Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Lawrence Paquin and Tanya Bond use one of the public access computers at the Sweet Home Public Library.

Rose Peda

Library Director

SWEET HOME Sweet Home residents will have the opportunity to vote on continuing to support the public library with an annual property tax levy of $1.17 per $1,000 for five years via Ballot Measure 22-184 on Nov. 3.

The library opened in 1969, although Sweet Home has had a library since 1942, operating for many years out of the basement of City Hall. In 1942, Sweet Home had a population of about 1,100. There are now more than 9,000 residents.

The levy would begin on July 1, 2021, and is expected to generate $2,383,820 over its five-year run, ranging from $443,977 in year one to $530,670 in year five.

The librarys annual circulation is about 40,000. Its story hour program attracts more than 100 youngsters and its annual summer reading program serves more than 500 children.

The library is a member of the Linn Libraries Consortium and has five Little Free Libraries at the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Santiam; Foster, Oak Heights and Hawthorne elementary schools; and the Crawfordsville Market.

The current library at 13th and Kalmia is 51 years old and was not designed with computers in mind.

The city hired a consulting firm last year to assess library needs and to consider whether the current structure could be remodeled, or if an entirely new building is needed to meet current community needs.

The proposed levy would provide funding for operating expenses only, not remodeling or construction of a new building in the future.

Richard Gray and Joseph Store of FFA Architecture told City Council members that the building is undersized for the communitys current population, is seismically deficient and lacks space for a variety of community needs, such as tutoring for small groups, meetings for large groups, and all-ages story hours.

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5-year levy will support Sweet Home library - Lebanon Express

MondayOct12,2020at4:47PMOct12,2020at4:47PM

HGTV recently named Brookline interior designer Cecilia Casagrande the editors pick winner of the color and pattern category of the 2020 HGTV Designer of the Year.

After five weeks of voting and over 36 million page views, HGTV said Casagrandes work stood out among the rest, securing her win in a competitive field.

I am so honored to win this award featuring my Brookline Victorians colorful living room, especially since color and pattern are at the center of my design philosophy, said Casagrande. These elements are powerful design tools that shouldnt follow trends necessarily but reflect a mood or emotion.

In Casagrandes five years as an interior designer, she has worked with clients from Boston to Miami. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Home, House + Home, Modern Luxury, LivingEtc, Lonny and The Spruce.

Casagrande credits her masters degrees in public health and social work and experience in community-based advocacy for her ability to connect with her clients and their space on an emotional level. Her travels across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa help Casagrande to interpret cultures and curate extraordinary pieces in her clients homes.

Casagrandes design philosophy is to create spaces that evoke positive emotions, whether they are for rest, work or play. Casagrande takes care to build from her clients individual style and personality as well as pieces that are already in place.

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Brookline resident wins color and pattern category of HGTV Designer of the Year competition - Wicked Local Brookline

Newport Beach | $4.45 MillionA new Craftsman-inspired house with four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, on a 0.06-acre lot

This house is in the Balboa Peninsula Point section of Newport Beach, just across the bay from Corona del Mar. The neighborhood is family-oriented, with annual Fourth of July and Easter events. Within walking distance is West Jetty View Park, a strip of waterfront that includes the Wedge, a spot known for its high waves and for inspiring the surf music legend Dick Dales 1963 hit of the same name.

About a mile away is the ferry crossing to Balboa Island, where vintage boats carry passengers across an 800-foot stretch of Newport Bay. Heading inland, John Wayne Airport is about a half-hour drive, while downtown Los Angeles is about an hour away.

Size: 2,948 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,509

Indoors: A low brick wall with a gate separates the front patio from the sidewalk. The front door opens into a living room with white-oak floors that continue throughout the house. Along one wall a fireplace is framed in floor-to-ceiling white stone and flanked by built-in bookshelves. Glass doors at the front of the room open to the street-facing patio.

The living area flows into a dining space, and both are open to the kitchen, which has a waterfall island with a white-stone counter and appliances from Sub-Zero and Miele. Off the kitchen is a home office with a built-in workstation, as well as a half bathroom.

An open staircase, brightened by a skylight, leads from the front of the lower level to the second floor. Turning left at the top of the stairs leads to the primary suite, which has a limestone fireplace and more built-in storage. In the primary bathroom, which connects the bedroom to a walk-in closet and dressing area, a separate shower and soaking tub sit across from a double vanity.

Across the hall is a guest room with an en suite bathroom. At the other end of the hallway, facing the back of the property, are two more guest rooms that share a bathroom, one with a built-in window seat.

The house includes an Elan smart-home system that allows the temperature, Lutron lighting and Sonos audio systems to be controlled from a phone, tablet, remote or touch panel.

Outdoor space: A row of succulents lines the path from the street to the front door, and the street-level patio off the front entry has space for a cafe table and chairs. From the dining area at the back of the house, glass doors open to another patio with space for a small seating area. A trio of fountains is set into gravel and framed by colorful flowers. The attached garage has space for two cars.

Taxes: $52,957 (estimated)

Contact: Tara Shapiro, Pacific Sothebys International Realty, 949-478-7781; sothebysrealty.com

This property, less than half a mile from the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, includes five acres of flat land used by the current owner, a chef with restaurants in San Francisco and Berkeley, as a fruit- and vegetable-producing farm. The home, one of the areas oldest farmhouses, was renovated in 2017 and is now a popular rental venue for weddings, writing and yoga retreats, and family gatherings. The Russian River, a major draw in this part of the state, is a five-minute drive, as is the center of Guerneville. Santa Rosa is about 22 miles away, and San Francisco is a 90-minute drive.

Size: 3,000 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,500

Indoors: A paved driveway leads from the road to the main house, which has a two-tiered patio with brick steps up to the entrance.

The entry is directly into the open living space, which retains a few original details, including a brick fireplace that separates the sitting area from the kitchen. The ceilings have exposed wood beams, and one wall has wood paneling reclaimed from a barn. Between the living area and the kitchen is a windowed dining space.

During the 2017 remodel, the kitchen got new cabinets and quartz countertops. The range is stainless steel, and open shelving is built onto the back of the brick fireplace.

Two en suite bedrooms are off the living area. The first has a private sitting area and a brick fireplace, framed by an original carved mantel. The second has a lofted storage space reached by a wooden ladder. Both bedrooms have access to the grounds.

There are four en suite bedrooms on the second level. One has a private balcony, while another has built-in bunk beds. All of the homes bathrooms were updated during the renovation, with walk-in showers and new sinks.

Outdoor space: The front patio has two levels, both with plenty of space for entertaining; on one side of the lower level is a pizza oven. On the other side of the house is a second patio, with a hot tub surrounded by a small deck made of teak. In front of the house is a small lawn; from there a path leads to the farm, where crops include garlic, tomatillos, squash, onions and chiles. The driveway has space for at least four cars.

Taxes: $56,254 (estimated)

Contact: Cam Thompson, Cam Thompson Team, Coldwell Banker, 650-302-2611; guernevillemodernfarm.com

This house, near the border of Marina del Rey and the Venice section of Los Angeles, is the residence of Kim Gordon, an interior designer who bought it in 2014 and spent several years renovating it, with a focus on bringing the outdoors inside. Abbott Kinney, a Venice neighborhood known for its upscale restaurants and markets, is about a mile north, and Marina Beach, a quiet cove with a play area, is a five-minute drive. Los Angeles International Airport is about 20 minutes away.

Size: 3,256 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,378

Indoors: A wood-and-iron gate separates the public part of the front yard from a private section, landscaped with grass and mature trees. The glass front door leads into an open living area. At the front, next to floor-to-ceiling windows that swing open to the entrance courtyard, is a space used by the owner as a home office.

Farther back in the main living space is a sitting area anchored by a fireplace with a distressed-wood mantel. Beyond that is a dining area framed by more floor-to-ceiling windows. To the right of the dining area is an open kitchen with Wolf appliances and a 10-foot island that has space for four chairs. On the other side of the kitchen is a family room with space for a breakfast table and access to the backyard.

On the second level, four bedrooms are arranged around an open landing. The primary suite is at the front of the house, with a large balcony facing the California pepper trees planted in the front yard. The primary bathroom has a chromotherapy tub with air massage and a separate steam shower. The guest room facing the front has an en suite bathroom, while the two bedrooms that face the backyard share a bathroom off the hallway. Each guest room has its own balcony.

Outdoor space: In addition to the front yard, which has built-in benches and a wood-burning stove, there are several outdoor spaces in back. The main dining area opens to an outdoor seating area with a built-in firepit and a water feature. The swimming pool has an attached waterfall-style spa, and is framed with landscaping. On the other side of the yard is a paved area with space for a dining table and chairs. The attached garage holds two cars.

Taxes: $57,007 (estimated)

Contact: Justin Alexander, Compass, 970-710-1665; compass.com

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$4.5 Million Homes in California - The New York Times

The coronavirus pandemic has cratered sales in many industries, but the home furnishings category as a whole is not one of them. Big-box retailers and to-the-trade dealers alike have recordedrecord sales over the last six months as consumers look to enhance their homes for stay-at-home life. And so, after a missed Spring Market, High Point is back this fallbut dont expect it to be Market as usual.

For starters, it will last for nine days, not five, in order to spread out attendees, who must visit on the dates assigned to their geographical region. Thesocial distancing, limited capacity and safety precautions that have become the norm in every aspect of life will be omnipresent across High Point Markets 180 buildings. Showrooms will be operating at 50 percent capacity (so scheduling appointments is a must), visitors will be required to undergo daily health checks, and typical crowd-drawing events like the Keynote Series and Style Spotters Live! will be virtual.

But the industry is itching to return and reconnect with clients, masked-face to masked-face. The mood is cautious yet excited, 6-foot distances and temperature checks be damned. So pack your hand sanitizer and ready the Zoom stream. Heres everything were looking forward to, from new collaborations between old favorites to standout products and Market newcomers.

It Takes Two: 8 of our favorite High Point collaborations this fall

New Kids on theBlock: 9 Market newcomers were excited to meet this season

Fresh Fall Finds: 17 eye-catching newproducts to seek out in High Point

Looking for another way to follow along? Throughout the nine days, 23 top design talentswill take over High Point Markets Instagram account (@highpointmarket) to spotlight their favorite Market finds. Follow along to see what they are loving at the show!

Keep in mind:Appointments are strongly recommendedand for some exhibitors, may be required. Have a showroom youre eager to visit? Find exhibitor contact information here;for additional information about health and safety protocols at Market, click here.

Mark Your CalendarThese virtual events promise provocative, of-the-moment conversationsamong industry leadersand you dont have to leave your house to attend.Find links to these online Market events and more here.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14

Keynote Series: The Intersection of Wellness and Home DesignFurniture, Lighting & Decor editor in chief Diane Falvey interviews Clodagh, Charles Pavarini III, Michael Peterson and Lori Miller about the future of wellness.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15

The Well-Designed Home

In partnership with Summer Classics, Business of Home editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen sits down with Jamie Gold, author of Wellness by Design, to explore how design professionals can strengthen the link between home and health.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

Keynote Series: The Future of Virtual Design ServicesBOHs Kaitlin Petersen talks to interior designer Nicole White about adapting a firms workflow for e-design, followed by a conversation between BOH podcast host Dennis Scully and Maiden Home founder Nidhi Kapur about the future of retail design services.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

Not Just a Pretty Chaise: Why Communicating Value Matters

In partnership with Universal Furniture, BOHs Kaitlin Petersen leads a lively discussion with Arianne Bellizaire and Amy Mitchell about how they have tailored the language they use, both in person and online, to attract the right clients.

Keynote Series: Sustainability in TextilesEdmund Ingle, CEO of Unifimaker of a fiber derived from recycled plastic bottlesspotlights sustainability trends, the benefits of a circular economy, and brands that are making a difference.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

Pinnacle Awards

In a virtual ceremony, the International Society of Furniture Designers announces the winners of this years Pinnacle Awards (the Oscars of the furniture industry), featuring 20 categories and a keynote address by designer Corey Damen Jenkins.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Style Spotters Live!

Three weeks after Fall Market, this years High Point Style Spotters gather to offer insights into the seasons leading looks and on-trend products.

Homepage image: High Point Markets fleet of buses and vans will be expanded during Market to allow for social distancing | Courtesy of High Point Market Authority

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Heading to High Point? What to know before you go - Business of Home

PLANO, TX At Home is rolling out the Grace Mitchell Collection in a partnership that builds off earlier initiatives but with this one representing a new milestone as it undertakes building an exclusive brand that will develop over time.

The collaboration that At Home has established with interior designer Mitchell is already vast, at 400 items, and meant to last, as the two parties refine their work together across categories from furniture to home decor to lighting to textiles to tabletop.

Mitchell, who in addition to doing her A Storied Style blog, has been featured in several HGTV shows including One of a Kind and Design at Your Door, is working in collaboration with a retailer for the first time.

Chad Stauffer, At Home chief merchandising officer, said the company has been pleased to craft a collection with high-end style at sharp values. Style and value will be critical in the ongoing collaboration that At Home and Mitchell will cultivate and extend. Mitchells classics with a twist styling approach provides a flexibility in development but also a grounding in practicality and practice. In the case of the initial collection, Mitchell based product development on what she experienced in renovating her 100-year-old home in Fort Worth, TX, as well as products she commonly turns to in her everyday doings.

When Grace set out to build this collection, she focused on the kinds of pieces she loves to use when decorating a room, but often has a hard time finding in stores, Stauffer said. With this collection our customer can get the kind of high-end decorator touches shes always dreamed of but at the amazing prices shes come to expect from At Home.

In approaching the collection, Mitchell said she wanted to translate traditional designs for todays consumer.

As far as the process, I came to the table with ideas of some items I wanted to create, whether they were vintage items I wanted to do a fresh take on, or products I wished I could find in stores and never could, she said. From there, we ordered samples and tweaked them as needed. Maybe the color, maybe the style, maybe the size.

Mitchell said that consumers who have been spending more time home are increasingly inclined to freshen interiors theyve been living with for what seems like too long. Although many, in an era when home decorating information and expertise is abundantly available, have at least some confidence in their ability to switch up the looks of their home, consumers dont necessarily want to just jump on the current trend. Many consumers appreciate a connection to tradition even if they dont feel altogether bound to it. Mitchell said she recognizes that such consumers want to connect the then and now, but with the added notion that they are telling a tale about who they are personally and, very often, about their families.

The message I get from people is: My whole home design is around the idea of a story, she said. I really was thinking about whoever loves home and wants to make their home feel special and unique.

As it launched in all 219 At Home stores, Stauffer pointed out that the collaboration with Mitchell emerged, at its inception, from a commonality of approach.

About a year ago, we sat down with Grace for the first time after being introduced by a mutual friend, he said. We have been incredibly focused on bringing our customer the best new home trends at the best prices, and when we met with Grace, it just clicked. Grace is all about storytelling through her designs and thats something Im incredibly passionate about: How do we use the 50,000 SKUs in our store not only to deliver great value but to help our customer build a home that tells their familys story?

Stauffer and Mitchell agreed that the collection isnt about a specific target group within the larger At Home customer base. Rather, it has been designed so that just about any shopper entering an At Home store could find something or some things attractive within the collection at an affordable pricepoint, such as a decorative clock at $12.99 or a tufted upholstered bench for $99.99.

One of the most fun parts of shopping at At Home is we really do have all dcor styles under one roof, Stauffer said. Our customer is creative and passionate about home dcor and were focused on bringing her the best of every style at an incredible value. We have set out a plan to find and partner with the best collaborators in each of the styles our customers love, and we are excited to partner with Grace on an assortment that we know will inspire and delight our traditional dcor customer.

This isnt the first collaborative collection launched by At Home even if its the first one intended to develop as an exclusive brand. Stauffer said the retailer builds design partnerships based on consistent terms. What was true in the past was true with the Mitchell collaboration even if it will be more expansive.

First off, we have a rule at At Home that we seek out partnerships with people we genuinely like, he said. That was easy with Grace. We are thrilled to be embarking on a collaboration with a partner we admire and respect as much as her. Secondly, shes Fort Worth born and raised. Were a Texas-based brand and that connection for our first full brand collaboration just made sense. And lastly, her design aesthetic is classic and timeless. Weve seen a lot of farmhouse collaborations in the market over the past few years. We thought our customer would love to see something different. Theres a lot of beauty in what Grace does: Its rooted in classic shapes but it has Graces amazing twist.

The effort At Home and Mitchell put into developing the collection effectively marks the retailers initiation into building exclusive brands.

This is really the first time weve pulled together such an extensive and long-term collaboration, Stauffer said. Given our unique model and 100,000 square-foot store, we think this is the sort of immersive shopping experience our customer could only really find at At Home. The response has already been incredible, and were excited to have several more collaborations in the pipeline.

The launch of the Mitchell collection not only represents a new phase in At Homes evolution but also as a new approach to providing shoppers with something fresh and potentially exciting.

Its been a hard year for everyone, Stauffer said. Were all spending more time at home, more time with family, and I think customers are going to want their homes to feel happy. Graces optimism and happiness are truly authentic, and it comes through in everything she touches.

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At Home Builds Mitchell Collection As Exclusive Brand - HomeWorld Business

How does a fashion professional transfer her design skills to her home? You just need to peek into the colourful abode of shoe designer Jacqueline to see its clearly second nature to some. From gallery walls decorated with a mix of witty prints, floral oil paintings and whimsical one-offs to open shelving crammed with collections of pottery, glassware and ceramics, shes an interiors natural.

Id say Im a very visual person, and always have been, says Jacqueline. I actually originally wanted to be a fine artist specialising in painting or work in ceramics, but when I was at art college I panicked, and when I discovered a degree in shoe designit seemed perfect for me. My artsy background probably explains so much you see in the house. Also, the more you do design, the better you get at developing ideas.

If you want to renovate and create a space as colourful and personal as Jacqueline's, we have ideas and helpful advice on what to do and where to start in our feature on house renovation. For more completed projects, head to our hub page.

The flower- and plant-filled kitchen looks out onto the garden, and Jacqueline has put her favourite armchair in the sunniest of spots. I spent so much time of maternity leave sitting right there, feeding Martha, she says. Kitchen and larder unit, British Standard, painted in Hague Blue and Indian Yellow, Farrow & Ball. Ligne Roset Serpentine lights, Heals. Bar stools, Olive & Fox. Armchair, Ebay. Wall-mounted planters, West Elm. Wall light, Graham & Green. Artwork, Etsy. Brackets, Oak Store Direct. Metal wall sconces, Dowsing & Reynolds

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

The owners Jacqueline Benson (@tinyandthehouse), a shoe designer, husband Joe Mercer, a planning engineer, their daughter, Martha, and cat, TinyThe property A three-bed Edwardian end-of-terrace in Finsbury Park, north LondonProject cost 156,000

But the house didnt start as a blank canvas just awaiting a few pretty tweaks. In fact, the couples first viewings of the house were far from auspicious. With an overgrown garden, cluttered hallways and boarded up back windows, as well as about 100 tanks of various reptiles and spiders in the house, it was such a wreck that mortgage companies were turning down everyone else who looked to buy it.

Jacqueline picks up pieces wherever she travels to bring character to her home, and her collection of plants add mood-lifting greenery to the space Restored French antique woodburner, Stove Hunters. Art print, Pure Evil Gallery

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

Our builder actually said it was the worst house he had ever seen, says Jacqueline. It took four men four days and five large skips to remove all the rubbish. They even had to take off part of the roof to get it out of the loft! And we realised that the floor above the kitchen area was about to collapse as they had so much stuff in there.

For a similar table, try the Ralph, Made. For similar chairs, try Garden Trading

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

Looking beyond the dilapidated state of the property to its potential as the sunny family home its since become, the house was still appealing. Jacqueline says it was the spacious proportion of the rooms and the location, in a well-connected area of London, that sold it to them. From the point of exchanging contracts onwards, the project began, and work started straight away. Everything, including heating, electrics and plumbing, had to be replaced. Builders knocked down walls to create the new open-plan space at the back, and put in two new bathrooms as well as a new kitchen. Everywhere needed re-plastering and painting.

When I put up a gallery wall, I start with a large piece or a few large favourite pieces and build around it, says Jacqueline. It doesnt have to be in the centre or symmetrical, but its a good place to begin. I keep the smaller pieces to place in between gaps. This artwork is a mix of paintings and prints from galleries around the UK, including Arbon Interiors and Of Special Interest. Orange sofa, Habitat. Lamp and base, Les Couilles du Chien

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

Luckily the renovations to the house didnt need planning permission, so the builders could proceed quickly. But as the previous owners had ripped out nearly all of the original features other than the cast-iron railings on the staircase and the wooden floorboards underneath the worn carpets the couple also had to find salvaged items to put back the period character of the house. We didnt use architects, says Jacqueline. I drew up the plans and then directed the builders. Because the house was in such a bad state, it was way beyond DIY, so we couldnt do any of the work ourselves.

I often frame things like postcards, birthday cards or anything that has sentimental value or would look good, says Jacqueline. I do love a mix. And I love to contrast colours and styles of frames for interest. SCP Oscar bed and mustard throw, Heals. Bedding, The White Company. Side tables, West Elm. Various artworks by Alana Eakin, Margot in Margate and Juniqe Art. Vase, In The Garden

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

To save on extra rent, the couple stayed separately with relatives for three months while the heaviest work was done. We then moved back in to just a bedroom, a bathroom and a spare room, which we used as a kitchen and a store room, adds Jacqueline. Amazingly, we were bang on schedule and even though we did go a bit over budget, our builders were so hardworking. They finished exactly when they said they would.

Jacqueline isnt into the typical nursery furniture sets for baby rooms so sourced a vintage chest of drawers and wardrobe for the nursery. They were much cheaper and I think they look beautiful and add character,' she says. Walls painted in Setting Plaster, Farrow & Ball. Jimmy Cricket x Fleur Harris Woodland Teal wallpaper, Bobo Kids. Cot, Ebay. Brand Numero 74 canopy, Smallable. Prints, Easy Vintage, Max Made Me Do it and Creative Studio Caro

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

While there werent many ways to cut costs on the build, Jacqueline budgeted by picking the best they could afford in key areas. The concrete kitchen tops, solid wood kitchen and the Heals lights that hang over their kitchen island were all big ticket items, for instance, but the couple found good value in other areas like the tiles theyve used in the bedroom fireplaces, and the fact that so much of the furniture was bought at auction or on Ebay.

The couple have fashioned a smart and stylish storage unit by using a mid-century sideboard as a basin unit. The colours in the bathroom are inspired by the paintings of L.S. Lowry, who is one of my favourites, says Jacqueline. Sideboard, Mustard Vintage. Floor tiles, Smink Things. Metro tiles, Tons of Tiles. Burlington bath, UK Bathrooms. For a similar mirror, try Perch & Parrow. Wall lights, Garden Trading

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

Now theyve been in for a couple of years, do they have any other plans for more refurbishments? We almost sold it last year before Martha was born because I have such itchy feet to do another project, Jacqueline laughs. But luckily we stopped ourselves! Well probably stay here for a few years now. In fact, we could extend and create a fourth bedroom and also turn the loft into a fifth bedroom but lets see what happens over the next few years.

The exterior of the Edwardian house is elegant with double bay windows

(Image credit: Jemma Watts)

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Real home: this Renovated Edwardian home is full of colour and personality - Real Homes

A lot of beloved TV shows really need to remain firmly in the past. But there's an exception to that rule: the universally adored British makeover show, Changing Rooms.

BBC's Changing Rooms graced our screens from 1996 until 2003 and though its run was limited, its memory lives on in our minds. After the best part of two decades away, the iconic show is returning to our screens on Channel 4 and will be helmed by the ultra funky designer from the original show Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, alongside presenter Davina McCall.

For those who aren't familiar with this legendary British show, allow me to change your life. A DIY home improvement programme, designers would "transform" and I use that term loosely a member of the public's home. Some of the designs were really and truly out there, and garnered some very dramatic (sometimes painful-to-watch) reactions. And frankly, you couldn't look away from the catastrophic television you were watching.

Take Linda Barker's teapot disaster back in 2000. The designer decided to build a floating shelf unit to house an extensive collection of antique teapots the pride and joy of the owner of the flat. Well, you can probably guess where this is going. After positioning the teapots on the new floating shelves and adding a row of rather heavy books the designer and her team went home. The following morning, they returned to the flat to see an almighty mess all of the teapots were broken into smithereens and strewn across the floor. The shelves had buckled under the weight of the books, destroying the entire collection of teapots. Handy Andy, the show's handiman, walked through the broken mess of teapot pieces and yelled "Jesus Christ" in disappointment. 20 years later, journalist Amelia Tait recently revisited the devastating moment and interviewed Clodagh, the woman whose teapots were destroyed. Time, it would appear, does not always heal.

Keeping the same format as the original show, each episode will see two sets of homeowners in the same neighbourhood renovate each other's homes to whatever design they fancy. Anything goes and I really do mean anything. In the good ol' days, the finished renovations looked pretty, err, out there. We're talking trees suspended upside-down from ceilings, a floor-to-ceiling zebra print room (including zebra print painted ceiling, walls, and a zebra bedspread), and inflatable plastic chairs (which were having a bit of a moment back then).

"Theres no room for beige in our homes and, just as it was in the '90s, Changing Rooms is once more the homestyle antidote to Britains blues (and greys and taupes, and even Magnolia)," said Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen in a statement. "Its taken quite a lot of coaxing to get me under the Changing Rooms banner once more, but nothing like as much coaxing as its going to take for me to squeeze those leather trousers back on."

Naturally people on Twitter (myself included) couldn't contain their enthusiasm for the return of this exceptional show.

Changing Rooms is coming back and I can sincerely say I cannot wait. Will it top the DIRE redecorations of the past? Sad that Linda Barker isnt joining. Maybe she doesnt want to risk shattering thousands of worth of valuables again.

Abby Dorani (@Doranisaur) October 9, 2020

Beyond ecstatic that Changing Rooms is coming back

Ashley JD (@AshleyJD88) October 9, 2020

Only good news this year DAVINA MCCALL TO FRONT CHANGING ROOMS REBOOT ON CHANNEL 4

Olivia Alabaster (@OliviaAlabaster) October 9, 2020

THIS IS THE NEWS WE NEEDED

(also please release all the vintage changing rooms episodes to get us through lockdown 2.0) https://t.co/suRorGLTOP

Chloe Donohue (@Chloe_Dono) October 9, 2020

At present there's no confirmed air date. But for now, we can just revel in the excitement that Changing Rooms is back!

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This Iconic British '90s Home Makeover Show Is Making A Comeback And Twitter Is Wild For It! - Mashable India

The year 2020 has been both destructive and transformative. A roiling pandemic has isolated and divided us. The killings of a seemingly never-ending list of Black Americanskilled out in broad daylight or even sleeping in their own homeshave once more brought a reckoning over racism and racial justice into the forefront of the American consciousness. The toll it's taken has come in devastating ripples, first in human lives, then on our collective livelihoodthe blow it's dealt to commerce and art has been a cruel one-two punch. As night falls earlier and longer, and a contentious election looms, it can all feel sodark.

And yet, we've seen lightresilience and intergenerational collaboration in the name of fighting the good fight. (Or as the late Rep. John Lewis would have said, "Getting into good trouble.") If the moral arc of history bends towards justice, these are the people applying the pressure. We've seen grocers and delivery people and mail carriers become frontline workers; doctors and caregivers and scientists become our guiding stars. We've seen entrepreneurs and artists innovate to survive. (See: the latest offerings of a pared-down but no less creative Fashion Month.) There is still, amid our confusion and anxiety, joy.

Like all of us, musician and artist Solange Knowles has been trying to make sense of these strange and conflicting times. So we invited her to do so here, in her very own Harper's BAZAAR digital cover. She styled herself from a hand-selected roster of all-independent, majority-BIPOC designers; she tapped friend and collaborator Naima Green to help photograph her in isolation; and for her cover story, she shares a series of powerful personal essays and poems that lay bare the private challenges and collective pain, the hard-won triumphs, and, yes, the joy that propels us all ever-forward.

Stillness is goodness.

Ghost catch up. There's nowhere to run, and all the voices you've been hushing, soothing, and cooing yell at you like loud children demanding answers.

The ones you've been saying you'd tend to when the time is right tell you there is no other time.

Then your body follows.

And for a minute there, things can get hard.

And every day you make a choice. To honor, listen, and live.

I once drove across the country watching the landscape change as much as my thoughts.

The moving made me feel more at home than I had been feeling in a long while.

I grew up in tour buses watching flashing images out of tiny windows in my bunk, never still enough to memorize names or street signs. Then came the house in Idaho, Houston, back to Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans. Summers in Dakar, Thanksgivings in Jamaica. Movement has been my Holy Ghost.

For a while there was a Big Bang! I was floating and jumping and coasting and cartwheeling and cruising and gleaming, fingers and toes spread wide, palms facing the light, heart beating in cursive. I was jumping in rivers and dancing on tree trunks. It was the most glorious of all my days.

But again, Ghost catch up. And deep, old memories I had stored in hidden parts of myself for decades wouldnt just stay in my shoulders, or ribs, or chest breaths, or blood test anymore. They came out, and they came out swinging.

Most of the work Ive made has been about knowing where youve been to know where you're going. Knowing who youve been to know who you are becoming. Going homedeep home, past homes, mother's home, father's hometo define home. I had answered these questions for myself and that felt good, but I had omitted truths that I just couldnt stand to make a part of my home. They didnt belong in my kitchen, or closets, or even in a shoebox under my bed.

My stillness started with my body. It refused to be, to go. Id look to moss trees asking for answers as if they could talk back to me.

I heard a voice saying you deserve joy. Applause from my loved ones and heroes wasnt gonna do.

Another voice, a critical one, said you got a lot of nerve chasing joy and freedom when you already have so much, but I went for it anyway.

I honored, listened, and lived.

Some days were a real pain in the ass. Some were the most beautiful days of my life. This was a different kind of joy. I didnt need to skip in the sun to feel it. Joy was the sleep I got after releasing secrets from my bones. Joy was telling the truth. Joy was making a song that I didnt care ever saw the light of day. Joy was taking a trip alone, and just sitting and staring at the water and seeing my reflection and thinking to myself, Damn I'm fine. Joy was having nothing on my calendar, and choosing what to do with my time. Joy was having a friend who didnt care how ugly I cried, always inviting and encouraging me to just be, however that looked that day. Joy was discovery. Joy was having someone show me beautiful worlds of their own and trusting in the journey. Joy was letting go of control. Joy was just sitting. Joy was seeing how far I had come and waving at my shadows. Joy was accepting that the work is never done, but that every day is a choice.

Soon I began to feel things that I never felt before. I began to understand who I was becoming outside of all of the many names I had been given and given myself. I began to love differently. See differently. Seek differently. I began to surrender to the work never being done, but finding joy in that there was room for it all.

I cleared my schedule and took time off from everything else to continue this devotion to the work.

And then we all had to confront stillness. To collectively honor, to listen, to survive.

Some days I am on top of mountains. Some days I am weary. Some days I smile and laugh in ways I didnt know I could. Sometimes I grieve all of the loss, looking for pillars or anchors to hold on to. Some days I see so much promise in my future despite the chaos around me because I woke up a Black woman with this spirit in my heart. If I move, I am not running. If I move, it is by choice. I feel good knowing that I surrendered and found answers in my stillness.

When I see these two Harper's BAZAAR covers, I see the duality of me in these moments. I feel a lot of freedom in not having to chose to exist as one.

This past May, I jotted down a little jingle to sing when the going gets rough:

"Doing the work sure ain't pretty, it's like tearing down and rebuilding whole damn cities"

I never sing it, but knowing it exists is enough.

Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.

...

This gathering of broken pieces is the care and pain of the Antilles, and if the pieces are disparate, ill-fitting, they contain more pain than their original sculpture, those icons and sacred vessels taken for granted in their ancestral places.

Derek Walcott

There is a lot of allure in the art of mystery. In the seductive power of the unknown. The whisper instead of the yell.

The shadow instead of the figure. The veil never quite lifting. But I am ready to be seen. My silhouette is not enough.

My body is not just a vessel, it is truth. It is living, breathing, alive and well. What will you do with her?

I've been hanging my clothes on clotheslines, wondering if they will tell me their secrets. If I can air out their demons. If the water from the ends of hemlines can give breath to the grass it arrives on. Making a ritual of hand washing my silks in cold water. I watched a movie about this very thing. How you shouldn't leave your sheets out overnight because spirits might jump into 'em and now u sleeping with a ghost who doesn't even belong to you.

I was raised by a beauty salon.

My mother loved me a million different ways. One of the ways my mother loved me was by surrounding me with many a tribe who could care for me; my mom's deliberate choice to make "the shop" my after school care.

All of the women had their own stories to tell. Women from every background, name, and face in Houston, Texas came to transform within the safety of themselves. Boyfriends and husbands waited in their cars or in the front reception, and women ran the show. They talked shit, cackled, shrieked, cried, or read and contemplated quietlythrilled to escape their lives as mothers, sisters, teachers, and healers. Regulars would greet me with a big hug and ask me how school was, to get them a glass of wine from the back, or ask me to show them the latest dances. I took dance classes weekly, but it was in that shot that performance really began. The theater of the shop and I. It was there that my storytelling became more vivid, elaborate, and exaggerated! It was there that my gestures became language. I watched and studied my favorite womenthe way they walked, dressed, moved their nails when they turned pages. They paid attention to me, celebrated me, and always made me feel safe. My dances soon turned into monologues, and soundtracks soon followed. It was there that performance thrived and became alive. It was there. The shop became my theater. I was raised by a beauty salon.

The hardest lessons to learn are the longest to learn

Are the ones that chew you up

Spit you out

Make you crawl

Eat you alive

Grit your teeth

Wrench your guts

And then make you repeat seven times for good luck and riddance.

Showed up to the Jill and Badu battle, red wine in hand

Friends on Zoom

Thinking 'bout the balm that is waking up in this Black woman body and clicking this Black woman's tongue on the roof of this Black woman's mouth

Wouldn't want it any other way.

Showed up to the Babyface joint

Thinking 'bout my mama's warm love and my mama's past pain, and all the ways I took both on, singing each one of those songs on car radios like they were my own stories to tell.

Showed up to the Brandy and Monica battle

Thinking 'bout what it means to sacrifice and devote so much of your life to your gifts and how much appreciation we pay forward to being on the receiving end.

A letter to an unnamed friend:

I have so much more I want to say, but I'll start with: I want to thank u for energetically holding me accountable. You have said nothing, but I feel it following me like a shadow.

This past few months it's been really important to me to go inward and recognize the ways I haven't always shown up as my best or most graceful self. To not point this finger of mine so much at others, but take those same fingers to grip a mirror up to myself.

Reflecting on the ways I could have shown more grace and compassion. Been more thoughtful.

I am thankful to have a friend like you.

Friends who say something and friends who say nothing, but even the thought of their presence makes me feel everything.

Something about your kindness, patience, and love for me makes me want to be a more kind, loving, and patient woman. Thank you. For the growth. For the stretching. For the remaining of the same. For the parts of me that were dormant that have now been awakened. For the joy. For the rain. For giving me seeds I want to water.

We planted the soil

the root and the pain

We lied in the bass of the earth

Went to the center

the core

like a pulp

Veena like a veinI'll never forget locking hands and fingers and nails and the lines in our palms trying to touch all the feelings like show and tell

feel and say

Everything and nothing at all

So many house sounds

Voices speaking through ice machines and faucets and air conditioners

Couches on curbs waiting for hugs

Saying pick me up, don't nobody want me no more.

i cry for our pain

for our protection

for every forgotten moment we feel robbed of in life

for the abuse we endure

for our sickness and loss of health

for the way the trauma kills us when our oppressors and our own men don't

for our healing journeys

for the way we rise for one another when we can't do the lifting on our own

Today

Today, I affirm, will be a beautiful day

I will look for the good in all things

I will look for the love in all corners of time

I will listen to myself and be okay with the discomfort, but never let fear lead me

I will be a loving and patient mom

I will replace feelings of doubt with feelings of love

I will breathe

I've been thinking a lot about the importance of honoring, uplifting, and preserving Black collections.

Like a collection of every Telfar Bag ever made, stored and left untouched.

In 30 years, what will they say about 2020? About us?

What will me granddaughters feel about them?

What does it mean to be a designer right now?

In a world that's barely making it, where the spirit of survival is all around us.

When the ritual of dressing up can literally shift how we see ourselves in the moment, and express beauty which in return makes us project more beauty into the world.

When we are living on survival, why would we reach for that beauty?

When we live in such an uncertain world, how do we reach for that beauty?

Original post:
Solange Knowles Reflects on the Year that Changed Everything - Solange Knowles Fall Digital Cover - HarpersBAZAAR.com

Steve Marcus

Nicole Bloom, left, division president for Richmond American Homes, and Kara Combs, senior department coordinator, pose in a model home in the Tessitura at Cadence community in Henderson Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.

As a teen, Carina Sowinski never considered a career in construction, let alone overseeing the safety program for a $2 billion project.

It wasnt until after she entered college at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater that the idea of working in the construction industry entered her head.

I thought Id end up in insurance, doing risk management, Sowinski said. Working in this industry, its not something I think most girls dream of as they walk past job sites.

About five years into her career, Sowinski is a senior safety engineer for Mortenson Co., one of two lead contractors that built Allegiant Stadium.

Sowinski worked on the stadium project more than two years. Thats after she worked on a new ballpark for the Atlanta Braves and a new arena for the NBAs Milwaukee Bucks.

Sowinski is part of a new generation of women who have entered a construction industry dominated by men.

Nationwide, women make up about 10% of the construction workforce, said Nicole Bloom, an executive with Richmond American Homes and co-chair of the Professional Women in Building of Southern Nevada.

Hopefully, there will be more and more women looking to do it, because its a great industry with a lot of opportunity, said Bloom, who has more than two decades of experience in the industry. It doesnt have to be male dominated.

Each year, Blooms trade group gives scholarships to women for training in the construction field. It handed out $23,000 to 10 recipients this year.

One of the recipients was Kara Combs, who works in Richmond Americans permitting department. If something has to do with permitting, plot plans or invoicing, it probably will find its way to Combs.

Combs, 20, is also working toward an associate degree in business at the College of Southern Nevada.

Combs said she finds her job fast-moving and different all the time. I feel like I learn something new every day.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just over 1.1 million women were employed in various sectors of the construction industry as of Dec. 31, 2018.

That could be anything from an office job to something in the field that requires a hard hat and safety vest. But most women about 72% were in office or management jobs.

The number has been steadily rising since 2012, when it sat at a little more than 800,000.

Sowinski said she spends about 90% of her day at the job site.

You learn a lot and youre not stuck at an office in a cubicle looking at a screen for 10 hours per day. Youre outdoors a lot, on different sites, talking to people, helping them solve problems. I found it to be a great career path, she said.

Sowinski said shes happy she made an unexpected connection with Mortenson recruiters at a college career fair. If not for that chance meeting, she might not be doing something she loves.

I remember telling them that I didnt know anything about construction, Sowinski said. They said that was fine. Even though it was men recruiting me, they understood that women bring value to the industry. I appreciated that.

Sowinski said one of her favorite moments on the Allegiant Stadium project came when she and about 50 other female workers at the site posed for a group photo in March.

That was during Women in Construction week, a national event put on by the National Association of Women in Construction.

We brought girls from different schools all over Clark County to tour the job site, Sowinski said. These were all young women who had an interest in construction. The Raiders helped put that together, and I found it to be really awesome.

Melissa Jamvold, a designer and project manager for Las Vegas-based Grand Canyon Development Partners, splits her time between the office and the construction site.

Jamvold, who has about two decades of experience in the construction industry, said shes noticed an uptick in the number of women in the field in just the past two or three years.

Twenty years ago, I would have said I didnt think the construction side was a fit for me as a woman with a design background, Jamvold said. But you can really rise through the ranks. Things have changed.

Bloom said there is also a smaller gender pay gap in construction than in some other fields.

Across all industries, women make about 80% of what men make. In construction, its about 95%. I think thats a significant positive driver, she said.

A woman can make a good living in construction, Bloom said. If you look, its also predicted to be one of the strongest industries over the next five years. Theres opportunity.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry is expected to add about 750,000 jobs by 2026, making it one of the highest-growth sectors.

Construction managers, cost estimators and plumbers are expected to be in demand for at least the next several years, according to the bureau.

During the past two decades, the opportunities for women in construction have expanded, said Guy Martin, president of Martin-Harris Construction, general contractor for the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion project.

Our industry has become attractive for women who want a higher-paying, more rewarding and more stable lifestyle for themselves and their families, he said.

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Las Vegas women making inroads into the construction industry - Las Vegas Sun

Professor Peter Jacobs, AAPQ, FCSLA, FASLA, wins the 2020 Governor Generals Medal in Landscape Architecture from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA).Photo courtesy Peter Jacobs

The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) has awarded professor Peter Jacobs, AAPQ, FCSLA, FASLA, with its 2020 Governor Generals Medal in Landscape Architecture (GGMLA).

The GGMLA is the highest honour bestowed on a landscape architect by CSLA. The medal is intended to honour exceptional landscape architects whose lifetime achievements and contributions to the profession have had a unique and lasting impact on Canadian society.

Professor Peter Jacobs is a true renaissance man: award-winning practitioner, published author, orator, educator, leader, trailblazer, consultant, and mentor. He is best described as having an insatiable curiosity, a clear vision, and an unfailing desire to contribute to a better world. Far from pursuing a predetermined path, professor Jacobs has, during his 50-year career, successfully navigated uncharted waters to mark our world through the practice of landscape architecture, said the jury, composed of Nastaran Moradinejad, BCSLA, AALA, CSLA, and Carol Craig, AALA, FCSLA, and chaired by Glenn OConnor, OALA, FCSLA, ASLA.

Jacobs is landscape architecture professor, cole darchitecture de paysage, Facult de lamnagement, Universit de Montral. He has served as professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and has lectured widely in North America, Europe, and Latin America. He is the recipient of the A.H. Tammsaare Environment Prize, the Presidents Prize of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, the Frederick Todd Prize of lAssociation des architectes paysagistes du Qubec, and the Governor Generals medal on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. Following his early practice in architecture, he has focused on landscape planning and urban design.

Jacobs has been a member of numerous design juries and acted as a consultant to the City of Montral for the development of urban open space systems, the restoration of Mount-Royal Park; the re-design of Parc Jean Drapeau, the former site of Expo 67; and the design of Place milie Gamlin. He continues to collaborate on planning and design projects, many of which have received professional awards. Click here to learn more.

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Landscape architect Peter Jacobs wins the 2020 Governor General's medal - Construction Canada