Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Is it unrealistic, in the shortening days of a divisive election year, to expect the two parties to take time out of their packed schedules to address the affordable housing crisis? Perhaps, but there has already been progress toward action on housing in 2020.

For example, the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act (H.R. 4351), introduced by Reps. Denny HeckDennis (Denny) Lynn HeckExclusive: Guccifer 2.0 hacked memos expand on Pennsylvania House races Heck enjoys second political wind Incoming lawmaker feeling a bit overwhelmed MORE (D-Wash.) and Trey HollingsworthJoseph (Trey) Albert HollingsworthWill Congress make a significant move on housing affordability? Overnight Health Care: Trump pressure on health agencies risks undermining public trust | Top FDA spokeswoman ousted after 11 days OVERNIGHT ENERGY: 21 states sue White House over rollback of bedrock environmental law | Administration faces rough week in court | Trump hits Biden on climate at convention MORE (R-Ind.), passed the House by a voice vote in March. Senate consideration of the bill, or a serious effort by that chamber to constructively address artificially high housing costs, would send a message of unified congressional support for urgently needed investment in Americas housing stock.

There is a growing left-right consensus on housing affordability: Overregulation is the chief barrier to affordable, unsubsidized housing within reach of working families. Protecting the right to build on ones own land is the solution, and could help get us to the point where direct government assistance is only needed by families with little or no income.

Congress, of course, has neither the desire nor the authority to take over local zoning powers. But Washington has long influenced housing market regulation in many ways, through innovation, vocal leadership and financial incentives. The Department of Commercepromoted restrictive zoningaround the country in 1924. Theearly Federal Housing Administration subsidized low-density regulationsthat favored expensive suburban-style planning (not to mention imposing strict racial segregation).

Today, Congress should take leadership to promote more worthy ideals and elevate best practices from around the country. Local leaders should see clearly that their national representatives are on the side of inclusive, market-led housing construction. Such an effort will require more two-way communication with federally-funded cities, which must use federal grants responsibly. Given the central role of zoning in local policy, communities receiving Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds must at least take stock of their regulatory apparatus (as the YIMBY Act would require).

Each party now appears to recognize a vital ideal more commonly associated with the other side. For Democrats, this means affirming the leading role of markets in delivering housing affordability. They can draw inspiration from the Austin suburbs, where legal scholarRobert Ellickson foundthat the majority of developable tracts are zoned to allow small-lot single family houses or multifamily homes. Those local choices open opportunities to Texans of diverse income levels and facilitate integration as the Austin economy booms.

Republicans, for their part, have too often ignored housing policy altogether. They are beginning to take a symbolic stand on the content of local decisions and let locally elected Republicans know that there are some things that blue cities get right. Buffalo, New York, for example,facilitated reinvestmentin its time-worn downtown byremoving parking minimumsand making it simpler to repurpose old buildings. That policy innovation wouldbe applicableto commercial spaces left vacant by the current recession.

The YIMBY Act does go beyond expressing the sense of Congress that inclusive, market-led housing investment is good for America. The language of the bill requires each HUD grantee which includes all cities of at least 50,000 people, plus some counties and smaller cities to report on whether or not they have adopted each of 22 policies, such as allowing manufactured housing and reducing parking minimums. The new requirement is likely to be grafted into anexisting online portal. Municipalities can also report that they plan to adopt a policy or that it is inapplicable.

It is fair to criticize the YIMBY Act for failing to address the real problems with HUDs grants. For example, the funding formula for Community Development Block Grants isout of syncwith the programs priorities and has been untouched since 1977. A more ambitious reform would update funding formulae and withdraw HUDs support from communities that do not share its goals.

Instead, Congress is following the business adage, You get what you measure. Decades of interaction with HUD have attuned local officials to some concerns. Many existing reporting requirements for HUD funding are on activities, such as on environmental protections and neighborhood input,known to discourage investment. By contrast, HUD has no existing requirement that communities consider or accommodate potential future residents, the vibrancy of the local economy or local fiscal sustainability, all of which are considerations that lean toward reinvestment. The YIMBY Act puts a little of HUDs weight but perhaps not enough on the pro-investment side of the scales.

Congress is taking seriously HUDs role as a source of information and ideas for local governments. Adding reporting on property rights protections for housing construction is likely, at the margin, to encourage grantees to give greater consideration to the ways they can enable reinvestment by expanding and protecting property rights.

Salim Furthis a senior research fellow and director of the Urbanity Project with theMercatusCenter at George Mason University.

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Will Congress make a significant move on housing affordability? - The Hill

1. Why Manufactured Housing Is the New Affordable Housing (Commercial Property Executive) - August 24"Despite the zoning challenges, manufactured housing offers the only affordable detached housing option in the U.S."

2. Many Companies Planned to Reopen Offices After Labor Day. With Coronavirus Still Around, Theyre Rethinking That. (WSJ) - August 23"Companies had hoped to bring homebound workforces back in September, but employee outcry and fears over outbreaks have led bosses to change course."

3. Economic Data Points to Pause in Recovery as Aid Programs Expire (New York Times) - August 21"The economys rebound showed signs of stagnating. Then enhanced unemployment benefits and a small-business loan program expired."

4. Hotel Occupancy Likely To Dip By 29% Over Next Year (Globe St) - August 21"A new study from Magid and Howarth HTL estimates the losses to the hospitality industry from the coronavirus pandemic at $75 billion."

5. An Unprecedented Effort to Stop the Coronavirus in Nursing Homes (New York Times) - August 20"Researchers are testing an experimental drug to halt sudden outbreaks. The trial may bring a new type of treatment for the virus."

6. From Illicit To Essential: Pandemic Helping Cannabis Industry Gain Firmer Footing (Bisnow) - August 19"When the economy went into a steep decline last spring, many cannabis retailers and growers said their industry was at risk. The federal prohibition on cannabis already made it difficult to raise needed capital, and with millions of jobs evaporating, legal sales could also crater, leading risk-averse investors to back off even further."

7. Survey: More Than 70% Of CRE Firms Have Seen Their Revenues Drop Significantly During The Pandemic (Bisnow) - August 17"In early March, Bisnow surveyed hundreds of commercial real estate professionals to find out how the industry was responding to the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, 44% of survey respondents said the effects of the pandemic would be short-term, and that the market would rebound quickly, and only 37% of respondents told Bisnow the pandemic had directly affected their business."

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7 must reads for the AEC industry today: August 28, 2020 - Building Design + Construction

(Note: A good long video explaining the system can be seen via this Treehugger article)

Judging from my decades of life experience there is an iron-clad rule about every room in every house ever built: The electric outlets are in the wrong place.

Outlets are always, and I do mean always, blocked by furniture or too far from the floor lamp or get overloaded because its the only one I can find. Invariably I end up shifting everything around or living with more extension cords than Medusa had snakes on her head.

Heres an idea: Instead of moving lamps and furniture to suit the outlet, why cant we move the outlet to suit the room?

Thats one aspect of a system called Open-Built that New Hampshires Bensonwood Homes has been developing for years and incorporating into homes, including some built with components made in its Keene factory. The idea is to creates houses that last longer and perform better by designing them to be functionally flexible so they can change as the needs of inhabitants change (kids are born, people get old, family moves out, etc.) and as technology alters.

Its very much a niche idea in the U.S., although not in parts of Europe or Japan. Improvements in computer-aided design and CNC machinery are making it more feasible.

The Keene factory, company founder Tedd Benson says, can produce material for 300 buildings a year on an 8-hour day although he adds, were not up there yet.

Benson got his start with timber-frame construction and with Bensonwood Homes and subsidiary Unity Homes is well versed in sustainable and passive-house construction and design. The Open-Built concept is an extension of those ideas.

Outlets, under this program, can be easily moved because theyre built into a small section of non-weight-bearing walls along the floor that is covered with panels, sort of a vertical version of a dropped ceiling in an office. Open the panels and the wiring is accessible without messing with wallboard or insulation.

If the system was built with plug-and-play circuits that Benson is also developing, moving the outlet wont be much harder than setting up your new computer.

Being able to move outlets is a cool feature, but bigger disentanglements are more important, Benson said.

The inelegant term disentanglement refers to the idea that the structure of the house the shell shouldnt be tangled up with the things that make it work the infill because they exist in different timelines. A house frame and foundation can last a century or two but the design and technology of the pipes and wires and insulation and other components change much more quickly.

If those pipes and wires and insulation are all tangled with each other and with the shell, stuck around studs and joists and behind wallboard or siding, upgrading them is so expensive and complicated that it rarely happens.

Case in point: My house. Weve been there 30 years yet my wife and I have installed exactly one new set of switches and light sockets, resigning ourselves to all the others even when theyre not quite what wed like. And that installation happened only because our bedroom adjoins the attic so it was easy to run wires without ripping up the ceiling.

Then theres the Ethernet cable running down one hallway to a makeshift office because hiding it would be an enormous pain. As for changing the plumbing layout or increasing the insulation in the walls or running fiber-optic cables if that becomes the norm forget it.

Bensons approach is to avoid such locked-in layout from the start with computer-aided design and modular construction. He emphasizes that the idea is not original with him, pointing to well-known advocates like Stewart Brand and John Habraken, but it remains rare in the U.S.

Were rethinking the process and product of buildings so they can last longer and be more adaptable to peoples lives, said Benson. He talked about making a simple wiring upgrade himself, without having to hire people in other building trades: If theyre entangled, it would take five trades to accomplish the same thing.

Along with flexibility, he says, comes better performance, more efficient use of energy and more comfort for people living inside.

We know how to do it its actually not that hard. Residential buildings are really simple; they sit on the earth, dont go anywhere, dont make anything its actually pretty easy to build to a higher-performing standard, he said.

A key part of Open-Built is the construction of walls and other components in a factory to be assembled on site. This idea has been touted for as long as I can remember as a way to make better and cheaper homes but is relegated to the much-scorned category of low-end manufactured homes for reasons I dont quite understand.

Real houses, the thinking still goes, are stick-built meaning that almost everything, including all the framing, is cut and attached and constructed on location out in the rain and sun and wind, on workbenches or scaffolding or ladders, using portable power and staffing that can come from different places for different jobs.

Pushing against that inertia is part of the obstacles Benson faces.

Benson said Bensonwood and Unity together have about 115 employees, including the factory in Keene and two production departments in Walpole, one of which involves high-tech construction with manufactured timber, a topic Ive written about before.

Another obstacle Benson faces is a shortage of standards. You cant plug-and-play components if they dont fit together.

Benson says his firm is in a partnership with Saint-Gobain, a global materials company, to develop software to bring basis to standardization.

Weve got 40 different companies making parts for quote-unquote electrical systems and were still twisting with thumb and forefinger, splicing wires because they dont coordinate design.

The hoped-for result, he said, includes dimensional coordination so that when were making things that are parts of buildings there are some rules about where they go and how they fit. Things like stairs, bathrooms, windows, showerheads and, yes, outlets.

Theyre testing what is essentially a 2-foot grid for the building shell and a 3-inch grid for infill components, he says. Myriad designs can be built around these but, important, not an infinite number.

Instead of everything having to be cut and shaped on building sites by individuals with handheld tools, they can be assembled together, he said.

At a time when the need for housing is greater than ever before, a big rethink of how we construct our homes might be in order. If it means I can get rid of some extension cords at the same time, Im a fan.

Continued here:
An Ethernet cable runs down my hallway but it's not my fault - it's the house's fault! - Concord Monitor

Global Hormone Replacement Therapy Market: Overview

Hormone replacement therapy refers to the treatment of the patients with growth hormone deficiency due to conditions such as dwarfism or women nearing menopause, which requires replacement of hormones in the body whose levels have become low. Currently, a combination of drugs are used to treat hormone deficiencies, which are known to have better safety and efficacy parameter. Globally, the cases of hormone deficiency is escalating and a vast patient base are deprived of the proper treatment. These two factors are the primary drivers of the hormone replacement therapy market, which is projected for a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.

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This report on global hormone replacement therapy market is a comprehensive analysis of all the factors that are expected to influence the growth rate in near future, presents a figurative estimation of the opportunities available, and profiles some of the key players currently active to give a clear picture of the competitive landscape. The global hormone replacement therapy market can be segmented on the basis of type of therapy, route of administration, and geography. By type of therapy, the market can be divided into estrogen replacement therapy, which remains most in-demand, and growth hormone replacement therapy. By route of administration, the market can be segmented into oral, parenteral, and transdermal. The oral route of administration is a sub-division of enteral administration and is considered the safest routes of drugs administration. Premarin and Estrace are some of the examples of oral administration route.

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Global Hormone Replacement Therapy Market: Trends and Opportunities

The rising incidences of hormonal imbalance disorders and increasing geriatric population as well as the neonatal population suffering from hormonal deficiency are the primary drivers of this market. Technological advancements in the field of drug delivery systems, presence of routinely monitored formulations, and increasing awareness among the consumers are others factors favoring the growth rate of the market. Additionally, the report also observes that menopausal females form a major chunk of the demand. Consequently, the rising population of female between the age group of 45 to 59, which thereby increases the range of menopausal window, is adding to the demand in the global hormone replacement therapy market. As per the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly 6,000 women reach menopause on a daily basis, in the country of the U.S. alone.

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Aggressive direct selling campaigns by the key players to individuals aspiring quality life, development of new gel-based formulations, and increasing product availability of other factors that are expected to promote the market during the forecast period. Conversely, high cost of these therapies, some of the side-effects, shortage of products owing to weak pipeline are some of the factors expected to hinder the growth rate. The report also picks out some of the trends of the market, such as novel drug delivery mechanisms, mergers and acquisitions, and paradigm shift towards non-hormonal therapies.

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Global Hormone Replacement Therapy Market: Region-wise Outlook

The country-wide market of the U.S. continues to make North America the most lucrative region in the global hormone replacement therapy market. Increasing cases of hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and other growth hormone deficiencies, coupled with swelling population of newborns are the key factors that is expected to augment the demand during the forecast period. The region of Asia Pacific is expected to experience surge of demand too, owing to reasons such increased awareness levels among the end users and improving healthcare infrastructure.

Companies Mentioned in the Research Report

Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Abbott Laboratories, Novartis, Bayer Healthcare, Merck Serono, Eli Lilly, Roche, Mylan Laboratories, and Genentech.

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Hormone Replacement Therapy Market: Rising incidences of hormonal imbalance disorders is the primary drivers of this market - BioSpace

KEY POINTS

Liverpool star Sadio Mane reportedly could consider moving to FC Barcelona in the ongoing summer transfer window.

With Lionel Messi having informed Barcelona that he wants to leave this summer, the club is looking for a long-term replacement for their skipper. Barcelonas new head coach Ronald Koeman managed Mane at Southampton and is believed to be an admirer of the Senegal national and has identified the 29-year-old striker as an ideal replacement for Messi.

Under the watch of Koeman, Mane rose to ranks and netted 25 goals in 75 competitive matches at Southampton between 2014 and 2016. Impressed with Manes show with "The Saints", Liverpool had signed the player for $45 million on a five-year deal.

Mane was linked with a move to Real Madrid last summer and the player was reportedly angry with Liverpool for not even considering or discussing the same with him.

The 28-year-old winger has been a core member of Jurgen Klopps side that has tasted success over the last couple of years. He has scored 81 goals in 171 matches since his Reds debut in 2016. As a reward for his contribution, Mane was offered a new lucrative five-year contract in 2018. Along with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, Mane has formed a mind-blowing front three at Liverpool helping the side win the Champions League, the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup, and their maiden FIFA Club World Cup.

While in the Ballon dOr awards, only journalists vote, international coaches, captains, and the media vote for FIFA awards. Messi, who won the record sixth Ballon dOr award in 2019, had voted for Mane for his stellar 2018-19 campaign that saw the Senegal striker score 26 goals in 50 matches, across all tournaments.

It has been reported that Liverpool could lose two of its talented players this summer: Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum.

While Mane has three years left in his current contract, Wijnaldums Liverpool deal is due to expire in 2021 and the Dutch midfielder has not been offered an extension yet. Both the players reportedly are wanted by Barcelona as their new boss Koeman has a great relationship with both. Under Koeman, Wijnaldum played a key role in helping Netherlands reach the final of the UEFA Nations League, which they eventually lost to Portugal.

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo has claimed that Mane has been unhappy at Barcelona and is ready to consider an offer from Barcelona. The report has revealed that Mane feels he is not given the same importance as Salah, Firmino, or Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. Since Barcelona is set to undergo a transformation under Koeman, it would be a great opportunity for Mane to embrace a new challenge after having proved himself in England.

Sadio Mane scored the winner for Liverpool against Norwich Photo: AFP / Oli SCARFF

The Spanish report has also disclosed that if Mane does choose to depart from Anfield, Liverpool reportedly will not accept any bid less than $142 million for their star winger.

Original post:
Liverpools $142M Star Is Ready To Consider Barcelona Move As Lionel Messis Replacement: Report - International Business Times

Q: Windows 10 is now five years old. How much longer will Microsoft provide critical updates for it? And what comes next? A Windows operating system thats paid for by monthly subscription fee?

James Labradori, Delafield, Wis.

A: Technology changes fast, but Windows 10 seems likely to be with us for several more years.

One reason is that the coronavirus has kept people isolated from each other, producing a surge of interest in using computers to stay in touch. Microsoft said that trend has also spurred public interest in using Windows 10, causing the company to invest more in the operating system.

Another reason to believe Windows 10 will be with us is that it doesnt have a fixed expiration date as previous versions of Windows did.

For example, it was known years in advance that Windows 7 would stop receiving security updates in January of this year, making it no longer safe to use. But Windows 10 has an expiration date that keeps getting pushed forward: Each major update is supported for 18 months. But the expiration date never arrives because a new version of Windows 10 is automatically installed every six months, restarting the 18-month expiration clock.

In addition, Windows 10 is getting a new cousin called Windows 10X. Microsoft said 10X wont run on PCs. Instead, its intended for stripped-down computers akin to Googles Chromebook.

A Windows 10X computer aimed at the education market would have so little processing power that it would mostly use online software (much as the Chromebook does.)

Another 10X computer intended for the business market would be less capable than a PC, but have enough processing power to run its own software. Experts said some of the technology improvements developed for Windows 10X such as faster updates and protecting the operating system from software crashes may be added to Windows 10.

What does Windows 10X mean for the future? Microsoft has hinted that all Windows computers might eventually run some version of Windows 10X, but it hasnt said when. And the introduction of 10X has been delayed from this fall until sometime next year.

A consumer Windows 10 subscription service (which would replace purchasing the operating system with a monthly fee to use it) has reportedly been discussed within Microsoft.

The idea is that a Windows 10 subscription fee could become part of Microsoft 365, which is currently the online subscription version of Microsoft Office. But subscriptions may not have much appeal to consumers. So far, its estimated that Microsoft 365 is used by fewer than 20% of all Office customers. So, I think Windows 10 users might get a choice of purchasing or subscribing.

Q: I have a model N5110 Dell Inspiron laptop on which I tried to install Windows 10 when support was eliminated for Windows 7. I wiped the hard drive so I could do a fresh installation of Windows 10, but it wouldnt install properly. I later discovered that this PC model isnt compatible with Windows 10. Is there a workaround to make Windows 10 function?

Bruce Johnston, Tamarack, Minn.

A: Dell said your 2011 PC isnt compatible with Windows 10, which was introduced in 2015 (see tinyurl.com/y4zc653x). Theres no workaround for that type of obsolescence; the only way you can get Windows 10 is to buy a new computer.

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com or write to Tech Q&A, 650 S. 3rd Av., Suite 1300, Minneapolis, MN 55488. Include name, city and telephone number.

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Windows 10 is five years old, but not going away - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Ceylon et Cie, Dallas

AD100 designer Michelle Nussbaumer houses a treasure trove of vintage and antique finds from the furthest reaches of the globe in her Dallas design district warehouse and shop. Complementing the exuberant menagerie of pieces is Nussbaumers fabric collection with Clarence House, as well as a line of plaster furniture and lighting. ceylonetcie.com

Ceylon et Cie.

Paloma & Co., Houston

Offering a dose of cofounders Paloma Contreras and Devon Liedtkes timeless style, the concept space displays work by emerging artists, global finds, and colorful tabletop items and gifts. We are constantly adding new antique and vintage finds to our mix, Contreras says. shoppalomaandco.com

Paloma & Co.

Moxie, Houston

Founded by designer Dennis Brackeen and located in the Upper Kirby shopping district, Moxie is a go-to source for high-end antiques, vintage modern furnishings, lighting, and decorative accessories. Last year, Moxie expanded into an 8,500-square-foot showroom that became available next door. moxie-interiors.com

Moxie.

Dressing Room Interiors Studio, Charlotte, North Carolina

For a curated selection of vintage furnishings, locals seek out Ariene Betheas shop. Many pieces have been refurbished and updated with new colors and often graphic patterns before being displayed. Global wares and accessories are also scattered throughout, as are original artworks by local creatives. dressingroomsinteriorsstudio.com

Dressing Room Interiors Studio.

Mitchell Hill, Charleston, South Carolina

Designers Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill recently opened their own multilevel space in Charlestons design district, which is home to top brands for the region including Arteriors, Farrow & Ball, and Julian Chichester. The duos twisted traditional style is on display throughout, and designers and consumers alike are encouraged to drop in for inspiration. mitchellhillinc.com

Mitchell Hill.

Casa Gusto, Palm Beach, Florida

During this years Kips Bay Palm Beach celebrations, AD100 designer Alex Papachristidis declared Casa Gusto one of the most stylish stores Ive been to in years on Instagram. Helmed by Cris Briger and Charles Peed, this Palm Beach destination specializes in 18th- and 19th-century furnishings as well as new additions, such as a series of papier-mch classical busts and hand-colored prints in custom-painted mats and frames. getthegusto.com

Casa Gusto.

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40 of the Best Home Decor Stores in America - Architectural Digest

Were it not for the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, we would now almost certainly be reflecting on the final months of Barack Obamas presidency, its historic resonances and forward-looking ideals. Its a soothing reverie, and one that can, blessedly, come to life as you turn the pages of a lavish new book by the Obamas decorator.

Michael S. Smiths Designing History (Rizzoli, written with Margaret Russell) is by far the most comprehensive illustrated record of the executive mansion and an engaging account of Smiths deep dive into the history of the White House, as he helped the Obamas update the stolid mansion with a more contemporary and open aesthetic, easing the burdens of a young first family living in the glare of history.

Not since the Kennedys has a family had such a transformative effect on the White House.

With the Obamas in residence, the house of the people became a place to entertain in a more casual manner, which fit their personal style. Glittering parties were, however, part of the program, naturally, and Smith recalls events that included everyone from Aretha Franklin to Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previewed what would become a number from Hamilton.

Bettmann

Most institutions are highly resistant to change, and there was a strong sense in America that if you broke tradition, the dignity of the presidency itself was being assaulted, Smith writes.

The Obamas never accepted that notion. Being conventional wasnt their style, and they recognized their ability to bridge the formality of the building with relevance and accessibility for all.

This premise served as a guide rail for Smiths close collaboration with Michelle Obama, and together they brought about the most thorough rethinking of the important state and family rooms since the landmark restoration by Jacqueline Kennedy in the early 1960s. By adding contemporary art to these monumental spaces, Smith counterbalanced the sense of history. And not since the Kennedys had there been a family that had such a trailblazing, transformative effect on the White House, he writes.

The Yellow Oval Room in particular captures the Obamas looser but no less dignified way of entertaining. Once Franklin D. Roosevelts private study, Kennedy, in collaboration with decorator Stphane Boudin, reimagined it as one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the White House, Smith writes.

White House Photo / Alamy Stock Photo

Peter SouzaAlamy

Nancy Reagan also favored the Yellow Oval, and she gave Smith tips on where to place the furniture in a series of late night calls, one of which lasted four hours. The Obamas loved the drama of its views across the South Lawn to the Washington Monument, and they went with a less formal floor plan, with walls in the Virginia-born English decorator Nancy Lancasters buttah yellow color and graced with works by Barnett Newman and Alice Neel, as well as two Czannes from the White House collection.

Designing History: The Extraordinary Art & Style of the Obama White House

$54.00

On the state floor of the mansion, which is mostly open to the public for tours, the Old Family Dining Room has long been the most private chamber. Its far more intimate than the neighboring State Dining Room, yet still imposing, so Smith again turned to contemporary art to create a groundbreaking aesthetic. Where somber 19th-century portraits and landscapes once dominated, the Obamas hung works by Robert Rauschenberg and Josef Albers.

This room, the scene of Eleanor Roosevelts Sunday scrambled egg dinners, became the setting for President Obamas official luncheons and, in another White House first, the annual Passover Seder. It was also, Smith notes, for the first time included on the White House tour, at the Obamas request.

The longest-surviving architectural interior in the White House is the wood-paneled State Dining Room, which was designed for Theodore Roosevelt by Charles McKim and once featured mounted hunting trophies. Smith gave the room a refreshing, Kennedyesque chalky white look: white coffered walls punctuated by straight-falling curtains with a Kailua Blue accent inspired by the waters of the presidents home state.

Association

The designer marveled that the room had rarely been used in recent times (these days, state dinners are often held in tents on the South Lawn), in part because the Teddy Rooseveltera chairs are practically impossible to move. Smith solved the problem with lighter mahogany reproductions, which still surround the dining table. He notes that the chairs fit Michelle Obamas considerate mandate that any change must improve the house for the future.

The change she requested that didnt work out well, at least at first, was decking out the Truman Balcony, which overlooks the South Lawn, with comfortable furniture and hurricane lamps. The lamps kept imploding, and we couldnt figure out why, Smith says. Eventually we figured out that it was the air pressure from Marine One landing just yards away. They replaced them with plexiglass lamps, a solution that was sensible and elegant, just like the Obamas.

This story appears in the September 2020 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW

Matt Tyrnauer is a writer and director. His docuseries The Reagans will air on Showtime later this year.

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The Obamas Re-Invented Entertaining at the White House - TownandCountrymag.com

Our roots plug into the soil of our origin stories, deep into the fertile grounds of heritage, family and values the ones we keep and the ones we eventually show the middle finger to.

Faranaaz Veriava is propped up against her purple plush headboard chatting via Skype. She jokes about being an interior decorator in another life; about walking away from a cushy corporate law offer; and the damn fine feeling of taking on bad guys and winning.

She turned out to be a human rights lawyer starting her career at Idasa (Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa) and working at the Human Rights Commission before spending some time at the Johannesburg Bar. Today shes head of the education programme at SECTION27, the public interest law centre.

Together with Equal Education, SECTION27 brought and won a legal challenge in July to compel the Department of Basic Education to continue with the Schools Nutrition programme suspended during Covid-19 lockdown. Governments decision came with the shameful cost of thousands of children going hungry.

It was the most painful case to work on because nothing is worse than letting a child go hungry, says the woman who also worked on justice for five-year-old Michael Komape, who drowned in a pit toilet at his school in Seshego, Limpopo in 2014.

That these cases stick in the public consciousness is the point for Veriava. Her outrage turns to drive and then, as a self-confessed A-type personality, she goes into high gear building legal cases and strategy for broad impact. She insists on resonance beyond a courtroom or a ruling. It should feel like Michael was every South Africans son; everybodys little brother.

Michael would have been the same age as my youngest son Reza; I never forget that, she says.

Veriavas story of becoming a fighter and defender for human rights though begins long before she was. Her roots are tangled up in a family story of political activist history and a tradition of public service. Its also a story of family rupture, sacrifice and confronting the inevitable flaws of beings human. Veriava claims all these histories. Struggle against injustice has given her an internal compass, and surrender to the certainty of human frailties has given her empathy.

I want my boys to understand that who they are in the world does not necessarily make them better, and if theyre better at some things its because theyve had different opportunities, she says.

When I was about 11-years-old my father, a public health doctor, was arrested under the state of emergency laws and detained at Modderbee Prison. I remember visiting him in prison and crying thinking he would be killed because it was just a few years earlier in 1977 that Steve Biko had been killed and my father was among the people demanding the doctors who attended to Biko be sanctioned, she says.

Two years earlier her parents had also got divorced. It meant moving from Lenasia to Laudium to be raised by her single mom and aunt. There taught her independence and hard work but there would be labels: daughter of a divorcee; the daughter of political activist; and being secular born into a Muslim community.

Being an outsider though was a super power of perspective. She could get over needing to pray five times a day to fit in with my Muslim friends at school. She would also grow to recognise complexity and shortcomings in her parents and the adults in her family. They were the imperfectly perfect of just being human, heroes too to her.

At Wits University studying law and politics were magnets. So was student politics of the late-80s and the man who would become her husband, Kenneth Creamer. He is a publisher, economics lecturer and member of the presidential economics advisory council.

The relationship would be love, but more labels and lessons would follow. They are an inter-racial couple with different religious and class backgrounds. In the beginning, they made concessions like living together but provinces away from family and expectation. They even settled for a fusion wedding combining religious rites.

She says: We got together in that magical year of 1994. We believed in the same politics and values of a non-racist and non-sexist world. Maybe we were nave thinking we were going to change the world.

Now in the middle of her life, she acknowledges that things have become more complicated. Identity politics of today, like the Black Consciousness Movement, are critical to get over an inferiority complex, to recognise oppression but it has to move beyond this and it needs to overcome opportunistic exploitation, she says.

Complicated is not the moment to look away though. Its not the time to shrink from personal power, responsibility or action, she says.

The fight for her is still about upholding values that build a strong state; one that delivers better quality public services. Its also to push back against the erosion of civil liberties and human rights. She keeps telling this to her boys Adam (15) and Reza (11), the law students she teaches and SECTION27 research interns she mentors.

I want my boys to understand that who they are in the world does not necessarily make them better, and if theyre better at some things its because theyve had different opportunities, she says.

She leaves them with heavy things to think about but its to shape them, not burden them. She adds that she anyway wins hands down as cooler of the boys two parents from my R&B and jazz music, to fashion or anything cool, she says with a laugh. She concedes though that shes rubbish at getting excited about sports.

But the family may take walks together. Nature is her freedom, she says, religion almost. And its trees in particular that shes drawn too. Theres a kindred connection, or a metaphor at the least: growing from roots grounded in promise to release in canopies of fulfilled potential; and always the sure daring to stand firm. DM

Five Questions for Faranaaz Veriava

What image is on your phones home screen?

Its a photo of my boys. In the photo Adam is four and half, hes wearing a dashiki and hes holding his brother Reza who was four months old at the time. Both boys are also wearing garlands we made for spring day; its a beautiful pic.

What would you spend your last R100 on?

A book, it would probably have to be second-hand one at R100.

Whats the worst piece of advice you ever took?

Thats easy behave like a lady.

The thing you wish you learnt earlier on in your life?

I was submissive for too long. As a young black female advocate at the Johnnesburg Bar I tolerated intimation and exclusion and allowed it to make me small; I wish I came into my own confidence and power sooner.

Three books that have changed your life

Books have been my security blanket all my life. My three book are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ; Animal Farm by George Orwell; and Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangaremba.

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Faranaaz Veriava: Always ready to take on the good fight - Daily Maverick

You see tours of high-end designers' homes all the time, but have you ever wondered what their rooms looked like back in their teenage years? For Kara Mann, the answer lies in her new home collection, a collaboration with CB2 that marries sleek, modern design with flirty details that call back to the '80s, all inspired by her own dream teen bedroom. Think: A ruffled sofa, pleated lamps unlike any you've ever seen before, and a rose-hued glass catchall inspired by a bracelet, of all things. In her own words, the collection is "chic, but it doesn't take itself too seriously."

"I crack up, because I tend to not like color when I designand apparently it started at a young age!" Mann tells House Beautiful. "My room was white withokay, I'm just going to admit itI had a Patrick Nagel poster. Nagel was cool back in the '80s! But it was black, and the girl in the photo had this asymmetrical haircut that I ended up with. It was mostly white with little accents of black, so that palette is definitely coming through in the collection."

Courtesy of CB2

Mann's favorite piece in the line is, she says, the ruffled sofa, hands down. And that harkens back to her teenage bedding. "There were definitely these moments of flirtiness in my room," she shares. "My duvet cover had a ruffle to it, so I think of the ruffle sofa. When I look back and I think about the room, and I think about the collectionI was very literal in reinterpreting that room for the world of CB2."

And that ruffle theme carries on past the sofa, too. There's a credenza that totally stuns in what's called a "sprayed concrete" finishessentially, a matte lacquer finish that feels smooth but looks like concretewith architectural details down the sides that resemble a ruffle. Then, of course, there are the pleated silk Scrunch Lamps, which Mann is so excited to talk about. ("Oh my God, when I saw those for the first time, I was dyingI love those," she gushes.)

"When you think of the lamps, the Ruffle Credenza, and the Flutter Sofathe body of all of those are very clean and architectural and geometric, but they have a layer of this feminine touch to it," Mann says.

Courtesy of CB2

When she and Ryan Turf, CB2's president, first started working on this collaboration two years ago, Mann says that as both a businesswoman and a designer, she was interested in the behind-the-scenes journey of working with a big business. And for Turf, Mann's high-design background and eye for style made for a perfect collaboration.

"It's also super cool and exciting to partner with someone in more of a luxury world than we are, because so much of what we try to do at CB2 is offer that high design for a little bit more approachable price point," Turf says. "That was my favorite part, besides Kara's amazing personality."

Together, Turf and Mann describe the collection in a few key words: flirty, elegant, edgy, refined, and most importantly, attitude. And it's truethis collection definitely has a little bit of an attitude, which comes from Mann following her own best design advice.

"I strongly believe that with design, you need to be yourself," she says. "Really letting your personality out is important. It's a form of creativity! Everybody's got an opinion about design, so let that out, and don't be bashful. Design is subjectiveI hate the idea of 'what's the latest trend?' because it really should just be what comes out of you."

Courtesy of CB2

As for how she'd style that bracelet-inspired catchallaka the appropriately-named "Bangle" glass bowl in Dirty RoseMann has a few tips. "You always need a place to dump all your stuff when you walk in the door, so it was meant to be that. But it sort of evolved into all these different things. I can see it as a beautiful candy bowl. I love floating flowers in water, so it can be a really beautiful way to do floral on your coffee table. I mean, you could even use it as a place to put your remotes. Multiple layers!"

Shop the full collection at CB2, and check out some of our favorites below.

Lucent Pendant Light

$379.00

Flutter Slipcover Sofa

$1,999.00

Scrunch Table Lamp

$149.00

Voir Clear Glass Vase

$49.95

Ruffle Sprayed Concrete Credenza

$999.00

Bangle Dirty Rose Low Glass Bowl

$69.95

Cut Sprayed Concrete Coffee Table

$799.00

Slip Duck Canvas Queen Bed

$1,299.00

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CB2's Newest Collaboration With Designer Kara Mann Is a Fun, Flirty Nod to her Teenage Bedroom - HouseBeautiful.com