from the editor
Maybe for you it’s
wallpaper books and paint chips. Me?
I’ve never met an architect’s blueprint I
didn’t want to roll out and study to see
how all of the elements work together.
Bigger kitchen? Check. Ambitious additions? Lay ’em on me. Bumped out walls?
Better yet. You can see why our annual
Before-and-After issue is one of my faves. As a words person, it’s hard to admit
a picture is worth a thousand words. But as you flip through these pages—
chock-full of floor plans, before-and-after photographs, and Tip Clips that link you to
virtual tours and more—I think you’ll agree that actually seeing cramped or
gloomy spaces morph into spacious and radiant rooms inspires you to do great
things with your own home.
I’ve heard it said that we do not change as we grow older, we just become
more clearly ourselves. With a little help from our evolving selves, houses can
do that, too. In Atlanta’s historic Brookhaven neighborhood, empty-nesters
Daphne and Alex Davis relied on designer daughter Amy Morris for help
downsizing into a home that she gave a Colonial farmhouse feel (“Less is
More,” page 138), complete with a new kitchen and keeping room.
An even more dramatic transformation is on Long Island (“Clean Sweep,”
page 146), where architect Stuart Disston helped homeowners Nina and Greg
Richter envision a barn-like 1980s spec house in the Hamptons as a light-filled and livable second home by altering not only its floor plan, but its
roofline and exterior facade.
Across the country in California, Tim Robinson and Bob Cohen’s lackluster Hollywood Regency-style home (“Take Two,” page 116) comes into its own
with dazzling details. Click the Tip Clip for a tour with their designer, Timothy
DON’T MISS THE 2010
HAMPTON DESIGNER
SHOWHOUSE
i’m pleased to announce that Traditional
Home is the sponsor of the 2010 hampton
Designer showhouse that’s taking place
July 25 through september 5 in sag harbor,
new york. the much-anticipated annual
event is a showcase for design ideas from
approximately 20 top interior designers and
decorative artists. proceeds will benefit
southampton hospital. hours are 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. daily. the showhouse, located
at 125 stoney hill road, will open with a
preview party on saturday, July 24. (for a
peek at the 2009 event snap on our video
tip Clip, below.) for more details, visit
hamptondesignershowhouse.com.
Corrigan. Don’t miss the family room where I’d like to cozy up with a cup of
lapsang souchong and—you guessed it—a big bundle of blueprints.
Speaking of tea, check out Marketplace for trends and Tip Clips on tea-
SNAP IT
steeped design (“Hot Commoditea,” page 22), from caddies and pots to fabrics
and furniture. Next, cross the Brooklyn Bridge into what’s fast becoming a
haven for design aficionados—the borough of Brooklyn with its handsome
brownstones and insouciant style (“Brooklyn Design Confidential,” page 44).
Snap the Tip Clips for a tour with designer Ellen Hamilton and an interactive
mobile guide complete with maps. In this issue you’ll also find ways to spice
FOR A VIDEO TOUR OF THE 2009 SHOWHOUSE AND I TS DESIGNERS, go to gettag.mobi on your smartphone and download the free Tag Reader app. Hold your phone over this
coded tag and snap it.
Or, you can view the video
at traditionalhome.com.
Tip Clip
your autumn with sienna and gold (“Palette,” page 32) and see what our party
planners have cooked up for a warm and intimate fall dinner gathering (“Bounty
of Beauty,” page 82). I know you’ll be as inspired as I am to restore, renew,
SNAP IT
reclaim, and redeem your own traditional home!
Ann Omvig Maine
Editor in Chief
TraditionalHome@meredith.com
FOR A $5 DISCOUNT
COUPON, SNAP THIS
CODED TAG—there’s
nothing to print. Show the
coupon on your phone to
showhouse staff when
buying tickets. It’s good for
everyone in your group.
Or, find a coupon to print
at traditionalhome.com.
Tip Clip
photographs: portrait, Colleen Duffley; interior, John bessler
8 SEPTEMBER 2010
traditionalhome.com
