Countertops are the workhorse of both the kitchen and bathroom. They are used for a myriad of tasks including preparing food, paying bills and doing homework, serving buffet food, holding small appliances, facilitating daily hygiene routines and more. They are subjected to a wide variety of abuses including hot pots, acidic foods, alcohol-based personal care […]
design
Posted inAround West Sound
A Visit to SkyeLandeSea Farm is an Immersion in Magic
To visit Spirit of Horse Gallery at SkyeLandeSea Farm is to immerse yourself in artful magic. It is a result not only of planning but also of minds open to serendipitous revelations. A pair of ancient, carved Tibetan temple lions acknowledge your arrival. They give no sense of guarding. They simply announce a different way […]
Posted inHome
Luxe Petite — A Lot of Luxury Packed into One Little Home
It started as a dare of sorts. A joke. A thought exercise, really. Joe and Judy Gates, owners of Joe Gates Construction of Poulsbo, were daydreaming. What if they built themselves a new home from the ground up? What would it look like? What features would they choose? Most importantly, how big would it be? […]
Posted inAt Home
Planning to “Age In Place”
If you are planning to stay there into your “golden” years, it is smart to plan with “aging in place” in mind when you are building or remodeling your home. Some people want to have a “forever home” where they can live well into their old age and under a variety of circumstances. The concept […]
Posted inAround West Sound
The Meditation Labyrinths of Kitsap County
Overlooking a bluff with a view of Puget Sound, Bainbridge Halls Hill Labyrinth and its Community Tibetan Prayer Wheel is a peace-filled oasis of Asian-themed landscaping complementing an artist-built labyrinth and hand-cast bronze prayer wheel. Not easy to find if you don’t know the island’s backroads, it’s one of six labyrinths accessible to the public on […]
Posted inHome
The Baths Have It
Thinking of building or remodeling? Now is the time to make that dream bathroom a reality. You have many choices and options, bringing luxuries and new innovation to a room in your home. Sinks, toilets, showers, bathtubs, cabinets, lighting, flooring and more — the possibilities are endless. With creative choices you can: Peruse the five […]
Posted inGarden
Garden Capers
Some homes nestle quietly into their surroundings and appear as if they have been there for centuries. Tudor-style architecture is neither particularly rare nor common in the Northwest, and occasionally one stumbles upon a home that simply speaks to the heart. Such is the case with the stone-fronted, half-timber-style Fox Island home owned by Jerome […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Does the Northwest Need Rain Gardens?
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we all love looking at the mountains and ocean, lakes and creeks, our huge evergreen trees and silvery sagebrush, and the vast fields and endless horizons stretching out both east and west of the mountains. That is why we live here, why we call the Northwest region home. Out here, […]
Posted inAt Home
Bathroom Upgrades for Improving Style and Function
It seems bathrooms are often the most neglected rooms in the house when it comes to sprucing things up. Naturally, the main bath or powder room gets the most attention, since it is the “company bathroom.” When the time comes to remodel or improve your baths, here are few ideas to help you improve style […]