When Kathy and Bill Cole bought their Seabeck home more than a decade ago, they knew they would need to remodel sooner rather than later. Built in the 1980s, the home still sported the signature look of the era — shag carpeting, lots of gold and brown colors and the like. “We bought the house […]
Featured
Featured Articles from the West Sound. These are the highlighted articles from WestSound Magazine.
Today’s Appliance Options
Size, price and features are at the top of the selection criteria when choosing new appliances. However, unlike cooking equipment, refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers have two more selection criteria to consider: energy and water efficiency. Size matters. It is important to size your appliances to both your lifestyle and the size of the room. […]
Today’s Appliance Options
Be it utilitarian or a gastronomic palace, there is one thing that all kitchens have in common — appliances. With the increasingly wide variety of sizes, features and finishes, choosing the right appliances for you and your home can be overwhelming. This first installment in a two-part series will provide tips on making the selection […]
In Defense of Weeds
Weeds (sigh!), the curse of all gardeners, from beginner to professional. No one has immunity from them. Some plants that are considered weeds are valuable to herbalists, like the lowly dandelion or stinging nettle, but let’s talk about the common ones that are a nuisance to the home gardener. Weeds become a problem when they […]
Garden Design Dilemmas
Updating, renovating or simply frustrated by boredom — pondering plants and garden spaces is something all gardeners do at some point. Gardens grow and change and need editing now and then. Like with many projects, when looking at gardens too long, it is easy to become jaded by bothersome things like weeds taking over a […]
All About Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a no-fail shrub for Northwest gardens. Flower colors include white, pink, blue and lilac. A few are actually called “red” but the color is more an intense pink segueing into claret. Flowers can begin in shades of green, turning to deep blue, and finishing up in a shade of maroon. Leaves can be […]
Color Conclusions
Conclusion without examining intent is arrogant at best. Color, more than any other design element, is complicated with many diverse variables. Form, space, line and texture may be considerations, but color is generally one’s initial focus, the elephant in the room. Making blanket statements about color is like assuming all bees sting. Some men do […]
Conserve and Save Money, Too!
This spring, I had a chance to spend some quality time with an energy-efficiency consultant, who also happens to be my brother-in-law. But that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, I was able to pick his expert mind about what average homeowners can do to make their homes more energy-efficient. First, contrary to what many homeowners […]
The New Victory Gardens
Victory gardens during World War I and II sprouted up on any vacant lot, in front and back yards and anywhere there was a spot to grow nutritious fruit and vegetables. Today a new movement is underway to grow victory gardens once again. Only instead of supporting the war effort, these new gardens are a […]
