Welcome Home!

Every addition brings another layer of character

Cheryl-Anne Millsap   /  The Spokesman-Review

When I was a child, the family that lived down the street had a book I loved. Each page of the old, leather-bound volume had a very simple drawing on it – sketches of rooms in a grand country house. Between the pages were leaves of vellum, translucent layers that were meant to be placed over the drawings one at a time. Each sheet had details that added dimension to the original. When they were added, the illustration was richer and more intricate.

I loved it when they brought out the book and allowed me to look at it. I enjoyed the way the sketches altered each time I added another layer. It was, to me, a kind of magic.

I've never seen another book like that one. But as I grew up and moved into apartments and houses and learned to make a home in the space that held me at the time, I was reminded of it.

Every room starts out as an empty box. A space that needs something more. Paint and wallpaper make subtle changes. Furniture adds dimension. Textures – textiles, hardwood or hand-laid tile – add yet another element.

When we personalize our home we do just what I did when I pulled the heavy book onto my lap and watched the image change with each turn of the page. We give the space depth and character. We build it a little at a time.

Homemaking is an art. Like cooking. Like living well. The South Hill home of William and Marcia Bond, a creative haven built around the couple's love of food and entertaining, reflects that art. Our cover feature offers a peek into rooms that have graced two of the most popular shelter magazines.

This week marks the return of The Arrangement, a feature that gives you the tips and tools to create a beautiful centerpiece for your table, and we've got the story of a very special potting shed built by doting grandparents.

This issue of Home, like every issue, is a picture book of good ideas and good stories. Take your time. Turn the pages and watch the story unfold.

Enjoy.