We're
Expecting
Linda's first book is in production and due to be released in
March of next year. The title will be Linda Applewhite's Architectural Interiors: Transforming Your Home with Decorative Structural
Elements, and
we thought you might like to have a sneak preview of what's inside.
Between now and March, we will excerpt part of one
chapter each month here in the newsletter and show you a few of the
140+ color photos the book will contain.
This
excerpt, from the book's Introduction, tells the
story of the first
house Linda remodeled and designed - her own former residence in San
Rafael, California - and how she transformed the 50s
tract house
into the European country cottage she knew it could become.
Book Excerpt 1: Introduction - "Clorinda
Transformed"
I
had always dreamed of buying an old, unloved house with lots of
character and
turning it into a beautiful treasured home. One day, hidden deep
in a forested canyon, completely covered with trees on a street named
Clorinda,
the special old house materialized.
It
was in fact a 1950s tract house with eight-foot ceilings, practically
non-existent moldings, and a small, non-descript white brick
fireplace. It had linoleum floors in the kitchen, white Formica
countertops, dark
70s-era cabinets, and an ironing board that dropped from the
wall. All the openings between rooms had been raised to within a
few inches of the
ceiling and sheet rocked without moldings, which gave a schizophrenic,
modern feeling to the 50-year-old cottage.
Several
years later we remodeled Clorinda, exposing her bones and making good
use of her multiple peaks and hidden angles by pitching ceilings in the
living room, dining room, master bedroom, and new family room. We added
beams
and lintels, a fat wall and arch, and a niche in the kitchen. We opened
her up to the garden with wonderful old windows and doors, and brought
in
light with six new skylights. We embellished her with substantial
moldings and installed interesting cabinetry and bookcases throughout.
We covered
her plain brick fireplace with an antique mantel and installed an old
recycled column where a wall once stood.
The
remodel ended
up taking six months, during which time we lived in our tiny basement,
without a bathroom or kitchen! I had never remodeled a home
before, and I
was overwhelmed by the process, yet I found that I loved every moment
of it. At the end, through a remarkable team effort, Clorinda had
morphed from a
1950s tract house into a “European Country” cottage.
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BEFORE: A pair of large, heavy black metal frame doors with
smoked glass opened out to the garden from the original dining room.
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AFTER:
The remodeled dining room, after replacing the
contemporary doors and exposing the home's "good bones" by opening the
8-foot ceilings to the pitched roof, and creating an arched
opening where
a wall once stood.
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BEFORE: The dark 70s-era cabinets contrasted with the white
Formica countertops, Linoleum floors and refrigerator.
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AFTER:
The new kitchen boasts glazed and distressed knotty pine cabinets with
rust-finished Bouvet hardware. The ceilings were faced with 1" x 12"
shiplapped pine, and two skylights provide light from above. Antique
French
paver tiles cover the counters, and an old peely-paint green door found
at a salvage yard keeps the washer and dryer hidden from
view. |
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Luxurious silk pillows
in tones of salmon and copper with celadon fringe
and gold brocade trim create a dreamy spot for relaxing in this cozy master bedroom.
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Pillows - A Unique Gift
We
received so many requests for some of our formerly "one of a kind"
pillows that we are making more of them. So, don't be
disappointed if your favorite pillow sold out - just go to the website
to see what's available. Our handmade, intricately designed
pillows also make a surprising and unique gift for someone on your list
who loves his or her home and cares about adding long-lasting
beauty
through art. This season, think about giving a creative and unusual
gift to someone who cherishes their home.
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Creating Holiday Glow
It's
time to fill your home with Golden, Crimson, Ginger, Sea and Verde
glow that will
warm your rooms during the holidays and throughout the years. We're
stocking up on Appleglow candles to make your home sparkle and everyone
in it look
radiant. Candles have the most impact in groups placed throughout your
home which create a truly magical feeling. Our candles, wick trimmers
and
lighters also make thoughtful holiday, housewarming and thank-you
gifts. Visit our online store and place your order. We have a limited production of each color and size for the holiday season, so order soon to get
the selection you want. |
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Santa Fe Seminar
Thanks
so much to everyone who responded to the idea of a Linda
Applewhite seminar in Santa Fe next year. We are now in the process of
choosing a venue for the event, and then we'll schedule it for a
weekend in either the Summer or Fall, allowing plenty of time for
you to plan your trip. Linda is working on the seminar program,
which is
always exciting, and we will fill you in on the details in upcoming
newsletters.
This
will be a perfect opportunity to enjoy the sun-drenched
high desert landscape, world-class art galleries, innovative
restaurants, outdoor activities and diverse cultures and history of
this gorgeous
part of the country, and satisfy your love of design at the same time.
If we haven't heard from you yet, please drop us a line and be
sure to
tell your friends to e-mail us as well. It promises to be an incredible
Southwest weekend!
HGTV Dates
for November
Vibrant Living
Room #806 November 20, 1:30 PM ET/PT
Country Chic Family Room
#710 November 22, 1:30 PM ET/PT
(Check HGTV.com's website for additional dates as they are added
throughout the month. Just search for "Applewhite.")
HGTV.com has also included 14 photos of Linda's indoor and
outdoor designs in their Designers' Portfolio
Happy Thanksgiving Blessings to All of You
Love, Linda |
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