Sometimes moving into a planned community poses challenges for a gardener. There are homeowner association (HOA) rules, smaller lots and restrictions for fences, and if the lot happens to be on a golf course, that just adds to the puzzle. Master Gardener Linda Broun embraced these constraints, even celebrated them, as she created a garden […]
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Posted inHome
This May Quickly Become the Most Enjoyable Room in Your Home
Looking for a great way to revitalize your home? A way to make the time you spend at home more enjoyable? Possibly even increase your home’s resale value? Then consider adding a new, special-purpose room. A special-purpose room is a space dedicated to a specific activity, like a golf simulator room. In recent years, indoor […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
How to Use a Stand Mixer Like a Pro
Kitchen shops and big-box stores feature a virtual cornucopia of laborsaving, timesaving appliances for the home cook. Perhaps the most popular appliance is the countertop stand mixer, a veritable workhorse that whips, kneads and beats doughs of every description. In addition, many manufacturers of these mixers offer attachments ranging from pasta makers to sausage stuffers, […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Brilliant Winter-Blooming Houseplants to Brighten Dreary Days (and How to Care for Them)
Do you have the post-holiday blues? With the tinsel and decorations packed away, your home might feel a little bleak and bare. You need something pretty and festive to help endure gray, cold winter days. And as we count the weeks until the first crocus pops and the daffodils fill garden beds, what better mood-booster […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Seabrook — A Bucolic Destination on the Washington Coast
After the three-hour drive from Kingston through vast differences in topography and aged towns, Seabrook almost jolts you awake, exuding charm, fresh ocean air and a pretty, decidedly Nantucket look. The first exploration downtown uncovers immaculate streets, cute stores and smiles. As you make your first drive around the 500-plus home village, you experience the […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Chef Maynard “JJ” Meland
Maynard’s is like the treasured $25 bottle of wine you occasionally find that drinks like a $65-plus Grand Cru. Based on the restaurant’s food quality, cocktail offerings, service and setting, its prices are punching above its weight. An adventurous project, Maynard’s opened as “Kitsap’s Culinary Destination” in a very large, purpose-built space in 2019, only […]
Posted inHome
Design Trends in 2024
Every year, we gather our panel of design experts to discuss some of the hottest design trends. In 2024, expect to see natural-looking finishes, natural materials like wood, and more recycled and upcycled choices for the environmentally conscious. Comfort is the key for families. A “must-have” is gathering areas, where you can meet and converse […]
Posted inHome
Touring German Haus Fair 2023 with the National Kitchen & Bath Association
Foreign travel is great for sparking a designer’s creative juices; however, mixing business with pleasure can be the ultimate reward. In that vein, I have made a point of attending kitchen and bath industry trade shows on a regular basis in North America and Europe. This year, I was selected by the National Kitchen & […]
Posted inGarden
Bulbs and Other Plants for Winter Interest
January and February are months when many gardeners enjoy staying cozy inside their homes, mulling through all the seed catalogues, catching up on reading all the cool books on gardening and planning out their veggie gardens for early-spring planting and starting seeds indoors. It’s also a great time to visit local nurseries to see their […]