DasHaus April/May 2017
Moving in Couple re-locates house, makes it home.
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CONTENTS
Watch your diet‌4 Help prevent cancer by taking proper steps
At home6
Laundy woes.......12 Spice up cleaning time with a fresh look in the laundry room.
Turning a house into a home.
Das Haus is published and distributed by The Hays Daily News, 507 Main, Hays, KS 67601. Find it online at www.HDNews.net/DasHaus. Copyright Š 2017 News Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Das Haus is a registered trademark of The Hays Daily News. Printed by Northwestern Printers, 114 W. Ninth, Hays, KS 67601, northwesternprinters.com. Publisher, Patrick Lowry, plowry@dailynews.net Advertising Director, Mary Karst, maryk_ads@dailynews.net Designer, Nick McQueen, nmcqueen@dailynews.net (Cover photo courtesy of Amy Huxman) Account Executives: Joleen Fisher, Eric Rathke, MacKenzie Albers Creative Services: Chris Dechant, Jennifer Funk, Jessalyn Brungardt
Fenced in............14 Choosing the right fence for your home.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Linda Beech is a family and consumer science agent with K-State Research and Extension in Ellis County.
Prevent cancer with diet control
C
4 DAS HAUS April/May 2017
hances are your life has been touched by cancer — whether a family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor or even you yourself have been diagnosed. Cancer can leave us feeling helpless because many risk factors — such as age, gender, ethnicity, family history — are beyond our control. The good news is there are measures you can take to help prevent the disease. Since April is National Cancer Control Month, this is a great time to rethink your role in cancer prevention. This year, more than half a million Americans will lose their lives to cancer, and more than 1.6 million men and women will be diagnosed with this devastating illness. Lifestyle changes, along with early detection, can prevent nearly half of all cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society says that for most Americans who do not use tobacco, the most important cancer
risk factors that can be changed are body weight, diet, and physical activity. One-third of all cancer deaths in the United States each year are linked to diet and physical activity, including being overweight or obese. Eating well can help you prevent and beat cancer in a variety of ways. A healthy diet can lower your risk for developing cancer. And, if you have been diagnosed, eating well can positively support treatment and help you live well after treatment. Here are some general dietary guidelines to help reduce your cancer risk: 1. Maintaining a healthy weight is key to reducing your risk of cancer and other diseases. Being overweight or obese is likely to raise your risk for developing more than 13 types of cancer. Obesity can negatively affect inflammation in the body, the immune
system, the way in which body cells grow and levels of certain hormones. Regular physical activity can help to maintain a healthy weight, or help you lose weight, if needed. 2. Eat fewer foods that are high in calories and fat and low in nutrients. Foods with added sugars and fats can cause weight gain and leave little room for more healthful, cancer-preventive foods. Minimize intake of highly-processed foods, refined sugar, solid fats, and salted, charred, cured or smoked foods. 3. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables which are full of healthful vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants to help your body fight off cancer-causing substances. Include at least 2 cups of beans each week. The antioxidants in fruits, vegetables and beans may help protect your body’s cells from the damage caused by unstable free-radical molecules – damage that can lead to cancer. These foods also are excellent sources of fiber, which has been linked to lower risks of colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancers. And since the color pigments provide some of the nutritional benefits, fill half your plate each meal with a colorful variety of naturally nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. 4. Limit alcohol. Evidence suggests all types of alcoholic drinks may increase your risk of a number of cancers, including mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), esophagus, liver, breast, colon and rectum. It’s unclear exactly how alcohol affects cancer risk. It is considered more harmful when combined with smoking. If you drink at all, limit alcoholic drinks to no more than one drink daily for women and two for men. Although genetics influence our risk of cancer, most of the difference in cancer risk between people is due to factors that are not inherited. Avoiding tobacco products, staying at a healthy weight, staying active throughout life, and eating a healthy diet may greatly reduce a person’s lifetime risk of developing or dying from cancer. For more information, see the American Cancer Society resources on nutrition and physical activity at their website https://www.cancer. org/healthy/eat-healthy-get-active. html.
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AT HOME
Couples moves house, builds home
New to them W
6 DAS HAUS April/May 2017
hen Jeremy and Amy Hux- called a house mover, Bob Kuhn, Victoman began looking for a ria, that same weekend and got the ball home in Hays in the spring rolling. of 2003, they couldn’t find “It’s an amazing process,” Jeremy exactly what they wanted. That’s when said of the move. Jeremy’s mother suggested maybe they The top of the house first had to be should move a house. separated from the bottom. Using large Jeremy’s grandparents’ timbers and I-beams to temStory by home had been for sale in Ba- Savannah Downing porarily support the house, the zine, and they weren’t having foundation was knocked away much luck selling it. and the house was lifted and Photos by To purchase the land, the slid onto a trailer. Jolie Green top of the old house, to put “It took a long time to a new basement under it and to move even find the right route to Hays,” Amy it was cheaper than anything they could said. find in Hays. Some power lines had to be moved The top portion of the home was built to get the house through, and that had to in Bazine in 1954 by Elmer and Verna Erb be coordinated with the power compaon top of the original basement house. ny. A few trees had to be cut down that Jeremy’s mother grew up in the were near the home, and signs had to be home. pulled and then replanted once the house After his mother’s suggestion, they passed.
“We
always have a project we are working on together
as a family
...we
just enjoy making our house a home.”
- Amy Huxman
“It was a horrible, windy day during wheat harvest,” Jeremy said of the day the move took place. Ultimately, it took 10 hours to move the home the 60 miles from Bazine to their land north of Hays. Once just a wheat field, the land behind Amy’s parents’ house was the spot they picked for their new — to them — home. “June 26, 2003, is when it came down that driveway,” Amy said. The Huxmans weren’t able to move in until September. Once they put the top on the basement, it was fairly move-in ready as there was no damage to the walls during the move.
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COURTESY PHOTO
After they moved in, the improvements began slowly. “What we did at first was very basic. At that time we didn’t really have the money to do anything,” Amy said with a laugh. Jeremy has a custom cabinetry business that they built a shed to accommodate, and their next priority was the yard. “We ‘live’ outside during the spring, summer and fall, so the yards were the most important thing to get done for us,” Amy said. She said they’ve planted hundreds, maybe even thousands of flowers, 50plus trees, built the driveways, and every year they add to their different spaces. The front yard has berms with flowers, flowering bushes, grape vines, ornamental grasses and native cottonwood trees that define the space. Lilac bushes from nearby were transplanted to property, as well. They also added an orchard which includes various fruit trees including cherry, apple, peach and pear. A space which includes trampolines, a zip line, a fort and a swimming pool is
the place for the kids to hang out. The Huxmans have two sons, ages 14 and 16, and an 18-year-old daughter. Behind the house sits a pizza oven made from recycled street bricks which anchors the patio area and raised garden beds with rhubarb, roses, raspberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, potatoes, onions and much more. “We have a large herb garden for our fresh herbs every year,” Amy said. “Mint, lavender, chives, cilantro, oregano, basil and rosemary.” Her starter plants are kept in a greenhouse which was added approximately two years ago. The greenhouse was constructed from salvaged windows and wood. “A business in town was going to just get rid of the windows, so I gathered them up,” Amy said. Another unique feature is the animal fencing which came from an old cemetery, and animals themselves are of no shortage on the Huxman property. Current pets include four dwarf nubian goats, chickens, dogs and cats. Animals who have previously called
the property home are sheep, pigs, a horse, and calves. “The pigs just rooted the yard up,” Amy said with a laugh. “We won’t have pigs again.” Between the projects outdoors that keep them busy and the various projects that Jeremy and the kids do out in the shed, it’s easy to see why the renovations just moved indoors within the last year or so. “The house is only 1,254 square feet,” Amy said. “But we don’t need anything bigger.” Amy, who completed interior design courses in 2014, now can help her husband create 3-D computerized design plans for their clients. Those interior design courses came in handy when Amy began designing the spaces within their own home. Amy describes the style of their kitchen as transitional. There are many traditional elements mixed with modern and industrial touches. The kitchen boasts beautiful, semi-custom cherry cabinets with leaded, beveled glass on some of the
uppers. Amy’s mother, who has created stained glass pieces in the past, was commissioned for the glass work in the kitchen. White quartz adorns the countertops, and a butcher block island with seating completes the space. Original oak floors in the living room were inter-woven with new wood that runs throughout the kitchen. A wood-burning stove in the living room was one of the first big purchases for the interior and is used primarily to heat the home. Future plans for the interior include renovating the bathrooms as well as adding crown moldings and built-ins. However, the Huxmans said their clients’ projects always come first, which doesn’t leave much time for their own renovations. They say they would rather take their time and get it right the first time. “We always have a project we are working on together as a family...we just enjoy making our house a home,” Amy said. “It’s definitely a labor of love.”
Interior look Designer knows how to add personality to temporary quarters.
Carlos Gonzales, Tribune News Service Designer Sue Hunter at her apartment in Minnetonka, Minn., which she decorated in contemporary style with “French flair.”
Home for now
10 DAS HAUS April/May 2017
By Kim Palmer Tribune News Service Most renters don’t invest a lot of time or money on decorating their apartments, especially when they don’t plan to stay long. Not Sue Hunter. When the interior designer, owner of Home for a Change, found herself between homes, she pulled out all the stops to make her temporary rental her own. First she rented a truck and went speed-shopping for new furniture, accessories and quick-fix “decor helpers” like decals and drapery panels. Then she began a three-day marathon of moving, styling and picture-hanging until her two-bedroom apartment in Minnetonka, Minn., was a showcase of her personal taste and style. “This does not look like an apartment,” she said of her finished creation. Hunter became a renter after years of homeownership when she sold her longtime home in December 2015. Her three children were grown, and the house, with its half-acre lot,
pool and gardens, required too much upkeep. “I was traveling more, and I had to hire people to take care of it,” said Hunter, who works with design clients in both Minnesota and Florida. “I wanted to keep life more simple.” She started looking for a condo, but couldn’t find the right one. “I didn’t like anything I saw,” she said. “Everything was too dark, or I didn’t like the building, or it was too expensive.” So after selling her house, she opted to rent — and resume the search for a condo in early 2017. She found an apartment she liked that had tall windows and a barrel-vault ceiling in the living room. “It makes it feel so much bigger,” she said. But even though the high ceiling made it feel more spacious, the two-bedroom apartment was less than half the size of her 2,800-square-foot house. She would have to dramatically downsize her belongings.
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And many of her things just weren’t going to work in the apartment. “It was painful to leave my house,” she said. Parting with some of her beloved artwork was the hardest of all. But Hunter seized the challenge of paring down and transforming her apartment into a place that felt like home. To get started, she culled her furniture and accessories to the few pieces she wanted to bring with her, including a gray velvet sofa, a few pieces of artwork and her favorite area rug. “I would not give up my zebra rug,” she said. Some of her other favorite pieces went to her mother. “I decorated her independent-living apartment with them, so I still have the enjoyment of them. She loves them.” Hunter sold the rest of her stuff at an estate sale. Then she went speed-shopping, hitting affordable stores like Home Goods, Ikea and At Home to buy furniture and accessories that fit the apartment. “All my big stuff I had to replace,” she said. Hunter moved in on a Saturday, and by Tuesday, her apartment transformation was complete. She worked late into the evenings until the last piece of artwork was hung in place. “I had to get it done,” she said. Now that the space is decorated the way she wants it, her short-term home feels cozy and comfortable. The style is more contemporary than what she had in her house, with “French flair,” she said. “I have a love affair with Paris — the architecture, the fashion.” The color palette is dramatic black and white, accented with gray and pops of turquoise. Some of the furniture is mirrored, and Hunter also added huge framed mirrors as a decorative element. “I love mirrored stuff. I love the reflection of it. Now things just sparkle.” Like most renters, Hunter couldn’t change the structure or the 1980s-era finishes and fixtures inside her apartment. But she found other ways to add flair — from peel-and-stick murals and decals, to plug-in chandeliers, to battery-operated mood lighting. To create a focal point on one wall, she chose a giant mural — a black-andwhite photo of a woman gazing at a mist-shrouded Eiffel Tower. “You can
Carlos Gonzales, TNS A drapery side panel trimmed with ribbon dresses up a plain shower curtain. peel it off and it won’t damage the wall She’s also not a fan of her kitchen or leave a sticky residue,” she said. floor tile, so she dressed it with an area Floating shelves from Ikea add rug. visual interest and a place to display All told, Hunter spent about $4,000 books and accent pieces in her guest for new furniture and accessories to fill bedroom. “They’re so neat and clean. her apartment. It was worth it, in her You don’t have ugly brackets,” she said. opinion, to “surround yourself with evTo dress up her windows with their erything you love so it doesn’t feel like generic blinds, Hunter added side-panel an apartment.” Her experience inspired draperies. She also hung bold blackher to start an “Apartment Decorating” and-white-striped side panels to create board on her Pinterest page. a “French bistro” effect for her kitchen. She recently resumed her hunt for Even her bathroom got a floora condo and found one to her liking to-ceiling drapery panel, edged with last week; she’ll close on it in April. ribbon, to dress up the shower curtain. She’s looking forward to having a more What she didn’t like in the apartpermanent home, but she enjoyed her ment, she hid, including the towel bars time in the apartment. in the bathrooms, which she covered “People who rent think it’s not up with new towels. “It didn’t cost a lot theirs, so they don’t do stuff,” she said. of money, but it made a big difference,” “I’m thrilled to have people over and she said. have it looking pretty.”
Berry Berry Quite Contrary Kayla Berry is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys creating, decorating and re-purposing old furniture and decor.
Laundry room
face lift L
12 DAS HAUS April/May 2017
aundry is not my favorite activity. The actual task of doing laundry isn’t so bad I guess, but the putting away part is where I get a little annoyed. Laundry in itself is kind of annoying but for most of us laundry is a part of everyday life. My laundry room was pretty much a blank, messy canvas so I decided to give it a new life. I chose to repaint the room a pale yellow color. Maybe the cheery color would brighten my mood while dousing every other article of my kids’ clothing with Spray N’ Wash. We bought a piece of plywood, had the hardware store cut it to size, I stained and sealed it, and my husband installed it over our washer and dryer. If you don’t have a huge budget this is
a great choice for a counter. This added so much extra space and was under $50. I added a tension rod under the counter and attached some fabric with clips. This hides the huge washer and dryer and gives it an old-school feel. In a smaller laundry room like ours, bags that hang from the walls are perfect to store dirty clothes in because they do not take up much space. All I had to do was screw some hooks into the studs in the wall and I had a place to hang the bags. Blue and yellow are a pretty color combo in my opinion, so I added a lot of touches of blue throughout the room.
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BEFORE
A rug was added, old cabinet doors that I painted were hung on either side of the window, a laundry sign and valance and various other knickknacks were added in as well. When decorating a new space I like to “shop” around my house for items that maybe need a new home, a new paint job or are just sitting in storage. The lamp is a perfect example. I grabbed it out of storage and with some new paint and a custom shade, it is a unique piece in the laundry room and it cost me nothing. I have to say, laundry isn’t as painful anymore since I have a cute, organized room to stand in while doing it. If only I could figure out an easier way to get those clothes put away.
AFTER
Fencing yourself in Planning on building a fence for your yard?
Choosing the best fence for your home By Laura Firszt More Content Now Thinking of adding a front fence to your home? Or maybe you need replacement of your old fence after winter storms battered the life out of it. Whatever the case, now is the time to start planning for the best-looking, most practical fence for you and your property. Find out how to deal with construction-related paperwork (ugh) and choose a type of fencing that will give you the best results. Do your homework first Plan ahead to prevent problems; be sure to check out the laws in your area. You will probably need to pull a permit if you intend to build a front fence over 3 to 4 feet high (unlike backyard fencing, which usually requires permitting only if it tops 6 feet.) Your regional building department may also spell out details such as how close to your house you are allowed to install a fence and what materials are acceptable. HOA Approval As well, your Homeowners’ Association will have its own two cents to chip in about permissible materials, colors, and styles; get written HOA permission for your planned fence installation before you ever start the project. Ask your fencing contractor to provide samples for HOA approval. One-Call Number Don’t forget to contact a local onecall number to avoid digging where utility lines are buried. Clarify what you need the fence for. A new fence in front of your home might serve any one — or more — of a wide variety of purposes. Deciding exactly why you want to install the fencing will help you choose the best material and construction for the job.
14 DAS HAUS April/May 2015
Style and Curb Appeal A decorative fence made out of ornate wrought iron or neat white pickets could be just the right touch if
you’re looking to bump up your home’s curb appeal. Be careful to match the fencing to your house, whether with a complementary color or a similar style. For instance, think quaint split rail fence or rock wall for a country cottage; bold aluminum fencing would suit a contemporary home. Pillars flanking the gateway will give a regal look to a large and stately residence. Privacy The warm-weather season is when you’re most likely to be hanging out on your front lawn. Bamboo fencing has a lot to offer if it’s privacy you crave — the material is dense enough to conceal your yard from passersby, but won’t make you feel like you’re confined by prison walls. This reasonably priced option adds a summery look to your property, allows air circulation on hot ‘n’ humid August days, and is easy to take down for storage in the fall. Keeping Animals In or Out Let’s face it … a 3-or 4-foot fence will be easily jumpable by that hyperactive border collie you want to keep inside; let him or her off-leash only in your backyard or a nearby dog park. To confine smaller animals — or to prevent undisciplined neighborhood dogs from wandering onto your prized green grass or attractive xeriscaping, standard-height front fencing will generally suffice. Choose a solid design with no large openings. If your pet loves to dig, add a wire or concrete footer to the bottom of your fence. Support for Climbing Plants There’s no place like home, especially if it’s fronted by a fence draped in rambling roses or wisteria. What is the ideal material for this purpose? Wait for it … chain link. That’s right, the fencing that many folks love to hate works extremely well as a support for fragrant flowers — or even vertical vegetables like runner beans, should you have limited garden space. Moisture trapped by climbing plants won’t damage your chain link fence, unlike wood.
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