Austin Toaf Rica

Archive for the ‘home improvement’ Category

Several years ago, I took my two younger daughters to a beachfront bed-and-breakfast. Leyah was leaving for college within days and didn’t want to go; I insisted—for my sake. We walked on a rain-soaked beach and spent the evening reading by a little fire while listening to the surf break just yards away. Next morning, breakfast was served at tables set for six. What happened at ours is one of those things that can’t be planned or purchased. Leyah, Lissa, and I ended up at a table with a photojournalist and his wife, a writer, from the East Coast. Their friend, the owner of the B&B, a stunning dynamo of a woman, joined us at the table.
I wondered if the girls and I were going to feel isolated from the conversation. Instead, we were drawn into it. Our fellow diners were as fascinated with our family’s trio as we were by their bright philosophical ideas and tales of travels afar. An animated, profound dialogue took place, in which my daughters were included and engaged. It was a turnabout to the experience of Abraham and Sarah, who entertained strangers at Mamre. Here we were at an Oregon beach B&B, where strangers entertained us—a stained-glass story if ever there was one. You never know when table d’hôte will happen, angels and all, but the possibilities exist wherever bread is broken.
When my two-year-old granddaughter eats lasagna, she carefully separates the tiny broccoli florets and strips of red pepper from pieces of pasta. Tomato sauce covers both hands, squishes between outstretched fingers, and smears across her cheeks. Tendrils of her curly hair become caked with bits of vegetables and cheese.
In this scene I see the Eucharist.
Dining is art.
I see light filtered through color as the essence of our lives, never more than around our dining tables.
When we serve meals, we are creating stories meant for stained
glass. What will yours communicate?

The bathroom is the most enigmatic of rooms, riddled with ancient and contemporary ritual. It is connected with cultural superstitions as well. According to the Celts, for whom water represented a reunion with the womb, a few silver coins in the bath ensured good luck. Adding the first snow of winter to the bath brought good health. Sage wisdom has it that roses in the bath bring love; lavender, happiness; rosemary; creativity; peppermint, revivification; and eucalyptus, freedom from pain. A recipe for romance calls for oranges and fresh mint leaves added to the bath and rubbed on the body—then allowed to air-dry Do you want beauty? Would you be willing to go to the extremes Cleopatra did? She is said to have bathed regularly in asses’ milk.
Bathing involves a religious significance in many cultures. For Muslims and Jews it is associated with purification and holiness. The complex bathing rituals of the Japanese are meant to facilitate mental clarity. Instead of seeing bathing as just a way to get clean like we do in the West, Eastern cultures get clean in separate quarters so that they can bathe. For Native Americans sweat lodges are used to facilitate healing of illness (everything from influenza to pleurisy) as well as to revitalize racial identity In Finland the sauna is a national institution. It is said that prior to the 1990s there were more saunas than cars in that country.

You probably already have everything you need to create the look and feel of a house-becoming-home The rule of thumb in using what you have is this: See everything in a new way can the objects stuffed away in your closets be used for a different purpose, in a different place, or with a new disguise? Try on these ideas.
• Turn an object upside down or on its side. Try placing anything in an unusual setting and you’ll see marked changes.Things you may have grown tired of suddenly become eccentric bookends, candle holders, or conversation pieces.A vase you inherited, turned upside down, is a pedestal for a photo of the great aunt it belonged to. A garden angel, predictable on the front stoop, might be urban kitsch on your armoire. Books can be turned on their sides as bookends.
• Point things in various shades of white. Almost anything metal, wood, or plastic can be updated and freshened with a coat of cream or wash of pearl. Worn furniture or accessories look totally different with a whitewash. Update with a bowl of seashells in summer or a photo of last year’s ski trip in winter
• Mat, frame, and hang kids’ paintings in unexpected places: on a bathroom wall, beside a grand mirror beside school photos in the kitchen, inside the hall closet.
• Go sugar and spice when painting flea market finds. Mix bright reds with white and sand colors.Think Cajun and crème. Blend anything brass and bronze or copper for an earthy zest against neutral walls or fabrics.
• Modem family-friendly objects come into their own among inhented pieces pulled out of storage in the attic or basement. Mix country with urban!techno style to get a trendy eclectic appeal.

You probably already have everything you need to create the look and feel of a house-becoming-home The rule of thumb in using what you have is this: See everything in a new way can the objects stuffed away in your closets be used for a different purpose, in a different place, or with a new disguise? Try on these ideas.
• Turn an object upside down or on its side. Try placing anything in an unusual setting and you’ll see marked changes.Things you may have grown tired of suddenly become eccentric bookends, candle holders, or conversation pieces.A vase you inherited, turned upside down, is a pedestal for a photo of the great aunt it belonged to. A garden angel, predictable on the front stoop, might be urban kitsch on your armoire. Books can be turned on their sides as bookends.
• Point things in various shades of white. Almost anything metal, wood, or plastic can be updated and freshened with a coat of cream or wash of pearl. Worn furniture or accessories look totally different with a whitewash. Update with a bowl of seashells in summer or a photo of last year’s ski trip in winter
• Mat, frame, and hang kids’ paintings in unexpected places: on a bathroom wall, beside a grand mirror beside school photos in the kitchen, inside the hall closet.
• Go sugar and spice when painting flea market finds. Mix bright reds with white and sand colors.Think Cajun and crème. Blend anything brass and bronze or copper for an earthy zest against neutral walls or fabrics.
• Modem family-friendly objects come into their own among inhented pieces pulled out of storage in the attic or basement. Mix country with urban!techno style to get a trendy eclectic appeal.

Smart. Understated. Forgiving. These are words some designers
use to describe interiors that maximize livability. How can you
create rituals at home that invite you and your family to rejuvenate
a holy sense of place? Here are some experts’ ideas to build on.
• Seek serendipity. Welcome unexpected experiences as Sarah welcomed strangers to her home.
• Attend to details that amplify ambiance. Spend time setting the scene to get people in the mood.
• Play down unnecessary drama, Ignore unwelcome intruders such as grumpy moods or overindulgent expectations.
• Define the cathedral quotient. What helps your family members feel loved by the others? Brainstorm ways to make those connections.
• Get the most bang from your “construction” buck Invest in rituals that improve with age. Go for what’s interesting over what’s traditional or trendy. Find out what your kids love and do it!
• Create a lavish focal point for limited time together Play it up with things you know will generate pleasure in the experience: games, food, physical interaction, ambiance.

You’ll find other ways to express hospitality by combing the pages of good books and searching for details in the photographs of home and garden magazines. Tour model homes, and take mental notes when you visit the homes of friends.
A wise woman hears one word and understands two, so give yourself time to ponder. Most important, lend your prayers and your fervent attention to the art of making a stranger feel at home. Seize the sparkle. Take back the night. Your guests will love the difference.