it on the secondary market. For borrowers, this means the lender can be more flexible in its credit review and underwriting. The interest rate may be higher to account for the increased risk of default the bank is taking on.

Sweat Equity: Nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity offer low- and no-interest loans to qualifying buyers whose “down payment” includes helping to build or repair the home itself.

Note that creative financing is not doit-yourself financing. As with any real estate purchase or sale, buyers should seek the advice of an experienced real estate professional, a tax advisor, and a real estate attorney before entering into any agreements.

Source: www.realtor.org r vhomemaga zine .com

75

n GARDEN GARDEN ACCENTS

Enchant ing Garden Gat es Add a delightful detail to your lawn, garden

BY C atr i n a Rya n

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An ornamental garden gate could be just the irresistible design element your home needs to add that dose of unforgettable charm to its exterior. A garden gate is an architectural detail that alluringly hints at a secret garden or private oasis just on the other side of it. Enhancing your lawn with a delightful garden gate will be a visual treat that welcomes visitors and entices them to cross the threshold to your home.

There’s a style of garden gate to suit every personality and every home’s exterior. You’ll find no shortage of details and adornments like cutouts, open ironwork and embellishments. It’s especially fun to search in antique shops to salvage a vintage gate and give it a new life at your home.

A garden gate offers a wonderful opportunity for seasonal decorations, too. Is anything more patriotic than swags of red, white and blue bunting and a spray of miniature flags displayed on an upright and proud garden gate? You can also enhance this focal point by adding playful color—either by painting it a fun color or by training ornamental vines to grow on it (especially if your gate has a pergola or arched arbor over top).

Look to your home’s already-established entry points to determine the best location for a new gate. Places like the end of the front walkway or between the driveway and your home’s side entrance are especially great places to install one. And remember: you don’t need an entire picket fence to add an element of cottage charm to your home. You can install a garden gate as a freestanding element, as long as there are two stout posts to support it. Maybe you have an existing gate within a fencerow, but you feel it lacks character; a new garden gate in this spot might just be the answer. r vhomemaga zine .com

Step-by-Stepping Into a Garden Gate

Now that you’re convinced your home needs a charming little gate, before you can go shopping, there are a few important tasks to which you must first attend. As with any home improvement project, there’s more to it than just finding an attractive gate that “speaks” to you.

Be sure to measure the space where the gate will be installed. A typical garden gate will fit either a 3-or 4-foot-wide opening, and most will stand at least 3 feet tall.

You’ll need to locate your underground utilities to make sure the spot you’ve chosen for your gate is suitable—after all, you’ll have to sink a pair of fence posts several inches into the ground in that place to support your new gate.

You might need to contact your local building department to determine if you need a permit to install a gate, or call your homeowner’s association or historic district association to verify your neighborhood’s requirements. After one final check of your property lines, you’re officially an informed shopper, armed with all the data you need to go looking for the perfect gate.

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Bring it Home, Baby

You’ve been trolling all your favorite antique shops, architectural salvage stores and landscaping supply companies, and narrowed your choices down to find just the right gate. It’s time to bring your new baby home and install it!

A great gate needs a good installation. It can be a do-it-yourself job for skilled homeowners, but a licensed professional will ensure the job’s done properly. Either way, this job needs more than one pair of hands to help keep everything steady and level—the key to a smoothly swinging gate.

Have you thought about how you’d like the gate to swing— which direction makes the easiest entry and exit for you? Caring for your gate’s hinges is important because they distribute the weight of the gate on the fence post and support an even swing.

Your gate will have at least two (and possibly three, depending on how heavy it is) hinges. Rust can be a concern with metal hinges and gates, so keep your gate rust-free and swinging smoothly by treating it with a lubricant on an annual basis. Late spring (after the last chance of frost) is a great time to do this simple maintenance task.

White lithium grease is a good choice for metal-to-metal joints like hinges and latches, because gate hinges need a clinging grease to repel water and hold up under ever-changing weather conditions. (Spray-on lubricants like WD-40 are good for lightduty lubrication, so use them as a supplemental helper, but don’t depend on them for your main source of lubrication for your 7 8

outdoor hinges.) Keeping your new gate clean is easy—most will only need an occasional rinse with a hose.

Many gates come with all the hardware they need—hinges and latches. But if yours doesn’t, you’ll need to decide if your gate requires the security measure of a latch. Some homeowners may be installing a garden gate purely as a decorative touch, but others may need their gate to help keep pets in the yard or to secure a safe play area for children. (Swimming pool enclosures require a completely different, very specific set of requirements, so absolutely consult your homeowner’s insurance policy and your swimming pool contractor when contemplating a gate around that unique area. Ornamental gates are not likely to be adequate for use near a swimming pool.)

There are a number of different styles of gate locks available.

Which one you choose will depend upon the type of gate you have and your personal taste.

If you’re concerned that your gate should close securely each time it’s used, the best type of lock is a spring latch. Spring latches have a tightly coiled spring that draws back as the gate is opened, and when released, snaps the latch back home to securely lock the gate. If you’d like to add an historic touch that dates back to colonial times to your gate, consider an old-fashioned cannonball “automatic” gate closer. The weight of the cannonball (attached to a chain secured to both the fencepost and the gate door) pulls the gate shut.

R o a n o ke Va l l e y h o m e S u m m e r 2 0 1 5

Enhancing your lawn with a delightful garden gate will be a visual treat that welcomes visitors and entices them to cross the threshold to your home.

If you are looking for an ornamental gate lock that can be easily operated from the inside or outside, a thumb latch is the one. They are available in a wide range of designs, and feature a simple mechanism that operates by depressing a small latch with the thumb. If you want a strong latch with the option of securing it with a padlock, consider a slide bolt, which operates by sliding a bolt attached to the gate into a bracket attached to the gatepost.

If you want even more security, choose a lockable latch. Lockable latches need a key, and most will lock automatically when the gate is closed. They can be used on all types of gates, whether made of wood or metal.

If all this talk of latches and locks worries you that your new decorative garden gate could intimidate visitors and keep them away, remember it’s just a practical detail that reminds us our gates can help us be good neighbors—especially when we keep them low enough to allow communication across them and they swing freely open toward our home.

We Invite You To Experience The Seven Oaks Difference.

Once again we are very pleased with the entire staff’s dedication to perfection. - Jeff Pauley

Call us to schedule your consultation:

540.489.3715

Established in 1991

P.O. Box 49, Redwood VA 24146 r vhomemaga zine .com

79

n LIVE HOME INVENTORY

CATALOG IT! How to create a home inventory

By Co ry M o r g a n

After disaster strikes, the last thing homeowners want to worry about is trying to determine the worth of their stolen or damaged property. It’s probably safe to say that most homeowners have a difficult time providing their insurance companies with an accurate estimate of their losses in the event of a major happening, like a severe storm or even a burglary. Taking a room-by-room inventory of your home is one of the most undervalued tasks that homeowners face. It seems to be one of those things that everyone agrees is a great idea, but rarely takes the time to do. We shouldn’t think, “It can’t happen to me,” as no one is impervious to such events. Furthermore, a room-by-room inventory can provide a valuable opportunity to re-evaluate your homeowner’s policy. Once you understand the importance of creating a home inventory and see how easy the process can be, the task becomes less daunting, and you’ll be left feeling prepared for any event.

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Take it All In

Start by making a room-by-room list of all of your possessions. Begin with the more valuable items that jump out as important. Working from general to specific is the way to tackle this task. You may even be able to do most of the first pass at your list off the top of your head.

Furniture, appliances and electronics are obvious items you should include; from there, move on to the smaller items that surround them. At this point you are simply capturing a list, whether with pen and paper, or a voice recording, or a simple electronic file. For this phase, you’ll want to physically be in the room you’re inventorying so that you don’t miss things such as rugs, lamps and décor. Be sure to include built-in features, such as light fixtures. While you don’t need to include every item in your home down to the last paperclip, it is better to be overcautious here; if anything is questionable, just include it.

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Get the Complete Picture

Once you have this preliminary list, it’s time to get creative with how you’ll catalog the items thoroughly. The key things you want include for each item are a photo or video, a detailed description including when and where it was purchased if possible, a serial and model number if applicable (especially important for electronics), a receipt if you have it, and most importantly, an estimated value of the item.

Even a basic handwritten compilation is job well done, but considering you are going to be dealing with a reasonably long list with pictures or video, you may decide to go a more technical route and create an Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint slideshow, or use a specialty program or web application. You may even choose to create a video recording of some sort; the benefit of this is that you can include your own narration and description of your items as you are filming. You may as well have fun with it, because experts suggest that insurance companies don’t prefer one type of media over another.

There are many websites, applications and software programs that are designed to keep track of your entire home inventory. Some online sites even offer web-based storage of your data, and some are free. (One example is Know Your Stuff®/Home Inventory (www.knowyourstuff.org), a free browser-based software produced by the Insurance Information Institute. It contains all the forms and documents you need to take a room-by-room inventory and allows you to save this information to their secure online storage.) It is always a good idea when dealing with computer or web storage, however, to create a hard copy of all documents.

What’s it Worth?

You may find that the most challenging step is estimating the worth of your valuables.

When assessing your belongings, it is crucial to distance yourself from personal or emotional attachment. While it may be difficult, try to focus on the facts to create a distinction between the “value” and the “worth” of your possessions. While your great-great-grandmother’s wedding ring might hold tremendous value to the family, it unfortunately may not be worth as much to an insurance company. Because insurance companies have the final say when it comes to claims, it is better to work out the value of precious items with an insurance appraiser before such items are destroyed or lost.

While estimating the value and determining if certain things are fit for including in your inventory, keep in mind that you can group like items. It’ll be easier, for example, to group possessions such as dining and flatware, pots and pans, china sets, clothing, toiletries, books, collections of DVDs, games and music, and even food and spices.

For bigger ticket items such as musical instruments, designer clothing and expensive jewelry, it is highly recommended to do some extra research on these particular items for a more accurate estimate. There are many calculators online that can help give you a good idea of the overall worth of your home inventory. The more efficient you are in your estimates now, the less you will have to worry about later.

Keep it Safe

After you have finished taking inventory, it is extremely important to make a backup version of your list and keep it somewhere safe that is NOT in your home. Consider stashing an additional copy somewhere like a safety deposit box, in the hands of a trusted friend or relative, and/or using online cloud storage. It won’t help much if your only documented inventory ends up being destroyed along with the items it was created to protect!

Not only will having a home inventory list on hand make resolving disastrous situations much quicker, but your insurance company will be easier to work with and is more likely to accept your claims. Not to mention that after creating your inventory list, you might even realize that your homeowner’s insurance policy needs to be re-evaluated based on this newly obtained data.

A final and ongoing step in this process is to keep your inventory list updated. It is easy to forget how often we add new belongings to our home. Once you have the list in place, updating it should be quick and painless. While you may not have worried much about having an inventory list in the first place, a new peace of mind will be had after creating one. Of course there are going to be sentimental items that you cannot put a price on and will never be replaceable—but for everything else, you can rest easy knowing that if disaster strikes, you are taking the necessary steps to remedy the situation before it even occurs. r vhomemaga zine .com

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n INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

HOME R O A N O K E

DESIGN

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IMPROVE

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F&S Building Innovations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Overhead Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Gene’s Trading Post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Pella Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

VA L L E Y

GARDEN

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LIVE

Accents on Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Art & Iron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Astonish Antique Restoration. . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Goldsmith Appraisal Service, LLC . . . . . . . . 62 Groundscapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Perry Pools and Spas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Potentially Chic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Grand Home Furnishings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Prescott Construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Halifax Fine Furnishings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Protect Painters of the Roanoke Valley . . . . . . 9 HomeTown Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Baron Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Reid’s Fine Furnishings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Interiors by Kris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

B P Roy Construction LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Ronnie Mitchell and Son Landscaping . . . . . 13 Jeannine Hanson, Realtor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Better Sofas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 JMS Builders/Developers, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Seven Oaks Landscape Hardscape . . . . . . . . 79

Black Horse Manor Antiques. . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Joe Patrick Kraft, Realtor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Solar Control Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Kevin Hurley Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Southern Lamp and Shade Showroom . . . . . 71

Liberty Christian Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Smith Mountain Building Supply . . . . . . . . . . 7

LinDor Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

The Cabinet Gallery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Bob Riddick Roofing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Boxley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Brenda Tatum Portraits & Fine Art. . . . . . . . 52 Bush-Flora Shoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Magnolia Décor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

The Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Callie Dalton, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Member One Federal Credit Union. . . . . . . . 32 The Little Gallery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Capps Home Building Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Carter’s Cabinet Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Closet Storage Organizers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CMC Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Meridian Wealth Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Olde White House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Mill Mountain Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Trocadero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 MKB Realtors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Virginia Pools Sales & Service. . . . . . . . . . . . 18 N-Hance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Viva La Cupcake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Commonwealth Games of Virginia. . . . . . . . 66

National Pools of Roanoke, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Consolidated Construction Services. . . . . . . 30

Now Then and Again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Decorating Den Interiors -Roanoke. . . . . . . . 51

Oakey’s Funeral Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Window and Door Design Gallery . . . . . . . . . 7

Embrace Home Loans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Opera Roanoke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Wisler Plumbing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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Whitt Carpet One Floor & Home. . . . . . . . . 48

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Residential • Commercial • Remodel 1481 Little Timber Ridge Buchanan, VA 24066

jmsbuilders.com | 540.254.6627

Make the VISION and DREAMS you have for your home a reality!

Are you looking to improve your home? Whether you have been in your home for years or you are purchasing a fixer-upper — Embrace Home Loans can help! Our Full 203k Renovation Loan offers structural alteration and reconstruction, changes for aesthetic appeal, improved function and modernization, flooring, tiling, carpeting and much, much more! Call us for more details.

Call or stop by your trusted local Roanoke office today! www.embracehomeloans.com

540.375.3190

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