22 minute read
Shelf Help
Shelf Help: Storage Solutions for Your One-of-a-Kind Home
BY CARRIE MCCONKEY, CARRIEMCCONKEY.COM
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IF YOU’RE SEEKING something different about the place you call home, you might choose to occupy a tiny home, an airy loft, a historic house, or a vacation retreat. While living in a unique residence can bring daily fulfillment (and plenty of conversation when guests arrive), more often than not these types of dwellings lack in storage space. If your non-traditional abode is challenged in this area, read on to learn how Knoxville-based Shelf Help can make your storage options as dreamy as your one-of-a-kind refuge.
Tiny Homes
Seeking more freedom and flexibility out of life, tiny home residents minimize homeownership headaches by lessening their square footage. Whether your home is wee or full-size, make sure you have all the cooking supplies you need in the kitchen with Shelf Help components such as a pulldown 3-tier spice rack.
Loft Living
The industrial look, exposed brick, and open floor plans of loft spaces are the stuff of cool movie scenes. If you live downtown or down the road apiece, your bathroom will benefit from Shelf Help’s vanity pullout with a divided acrylic tray for makeup and haircare supplies.
Homes with a History
Victorian or antebellum, mid-century or brownstone, residences with a past boast enviable design features and fascinating floor plans. For homes that are a century old (or built just last year), a door mounted pantry organizer gives you room to stock extras of what you need most.
Vacation Havens
While most people use their vacation home, RV, or houseboat to get away from it all, a few decide to set up house permanently. Whichever you choose, maximize every inch of cabinet storage throughout with customized pull-out shelves.
Discover Storage Satisfaction
Make your distinctive dwelling even more appealing with Shelf Help’s customized rollout shelves for your kitchen, bath, pantry, and more. Locally owned and operated, Shelf Help’s customers save 50% or more when compared to national brands. Call us today for your free, in-home, no-obligation consultation - we look forward to seeing your personal palace!
Shelf Help
865.675.5098 ShelfHelpTN.com
Dedicated to Distinctive Decorating
FOR EVERY SEASON
JIMMIE VAUGHAN
THE STORY TOUR
BY RANDY PATTERSON, BOOMEROCITY.COM
IN CONCERT • BIJOU THEATRE • JULY 14
THE BLUES. The genre affects people in many ways. Wynton Marsalis said of it, “Everything comes out in blues music: joy, pain, struggle. Blues is affirmation with absolute elegance. It’s about a man and a woman. So the pain and the struggle in the blues is that universal pain that comes from having your heart broken. Most blues songs are not about social statements.”
Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones said, “If you don’t know the blues, there’s no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music.” ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons said, “The blues is a mighty long road. Or it could be a river, one that twists and turns and flows into a sea of limitless musical potential.”
If anyone personifies all that the blues is, it is Jimmie Vaughan. The Dallas, Texas, born musician has played the blues from his first band, The Pendulums. Jimmie and the band opened for another “Jim”: Jimi Hendrix.
Jimmie loaned Jimi his Vox wah-wah pedal to use during his show. The pedal broke during his performance, and Jimi gave Jimmie his own touring pedal.
Jimmie went on to form another band that gained much more fame than The Pendulums: The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Jimmie also played a part in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000 as the wingman guitarist in the fictional B.B. King led band the Louisiana Gator Boys.
As the pandemic began to abate last year, Jimmie toured as the opening act for his good friend, Eric Clapton, playing before packed houses all across the U.S. He will rejoin Clapton for more concert dates this fall.
Before that happens, Jimmie and his band will be touring on their own. As luck would have it for East Tennesseans, that tour is stopping by Knoxville, playing at the Bijou Theatre on July 14th. The tour is in support of The Jimmie Vaughan Story - a special limited-edition box set and book including more than 200 photos covering his life and the breadth of his remarkable career.
During a recent phone conversation with Jimmie, he pulled out a copy of the box set and chatted about some of the songs contained within it.
“Here’s ‘I Can’t Quit You, Baby’ - the Otis Rush song. There are instrumentals that we never put out. Here’s a version of me playing steel guitar on ‘Harbor Lights’ live in Louisiana. Early, early, early T-birds. There’s me playing guitar with Bill Carter, Willie The Wimp... Albert Collins, Jimmy Rogers; ‘Sugar Coated Love’ with Lou Ann Barton - I played lead on that. There’s a song with Delbert McClinton; a couple of tunes from the Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute.”
He continued to share names of people that were part of the treasure chest of musical memories. Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Art Neville, Bo Didley, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Charlie Mussellwhite, and Billy Gibbons. It would’ve have been a shorter list to name the blues greats who were not on this amazing collection of music. It’s selections from that box set that Jimmie will be featuring during his stop at the Bijou.
Regarding touring with Eric Clapton, Jimmie shared, “It was great. It’s always a great time to open a show like that - especially when it’s Eric and his great band. The whole thing was fun.” Then, speaking in the context that the Eric Clapton shows were played as the pandemic was lifting, Jimmie added, “We played live, we played music, and the world is still spinning. Imagine that.”
Jimmie lives outside of Austin, Texas, which has a legendary music scene there. Think Nashville with a Texas drawl and flavor thrown in - just to make it different. When Jimmie isn’t out on the road on tour, he’s been known to drop in at a venue or two (especially at C-Boys Heart & Soul on Austin’s Congress Avenue) with his band to play his brand of blues.
“When we’re in Austin, we play,” he said. “I got a trio with Mike Flanigin. Mike kicks bass on a (Hammond) B3. I’ve got my drummer and myself. So when we’re around here, we’ll play on the weekends.”
Order your tickets to see Jimmie Vaughan at the Bijou Theatre by visiting KnoxBijou.org. Read the rest of this interesting interview with Jimmie by visiting Boomerocity.com.
Randy’s first interview was at the tender age of 13 with none other than Col. Tom Parker. Thirty-six years later he founded the webzine, Boomerocity.com, and has conducted close to 200 interviews with some of the most interesting people in music.
INSIGHTS&HIGHLIGHTS
DESIGN DECOR
Enjoy your summer evenings with the soothing sounds of gentle water flowing and the soft light flickering from these ombre candles. A timer feature provides peace of mind and hours of enjoyment. Available at Design Decor, 627 American Glass Way in Knoxville, 865.769.0039, DesignDecorKnoxville.com. THE TOWN FRAMERY & GIFTS
BBQ season is upon us! Spice up your summer staple with exciting Captain Rodney’s glazes, rubs, and sauces! Available at The Town Framery & Gifts, 12814 Kingston Pike in Farragut, 865.671.6627, TheTownFramery.com.
MEADOW VIEW GREENHOUSES & GARDEN CENTER
Light up your summer nights with solar powered luminary lanterns in a variety of styles and colors to accent any décor. American made with battery backup. Available at Meadow View Greenhouses & Garden Center, 9885 Highway 11E in Lenoir City, 865.986.7229, MeadowViewGreenhouse.com. SOUTHEASTERN DERMATOLOGY
Elta MD UV Stick sunscreen is easy to apply, messfree, residue-free sun protection that’s dermatologist tested and formulated for the whole family. This water-resistant, all-mineral SPF 50+ formula absorbs quickly, blends easily, and works for all skin tones without leaving a white cast and has broad-spectrum and antioxidant protection against UVA (aging), UVB (burning), and HEV (high energy visible or blue light) rays. Available at Southeastern Dermatology, 1930 Pinnacle Pointe Way in Knoxville, 865.474.8800, DrDroppelt.com.
SHAE DESIGN STUDIO
Exuding pure luxury, the Berkeley Sofa features a fully button-tufted velvet body highlighted by a subtle nickel nailhead trim. Elaborately carved espresso-finished legs complete the elegant look. Available at Shae Design Studio, 9700 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, 865.313.2656, ShaeDesigns.com. DECORATING DEN INTERIORS
These unique meteor-inspired bowls are cast, bound together, and fired. Then it receives a reactive glaze and is fired a second time. There is a tremendous amount of artisan work that goes into every piece, and each piece is one of a kind. Available at Decorating Den Interiors | Kozar Design Team, 521 Lovell Road, Suite 205 in Knoxville, 865.392.6222, SandyKozar.DecoratingDen.com.
SHELF HELP
Keep your pans clatter-free with our hanging pan organizer in chrome or black nickel finish. Mounts in cabinet so pans hang down like a traditional hanging pot rack. Includes soft close slides and is fully customizable with an array of hooks. Available and installed by Knoxville-based Shelf Help, 865.675.5098, ShelfHelpTN.com. THE LILY PAD BOUTIQUE
Save the date! 50% Off Sizzling Summer Sale begins Saturday, July 16th, at 10 am - and we will also be open on Sunday the 17th from 1 to 6 pm! - and continues until it’s gone! Sale includes summer merchandise and accessories. The Lily Pad Boutique, 209 N. Main Street in Sweetwater, 423.337.5537, LilyPadBoutiqueOnline.com.
Denton & Lori Lesslie love to eat. They are Knoxville natives who have fun finding and experiencing local food and drink spots while sharing their adventures @somewhere.inthe.south. SUMMER MAY have just begun, but it’s time to visit Last Days of Autumn Brewery, Knoxville! We can’t say enough good things about this local treasure. It’s full of great vibes, great craft beer, great food, great weekly specials, and great events. Last Days of Autumn is a local chill spot that’s worth the visit over and over again.
This is for sure one of our favorite breweries in town. Looking for a new IPA to try? Denton had the Pardon My Garden IPA. How about an amber ale? Lori ordered the Nice Marmot. We will both absolutely order these again on our next visit but will venture out to try their other brews as well. From the moment you walk in the door, you feel at home.
Not only are we drawn to their laid-back vibes, eclectic eye-catching décor, and beer, but the food is fantastic. The last time we ventured to Last Days, they had prepared a special for the day: sweet tea brined spare ribs smoked and glazed with a peach, brown sugar, vinegar, and cayenne reduction. Hello! When included with cornbread, coleslaw, and potato salad, expect good things. And this was all good things. We also tried the Pit Boss sandwich (a regular menu item) with pulled pork, pimento cheese, bacon jam, and coleslaw… oh my. Add a side of baked beans and score! This is definitely a get again. They know how to brew, and they know how to BBQ. The food fun doesn’t stop there though! Get ready for Taco Tuesdays with Birria Tacos. (Check out their Facebook page for this one.) You’ll also find Korean Pork tacos, Carnitas tacos, Buffalo Chicken tacos, and Green Chili tacos. Pencil in a Taco Tuesday on your calendar for these scrumptious creations, invite your friends, and make it a date! Craving a shrimp boil? Then look no further than Last Days of Autumn! They start cooking up the shrimp every Friday at 4 pm. We’ve tasted this one, too, and it’s another YES!
What else is there to love about Last Days on E Magnolia Avenue? Besides the yummy food, great craft beer to pair it with, and relaxing vibes, expect to hear local musicians that are worth your listening ear as you sit back and relax and chat with friends.
Don’t just take our word for it… follow them on Facebook and/or Instagram, read through their menu, check out their many events, and tell them Somewhere in the South sent you. You’ll be glad you did, and we’d love to hear how much you enjoyed it!
Follow us as we venture out from Somewhere in the South to join us for more local food, drink, and life adventures @somewhere.inthe.south on Instagram and Facebook!
Till Next Time, Denton & Lori
FIND WALDO is back for July 2022! Join the fun while exploring downtown museums and shops. The publisher of the Waldo book series selects 250 locallyowned bookstores across the country each year to host the Waldo Scavenger Hunt during the month of July. As the home to Union Ave Books, Downtown Knoxville is lucky to be one of the cities regularly selected.
Put on your striped shirt and black-rimmed specs (optional, of course) and come for a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt in Downtown Knoxville.
Where? In almost 3 dozen locations in Downtown Knoxville.
How? Visit any of the participating locations during the month of July and pick up your Waldo Passport. Then just start hunting! Collect a store stamp at each Waldo sighting... and keep up the search.
Diligent seekers collecting twenty or more stamps will be entered to win a deluxe set of Waldo books. You’ll also find fun, treats, and prizes along the way. Share where you find Waldo at #foundwaldoknox.
Interested in finding some free parking? No search needed. Downtown has over 5,500 spaces free on nights and weekends. Check DowntownKnoxville.org for more details.
Design Selections
Some call it "Luxury Design. " Our Interior Design team collaborated for months with the client and architect to bring a pool house dream to reality. From the architectural details to the electrical plan and decorative finishes, we worked with the contractors to ensure the success of the stunning end result. The beauty of the beams, cabinetry, countertops, custom fixtures, and upholstery make this local pool house the envy of all.
A L U X U R Y P O O L H O U S E P R O J E C T
The Furniture
While we’ve seen countless woven and leather elements in design throughout the years, the warmth and dimension these materials bring to a space remains indisputable. We love incorporating a variety of textures in our projects to add interest and set the tone of the overall aesthetics. This particular project is replete with custom textiles, handselected fabrics, and unique furniture pieces that were all designed and selected by our team.
The Textiles
Textiles bring texture, comfort, beauty, and durability to your home. The layering of upholstery, pillows, throws, and rugs can soften the hard architectural details and create a collected, well-lived-in feel to a space. Cool hues and muted tones set the relaxing energy of this luxurious backyard pool retreat, creating vacation vibes mere steps from the clients' backdoor. This lucky Knoxville family can escape to paradise without ever leaving home. Lighting
Artisan-crafted, expertly-placed lighting adds sparkle, interest, dimension, and life to a space. Great lighting has the power to determine the mood, energy, and focus of your most beloved belongings and environments. The delicate balance of light and shade brings undeniable perfection to an interior. The scale required for the vaulted ceilings in this project makes these jewelry pieces breathtaking!
The Décor
This design project was all about styling. The most successful décor has a meticulous mix of materials, well-defined color palette, and complementary accents, which ultimately define how a space is experienced. With curated décor, natural elements, art, and finishing touches, this pool house project exceeded client expectations and brought their dream to life. The Shae Design team looks forward to doing the same for your next project.
CUSTOM LANDSCAPE LIGHTING DESIGN & INSTALLATION
Custom Landscape Lighting Design A thoughtful and well-conceived landscape lighting design will add warmth and elegance to your home or business. Our teams of professional lighting designers can turn your place into a nighttime show stopper. When amazing matters, you can count on Lighthouse Outdoor Lighting.
BEFORE
We Design Nightscapes to Enhance the Way You Live A professionally installed landscape lighting system, no matter how complex, should be discreetly installed with little to no visible impact to your landscape. We leave every property picture perfect.
Call Heath Myrick, Owner of Lighthouse Outdoor Lighting of Knoxville, today! It won’t cost you anything to have us come out to look at your project and show you what we do. Every professional landscape lighting installation is done with painstaking care in keeping with the highest standards in the industry.
AFTER
Put Your Garage Back on the Tour
IF A TOUR of your home for visiting friends and family conveniently avoids the unsightly garage, you can quickly put your garage back on the tour.
Garage storage and organizational solutions from PremierGarage make it easier to stay organized and provide the best use of personal and shared space. As the nation’s leader in garage enhancements, PremierGarage can beautify and maximize your garage space with custom garage flooring, cabinets, and wall storage solutions.
First, PremierGarage transforms that oil-stained, pitted, and peeling epoxy-coated floor. Specialists prepare your existing garage floor by diamond grinding the surface before applying a proprietary concrete coating system. The commercial-grade flooring provides a high-performance and durable elegance while eliminating stains, cracks, and chipping - all backed up with a 10-year warranty. The easy-to-clean, slip-resistant surface is available in a variety of colors, and because it’s two times harder than conventional epoxy coatings, it stands up to hot tires, dropped tools, and stains of any kind. Installed in just two days - half the time of conventional coatings - you’ll be back in your garage in no time.
And the mounds of stuff piled up in corners and along the walls? All it takes is the proper storage system. Get everything off the floor and into sturdy cabinets and wall-mounted organizers.
The cabinets, with shelves that are 25% thicker than the industry standard, are suspended off the floor, making it easy to clean underneath while protecting the cabinets and its contents from water. Childproof cabinets are also available to prevent children and pets from accessing potentially harmful chemicals and tools. With a clean, uniform look, the result is an attractive and inviting space that adds value to your home.
Most garages are a continuation of a home’s living space, so you want your garage to be as stylish and functional as the rest of your home. Call PremierGarage and discover just how affordable transforming your garage can be and get your garage back on the tour.
This before and after shows a stained, pitted floor with a badly damaged joint. The PremierGarage team repaired the joint and used Quartzite color to create a beautiful garage floor.
PremierGarage
UT Gardens’ Plant of the Month Lavender: The Useful Plant
BY PJ SNODGRASS, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR FOR PLANT SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE’S INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE
HOW MANY TIMES do you use the phrase “stop and smell the roses?” This sentiment also applies to many plants and especially to lavender.
One of my favorite places in the University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville is the Herb Spiral. Not only is the spiral a wonderful display of herbs, but it also features beautiful lavender growing among its rocks. The particular plant is Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas). With its “bunny ears” appearance, just looking at it makes you smile because it looks so happy. And the bees love it!
Lavender belongs to the genus Lavandula, which includes 45 different species and more than 450 varieties, with still more in development by plant breeders! This wide variety allows for a vast array of bloom times, foliage, and flower colors.
Many people are familiar with English lavender (Lavandula angustofolia), which boasts 39 cultivars. It is also called common lavender or true lavender. Equally familiar is French lavender (Lavandula dentata), known as fringed lavender, so named due to its toothed leaf shape. Portuguese lavender (Lavandula latifolia) has spike-like flowers and is very aromatic. A popular interspecific hybrid is Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia), a cross of the English and Portuguese types. It is cold hardy like the English lavender but also heat tolerant like the Portuguese types. Finally, there is Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), which is sometimes referred to, confusingly enough, as French lavender, but more descriptively as butterfly lavender. This type features distinctive wing-like petals and is often used for potpourri.
Do not limit your color palette thinking that this beautiful herb comes only in lilac, blue, or lavender. Other bloom colors available are violet blue, rose, pale pink, white, and yellow! Many cultivars grow well in Tennessee, including ‘Provence’, ‘Hidecote’, ‘Phenomenal’, and ‘Munstead’.
Like many herbs, lavender is a plant of varied uses. Because of its wonderful, soothing fragrance, silver grey foliage, and delicate flowers, lavender is often used in essential oils, candles, soaps, hydrosols, culinary, and other types of artisanal products. If you ever want a challenge with a beautiful reward, try making a lavender wand. There are plenty of online sources to help you make a lovely, fragrant bundle!
One of the most common uses of lavender is for aromatherapy. Lavandula angustifolia is the recommended species for making essential oils. Take care when applying any essential oil directly to the skin, as the undiluted oil may cause skin irritation for some people. Dilute an essential oil by mixing a few drops with a carrier oil such as jojoba or coconut oil. Do a little research about the ratio before mixing your own.
Speaking of research, studies conducted in healthcare settings measured the efficacy of lavender in reducing anxiety, stress, and increasing sleep quality. A study conducted in 2019 looked at the effects of lavender oil patches on patients in a hematology-oncology setting. Patients who agreed to participate received a lavender patch attached to their gown or shirt at the start of the evening shift. The patients were able to inhale the scent of lavender during the night to determine if they felt less anxiety and experienced better sleep. The patch was removed in the morning when the patient was awake and active. Although it was a small study, its results indicated that some patients reported better sleep quality and milder anxiety when they were wearing the lavender patch. Other researchers in the healthcare settings are looking at the benefits of lavender in patients undergoing chemotherapy or those with dementia, headaches, stress, anxiety, or sleep disorders.
Most lavenders grown in Tennessee are either the English, French, or the Spanish types. Typically, the English lavenders are more cold hardy and the Spanish types are more heat tolerant which, based on your location, may dictate your choice. There are a few growing requirements common for most species. Lavenders perform best in well-drained soil and lots of sun. A neutral to slightly alkaline soil is best. Amending the soil with sand or some fine grit will help the drainage. Do not plant lavender too deep. A good practice is to have it slightly above the soil line with soil mounded around the base. This allows the water to drain away from the plant. Since lavender likes heat, you can add some pea gravel around the base of the plant so heat is reflected up onto the plant. It also dresses up your beautiful lavender!
There is really nothing to lose when you grow lavender. It has so many uses, it is a beautiful and hardy plant, and it is very celebrated, so you can put attending lavender festivals on your fun activity list! As with many herbs, there is always something new to learn about lavender, a truly useful plant.
The UT Gardens includes plant collections located in Knoxville, Crossville, and Jackson. Designated as the official botanical garden for the State of Tennessee, the collections are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens’ mission is to foster appreciation, education, and stewardship of plants through garden displays, educational programs, and research trials. The Gardens are open during all seasons and are free to the public.
Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. Deep Purple variety.
