Washington Post Blog Watch

This year a show house returns to Washington, DC after its absence in 2007.

The year's event benefits the Children's National Medical Center

The house, at 3014 P St. NW, will be open Saturday through May 11. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20; more information at http://www.dcdesignhouse.com. The house will also be one of 10 open for the annual Georgetown House Tour on April 26. Tickets for this one-day tour are $45; more information athttp://www.georgetownhousetour.com.

Blog Watch

Thursday, April 17, 2008; Page H02

Our picks to click this week:

Didn't make it to the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Chicago last weekend? Not to worry. The Kitchen Designer ( http://www.thekitchendesigner.org) gives you a front-row seat with several posts (and lots of pictures) on the show, including a visit to the Sub Zero booth and some notable products, such as a series of mosaic tile from Ann Sacks and a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator drawer that can also be used as a freezer, a pantry or a wine storage unit.

In the spirit of the recent warmer weather, head over to S o Haute ( http://www.sohaute.typepad.com) for a look at some swanky and inspiring outdoor spaces. Our favorite: the lone wooden swing on the all-white porch overlooking the ocean and hillside. Sigh.

Terri Sapienza

Being Bette

Last weekend was the Odd Couple of movie weekends. For starters, Weekly film critic Tyler Hanley looked at me like I was nuts when I said I'd seen "21." Yes, it would be nice to get that 2 hrs, 3 min. back, but there were a few bright spots.

Kevin Spacey, bless him, could be fascinating reading a Menlo Park Planning Commission agenda. And the kid in the lead role, Jim Sturgess, nicely refrained from chewing the aces. I love an understated performance in an overblown flick. What I don't get is the appeal of Kate Bosworth. Blank face, vapid acting; the most interesting thing about her is the fact that her eyes are two different colors. Maybe she was just yawning at the script.

Why the Odd Couple of weekends? Because the second movie I saw was "The Man Who Played God," direct from 1932 to the Stanford Theatre and starring Bette Davis. Yes, some of the performances were dated and overwrought. Yes, the leading man, George Arliss, was apparently wearing lipstick throughout the entire film. It didn't matter. Arliss was sensitive and honest, and Bette Davis is always so natural and compelling that you hardly look at anyone else. You believe anything she says, are with her through every cliche of dialogue, and long to wear a hat like she does. On her, acting seems just like being.

The Bette Davis film festival continues through June 6 (that's what the Stanford's website sez at this point). Check it out. And while you're at it, imagine a dream film with Bette Davis opposite Kevin Spacey.

Photo from the Stanford Theatre's website, www.stanfordtheatre.org.

John Adams: Federal Style

Is anyone watching the HBO series John Adams and loving the historic interiors as much as me? Though the focus of the series is the early survival of our new Republic and its second president, the plot for me are the room colors, wallpapered halls, and swagged window treatments with multi-colored fringe. Wasn't it George Washington, in the seventh episode, dining with Mr. Adams in a beautiful dining room with a minimalists backdrop, or was it Thomas Jefferson?...All I noticed was the soothing blueish white of the walls, the crisp linen table cloth, silver utensils and the gracefulness of the Chippendale dining chairs. The look was stunning... I had to pause the scene and study the decor. I was also stunned by the wood horizontal blinds and swag valances. I had no idea horizontal blinds dated that far back. It appears window treatments have just come forward from the 18th century. We're still using the same technology...pulleys for blinds and shades.
What we are viewing is the emergence of what we now term Federal style. It's roots are firm in British design but there are also strong French influences. Federal style exudes strong symmetry with the internal floor plan as well as window placement in the exterior. Federal style is more refined and curvilinear than its predecessor Georgian Colonial style. It includes decorative swags, garlands, urns and introduces more detail to furnishings and fixtures. Some additional features are: Tooth-like dentil moldings, oval shaped rooms, Palladian windows (Italian), and recessed interior wall arches.

John Adams home in Quincy,Mass

Asian Style

When asked about ideas for a bedroom with Asian Style elements I think of natural materials in furnishings and flooring. Bamboo, Teak, Rosewood and Mindy Wood are woods used in various parts of Asia from China, Indonesia and Japan. In terms of time periods one can draw from a 19th century British Colonial look to a traditional Asian inspired theme. Color, especially reds and oranges are also important as well as earth and water elements....It's up to you...what I want to visually communicate is an idea to inspire you to try some of these touches in creating a bedroom that's your sanctuary!

Washington Post Blog Watch

Blog Watch

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Our picks to click this week: Cottage Living magazine has three new blogs:

Petal Pusher ( http://www.petalpusher.typepad.com/petal_pusher), outdoor guidance from the magazine's gardening expert;Front Burner ( http://www.frontburner.typepad.com/front_burner), dedicated to kitchens and cooking; and our favorite, Dear Cottage Living
( http://www.dearcottage.typepad.com/dear_cottage_living), which concen- trates on curb appeal. Readers send in exterior shots of their home, and the Cottage Living crew offers tips to make the outside as inviting as the inside by using paint, architectural elements and landscaping. Images to illustrate their advice are included.

Terri Sapienza

Color vs. Pattern

I love color and lots of it! I love pattern equally as well. The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. Lots of color and pattern in the same room, especially a small space, must be used skillfully. There must be a common denominator that link the two. In other words there must be harmony. If this is a skill you haven't mastered in decorating your home or that special place you set aside for yourself I suggest you study your creation and find something that pulls it all together. It could be a singular color in both the pattern and the textured fabric that help create a bond. It could also be a repeated pattern within various colors of the fabrics....whatever it is don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new....That's the way to develop any skill...even in decorating.

Image: Red River Interiors

Image: Red River Interiors
Image: Traditional Home
Image: Australian Vogue Living

Gone Gardening

It"s been a busy week and I've managed to get a post out every day! I'm taking the weekend off and will return Tuesday........hope to have completed some upgrades to the site by then... Fay

Hydrangea - "Together"

Image: Washington Post