House & Home July 2015

Vol. 1 Iss. 2JULY 2015

“It’s like living in a park.”Home on the Hill

Real estate news & trends

Agent Spotlights

Realtor listings in the

Twin Tiers

Home improvement & decorating

ideas

JULY 16, 20152 House & HomeTHE BRADFORD ERA • OLEAN TIMES HERALD • THE SALAMANCA PRESS

House & Home is a must read for anyone in market for a home in the Twin Tiers

The three newspapers — the Olean Times Herald, The Bradford Era and The Salamanca Press — of Brad-ford Publishing Co. have combined their resources to produce a new special section, House & Home.

The intention of the edition is to make it a must-read for anyone who is in the market for a new home in the area — or even someone who is thinking of selling a home.

House & Home includes regular, locally produced features on interesting homes in the area — perhaps for their historic value or because of certain features — while the section is fi lled with information on remodeling, decorating and landscaping trends as well as the money matters behind buying and owning a home.

The section also includes numerous listings from area Realtors of homes for sale.

Homeowners who believe they have living spaces with enough character and features to be spotlighted in House & Home are encouraged to contact special sections coor-dinators Adam Vosler at (716) 372-3121 ext. 231 (email is [email protected]) or Alex Davis at (814) 362-6531 (email is [email protected]).

Jim EckstromExecutive Group Editor

3JULY 16, 2015House & Home THE BRADFORD ERA • OLEAN TIMES HERALD • THE SALAMANCA PRESS

W hen Morgaine Ford-Workman and Wren Workman bought a house with a backyard shed, they saw the

potential for something more than storing garden tools.The couple transformed the 10-by-12-foot building

into a bar to use during outdoor parties at their house in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

“We’re involved in community theatre and we like to throw a lot of parties,” Ford-Workman said. “It’s an extra place to hang out.”

People looking to get more use out of their backyards are building or converting sheds for a variety of purposes. There are backyard pubs. “She sheds,” when they’re built by women. Home offi ces. Art or yoga studios. TV rooms.

“As we continue to explore other ways we can utilize our backyard space, we will continue to see trends like this,” said Stacy Nelson, who owns a backyard-design consulting fi rm, Backyard Mamma, in Weston, West Vir-ginia. “We want to be in nature and unwind.”

The do-it-yourself element and the sheds’ visual impact have made them popular on social media sites, Nelson said.

“It’s gaining in popularity. It’s all over the board what people are using them for,” she said.

The sheds range from stylized structures with sliding glass doors to buildings made from repurposed materials.

Ford-Workman and her husband spent about $300 fi xing up their structure, which friends have dubbed “Barshed.” They furnished it with cast-off furniture from friends.

“Our Barshed is nothing to put in a home-design magazine by any stretch of the imagination, but all our friends rave about its existence,” she said.

Studio Shed in Louisville, Colorado, sells prefabricat-

Backyard sheds reimagined as pubs, studios, getaways

By MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTONAssociated Press

Backyard shedscontinues on page 4

Associated PressThis undated photo provided by courtesy of Morgaine Ford-Workman shows the bar shed she and her husband created in the backyard of their house in Morrisville, Penn. A growing number of homeowners have begun throwing parties in converted sheds and outbuildings constructed for entertaining.


ed structures to people who want more living space or to enhance their backyard, said Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, the company’s creative director. The buildings, which range in price from $7,500 to $20,000, offer fl ex-ibility and are less expensive than adding a room to the house, he said.

Jennifer and Eric Antonow added a shed to their Palo Alto, Califor-nia, property because they can’t afford a bigger house.

“It made so much economic sense,” she said.They use their shed as a home offi ce and recording studio. It sits next

to their hot tub, so sometimes they use it as a changing room. She also anticipates serving drinks there while entertaining outside.

The Antonows needed a permit to install the shed, which rests on a

concrete slab. City and county rules vary, so check with the local zoning department before adding a structure, said Jim Ayers, a contributor to hometalk.com, an online home and garden forum for do-it-yourselfers.

He did not need a permit to build the gardening shed that he later converted into a tiki bar at his Nashville, Tennessee, home. The building, which sits on concrete blocks, is not a permanent structure, he said.

He transformed the shed into a party spot at the urging of his wife, Monika. “It didn’t take much for me to go her way,” he said.

He estimates he spent about $500 on the project. He already had some of the lumber. Many of the items are repurposed.

The Ayers spend a lot of time in their backyard, and love to invite friends.

“If we’re not at somebody else’s place or away on a trip, we’re out there,” he said. “My wife loves it. In her younger years, she was a bar-tender.”

Backyard shedscontinued from page 3

Associated PressThis undated photo provided courtesy of Morgaine Ford-Workman shows her backyard bar when it is closed in Morrisville, Penn. When she and her husband entertain at their house, they open the doors to reveal a stocked bar with eclectic decorations.


The Home on the Hill�Couple restores, lives in Greek revival house built in 1840s

P assersby may fi rst notice the pillars that mark its facade, but most around town know it as the “Home on the Hill.”Situated on California Hill Road, the house was originally built in

1845 by William Hurd Eddy, the namesake of the Eddyville hamlet in Mansfi eld.

Eddy moved his family of six to the area in 1843 from Herkimer County, coming by way of a team of oxen. He became one of the town’s leading merchants, manufacturing cheese boxes, and served as postmaster and justice of the peace for the town for several years.

The home is reminiscent of Greek revival architecture popular during that time, evidenced most clearly by the large front-facing pil-lars. The lumber for construction was furnished from a 40-acre stand of red pine Eddy had purchased for the sake of building the house. Also unique to the structure is the hand-crimped metal roof of Eddy’s own design.

Robert and Kelly Keis purchased the home in April of 1978 with

By CHRISTA NIANIATUSSpecial to House & Home

The Home on the Hillcontinues on next pageHAMLIN BANK AND

TRUST COMPANYTHE BANK THAT TAKES CARE OF ITS CUSTOMERS

www.hamlinbank.com671 E. Main St., Bradford, PA 814-368-5555

333 W. Main St., Smethport, PA 814-887-555534 Fraley St., Kane, PA 814-837-8200

35 East Main St., Mt. Jewett, PA 814-778-5441151 Main St., Eldred, PA 814-225-4767

2102 West State St. Olean, NY 716-543-4000


the intention of restoring the historic place. The pair turned out to be appropriate residents, as Robert Keis has served as town supervisor of Mansfi eld for nearly 30 years.

“The house was in pretty rough shape when we bought it,” said Kelly Keis. “The drywall needed replaced. The ceiling was leaking. We have been trying to restore it to what we saw in old photos of it.”

The couple has also taken great care to keep their restorations as authentic as possible.

“There is actually an upper and lower roof and we have used the original material to replace it. It’s not just metal, it’s sheeted steel,” she said. “It was also hand-crimped using old-fashioned tools.”

While some modern materials have neces-sarily made their way into the house, Keis said they have tried to choose fi xtures and decor that are in keeping with the original style of the home.

“We’ve tried to get wallpaper like that fl ock wallpaper that looks velvety, and an older-

looking porcelain sink in the bathroom — things like that,” she said.

The time and effort needed to bring this old house back to its former glory was really a labor of love for Keis and espe-cially her husband.

“My husband had grown up in this area and his parents actu-ally rented this house when he was 9 or 10 and he decided then someday he would come back and buy it,” she said.

Additionally, Robert Keis had worked on the farm of Jim and Velma Eddy nearby as kid, baling hay and milking cows. Jim Eddy was the great-grandson of William Eddy and Robert had learned much of the structure’s history during that time.

One of the best aspects of the house, ac-cording to Keis, is the property surrounding it and the attractive landscape.

“Our favorite thing about this place is the historical aspect, but we also just love looking out at the backyard and being able to see the deer and the fauna and being able to look out over Eddyville. It’s like living in a park,” she said.

Keis added that if there was one thing she wanted people know know looking up at the big old house it that, “It’s not just a house. Our chil-dren grew up here and now our grandchildren come play here. It’s a home where we raised our family.”

Our area’s dedicated realtors offer you many properties some of which are highlighted in

House & Home Spotlights. Call an agent today.



E ven for households that count four-legged fur friends as

part of their family, pet-friendly features can be easily overlooked when it’s time to build or rede-sign. Architectural details, such as cabinetry, offer clever ways to provide pet-friendly function to any room.

There are three categories to keep in mind when integrat-ing your pet into your next home improvement design. Pets, like hu-mans, need a place to be bathed, to sleep, and to eat.

BathingWhether your dog is large

or small, having a space to keep them clean is a necessity for year-round grooming. Another bonus: by giving them their own space, you no longer have to use your kitchen sink or bathtub to get the job done. One perfect place to include a pet grooming area is the laundry room. This room is often hidden from guests and lacks carpet, which makes it the ideal place for bathing animals. Using Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.’s You Draw It Program, you can design a custom cabinet solution that puts all the supplies you need for grooming close at hand.

SleepingIt’s pretty common for pets to

have their own bed, but often this

is simply an oversized pillow lying out in a high-traffi c area, such as the living room. A living/entertain-ment space or the kitchen is ideal for getting dogs and cats out of the way and giving them their

own little cozy corner with a more pleasing aesthetic. For example, a cutout area under the kitchen

counter is an attractive way to tuck your furry friend’s bed away while allowing him to remain close to

the action.

FeedingYour four-legged friends have

to eat just like everyone else. Create an area for food and water bowls out of the way of daily commotion. Feeding sta-tions are commonly found in the kitchen or laundry room, but with a built-in system you can establish a functional and attractive din-ing destination in other rooms of the home. Features such as wells to hold food and water dishes, a bin on rollers for dry food and shelving for cans and treats will put everything you need at your fi ngertips for mess-free chow time.

Do your pets a favor and keep them in mind when build-ing your home or doing your next remodel. For more ideas on how you can include your pet in the design of your home, go to www.wellborn.com.

Home Design with Furry Friends in Mind

By Alex Veig

This cat likely appreciates having a place of its own in this home design.


I t often starts as a blank spot on the patio, usually somewhere just outside the back door. Then come the “things” to fi ll the spot.

There’s so much to consider that it gets diffi cult to make a decision. According to a 2014 survey of residential landscape architects by

the American Society of Landscape Architects, one of the most popular features to fi ll that space is the outdoor kitchen.

The fi rst two decisions“Outdoor kitchens expand a homeowner’s opportunities to gather

together with family and friends,” said Maria Stapperfenne, certifi ed kitchen designer, certifi ed bath designer and 2015 president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. “However, just like indoor kitchens, outdoor kitchens must be designed thoughtfully.”

Ken Kelly, a certifi ed kitchen designer and principal at Kitchen Designs by Ken Kelly in Williston Park and Sag Habor, N.Y., said the fi rst decision is to pick a location and pay attention to the prevailing winds. “Wind direction and where the kitchen is located could cause smoke to

blow into guests or even into the house through an open window,” he said. “Keep the grill downwind of guests.”

Russ Faulk, vice president of design for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gour-met, said the second decision has to do with grill placement. “Do you want the cook to face the guests, or look at the scenery?” he asked.

Faulk, who also teaches outdoor kitchen design classes, said it is important to keep the cook in the party. “It makes the outdoor kitchen less of a workplace. When the cook can talk to the guests, the space becomes more social and enjoyable,” he said.

Zoning it outMaximum enjoyment also comes when everything else is in its proper

place, or zone. There are four zones in an outdoor kitchen - wet, cold, hot and dry. Faulk said getting these in the right combination makes

Design Your Dream Outdoor KitchenBy Chuck AbrahamBy Chuck Abraham

Dream Outdoor Kitchencontinues on next page


prepping food, cooking and cleaning much easier. “Keep the cold zone next to the wet zone. This

makes it easier to move things from the cold zone refrigerator to the wet zone sink to wash them off and get them ready for the grill in the hot zone,” he added.

Zones are especially important when a pool is nearby. “Keep the cold zone nearest to the pool,” said Faulk. “It will keep kids who want a cold drink from running past a hot grill.”

A key to proper zoning is counter space. Grills should have a minimum of 24 inches of uninterrupted space to one side and 12 inches to the other. This gives the cook nearby room to place platters, cooking utensils and more.

If there’s not room for that amount of counter space, “incorporate an open-shelf cabinet below. You get additional ‘counter space’ by being able to put things on shelves,” said Kelly.

An outdoor kitchen is a long-term investment that will enhance a home. With the right planning behind it, homeowners and their guests can enjoy it for many years. For more information, visit kalamazoogourmet.com. Photo courtesy of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet


A h, summer — the season when oranges are transformed into ice pops, limes add zing to slushies, peaches become pies, and berries

take over nearly every dessert from June to September.Citrus and other fruity hues look fresh and energetic in summer

décor, and there’s no need to remove them once fall approaches. Their upbeat nature makes them a smart choice all year round.

“Citrus hues are lemon sorbet for your eyes. Everybody’s home could benefi t from a little extra zest, and bright juicy colors are the ultimate palate cleanser. A taste of lemon yellow, tangerine orange or lime green adds sunny optimism,” says designer Jonathan Adler.

Adler’s Brigitte chair, one of his favorite designs, resembles a big comfy hand. You can have it in a spectrum of tasty hues including a

Creamsicle-like orange and a navy as rich and dark as a blueberry. Lime-green upholstery brings extra drama to Adler’s modernist Peking sofa. (www.jonathanadler.com )

Faith Phillips, design and trends expert for La-Z-Boy, likes the fresh pop of mango for an interior accent hue as the temperatures start rising.

“For those of us who love a touch of ‘sunset’ in our home, this color’s for us,” she says. “It’s a bold color that can take natural hues like linen and sand and make them look richer.”

It’s also lovely paired with any shade of gray. For a playful, beachy vibe, consider mixing mango with strawberry.

La-Z-Boy’s Nightlife sofa, part of the Urban Attitudes collection, is available in tangelo or berry, among other colors. (www.la-z-boy.com )

At Homegoods, look for an accent chair upholstered in deep rasp-

Right at Home: Fruity, summery colors perk up decor all year

By KIM COOKAssociated Press

Fruity, summery colorscontinues on next page

Associated PressThis photo provided by Maine Cottage shows a Ale Nellie 2-Over dresser. The fruity hues of summer can make home decor look fresh and energetic all year long.


berry, an ottoman clad in grape, and some happy-go-lucky orange table lamps. (www.homegoods.com )

CB2 has found a fantastic lemony yellow that’s available in accent pieces like a high-gloss serve tray, a fun little teapot, a knitted pouf and a quilted pillow. There’s a bar stool, patio umbrella and bookshelf, too. (www.cb2.com )

If the crisp tang of apple red appeals to you, consider Target’s turned-leg accent table or Windham bookcase, both from the Threshold collection. There’s an upholstered headboard in the hue, and a well-priced tub chair too. (www.target.com )

Maine Cottage has built its business on color, and the extensive furniture collection, which includes beds, tables, bookcases, dressers and chairs, is available in an extensive palette of both intense and quieter shades. Consider a dresser or bookcase in a grapey blue, bunk beds in apple green, a hutch in banana, or a dining table in apricot. (www.mainecottage.com )

Fruity hues look fresh and lighthearted against neutrals, so consider white, gray or ivory walls and large furniture pieces, with your color as punctuation. Decorative accents like pillows, art, vases or rugs are inex-pensive ways to add impact.

These deep, juicy shades will look lush paired with woods, leather, metallics and dark backgrounds. Think grape or pomegranate with walnut or brass; rhubarb or raspberry with ebony accents and a textured rug.

Put punch on the patio with Plow & Hearth’s outdoor wicker otto-mans, seating, and planter baskets in banana, papaya and honeydew melon. (www.plowhearth.com )

If you’re ready to go big, think about introducing these colors through architectural elements. A fi replace, window trim, baseboards and moldings, or a feature wall set the stage. Add neutral furnishings and textiles to set off the color, then stand back and admire the fruits of your labor.


Cattaraugus County

Allegany-Limestone Central School District3131 Five Mile RoadAllegany, NY 14706716-375-6600

Cattaraugus-Little Valley CentralSchool District207 Rock City StreetLittle Valley, NY 14755716-938-9155

Ellicottville Central School District5873 Route 219Ellicottville, NY 14731716-699-2368

Franklinville Central School District31 North Main StreetFranklinville, NY 14737716-676-8029

Gowanda Central School District10674 Prospect StreetGowanda, NY 14070716-532-3325

Hinsdale Central School District3701 Main StreetHinsdale, NY 14743716-557-2227

Olean City School District410 West Sullivan StreetOlean, NY 14760716-375-8018

Portville Central School District500 Elm StreetPortville, NY 14770716-933-7141

Randolph Central School District18 Main StreetRandolph, NY 14772716-358-6161

Salamanca City School District50 Iroquois DriveSalamanca, NY 14779716-945-2403

Southern Tier Catholic School andArchbishop Walsh Academy208 North 24th StreetOlean NY 14760 716.372.8122

West Valley Central School District5359 School StreetWest Valley, NY 14171716-942-3293

Yorkshire-Pioneer CentralSchool District12125 County Line RoadYorkshire, NY 14173716-492-9304

Allegany County

Alfred-Almond Central School District6795 Route 21Almond, NY 14804607-276-2981

Andover Central School District31-35 Elm StreetAndover, NY 14806607-478-8491

Belfast Central School District1 King StreetBelfast, NY 14711585-365-9940

Bolivar-Richburg Central School District100 School StreetBolivar, NY 14715585-928-2561

Canaseraga Central School District4-8 Main StreetCanaseraga, NY 14822607-545-6421

Cuba-Rushford Central School District5476 Route 305Cuba, NY 14727585-968-1556

Fillmore Central School District104 Main StreetFillmore, NY 14735585-567-2251

Friendship Central School District46 West Main StreetFriendship, NY 14739716-973-3534

Genesee Valley Central School District1 Jaguar DrBelmont, NY 14813585-268-7900

Scio Central School District3968 Washington StreetScio, NY 14880585-593-5510

Wellsville Central School District126 West State StreetWellsville, NY 14895585-596-2170

Whitesville Central School District692 Main StreetWhitesville, NY 14897607-356-3301

Pennsylvania School Districtson page 20

NY SCHOOL DISTRICTS


McKean County, Pa.

Bradford Area School District150 Lorana Ave.P.O. Box 375Bradford, Pa. 16701 |814-362-3841

Otto-Eldred School District143 R.L. Sweitzer DriveDuke Center, Pa. 16729814-817-1380

Smethport Area School District414 S. Mechanic St.Smethport, Pa. 16749-1522814-887-5543

Kane Area School District400 W. Hemlock Ave.Kane, Pa. 16735814-837-9570

Port Allegany School District87 Clyde Lynch DrivePort Allegany, Pa. 16743814-642-2590

Potter County, Pa.

Austin Area School District138 Costello Ave.Austin, Pa. 16720(814) 647-8603

Coudersport Area School District 698 Dwight St.Coudersport, Pa. 16915 814-274-9480

Northern Potter School District745 Northern Potter RoadUlysses, Pa. 16948814-848-7506

Oswayo Valley Area School District277 Oswayo St.Shinglehouse, Pa. 16748814-597-7175

Cameron County, Pa.

Cameron County School District601 Woodland Ave.Emporium, Pa. 15834814-486-4000

PA SCHOOL DISTRICTS

142 Davis St.Bradford, PA

www.bisett.com

New!

Stop in for Pricing!


and is now among the most collected china products in

the world.

Why old when you can buy new?

Most modern furniture is mass produced and

constructed of mixed/manmade materials that are not

capable of surviving the next 75 - 100 years.

Whether they realized it at the time or not, an-

tiques dealers that opened up shops in the 1950s and

1960s are the original “recyclers”. Selling pieces to a

new home diverted them from the “burn pile” or land

fi ll.

If we could only hear the stories some pieces have

to tell.

The many layers of paint on a cabinet subjected

to the yearly spring painting of the house.

When our ancestors needed something for their

homes they made it. For instance a cabinet for storage,

which may be unusually shaped to fi t a specifi c loca-

tion in the home, started with the chopping of wood,

constructed with hand tools and then applied a coat of

paint, annually.

Hand Forged tools could be used on the land

or domestic application. From Rush lamps, crusees or

betty lamps to forged tools for cooking.

These items that we classify as primitive and

treasure were not made for their aesthetics but for

practicality.

Stoneware from the general merchants contained

everything from vinegar to molasses to moon shine in

half gallon to 20 gallon crocks that made up the yearly

supply of preserves.

Today’s collectible stoneware or crockery usually

bears the name and town of the merchant. The mer-

chant would give these embossed and painted crocks

to special customers during the holiday seasons.

Families with more affl uence could order from the

Montgomery Ward catalogue everything from clothing

to furniture. After the depression most families could

only afford to purchase second hand goods to furnish

their homes.

What kind of measures do you have to take

when talking to dealers?

If you are buying an “antique” as an investment

do as much research about the manufacturer/crafts-

man before hand. Most dealers will allow you to put

an item on hold for a few days.

The internet has allowed us to research more

quickly and broadly. Previously, research was limited

to reference books, trips to the library, letters or long

distance phone calls to track down any providence.

And even today we discover that the early refer-

ence books have information that has been proven

incorrect with more advanced global communication.

constructed with hand tools and then applied a coat of

half gallon to 20 gallon crocks that made up the yearly

Today’s collectible stoneware or crockery usually


(MS) — Upcycling is not just for craft projects — it offers lots of possibilities to make changes in your home décor, especially cabinets and furniture that will save money and reduce your contribution to the local landfi ll. Woodcraft can help you with upcycling ideas, products and advice.

For the past year, Woodcraft retail stores have hosted upcycling demonstrations on the third Saturday of the month to help customers discover the potential for upcycling in their home projects.

“To support this upcycling effort, Woodcraft.com added an Upcycling Resource Center to our website (http://www.woodcraft.com/media/upcycling.aspx) to intro-duce viewers to upcycling and announce demo topics and dates,” Vince Grlovich, vice president for sales and marketing, said. “Viewers can also watch a segment of Lifetime’s Designing Spaces where Woodcraft product development manager Kent Harpool shows host Aliane Baquerot how to create a shelf from a wooden pallet.”

Both Woodcraft’s Pinterest page (www.pinterest.com/woodcraftsupply/upcy-cling) and Instagram gallery (http://instagram.com/woodcraftgallery) include upcy-cling ideas, and the blog, Woodworking Adventures (http//:blog.woodcraft.com) has featured upcycling several times.

Jewelry Armoire MakeoverInspired by the upcycling trend, many Woodcraft employees have completed

projects, including marketing manager Lori Haught, who transformed a 1980s Jewelry Armoire (see photo) into a more stylish, modern piece for her bedroom. She gave it a new coat of paint, new silver/glass pulls and fl ocking on the drawer interiors. You can see the entire process by visiting Woodworking Adventures and searching for “The Jewelry Armoire Makeover.”

An Irwin Marples Blue Chip Chisel was used for the disassembly that was required to add new hardware and make other changes to Lori’s armoire.

To remove the residue from old fi nishes and polish, Lori chose Norton Soft Touch Medium 120-180 Grit Sanding Sponges for the contour detailed areas and Preppin Weapon Sanding Blocks, loaded with Mirka Abranet 23⁄4” x 8” Sanding Sheets, for fl at areas. Once the sanding was fi nished, all the pieces were cleaned with General Finishes Furniture Cleaner using handy Star Wipers rags.

Three coats of General Finishes Black Gel Stain were applied to the armoire. Although each coat was allowed to dry overnight because of other commitments, the actual time required between coats is two to four hours. (Gel stains come in 12 other

colors including the popular java.) Two coats of General Finishes High Performance Satin Water-Based Top Coat were applied next.

To prep for the new hardware, Golden Oak Water-Base Famowood Filler was used to plug screw holes. More chiseling was required before a pair of 11⁄2” X 11⁄8” Satin Nickel Stop Hinges could be installed.

Before refl ocking the drawers, Bulls Eye Sealcoat Universal Sanding Sealer was applied to the interior of the drawers and the dividers. Wearing an Anti Microbial Dust Mask and 6 mil Medium Powder Free Nitrile Gloves, Lori applied Light Blue Donjer Flocking, using a Donjer Mini Flocker.

Reassembly of the armoire required System Three 5-Minute Epoxy and a Bessey K-Body REVO Jr. 24” Single Parallel Clamp.

Other Popular Upcycling ProductsSoy-Gel is a 100 percent biodegradable, virtually odorless coating remover.

Restor-A-Finish can be used to clean and restore the luster to a clear fi nish, as well as hide minor issues like scratches. It will also remove water rings.

Milk paint is a popular coating, especially for furniture. General Finishes Milk Paint is premixed and available in 28 colors that can be mixed to make custom colors and lend themselves to decorative effects such as distressing and antiquing. Old Fashioned Milk Paint is a powder that comes in 20 colors and is good for use on porous surfaces such as bare wood and raw masonry. A special effect Old Fashioned Milk Paint Crackle Finish provides a weathered look.

The 23-lb. portable QuikBENCH™ is a lightweight, easy-to-set-up workbench capable of holding up to 300 lbs. Convert two QuikBENCHES to sawhorses, and together they will hold up to 2,000 lbs. Two or more benches can be connected to-gether to form a workstation. Each bench has a 24”-wide by 31⁄2” opening vise and a 15-amp, circuit protected, three-outlet power strip, plus four plastic bench dogs.

To learn more about these and other upcycling products, visit your local Wood-craft store, call (800) 535-4482 or visit www.woodcraft.com. SH152974

Add upcycling to your home improvement tools


I t ’s a small thing, often overlooked amid major items like furniture and paint colors when you’re decorating a room. But don’t underes-

timate the power of household hardware.These small items — doorknobs, drawer pulls, cabinet-door handles

— are “the jewelry” that can add style and sparkle to any space, says New York-based interior designer Young Huh. Just as the right necklace can turn a simple dress into a fashion statement, a striking new set of knobs on an old cabinet, or vintage crystal doorknobs can bring a huge dose of style to your home with minimal expense, she says.

In many homes, these hardware items are mostly ignored. Interior doors may have mismatched, inexpensive knobs that were installed at different times. Drawers and cabinets may have functional but unappeal-

ing knobs or bars.Swapping these items out is often easy, and Los Angeles-based

designer Betsy Burnham says her clients are frequently surprised at the visual impact of something as simple as carefully chosen hardware. Last summer, she added door pulls made of rope tied in small nautical knots to the built-in cabinets at a California beach house, inexpensively adding a dash of personality to the space.

Here, three interior-design experts — Huh, Burnham and designer Brian Patrick Flynn of Flynnside Out Productions — offer advice on choosing the right hardware and using it to coordinate the look of a home.

TRENDSOne of the most popular styles now is lacquered or aged brass. “Ten

years ago,” Huh says, “it was all about nickel: brushed nickel, shiny nick-el. Now it’s the resurgence of brass.” Designers are using “bold tones, and things that look worn,” she says, by installing unlacquered brass that tarnishes over the course of a year, or paying extra for “pre-antiqued” brass that already has a colorful patina.

Flynn uses a lot of brass, especially “satin or antique fi nishes, be-cause they’re more sophisticated and less formal than polished, glossy styles.”

In addition, “a newer option I’m seeing and totally love is matte black hardware,” he says. “This is excellent for modern kitchens or for adding dark contrast to an otherwise light and bright space. The matte

Ask a Designer: Sweat the details like doorknobs and handles

By MELISSA RAYWORTHAssociated Press

Sweat the detailscontinues on page 26


fi nish helps camoufl age any scratches or smudges you’d deal with on glossy black pulls and knobs.”

Another dramatic favorite of Flynn’s: unlacquered iron.

UPGRADES AND CHANGESBurnham and her staff recently gave a preteen girl’s bedroom a

more grown-up look by “changing the vibe from kind of old-fashioned to Bohemian.” Their changes included a new set of striped, bone-inlay knobs from Anthropologie that gave the furniture a funky appeal.

The same approach can make grown-up furniture look just right for a baby or child’s room: If you are turning a guest room into a nursery, Burnham says, change the cabinetry hardware to something “sweet or pink or shiny,” or choose knobs shaped like birds or other animals.

If you’re shopping, Huh suggests hunting for an affordable piece of furniture and then making it look more expensive by adding dramatic hardware.

The range of available styles is enormous, and shopping for new or vintage items online is easy. Even if you’d prefer to buy in person, Burn-

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Associated PressIn this undated photo provided by Burnham Design, vintage-look ceramic and silver-toned faucet and white ceramic cabinet door pulls are a perfectly casual, unpretentious match for the plaid window shade and wood-paneled walls in this residential bathroom.


ham says a bit of online research “makes your creativity kind of percolate a little bit.”

“Just pay attention to dimensions,” she warns, because you “may not realize that in person, an inch-and-a-half sphere is quite large.” Measure the size and location of the holes left behind by your current hardware, she says. If you buy replacements that don’t match, drill new holes and fi ll the old ones.

And amid all the focus on style, do choose hardware that is easy to grab and use.

CONSISTENT OR CONTRASTINGTake note of all the hardware and metals in a room, including lamp

bases, and decide whether you want them to match or whether you’d like

to inject some dramatic contrast.Either method works, as long as it’s done deliberately. “If you don’t

do it consciously,” Huh says, “then it could all look really messy.”“You don’t want to have shiny brass in one case and unlacquered in

another and nickel hardware on something else,” she continues. “Having similar tones is a good way to start. When you feel more expert, then mix metals.”

In a kitchen, “your fi nishes should probably match,” Burnham says. “You wouldn’t want the fi nishes to be fi ghting just a little.”

GET CRAFTY“In addition to pulls and knobs, I think nailheads can make a huge

impact in a space,” Flynn says. “After updating cabinets and drawers, I’ll also give closet or interior doors a unique look by adding a nailhead border around the perimeter. This can elevate a basic hall closet into an architectural feature.”

You can buy nailheads at a craft store, or roofi ng tacks from a hardware store. Then cut fabric batting to size and use spray adhesive to cover the door with the batting. Stretch your fabric across the door and attach it with staples. Finally, place nailheads over the staples and secure in place with a mallet or hammer.

“Although it may seem small, hardware can make the biggest impact of all elements in a space,” Flynn says. “With so many styles and fi nishes to choose from and so many available price points, there’s no reason not to update hardware regularly to give a room a fresh new look.”

Associated PressIn this undated photo provided by Burnham Design, sleek, half-moon metal drawer pulls that evoke Chinese design are a perfect complement to the assorted international knickknacks on this built-in cabinet designed by Burnham Design.

House & Home July 2015

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Transcript of House & Home July 2015