HOME
&
GARDEN FALL 2010
Roughing it at the lodge Low impact living in style Preserving Whidbey’s bounty Custom wood beauty that lasts generations
PUBLISHED AS A SUPPLEMENT OF THE WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES & SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD
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H&G | FALL 2010
FALL 2010 | H&G
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HOME
&
GARDEN
{ CAPTURING
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SUSTAINABLE INSPIRATION: Lowimpact features highlight couple’s dream home. LEAFING THROUGH HARD CHOICES
WHIDBEY ’ S ISLAND STYLE }
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ROUGHING IT: The Cook’s lodge-style home has a cozy feel. A CAN-DO: A great way to beat the recession.
H&Gstaff
Publisher Marcia Van Dyke Editors Brian Kelly, Jim Larsen & Jessie Stensland Design & Layout Nathan Whalen, Katie McVicker & Michelle Wolfensparger Copy & Photos Justin Burnett, Dennis Connolly, Roy Jacobson, Katie McVicker, Jessie Stensland & Ben Watanabe
Advertising Manager Terri Tinker Marketing Sales Robyn Bainbridge, Sarah Felger, Pam Heathers & Patrick Shanahan Advertising Services Ginny Tomasko Production Manager Michelle Wolfensparger Advertising Design Rebecca Collins, Holly Rinne & Leslie Vance
Additional copies of this publication, subscriptions and advertising information can be obtained by contacting:
WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES | 360-675-6611 PO Box 1200, 107 S. Main Street, Ste. E101 Coupeville, WA 98239
Sally’s Garden
u Sale th0rth 3 . t p e S
A Treasury of Delights for Your Home & Garden
12 14
BUILT TO LAST: Furniture for the next generation. FLOORING COMPANY GAINS TRACTION
CONTENTS
inside
See how one local Greenbank artist got inspired by his garden’s bounty, and turned an ordinary vegetable’s abundant foliage into beautiful outdoor adornments, and cast himself into a new business venture. PAGE 6
Connect to what matters
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H&G | FALL 2010
Sustainable inspiration Low-impact features highlight couple’s dream home BY DENNIS CONNOLLY | STAFF REPORTER
S
ome homes are collaborative efforts — the husband, the wife, the architect and builder all working together to achieve a vision. Such is the case for Donna Keeler and Mark Varlgen, a Coupeville couple who wanted to build a house of recycled material and to maintain as much water on site as possible by using low-impact development features. Varlgen is a hydrologist and civil engineer and Keeler is a regional transportation planner for Island County, so they had strong ideas about what they wanted. Ultimately, their house reflects their ideas as well as the contributions of many others.
Varlgen loves Craftsman-style houses and Keeler loves Spanish colonial. Their home incorporates the two styles, with handcrafted wood features and fitted furniture, but also a semi-circular balcony coming off the upstairs bedroom over the living room. They both credit their architect with listening to them and even driving around their Coupeville neighborhood to see what would work and what might not. It also had to have room for Alexie, who just left for college, and Mie, who at 4 years old will be around for a while. Looking at the house from the front, one can see river rock around the SEE DREAM HOME, PAGE 5
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| Pg 5 A Pacific yew carved separator from entry to living room is built by Rob Hetler so that it completely pulls apart by removing its pegs.
A river rock fireplace, recycled beams and a cherry electronic cabinet makes for a warm living room.
ABOVE: A Spanish colonial influenced balcony goes out over the living room. RIGHT: A stylish cabinet that opens to become a laundry chute.
DREAM HOME CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 foundation, cedar shingles siding it, a wrap-around porch with a deck of ipe, also known as ironwood, plenty of glass windows and a large river-rock fireplace rising up on the right side of the house. A veritable army worked on constructing the house which took about two years to design and build. They include architect Phil Kallsen, builder Dan Miranda, lead carpenter John Thompson, furniture maker Rob Hetler, glass artist Mary Ellen O’Connor, blacksmith Jeff Holtby, cabinet maker Larry Mikunais, as well as Keeler and Varlgen. Varlgen said one of the best parts of building a new house is that the owners can go in and do things, saving money in the process. So he went in before drywall was installed and ran Category 5 internet cable and speaker wire. He installed a 3,000-gallon rainwater tank, and plumbed the pump, pressure tank, waterlines and sprayers so all the irrigation is supplied by rainwater. And he built a fireplace upstairs. They couldn’t get everything they wanted when they built the four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom house seven years ago. They wanted to use
green water for toilets but the town wouldn’t endorse it, then. They also wanted to use recycled material, such as blown-in insulation, but were talked out of it. “Now it’s different,” says Varlgen. “Seven years ago the green building industry wasn’t as far along as it is now and we didn’t has a many choices.” But they found environmental home centers in Seattle and Port Townsend. They were able to get ipe for the deck, Brazilian cherry for the floor and American cherry for the cabinets. A custom-made separator between the entry hall and the living room was made from a Whidbey Island Pacific yew tree. It all comes together and it all fits: The balcony over the living room where the blacksmith made the railing using heat and hammers instead of a welding torch; the kitchen that incorporates cherry and hand-built tables and bars; the suite upstairs that has a balcony and laundry cabinet that pulls out to become a chute for dirty clothes. Keeler, who had lived in five house since 1994, is happy with her new house and the collaboration. “We went into the home thinking it might be our last home,” she said. And so far it is.
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H&G | FALL 2010
Leafing
through hard choices Greenbank artist provides gardeners with foliage-based fountains BY ROY JACOBSON | STAFF REPORTER
T
he foliage in Kevin Pardue’s backyard is made to last a lifetime, but don’t drop it on your
foot. Pardue casts decorative leaves in concrete to be used in garden water features, birdbaths, planting pots and other outdoor adornments. “I make a lot of one-of-a-kind things, a lot of custom work,” Pardue said. “I take people’s ideas and come up with them.” In the small rear yard of his Lagoon Point house near Greenbank, Pardue starts with nature’s inspiration and ends with something, well, concrete. He selects a perfectly shaped leaf and lays it on top of a pile of sand. Then the wet concrete goes on top of the leaf and is allowed to set. “It gives you a reverse image,” Pardue said. “It turns out exactly the same.” The finished leaves are then crafted into the garden feature to complete an individualistic work of art. Pardue also casts concrete spheres for use as garden decoration. Many of them resemble cracked eggs with garden figurines inside. He said many of his custom-made pieces are larger and more complex than the leaves he sells at the Saturday farmers market.
Pardue said he works with leaves ranging from small tree foliage to specimens three or four feet wide — the larger the better. Pardue’s preferred raw materials are the large leaves of dinosaur plants, elephant’s ear and Hostas. But he said his favorite is rhubarb. “Rhubarb leaves have great veins,” he said. “They’re really nice.” Most of the plants he uses, he grows himself. The finished product may have color stain, but much of his work is basic gray. Pardue, 59, who said he’s had an artistic bent most of his life, has been casting concrete leaves for about six years. He said he got into it by watching television. “I was flipping through the channels, and saw a Martha Stewart episode,” he said. “Two guys from Bainbridge Island were demonstrating leaf casting. It was something I’d never tried.” He said he took up the craft with enthusiasm. His business card reads: “Crete Man’s Garden Art.” “It got so I had so many concrete leaves around my backyard, a neighbor suggested I take them to the farmers market and sell them,” Pardue said. “That’s how I got started.” Pardue and his concrete leaves are fixtures at the Bayview Farmers Market. He said most of his customers these days are tourists.
ABOVE AND BELOW: A selection of decorative birdbaths Kevin Pardue cast in concrete.
SEE FOUNTAINS, PAGE 7
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FALL 2010 | H&G
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“The best part of the class is the second day, when they take the leaf out and see what they have.�
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Kevin Pardue of Greenbank with a concrete leaf casting: “I take people’s ideas and come up with them.�
FOUNTAINS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 “Almost everybody on the island knows who I am,� he said. “If people on the South End want one of my pieces, chances are they already have it.� These days, Pardue is attempting to build the custom-work side of the business, because of the limited display space on his property. He said he has received orders from several customers from Bellevue, Seattle and Redmond. Purdue’s pieces range in price from $99 to $129 for most of the pedestal birdbaths, and $140 for the larger ones. His custom-made water features go for around $500, and a cascading water feature made of cast leaves is about $700. Pardue has lived on Whidbey for the past 10 years. Before that, he lived in the Bay Area of San Francisco, where he was a haircutter. He’s
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single, and has four grown children. He said he turned to art in grade school and never looked back. At one point, he was heavily into painting, but has done less of that since he took up leaf casting. “I’ve tried just about everything artistic,� he said. For the past three years, Pardue also has been teaching beginning and advanced leaf-casting classes in Oak Harbor. He said he has taught more than 100 students so far, ranging from grade school children to people in their 80s. “They love it,� he said. “They actually make a leaf and take it home.� “The best part of the class is the second day, when they take the leaf out and see what they have,� he added. “It’s pretty exciting.� Pardue can be reached at 360-6789266, or by e-mailing kpardue2@ juno.com.
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H&G | FALL 2010
Erin and Darin Cook enjoy a light-hearted moment in the kitchen of their lodge-style home.
Roughing it in the Cook lodge BY JUSTIN BURNETT | STAFF REPORTER
F
or Darin and Erin Cook, no saying has ever been truer than the old adage “home is where the heart is.” All it takes is one step through their front door to understand why they feel the way they do. The homey, earth-toned decor of the home’s mammoth living room feels like a warm ski lodge on a cold winter day, while the sweeping view afforded by an entire wall of picture windows takes your breath away. Most people simply gawk with their mouths open for a few seconds then say, “Wow,” Erin said. The Cooks moved into their home in 2007 shortly after it was built by one of North Whidbey’s longeststanding contractors, Waldron Construction. The company was named one of the island’s best builders in the 2010 Best of Whidbey contest. It’s no surprise considering the masterpiece that owner Steve Waldron built for the Cooks. Including a grand total of 12 rooms— that doesn’t include the “man’s room” and mother-in-law suite in the 2,600 square-foot pole barn next door— the home overlooks 16 acres of farm and wetland off Heller Road. Even after three years, their little slice of heaven continues to overwhelm. “We’re still getting used to it,” Erin said. The home was purposely designed to feel “lodgy,” like a secluded mountain cabin or ski lodge. The overall effect is accomplished through innovative architectural techniques, along with the use of warm colors and dark-wood furniture.
With its granite countertops and modern amenities, the Cooks’ kitchen is as utilitarian as it is beautiful. For example, one of the more unusual aspects of the home is its floors. They are made entirely of concrete. Their coffee-colored marble stain not only adds to the “lodgy” design goal, but the concrete floors are utilitarian as they are the house’s primary temperature regulator. Internally warmed, the floors heat the home during
the winter months. Fireplaces in the master bedroom and living room, or “great area,” can assist but they are mainly a luxury. Keeping the house cool is as simple as turning the system off, Darin said. “They are great in the summer,” he said. SEE LODGE, PAGE 9
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Disguised as a cupboard, the dishwasher reduces kitchen appliance clutter.
The master bathroom is complete with a massive tub and two-headed shower.
LODGE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Other luxuries you might not find in your average Whidbey Island home include a large bar complete with a karaoke machine, a dedicated workout room filled with equipment, and a grand total of five flatscreened televisions. But it’s the little things that leave the biggest im-
pression. One can’t leave the living room without marveling at the flower-shaped fan that dominates the ceiling and the kitchen’s broad granite topped island quickly gives way to amenities, such as the dishwasher disguised as a cupboard or the massive refrigerator/freezer. But for the Cooks, their favorite room by far is the master bedroom. While large, the room feels exceptionally spacious due to its limited furnishings, which include two chairs in front of a fireplace and
television. The large windows which overlook the property’s wetlands is perhaps the room’s defining characteristic. “It’s geese and frogs in the spring and ducks in the winter,” Darin said of the wetlands. “There’s always something going on.” The bathroom isn’t half bad either, complete with its Titanic-sized bathtub, accompanying but separate two-headed shower, and the “his” and “hers” copper sinks. The Cooks may still be getting used to their new home, but it seems they’ve been their long enough to fall in love. The couple once loved to travel, but the lure of foreign places has definitely begun to fade. “It’s hard to go anywhere because where ever we go it’s not as comfortable as home,” Erin said.
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H&G | FALL 2010
A can-do way to beat the recession BY JESSIE STENSLAND | STAFF REPORTER
H
ome canning is nothing new on Whidbey Island. As a bounty of fruit and vegetables are harvested from island gardens each year, people pull glass jars down from shelves and boil water in giant pots in an effort to the capture a bit of summertime to brighten the grayness of winter. But since the recession hit, canning has become more popular than ever across the nation. The maker of Ball jars reported that sales increased by 30 percent in one year as folks try to save money by lining the pantry with jars of jam, tomatoes and pickles. Central Whidbey resident Mary Leonard, owner and operator of Island Tree Ranch Houston Road, is the consummate canner. She teaches fun-filled classes about the art and techniques of canning, focusing — among other things — on food safety. Leonard warns that home canning isn’t an immediate way to save money because of the up-front cost of the equipment, though people can definitely save some cash over the long
run. Still, she sees many benefits beyond financial considerations. “You know where it came from. You know it’s locally grown. You know you’re helping your neighbor and you know you’ll have quality food year round,” she said. Leonard said she started canning when she was just about 9 years old. She was the oldest of 10 kids in “a very, very poor” family. When Good Samaritans gave food to the family, she would can the extras to eat later. “My father was a child of the Depression and that’s how his family survived,” she said. Life has changed a lot for Leonard since she was 9 years old. Today she cooks for herself and her husband in a beautiful, modern kitchen in a big, beautiful home on the 30-acre tree ranch. She may not can food in order to be thrifty anymore, but she still feels it’s well worth her time. Leonard said it makes a lot of sense for families with gardens to can the extra produce they can’t consume. She said there’s no comparison between store-bought canned food and her canned food, though she emphasizes
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Central Whidbey resident Mary Leonard’s chutney is prepared to be canned.. the importance of canning right after the fruit or vegetables are picked. “It’s fresher, better color and definitely better quality,” she said. Canning your own food, she said, means you know exactly what you’re eating when you pop the jar open later on. Her orchard is organic, so her crabapple butter — her favorite — is also organic. “If you’re canning good stuff, you’re going to get good stuff,” she said. There’s also the philosophy of “eat-
ing local” to consider. Buying direct from local farmers and producers helps the local economy and reduces the amount of fuel used — and greenhouse grasses emitted — to get food to the table. Leonard simply likes to know where her food came from and to support local producers and friends. Canning food can be dangerous because of the risk of botulism, a deadly form of food poisoning. People can avoid the SEE CANNING, PAGE 11
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Whidbey Farmers Markets For prospective home canners — or just eaters — a great place to find high-quality produce that was grown by your neighbors on Whidbey Island are farmers markets. You’ll also find plants, organically-grown produce, flowers, prepared foods, honey, teas, arts and crafts and more. Here’s a list of the markets on the island: BAYVIEW FARMERS MARKET Runs until Oct. 30: Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bayview Road at Highway 525 360-321-4302 www.bayviewfarmersmarket.com COUPEVILLE FARMERS MARKET Runs until Oct. 9: Sat 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Alexander Street by the library 360-678-4288 www.coupevillemarket@aol.com GREENBANK SUNDAY MARKET Runs until Sept. 26: Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Highway 525 and Wonn Rd 360-678-7710 www.greenbankfarm.com OAK HARBOR PUBLIC MARKET Runs until Sept. 30: Thursdays 4 to 7 p.m. Highway 20 by Visitor Center 360-678-4288 oakharbormarket@yahoo.com
CANNING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 risk by following simple rules, Leonard said, but she urges canning neophytes to either take a class or learn from someone who knows what he or she is doing. According to Leonard, the “Ball
Blue Book Guide to Preserving� is the essential canning bible. She has a lot of other tips for people who want to join the canning club. She said the metal bands should be removed during storage so they don’t rust. After a jar is open, she places a plastic lid on it to remind her it’s open. She adds a little bit of vitamin C crystals to fruits and vegetables to help maintain colors.
Jurgen Spatz
Learn to can food at home Do you want to learn how to can? Central Whidbey resident Mary Leonard offers classes about the art of home canning for both groups or individuals in her beautiful kitchen. Call her at 360-678-1680.
S. WHIDBEY TILTH FARMERS’ MARKET & FARM STAND Market runs until Oct. 9 on Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Farm runs until Nov. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun.–Fri. Watch for OPEN sign at Thompson and SR 525, Langley. market@southwhidbeytilth.org or 360-678-3569 www.southwhidbeytilth.org/market
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BY KATIE MCVICKER | WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES
anufactured furniture is all too appealing when it’s sitting in the showroom of a department store or warehouse. It’s cheap, ready to be shipped and usually donned with adorable throw pillows. But what happens when you take it home and find it doesn’t quite fit in its designated corner? Or you realize a few vital screws are missing from the cardboard box? Or, horror of horrors, you discover that you’re neighbor has ordered the exact same couch. Frustrations such as these are leading some people to look into ordering custom furniture, and thanks to the dozens of talented craftsmen on the island, they’re not having to look very far. “Everything that I do is custom made to order, so you’re getting a really good service,” Rob Hetler, a Greenbank woodworker said. “You’re getting somebody who’s interested in what your particular needs are and you’re usually getting a better quality of material and hardware.” Hetler has been building furniture on Whidbey since 1987 and makes aesthetic value a priority in his work. He points out that most commercial operations randomly pick pieces off piles and throw them together making things as cheaply and quickly as possible. Woodworkers on the other hand pay attention to the color and grain patterns found in the wood and make something that can be handed down through generations.
Greenbank woodworker Rob Hetler explains how he created a symmetrical wood pattern in the back of a China hutch.
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“I make sure there’s a really harmonious look to everything,� Hetler said. “It’s the difference between going to Home Depot and buying something to fulfill a function and being able to live with art everyday. Customers are typically ecstatic about getting something unique that speaks to them in a way commercial work doesn’t. There’s a sense that is was handmade.� Furthermore, if a customer is unhappy with a piece, local woodworkers can make necessary tweaks — no reshipping or endless customer service calls needed. Fine furniture and cabinetmaker Randy Scofield said he goes to great lengths to ensure that his customers will be pleased with the final product the first time. Scofield owns Island Cottage Furniture in Freeland. “I’ll go through several sets of drawings until both the clients and I are satisfied that we’ve worked out all the details,� he said. Woodworker Craig Yamaoto has been in the business seven years. He draws inspritation from Japanese and Shaker craftsmen and said he tries to used wood that has a distinct personality. He believes client needs are important. “I work to their specifications,� Yamamoto said. “That’s something they can’t really get off a shelf.�
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H&G | FALL 2010
Flooring company gains
traction BY BEN WATANABE | STAFF REPORTER
Carolyn and Ward Jensen show some of the merchandise sold in their Langley Village showroom.
Experience. That’s the one attribute Ward Jensen, owner and manager of Jensen’s Floor Coverings, reiterated as his business’ best quality. “I’ve lost track,� Jensen said. “But it’s over 36,000 homes, condos and apartments that I’ve put the entire interior, floor coverings and tile, in.� Ward clarified his statement. “Not all of them personally, but my subcontractors,� Ward added. Ward speaks plainly and directly. He lays out the pros and cons of situations as skillfully as he lays out floorings. He named five different jobs he recently worked on where he brought his experience and expertise to the customer to help them choose the best material for their needs and how best to install it. Ward has been in the flooring business for 40 years. His co-owner and manager, and wife, Carolyn Jensen, has the eye for design. Together, they know how to solve pesky problems when picking flooring and tiling. “I spend the time going over the choices with people so then they can decide how it should be,� Ward said. The showroom in Langley Village opened in January. Jensen’s offers carpet, hardwood, laminate, stone, tile and vinyl and slab countertops. They also have “green� materials and worked on LEED-certified or “green� buildings. Jensen’s also boasts it is the only supplier of United Tile on Whidbey. “It’s really like our retirement location,� Carolyn said. “Plus we’re still raising a family, which is really nice to be part of the community that way.� Prior to the move they commuted to the warehouse in south Everett to offer
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their business to the greater Seattle area. After living on Whidbey Island for 18 years, the Freeland residents decided to bring their business closer to home. “Our hope is to do less and less over there, and more over here,� Ward said. “It would be really nice to have our main focus be near where we live,� Carolyn added. Like most of the construction business, Jensen’s Floor Coverings was not immune. When the housing market declined, the business shifted from new construction to remodeling, refinishing and refurbishing. So it’s fitting the Jensens returned home to find a different market for their business. “I always worked off my reputation,� Ward said. The business license is under KW Jensen Company, named for the owner, Kenneth Ward Jensen, but he prefers to go by Ward. In over 40 years, only one complaint was filed against his bond in 1979. According to Ward, every 10 years 90 out of 100 construction companies are out of business. “Now, I’m in my fourth decade,� Ward said. Examples of their work can be seen at Whidbey’s Lighthouse Cafe and the dental offices of Dr. David Goodwin in Freeland. Christine Goodwin, David’s wife, praised the Jensens’ efficiency and reliability. “Other companies can’t guide you like they guide you,� she said. The Goodwins also had Jensen’s Floor Coverings work on their home. Jensen’s products and consultation
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tors. Ward explained how he can walk through the entire process with a customer, from picking the material to how it should be installed. “I’m hands-on and installers can’t fool me with their antics,� Ward said. “I enjoy doing tile work.� Ward described a scenario with tile where installers need to choose between starting with a full tile and working down to a small piece at the end, or centering the tile with equal sized pieces on the ends. He illustrated the importance of how the materials go in being equally important to what materials go in. “This business is full of details and judgement calls,� he said. “There’s a lot of ways to put up tile.� Subcontractors aren’t always welcomed by general contractors, according to Ward. The Jensens defend and value their subcontractors because they worked with them for so long and trust the quality and efficiency of their work. “We want to work with people we know have skills,� Ward said. “And I gear up and gear down when I need to.� One of their subcontractors worked on Bill and Melinda Gates’ home and has installed $1,000 per yard silk carpet, and can hand stitch carpet. “This is where we want to be,� Ward said.
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was used for their hardwoods, carpeting, tiles, bath, jacuzzi, shower and countertops. “There’s no service that we’ve not had them do,� Goodwin said. “What’s so great about them is their attention to detail and artistry. Their installation has an artistic flair to it.� Jensens also worked on the Goodwins’ commercial properties and installed carpets and hard surfaces. “I can’t say enough,� she said. “They’re great.� As new construction continues to slow, more homeowners update and remodel. The Jensens saw Whidbey’s older homes as ripe for their services. “He can go into a ‘50s home, a ‘60s home, and knows what can be done,� Carolyn said. “He has those years of experience to do a good job.� Both owners consider it a family business, but Ward started the company after he worked for his grandfather at 14 years old, installing showers in Ellensburg. “He learned from a Danish master, so to speak,� Carolyn said. When he started his company in 1970, he installed the materials for 14 years before utilizing subcontrac-
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