INSIDE & OUT : Earthy Touches
When you put the finishing touches on your garden or landscape, sometimes you have to come back to earth.
The terra-cotta garden ornaments and accessories created by David and Rachel Klemek for their T.F. Studio line do just that.
From mirrors ($58 and up) to plaques (starting at $18) and stands ($15 and up), to their popular Garden Gems, the Klemeks draw upon nature and the land for inspiration.
The Klemeks, who grew up around pottery--David’s mother is a ceramist, and Rachel worked in a ceramics lab in college--use hand molding techniques that date to ancient Greece.
“We hope our products display a hint of the simplicity and natural grace that these craftspeople achieved in their work,” said Rachel, who, like her husband, attended University High School and UC Irvine. “David makes the molds, and we both work on the designs.”
The Klemeks, who began their T.F. Studio collection about a year ago with large planters decorated with terra-cotta dragonflies, bunnies, moons and other objects, soon found that it was the ornamentation that caught the attention of many.
“We found buyers, and other people were always asking us for the things on the pot--without the pot,” Rachel Klemek said.
As a result, the Klemeks added Garden Gems (about $12 for a box of seven to 10), which work in a similar manner as mulch to keep moisture in the soil. They have been put to other uses, too, including table decorations. Several designs are available--suns, moons, fish, butterflies, dragonflies and grape and maple leaves.
T.F. Studio pieces are available at Heard’s Country Garden in Westminster and Francoli Gourmet Emporio at Fashion Island Newport Beach, or by calling the Klemeks at (714) 650-6232 Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Paper Shades
These shades have got you covered--at least temporarily.
Redi Shade, a pleated shade made of a high quality paper, is an alternative to using sheets, newspapers or any other first-thing-you-can-find to cover windows. They are designed for use by the person in temporary quarters, waiting for custom draperies or trying to decide what sort of curtains they want to hang.
Redi Shades (about $5 each), which have the appearance of cloth, are easy to put up. All you need to do is apply the pressure sensitive tape directly to window glass, the window frame or a painted surface. If the shade is too big, it can be cut to fit the window. For larger windows, more than one shade can be used, and it also works for arch-shaped windows.
They can be left up long-term in areas where they won’t be handled often, such as garage and basement windows.
The shades are also reusable if you’re careful about removing the tape and saving the tape cover, said Ron Militello, president of Rohnert-based Shades Unlimited Inc., which distributes Redi Shade. “If you’ve just moved into your home, this is the solution for temporary window coverings.”
Redi Shades can be found in Orange County at smaller decorating shops and Home Depot.
Comfort Zone
Somma’s Nouveau “pillow top” mattress makes spring cleaning a little easier. Because the “pillow top” is removable, you don’t have to flip the mattress to air it out.
Several filler materials are available, so you can choose what’s most comfortable. Among the fillers offered by Los Angeles-based Somma are European goose down, New Zealand wool, cotton and synthetic fiber.
The Nouveau mattresses (nine models, from twin to king, from $500 to $1,400) are enhanced with convoluted foam, a nylon-based pad to reduce pocketing and a coil system.
Somma mattresses are sold at Ortho dealerships and South Coast Bedroom stores in Anaheim, Laguna Niguel and Westminster.
