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HOME APRIL 2009

HERSAM ACORN NEWSPAPERS

Rooms Reborn New Look ... Same Furnishings!

Magic Carpets At Kaoud Oriental Rugs

Special Section to: The Valley Gazette

The Oxford Gazette

The Stratford Star

The Milford Mirror

The Amity Observer

The Trumbull Times

FairďŹ eld Sun

The Huntington Herald

The Monroe Courier

The Easton Courier

The News

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HOME FEATURES

Home of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Rooms Reborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Customize Your Closets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Kaoud Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Racking One’s Brain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Lawn Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Learn to Love Cactus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Away From Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tale of the Dumpster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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(Photo at right) See Home of the Month on Page 4. — Wayne Ratzenberger photo

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HOME OF THE MONTH ■

Water Views LOCATION: This one-of-a-kind, custom-designed home in Stratford was built to capture the beautiful views of the lake. PROPERTY: Set on almost one acre, which is attractively landscaped, the house is notable not only for its views of a private lake, but because it is within walking distance and has beach and dock rights. HOUSE: A home ideal for entertaining, it has many quality details and a versatile floor plan. On the main level is a living room with fireplace, a dining room, a family room with fireplace and balcony/ deck, a den with vaulted ceiling, an eat-in kitchen with balcony/deck, and an office. On the second level is the master bedroom with a full bath and a balcony/deck, and there are two more bedrooms. GARAGE: Four-car, attached. PRICE: $739,900. REALTY: William Pitt Sotheby’s. Agent: Donna Eisenman, 203-386-1783. Photography: Wayne Ratzenberger.

�� It used to be that energy-efficient homes were “optional”...something for those of us concerned with saving a few dollars on energy bills, perhaps, but not a necessity. Not any more. A revitalized economy demands that we find ways to live and work smarter and more efficiently. We need to make better choices and investments that have longer-term benefits. And perhaps the single greatest way we can all make a positive change is in how we use energy in our homes. More than ever, the homes we choose to live in will impact our economy, now and for generations to come. Designing and building a High Performance Home means that home uses up to 50% less energy year-round. That translates to lower long-term energy costs, greater comfort, and less impact on the environment. It also generates a higher future home value, putting you in touch with tomorrow’s demanding home marketplace. Is building a High Performance Home a good investment? Absolutely. Builders can receive incentives up to $7,000, plus a federal tax credit. And for all of us, it’s just the kind of intelligent long-range investment we need to be making. Questions? Find out more. Call The United Illuminating Company at 1-877-WISE USE.

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Rooms Reborn

New look ... ... same furnishings!

After Several new items and a rearrangement of the old bring a smile of satisfaction.

by Joanne Greco Rochman

already have. I rearrange furniture, rehang paintings and window treatments. I guess it’s also ‘green design’ because I hate to see our landfills full of items tossed away unnecessarily.”

Some time ago, I read in a Japanese art book that when items remain in the same place for too long, they become invisible. That message was quite an eye- opener and really made sense to me. That’s when I decided that every few months I would rotate paintings from one room to another and reposition vases, flower pots and throw pillows. That also explains why my husband is always asking, “Is that new?”

The concept couldn’t come at a better time. With people tightening their budgets, redesign offers an economical alternative. Based on a client’s vision, Ann will reorganize and re-accessorize your own things, but in a way that lets the client’s taste and personality remain true. Give her one day and $300 to $500 per room, and you will be amazed at how different and how stunning a transformed room can look. “I do believe that sometimes, people just don’t know what they have or what to do with what they have,” said Ann, who does this for small homes and apartments as well as multimillion-dollar homes.

Then I spoke with interior designer Ann Anderson of Monroe, and learned there’s a lot more that people can do to make the rooms in their homes look new again without spending a fortune. Considering the chilly economic climate, chances are that even though you’ve started spring cleaning, the money just might not be there for a new sofa, chair or rug. Don’t be disheartened. Ann Anderson is renowned for her talent as a redesigner and real estate stager. What she can do in a day can turn your rooms into Rooms Reborn, which is the name of her business and aptly describes why it’s so successful.

“I went to one home in Orange and looked around before I started working. I realized that a piece art in the master bedroom would look a lot more dramatic in the living room. When the client returned home and saw her living room, her question was, “Where did you get that gorgeous painting?” It became the focal point of the living room, though

“What I do is a twist on traditional interior design. I use things my clients

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Reborn continued on page 18

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CUSTOMIZE YOUR CLOSETS

Let there be light! by G. Lisa Sullivan Late one night this past winter, I stumbled across yet another TV reality show ... this one addressing the issue of haunted houses. It seems that a woman in England believed her home, and, in particular, her daughter’s room, was filled with evil spirits, which made loud noises at night, moved things from place to place, and in general tried their best to drive the family from its home. The host of the show, a self-proclaimed paranormal expert, visited the residence with his “haunted house” team, determining fairly quickly that the home was indeed haunted, and that the spirits were emanating from a dark, cavernous closet in the little girl’s bedroom. “The malevolent spirits are quite literally residing in the closet,” the expert explained, “coming out to wreak their nightly havoc on the poor family living here.” I know just how the family feels. No, I don’t believe our house is haunted, but the practically pitch-black closet in our master bedroom, nearly bursting with its multitude of scrunched-together clothes and mismatched hangers pointing in every direction, makes me want to run screaming from the house. A Place For Everything ... As much as I love shopping for clothes, handbags, jewelry, and shoes, I equally hate finding a place for them once I’m home. I try to live by the adage, “Buy one, donate one,” but it’s difficult for me to part with even one of my beloved purses, or my favorite pair of shoes from

APRIL 2009

Royal Closet will not only organize your space but add beauty to it as well.

VOL III, ISSUE 4

Special Section to: The Valley Gazette, The Oxford Gazette, The Stratford Star, The Milford Mirror, The Amity Observer, The News, The Trumbull Times, Fairﬁeld Sun, The Huntington Herald, The Monroe Courier, and The Easton Courier.

Jackie Perry, editor Bryan Haeffele, designer • Thomas B. Nash, publisher • For advertising information, call 203-926-2080

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1985, which I’m confident are just about to come back into style. However, I have so much jammed into the one space that I honestly don’t know what I own. I have a similar problem with our kitchen cabinets. I always buy too much, and I never have enough room. I don’t mind doing the grocery shopping ... I just wish I had a little elf who would magically find a place for everything when I got home. Fortunately, for people like me, there is a solution. Royal Closet, a 20-year-old custom-closet company in Norwalk, offers a comprehensive selection of melamine and quality stained-wood systems for closets, mudrooms, and pantries, plus entertainment centers, bookcases and garage systems, according to Adam Kores, company principal. “We’re also doing a lot of home offices, as many people in this area are working from home,” says Adam, who launched the business initially in response to people, such as myself, who were afraid to go into their closets each morning. “I want people to begin their day with a smile, and an organized closet is the perfect starting point,” he explains. “In this troubled economy, people have become more aware of the time-saving and economical benefits of being organized.” ...And Everything In Its Place Adam also believes that it’s not just about organizing closets, but rather a matter of getting rid of clutter, and giving a fresh start to those who want to save time, feel better about their surroundings and make an investment in their homes. “Many of today’s homeowners are choosing to invest in their homes and make home improvements rather than trying to sell them,” Adam explains. “Once people realize that everything has its place, including clothing, they’ll feel much less stress in their lives.” The Royal Closet design team also receives requests for more unusual projects, like craft closets with quilting storage and spaces for cake decorating or other hobbies. Whether preparing for school or work, a favorite item for kids — and adults — is the pull-out valet, where they can hang their clothes for the next day, according to Adam. “This enables everyone to save time by preparing for the morning the night before,” he says. “I also recommend that parents have a pull-out hamper in the closet or bathroom for their kids, which encourages them to stay organized, and teaches them to pick up after themselves at an early age.” But where to begin? First, the Royal Closet designers visit prospective clients for a free in-home consultation. There, they determine what the clients’ organizational needs are, how the space will be used, who will be using it and why. Then, back at the studio/showroom, the design experts create a plan on the computer and then review it with the client. “The entire process, from start to finish, can be completed within a couple of weeks,” Adam explains.

Royal Closet offers a selection of melamine and quality stained-wood systems for closets, mudrooms, pantries, entertainment centers, bookcases, and garage systems.

Closets, pantries and other spaces can be as fully customized as desired, with clients choosing to include coffeemakers and small refrigerators in their bedroom closets, for example. “Sometimes, people just want the convenience of appliances in their closets,” Adam says, “whether it’s for storing medications that must be refrigerated and taken in the morning or evening, or having a cold drink or hot cup of coffee at hand.” For further information, call 203-847-4179.

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• April 2, 2009 •

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AT KAOUD ORIENTAL RUGS

Magic Carpets by Robin E. Glowa Step into the 12,000-square-foot showroom at Kaoud Oriental Rugs in Orange, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by an amazing collection of resplendent carpets from some of the most exotic locales in the world. In 1954, Randy Kaoud opened Kaoud Oriental Rugs, establishing a business that continues to be recognized as the premier source in Connecticut for high quality, exceptionally well-made rugs. Today the Orange location is run by Randy’s son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Kristina Kaoud. Kristina serves as Kaoud’s design consultant, working with clients to create beautiful carpets to enhance their homes. “It’s so fun,” says Kristina, with a big smile. “We coordinate with homeowners and architects, as well as designers to create a completely custom look for our customers. We cater to every taste and every budget. For years we were considered to be only “high end,” and offered only handknotted rugs. Today we can offer a wide range of both handmade and machine-manufactured rugs — as well as a broad range of carpeting — to suit every price range and style. “Every customer has to be comfortable, and be able to express their own style,” Kristina said. “My job is to give my clients the highest level of service and give them the look they will love and live with for many years to come. We can mix and match patterns, colors, textures. The possibilities for creating an amazing look are endless! Whether it’s a traditional, contemporary or an antique setting — whole rooms, staircases or hallway runners — we can create a stunning scenario for the homeowner. “If it’s a new room in a home, you always start from the floor up,” said Kristina, “and the most important consideration when buying a new carpet is to be sure it is constructed of good quality wool. “The best quality has durability, wearability and can be easily and effectively cleaned. Good quality wool contains lanolin, which helps keep the fibers lubricated and strong. A carpet made of inferior wool is a mixture of longer and shorter strands and will not last.”

Rugs of geometric design come from villagers, while ﬂoral patterns represent city weavers.

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Embellishing a home with the dramatic colors and intricate designs of carpeting or rugs makes a spectacular statement. Room after room at the Kaoud gallery reveals a seemingly endless array of breathtaking rugs, drenched in deep, rich hues and festooned with dazzling patterns. A modern home with stark white walls would be the perfect backdrop for the powerful pop of a rug with vibrant orange, teal, purple, and lemon-yellow squares. A little girl’s bedroom would be suffused with the sweet charm of a soft ecru carpet embellished with delicate sprays of blush-pink apple blossoms. A dining room will become positively regal when anchored by a formal carpet done in deep blue and brown, the ornamentation resembling fireworks, with its splashes of bursting stars and cascading, trailing vines. Perhaps the most fascinating room in the Kaoud showroom is the antique gallery. Here are examples of intricately woven carpets from the villages and cities of Pakistan, India, China, Egypt, and Turkey, some dating to 1859. Dominating one wall is a particularly magnificent treasure — a spectacular carpet measuring 11 feet by 17 feet. An enormous center medallion anchors the sumptuous spread of burgundy, blue and taupe, much like a giant eye keeping watch over the room. Carpet weaving, a craft perfected by many of the nomadic tribes of these countries, was developed to protect tribal members from the elements. Kristina explained that village weavers would produce a more geometric, tribal design for their carpets, while carpets woven in city locations tend to have a more formal, floral pattern. Kristina is a passionate appreciator of the antique carpets. “These handmade carpets have so much character,” she said. “You can see where the color varies — it may not be as bright in one area of the rug as another. These striated colors are a result of the different wools and dyes used by the nomadic tribal members as they moved from one place to another, producing wools and dyes as they were needed. “If you prefer a carpet with perfectly matching color, then handwoven may not be the right choice for you,” Kristina said. But for those who enjoy handcrafted, rustic allure, Kaoud offers these wonderful magic carpets. There are several new trends in today’s modern carpets. Outdoor carpeting for patio areas is the hottest new look, according to Kristina. It adds an element of sophistication to outdoor living areas during the warmer months. “We’re also doing a lot of rugs on top of wall-to-wall carpeting,” said Kristina, “which adds a pattern, additional color and texture to a room with an existing solid-color wall-to-wall carpet. We are seeing more homes utilizing wall-to-wall carpeting that has a continuous pattern, such as florals, which has the look of an area rug.” Kristina grinned and added, “We’ve also been having some fun with animal prints. At first glance, some people might find it too ‘wild,’ but we’ve had some absolutely beautiful results.” Kaoud Oriental Rugs also offers appraisals, cleaning and repair services. Kristina and Jim noted that “service is the most important thing to us. We want our customers to feel special and know they will receive the very best quality products at the best possible price.” Kaoud Oriental Rugs, 463 Boston Post Road, Orange; 203389-0879 (Kristina), 203-795-5264 (Jim); KaoudRug.com.

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RACKIN ONE’S BRAIN ■

Gold diggers COMBING DRAWERS TO SPIN OLD JEWELRY INTO CASH by Tim Murphy

Those attending usually bring similar items: dented or That gold bracelet ... the one a long-removed boy- broken bracelets, outdated rings, an earring that has friend gave you back in the 1980s? Storing it in a lost its matching other. So far, no one has showed up drawer might have been a better option than throw- with teeth. ing it in the lout’s face when he admitted he was seeAt the parties, Margaret uses a magnet test designed ing someone else. to weed out plated pieces, and then employs a jewelA few decades later, revenge is indeed best served ers’ loupe and an electro-magnet karat tester. The cash payout is based on karats and weight, and also cold — as in cold hard cash. Tupperware, R.I.P. The new model of home/business the daily price of gold. entertainment is the gold party, which is gaining popularity throughout the country, including well-heeled “It’s not rocket science,” she said. “But you can make some mistakes and wind up overvaluing an item.” suburbs in Fairfield County. Several economic factors have created lift-off for the gatherings, at which guests (primarily women) bring jewelry and sell it on the spot to a gold buyer. Job losses have left people looking for ways to produce income. The historic rise in the value of gold has led to entrepreneurs looking for ways to acquire gold, which can then be sold to refiners.

“It’s a perfect storm,” said Margaret Petrucelli. “It works for both sides. The people selling the gold and “I’ve got two graduate degrees and I worked for more than 20 years in mortgage for Credit Suisse the people buying the gold.” and Goldman Sachs,” she said. “I never thought I’d Margaret, a Greenwich resident, is the owner of It’s A be doing something like this, but I’m enjoying it. It’s Gold Mine Party, a company that advertises for people totally new for me.” willing to host a gold party. The host gets a 10% commission on the total amount of cash for gold. Part of that enjoyment comes from hearing the details behind the jewelry. “They will tell you stories,” said Margaret, 42, is new to the field. She worked for Credit Margaret. “A lot of the pieces were from old boySuisse and then Goldman Sachs before getting laid off friends or ex-husbands.” by the latter last November. A former co-worker who lives in Massachusetts introduced her to gold parties, The parties are usually bereft of males, unless the and she launched her own company in January. husband or brother of a woman hosting the party is around. Gender equity is unlikely, unless a lucrative The venture has gone well enough that she has market for boiling down baseball cards, old pizza already hired six independent contractors. In March, boxes or your father’s Playboys emerges. she worked at 18 parties, mostly in Greenwich and Darien. “A few guys have come to some of the fund-raisers “With this economy, there are a lot of women who are I’ve done at health clubs,” she said. They’ve brought out of work or their husbands are out of work,” said rings or gold necklaces that they haven’t worn in Margaret. “Hosting a gold party is fun, and it’s a way years.” to bring in some money.” The premise is also appealing to guests, who might be hesitant to send their items to a faceless gold-buying company that advertises online or through infomercials. At a gold party, attendees are with friends, neighbors or relatives, and there is often wine and appetizers. That beats the local pawn shop, which rarely knows how to pair a Bordeaux with artisanal cheese.

Sustainability and future growth are uncertain for the gold-party industry. When (if) the economy improves, people might be less inclined to sell their jewelry or host an event. A decrease in gold prices could also signal a death knell if refiners decide to cut back on intake. And even if the recession lingers, there’s a risk of people exhausting their supply of unwanted or damaged gold jewelry.

“No one knows where gold parties will go,” said “There’s a comfortability factor,” said Margaret. “It Margaret. “But right now, they’re going well. I can’t say I invented them, but I believe in them.” doesn’t feel strange.”

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Margaret says many guests are surprised at how much money they receive. “I’ll say to them, ‘What do you think this is worth?’ And they usually say something like $100,” she said. “Then if I tell them it’s actually worth $600 there is a lot of screaming.” After buying the jewelry, she sends it to one of several gold refiners, who melt it down and take a percentage before paying her.

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WHEN SHRINKAGE’S A+

Less lawn, more leisure by Deborah Roberts I have a confession to make ... I love the look and feel of a lush green lawn. It reminds me of lazy summer days as a child when my brother and I would spend hours outside playing on our lawn. We’d gather dandelion bouquets for our mom, search for four-leaf clovers or play kickball with the neighbors. We didn’t think about all the resources that went into keeping our lawn a beautiful emerald green. We just loved running around barefoot on the grass.

Now, I’m not advocating getting rid of your entire lawn — remember I am a “lawn lover” — but most of us could shrink the area we have devoted to just grass without suffering any traumatic or lasting effect. The easiest way to shrink your lawn is to widen your existing borders a few feet. You’d be amazed how quickly some low-

Stepables

But times are changing and now we realize how demanding our lawns can be. To look its best, a lawn needs constant attention — watering, reseeding, fertilizing, regular mowing, and on and on. Admit it, if your lawn were a new friend, you’d drop her in a heartbeat because she’s just too high maintenance.

Expanding a border garden adds color, beauty and interest, and reduces lawn maintenance.

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still have the feel and function of a lawn, and I don’t want to worry about stray foot traffic maiming precious plants. Oh, I almost forgot to add this, but once it’s established, it needs to be low maintenance. There’s no sense swapping a high-maintenance lawn for a high- maintenance lawn alternative.

growing plants and a little extra mulch will give your garden a facelift. Another way to shrink your lawn is to transform an unsightly or unused patch of grass into a real asset. We all have an area where grass just doesn’t seem to grow, or if it does grow, it’s hard to maintain. Maybe it’s a shady area under a tree, a sunny strip near the driveway or that hidden corner of your yard that no one seems to use.

I have decided not to use any of the usual groundcover suspects, namely English ivy, Japanese spurge or periwinkle. While they would be fine choices, I want something a bit more unexpected. After some research, I found several worthy candidates. There’s Barren Strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata), Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida) or Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans). If your makeover candidate is located in a full sun area, you might consider Creeping Wire Vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaries), Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) or Creeping Mini Speedwell (Veronica oltensis).

The perfect candidate for a lawn reduction has been right before my eyes since I moved into my home many years ago. On the north side, there is a narrow strip of land between the house and a shaded woodland border. Even though it’s less than 800 square feet, it features areas that are either primarily moss, dirt or grass and weeds (OK, mostly weeds!). It’s screaming out for an act of kindness that will restore some of its lost dignity and beauty. Maybe I’m being a bit melodramatic, but it needs some serious help. Every year my husband and I work on one major project in our garden. This year we have decided to shrink our lawn and plant a lawn alternative in its place. (A lawn alternative is a low-maintenance plant that is grown instead of grass.) The first step is to kill what little grass is still growing there. To do that, we’ll cover the entire area with sheets of newspaper — about 10 pages thick to smother the grass — and cover the newspaper with mulch. This works surprisingly well, but should be done several weeks before planting anything new. When you’re ready to plant, simply move the mulch aside, put in your lawn-alternative plants and spread the mulch around the new plants. It’s a foolproof way to get rid of the grass and make a new planting area all at once. We’ll also add a utility pathway since once in a while we do use the area to get around the yard. A utility pathway can be constructed of a less formal material than a primary walkway. I’ve decided to use gravel for several reasons

Maybe you’d rather have your lawn reduction look more like a garden when it’s finished. In that case, plant some long blooming perennials like Daylily (Hemerocallis), Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) or Meadow Sage (Salvia nemerosa). Or you can use plants with interesting foliage. You can’t go wrong with Bugbane (Actaea), Coral Bells (Heuchera) or Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra).

— installation is easy for a DIY project, it’s inexpensive and it’s permeable, which reduces storm run-off and helps to replenish groundwater. Next I can focus on what to plant alongside the path. I want something that is drought-tolerant, low-growing, deer-resistant, evergreen (although that’s not a deal breaker), and it has to thrive in partial sun. I also want it to tolerate some foot traffic because I would like the area to

COLONY PAINT AND WALLPAPER

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Deborah Roberts is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and is the owner of Roberts & Roberts, a landscape and garden-design company in Stamford. Her blog site, gardenofpossibilities.com, offers a forum on gardening and landscape-design. For questions or comments: 203-979-3672, droberts@robertslandscapes. com.

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No matter what look you ultimately choose, take the first step and commit to shrinking your lawn. You won’t be sorry, because without so much high- maintenance lawn to care for, you will enjoy your garden even more.

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Learning to love cactus by Lois Alcosser The word cactus to many people conjures up an image of a less-than-beautiful, often-dangerous-looking, somewhat-hostile plant that could be a remnant of foliage from the dinosaur age. But not everyone feels that way. To Ray Moskow, a Wiltonian who has over 300 cacti spread throughout his house — including baby cactus in a nursery bed in the dining room and giant cactus a few inches away from the ceiling — the propagation, care and feeding of cacti is a deeply rewarding experience. His cactus opus began 40 years ago when a friend took pity on his bare-bones bachelor apartment and brought him a small cactus plant, which, at least, was a bit of nature, and for an undomesticated bachelor would require almost no care.

Ray Moskow photos

As he accumulated more little cacti, he began to wonder why their architecture was so defensive (thorns, needles, spines). How did they manage to retain water for so long a time? Why did they grow in such asymmetrical patterns? This was the beginning of his cactus connection. Before he knew it, he had 40 plants.

It all began with a gift of one cactus, which soon grew to 40 and now number more than 300.

In the beginning, he learned their Latin names and spouted them proudly when friends viewed his collection. “But after awhile, I realized this wasn’t going over too well, so I switched and reverted to American names, like bunny ears, barrel cactus and true succulents.” The collection grew and grew, partly because Ray began propagating his plants. He says he’s very much pro-life

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Ray seems to know the growing history of each plant, the way parents keep track of their children’s height and weight. One genus feels like leather, another is soft and squishy. During a holiday season like Christmas, the cacti in the Moskows’ home will be decorated like Christmas trees, with little ornaments that have been gathered through the years. The little snowmen and stars give even the most fierce-looking plants a merry look.

when it comes to cactus, and generates more than 50 offspring each year. “That leads to a lot more plants than we need, so I try giving them away. At one point my daughter in Holyoke, Mass., posted a note on a Web site and got 30 responses. So I packed up 70 plants and delivered them to her to distribute.” In late April, the plants go out on the deck. In September, they come back into the house. “We don’t have a greenhouse, so our home looks like a spiny arboretum. My very tolerant wife puts up with this habit of mine,” Ray says.

Ray has become a kind of Dr. Cactus to many neighbors who call him for advice about fading, stunted or sick cacti. He doesn’t encourage this, but even Young’s Nursery once called on him for some advice. He recommends clay, not plastic pots, though clay pots have become so expensive he’s settling for more plastic. Plastic retains water, it doesn’t breathe as clay does, so the soil can become too soggy.

Cactus are about 85% water, which stems from their evolutionary history as desert plants that could supply water to parched animals. Cacti can absorb water from the air. They have shallow root structures and hibernate in the winter. They grow slowly, and it’s thought that their unhurried growth pattern is what gives them the energy to often reach enormous heights and live longer than many humans. “People ask me if I have one of those Saguaro cacti, and I explain that this plant is native to the Southwest and Mexico,” Ray says. “It can grow to 50 feet high. I have a two-footer that looks a lot like it, and I did have a plant grow to seven-and-a-half-feet and, of course, I had to cut it down.” Caring for them is not particularly timeconsuming or difficult. Water about every three weeks, letting the water run right through the soil, which is a mixture of potting soil and sand. They like a sunny window in the winter, and partial shade during the outdoor season, and “they like me to read the New York Times to them,” he says (though maybe he was joking). Not all varieties flower, but the ones that do, in summertime, are quite beautiful. Some flower only at night. As home décor, cacti can be very dramatic and lend an aura of exotic places. Their unusual shapes, textures, posture, and personality are like a living tapestry, and, like any work of art, reveal something new and unexpected every time you look. Spiny cacti have also been used as fences, rather like natural barbed wire. It’s surprising but reassuring to know that the plant

A visit to his cacti garden (and a gift of two plants) transformed me from a disinterested observer into a challenged cactus cultivator. Though they have no scent, they defy touching and they make no demands whatsoever, they’re definitely alive and, I suppose, if I measure them next year, they may have actually grown a half inch. But they’ve ceased to be ominous. They’re so placid, they’ve become like obedient pets.

Absent a greenhouse, the Moskow home in WIlton looks like “a spiny arboretum.”

order Caryophyllales includes not only cactus, but baby’s breath, carnations and bougainvillea. Ray has a knack of turning even a totally disinterested cactus observer into a potential cactus clansman. He’ll point out a cactus mother and the many cactus children it has produced. He propagates new plants from one of the mother’s branches or protuberances, which are actually small plants in themselves. “A cactus garden is casual,” Ray says. “It’s not like an English flower bed that has to be just so. You can count on having your plants a long time. In their passive,

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unstressed way, they can live 35 to 45 years with no special care whatsoever.”

Ray could easily fill every inch of his home with plants. But that’s not exactly practical. Where would people sit? There are no cacti in his den/study/office. “You know,” he says,” I have to get a rest from them once in awhile.”

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AWAY FROM HOME ■

Fun tours at bargain prices See Gracie Mansion, Tavern on the Green A day trip to see the home of New York City mayors, Gracie Mansion, will depart on Wednesday, May 6. The tour begins with a guided tour of the mansion, and continues to Tavern on the Green in Central Park for lunch. The afternoon will feature a two-hour bus tour of Harlem, conducted by actor/tour guide Jim Dykes. Transportation is included from North Haven, Milford, Fairfield, and Westport. Cost is $112 per person. For details, call 203-483-6330 or 800-967-1993. Bargain Trip to Stowe A three-day tour to Stowe, Vt., will depart on Friday, May 15. The trip includes two nights at the Golden Eagle Resort, tours of Ben & Jerry’s, Cabot Mill Creamery, Rock of Ages, Teddy Bear Factory, a cruise on Lake Champlain, and a horse show at the Friesians of Majesty Equestrian Center. Four meals, baggage handling and taxes are all included. Cost is $319 per person. For details, call 203-483-6330 or 800-967-1993. Day Trip Planned to Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty A day trip is planned to see Ellis Island or Statue of Liberty on Saturday, May 16. The day includes transportation from various locations in Connecticut, the ferry ride to either island and a full-course dinner at DaNico’s in Little Italy. Cost is $99.50. For details, call 203483-6330 or 800-967-1993. Head to Cape May A four-day trip to the Victorian town of Cape May, N.J., has been planned to depart on Sunday, May 31. The trip will include three nights at the ocean-front Grand Hotel, seven meals, touring of the Victorian homes, trolley tour, Smithville Village, a bus tour of Cape May Point, open bar, and entertainment. Cost includes transportation from various locations in Connecticut. Cost is $479 per person. For details, call 203-483-6330 or 800-967-1993. See Jersey Boys in New York City A day trip to see the Broadway show “Jersey Boys” will depart on Wednesday, June 10. The day will include a full-course lunch at Tavern on the Green and reserved seats for the 2 p.m. matinee. Cost is $199. For details, call 203-483-6330 or 800-967-1993. Tall Ships Trip to Boston Local bus trips have been organized to see the Tall Ships in Boston this summer. The day trips will include roundtrip transportation from North Haven, Milford, Fairfield, and Westport, twohour narrated cruise with full-course meal aboard the Odyssey cruise ship and time to view and visit the tall ships by land. Trips depart July 10 and 11. Cost is $132 per person. For details, call 203-483-6330 or 800-967-1993.

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Near & Far House Tour On Friday, May 1, from 10 to 4, Near & Far Aid will hold their 2009 Designer House Tour specifically to respond to the housing and family needs of many Fairfield County residents. Net proceeds from the sale of tickets will go to county agencies that serve these families. “In these times, we feel it will be meaningful for visitors to know that by purchasing a ticket to view these spectacular homes, they will also be helping to provide housing support for a family in our community,” said Katia Mead, co-chair of the house-tour committee.

The theme of the tour is Celebration by Design, and it will feature the work of such noted designers as Eric Cohler, Mar Silver, Margaret Bondy, and Lisa Hildebrand. Exceptional homes will be decorated for special occasions and will offer innovative ideas to spark tour-goers imaginations. All homes are in Southport, Greenfield Hill and Westport.

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Tickets are $60 if purchased in advance, and $75 the day of the tour. For information on purchasing tickets, visit the Near & Far Aid Web site at nearandfar.org.

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The tale of the Dumpster and the POD by Polly Tafrate The world routinely finds us divided into groups — males and females, Republicans and Democrats, vegetarians and carnivores, those who love vacations by the sea and those who prefer mountain lakes, computer-savvy people and technologically challenged ones, exercise addicts and couch potatoes — the list goes on forever. Two well-known groups have problems living in the same house, particularly if they’re married. They’re known as the tossers and the savers. Their not so desirable traits crescendo at predictable times, like spring cleaning, renovating their house or moving. For those in the saver group, clutter is their middle name. They can’t seem to dispose of anything, choosing to tuck away a “treasure” that they just know will be needed in the future. That is, if they can find it. Sometimes they claim to be saving it for their yet-tobe-born grandchildren or great grandchildren, and are amazed when the time comes and these kids don’t want the rusty bicycle, mildewed catcher’s mitt, outdated tennis racquet, or stack of 33-1/3 LP records. Some think their treasures will be worth money some day, and they very well might. The snag is, they won’t be alive to see it. On the flip side, there are the tossers. Give them a few large black-plastic garbage bags and they’re in Glory Land. You can hear them humming as they begin to pitch anything they believe to be outdated — from food with an upcoming expiration date, puzzles with one piece missing (which the saver has tucked away in a drawer), last month’s magazines, yesterday’s newspapers, and pencils with broken points. The following is the tale of two such people — Bob the tosser and his wife, Joan, the saver. They were moving from their home of 35 years to a house in Florida, which they’d purchased a few years ago and furnished in a seashell-and-palm-tree motif. Now their northern home had been sold, and they needed to vacate it, down to the last paper clip. They’d agreed that their well-worn furniture and rugs

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• April 2, 2009 •

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should be donated to Goodwill, but it was the plethora of other “stuff” that caused them angst. So they did the logical thing — they had a weekend tag sale, filling all the rooms in their house with what they weren’t taking. Certainly, someone would want Joan’s mother’s china, even with the chips, the 60s beer mugs, the silver-plated candlesticks, and the pile of blue-and-white Corning Ware casseroles. Their neighbors told them about Portable on Demand Storage (PODS). They could rent a unit to sit in their driveway and fill it at their leisure with the odd items they’d agreed to take to Florida. It would be hauled intact to their new home when they were ready. Joan ordered the largest one. In anticipation of their tag sale, Bob knew they’d need a Dumpster for items that didn’t sell. He ordered the largest one. So there, just like Jack Spratt and his wife, sat these two rectangular behemoths — the POD next to the Dumpster. For weeks before the sale, Bob and Joan would sort. And each night, Joan would lie awake agonizing on what they were getting rid of. Who knows, she thought, she might need all those spools of thread someday, that pile of Gourmet magazines she hadn’t had time to peruse, and wasn’t it reasonable that they might have a dining room table again that was the right size for the damask tablecloths that were sitting on a tag-sale table? Bob started in the cellar, pricing wrenches, hoses and rakes. Joan started in the kitchen, filling box after box with her

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must-haves. Instead of going through the garage, she’d carry them out the front door, around the house and into the POD. Bob complimented her on her efficiency, and assumed that the growing stack of boxes in the POD were filled with only the things they’d agreed to take to Florida. He was a bit flummoxed when the first POD was full, and they had to rent a smaller one for the overflow, but he figured he’d simply miscalculated. The weekend of their tag sale, the weather was glorious, the crowds massive and the sales brisk, but as always happens, that American dream of selling everything just didn’t happen. On Sunday night, Bob laced up his sneakers and relived his basketball days by doing jump shots and lay-ups as he shot those willow-woven baskets, juice glasses and scented candles into the Dumpster. Joan was busy inside, tsk-tsking to herself at what remained. How could those buyers have missed so many treasures? There was nothing to do, she reasoned to herself, but to add a few more boxes to the collection in the POD.

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On Monday, the Dumpster left their driveway. Bob could be overheard telling his neighbor that he was surprised it wasn’t full. On Tuesday, he and Joan watched the PODS begin their journey south. The end of this tale, happy or otherwise, will depend on whether you’re a saver or a tosser, but the last I heard, Joan and Bob were planning another tag sale at their new home.

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Reborn continued from page 5 it had virtually become invisible in the bedroom. “I’m a big fan of ‘less is more,’” said Ann, who says that to change a room “up,” you often need to put things “down,” or away. Recently, she was hired by a client in New Canaan. “We’re feeling no love in our living room,” said the client, although the room was filled with exquisite furnishings and gorgeous antiques. “What the room lacked was warmth,” said Ann. “It was a pleasure for me to redesign this room because I had a beautiful palette to work with. In only four and a half hours, I had the room warm and inviting. My biggest compliment is when people say, ‘I would have never thought of that.’” The key to her systematic procedure is to completely empty the room. “Now, because I’m so experienced,” she said, “I can generally walk into a room and see what has to be done. I clear the room myself. I have even moved baby grand pianos by myself because I have special equipment that allows me do so.”

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What she likes to do best is help people finish their spaces. A divorced man in Fairfield purchased a brand new condominium and needed to furnish it. He called Rooms Reborn, and he and Ann did most of their shopping online. “It not only saves a lot of time, but a lot of money. It sure beats driving all over kingdom come looking for the perfect television stand or window treatment,” she said. In addition to Rooms Reborn, Ann offers real estate staging for homes going on the market, which need to look their best, and she offers full interior-design service. Because she has found that so many people love the redesign concept, she offers workshops and classes in interior redesign. For more information, call Ann Anderson at 203-459-8901 or visit her Web site at roomsreborn.com.

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Most often people contact Ann because they’ve purchased a piece of furniture or perhaps a wide-screen television that just doesn’t look right, and throws off the whole room. “When someone decides to buy a new piece of furniture, it’s less expensive and faster to shop online. I actually sit down with clients and shop online, right by their side,” she said.

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