The kitchen is a cornerstone in any home. It’s where we cook dinner and where we gather with friends and family. Everyone wants a beautiful kitchen, but remember, this is a functional space as well. Choose finishes and materials that will stay on trend for years to come. A Timeless Kitchen Remodel Bloom Design Group […]
décor
Posted inHome
The House of Music
The stately, wrought-iron gate at the top of the driveway gives the first clue to what lies beyond: “Wurlitzer Manor.” Wurlitzer Manor, the Gig Harbor home of Barbara Hammerman and Raymond Lavine since 2002, sits atop a bluff overlooking the Tacoma Narrows, with a straight-on view of Mount Rainier. The house was built in the […]
Posted inAt Home
Tips for Choosing a Qualified Remodeling Contractor
Outside of the home itself, remodeling is typically one of the largest investments you can make as a homeowner. While some projects can be tempting to tackle yourself, many larger-scale projects may require hiring a qualified professional. Because remodeling your home is a big undertaking, it’s important to take steps to ensure the professional you […]
Posted inAround West Sound
‘Typewriter Fever’ Sweeps Bremerton
Ever wonder why some things that history leaves behind — like telephones, record players, 1969 Plymouth Barracudas — find new lives in today’s world? Perhaps they remind us of simpler times. Yep, those were the days. When we tap into memories — when we become nostalgic — we escape our frantic world for a while. […]
Posted inAt Home
How to Plan a Tablescape for Your Party or Gathering
Editor’s note: This excerpt is adapted from “The Gift of Gathering: Beautiful Tablescapes to Welcome & Celebrate Your Friends and Family” by Bre Doucette, published by Harvest House Publishers. Reprinted with permission. Your table is your foundation. Whether it’s a picnic table, a card table in an apple orchard, a breakfast bar or a farmhouse […]
Posted inGarden
Never Say Done!
A gravel lane heads arrow-straight through a dull flood plain west toward Dyes Inlet. But turn left off the lane into the driveway of Ron Gillespie and Joyce Merkel, and you find a profoundly different world. Strolling under a broad arbor dripping with masses of white and purple wisteria, ferns feathering your path, you enter […]
Posted inHome
Ars Poetica — Showcase Fuses Written and Visual Expressions
“Ut pictura poesis,” wrote the Roman poet, Horace. In his seminal guide for fellow poets, “Ars Poetica” (The Art of Poetry), he urged them to write poetry with the same deliberation a painter would give a painting. “As is painting, so is poetry,” he instructed. With Horace as their muse, in 2011, the West Sound […]
Posted inHome
Family Farmhouse Estate Created with Imagination
Norbert and Lisa van Dam of Seattle had historical ties to the South Sound when they bought their Grapeview property. Lisa remembers summers on Treasure Island when she was a girl, and later when their children enjoyed holidays and vacation adventures there. Both her brother’s and sister’s families still own property close by. Eventually, they […]
Posted inHome
The Color Mauve — Part 1
Such an awful color that words can hardly explain, a muddy pink or a neutral, pale purple with a gray tint. I have little idea why this outdated color was selected, only that someone referred to it as an up-and-coming trend. “Really?” I thought to myself. “Are we going back to the pastel shoulder-pad days […]