Isthmus Abode : Autumn 2014

abode ISTHMUS

LAURA ZASTROW

ISTHMUS ABODE IS A SUPPLEMENT TO ISTHMUS ❃ PUBLISHED THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 ❃ ©2014 ISTHMUS PUBLISHING CO., INC., MADISON, WI ❃ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

www.centuryhouseinc.com

Pure design

ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE ✵

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for modern living

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everything for the modern home

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Tami and Hamang Patel built custom play spaces both indoors and out, much to the delight of their two daughters.

the do-it-yourself

playroom

By SARI JUDGE ❃ Photos by LAURA ZASTROW

“T

he most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” That thought is attributed to the ancient philosopher Plato. The Greek sage is not best known for his home-decorating advice. Yet it’s likely, given this statement, that he’d be of the opinion that kids, who often learn best through interacting with their environments, can greatly benefit from a terrific home playroom to call their own. basement remodel as an exercise in the “power of paint,” as it took three coats of sunny paint to brighten up the lower level’s walls. The couple also replaced windows with new energy-efficient models in the interest of bringing more light into the room.

But both Tami and her husband gravitate toward a modern decorating style, so they decided to leave the mechanicals of the basement’s relatively high ceilings exposed. “The rest of our house is fairly traditional,” says Tami.

“It’s really fun having a place in our current home that reminds us of the loft we came from in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.”

The unfinished ceiling is just one of many contemporary touches in the playroom. The floor, also painted, this time with a water-resistant Benjamin Moore epoxy, is covered with multicolored modular carpet tiles from FLOR. “The brand isn’t just eco-friendly, but also gives you the chance to really customize for your needs,” Tami says. “And it’s definitely handy to have the individual squares when things get spilled.”

The playroom’s showcase feature is a handcrafted dollhouse Tami fashioned as a surprise holiday gift to house her daughters’ impressive

American Girl doll collection.

“When Mom was building it, we thought it was just going to be shelves,” says Mira excitedly. “We wondered why she was putting a roof on it.”

But when they came down Christmas morning and saw the impressive 7' x 6' structure tucked against a back wall, they couldn’t wait to start building furniture of their own.

The walls are even papered in wrapping paper.

Wallpaper makes a second appearance in the playroom in the form of art on the basement walls.

“I scoured the Internet for end rolls of Marimekko-esque, Scandinavian designs,” says Tami, “and then cut and adhered them to fiberboard canvases using wallpaper glue....

ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Well over 2,000 years later, contemporary Madison parents Tami and Hamang Patel, both attorneys, couldn’t agree more. They had no kids when they moved to their Nakoma neighborhood home from Chicago nearly 10 years ago. But by the time Mira, now 8, and Ana, 7, were born, the couple knew they’d need to carve out a kid-dedicated space somewhere in their stately brick colonial. “The basement was dry, but an absolute disaster when we moved in,” says Tami. “I knew, though, with vision and planning, it could turn into something really special.”

Tami humorously refers to her

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ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Physical activity is the focus of the playroom at Erin and Alejandro Arango-Escalantes’ place.

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Original art, that isn’t made by my daughters that is, is expensive. These brightly colored posters create a custom look for a pretty reasonable price.”

The room also hosts craft and dramatic play areas. On rainy days, or in the dead of winter, tumbling mats, a mini-trampoline and the roller skates can come out.

But play space at the Patels’ isn’t limited to the below-ground level. Two years ago the family began drafting a plan for a 7' x 8' playhouse to be constructed in an underutilized area of their backyard.

“Having a playhouse was something I always dreamed of growing up, and my dad, who lives about an hour south of Madison, kind of regretted never having built one for us,” says Tami.

So when the time came for the family to break ground on their “second home,” Tami’s father was the first to jump on board to help. The girls pitched in too, taking the lead on painting the interior walls and laying the peel-and-stick laminate floor.

Tami claims that the playhouse, which boasts real windows and window boxes, as well as a working mailbox, isn’t just for the kids. “I sneak out here quite a bit myself. I’ve set up a small desk, and the wireless works. I’m glad the kids have agreed to share their play space with me,” she says with a smile.

When the Arango-Escalantes moved into their newly constructed home in the Oak Meadow subdivision in 2008, the basement was basically unfinished.

“Our oldest child, Liliana, was only about eight months old at the time, so a playroom wasn’t our first priority,” says Erin, an assistant director with the WIDA consortium in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

“But in 2009, and again in 2011, I got involved in helping design a child care playground and neighborhood park and became really interested in what makes a quality play space.”

When Erin got pregnant with son Julian in 2012, the time seemed right to figure out how to convert their lower level into an engaging and interactive playroom.

“My background is in special ed,”

says Erin, “so I wanted everything we chose for the playroom to be purposeful. Liliana has some sensory issues, so we decided to go for lots of physical-activity choices. She’s definitely a monkey bar kid.”

The playroom has a trapeze and a covered hanging swing dangling from the basement ceilings, as well as a large climbing wall and 20-foot zip-line that extends the length of the space. “My dad, a professional contractor in New York City, came to live with us for two months and worked with me on getting everything built,” says Alejandro, who works in finance at Kraft/Oscar Mayer.

“Since you’re dealing with safety issues when installing play equipment inside, you really need to make sure everything is properly reinforced.”

Lily reports that “when my friends come over they all want to do the zip-

ERIN ARANGO-ESCALANTE AND HER husband, Alejandro, haven’t found a need to build any special structures in their Fitchburg backyard. Instead, the goal for this couple’s playroom design was to bring many of the hallmarks of outdoor amusement into their finished basement space.

A second-floor kitchen, a remnant from a 1920s two-flat, is transformed as an art room in Annie and Tom Isenbarger’s home.

line. No one else I know has anything like this in their playroom.”

The Arango-Escalantes also made sure there were places for the kids to just chill, as well. In another section of the basement, Alejandro and his father were able to construct an interior playhouse. “It’s definitely Julian’s favorite spot in the room to cozy up with a book,” says Erin.

The kids aren’t the only ones who hang out in the finished basement. Adjacent to the kids’ play space, they’ve built a hightech home theater with over 1,000 feet of speaker wire behind the walls.

“I used an old-school protractor to get the angle of the speakers just right,” says Alex. “It’s great having both rooms in the same basement space. The kids can play in their playroom, and Erin and I can play in ours.”

NOT EVERY UNIQUE KID SPACE IN TOWN is housed on a home’s lower level. When Annie Isenbarger, an elementary educator; her husband, Tom, an attorney; and their two young daughters purchased their home on Madison’s near west side, they found a built-in opportunity for all-family creativity on their second floor.

“The house is originally from the 1920s, but while it was being built the owner’s husband got sick and passed away, so she turned it into a two-flat,” says Annie. “It was rental property until we purchased it a few years back and reconverted it to a single-family home.”

With the shift back to a single-family home, there was a second kitchen on the upper level among the bedrooms that was no longer needed. “I think it was Tom’s idea, when he saw the beautiful antique

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for the girls to work with. Behind the cabinet doors and neatly placed on shelves are bins upon bins of art supplies. “My friends joke that I am such a teacher,” says Annie, pointing to the impressive collection of pompoms, sequins, buttons and decorative edge scissors she has carefully curated.

When asked if the family plans to keep the space an art room, even after the girls are older, Annie says, “I don’t think being creative is something you outgrow. A place dedicated to creativity is something wonderful to have in a home at any age.”

And while Plato probably wasn’t thinking about glitter, finger paint or even Play-Doh when he made his statement about children’s education, he’d likely agree with this sentiment when it comes to at-home play spaces. ❃

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ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

sink in there, that the space should be an art room. It all just came together from there,” Annie remembers.

They saved the original cupboards and moved Annie’s parents’ former dining room table into the room: “The piece has lots of meaning for me, and it’s enjoying its new life, getting stained with new things, as an arts and crafts table.”

With a fresh coat of paint on the walls and a large window that looks down on the side yard, the space is cheerful, bright and highly conducive to the many projects, often featuring rainbows and butterflies, that the girls create in the space. Their elementary school-aged daughter says, “My family calls it the art room, but sometimes I call it my office. I come up here every day to do my work.”

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By ROSEMARY ZURLO-CUVA

ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

n the same way that I comb seed catalogs late in our Wisconsin winter, at the end of summer I begin to look around my house with an eye to sprucing up the décor. Some years it might be a new piece of furniture for the living room that’s needed, or something as simple as a new color for the bedroom walls. At other times, nothing less than a complete do-over will work. And though the catalogues are convenient and the advertising of big-box home stores is painfully prevalent, there is no need to settle, or to sacrifice your buy-local ethics. Here are a few Madison originals you might not normally think your home decorating needs.

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At McGovern & Sons, Benjamin Moore paints can spice up a table or create a chalkboard on a wall.

Window treatments can make all the difference in giving rooms color, texture and that finished look that says “I’m a grown-up now.” Properly designed, they can also be significant energy savers, entirely worth the investment.

CREATIVE ENERGY DESIGNS offers exactly the custom window treatments you need, including their own “window warmers,” a framed window covering that beats the competition for energy efficiency and simplicity of design. There are a variety of design options for not only window warmers, but also

Roman and quilted shades, with thousands of gorgeous fabrics to choose from in the Williamson Street storefront. Locally owned and operated by Carla Mason for 31 years, Creative Energy Designs does all the custom sewing on the premises.

ICONI offers unique home furnishings, either newly manufactured or “reclaimed” from Iconi’s consignment store, which is now open next door to the original showroom on West Washington Avenue. The Iconi look, from upholstered furniture to wood

pieces, lighting, rugs and home accessories, is clean and contemporary with a mid-century retro vibe. Iconi is just the place to find that distinct single piece — a retro bureau or table lamp, perhaps — or outfit an entire room from furniture to rugs and down to the last perfect detail. Combining the old with the new is a nice twist on creating a look that is entirely your own. Founder Coni Marotz offers full interior design services, should you like that.

Likewise at VAULT, a complete range of furniture and home accessories is available with full design services. The Vault ethos is more loft chic, employing darker colors and sleek contemporary furniture to create a look that is cozy without going slouchy or overly feminine. Again, the details can make all the difference. Visit the Atwood Avenue store to check out spectacular industrial-style light fixtures and unique original artwork. Table linens, a line of stoneware, and other home accessories also make this a great place to find a special wedding or housewarming gift.

STEVENS DESIGN has long been my favorite spot for quality classic furniture, most notably by Stickley, an American company that has been designing and building collectible furniture since 1900. Stickley upholstered furniture is almost as beautiful and timeless as its famous wood pieces, but the price of such beauty can be high for some of us. Which is why Stevens Design is now offering the Parker Southern line of furniture, designed for smaller-scale city liv-

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ing. The price points make this line affordable for a greater variety of customers without sacrificing beauty or comfort. I particularly like their comfy yet contemporary padded headboards for a sweet bedroom fix.

For those ready to splurge on a single room-altering item, it might be worth a visit to the Fitchburg showroom just to check out the William Morris rugs with their rich colors and iconic Arts and Crafts designs that can work equally well in traditional or contemporary environments, and are priced more affordably than Persian or Indian rugs.

As for kitchens and bathrooms, ECO-FRIENDLY FLOORING makes use of sustainable and reclaimed products to create fresh looks that can range from funky to sophisticated, but are always unlike anything you’ll find in the traditional showrooms.

Founder and CEO Melissa Clements has earned the bragging rights to “tile is our forte,” with hundreds of choices of recycled glass, metal, clay and cement tiles. Sustainable cork and bamboo floors come in a variety of shades and textures that can work in any room, and linoleum has made a comeback for flooring in colors that are surprisingly vibrant.

And sometimes a coat of paint can offer a whole new lease on life for very little cost. The folks at MCGOVERN & SONS offer a wealth of experience and advice along with Benjamin Moore Paints (consistently recommended by Consumer Reports). I started my paint-buying habit with McGovern & Sons when I became a homeowner back in the ’70s — it was in a tiny space on Monroe Street back then — and their staff has kept me from more than one painting disaster with excellent advice on prep, products and techniques.

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ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

East: moving to 4207 Monona Dr. Nov. 18th • 608.661.2813 West: 5906 Odana Rd. • 608-442-9919 Donation Pick-ups: 608-663-1191 Open Tues. - Sat. 9-5 www.restoredane.org

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Green Your Furnishings

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Consider alternatives to the norm! Minimize the impact of petro-chemicals. We offer numerous upholstery options such as wool and bamboo fabrics and ecofriendly soy foam. High quality, natural products for your home, available at:

Choose from a huge variety of new surplus and used building materials at discount prices. We offer cabinets, doors, windows, flooring, and appliances, and provide deconstruction services. Help fund Habitat for Humanity homes in Dane County when you donate or shop.

THE CENTURY HOUSE 3029 University Ave., Madison, WI 53705 608.233.4488 • www.centuryhouseinc.com

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ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U

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Explore Green Landscaping Formecology, LLC is a landscape design, build and care firm unlike your typical garden variety. We specialize in beautiful and eco-friendly (sustainable) landscape solutions, perfect for residential, commercial and public spaces. Serving the Madison area and beyond, Formecology is your green solution.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

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If a tree falls

in the neighborhood...

A guide to who’s responsible for what after a big crash

By ERIN CLUNE

T

ISTHMUS.COM/ABODE U

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

he severe storms that tore through the Madison area earlier this summer raised questions in some people’s minds about climate change and the advent of more severe weather. Some residents were finally forced to admit that — contrary to local urban mythology — tornadoes can touch down on the isthmus. For other local homeowners, the storms renewed concerns about the safety of living in close proximity to a large urban forest.

Trees are grand and glorious life forms. They provide us with clean air, shade and shelter. They tend to increase property value. Yet it only takes one severe storm to remind you that an oak tree — while extremely rigid and strong — is not particularly aerodynamic. This summer, a stunning array of photographs showed the extent of damage to big trees in Madison, some ripped right out of the ground and tipped over onto nearby buildings and cars. Dave Walker, Parks and Forestry director for the city of Verona, says two crews of four people spent almost two weeks cleaning up the arboreal debris.

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If the specter of uprooted trees makes you nervous, you’re not alone. Bruce Allison, who holds a doctorate in urban forest management, has served as an expert witness in dozens of tree litigation cases. Disputes are common in our area, he says, and not only because storms often cause tree damage. Humans have “different levels of risk aversion,” says Allison. While one homeowner may be perfectly comfortable living right next to a very old red oak tree, his neighbor may be losing sleep at night, wondering if it will topple onto her house.

While the law with regard to trees and property lines is not vague or ambiguous, Allison says, property owners sometimes misunderstand their legal rights and responsibilities. Much confusion arises from the fact that trees, even in their upright state, “don’t respect property lines,” he says.

Trees are often legally shared property, Allison notes, in the sense either that the trunk sits on a boundary line, or that its limbs stretch across. If the tree topples, a complex ownership issue has the potential to turn into a fullblown human drama.

SO WHAT ARE THE BASIC CONTOURS of tree law, as it applies to private property?

First and foremost, homeowners need to understand that they don’t have full rights to alter a tree unless it is completely on their property. With regard to shared trees (this includes limbs as well as trunks), the law states that private landowners can prune or trim the tree on their side of the boundary, as long as their actions don’t do “unreasonable injury” to their neighbor’s interests.

What does “unreasonable” mean?

Well, cutting a small branch or two on your side of the boundary line is probably “reasonable” because there’s little chance it will damage the tree or hugely change its appearance. But removing a large, bent limb — even if that limb extends precariously over your children’s bedroom — might kill or weaken the tree substantially.

Even if the tree dies the following year purely by coincidence, your neighbor could allege that your aggressive pruning caused it to perish.

So, better to negotiate the pruning with your neighbor in advance, Allison says, than let a judge making a subjective determination about civil damages after the fact.

Your neighbor has a say in the limbs hanging over your house, but

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he is also protected from liability when that limb falls. By law and insurance rules, a toppled tree is considered an act of God, or an unforeseen force of nature.

If a strong wind comes along — let’s say after your neighbor has refused to remove that tree — and upends it onto your house, the damage and injury are nonetheless considered God’s doing, not your neighbor’s. That is why your homeowners insurance and not your neighbor’s will have to cover the cost of removing the tree and repairing your house.

Unless that same limb misses your house and falls into your backyard, says State Farm agent Clyde Olson. In which case there is no claim to file at all, even if removing the debris can be costly.

That doesn’t mean your neighbor is absolved from all responsibility. Olson, who has more than 35 years of experience selling homeowners insurance, notes that there’s a big difference between what the law requires and what a “decent neighbor” will do. If your tree falls on your neighbor’s fence or trellis or bird feeder, you aren’t obliged to clear it or pay for repairs. But if you want to maintain friendly relations with her (which

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deems a tree to be a hazard, the city can order it to be removed.

While urban foresters help out where they can, private homeowners frequently overestimate the scope of what the city can do.

Bunnow says his office receives more than 50 reports a year of tree cases that turn out to be completely private matters — trees that aren’t diseased or imminently hazardous, but that neighbors simply don’t like. If a private tree isn’t dangerous to people or other trees, the city won’t involve itself in neighbor disputes.

DO HOMEOWNERS HAVE MORE

might later serve your interests), you ought to help.

Then there’s the case of a decaying or diseased tree. If your neighbor identifies a problem with a shared tree before it falls on her house, that tree is now a “known nuisance.” Fail to prune or remove it, and you may later be found negligent.

In the case of damaged property, her insurance claim will be settled through subrogation, forcing your insurance to pay it. The problem with the “known nuisance” status, says Bruce Allison, is

that decay is often hidden inside a tree and only discovered after a storm knocks it over. For that reason, he advises people who live underneath trees to consult tree specialists on a regular basis.

WHAT IF YOUR NEIGHBOR IS THE CITY itself — if you live next to a park, say? In many respects, municipalities are the best neighbors to have. Cities are basically governed by the same rules of law and insurance. But then, forestry staff in heavily wooded municipalities like Madison, Ve-

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rona and Shorewood Hills also do proactive maintenance and tree care.

Following storms, urban forestry crews will remove their damaged trees from your property, as well as clear your trees from public space. The city also helps settle private matters, in the case of disease or hazards. Kyle Bunnow, a city of Madison housing inspection supervisor, says residents can report problems with a private tree. The city is interested in discovering trees that are diseased or pose an imminent hazard. And if the forestry department

to worry about with climate change bringing more severe storms?

There has been a regional rise in catastrophic events since 2000, and insurance premiums have been rising, though the cat loss load — the amount of money insurers bankroll for natural disasters — has also been adjusted.

State Farm’s Olson thinks that overall we’ve been lucky here, and we still have some of the lowest premiums in the country because of it.

If there are clear answers to the question of trees and severe weather, they’re as follows: Check the health of your trees. Get homeowners insurance and keep it up to date. And also, keep in touch with your neighbors. You never know when you might need help getting your car — or worse yet, your living room — out from under their big oak tree. ❃

11

Mixology in your house Creating an inviting and affordable home bar

By JULIA BURKE ❃ Art by ALLY HODGES

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“P

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ut it in your freezer,” a friend and drinking mentor said as she handed me a bottle of boutique vodka she’d been sent as a gift. “One should always have a good vodka in the freezer, just in case.”

I’m not a vodka drinker, but enough people are that my bottle in the freezer has come in handy on a regular basis. The home bar is all about being prepared, and it doesn’t take a huge investment to add the tools and ingredients that will allow for the simple pleasure of whipping up drinks on the fly.

The tools of home mixology can have a mad-scientist feel, and the right ones make it easy to assemble fast cocktails with flourishes.

Stocking a home bar that’s fun, impressive, built for spontaneity and yet (relatively) affordable is easier than you might think. Treat it like stocking a pantry. Start with the staples that you use most often, throw in the base ingredients for a few recipes you’ve been meaning to try, and set yourself up with a few wellmade tools. The art of mixing drinks becomes far less intimidating.

The tools The Kitchen Gallery is a paradise for those with a passionate palate. This downtown shop is known for its high-end cookware, but it’s no slouch with bar tools, either. The classic Boston shaker is your mixing bowl, and a fine wooden muddler will break up herbs and other ingredients without extracting too much bitterness.

A juicer is perfect for squeezing lime, orange, grapefruit and other common additions into your drinks. Select a long-handled spoon that feels good in your hand; you’ll use this to delicately blend spir-

its in non-juice drinks (yes, that includes martinis, Bond fans).

Kessenich’s, a restaurant and bar supplier that’s open to the public, sells jiggers, shot glasses and strainers, which are also considered staples. Unless you’ve been bartending for a very long time, “eyeballing” amounts in drinks isn’t a great idea. Mixology is more like baking than cooking, and precision pays off.

Other shops with good stock include Orange Tree Imports and Wisconsin Cutlery & Kitchen Supply.

The accessories Depending on how fancy you want to get and how much space you have, shopping for the basement bar or kitchen-addition minibar can continue for a lifetime. Restaurant suppliers are a great place to find bar toys, and Kessenich’s has been fitting that bill for 80 years.

Bar towels are fun and convenient, as are decorative signs, mats and games. They can also set you up with bar stools, if you’re really redecorating.

There’s a time and a place for Solo cups, and no drink ever tasted bad in a Mason jar, but otherwise stemware is crucial to a great home bar.

Here, again, the sky is the limit, so you’ll want to start by focusing on what you drink most often rather than trying to accommodate every drink style. Wine glass collections can be basic (Bordeaux-style or tasting glasses are flexible) or elaborate. I love stemless glasses for casual drinking.

Square Wine Co. and Steve’s can also set you up with good glassware. For beer, you’ll want a set of good, sloped pint glasses, and maybe goblets or tulip glasses if you enjoy stouts, Belgian-style beers or other stronger styles.

For cocktails, I like versatile rocks glasses plus whatever best suits your own standard drink. If you love martinis, by all means get martini glasses, and give them the beautifully carved lemon twists they deserve.

A pitcher is nice for sangria, punch or serving beer from a kegerator (come to think of it, a kegerator is also nice if you’re a beer geek). An ice bucket is helpful for cooling wine quickly, though there are plenty of hacks for that if you’re only an occasional chilled-wine drinker. Laziest chilled-wine life hack: Wrap a dampened paper towel around the bottle and stick it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Resources The Kitchen Gallery 107 King St. 608-467-6544 kitchengallerymadison.com

Kessenich’s 131 S. Fair Oaks Ave. 800-248-0555 kessenichs.com

Orange Tree Imports 1721 Monroe St. 608-255-8211 orangetreeimports.com

Wisconsin Cutlery & Kitchen Supply 3236 University Ave. 608-204-0560 wisconsincutlery.com

Square Wine Co.

The cabinet Stock your liquor cabinet the way you’d stock your movie collection. Start with the classics you can’t live without, add a few gifts or fun splurges you’ve been meaning to try, and make sure you have options for both a party setting and a quiet night for one or two.

Some of my friends keep a “well” and a “top shelf” version of one or two spirits they drink regularly, while others keep middle-shelf versions of a variety of spirits that can suffice alone or in drinks. My ideal home bar is closer to the latter and stocks rye and bourbon (Journeyman, out of Three Oaks, Mich., makes a nice rye), gin (Death’s Door, of course), tequila (I love Illinois distiller Tailwinds’ agave-based products, but for the real deal Milagro Silver will do the trick for margaritas, and Espolon is lovely), rum (Old Sugar’s Cane and Abe is great), and vodka (Death’s Door, again, makes a good one, but Tito’s is great for a base). These base spirits will allow you to make the vast majority of cocktails but can also be enjoyed on their own.

There’s a reason craft cocktail bartenders take their ice very, very seriously. The shape of the cube and the quality of the water will influence the taste of the cocktail as much as any other ingredient. Filtered or purified water is ideal, and square or uniquely shaped ice cube trays (the Pipefitter on State Street can even set you up with mustache-shaped ice) are a lot of fun.

Seasonings and garnishes will depend largely on both your tastes and the season. I like to keep fresh herbs on hand, Tabasco sauce or

Worcestershire (or both) for Bloody Marys, and lemons and limes for zesting, slicing and juicing.

Get crazy with rosemary or lavender during the Dane County Farmers’ Market outdoor season if you like a botanical cocktail, slice up an attractive jalapeño to garnish your margarita, or throw a couple of tea bags into a warming winter drink or summer sangria. For a taste of pure heaven in a single bite? Invest in a bottle of Luxardo maraschino cherries. You’ll thank me later. ❃

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Ice & garnishes

Bitters are the “salt and pepper to taste” of the mixing world, and one can get as deep into bitters as artisan salts. I keep Peychaud’s and Angostura bitters, the most commonly used flavors, but the delightful Bittercube Bitters of Milwaukee offers more options. Experimenting with flavored bitters like mint, orange and walnut is a lot of fun.

Liqueurs, likewise, can be an afterthought or make up the majority of your bar depending on your sense of adventure and your wallet. Triple sec, Aperol and St. Germain are favorites, but it’s best to start with what you know you’ll use and expand from there. I highly recommend trying at least one amaro, an herbal Italian digestif that can enliven many cocktails or soothe on its own. Nonino is my favorite.

Finally, because it’s your bar, you should have a high-end version of your very favorite spirit for special occasions, whether it’s a beautiful Scotch or a lovely after-dinner liqueur.

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Baraboo Woodworks creates beautiful lumber from local trees

J

Story and photos by LINDA FALKENSTEIN

ust off Milwaukee Street on the near east side, space rented in the rear of the venerable McCormick

Lumber yards is being put to good use. Along with Madison Art Hub, a new gallery and artist studio space, is Baraboo Woodworks, a forward-looking, environmentally aware home to sustainably harvested local trees.

Owner Fred Clark — who also happens to represent Baraboo’s Assembly District 81 in the Legislature — has a crew of five who are working to bring trees harvested from forests owned by private landowners to the new site on North Bryan Street to be kiln-dried, planed and edged.

Clark, who has also operated Clark Forestry in Baraboo for the last 15 years, says he was always “fooling around” with trees at a young age. He started his career as an arborist; he’s

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also worked as a forest ecologist. here, and we want to promote that and Traditional lumber companies, Clark make them available.” explains, want big trees and straight logs Baraboo Woodworks has a sawmill, to maximize the final amount of board. a lumber dry-kiln and a production Baraboo Woodworks can wood shop; it will soon work with smaller and be producing flooring Baraboo Woodworks irregular logs “that have from its wood as well.

84 N. Bryan St., Madison the most character,” Clark On hand is what Clark 608-663-1010 notes. Big knot holes that calls “a farmers’ market baraboowoodworks.com are anathema to traditionof wood.” In addition to al lumber production are trees already mentioned, valued by artisan furniture there’s black cherry, makers and other craftspeople, for examhoney locust, white pine, sugar maple, ple. So Clark sees Baraboo Woodworks ash, black walnut, catalpa, white oak, as offering “more options for woods that shagbark hickory and more. Homewould otherwise be chipped or burned.” owners can arrange to have yard trees He shows off a hackberry with a “big, that blow down or need to be removed gnarly crotch” that they milled: “The decut into lumber. fect makes for dramatic pieces,” he says.

Baraboo Woodworks is also work Among the logs and boards that Clark ing with the city of Madison to turn the currently has in-house, there’s a very ash trees that the city is removing due large gingko (“you rarely see them that to the emerald ash borer into lumber. big”) that he would like to live-saw or “They’re not long logs, but they make flitch-saw — that is, leaving the bark four-foot boards,” says Clark, “perfect edges on the board for character. There’s for flooring.” Otherwise the company a box elder, seldom selected for lumber works mostly with landowners doing because it doesn’t stand up to heavy use best forest practices — those commitbut is “good for the right uses, like a dec- ted to forest management who are in it orative shelf, with an interesting color,” for the long term. Clark doesn’t use any Clark says. trees from “liquidation harvesting.”

There are also boards from the sel This is wood that customers can dom-seen burr oak, a tree that’s common feel good about, that in most cases to this area but that tends to grow short came from no further than Sauk Counand with many limbs, making it undety, and maybe even from trees that sirable for commercial use. However, used to stand in their own yards. the burr oak has a remarkably beautiful Customers are welcome at the grain. “The queen of the prairie,” Clark shop/showroom 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturremarks. “We have a wealth of hardwoods days or weekdays by appointment. ❃

Home & Garden

CALENDAR Events at Olbrich

Native by Design: “Gardening for a Sustainable Future,� annual conference.

Sept. 21, 8:45 am-4:30 pm, UW Arboretum Visitor Center; keynote address

by Doug Tallamy, professor and chair, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, and author of Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. $60/$54.

Register by 9/15: 608-2637888; uwarboretum.org.

Talks, walks, classes and garden sales take place at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave.; many classes require preregistration usually a week in advance of the session. See Olbrich.org for full descriptions/registration instructions, or call 608-246-4550 to register or for more information. Fees listed are member/nonmember rates.

Forest Gardens: Low-maintenance, sustainable forest gardening. Sept. 16, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

Bulk Mulch Sale: Shredded, composted leaves enrich soil and provide nourishment and protection for your gardens, shrubs and trees. Bring your own truck or trailer and Olbrich will load bulk scoops for you; $40/ scoop plus tax, covers about 350-square feet at a 2- to 3-inch depth.

Sept. 20, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, 9 am-1 pm.

The Zero Energy House Workshop: Alternative energies and sustainable tech for the home, retro-fitting and new design, with Jon Passi. Sept. 21, 9:30 am-3:30 pm, $100/$80.

Focus on Energy Lighting Demo: Sept. 20 & 21, 10 am-2 pm at Costco-Sun Prairie, 2846 Hoepker Rd. Focus on Energy Lighting Demo: Sept. 27, 10 am-2 pm, Menards, 430 Commerce Dr. Focus on Energy Lighting Demo: Oct. 3 & 4, 10 am-2 pm at Costco-Middleton, 1756 Pleasant View Rd. First-Time Home Buyer Seminar: The overall process, different loan options and pre-approval are covered in this free class.

Oct. 14, 6:30 pm, UW Credit Union, 3500 University Ave. Focus on Energy Lighting Demo: 10 am-2 pm, Oct. 18, at Menards, 2102 E Springs Dr. Lake Home and Cabin Show: How-to seminars, products and services.

Alliant Energy Center, Jan. 23-25, 2015. $10.

Midwest Garden Expo: Alliant Energy Center, Feb. 13-15, 2015. wigardenexpo. com One-day, two-day and three-day tickets are $7 (advance)/$8(door), $11/$12 and $16/$17.

MABA Dream Home Showcase: For those building or remodeling.

Alliant Energy Center, March 6-8, 2015.

Your Backyard Birdfeeding SpecialistÂŽ

Putting Your Garden to Bed: Overwintering, pruning, mulching and more. Sept. 23, 5:30 pm, $15/$12.

African violets can add a splash of color to a cold, gray winter. Pick some up at Olbrich, Oct. 11-12.

Classes at Project Home Free classes are held at the Project Home office, 1966 S. Stoughton Rd. (between Buckeye and Pflaum roads). Classes are taught by Project Home staff and skilled professionals who volunteer their time. Preregister by phone or email: 608-246-3737 or michellek@projecthomewi.org.

First-Time Homebuyer’s Series: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Sat., Sept. 27, 8:30 am-4:30 p.m.; Oct. 14 & 21 (must attend both classes) and Nov. 11 & 18, 6-9:30 pm, free.

Maximizing the Winter Landscape: Adding winter interest to the garden, with Mark Dwyer. Oct. 1, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

All About Plant Guilds in Permaculture: How certain plants support certain trees, build soil and hold water, with Kate Heiber-Cobb. Oct. 2, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

Restoring Your Woodland to Health: Bring birds and butterflies to your forest instead of garlic mustard and buckthorn, with Frank Hassler. Oct. 7, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

Landscape & Architectural Lighting Design: Advancements in LED: With Drew Tedford; talk and night walk. Oct. 8, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

Underutilized Woody Plants for Wisconsin Landscapes, Part II: Cultivars of woody plants that offer unique advantages. Oct. 9, 6:30, $15/$12.

African Violet Show/Sale: African violets and related plants on exhibit and for sale. Oct. 11, noon-5 pm; and Oct. 12, 10 am-4 pm.

Attics, Basements and Crawl Spaces: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Oct. 29, 6:30-8 pm.

Garden Design for Plantaholics: Remodeling your garden into a functional space and showcase plants. Oct. 14, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

General Heating System Maintenance: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Nov. 12, 6:30-8 pm.

Great Plants for the Autumn Garden Walk: Adding autumn interest to the garden. Oct. 22, 5 pm, $15/$12.

Basic Household Plumbing: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Dec. 10, 6:30-8 pm.

Inspirations from European Gardens: Latest trends in European gardening. Oct. 23, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

Saving Energy in Your Home: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Jan. 7, 2015, 6:30-8 pm.

Decorative Winter Container Workshop: Create one using plant materials from Olbrich’s gardens. All supplies provided. Nov. 5, 6:30 pm, $73/$59.

Common Bathroom Repairs and Replacements: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Jan. 21, 2015, 6:30-8 pm.

Holiday Bulbs Workshop: Forcing bulbs like amaryllis and paperwhites.

Nov. 6, 6:30 pm, $55/$44.

Basic Household Plumbing: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Feb. 4, 2015, 6:30-8 pm.

Permaculture Systems Designed Gardens: Basics of permaculture design, with Kate Heiber-Cobb. Olbrich Gardens, Nov. 6, 6:30 pm, $15/$12.

Water and Mold Class: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., Feb. 18, 2015, 6:30-8 pm.

Create Globe Ice Lantern Centerpieces for the Holidays: Ice lanterns and other winter luminaries, with Jennifer Hedberg. Nov. 10, 6:30 pm, $48.

Basic Home Maintenance: Project Home, 1922 S. Stoughton Rd., March 4, 2015, 6:30-8 pm.

Growing Super Fruits in Wisconsin: Planting healthy superfruits like aronia in your own yard. Nov. 22, 1 pm, $19/$15.

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