Businesswoman Kesia Estwick wants to bring peace and happiness to your home. Through her relatively young business, My Zen, she intends do just that with unique pieces.

Known more as a fashion designer whose Kiss The Girl line has graced international catwalks, she is using her talents to create throw cushions, accent pillows, plant pots, candles, curtains and bed linens.

She told the BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY she always wanted to get into interior decorating and given the clothing line was seasonal in nature and sales were slowing down, now was as good a time as any to step assertively into this aspect of her business.

My Zen is very young; I started earlier this year. It is always something I wanted to do, even before I got into fashion designing. I just like to use my hands cooking fashion designing. It started as just a hobby while I was doing Kiss. I started during the down period, Estwick said.

She will not be giving up the fashion designing though, as she explained that is still a main source of income. However, she said that even though she has her regular customers, this summer was slower than last year.

It was in February this year that she exhibited some of the products in her line at Girlfriends Expo.

There was a good response. People were interested, including a wedding planner. I would say there was a really good response, she added.

Since then she has done throw pillows, accent cushions and floral arrangements for clients. The flowers were made from scratch using wood for stems and fabric for the flower petals. It was harder to create the petals, she said, as she explained the process, but she got it done.

With less than 90 days until Christmas, the businesswoman is optimistic about offering her home accents to a number of clients.

The plant pots will be up-cycled, with her using regular pots and applying the papier mch technique to give them a unique look. The candles will also be different as will be bed linens. Everything she makes will be branded My Zen.

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Interior spin on fashion design

Toll Design - Mementos
What is one of the best ways to make your new home feel like YOUR home? In this episode of Toll Lifestyle TV, award-winning interior decorator Mary Cook stop...

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MANCHESTER The opening of a new center for entrepreneurs at MCC on Main is the highlight of Imagine Main Street's First Thursday event.

The dedication of the Viscogliosi Entrepreneurship Center is set for Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The event will include remarks by Tom Chappell, co-founder of Tom's of Maine and Ramblers Way Farm, and Mayor Jay Moran.

The center was made possible by a donation from residents Paula and Anthony Viscogliosi, organizers said. The center is meant to provide students, entrepreneurs and small business owners "with opportunities to explore and develop their business passion and vision through innovative and informative educational and networking opportunities," said officials from Manchester Community College

Anthony Viscogliosi is "an accomplished entrepreneur and business strategist with a track record for leading businesses from startup, through commercialization and expansion," college officials said. Paula Viscogliosi is also an entrepreneur and interior decorator who created a rug design and manufacturing business, with gallery locations in Manhattan.

Tom Chappell is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, philanthropist and author. After Chappell and his wife, artist Kate Cheney Chappell, settled in Maine to live a lifestyle closely connected to nature, they founded Tom's of Maine, a pioneer in the natural personal care business.

A reception will follow the dedication. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and reservations are required. For more information, contact Diana Reid at 860-512-2909.

Other First Thursday events, beginning at 5:30 p.m., will include:

695-713 Main St. Plein Air Crafts Market by Katherine's Hair Design; salsa tasting at Los Sarapes; wine tasting at Sean's Fine Jewelry; pumpkin painting demonstration and sale by students from Cheney Technical High School; music by Brian Kenney.

785 Main St. 41 Closets, women's consignment boutique. Shop and enjoy music by Daniel Paul, accoustic guitarist.

793 Main St. Coventry Farms, Market on Main and deli tasting.

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Manchester Entrepreneur Center To Open Thursday At Imagine Main Street Event

We each have our little everyday annoyances, things that, although repeatedly experienced, still drive us crazy. Whether its slang expressions, slow drivers or rude salespeople, pet peeves might be defined as slightly petty yet highly individualized, strong reactions to common daily occurrences.

As an interior decorator, I have some home styling pet peeves of my own. They include:

Neutral interiors: Although I can certainly appreciate the quiet beauty of tone-on-tone neutrals, I am referring to rooms in which there are no hints (let alone pops) of color. White, cream or beige walls are the perfect palette upon which to build an interesting room, but please do not fill the space with more brown, beige and cream accents. It is a safe move, but usually yields boring results. Infuse touches of your favorite colors throughout your living spaces.

Matching furniture sets: I once had a friend who needed her new living room furnished, so she went to a brand name store and bought the entire sample room, shelf accessories and all. I understand the desire to furnish a house quickly, but that is no reason to relocate a retail showroom into your home. Creating a new space includes the opportunity to add your favorite colors, collectibles and sense of style.

Wall art: too high, too low, too much, too little; hanging art perfectly requires planning, time and intention. Size, color, material and subject should be considered. More than the specific height, I think art should be hung relative to the things around it: large pieces on large walls, horizontal pieces above long things, and groupings with coordinated materials, for example.

A desk in the master bedroom: the epitome of bad feng shui, there is nothing good about falling asleep and waking up to a visual reminder of work: bills to be paid, papers to sign and documents to file. The guest room, hallway or kitchen corner are better places to relocate this functional yet usually stress-producing workspace.

Window sills: As I have said before, window sills are architectural features, not display areas. An occasional plant or the perfect decorative accent may be appropriate, but overall, I think window sills should be kept bare and clean, and windows accessible.

Mismatched towels: Sometimes bathroom towels are the only soft, clean items in the room, so it bothers me to see a collection of various colors thrown over the rods or hanging from hooks or the back of the door. Towels are a daily comfort and relatively inexpensive to buy. Make the commitment and buy a set of matching towels in various sizes, like a real grown-up.

Last but not least, Kleenex boxes! It always strikes me as a huge miss-step when allergy sufferers have boxes of tissues in every room, in a plethora of wild patterns and bright colors. I love that companies make them to match every possible color or decorating scheme, bit I am peeved that people cant take the time to pick a box that coordinates with their room. (By the way, one box per living space should suffice.)

Oh did anyone solicit my opinion?

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House Calls: Decorators too have their pet peeves

Second Life - The Virtual SS Galaxy Cruise Ship revisited 2014
Second Life - The Virtual SS Galaxy Cruise Ship revisited 2014 I #39;m glad I went back. I was able to virtually cruise right up along side the ship in my own little virtual boat. They connected...

By: Sophia Yates

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Second Life - The Virtual SS Galaxy Cruise Ship revisited 2014 - Video

Monday, September 22, 2014, by Lily di Costanzo

From the tomes of Curbed SF comes the sordid tale of this famed mega-manse in Hillsborough, Calif, which "has a long history full of long-standing San Francisco social royalty, botched subdivision plans to cover divorce fees, and dreamy interior design, plus some high-end architectural pedigree to boot." Built in 1916 by the daughter and son-in-law of French Nobleman Count Christian de Guigne, the 16,000-square-foot Guigne Court boasts, among a whole lot of other things, seven bedrooms, a ballroom, a flower-arranging room, a servants' wing with four maids' rooms and two chauffeurs' rooms. After being passed to subsequently richer and richer descendantsincluding an heiress who hired famed midcentury interior decorator Anthony Hail to design the interiors of the estate in the 1960sthe home eventually popped up on the market last February for a cool $100M, with the rather ludicrous stipulation that the owner not be able to move in until the 76-year-old current owner pass on. More on the fall-out of the comically out-of-touch demand, plus a bit more on the many rabble-rousing tenants, below.

More scandalous details, right this way. >>

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Blockbusters: Learn All the Secrets of This 'San Fran Social Royalty' Manse

Habitat for Humanity gives mom and son new life Habitat for Humanity gives mom and son new life

Updated: Saturday, September 20 2014 11:44 PM EDT2014-09-21 03:44:46 GMT

Voncille Chaney and her 11-year-old son Ahmai just unlocked the front-door to the first home they've ever owned.It's a great feeling. It's a wonderful feeling Voncille Chaney said."But it's all still so surreal right now."

Voncille Chaney and her 11-year-old son Ahmai just unlocked the front-door to the first home they've ever owned.It's a great feeling. It's a wonderful feeling Voncille Chaney said."But it's all still so surreal right now."

Updated: Friday, September 19 2014 12:08 PM EDT2014-09-19 16:08:30 GMT

Starting next week, 100 buses and two subway stations will display anti-Islam advertisements despite efforts by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to block them. The organization known as the American Freedom Defense Initiative, which has posted similar ads in the past in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., reportedly paid $100K for the campaign.

Starting next week, 100 buses and two subway stations will display anti-Islam advertisements despite efforts by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to block them. The organization known as the American Freedom Defense Initiative, which has posted similar ads in the past in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., reportedly paid $100K for the campaign.

Updated: Thursday, September 18 2014 9:02 AM EDT2014-09-18 13:02:02 GMT

Bustling Astoria, Queens is celebrating the many diverse cuisines found throughout the neighborhood with Astoria Restaurant Week. The event runs from Sept. 19- Sept. 28. Participating restaurants include: MP Taverna, MexiBBQ, Marketa, Pachanga Patterson, Vesta Vino and many more. Prices vary by restaurant Many are offering special prix fixemenus for $25, $35 or $45.

Bustling Astoria, Queens is celebrating the many diverse cuisines found throughout the neighborhood with Astoria Restaurant Week. The event runs from Sept. 19- Sept. 28. Participating restaurants include: MP Taverna, MexiBBQ, Marketa, Pachanga Patterson, Vesta Vino and many more. Prices vary by restaurant Many are offering special prix fixemenus for $25, $35 or $45.

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Habitat for Humanity gives mom and son new life

An 1805 stone manor house is Historic Ellicott City's 2014 Decorator Show House. Situated on 110 acres in Glenelg, Meriwether Farm, a two-story 5,757-square-foot home, received a three-month makeover by more than a dozen interior designers in preparation for the show, which opens Satuday, Sept. 20, and runs through Oct. 19.

"It is such a popular event," said Joyce Pope, executive director of HEC. "We generally have 150 visitors per day."

Those visitors will get to explore a house that rebounded after a devastating fire in 1950 that destroyed most of its interior rooms except the original staircase and front walls.

"A good section of the house caught fire," Pope said. "They tried to salvage as much of the historic aspects as they could."

By all accounts, the house, which sat vacant a few years and is on the market, was in sound shape, Pope said. While the outside needed work, such as landscaping, the inside needed little compared to past Decorator Show Houses.

"These old houses are not wired for modern times," said Carroll Frey, design chair for HEC. "The kitchen needed work but the rest of the rooms were pretty darn good. No restoration work was needed. The wood floors were in excellent condition."

After work by professional designers who prepare the house, the kitchen is now one of Pope's favorite rooms in the house.

"It was ... really in need of a transfiguration," Pope said. "It is one of the most charming. I saw it had the potential."

Frey particularly likes the work done to create a gentleman's dressing room. While the committee thought the room could be a bedroom, the designer proposed a dressing room instead.

"There is vintage clothing in it and ... some very good antiques," Frey said. "I really like the effort and energy that was put into the gentleman's dressing room."

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Glenelg stone farmhouse gets Show House makeover

Better than Pinterest: Interior decorator Thomas Lavin and the Blake House showroom at the Laguna Design Center have merged to become Thomas Lavin at Blake House. The new combined space, open to the public, was launched with a party hosted by Elle Dcor on Sept. 16. Covetable new lines on offer include Bright and Altura furniture, Marian Jamieson lighting and Liberty of London and Anichini fabrics, along with the introduction of Christian Liaigre, Jiun Ho, Fuse, Magni Home, McEwen, Link Outdoor and Tuell & Reynolds, among others. Information: thomaslavin.com.

Social capitalism for a cause: If you like the retail activism method used by brands like TOMS, stop by a group warehouse sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday to save up to 80% on clothing and accessories from local brands like Krochet Kids, Vestal, 31 Bits, Almond Surfboards, 31 Bits, Insight and Deus. The cause-conscious labels will converge at Krochet Kids HQ, 1630 Superior Ave., Unit C, Costa Mesa. Information: krochetkids.org.

Develop fashion confidence: Celebrity stylist Rebecca Pennington has opened a new designer resale boutique and styling studio, Violette Studios, at Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave., Suite 51A, Huntington Beach. In addition to offering deals on top labels, the venture plans to offer weekly and monthly events to help people of all ages learn to dress for their lifestyle. Stop by the grand opening at 11 a.m. Saturday to learn more and enjoy music, food, door prizes and shopping. Information: violettestudios.com.

Study buddies: The Newport Beach Public Library will host a free SAT Practice Test from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at its Central Library Friends Room. Students of any age may participate; results will be emailed within two weeks. Register soon at newportbeachlibrary.org since space is limited. Registration is required. The test will take about four hours; bring a calculator.

Wine and dine: The new Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa signature restaurant Watertable, 21500 Pacific Coast Hwy., will begin a series of monthly wine dinners at 6 p.m. Sept. 30, when it welcomes Napa Valley's famed Heitz Wine Cellars to pair its bottles with dishes including Yellowtail Hamachi Crudo, Organic Beet Tartar, Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast, Espresso Rubbed Short Rib and Fall Harvest Black Mission Fig Tart. Future dinners will be Oct. 30 and Nov. 12. The dinners will be $95 to $135 per person, plus tax and gratuity. RSVP at (714) 845-4893.

Autumn bounty: Join chef Pascal Olhats and special guests Anne and Dan Manassero from Manassero Farms at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Sherman Library and Gardens, 2647 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, to learn about growing vegetables and enjoy a cooking demonstration and French countryside feast by the chef. The monthly interactive dinners are limited to 50 guests, and the cost is $50 to $60 per person. Information and reservations: (949) 673-0033.

Have a hot sale tip, or know about a new local business that you think deserves a little attention? Contact CANDICE BAKER at candicebaker@gmail.com.

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Retail Therapy: A merger by Design

THE Philippine Institute of Interior Design will be joining for the first time a real estate firm in Cebu.

The Cebuano market is a good niche for design and every Filipino deserves a really good space. That is why we create trendy and functional space for all from low end to high end, said Hermie Ray Oplado, president of the Philippine Institute of Interior Design (PIID)-Cebu Chapter.

For the first time, PIID is joining a real estate fair in Cebu that will happen on Sept. 19 to 23 on the third floor of Pacific Mall in Mandaue City. Organizers said the Realty Fair 2014 is the biggest real estate festival since it will gather 25 prominent property developers with project sites located south and north of Cebu Province. The participation of 60 members of PIID-Cebu is aimed to make choosing homes much easier since professional designers will educate buyers especially on style, innovation, and functional models.

The Philippines is the first country to formulate laws governing the Interior Design profession and we are truly glad that the Phil. Interior Design Act of 2012 has been amended and enforces stricter rules. The law was born out of the need to safeguard the local profession and protect the rights and talents of Filipino interior designers, Oplado explained.

He said the need to educate Filipinos on the difference between a mere decorator and professional interior designer. The latter must pass the government board examination and must undergo training to address safety measures.

If you have a natural talent for arranging things, you are just a decorator, said PIID Vice President for External Affairs Janet Lee. An interior designer goes beyond decorating. Professional interior designers address safety, materials and space planning, and make use of scientific methods for measurements and color theory for comfortable living.

Under the new law, the interior designer will provide the client a one-year guarantee from the time of the formal turnover to the client. Interior designers follow the standard building code and they get clearances. Decorators, architects, furniture makers, suppliers, etc. cannot call themselves interior designers. And foreign interior designers must get temporary permits and collaborate with a local counterpart.

The Realty Fair 2014 is a combined expo to celebrate lifestyle choices with design ideas to fit any property buyers budget and way of life. EAP

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 18, 2014.

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Interior designers group joins Realty Fair 2014