Chameleon light systems capable of turning a cloudy day into a sunny day on the interior of the home are very much the rage in high-end home theaters these days. Often, the lighting is used to set the mood for pre and post-show parties. And during the movie, when the room is supposed to be dark...
[more]
LiveWire Computer Services is a home/office computer assistance and diagnostic service that emerged out of questions asked by participants in what once was a computer-training program, Train2Click.
?In the beginning we thought we?d be doing a lot of teaching because in this neighborhood, there...
[more]
Faceted sinks are the new invention of Omni Marble manager, Bill Freeman. Introduced just a few months ago after five years of design perfection, patenting, and working out the kinks, these sinks are the worlds? first diamond-cut natural stone sinks.
?When I started designing the...
[more]
Breaking and entering often begins at the window, according to Glen Buck, President of Ace Exclusives (214-222-0715).
?Unfortunately, we?ve conceded to the fact that the windows in our homes are vulnerable part of our life,? Buck said. ?And if someone wants to get in, there is nothing that...
[more]
Celebrating the 100th year of the Texas State Flower is the bluebonnet, more accurately, bluebonnets?no less than five species of flowers officially designated as Texas State bluebonnets. Governor Joseph D. Sayers signed the approval on March 7, 1901. However, the adoption sparked a 70-year political...
[more]
Venetian Blinds, a poem by Eric W. Sargent, raises the shades on blinds, poetically speaking. For poetry highlights the artistry in window treatment design, where the perennially old fashioned blind blends naturally in ultra modern decor making it one of the hottest items on the market.
Shades...
[more]
While getting squeaky clean in the bath, bodyssages, Ultra thermo-masseur baths, and multiple occupancy baths can also relax, energize, massage, and soothe away the aches. So, naturally, the bath seems almost an indulgence in leisure.
Now, baths have changed, too; the "air-only tubs" add...
[more]
The crystal chandelier makes a grand re- entrance in the long romantic history of chandeliers.
Originally a branched candle holder made of wood or iron and suspended from the ceilings of Anglo-Saxon churches prior to the Norman Conquest (1066), the chandelier remained solely in the realm...
[more]
When shopping for antique chests, look inside the drawers. Touching and handling the wood affords a tactile examination of craftsmanship. And opening drawers may uncover a secret, perhaps.
The top drawer of an English painted chest of drawers (c.1830) at Snider Plaza Antique Shops is...
[more]
The approaching millennium has inspired sales of clocks to commemorate the occasion, according to co-owner of Heritage House Clocks, Ltd., Glenda Marchesoni.
People are buying clocks for their children, not just as Christmas gifts, but for New Years. For instance, table clocks, at more than...
[more]
A lamp, more than any other lighting fixture, stages its own architecture and stars in its own show. Put yourself into the act by creating a lamp from a favorite hobby or work of art.
Old sewing machines, birdhouses/bird cages, boots, wheels, cameras, and samovars begin a long list of custom...
[more]
A picture frame is more than the definitive edge on a work of art although the earliest of frames were just that--painted borders around frescos in ancient Pompeii or early Christian Byzantine mosaics. Becoming a separate, detachable structure by the 13th century, the frame moved firmly into...
[more]
The tremendous popularity of the wireless phone hasn't relegated the home phone to telephone history. To the contrary, the demand for old fashioned home phones has kept manufacturers adding oodles of new lines as well as facsimiles and variations of models developed over the century. And for...
[more]
When rain forces you to bring out the rain-gear, but you haven't yet stepped outside, perhaps it's time to call in a roofer. Honestly, a well repaired roof will make the sun shine inside your home once again.
Even public buildings aren't immune. Recently, the Dallas City Council passed...
[more]
Stained glass windows have grown popular in home interior decoration, according to artisan Steve Thompson, who designs, creates, and installs stained glass. So popular is stained glass that for the past six to eight years, Thompson's clients have requested stained glass almost to the exclusion...
[more]
"Tapestry is the novel
the cinema
the encyclopedia
the best kind of letters.
It is botany
astronomy
heraldry
philosophy
And just about the most luxurious thing that ever was."
Scrolled in the storefront window of...
[more]
Digital television (DTV) makes TV a veritable window on the world with images of breath taking clarity. And it's revolutionizing the home entertainment industry.
Still less than two years old, since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated the transition from analog television...
[more]
Before replacing those drafty old windows with new aluminum windows or thermal panes, homeowners should consider the merits of restoration, according to Tom Clark of Leeds-Clark. For their work on window restorations, Leeds-Clark received the Craft Award at the Third Annual Preservation Dallas...
[more]
Windows are a primary source of energy exchange in the home. One square foot of window, for instance, conducts 5 to 10 times as much heat as one square foot of wall, according to the Texas Window Initiative. By increasing the energy efficiency of the windows, a home can expect to reduce its requirement...
[more]
Why Skylights? On a scorching summer day when the sun feels hot enough to blister the Dallas streets and the air thick enough to keeps us indoors with a cold glass of strawberry ambrosia ice tea, why bring up a hot topic like skylights? The coolest thing, one might think, would be to keep the...
[more]
The irony about the love affair that Dallas residents have with privacy fences, which by the way are not found in much of eastern US, is that it comes after such a tumultuous history of Texans warring against their neighbors? fences (Don?t Fence Me In; Barbed Wire in Texas by J. H. Bear @ http:...
[more]
Engineered quartz countertop kitchen surface emerged as the favorite in a comparison test, published in the April 2002 Good Housekeeping. After testing the impact of hot skillets, sharp knives, and spills from wine and tomato sauce, the study reported that the engineered quartz kept its brand-new...
[more]
CorrosionX is a space age household miracle, some people say. Certainly, it?s on its way to becoming a staple for the 21st century smart house. And someday, CorrosionX may supplant that can of WD-40 found in 90% of today?s homes.
Not only is CorrosionX a long lasting lubricant and penetrant...
[more]
Arbors and shade structures are popping up in a flurry of back yard construction that is helping Texans to keep cool this year?not just in the hot July sun?but in a hot competitive climate of lumber and new composite choices.
?My arbors, according to my computer, I?m up 44.3 % in sales,? said...
[more]
The new movie thriller, ?Panic Room,? provides a sightline dead on tract testimonial to the ?Safe Room??a room fortified with steel doors and anchored to a home?s foundation for protection against security breaches and natural weather disasters. While the action in ?Panic Room? moves at lightening...
[more]
A picture frame is more than the definitive edge on a work of art although the earliest of frames were just that--painted borders around frescos in ancient Pompeii or early Christian Byzantine mosaics. Becoming a separate, detachable structure by the 13th century, the frame moved firmly into...
[more]
A lamp, more than any other lighting fixture, stages its own architecture and stars in its own show. Put yourself into the act by creating a lamp from a favorite hobby or work of art.
Old sewing machines, birdhouses/bird cages, boots, wheels, cameras, and samovars begin a long list of custom...
[more]
In decorative painting, the question is, not whether you can afford to hire a professional, but should you afford the trial and error of climbing on your own do-it-yourself ladder?
Decorative painting, even the simplest finish, adds artistic perception to a room. The same room with the same...
[more]
The tremendous popularity of the wireless phone hasn't relegated the home phone to telephone history. To the contrary, the demand for old fashioned home phones has kept manufacturers adding oodles of new lines as well as facsimiles and variations of models developed over the century. And for the...
[more]
If a grand piano is in your home decorating plans, then you join a growing number of people tuning up to grands. That's the consensus nation-wide as Yamaha in California spotlights a wide range of decorator and Diskavier pianos, as Story and Clark Piano in Pennsylvania builds a new line of...
[more]
When rain forces you to bring out the rain-gear, but you haven't yet stepped outside, perhaps it's time to call in a roofer. Honestly, a well repaired roof will make the sun shine inside your home once again.
Even public buildings aren't immune. Recently, the Dallas City Council passed a...
[more]
Stained glass windows have grown popular in home interior decoration, according to artisan Steve Thompson, who designs, creates, and installs stained glass. So popular is stained glass that for the past six to eight years, Thompson's clients have requested stained glass almost to the exclusion...
[more]
A dream dining room table adds a touch of romance to every meal. Purchased individually, without a set of dining chairs, the table can be a work of art. Likewise, searching for a dream table to accommodate Thanksgiving and holiday entertaining, can almost evolve into an artistic experience...
[more]
"Tapestry is the novel
the cinema
the encyclopedia
the best kind of letters.
It is botany
astronomy
heraldry
philosophy
And just about the most luxurious thing that ever was."
Scrolled in the storefront window of Al Gitelman & Associates at...
[more]
Venetian Blinds, a poem by Eric W. Sargent, raises the shades on blinds, poetically speaking. For poetry highlights the artistry in window treatment design, where the perennially old fashioned blind blends naturally in ultra modern decor making it one of the hottest items on the market.
...
[more]
The crystal chandelier makes a grand re- entrance in the long romantic history of chandeliers.
Originally a branched candle holder made of wood or iron and suspended from the ceilings of Anglo-Saxon churches prior to the Norman Conquest (1066), the chandelier remained solely in the...
[more]
When shopping for antique chests, look inside the drawers. Touching and handling the wood affords a tactile examination of craftsmanship. And opening drawers may uncover a secret, perhaps.
The top drawer of an English painted chest of drawers (c.1830) at Snider Plaza Antique Shops is...
[more]
The approaching millennium has inspired sales of clocks to commemorate the occasion, according to co-owner of Heritage House Clocks, Ltd., Glenda Marchesoni.
People are buying clocks for their children, not just as Christmas gifts, but for New Years. For instance, table clocks, at more than...
[more]
Computers are creating a revolution in home decoration and furnishings, but on a modest scale compared to the advances of the computer itself . Manufacturers of home furnishings are turning to new (and variations on old) ideas to create user friendly computer work stations capable of being converted...
[more]
Increasing costs of energy have rekindled interest in fluorescent lighting especially the compact fluorescent lamps that were developed in the early 1980?s and today are among the cutting edge products in energy efficient lighting. Although fluorescent lighting has been a staple in commercial...
[more]
Copper puts a pretty penny on the roof. And like a penny, copper roofs lose much of their initial sheen after about 60 days and all of it by 180 days, according to Doug Beaty, President of Beach Sheet Metal Company, www.beachsheetmetal.com. This change in color occurs through the process of oxidation...
[more]
While crews demolish homes in Highland Park, University Park, and Preston Hollow, contractors try to salvage reusable material, particularly brick. Brick made before 1960 is referred to as antique, and brick from a ten-year house is reclaimed, according to Brett Packer, third generation owner of...
[more]
Art tiles, today, are pretty enough to frame. Perhaps, you?d prefer mounting one on a little easel among a pot of mums or sticking it in ivy for a beautiful centerpiece on the dining room table. Tile-lovers are always looking for new ways to display their tiles?for instance, a custom tabletop...
[more]
Prestique gallery collection by artist/illustrator, Bart Forbes is a new line of laminated roofing shingles that ushers Elk Corporation of America into the realm of namedropping trendsetters?? la haute home couture.
Forbes is renown for his sports paintings, especially with the Professional...
[more]
Celebrating the 100th year of the Texas State Flower is the bluebonnet, more accurately, bluebonnets?no less than five species of flowers officially designated as Texas State bluebonnets. Governor Joseph D. Sayers signed the approval on March 7, 1901. However, the adoption sparked a 70-year...
[more]
"Concrete is a misunderstood material," says Earl Snow, owner of Tolman-Snow Concrete Staining. "The integrity of it is so beautiful. But people haven't really understood the beauty of it and how much use there is in concrete if you finish it right."
Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959) was a proponent...
[more]
?Walking through the towns and villages of Italy, I became fascinated with the rich and powerful textures of this old and beautiful land,? wrote Emanuel Borok, Dallas Symphony Orchestra?s Concertmaster, in The Doors of Italy, A 1992 Calendar of Dallas Classical Music. ?The doors of these homes...
[more]
Window draperies add a certain point of view to any room fashion statement.
?My whole theory on drapes is that you should walk into a room, and the drapes should complement and enhance the room instead of overpower the room,? said Claire & Co. owner, Lisa Barfield. ?Every drape should...
[more]
Gold leaf, silver leaf, or Dutch metal, no matter which leaf, gilding is coming to Texas in a big way, especially at the hands of decorative artist, Kathleen Allen. Over the fourth of July, Allen gilded one of the dining rooms in Citizen restaurant located at Turtlecreek Village. Previously,...
[more]
T?is the season of freeze warnings and bringing in the summer tropical plants to tuck behind the seasonal holiday foliage and the interior year-round houseplants.
?Normally, the plants that are brought in are not used to decorate the house,? said Bob Wilson, manager of the outdoor...
[more]
Maybe laminate kitchen countertops aren?t so bad after all. Just maybe a mid-century vintage kitchen looks down right cute?so thinks laminates authority Grace Jeffers of inside design, www.insidedesign.com, who recently came to Dallas during Preservation Dallas? mid-century modern week to talk...
[more]
The annual flurry of holiday lights begins in early November with decorating jobs booked until the deadline date two weeks in December, according to Paul Lentz at Lentz Landscape Lighting. Still, it?s not too late to make a call to schedule your landscape for a weekend session, Lentz said, although...
[more]
The big news in lighting came to light when lighting consultant, Dan Blitzer, came to Dallas in June for a series of lectures sponsored by the American Lighting Association and held at the International Lighting & Accessories Market in the Dallas Market Center.
?I think that spaces are...
[more]
Remodeling the home by transplanting antique materials into new architecture can sometimes turn into quite an adventure. For instance:
While looking for fireplaces, Shirley Flabiano, A.S.I.D., who has been working with Linda and Steve Ivy since they purchased their Preston Hollow...
[more]
Timber industry issues, like the (1) lumber disputes that may threaten due to the recent expiration of the trade agreement between US and Canada and (2) the recent resignation of Forest Service chief, Michael P. Dombeck, who urges President Bush to resist pressure to relax old forest conservation...
[more]
Custom sculptured moulding?tailored to the house?can pull the home decor into one comprehensive theme, according to William Briggs, A.I.A., who designs mouldings whenever he can.
?When we go to old buildings, classical buildings that people really like, it?s the details that strike us...
[more]
The orchid is the hottest selling blooming plant today. Eclipsed by the poinsettia during the holiday season, the orchid is still, by far, the most popular selling blooming plant year round, according to John Allen at Nicholshon-Hardee.
?I?ve had customers who had 500 foliage plants...
[more]
?Chestnuts roasting on an open fire? translates, in inside the home, to roasting chestnut candles and ?crackler? sound generators adding the finishing touches to the well-fashioned fireplace, one that today is, more likely than not, burning gas logs instead of real firewood.
?People go...
[more]
Wallpaper?s perennial popularity covers a long history?beginning with glued rice papers in 200 BC, ancient China. In 1481 Louis XI of France paid for the first western made wallpaper, 50 rolls with angels on blue background. But wallpaper, as known today, didn?t begin until the development of...
[more]
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