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Make your home your palette with custom murals and faux finishes
Susan Wittman
Published: Thu, Jan 3, 2013
A custom mural or faux finish can bring to life one's creative vision and make a space unique and personal. Washington designer Katina Megas helped Old Town Alexandria boaters chronicle their jaunts from Alexandria past Washington Harbor by wrapping a mural of the places they had visited...
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Collectors treasure ornaments from years gone by
Susan Wittman
Published: Thu, Dec 20, 2012
On a balmy December day, Vincent Gibbs was meticulously hanging twinkling blue and white snowflakes on a tree in his yard with a long pole. "It takes a lot of maneuvering," he said. Every December, the longtime collector of all things Christmas decks his Germantown home with 13 trees to...
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Pros tackle design flaws with inspiration, ingenuity
Susan Wittman
Published: Thu, Dec 13, 2012
Sometimes good fabric just turns bad. Maybe that botanical print, which looked so luscious online, is overpowering the bedroom. Or the textured finish planned for the living room ends up looking like stripes. "Flaws are why people hire us," said McLean designer Barbara Hawthorn. But not all...
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Cellars market: Home wine storage makes its move
Susan Wittman
Published: Thu, Nov 29, 2012
Home wine storage is moving out of the cellar and into the closet -- or any other small niche open on a home's main level. While large basement cellars remain popular, smaller versions are debuting on higher floors as stunning furniture. Some installations can also be found tucked into...
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Using books to create a look
Susan Wittman
Published: Thu, Nov 29, 2012
Here's a novel idea: Books are not just good reads, they are good-looking reads whose shades and textures can be used to enhance decor. At Books by the Foot in Frederick, decorative book orders started trickling into parent company Wonder Book about 10 years ago, and the trend has blossomed in...