I keep mentioning one of our favorite shows, House Hunters International.  We love to see the variety of homes that are in sunny climates and are beach side or come with a water view.  In many of the homes, we see "plantation shutters."

I didn't know much about plantation shutters until I read this article, Plantation Shutters: Window Treatments that Increase Your Home Value.

Plantation shutters are multi-purpose interior window coverings. They allow for an adjustable flow of air, and an adjustable amount of light, entering a room. They provide privacy. They provide shade, which helps keep interiors cool when outside temperatures climb. Additionally, they add an additional layer of insulation against outside cold. They are a versatile and highly desirable decorative touch.

The article lists five tips for the selection of plantation shutters. Aside from those tips, installation of plantation shutters greatly increase your home's curb appeal.

Seven Rules Made To Be Broken

As we find in writing poetry, "Smart designers break lots of rules."

Marni Jameson writes,

No wonder so many do-it-yourself home decorators are stuck at their thresholds, afraid to make a move. If they do conjure the courage, they make design choices so wimpy even their pets will yawn.

Syndicated columnist and speaker Marni Jameson and author of “House of Havoc” and “The House Always Wins” (Da Capo Press) lists seven rules that are made to be broken. Still afraid? Call a local interior designer and tell her you want to be bad! You want to break the rules.

UPDATE: I received this email from Marni Jameson: Please change the sentence in the article to read:

I didn't realize how strongly I felt about this until last week, when a refreshing message arrived in my inbox, from the folks at Lou Hammond & Associates,// SHOULD BE Hunter Douglas, a leading maker of window-coverings.

Do You Have Stainless Fatigue?

Do you have an opinion you'd like to share on this topic? MSN asks "What comes after stainless steel?" For 25 years stainless has been the leader in kitchen appliances, but manufacturers are looking for a replacement.

The appliance industry has tried to promote new looks before. In recent years, manufacturers have pitched "oiled bronze," "antique copper" and a gray hue called "meteorite," as well as aluminum and other look-alikes, but none has been able to unseat stainless steel.

We know a look doesn't last forever, but I am not tired of stainless because it's so clean and forward looking.  I have a feeling that some form of Gold finish is on the horizon, because it's been out of favor for so long.

So the question is: Do you have stainless fatigue? If so what would you like to see as a replacement?

A Console That "Does Tricks"

According to Homes & Gardens last Wednesday, Bridget Otto is a fan of Lonny magazine and of white rooms!

I paged through the online magazine Lonny and came across an ad for Resource Furniture.  The store looked familiar and I remembered I posting about the company in Space Reinvented. The article featured inspired contemporary bedroom design.

Now they are featuring a console that doubles as a dining room table. Here it's featured in mirror glass: 




They have many dining room table styles to choose from. Maybe, they need Landfair to represent them in Portland.

Fall Is The Time To Store Outdoor Furniture

The staff at Homes & Gardens a publication of the Oregonian has a how to Prep your outdoor spaces and garden furniture for winter. Tips cover vinyl strap furniture, metal frame furniture, wooden furniture, painted wooden furniture, solid metal garden furniture, wrought iron furniture, and umbrella (or fabric seats).

October Is Window Safety Month

Since this is Window Safety Month, I thought appropriate to reprise this post of last year:

Suzanne Simon loves to help her clients with their window coverings.  There are so many designs in fabric and blinds and color combinations that to the inexperienced, choosing what’s best for your home can seem overwhelming.  I can help you. 

Now’s the time, before the holidays and cold weather to make some changes.  Window coverings can make your home cozy, improve lighting, and save energy.

Now, before the holidays when the little ones come to visit, is also a good time to make sure your window coverings are safe.  Just as we hear every year about babies falling through second-floor screened windows, so do we hear of children and pets getting tangled in window cords and choking. 

The Window Covering Safety Council has some tips to make sure your children and grand kids are safe:

• Never place a crib, playpen, bed or any type of low-standing furniture near a window. In exploring their surroundings, young children can accidentally fall through an open window or window screen, or become tragically entangled in a nearby window cord.
• If you have looped pull cords, retrofit the cords for safety.

·        Rapidly gaining favor in today's window fashions, are cordless designs. They are the best choice for use in children's bedrooms and any area of the home where children spend time playing.  In fact, cordless designs are favored by consumers and decorators. They love the "clean" look and streamlined design.

Most traditionally corded window fashions, either vertical or horizontal, are available in "cordless" styles through the use of spring-loaded mechanisms, battery- or motor-operated lift controls, or simple wand pulls.  I will be happy to talk with you about your windows, and budget.

Bridget A Otto On Saturday

Nice article today in Homes & Gardens by Bridget Otto about a family needing a designers eye to realize the potential of an unused and uninviting daylight basement.  Two of our friends, Erin Davis of Mosaik Design & Remodeling and Jenny Guggenheim of Fig Studio, helped the owners see how the basement could be revamped structurally and then designed to avoid wear and tear with surfaces and materials.

Ross William Hamilton, The Oregonian The spacious new family room serves multiple purposes -- with room for all. The colorful artwork on the wall is a collage made by portrait artist Judi Mintzer. The family hopes to keep track of their travels on the large world map.

GLASS RECYCLED'S SUM-FALL Event

Our friends at GLASS RECYCLED are having a SUMMER-FALL event. 'That’s SUM-FALL Event' allows you to take advantage of their GLASS RECYCLED Web Site Gallery by scrolling through their colorful samples to find the perfect counter top that fits you and your surroundings.

At GLASS RECYCLED they aim to stay on the cutting edge by providing unique green options for both residential and commercial environments at an outstanding value. From August 1, 2012 to December 20, 2012 you can purchase their GlassSLAB for your home or business at a discounted price.

Fashion Too Far!

What a waste of shoe leather!

Bridgett Otto writes today about the success of the Portland Fall Home & Garden Show's Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus. She also tells us that our friends at Urban ID won the Peoples Choice award:




Doug Beghtel/The OregonianDinner at Tiffany's by Urban I.D., the People's Choice award winner.

New Product Introductions From Global Views

 

Gold and black seem to be the in colors! Call Bev for more information and a quote.