Flapper dancers and a Charleston orchestra performing vintage classics provided the entertainment at the recent launch of the Art Deco style foyer in Wallis House, a Barratt West London restoration project, part of the regeneration of Great West Quarter, Brentford.

Peter Dorelli's world famous Martini and Manhattan cocktails, an oyster bar and mouth-watering high society cuisine combined for an immersive experience of the Roaring Twenties. Guests were even conveyed between the marketing suite and the foyer in an authentic 1920s' bus.

The Mayor of Hounslow, Andy Morgan-Watts, was among those celebrating the completion of Wallis House's new foyer, on which work had begun in January 2007. The launch of the foyer was also the first opportunity for Barratt to exhibit Wallis House's two show apartments, including a stunning one-bedroom apartment and an innovative studio.

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The Fenimore Art Museum is presenting an exhibition on the furniture of celebrated turn of the Twentieth Century designer and manufacturer and leading spokesman for the American Arts and Crafts Movement, Gustav Stickley, through August 10.

"Gustav Stickley: The Enlightened Home" features 40 pieces of original Stickley furniture and decorative objects drawn from the Stickley Museum, Fayetteville, N.Y.; Dalton's American Decorative Arts, Syracuse, N.Y.; the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, Morris Plains, N.J., and private collections.

The exhibition explores Stickley's well-designed and carefully crafted furniture within the context of his philosophical contribution to the American Arts and Crafts movement. Inspired by the ideas of British Arts and Crafts philosopher William Morris, who advocated a return to fine craftsmanship, honest design and the dignity of labor, Stickley generated his own "Craftsman" philosophy, which catapulted him to the forefront of the American Arts and Crafts movement.

Rejecting the superfluous ornamentation characteristic of Victorian homes, Stickley championed functional homes whose beauty derived from simplicity and harmony.

"Gustav Stickley: The Enlightened Home," which includes two period rooms, a 1904 living room and a 1907 dining room, highlights several pieces from Stickley's rich body of work and illustrates how Stickley redefined the American home with his Arts and Crafts-inspired items. Stickley's philosophy of building in harmony with the environment by using natural materials was fully realized in his home, Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, N.J.

Stickley's unornamented, clean-lined furniture was exemplified throughout the interior and exterior design of his home. While individual pieces of furniture used construction as decoration, embodied simplicity and prioritized utility, these tenets were also implemented on a much grander scale within the home.

Our master bedroom in the family suite was a bit more subdued (well, as subdued as lime green gets). We had a King sized bed, a television in a wall unit with a few built-in drawers, a closet with mirrored doors, and a dressing area with a blow dryer and makeup mirror.

The bed was raised off the floor to provide storage underneath, in case things get a bit cluttered. On top, the bed was piled high with thick, fluffy pillows. A blackout curtain kept it nice and dark.

The room did get a bit loud at night, since the pool was just outside. Music and laughter lasted until the pool closed down at 11:00 PM. On the plus side, the kids' room is in the back of the suite, with no window. As a result, it's much quieter.

Some genius must have been standing along the streets and saw a group of holiday-makers desperately trying to find someone to take a picture for them when he came up with the idea for Stand Pouch.

Essentially, the Stand Pouch is just a protective camera case with a tripod connector built into the front panel. According to the demonstration video, you just have to flip the tripod connector out, screw it into the camera's base, and viola! Instant tripod. But you'll still need a flat surface to place the case on.

Typically, when you can place your camera on a flat plane to take a shot, you probably can't angle your camera. Here's where the Stand Pouch comes in handy. The tripod connector can be tilted to different angles like the usual three-legged stand.

The proper use of home accessories is vital in obtaining the perfect balance of a room. With the careful use of pictures, mirrors, ceramics, and silk plants, a small, nondescript room can be transformed into an expanse of beauty. We offer space planning for large offices, small homes, and everything in-between. Stop by today to check out our amazing selection of home decor products!

Cindy Krebsbach used to like to browse for home furnishings at stores, including HomeGoods and Stein Mart, and would often roam through garden centers, looking for plants to brighten her home in Boca Raton, Fla.
Not anymore.

"I stopped looking so I am not even tempted to purchase," Krebsbach says. "With our savings down with the stock market, and the price of food, gas and products that are a necessity going up, I've curbed all spending on things I don't absolutely have to have especially for the house."

To the list of casualties from the housing recession sinking home prices, waves of foreclosures, weak consumer spending, battered home builders add another one: struggling home improvement and home furnishing stores.

Retail stores of all kinds have been hurt by the crisis in the mortgage and real estate industries. But the crisis has proven especially painful to stores that specialize in home merchandise. With fewer people buying homes, fewer people need new furniture or furnishings.

People who face soaring gas and food prices still need to buy clothes. But they might not feel compelled to splurge for, say, a new sofa if they haven't already busted through the seat of the old one.

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More than 30 years as a college mathematics professor did not prepare Dan Sankowsky for becoming a statistic. Approximately 40,000 Americans develop Parkinson's disease each year; a fraction of those will develop camptocormia, an abnormal bending of the body. Sankowsky has both.

more stories like thisHowever, Sankowsky said, there are no thoughts of "Why me?"

By foot, it's difficult for him to move around, but sitting at the computer with mouse in hand, Sankowsky has the agility of an athlete and the eye of an artist.

His artwork has been displayed in his hometown of Framingham at the Danforth Museum and the local Capitol One offices; the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission in Roxbury; and the Private World of Robert Edward, a salon in Newton. An exhibition will open at the Nashoba Brook Bakery & Café in West Concord in September.

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This isn't at all what you'd expect. Yes, the house is historic and it's certainly in a Colonial town. Now, take any preconceived notions about what you think that means and think again.
This Colonial Revival, American foursquare in Annapolis, originally built in 1913, doesn't look at all out of place nearing the end of Conduit Street and overlooking Spa Creek - it seems to blend in nicely with the other homes.
But, that's where the Colonial ends and the contemporary begins.

"We love the historic nature of downtown in Annapolis, but we also really like contemporary," said Pete Bianco, who shares the home with his wife, Stephanie Basil. "We like more open - it fits the way people live; everyone gathered around the kitchen, with open areas."

So, that's what they have after an extensive renovation. They purchased the home in December 2004 and moved in in September 2007.

"It took much longer than expected," said Mr. Bianco, but then added, "It's a positive thing - we found all sorts of things that were an issue; we decided to just gut it. The only things left of the original house are the two side walls and the front wall." 

Fit for a king, this stately collection was inspired by the grand castles of 16th and 17th century Europe where royalty would dine beneath massive fixtures that were at once elegant and rustic. The aged tortoise shell finish gives an authentic time worn look, as the speckled champagne scavo-opal cased glass is treated with a faded umber tint to complete the look. The deeply carved cast leaf fronts, large scale arms and multi-faceted curved center spire evoke classic designs from this remarkable era.

Smart homes, in which everything right from the curtains, kitchen ware, fitness corner, air conditioners to the cosy little private theatre in the basement springs to life at the click of a switch, is the in thing in India now.
 
The buzzwords in Indian homes are greater technological awareness, finer aesthetics and heightened concern for the environment. Almost all home appliances in the market now are designed to save power.
 
According to interior stylists, the booming economy, rising disposable incomes and increased stress and 24X7 work hours have turned Indians into complete homebodies. They prefer to spend as much time as possible at home.
 
Consequently, homes have become microcosms of what luxury hotspots outside have to offer: quality entertainment, holistic health services, gourmet cuisine, high-end home amenities and accessories matched by cutting edge technology.
 
The bottom line is de-stressing without compromising on time.
 
"Indian homes are becoming smart. High net worth individuals are bringing five-star amenities of hotels like sophisticated home theatres, expensive spas for rejuvenation and relaxation, accessories like ultra-luxury beds and the latest electronic gadgets into their homes," Siddharth Shetty, managing director of a Mumbai-based company, Evavo Wellness said. His is the country's first wellness firm that has brought a host of Shiatsu-based mechano-therapy products, based on the ancient therapy from Japan, to India.

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