Home & Garden 2015 by Northern Virginia Daily

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March 28, 2015

Home&GARDEN

March 28, 2015

The Northern Virginia Daily

TOMATO adds SEASON variety to area salads

Following instructions on seed packets, grow tomatoes where they will receive daylight but also have air circulation. Run a small clip-on fan or oscillating fan for about four hours a day to prepare plants for outdoor conditions. “That will build a stronger plant,” Heishman said. After transplanting them in mid-May, use small shields made from cardboard for a couple days to protect plants from harsh morning light and help them acclimate to the sudden change in conditions that she said can shock plants. “That sun comes up in the morning pretty intense on the plant,” Heishman said. “It’s like a magnifying glass.” If there’s no morning dew on a tomato plant’s leaves, the plant will get sunburn, she said, repeating a line many older farmers have told her. That goes for all types of tomatoes, she said.

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The tomato is a popular plant in a home garden. Courtesy photo by Janet Heishman

By Josette Keelor Vegetable gardening doesn’t get much easier than growing tomatoes. Scientifically a fruit, it’s America’s favorite vegetable and the No. 1 most-grown crop, said Janet Heishman, co-owner of Gabalot Gardens in Strasburg. “It’s probably the easiest vegetable to start, besides the green bean,” she said. But, without the right conditions, tomatoes are also easy to kill. Specializing in tomato and vegetable starts for the home gardener, Heishman said although it’s a little too early for tomatoes yet, it’s nearly time for starting seeds indoors. In the northern Shenandoah Valley, the last threat of frost is around May 10-15, so Heishman recommends gardeners count back six weeks on a calendar to when they should begin their indoor garden - around March 30-April 4.

Home&GARDEN

The Northern Virginia Daily “They’re all about the same,” Heishman said. “They’re just different shapes, different colors, different flavors.” Starting plants inside is all fine and good, but Terry Fogle, retail manager at Fort Valley Nursery in Woodstock, said it isn’t necessary. “A lot of people start them indoors to give themselves a little bit of a head start on their tomatoes,” he said. But he stressed that starting them outside in the garden won’t make them ripen any sooner. Tomato plants need the soil to be warm enough day and night, he said. Otherwise, “they’ll just sit there.” They also need enough water, but not enough to drown them. Use potting soil if starting them indoors, he said, and fertilize them sparingly, especially if using a high nitrogen fertilizer. Heishman even recommended using a seed starting mix, sold at garden centers or farming stores. Those serious about growing tomatoes might benefit from having their soil tested to determine nutrient quality, which Fogle said varies considerably throughout the region. Tomatoes won’t grow well in a high clay area and should not be planted in a low spot of the yard that doesn’t drain well. Rotating tomatoes each year to different parts of the garden will help spread nutrients throughout the plot and ward of sickness in disease-prone crops.

Both experts warned never to plant tomatoes near a black walnut tree, which Fogle said exudes a toxin called juglone that inhibits tomato growth. Plant tomatoes outside the drip line of a walnut tree’s canopy, said Heishman, who even separates black walnut leaves from mulch used on tomatoes. Mulching, she said, is important for helping prevent the spread of disease from the soil onto the plant’s leaves when it rains. Though likely to recommend organic seeds through her store, Pot Town Organics at 181 W. King St., Strasburg, Heishman said she isn’t as strict with tomato seeds. “Tomatoes are not genetically modified in this country,” she said. Even organic companies sell hybrid tomatoes, which she said are a combination of two or more types of tomatoes. But heirloom tomatoes are important to keep the market going, too. “We need the heirlooms, because that’s our gene pool, and we can make hybrids,” she said. “We need variety.” “Mother nature likes variety.” Visit Gabalot Gardens at 373 Green Acre Dr, Strasburg, or call 540-465-3246. Visit Fort Valley Nursery at 1175 S. Hisey Ave., Woodstock, or call 540-459-5151. Contact staff writer Josette Keelor at 540-465-5137 ext. 176, or jkeelor@nvdaily.com.

March 28, 2015

Bernice Masch, of Strasburg, holds home-grown tomatoes. Courtesy photo by Janet Heishman

April Showers Bring... R A I N B A R R E L S DONʼT MISS FREDERICK COUNTYʼS RAIN BARREL AND COMPOST BIN PRE-ORDER SALE Now underway through Sat., April 4 on-line at www.frederickcountyva.gov or fcrecycles.net

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Debit and credit cards accepted on-line. Unable to order on-line? Order by mail. Send your check along with your request to: Frederick County Recycling, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601. Be sure to include a daytime phone number! Check must be received prior to April 4.

Recycled plastic barrels and bins come complete with necessary hardware and easy setup instructions. Available through this pre-order sale only. Sample barrel and bin on display in the administration building. For more information about this event and the environmental benefits of rain barrels and compost bins, visit www.fcrecycles.net, www.enviroworld.us or call the recycling office at 665-5643, ext. 1.

March 28, 2015

Home&GARDEN

The Northern Virginia Daily

CORRALLING DOGS

is his passion

By Tom Crosby Tim Cline’s 4 1/2-year-old business has gone to the dogs. Cline, 36, is the franchise owner of DogWatch, a company that sells electronic radio collars and hand-held transmitters to train a dog to stay in the yard, avoid certain areas in the house, control its barking and stay close to its owner while walking or jogging. The company, headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, has been recognized as a “Best Buy” by Consumers Digest, and Cline said there are currently 2,000 customers he serves in Frederick, Clarke and Warren My goal is counties and the cities of Winchester to get customers and Strasburg. comfortable with Two of the comhow they want to pany’s BigLeash training collars retrain their pet. One ceived a “best in pet thing I like is it products and resources” award in provides convenience 2014 from Family and comfort in Choice, a product and service rating bad weather. You can organization. let the dogs go out “It’s great to be by themselves to able to protect someone’s animal do their business... because pets are really part of the famTim Cline, ily,” said Cline, a DogWatch native of Winchester and James Wood franchise owner graduate who worked primarily as a farrier before taking over the franchise from Dan Nicholson, who had owned it for 20 years. “I had purchased DogWatch from Dan and used it for several years for my German short-haired pointer and was impressed with it,” said Cline. The chance to be in business and help owners train their dogs appealed to him. “I get out and meet people, get to work with animals; I love it,” said Cline. “He’s great,” said Linda Roberts of Southern Clarke County. She and her husband Chuck live in the country and use DogWatch with their three rescue dogs ‚Äì all terriers. “Tim is easily accessible, very professional in his approach, easy to talk to and explains things very well,” said Tim Cline, owner of DogWatch of Winchester, trains a golden retriever using the DogWatch system. Linda Roberts. “We have a lot of land around us and we Courtesy photo by Tim Cline needed a way to keep dogs at home rather than wandering

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Home&GARDEN

The Northern Virginia Daily

around the neighborhood. We didn’t want outside to keep a pet out of a driveway, to build a fence in our backyard, we pool, swing set, sandbox or garden. wanted to keep the open look.” Indoors a wireless transmitter can sigWillie, Sadie and Smokey [the newest nal off-limits to a pet with a range up to terrier addition], wear collars with a bat- 8 feet in diameter. tery and when they near the under“My goal is to get customers comfortground wire there is able with how they a beeping sound want to train their and if the dog goes pet,” said Cline. beyond the bound“One thing I like is ary he gets a mild it provides convenItʼs great shock. The boundience and comfort in to be able to ary is lined with bad weather. You flags at first and can let dogs go out protect someoneʼs the dogs visually by themselves to do animal because learn the limits. their business and “You can set the not worry about pets are really collars at different them running into part of the family. levels,” said Linda. the street or highTim Cline, “Smokey’s is very way. It doesn’t hurt light and it beeps the dog and preDogWatch when he gets near vents the dog from franchise owner (the boundary). getting hurt.” They learn pretty Cline said he loves quickly. You want animals, especially them to respect the boundary but not be his friendly brown Boykin spaniel, “Gunterrified of it.” ner,” who is 2 years old and has been Cline notes the company is approaching trained to be a hunting dog using Dogits 25th anniversary and that its prodWatch. ucts have expanded to include cats, as “I can always talk from experience,” he well as dogs, and they can be configured said.

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March 28, 2015

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Home&GARDEN

The Northern Virginia Daily

In the photo at left, Keenan Moreau of Le Faux Chateau shows a pair of repainted oak kitchen cabinets that have a distressed touch added. At right, Nelson Estrada repurposed an old table with a unique painting design inside Le Faux Chateau in Front Royal. On the cover, Keen Moreau, left, and Nelson Estrada, right, sit on a coffee table inside their design studio Le Faux Chateau at the corner of South Street and South Royal Avenue in Front Royal. They are interior art specialists who paint walls and repurpose furniture and decor. Photos by Rich Cooley/Daily

FRONT ROYAL’S unfaux getable little store

By Tom Crosby Front Royal’s Le Faux Chateau is the real deal. Faux means imitation and inside this funky little house on South Street are mindchallenging collages of artistically painted walls you can’t believe aren’t wallpapered. Ordinary, everyday furniture like tables and chairs are cluttered about, magically transformed by layers of paint and design into instant conversation pieces. “We want our store here to show how you get that warmth and design in your house,” said Keene Moreaux, who with his partner, Nelson Estrada, are master manipulators

of as many as 30 different colors of regular household paint in a way ShermanWilliams never dreamed of. Just ask Blake Pierpoint, owner of the Blake and Company Hair Spa in Front Royal. She gushes when describing the weathered beach wood design surrounding her shop’s working fireplace. “Customers look at the fireplace and say, ‘Oh, you put wood around your fireplace. It looks great.’ and then they touch it and can’t believe it is painted,” said Pierpoint. Above the counter in the Le Faux Chateau’s kitchen, customers can see what appears to be tile on the wall, even rough to

the touch where grouting should be, before realizing it is actually just paint layers with different textures and colors. Moreaux and Estrada’s creations are more than paint, though, according to Tarita Lymus and her husband Derek of Clinton, Md. “Our house had no color, no paint, just bare walls and we had lived here for four years and it felt like a shell,” said Tarita. “Now it feels like I have my own personal Picasso on my wall.” Given free rein to do the entire first floor of their home, Moreaux and Estrada saw that Mrs. Lymus liked elephants, so they painted an elephant and then framed it on

one wall. “When she first saw it, she ran over and hugged the wall,” said Derek. “When we come home now it’s like visiting the Guggenheim in New York or the Smithsonian or the Nashville Museum of Art,” said Derek. “It’s so creative you can just sit and stare at any wall. It’s that type of excitement, like an art gallery.” Moreaux proudly says, “We try to change people’s home environment in a way that affects their attitudes. We have never had a client that wasn’t happy with what we did.” Moreaux, 50, grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and worked at a car dealership when during a visit to Cornell University

with a friend he discovered faux painting. Intrigued he took a week-long class in Atlanta, Georgia, at Deborah’s Design House, a faux finishing school. He was hooked. Later, he convinced his friend, Estrada, 36, who had emigrated from Guatemala 10 years ago (and was once on Guatemala’s Taekwondo Olympic team) to learn and join the faux painting business. “My mother always said do the best you can and I tried to do that but my (construction) boss never appreciated that,” said Estrada, who now bubbles with enthusiasm and ideas on how to create something extraordinary out of the ordinary. They consider themselves paint psychologists who try with their art and knowledge to create an aura of warmth and comfort in a house, changing the attitude of the homeowners. “They did our teen-age daughter’s bedroom and the first time she walked into it, it was an awakening experience for her,” said Derek Lymus. “She had been having trouble sleeping at night, now she sleeps like baby. It has been very therapeutic.” While most of their work was in the Washington, D.C., metro area, Moreaux was living in Front Royal’s High Knob neighborhood. “We were putting 65,000 miles a year on our van so we decided to open a shop here in Front Royal two years ago,” said Keene, and now locals are discovering them and van miles are decreasing. All the store items are for sale, gathered during weekend trips to auctions, flea markets, estate sales, and store walls are repainted by the pair every two months to show the versatility of faux painting. “There isn’t a pattern of wallpaper that we can’t mimic,” said Moreaux. “We have

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March 28, 2015

Keene Moreau stands along a wall in his design shop showing a knock down wall on the right that was originally a damaged wall. A knocked down medium, similar to plaster, is added to the wall and it is painted and a glaze is added. Moreau changes the design of his interior walls every three months to show a new look. Rich Cooley/Daily redone kitchen cabinets for one-third of the price others have quoted. We work with the person’s budget, no matter what it is — 20,000 square feet or 300 square feet in a mobile home — we will give it the best we can do.” They have done the homes of celebrities, like a member of the performance ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, an all-woman group expressing their African-American history in song, dance and sign language. They were the first group to perform in the White House for the Obamas. When the economy tanked a few years ago, their business quadrupled in the D.C. market, said Moreaux. “Prices may vary due to house size and rooms but it is always cheaper than the alternative and that helped us,” said Moreaux. “People see what we do and think they can’t afford us.” Keene plans to teach week-long faux painting classes this spring and fall, limiting the class size to 10 students and teaching all the faux painting techniques. “Most people can’t tell it’s faux when they see it,” said Keene, “and the best part is if someone changes their mind in two years, it is easy to paint over it.” “You have to be devoted to it, eat, sleep and think about it,” said Moreaux. “If you really love this business you will be successful.

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The Northern Virginia Daily

March 28, 2015

Home&GARDEN

The Northern Virginia Daily

SPRINGTIME yard equipment tips By Henry Culvyhouse NEW MARKET — As spring comes to the Shenandoah Valley, area residents will be breaking out their lawn mowers, weed eaters and hedge trimmers to groom and maintain their lawns until the leaves begin to brown. Trey Moomaw, co-owner of Route 11 Equipment Sales, said as folks start their first spring yard clean up, they might encounter equipment issues. To avoid equipment break down, Moomaw offered the following tips for some of the season’s more frequently used yard tools.

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Blades, people run them all year, they havenʼt kept up with them, theyʼre worn down and rusted, they can get off balanced and ruin your bearings and spindles and belts. Try Moomaw, co-owner of Route 11 Equipment Sales LAWN MOWERS “Nine out of every 10 lawn mowers we get for repair in the spring have fuel-related issues,” Moomaw said. “If you’re dealing with a tank of old fuel and it smells bad, probably the best thing to do is get it out of there,” Moomaw said. “Take the line off, let the carburetor drain the fuel and take it to a disposal center. We have one here.” Moomaw said because most fuel has 10 percent ethanol in it, if the fuel sets for too long, it begins to separate with the fuel rising to the top and the ethanol setting at the bottom. The concentration of ethanol means it will leave enzymes deposits, which can clog fuel lines, Moomaw said. “The big thing these days is how long fuel is going to last. The manufactures say

Trey Moomaw shows off one of the latest weed trimmers at Route 11 Equipment Sales, which is located at 9800 S. Congress St. in New Market. Henry Culvyhouse/Daily every 60 to 90 days, the old fuel needs to be gotten rid of,” Moomaw said. The separation doesn’t just happen in the lawn mower, but also in gas cans, Moomaw said. “Folks have fuel left over from last year,” Moomaw said. “The can’s half empty, it’s been sitting out in the building and it’s

been 100 degrees and minus 10 in there and condensation builds up, which causes the separation.” Another issue Moomaw sees this time of year is batteries. Moomaw said because today’s lawn mowers have two cylinder engines as opposed to one cylinder, they need bigger batteries.

“You’re cranking over twice the amount of engine, so you need to get that 300-, 350-volt battery, so it will start easier and the battery will last longer,” Moomaw said. “During the winter ... charge the battery with a trickle charger or start the mower and let it run for 15 minutes to charge it up.”

People should also keep the decks of their lawn mowers clean of grass clumps and their blades sharpened, Moomaw said. “If the deck gets wet with the grass on it, the deck will rust out before you know it,” Moomaw said. “You got pulleys near that deck and they get water, they’ll rust out too.” Moomaw added, “Blades, people run them all year, they haven’t kept up with then, they’re wore down and rusted, they can get off balanced and ruin your bearings and spindles and belts.” Moomaw also recommended changing the oil, air filter and spark plug after every 50 hours of use, mainly due to the build up of dust in the engine. “These aren’t cars driving on a road, they’re in the grass and building up all sorts of dirt and what have you,” Moomaw said. OTHER EQUIPMENT AND ISSUES • Weed eaters: Moomaw said weed eaters are especially prone to fuel issues because they use a two-stroke fuel additive that lubricates the engine. He said weed eaters need to have fresh fuel and storing them “dry,” without gasoline, can lead to cracked lines, so either fill the gas to the top to reduce condensation or use an ethanol-free fuel made for storage.

Home&GARDEN Also, Moomaw said removing the grass guard at the bottom of the weed eater is bad because the guard has a blade on it that keeps the line at a proper length. Too long of line can lead to a burned-out clutch. • Weed eater line: If a weed eater’s line is old and brittle, Moomaw recommends putting it in a five-gallon bucket filled with water for a month to restore its flexibility. • Warranties: Moomaw said while most manufacturers have five-year warranties on equipment, issues related to old fuel are not covered by warranties. “That’s on you,” Moomaw said. • Hedge trimmers: Keep the blades sharpened and oil it after every use, Moomaw said. Dull blades can tear, rather than cut, limbs, which result in brown bushes. • Chainsaws: Keep the blades sharp, Moomaw said. Dull blades can overheat the bar and create finer dust, which can clog up the engine. • Throttle: Lawn equipment is designed to operate at full throttle, Moomaw said. At full throttle, the engine can cool adequately. Contact staff writer Henry Culvyhouse at 540-465-5137 ext. 184, or hculvyhouse@nvdaily.com

March 28, 2015

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The Northern Virginia Daily

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Home&GARDEN

The Northern Virginia Daily

HORTONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S draws winter-weary customers

Becky Stotler, a manager at Hortonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nursery in Winchester, waters a group of geraniums inside their greenhouse south of Winchester recently. These plants will be blooming in a couple weeks, giving homeowners a hearty dose of color in their yards. Rich Cooley/Daily

By Tom Crosby As the Winchester area suffered through record low temperatures and some late heavy snows this winter, customers went to Horton’s Nursery to get a humid reminder of what spring will bring. “They were just doing their homework,” said Becky Stotler, one of the three comanagers of the Independent Garden Center and Nursery near Winchester, just off Route 522 near the Walmart Supercenter. “When there is some sunshine during January and February people like to come in and see something green,” she said. “They say it helps them keep their sanity.” This past week’s warmer weather has spawned an uptick in visitors as they explore colourful native flowers to plant in the next few weeks, like yellow and pink yarrow or Columbine’s purple, pinks and reds - both easy to maintain perennials attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. “Columbine became popular after the school shootings in Colorado,” said Stotler. Currently, the nursery has experienced a resurgence in the purchase of geraniums, those easily grown pink, white and purple flowers that are considered the gardener’s favourite and one of the most popular to survive sudden drops in spring or fall temperatures. “Fairy gardens are also becoming popular,” said Stotler, who has conducted classes in horticulture for children in schools and adults in assisted living facilities. “People in condos and apartments want something green to take care of,” she said. Figurines and small statuary can be configured with small ponds or rivers to make a compelling conversation piece, she noted. In addition to its plethora of flowers native to the area, the nursery sells shrubs, seeds (including vegetable seeds), soils, trees, outdoor furniture, gardening tools, statuary small and large, and offer landscaping and landscaping services with clients for whom they build gardens every spring. Vines have become popular, paralleling the state’s increasing prominence in winemaking, said Stotler. “Clematis and Silverlace are native flowering vines that attract butterflies and hummingbirds,” she said, while trumpet, wisteria and grape vines are also in vogue. More people are planting grape vines so

Home&GARDEN the kids can see them grow and then eat the grapes as a hands-on learning experience, she said. The vegetable business booms in the warmer months with fast growing green beans and cucumbers (fastest). “Tomatoes require patience,” said Stotler and cold crops, which can be planted in early spring and often reproduce in the fall include lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard and broccoli. “When the economy is bad, vegetables become more popular,” said Stotler. There is some irony in their nursery’s proximity to the nationwide Walmart chain since her father helped set up tropical counters in Garden Centers for KMart and used his flora contacts to start Horton’s Nursery in his garage 38 years ago. Eventually, Jim Horton opened his nursery on Route 11 and after he died, Stotler, her husband, Mike, and her sister, Rhonda Bradford took over managing the nursery for their mother Nancy Horton. They moved it to the current location, sometimes hard to see since there is no large highway signage like Walmart’s. While the trio have been in the nursery business for decades, “There is still a lot we don’t know,” said Stotler. “There is so much in this field, you can’t know it all. When we don’t know, we say so. We would rather lose the sale than say the wrong thing.” Summers can be brutal in Shenandoah, Frederick and Warren Counties and Stotler said the main reason plants die in this area is a lack of water, especially in July and August. “Plants need water and we may get a downpour but people forget foliage can act as an umbrella. What is needed is a slow drenching rain and when that doesn’t happen, people need to water their plants,” Stotler said. “Weather is always tricky.” And while watering their own vast array of plants seems like it would be a costly expense, Stotler said heating bills are their most expensive cost. “When it snows we have to heat our greenhouse even when there is nothing in it so that the snow doesn’t collapse the roof, and we need to keep the temperature up on colder days to protect plants,” she said. While people may tell Stotler it is nice in a family business she is quick to say, “It just owns us. I have been doing this (with my father) since I was 12.”

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The Northern Virginia Daily

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The Northern Virginia Daily

FRONT ROYAL BUILDER believes in saving energy By Tom Crosby Britton Bowman, of Middletown, began saving money the minute he moved into his new energy efficient house and turned on the electricity. His all-electric home’s monthly bill was close to $300, which meant in the course of a year he would now save roughly $2,400 in electric bills compared to his prior home. Two years ago Bowman went to Sustainable Homes in Front Royal and upscaled from a 1,500-square-foot home with a bill averaging just over $200 a month to his newly constructed home of roughly 4,000 square feet to add living space for his mother-in-law. Success showed up immediately in the electric bill, said Britton, one of more than a dozen homeowners who have purchased a home over the past four years through Sustainable Homes. Without the energy savings, Britton’s bill would have averaged more than $500 a month. “We make sure any house we build meets U.S. EPA’s home building require-

ments,” said Sustainable Homes President Clint Pierpoint, 32, who was raised in Front Royal with a family and relatives all involved in the building industry - carpenters, plumbers, contractors, electricians, etc. Pierpoint’s company was selected as Best Home Builder in 2014 by Virginia Living Magazine, and uses Energy Star, a voluntary program designed to save money and protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Energy Star inspects Pierpoint’s home construction during the building process to make sure it is meeting the Environmental Protection Agency requirements designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - two-thirds of which come from homes, buildings and industry. Pierpoint invites the homebuyer with him when Energy Star representatives show up to do an inspection. Following their suggestions typically makes a home Clint Pierpoint, owner of Sustainable Homes LLC of Front Royal, points out 20-30 percent more efficient. energy-efficient insulation in one of the homes he has under construction “Clint kept me up to date on what was going on and why they were doing certain on Apple Mountain in Linden. Rich Cooley/Daily

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The Northern Virginia Daily things, sealing up air flow and those little things you might not have thought of,” said Britton. “Seeing the building process helped me understand what goes into that Energy Star certification.” Some energy conservation tips include properly installed insulation; locating ductwork without tight turns; sealing air leaks around electric outlets, windows, wall frames and foundation; putting a high efficiency heat pump in a shaded area; stacking bathrooms to conserve water usage and hot water loss, and directing drain water runoff away from the house. Energy Star describes its checklists as examining thermal enclosure, water management, heating, ventilation and air conditioning so that they use “building science practices that promote improved comfort, indoor air quality and durability in certified homes.” Pierpoint now has seven employees, some of whom are relatives, building homes for him - four are in construction now - and they, like he, “don’t like to see builders doing it the old way just because it is easy and cheap.” A home is the largest investment many people make,” said Pierpoint. “Our credo is ‘Build it once, build it right.’ We have made a commitment to high-quality workmanship and materials so the owner will

March 28, 2015

recoup his investment and live in comfort knowing his house was well built and saves money due to the way it was built.” Doug Saylor, who built a 2,260-squarefoot-house two years ago in Oak Hill using Sustainable Homes, said, “It holds the temperature inside better than any other house I have been in.” When Saylor talks to friends or neighbors who have a house of comparable size he says their electric bills are almost double the $140 of his average monthly bill. Katrina Williams, the company’s executive assistant, noted, “It’s like getting an interior decorator when you build your home.” Pierpoint started his career as a real estate salesman with Weichert Realtors and after nine years decided to start his own construction company after buying distressed homes, fixing them up and then selling them. “We started in 2010, in the heart of the recession,” said Pierpoint. “I thought we could survive building one or two houses a year. We have been averaging four.” Located at 824 John Marshall Highway in Front Royal on the second floor of Weichert’s Front Royal office building, Pierpoint says his success has been mostly from word of mouth and referrals from real estate salespeople.

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This photo provided by Sherwin-Williams shows the COTY kitchen in the colors of Hubbard Squash and Coral Reef. Coral is one of this spring’s “it” colors, and Sherwin-Williams has picked Coral Reef as its color of the year. Lighthearted yet sophisticated, it’s got a tropical vibe but looks good in northern light as well. Pair with black and white for drama, or coordinate with soft neutrals or pastels like pale green and butter for a more peaceful look. AP/Sherwin-Williams

FROM PASTELS TO ‘NOIR’ the colors of 2015 decor By Kim Cook Associated Press

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This photo provided by Overstock.com shows a Calantha mirror. The rich deep red of this Calantha wall mirror from Overstock is one of the major color trends for 2015. AP Photo/Overstock.com

For 2015, the hot colors in home decor range from yummy ice cream pastels to a few deep, saturated hues. The pastels include blush, sky blue, vanilla, lilac and pale peach, hues traditionally associated with tropical or desert climes. But they work in northern light, too - just ground them with darker shades like charcoal, chocolate or navy. Mint and shell pink might seem lightweight or juvenile at first glance, but the way they’re being used gives them some gravitas. A task lamp; a midcentury-style chair; a bookcase rendered in one of these hues, a room instantly looks Right Now. Mints to consider include Behr’s Mountain Mint and Pratt and Lambert’s Glacial Green; check

March 28, 2015

Celebrate Our 7th Season Stop In for Our Weekly Specials

A Safavieh Palmer checkerboard ottoman from Overstock.com has a nickel nail head trim to dress it up. AP/Overstock.com pecan and walnut that speak to retro style but also reference classic taste. Color giant Pantone has deemed Marsala its color of the year. New York designer Elaine Griffin is delighted: “I think it’s a winner. Red is a color that we haven’t seen in a while. In this interpretation as a deepish wine hue, it’s both fresh-looking and sophisticated, and pairs stylishly with the new neutrals of gray, smoky teal and black.” Kling said some colors have a mysterious quality “one can’t quite identify - and Marsala is one of them. It draws us in. Not quite brown and not quite burgundy, Marsala lends sophistication and warmth.” She says it’s well-suited to textures, and as a saturated hue it’s something special; she just did a velvet chaise for a client in Marsala velvet. While it’s already emerging in some furnishings, appliances and cabinetry, Marsala will likely turn up in much more from retailers come fall; it projects coziness, warmth and luxury. Watch in the fall, too, for olive green, deep teal, burnt orange and mustard, all punctuating midcentury modern style. Fruity acid versions of lemon, lime and grape will nod to mod, ‘70s-era décor. Pratt & Lambert’s color of the year is Noir, a bold, inky blue-black. Kling calls it sultry and forbidding. A tray ceiling in a master bedroom, painted like a night sky, comes to mind. “I can imagine a lacquered Noir library, dining room or other cozy space used primarily at nighttime,” she says. Griffin loves the bold choice. “Black and deep navy were once seen as the most theatrical colors, the exclusive domains of the uber-stylish and certainly not for the faint of heart,” she says. “But 2015 officially heralds their establishment as neutrals.”

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out Pratt and Lambert’s Coral Pink and Behr’s Secret Blush for a gentle yet sophisticated soft pink. Each year, paint companies and color trend gurus assess which hues will be hot in fashion and décor. Many choose a “color of the year.” Coral Reef, a vibrant pink-orange, is Sherwin-Williams’ pick. Debra Kling, a New York-based color consultant, thinks it’s a region-specific hue. “It feels more suitable for South Beach, the Southwest or the South Pacific,” she says. Jackie Jordan, color marketing director for Sherwin-Williams, says the color embodies a cheerful approach to design that’s a hallmark of 2015. “From our research, we know people do seek colors and décor that bring back memories of a destination vacation,” she says. “Coral Reef evokes that for people; others just love the color.” She suggests pairing it with white, black, or floral hues like lush green or deep violet to make it really sing. To calm things down, consider complementary shades of soft gray, driftwood or butter yellow. Patinated brass and medium wood tones would also be pretty accompaniments. Benjamin Moore has gone with Guilford Green, a soft hue that some decorators and designers see as too pale while others tout its versatility as a “standard, go-to green.” Framed with crisp white, Guilford Green gives off a pretty, garden-room vibe; add deeper floral tones like peony, daffodil and iris to enhance the botanical feel. Undertones of gray and brown make it a perfect color against just about any wood, creating a restful backdrop for a kitchen, nursery or sunroom, and it’s a good exterior hue, too. Check out Farrow & Ball’s Breakfast Room Green, a similar shade. Blues will also be strong this spring in decorative elements and room color, evoking locations as diverse as the South Pacific and the Pacific Northwest. There’s global influence with indigos, while the navies have a preppy complexion. Behr’s Solitude and Vintage Velvet, and Benjamin Moore’s Blue Danube and Harbor Fog are all attractive. Glidden’s top color for 2015 is a beachy, intense Caribbean Blue. Another blue getting buzz is Pittsburgh Paint’s color of the year, Blue Paisley. Some designers think it’s pretty but not especially “new,” since it’s been punctuating the popular gray palette for a couple of years now. Nonetheless, it’s a color with legs. You’ll see it and a deeper teal in accessories and textiles, and as accents on smaller furniture pieces. It can lend a midcentury aesthetic to trim upholstery and woods like

Home&GARDEN

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The Northern Virginia Daily

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18 March 28, 2015

The Northern Virginia Daily

LET THE SUN SHINE IN cleaning windows & window treatments By Lisa A. Flam

“It’s not hard,” she adds. “It just takes a little bit of time.” If simply removing dirt isn’t reason If you’re like some people (ahem) who enough to clean, consider that dust can put up window treatments and never give dull the fabric of curtains and shades. them a second thought, even as dust accu- Household odors can linger. And washing mulates, this might just be the season to helps preserve the fabric, especially for pay them a little respect. window treatments that get a daily dose No need to stress out about adding anof sunshine, says Tammy Kupernik of reother task to your spring-cleaning to-do tailer Country Curtains. list: You don’t have to clean curtains, “If you don’t wash them, the sun will shades and the windows themselves break down the threads,” she says. THAT often. And many times, it’s not that “Washing them keeps the colors bright, it difficult. keeps the threads soft and it does add to “In our experience, the windows and the life of the curtain.” window treatments are something that CURTAINS AND DRAPES people avoid cleaning because they’re not Window treatments should be cleaned entirely sure the best way to do it,” says once or twice a year, experts say, and the Betsy Goldberg, home director of Real best method varies by material. Some can be refreshed in the washer or cleaned Simple magazine. Associated Press

This photo shows Divine Sheer curtains. Window treatments should be cleaned once or twice a year and the best method varies by material. AP/Country Curtains

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with a vacuum, while others may require a pro. Start by reading the care tag or directions that came with the product: Some items are dry clean only. If the instructions are unavailable, experts offer general guidelines: Most curtains that are lined or made of silk likely require dry cleaning, Kupernik says. Curtains that are not lined or insulated usually can be washed by machine, in a short, gentle cycle with cool water, she says. Those made of a poly-cotton blend can usually go in a medium-heat dryer, but 100 percent cotton curtains should be line-dried to prevent shrinkage. Curtains and roller shades that are insulated with a bonded layer that keeps out the cold can be machine washed in a short, gentle cycle in cool water and line dried, Kupernik says. If the insulated sides touch each other while drying, they can peel off and ruin the curtain. Sheer and lace curtains should be washed by machine in a short, gentle cycle with cold water and line dried, Kupernik said, adding that both can be touched up with light ironing. Once sheers get in the high heat of a dryer, wrinkles become permanent, she said. After curtains come down for cleaning,

dust the rod before hanging them back up. If you don’t want to take them down, Goldberg offers this method for cleaning unlined curtains made from lightweight, sheer or semi-sheer fabric: Close the windows and the curtains and spray the curtains with a wrinkle releaser/odor eliminator product. Use a handheld fabric steamer, working from bottom to top in 1foot sections, holding the steamer nozzle about an inch from the fabric. For drapes, which are generally made of heavier fabrics like brocade, suede or velvet and are often lined and pleated, vacuum each panel on a low setting with the brush attachment, holding the vacuum about an inch away from the fabric, Goldberg says. Fabric curtains and shades, except silk ones, can usually be spot cleaned with warm water and a mild laundry detergent like Woolite, Kupernik says. OTHER BLINDS AND SHADES Clean Roman shades with a vacuum or roller brush, Kupernik says. Vinyl shades can be cleaned as needed with a sponge. Goldberg suggests vacuuming wood blinds and wiping each slat with a cloth dampened with a mix of water and a few drops of dish soap, wiping off excess moisture with a dry cloth. First, angle the slats down and wipe each one; then angle them

March 28, 2015

up and repeat. To clean the cord, pull the shade all the way up and run the damp cloth up and down it, followed by the dry cloth. If you have a wand, follow the same steps with the cloth. WINDOWS For window panes, if the glass gets dirty enough, you may want to clean them every few weeks. “Realistically, if people get around to it every few months, that’s fine,” Goldberg says. Before cleaning, sweep dirt from the screen and window frame with a brush like the one that comes with your dustpan, or the vacuum with the dusting attachment. Spray glass cleaner or a mix of

water and a squirt of dishwashing soap and wipe with a microfiber cloth, starting with the outside and then the inside the panes and moving in an “S’’ motion rather than back and forth to avoid redepositing dirt. Goldberg suggests wiping in a horizontal motion on the inside, vertically on the outside so you can more easily find streaks and wipe those areas again. Clean on a cloudy day because direct sun makes the glass cleaner dry too quickly and leaves streaks. Lisa Flam can be reached at bylisaflam@gmail.com or on Twitter at @lisaflam

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20 March 28, 2015

The Northern Virginia Daily

SPRING DECOR TRENDS A modern mix with a dash of Marsala

Freedom Pal!

By Kim Cook

medallion and tile patterns, bold preppy stripes, and new twists on damask, geometrics, color block and watercolor prints. Kate Spring is a favorite transitional time for lovers of home décor. Shaking out the rugs Spade has collaborated on a new collection and washing the windows after a long win- with West Elm, for instance, that includes chairs and bedding in fun, sophisticated ter feels satisfying, and then there’s the graphics, florals and spatter prints. prospect of perhaps replacing some old, The other news is that designers are mixshabby furnishings with fresh new pieces. ing things up, so an antique Bentwood Spring’s also when we start to see the chair can be paired with a glossy red desk, decor trends that will find their way home for instance, or a rustic flat-weave rug can both figuratively and literally through sumsit in front of a 19th century marble manmer and fall. For 2015, these trends include a firm em- tel, or a farmhouse table can be placed brace of midcentury modern; emerging Art under an ornate glass chandelier. “Design pros have always known it’s the Deco; strong textures; organic modern (a combination of finishes that give a room blend of rustic and contemporary); and a color palette centered on sophisticated pas- style - it takes the sleek with the matte; textured with flat; and a mix of painted, tels. wood, ceramic and metallic finishes for a Motifs from the Far East, Morocco and room to look ‘done,’” says Elaine Griffin, a India remain strong, but now there are more Greek and South American elements, New York-based designer. Now, thanks to home-design TV shows including Hellenic patterns, blues paired with crisp whites, native motifs, and color- and social media, we’re all becoming more knowledgeable decorators. ful, woven textiles and baskets. Ikat and chevron, workhorse prints for the Feeling confident and inspired? Let’s look at some of what spring’s got in store. past few years, are being edged aside by Associated Press

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lent come autumn, you can jump on the trend now by adding dashes of the hue. Overstock’s Presley throw pillow comes in a striking deep-red-and-white houndstooth print. The Calantha wall mirror features a lacquered frame carved in a floral design. And Safavieh’s Palmer ottoman pairs creamand-red, windowpane-printed cotton with nickel rivets for a versatile little bench. Look for color used in dramatic ways: a navy lacquered cabinet (at CB2), or a glossy burgundy vanity (Hastings Tile & Bath’s Made collection). Black is back, in a sexy bowfront chest at Wisteria, on walls (Noir is Pratt & Lambert’s color of the year) and in Pottery Barn’s new Stinson bedroom furniture with curly, barley-twist details. Griffin predicts that kitchens with a lot of black mixed with lighter woods or white - will be hot this year. Sophisticated pastels - what Griffin calls the “Jordan almond” hues - grace textiles, case goods and even lamps, with mint green and blush pink being the dominant colors. Wisteria has a collection of sleek, contemporary, sea-foam green acrylic desks and tables with a waterfall edge. Textured linens, silks and cottons in toneon-tone or colorful embroidered prints, embossed fabrics, leathers, and luxe velvets will grace drapery, upholstery and rugs.

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FURNITURE STYLES Griffin sees midcentury modern becoming even more entrenched in the décor landscape. The pieces are comfier than the originals because of modern construction methods and materials. “The new shapes are the love children between midcentury modern’s twigginess and the traditional overstuffed look. They’re so fresh-looking that they’re irresistible,” she says. West Elm’s Peggy collection of trim, tailored sofas and loveseats feature nubby cayenne or pebble-gray upholstery tucked under slim, pecan-stained legs. The Crosby collection puts a tufted cushion on a trimmed-down wingback that’s especially smart in armchair and sectional versions. Griffin says Art Deco will really start to emerge this year. “We’re seeing its first wave now in the new linear, jazz-inspired graphics and block prints,” she says. “I’m predicting that we’ll be seeing Deco-inspired furniture and accessories for fall 2015 and spring 2016, viewed through the sleek aperture of midcentury modern.” COLOR AND TEXTURE A heady blend of plum, wine and burgundy, Marsala is Pantone’s color of the year, and while it’s likely to be more preva-

Home&GARDEN

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Home&GARDEN

LEAKS

not the only sign a roof might need fixed By Carole Feldman

Home Depot. “It’s indicative of the granules being worn away,” he said. Weather-related damage can include ice A harsh winter has taken a toll on many damming, when water backs up under the roofs. Maybe there’s a tell-tale leak, but some- shingles, ices and then begins to melt. High winds can dislodge shingles or the times problems are harder to spot. flashing around chimneys or skylights. When the snow melts, it’s a good time to REPAIR OR REPLACE? take stock. Age is one factor in deciding whether to IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS repair or replace a roof. John Galeotafiore, associate director of “If the roof is about 20 years old and home improvement testing for Consumer you’re getting leaks, you’re probably going Reports, recommends that homeowners to have to change it,” Galeotafiore said. take out a pair of binoculars and check the roof from street level. Roofing contrac- You might be able to patch newer roofs if the damage is limited. tors also can be hired to inspect the roof. “It gets down to aesthetics,” Englehart Do you see any missing shingles? Are some of them curled or cracked? Are there said. “If it’s on the front side of the house I don’t want to patch. The patch is going to pieces of flashing missing? be a different color.” Dirty or splotchy shingles also can be a Sometimes, new shingles can be layered sign of a problem, says Jim Englehart, senior merchant for building materials at over an existing asphalt roof, saving some Associated Press

labor costs. But no more than two layers total is advised, in part because of the added weight on the home. ROOF TYPES Most homes in the United States have a pitched roof. Asphalt shingles make up a large share of the market, but some roofs are slate, metal or a composite material. Wood shakes and tile also are used. A lot depends on your aesthetics and your budget. “You could spend an extra $30,000 for real slate or wood shakes - or you could get a similar look for much less,” Consumer Reports said. And then there’s geography. “Different kinds of material will perform better in different climates,” said Bill Good, executive vice president of the National Roofing Contractors Association. In the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, he said, a lot of asphalt shingle is used. Asphalt shingles come in two main types: three-tab shingles, which are a single layer, or laminated or architectural shingles, which are thicker. But strong sun can take a toll on asphalt roofs, so in Florida and the Southwest, roofs are frequently made of tile, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association. In New England, you see a lot of slate because that’s where it’s quarried, according to Good.

The Northern Virginia Daily Composite shingles are made to look like slate or wood shakes. “The look would be as close as you could get to the real thing,” said Mark Hansen, vice president of sales and marketing for DaVinci Roofscapes, based in Lenexa, Kansas. The company uses a high-performance polymer for its roofing materials. Metal roofs range from steel to copper and other materials, either in panels or in shingles similar in size to asphalt shingles. Good said they last a long time, and “also tend to be reflective, so they can help with energy conservation inside the home.” Check a roofing material’s weight to make sure it’s OK for your home. As for cost, asphalt is generally the lowest among roofing options. Slate and copper roofs, for example, can be much costlier. PICKING A CONTRACTOR Replacing a roof is probably not a job homeowners want to do themselves, experts agree. Good recommends talking to two or three contractors before deciding on one. Besides comparing prices and warranties, check that the company is insured and has a permanent place of business.It’s also good practice to ask for references, Good said.

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The Northern Virginia Daily

Home&GARDEN

March 28, 2015

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24 March 28, 2015

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The Northern Virginia Daily

AGING GRACEFULLY How midcentury modern classics adapted By Katherine Roth

houses to this day is incredibly unique.” Through photos, detailed floor plans and time lines, and the voices of architects, NEW CANAAN, Conn. - In the years builders and occupants, the book traces after World War II, when suburban towns the original structures and subsequent were still “the country,” this unassuming additions, devoting a full chapter to each village an hour north of Manhattan became an epicenter of modernist architec- home. Unlike the modernist architecture of the ture, and a birthplace of then-radical Midwest, New Canaan’s modernist homes concepts like family rooms, floor-to-ceiling directly reflect the principles of the windows and open-plan living. Bauhaus school of design in Germany, esSince then, the surviving homes have continued to evolve, a transformation ex- tablished by architect Walter Gropius. When the Nazi regime closed down the plored in a new book that looks at 16 of New Canaan’s 91 remaining homes from Bauhaus in the 1930s, Gropius became chairman of the architecture department this influential era. at the Graduate School of Design at Har“These homes were meant to be truly vard. He was later joined by Marcel modern, to adapt. Preservation is about Breuer. Together, the two passed on their keeping the character while allowing aesthetic - emphasizing volume; large these homes to move on,” said architect areas of glass juxtaposed by blank walls; Cristina A. Ross, who with architect Jefflat roofs; freedom from architectural orfrey Matz, photographer Michael Biondo namentation - to students and associates. and graphic designer Lorenzo Ottaviani Breuer, Eliot Noyes, Landis Gores, Philip produced the book, “Midcentury Houses Johnson and John Johansen, all early Today” (Monacelli Press, 2014). In New Canaan, she said, “the concentra- promulgators of modernism in New tion of homes and the number of surviving Canaan, became known as the Harvard Associated Press

This photo provided by courtesy of The Monacelli Press shows the exterior of the Breuer 2 House Pavilion, by architect Marcel Breuer (1951), with addition by architect Toshiki Mori (2005-7), from the book, “Midcentury Houses Today,” published by The Monacelli Press. In the years after World War II this village an hour north of Manhattan became an epicenter of Modernist architecture. AP Ross. “They were designing the offices for IBM, for big corporations, and people became so enamored of the work environment that many CEOs wanted to bring that streamlining and flow to their home life.” Although these architects’ work is wellknown, the ways their structures have been transformed over time is not. The book offers ideas and a rough roadmap for those looking to adapt modernist-inspired

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Five. They moved to New Canaan, near the last stop on a spur of the commuter rail line and near the newly constructed Merritt Parkway. Land was cheap and plentiful enough to allow for new experiments in architecture. They were soon joined there by architects Victor ChristJaner, John Black Lee and others. “They were experimenting, and they were fast and furiously creating the way they felt people should be living,” said

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The Northern Virginia Daily

homes throughout the U.S. “Some of these homes now have a second story, and some were expanded in other ways, while others were restored and updated and not expanded at all. There are many different approaches that allow the original house to continue to shine while moving on,” Ross said. Both Johnson and Black Lee, when invited to see changes made to homes they had designed, said they thought the character of their works had been preserved, the authors say. In fact, the evolution of homes of this era seems crucial to their survival. The original homes tended to be modest by contemporary standards, with interior areas of around 2,000 square feet. Their designs reflected European sensibilities and so tended to have small bedrooms and minimal closet space. To adapt to changing expectations of comfort in affluent New Canaan, many of the homes were expanded, with larger bedrooms, en suite bathrooms, media rooms and wine cellars. Also, higher energy costs meant that glassed-in areas had to be upgraded and homes refitted with state-of-the-art mechanical systems. At the same time, additions demanded a creative approach so as to retain the aesthetics of movement, simplicity, openness,

and sensitivity to site and nature, while respecting zoning regulations limiting the structures’ footprint. One of the more striking additions is a glassed-in staircase and cantilevered master suite by Toshiko Mori, a sort of transparent floating tree house that extends out into the woods behind a 1951 Breuer house. “Additions to midcentury modern buildings do not necessarily harmonize with existing construction. Instead, they may introduce a different, more contemporary interpretation of modernism,” writes John Morris Dixon. Adds Ross: “Preservation doesn’t mean stagnation. These houses were meant to live and breathe with families, and not end up like museums or time capsules.” For a firsthand look at midcentury modern architecture in New Canaan, visit the Glass House, Philip Johnson’s well-known 1949 residence and surrounding structures, which became a National Trust Property in 2007. (www.theglasshouse.org) Also, the New Canaan Historical Society features a detailed survey of the town’s midcentury homes, and runs tours of the 1957 Gores Pavilion (Irwin Pool House) and, every couple years, tours of some of the modernist homes in the town. (www.nchistory.org )

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The Northern Virginia Daily

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