home style section, march 2011

Beacon Communications | March 2011

From his closet to your home, Clinton Kelly

dishes on timeless style

Pretty in paisley: How to decorate

with the year’shottest pattern

Why traditional American furniture

is anything but ordinary

+

Baby Talk

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TV star and budding designer Tiffani Thiessen

shares inspired ideas, avoidable mistakes and easy

solutions for any nursery

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Johnston1417 Atwood Ave.

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E STYLE • March 2011

WELCOME HOME

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Pretty in Paisley ........................ page 4From India to John Lennon to the living room - paisley is the hot retro pattern that packs a punch

What Not to (make your home)Wear ........................................... page 5From his closet to your home, Clinton Kelly shares 5 timeless style tips

Pocket Translator ..................... page 6Don’t know a jabot from a sabot? Get your style on with a quick review of - or introduction to - some essential décor vocab

Come and get it ......................... page 8Pull up an extra chair for dinner - there’s a place setting for everyone this year. New trends in tabletop dŽcor leave plenty of room for personal panache

Pop Quiz: Paint Power ........... page 11Sure, popping open paint cans and breaking out the drop cloth is fun and exciting, but not everyone is born with a paintbrush in hand. Carefully choosing colors, properly planning and thinking ahead are all key parts of painting a room. Answer these questions to find out how to harness the power of paint

Travel A to Z ............................ page 14Create a visual reminder of the year’s favorite travels with a mantle-worthy craft

American Revival ..................... page16An appreciation of all things American has been restored with a resurgence in traditional design. Here’s why American furniture is anything but ordinary

The Boomerang Effect ............ page18Pass the popcorn and make room on the couch. Popular services that brought movies and TV shows to the Internet are finally coming home to the TV

Mixed Media ............................ page 21Redesign with an app in mind - find passion and ideas at your fingertips

Laundry’s New Cycle.............. page 22Laundry day is quickly becoming less of a hassle with new technologies being announced nearly every month. LCD touch screens, anti-vibration systems and 33 cycle settings are sure to lighten your next load

© CTW Features

Baby Talk ......................................................... page 12Hollywood’s hottest new design duo shares inspired ideas, avoidable mistakes and easy solutions for any nursery

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Paisley became synonymous with free spirits and the hippie culture of the 1960s, explains Murrye Bernard, a New York City architecture writer and LEED accredited professional designer. In 1967, John Lennon had his Rolls Royce, a longstanding symbol of British dignity, painted in a bumper-to-bumper paisley explosion, which the Beatles used throughout their heyday.

Today, designers aren’t pulling their pais-ley punches. San Diego-based graphic designer Juliana Giacini just launched her “Paisley Blossom” pattern for Beaverton, Ore.-based lighting shop Alluminare. The sleek yet lush print is a prime example of paisley’s pliable personality.

Its current reprisals are the cornerstone of boho-chic designs. For a modern take on paisley, Lynnfield, Mass.-based designer Yvonne Blacker uses “oversized paisley pat-terns in soft pastel colors or tone-on-tone prints.”

“These days, paisley patterns appear on shawls and scarves, shirts, dresses and even pants, Bernard says. “The team from the lit-tle-known country of Azerbaijan wore bright paisley pants for the 2010 Winter Olympics.”

The bold, spiral pattern may be an intim-idating choice when decorating a home, but the contemporary iterations of paisley are not even close to the pattern on grandma’s shawls.

Keep paisley current and fresh by using it with bright punchy colors for a “funky, boho-chic aesthetic,” says Michelle Salz, principal interior designer at San Diego, Calif.-based Studio Surface. She also sug-gests using cream or charcoal grays for a “high-end, universal appeal.”

Using the admittedly busy fabric wisely can be another option for the truly fearless. “Whether it’s wall art, wall covering or wall decals, adding paisley to the walls is a fun way to incorporate its allure,” Salz says.

If the idea of incorporating paisley seems daunting, Bernard says that it’s all about how and where the pattern is used. Avoid pairing paisley with other patterns – anything else floral is sure to clash, she adds.

As far as color goes, though the tradition-al shades appear in reds, burgundies and golds, “don’t be afraid to try paisley in unconventional colors like blue, yellow or even pink,” Bernard says.

© CTW Features

Size matters: Hang oversized paisley-patterned wallpaper in an office or study for a modern feel. Go with soft colors or tone-on-tone patterns to keep the space clean and distinctive.

Mixed emotions: Get playful, whimsy or sophisticated with pops of paisley in jewel tones or in a pastel palette.

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Still feeling a little intimidated by the power of paisley? Bernard offers some tips to tame this wild design:

• If a large surface is covered in paisley, keep the rest of the room’s décor neu-tral. Beige and gray are safe bets, or pick one shade from the pattern to use as an accent.

• Whether it’s a little paisley or a lot, try to limit a room’s paisley quotient to one general location: one piece of furniture, one accent wall, etc.

• Paisley patterns range from very small, which appear more conservative, to exag-gerated and bohemian versions. Con-sider the scale of a given space, but don’t be afraid to use a bold pattern in a small room, such as a large paisley print in a powder room.

• Don’t just think of paisley as a repeating pattern. Consider incorporating sculp-tural elements shaped like the paisley teardrop in a room.

© CTW Features

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By Angie JaimeCTW Features

There’s nothing trendier than a retro resur-gence, and paisley, the timeless classic, is no exception. The South Asian teardrop-shaped motif is based on mangoes of the region and

suggests bounty and fulfillment, and the Scottish town of Paisley became famous for the namesake fabric based on this shape.

From India to John Lennon to the living room –paisley is the hot retro pattern that packs a punch

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5. FORGET THOSE ExCuSESDon’t tell Kelly that there’s no time

to whip up a beautiful home. “That’s baloney,” he says. It doesn’t have to be much, but everybody can do a little something.

2. BRING ON ThE BLACK“There should be a little black in every room,” he says. A small, unexpected dose of black instantly

ups a room’s drama factor without even hardly trying.

3. DITCH NEuTRAL WALLS“I can’t imagine myself in a home that’s all beige,” Kelly says. “We’ve been so brainwashed by all those TV

shows that just talk to us about resale value. Everything is neutral, neutral, neutral!” If your house isn’t on the market, he says to forget about neutrals and opt for a wall color “that speaks to you.”

What not to WearFrom his closet to your home, Clinton Kelly shares 5 timeless style tips

–Mary M. Murphey© CTW Features

Clinton Kelly’s latest book, “Oh No She Didn’t: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Avoid Them” (Gallery, 2010), is now available at local retailers.4. HEAD FOR THE CLOSET

“I built my living room around a favorite shirt that included purple, light blue, pink, white and brown,” Kelly says. “That is something anyone can do. A profes-sional has already combined those colors for you – that takes the fear out of it.”

1. LAY THE GROuNDWORK“If ‘What Not to Wear’ ever

gets canceled, I will work in a tile shop – I’m cuckoo for tile,” says Clinton Kelly, best known for his witty style advice on the afore-mentioned hit TLC show. Kelly’s penchant for redecorating has introduced him to some of his favorite tiles, including his current No. 1: hexagonal-shaped Calcutta marble tile.

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Pocket TranslatorDon’t know a jabot from a sabot?Get your style on with a quick review of –or introduction to – some essentialdécor vocab

Acanthus leaf: Any of several plants in the genus Acanthus, typically found on the Mediterranean. In furniture speak; these ornate leaves decorate everything from tables to cupboards.

Jabot [jab-oh]: French for the frill on the throat of a garment, a jabot is “the cascading piece of fabric that is folded in pleats or tapered, usually hung on either side of a swag or valance for decoration,” says Susan Fredman, Chicago-based interior designer.

Lambrequin: A short, fixed and firm covering attached to the exterior of a window with little “legs” that extend down either side, a lambrequin is fixed; while a jabot floats, explains Elaine Grif-fin, New York-based author and design expert at HomeGoods home furnishing stores.

Pier mirror: “A long, narrow mirror hung usually between two mirrors, or above a low console-type table,” Griffith says.

Sabot [sab-oh]: From the French for a shoe carved from a single block of wood traditionally worn by farmers. Fredman says that in furniture-speak, “sabot refers to the cuff at the bottom of a chair leg.”

Transitional: A mix of past and present, tra-ditional and contemporary, “with the ‘antique’ sometimes tweaked for today – like Neo-Regency!” Griffin says.

Tufting: For Grif-fin, “What furniture with buttons is really called.”

Wingback chair: “A tall, upholstered chair with ‘wings’ extending along both sides,” Griffin says, that was originally meant to protect sitters from drafts and trap the heat from a nearby fireplace.

© CTW Features

By Angie JaimeCTW Features

Ever have trouble explaining exactly what you want in a piece of furni-ture? Read on to find the right words so that you can hold your

own the next time you’re face-to-face with retailer or designer.

Ottoman: A footstool, which, Griffin says was originally inspired by the Turkish "hassock,” a stool for kneeling.

Volute [vuh-loot]: Fredman

describes this as “A spiral or twisted

formation of an object. In furni-ture-speak, the scroll-like struc-

ture at the bottom of a staircase.”

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By hilary Masell OswaldCTW Features

The rules of table settings have changed: No longer does the table have to be a stuffy tribute

to too many heirlooms or a dull rerun of last fall’s dinner party. Thanks to the pro-liferation of fabulous products and bril-liant ideas, the tabletop is a prime place to reveal personal style. here, a look at trends worth bringing home.

Au NaturaleFlorals are flourishing. Many well-known china manufacturers, including Villeroy & Boch, haviland and Wedgwood, recently released collections inspired by flowers. Wedg-wood's new Cuckoo tea set collection is an ele-gant riff on the company's 19th-century bird-and-flower design. A more modern take on flowers, Villeroy & Boch's new Althea Nova collection features a botanical print design of herbs and edible flowers.

To complete a nature-inspired tabletop, crown the table with an organic centerpiece. “We have so many wonderful things in our yards that stay green all year long: holly, mag-nolia, pine, cedar trees and shrubs,” says event planner William Fogler, founder of Denver- and Atlanta-based WM Events. “Mix these elements with fruit – a bowl of oranges, say, with magnolia leaves from the yard – and you have an elegant centerpiece.”

Give even the littlest guests a chance to feel special by allowing them to use “real” dinnerware – so long as it's not Great Aunt Edna’s fine china. “There's something to be said for treating kids like they're not always going to break everything,” says Seattle-based lifestyle and food expert Heather Christo, mother of two young children. “You teach them how to behave around lovely things.” For a touch of whimsy, Christo recom-mends setting the kids' table with mismatched, inexpensive pieces found at thrift shops.

If the kids aren’t quite ready for “adult” dinnerware, there are more options than the personality-free paper plates of dinner parties gone by. Manufac-turers are turning out kid-friendly dishware in bold colors and graphic patterns. For example, Mill Valley, Calif.-based Green Toys just announced its new Green Eats tableware, made from 100-

percent recycled milk jugs. Available in early 2011, the line is an eco-conscious parent's dream, free of BPA, melamine, phthalates, PVCs and external coatings. Plus, the bright colors make the tableware far more fun than standard white paper plates.

Pull up an extra chair for dinner – there’s a place setting for everyone this year. New

trends in tabletop décor leave plenty of room for personal panache

Kid Friendly

Wedgwood’s Cuckoo tea set collection

Green Toys’ Green Eats tableware line

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ThrowbacksEverything old is new again – or at least, hip again. “One of my favorite trends is using vintage or heirloom pieces to decorate the table,” Fogler says. he prefers mining the family china cabinet for just the right pieces, but if that's not an option, he recom-mends visiting local vintage and thrift stores to find china that suits fits the bill.

If sorting through piles of mismatched pieces to find just the right salad plates doesn't thrill you, take heart: Legendary Eng-lish china manufacturer Royal Crown Derby China has made honoring history easy with its recently released Titanic line, a reproduction of the china it pro-duced for the ocean liner's ill-fated maiden voyage nearly 100 years ago. The pattern is elegant, marked by encrusted gold accents and Louis XVI-inspired green painted chaplets and festoons.

Royal Crown Derby China’s Titanic line

A Touch of GlamSparkle never goes out of style, says Kevin Walsh, owner and principal of Bear-Hill

Interiors in Little Rock, Ark. Hosts and hostesses looking to add a little glamour to

their tables have plenty of options. For a bold metallic look, Walsh recommends

Juliska's Pewter Stoneware line, which makes a striking statement with its ham-

mered finish and wide lip. (Plus, it's dishwasher- and

microwave-safe.) For a more subtle shimmer, Juliska's

Landon goblets have a sleek, curvy shape and antique

silver finish.

Not ready for quite so much shine? Lifestyle designer

Barclay Butera recommends dressing up white dinner-

ware, such as Vietri's Incanto, with silver and crystal.

Juliska’s Pewter Stoneware plates and Landon goblet

Mix and MatchWithout question, one of this year's big-gest trends is setting the table with mis-matched pieces. “There is clearly a trend toward casual elegance,” Butera says. “Tables are layered with different colors

and textures, which makes the entire din-ing experience a little bit fun, a little bit playful and a lot more entertaining.”

To get that playful touch, mix pre-cious family heirlooms with everyday items, Christo suggests. “That goes for flatware as well as china. Blend new and

old with precious and not precious. It gives the table more personality and a touch of the unexpected.” hosts looking for a more tailored look might mix glass pieces with dinnerware, or replace just one piece, such as salad plates, at each setting, Walsh says.

But no matter which style you choose, there's one rule that should gov-ern every tabletop, Walsh says: “For heaven's sake, have fun.”

© CTW Features

HEATING uP: For food presentation: classic white china. (Food always looks best on white.)

For centerpieces: edibles, such as fruit and candy, and natural elements

For sparkle: napkin rings in surprising shapes and materials

For linens: white linen napkins

For style: mix and match dishware

COOLING OFF:For dinnerware: perfectly matched serving pieces, dinnerware and colors

For glassware: serving everything from soup to nuts in martini glasses

For style: overly formal tables

For centerpieces: anything artificial or too tall

© CTW Features

Vietri's Incanto collection

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?Sure, popping open paint cans and breaking out the drop cloth is fun and exciting, but not everyone is born with a paintbrush in hand. Care-fully choosing colors, properly planning and thinking ahead are all key parts to painting a room. Answer these questions to find out how to harness the power of paint

Pop Quiz:Paint Power

Which material is the best choice for a drop cloth?1True or false: Never paint over wallpaper.2

3A. Bright yellow B. Pale green

C. White D. Dark red

Answers

1. A. Canvas

2. True

3. B. Pale green

4. B. Clean red (and also

other saturated colors like

bright green)

5. False; a quality coat

of primer and new paint

is often enough to hide

any color

6. D. All of the above

7. Both

8. False

9. C. 4 hours

10. C. Satin

A. Canvas B. Newspaper C. Plastic D. Towel

How do you rate?10 Correct: The paint has probably already dried – another flaw-less paint job!

9 Correct: Keep mix-ing that paint a little bit longer.

8 or Less Correct: Don’t rush off to the store just yet – do some research and study those swatches first.

Which paint color is the best to balance the bright light of a large wall-mounted TV?

4In order to give a room a tranquil and calm look, which of the following colors should be avoided?

A. Pale green B. Clean red

C. Beige D. Light brown

True or false: You can’t paint over dark colors.5 What’s the most important preexist-ing feature to take into account when choosing a paint color?6

A. Flooring B. Furniture C. Wall coverings D. All of the above

When testing out a color scheme in a room with both natural and artificial lighting, which of the two light sources is more important to consider?

7

Painting a sample of a color on a surface is not an effective way to see how well it will work.8 True or false:

9 When applying a typi-cal indoor acrylic paint, on average, what is the recommended time to wait in between coats?

A. 30 minutes B. 1 hour

C. 4 hours D. 8 hours

10 What type of paint finish holds up the best to frequent cleaning?

A. Flat B. Gloss

C. Satin D. Eggshell

By Michael JulianoCTW Features

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‘These are a few of my favorite things’Tiffani Thiessen and Lonni Paul, designers, friends and moms, know what they like when it comes to decking out their nurseries. Here are some of their must-haves:

Tiffani: Lonni:

• Wren Crib • Alouette Crib

• Wood Tree Wall Art • Sophie dresser

• Wren Dresser

• Calliandra Plum Bedding Set

BabyTalk

By Mary M. MurpheyCTW Features

Tiffani Thiessen has come a long way from her days as Kelly Kapowski on the teen hit “Saved By The Bell.”

The bankable actress, who currently stars in the USA Network series “White Collar,” has tapped into yet another creative vein this past year.

In early 2010, Thiessen teamed up with friend and interior designer Lonni Paul to launch PetitNest, their modern classic answer to expected, staid nursery design.

“A nursery should be an extension of your own taste,” says Thiessen, who gave birth to daughter harper this past June. “We wanted to create furniture you can use throughout the home. A home should actually flow from room to room.”

A nursery should fit into its home’s overall design scheme; it shouldn’t be so jarringly different that it seems like it belongs in another house, Thiessen says.

The Los Angeles company’s collections include cribs, dressers, gliders, chairs, wall art and bedding, and Thiessen and Paul already are “working on design-ing the next phase, says Paul, a mother of three best known for her success on hGTV’s “Design Star.” “All of PetitNest’s cribs have been designed with the ability to be “converted” into toddler beds, she says.

here, the duo offers their bright style ideas for in the nursery and through-out the home.

Lonni Paul

Tiffani Thiessen

Hollywood’s hottest new design duo shares inspired ideas, avoidable mistakes and easy solutions for any nursery

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Calliandra Plum Bedding

Wren Dresser with white trim

Wren Crib with white trim

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Nursery No-NoOne of the biggest mistakes parents make when it comes to decorating nurseries is choosing expected, bland colors. Most new parents jump at primary or pastel palettes when “there are so many other color choices out there,” Paul says. She suggests adding in fresh colors with different chair fabrics, quilts, paint, bedding and furnishings.

More than meets the eyeThink beyond a baby’s first two years when buying furniture for the nursery. Dressers and changing tables can have a second life as almost anything, including:

• a dining room buffet

• a child’s bedroom dresser

• a guest bedroom dresser

• a foyer table

A Room With A ViewThiessen suggests placing a glider near the window in a nursery, giving both mom and baby a chance to look out and daydream.

“You have to feel comfortable in your baby’s nursery, or your baby won’t,” she says. 1

Lonni Paul’s Style Tips

2

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Your baby will outgrow the nursery faster than you think. Stay one step ahead by buying style for a toddler, not an infant.

Try to make the nursery an extension of the whole home’s style. Don’t think in a vacuum.

Think outside the box in terms of colors. Pretend primary and pastel colors aren’t an option.

© CTW Features

Noe Dresser with beech trim

Odette Glider in celadon linen

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Anh-Minh Le’s A to Z poster serves as a visual trav-elogue of places she has visited. Photographs from various cities peer from behind cut-out let-ters. Since the letters frame a limited view, photo-

graphs with bold colors or those that are abstract in nature work best.

Travel to

Finished size as shown: 22 x 28"

Create a visual reminder of the year’s favor-ite travels with a mantle-worthy craft

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Materials22 x 28" poster board

26 A to Z alphabet stencils, 4" tall (available at craft stores)

up to 26 photos (4 x 6") of cities/places, one for each letter of the alphabet

Colored paper

22 x 28" picture frame

ToolsRuler

Soft lead pencil

Painter’s tape or removable tape

Cutting mat

Small utility knife and replacement blades

Instructions1. On a clean, flat work surface, place your poster board face down and orient vertical-ly.

2. On an area next to your poster board, arrange your alphabet stencils in five rows (as shown below).

A B C D EF G h I J KL M N O PQ R S T UV W X Y Z3. Using your ruler and pencil, mark a 2" margin along the top and bottom of the poster board. Draw horizontal lines for each row every 4" with a 1" margin between rows.

4. Starting with letters A through E (row 1) tape the stencils to the poster board face down. You will be working in reverse start-ing with the letter E on the left-hand side and ending with A on the far right. Space the letters evenly across the guideline.

Carefully trace each stencil with your pen-cil.

5. Repeat Step 4 for the remaining rows-letters F through K (row 2), L through P (row 3), Q through U (row 4), and V through Z (row 5).

6. Place your cutting mat underneath the poster board. With a small utility knife, slowly cut out each letter. Use your ruler with your knife to achieve straight edges. Replace the blade every 10 to 15 cuts, especially if you are using the blade's tip. For cutting curves, do not cut all the way through on the first cut. First score the curve with the blade, then run the knife along the curve. It may take two or three passes before you cut all the way through the poster board.

7. Organize your travel photos alphabeti-cally from A to Z. Tape each photograph to the poster board face down in the corre-sponding letter opening. For example, a snapshot from Amsterdam would be taped over the letter A. Trim pictures, if neces-sary. If you do not have enough travel pho-tos to fill all the letters, simply cut and tape a colored piece of paper as a placeholder.

Flip the board over to make sure the pho-tos are showing through the letters.

8. Place the poster board face down and secure it in your picture frame.

Craft and images courtesy of “Crafting a Meaning-ful Home: 27 DIY Proj-ects to Tell Stories, Hold Memo-ries, and Cel-ebrate Family Heritage” (STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book, 2010)

© CTW Features

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Put Your Home in the Hands of Experience and Reliability

By Dawn KlingensmithCTW Features

On opposite coasts, Thomas Moser and Richard Patterson have each been crafting furni-ture for more than 30 years.

Moser, based in Freeport, Maine, was initial-ly inspired by an “American primitive” aes-thetic dating to the 19th century, while Patterson, located in Los Angeles, pays hom-age to the minimalist styling of Shaker furni-ture.

As a studio furniture maker rather than a large-scale manufacturer, Patterson says he feels “pretty much off the radar” when it comes to furniture industry trends. Yet he and Moser might benefit from just such a trend: an increasing demand for and appreci-ation of American design.

In fact, it’s a big enough trend that major manufacturers are trying to capitalize on it as well, by introducing furniture collections that are American in style and spirit if not actually in provenance.

Whether they boast a Made in the USA label or not, a number of newly introduced furniture collections harken back to tradi-tional American design, which New York-based trend forecaster hermine Mariaux defines as artisan craftsmanship influenced by a variety of periods and styles, with a sug-gestion of folk art in some cases and a return

to formality in others.While the laid-back Cottage Style of sea-

side living is still popular, “We’ve been through a whole decade of casual, and now the pendulum is swinging back to a more traditional American look,” with darker woods, textur-al fabrics and Dutch Colonial styling, says Mariaux, who tracks and forecasts interior design trends for home Textiles Today magazine.

Companies that manufacture domestically emphasize that as a selling point, Mariaux says.

For example, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams runs a print ad fea-turing the Whitman sofa (named for Walt, the quintessentially

American poet), with an American flag in the background and the tagline, “United We Stand and Sit.”

“I think it’s almost directly related to the

emergence of patriotism” arising from real or perceived national security threats, Mariaux says. “And certainly, the economy has some-thing to do with it. When things get uncer-tain, people turn inward, either to their own homes or, in a broader context, to their country by embracing all things American.”

Moser’s company, Thos. Moser, from the start has produced pieces that don’t necessar-ily reflect current fashion “but rather synthe-size what has been given to us by craftsmen and designers of the past,” he says, including Arts and Craft elements and the “untutored aesthetics” of the American Shaker period.

Patterson also looks to the past for both style and process. “Like the Shakers, I attempt to create pieces that are highly func-tional with very little in what could be called extraneous decoration. I use American woods – walnut, oak, maple. If there is an American design aesthetic, perhaps it’s dem-onstrated in this approach to making things.”

According to Mariaux, another fine example of American styling is the Keno Bros. collection designed by a pair of “Antiques Roadshow” appraisers for Theo-dore Alexander.

Along with increased patriotism, Mariaux has seen a rise in protectionism among con-sumers and companies alike. “American manufacturers are starting to stand up

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Whitman sofa

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An appreciation of all things American has been restored with a resurgence in traditional design. Here’s why American furniture is anything but ordinary

American Revival

Richard Patterson’s walnut Patterson Bench

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against foreign imports and their competi-tors who outsource things overseas,” Mariaux says. “There’s an entire consortium of manu-factures making a concerted effort to bring

jobs or keep jobs here at home by keeping the manufacturing function here in this country.”

As manufacturers attempt to revive or cre-

ate distinctly American designs, “People will talk about contemporizing and moderniz-ing,” Mariaux says, “but sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.”

The best way to introduce a “fresh twist,” she adds, is with a contemporary backdrop and finishing touches, including paint and décor.

Color experts’ forecast for home décor in 2011 includes a shift toward a bold, bright palette in place of the grays and beiges of the past few years.

“The mood today is one of triumph over adversity,” says Dee Schlotter, a brand man-ager for PPG Pittsburgh Paints. “Despite the challenges Americans have faced, our need to succeed prevails.”

Coinciding with the “United We Stand” mentality is “a triumph of the individual and of personal expression” manifested in such colors as lipstick red, indigo blue and aqua, she adds.

Another trend driving interior design choices “is the quest for authenticity in a world where knock-offs are pervasive and instantaneous,” Schlotter says. “The search is on for what’s real and honest.”

Moser traces the demise of American craftsmanship to the Industrial Revolution. “As things became factory-made, design took a backseat,” he says. Quality suffered, too, he adds.

however, “I am of the opinion that peo-ple will start putting money into what I call investment-grade furniture,” he says, adding that concerns for the environment likely will fuel this trend.

Although there’s an uptick in interest in his work, Patterson believes there will always be a market for “disposable furniture” that folks replace as often as styles change and finances allow.

But that has never been his niche. “I try, with everything I make, to create something so well-made and beautiful that it will be treasured by the owners for generations,” he says.

And that, perhaps, is the true hallmark of American design.

© CTW Features

Thomas Moser’s American Bungalow Double Square Extension Table and Dining Chairs

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Pass the popcorn and make room on the couch. Popular services that brought movies and TV shows to the Internet are finally coming home to the TV

Michael JulianoCTW Features

What goes around comes around: TV shows and movies that hopped over to

the Internet are finally coming back home to the TV with all sorts of good-ies, and it’s about time.

This year saw the emergence of four major media streaming competi-tors – Apple TV ($99), Roku XDS ($99), Boxee Box ($199) and the Google TV-powered Logitech Revue ($299) – that each boast a different mix of popular free and premium ser-vices like Netflix, Pandora, YouTube and hulu.

“In home theater, compared to other electronic devices like phones and computers, change is a very slow

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process,” says Richard Lawler, the associate edi-tor for tech site Engadget hD. “The combina-tion of content and hardware that can access it takes time to sync up and it’s only within the last 12 months that consumer demand, cost to manufacture and, most importantly, content availability have aligned to a degree that makes it all worthwhile.”

It might take a while for consumers to actu-ally become aware of these new services, but Netflix has become so ubiquitous that it accounts for more than 20 percent of Internet traffic during peak times, accord-ing to a report from net-working equipment company Sandvine. Simi-larly, a Comcast survey found that already two-thirds of its customers had “time-shifted” prime-time TV, or watched a show later using a digital video recorder, video-on-demand service or Internet-stream-ing.

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That's why Willcox thinks TVs with these services built in, like Sony Internet TV (which runs Google TV), might be the most accessible for consumers. They combine multiple devices into one neat package and provide a familiar

Apple TV

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interface. That's also why Matthew Moskovciak,

associate home theater editor at CNET, thinks many people will find the Apple TV easy to use. The refreshed movie and TV show rental service is a natural extension for users of other Apple products like the iPhone and iPad, which work seamlessly with the service.

What many people may have a difficult time with, though, is finding free content from the major networks. ABC, NBC and CBS all blocked Google TV devices from streaming full episodes of their shows through hulu. In fact, only a handful of devices, like Playstation 3 and Roku, currently support hulu, but these all require a subscription to the premium version of the streaming service. That said, there is still a wealth of different channels available among these devices. The Roku XDS especially, which Moskovciak calls “the best cord-cutter,” offers a huge variety of content with additional services like Amazon Video on Demand, MLB.tv, Pandora Inter-net radio and other niche channels. The Boxee Box offers a similarly diverse range of content, along with Facebook and Twitter integration. Google TV is essentially a full-

featured Web browser, so it offers access to almost any streaming video that would be regularly accessible from a computer. Choos-ing a service can be difficult.

“The key thing to do is to focus on your specific needs and get a device that performs tasks you know you will want,” Lawler says. “That said, if you’re not willing to face the possibility of upgrading again in 12 months for another gotta-have-it feature, you may want to wait.”

Theoretically, even expensive TVs with built-in streaming capabilities should be able to keep up through software updates. But manufacturers are still trying to read the mar-ketplace, and so the technology is likely to change rapidly. With some of the cheaper streaming devices and Blu-ray players hover-ing around $100, though, taking advantage of Internet-streaming media on the TV can move from “investment” to “impulse buy.”

© CTW Features

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–Angie Jaime© CTW Features

Redesign with an app in mind – find passion and ideas at your fingertipsPhaidon Classics iPad Edition, $19.99http://www.phaidon.com/phaidondesignclassics/

The long-standing authority on all things art and design, Phaidon has released its Classics for the iPad. Spanning generations of meticulously researched innovations in design, this app offers an encyclopedic reference for everything from cars and guitars to chairs and tableware. Searchable within a 3D landscape that can be navigated through a chronological timeline, this app takes full advantage of the iPad's capabilities. This is the app for design inspira-tion that will stand the test of time.

Houzz, Freehttp://www.houzz.com/

The scrapbook without the scraps, houzz provides tens of thousands of design images at the touch of an iPad. Search through their professionally designed idea books to check out what's new in design. Not enough? You also can add your own photos or pictures from other websites into the mix with their “add to houzz” button. You can search for designs by architects or designers in your metro area, making it easy to contact your local expert.

For the more tangible crowd, here are some of the latest design books:

My Passion for Design by Barbra Streisand(Viking Adult, 2010) $60

Details: A Stylist’s Secrets to Creating Inspired Interiorsby Lili Diallo(Clarkson Potter, 2010) $40

Tricia Guild Flower Sense: The Art of Decorating withBouquets, Flowers, andFloral Designsby Tricia Guild(Rizzoli, 2011) $17.98

Schulter House, Freehttp://www.schluterhouse.com/

This interactive design site lets you navigate through a three-dimensional house and explore the many options for tile installation. Whether it’s for your bathroom walls or kitchen countertops, this site takes the guesswork out of choosing tile and lets you see what it would look like in a “real” 3D space. You can adjust the colors of the room to match your own home in addition to customizing the tile pattern and color. To guide you through the process, instructional videos abound.

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Marilyn Kennedy MeliaCTW Features

Next time household chores are being divvied up, you may want to make a quick claim on laundry – especially if you’re in the mar-

ket for a new washer or dryer.Not to be outdone by the stream of “new

and improved” fabric products that go in your machines, appliance makers are pushing ahead with enticing innovations. After slower sales during the recession, “Companies are position-ing themselves for the economic recovery,” says Michael Deneen, senior industry analyst at Cleveland-based Freedonia Group.

Manufacturers have used the lull in busi-ness to focus on improved technology and design, Deneen adds.

Consumers now expect better looking washers and dryers, too, since the machines have moved into the living areas of the homes, near bedrooms, family rooms and kitchens.

“Like a well-appointed itch, up-to-date laundry appliances can help distance a home from the competition,” says Seattle-based home stager Chris Longfelder Doucet.

Whether your machines are wearing after years of use, or whether a move or renovation has you on the lookout, here’s the latest spin on washers and dryers:

EYE CANDYDoes red pep you up? Perhaps you’d favor a

soothing aqua when tackling the family’s loads? Many models offer a wide palette of color finishes, making these necessities feel

like a fashion splurge.The Electrolux Perfect Steam washer and

dryer [MSRP: $3,598 for both] is a colorful case in point, coming in Silver Sands, Red hot Red, Turquoise Sky and Mediterranean Blue.

EASY FIxESWhat’s more annoying than taking a vacation day to wait for a repairman? Some manufac-turers, like Kenmore and LG, are embedding technology in their machines that may let you bypass such hassles.

For example, the Kenmore Elite models [priced from$799 to $1,499] offer the “Con-nect” feature. Should you suspect your

machine is malfunc-tioning, dial a toll free number and let a com-pany representative review data transmit-ted from your machine

via your phone. Much of the time, says the company, a minor adjustment is identified and can be performed by the consumer.

STEAMED CLEANWater, detergent, boosters, bleach – what more could you need to get laundry deep down clean? Steam is the missing ingredient that manufactur-ers have begun to add, saying it can remove aller-gens and germs, stains, and allow items like stuffed animals to be cleaned without soap or water. Dryers also are equipped with steam to eliminate static and wrinkles.

The LG 4.2-cubic-foot Steam Washer [MSRP $999]is a 2011 model that LG is intro-ducing in response to consumer demand for steam technology at lower price points.

DO NOT DISTuRBWhile consumers have welcomed their machines into the home, they don't want to be distracted when those appliances are doing their work.

Bosch Vision washers and dryers [MSRP $899 to $1,649] feature an anti-vibration system so every cycle change isn’t announced.

SET AND FORGEThow many times have you washed a load

twice -- not because you’re trying to get them cleaner, but because you’ve forgotten to place them in the dryer promptly.

General Elec-tric’s new Profile Steam Washer [$1,399 to $1,499] was designed to avoid this problem, since it removes moisture over-

night so clothes are virtually ready-to-wear in the morning.

FABRIC FINE POINTSJust as some merely cook and some create great cuisine, there are some world-class laundry

enthusiasts who use their machines to precisely clean everything from shower curtains to baby blankets.

The Whirlpool Vantage washer

and dryer [$4,000 for the pair], has 33 differ-ent settings, which can be selected using an LCD touch screen, was recently introduced to appeal to the serious laundry buff.

ECOLOGICALLY CORRECTIn response to consumer interest in energy effi-ciency, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recently launched a Web site, TopTenUSA.org, listing the 10 most effi-cient appliances in various categories.

“We recommend seeking out a clothes washer with ‘Energy Star’ certification as a minimum,” says Amanda Lowenberger of the ACEEE. While dryers aren’t Energy Star rated, an efficient washer influences drying efficiency because how well it spins out water reduces drying, Lowenberger says.

Some washers, like the top rated by the ACEEE, perform at higher standards then required for Energy Star labeling. While the website doesn’t list dryers, Lowenberger says they plan to add that category soon.

© CTW Features

Laundry day is quickly becoming less of a hassle with new technologies being announced nearly every month. LCD touch screens, anti-vibration systems and 33 cycle settings are sure to lighten your next load

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home style section, march 2011

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nursery home style

living room paisley

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bumper paisley explosion

fingertipslaundrys new

inspired ideas

clinton kelly shares