Deja-Vu, All Over Again

With many of us looking back to the good ol' days before the recession, it is no surprise that items from the past are resurfacing. Refinishing rather than discarding old furniture can give your house an updated look for less money, and is a nod to the past in a creative and innovative way.

The Home Office

In an economy that lacks exciting job opportunities, many people are drawing upon their entrepreneurial spirits and starting their own businesses. For those entrepreneurs or even telecommuters, converting an unused room into a home office gives you a convenient place to escape the family and get down to business for a while. Being in an office setting, even one located within the house or apartment, makes it easier to focus on the job at hand (read: away from the TV and potato chips).

Loft-Style Living

Young urban professionals (yuppies) and retired urban professionals (ruppies) alike have abandoned the suburbs for the convenience and excitement of city-living. Loft-style living boasts spacious floor-plans, high ceilings, and large windows; which are especially attractive for urban apartments where every square foot of living space makes a visible difference. The need for space and an abundance of light is by no means limited to city-living though; loft-style living is just as desirable in suburban and rural settings.

Bacteria Resistant Countertops

Out with the porous, bacteria-ridden, high maintenance food surfaces, in with the quartz! A great way to eliminate potential health hazards for you and family is to use non-porous, non-absorbent materials such as Cambria, a natural quartz surface, for your countertops. Cambria is mold, mildew, stain and bacteria resistant, along with being extremely durable.  It can used in both kitchens and bathrooms and unlike granite does not need to be sealed or polished.

Hands-free faucets

These faucets are becoming increasingly popular in our fast-paced, germ-conscious society. Hands-free faucets, such as this one by Brizo, can quell the spread of germs in your household, conserve water, and can make using the kitchen or bathroom sink easier for all.

Stay tuned for more Twenty Ten design trend updates next week!

The Clarke Luxury Show Room Crew

Kyle Hoepner on the Jumbo Screen...doesn't this look like the Academy Awards!

Jim Raftus of Clarke Corp, Andie & Rob Day

Rosemary Porto of Poggenpohl, Deb Grillo of Clarke, and Andie Day of Andie Day, LLC

My dear friend Deb Burke and I pose for a photo.

Sitting atop of the world, check out the view!

New England Home's Stacy Kunstel with inductees.

NEW ENGLAND DESIGN HALL OF FAME^®

Earlier this month my husband and I attended The New England Hall of Fame sponsored by New England Home Magazine. The venue was the Longwood Events' State Room, which is an urban event space offering breathtaking views of the harbor and city. Located atop Sixty State Street, this chic and modern venue offers a genuine sense of being on top of the world. It is ideal for wedding receptions, corporate events and grand galas. It is the only independently-owned special event venue that can accommodate more than 850 guests in downtown Boston.

The views made for an incredible evening.

Cocktails were sponsored by South Shore Millwork.

The floral arrangements were done by Winston's-and were gorgeous.

The inductees were; Peter Forbes Architects, Cheryl & Jeffrey Katz, Gary McBournie, Douglas Reed + Gary Hilderbrand, Stephen Stimson Associates, Dalia Kitchen Design and Maryann Thompson Architects.

The celebration closed-out with a toast to the inductees, given by Alexis Contant the Vice President and General Manager of the Boston Design Center.

Attendees were given gift bags provided by FBN Construction and they included:
Raving Fans – A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles-a very nice hard cover edition.
The gift bag also contained: Sweet Home Cookies by Dancing Bear Baking Co. The proceeds from the cookies go to homeless families.

As one can see from the photos, the turn-out was huge. It felt wonderful to be among so many creative individuals in the home design business. It truly was a night to remember.