Home & Design

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New Stone Center; China tiles; New Openings; Eco Ideas- Green Kids; Books; Spring Spruce Up
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Charles Luck Stone Center

A New Age in Stone

No mineral is left unturned at Charles Luck Stone Center

There’s nothing else quite like the Charles Luck Stone Center. The emporium, which recently debuted in the company’s Sterling, Virginia, location, is part museum, part design center, part stone mill and part workshop. A team of experts has traveled the globe to bring home not only hundreds of varieties of stone, but also age-old techniques and designs that have been painstakingly re-created in the Center’s various buildings and gardens—from an inglenook mosaic inspired by a design in Verona, Italy, to a cut-stone floor based on a Turkish rug motif. Luck’s team consulted with Prada and Ritz-Carlton to mastermind this new concept that not only celebrates stone and its rich history, but also aims to entertain, educate and inspire its clientele—both consumers and members of the design and building trades.

The Sterling location is the second Charles Luck Stone Center to open in 2007 after a Richmond location was unveiled in September. Over the next three years, its parent company, Richmond-based Luck Stone Corp., plans to introduce the concept at existing locations in Columbia, Maryland; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Charles Luck Stone Center is located at 1700 South Sterling Boulevard in Sterling, Virginia; (703) 674-2240. For more information, visit www.charlesluck.com.
—Sharon Jaffe Dan

Back from China
Cross MacKenzie Ceramic Arts presents the work of Gary Erickson, just back from his third trip to China. The artist’s new series of porcelains, called “The Sacred Way,” is named after the carved stone figures leading to the Ming tombs outside Beijing. Erickson’s tiles (pictured) are awash in watery glazes. On view from January 18 through March 12 at Cross MacKenzie Ceramic Arts, 1054 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC; (202) 333-7970; www.crossmackenzie.com.

Vastu’s New Interior Design Center
Vastu, a custom furniture and design studio at 1829 14th Street, NW, has opened a new 660-square-foot interior design center on the lower level of its showroom. Interior design clients can search through hundreds of upholstery, casegood and accessory options in this new space and find inspiration in the many textile and paint

samples on display. Design services are provided gratis to Vastu customers and home visits can be arranged for a nominal fee. For more information, call (202) 234-8344 or visit www.vastudc.com.

Eco Ideas: Play Green
Children’s bedding, furniture and toys that are fun and healthy

Eco-conscious living should be a family affair, and it can be with the growing number of manufacturers making children’s furniture and accessories that fit the green scene. From playroom to bedroom, here are ideas that bring green living home to the family:

• Green textile manufacturer Q Collection has launched Q Collection Junior, a line of green furniture, bedding and toys. The stylishly modern Solare crib is certified to meet Greenguard’s Children & Schools’ standard of indoor air quality. The crib is crafted from FSC-certified, locally sourced wood and finished with water-based and non-toxic materials. Visit www.qcollectionjunior.com.

• These clever Sub Adventure sheets from kukunest bring a funky modern ocean to the bedroom. The 200-thread count, 100-percent cotton percale sheets are Oeko-Tex certified, a European standard that ensures that textiles and clothing meet strict eco-criteria from manufacture through shipping. Visit www.kukunest.com for these and other modern, whimsical designs for kids.

• “Think Local” is always a good mantra, even if local isn’t just next door. Buying
American-made toys from long-established companies is a great way to track the safety of what your kids play with. Maple Landmark in Vermont uses only local wood and carefully recycles all waste. The company has been making a wide range of classic toys, such as the ever-popular MY Train Collection, for nearly 30 years. Visit www.maplelandmark.net.
—Heather C. Jackson

On the Bookshelf

Must reads for design devotees

AXEL VERVOORDT: Timeless Interiors features the work of the Belgian interior designer and collector best known for his unique exhibitions at international antiques fairs. Author Armelle Baron provides the background for 23 of Vervoordt’s U.S. and European residential projects. Flammarion through Rizzoli International, New York, NY, 2007; $75.

Table Flowers: Innovative Floral Designs for Entertaining by London-based floral artist Paula Pryke shows how to create centerpieces that have the “wow” factor. Known for her bold color choices, Pryke also coordinates the arrangements with tableware, linens and glassware for holidays, weddings and everyday décor. Rizzoli International, New York, NY, 2007; $45.

Lesley Riva and Benjamin Moore Paints team up to help homeowners freshen up their interiors in Paint Style: The New Approach to Decorative Paint Finishes. More than 50 projects illustrate how to eliminate drab walls using glazing, stenciling, stamping, faux finishes and creative color choices. Firefly Books, Ontario, Canada, 2008; $26.95.


Gary Erikson's Chinese-inspired tiles

Design principals Cris and Paul Briger show how to mix modern and classic style in BRIGER + BRIGER: Comfortable & Joyous Homes. The Brigers tackle houses in the city, country and lakeside and spare no detail—outdoor spaces, guest cottages and children’s rooms included. Rizzoli International, New York, NY, 2007; $60.
—Amanda Jones

Spring Spruce Up

A fundraiser offers consumers one-on-one consultations with interior designers

If you need advice choosing paint colors, finding the right window treatment or solving other design dilemmas, there is professional help at hand. The ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Washington Metro Chapter Spring Spruce Up kicks off its 2008 season on Super Bowl Sunday, February 3rd, when consumers can sign up online for one- or two-hour sessions with an interior designer. Now in its 11th year, this annual fundraiser enables homeowners to get professional design advice for a special promotion rate of $100 per hour. ASID members volunteer their time, with proceeds benefiting the chapter’s educational programs.

“Spring Spruce Up is a win-win opportunity for clients, designers and the Washington Metro Chapter of ASID,” said Spruce Up Co-Chair Nancye Lewis-Overstreet, Allied Member ASID. “For a minimal investment, clients can learn firsthand some of the many advantages that come from working with an interior designer. The volunteer designer is provided the opportunity to meet potential clients while the Washington Metro Chapter raises necessary funds to support future educational programming for its members. Everyone derives something positive from this program.”

To sign up for a Spring Spruce Up session, visit the American Society of Interior Designers Web site on February 3: www.asiddcmetro.org. Applications will be accepted until available slots are filled. For more information, call (202) 488-4100.


MYTrain Collection by Maple Landmark


Solare Crib by Q Collection Junior

kukunest's Sub Adventure

Axel Vervoordt: Timeless Interiors

Paula Pryke's Table Flowers

Paint Style

Briger + Briger: Comfortable & Joyous Homes

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HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

The company also publishes an annual H&D Sourcebook of ideas and resources for homeowners and professionals alike. H&D Chesapeake Views is published bi-annually and showcases fine home design and luxury living in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

The H&D Portfolio of 100 Top Designers spotlights the superior work of selected architects, interior designers and landscape architects in major regions of the US.

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