Decorating 101

ChairsDownsizing and refeathering an empty nest isn't always a matter of running out to buy new furniture and starting fresh. Sometimes you have to make do with what you have and update the look. Read more

Cottage Charm at the Beach

Posted on Saturday, February 2, 2013 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
Cottage Charm at the Beach

This beachfront cottage is utterly oozing with charm. Quiet and unassuming, it is just steps away from the ocean and provides an enviable indoor-outdoor lifestyle for its owners all year round. I could move right in. With its crisp clean lines, the delicious pop of red throughout, and its proximity to the water, there isn’t anything about...

read more

Black Magic

Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
Black Magic

“Dark, dramatic and positively bewitching, black rooms always make a striking statement.” —Kamala Nair The color black has timeless appeal. Though it actually represents the absence of color, there is nothing bleak or gloomy about it. Black is sophisticated and elegant . . . and versatile. A black-tie dinner is always a formal...

read more

Maine Island Home

Posted on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
Maine Island Home

There is a charming stone house on a secluded, private island just off the coast of Maine. Doesn’t this sound like a dream-come-true? Theoretically, the island belongs to Charles and Barbara; but its real lord and master isthe sea. Charles and Barbara first discovered the island thirty years ago and, after some serious detective work,...

read more

Sisse’s Fab Farmhouse

Posted on Monday, July 30, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
Sisse’s Fab Farmhouse

There are people out there who have what it takes—the talent, vision, energy, and resources—to turn a run down, ramshackle house into a dream home. Sisse Jonassen is one of those people. Sisse, who grew up in Denmark, owns an interior design company located in up-state New York called SJ Interior Designs. She was looking for a...

read more

A Hint of Purple

Posted on Sunday, May 27, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
A Hint of Purple

Decorating with the color purple can be a challenge. The first time I ever saw the color used successfully in a home was years ago on a visit to my niece. It was her first place—a little house she was renting—and she was in that exciting stage of finally having a home of her own and being able to decorate any way she wanted. In her...

read more

Stunning West Seattle Redo

Posted on Friday, May 25, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
Stunning West Seattle Redo

Poised high above the street, this remodeled house in historic West Seattle is definitely worth mentioning. Take a closer look at the BEFORE photos, and you will understand why. Curb Appeal Without even seeing the inside of the house, you know it’s going to be awesome. The exterior transformation is stunning. Gone are the overgrown bushes...

read more

Lovely Down Under

Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (0)
Lovely Down Under

Be prepared to be surprised. This charming little 1880 Victorian cottage in Adelaide, Australia is not all it appears to be. Kylie Brammy and George Kyprianou bought the small house in 1999. “The rear of the original house was very dark, and functionally, the space just didn’t work. We love having friends and family over for dinner, but...

read more

Old Garage Upcycled

Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2012 | By Patricia Petro | Comments (1)
Old Garage Upcycled

When you can take a small, unused space and make it your own, magic happens. Such is the case with the little house Seattle artist, designer, and welder Michelle de la Vega built. “The garage and the elements in it are all defunct, unwanted things that were reclaimed and given new life.”—Michelle de la Vega With a lot of vision,...

read more
Page 1 of 3123»