I’m writing tonight from Warrenton, Virginia. I’m participating in a retreat this weekend for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund at The Airlie Conference Center about an hour outside of Washington, DC.

900 gently-rolling acres; the color of ink on a dollar bill; ponds filled with wide mount base, turtles and swans with their contorting necks and dominant strut. The air is heavy tonight with rain that’s not yet fallen and the clouds are back-lit by flashes as big as half the sky.

They are dancing their stormy dance far, far away so I watch in silence. The quiet has warmth to it, far more penetrating than the temperature of the air. In the night, the birds are quiet. There are no crickets which I find interesting. I imagined there would be crickets but there are none.

Fireflies flicker above the meadows; here and there at once. Busy, but quiet. I remember the fireflies from my childhood visits to Disneyland and the Pirates of the Caribbean, all big and clumsy not floating like these.

Nature never disappoints. Whether it’s the top-heavy peonies spreading their color on the ground like smears of artist oils or the Bridal Veils with their vividly sweet aroma and cascades of white flowers tumbling to the ground, its colors are alive.

I wrote a few weeks ago about finding inspiration for colors in the home from nature. Wherever you are, find time to take a walk in a garden; through a field; near a creek or across the beach to the waters edge, and just make note of the colors you see and allow inspiration to float to the surface like those fireflies in the Virginia night.

For common household tasks, try these nontoxic strategies using the ingredients noted in our last Beauty Treatment list:

Freshen air by opening windows and doors for a short period; distribute partially filled dishes of vinegar around the kitchen to combat unpleasant cooking odors; boil cinnamon and cloves in a pan of water to scent the air.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup borax in the bottom of garbage pails or diaper pails to inhibit mold and bacteria growth that can cause odors; rub vinegar on hands before and after slicing onions to remove the smell; use bowls of potpourri to give inside air a pleasant scent.

All-purpose cleaner can be made from a vinegar-and-salt mixture or from 4 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water.

Disinfectant means anything that will reduce the number of harmful bacteria on a surface. Practically no surface treatment will completely eliminate bacteria. Try regular cleaning with soap and hot water. Or mix 1/2 cup of borax into 1 gallon of hot water to disinfect and deodorize. Isopropyl alcohol is an excellent disinfectant, but use gloves and keep it away from children.

Drain cleaner. Try a plunger first, though not after using any commercial drain opener. To open clogs, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down drain, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and cover the drain.

The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into the soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. Again, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener–the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

Floor cleaner and polish can be as simple as a few drops of vinegar in the cleaning water to remove soap traces. For vinyl or linoleum, add a capful of baby oil to the water to preserve and polish. For wood floors, apply a thin coat of 1:1 oil and vinegar and rub in well.

For painted wooden floors, mix 1 teaspoon of washing soda into 1 gallon of hot water. For brick and stone tiles, use 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon of water and rinse with clear water.

Metal cleaners and polishes are different for each metal — just as in commercial cleaners. Clean aluminum with a solution of cream of tartar and water. Brass may be polished with a soft cloth dipped in lemon-and baking-soda solution, or vinegar-and-salt solution. Polish chrome with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil shiny slide out.

Clean tarnished copper by boiling the article in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar, or try differing mixtures of salt, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and cream of tartar. Clean gold with toothpaste, pewter with a paste of salt, vinegar, and flour.

Silver can be polished by boiling it in a pan lined with aluminum foil and filled with water to which a teaspoon (each) of baking soda and salt have been added. Stainless steel can be cleaned with undiluted white vinegar.

Oven cleaner. Sprinkle baking soda on moist surface and scrub with steel wool. Or use Arm & Hammer Oven Cleaner, declared nontoxic by Consumers Union.

Scouring powder can be made from baking soda or dry table salt. Or try Bon-Ami Cleaning Powder or Bon-Ami Polishing Cleaner.

Toilet bowl cleaner can be made from straight bleach (do NOT mix with any other substance except water), baking soda and vinegar, or borax and lemon juice.

Tub and tile cleaner can be as easy as rubbing in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinsing, or wiping with vinegar first and following with baking soda as a scouring powder.

Window and glass cleaner is easy with these tips: to avoid streaks, don’t wash windows when the sun is shining. Use a vinegar-and-water solution, cornstarch-vinegar-and-water solution, or lemon-juice-and-water. Wipe with newspaper unless you are sensitive to the inks in newsprint.

Since I last shared a great Portuguese recipe from Provincetown, I’ve traveled across country and am now sitting on a beach in Southern California. The beauty here is overwhelming. There is a vastness about my view of the Pacific which is in contrast to the intimate charm of Cape Cod. Both are drenched in sunlight. Both have the rhythm of the surf. And they are as different as two experiences can be.

I am still playing with Portuguese recipes collected on Cape Cod. It seems that when friends are hungry it doesn’t matter which ocean the fare comes from!

Check out this great number. It’s perfect for an afternoon at the beach.

Portuguese Bread Pudding
Pudim de Pao a Moda Portuguesa

6 slices bread, buttered
1 quart milk, scalded
1 scant cup sugar
1/4 lb. butter or margarine
4 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins, rinsed well in hot water
1 apple, peeled and chopped in small pieces
Pinch of salt
Nutmeg for topping

Scald milk. Cut the buttered bread into cubes and add to milk. Let stand for about 20 minutes. When the milk is cool, add sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon, then stir.

Fold the beaten eggs into the bread and milk mixture. Add the vanilla extract, raisins and apple and pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake in an oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. This pudding is quite solid—if you would like a softer pudding, place the baking dish in a pan of hot water in the oven while the pudding is cooking.

For variations, you may omit the raisins and add more apple, or add a few spoons of orange marmalade for a different flavor.

Some people like to top their bread pudding with a layer of soft meringue.

Enjoy!

“We stop living when we stop learning.” I do not know to whom I should attribute this thought, but they speak the truth. Take a minute and rewind the tape of your day. Not yesterday, not a week ago, but just today. Go slowly and pay particular attention.

What we are looking for are breaks in the hum of life; small hiccups where our ordinary script is interrupted and we experience something new. How many hours, days, weeks or months slip past us with no new experiences?

We are creatures of habit and at times I am the worst of the lot. I wake at the same time each morning. Walk the dogs and feed the dogs. Drive to the gym (same route), break a sweat and drive home. Shower, shave, dress then head to the office.

You get the picture. I love my life. I am thankful for each day and the immense blessings that I keep stumbling over. But I’m also aware that I can be a creature of habit.

Recently I spent some time at the beach. My “habit” at the beach is to cover myself in sunscreen (a must for redheads), grab my book, sunglasses, beach chair and umbrella. I plant myself and read until I fall asleep. Then I gather my things and head to the house.

The idea of taking small steps to break out of my routines had been on my mind when I saw a small group of kids go splashing into the water. With a shock I realized how many years (yes, years) it had been sense I had left my chair and umbrella and actually swam in these waters.

I am far too young to feel the limiting squeeze of habits that take life away rather than give it back. The book and glasses went flying as I dashed into the water. It took about 3 seconds for the laughter to start and very quickly I became the biggest kid on the beach.

As you stand in your home and look around today, think about ways that you can step out of your decorating routine. It might be something as simple as an armful of sunflowers on the hall table or something more involved like re-arranging the furniture.

I encourage you to pick one thing today and do it differently. See how it looks; see how it feels and let this be our first step towards daily experiences that keep us learning and living.

Write and let me know what change you made today.

A friend recently observed that without a landscape architect the most refined architecture and the most exquisite interiors flounder. The simplicity of his statement stuck with me and sent me to my library. A first edition of Russell Page’s The Education of a Gardener is the volume I selected.

While there are many beautiful books on landscape architecture and gardening, I was attracted to this book for the beauty of its simplicity. Following in a four-thousand year old tradition emanating from High Asia, reaching its peak in the Islamic Middle East and Southern Mediterranean, before finding its last great expression in Renaissance Europe, Russell Page’s work spanned the globe.

This 1962 journal of the design of gardens explores the relationship of gardens to their site, and the choice and associations of plant material. The refinement of spatial ideas combined with those of color and texture meld into the works of art which was the ultimate goal of his gardens.

Filled with information on site orientation and plant materials, this book is also filled with the wonderful writing of a master artist relating truths confirmed through a lifetime of considering landscapes.

If you have a love of gardens and wish to look into the artistry which can complete architecture and interiors, and form a united artistic experience, I highly recommend this book to you.

Everywhere I go I see beautiful things. Nature delivers amazing beautiful moments. Artists create beautiful moments that enliven and enrich our daily experiences. Craftsmen deliver beautiful handmade objects for our homes or offices. But how do we define the larger concept?

The definition has dodged great thinkers and, I’m sorry to say, will continue to elude minds long after you have read these words. I have little to add to the definitive conversation on this concept except to say that I know it when I see it.

This position may be the sign of a weak or lazy mind; one not willing to dig, research and unearth the truth. Be that as it may, I respond to beauty. I know the mental, physical and emotional signs that indicate (to me) when I’m experiencing something “beautiful.”

That’s what I want to ask you about today. Are you aware when you see beauty? With whatever parameters you have established during your time on this earth which help you delineate this special element; do you take the time to acknowledge the moment and, by extension, the beauty?

Life seems to fly past us at an ever increasing velocity. The days become weeks that become months then years and suddenly entire chunks of our life have evaporated. Fine, if that is the way it must be, but that shouldn’t prevent us from noticing and relishing beauty when and where we find it.

My job is to challenge those around me to fill their lives with beauty. My challenge to you is simple. Notice and then gather, around you, things of beauty.

Write me and tell me your experience in gathering beautiful objects into your home.

Let’s take a walk through your home and see if there may be an item or two worth changing in favor of something more beautiful; because at the end of the day that’s what we all want for our homes. We want a series of beautiful moments which allow our family and friends to enjoy their time under our roof.

Beauty in the home does not just happen. It takes great effort to create specific beauty throughout your home. Few are truly gifted with an eye for scale, proportion and balance in such a way as to guarantee an effortless, lovely home.

Others work diligently, reading and learning and asking questions, always searching for an adjustment that will make their home just a bit lovelier. It is this latter group I speak with today.

Let’s begin at the beginning. Walk out your front door, and as you do, switch hats and become a guest seeing your home for the first time. Approach the door with new eyes that have not seen any of this before. What do you see?

How does what you see make you feel? What can you do today to improve the view and the experience? It was Theodore Roosevelt who said, “Do what you can…with what you have…where you are.”

This is my suggestion for you today. On a note pad, jot down two small projects that will enhance the experience of approaching your front door. They may be as basic as sweeping the porch, touching up the paint, or putting up the new house numbers that have been collecting dust in the trunk of your car.

The point is to do something. Create an experience where you are guaranteed to succeed, and then succeed. You will feel great and take the first step towards a more beautiful home.

The House in Good Taste
Elsie de Wolfe

Learn to Enjoy Homemaking

I have a clear recollection of the first time I told a client “no.” Not “no” as in turning down a project, but “no” with regards to an item or an issue within a project. A question had been asked about the use of an existing antique in a new house.

The piece had some vague sentimental value, but not much more. It was not a particularly pretty piece, but from the conversation, I knew where this was headed. In a flash I made a decision. I set aside all my diplomatic skills; faced the rather ordinary antique and simply said “no.”

I did not need to explain nor validate. I had been hired to bring a level of expertise and vision to the project, and in one word I owned these roles.

Things are either right or they are not. The grey zones are best left to the philosophers and lawyers. This type of clarity is what you will find in Elsie de Wolfe’s The House in Good Taste. Reprinted and distributed by the foundation which carries her name, this collection of articles was originally written for the magazine The Delineator.

They were gathered by the author as a clear exploration of the art of fine homemaking. In his introduction, Albert Hadley provides a quote from the author which sets the tone for all which follows. “Never complain. Never explain.”

If you are looking for a practical guide to maximize your home’s livability, this is the book you should read. I keep it near my desk and it has become a valuable resource on an almost daily basis. The author’s cry for “suitability, suitability, SUITABILITY” still resonates today.

If you’ve read (or are reading) the book, I’m interested in your thoughts, particularly on room designations and furniture placement. The author has specific ideas which I think fit nicely into the way we live today. What do you think?

What makes a house a home? What qualities elevate our nests from wood and sheetrock boxes to warm and inviting retreats that we want to share with our friends?

In observing homes of all types for most of my life, I find the answer to this question to be both simple and complex. As with most things in life, the concepts can be simply stated (appropriateness and authenticity), but it’s in the execution that the challenges arise.

I believe that successful homes don’t just happen. They are the result of a lifetime of effort and awareness. Often the most difficult thing to comprehend in this world is who we are as individuals and what our real needs and desires are. Without this knowledge (in full or in part), we judge our lives (and our home) against our friends or neighbors.

Given the constantly changing landscape of our lives, this presents us with the challenge of a moving target. How do we evaluate our lives against those around us without repeatedly perceiving ourselves as failures?

As we gain clarity about ourselves, we can monitor our progress against the personal goals we have set. Success is more likely with our own yardstick rather than the yardstick of others.

I believe that, as we gain clarity about ourselves, the application of appropriate and authentic decisions about our home become easier. Soon, our friends accurately see our individual character in every room of our home.

And that’s beautiful.

As promised last week, here is a list of simple, safe and sane products for basic cleaning in your Kitchen and Bath:

Safe Substitutes in the Kitchen and Bath

One shelf of simple and relatively safe ingredients can be used to perform most home cleaning chores; all that’s needed is a knowledge of how they work and how different ingredients should be combined to get the cleaning power needed for a specific job.

Baking Soda is sodium bicarbonate. It has a number of useful properties. It can neutralize acid, scrub shiny materials without scratching, deodorize, and extinguish grease fires. It can be used as a deodorizer in the refrigerator, on smelly carpets, upholstery and vinyl.

It can help deodorize drains, clean and polish aluminum, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel and tin. It also softens fabrics and removes certain stains. Baking soda can soften hard water and make a relaxing bath time soak; it can be used as underarm deodorant and toothpaste too.

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, soluble in water. It can deodorize, inhibit the growth of mildew and mold, boost the cleaning power of soap or detergent, remove stains, and be used with attractants, such as sugar, to kill cockroaches.

Cornstarch, derived from corn, can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs, and starch clothes.

Isopropyl Alcohol is an excellent disinfectant.

Lemon Juice, which contains citric acid, is a deodorant and can be used to clean glass and remove stains from aluminum, clothes, and porcelain. It is a mild lightener or bleach if used with sunlight.

Mineral Oil, derived from seeds, is an ingredient in several furniture polish and floor wax recipes.

Soap (NOT detergent) is made in several ways. Castle soap can be used as a shampoo, or body soap. Olive-oil based soap is gentlest to the skin. An all-purpose liquid soap can be made by, simply, dissolving the old ends of bar soap (or grated slivers of bar soap) in warm water.

Steel Wool is an abrasive strong enough to remove rust and stubborn food residues, and scour barbeque grills.

TSP is trisodium phosphate, a mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid. TSP is toxic if swallowed, but it can be used on many jobs, such as cleaning drains or removing old paint that would normally require much more caustic and poisonous chemicals; TSP does not create any fumes.

Vinegar is made from soured applied juice, grain, or wine. It contains about 5 percent acetic acid, which makes it a mild acid. Vinegar can dissolve mineral deposits and grease, remove traces of soap, mildew or wax buildup, polish some metals, and deodorize.

Vinegar can clean brick or stone, and is an ingredient in some natural carpet cleaning recipes. Use vinegar to clean out the metallic taste in coffeepots and to shine windows without streaking. Vinegar is normally used in a solution with water, but can be used straight.

Washing Soda or SAL Soda is a sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. It can cut stubborn grease on grills, broiler pans, and ovens. It can be used with soda instead of laundry detergent, and it softens hard water. These items are available from drug and chemical-supply stores.

Memory is such an interesting tool. We can, given the right stimulus, recall with cellular clarity a moment in time, long past. There are times, when moving through a crowd at a party, when I catch a hint of a scent and will be catapulted back in time to my Grandmother’s house on Sunday morning.

We would be ready for church and Grandma would come down the hall with her handbag, leading with a gentle cloud of White Shoulders. Sometimes it’s Chanel #5 that brings back vivid memories of my childhood and my mother, her pearl necklace clasped in place. The details of those moments are delivered with startling clarity by memory. It has been said that all we ever really have in life is our memories.

If that is the case, then I suggest we make memories that last. I once heard that “it’s better to be looked over than overlooked,” and in the context of making lasting memories I believe this to be true. Why go through life in beige if chartreuse will linger in the memory? Why opt for basic black if tangerine will seal the moment in someone’s mind forever? Why be boring if bold will cause you to stand out and be noticed?

As with all theories, this one can unravel rather easily; however, when it comes to our homes, making a lasting first impression is a must. And making that impression for all the right reasons should be high on our list.

Speaking of lists, have you been adding to yours? Last week we were standing on the threshold of your home trying to assess what small project we could undertake that would make your home a bit more beautiful.

What did you accomplish in this regard? How did you make it better by making it more beautiful? Write and let me know how you’ve improved on the impression you are making in the memory of everyone who visits your home.

Book Review

I’ve just returned from time on Cape Cod and, as always, my mind is still reeling from the subtle beauty that this slice of the world offers; the light and the quality of color it produces has been a constant source of fascination since my first visit over 10 years ago.

My feeble word skills will never do justice to the reality, so I will simply say that this recent experience has me looking at color all over again.

To help me with this, I’ve picked up a wonderful book and suggest it to you: Color for Interior Design by Ethel Rompilla. Whether you are in the profession or simply want a better understanding of how color shapes the world we live in, do yourself a favor and buy this book.

Ethel Rompilla is an award-winning professor of color theory at the New York School of Interior Design where she serves as an academic advisor and associate dean. Well-regarded in the design community, her book is filled with rooms by Albert Hadley, Victoria Hagen and Mariette Himez Gomez; illustrating her color theory and application.

The book begins with a fascinating historical look at color through the centuries. The author then outlines basic color theory in a clear and understandable manner. She covers the science of light and color with comprehensive discussions of optics, light physics and color wheels, then provides a wealth of practical applications.

Enhance your library and understanding of the wonderful world of color by adding this book to your collection.

A More Beautiful World

There is an art to making people feel comfortable. As with most art forms, natural abilities will only take you so far. Study, practice and, ultimately, a sharply honed skill-set tend to rule the day. So why then, when it is within the grasp of anyone to make others around them comfortable, do we find so few moments that illustrate this point?

I like to watch people. I always have. As children growing up, we traveled quite a bit, so my sister Judy and I played a game. I would pick someone from the crowd and she would “tell” me their life story.

All we knew of this person was what we could learn from observing them at that moment. Our tales were remarkably entertaining and, I am certain, not related to the individual’s actual life what-so-ever. The point was to observe.

So when I travel today I observe and I learn (or am reminded) that there are many lives on this planet. Our only hope for civilized relations begins with the manner in which I relate to the person standing next to me.

If I act in a thoughtful manner, I have sewn a seed of thoughtfulness. If I act in kindness, gentleness or grace that seeks to make my fellow human more comfortable then I have sewn seeds that one day may produce more of their own kind.

It doesn’t take a mathematician to realize the impact of an action by one repeated by two; then by four; then eight and on and on. How beautiful might this world be (by a small degree or large) if we included those around us as we make choices about how we move through this world.

I’m sitting at the airport in Boston, Massachusetts waiting for a flight. Earlier today, I left an idyllic spot on Cape Cod to head back to my real life. The past week has been spent enjoying one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Provincetown, Massachusetts possesses a certain magic that is difficult to describe. Part light, part ocean; part sand dune, part fishing village; this little town at the end of the world is unlike any other.

A major part of this little town’s history takes the form of a Portuguese fishing village and, to this day, there is a substantial Portuguese presence. From bakeries to festivals, there are unmistakable references. Some of the most satisfying references are found in the recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Here is a recipe I’m very fond of:

Scallop Casserole or Molusco Cacarola

1 lb. bay scallops or 1 lb. sea scallops, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cracker meal or crumbs
¼ lb butter
Milk to cover
Paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Place scallops and crumbs in layers in a casserole dish. Cover with milk. Add seasoning. Scatter thin slices of butter on top and then sprinkle with more crumbs adding more butter. Finally sprinkle with paprika.

Set over for 350 degrees and bake for about 25 minutes. Let casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

You can add crumbled gorgonzola or sharp white cheddar during the final 10 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!

So what did you place on your list? And more importantly, what have you accomplished since you began developing your list? I’ve learned in my little life that lists are not static. They do not occupy space on a page the way a photograph does; freezing time and memorializing the moment.

Lists are like organisms. They feed on the needs around them, they grow; they shrink and they give birth to others lists. They even expire. So understanding that our list has a life, where in the cycle of life is your list today?

Remember, we are looking at our homes with the critical eye of an editor. We want to isolate those areas which we feel need a bit of extra effort. Our goal is to create a series of beautiful experiences throughout our home for our friends and family to enjoy.

Last week we stepped outside our home, condominium or apartment with an eye to see what our guests experience when they approach for a visit. Today, let’s move a bit closer and actually stand at the entry door. What are you looking at?

Possibly you are gazing at a beautifully painted or stained wood door. Maybe there is a door knocker, door bell or plaque of numbers centered near eye level. Is the door knocker shiny and new? Has the relief carving on the plaque been cleaned recently? And what of the unit numbers? Are they aligned in a neat and orderly fashion?

Does the finish on one number match the finish on the others? Is it possible there is a remnant of a wreath or other seasonal decoration staring you in the face? The list of possibilities seems endless.

The important question, however, is what do you want guests to see when they stand where you are now? If that desired view is not what you are looking at presently then it’s time to grow your list. It will be from this list of projects that you will make your home a more beautiful place.

Write and let me know what appears on your list.

Mark Hampton on Decorating

I spoke with a friend today. He and his family were evacuated from their home earlier this year in the face of the Griffith Observatory fire in Los Angeles. In the rush to leave their home they faced many questions, “What do we take with us?” “What do we save?” Fortunately, no homes were damaged and they were safely back the next day.

“What would I save?” The question lingers. I am looking at my shelves of books. Maybe I would snatch up some of my favorites? One of the saved volumes might be a book that I became familiar with shortly after its printing in 1989.

Mark Hampton was a name familiar to me from many editions of Architectural Digest. For years his work informed and inspired. When his book was released; filled with knowledge, insight and wit (as well as his sumptuous watercolors), it was an easy addition to my small library and suggested reading list.

You can try an architecture book search, but I believe the book is out of print. While revisiting the text, I found it to be just as important and applicable today as when I first opened the cover.