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We are sailing smoothly into the 2010 year and are very excited about things to come!

Vicki has been making her rounds at the Atlanta Gift Show and is in Vegas for the International Builders Show.  She even snapped a few shots of some really lovely items that will be HUGE this year.  She wanted to share these great finds with all the viewers so they can get inspired, like she has, so here are her comments from the road:

Aqua just won’t go away.  That’s okay with me because I just love this color.  The “color of the year is Turquoise”  just a deeper version of aqua.  For walls and linens I am seeing this pale aqua everywhere.

Nature inspired accessories are everywhere.  My favorite was the use of “Sea Fans” as shown above.  They are delicate fan shaped pieces of dried sea weed.  I asked about ordering some and found out that they are no longer available from this vendor because they are too delicate to ship.  So if you know where I can order them please let me know!!

Anything French was hot, hot, hot.  Now I’m not talking about the Paris memorabilia that we saw on the market place a few years ago.  I am talking about authentic French styled furniture and that shabby chic Parisian look.  The furniture features exposed wooden frames.  The wood is finished in a light gray or pickled finish.  The upholstery fabrics are all natural linens in pale neutral colors.  I could have swooped up dozens of these pieces for my own home.  Love it!

Turquoise: The official home décor color of 2010 looked fabulous on this bed from Bella Notte Linens.  This company is so great.  They will die your bedding any color you like.  They had dozens from which to choose or they can even do custom colors.  Gone were all the layers and layers of satin, heavy embellished pillows and heavy comforters.  Think soft, inviting fabrics and you would have the look I saw over and over again.  The more formal bedding displays featured fresh ironed linen duvet covers.  Trust me don’t purchase linen unless you want to be ironing every day or if you can adjust your style to just accepting the “lived-in” look.

Want to update your style without buying new furniture?  I’ve got just the solution.  New pillows.  Market was filled with beautiful linen pillows featuring embroidered images inspired by nature.  No silk pillows to be found.  Hopefully we are finally out of that phase.  The linen pillows came in all shapes, colors and styles.  Most striking were the ones that featured dressmaker details like small pleats and tucks.  I also loved the mother of pearl and torturous shell buttons some of the designers were using.

What were the most popular motifs?

Crowns

Anything with birds, nests and eggs

Horse heads (a little too Godfather for me but I saw a lot of them)

Religious symbols, such as crosses and icons

That’s it for now.  More next time for the International Builders’ show in Las Vegas.

Vicki

From Clay to Yea!

Vicki helps turn an overwhelmed single mother’s backyard disaster into a play area for her two young children.  This makeover includes maintenance-free turf grass and fencing plus a swing set and an organic children’s garden.

• Getting Started-Tiffani is a single mom with a wasteland for a backyard.  She has tried for the past couple years to grow grass and make a proper play area for her children but has had no luck. She desperately wants a place for her children to feel safe and her young son Chase to be able to explore his love for horticulture.
• Fence-Vicki and Jon Osborne, Allison Sunbelt Fence Company, discuss the process of installing our wonderful, made from recycled materials fence donated to the makeover from Trex.
• Lawn-Our homeowner Tiffani has a grass allergy so we had to come up with a perfect no fuss solution for her backyard. Another awesome recycled material was used for the artificial lawn which was provided by Forever Lawn.  David Trotter and Vicki discussed the different options and advantages when going faux.
• Swing Set- Our friend George Ashley from Carolina Backyard Adventures picked out the perfect swing set for this family.
• Court Tiles- Versacourt was kind enough to donate these easy to install play tiles. Vicki helped install them right over the concrete to make it a more suitable area for Tiffani’s children to play, not to mention they are simple to clean.
• Garden- Billy Styles, of Organic Plant Health, and Vicki team up to give Chase the organic garden of his dreams.
• Gardening Tips- Vicki shows us a simple and fast way to plant your flowers in containers.
• Finishing Touches- Vicki and Tiffani layout beautiful outdoor furniture set from Whitecraft to finishing out her new and improved backyard.

Special thanks to Barnhardt Landscaping to putting in the labor to make this fantasy backyard a reality!

A European Twist

Vicki introduces the FYH viewer to the romance of European design with the help of international designer and friend Leo Dowell.  Leo gives the grand tour of a French château inspired mansion. Vicki shares great ideas on how to add a European touch to any home.

Leo Dowell, of Leo Dowell Interiors, and Vicki show us the neighborhood that houses the magnificent Treillage.  They then move into the house and discuss the many factors that make this French inspired chateau into a home.

Tip: Hang a quilt or a heavy piece of fabric to give your home a European inspired look. Age a mirror you already have or find a vintage piece and hang it in the middle of your fabric for a perfect French look! Be sure to use a vintage looking fabric and mirror so they don’t contrast.

Tip: Adding a rug or another decorative piece with a modern flair can add a touch of humor to a seriously decorated home and make guests feel more comfortable in that space.

For more information on how to get a sophisticated French look or the products seen in this episode visit Leo Dowell Interiors

Tip: Kate Houston, of Clark Hall Doors helps Vicki make her entranceway look more French while adding a great amount of curb appeal to her home.

Vicki renovates her kitchen to create a more functional space with a traditional style.

The Kitchen:

• Ryan Boger with Schneider Stone shows us the Carrera Marble Countertops which ages beautifully and compliments the existing cabinets. Marble does scratch and stain easier than other countertops such as granite, so it needs to be sealed once a year. The first place you will notice it will be need resealing is around the sink where the surface gets the most moisture and it will begin to appear darker.
• Dale Bullock with Klutz Cabinets assists rebuilding the new peninsula and rebuilding the new wall cabinet.
• To repair the existing cabinets which had chipping paint, Bob Nulf a faux finisher, first chips off the loose paint. Then the cabinet is sanded down and repainted with a latex based low VOC primer, then a sealer, and then finished off with a glaze (exterior rated).
• Sealants by Surface Shields provide great protection for these flooring.
• New style silver knobs by Amerock are used for cabinet doors and handles are used for the cabinet drawers. Knob placement should be consistent, some suggestions are placing them 3”- 3 ¼” above bottom of the cabinet door, in the middle, or just keep then consistent with the lines of a panel detail of the door face.
• All materials such as old countertops and hardware will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.
• Luke Miller our general contractor for plumbing and electric relocates electrical outlets in the kitchen to make them easily accessible with the new design.
• Beautiful Ashbury lantern pendant lighting with platinum trim by Progress Lighting is added above the peninsula to add better lighting for this work area.

TIP!

A new Stainless steel energy star rated Refrigerator from Queen City Appliances can save a lot of energy and money. If your refrigerator was bought before 2001 it can cost as much as $140 a year to operate. Replacing it with an average sized energy star refrigerator bought after 2001 is only about $43 a year. Most efficient refrigerators have the freezer on top the least efficient are the side-by-side.

Victory Junction, a special camp for kids with serious health issues needs the FYH makeover team.  Vicki and her volunteers build and decorate a counselor’s lounge area just in time for this summer’s campers.  To the rescue is racing all-star Kurt Busch and a local team of architects.

Vicki visits with Patti Petty and they talk about Adam Petty’s vision for Victory Junction. Stephen Overcash, of Overcash Demmitt Architects, was a key player in the design for Victory Junction.  The whole crew from Overcash Demmitt Architects came out that day to help with the lounge room makeover.

Vicki meets with some of the very special people that help run Victory Junction.

• Corrugated Tin Wall Cover- designed and constructed by Overcash Demmit Arichets,materials donated by Carports.
• Refreshment Center- with the help of Heritage Stone, Innovative Stone and Brandon Fitzmoris of Walker Woodworking we installed a 10 foot row of cabinets  and countertop.  We kept the cabinets a simple black with silver hardware to keep the industrial and flashy look going throughout the lounge. Abigail Blanks of Heritage Stone of Vicki discuss the black granite countertop that was used to pull the entire look together.
• DIY Projects-
• Coffee table- Tim Moore of  Overcash Demmitt Architects and Vicki work together to make a coffee table that will not only enhance the décor of the room but it will increase seating and storage. The coffee table will also have rolling castors installed on the bottom to make it very mobile.
• Bulletin Board- Stephen Overcash and friends from Overcash Demmitt Architects put together a for the counselors to post flyers, schedules, ect during the camp season.  A decorative fabric was used to enhance the look of the bulletin board.
• Furniture and Appliances

The rest of the lounge space is decorated by Vicki and the wonderful volunteers

Refrigerator and Microwave- Queen City Appliances

Tire tracks Rug- Shaw

Red Leather Sectional and Recliner- Aspen Home

2 leather benches- Adesso Home

1 Pod Arch Lamp- Adesso Home

2 Spindle Table Lamps- Adesso Home

4 bars stools and Desk n Dine tables- Riverside Furniture

Artistic Wall hangings- Photofiddle (BE SURE TO VISIT THEIR SITE TO CHCK OUT HOW TO PERSONALIZE YOUR ART INEXPESIVLEY!)

Kurt Busch stops by to help install the Sharp television and adjustable arm generously donated by Zobo.

Thanks to Sammy Phillips Electric for doing all of the electrical work on this job!

Vicki shows us how to start from scratch when building your own custom home. This includes the initial steps for finding the builder right for you and a suitable location.

Build for the Cure Custom Home:

• Eric Johnson with ES Johnson Builders helps get the project started to build a custom home. The step by step process begins with finding a passionate and reputable builder that listens to the needs client. Next is finding a location that is suitable for the client that considers topography, jurisdictions and other factors.
• Trisha Johnson is a residential designer that works with the builder and interior design to find the best space planning solutions based on how the clients lives and will function in the space.
• Reggie Ray with Georgia Pacific constructs the subfloors with a factory applied water-repellant coating on the face and side of plywood. This coating repels water during construction. Plywood subfloors keep the floors from becoming squeaky.
• To make your attic space more energy efficient use a radiant barrier with a craft back laminated to the roof sheathing. This can cool the attic by 30°.
• Pre fabricated materials cute down on building costs.
• Tim Kennedy with Icynene helps install insulation that is the next generation of high performance insulation that is renewable. It is a spray foam insulation and air barrier that uses high yield castor oil. This innovative type of insulation reduces fossil resources and green house generation. Saving 60% energy on heating and 40% energy on cooling.For more information about Iycnene’s LD-R-50™ renewable spray foam used on the Build for the Cure House, Click Here.
• Carolina Foam Solutions is your authorized Icynene dealer in North and South Carolina. Steve Kodad helps design a space that incorporates Feng Shui attributes. A comfortable space can be created by avoiding sharp corners, using circular rugs to pull and distribute energy and placing plants strategically throughout the space.
• Springfield community is the location of Build for the Cure House.

Now that the initial building process is well underway, Vicki shows us how to make important decisions when it comes to materials for your custom home. By asking questions and doing research you can find the best materials for your home.

Building for the Cure Custom House:

• Kathy Krafta Harkema with Pella Windows helps pick out windows that compliment the farmhouse style. They are double hung windows, tilted for easy cleaning, the exterior aluminum clad is classic white, and interior framework is wooden. These windows are energy star and constructed of Low-E glass, which prevents fading of your interior furnishings.
• The first impression of the home will be the double entry doors made of mahogany with beveled glass side lights.
• Diana Gola with GAF roofing helps find a roof style and color that emulates the farmhouse style. It is important to find a roofing manufacturer with a warranty, certified contractors and includes a complete roofing system.
• Kimberly Brewer Nawn with Charles Luck Stone assists in finding the oakridge style stone with native colors of the Carolinas. When selecting a stone make sure you take home samples and examine the variations in the natural stone before making your decision.
• Eric Robinson with Lennox provides insight for a heating and air conditioning system that is efficient, air purifying, and quiet. This dual pump system can provide 15%- 25% energy savings. Using a programmable thermostat can save up to $150 annually on energy costs.
• The garage doors are Carriage House Doors made of solid wood. Remember woods expands and contracts so it will need to be treated every 2-3 years.
• Tyler Beard with Charles Luck Stone demonstrates how to a dry stack stone application using Blue Ridge thin stone.
• Garage Door Operating System provided by Charlotte Overhead Garage Doors.

Vicki walks through the process of outfitting the home for superior performance and beauty.

Design Details:

• Drywall expert Don Taylor from Certain Teed explains how to select the perfect drywall for a space for both function and aesthetics.
• Shane Judd from Kohler
• A customized and personalized hearth and hood area are incorporated into the space by Lennox Hearth.
• 8” x 8” beams from Southern Pine Awareness Network are place in 3 different spaces throughout the home.
• The interior ceiling accent of a dome by Fypon is incorporated into the space as an accent area.
• Energy management control systems are by RCS.
• Lighting used in this home is manufactured by Progress Lighting.

Vicki takes the viewers through the process of selecting flooring and tile in the show house and gives advice on how to avoid pitfalls during this phase of building or renovating a home.

Design Details:

• Rick Sears from Innovative Stone explains the different options available to homeowners for stone selection in terms of finishes, colors, and materials.
• The countertops were provided by a Heritage Stone.
• Scott Mingonet from Urban Resource Group is the landscape architect that helped to enhance the exterior of the home and continue to create the farm house feel to the show home.
• David Jacobus from Madison Landscape & Design Group, Inc. helped to make outdoor living a possibility for the home as well as giving some excellent curb appeal.
• The beautiful rich hardwood flooring by Anderson flooring is hand scraped maple with a hickory stain.
• In the water closet and shower area a ceramic tile by Shaw Floors is used. This presents a nice traditional farm house pattern.  All other tile and carpet used throughout the space was provided by Shaw Floors as well.
• The garage doors by Carriage House Doors compliment the traditional style of the home.
• The Garage Door operating system for opening the doors was provided by Overhead Doors.
• The outdoor lanterns were provided by French Quarter Lanterns.
• Paint can really give a room a whole new look. All of the paint was provided by Behr.
• The number one requested item when redoing the backyard area is an outdoor fireplace. The natural wood burning fireplace by Lennox Hearth was covered with the same stone used on the house.
• The stone used on the exterior accents of the house was provided by Charles Luck Stone.
• The white exterior columns were provided by HB&G Columns.
• All of the cabinetry throughout the home was provided by Diamond Cabinetry.

Vicki explains how to create a garden oasis to increase the value to a home.

• Scott Mignonet from Urban Resource Group is the Landscape Architect that helps bring the vision of farm house-like charm to this new home. Scott and Vicki discuss the vision for the vast landscape of the Build for the Cure House, which includes everything from magnolias to cherry trees in order to achieve that farm house look
• David Jacobus from Madison Landscape & Design Group, Inc. explains the installation process of Mignonet’s plan as well as the details of irrigation and the actual flora selected for the home. The irrigation system was provided by Rainbird
• Vicki and Dave Jacbus head to local Skinner Nurseries, to pick out all of the unique plant for these two acres.
• David Pike from Witherspoon Rose Culture explains the roses selected for the rose garden for the custom home and the process of creating your own rose garden and avoiding common pitfalls.
• Preston Cavenaugh from Super Sod explains the process of selecting the grass, installation, and maintenance of fescue sod.

Tip: Vicki shows viewers how to keep pests from ruining all your hard work in the garden. Animals are attracted to bright colors and moisture. So planting plants that don’t have those characteristic would be the easiest way  but if you want to keep your vibrant plants follow these couple tips.

*Outdoor Firplace by Lennox Hearth

*Stone provided by Charles Luck Stone of Charlotte, NC.