Metro Birmingham Living
Why i caRRy
a guN Three women explain their decisions to carry.
The localisT carrie Rollwagen on why shopping local matters
Tough as Nails
one man’s quest for fitness
JusT Peachy The fruit of summer
lessoNs fRom amsTeRdam sustainable living strategies for our city
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The Whole House
From the front porch to out back, here’s a look at trends that will make your summer at home extraordinary.
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ot only is your home a reflection of your own unique style, it’s that cozy nook you look forward to at the end of each day. Happy homeowners know it’s essential to keep up the comfort inside and out. From the sleek designs and functional convenience of kitchen appliances to smart tech tools that help you 144
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keep your grass greener and your water consumption in check, use these ideas to help you enjoy that beautiful space you call home. Achieve indoor/outdoor perfection. Make this your season for memorable outdoor parties with patio and porch furnishings to accommodate all the good times. Enjoy a vintage look? Go with classic Adirondack styles, which come
in a variety of colors. If contemporary styles suit you, many cube designs are now made in outdoor friendly wicker. Allow the comforts of lounging and casual dining with a sectional set, with versatile seating options. Sectionals have also become popular again inside the home. Summertime means the living is easy, right? So comfy furniture with plenty of lounging options
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seems like the perfect solution to relaxing with a good book or a Netflix movie on your iPad. Among some of the other trends making the rounds these days are black trim on windows, vintage tubs, libraries used as integral aspects of the decor, pale driftwood finishes on woodwork, hexagon and honeycomb shapes in furnishings or fabrics, light fixtures that make major statements, and the pairing of rustic with modern furnishings (a rustic dining table, for example, with modern chairs). Some aspects of home design naturally impact the whole house. Stacey Summerville of Inline Lighting in Pelham, for example, has her fingers on the pulse of trends in home lighting, and part of the current beat lies in the notion of variety. “Some of the most popular trends in lighting are in the finishes. Gone are the days of a whole house of bronze or 146
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nickel fixtures. Golds, natural woods, and antique silver are huge right now, and really blend with each other when choosing lighting for a whole house. I always encourage my clients to go beyond one finish, and really try to incorporate many different looks in their homes. Some other trends that I love are hanging two fixtures over a dining room table and hanging two pendants in a bathroom on either side of a mirror,” Summerville says. As with anything the key to success is understanding the position of the client. “The first thing I ask a client when they come in is what is their style and what is their vision for the lighting in their home. Typically, the homeowner will either have no idea what they are looking for, or they have it all mapped out with specific wants and needs for each room. Either way is totally fine, and we can work with you.
“If you do not know what style the rest of your house will be, or you have not bought furniture, you want to try and stay pretty neutral with your lighting. That way, whatever direction you choose to go, your fixtures are going to look great no matter what. If you do know how you want to decorate your house, then I enjoy finding specific fixtures that clients fall in love with. Whatever the case may be, you definitely do not want anything too trendy or wild, because you want your lighting to stand the test of time and remain something you enjoy looking at for years to come,” Summerville says. Finding the right products and style sense for your bathrooms and kitchen is an integral part of the designing process, whether you are building new or remodeling. With all the various styles and popular trends, it is important to consider your family’s needs. The best use of
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space, what is needed most in your bathroom, and the overall feel of the space are very important when creating your bathroom vision. At Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, showroom manager April Harrell can show you plenty to inspire your creativity. And not just in the bath— Ferguson focuses on kitchens as well. As the hub of the home, the kitchen is used for food prep and cooking, but it’s also used for entertaining visitors, storing gadgets, and eating meals. The design of your kitchen needs to accommodate all these activities. A kitchen needs to be functional so careful thought should be put into the layout and where each item will be placed, Harrell says. Some of the trends Ferguson sees include large farmhouse sinks in the kitchen, bath and lighting fixtures with a industrial strength feel to them, a design combination of black and white, and grey is a hot color. From warm to cool, 148
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the grey spectrum offers a large number of shades and undertones for unmatched versatility. Grey goes well with other colors and can work in upscale or casual designs. Whatever the color scheme, the fur-
niture choices you make have arguably the greatest impact on the impression of a home. As Lynette Mantooth often says: “Your home is a reflection of who you are, what you are and how you see yourself. In addition to your wardrobe, your home furnishings are an important personal interpretation of how you perceive yourself and how you treat yourself in the most important of personal spaces—your home.” For 40 years, Mantooth Interiors has been know for original, high quality home furnishings. No detail in our furniture collection is there by chance. These pieces are inspired by both traditional and contemporary references as our designers travel the world in search of the perfect piece. No matter the style you choose, the unifying factors in each piece of our collection of furniture are exquisite design, superb craftsmanship, and enduring value, Mantooth says. The key to finding the right furnish-
“My expert advice? Rely on an expert.”
AMY MATTHEWS TV Host and Licensed General Contractor
TV host and Licensed General Contractor Amy Matthews has built and remodeled lots of homes over the years. As an expert, she knows better than anyone the value of working with professionals – like the ones at Ferguson. Our product experts will help you find the perfect products from the finest bath, kitchen and lighting brands in the world, so you can take pride in your home – on every level. Set up your consultation with Ferguson today, and let us show you the possibilities for your next project. Visit Ferguson.com/Showrooms and schedule your appointment today.
©2015 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.
FERGUSON.COM/SHOWROOMS
Birmingham Auburn Tuscaloosa
(205) 254-3454 (334) 887-4210 (205) 345-3432
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ings is often finding the right furniture store. Issis & Sons has been serving the Birmingham area for the past 35 years. Through the Issis family’s dedication to customer satisfaction, hard work, and business ethics, the company has grown 150
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to become the largest carpet and oriental rug showroom in the state of Alabama, totaling more than 100,000 square feet. Issis & Sons now has locations on Pelham Parkway, Greystone Boulevard, Cahaba Valley Road, and U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills. “We’ve always listened to what our customers wanted, and they want convenient locations,” owner Steve Issis says. “We have four stores now, but they all
follow the same philosophy—that our boss is the customer.” Dedicated to providing affordable home furnishings, Stock & Trade Design Co. offers stylish and tasteful pieces to meet your budget. Upholstery, rugs, lighting, and antiques are merely a sample of what their large showroom provides. In addition to large furniture, they carry a great selection of home accents including candles, mirrors, frames, and lamps that are equally compelling. Stock & Trade Design Co. shows an affinity for classic style, clean lines, and modern sensibility. Their inventory of home decor is carefully curated and well maintained,
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storage solutions to help organize every room of your home. Our custom storage solutions will make better use of the space you already have. Whether you need a five-star bedroom closet, a cook’s dream kitchen pantry, hard-working home office, efficient laundry room, or a well-organized garage, A Better Closet has the systems and solutions to make top-flight storage a reality.
and their staff is committed to providing design expertise to all of their clientele. One of the most important aspects of home design is often something very few
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people see: the storage solutions for closets, pantries and garages. A professional design and installation service, A Better Closet delivers custom
“Like you, we want your home to look its best,” says Robert Duff of A Better Closet. “We also want to maximize every inch of space to increase your home’s storage potential and value.” In the end that is really what home and garden is all about: creating value for your family.
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Cocktails at Nothing’s more refreshing on a hot summer day than a cold, perfectly crafted cocktail. And you won’t find more diverse and distinctive sipping options than at the seven restaurants and bars at Uptown Entertainment District. Catch the weekend breezes on one of Uptown’s rooftop patios or take advantage of a Happy Hour special after work. At Octane Coffee+Bar, you can order a classic Negroni (and enjoy the fireworks when the bartender toasts the orange peel), or ask for a custom cocktail to match your mood. Even better, peruse Octane’s up-to-the-minute cocktail menu. Try a new flavor combination like the Five Alive, a shaken gin mix with hints of Aperol, fresh lemon, ginger syrup, cherry maraschino and grapefruit bitters; or the Iced Irish Latte, the most sophisticated, grown-up approach to iced coffee you’ll find. If you love all things Southern, you really need to try The Southern Kitchen & Bar’s Gentleman cocktail. Combining Maker’s Mark bourbon, sweet tea and fresh mint, this chiller puts all your favorite things in one glass. Feel like something tangier? Try the grapefruit-based Southbound or the Belmont, a grown-up lemonade laced with pomegranate. Happy Hour at The Southern is 3-6 pm, M-F, and there’s a DJ on the rooftop after 10 pm on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday afternoon! Beer cocktails are a specialty at Todd English P.U.B., tempering deep flavors like Guinness Stout with lighter brews. Chef Todd’s other signature cocktails include a Blood Orange Margarita and a Cucumber Gin & Tonic. Better yet, the P.U.B. is one of a few spots in town offering Happy Hour 7 days a week, from 3-6 pm. Enjoy live music at the P.U.B. Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7-10 pm. What’s a Mugarita? Well, it’s something they could only dream up in a fun-loving place like Mugshots Grill & Bar! Mugshots bartenders offer all your favorites in their repertoire, and they
Southern Kitchen & Bar
Todd English P.U.B.
Texas de Brazil
Octane Coffee+Bar
love to add fresh flavors to the classics, creating such treats as strawberry or raspberry mojitos. Happy Hour at Texas de Brazil, between 4:30 and 7 pm M-F, is a perfect time to try the Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. The Caipirinha combines the flavors of fresh lime and cachaca, a liquor made from sugar cane – and it’s a delicious way to cool off on a summer night. At Cantina Laredo, Margaritas, Mojitos and Sangrias come in a variety of flavors, all featuring fresh squeezed lime juice and the finest spirits and ingredients. During Cantina’s Happy Hour, at the bar from 4-7 pm M-F, enjoy specials on appetizers, tacos, beer, wine and the famous Casa ‘Rita! Bottle & Bone serves an impressive array of wine and beer, in bottles and cans as well as on tap. During Sunday Brunch, you’ll definitely want to treat yourself to a Bottle & Bone mimosa or beermosa!
Bottle & Bone
Mugshots Grill & Bar
Cantina Laredo
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