Couture Kitchens

Customization is key

Published on 8/04/10

The all-white kitchen craze is fading. “White granite stains,” says Katy Wolfington of Waterbury Kitchen & Bath in Kennett Square. “It isn’t practical for someone who really cooks or has children. People are abandoning granite and going back to more durable countertops like the new, manmade, quartz composites such as Zodiac and Ceasarstone. It’s timeless.” Read More »

A Rich and Purple Summer

A dramatic color for flowers and vegetables

Published on 7/23/10

The blizzards of early 2010 were a pain, so I think I’ll give myself a rich, warm treat this summer. A garden thrill. That would be purple plants. Read More »

A Shore Thing

How to choose a beach house

Published on 7/08/10

Here’s a recipe for the perfect summer cocktail: Take the worst winter in a hundred years, chase it with an extensive selection of shore properties from Ventnor to Rehoboth, add motivated sellers and realistic prices and shake well, then garnish with the lowest mortgage rates in decades. Now sit back in your chaise lounge, feel that ocean breeze and say AHHHHHH! Read More »

Living Large

An architect takes us inside one family's new home

Published on 6/18/10

Blending old and new styles to form a space that effortlessly suits your lifestyle starts with a frank talk about what your family is really like with your architect. The recently built Four Oaks Farm home in Charlestown is one such house. By combining traditional materials with a modern floor plan, architect Timothy M. O’Neill, along with Craig Miller, President of C. I. Miller Construction, was able to design and build the 7,000-square-foot home — complete with five bedrooms, several fireplaces, and a three-car garage — to fit both the clients and their scenic site. The Hunt spoke with Mr. O’Neill, who reveals some of the difficulties and details of the project. Read More »

Tulip Time

Nothing says spring like this Dutch treat.

Published on 5/23/10

A silky, colorful tulip says spring in an unmistakable manner. It is a hard flower to beat, although it is a favorite one for the critters to eat. Lately I have stopped planting such expensive deer and squirrel fodder, but I love tulips in their many forms. And I still can enjoy them, thanks to abundant shopping and viewing opportunities. Read More »

Forever Green

Camden Friends Meeting House

Published on 5/13/10

When members of Camden Friends Meeting House decided to renovate their house of worship, they had more than their building’s 200-year history on their minds. They were also thinking about sustainability. “Quakers believe in simplicity and not using more of the earth’s resources than you need,” explains Mike Richards, clerk of the Meeting House buildings and grounds committee. Read More »

A Bountiful Harvest

Tyler Arboretum's Demonstration Garden showcases ground-breaking techniques

Published on 4/28/10

This season, there are more than just trees at Tyler Arboretum. Read More »

Restoration or Renovaton: Both Preserve a Home’s Heart

Careful planning brings homes up to date with history intact

Published on 4/20/10

Older homes exude character, and a careful restoration or renovation ensures that the home, now sound and updated, still retains its charm. A restoration can remain true to the original structure without sacrificing the modern amenities that suit today’s lifestyles. A careful selection of materials, whether they’re new and improved or reclaimed, distinguishes a well-done reworking of an historic home. The Hunt spoke with Gary Munch, President of Boss Enterprises, which specializes in both restorations and new construction, to get a glimpse of the process. Read More »

Spectacular Cyclamen

Providing holiday cheer

Published on 11/09/09

Nothing against poinsettias, but for holiday elegance, give me fragrant florists’ cyclamen. Lusciously flowering in fruity shades of pink, cherry red, purple, lavender, and white, each plant is like a potted bouquet with its flowers held above a handsome rosette of large, heart-shaped leaves. Green and waxy, the leaves may be dappled with concentric tracings of silver. The flower petals, back-flung in an energetic way and sometimes bi-colored, can be described as propeller shaped. Winter is this indoor plant’s time to shine. Read More »

Winter Elegance

Holiday décor to enjoy all winter long

Published on 11/02/09

The kids are coming home from college. You’re hosting a party for your husband’s firm. Your parents are flying up from Boca. Then there’s New Year’s Eve and that Super Bowl party in February. With so much effort going into preparing your home for the holidays, it often feels like you are putting the decorations away before you’ve caught your breath. Read More »