The Design District has become far more than showrooms with nightspots like the Meddlesome Moth, center, and living areas like 1900 Alta. (Photos courtesy of Kendall Shiffler)

By Jonanna Widner

For the past several years, the website known as LowerOakLawn.com has provided dynamic content about the burgeoning area southeast of Stemmons Freeway, near the nexus of Riverfront Boulevard and Oak Lawn Avenue —which is to say, more or less, the Design District. Starting in May, the website will now be found under the domain name DallasDesignDistrict.com. The switchover may not make for the most dramatic of news flashes, but the truth is, the change represents a shift in the way Dallas sees the Design District. Or, more precisely, it indicates that Dallas finally sees the Design District at all.

“When we first launched, our audience didn’t necessarily know where the Design District was,” says Kendall Shiffler, marketing communications director for PegasusAlbon, one of the area’s main developers and the company behind the website, “but everybody knows where Oak Lawn is. From a development standpoint, it was important to let everyone know where they were going, so we started with LowerOakLawn.”

The site covered the exact same area, for the most part, as the new one will, continuing to provide blog posts, a business directory, retail and residential information, job listings and much more.

Consider the difference in the name, then, to be an indicator of just how much the area has grown, and just how differently the city views it. Originally, the Design District was the, er, domain of professional interior designers and industrial vendors. It was a trade area; the showrooms and shops housed wares that were not, for the most part, available to individuals for retail purchase. As far as the rest of it: Restaurants? Forget it. Housing? Pffft. An art gallery? Are you kidding?

PegasusAlbon saw an opportunity to forge the trade and industrial heritage of the area’s past with the potential of its future. As apartments were built and shops opened, a variety of tenants moved in. Shiffler says the website was borne of a desire to explain the area in more than just cursory ways.

“We sat down and said ‘We have all these different audiences – how can we talk to them all? “We couldn’t just buy an ad,’” she says.

“What gives this area life is the people, and we wanted the people to tell their stories. The whole blogging for business and Facebook for business hadn’t come along as a true marketing platform yet at that point. It was amazing how immediate the reaction was when we started [the site].”

Now, nearly1,000 occupants live in the district’s newly constructed apartment buildings. The soon-to-open 1400 Hi Line building will provide 300 more units. The area is peppered with restaurants like Oak, Royal Sixty and The Butcher’s Son and the healthy calendar of events spaces all hum with activity.

With such a dramatic transition, the change in domain name “is only natural at this point,” Shiffler says.

The switch in names will be coupled with added content.

“We want to take it to the next level,” Shiffler says.  “In July we relaunched the design and added a comprehensive business directory with more than 300 businesses in it.  We want to become more of the voice and the heartbeat of the district, but also a true resource for the area, like any newspaper.“

What does this mean for the LGBTQ community? Shiffler notes that the site is a good resource for non-profits looking for event spaces and catering, along with the latest news on housing.

“The Design District is already very closely integrated with the Oak Lawn area,” she says. “It’s very much an extension of that neighborhood. A lot of the apartments are filled with members of the LGBTQ community.”

So the domain name changes, but many things remain the same. Except for one thing: “Dallas tends to tear everything down, “Shiffler says.  “What makes the Design District cool is that there are all these old buildings. We wanted to keep them, to keep it preserved as it was.”

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

Kimberly Campbell has branched out from residential work into retail properties as she stands in front of her redo at Lakewood’s La Calle Doce. (Photo courtesy Campbell Custom Construction)

By Rich Lopez

One thing continues to make Kimberly Campbell chuckle. A previous article written about her described her as a “petite blonde with delicate doll-like features” which she’s even put to memory quoting it verbatim. Her friends rib her all the time about it, but hey, any press is good press, right?

“It was great and very funny,” she laughs. “I cannot tell you how many times people call and ask for ‘the petite blond with delicate doll-like features.’ I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of it.”

As if she needs it. As the owner of Campbell Custom Construction, she may not be the typical face of a construction company, but that doesn’t make her any less effective. And it all started a decade ago when she was doing her own renovations.

“I didn’t ever wake up thinking I would be a contractor,” she says. “I was laid off from my job and started doing stuff for myself. Then friends would ask if I would do work for them. Before I knew it, people started calling. When that word of mouth happens, you kinda know you’re in the right business.”

Campbell says the advantage of being a woman in her position is that clients remember her quicker. But she can talk up a 3-inch PVC Hardibacker with the best of them. In a male-dominated business, she finds herself on the management end of several construction workers and contractors who immediately may not be keen on the situation.

“Men do not like to be bossed around by females,” she says. “I’m not the kind that bosses people around all the time either. Who wants that? At first they try to feel me out but when they figure out I run a tight ship and don’t put up with nonsense, it works out for everyone. I think being organized also gives me an advantage.”

Her company’s core business is interior finish-outs — mostly kitchen and bathrooms because that’s what most of her clients tend to go for. She has been branching out into multi-family developments and property management as well as retail spots such as the renovation of La Calle Doce in Lakewood after a fire destroyed it. Campbell even has started a second company that does roofing. She’s humbled by her success because for her, it’s just about getting the job done.

“It’s amazing to me in this business that if you just do what you’re supposed to, you’re a hero,” she exclaims. “This is the only business I’ve known where that happens and perhaps so many contractors don’t. We show up when we say and leave when we say. I don’t want to leave any client hanging. It’s important for me to start the job and work every day until the end.”

That’s what she stresses to potential clients. And with a strong LGBT clientele, Campbell says her entire business has been based on referral. Her reputation grew fast and her business has been mostly via referral, especially among her queer friends and clients, but she has found having a penchant for gay men, whom she finds to be practically the ideal clients.

“Oh my God, they like color, tend to have a higher income and love to remodel,” she beams. “Plus, we mesh well and both have high expectations. They always have good taste. All my clients want a perfect job as do I, but they really get into the design of the finished product and I love that. That’s the fun part because most contractors don’t get into that area.”

She felt that particularly with Jim McCoy and Paul Cross. In order to branch out more into the community, Campbell donated a complete bathroom remodel at a $20,000 value. McCoy and Cross won and she says they called her right away.

“The remodel was a different kind of donation and Ken Moore [of Black Tie Dinner] told me that with some 3,000 gay men there, who wouldn’t bid on it,” she says. “I got all my suppliers to pitch in and Lowe’s even gave us materials. We added a custom vanity, faucets, new countertops and even had some left over to put in their other bathroom.

They had an idea of what they wanted and I think they should be very happy with the product.”

For every other client, Campbell strives not only to do the best job, but to keep their best interests in mind — notably their wallets. As someone who started doing this for herself, she’s more than aware that costs can run high and quickly on renovations. She extends the best deals on quality products to and for her customers.

“Every client wants more than they can afford,” she says. “When I was doing this myself, I always had to have a most-bang-for-my-buck attitude. That stuck with me when I had to do it for myself. So I try to treat them the same way and pass my discounts on or tell them where they can find the best deals. I think that makes an impression and they’ll tell their friends and so on.”

When Campbell isn’t busy remodeling, you might find her on the golf course or riding her scooter with the local Dallas Metros group, but you won’t find her at home watching home renovation shows.

“People ask me if I watch all different programs about that and I’m just like ‘Really?’” she laughs.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

Steven Floyd uses his interior design background at Antique Floors to design unique creations on any flat surface. (Photo by Rich Lopez/Courtesy of Steven Floyd)

By Rich Lopez

Sometimes it’s difficult to find that just-right piece of art to hang over the mantle or to grace your entryway, but who ever thinks of looking to the floor? The people at Antique Floors, Inc. have been doing it in Dallas for more than 35 years. With materials from all over the country, even the world, they can help make most any floor into a gallery piece — albeit one that you walk on.

“Our focus is handmade artisan tile that can create decorative details and really special pieces,” representative Stephen Floyd says. “We make it a point to find what no one else has and offer an exclusive assortment of flooring.”

Antique Floors is a trade only showroom for industry professionals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a peek inside. Customers can make an appointment (the preferred way) and gander about the showroom’s space and gaze upon the selection of tiles and materials from England, Italy, Turkey and the U.S. They even work to focus on

American-based materials to assure clientele looking for that “Made in the U.S.A.” product for their home. But they don’t ignore that other countries offer some unique decorative motifs.

“We’re a big supporter of artisans right here in our own country,” Floyd says. “We do have a lot of clients with that in mind, but some designs will only come from those other

Steven Floyd

countries.”

With more than 70 different lines of tile, AF has seen an increase in the past few years for glass materials, but really, there is no one particular trend he has noticed in sales.

With such a selection of obscure lines, he says it’s always unpredictable.

“Every job is so different, it would just be to difficult to determine, from our end, what the biggest sellers are,” he says.

But tile doesn’t stop and start at the floors. Their selection works for back splashes and entire walls. They even offer three-dimensional pieces that add a unique texture. Just don’t place that close to your front door without a disclaimer. And while they have worked with commercial properties, architects and designers usually come in to find the right materials for residential work.

“We’re a source for some of the most unique materials out there,” he says. “But keep in mind that floors are just part of the work. Our stuff has been used for pools, fountains, fireplaces — any flat surface will work in or out of water in or outside!”

There have been some special circumstances with their product. He finds he does have to educate people on ceramic versus porcelain and the benefits of stone. Coupled with informing clients how to maintain their countertop or bathroom floor, he has to take into account if people want to take the time just to clean it properly.

Just don’t ask them to design your project. They leave that to the creatives. But he will make sketches and have samples made to reassure the buyer of their potential purchase. However, they can exhibit a certain amount of creativity. Cutting stones or working with mosaics, a client can walk away with an original piece of art.

“If someone wants a crazy glass mosaic, we’ll have the designer do a section and we’ll turn around a sample,” Floyd says. “We can cut a material into a sort of flat sculpture as well. I did once have a young girl want a drawing of hers for her shower. So her parents brought her in and we worked with her on that.”

Because their name is Antique Flooring, people have gotten the misconception they do other things.

“We don’t do wood and we don’t do plumbing,” Floyd informs. “Some people might want flooring from an old basketball court or from old barns and that’s not our forte.”

Floyd, who was six months shy of finishing his degree for interior design, joined Antique Flooring six years ago and beams with pride talking about his experience there. And he feels he can still use his interest and talents in design to help with the product he sells.

“This is such a niche industry and we get to work with a unique group of people,” Floyd says. “Plus, we’re laid back even though we offer a very high-end product. I think that helps me have a great relationship with our clients. We even have cats in our showroom. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

With a broad spectrum of colors, Nancy Howell helps clients narrow down to that perfect hue for the home. (Photo by Rich Lopez)

By Jenny Block

Nancy Howell believes in letting your true colors shine through – whatever those colors might be. Howell, co-owner and design principal of Solutions By Design, has more than 36 years of experience in both residential and commercial design. In that time, she’s learned how color can affect or even disaffect a room. And her work is about much more than window treatments and ottomans.

“I give people a better quality of life,” she says. “Everything is so much more difficult now than when I was growing up. The only thing we can actually control is our environment.”

That’s one thing that’s consistent no matter who the client is, Howell explains. “When someone enjoys their space, they’re happy.”

And at the top of the list is color.

“People gravitate toward certain colors,” Howell says. “They make us feel good in certain spaces — mostly the home.”

Howell says that despite her years of experience, how one person is drawn to a color remains a mystery.

“There is a huge psychology of color,” she says. “What I try to do is help people see what colors they like. I use a lot of emotional response to see what they like visually.”

Howell has worked with people with some surprising preferences, including a home with a violet bedroom and another filled with turquoise carpet. There really is no rhyme or reason to it all regardless of where people live, what they do for a living or what circles they run in.

Whether she’s working on a bedroom or a living room, a modern, downtown loft or a suburban home, Howell says it’s all about reflecting the person or people living in that space. So what if someone is drawn to disparate colors or design pieces in one space? Howell resolves how to put all kinds of different elements together. But there is one thing that Howell always steers clear of.

“I’ve never done trendy. I do what people enjoy,” she asserts.

That’s key when it comes to decorating, because for most people, it’s not something that can be redone again and again. Even if a client doesn’t feel confident about what he or she wants, Howell feels confident that she can figure it out. She calls the procedure “programming.”

“I ask a ton of questions about entertaining, kids, pets, lifestyle, interests. People will say, ‘I don’t really know what I like.’ But when you do this kind of programming, you can figure out what people like,” she says.

It can be difficult for some people to fully understand color, but she considers educating as part of her role as a designer so the client can become much more attuned to color.

With trendy colors, Howell encourages people to leave that for other avenues.

 “I tell people to only think about fashionable colors when it comes to fashion, not home design,” she says.

In case you’re wondering what is in store this season, there is a palette of colors she’s discovering is making its way into several homes.

 “This year, colors are leaning toward those inspired by Mother Nature. Mellow tones like driftwood, cockatoo and sweet lilac. Pantone has come out with 175 new colors this year,” she says. “That will bring their total to 2,100. But it doesn’t matter what’s in fashion. It only matters what appeals to you.”

Call 972-724-2032 for a color consultation.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

Again and Again proprietor Leslie Pritchard turns furniture from drab to fab. This black sofa took on an entirely different look after Pritchard got ahold of it. (Courtesy Again and Again)

By Rich Lopez

With a staggeringly huge warehouse in the Design District, Again and Again has become a key resource for one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture — with a twist. Their selection of furniture and accessories isn’t by any means brand new. Which is where most of the charm lies. Each piece has been repurposed from something older and a little worn into something fabulous and renewed.

The force behind Again and Again is Leslie Pritchard and she’s made it her mission to ensure no furniture piece is left behind.

“Everyday, furniture is thrown away and labeled trash, when most are reusable and can be given new life with a bit of imagination and creativity,” she says on her website. “A new consciousness of eco-design and green living is gaining momentum and we’re excited to be part of that movement.”

Green living tends to sound like space-age-looking furniture against a minimalist setting with something like a patch of grass growing through the floor. But Pritchard’s selections are far from it. She turns blah wooden nightstands into chic white tables with a bit of added, modern flair. An outdated print over a plush chair is reborn with simple lines and new fabric perfect for any downtown loft. Pritchard does this out of passion for vintage furnishings and stylistic interiors, but also because she’d rather do this than get a real job.

Pritchard and a team of craftsmen work with the basic structure and curves of a piece, but apply modern touches, bringing the piece up to date. Fabrics are switched out with more chic prints and solids and sometimes, the body is restructured for an entirely different vibe. All this is done on site and Pritchard proudly claims the bold looks of the redos.

“We do facelifts with white, black or bright yellow paint,” she states. “Our modern upholstery comes in shades of turquoise, hot pink or chartreuse.”

The idea isn’t just a unique piece, but also, in her philosophy, a vitally green alternative to going out and purchasing mass-produced furniture. For Pritchard, it’s a small way to reduce impact on the planet.

Again and Again isn’t all about the reinvention of tossed out pieces. Pritchard and company can also breathe new life into your own furniture. The shop offers such services as lacquering, reupholstering, repair and staining. And if you need some added details to your room, they also created an original line of pillows from high-end fabric choices. Just choose your favorite and the rest is history — or a refashioned version of it.

Again and Again, 114 Howell St. 214-746-6300. AgainAndAgain.com

…………………….

read more…

For more, turn to the Classy+Great Spaces section of this week’s Dallas Voice.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

Tonia Tomlin, pictured opposite, can turn any space from disaster to delightful as she did with this garage and the closet on page 23. (Photos courtesy of Sorted Out)

By Jef Tingley

Tonia Tomlin

Whether you are the type who organizes the underwear drawer in ascending order from boxer to bikini brief or the person who grabs the closest pair of undies from that yet-to-be-folded pile of laundry, chances are there’s a certain amount of clutter in your life. It’s unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to be your undoing.

Tonia Tomlin is here to help you with that. With some major cred as the president of the North Texas-based organization company Sorted Out and featured contributor to the HGTV show Mission Organization and to Martha Stewart’s Fine Living Network, Tomlin has this down pat.

The good news is that getting organized isn’t inherent – it can be learned. But Tomlin is quick to add that it takes lifestyle change and commitment to make that happen.

“I look at disorganization like this: Would you hire someone to save you money and time to file your taxes? Would you hire someone to help you maintain your workout regimen? What is your time worth? The cost and benefit has to make sense for the amount of time you are willing to spend on fixing your disorganization,” she says. “I tell clients to go ahead and make baby steps to get out of the chaos and when they are truly ready to make an investment in their time to contact [a professional].”

For many people, the biggest challenge of living clutter-free is where to begin. Tomlin recommends starting big to get the momentum going.

“Every person has his or her clutter confessions,” she says. “I often suggest clients start in a space that bothers them the most. Start where you can also see the biggest visual change. Oftentimes if we see visual changes, we feel a sense of accomplishment so we will be motivated to continue the process.”

Tomlin advises to treat our homes and our lives more like a business when it comes to getting sorted out.

“I recommend coming up with an organization goal list, then prioritizing projects based on what the disorganization is costing them,” she says. “Start with the largest time-waster and the biggest money-sucker. For some people, this could be lost paper; for some it could be supplies within their company or practice.”

Being clutter-free can have larger implications than a picturesque shoe closet or a pantry straight out of a Real Simple photo spread, too. Organization can be used to define spaces such as backyards or outdoor areas. For this, Tomlin has a three-point system: create a plan; determine what needs to be stored where; and find a storage option that makes sense for you.

“After creating your plan, decide which area you are going to focus on first, then implement each zone by category and start small,” says Tomlin. “I have organized a lot of outdoor areas, and we start with an inventory of items to see what is the best fit [then] come up with storage shed solutions for gardening tools to outdoor living areas supplies.”

But be it cleaning up the interior, the exterior or the office, one thing remains consistent for creating that clutter-free space: maintaining a routine.

“Whether it’s maintaining your area once a week or once a month. Once you have a system put into place, you must have a game plan put together to keep the order in that area,” she says.

Now that you are armed with all the right ways to get started, the decision is yours: Either begin the organization process yourself or call in a professional while you catch up on the latest episodes of “Hoarders.” The change begins at home and with you.

Visit SortedOut.biz for more organizational tips.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

Joel Greenwald, left, with show host John Gidding, takes a quick pause before hitting the Pace family’s renovations in Euless. The team, next page, assesses the situation before beginning on the wheelchair ramp for the family’s youngest son. (Photos courtesy Joel Greenwald)

By Steven Lindsey

You are just as likely to turn on the television these days and see your neighbor as a plaintiff on a TV court show or as a contestant on a reality competition for airbrush-tan technicians as you are to run into him watering petunias in his yard. With so many micro-niche cable networks with hours upon hours of programming to fill, almost anyone can end up on an episode of So You Think You Can “Blank,” America’s Next Top “This or That,” or Extreme Makeover: “Something” Edition.

But when it comes to the world of home and garden television, there is one thing that those doing the making-over possess that can’t be faked: Talent. With a capital T. And local home renovator Joel Greenwald, owner of Grun-Built, recently experienced a brief taste of show business — something he probably didn’t expect in 2003 when he started his building career flipping houses after much of the information technology industry he worked in began being outsourced overseas.

“I went on to build spec homes and was fortunate enough to be selected to do a two-year renovation of the Hilton Garden Inn in Las Colinas by the owner of the hotel whose house I had previously renovated,” Greenwald says. “I now predominantly do renovations, new construction and additions for clients instead of spec homes.”

Greenwald also does some commercial work, so he recently rebranded his company Grun-Built to be more all-encompassing than GP Luxury Homes, the original name of the business.

His work around town and long list of satisfied clients caught the attention of HGTV producers for the Curb Appeal spin-off series Curb Appeal: The Block (hosted by out architect and former fashion model, John Gidding). The show focuses on one neighborhood block, providing small improvements to two houses and a more dramatic overhaul to one home’s exterior, which can include the house itself, landscaping or anything else that may be necessary for either aesthetic or practical reasons.

For the Pace family, there was a singular, major need that went far beyond the cosmetic.

“The project for the show was to build a usable outdoor space for the family in Euless. The husband is a policeman and the wife is a stay-at-home mom who home-schools their children. They were selected for the show because their youngest is a special needs child that cannot walk and is terminally ill,” Greenwald says. “The child is growing and their outdoor space was not handicap-accessible. They wanted a ramp to the front door but to not have it look like it was a wheelchair ramp.”

Greenwald and his team built a flagstone space that gradually sloped to the front door without looking like other drastically angled, utilitarian wheelchair ramps. They also built a swing in the front yard so the children can enjoy being outside while their mother doles out the school lessons for the day. The neighborhood kids don’t mind it so much either when they come over to play.

The results of Greenwald’s team’s work included a wheelchair ramp with stylistic appeal and a porch swing.

One of the biggest challenges about being on a reality TV show like Curb Appeal: The Block is the shortened timeline. They had to pull all this off in a mere 10 days. The other would be the drastically low budget. Greenwald’s role on the show was to serve as the general contractor on the project while maintaining the budget, coordinating labor, scheduling and what he calls “a little bit of the nitty-gritty work.” In between all that, he relayed the daily progress to host Gidding. Those conditions easily amp up the pressure, but Greenwald surprised himself as it played out.

“To be truthful, I just blocked it out,” he admits. “I thought I would stress out. I took my architect out with me as a safety blanket. But overall, it was definitely an exhilarating rush for us.”

He wondered how doing such hard work be with a camera crew following his every move, but just the same, Greenwald went through the motions of work and soon found the crew less distracting and ultimately, he got the job done. The result was a $20,000 renovation that not only made the Pace family’s life easier, but enhanced it. Greenwald was equally moved by the entire experience.

“It was a tremendous honor for me to be selected to be on the show.  It was an affirmation on the quality of my work and I was able to make a significant contribution to the quality of life of a family coping with the daily rigors of taking care of a terminally ill child,” he says.
Something, to be sure, that’s appealing on a much greater level.

Visit HGTV.com/Curb-Appeal-The-Block for the episode’s air date this spring.Greenwald documented his experience day by day on his website at GrunBuilt.com.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 20, 2012.

Mary Kathryn Reese, below, and her partner Jennifer Sherrill founded Snappy Kitchens which helps clients pick materials and looks for their kitchen including backsplash and countertops. (Photos courtesy Ruda Photography)

One local couple can take the nightmare out of revitalizing your kitchen into a dream

By Rich Lopez

When you cook that extra special dinner for your loved one or family, you want to feel inspired as you go through the recipe. But you need much more than the pretty picture in that magazine and those drab cabinets aren’t helping. The kitchen is the heart of the home but if it’s causing heartache, well, something must be done — and it may not be as daunting as you think.

“Before people think about remodeling their entire kitchen, they should consider a facelift,” Mary Kathryn Reese says. “What we’re doing is basically that, an aesthetic update, but we also try to enable the consumer to define for themselves what they like to do with their kitchen.”

Reese and Jennifer Sherrill, her partner in both business and life are founders of the seven year-old Dallas-based company Kitchen Design Concepts which focuses on full-scale higher-end redos. That comes with more involvement and process. But the ladies discovered a niche market where people were interested in updating their kitchen without breaking ground or the bank. Some touch-ups here and there or maybe a new sink and they would have been happy. This became an aha moment for the team and Snappy Kitchens was born.

“What we’ve learned is that people are interested in doing some of it themselves,” she says.

They just need that push to get them going and that’s where Snappy Kitchens comes in. The couple created an online portal where people can design their new look all on the web with a wizard model and get an estimate of the cost. Once the client is happy with the results of both the selections and the prices, an appointment is set with the company to verify measurements and costs and begin the journey to a brand new kitchen.

“It’s basically a do-it-yourself redesign,” she says. “People can do it at their own time and pace and there’s no cost for the estimate. Plus, this gives clients all the power in their own hands and they can edit the cost. Sometimes people are embarrassed to say ‘I can’t afford this.’ This model lets them narrow down the cost.”

The company has two designers on staff who then help the customer streamline their facelift.

“People want some confirmation that what they selected looks good,” Reese says.

Reese and Sherrill debuted Snappy Kitchens in March, but have been at work on it since lasy July. The service opened to a warm reception at the Home and Garden Show in Dallas and even in its infancy, business is buzzing.

“The response has been fabulous and we’re doing about a proposal a week,” she says.

She says they are working out some kinks and doing all the web tools to maximize visitors to the site. However, the site runs smooth enough and easy to follow. By clicking the “Estimate My Kitchen,” button, the Snappy Kitchen Wizard appears and you’re on your way to that kitchen facelift. First the kitchen shape is determined followed by cabinetry, countertop measurements and options and then sink, faucet and backsplash. Since cabinets make up a big design element of most kitchens, you’d think that would be the most popular of the selections. Wrong.

“The most common request people want for their kitchen is a new countertop and then new appliances” she confirms. “Backsplash and then painting cabinetry and replacing hardware.”

You are in good hands with this team. With their primary company, the couple has realized their dream. But Sherrill is also one of 31 women in the industry to have certified remodelr designation from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry or NARI and that’s huge. Reese is also a hobby chef and Cook’s Illustrated recipe tester, so her knowledge of the kitchen adds a perspective to the redesigning beyond just looks.

And although Snappy Kitchens is their new baby, as any proud parent, they got big plans for it.

“Of course, KDC is our first business there is a different approach to services, different level of intimacy,” Reese says, “but even though Snappy Kitchens costs less for the customer, the quality is the same. We’re going full throttle with this and because it’s web-based, we even hope to franchise it.”

Likely everyone else does to, so make it snappy.

For more information or to begin your kitchen’s facelift, visit SnappyKitchens.com.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 15, 2011.

Conditioner love: Yes, you can have a cold house without the big bills — and that’s not hot air

Cool it now: Now that it’s bearable outside, this would be an ideal time to get that air conditioning unit tuned up

Not-so-secret gardens: Three gay gardens make elite 5 highlighted in this year’s Garden Conservancy Tour

Kitchen possible: One local couple can take the nightmare out of revitalizing your kitchen into a dream

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

editor
Rich Lopez

contributing writers
Steven Lindsey
David Taffet
Jef Tingley

creative director
Michael F. Stephens

graphic designer
Kevin Thomas

web design
John Wright

Partners Tom Lloyd-Boyd and Patrick Boyd-Lloyd, below, are putting Dallas on the map for impressive gardens like this green masterpiece at the Oak Cliff home of Ken Row and Sergio Remirez.

Three gay gardens make elite 5 highlighted in this year’s Garden Conservancy Tour

By Jef Tingley

Some people travel the U.S. looking for historic landmarks or quirky tourist traps like “the world’s biggest ball of twine,” but for Patrick Boyd-Lloyd, along with husband Tom Lloyd-Boyd, it’s the pursuit of the perfect petunia that fuels their vacations. To be more specific: the perfect garden. And as a result of their love of landscape, Dallas is now on the national garden circuit radar.

“We’ve been to [garden] tours in Upstate New York (seeing a couple of gardens owned by people who worked for Martha Stewart Living was a huge highlight), California, and, of course several, in Texas,” says Boyd-Lloyd. “This year, we’re going to Portland, Oregon and Brentwood/Santa Monica, California for a [tour] that features the garden of Julie Newmar of Catwoman fame.”

Through this green-thumb obsession, the Garden Conservancy was made aware to add Dallas to its list of Open Days Program. As Boyd-Lloyd tells it, “after returning from a Sonoma, California tour [in 2008], I contacted the Garden Conservancy to ask why Dallas wasn’t represented and walked right into being chairperson — open mouth and insert garden boot.”

This year marks his third time chairing the event.

In his role, Boyd-Lloyd helps to select the gardens that will be featured on the tour which, according to the organization’s website has, “unlocked the gates to hundreds of America’s very best private gardens.” It also raises awareness and finances to protect and maintain some of America’s best-loved historic properties. Boyd-Lloyd credits his passion for gardening and his 15-year history in the landscape design industry in helping him to find some of North Texas’ best-hidden treasures for Open Days.

“I look for gardens that are not ego-statements, but ones that the homeowners are actually a part of [and who] really get their own hands digging in the dirt. The point of the tour, to me, is to show the average homeowner that there are really interesting ideas and plants out there,” he says. “With our dramatic climate changes and alkaline, rocky and gumbo soils, this part of Texas is not an easy place to garden, but with a bit of knowledge and patience one can have a really special garden for their home.”

The May 21 Open Days Tour is a self-led experience through five gardens throughout DFW. This year, three of the gardens belong to members of the LGBT community.

The leadoff garden is located in Kessler Park and owned by Ken Row and Sergio Ramirez. It features terraced areas with views of the surrounding hills and trees, stone staircases, ponds and outdoor living spaces. According to Boyd-Lloyd, it’s especially known for its glorious display of hydrangeas and roses. Also in Oak Cliff does horticulturist Mike Munsterman own an impressive garden. In addition to the stunning flora, the “must-see” of this stop is a custom chicken coup built by Munsterman and his partner.

The Blue Lotus Gardens in East Dallas, owned by a husband and wife team in the landscape business, is a balance of arid plants like yuccas and agaves in one space countered by a water garden filled with Lotus flowers in another. The grounds also include honeybee hives and a turtle sanctuary.

Near Knox-Henderson, Alan Rister and partner Greg Armstrong have created an English-inspired garden mixed with Texas-native and adapted plants that play a large role in the landscape. The owners do all the planting and organic maintenance themselves.

The final stop on the tour is in Preston Hollow at the garden of Sharolyn and Stan Herndon. Here, the couple has transformed an unused backyard pool into a koi pond with multiple rills and streams.

But whether attending Open Days or just browsing at your favorite nursery, Boyd-Lloyd says it’s easy for anyone to get involved in gardening in North Texas. “Join a local garden club, hire a professional for a consultation, read books…[or] just start digging!”

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 15, 2011.