HomeStyke Summer 2012

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The Prince George Citizen | Summer 2012

Destination: Patio Create the perfect backyard staycation

spot with globe-trotting inspiration

Plus: Waves & Flames | Small Garden Tricks | Eco-Friendly Lawn

— homestyle — summer 2012


5 EssEntial OutdOOr upkEEpRemember these 5 must-do maintenance tasks to fend off rust and wear

6 dEstinatiOn: patiOMake your backyard an escape from day-to-day life. Four vaca-tion destinations serve as inspi-ration for patio design

10 thE GrEEnEst lawnThe most eco-friendly lawn isn’t necessarily green in hue

12 My tiny GardEnCursed with a perpetually black thumb? Start small. Container gardens can bring verdant bliss to small spaces

14 wavEs & FlaMEsBring some drama to the patio with fire, water or an epic combination of the two

16this littlE yard OF MinE...i’M GOnna lEt it shinEInvest in some flattering light-ing to enhance the visual appeal of the great outdoors after the sun goes down

18 CrushinG On kitChEnsQ&A with ‘Kitchen Crashers’ host Alison Victoria about her outdoor kitchen wish list

What’s the best way to unwind after a long day of work in the summertime? Outdoors and in the sun, of course! These celebrities share the lounge chairs that work best for their hectic lifestyles.

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tiffani thiessenActor and co-designer of PetitNest, a room design collection for infants and children

“The one lounge-type chair I love and use outside is my hammock. It’s won-derful to lie in after a long day or to take little naps in when I can. And my daugh-ter, Harper, loves to lay in it with me, which makes it better.”

ty penningtonHost of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” carpenter and designer

“My favorite moments growing up in the South were always hanging out on the porch, swinging back and forth on a glider. So when I worked with my team at Sears to design the Mayfield Swivel glider and set, I wanted it to have that comfortable, casual, relaxed feel but be nice enough to enjoy a formal party with your neighbors – complete with a Mason jar full of fireflies as a lantern.”

Homestyle is a product of the

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DAN RAFTER | CTW Features

Jamie Durie, host of HGTV’s “Outdoor Room,” has a key piece of advice for homeowners struggling to maintain their outdoor living spaces: Keep it simple.

Outdoor living spaces such as decks, patios, balconies and gardens can offer homeowners a place to both entertain and escape. Many homeowners have invested heavily in manicured gardens, decks that come with outdoor kitchens and patios that boast fountains and separate seating areas.

The problem is, it’s not always easy to maintain these areas, to keep them looking fresh from one season to the next.

That’s where Durie’s empha-sis on simplicity comes in handy: “One of the most important rules I apply when designing a garden is to keep it simple,” Durie says. “Use a maximum of around three different materials and use them throughout the different elements in your gar-den. Choosing low-maintenance plants, materials and design ele-ments is also part of this.”

If your outdoor living areas need a touch-up this season, don’t feel bad; you’re far from alone.

“Fortunately, for the repair end of my business, most people neglect their decks and outdoor living spaces to the bitter end,” Bill Leys, a contractor and owner

of San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based DeckExpert.com, says. “Many times, it’s too late. We have to put it out of its misery and re-build it. [Customers] didn’t want to seal or waterproof their deck in the wintertime. And in the summertime, they couldn’t do it because they were busy enter-taining. Before you know it, the deck needs to be replaced.”

Here are five steps to maintain your outdoor living spaces in pristine – or near to it – condi-tion.

1Don’t overestimate your abilities: It’s easy for homeowners to go over-

board when selecting plants for outdoor gardens. But too many varieties of plants lead to an overgrown mess of a garden. As Durie says, it’s easier to tend a garden with three or four dif-ferent varieties of plants that go well together.

2Inspect your deck every spring: In cold climates, outdoor decks suffer dur-

ing the winter months when exposed to harsh weather. When spring arrives, perform a quick inspection. Be on the lookout for rotting boards and replace them immediately. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a deck that’s

dotted with dozens of rotting boards and little chance of repair.

3Waterproof your deck: Wa-ter is the greatest enemy of a wooden deck. At the end

of each summer season, water-proof the deck with a sealant recommended by the deck’s manufacturer. Do this yourself with a sprayer or roller, or save yourself the work by hiring a professional contractor.

4Apply the pressure: A pres-sure washer is an amazing tool for outdoor spaces.

Use it to quickly clean patios, balconies and decks. It can also spray away that unsightly green moss that grows on the sides of the home and garage.

5Keep rust at bay: A bar-beque grill is a key com-ponent of many outdoor

living areas. But rain and snow can turn these tools into rust heaps. Before harsh weather ar-rives, store the barbecue grill in a garage. If that’s not an option, protect the grill with a heavy-duty liner. Make sure to tie the liner securely to the grill; if you don’t, high winds can blow it away.

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Essential OutdoorRemember these 5 must-do maintenance tasks so you can get busy relaxing instead of worrying about rust and wear


DESiGN GOaL: A patio with an art deco feel. “You can either achieve this through a color scheme of white, espresso, silver and stainless steel, or you can opt for more tropical colors to pull together this patio style,” says Will Hayward, creative director of Set-

ting the Space Design, a design firm in Plymouth, Mass.

Floors/Walls: “A poured concrete floor paired with slatted wood walkways will make this patio pop,” suggests Lily Gahagan, market editor of Houzz.com,

an online commu-nity for home design enthusiasts.Colors: If you’re going for a tropical look, ac-cessorize with bright pinks, burnt oranges, wild purples and tur-quoise, Durie says.Furniture: Shop for white wicker wide-weave couches with pale cushions that have a pop of color, Hayward says.appliances: A gas cooktop for easy outdoor meals.Standout item: These modern-minimalist Barrow Loungers by West Elm ($329, above right) are inspired by the pool-side parties of Miami and Palm Springs.

Destination:Patio

Not looking to book a plane ticket this year? That doesn’t mean you can’t relax at a tiki bar or enjoy a Zen garden. Homeowners are looking to create their own outdoor escapes with a touch of

flavor from around the world.“Outdoor rooms are about living as comfortably and functionally outdoors as we do indoors,” says Jamie Durie, host of HGTV’s “The Outdoor Room” and author of several home design books. “The trick is to determine how you can best achieve this in your unique space.”

The Miami Beach Resort

as staycations get more popular, homeowners want to make their outdoor space feel like an escape from day-to-day life. These four patio styles will evoke favorite vacation destinations right at home

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Jamie Durie’s “the Outdoor Room”

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DESiGN GOaL: A light and airy retreat that feels fresh and beachy. Accent the patio with a lazily spinning overhead fan.

“Accessorize the space with tropical trees such as Sago palms as well as Mandevilla plants,” suggests Durie. “Finish

the look with brass lighting, colored glass, bright fabrics and outdoor curtains with bright tropical turquoise prints.”Floors/Walls: Stone and teak floors are just right for this patio style, Hay-ward says.Colors: Use cushions and accessories in bright col-ors like orange and Caribbe-an blue in this space. “These colors will inject a feeling of fun into your backyard patio,” says Gahagan.Furniture: Shop for white wicker sofas topped with cushions in white, cream, teal and blue ac-cents. “Or go for comfort with hammocks, loungers and lots of pillows,” Gahagan adds.appliances: A self-contained

outdoor bar with a fridge.Standout item: This striped hand-woven hammock chair ($94, below) from Ten Thousand Vil-lages will beckon you to relax – plus, its fair trade credentials make it a socially conscious outdoor choice.

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DESiGN GOaL: A lush, rustic space filled with mosaics, brick and majolica (tin-glazed earthen-ware) pottery. “To complete the look, plant bougainvillea and lavender either in containers or in the garden surrounding your patio,” Durie says.

Floors/Walls: Keep the space neutral by constructing light, caramel-colored stone or ter-racotta floors. “Or, opt to pave your floors with aged quarry brick,” Gahagan says. Decorate walls with Spanish tiles.Colors: Paint the patio with ochre, gold, olive or brick red finishes, suggests Hayward. “These colors will give the space a Mediterra-nean-inspired feel,” he says.Furniture: When shopping for furniture, select carved oak

couches and richly painted glossy wood chairs with a rustic finish, Hayward adds.appliances: An outdoor pizza oven.Standout item: This outdoor cop-per fire pit from Grandin Road ($129, below) adds romantic lighting to your traditional patio space. It’s perfect for making s’mores, too.

The Mediterranean Escape

Jamie Durie’s “the Outdoor Room”Grandin Road

Destination x Patio


DESiGN GOaL: Think koi pond and bamboo for this patio, which should ultimately feel like a reflective retreat where you can do yoga, relax and meditate. “You want this patio to evoke tranquility and a sense of calm,” Durie says.

Floors/Walls: To pull together the space, install floors made of stone, sand, gravel and beach rock, Hayward suggests.

Walls can be simple bamboo poles or Balinese carvings, Durie adds.Colors: Lime greens and white

work best in this patio, Hayward recommends.

Furniture: Shop for furniture, whether it’s seating or a dining room table and chairs, in bamboo and teak, Hayward says.appliances: Outdoor drawer fridge.Standout item: This contemporary water fountain ($325, below) from Sooth-ing Walls is made of stacked geometric shapes and comes in natural tones of slate and copper.

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Jamie Durie’s “the Outdoor Room”

Destination x Patio

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LawnGreenest The The most eco-friendly lawn isn’t necessarily green in hue

Goodbye, grass: a mixture of native grasses, plants, gravel and other hard-scaping can make a front or back yard more eco-friendly.

Rooms without walls: Create separate outdoor rooms with furni-ture, grasses and gravel to delineate each area.

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DAwN KLINGENSMITh | CTW Features

The smell of freshly mowed grass is syn-onymous with sum-mer in most people’s

minds. But the idea of a beauti-ful green lawn in front of every house has become objection-able to those who consider “green” a set of values rather than a color.

Environmentally speaking, grass lawns are not very “green.” Were it not for constant human intervention, most lawns would dry up, turn brown and lose ground to weeds and anthills.

For instance, it takes an extraordinary amount of fresh water to keep lawns hydrated. Mowing burns up nonrenew-able fossil fuels. Lawn chemicals can be harmful to people, pets or the watershed.

However, it is possible to cultivate an eco-friendlier lawn. Solutions can range from simply watering and mowing less, to a complete re-thinking of the front and back yards.

honey, i shrunk the lawnThe most dramatic way

to lessen the environmental impact of a lawn is to shrink it. “We always tell people to have lawn only where you need it for specific uses, like where the kids play or where you spread a blanket for a picnic,” says Kathy Brenzel, Sunset magazine’s gar-den editor.

One approach is to “whittle away at the sides,” as Brenzel puts it. Frame the lawn with shrubbery or beds, adding visual interest to the perimeter. “There are hundreds of variet-ies of perennials, shrubs and trees that look good bordering a property, which the neighbors won’t find objectionable,” says Tom Girolamo, author of “Your Eco-Friendly Yard” (Krause Pub-lications, 2009). Try the dwarf varieties of these plants, which don’t require constant pruning, he adds.

Another way is to “erase the center,” says Evelyn Hadden, au-

thor of the book “Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives” (Timber Press, 2012). Working from the inside out, create an “island” around an existing tree or grouping of trees by replacing the grass with low-maintenance plants such as perennials, ornamental grasses and hardy groundcovers. The is-land then becomes a focal point.

“Make the view come alive by creating a little ecosystem that attracts birds and butterflies,” she adds.

a whole new perspectiveConvert unused parts of

the lawn to something more practical or enjoyable, such as a vegetable or cutting garden. Slopes, which pose a challenge to mowers and typically serve no purpose, can be turned into a low-maintenance garden that will capture and absorb runoff more effectively, Hadden says.

“If you have a walkway at the base of the slope, you can see

all the plants at eye level,” she adds, “so you can have nodding plants like snowdrops, with their little bells, or see in the faces of daffodils.”

It’s not necessary to take up the sod when shrinking a lawn. “Instead of rototilling, just lay heavy paper or cardboard over the area and put organic mulch over it,” Girolamo advises. De-prived of sunlight, the grass will die and decompose, and the space will be ready for the next project.

Go hard or Go homeHardscaping like patios,

paved walkways and outdoor fireplaces provides functional spaces and can be used to cre-ate a series of “outdoor rooms,” Hadden says, with certain rooms delineated by patches of grass no larger than an area rug.

Gravel beds are often touted as an easy-care alternative to grass.

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But they fill up with leaves and twigs and tend to spill over their borders, says Girolamo, who is not necessarily a fan of full-blown rock gardens, either.

“Getting rock to a site is very energy-consumptive,” he says.

Since groundcover spreads and fills in a space, it can replace a large area of grass, perhaps doing away with an entire corner.

Grass Be-GoneNot all low-lying groundcover

is as impactful on the environ-ment as grass. Other plants can replace or supplement grass to make a lawn more eco-friendly.

One easy adjustment to make is to stop trying to get rid of clover. “Clover kind of acts like a slow-release fertilizer. It takes a lot of the work away from us and lets nature take over the job of fertilizing the lawn,” Had-den says.

“Clover lawns are making a comeback due to clover’s drought-tolerant and low-main-tenance qualities,” says Rob Wendell, CEO of Nature’s Finest Seed, a grass and wildflower seed developer based in Lehi, Utah. Clover provides nutrients, crowds out harmful weeds and has the ability to reseed itself.

“Every time you mow your lawn, you are adding clo-ver clippings back into the ground and spurring incredible growth,” reducing or eliminat-ing the need for fertilizer, he adds. Clover isn’t intended to replace a lawn entirely, but to grow freely among it.

On the other hand, pink chintz thyme can handle a moderate amount of foot traf-fic and can be used as a lawn substitute. It stays low and knits together to form a tight, dark-green mat.

Lemon thyme works for a smaller expanse or in the backyard, but be conscious that it won’t blend in with the neighbors’ yards because of its

yellowish leaves. “You can walk right through it and it has a nice smell to it,” Girolamo says. “You can cook with it, and it’s a natural mosquito repellent.”

Newer grass seed varieties are bred to tolerate drought and grow low to the ground, so less watering and mowing is re-quired. And older varieties have been significantly improved.

One example of a “greener” grass that’s gaining in popular-ity is buffalograss, native to the Great Plains region. “It’s extremely drought-tolerant and thrives during the hot summer months as traditional grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass are starting to go dormant,” Wendell says. “With the development of new high-quality varieties of buffalograss, there’s no need to worry about it looking clumpy or straggly. It produces a thick turf that only gets about 4 to 7 inches high. It’s a very slow grower and needs far less mowing than traditional lawn grasses.”

Fescues are another popular alternative. “The newer varieties we use are far superior to the varieties used in the past,” Wen-dell says, with a finer texture that blends more easily.

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Water the lawn only when it shows signs of drought stress and then water deeply (at least 1 inch).

Set the mower as high as it will go, as shorter grass is likelier to end up with weeds and brown spots.

Leave nutrient-rich clippings on the lawn after mowing.

Top-dress the lawn with a thin layer of organic compost in spring and fall to improve the soil.

5 Introduce self-feeding clover to the lawn.

Tips for eco-friendlier lawn care

The x Greenest x Lawn

For the kids: Lawnless play areas offer diverse

experiences to feed grow-ing minds and bodies.


Cursed with a perpetually black thumb? Start small. Container gardens can bring ver-dant bliss to small spaces

My Tiny

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Garden

Expert urban gardener and author isabelle Palmer be-lieves every-one deserves a unique green space.

EPhRAIM TUchO | CTW Features

Yearning for a natural escape but don’t have the skills or space to create an urban Eden? Small gardens can be an inexpensive and quick way to improve the look of a balcony or lighten up

an interior space.Aspiring gardeners who don’t have much space or time need not worry. A small garden can be grown by anyone.While much of gardening is learned through trial and error, it only takes a few precautions to steer clear of common pitfalls that many new gardeners make. Two small-garden experts share essential tips for container gardens.

spaceOne of the first steps of planning and setting up a balcony garden is understanding the space. “You have a very small space to deal with,” says Isabelle Palmer, author of “The Balcony Gardener” (CICO Books, 2012) and founder of an online company of the same name. “You have to be clever with what you can do with it.” Use portable furniture to maximize space. Also, ensure that the balcony can support the weight of the containers. Taking these precautions will eliminate problems down the road.

Containers“Newer gardeners take small pots that dry out quickly and stunt the growth of the plant,” says Fern Richardson, author of “Small-Space Con-tainer Gardens” (Timber Press, 2012). “They’ll take a pot and not think about drainage.” Without proper drainage in the pot, the water will remain in the container. The root of the plant will rot and the plant will die.Containers also are often the most expensive part of container gardening, Richardson says. Keep costs low by reusing containers like wine crates and wooden panels for plants.“You can use any vessel that can hold soil as a pot. You just have to make sure you put drainage holes in the bottom,” Richardson says.

sunDifferent plants need different amounts of direct or partial sunlight in order to survive.

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Mediterranean Planter from “The balcony Gardener” (cIcO books, 2012)

This wooden window box can hold enough produce for a variety of delicious summer dishes. You will need the box, polystyrene “crocks” or small stones, potting mix, horticultural grit and plant food. Author Isabelle Palmer suggests a chili pepper plant, bush basil, curry plant, golden thyme, marjoram, oregano and purple basil. Grow a tomato plant in a separate large pot to complement the herb mixture. Place in location that will receive six to eight hours of sun per day.

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Cont’d from page 12Balconies with at least six hours of direct sun-light are suited to house “full sun” plants. If there are only three to six hours of sunlight, it will support “partial sun” or “partial shade” plants best. Even if there is little to no direct sunlight, balconies can still support “full shade” plants.“If you know what percentage of your garden space gets full sun versus part or full shade, you’ll be able to make better plant-buying deci-sions,” writes Richardson in her book.

waterWatering is a common problem for new gar-deners. Knowing when to water and when not to water is important toward maintaining the health of the plants. In the summer, it is impor-tant to water plants at least once a day, Palmer says.Problems typically arise during the cooler months. Some gardeners may over-water their plants, which can kill them. As a rule-of-thumb, Richardson suggests sticking your finger in the soil to your second knuckle. If it feels dry, then you should water the plant, she says.

My x Tiny x Garden


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Bring some drama to the patio with fire, water or an epic combination of the two

It seems what happens in Ve-gas, doesn’t always stay in Ve-gas – at least when it comes to patio design. Inspired

by the outdoor spaces of trendy high-end hotels in the City of Sin and across the country, the back-yard is getting a makeover. Plastic patio sets and simple decking are out; fire pits and waterfalls are in.

“People would go to a nice resort somewhere and see pretty furniture and nice outdoor seat-ing, and want that same experi-ence at home,” says Leslie Wheel-er, director of communications for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, a trade group.

Homeowners attempting to replicate these resort-like atmo-spheres have moved beyond outdoor kitchens and couches to something more elemental – fire and water.

Feel the HeatSales of fire pits are soaring,

Wheeler says. “Pardon the pun, but fire pits are very hot these days. There’s every shape imagin-able, different fuels and a huge range of price points. It’s a huge product category.”

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chRISTINE bOcKELMAN | CTW Features


Advances in technology have made fire pits more accessible and desirable. It’s possible to get a basic fire pit for around $100, or spend tens of thou-sands on a more elaborate custom-built display.

While many fire pits use wood, gas or propane, bio-ethanol is also popular. Bio-ethanol is a renewable fuel that has no toxic byproducts when burned and doesn’t require any additional gas or fuel lines or ventilation sources.

“There are no construction headaches and nothing is hard-wired, so homeowners can also take these fire features with them when they move,” says Pau Torruella, owner of Fire & Patio Co., Denver.

Although the biofuel flames look pretty, they are better for ambiance than heat. Go with natural gas, propane or wood if people need to get warm around the fire.

In smaller spaces, fire tables are more convenient than fire pits. “People don’t want to sacri-fice table space,” Torruella says. “With fire tables, they can have the best of both worlds – the beauty of a fire and a place to put their wine glasses.”

For big spenders and techno-geeks, some top-of-the-line fire features can be operated with remote controls or even an iPhone, says Kevin Doud, presi-dent of Grand Effects in Irvine, Calif.

“The electronics are in part for safety. You don’t have to manually light the fire and it will automatically shut itself down if it gets too windy or rainy,” Doud says. “But it’s also a ‘wow’ factor.”

Cool it DownWhile backyard fire features

are certainly hot, water is still a cool addition to any outdoor

entertaining space.“Homeowners see the back-

yard as an entertaining space, and fire and water are both part of that experience,” says Rob Morton, director of sales for fire and water feature company Bluworld in Orlando, Fla.

Low-maintenance pondless waterfalls are an attractive alter-native to the time-consuming cleaning of other water fea-tures. Something as simple as a piece of stone with a trickle of water coming through a drilled hole can have a pondless basin now; more expensive custom options are also available.

“The water in pondless features goes into a basin and percolates through a bed of gravel that buries the pump,” says Jason Bowen, sales man-ager of Kane Brothers Water Features in Homer Glen, Ill. “There’s no body of water, so upkeep is minimal.”

Another trend in water features: Go natural. Gone are the days of an obviously man-made mound of earth with water flowing out of it. “People don’t want things that look like volcanoes in their backyards,” Bowen says.

Swimming ponds are more natural-looking alternatives to swimming pools. The ponds don’t use chlorine and utilize natural filtration and native plants and stones.

On a smaller, ‘do-it-yourself’ scale, design and technology innovations are changing water fountains. There are now free-standing waterfall fountains that can be set up in minutes.

“Just add a little water, plug it in and it is ready to go,” Morton says.

For projects of any scope, make sure to thoroughly vet a potential installer by asking for references and visiting previous job sites.

“This will not only show their work better than any photo can, but it will also show you they are still on good terms with past clients,” Bowen says.

Mix the ElementsCan’t decide between fire

and water? It’s possible to combine the two elements in one outdoor display. Commonly called fire fountains, these stun-ners typically feature water that cascades down a piece of glass, but does not splash on or put out the fire thanks to a protec-

tive piece of glass.Some fire fountains take ad-

vantage of the low heat output and ventless operation of bio-ethanol. In others, natural gas- or propane- fueled flames are made possible by stainless steel devices submerged in pools of water.

“There is a lot happening. It all started with hotels, and is trickling down to homeown-ers,” Doud says. “They are taking inspiration from what they see and using it in their backyards.”

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This fire fountain from bluworld combines fire and water into a single feature. Since the water cascades down the wall, it does not splash onto the fire.

Waves x and x Flames


A perfect storm of economic, weather and industry conditions have made 2012 the

perfect year to consider out-door lighting. “In the last eight

to 10 months, it seems like people are focusing more on outdoor lighting,” says Greg Yale, a landscape lighting designer based in Southampton, N.Y.

Yale adds, “It’s also in large part due to great weather, so people are focusing on the

outdoors ahead of time.”In addition, an explosion of

innovation and design provides a wide variety of outdoor light bulbs and fixtures for home-owners. “The marketplace has opened up to accept different and innovative design ideas,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association and an associate professor at the Uni-versity of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design.

the perfect BulbIn particular, light-emitting

diodes (LEDs) have become effective replacements for incandescent or halogen bulbs that were previously used in outdoor fixtures.

LEDs last longer (up to 50,000 hours, compared to 3,500 hours for an incandes-cent), are waterproof and

energy-efficient. They’re looking a lot nicer now, too: “They have matched the Kelvin tempera-ture that I use in my lighting designs,” Yale says.

That’s an essential point, be-cause the color temperature of a bulb (measured on the Kelvin scale) can make the difference between finding a bulb with the perfect warm glow or tak-ing a frustrated trip to the hard-ware store to exchange a bulb that casts an eerie blue light.

“Today, when you go to the store, you almost need a degree to shop for a light bulb,” Rey-Barreau jokes. New labeling re-quirements make it a tad easier – look for the color tempera-ture scale on the “lighting facts” label, and find a bulb between 2700K and 3000K for that warm glow, he recommends.

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invest in some flattering lighting to enhance the visual appeal of the great outdoors after the sun goes down

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LEDs can provide a large amount of light from a small space. “A single LED is only about one-sixteenth inch square,” Rey-Barreau says. “They are used in groups, mounted on a platform, so the fixtures can be small but produce a phenomenal amount of light,” perfect for use between the slats of a railing, the corners of decks or on the risers of steps.

Fixture FixInnovation hasn’t stopped at

the bulb itself. Lighting fixtures and lamps for the outdoors are getting more attention from designers.

“In the U.S., we’ve been very traditional and colonial [in style], especially outdoors,” Rey-Barreau says. “There’s a trend to really weird-looking or interest-

ing shapes now.”Sandra Soria, a design profes-

sional and author of “The New Front Yard Idea Book” (Taunton Press, 2012), agrees. “The fun part is that you can match a light to your architecture,” she says. A Victorian home, for example, can have beauti-ful reproduction lamp posts in the front yard to enhance the façade. Ranch homes with mid-century design go best with stainless steel fixtures and modern shapes.

For homes with an earthy brick feel, Soria suggests taking advantage of metals that get better with wear. “They will put on a weathered patina that you can only get with the help of nature.”Common pitfalls

Labeling is important for more than just bulbs. For those

who want to save cash and has-sle by installing solar-powered lights, “check out the boxes when you buy because they will tell you the light require-ments in a similar way as when you’re shopping for plants,” Soria says.

She recommends solar lights because, “unlike any other light-ing, they come in their own complete little package. There are no trenches, wires or trans-former to install on your house.” They are constantly improv-ing and changing, so choose carefully. Metal lights are more durable than plastic, and larger lights tend to have more solar panels that can collect and store more power.

Soria also warns against over-lighting a house, and Yale agrees. He uses minimal lighting in low wattage for his own de-

signs and cautions homeowners to be mindful of this common mistake.

“If you turn the light switch on and look outside and you see a group of light sources that are egregious to the eye, then you’ve done something wrong,” he says.

Rey-Barreau suggests that homeowners test out their lighting plans with a portable lighting kit from a local lighting showroom. The low-voltage kit makes it easy to test different light bulbs and angles at night before the installation process.

Last of all, Yale recommends that fixtures are mostly hidden from view. “If there is shadow-ing and silhouette and washes of light against the landscape without knowing where the source comes from, you’ve done a really good job,” he says.

Let x it x Shine


Growing up in the suburbs of the Windy City, Alison Victoria enjoyed a big summer kickoff party with friends and family and hunting for lightning bugs. Today, as host of DIY Network’s “Kitchen Crashers,” Victoria hunts in stores across America for weekend warriors who could use her help bringing style, beauty and simplicity together to create harmony in their kitchens.

Victoria’s journey as an interior designer began at the ripe age of 10, when she asked her mom if she could tackle the basement in her new house.After completing her studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she went on to create stunning

interior designs in affluent Las Vegas residences, then launched her own full-service interior design firm in Chicago and Las Vegas two years later. Since then, Victoria has created her own line of modern luxury furniture, served as creative director for the Silverton Casino Hotel in Las Vegas and designed a unit in Chicago’s Trump tower.

As warmer weather ushers in thoughts of back-yard barbecues and neighborhood parties, we caught up with Victoria to ask her thoughts on what makes outdoor entertaining so special.

What is your favorite part of the spring/summer outdoor dining season?

I love the colors of spring, the smell of spring, day-light savings and bringing the indoors out! The best part is having a small group of friends and family in my backyard, designing a new drink for everyone to enjoy, having my signature candy jars on display and sitting around the outdoor fireplace at the end of the night with a glass of wine and my favorite people.What are your fondest memories of spring/summer as a child?

I remember our huge backyard growing up (in the suburbs of Chicago) and our big summer kickoff party with my brother and his “band” playing on the top of the garage. Me, my sister and brothers and

all of our friends would run around and ride our bikes, and the entire neighborhood would be outside. At the end of the night, we would catch lightning bugs in jars and hold them captive in our rooms until the lights went out.

What are your favorite features for an outdoor kitchen or dining area? My wish list for my outdoor dream kitchen: pizza oven, keg-

erator, hand sink, built-in grill with side burners, undercounter beverage center and a wraparound bar with an ice rail built in to keep drinks cold on a hot summer day. I love the Marvel 61hk-bs-f for the kegerator. Don’t forget the built-in fireplace with plenty of seating – and yes, I want a TV above the fireplace.

How does style fit into outdoor living? is it something people often forget about?

When it comes to a stylish outdoor kitchen/living space, most people don’t consider the outdoor grill a design piece. That brings me to my first piece of advice: Built-in grills are a must! The outdoor kitchen is just as important as the indoor, especially if you live in a climate that allows for it, so pay attention to the space planning and the must-haves versus your own wish list.

What is the biggest mistake someone can make when designing an outdoor dining/kitchen area?

People often do minimal research to find all options avail-able. Most go through a large, costly operation, only to find they missed items they would have liked to have. Another common mistake is a bad floor plan with too little or poorly planned gathering spaces.

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Alison Victoria

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The ‘Kitchen Crashers’ host tells us about childhood summer parties and her grown-up outdoor kitchen wish list – complete with kegerator and mounted TV

JEFF SchNAUFER | CTW Features

HomeStyke Summer 2012

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Transcript of HomeStyke Summer 2012