THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510110567
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEANNE MOONEY, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: Long : 159 lines
HOME IS WHERE the hearth is, right?
Wrong. We live in the kitchen, near the microwave and the refrigerator, not by the flame pit. The hearth, you might have noticed, tends to flicker in the family room or living room these days.
But, what's this? Can we have our warm, cozy hearth and nuke a frozen pizza, too?
You bet. Enter the modern-day keeping room, an extended kitchen that acknowledges where families spend much of their time - near the food.
North Highlands Home, one of 14 exclusive homes on display at Homearama '95 in the Lago Mar section of Virginia Beach, brings the centuries-old concept of a keeping room into the '90s.
Full of warmth and aromas, keeping rooms were the center of the European manors back, oh, around the 1500s, says Leslie Watson-Leake, owner of Decorating Den, and the interior designer for North Highlands Home. Here cooks would lay the meals by the fire to keep them warm before serving. Here, too, the children would play, hoping to snatch a few morsels.
In North Highlands Home, the keeping room includes a gas-fed hearth and an eat-in area. The room is bathed in light from a bay window and sliding glass doors. Outside the doors are a deck and hot tub. The room also has a big kitchen island where teen-agers can do homework on one side while mom or dad fixes dinner on the other.
``The keeping room is like a family room,'' Watson-Leake says.
``Whoever is cooking need not be separated'' from the family, says Albert Hartley of C.A.B. Builders Inc., one of two firms building North Highlands Home.
The keeping room is just one of the new twists in design and decor to see at Homearama '95. The trends seem to point up several themes. For instance:
Today's home should be more livable than ever before.
It should be a casual yet pampered place to retreat or work.
The more natural light, textures, colors and scenery a home has, the better.
To achieve those ends, some Homearama '95 decorators are using soft colors, natural fabrics, durable rugs and a mix of new, antique and worry-free furniture. Homearama '95 builders are using lots of hardwood and stone flooring, windows wherever possible and open floor plans that connect rooms and people rather than divide them.
``In general, interiors are becoming more inviting, more simplistic, less intimidating,'' says Carol Eubank, a certified interior designer with Eubank Design Concepts Inc. and decorator at The Water-Wise Garden Home.
Here's what some of the designers say is ``in'':
Colors. Neutral colors abound at Homearama '95, but it's the muted greens and soft golds that designers say are vogue.
Why? Because like clothing and makeup, interior colors have gone to a softer, more natural look. Vegetable-dye colors are popular, Eubank says. ``Everything is more earthy,'' she says.
``The trend used to be blue; use a lot of blue,'' says Marianne Alexander of Window Wear, an interior designer for The Elizabeth. ``In the past three years it's turned to greens.''
``I think people are looking for their surroundings to be interesting, yet calm,'' Alexander says.
The Samuel Clemens house uses soft gold and celadon hues. The builders wanted the home to be sensitive to nature, says Carla H. Walker, an interior designer with Dallas-Walker Design Group.
Of course, not everyone agrees on what's hot in colors. Jay Levin of Atlantic Coast Design Inc., the interior designer for Villa Diana, says, ``I think people are tired of mundane colors. They're going to want to use color to perk up dead spaces.''
Levin uses creamy yellow and bright peacock blue throughout Villa Diana to create a feeling of the southern Greek islands.
Fabrics. Look for leathers, suedes and raw linens.
``Anything natural is very popular,'' says Gary Walton of Davis-Vincent Creations and the decorator/designer for Glen Jean, The Christmas House.
Rugs. Berbers are big.
``Almost every house we do (has) Berber in the family room,'' says Charlie Anderson, builder of Monet's ``Le Chemin.''
The near bullet-proof durability is the reason why.
Kitchen cabinets. Natural woods, especially maple, are in vogue.
Builder Clay Phillips uses maple cabinets with a custom antiquing accent in his home, The Princess Anne. Builder Joe Robinson uses natural stained maple cabinets and white accents in his home, The Hemingway.
As for the pickled look, the craze is waning. ``We pickled ourselves to death,'' says Suzie Crawford, the interior designer for The Magnolia.
Counter tops. Corian has a presence at Homearama '95, but granite seems to be the favorite.
``In that type home, people expect a little bit more than Formica or laminate,'' says G. Ray Old Jr., builder of The Magnolia, which uses granite from Saudi Arabia in the kitchen.
``Granite is a little bit more durable than marble,'' Old says. Spills wipe up easily, too.
Furniture. Relax. Get comfortable. Mix those family heirlooms with new and well-worn furniture.
``Very few homes look like they're out of a furniture store,'' says Alexander. So go with what you have. It's a practical approach to decorating rather than a statement-maker, she says.
The Water-Wise Garden Home features a massive teak table with metal strappings in the dining room that likely will make tongues wag. Entirely hand tooled, the table is believed to have been used in a Moroccan palace, probably during the Middle Ages, Eubank says.
Windows. And the home buyers said, ``Let there be light and let it pour through every possible opening in the walls.''
Window makers and builders responded with a bevy of new shapes. Look for long, tall Palladians, half-round windows, double transoms and half-hexagonal transoms at Homearama '95.
New homes today probably have twice as many windows as homes built in the '70s, says builder Anderson. ``We don't like dark rooms.''
Windows also add a feeling of spaciousness to a home. And says Tommy Stafford, builder of The Morgan Anne, windows bring the outside in.
In-law suites. These aren't simply guest bedrooms. They are private quarters that allow an older parent a dignified transition from his own home to his child's.
``We're going back to generational living,'' says Cindy Ray of The Ashcroft Company, builder of The Samuel Clemens. ``A lot more people are having their parents live with them.''
Privacy needn't suffer. At The Samuel Clemens, the in-law suite offers a sitting area, a bedroom and bath, a separate entrance and handy access to the kitchen. The suite also is ideal for an office.
The in-law suite at Monet's ``Le Chemin'' offers a full kitchen with an eat-in area in it's 1,000 square feet of living space. ILLUSTRATION: D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Staff color photos
The keeping room kitchen of the North Highlands Home has a
granite-topped island, antique wardrobe, gas-log fireplace and cozy
seating.
The Water-Wise Garden Home uses a mix of furnishings including a
massive, old teak table from Morocco.
The Elizabeth reflects the continuing popularity of light, airy,
two-story rooms with neutral decor.
Graphic
IF YOU'RE GOING
What: Homearama '95, a showcase of 14 new homes sponsored by the
Tidewater Builders Association.
Where: Lago Mar section of Virginia Beach.
When: Daily through Oct. 22. Monday through Friday, noon to 10
p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays noon to 10 p.m.; and
until 6 p.m. on the final day.
Admission: $6 Monday through Friday; $7 on weekends; children 12
and younger are free; senior citizens and active duty military get a
$1 discount Monday through Thursday.
Parking: It's free and located at Sandbridge Road and Las Brisas
Drive. Shuttles will carry you to the Homearama '95 site.
Directions: Take Route 44 east to the Lynnhaven Parkway south
exit; follow the parkway to International Parkway and turn left; at
London Bridge Road go right; at General Booth Boulevard go right;
follow the boulevard to Princess Anne Road and turn left; follow
Princess Anne Road to Sandbridge Road and turn left. Signs will
direct you to the free parking.
Also: Concessions, cooking demonstrations and exhibits for home
buyers and shoppers will be available.
by CNB