By Donna Cornelius If a TV show is ever made about landscape designer Fernando Wong, it might be called “Miami Nice.” Since Wong transplanted himself from Panama in Central America to the south Florida city more than 20 years ago, he has cultivated an impressive reputation for his garden design. In 2005, he and partner Tim Johnson started Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design … [Read more...]

By Donna Cornelius Like the fine antiques it showcases, one of Birmingham’s most anticipated autumn events seems to just get better with age. From Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Antiques at The Gardens, which offers antiques for sale and talks by high-profile interior and floral designers, acclaimed … [Read more...]

By Emily Williams-Robertshaw The newly branded Premo Factory is putting Birmingham on the map for creative manufacturing. When Elegant Earth President Chadwick Stogner was looking for a home for the company’s garden-inspired furniture manufacturing operations, he saw potential in a warehouse in Norwood at 1700 Vanderbilt Road that had seen better days. Over time, the factory … [Read more...]

By Emily Williams-Robertshaw For Leigh Spencer, co-founder of Alabama Sawyer, the history behind Premo Factory’s building and its recent renewal presents a perfect metaphor. The factory, built in 1920, was set to be demolished but Chad Stogner and his team at Elegant Earth saw its potential and recycled the old building to create a modern factory that focuses on the … [Read more...]

By Emily Williams-Robertshaw  What makes an “ideal” home?  It’s a question Scott Underwood, co-owner of Centennial Homes, asked himself after he and co-owner Alan Howard were tapped to produce the 2021 Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builder’s Ideal Home.  In a perfect world, he would have liked to have a full year to complete the project. Yet, his … [Read more...]