Category Archives: Local Buzz

Race for the Ring Event- Channel 96.1 and Windsor Jewelers- Charlotte, NC

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READY TO  RUN FOR A $5K ROCK?

Channel 96-1 and  Windsor Jewelers are turning you loose
on the streets of Uptown in a “Race  for the Ring.”

A $5,000  DIAMOND RING!!

If you  are selected, you’ll be among ten (10) teams of two (2) seeking clues
within  the I-277 Loop in a foot race to the finish
and some serious finger bling.

We’ll give you  hints about the sites you need to see,
while you pose and post the pictures  on Twitter to get closer to the Grand Prize.

Lace  up, stretch out and get ready to Race for the Ring!

*Registration ends Monday, May 6th at 10  AM.*
*If you are chosen to participate you will be notified.*

Read more: http://www.channel961.com/cc-common/contests/?id=228969#ixzz2RaUBt8Vu

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Why Hire An Interior Designer- Charlotte, NC (Oct/Nov 2012)

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Written by Anne Marie Ashley
Traci Zeller Design /Dustin Peck Photography

Your home is distinctive; it’s a reflection of your personality and your lifestyle and hiring a professional to help you design the perfect space allows you to focus on enjoying it. Hiring an interior designer can take expression of your style to a whole new level while taking the pressure off to get the job done in your free time. We spoke with the experts at the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for the Carolinas to get some tips on hiring the perfect designer for you.

How do homeowners hire the right designer? Designing the interiors of your home is as
personal as selecting your wardrobe, so choosing a professional that understands your style is key to loving the finished product. Have an idea of what you’d like your space to look like and use inspiration from magazines and design websites to get your message across to the designer.

ASID offers some key considerations when hiring a designer:
• Is the professional accredited as an interior designer? (If required in your state, be sure
the designer is licensed)
• Does the designer have experience in the type of project you are doing?
• Has he/she demonstrated creativity, talent and resourcefulness in their portfolio?
• Is the designer attentive, responsive and do they communicate well with you?
• Be sure the designer has a record of reliability and good work habits.
What can a professional interior designer bring to the table?

As ASID points out, when you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs. Interior designers offer a trained eye that can help you bring your vision to
life, possibly in ways you never imagined. They also provide specification and purchasing services for materials, furniture, accessories and art, some of which you might not be able to find on your own.

What should homeowners expect to pay for an interior design project? Designers, like other professionals, are different from one another in their combinations of talents, knowledge, experience, and specialties.

What and how they charge will vary accordingly. Here, ASID outlines the common methods or combined methods for residential designers, tailored to fit the client’s needs:
• Fixed fee (or flat fee) — The designer identifies a specific sum to cover costs, exclusive of reimbursement for expenses. One total fee applies to the complete range of services, from conceptual development through layouts, specifications and final installation.

• Hourly fee — Compensation is based on actual time expended by the designer on a project or specific service.
• Cost plus — A designer purchases materials, furnishings and services (e.g., carpentry, drapery workrooms, picture framing, etc.) at cost and sells to the client at the designer’s cost plus a specified percentage agreed to with the client to compensate for the designer’s time and effort.

ASID offers this final word about cost: How you choose to furnish your interior and how you work with your designer will have tremendous impact on the final cost of the project. Items such as antiques or custom-made furniture, and modifications that involve altering or moving load-bearing walls or beams will significantly increase the cost of your project, as will requesting changes mid-project or making excessive demands on the designer’s time. The more research and planning you do before you start, the more you will be able to help keep costs down during the project.

To find an interior designer in Charlotte, please visit www.asidcarolinas.org
or www.interiordesignsociety.org for more information.

Click here to view the article or visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com

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Decorating Essentials- (Charlotte Issue- June/July 2012)

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1. Mutabilis Rug Lush, wool-crewelwork hibiscuses shift hues across the floor, from saturated fuchsia, brown and burgundy to spectral grey. www.anthropologie.com

2. Silver Camel Tapered Glass Brass Lamp This sleek table lamp by Arteriors looks chic with a silver and camel tapered glass base. Brown leopard print lines the lamp’s shade, bringing a spot of glamour to the neutral accent piece. www.bedsidemanor.com.

3. Belle Meade Bijou Bar Cabinet Fashion meets function in the Bijou bar cabinet, making a luxurious statement with modern glamour. Belle Meade Signature defines this simple silhouette with rich borders around its sterling-finished drawer and door fronts. The cabinet opens to a fully lit bar. High Cotton Home, 704-335-1220.

4. Klismos Chair A classic form that remains timeless and iconic, this chair is generous in proportion and as comfortable as a dining chair. It is also ample enough to work into many settings as an occasional chair. www.phoebehoward.net.

5. Prisma Speaker System Prisma is a treat for your eyes and ears, designed to compliment modern PC, monitor styles and personal notebooks. Available in 9 colors, the uniquely shaped subwoofer with a glossy finish enhances any environment. Connect to a source or simply link to your iPod, iPhone or MP3 players for flexible, instant plug and play music. www.edifier.com.

6. Cameron Vase Z Gallerie makes use of the natural attributes of spectacular abalone shells to create this vase. The small shells are artfully applied to a composite base so that the beauty of the opalescent shells is visible.  www.zgallerie.com.

7. Quentin Dining Table From the fine home furnishings brand Bernhardt, this dining table has a hand hammered stainless steel top with a solid Mindi wood base. The trestle-style stretcher in a sandblasted Driftwood finish gives it an edgy, unconventional style to match contemporary décor. www.thefurnitureconnector.com.

To view more articles in Urban Home Magazine visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com or click here.

 


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Focal Point- Arbor Construction Group in Charlotte, NC

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Written By Dana W. Todd

Pick something you love and design your room around it. It’s advice Brian Macuga of Arbor Construction Group gives his clients. When working on something like a kitchen or bathroom, Macuga says, “Choose a focal point – something you can’t live without – and redesign your dream bathroom or kitchen around that object.” “And,” Macuga says, “it will be different for every client.”

Launa and Allen Kendle loved the cantilevered space that Arbor Construction created to hold a bathtub and its marble surround in their renovated master bathroom. Since the marble was the most expensive part of the project, choosing that first and the coordinating tile second made the most sense.  “I drove to the marble warehouse and found a slab that I wanted as the focal point,” explains Launa.  Macuga sent an interior designer with Launa when she shopped the tile store, which helped Launa quickly winnow the overwhelming tile choices down to four options. With just those four, she was able to make a final decision, matching the marble and completing her dream bathroom around what she felt was the highlight.

In their gutted and renovated kitchen, Christa and Ben Rogers decided color needed to play the star. “Creamy, off-white cabinetry with a light glaze overtop really popped out against details like crackle textured subway tile on the backsplash and a custom-built stove hood,” says Christa. The couple also used color as a priority on the newly designed hutch in the same room. A specialty painter applied seven layers of grayish-blue glaze to emphasize this beautiful and functional piece of furniture. Rogers says the details in color give her new kitchen a timeless feel. “It was exactly what I envisioned,” says Christa. “Arbor Construction was very efficient and stayed on schedule.”

Deborah and John Ritter, another Arbor Construction Group client, experienced similar results when working with Arbor to choose the accent in their redesigned bathrooms. “We chose Carrara marble as the spotlight for both bathroom renovations – our master bathroom and an adjacent kids’ bathroom,” says Deborah Ritter. “I grew up in England and Carrara marble is very European. It’s cold to the touch and has a clean look.” With the attention centered on the countertops, the Ritters added coordinating marble subway tile, also Carrara, to the shower walls to tie it all together. “What stuck out most to me about Arbor is that they assigned a project manager to be there every day,” Ritter adds. “The attention to detail was unbelievable.”

If you’re thinking of renovating your kitchen or bathroom, contact Arbor Construction Group at 704-542-5833 or www.arborconstructiongroup.com.

To read more about Arbor Construction Group click here or to view more articles in Urban Home Magazine visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com or click here.

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