Colleen’s Picks

Colleen Coleman is the Principal of CMC Design Studio LLC located in Saratoga Springs. With certifications in Kitchen & Bath Design, Aging in Place and True Color Expert, her curated design extends into all areas of her field including new construction, historical and major renovations. Her passion is in designing & customizing hand-crafted cabinets for all areas of the residential market.

A carefully curated selection of HOME DÉCOR ITEMS

WRITTEN BY COLLEEN COLEMAN OF CMC DESIGN STUDIO LLC Saratoga Springs… A town of Health, History and Horses! A town filled with amazing people who have been working together to hold each other up in the last few months. We are Saratoga, we are courageous, we are stronger side-by-side and we are ready to be together again! So, grab your cup of Saratoga Mineral Water and come with me as I celebrate some of our extraordinary local shops and discover reveling in togetherness! From rejoicing with our graduates to remembering our loved ones. Let’s begin to live our life to the fullest! To appreciate the sweet lemonade made from our recent lemons and charge into the future with the fury of the Roaring 20s! I don’t know about you, but while I am home, I made a list of all the things I knew I had to change after truly living in my dwelling. From painting to updating window dressings, I have slowly managed to give my home a little boost over the past few months. It made me feel accomplished, renewed in fact! My outdoor gardens are ready to go and if you have been following my social media, you know I have already started my vegetable garden indoors. And I hope you had the opportunity to take advantage of the design tips I had posted; from selecting the right color & brightness for your light bulbs to new fabrics and wallpapers! I know many of you loved seeing the colorful new lines which are sure to bring a fresh beginning to any updated space.

To change your mood, you don’t need to go all out. 23rd [and Fourth] has several new items that will surely enhance your favorite room in the house. At the entry, handmade Door Mats crafted in Maine from lobster netting are sure to greet your guests with a smile! Sturdy enough to withstand any weather New York can dish out, the 1” thick mat is resistant to mold & mildew and will not fade! With colors ranging from Sage Green, Sand, Charcoal, Fog Gray with Sand and Sand with Charcoal, they are bound to offer the perfect welcome at any porch. Need to feel the sweet scent of summer? Pick up their Mimosa Candle with a signature champagne effervescence infused with a perfect blend of freshly squeezed oranges. It will leave you with a feeling of a morning brunch with friends! Made from premium soy wax, the candles are prepared in a repurposed wine bottle…now that is right up my alley! And who couldn’t use a collection of these adorable Cherry Print Paper Place Mats! Designed in collaboration with Vicki Sawyer, the 24-sheet pad is a generous size at 18.5” x 24.5”. Other scenes available are the Ice Cream Social and the Farmers Market with a playful chalkboard option to boot! Now that’s a great start to a family gathering with easy clean up!

23RD [AND FOURTH]

103 Excelsior Ave Saratoga Springs 23rdAndFourth.com 518.584.3700

At Accents at Allerdice, they are still featuring the ever-popular Water Wick Candle Fountains. They were such a hit at the Saratoga Home & Lifestyle Show, that the store owner just had to bring in more! Available in 5 pastel colors; pink, yellow, green, blue, and purple, these charmers can be set to operate with a timer or by remote control, adding a touch of summer fun to your indoor or outdoor entertaining spaces. Sit back and relax, with the touch of a button, the candles flicker while a gentle fountain bubbles like a liquid flame! And talk about a great feature for your home office or reading nook. Water’s soothing sound encourages a peaceful tempo for thought which leads to relaxation. And don’t we all need moments of repose these days!

And where would we be without our loved ones? Celebrate your special bond by sharing the gift of DEMDACO Time Well Spent Wall Art by the Sharon Nowlan Collection. Inspired by the beauty of Nova Scotia, these timeless art pieces capture the joy of spending time with loved ones…something I know we all have come to appreciate more deeply. Themes range from Friends, Dreams, Special Moments (great for shower or wedding gifts!), A Place Called Home and more! You can’t go wrong giving these as a gift or adding to your own collection of heart-warming art!

Now one of the things I have been missing is gathering with my friends at the pool over a shared feast of outdoor culinary delights! My hubby is a grill master and you would just love his seasoned chicken! I know my chef is in need of a new grill and Earl B. Feiden’s is my place to find the best outdoor cooking appliances. Yes, outdoor appliances! We so often refer to our hard-working outdoor kitchens as “the grill area” when in reality, they are an extension of our kitchen and should be treated as such. If you cook outside just as much as you do inside, then why compromise on the appliances you use? Made you think, didn’t I? Well here are three fabulous outdoor cooking appliances that will take your grilling expertise to a whole new level! The XO (XOGRIL36) Pro Grade Luxury Gas Grill offers three separate cooking zones powered by three 22,000 BTU burners offering the capabilities of your indoor range. With removeable steel dividers, it allows you to cook different foods side-by-side at different temperatures. I’m loving this model already! And the ceramic InfraRed TM burner will heat from 0-1000 degrees in under a minute…can you just taste the savory filet mignon?! The dual shell hood opens effortlessly with a spring assist mechanism revealing a cooking area of 1,235 sq. inches! I think my eyes just popped out of my head! There is so much more, but alas…I do need to tease you with two more options.

ACCENTS AT ALLERDICE

2570 Route 9 Malta, (inside the Allerdice Ace Hardware) Allerdice.com/divisions/accents-at-allerdice 518.899.6222

EARL B. FEIDAN 1771 Route 9, Clifton Park EarlBFeidan.com 518.383.2215

If you love wood-fired flavor in your cooking, the Traeger Pellet Grill (TF30LZB) is for you! This versatile cooking experience allows you to smoke, grill, bake, roast, or braise while maintaining a preset temperature within +/- 15 degrees Fahrenheit for precision cooking. The 18lb hopper moves your Traeger all-natural hardwood pellets to the fire pot which feeds the flames and adds delicious flavor to all your outdoor dishes. Imagine your beef enhanced with bold hickory, or sweet apple wood infused into your pork…I am licking my lips imagining my next BBQ! If that weren’t enough, the airflow inside of the grill allows for convection cooking… do you know what that means? …PIZZA!

Yes, the possibilities are endless!... I must move on…

And last but not least, the Lynx Professional Series Gas Grill (L54TR) which boasts one Trident TM Infrared burner and three Cast Ceramic Burners fashioned from red brass for producing and retaining heat, giving you a total of 98,000 BTUs! With an upper cooking tray that stores out of the way, a dual-position rotisserie with its own rear infrared burner...another 14,000 BTUs I may add... it collectively conjures a total cooking area of 1,555 sq. inches! And just in case you want to smoke your food, a premium smoker box is included! Yes…it has the easy lift hood with interior lights and LED blue knobs. An all-inone I’d say! So now it’s your turn to pick which one would be most pleasing to your chef! Sorry I made it so hard to choose!

I mentioned I started my garden…don’t you want to get your garden going as well? Lakeside Farms has a wide selection of Vegetable Plants to choose from. A great activity to do with your kids and a learning experience beyond the computer screen! While you’re there, don’t forget to select from their variety of Hanging Baskets and Annuals. A good entertainment space needs a pop of color from potted plants to garden beds! I've already purchased several of the hanging pots myself! And what would a trip to Lakeside Farms be without scoring a dozen of their Cider Donuts! A mouth-watering experience that is worth the trip from anywhere! If you love their homemade soups, be sure to follow them on Facebook for the Soup of the Day! Did I hear someone say dessert? Oh yeah…Their Pies are available in limited quantities. If you want to ensure your favorite variety is available, be sure to call and order in advance at (518)399-8359. All these goodies are available at their take-out window with hopes of the Gift Shoppe opening the first two weeks in June!

EARL B. FEIDAN 1771 Route 9, Clifton Park EarlBFeidan.com 518.383.2215

LAKESIDE FARMS 336 Schauber Road, Ballston Lake LakeideFarmsCidermill.com 518.399.8359

Moving inside…oh no, not there again! Yes, let’s have a little designer-to-reader chat about all the things we saw in our homes as we actually spent some time there. Lot’s of honey-do lists were written…I know…you can’t hide them from me! One of the rooms that needs to function at peak performance is our kitchen. These days, it’s a temporary office and a classroom for all ages while still needing to be the center of the home for functional purposes… like cooking! If you’ve worked on your culinary skills over the past few months and have decided a new kitchen or updated appliances are in order, then I have a treat for you! Marcella’s Appliance is working hard to create a cooking experience for you at a budget that is not out of reach for high performance appliances! Take for instance the 30” Wolf Gas Range (GR304). You’ll feel like a gourmet chef with its precision temperature control, from searing a filet to melting chocolates for your covered strawberries. The spacious convection oven cooks your dishes and desserts evenly, allowing you to enjoy the fruits of your labor with friends and family alike! And don’t miss the infrared broiler that sears quickly and crisps your crust to perfection! And who wouldn’t want a set of their iconic knobs in classic red, black or brushed stainless. Pair your new range with a Wolf 30” Cooktop Wall Hood (VW30S). Beautifully welded seams and edges echo the mastery of Wolf’s craftmanship. Not just eye-candy…this heavy-duty stainless-steel hood will keep your cooking area well illuminated while a powerful, four speed blower draws any cooking odors and smoke out of your way! A marriage made in culinary heaven!

MARCELLA'S APPLIANCE

15 Park Ave., Clifton Park MarcellasaAppliance.com 518.952.7700