By Sarah KuperMany families dream of one day spending long lazy summers at their own idyllic waterfront lake home.For young families, it is a distant dream as they save up to afford one by the time grandchildren come around but Vestavia Hills builder Cameron Eaton said it doesn’t have to be that way.“Young families, who by their mid-30s have … [Read more...]
A Garden Fit for a King or a Commoner Local Garden Designer Highlights Parterre Gardens
By Sarah Kuper With the Royal wedding approaching, monarchy admirers are turning an eye to all things regal, including elegant homes and gardens. But, when it comes to gardening like a sovereign, garden designer and planner Troy Rhone said royals really are just like us. The parterre garden concept is hundreds of years old, and the look can call to mind the gardens of … [Read more...]
Coloring Outside the Lines: Dining Room Pops with a Mix of Fun and Formal
By Donna Cornelius A house’s most intriguing rooms usually are those that mix the old and the new – in a stylish way, of course. That’s the design plan Casey Faulkner and Jan Nordblom used in the Decorators’ ShowHouse dining room. “Overall, it’s a play on taking something traditional and making it more contemporary, like combining Duncan Phyfe chairs and formal draperies … [Read more...]
A Positive Point of View: Griffith Art Gallery Creates a ‘Happy’ Hallway
By Donna Cornelius One of the most eye-catching spaces at this year’s Decorators’ ShowHouse was almost overlooked. Designers who want to participate in the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s annual fundraiser are given a list of rooms and then present plans for the one they’d like to transform. Rick Griffith of Griffith Art Gallery said the first-floor hallway he wanted – and ended … [Read more...]
Lovely in Lavender: Lynne Coker’s Bedroom Combines Warm and Cool Colors
By Donna Cornelius For the second year in a row, Lynne Coker has designed a girl’s bedroom for the Decorators’ ShowHouse. But this year, she’s created a place for sweet dreams that’s very different from the room she did for the 2017 Alabama Symphony Orchestra fundraiser. “Usually I start with fabric,” said Coker, owner of Lynne Coker Interiors in Homewood. “But I was shopping … [Read more...]