WEEKLY NEWSCAST:


On my recent trip to the National Kitchen and Bath Show in Las Vegas, I gathered many new ideas.  Kitchens are getting more streamlined in design, with consideration given to several age groups sharing the space.  One display had a sit down counter that swiveled out from under the peninsula space, so the children or the grandparents could sit comfortably and help with food preparation.  Then it swiveled back under to make more floor space.


DESIGN TIP:


When picking paint colors I recommend carrying the chips around the house to look at them in many light sources, rooms with windows with sunlight streaming in, darker rooms with windows with no direct sunlight, corners that are dark, spaces with no windows... and select the final choices  on a sunny day, not a dark and dreary one.    I think that gives the best chance for the colors to work well in all types of lighting.

WEEKLY NEWSCAST


Summer is approaching and I'm going to de-clutter again...right after I finish planting the flower garden, dead-heading the iris and picking the strawberries.  Then my house will be "clean and clear" for the air conditioning season which keeps me inside almost as much as in wintertime.




DESIGN TIP:


I recommend taking the curtains/draperies to the ceiling in rooms with 8' ceilings.  It makes all the difference in elegance and also helps to visually "raise" the ceiling.