You’ve got your bed. Now you need the other pieces to let your bedroom hit a certain middle C between dull (so that you’re not kept awake by overly flamboyant furnishings) and interesting (so that, well, they’re not too dull). Find the blend that’s right for you, starting with these pieces from local stores. TOP Good knight. […]

Begin again I was recently asked to provide some advice for young alumni in 2012. In addition to the usual “manage your finances responsibly” piece, I told them that each New Year yields an opportunity for growth and change. January is a time when we head back to work, the holiday buzz wears off, the […]

GREEN EYE Long-haul gardening Gardeners, are you thinking beyond the simple tomato plot? Once again, the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a permaculture design course this spring. Over four weekends starting January 13, learn how to think deeper about plants, houses, and even human communities as you create systems that work with the natural […]

 Rachel and Shawn Gerber have been excitedly planning a Baby Gender Reveal Party for their third child, who is due in a few months. “This is for sure our last child,” Rachel said. “We wanted to do something different. I knew I wanted it to be more of a surprise.” (Photo by John Robinson) How […]

(Photo by Andrea Hubbell) Local builder and craftsman David Kurtz has a soft spot for anything that comes from the past. The way he and his wife, Kirby, have renovated and appointed their 1935 house reflects Kurtz’s passion for accumulating timeless, functional treasures. In their living room, that means a wood burning stove, antique peach […]

 My brother just got his first solo apartment and lacks some of the basics—like a broom and mop. If that special someone on your holiday list is a bit further along on the householding journey, she’d probably appreciate gifts of a more refined nature. Delight friends and relatives alike with these gems from local shops.—Erika Howsare Click to […]

(File photo) GREEN EYE Gifts from here Missing your weekly local kale fix? The farmer’s market heyday might be over for 2011, but locavores in the know have shifted their energies to holiday shopping, and they’re not heading to Target. Each Saturday in December, the Holiday Market delivers the buy-local vibe from 8am to 2pm, […]

SECRET INGREDIENT Turn up your collards Warmth becomes a fond memory as December arrives, scattering the last of autumn’s dried leaves and pinching any remaining greenery with frost. Each colder night leaves fewer and fewer plants standing their ground, and the winter solstice (December 22 this year) offers just 9.5 hours of daylight! It takes […]

RENTAL RESCUE Hey, workaholic After working late one evening, I realized how much time we truly spend at work. With the end of the semester drawing near and daylight savings time a distant memory, I find myself seeing more of my office than my home. As renters and homeowners alike, we spend a lot of […]

Meaningful mix Pairing heirlooms with “modern flare” When local graphic designer Stephanie Fishwick conceptualized how to decorate the living room of the charming cottage-style home she shares with her husband James, her initial thought was minimal, modern, and spare. But considering that she’s inherited beautiful antique furniture, she decided that incorporating all of their meaningful […]