By: Mary Fran Bontempo It’s official; spring has sprung—and not a moment too soon. Here in Philadelphia, the most immediate sign that spring is on the way is the Philadelphia Flower Show, highlighted on NRFGP a few weeks ago, which returns every year at just about the time the natives are about to lose their minds to cabin fever. The delightful sights and scents of flowers and nature (okay, so it’s a gigantic [...]
by Chrysa SmithHave you ever stepped into a bachelor pad? Sheets on the windows, nothing in the fridge but beer and some left-over pizza. Unless, of course, the bachelor is metro-sexual. Then there might be a few curtains and placemats on the table.But it struck me recently, just how much a woman's touch makes a house a home. Nothing new, you might say, but when you think of the millions of households in [...]
by Chrysa SmithIt slices. It dices. It chops. Turn it over and it becomes a collectable vase for your favorite floral display. As I see it, home shows and infomercials have been the consumate places for snake oil salesmen. Those too good to believe it offers at incredible savings just for you. Remember the Ginsu knife commercials? And those cozy Snuggie wraps that make you look loveably Vulcan. Is it all just too [...]
by Chrysa Smith Starting right about now, my nesting instincts kick in. I've got my scented candles burning, my fireplace roaring and I'm curled up on the sofa with a cozy blanket and two furry friends. The throw pillows have been 'seasoned' in slip-covered shades of sage green, burgundy and gold. And I've pulled out all the seasonal decor: fresh mums, fake pumpkins and dried willow branches. It's cozy. It's inviting. It feels [...]
by Kristine Robinson, Interior DesignerRobinson Interiors“Oh no, not wallpaper! Anything but wallpaper,” my client spoke in horror. Apparently I had just made a horrible faux-pas in even uttering the distasteful word wallpaper. I must say, I fear putting the reputation of my own established interior design business at risk in writing this article. It’s a chance I must take.Wallpaper is back in a big way. There…I’ve said it. And I’m positively happy to [...]
