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Question: The inside of my house does not get much sunlight and it’s difficult to grow plants ...
It’s true that many artificial plants look fake. Even the silk ones can look like plastic or paper. But there are companies whose potted pla
PLC
2 min read
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Allure of Craquelure ... The Inspiration for a New Accessory
There is an age-old phenomenon, a fine pattern of dense cracking called “craquelure”, that sometimes occurs on the surface of oil paintings
PLC
3 min read
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Eclectic Style from Different Continents and a Pop of Orange
An eclectic style is hard to describe and even harder to create. It’s a careful mix of treasures, travels and memories reflected in furnishi
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4 min read
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Question: I have a rug under my dining table and am looking for another for my family room...
These rooms are actually one big room. I know the rugs should not match, but what do I look for so that the two coordinate? Also, are...
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3 min read
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Design Like Einstein
(Originally published in the Napa Valley Register) Did you happen to catch the recent 10-part series, “Genius”, on the National...
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3 min read
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Question: We lost our home in the Napa fires and are now working on new plans on the same lot ...
We belong to an HOA so much of the design is predetermined. But the interior style is completely up to us. Our last style was very mixed...
PLC
3 min read
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Coco Chanel Whispered in my Ear
At the end of a recent meeting with a client, I said, “I’m going to write about this”. Not only had Coco Chanel’s words come to mind (which
PLC
3 min read
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Question: We want to replace our kitchen counter top. At first we thought we’d use granite but ...
now my wife is looking at quartz. There are so many quartz options and now we are confused. Do you recommend granite or quartz and could...
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2 min read
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Question: Can you shed some light on buying leather chairs?
Let’s start with the basics. The strongest and most durable part of a cow hide is just below the hair. Leather made from this area is called
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3 min read
15 views
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Question: How can we paint different rooms in our house different colors without making...
Let’s say your house has 10 rooms on a single floor and that you have three distinct paint colors in mind (not including trim and door color
PLC
1 min read
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Question: We're getting ready to paint the inside of our house. You can see the kitchen, dining ...
room, family room and staircase at the same time. There are a lot of angles. My favorite color is purple but of course that won't work....
PLC
2 min read
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Question: I just moved into my new home and will be painting, getting new furniture and doing ...
some things to update. I’ll be keeping a few of my current things but I need enough new ones that would allow me to create a new style. I...
PLC
2 min read
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Question: We have a Cape Cod house but most of our furniture is very Japanese. We like a clean ...
Asian style and don’t want to change. Our problem is the garden especially the front yard. We have about 30 rose bushes, a large climbing...
PLC
2 min read
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Question: We’re remodeling our kitchen. Our cabinetmaker says he can build anything we want but ...
One of the first decisions to make is whether you want overlay or inset cabinetry. Overlay means that the door and drawer fronts rest on the
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2 min read
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Question: We are rebuilding our house and at the stage where we’re picking out floors, cabinets ...
countertops, and tile. My husband and I know what we like and usually agree. But we don’t know if it is good design and never thought...
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3 min read
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Genealogy Meets Home Decor
What could I possibly mean by “Genealogy meets home décor”? One of my reasons for writing this week’s post is to offer an idea for wall art.
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3 min read
53 views
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Curing the Red Oak Blues ... A 500-Year-Old Technique Makes a Comeback
If you find yourself in this predicament, the Spirits of Saturn, otherwise known as “Venetian ceruse”, may be the cure. If these terms are n
PLC
4 min read
492 views
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Traffic and Symmetry
I’ve developed a new routine lately. I’ve been writing my weekly column for the Napa Valley Register in my head - while driving in my car. I
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2 min read
15 views
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Developing an Artful Collection
You spot the piece … it’s caught your attention … it’s calling your name, making you sigh, laugh or cry. You love the colors, the drama, or
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3 min read
30 views
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Is Yellow the New Red?
As I drove to a friend’s house last week, I noticed that her neighbor had a yellow-painted front door. I then drove to my mother’s house and
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3 min read
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