Homestyle | September 2011

September 2011 November 2010

Art lovers Two downtown lofts, two amazing collections

PLUS: How to choose the

right art for your space page 15

TABLE FOR 10 A delightful dinner club shares its secrets September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

1

September CONTENTS SHOP 3

Bring touches of nature inside to refresh and inspire your home.

FURNITURE 6

A statement-making coffee table can anchor a room.

FEATURED HOME 8

After a few tries, one couple finally builds its perfect home, complete with a kitchen ready to make more memories.

FOR THE LOVE OF ART

14 Two downtown loft dwellers show off their impressive art collections.

FRAMING IDEAS

20 A distinctive frame can allow any print to fit with any décor.

ABOVE: Sue and Daryl Davis designed their West Des Moines home to reflect their passions. The dining room enhances Sue’s love of cooking. Photo

by Paul Gates ON THE COVER: Allyn Dixon sits with his two dogs inside his downtown loft on a summer evening. Dixon has an eclectic art collection from around the world. Photo by Eric Rowley

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

ENTERTAINING

23 One dinner club is still going strong after 15 years.

DESIGNER

28 Myra Lynn Hansen wants each room she designs to have a ‘wow’ factor.

Editor Tim Paluch Presentation Editor Nathan Groepper Staff Writers Patt Johnson Jennifer Miller Designer Amanda Holladay Staff Photographers Christopher Gannon Mary Chind Eric Rowely Bill Neibergall To place an ad call: Kimm Miller (515) 284-8404 Des Moines Register Magazine Division Vice President, Content Rick Green President and Publisher Laura Hollingsworth Contact us: Des Moines HOMESTYLE P.O. Box 957 Des Moines, Iowa 50306 email: timpaluch@dmreg.com To subscribe to Des Moines HOMESTYLE magazine, call (515) 284-8359.

These materials are the sole and exclusive property of the Des Moines Register & Tribune Co. and are not to be used without its written permission. © 2011 Des Moines Register & Tribune Co.

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AU NATURAL Let touches of nature refresh and inspire your spaces

by MEGAN THOMPSON â&#x20AC;˘ photos by ERIC ROWLEY

Serve hungry guests tasteful appetizers on ceramic leaf inspired serving trays. $12$16, Von Maur.

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

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shop

Dish out fresh garden finds, with comic-print inspired salad servers, from earth friendly straw serving bowls. $20, $47 for set of bowls.

Calypso 968.

Melt away the stress of the day at the door with a soothing river rock mat. $58.

Calypso 968.

Find a paper mache feathered friend a home on an end table or bookshelf.

(Available in several colors). $40. Sticks.

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Capture and display your favorite summer or autumn memories with an ornate frame, or stick with the natural theme and display the included print. $66. The Mansion.

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WHERE TO SHOP: Calypso 968 1551 Valley West Drive, West Des Moines (Inside Valley West Mall) (515) 226-7816 calypso968.com Von Maur 1551 Valley West Drive, West Des Moines (Inside Valley West Mall) (515) 223-1311 vonmaur.com The Mansion 2801 Ingersoll Ave. (515) 280-7161 themansion-interiors.com/dsm

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Bring the outdoors into your home with a beautiful and smooth replica birch branch vase, filled with handcrafted orange-tone inspired fabric flowers. $57. The Mansion.

Flowers, $58. Sticks.

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furniture A lightly distressed finish enhances the vintage look of this black wooden cocktail table. $349, Room to Room.

photo by Christopher Gannon

Simple, clean lines and an unfinished wood surface on this space-saving square table lend an uncluttered look to your room. $625, Trieste.

COFFEE KLATCH photo by Christopher Gannon

Add a touch of Asian influence to your room with this black wood and glass table with asymmetrical legs. A beveled edge keeps things corralled. $995, Trieste.

Whether it holds cocktails, coffee or just your tired feet, a dazzling coffee table is indispensable

by JENNIFER MILLER

photo by Christopher Gannon

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Where to shop: Kenilworth House 8613 Hickman Rd., Urbandale (515) 331-0003; kenilworthhousefurniture. com Trieste 440 Fairway Dr., No. 120, West Des Moines (515) 226-7800; triestedesign.com Room to Room Home Furnishings 3030 100th St., Urbandale (515) 727-7900; roomtoroomhf.com

photo by Bill Neibergall

Called “Rustic Retreat,” this driftwood-look table has a hammered metal top with nailhead trim. $1,959, Kenilworth House.

photo by Bill Neibergall

Dark wood, curvy lines and a subdued rosemaled top lend old-fashioned appeal. $2,339, Kenilworth House.

This heavy-duty, two-tone coffee table offers a traditional look with an inventive twist: Half the top pops up to create a table-height tray. $499, Room to Room.

photo by Christopher Gannon

photo by Christopher Gannon

Get your funk on with a shiny metal, free-form “Cubicle” table base by Artisan House. $1,300 (base only), Room to Room.

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

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Sue and Daryl Davis designed their Village in Ponderosa home in West Des Moines to reflect their passions.

The dining room (above, as viewed from the living room) and kitchen enhance Sue’s love of cooking. The downstairs theater room (right) is testament to the drivein movies and theaters Daryl used to own. The couple entertains – with an accent on the meal – at least once a week.

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Meals, movies and

MEMORIES A couple builds its fifth house and this time, gets everything perfect especially the kitchen

by CRAIG SUMMERS BLACK • photos by PAUL GATES

S

ue and Daryl Davis don’t want to be rude, but no, they don’t want to go out to dinner with you.

Szechuan – even chicken-fried steak.

But there’s more to the meal than the food.

“We don’t like to eat out,” says Sue. “We like to eat here. We like to entertain, and cooking is an event in this house.”

“I don’t clean up right after dinner,” she says. “We sit around the dining room table and giggle and laugh. That’s where all our memories come from: sitting around that big round table.”

Sue, as you might imagine, is one heck of a cook. Italian food, Mexican, Thai,

This is how it’s always been in the Davis household.

“On Monday nights when our boys were growing up, I’d always try a new recipe. If it turned out to be great, I’d save the recipe,” she says. “Not if it turned out to be good. I had to be great for us to says it. And if we didn’t like it, well, there was always peanut butter.

“Now both of my boys like to cook.

One went to chef school.”

CONTINUED >>

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

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The kitchen (top) is centered on Sue’s professional-grade stove. “My Wolf – this is my car,” she says. “I don’t like jewelry. I like appliances.” Daryl’s car (above) is a vintage muscle car, a’67 Chevy Impala SS. The covered porch on the main level (right), which has a view of a trail and a creek, features a ceiling fan. “It really makes a difference in temperature,” Daryl says. “And it keeps the bugs away.”

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

The Davises moved into their 3,000-square-foot walkout in the Village of Ponderosa three years ago, so early in the development they were its second residents. They liked the West Des Moines location, but even more they liked the concept: an honest-to-gosh small town, walkable, with retail and offices as well as several kinds of housing.

Sue put the specs together for just about every detail of what they wanted in their house-to-be (right down to the inventory numbers of appliances)

and the coupled worked with Jim Harmeyer to build something a little different. Exterior architectural details, the knotty alder woodwork, and the repeated circular windowpanes all give this place its own sense of self.

The kitchen, of course, is an important room. Daryl is – how to put this nicely?

– not the gourmet cook his wife is.

So his contribution to the meal is to choose the music to accompany the food.

“We entertain at least once a week,” Sue says, “and whatever cuisine we’re

6 TIPS FOR BUILDING THE PERFECT KITCHEN After building five houses, Sue Davis knows how to plan a comfortable, usable kitchen and dining area. Her advice:

1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hold to the triangle.â&#x20AC;? Which means the refrigerator, the sink and the stove should not be in a straight line. Put them in a triangle configuration to save steps.

2. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go too big. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Small is the new big. You want everything to be handy. Two steps here, two steps there.â&#x20AC;?

3. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go overboard on cupboards. Instead of rows and rows of cupboards, â&#x20AC;&#x153;build a huge pantry.â&#x20AC;?

Also, lower drawers hold more and are easier to access than lower cupboards.

4. If you do want a formal dining room, dress it down. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Make it comfortable, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use it. Make it fun.â&#x20AC;?

5. Use a round table in the dining room, and place a lazy Susan in the middle of it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People like a round table. They can see each other and talk to everyone. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a comfort zone.â&#x20AC;?

6. You either love cooking or you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, fancy appliances wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make you learn to love it. If you just want that look, you can get it much cheaper.â&#x20AC;?

having that night, he has to pick the music. With Mexican food, the Mexican radio channels work nicely.â&#x20AC;?

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;With Italian food, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually Sinatra,â&#x20AC;?

Daryl says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Rat Pack.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;And our fallback is always â&#x20AC;&#x2122;50s,â&#x20AC;? Sue says. (Well, they are both 60.)

The couple recently hosted a State Fair party where Sue served up decidedly ungourmet-like turkey tenderloins, corn dogs and hot fudge sundaes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, it was so rich,â&#x20AC;? Sue says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But it CONTINUED >>

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

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12

Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

preps us for the State Fair.”

Daryl had the “State Fair” soundtrack (Rodgers and Hammerstein!) piped in on the main floor and the movie (AnnMargret! Pat Boone!) playing in the theater room downstairs.

So when Daryl – now retired – tells you he used to be in theater, maybe you raise an eyebrow. But he means he used to own theaters.

“We owned the Pioneer Drive-Inn on East 14th,” he says. “It’s an RV dealership now, but the screen is still there. And we owned the Plantation Drive-In. Now all the drive-ins are almost gone. There are only three left in Iowa that I know of.”

“Back then, it was ‘Godzilla’ and stuff like that,” says Sue. “‘Pillow Talk.’”

“There wasn’t any R-rated stuff,” Daryl says.

“Anyone could watch anything.”

The couple also once owned the local restaurant Maxie’s.

“It has good food,” Sue says, “but we didn’t eat there much either.”

Of course not.

Triple windows in the living room (left) echo the home’s circle theme.

Furnishings are from Designing Women. Just off the kitchen, a fold-down secretary desk (right) is tucked into a quiet corner. “That’s my spot,” Sue says. “It’s good to be close to the kitchen.”

9-5000 Ad 1/3H September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

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by Jennifer Miller

ART

Two downtown spaces, two very different philosophies for showing off an art collection

HOUSES 14

Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Allyn Dixon:

MORE IS MORE A downtown art loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection ranges from postcards to statuary photos by BILL NEIBERGALL and ERIC ROWLEY

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Above: Allyn Dixonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living area and art and furniture collection glows with carefully placed lighting.

Left: Dixon stands next to one of the two Venetian Blackamoors he bought in Italy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are just about my favorite things,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Far left: Dixonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bathroom displays several nudes.

This one came from an auction in Dallas.

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September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

15

art homes

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uxury is not an option for Des Moines attorney Allyn Dixon. Living without it, he means.

In fact, Dixon’s high-life philosophy is literally carved in stone. A small round stone, tucked unobtrusively amidst the result of more than 30 years worth of art collecting in a modestly sized downtown loft, quotes Frank Lloyd Wright: “Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.”

While Mr. Wright would probably be agape at some of Dixon’s more ornate pieces – the pair of gilded, 6-foot tall Venetian Blackamoor statue lamps for example – he surely would appreciate the sleek concrete floors and low, unfussy white couch.

Dixon, who shares the loft with his two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, started collecting art in college. “I traveled a lot and started buying furniture,” he says.

“I always had this thought that I might be an interior designer.” Though design didn’t end up as a career choice, it remains a big part of his life – and his home.

And, Dixon says only slightly sheepishly, “I have lots more stuff in storage.”

He is, he says, a fan of “collections,” and though he doesn’t have room to display them all, some of what he calls his “phases” include waterfalls and portraits of royal monarchs and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.

It’s hard to pin a name on Dixon’s style. “I don’t buy things to match; it’s a mishmash of stuff,” he says.

Maybe Peter-Pan-meets-Liberace-meets-elbowpatched-professor would about cover it. Maybe. Of course, that moniker doesn’t take into account the painting of a urinal, which hangs (of course) over the toilet. Or the X-rated cartoon print of Shaggy and Velma (they of “Scooby Doo” fame).

In Dixon’s world, contemporary lives cheek by jowl with Baroque. Asian happily co-exists with French. And in a weird and wonderful symbiosis, a chunky, sort of steampunk table is topped with a Chinese “tusk” made of multicolored Lucite (purchased in Beijing) and two Venetian Murano glass candelabras.

Above the table – itself a piece of art – hangs a modern painting by bad-boy Cuban artist Fito Garche.

Garche struggled with alcoholism and depression, murdered his girlfriend in 2008, then hanged himself in his jail cell. “I was drawn to both the picture and the story behind it. It’s very compelling,” Dixon says. “I bought that painting the day we moved in, and it fit perfectly in this spot.”

Top: Fito Garche’s protest painting hangs over a Chinese Lucite “tusk.” Dixon was taken with the troubled artist’s story.

Above: Art is everywhere – even on the dogs’ bed. Curtains and pillows all portray famous artworks with dogs added in.

16

Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Dixon is effusive about his art, and every artwork has some sort of story, from the framed greeting card (“I just liked it a lot”) to the multimedia piece made from old gin house boards and hymnal pages (“It reminded

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And, he notes, the small 3-D Day of the Dead piece from Mexico (where he plans to retire) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; its every nook and cranny charmingly crammed with color, furniture and people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bears some resemblance to his own home.

Even Dixonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dogs have art. Their four-poster dog bed is hung with curtains, each one bearing a famous work of art that has been altered by the addition of a dog.

Think Mona Lisa holding your favorite breed.

Despite a vast and, in some cases valuable, collection, Dixon is no art snob. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to spend a lot of money to have great things. For everything you buy thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expensive, you can find something you love just as much for cheap,â&#x20AC;? Dixon says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that talks to you, get it.â&#x20AC;?

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Top: This fresco, a male version of Greek mythologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Three Graces (who have been portrayed in painting and sculptures for centuries) hangs in Dixonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bathroom.

Bottom right: Dixon, who plans to retire in Mexico, bought this Day of the Dead sculpture because he loves to entertain, and says the scene reminded him of his own home.

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17

art homes

Mike King:

LESS IS MORE Business owner downsizes his life, and makes tough decisions about which pieces of art makes the cut

by JENNIFER MILLER • photos by ERIC ROWLEY Above: The two huge paintings

by Jose Pelletier are two of 10 that Mike King owns. One more hangs in King’s hall; the others are in storage.

Below: Local artist James Ellwanger is known for his large metal sculptures like the one called “Seam” that sits outside Principal Park. This painting is also done on metal.

Opposite, top: A print by local artist Bill Luchsinger.

Opposite, bottom: King purchased this colorful print in Paris. It was only after King had painted his kitchen that he realized how perfectly this piece fit in.

W

hen Mike King moved from his large South of Grand home to a small loft downtown 10 months ago, he had to do a lot of paring down. For instance, a series of 10 paintings, each about 5 feet high, was whittled down to just three. He placed the rest in storage, alongside plenty of other pieces.

Since King’s loft holds only about a third of what he could fit in his old home, he thought about rotating the art, but concedes “I’m just too lazy to actually do it.”

Also, he notes, the whole idea of moving was to simplify. “It was just time. The house was too much work, too much upkeep,” said King, who owns The Cigar Source on Ingersoll Avenue. “All my spare time was spent running around to Home Depot or cleaning the pool or whatever.”

The art that was invited into the new place – King says he had to “retrofit” the art – is spread carefully around the loft for maximum impact and minimal busy-ness. “I don’t like clutter. I like a simple, clean look. I’m not a fan of covering every surface.” Which is why, with limited surface space, he says, he doesn’t go in much for sculptures.

He does go in for color, though. Many of his pieces – like the enormous, eye-catching James Ellwanger piece of bright orange, purple and red painted aircraft aluminum – are about color. An almost abstract flower print by Bill Luchsinger swirls with reds, yellows and blues, and a Jim Navarro oil painting is so richly colored, it almost looks threedimensional.

“I do choose pieces for color and also for their decorative value and for their conversational value.

People come in and are drawn to a painting and that starts a conversation about it,” King says. “I don’t have a real ‘philosophy’ about buying art. If I see something I like, I buy it.”

King says he’s never gone “shopping” for art.

“Everything I have, I’ve just run across. I travel a lot and I collect art, but it’s not like I travel specifically to go to art galleries. I’m not a ‘collect a spoon from every place I’ve been’ kind of person.”

He does admit to a penchant for sailing and boatrelated art, but even that is kept to a minimum. And though he is obviously attracted to large works, there are smaller pieces with their own allure. One of those isn’t even really “art,” at least not in its original form. While attending a benefit function that featured artist Peter Max, King met Max, who dashed off a quick sketch on King’s event program.

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Two other small, framed pieces are hand-colored lithographs of Native American chiefs taken from a circa-1800s census book.

So what about all that stuff in storage? Does King miss it? He shrugs. “Not really. I was worried that this loft might feel too small, that it wouldn’t have enough space. But I’ve been surprised. It has turned out not to be confining all at. And I’m certainly not looking to expand my collection. The last thing I need is more stuff in storage.”

The art of choosing art

BY PATT JOHNSON • PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER GANNON

Selecting art for a room in your home presents somewhat of a chicken or egg problem. Do you select the art first and decorate around that, or find a piece that fits into the color or design scheme already there?

There’s no hard and fast rule, says Susan Watts, owner of Olson-Larsen Galleries in West Des Moines’ Valley “Some people fall in love with a piece and work the room around that,” she says. “And sometimes people bring in a pillow or something else they want a piece to match. There has always been a stigma that you can’t pick art to match a couch or a color scheme, but that is not always true.”

“In our gallery, we have stark white walls and we blast the pieces with light,” she says. “It’s hard to tell here

Some people search for years for the perfect art, and sometimes it’s as simple as seeing a piece you “can’t get out of your head,” Watt says.

Watt offers these tips on buying and placing art in a home:

Junction.

One of Watts’ clients recently bought a large abstract, mixed-media piece at the gallery and wanted to put it in her home, but she wasn’t sure where it would fit. Watts moved the piece from wall to wall until they found the perfect spot.

what it will really look like in someone’s home.”

You don’t need to fill every inch of every wall. “People fear space sometimes. A lot of artwork, especially bold pieces, need room to breathe,” she says.

Mix up the artwork. Some spaces can handle one large piece, while a smaller area might better be suited for a collage of smaller pieces, with different frames of different sizes.

Let the art speak for itself. “You want the art to be the statement, not the frame,” she says.

Hanging artwork at the right height is crucial. Watts likes to hang most pieces 58 inches from the floor to the center of the art. “That’s a good height to look at something if you’re standing or sitting.”

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

19

style it

ONE PRINT, FOUR WAYS

A unique print fits with every décor — just frame it with a bit of creative style

by JACQUELINE DEVINE, Terrace Hill Foundation development director photos by ERIC ROWLEY

D

es Moines photographer Bill Nellans has photographed Terrace Hill, the official residence of Iowa’s Governor, from the tower to the east porch to the stately entry. When Nellans spotted artist Amy Worthen’s copperplate engraving of Terrace Hill’s library, he knew one of the limited-edition prints was destined for his home.

The signed and numbered prints by Worthen are being sold, unframed, for $300 each to benefit Terrace Hill. We asked four local framers and gallery owners to put their own spin on the print, an intricately detailed image of the Victorian library at Terrace Hill — complete with peacock.

1

Contemporary Baroque A traditional frame gets a hip, modern spin with a lacquered, shiny frame from Terri’s Frame Shop in Urbandale.

Owner Terri Roberts looked to the print for inspiration. “I’ve always loved Amy’s work and thought it deserved an updated look,” she says. While the frame is ornate in profile, the interpretation through shiny lacquered paint makes it thoroughly modern. To further the detailing in the print, Roberts added a beaded detail trim around the mat. “Framing is like the icing on the cake,” Roberts says.

This framed print is $860, available through the Terrace Hill Foundation.

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

2

Refined Rustic The woody tones of a paneled library echo in this traditionally styled frame boasting burnished copper undertones. The marled design of the mat is reminiscent of the brown tones in the Terrace Hill library. Framed by The Avenue, a photography studio, art gallery and custom framing shop in Urbandale.

Jill Kelley, owner of The Avenue, designed a cottage, casual feel for the print. “When I think of country-cottage style I often think of rustic red barns. As I was choosing a frame I had that in mind, but at the same time, the frame needed to make the print stand out,” she says. “You never want to take away from the actual item you are framing. You only want to enhance it.”

She selected the wood because of its warm rustic appeal. The molded inside edge of the frame matches the detailed molding in the print.

The mat color resembles that of a weathered barn. The burnished tone with subtle marling is reminiscent of the rich wood tones throughout Terrace Hill, a place that is definitely not rustic, but has weathered the passage of time since its construction in 1869.

3

Traditional Romance Graceful curves combine with a delicate floral motif that repeats the lines in the print, while a museum-quality mat preserves your investment, from Olson-Larsen Galleries in Valley Junction.

This framed print is not for sale, but is on display in the carriage house at Terrace Hill. Terrace Hill worked with Olson-Larsen to select the graceful curving lines in the Foundation’s No. 1 of 100 commissioned prints for the unveiling.

CONTINUED >>

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

21

style it

4

“Sticks-ian” Whimsy Sticks collectors will delight in this oneof-kind frame that transitions into any style room as an accent.

“Sticks nearly always works with wood, paint, stain, plus drawn and burned lines,” says Rachel Eubank, Stick’s vice president of sales and marketing. “The frame that we made was inspired by the simplicity of black and white. Sticks is typically thought of as very colorful and whimsical, though we also offer several design directions that include contemporary, folk, minimalist and more.”

The frame was made using the Sticks technique of wood-burned pencil drawings, but instead of applying layers of acrylic paint, they opted for a wood stain to complement the elements of the artwork.

“We were able to play with Sticks’ whimsy on the frame while not overwhelming the art or drawing away from that as the focal point,” Eubank says. “The two elements work very well together and create something unique and aesthetically rich.”

The framed print is $700 through the Terrace Hill Foundation.

About the Art and Artist Amy Worthen, an internationally renowned Des Moines printmaker and scholar on printmaking, has seen her work exhibited in shows across America and Europe. Worthen is curator of prints at the Des Moines Art Center, and well-known for her Iowa State Capitol and Terrace Hill series. “Terrace Hill with Peacock” is the third engraving in the series. The other two Terrace Hill prints (both with wild animals inside the mansion) were commissioned 30 years ago.

Worthen’s “Terrace Hill with Peacock” is a Burin copperplate engraving printed one at a time by the artist on Magnani Incisioni paper. It is available through the Terrace Hill Foundation, 2300 Grand Ave. in Des Moines. The prints shown in this story are available for purchase framed (as shown and priced with this story) or unframed for $300 each. Call (515) 280-3980. All proceeds benefit the educational programs and restoration of Terrace Hill.

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

entertaining entertaining

LET’S DO DINNER

Although the cast has changed slightly over the years, one neighborhood dinner club has been going strong since 1996

by JENNIFER MILLER • photos by JOSHUA BOYER

I

t all started with one of those Mickey Rooney “Hey, let’s put on a show” ideas.

Instead of a show, though, Dianne and Dave Swieskowski and their friends, Martha and Kevin Ford, thought it would be fun to start a dinner club.

Top: Dinner club members gather in Doug and Sarah Wells’ dining room.

Above: Dinner clubs often have a theme. This particular night, the Wellses went with “Friday Fireworks!”

“We just thought it would be nice to get together with other people in the neighborhood who really enjoy food and wine,” Dianne Swieskowski says.

Jodie Stephens remembers when the Fords invited her and her husband, Scott, to participate. “It was sort of an over-the-fence kind of thing, like, ‘Hey, you like wine, right?

Do you want be in a dinner group?’”

CONTINUED >>

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

23

entertaining Left: The appetizer, sun-dried tomato crostini, was prepared by Liza Ovrom and her husband, Mark Schuling.

Below left: The back of the Wellses’ home offers lots of al fresco seating for nice evenings.

Bottom: Sarah Wells fills water glasses.

The couples weren’t really friends yet, just neighbors. In all, three couples were invited to join the Fords and Swieskowskis some 15 years ago.

And so a dinner club was born. The Fords and another of the original couples eventually moved away, leaving room for Pauline and Bill Niebur and Sarah and Doug Wells.

The group now meets, faithfully, five times a year, with each couple hosting once. “It’s a priority to get it on the calendar, and once it’s scheduled, that’s it,” says Pauline Niebur.

The group got together on a recent Friday night (though they usually meet on Saturdays) at the Wellses’ home. As hosts, the Wellses were in charge of only the main dish (and cleaning the house, which Sarah says, for her, is by far the most stressful part).

Well in advance of each gathering, the hosts decide on the entire menu, then assign CONTINUED >>

24

Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

a course and recipe to each of the other couples, who are also expected to bring wine to go with that course. “That way,” Niebur says, “it’s not too much work for any one couple.”

For each course, the couple that prepared it talks about the recipe – whether it was challenging, if they would use it again – and about the accompanying wine selection. Diners are encouraged to offer feedback on each dish, even if it’s not so good, although, “in all these years, there might have been one or two dishes that were not good,” Stephens says.

Above: The dining room table is set and ready to go.

Left: Pauline Niebur relaxes with a glass of wine before dinner.

Fifteen years on, it’s clear this cadre of gourmands have found a successful formula for longevity. It’s gotten harder over the years to find a date that works for everyone, but they have all agreed that if someone can’t make it on a certain date, a new date has to be found. “We are really committed to having CONTINUED >>

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

25

entertaining

everyone there, every time,” Swieskowski says.

Recently, the group decided to expand from five couples to six and is full-steam ahead toward year 16. And the club has even inspired at least one member’s grown offspring to start a dinner club of his own.

“One of the reasons Doug and I enjoy this so much,” Sarah Wells says, “is that the discussions are always so lively – books, travel, art, wine.”

Says Stephens, “It’s kind of an unwritten rule that we check our personal junk at the door.

It’s not a gripe session.”

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

Above left: Scott Stephens chats before dinner.

Left: Dianne Swieskowski (left) and Jodie Stephens are two of the clubs’ original members.

Above and below left: Pea and basil soup with all the garnishes.

Below right: John and Jane Lorentzen, the newest club members, explain the pea and basil soup they made.

DINNER CLUB SUCCESS This group doesn’t claim to have any particular expertise on dinner clubs, but their long-lived tradition makes a good object lesson. Here are some of the mechanics, rules and traditions that have kept this group going strong: • Don’t put too much pressure on the event. It should be fun, not stressful.

• Don’t make the get-togethers too frequent, so it begins to feel like a chore.

• Commit to having everyone there at every get-together.

• Once a dinner is scheduled, leave it scheduled.

• Having a group that lives within walking distance of each other is key to safety if there will be wine involved. If that’s not possible, arrange for rides home.

• It really helps to have a large table,

where everyone can sit comfortably. Don’t make the group bigger than members’ homes can accommodate.

Above: Dinner guests mingle in the living room of Sarah and Doug Wells’ home.

Below: Doug and Sarah Wells.

• If it’s a couples’ group, each couple should share in the planning and cooking equally. (Perhaps not incidentally, there have been no divorces in the group.)

• Make sure everyone has the same level of commitment. This dinner club is fairly formal by mutual agreement. More casual groups are fine, too. Just make sure everyone is on the same page.

• These couples agree that staying seasonal with menus and using the highest-quality ingredients they can find is a priority. It also helps if everyone is willing to experiment and to try new things.

• Mix it up. Try to include a diverse group of people and don’t seat people next to their partners.

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

27

distinctive designer

Myra Lynn Hansen Her biz: MLH Designs Inc., 5665 Greendale Road, Suite A, Johnston More info: mlhdesignsinc.com; (602) 689-3395

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Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

TheWOWfactor

Myra Lynn Hansen’s goal: Take rooms from ordinary to fabulous

by PATT JOHNSON • photos by BILL NEIBERGALL

M

yra Lynn Hansen says her decorating style starts at Versace and ends at Frank Lloyd Wright – with just about everything else in between.

“I don’t ever want to limit myself to one thing or one style,” says Hansen, a Johnston interior designer and owner of MLH Designs Inc. who’s worked on homes in California, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, and Des Moines Hansen focuses on high-end homes, but has designed interiors for banks, car dealerships and health care facilities.

She’s also designed interiors for

commercial projects with her husband, Craig Hansen, owner of Hansen Co., a construction firm in Johnston.

The Iowa native started out as an etiquette teacher in a business she created after studying interior design and fashion merchandising at Patricia Stevens College in Omaha.

She sold that business after 15 years and opened a design studio. She doesn’t advertise, but keeps a steady flow of business from word-of-mouth referrals. We chatted with her about her style, her inspirations and more.

Left: Interior designer Myra Lynn Hansen, owner of MLH Designs Inc., in the living room she designed inside a West Des Moines Home.

Above: Hansen mixes fabrics to create a unique look for upholstered furniture,

CONTINUED >>

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

29

distinctive designer Q. How do you describe your design style?

A. “Bare to breathtaking.” I see it as giving a room the wow factor.

Q. What do you love about design and what you do?

A. I love the ability to create something that a homeowner is proud of, is within the designated budget, and giving homeowners a memorable experience.

Q. Where do you get inspiration?

A. Dreaming and imagining what could be, what can be. I am generally a hyper person, so I use my quiet time, like sitting on a beach on vacation, for my inspiration. And it’s usually one thing that will inspire me. I may see a towel with some fabulous colors, so I buy it. It may not be the towel I will use in a design, but the colors.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?

A. New construction in West Des Moines and Johnston,

I am generally a hyper person, so I use my quiet time, like sitting on a beach on vacation, for my inspiration.’

a complete makeover of an existing home in Waukee and a commercial remodel in the East Village.

Q. What is your design rule of thumb?

A. The customer makes the final decision. They have to live in the home and they must be comfortable.

They also need to feel like they were a part of the entire project.

Q. What is your greatest extravagance?

A. I like to be able to create an entire home or rooms without limitations.

Q. What design trend are you tired of?

A. I have to honestly say none. Every home is unique and requires certain elements of color and style. You can’t throw away a trend if someone wants to do it.

Q. What are your go-to shopping spots?

A. I like traveling to unique places, antique stores and

Top: A piano anchors a living room Hansen designed.

Above: Couch designed by Hansen.

Opposite: A mix of patterned and striped fabric cover the chairs and ottoman in the living room.

of course High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina to shop. Mostly, I like to find fabrics and create my own pieces by mixing multiple colors and designing them together.

Q. What are the most frequent mistakes people make when decorating their homes?

A. Many people make a mistake by not understanding how rooms need to flow together.

30

Des Moines HOMESTYLE September 2011

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Q. What tips would you give people who consider themselves clueless when it comes to home decorating?

A. Stay with the basics and remember that less is more.

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Q. What design trends are hot right now?

A. The trends are lighter neutrals with accents of color.

Smaller-scale furniture is accommodating downsizing.

Q. How would you describe your own home?

Q. What is your favorite interior paint color?

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A. I like soft shades of gold, tan and beige, which allows you to add accents for a pop of color. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no different than your clothing. A neutral allows you to have amazing shoes and a handbag. The pop of color should be red, because this color is the new dominance in design. You can take red anywhere from fuchsia to orange red to violet to even a delicate pink.

Red is the color of fire, passion and the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s molten core, and it strikes exotic notes ranging from the deepest intensity to the softest femininity.

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of style.

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A. I would say my home is warm, livable and has a lot

September 2011 Des Moines HOMESTYLE

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