THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702080087
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Around the House
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: 48 lines
THE LATEST CHIC collectibles are old wooden tennis rackets, according to the current House & Garden magazine. A New York shop owner who sells old rackets for $45 each says, in the magazine, that not only do they evoke a ``more genteel time,'' they simply ``lie nicely on the wall.''
New York interior decorator Kim Isaacsohn keeps her racket collection in a walking-stick stand in her front hall. ``They're very Gatsby,'' she says in House & Garden.
Use appliances wisely
The current ``Use Less Stuff'' newsletter lists beaucoup ways to conserve energy when using home appliances. Here's a sampling:
Refrigerator - Freezers that are at least two-thirds full run more efficiently. Fill empty space with recycled plastic milk jugs filled with water.
Dishwasher - Stick with the light/china and regular cycles. They use far less water than the one for pots and pans.
Stovetop - Cover pots with lids to prevent heat loss.
Washer - Stay away from the hot water cycle. Warm-water washing is 47 percent more energy-efficient, cold water 93 percent more energy-efficient than hot water.
Dryer - Dry two or more loads in a row so that the second one benefits from the heat already in the machine.
Water heater - A temperature of more than 140 degrees is wasteful; a range of 115 to 120 degrees is usually adequate.
Touches of pizzazz
Here are some tips worth putting in your bag of design tricks.
The current Ladies' Home Journal suggests this easy, inexpensive way to add pizzazz to a room: Accessorize with vividly colored handblown glass bottles in unusual shapes and sizes. Arranged on windowsills, the bottles will catch the sunlight for a dramatic effect.
If you have a room so small you have to go outside to change your mind, look on the bright side, suggests a design column from The Orange County Register. In a tiny powder room, for instance, you can use materials and finishes that might be unaffordable or too extravagant in a larger area.
When choosing colors for a room, select those with the same degree of intensity, advises a recent issue of Southern Living. Primary colors balance each other. But mixing a bright pastel and bright primary can be tricky because the pastel isn't a pure color. Touches of white will lend relief.