Learning from Past Mistakes

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Sometimes, I’ll admit, I think we Oregonians come across as a a little desperate for history. Remember the neon stag sign debate? People passionately argued for preservation of the words on the Made in Oregon sign because the advertisement was part of our heritage. Never mind that the sign had previously read “White Stag” for an Oregon clothing company. And before that, “White Satin” for a sugar refinery.

 

But I get it.  Some extraordinary Oregon buildings have been mindlessly destroyed in the name of progress, and no one wants to see that happen again. It’s heart breaking.

Oregon Playhouses for Kids Big & Small

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  These are pre-fab houses. Emphasis on “fab.” With a kit from Jan Kronke of Oregon TimberWerks (you can pop up a basic cabin shell in the woods for about $6,000 and a few days labor.  Less than $2,000 buys the goods for a fancy little playhouse for the kids complete with covered porch and … Read more

Someone’s in the Kitchen

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kitchenMost of us have seen, what I like to call, Joan Rivers houses. They are homes of a certain age with really bad face lifts. The remodeling meant to make them look fresh and new, instead simply looks scary-weird. The Architectural Heritage Center knows all about updating a house while honoring its history. The center hosts its 13th annual Kitchen Revival Tour this Saturday.

Painting the Town

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YOLO_Remember when being kind to the planet was considered sort of edgy? Environmentally responsible paint? Now, that’s just kooky! These days, green products are to home what cardigan sweaters are to fashion; comfortable, boring and ho-hum sensible. That’s why I am so excited to be unexcited about the news that environmentally responsible paints are now carried at Lowe’s.

I sink therefore I am

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tuna-sink.jpg

This won’t be pretty. You might want to avert your eyes. But I need to confess: I am in love with a sink. Yes, that’s a little sad. It’s an inanimate object made of porcelain. It cannot love me back. But have you seen the graceful curve of it? The way the white ceramic appears to be swimming through water like an exotic sea creature?

Another KO for NK

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Not to turn this into the all-Neil-Kelly-all-the-time place but  .  . just got word worth sharing. The Oregon company recently won two national CotY awards.  Not “Coty” as in fragrance giant, or “COTY” as in the American Fashion Critics’ Award, but C-o-t-capital-Y.  CotY stands for Contractor of the Year and it’s given by NARI or … Read more

Hitting the wall

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In the neighborhood where I grew up, all the houses were identical in layout. That made each the perfect blank canvas for the woman of the house to express herself. (The men were busy doing manly things.)  Each woman just happened to express her unique  individuality in a manner almost identical to her neighbor. They painted … Read more

Oregon Garden selected as display garden

by Emma

 

agalogoThe Oregon Garden was chosen as one of 23 public gardens nationwide to display flowers for the American Garden Award competition this May. Visitors can vote on their favorite flowers right in Silverton.

ANLD Garden Tour

by Emma

anldThe Association of Northwest Landscape Designers presents their 8th annual Behind-the-scenes Garden Tour, so you can get an inside look at professionally designed gardens in the Portland Metro and Lake Oswego areas. Meet with each landscape designer to see how they come up with their ideas for breathtaking outdoor spaces.