MOMENTS

Happiness
Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and . : kindness in your face, Be the living expression of Gods . kindness in your eyes, kindness in your

kindness

happier smile
~ M o t h e r Te re s a

Happiness is a direction, not a place.

~ S y d n e y J. H a r r i s

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Contents
DECEMBER |JANUARY |2006

FEATURES
KIDS ROOMS 14 All Aboard 16 FUNctional 18 Sweet Dreams 20 A Room to Grow In 22 Storybook Appeal SPECIAL SECTION 24 Digs A Go-Go 30 No More White Walls 34 Biltmore Estate

22

A Look into Luxury and Grandeur

DEPARTMENTS
4 6 Reading Room

30 6 34

New Kidscape Idea Book

Cooking

Just Desserts Just in Time For the Holidays

10 Gardening

Simple and Elegant Water Gardens

42 Gallery

Photofiddle.com The Easy Solution to Personalized Photo Art

44 Destination

South Pacific-style Getaway Little Palm Island, FL

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DECEMBER | JANUARY | 2006

EDITOR MEGHAN LEE CREATIVE TEAM ABIGAIL CATE, PAT MONTGOMERY, MADDIE OBRIEN, BECKHAM RYAN, LAURA SWAYNE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JILLIAN BLUME, JANE COLOCCIA, CATRIONA TUDOR ERLER, KIM FUQUA, ROXANNE JONES, DEBBIE L. SKLAR, RONDA SWANEY, REBECCA SWEAT, JAN WALKER, PHIL WOOD CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS NELS AKERLUND, BILTMORE ESTATE, KATHI INGLESBY, LITTLE PALM ISLAND, BILL MCNAMEE, RON RUSIO, KAREN SHELL, ANDY TEMPLETON, PHIL WOOD OFFICE MANAGER PAT MONTGOMERY PROGRAMMING BILL BAKER, TODD NEUMILLER DESIGN NICOLA AUGUSTSON PUBLISHER TWENTY-TWO FIVE PUBLISHING, INC. PROOFREADERS GAIL DARNELL, AMBER LINDROS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BRANDON LEE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER STEVE SWAYNE

ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICE

11626 N.Tracey Road, Hayden ID 83835 208-772-8060, FAX 208-772-8061 Advertising Inquiries: adsales@homebydesign.com Editorial Inquiries or feedback: editorial@homebydesign.com www.homebydesign.com/editorial.html Real estate agents, mortgage lenders or anyone interested in using Home By Design in their marketing plans, please contact our sales office at 877-423-4567 or visit our web site at www.homebydesign.com. Home By Design is a complete custom publisher with many options to help you promote your business. If you are interested in more information about your own customized magazine or marketing program please contact us at our sales office. Copyright 2005 Twenty-Two Five Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Recipients of Home By Design magazine receive their subscription as a free gift of a real estate professional, mortgage lender or other professional service provider.The Home By Design magazine program is an exclusive marketing program created by Twenty-Two Five Publishing, Inc.TwentyTwo Five Publishing, Inc., has contracted with its professional clients to provide this free subscription to you.Twenty-Two Five Publishing, Inc., has contracted with these professionals that Twenty-Two Five Publishing, Inc., will not use the supplied mailing list for any other purposes other than to mail copies of Home By Design magazine and other Home By Design communication products. Your name and address information will never be leased, sold, traded or used for any other purposes. For more information on our mailing list policy or for more information on Twenty-Two Five Publishing, Inc., and our Home By Design custom publishing program please contact us at 208-772-8060.

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Photography; Brian Vanden Brink

Photography; Michael Lyon

READING ROOM

Softcover: $19.95 160 pages Publisher:The Taunton Press

New Kidspace Idea Book

REVIEW WRITTEN BY K I M A . F U Q U A

QUICK MAKEOVERS, CLUTTER CONTROL, STORAGE ROOMS THAT GROW UP, OUTDOOR PLAY AREAS AUTHOR: WENDY A. JORDAN

house where kids live is a house filled with energy, imagination, activity, and fun. Parents are eager for ideas for childrens spaces that celebrate that spirit of play, while addressing such practical issues as storage, safety, and kids changing needs. Such concerns go much deeper than superficial decorating optionsparents need solutions that address the whole design of a house and its adaptability for the many stages of childhood. For just these kinds of questions, New Kidspace Idea Book is a planning handbook full of fresh ideas for rooms that are just for kids and for rooms where the whole family spends time together-including bedrooms, baths, kitchens, family rooms, playrooms, study areas, treehouses, and playhouses. It used to be that American homes were designed mainly for the adults in the family, says author Wendy Jordan. Kids had to fit into staid, decidedly adult environments how best they could. Now, Im happy to say, its the other way around: Most American families are centered around the kids, and they want bright, kid-friendly home environments. Jordan avoids trendy decorating ideas, putting the focus instead on why storage, materials, layout, lighting, and more can make a real difference in how well a room works for the whole family. Parents want to create fun, distinctive, ageappropriate rooms for their kids, says Jordan. I see New Kidspace Idea Book as precisely thata compendium of fresh ideas that parents can mix, match, copy or adapt to produce rooms

just right for their own children. Some parents may want to tackle the designs themselves. Others may want to use the book as a sort of notebook of ideas to discuss with an architect, remodeler or designer. All of the ideas keep one goal in mind: making a comfortable and safe place where kids enjoy spending time. Jordan feels that there are three kinds of projects that are especially fun. One: Projects designed with help from the kids themselves. Examples are the colorful preteens room that features furniture fashioned and made by the girl herself, and the bathroom where the walls are decorated with rubber stamps made from a little boys drawings. Two: Rooms with secret compartments and fun, kid-size features, such as the bed with the time capsule in the bedpost, and the little doorway between kids rooms.Three: I think the rooms that change as the kids grow are very helpful to parents. One of Jordans favorite projects for this book was the vibrant, whimsical, and outdoorsy toddlers room she called Style on a Shoestring. Jordan says, It is so clever, so fun and functional, and yet was so inexpensive to do. I like this project because it does such a good job of showing that great kidspaces dont have to be expensive or elaborate. They just need to be young at heart. Wondering where to start with your kids room? From bedroom makeovers to clutter control, New Kidspace Idea Book presents up-to-date ideas for every house and every budget for creating fun and practical places for children.

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Greetings!

letter from the editor

Ah, the holidays. What an incredible time of year. No matter your religious beliefs, December is a great time of the year. People are a little friendlier, companies have parties, the weather is cooler and its a great time to think about our youngest generations. In this issue, we wanted to find out what is new and hot in interior design for the little ones and teens.We bring you 5 fabulous examples of kids rooms. If you are planning a re-model or just want to update a room for a favorite child in your life, this issue will be a great resource. If you are on a tight budget but want to spruce up a kids room in your home, you must read the article about Digs A Go-Go on page 24. Digs A Go-Go is a wonderful DVD that will help you plan and finish your next project. I plan on using the step-by-step guide in our next bedroom makeover for my own kids. Not to leave out adults entirely, we also have two wonderful articles for you. First, Debbie Sklar wrote an article on Color. It is an easy-to-read article on how to add and select color in your home with confidence. I have always found that no matter how much experience I have with color I am always a bit nervous making the final selections because a color sample is never quite the same as when its put on a large wall in your home. Finally, I am very excited to bring you the article on the historic Biltmore Estate.Truly the most intriguing residence in the United States, the Biltmore Estate is a 250-room French Renaissance-style chateau tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The article is a must-read but the home itself is a must-see for any history buff, designer or anyone who just loves to visit fascinating homes. As always, I encourage you to thank the person who sent you this magazine. By sending you Home By Design is their way of saying thank you and they look forward to working with you soon. Please let them know that you appreciate their thoughtfulness with a short note or quick phone call to tell them thanks.

Enjoy!

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T
Candy Cane Cookies

COOKING

just

Desserts
JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
(SERVINGS: 18 cookies) Prep Time: 134 hours. Bake Time: 8-10 minutes
12

RECIPES BY LAURA SWAYNE | WRITTEN BY KIM A. FUQUA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHI INGLESBY

The house is decorated inside and out in holiday cheer and the shopping is (nearly) finished. Now its time to light the apple cinnamon candles and begin the annual tradition of baking up some fun and festive treats! Nothing satisfies that sweets-loving inner child like a batch of warm out of the oven cookies. Holiday cookies are not only great to have on hand to serve guests, but make great gifts presented in decorator tins. Better than a fruitcake any day! Laura Swayne has provided two of her favorite cookie recipes here; Candy Cane Cookies and Russian Tea Balls are both standards that transport us back to our own childhoods. Dont forget to involve the kids in preparing these treats! For a really sweet finale, let your guests dive into Swaynes Chocolate Bread Pudding with peppermint icecream, or fill up on a couple of slices of warm Pumpkin Cake Roll. No matter what sort of celebrations youre planning this year, these fun dessert recipes are sure to help you survive the season in sweet style.

CANDY CANE COOKIES These cookies are a simple and festive Christmas staple. Swayne likes to use plastic gloves when working with the red food coloring so that her hands dont stay red for days! Kids of all ages love these!

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH PEPPERMINT ICE-CREAM This one is a little time consuming, but fun if you have time. Decadent and yummy!
(SERVINGS: 8-10) Prep Time: 112 hours Bake Time: 134 hours 1
34

1 1 12 12 14 212 14 1 10

Pound butter Cup powdered sugar Egg Teaspoon vanilla Teaspoon peppermint extract Teaspoon salt Cups flour Teaspoon red food coloring Tablespoon corn syrup Hard peppermint candies, crushed

8 2 2 1 12 1

12 loaf French bread or brioche, cut into 12 slices Cup butter Ounces semisweet chocolate Cups whipping cream Cups milk Cup sugar Egg yolks Teaspoon vanilla Pinch of salt

Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, peppermint, and salt. Slowly add flour until well mixed. Divide the dough in half, adding food coloring to one half, until it is evenly colored.Wrap both halves in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Shape a teaspoon of dough into a 4-inch cylinder. Do the same with the red dough. Twist the two together and shape into a candy cane. Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 8-10 minutes, not allowing cookies to brown.While cookies are warm, brush lightly with corn syrup and sprinkle with crushed peppermints.

Preheat oven to 425. On cookie sheet, brush bread slices with butter. Toast until golden brown on first side, then flip and toast until golden brown on second side. Place side by side, overlapping, in a greased 12x9 baking dish. Coarsely chop chocolate and place in a small bowl. Place bowl in another bowl full of hot water. Allow chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk almost to a boil over medium heat. While cream mixture is heating, whisk together in a large bowl the egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Slowly add the hot cream mixture, whisking continually. Strain the mixture into another bowl, and skim off any
7

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foam. Slowly pour this mixture into the melted chocolate, mixing well. Add vanilla and salt. Pour chocolate mixture evenly over bread and gently cover with plastic wrap. Place a smaller pan on top to weigh down the bread and keep it submerged. Allow to sit for 1 hour, making sure the bread has soaked up the chocolate. Remove pan and plastic wrap. Cover with foil. Poke a few holes in the foil for steam to escape. Place pan in a larger pan filled with water to 34 the sides of the pudding dish. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 134 hours, until chocolate liquid is absorbed and top looks glossy. Serve warm with peppermint ice cream.
TWIST: Serve with vanilla ice-cream and caramel

a greased and floured jelly roll pan, 15x10x1. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a hand towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake together and let cool completely. Mix filling ingredients. Unroll cake. Spread with filling and roll back up. Chill until ready to serve. Slice, and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
HINT: Put in the freezer to freeze hard, and then allow to soften a bit in the refrigerator before serving.

BRANDYS FAVORITE RUSSIAN TEA BALLS This is another favorite holiday recipe that people are always looking for.
(SERVINGS: 3 dozen cookies) Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: 10-12 minutes 1 12 1 214 14 34 34

sauce instead of the peppermint ice-cream. PUMPKIN CAKE ROLL This is Swaynes friend Judys recipe, which she says is a bit different, beautiful, and always a hit at Christmas dessert exchanges.
(SERVINGS: 8) Prep Time: 45 minutes Bake Time: 15 minutes CAKE Eggs 3 23 Cup canned pumpkin 34 Cup flour 3 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 Cup finely chopped pecans 1 1 1 12

Cup butter, softened Cup powdered sugar Teaspoon vanilla Cups flour Teaspoon salt Cup finely chopped pecans Teaspoon baking soda Powdered sugar

or walnuts Cup sugar Teaspoon lemon juice Teaspoon baking powder Teaspoon salt powdered sugar Ounces cream cheese Tablespoons butter Teaspoon vanilla

FILLING 1 Cup 6 4 12

Preheat oven to 400. Cream together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix remaining ingredients together, and add to butter mixture. Mix until dough holds together. Shape into 1 balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Dont allow to brown. While still warm, roll in powdered sugar. After balls have cooled, roll in powdered sugar again.

For cake: Preheat oven to 375. Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients. Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Spread into

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Cake Roll Russian Tea Balls

abandon
~ H a r r i e t va n H o r n e

Cooking is like . It should be entered into with , or not at all.

love

10 H O M E B Y D E S I G N | D E C E M B E R J A N U A RY 2 0 0 6 Photograph courtesy of Campania International Photograph courtesy of Campania International

GARDENING

simple and water gardens

An attractive water garden can be made out of a well-chosen ceramic pot. Select a style of container that reinforces the theme of your garden. Italian terra cotta will enhance a Mediterranean inspired garden, while an Asian or contemporary pot will set a different tone. If your pot has a hole in it, plug it with a cork or epoxy a patch of plastic or metal over it.You may want to drain the pot in the winter and turn it over in a sharp freeze so expanding ice will not break it, or simply remove the cork. Wood half barrels make good water containers too. Add a pump and you have a self-contained fountain. You need a power source near the fountain to plug the pump into. Place the pump in the bottom of the container and run a rigid pipe straight up from it so it breaks the surface.This will create a gentle splash of water. Control the height of the jet by adding a valve to the pipe. Instead of putting it together yourself, consider purchasing a stand-alone fountain that is ready to go. Many of them are made of durable cast stone and most include a pump that is sized to match the fountain.You will be able to find one to suit any garden style, from English to Italian to contemporary.Wall fountains are another simple easy-care solution.These are selfcontained units that hang on a fence or wall. Add water, plug it in and away you go. Find stand-alone fountains and wall fountains at garden centers. A good online resource is Campania International at campaniainternational.com. Be aware that standing water in pools can offer breeding places for mosquitoes, definitely a concern with threats of West Nile virus, a mosquito-born disease. One solution for control is to change the water weekly; another is to use mosquito dunks, doughnut shaped bacteria tablets.The bacteria toxin in

elegant
WRITTEN BY P H I L W O O D | PHOTOGRAPHY BY P H I L W O O D

Add the magic of water to your garden even if you do not have the time or inclination to care for a large pool or waterfall. Even a small feature can have a big impact. The key is to keep it simple if you want to keep it easy to maintain. these wont hurt birds, pets or ornamental pond fish but will eliminate the mosquitoes. Another idea is to add a few goldfish, which will eat the mosquito larvae. The fish may attract raccoons, even in urban neighborhoods, so provide hiding places for the fish with a few bricks stacked up to make voids where they can hang out when danger strikes. If you want a larger feature, an above ground pool is more easily built than digging a hole to put one in the ground.You will be able to use the top edge of the pool for seating. The walls can be built of 4 x 6 timbers and lined with a rubber pool liner. For a more classic look consider having a mason build one out of stone. A good size is about four to five feet square. Be sure to have a drain installed in the bottom for easy cleaning. Add a pump and a fountain to get the sound of moving water.A whimsical fountain in my garden is made out of an old metal watering can. The water runs through plastic tubing from the pump up through the bottom of the watering can and out the spout. Pondless water features are becoming very popular because of their ease of care. An elegant one can be created with a stone container. Water flows over the top and down the sides into rounded beach stones at the base.The water actually flows into a hidden basin and is pumped back into the pot by an invisible pump. A pondless waterfall can be made a similar way, with water flowing over a few decorative rocks into the gravel, without the fuss of cleaning a pond. Enjoy the essential element of water in your garden. Keep it simple to start.You can always add larger and more complex features if time, budget and interest allow.
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Rooms for Kids and Teens!

Kids rooms do not seem to get as much attention as other rooms
in our homes. We tend to think that kids will put their own things on the walls or worse, they will just color directly on the walls and make their own eclectic designs. However, it is very important for kids to have a space that they can call their own. Whether they are sharing a room with a sibling or they are fortunate enough to have their own room, a little personal touch is good for them. In this section, you will see 5 examples of rooms for kids. They are decorated with a theme but more importantly they are decorated to be functional and sturdy. These rooms are designed to help their occupants grow, learn and imagine. Enjoy!

Cool

All Aboard! By avoiding a trendy look and relying on vintage colors and
accents, this childrens room promises to stay in style for years to come.
WRITTEN BY RONDA SWANEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NELS AKERLUND

hen I originally looked at the room, the clients had some current-day trains and airplane bedding. I decided to go along with that theme but do a 1900s vintage style to match the era of the home, says Andi Cassem of Andi Cassem Interior Design Inc. Cassems jumping-off point for the design was the train mural. She says, I started by figuring out how to create an area where the kids could sleep and then an area where they could actually utilize the room and have a play area. The murals done in the room were created by professional artists. Muralist Robert Ryan of Over the Moon Studios created the train mural as well as the ceiling art. Cassem explains how the mural is used to divide the space: Its painted on heavy-duty foam core. By doing the train mural, which has a three-dimensional effect, and attaching it to the front of the bed, that camouflaged the bed and made the sleeping area its own entity and the play area its own entity. Ryan also created the ceiling art, which includes clouds and two airplanes personalized with the names of the two boys

sharing the room. He painted the airplanes on canvas off site and then adhered them to the ceiling later. The rock wall and tunnel from which the train seems to emerge were created by another muralist, Michel Laurine, of Great Walls. The color palette of the room is restful and calming. Says Cassem, The walls are light sage green. I chose that color because it was a soothing vintage color of green. I was trying to give it a den-like feeling. Other vintage pieces dot the room, making it seem timeless. Cornice boards top the windows and are wrapped in a traditional map pattern. The railroad sign in the corner of the room belonged to the homeowners and now serves double duty as a coat rack and lamp. Cassem explains: When [the homeowners] gave it to me to see if I could use it in the room, the whole thing was painted white.We painted it to look rustic and weathered, and then we attached lights to it. The gas pump also is a current piece made to look weathered and old. It, too, serves multiple functions. The sign on top lights up, the front houses a clock, and the door and the

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Vintage never goes out of style. Traditional accents and colors complement the style of the home and ensure that this childrens bedroom wont wear out its welcome.

interior provide shelving and storage for the room. There was a method to the choices Cassem made in the room. As for any childs bedroom, the trick is making the design span several years. Cassem offers this tip: For childrens rooms I try and do things that are not trendy. For this one, I felt that by using vintage, it would never go out of style. By doing it in a den-like feeling it would grow with the child. We used a lot of adult colors in the room. But the vintage items and grown-up palette dont make the

room stuffy. Childrens rooms provide a blank canvas for inventiveness. She explains, You can be a lot more creative. You can do things that you wouldnt normally do in a living room setting. We became very creative with our murals, which show that you can do a lot of unique things in childrens rooms. By avoiding trends and relying on timeless pieces, this room is certain to provide room to grow for these two boys for years to come.

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FUNctional Full of fun and function, this bedroom delivers an awayfrom-home retreat when the grandchildren come to visit.
WRITTEN BY RONDA SWANEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAREN SHELL

he homeowners wanted the children to look forward to coming over and for the room to be special, says Judy Fox of Judy Fox Interiors. The homeowners are grandparents who dote on their grandchildren and wanted to provide a special place in their home just for them. The space is roughly 15 by 20 feet, and many features needed to be packed into it. More than any other room in a home, a childs bedroom allows for fun. Fox says, I think that its an opportunity for some whimsy. You want to engage a childs imagination, and you have to think of whats going to do that. When you start thinking about what children like to do, which is use their imagination, you just need to provide them with the tools. They can occupy themselves for a long time. This room provides many jumping-off points for a childs imagination,

starting with the toy area. Instead of toy storage we made it look like a toy shop.You step up, walk in, and the toys are arranged on the shelves. Everything is lit and pretty and makes it look special, says Fox. Next to the toy shop is the theater, a perfect place to play make-believe. There is a ticket booth so the children can sell tickets to their show. The curtain raises and lowers as in a real theater. Behind the mirror is a closet to provide clothing storage. The mirror itself provides a functional and practical purpose, letting the little playmakers see themselves as they dress up in frilly frocks, jewelry, hats, and wigs. And, as every actress knows, her most important accessory is the makeup table, which also is housed in this area. Two queen beds sit opposite each other with a window seat between. Even this area shows a touch of whimsy.The valance

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This page: The nightstand also plays a role as a tea table perfect for playing with the pretend pastries beneath the window seat. Opposite: The pretend toy store provides a place for storage, as does the mirrored closet in the theater area.

above announces the presence of the sweet shop, and, beneath the window seat, pretend pastries sit on display. The bedside table serves two functions: first as a nightstand when its time for sleeping and second as a tea table.The sides flip up to create the perfect place for a tea party. However, always mindful of function, Fox made sure the tables were hinged to the wall so they could swing out and provide access for making the bed. The room also provides a restful area for the children to sleep.The mural by the bed is an outdoor scene that seems to enlarge the space. Fox says of the mural, We wanted it to pull your eye in that direction and make it feel more open. The muted colors of the palette dont compete with the stronger

primary colors of the childrens toys. We tried to have a very peaceful palette because there was so much going on.We didnt want the room to be over-stimulating. All of these functions were going on, so we wanted to be rather restrained in our use of color, comments Fox. Of course, the children were thrilled with the end result. They were just delighted, she says. They were in and out throughout the [design] anticipating what new thing they would see each time they visited. Naturally, the adults were tickled too. Says Fox, I think we enjoyed the whimsy of it all and how many different functions that we could fit in. Its really a surprise when you walk in there.
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Sweet Dreams A little girl with big dreams gets a room of

her very own
WRITTEN BY JAN WALKER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY TEMPLETON
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weet dreams are practically guaranteed in this pink confection of a room designed for a little modern-day princess named Diana. A bona fide girly-girl, this fortunate four-year-old is an aspiring ballerina who also shows early promise as an interior designer. She was very involved in the decision making process for the room, said Trudy White, owner and principle designer for International Interior Design of Orange County, California. Such a petite little thing, and very precocious! Dianas bedroom was part of a renovation of the entire family home in Diamond Bar, California. At the time, Diana was 2 1/2 years old, and making the transition from a crib to a twin bed, so the change in dcor was accompanied by a change in function for the room. The little girl was our first consideration in planning, White said. It had to be light, airy, playful and happy. Pink is her favorite color, said homeowner and Dianas mother Sirine Roumi. She wanted everything pink, pink, pink! Inspired by her favorite animated character, Angelina the Ballerina, a ballet-dancing mouse, Diana chose many elements of the dcor herself. I sat her on my lap while we were looking for bedding on the computer, Roumi said, and let her pick what she wanted. Diana chose a lavishly quilted bedspread adorned with colorful flowers and swirling ribbons. Matching decorative pillows feature sheer georgette trim. The bedding complements the white, sleigh trundle bed. Beside the bed, a matching half-moon table holds a pink, ribbon motif lamp. Ornate carved accents on the new bed, table, full-length mirror, and matching armoire lend a vintage feel to the new bedroom suite by Stanley. I wanted a warmer, more elegant look than the usual plain, white surfaces that is often seen in childrens furniture, Roumi said. Ruffled, cloud style draperies feature a pink liner and semisheer curtains with delicate embroidered dots. White crown molding tops the pink walls and a white floral motif metal

chandelier with crystal dangles adds an extra touch of elegance to the room. A built-in desk with shelving provides plenty of display space for books, knick-knacks and other little-girl keepsakes. Sliding doors open to a balcony overlooking a view of the Southern California hills, which White says, rivals the Italian countryside. Dianas passion for ballet is also reflected on the walls. Muralist Victoria Ann Harris, of Culver City, California, painted a cluster of white clouds, each featuring a tutu-clad ballerina, on the pink wall above Dianas bed. On an adjoining wall, Harris painted a pink and white striped trompe loeil banner with Dianas name in elegant script. Near the bed, a whimsical princess chair with QueenAnne style legs, ornately scrolled arms, soft pink upholstery and a carved crown back adds seating and provides a fitting perch from which Diana can survey her rosy domain. She just loves her room, said Roumi.When she first saw it, she said Is this my room, Mommy? Can I sleep here all by myself? The room, which took about one month to complete, was something of a departure for the designer. I had never done a childs room before, said Trudy White. Most of my clients dont have young children, and I loved doing this. It added a wonderful, playful aspect to my work. I enjoyed it very much. For Dianas mother, the project was a resounding success. It turned out even better than we had expected, said Roumi, who enjoys watching her young daughter put on her ballet slippers and try to imitate the ballerinas painted on her wall. That freedom to express herself might be the most appealing aspect of Dianas bedroom. Thats what it was all about, said White, creating a wonderful, childlike environment where she could develop her little dreams. For more information about this project, and designer Trudy White, visit www.iidesign.net.
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A Room to Grow in Tired of newborn dcor, these parents wanted a

design that would last.
WRITTEN BY REBECCA SWEAT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MCNAMEE

omeowners Joe and Kathy Poindexter had one requirement for the nursery for their newborn son, Benjamin: We wanted to decorate just once and have the room grow with him, Kathy says. Babyish furnishings and trendy motifs were off limits. That meant no lambs, bunnies, or pastel color schemes. We have two other children, and their nurseries were all clouds and bunny rabbits, so weve kind of had our fill of newborn decor, Kathy says, chuckling. She and Joe wanted the room to be fun and cute for a baby but still be fitting for an older child.They also liked the idea of a traditional, Americana-style theme. We were really looking for a classic, kind of vintage feel, Kathy says. We wanted to stay away from the trendy cartoon characters that are popular today but probably wont be a few years from now. The starting point for the room was Kathys collection of old-time teddy bears, the most special of which was a stuffed bear made from her grandfathers blue cardigan sweater. She wanted the teddy bear included in the room design. When my grandfather passed away a few years ago, I had the teddy bear made out of his favorite sweater, Kathy says. Having this bear in Benjamins nursery gives him a connection with his greatgrandfather, who he never met.The bear was also a great way to incorporate some nostalgia into the room. Before Benjamin was born, the room had been used as a guest bedroom. Once Kathy had the old furniture taken out, she started at the rooms plain white walls. She moved in a crib, a changing table, and a rocking chair, but some decorative furnishings and painting were obviously needed. Thats when Kathy contacted interior designer and childrens bedroom specialist Sherri Blum.

With the couples vintage tastes in mind, Blum came up with a plan for the nursery that is both simple and timeless. Kathy had told her that she wanted a red, white, and blue color scheme for the nursery and that she wanted to use a teddy bear motif. She already had a denim blue cover for the rocking chair, the blue teddy bears, a red crib sheet, and a blue quilt with tan teddy bears. Blum took over from there. The first step was to put a chair rail on the rooms four walls. After that was in place, Blum painted a faded faux denim paint finish below the chair rail.This involved putting on a pale blue base coat followed by a dark blue glaze. A stippling brush was used to remove some of the glaze and to allow the baby blue to show through and give the wall a soft, worn-out denim look.The top half of the wall was painted a light beige color. Directly above the chair rails, Blum stenciled brown teddy bears and red stars. With the walls finished and the furniture in place, it was just a matter of finding some decorative elements to fill the blank areas on the walls.Together, Blum and Kathy rummaged through some boxes in Kathys attic and basement to look for old photos and wall hangings.They came across a framed 1939 New Yorker magazine cover of a toddler boy jumping on his parents bed while they were trying to sleep. They also found a framed photo of Kathys father and his twin brother as young boys wearing blue and white sweaters. Both of these were hung on the walls, adding to the sentimental tone already set in the room by the teddy bears. Buried under some boxes, Blum discovered an old wood shelf with hanging pegs. She painted and hung it on the wall as well. From the pegs she hung a pair of baby-sized denim overalls and a baseball cap. She placed the special grandfather bear on the shelf.

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There was still some empty wall space, but there was nothing else lying around the house that seemed to work. To fill one spot, Blum took a black and white photo of Benjamin and framed it for display on the wall. For the other empty wall space, Blum went to a local craft store, purchased three wooden lettersB, P, and R, for Benjamins initials-and painted them to match the decor in the room. She then hung the letters using ribbons. The end result is a nursery that has timeless appeal. Its a brand new room for Benjamin, but with all the sentimental touches, it also takes me back to the kind of room I had when I was growing up, Kathy says. Certainly its a room Benjamin will enjoy for many years to come. The nursery can be easily turned into an older childs room by simply removing the crib and painting over the teddy bear border above the chair rail, Blum says. The more expensive faux finish thats below the chair rail can work for a boy no matter what his age and with many themes throughout the years, which means less time and money having to be spent on redecorating.
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Storybook Appeal A cute but sophisticated room for a 3-year old girl.
WRITTEN BY REBECCA SWEAT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NELS AKERLUND

e want a bedroom for our 3-year-old daughter thats cute yet sophisticated at the same time, the homeowners told Cary, Illinois, interior designer, Patricia Bailey.When Bailey learned that the couples daughter was interested in art, she suggested a design for the bedroom that was based on the childrens book, Linnea in Monets Garden.This is the story of a young girl named Linnea, who travels to Claude Monets home to learn to paint like him and see the garden which was the inspiration for so many of his masterpieces. Baileys design incorporated a garden motif throughout the room. She chose a color scheme of periwinkle blue, pink, yellow and soft greenthe same hues Monet typically used in his paintings. The ceiling was painted periwinkle to resemble the sky, and the walls were painted with a bright yellow glaze to simulate sunshine. She painted the baseboard green, using long brush strokes that looked like blades of grass, and adorned that with whimsical ladybugs. A mural of a willow tree was painted in one of the corners of the room. Furniture selection was the next step. The homeowners already had a daybed and a large French-style armoire in the room, which worked well with the Monet theme. To dress up the daybed, Bailey selected a very colorful green, yellow, blue and pink patchwork quilt, and a pink bed skirt that had ladybugs embroidered on it. Four large pillows were placed on the daybedtwo that were pink with yellow ribbon trim and two that were yellow with pink ribbons. She also brought in a childs size chaise lounge that was a bright yellow. The homeowners had a stained glass Tiffany light fixture down the hall which Bailey moved to the bedroom. The light fixture was very colorful, and picked up all the blues and yellows in the room, Bailey notes. For the hardwood floor, Bailey found two circular area rugs. One was green shag, which looked like grass. This was offset by another, smaller off-white rug. For the window treatment, Bailey used a 129" silk crewel cornice that was embroidered in flowers. On each side, she hung

straight silk drapery panels. She put linen Roman shades on each of the three windows. We went with soft, pastel-colored fabrics, to keep with the light, airy feel for the room, Bailey says. There were already shelves on the walls, and these were painted yellow to match the wall. The shelves had French-style brackets, which also added to the Monet theme, Bailey notes. She placed some glass horse figurines on the shelf to pick up on the theme of a country garden, along with a couple of Linnea dolls. A decorating touch that was both functional and carried on with the storybook theme for the bedroom was an old child-sized easel which Bailey found at a resale shop, and then stained and refurbished. The easel fit in nicely with the bedroom since the girl who lives here likes to paint, and Linnea, the character from the story, was also learning to paint, Bailey notes. Other finishing touches included an antique green etagere, two step stools with ladybugs on the upholstery, a copy of Linnea in Monets Garden to display next to the chaise lounge, and a framed painting of the book cover for the wall. Put it all together and youve got a room thats cheerful, perky and relaxing. My daughter can go to her bedroom on a cold, gloomy winter day, and still feel like shes in a warm summer garden, the homeowner says. Its exactly what we wanteda cute room thats not too cute. This is a room she can grow into. Chances are, she'll still love it five years from now, as much as she does today.
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Digs A Go-Go: A guide to redoing your teenagers

bedroom for the family on a budget
WRITTEN BY JILLIAN BLUME | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON RUSIO

AFTER

BEFORE

our teenager has outgrown their little kids bedroom, and its time for a change. You would like to create a room in which your teenager will want to hang out. But your budget is tight and your time is limited, so the idea of taking on such a large project is overwhelming. Begin by having a simple conversation with your son or daughter. Find out what he or she doesnt like in the room and what might make him or her feel more comfortable.Then consider watching a DVD called Digs A Go-Go, a video guide to redecorating a teenagers bedroom on a tight budget. Dont let the retro graphics and the adjective groovy turn you off or make you feel old.This DVD isnt enough to get you through the entire process, but it does break it down into numbered elements and teen room basics that make the process feel more doable. Its quirky sense of humor sets a good example for the attitude to take when exploring the artistic recesses of the teenage mind. The longest segment, called Jessicas Room, is a step-by-step guide for navigating the project.To help you devise a plan, the DVD uses a five-step process. Step one is to decide on your budget, which will dictate the options from which you may choose. Step two is to find a theme by focusing on an inspiration piece in the current room, such as a poster or an object such as a snowboard. If there is not an item in the room that suggests a theme, then skip to step three and start with bedding to determine the color scheme. The fourth step is to think about paint, with the possibility of using additional colors to highlight trim or molding.The fifth and last step is to set a timeline for how long the project will take. According to the DVD, families with busy schedules
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completed all the rooms shown in the video within four to six weeks. The next segment gives you a list of teen room basics to consider in your redesign, with suggestions about recycling furniture and artistically transforming old furniture you have around the house.The room basics list is a guide to the different elements of the project, with brief explanations for each item in the list. For example, when deciding on a bed, aim to create storage and maximize space. The list includes lighting, shelving, flooring, and other important elements in a bedroom redesign. The DVD offers a range of options both for families who want to invest time in shopping in various stores and for families who would prefer the convenience of shopping online. On the downside, the DVD doesnt offer guidance for choosing quality items that will go the distance until your teen leaves home nor for versatile pieces that can be adapted easily for a guestroom or an office while still providing a place for your son or daughter to sleep when visiting. The long segment on the redesign of thirteen-year-old Jessicas room is a helpful overview for families on a budget, though it doesnt cover the cost of the designer the family is using or how to choose a trustworthy designer who will give you the most bang for your buck. Five short segments follow, covering a range of themes from Urban Sprawl to Maui Wow. The video emphasizes keeping costs as low as possible, so if you are looking for a high-end redesign with new furniture and flooring, discuss your options with a professional designer. For the do-it-yourself family on a tight budget, Digs A Go-Go will help you organize your plan and relieve some of the anxiety inherent in taking on a large project.

BEFORE

AFTER

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A vacation rental at the legendary Mauna Kea Resort on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii . . . an island-adventure experience amidst paradise awaits you. Two of Hawaiis best beaches Two championship golf courses Eleven ocean-side tennis courts Dining, shopping and recreation options Direct flights to Kona International Airport, just 30 minutes away. Vacation Rentals at Mauna Kea Resort
For more information and reservations, call: 808-882-5438 or 808-880-3490 or visit our website at www.MaunaKeaResortRentals.com

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Enter to Win a KitchenAid Suite of Products Valued $ up to

15,000

You could win up to $15,000 worth of KitchenAid Products through the By Design Publishing Referral Program. Refer one potential customer to the person or company who sent you this magazine and we will enter you into By Design Publishing, Inc.s KitchenAid drawing. For complete details and to make a referral, please visit our website at: www.HomeByDesignReferral.com.

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NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS PROMOTION. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. To participate in the Promotion, refer one potential customer to the person or company who sent you this magazine. To make a referral, go to: www.HomeByDesignReferral.com, or send your written referral containing the name and address of the potential customer, to whom you desire to refer this potential customer, your name, address, e-mail address (if any), phone and number addressed to By Design Publishing Referral Program, 11626 North Tracey Road, Hayden, Idaho 83835. Mailing instructions: mail your written referral on a standard postage-prepaid, postcard or in a sealed postage-prepaid envelope. For the Official Rules visit: www.HomeByDesignReferral.com, or write to By Design Publishing, Inc., 11626 North Tracey Road, Hayden, Idaho 83835. All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. P.S.T., December 30, 2005 to be eligible. This Promotion is open to legal U.S. residents 18 years or older, except residents of Florida, New York and Rhode Island, or employees or the immediate family members of employees of By Design Publishing, Inc., its participating sponsors, their respective affiliates and advertising/promotion agencies. One entry permitted per person. One grand prize will be awarded with an approximate retail value of $15,000. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Restrictions apply. Sponsor: By Design Publishing, Inc.

IS THERE ANY METHOD TO CHOOSING THE CORRECT COLOR?

WRITTEN BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR

WHITE WALLS NO MORE

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER HEATHER KELLER HAS DARED TO BE DIFFERENT SHES DECIDED TO PAINT HER WHITE WALLS SOMETHING MORE VIBRANT.

Ive always been paranoid about using color, and the biggest worry was if the shade was going to be right, said the Coto de Caza, California, resident. I wanted to use red, but my thought was, What red? It could turn out looking like a palace or a bordello. Keller is not alone in the difficulty in deciding which color to paint a homes walls. In fact, most homeowners dont have a clue about colors, nor do they know where to get help. But how important is color to home dcor? Very. Color is important because it is a reflection of your personal style. Your home should be a place that you feel comfortable in and thus reflect your style. Color is a major attribute to any environment, explains color expert Cheryl Dimson of Color Concepts. Dimson, based in Santa Ana, California, studied color theory for six years and is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She said color has always been a strong point in her design work, and she currently helps befuddled homeowners choose the right colors for their homes.

Homeowners usually become flustered when choosing color themes because size affects color, surrounding color affects color, lighting affects color, she explained. Often these factors are not taken into consideration by homeowners, and they become frustrated when the small chip of paint does not translate to a room. For homeowners like Keller who suffer from color-phobia, Dimson said its best to seek the help of an expert. I spent hours on Web sites trying different paint colors in various rooms, and all it did was confuse me more, Keller said. I still couldnt figure out what I wanted, and I became incredibly stressed. She decided to call Dimson, who brought various books, swatches, and paint colors to help make the decision easier. These days, the Keller home is undergoing a paint makeover that is sure to add some pizzazz. Weve been in this house for eleven years and remodeled it six years ago primarily using shades of beige. I felt it was time to change the walls and be daring, Keller said. We spent

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a few years living in Spain, and I fell in love with the deeper, warmer, richer colors and wanted to bring them into my home. I wanted to be edgy, daring, and now Im looking forward to the change. The Keller family room will be repainted saffron gold, the living room pool blue, and the dining room pumpkin spice. But if you want to try it on your own, taking small steps is the safest way to start.The easiest thing to do is to paint an accent wall in a favorite color. Most people surround themselves in a favorite palette of color without even realizing it, Dimson explained. We tend to buy things in colors we like, and this becomes a personal palette. So, an accent wall will most likely go with the things you have surrounded yourself with over the years, Dimson said. If you do decide to go it alone, there is some additional help. Color Savvy, a color technology company based in Ohio, has created the Color-Helper, a product that takes the guesswork out of Dimson says there are some tricks of the trade to keep in mind when considering colors. For instance, blue tones usually equate a cool sense, red shades stir up excitement and energy, and greens are considered to be soothing. There have been many studies done in this area.Trends are watched and followed very closely in the product and advertising world, Dimson said. The big problem with making general statements like green is soothing, red is aggressive, blue is calming, brown is comforting, is what red? what green? what brown? A red can be made to be calming, as well as a green can be made to be exciting. It comes back to how color interacts with other colors [and] what is the environment that is surrounding the color or that the color is surrounding.What is the proportion of the color? So many factors affect color that sweeping statements should be avoided. As for color choices varying from state to state, Dimson said those too have changed. Now with print, TV, the Internet, and travel, geography plays a much smaller role.We all see trends move at a similar time.There are people that want Classic, Modern, Country, or Traditional in all parts of the country, she said. Dimson believes socioeconomic factors play a bigger role in deciding color. The more disposable income there is, the faster a community can move with what trends are new, she said. Often they have traveled more and are open to newer ideas.

Going It Alone

More Tricks

picking colors. Weve all struggled trying to find a matching shade of paint or deciding if one color goes with another, said Color Savvy CEO Gary Bodnar. The Color-Helper eliminates all of the guesswork, but most important is the confidence it gives you that the colors youre picking will work just the way you want them to. When making a decision about a color, most ask how well it matches another color in the room or how well it goes with another color in the room. The Color-Helper answers both questions for any pair of colors. Simply click-in two colors, and the results automatically appear on the large display. You can click-in a color at home and take the Color-Helper to a local home improvement store to click-in the colors you are thinking about buying. Do they really match? Will they really look good together? The Color-Helper tells you for sure. The Color-Helper may be ordered through the Color Savvy Web site at www.colorsavvy.com.

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Biltmore Estate
Preserving a Dream
The concept of living large takes on new meaning at the historic Biltmore Estate, a remarkable residence that takes luxury and grandeur to new dimensions.
WRITTEN BY ROXANNE JONES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY COURTESY OF BILTMORE ESTATE

BILTMORE HOUSE, located in Asheville, NC, is the historic home of George W. Vanderbilt.

LIBRARY The Library in Biltmore House holds approximately 10,000 of Vanderbilts more than 23,000 volumes.

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Tucked
away in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, this 250-room French Renaissance-style chateau is the largest private residence in the United States, covering four acres of floor space that includes thirty-four bedrooms, forty-three bathrooms, sixty-five fireplaces, sixty-six servant rooms, thirteen staircases (including the 131-step grand staircase), an indoor pool, and a banquet hall measuring 42 feet wide, 72 feet long, and 70 feet high.The estate grounds comprise 8,000 acres, including gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and an award-winning winery. Biltmore Estate was built in the late 1880s for George Washington Vanderbilt, youngest grandson of industrialist Cornelius Commodore Vanderbilt, patriarch of one of Americas richest families. At 26, George Vanderbilt visited the Blue Ridge Mountains and dreamed of building a grand country estate that would showcase not only his extensive art collection but also the state-of-the-art technology of the day. He purchased 125,000 acres of land and hired Richard Morris Hunt, a popular society architect of the day, along with Olmsted, to help him realize his dream. The estate took six years to design, build, and furnish, with the help of an estimated 1,000 masons, carpenters, and other artisans. It formally opened on Christmas Eve 1895. In 1898, Vanderbilt married socialite Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, and the couple became known for their gracious hospitality, hosting numerous gala events on the estate. Guests marveled at such features as electricity, central heating, an elevator, running hot and cold water to upstairs baths, cold-storage refrigeration, and an electric communication system for calling the servants. Mr. Vanderbilts bedroom walls were covered in fabric gilded with 22-karat gold leaf. And the house was filled with priceless artwork, antiques, decorative objects, and furnishings from around the world, including a 23,000-volume book collection. From the outset, however, the estate also was a working farm. Its extensive acreage yielded firewood and lumber processed at Biltmores own mill.Whats more, the estate was the largest commercial nursery in the Southeast until 1916, even selling its products through mail-order catalogs. After George Vanderbilts death in 1914, his widow deeded close to 90,000 acres to the federal government to preserve Pisgah Forest for public enjoyment. She moved out of the house in 1925, leaving her daughter Cornelia and son-in-law
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John Cecil, to manage Biltmore affairs. Biltmore Estate was opened to the public in the 1930s and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963, but it remains privately owned by George Vanderbilts grandson,William A.V. Cecil.The estate is completely self-sustainingits preservation is supported solely from revenues derived from tour admissions (nearly one million visitors a year) and income from its gift shops, winery, restaurants, and the Inn on Biltmore Estate, which opened in 2001. The for-profit Biltmore Company generates annual revenues in excess of $50 million and employs more than 1,000 people. It can be overwhelming to think of all thats involved in the preservation of a property this size, says Darren Poupore, curator of collections for Biltmore Estate, so we take it project by project. The we to which Poupore refers is the estates Museum Services staff of twelve curators, conservators, collections managers, and archivists. With specialized expertise in such areas as historic interiors, landscape and forest history, and period furniture and upholstery, the staff is entrusted to interpret and maintain the historical accuracy of the estate. They are aided by sixty full-time Engineering Services staff, which includes housekeepers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, and other maintenance workers.A recent project was restoration of rooms on the homes fourth floor, including three maids bedrooms, the Servants Hall, the Architectural Model Room, and the Observatory.These spaces opened to the public in July 2005. Painstaking research is conducted prior to any restoration work. For example, in the fourth-floor servants quarters were two large cedar closets that didnt appear on the homes original architectural drawings. The cedar was stamped with the name of a company that didnt move to the area until 1929, further proof that the wood wasnt used in the original construction. And paint analysis revealed that the original walls had been painted brown, then green, while the added walls were painted only green. The restoration work is just as meticulous. Our woodworkers were able to save the quarter-sawn oak baseboards when the closets were removed, Poupore says. In another area, the cornices were damaged, but they replicated the elaborate crown molding to fill it in. And our paint analyst is able to determine the homes original colors and create mixes to match those colors, he notes.

Above: WINEMAKER BERNARD DELILLE Winemaker Bernard Delille was trained in France and now crafts award-winning wines along with Winemaker Sharon Fenchak ITALIAN GARDEN The Italian Garden is one of a series of outdoor rooms Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed in the formal gardens surrounding Biltmore House.

Above: AZALEA GARDEN Sometime around May each year, Biltmore Estates vast collection of azaleas burst into bloom. Left: LAGOON VIEWFALL Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Lagoon to reflect the western view of Biltmore House.

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MR. VANDERBILT'S BEDROOM George Vanderbilts bedroom enjoys spectacular views of the estate in addition to 22k gold leaf on the walls.

BANQUET HALL The Banquet Hall is 72 feet long, 42 feet wide and 70 feet high. It could seat up to 64 guests.

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Restoration work that requires highly specialized expertise is contracted out, as was the case in restoring the gilded wall covering in Mr.Vanderbilts bedroom.The tarnished wall covering was removed, and a linen fabric similar to the original burlap was fabricated and applied by a local craftsman.Then students from Asheville-Buncombe Techs Decorative Restoration Program gilded the fabric with 22-karat gold leaf similar to what was used at the turn of the 19th century. The curators also source products and artisans from around the world. For example, to replace the twenty-four silk tassels that adorn the roping up the grand staircase, Poupore says they located an Egyptian company that could produce the items by hand and sent an original tassel to the company to have it replicated. Our aim is to not alter the house, Poupore says, but to fully restore and furnish rooms as they would have appeared during George Vanderbilts time. Restoration this grand, however, comes with an equally grand price tag. To fulfill the mission to preserve Biltmore Estate as a privately owned, profitable working estate, we are always looking for other ways to generate revenue, says Tim Rosebrock, director of business development. One such way has been to develop Biltmore Estate-branded products. Starting in the mid-1980s, guests began to ask for ways to bring home something from the estate beyond a souvenir, Rosebrock explains. We did research and confirmed that the Biltmore Estate name has a strong, positive emotional attachment, and we could leverage that through a variety of consumer products.Weve used a licensing model with manufacturers to reproduce, in a strict and high-quality manner, certain items from the Biltmore collections. Today, Biltmore Estate has licensing agreements with thirty partners who produce Biltmore Estate for Your Homebranded consumer products in three categories: home furnishings, specialized building products, and horticultural products.These partners include Kravet Inc. (fabrics), Carpet One (Anderson Hardwood Floors), Habersham (hand-painted furniture), and Olympic Paints (a palette of forty-two paint colors inspired by Biltmore Estate available exclusively through Lowes Home Improvement Warehouses). Mr.Vanderbilt made a tremendous investment in his estate and transformed it into a revenue center, Rosebrock says. Were still doing that 100-plus years later.Were just getting into businesses that are appropriate to the core of the Biltmore Estate brand experience with a focus on the 2005 consumer. Were confident that classic, well-designed, traditional furnishings will always be in demand.The marketplace seems to agree: retail sales of the branded products will exceed $70 million in 2006. This success ensures that the experts who work year-round to preserve the dream of George Vanderbilt can continue to do so and that this national treasure will retain its original grandeur for generations to come.
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Photofiddle
W R I T T E N B Y C AT R I O N A T U D O R E R L E R

TRANSFORM YOUR OWN PICTURES TO A WORK OF ART.

Raise your hand if you have a backlog of digital photographs stored on your computer that youve been meaning to do something with, or if you have a shoebox filled with photographs that you plan to put in an album one day. Now you can take your favorite digital photographs and, with the help of a new Internet company, transform them into works of art to hang on your walls. Imagine that charming picture of your child on his or her first day of school as a framed charcoal or colored pencil sketch, enlarged to, say, 16" by 24". How about that fantastic vacation shot of Yosemite Valley as an oil painting or watercolor stretched on canvas? Or perhaps youd like a collage with photographs representing milestones in the life of your son or daughter or a framed collection of wedding photographs? Feeling wild and crazy? You can turn a funky photo into pop art a la Andy Warhol or transform it so it looks like stained glass or a needlepoint tapestry. Fancy the comic strip pop-art style of Roy Lichtenstein? Thats another option you have with Photofiddle, a company founded in February 2005. The process of turning a favorite photo into hangable art is easy. Photofiddles easy-to-navigate Web site (www.photofiddle.com) walks you through the steps, directing how to upload the

photograph you want. Then you can have fun trying different looks and effects until you find the one you like. Do be aware that certain photographs lend themselves better to some treatments than others. If you arent happy with any of the final results on your computer (the grain on the edge of oil paintings can be quite coarse), you can send your photo by e-mail, cropped the way you want it, to Photofiddle along with an explanation of how you would like it improved.Within hours youll get a response from the head fiddler with adjustments made to solve the problem. If none of the online designs work for you, Photofiddle offers custom-designed artwork in the Premium Design section.You supply the photo and indicate what you would like done, and one of the designers will make it to your exact specifications. Once youve decided on the form and style your photo will take, you have four options for presentation.The least expensive choice is to have the picture printed on professional archival photo paper. These are shipped rolled in a tube, ready to be framed or hung as they are. Prices begin at $15 for an 8" x 12" or 8" x 8" picture. For a few dollars more, you can have the photo printed on a 100% cotton, archival-quality artist canvas. This also is

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GALLERY

shipped rolled in a tube; however, if you plan to have the canvas stretched on boards for framing, Photofiddle will do it for you and ship the picture in a heavy-duty box or crate to prevent damage. Prices for the stretched canvas pictures begin at $40 for an 8" x 12" or a 4" x 16" photograph. You also can choose to have your creation professionally framed behind glass. In that case, the picture is printed on archival photograph paper, mounted on foam board, and framed in one of Photofiddles standard solid color wooden frames with glass. Framed prints begin at $25 for an 8" x 8",

Above: Two distinctive Photofiddle designs adorn a bedroom wall in Oil Painting style (over bed) and Metropolitan style. Left: Photofiddle Pop Art creates a dramatic effect at the staircase landing. Below: A panoramic Watercolor style painting on canvas adds warmth and character to a living room.

$30 for an 8" x 12" picture, and go up to $2,199.95 for a 280 x 70 framed print. About seven days after placing an order, the art print will arrive along with a pair of white cotton gloves to prevent soiling the work when handling it. Customer response to Photofiddle has been excellent. One letter that particularly pleases company President Michael Karmatz came from a man who gave his wife a Photofiddle painting for Valentines Day. The customer wrote, It brought tears to my wifes eyes. Thank you so much. It was the best gift ever.
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Live like Robinson Crusoe in a luxury thatched-roof villa set amongst the flowering plants on Little Palm Island.

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DESTINATION

Getaway
secluded

South Pacific-style
JUST OFF MILE MARKER 28.5 IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
W R I T T E N B Y J A N E C O L O C C I A | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LITTLE PALM ISLAND

Leave it to Hollywood to find first.This isle in the lower Florida Keys was used as the setting for the movie PT 109 in the early 1960s because of . Four its American presidents including Harry S.Truman have fished here, and Al Gore, Marvin Hamlisch, Katie Couric, Paul Newman, Michael J. Fox, and Ivana Trump can be counted among its guests.

Little Palm Island

South Pacific-style ambiance

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Approximately four miles offshore from Little Torch Key, Little Palm Island is accessible only by boat or seaplane. If youre heading down US1 in the Keys, turn left onto Pirates Road at Mile Marker 28.5, park in the Shore Station, grab a rum cooler, and board the resorts mahogany yacht for the tranquil journey to the islandfar away from civilization, as we know it. Once here, you can completely detach from the pressures of everyday life. Forget about the alarm clock, the telephone, and the televisionthere arent any.There is, however, dial-up Internet access for those who simply cannot do without email and stock quotesa nod to the ubiquity of technology, one might say. More than 250 Jamaican coconut palm trees grace Little Palm Islands shorelinea legacy from the islands first inhabitant, Newton Munson.Today all five acres comprise the Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, a romantic island getaway where luxury and pampering are the way of life. The compound is composed of thirty thatched-roof villas surrounded by bougainvillea, oleander, and hibiscus and scattered among crushed seashell paths (tiny torch lights romantically illuminate the walkways at night). Upon further exploration one will find a Balinese-style spa with outdoor massage pavilions; a Zen garden; private hammocks strung from palm trees; secluded hot tubs; and a freshwater lagoon-style pool complete with waterfall, a life-size chess board, and a pristine white beach. Sound like paradise? It is. If this were indeed a Hollywood set, one would say

that the accommodations could not have been dressed more perfectly for romance. Four-poster beds clad in fine linens, comfy pillows, and drapes of butterfly netting are the focal point.The one-bedroom suites feature a spacious living room, an indoor and private outdoor shower, a dressing room, and a private verandah overlooking the ocean. The dcor in these spacious 550-square foot hideaways reflects one of three island themes: Indonesian, Polynesian, or British Colonial. Little Palm Island is a completely inclusive resort; no matter what you may be looking for, you will find it here. Visit the SpaTerre for pampering body treatments, including exotic Balinese and Thai body rituals incorporating a blend of ancient traditions once reserved for royalty. The healing properties of flowers and spices are used liberally to enhance each experience. A variety of healing and meditative classes from yoga to reiki are also offered. Barnes & Noble lovers will appreciate the resorts collection of classic literatureand the thoughtful inclusion of a book light on the nightstand. If you are more of an adventurous type, Little Palm Island will not disappoint. The Keys are known for superb scuba diving and snorkeling, and the resort offers daily trips to Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary and the wreck of the Adolphus Busch.You can even arrange to receive PADI scuba certification

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Left: Every villa features a private verandah overlooking the ocean. Above: Throughout the island there are secluded spots just for two.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
January Nov 1 to May 31- Key West Old Island Days (Key West) January 15 to March 17 - Sculpture KeyWest Edition (Key West) January 20 to 22 - KeyWest International Jazz Festival (Key West) January 28 to 29 - 21st-Annual KeyWest Craft Show (Key West) February February 5 - Terry Cassidys Pickin Party (Big Pine Key) February 10 - Island Opera Theatre presents An Evening of Love (Big Pine Key) February 20 - Keys Chamber Orchestra Fundraiser featuring Lynne Greenwood on saxophone (Big Pine Key) February 25 to 26 - 41st-Annual Old Island Days Art Festival (Key West) April April 14 - Island Opera Theatre presents Love that Lerner & Loewe (Big Pine Key) June June 25 - Island Opera Theatre presents Love that Lerner & Loewe (Big Pine Key)

while here. Other island activities include tours to Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge; sailing charters; and deep-sea, backcountry, and flats fishing. The resort also has a variety of water sports equipment at your disposal including kayaks, sailboats, and windsurfers. Key West is nearby, providing an opportunity to tour the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum and stroll past the boutiques, galleries, and restaurants along historic Duval Street. Dining at Little Palm Island is a true exercise in indulgence. You can have an exquisite meal in the dining room, or feel free to turn any setting around the island into your ideal dining spot, from ocean-side banquets to romantic dinners on the Sunset Dock to a pajama party in your villa. Lobster croissants, conch chowders, crab cakes, and chocolate souffls are just some of the chefs offerings. His menus vary each day depending on what is fresh and available. So when you feel its time to truly get away, head on down to Mile Marker 28.5 in the Keys. And remember: lets keep Little Palm Island Resort & Spa our little secret.

INFORMATION
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa 800.3.GET.LOST or www.littlepalmisland.com or www.noblehousehotels.com The Florida Keys & Key West/Monroe County Tourism Development Council www.fla-keys.com

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Resources
PAGE 14 ALL ABOARD
Andi Cassem Andi Cassem Interior Design, Inc. Shorewood, IL 815-725-7388 www.andiinteriors.com

PAGE 34

BILTMORE ESTATE
Asheville, N.C. 800-624-1575 www.biltmoreestate.com

PAGE 42 PAGE 44

PHOTOFIDDLE
www.PhotoFiddle.com

PAGE 16

FUNCTIONAL
Judy Fox Judy Fox Interiors Scottsdale, AZ (480) 860-6475 www.judyfoxinteriors.com

LITTLE PALM ISLAND RESORT & SPA

800-3-GETLOST www.littlepalmisland.com

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SWEET DREAMS
Trudy White International Interior Design Irvine, CA 949-551-8726 www.iidesign.net

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A ROOM TO GROW IN
Sherri Blum Jack and Jill Interiors Westminster, MD (410) 857-0220 www.jackandjillinteriors.com

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STORYBOOK APPEAL
Patricia BaileyFaceted Interiors Winfield, IL 630-260-9097 pbailey@facsol.com

PAGE 24

DIGS A GO-GO
www.digsagogo.com Lane Elisabeth Oliver Interior Design Inc (303) 722-4288

PAGE 30

NO MORE WHITE WALLS

Cheryl Dimson Color Concepts Santa Ana, CA 714-544-3312 Color Savvy www.colorsavvy.com

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