Houston House & Home Magazine December 2009 Issue

H O U S T O N

T TH HE E C CO OM MP PL LE ET TE E R RE ES SO OU UR RC CE E M MA AG GA AZ Z II N NE E F FO OR R Y YO OU UR R H HO OM ME E

D E C E M B E R

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Cheers, Dear!

TOP HOLIDAY DESIGNER DECORATES HER FAMILY’S HOME IN FRIENDSWOOD S P E C I A L I N S E R T:

2 0 1 0 K I T C H E N & B AT H P L A N N I N G G U I D E

May your Holidays be Merry and Bright!

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Hardware & Gifts

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Get in the Holiday Spirit at C&D Incredible Price! $349.99 Introducing the new Traeger Junior BBQ055, our most affordable Traeger pellet grill yet! Perfectly sized for small households, tailgating, college living and as a second grill for your vacation home.The Junior features 292 square inches of cooking surface, along with our Auto-start and E-Z drain grease systems, the Junior is a perfect introduction to wood pellet cooking.

Limited Time Offer! Over $277.00 worth of FREE upgrades and accessories!

FREE digital thermostat, FREE cover, FREE bag of Hickory Pellets all for only $349.99 after $50 mail in rebate.

Offer expires 12/31/09

Shown from our extensive collection by renowned artist

Jim Shore

Huge selection of ornaments to adorn your tree or delight someone else

New Santa!

Lighted, musical, revolving scene.

For the Wine Enthusiast Unique serving pieces made from retired wine barrels. Also wine stoppers, humorous goblets, accessories and more!

Velvet-Lined Keepsake Music boxes Image can be replaced with your own photo to create a treasured heirloom.

Melodies vary

314 E. 11th Street (The Heights) • 713.861.3551 • www.CandDhardware.com 2

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

Home designed by Eklektik Interiors

When you think about the holidays... think Eklektik Interiors Full Service Design Studio 10,000 sq. ft. Showroom Furniture Accessories Gift Items ________ HOLIDAY DECOR

New Masterpieces of the Art of Fine Furniture Making Selva, Italian fine crafted furnishing — coming soon!

Eklektik Interiors has been named among the top 50 Best and Brightest Retail Stars Nationally for 2009.

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house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

contents

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 | Vol. 14 Issue 12

departments

8 Editor’s Note 12 Around Town 14 Handbook: Designer Rugs

24 DIY Decorating: Tropical Holidays

It’ll be a Tommy Bahama Christmas at the Arens’ home this year

28 Pet of the Month: Cupid 34 Gardening: Winterize your garden— and remember the birds

On the Cover Two dear deer on the grand piano of Bill and Neda Dorsett welcome holiday visitors. The Dorsett’s daughter-in-law, Regina Dorsett of Twins Design Christmas bought the deer for the couple because the deer reminded her of them. See other decorations she chose for their Friendswood home on Page 20.

Photography by Miro Dvorscak.

20 features

20

Christmas Chic

Regina Dorsett of Twins Design Christmas decks the halls of her in-laws’ home in non-traditional colors

SPECIAL INSERT:

14

2010 Kitchen & Bath Planning Guide

7

Ad good for $250 in FREE Upgrades & Accessories with purchase of $1500 or more.*

editor’s note

W

Space Man Home & Office www.SpaceManager.com 713.688.8808 Free In-Home Design Consultation Visit our expanded showroom at: 3556 West T.C. Jester • Houston *Offer expires 12-30-09.

Call for details

here Regina Dorsett finds the unusual Christmas ornaments she sells in her shop in the Heights, Twins Design Christmas, I do not know. I just know that she always finds fresh and unusual ornaments to sell every year. Just when you think you’ve seen every metallic glass ball on earth, she comes up with the unusual—a new color, a new scale, a new shape.

So when I learned she had a spiffy new color scheme for her in-laws’ house, I knew we wanted to feature it as our cover story for the holidays this year.

Regina understands scale, and if you have a tall Christmas tree, it needs fairly large ornaments at the bottom of the tree. I happen to like real fir trees because the scent, for me, is part of Christmas, and I’m fortunate to have 12-foot ceilings so I can have a tall tree. The only place I could find large ornamental balls for the bottom branches of my tree was at Regina’s shop. They make the tree look important: Santa Claus is coming to town, bay-bee! Plus, the 8-inch in diameter balls look like metallic glass, but they’re plastic, so when Sox the cat makes her annual attempt to climb the Christmas tree, the ornaments don’t break.

Missing in action this year and last year lamentably is the little flower shop on Fannin St. that used to carry long boughs of native Texas holly, PUBLISHER ....................Mike Harrison, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ......Susie Reisenbigler EDITOR ........................................Linda Barth CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ..........Holly Beretto, Debi Bryant, Steve Huddleston, Joetta Moulden ART DIRECTOR ..........................Robert Coplin CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR ..Tim Beeson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS .......................... Miro Dvorscak, Janet Lenzen SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

ACCEPTANCE APPLIANCE CENTER, INC.

..............................................Frances Dowling ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Authorized As-Is Dealer

....................................................Lisa Kindred INSIDE SALES ....................Kim Schwenk Tees

6757 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. W. • Suite 200

PRINTING ..........................DROR International

Houston, TX 77064 • 281-955-0861 8

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

Ilex decidua, also known as Possumhaw. If anybody knows where I can purchase some in Houston, please let me know. It’s the most beautiful holiday plant and deeply Texan. The white branches lose their leaves in December, and the red berries stay. You only need a few branches in a tall glass vase to have an abundance of red and white natural beauty in your home.

We always had a Possumhaw tree at the gate to our family farm a couple of hours outside Houston, and every time we drove by it in the winter, my father would say “Christmas berries.” He’s long departed now, but I still hear his voice saying, “Christmas berries” when I see Possumhaw. Let’s just say I’m hopelessly sappy about Ilex decidua.

And I’m feeling a bit sentimental about our Pet of the Month column for the Houston SPCA. Last month, we featured Chico, an 11-year-old Australian Shepherd whose family left him at the SPCA because they thought he was getting too old.

Hundreds of Houstonians called SPCA offering to adopt Chico, and he’s found a warm and happy home.

Thank you, Houston. Now don’t forget Cupid—she’s our Pet this month, and she needs new digs, too.

Here’s wishing you all a warm and happy home for the holidays.

HOUSTON

Blue Thumb Inc., dba Houston House & Home ("HH&H"), is a news magazine with emphasis on interior design and remodeling.

HH&H does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor does HH&H or its staff assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial content appear in any publication.

HH&H has not independently tested any services or products advertised herein and has not verified claims made by its advertisers regarding those services or products.

HH&H makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability for any claims regarding those services or products or claims made by advertisers. Readers are advised to consult with the advertiser and/or other home repair and renovation professionals regarding the suitability of an advertiser's products.

No reproduction is permitted without the written consent of the Publisher. Copyright 2009, all rights reserved. Subscriptions available for home delivery at a cost of $25 per year.

P.O. Box 701038 Houston, Texas 77270-1038 (713) 523-6523

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Let one of our ALA lighting pr ofessionals help you cr eate a look that compliments your decorative style.

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Ja-Vi Boutique & Custom Made Furniture

We carry the latest fashions in clothing and accessories. We also specialize in custom made furniture. Bring in your measurements.

We’ll provide a quote.

1535 Yale Street (the Heights) 713.426.5284

Barbecue pits and smokers, stainless steel gas grills – all handcrafted for a lifetime of grilling enjoyment and great Texas BBQ.

281.356.2168 31909 Decker Industrial Circle Pinehurst, TX www.texaspitcrafters.com

C&D

making way for the new masterpieces of the art of furniture making — SELVA — Italian crafted fine furnishings

Retro Pedal Cars & Tricycles Pink JalopyHardware & Gifts Sale Price $19999 Also available by special order: Fire Truck, Airplane, Train, Tricycle.

Prices vary.

16720 Champion Forest Drive • Spring 281.379.2755 www.eklektikinteriors.com

314 E. 11th Street (The Heights) 713.861.3551 www.CandDhardware.com

A wonderful selection of quality Early American Antiques, Indonesian Furniture, Accessories, Fine Art and Artifacts from around the world.

25915 Budde Rd • The Woodlands, Tx (281) 419-4300 www.uniquepieces.net

Houston’s most unique shopping experience. Salvage and reproduction elements for the home and garden. Open 7 days.

3515 Fannin Houston, TX 77004 713-522-6547 www.adkinsantiques.com

Hearth Rugs– perfect gift that warms the hearth! Available through Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors’ Rug Gallery locations. www.robertscarpet.com

713.785.1900 3003 Fondren 281.332.4477 20810 I-45 S. (Webster) 936.271.0000 19053 I-45 N. (Woodlands)

Big House Antiques

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Beautiful holiday frames handmade in Houston by Marye-Kelley. These unique frames will be cherished for many years.

Personalization available.

We carry investment quality antiques including glassware, pottery, furniture, flow blue, crystal and many out of print books. Large selection of Trapp candles, top hats, and canes.

713-524-0459 2515 Morse Street www.marye-kelley.com

2212 Ships Mechanic Row Galveston, TX 77550 409-762-0559

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The Arbor Gate A Perfect Pear– pear-based organic extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Once tasted, you won’t be able to cook without them. Come see these and other treasures.

15635 FM 2920, Tomball 281.351.8851 www.arborgate.com

Savvy Antiques & Décor Country French & European primitives and accessories. Unique items at great prices for the savvy shopper.

208 McCown, Montgomery, TX Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 - 5:00 Sunday 12:00 - 5:00 936-444-3248

Peterson gas logs are the most realistic fireplace logs available today. Visit

RealGasLogs.com for more information, your local dealer & discount voucher.

MONEY MAKERS FLAGS Flags, poles, and windsocks make great gifts. Make your own custom flag. Just send us a picture! NFL, NBA, MLB and College flags for the sports fan in your life.

713.461.1153 • 1517 Blalock Rd. www.moneymakersflags.com Searching for a perfect gift for that special someone on your list? Stop in Woodlands Fabrics & Interiors for a unique selection of great gift items including decorative photo frames, desk accessories and beautiful candles. Beautifully wrapped Gift Certificates are also available.

473 Sawdust Road • The Woodlands 281-419-0419 www.woodlandsfabrics.com

Great Holiday Gift!

3801 Kirby Drive. Suite 109 Houston, TX 77098 713.725.1703 texaswineandcattlecompany.com

The Lighting Gallery offers the largest Lighting Your Way Since 1974 selection of fine lighting fixtures, crystal chandeliers and ceiling fans. We also offer a beautiful selection of unusual artwork, mirrors and lamps. Let one of our lighting consultants enlighten your home. ®

281.444.9299 6265 FM 1960 West

The Nonus Collection

Nolan Ryan's All Natural Beef

$20 Gifts • CD by Danny Wright– Real Romance • Island Privateer scented candle

Offering a complete selection of all-natural steaks, Nolan Ryan merchandise and gift packages for beef and baseball lovers for the holidays!

$200 - $300 • Civil War Prints and Maps of Galveston 2214 Postoffice • Galveston 409-795-1454

1-877-99-NOLAN (66526) (866) 282-7648 Fax customerservice@nolanryanbeef.com www.nolanryansteaks.com

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around town December 2009 Neiman Marcus and the Houston Design Center present festive holiday tabletops featuring the latest in tabletop trends at Neiman Marcus and the Houston Design Center Showrooms Dec. 8 – 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are open to the public in both locations and are complimentary.

Neiman Marcus will present The Fabulous & Fantastical, Holiday Tabletop Trends ’09 at the Houston Design Center on Tuesday Dec. 8, 11:30 a.m. in the Charlotte Nail Antiques showroom.

Reservations required. Information: www.thehoustondesigncenter or 713.864.2660.

At the MFAH’s Your Bright Future exhibit: “Site of Desire” by Choi Jeong-hwa, 2005. Red plastic baskets. Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy © Choi Jeong-hwa

Yuletide: Holiday Time at Bayou Bend.

events On Dec. 4, 6-10 p.m., stroll 19th Street in Houston’s historic downtown Heights, as the 19th Street Merchants present their annual Holiday on 19th celebration.

Enjoy food and refreshments, strolling carolers, live music and more. Shops are located on 19th Street between Shepherd and Yale, exit from I-10 or Loop 610.

Paparrazzi chairs by Ashley Longshore at The Laura U Collection.

lights and more lights Yuletide: Holiday Time at Bayou Bend through Jan. 3 features festive lights, decorations, and Candlelight tours outside, and special room settings inside that bring historic American celebrations to life. This year, Bayou Bend is reviving favorite holiday-themed rooms. From a celebration of the first national day of Thanksgiving in 1789, to a Twelfth-Night anniversary dinner with George and Marsha Washington, to a 1950s Houston Christmas, Holiday Time at Bayou Bend will be an especially festive stroll through 250 years of history. Candlelight tours are Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is $7.50 for adults, and $5 for students 18+ and seniors age 65 + with ID. Children 17 and under are free. No reservations are required. Bayou Bend’s Holiday Festival, with songs and holiday crafts, is Dec. 20. Information: 713.639.7758.

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Downtown’s Holiday Spectacular will last through New Years Eve. Main Street Square, downtown’s pedestrian plaza and retail core, will be illuminated with peppermint sticks, snowflakes and 25-foot holiday trees while Discovery Green will be transformed into a winter wonderland with an outdoor ice skating rink.

Information: www.houstondowntown.com In Galveston, the 8th Annual Moody Gardens Festival of Lights runs through Jan. 2. Tickets are $5.95. Information: 1.800.582.4673 or www.moodygardens.com The 36th Annual Dickens on the Strand, Dec. 5-6, is Galveston’s holiday festival where bobbies, Beefeaters and the Queen herself will be on hand to recreate the Victorian London of Charles Dickens.

Ticket information: 1.409.765.7834 or www.dickensonthestrand.org.

Seven Houston Heights homes go on tour for Home for the Holidays, the 2009 Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour, Dec. 4-5. Tour hours Dec. 4 are 6-9 p.m.; Dec. 5, 3 – 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 for all seven homes or $5 for each individual home and are available at the Heights Fire Station, 107 W. 12th and Yale. Information: 713.861.4002, Ext. 7 or www.houstonheights.org.

Mistletoe Madness on Dec. 5, 12 noon to 6 p.m. showcases Heights shops, artists and businesses. Art and live entertainment will be on hand throughout the day and retail shops, restaurants, galleries and sponsor businesses will be open for visiting and shopping throughout the area’s many tree-lined, holiday-decorated thoroughfares. Information: www.heightsmistletoemadness.com Enjoy free food, fun, music and merriment at Arbor Gate’s Christmas Open House on Dec. 5, 4 – 7 p.m. at 15635 FM 2920 Road, Tomball.

Information: 281.351.8851.

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

At Discovery Green park downtown, 1500 McKinney St., through Dec. 31 see Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cool Planet, an installation of 50 globes by local and international artists that depict everyday solutions for global warming. Information: www.discoverygreen.com or www.coolglobes.com

exhibits Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Artist from Korea, the first major museum exhibition in the continental United States in almost two decades to focus on contemporary art from South Korea, features a generation of artists who work on the cutting-edge of international art trends and within a distinctly Korean context. At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 5601 Main St., through Feb. 14. Information: 713.639.7300 or www.mfah.org.

Artful Appointments, a series of paintings and art furnishings by New Orleans expressionist painter Ashley Longshore, opens Dec. 9 at the Laura U Collection, 1840 Westheimer. Longshore’s work will be available exclusively in Houston through the Laura U Collection until next spring when Longshore launches a line of chairs nationally with retailer Anthropologie. Information: 713.522.0855 or www.laurau.com

what’s new Karen Derr & Associates Realty, purchased in 2008 by long-time, top-producing agent Bill Baldwin, is renaming the firm to Boulevard Realty.

With two offices, 51 independent agents, 6 staff people and more than 100 million in sales for 2009, the firm is one of the top grossing real estate agencies in Houston. Boulevard Realty has offices at 1545 Heights Boulevard and 1401 Post Office in Galveston.

Information: 713.862.1600 or www.yourblvd.com.

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A.G.WELDING Custom designed ornamental iron stair and balcony railings, staircases, gates, carports, awnings, and structural iron work.

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CUSTOM RUG SOURCE “More Than Just A Carpet Store”

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www.customrugsource.com 13

handbook

Razzmatazz Designer rugs—get your wow factor here

By DEBI BRYANT TOP LEFT: Ikea’s Stockholm Figur rug by Anna Sorensson is handknotted pure pile wool.

TOP RIGHT: The Lusy Blom floral rug is by Cilla Ramnek for Ikea. The striped rug is by designer Synnove Mork.

LEFT: Rug from the Andy Warhol collection available through Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors.

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Need to spark up a room? Consider designer rugs.

“Designer rugs are statement pieces and thus conversation pieces,” asserts Valerie Roberts, co-owner of Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors.

Says Kirsten Lundquist, manager at Kuhl-Linscomb, “A designer rug is a piece of art and it’s usually the first thing a person notices upon entering a space. It has a sense of color, design and balance. It sets the mood and tone of the room.”

DESIGNERS CHOICE

Lois Snider, president of The Great Rug Co., points out, “With rugs, trends change and so do colors.” Right now, she likes the Royal Manor collection by Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana. It includes a range of classic rug patterns in hand-knotted wool that evoke the relaxed elegance of English country homes. She also offers the three collections of Paula Deen, Food Network star and authority on gracious Southern living, in fashion-forward colors by Kaleen.

From Lundquist and the modern furniture team at Kuhl-Linscomb: “We love the rugs designed by Eileen Gray and Ron Arad. They are definitely some of our favorites. Eileen Gray’s rugs all capture the Art Deco movement at its finest time. Her designs are endlessly mimicked and are truly inspirational. Do Lo Rez from Ron Arad by Nani Marquina is another fantastic example. This rug has a unique pixilated composition from an innovative designer.”

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

Home Furnishings

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AN ECLECTIC INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

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handbook |

DESIGNER RUGS

Aria, a sculpted rug from the Great Rug Company.

Eclipse, available through Great Rug Company.

Roberts says, “The Kathy Ireland First Lady collections are some of our most popular collections. The name First Lady is taken from Kathy’s belief that every woman deserves to be a first lady in her own home.”

Roberts also offers the many island-inspired creations of Tommy Bahama that have tropical, sun-washed colors for kitchens, family rooms and beach houses. She also likes the Liz Claiborne black floral on a cream background with faux silk accents that looks luscious in a black and white décor. And she carries rugs from the Andy Warhol collection based on Warhol’s library of more than 100,000 works of art.

Ikea has many selections including an all-wool rug called Andrea by designer Jon Eliason in soothing gray tones and Kajsa Träd, a wool blend design by Anna Salander in a green and gray pattern that would make Matisse proud.

Aria rug with rust-colored accent, available through the Great Rug Company.

Before You Buy With so many great designer rug choices out there, we asked the design team at Kuhl-Linscomb, “Where do you star t?”

They say ask yourself the following questions: • How does the rug feel when you touch it?

DISTINCTIVELY YOU

“Most designer rug companies allow you to customize your selection based on your needs, therefore making them truly unique for you,” Lundquist says.

Snider advises her clients, “Buy a rug not only for its color but for its ability to be used in several rooms in the years to come. Think longterm so that you can maximize your pleasure from this purchase.”

RIGHT: Do Lo Rez from Ron Arad by Nani Marquina, available through Kuhl-Linscomb.

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house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

• Finishing details are ver y impor tant. Are the edges bound, stitched or left open? Are the materials natural or man-made?

• How is the rug to be used? What is its function? Will the rug you select hold up well in the intended area? Is it easy to maintain?

• What is your budget? Apply your needs to your selected price options.

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At LeatherShoppes, being the oldest and most experienced leather speciality store in the Houston area, you will find more selection, more styles and 100’s of colors from some of the best brands like Bradington-Young, Flexsteel, Palliser, Berkline HomeTheater and more, all at discount prices.

832.467.2000 • www.leathershoppes.com Monday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

4321 West Sam Houston Tollway N. • Suite 180 (Clay exit either way)

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Secure your retirement and financial stability by calling an industry professional of 30 years to inquire about this government insured program and other mortgage loan programs.

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• Etchings • Transoms • Sidelights • Beveled Doors • Stained Glass • Stained Glass Domes On Site Repairs

12307 Chimney Rock • Houston, TX 77035 • (713)729-3699 www.artglassbywells.com 17

handbook |

DESIGNER RUGS

Making Sense of the Maze Educate yourself about the ways rugs are manufactured, advises Lois Snider at The Great Rug Co. You can find a range of quality and price points within these dif ferent techniques: West Elm Circles Rug. 1. Machine-made, nylon. Fairly indestructible. If there is fringe, it is added after the fact.

2. Machine-made, wool. Look for the wool emblem. Again, any fringe is added after the rug is made.

3. Hand-tufted, sometimes called hand-gunned. Look for cotton backing. This method takes about half the time of handknotting.

4. Hand-knotted. Most have fringe as an integral par t of the construction. This is the most labor-intensive production, sometimes taking 8 to 12 months for a single rug.

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4104 Nasa Pkwy, El Lago • Mon-Sat 10-6 19

OPPOSITE: Not your usual Christmas colors: Pink and blue, rather than red and green, define this Palm Beach/ Mediterranean style home decorated by Regina Dorsett of Twins Design Christmas.

ABOVE: Inside the front door, a solder decked in pastel uniform with candy buttons and ice cream epaulets stands guard.

CHRISTMAS CHIC Story by Holly Beretto • Photography by Miro Dvorscak

The first thing you notice when you come up the walk of Bill and Neda Dorsett’s Friendswood home is the garland of bright greens, blues and pinks framing the wrought-iron trimmed doors. This Christmas décor is as far from the traditional, red-and-green design theme as you can get. But don’t think that means the Dorsetts don’t have the Christmas spirit.

Their holiday home decoration boasts elements custom designed for the space, with colors and accents meant to highlight the house’s pseudo-Palm Beach Mediterranean style while incorporating some of Neda’s special collections.

“It’s an amazing house,” says designer Regina Dorsett who is also Bill and Neda’s daughter-in-law. She’s a design veteran with more than 20 years experience, specializing in fall and holiday décor. Her shop, Twins Design Christmas, at 5005 Larkin in the Heights (open from October to December each year) is awash in garlands, baskets, glass ornaments, life-size sculptures, ribbons, plants and everything else you need to create the perfect holiday look for your home. Regina has been doing her inlaws’ Christmas décor for the last four years.

“They had moved from a 5,000-square-foot home to an 18,000-square-foot home,” says Regina. “Their old house was

very Victorian, and this one is much more upscale and open. So the design elements for the holidays had to go from traditional themes to more elegant and contemporary.”

DECORATIONS TAILORED TO EACH ROOM Regina started by tailoring each design element to the individual rooms. Right inside the front doorway, you’re greeted by a pastel-colored Nutcracker-esque soldier, standing sentinel with a candy cane for a sword and melting “ice cream” epaulets. His coloring complements the foyer’s Christmas tree festooned with ribbon and ornaments and shimmering with strings of white lights.

The custom Christmas design continues in the transition to a long gallery with French doors and a high arched door that gives a tantalizing glimpse of a large curved staircase. Here, on 21

ABOVE: The home’s main gallery overlooks the front patio while an arched door reveals a glimpse of a fanciful curved stairway.

the staircase, Regina used garland and ornament touches, nestling her gold-trimmed ribbons and glass balls among the greenery. Huge magenta-toned flowers accent the garland that winds up the staircase, with bright, rich red ornaments added in the mix. It pairs perfectly with the curling flowers painted on the walls and the small stool tucked in the archway adjacent to the staircase.

Just beyond the foyer’s Christmas tree, is the entrance to the formal living room, where Regina went with a blue and green theme, shot through with bursts of pink and magenta. The chill blue and chartreuse play off the gold edging on the fireplace screen and mirror frame and on the decorative gold painting on the ceiling by Anything But Plain.

The deeper colors in the décor also coordinate with the lighter, airy tones in the blue-and-green chaise chairs. The silver dish of ornaments on the table combines the bright greens and magenta, something Regina says resonates throughout the house.

Regina used those style elements as she went about planning how to use contemporary colors in her Christmas designs. One way she did so was to place 15 trees throughout the home, and she said she was excited about the opportunities that provided for decoration.

“One tree is all white and soft pink,” she says. “And it was a perfect showcase to the room. Pink is actually a huge color this holiday season, so this was a great way to custom-tailor the design to mom’s house and incorporate some up-to-date trends.”

22

COLOR TRENDS In addition to seeking touches that would evoke the home’s grace and style, Regina says color is an important component to everything she does. She’s seeing silver make a comeback in holiday decorating trends, but advises it’s more of a pewter tone, not the bright shimmery silver you might be used to.

“I haven’t used silver in so many years,” she muses. “And then, I found these perfect silver ornaments. They’re crystal balls and just a sheer, sheer pewter tone.”

She recommends pairing silver tones with coppers, something she predicts will be a fantastic combination for the next couple of years. Gold is another perfect holiday color, one Regina calls classic, and her eye for style and coordinating with this timeless hue is evident all across her in-laws’ home.

Every element of the Christmas decoration was hand-selected by Regina from markets in Atlanta and New York. She’s especially fond of the garlands she used along mantelpieces, up staircases and along doorways and windows. In addition to Regina’s contemporary touch, there are several traditional objects used in the mix.

“There’s an amazing nativity on the mantel in the family room,” Regina says. “I used soft blues in it and there is an animal print on the ribbon I put into the garland, and those colors blend beautifully.

She also made sure to use pieces of her mother-in-law’s collection of

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

ABOVE: On the staircase, Regina used garlands and ornaments, nestling gold-trimmed ribbons, glass balls and rich, red ornaments among the greenery. The garland pairs perfectly with the curling flowers painted on the walls.

ABOVE: The main living room is furnished in blue and green fabrics with fuschia accents, so the fireplace garland keys off those colors.

Decorative painting on the ceiling is by Anything But Plain.

Santas and dolls, places them on mantelpieces, in the kitchen, and on top of cabinets and armoires. The idea was to create a space where the Christmas cheer was in evidence all over the home, not simply in the more public rooms.

“It’s so great to walk into this house,” says Regina, noting that the décor is both inviting, but elegantly upscale.

And, in a reminder that the holidays are about family, the Dorsett house is truly a family affair. Regina’s twin sister, Janet Gust, designed the home, and Regina genuinely enjoyed incorporating her mother-in-law’s collections into the décor.

“It’s just beautiful,” Regina says.

LEFT: A simple garland threaded with pink and blue ribbon brings holiday cheer to this view of the Dorsetts’ house from the front portico.

RIGHT: For the kitchen, Neda has a collection of Santas who cook.

23

diy decorating

Happy Tropical Holidays

After After

Earthy accessories, a seagrass rug, new lighting, sofa and chairs and custom table skirt work with the existing coffee table and artwork. The leather chair was moved to

the master bedroom. The owners asked for a “Tommy Bahama” Christmas; most Christmas decorations are from China Silks and Mirage Floral.

By JOETTA MOULDEN • Photography by JANET LENZEN

N O N - T R A D I T I O N A L D E C O R AT I O N S FOR A HOUSTON LIVING ROOM Marian Arens first contacted me when she lived in another home and was trying to decide whether to remodel or sell to achieve the more casual tropical look she and husband Dick wanted. After our meeting, the couple decided to buy a newer one-story home with lots of windows, to which they added a swimming pool surrounded by palm trees.

Before 24

Before A mix of traditional furniture styles was not giving the living room the tropical look the owners wanted. The bare tile floors echoed and the white ceiling did not make the room feel cozy.

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

The Endless Summer Room with our custom Pools & Spas

THE PLAN My design intern Mary Johnson and I created a furniture layout and lighting plan for the relaxed open floorplan, deciding in advance the correct sizes of furniture to shop for. Since Marian is a fantastic shopper, she gathered several fabric choices for me to look at, including an animal print she had fallen in love with but was not sure she could use on the matching Red Barn Furniture chairs and ottoman by the fireplace. I talked her into using it. The fabric tied in beautifully with the neutral gold, custom-order Star Furniture sofa we shopped for and the dramatic Massoud fabric from Glick Textiles Fabric Warehouse (also used in the dining room down the hall) that my workroom sewed into throw pillows.

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Consider painting sloped ceilings the same color as the > walls to minimize the “line of demarcation” where the wall meets the ceiling, which will make the room look taller.

My task was to direct Marian to find furniture, fabrics and accessories and to establish a tropical color scheme, furniture placement and lighting plans for the room. They wanted this home to have a casual, relaxed atmosphere and knew the seating needed to be replaced.

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The Arenses wanted to start fresh in their new home and establish an overall design plan before buying any new furniture. “I know you try to reuse existing furniture and accessories in new ways, and that’s exactly what we needed,” Marian explains. (See their various tropical-themed rooms in House & Home’s “DIY Decorating” columns: June 2007; April, 2008; April, 2009.)

Since they were happy with the wall color (Lowe’s Laura Ashley LA609 Taupe 3), I suggested they continue the color onto the sloped ceiling and either paint (same taupe) or replace their white ceiling fans. Marian was not sure the paint would have much impact. “Painting the slanted angles of the ceiling made the biggest difference in the overall appearance of the room. It really opened up the space and made the room appear much larger,” Marian says. The couple opted to replace the ceiling fans, which made the room look newer and fresher.

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When shopping for furniture and rugs, take your paint

tip> chips and all of your fabric samples with you and lay

them directly on top of the items you are considering. They should all be ‘happy’ together.

A large 9- by 12-foot inexpensive seagrass “Seascape” rug from www.homedecorators.com not only anchored the seating area and reduced the room’s noise level, it added to the tropical feeling they wanted.

Marian had already had purchased the large orchid painting from Stein Mart for the space above the fireplace, and I suggested she find two vertical pieces of art for each side of the media niche. I wrote down measurements of exactly how large and where to hang the tropical leather panels she found at Open Window Designs (since she wanted to do that herself and use my time for the “big picture”).

Artwork is the ideal way to add a tropical mood to a

tip> room and give you more bang for your buck.

The existing coffee table was reused and restyled with a woven Cost Plus World Market bowl filled with tropical fruits from Mirage Floral. I suggested Marian reuse but enlarge the top of her skirted table and add a coordinating tailored skirt my workroom made, which hides the subwoofer.

The sound from the subwoofer easily comes

tip> through the pleated, round table skirt fabric, and the skirt hides the unattractive black box.

25

diy decorating |

B O R R O W E D S PA C E

After

Before Before The game table was not decorative or large enough for the spacious breakfast room with its new palm prints from Marshalls. The old table set was repurposed to Dick’s home office.

After

(Below)

An entertainment center from Star Furniture organizes media equipment. The space was transformed by adding paint, black vases from Marshalls, silk pussy willows and fruit from Mirage Floral and a pair of tropical leather. A large silk palm from China Silks is more proportional.

After A less formal, friendlier, round table and matching chairs from Star Furniture and a Hunter ceiling fan fit the spacious breakfast room. The palm from the living room was moved into this space.

JOETTA MOULDEN offers home makeovers using your own home furnishings to create the home you’ve always dreamed of. Joetta believes your pieces collected through the years reflect your personality and can be artfully arranged. Her ability to focus on your personal style and not let her own preferences influence the design of your home makes her unique. See more makeovers on her Web site at www.shelterstyle.com, email her at joetta@shelterstyle.com or call 713.461.2063. If an initial appointment referral is booked by December 31, a 15 percent first meeting discount will be given. Shelterstyle.com holds a "Pages of Happiness" rating and, for the third consecutive year, a “Super Service Award” presented to 5 percent of companies that achieve and maintain a superior rating on www.angieslist.com.

26

trade secrets • Establish an overall plan before you start buying furniture. Don’t discard anything until a professional sees if it can be integrated into your plan.

• Money saved on a seagrass rug instead of buying a more expensive rug can easily pay for design services.

• Eliminate costly mistakes. Hire an objective professional to help you stay within your budget and add thousands to your resale value.

• Sometimes the most effective strategy is to not buy more furniture and accessories, but to rethink the pieces that are already paid for.

house& home | D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com

After

BREAKFAST ROOM In the adjoining breakfast room, Marian found a round table and chairs from Star Furniture and the smaller palm was moved from the living room into the corner. Palm prints from Marshalls were hung on the wall and garage sale metal pieces were added above them for interest.

Since this was the first holiday season in the new room, my design assistant Dorenda Longoria and I decorated the room for Marian, focusing on the mantel, tabletops and the windows.

(When beginning holiday decorating, make sure the backgrounds and furniture placements are correct first. The room should look fantastic after the seasonal decorations are put away.)

The idea is to make your

tip> home look and smell as

fragrant, festive and candlelit as possible … to literally ooze holiday festivity. To accomplish this, you must exaggerate what you would normally do in order for the decorations to look full and festive.

“We wanted non-traditional Christmas decorations that would complement the relaxed tropical feeling in the house. Using silk orchids and vines and coppery ribbons, you and Dorenda accomplished that,” Marian says. “The finished look is great, the room is comfortable and the setting provides a great backdrop for our relaxed entertaining style, whatever the season.”

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7 1 3 .7 8 4 .1 1 8 0

Someone named me Cupid.

I don’t know why, because Cupid’s a guy and I’m a gal, a 7-year-old female beagle to be specific. I wouldn’t mind going by “Xochiquetzal,” the Aztec goddess of love.

Xochi, quite the enchantress, always had hummingbirds and butterflies fluttering around her head. Someone found me walking around the streets of Houston—no hummingbirds, no butterflies, alas—and brought me to the SPCA. They may have gotten the gender of my name wrong, but the one thing they got right is that I’m full of love. And I’m pretty darn cute, too. Hey, are you single? Take me for walks around your neighborhood, cute people you’d like to know will stop and pet me, we’ll all go for coffee, I’ll endear myself to your crush, and you’ll soon be choosing china patterns. Need the goddess of love to make the love magic work for you in the New Year?

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gardening

Winterizing Your Garden

Prepare for the dormant months ahead

By STEVE HUDDLESTON

The month of December offers wonderful opportunities to close out one gardening season and to prepare for the next. Many gardening activities at this time focus on winterizing the garden by preparing it for the dormant months ahead. Let’s take a look at what we can do to prepare for winter.

FALL CLEANUP

Now is a good time to perform general cleanup in the garden. If you haven’t already done so, start a compost pile. Select a spot in the “service area” of your landscape and construct a composting system that suits your purposes. Use your compost pile to recycle all the organic debris removed from your landscape this fall. Remove tops of spent perennials (unless, of course, you want to leave seed heads in tact as a source of food for birds this winter). Remove debris from flowerbeds. Remove fallen leaves from the lawn. With a catcher attached to your lawn mower, mow over and collect the shredded leaves and add them to the compost pile or use them as mulch in beds. Or you might want to rake your leaves into piles and send them through a chipper/shredder. Either way, chipped leaves make better mulch than whole leaves since the latter tend to mat down and prevent rainfall from penetrating to the soil below. One other place you might want to deposit your leaf and other organic matter is in the vegetable garden. After doing so, rototill the organic matter into the garden to a depth of 8 feet to 10 feet. Then let the garden lie fallow until early spring planting.

FALL IS FOR PLANTING

December is an ideal time to plant trees, shrubs and many perennials. (You can still plant winter annuals such as pansies, kale, snapdragons and dianthus in early December.) Soil temperatures are in the 40 to 50 degrees range during much of the winter, and this is a good range for root activity. Consequently, plant material installed now has a chance to get established before next summer’s heat. Finish planting daffodils now. If you want to plant tulips or hyacinths, make sure the bulbs have undergone six to eight weeks of cold treatment in a professional storage site or in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Plant these bulbs in mid-December, or once the soil temperature has dropped to 55 degrees.

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Beautyberry. Photo by Robert H. Mohlenbrock, USDA-NRCS Plants Database

Clean, repair and oil garden tools and equipment before retiring them for the winter. A coat of linseed oil on wooden handles makes a wonderful preservative.

Drain gasoline from power tools; run engines until all fuel is gone. Take power tools to the repair shop now before the spring rush. Regular service can extend the life of mowers, tillers, gasoline string trimmers and blowers. Well-tuned engines and sharp blades will make gardening chores much easier when the growing season returns. Store garden hoses and sprinklers in accessible locations for winter watering. (That’s right — water even in the winter during dry spells, especially evergreen plants.) Disconnect hoses from faucets so the pipes don’t freeze. In the event that temperatures drop to the low twenties or high teens, make sure you have row cover, sheets or quilts on hand (not plastic) to cover winter annuals such as pansies, snapdragons and kale.

REMEMBER THE BIRDS

Hang up a finch feeder and fill it with thistle to attract American goldfinches this winter.

Photo by G. Bailey/VIREO

34

Our feathered friends will appreciate your winterizing the garden with them in mind, too. Install bird feeders and keep them filled on a regular basis. Be sure to hang up a finch feeder and fill it with thistle, or niger, seed to attract American goldfinches this winter. Place a birdbath in the landscape and keep it filled with fresh water. You even can install a heater in the birdbath to keep the water from freezing. Finally, install native plant material in the landscape to provide habitat and food for birds. Excellent choices include eastern red cedar, oaks, Carolina buckthorn, Mexican plum, rusty blackhaw viburnum, yaupon holly, possumhaw holly, sumac, beautyberry, coralberry, and grasses such as Lindheimer’s muhly and inland seaoats.

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