There is no shortage of luxurious homes in Canterwood, the exclusive, gated community in Gig Harbor. The home of interior designer Nancy Finneson’s clients is no different. Fronted by a driveway that curves gracefully between well-manicured greenery, the home’s front porch stretches up to a high, wood-planked ceiling and frames large, double doors accented with […]
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Posted inFeatured, The Garden
Herbal Stillroom Revival
Gardens in early American colonies were not for ornamentation; they were planted and worked for provision. Specific plants were grown to provide food, soaps, perfumes, insecticides, dyes and medicines — all the things needed to take care of everyday life in the home. The luxury of going to the corner drug store or market to […]
Posted inFeatured, The Home
All About Showers
From basic hygiene to a spa-like escape, showers fulfill different needs for different people. Most don’t give a second thought about what goes into creating one of the most used features of the home nor how the design and maintenance of this simple enclosure can create either joy or misery. Use these ideas to assist […]
Posted inFeatured, The Garden
Too Many Bulbs — Not Enough Time
No project ever seems to be without a glitch, and for me fall bulb-planting season is filled with a series of glitches and hurdles in a race against time. Yet at the end of summer, I am ready to face the season of the falling leaves with plenty of garden projects. I can’t wait to […]
Posted inThe Home
Herbal Housekeeping
Clean your home with the power of herbs. Whether you choose to use fewer chemicals in your home or want to be eco-friendly and avoid toxins, you can use many common herbs from your garden for cleansing and antiseptic qualities. In history, numerous herbal recipes are recorded for use in household cleaning. Utilized as a […]
Posted inFeatured, The Home
A Forever Home on the Beach
When Cara and Patrick Ryan bought their 0.3-acre waterfront property in Southworth in 2000, they fell in love with the relaxing atmosphere. Living in Seattle and using the home as a weekend cabin, the couple knew that eventually they’d want to retire there. “It’s peaceful here; we love it,” Patrick Ryan says. “One hour of […]
Posted inFeatured, The Garden
Dress Up the Summer Garden
A summer without annuals is like a spring without flowering bulbs. It is time to dress up a drab garden in a kaleidoscope of summer color with seasonal plants. When a garden passion turns into an obsession, you can fill gardens and containers with plants until they overflow with bright-hued flowers and textural foliage. The […]
Posted inFeatured, The Home
Aqua
Studying the color aqua was like being on a trampoline with 8-year-olds at a family reunion picnic: wild, silly, unpredictable and lovingly memorable. It is the chorus line headliner, the sleeping giant or the softest pillow. Aqua doesn’t steal the scene — it enables the production. Even the enunciation of the words — “aqua or […]
Posted inFeatured, The Garden
Outsmarting Your Garden Nemesis
Weeds are not altogether undesirable plants. “Heresy!” you might say, but the term “weed” is an arbitrary designation made by a gardener who would prefer to grow another plant instead. To some people, a foxglove is a gift in an otherwise bare bed, and to others, an interloper whose poisonous leaves beckon to a pup […]