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

Visit our store or website for more details.  www.windsor-jewelers.com

Please visit their website for more information   www.lightsfantastic.com

From Rustic Ranch to European Elegance

Standing in the middle of this luxurious master bath suite, it’s hard to remember you are in Spicewood, Texas. Tucked within a sprawling Texas ranch home just outside of Austin, this space now exudes the kind of Old World charm that’s capable of transporting you to another place entirely: Europe.

From the marble mosaic tile floral borders imported from Italy that line the ceilings and baseboards, down to the Swarovski crystal detailing adorning the hardware, a series of eye-catching finishes whisk the viewer away on a lavish European holiday — a far trip from where it all began.

“Previously, this bathroom was very dark and masculine, and it looked as if it belonged in a cabin,” says principal designer Michelle Williams of Inside Story Interiors. “It was all dark slate and wood with a big Jacuzzi tub and tiny shower. It wasn’t at all my client’s taste.”

But when the new owners of this spacious Mediterraneanstyle home wanted to reconfigure their master bath to better suit their tastes, they knew exactly who to call. Having designed four other houses for the clients before, Williams was familiar with
the couple’s preferred aesthetic and knew a dramatic makeover was in order.

“Before, this bathroom was very rustic, but now it’s got an Old World European elegance,” Williams says of the remodel. “It is elegant and light and comfortable. And it makes you feel as if you are standing in an old European hotel.”

After Williams sketched up a design capable of winning over her clients, the Houston-based designer called on Austin-based CG&S Design-Build to oversee the project.
“I hadn’t worked with CG&S Design-Build before but knew what to look for in a company, and I knew they would do a great job,” says Williams, who sketched everything from the cabinets down to the tile. “We needed a skilled builder and
architect because we took down everything, from the floors to the ceilings. They truly did a wonderful job.”

To complete the look, the entire bathroom was gutted. Dark slate was replaced with unpolished travertine marble that now spans the floor and walls, creating a wet room area near the shower and tub. On surrounding walls, a Venetian plaster with a faux finish further the Old World feel. The once tiny and cramped shower was enlarged, and the oversized Jacuzzi tub was replaced with a freestanding tub that now serves as the focal point of the room.

“I love this tub,” says Williams. “It’s an oval tub that looks a lot like a clawfoot tub, but it is a little more interesting and unique.”

The pedestal tub, from Produits Neptune Canada, is surrounded by a custom apron adorned with glass tiles and topped with a honed marble slab. The roomy walk-in  shower is finished in natural stone and accentuated with intricate mosaic
tile detailing.

The redesigned vanity area boasts cabinets built to resemble antique furniture that flawlessly coordinate with pieces the clients shipped from their home in Europe. To achieve the antiqued look, the custom dresser-like cabinets were painted, sanded and glazed. A product containing crushed walnut shells creates a raised plaster design on the wooden doors, projecting a weathered charm. Two vessel sinks imported from Mexico rest gracefully on top, featuring mosaic marble squares.

While many of the materials in this bathroom are new, nothing feels that way. In fact, the finishes in the room look as genuinely aged as the one-of-a-kind distressed columns Williams found in India. While the columns were too short for the space, CG&S resolved the issue by building bases that stretched them to ceiling height.

“The columns in here give it that unique look, like they’ve always been there,” says Williams. “I love using something old in a different and unique way.”

A thermostatically controlled sub-floor radiant heating system provides warmth to the shower and bath floors. Cabinet hardware and towel bars are Carpe Diem with Swarovski crystals and custom finishes. Faucets on the sinks, tub and shower are
all from Santec, featuring Swarovski crystal handles. Lighting selections complete the look of luxury: Murray Feiss vanity lights mounted on the mirrors and an exquisite Schonbeck® chandelier that looms in the center of the room.

“You don’t expect to see a chandelier in the bathroom, but it again just gives the space that look of elegance; that exquisite feeling,” says Williams. “And Schonbeck® makes the best crystal chandeliers.”

Williams designed a makeup stool and curved bench, finished in a creamy velvet, to provide a pretty and plush addition to the vanity and dressing areas of the space. Williams even antiqued the mirrors which feature beveled edge pieces washed in acid to look older.

“I wanted the mirrors to look old and antiqued with beautiful character,” says Williams. “On the mirrors, in the intersecting corners, are wood medallions that were aged and finished the same as the cabinet.”

Despite the high degree of craftsmanship and detailing required for this project, it was completed within three months to accommodate the owners’ schedule. Credit for
finishing the project in such a short time frame goes to the solid design/build team at CG&S who had deliveries coming in during the last days leading up to
the project’s completion.

“My favorite part of this bathroom is the high-end finishes, but the more eye-catching a finish is, the closer attention to detail people will pay,” says Jon Strain, CG&S Design-Build’s senior project manager who oversaw the project from day to day. “From
the top to the bottom, this bathroom is loaded with high-end finishes. And without our very talented team, that level of detailing wouldn’t have been completed in such a quick timeline.”

The result: a cream-colored master bath suite that radiates luxury while remaining comfortable and elegant. “My clients absolutely love it,” says Williams. “The previous bathroom felt depressing, but this one is so light and elegant. Everything is so feminine and pretty. Being in there just makes you happy.”

ARCHITECT/BUILDER CG&S Design-Build
512.444.1580 | Cgsdb.com
DESIGNER Inside Story Interiors
281.358.8008 | Isikingwood.com

Here, she explains how the project came together and some of the key design elements she used to design it.

“Every designer knows that it’s much easier to create a lovely living room from scratch, choosing each separate piece with a careful eye, rather than crafting a room already filled with much-loved family pieces coupled with new, designer choices. It’s easier, but the spirit of the family and a little of the room’s soul is lost when a room is filled with everything new. That’s why I enjoy using family pieces, when possible, in furnishing a living room.

This living room of an Eastover family works cleverly in several ways. First, it’s a welcoming, cozy place for the family to curl up, reading, talking, and playing. Second, it’s a charming place to entertain, with prized pieces by prominent glassmaker Duncan McLellan and potter Ben Owen, among others. At the core of the room is the hearth, which features a 1965 oil painting done by the homeowner’s father; a striking piece which incorporates deep blue green, earthy tones of cream, gray, brick red, sandy brown and a delicious, Mediterranean orange. These tones pull together the otherwise disparate color elements of the room, including the sandy brown sofa and its homemade red quilt, the beautifully faded childhood trunk from my client (now serving as a coffee table), the blues and greens of a rustic ‘cloud’ garden stool and the gray sheepskin in the spaniel’s basket by the fireplace.

The antique carpet and drapes reinforce the warmth and welcome in the room, while the silvery cigar table and the mercury glass and hammered silver lamps provide a cool, modern counterpoint. At every turn, there’s a reminder of family – the father’s bronzed baby shoes are perched on top of a small stack of the mother’s Beatrix Potter books, reminding children that parents were small once too. A stash of legos is found in pottery bowls stacked in a family wagon from long ago, which now serves handily as a side table.

Easily repeating elements, I brought in a weathered gray mirror from Vagabond Vintage to echo the color of the 1940s marble of the fireplace and reinforce the circle elements found in the drapery and vibrant McClellan bowl. Built-in shelves, original to the house, give each piece its own space. It’s truly special to capture and celebrate the family’s spirit using evocative things next to new, and providing a warm and welcoming living room for the family that lives there.”

To view this article visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com or click here.

We all have one. A secret hall closet, a mysterious drawer, a garage full of clutter. A great mudroom, though, can be a Godsend for chaotic lives full of backpacks, shopping bags, coats, hats, boots and a host of other incendiary items that need a home for a short time.

Here, we demystify the elusive “organized drop zone” and highlight the key items for keeping your goods at hand and looking neat.

To view the entire article visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com  or click here.

If you’ve ever endured the painful process of removing wallpaper from your walls, you’ve probably sworn it out of your life forever. While wallpaper has been scraped, scoured and peeled right out of décor for the last decade, I want to urge you to reconsider this misunderstood design
element. History repeats itself, as they say, and I believe we will be seeing a lot more character on our walls in 2013.

Maybe it’s just my opinion, but I have always seen wallpaper as tacky, cheap and outdated. Over the years, I have come to prefer and appreciate a more clean, crisp and monochromatic aesthetic.

However, I’ve noticed many of our clients going beyond the basic painted sheetrock wall and incorporating various wall coverings in their homes instead. And I have to admit; the special pop it adds has really won me over.

Today’s wallpaper has come a long way from our grandmother’s homes. You will find bold colors and patterns, some textured grass cloths and even some luxurious fabrics. The options are endless, so make a statement and don’t be afraid to use it in unconventional places. Use it in your laundry room or stairway, for example. It’s an easy way to instantly add character to drab rooms. Wallpaper is not the only upgrade you can make to your walls, however. Another old-new trend is wood paneling. Wood slats can be hung horizontally or vertically, and can be applied in either tongue-and-groove style or butted. Instead of slats, you can add constructed panels that are built-in like cabinets. Many people are using antique or reclaimed wood for a rustic feel, but new wood will give a more sleek appearance. Either way, wood adds a lot of warmth to a room, whether you do an accent wall for a little pop or the whole room for that cabin feel.

Stone is another option for your walls. Depending on the look you are going for, you can use full slabs or smaller tiles with grout joints. Where wood adds warmth, stone adds grandeur and formality.

Stone has been very popular in kitchen and bath applications, but take it to your foyer or formal living areas for that special wow-factor.

If you are just not friends with wallpaper, can’t warm up to wood and feel cold about stone, you can always just change the paint for an updated look. A lot of people feel married to the wall colors in their homes, but remember, paint is the easiest and cheapest way to update and spice

up your home. If you haven’t changed the paint colors in your home in the last decade, give it a try! Go for a textured paint, do a bold accent wall or paint a pattern. Do something different to make your home feel brand new.

Whatever your style, I urge you to make 2013 the year of upgrades in your home. If your walls could talk, I think they’d thank you.

Trent Haston is CEO of Andrew Roby and has spent many years in project management, focusing on style and craftsmanship for custom home projects. For more information call 704-334-5477 or visit www.andrewroby.com.

High Cotton Home Co. and Southend Trading Company showcase different design styles and merchandise, providing a complete selection of home goods and interior design services covering all customer tastes.

Looking for the opinion of an interior designer on how to complete the look of your bedroom? Need one special piece of furniture as a focal point in the room? Does the family room need a complete overhaul? Visit one of the three stores to complete the specific look that suits your home and consult an onsite designer for advice. Check out the unique offerings at all three stores:

The Furniture Connector – Still incredibly popular, The Furniture Connector is the first store Rodney and his business partner opened and carries an array of eclectic pieces in a fun and flirty environment. You can discover how to mix styles – a rustic chair combined with a crystal chandelier, for example – and the power of decorating with “opposite” materials to complete a room’s design. 2905 Griffith Street, Charlotte.

High Cotton Home Co. – This store showcases tailored, high style furniture collections with a refined, modern look. The 8,000-squarefoot warehouse is classically decorated thanks to overhead crystal chandeliers hanging from metal piping and rafters. Modern furniture completes the high-end aesthetic. TFC’s excellence in customer service spills over into this store – designers are on site to help you choose the right furnishings for the look you want and will even come to your house to offer advice. Customers say they love the quality furnishings and the hospitality. 2137 South Boulevard, Charlotte.

Southend Trading Company – The fun continues at the newest addition to this family of stores with Southend Trading Company. “This store is a diamond in the rough,” says Hines. “You can find one-of-a-kind pieces, repurposed furniture, antiques with new upholsteryand gifts for others.” Hines says it resembles a Paris flea market with yesterday’s antiques mingle with handmade items, dressed up for modern use. Wondering how to incorporate Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year, emerald, into your décor? An in-store interior designer can lead you to the answer. 2935 Griffith Street, Charlotte.

Visit all three stores often to see the wide range of merchandise, which is sold off the floor as one-of-a-kind finds. The room vignettes change weekly as pieces are sold and new shipments arrive at the warehouse door. If you’re in the market for new furnishings and accessories, sign up for the stores’ catchy e-newsletter, which lists upcoming sales and provides sneak peek photos of new arrivals each week.

Text “ilovefurniture” to 22828 to join the email list for all three stores and receive early sales and event information, along with photo previews. Visit all three stores in the Southend Furniture District to find the furniture, artwork, rugs and accessories that are right for you. Call 704-523-3163 to reach the stores.

Discerning interior designers have been incorporating Carpet’s products,including rugs, carpeting, wallcoverings and fabrics, into their projects worldwide for many, many years. The trend has continued, with Stark product lines popping up in top designer’s residential projects and the results showing up in broadcast, print and web media worldwide.

Well-known interior designer and star of HGTV’s “Showhouse Showdown”, Corey Damen Jenkins, named Stark as one of his top go-to vendors for his design projects. He recently used Stark’s Beatrice design from the Boucle Collection in an on-air renovation project, and known for using a range of design styles – traditional, modern and transitional – Stark’s wide selections and collections fit beautifully into his designs.

It’s not just Corey Damen Jenkins that recognizes the quality and versatility of Stark’s offerings; most national designers have been invested in Stark Carpet and their endless selection for over 70 years. Thankfully, all of their designs and collections are available locally, right here for Charlotte designers and homeowners. Products that have recently been used in nationally spotlighted renovations, as well as a showroom full of fabrics, rugs, wallcoverings and carpeting, can be perused at leisure in Stark’s Charlotte design center.

Not only that, but local Stark experts, Tim Cohen and Drew Olsen and their sales staff, are available to help designers and homeowners choose the right textiles to pull a room together and offer advice on what trends they see popping up. “Look for color trends to showcase subtle textures in sophisticated and understated grays and neutrals,” explains Tim. “In design, geometrics still are very much in play, from big and bold to small and understated.” Tim also suggests that traditional designs in grays and neutrals will now play a transitional role, bridging the diversity of furnishing styles.

Drew Olson promises to continue to bring in more and more products that suit every life style and budget in 2013. “Currently, we are offering over 30 new wool broadloom designs, which are new to the market,” he explains, “as well as hundreds of new and antique hand knotted rugs. The style ranges from contemporary to traditional and everything in between.”

With the help of the local Stark Carpet team, Charlotte homeowners can now re-create and achieve the high-end room designs seen in the pages of national magazines and in the hands of national designers. All right here, in our own backyard.v

For more information call 704-588-8842 or view Stark’s products online at www.starkcarpet.com or visit the Stark Carpet Design Center and Outlet at 11415 Granite Street, Suite A.

Written by Dana ToddGlen and Mary Stowe commemorated their wedding anniversary June 30 and they celebrated by jumping into their new backyard pool. The pool, constructed by Pool by Design, is part of a larger oasis that provides respite for the busy couple at the end of each day.

“The pool project took seven weeks to complete,” says Mary Stowe. “Completion was closer to the timeline than we’ve ever experienced during a construction project and Simon [Spiers, of Pool by Design] gave us excellent advice.”

The Stowes began by installing a six-foot brick fence around the entire backyard, a material in keeping with the modernized take on their Colonial Georgian house.

“The bricked-in backyard gave a different feeling than I expected,” says Stowe. “I expected the enclosed space to feel smaller, but it actually took away the view of neighbors’ houses. I was worried the fence would destroy the park-like feeling, but instead it provided an oasis.”

Working in tandem with landscaper The Whole Blooming Landscape, and outdoor lighting vendor S&H Sprinklers & Landscape Lighting, Pool by Design’s team designed and installed a free-form freshwater pool that resembles a pond. A filter and ultraviolet light keep the water clean and fresh for swimming.

“Simon suggested we move the pool closer to our house than originally planned,” Stowe says. “He leveled the ground so we could walk right off the portico to the pool concrete and over to the water. He suggested we situate the shallow end near the door so it would feel more like a social outdoor room.”

These changes created more of a true outdoor living ambiance and paved the way for natural plants to complement the hardscaping. Stowe is a gardener, so she had garden beds installed where she could transplant seedlings. “I used native plants and those I already knew how to grow,” Stowe says about the garden beds that interrupt the surrounding hardscape of French gray tiles capped with bluestone. “We incorporated unexpected tropicals like palm trees, a banana tree and a windmill palm at the pinch point in the middle of the pool.”

An installed pool waterfall replicates Mother Nature’s white noise and allows the family to enjoy it from inside when the doors are open during warmer weather. The pool blends with the home’s architecture and another outdoor living area that contains a two-sided chimney with an English flue, kitchen, grill, smoker and showerheads.

“It’s like a British Colonial,” says Stowe, about the house’s traditional architecture mixed with the tropical yard plantings. “I underestimated the positive effect the redesign would have. Just looking at it and hearing the fountain is instant tranquility.”

Now is the time of year to begin designing your own personal oasis. Contact Pool by Design at 704-333-7446 or find inspiration at www. poolbydesign.com.