Home decor
Better Homes and Gardens'
Creative Home magazine
“Mainely” Modern
by Matt Jones
Fabulous forest greenery and brilliant blue waters, prickly pinecones and smooth stones, stunning coastlines and soothing sunsets: These timeless Maine colors, textures, and scenes are captured in beautiful arts by local Deer Isle designers for home decorating. And although they live in a state that prizes traditional crafts, many of Maine’s most talented artisans combine popular pieces with modern fine arts in an eclectic mix of styles for homes from the mainstream to the magnificent.
Naturally beautiful
Walk along almost any stretch of Maine coastline and you’ll see turn-of-the-century houses with weathered shingles on their walls and widow’s walk parapets. You’ll also notice modern houses with custom windows and acres of decks. Just as these diverse architectural styles share the landscape, traditional and contemporary crafts coexist in many Maine homes.
Maine designers often create pieces that mirror elements of nature, reflecting such popular subjects as spruces, blueberries, boats, seabirds, and shells in original pottery, quilts, woodcarvings, and paintings. Others create unique contemporary furnishings that pay homage to the natural splendors of their state in metal, ceramic, and wood.
A grand tour
Join us on a tour of one Deer Isle house, pictured here, that brims with a balance of traditional Maine-motif crafts and contemporary arts. Enter a hallway with an industrial-age brick wall and discover the decorative pairing of rustic sea grass hanging baskets with abstract fiber- and copper wire-art wall displays.
Walk into the living room among commercial furnishings and find an “art gallery” presenting a fireplace outfitted with hand-forged andirons and a glass table fashioned with sculpted iron legs and a beach stone base.
Seat yourself in the dinning room and enjoy a view of high-contrast white cupboards and a black dinner table decked with exotic turned-wood bowls and blown-glass vases as well as simple Shaker baskets.
Wend your way into the master bedroom, which includes French doors that open to a deck overhanging the ocean, and notice a dramatic woodcut block-print wall hanging accompanied by an antique carved- and pained-wood blanket chest.
Transcendent style
In this home, and many similar ones on Deer Isle, Maine artisans showcase handmade decorations that transcend local origins with universal appeal. The residents like to call their state “vacationland.” But you could just as easily call it “inspiration land.” That’s because the designers motivate people from Maine to Marin with regional wonders in a decorative blend of traditional and modern media.
Home Improvement magazine
Countertop Quality Is Set in Stone
by Matt Jones
You wouldn’t wear two differently colored socks would you? Or don a striped shirt with plaid pants? Your home decorating should also be properly color-coordinated and pattern-balanced. So dress up your kitchen scheme with a countertop in a complementary color and pattern that displays well-intentioned elegance.
The countertop style you choose will coordinate the decorative elements of existing cabinets, floor surfaces, wall treatments, window coverings, appliances, furnishings, and accessories in a fresh visual balance. Think of the addition as the key piece in assembling a pretty jigsaw puzzle picture, and you’ll realize the decorating potential and impact of the perfect countertop for your purposes.
Count on granite
A beautiful countertop is the focal point of your kitchen’s decorative panorama. Formica or ceramic tile countertops are serviceable, but a natural stone granite surface offers superior durability along with dramatic colors and patterns.
Picture granite colors in tones of green, beige, black, peach, or brown. Imagine granite in variations of salt-and-pepper, veined, or grained patterns. These are just several decorating choices among dozens. You can easily see how distinctive granite countertops go with formal or informal decorating schemes as readily as soup and a spoon. Match such kitchen countertop colors and textures as emerald pearl with mahogany cabinets, sparkling sand with antiqued dining tables, and shimmering ebony with reflective black appliances. Also choose a granite countertop in color combinations such as peach-and-white speckles to go with displays of brightly-colored fruit bowls and flower vases or mocha-and-burgundy blends to complement the muted hues of rustic baskets and pottery.
Leaving no stone unturned
Locating and choosing the ideal granite for your countertop can be as stress-free as it is exciting. An important first step is to identify a reliable, quality professional source for granite selection and installation.
Kitchen dimensions and floor plan. Part of the preparation for a new countertop should include making a drawing of your kitchen floor plan. In your drawing, carefully cite your present kitchen countertop dimensions, measuring from corner to corner along the back walls. Also note the size and type of any window above your countertop. Account for an island’s dimensions. Depict the layout of a U-shaped or L-shaped cabinet arrangement. Note the presence of a slide-in range or flush-mount cook top. Depict the sink, noting if it is a corner-, under- or top-mount model. Finally, state your desire for a slab countertop with a 6”-high back splash or a tile countertop with wall tile applied at full height under your cabinets.
Room color scheme. Matching the look of your kitchen to the ideal countertop can be a drawn-out process. Bring samples of your decorating scheme to a granite supplier. Show the installer a cabinet door, section of flooring, or a fabric swatch, and together you can compare the materials to the actual granite colors and patterns.
Granite colors and patterns. While granite comes in myriad hues, shades, and intensities—pleasing many tastes—the two basic patterns are called “uniform” and “stone with movement.” The uniform or salt-and-pepper pattern may suit casual decor. The stone with movement or flowing veins design can enhance a dramatic look. Remember that a light color tends to make a kitchen look bigger while a dark one can add an intimate, cozy feel. Your natural stone granite countertop sets the tone.
Type and source of lighting. Make sure you account for both natural and artificial lighting in choosing your countertop as the amount, direction, and intensity of the room light will affect how you perceive the color of the stone. You want to make sure that any major light source “spotlights” the countertop as the star of your kitchen.
Slab or tiles. A granite slab offers a smooth, custom-cut look countertop (that’s easy to clean) while granite tiles (available in 12” squares) provide the surface with a decorative option of color-coordinated grout. A slab countertop, while often more expensive than tiles, is the preferred choice for installation of the longest countertops.
Installation time. In adding a new slab countertop, you’ll need to allow about two weeks for the complete job, which includes creating the template, fabricating the piece(s), and installing the stone. For custom cuts and edging or tiles, work with your installer to determine the extra labor and time.
Cost factors. Now comes the bottom line: cost. In figuring out the cost of your countertop work, get several separate estimates. Check with your supply and installation resources to obtain prices for material, fabrication, and installation. You need to understand all your options for the amount of granite you want to buy and the work you want to do. Imported granite (from Italy and Brazil) in various colors, patterns, and types may range from $5 to $190 per square-foot.
Taking your kitchen for “granite”
With the great beauty and durability of natural stone granite, versatile installations, and affordable options, there’s no reason to take your kitchen decorating scheme for granted. Replace and upgrade your current countertop to enhance the enduring quality and value of your home. You’ll also increase the every day enjoyment of your family and friends who appreciate the display of your personal decorating touch.
After all, coordinated style counts in everything from classy clothes to colorful countertops, so you’ll always want to put on your best.
Better Homes and Gardens'
Creative Home magazine
A Scarecrow Festival
by Matt Jones
One hangs like a funny clown. A second dangles as an agile acrobat. A third hovers like an adorable angel. Still others are celebrity look-alikes, cartoon characters, and even dinosaurs. And they’re all scarecrows.
But you won’t find them in a cornfield. They’re displayed around the town green, among the shops, and along the split-rail fences of Peddler’s Village, a fun Bucks County, Pennsylvania attraction that sponsors a unique scarecrow-making festival each fall.
The colonial-style Village was designed and built in 1962 by Earl Jamison, a local farmer who converted 42 rural acres into a crafts paradise of specialty shops, juried galleries, and many family-fun workshops. “We’ve held our scarecrow-making festival each fall for the last 20 years,” says Earl, “and the designs just keep getting better. They’re displayed around the Village for about six weeks, but I think some of them should be permanently showcased in a scarecrow hall of fame.”
Colorful characters
Stroll around the throwback landscape of brick walkways, restored farm buildings, antique vehicles, rustic carts and bins, and gorgeous flower gardens in early September and you’ll see dozens of whimsical scarecrows entered in the Village contest. “Our visitors vote for their favorites and we award several prizes,” says Judy Goldscmidt, the Village public relations manager. “There have been lots of remarkable prizewinning designs over the years. Some scarecrows are so memorable, I know them by name.”
Visitors smile at caricatures of politicians conducting “straw polls.” Kids play with dinosaurs dressed in such garb as a flannel shirt and straw hat. And crowds applaud appearances of Elvis in his many straw-and-sequins outfits.
The scarecrow designers enjoy the competition as much as the spectators. “I’ve entered the contest for only three years,” says Dan Moyer, “but each year I seem to get more inventive. The challenge is fun. And I always get a laugh when visitors ask me to pose for a snapshot with my latest scarecrow character.”
Regular contributors get their design ideas from all kinds of sources. Parents often make versions of their kids’ favorite cartoon characters. A “Whirligig Winne-the Pooh” scarecrow with an actual flying kite was a recent prizewinner. Some designers pay homage to famous historical or literary figures. One contest included the English playwright “William Shakescrow.” Other designers pull ideas from former Olympians. One year skater Nancy Kerrigan inspired the scarecrow “Nancy Crowigan.”
The designers are free to use lots of different materials. Some scarecrows have heads made with baskets, clay pots, or pumpkins; others are accented with special hats, shoes, and gloves. Scarecrows feature dioramas and bases with signboards, picket fences, or even small gardens. But there are certain design criteria. “A scarecrow has to hold up in bad weather,” says Robert Filson, a recent prizewinner, “and it needs to be sturdy. Visitors have to handle a scarecrow to see how it’s made.”
Family fun
Other scarecrow designs are simple “make it and take it” figures created on the spot. Families have fun fashioning figures from scratch and discovering their untapped crafts talents.
On an early-fall Saturday, bands play nostalgic tunes, traditional jugglers and clowns cavort with the crowd, and classic carousel horse rides are in full swing. But it’s the annual scarecrow-making festivity on the Village green that takes center stage. The workshops provide mounds of straw, piles of old shirts and pants, and lots of crafting materials. Parents and kids giggle as they assemble their lumpy-looking scarecrows. Many resemble family members—sort of. “My daughter stuffed a scarecrow to look like me but with Popeye-size arm muscles,” laughs Brian Donnelly, a first-time participant. “Well, at least I can dream.”
The festival helps fulfill lots of dreams. Visitors can enjoy colonial cooking demonstrations, crafts classes, garden shows, art fairs, special events, and holiday displays throughout the year. But it’s the scarecrow-making event that brings people back year after year to see the next scarecrow gold to be magically spun out of straw.
