Frank Harmon’s Low Country House Wins National AIA Design Award
April 21, 2009 at 9:40 pm | In Interior Design, environmentalism, environmentalist, green architecture, news | Leave a CommentTags: architect nc, architect Raleigh
Photo by Richard Leo Johnson
April 21, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – “All good buildings begin with the land.” That is the edict that informs every building Raleigh, NC-based architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, designs. It is also one of the key reasons his design of a modern “green” residence in Charleston , South Carolina, recently received one of the American Institute of Architects’ Housing Awards for 2009.
For nine years the AIA has presented its annual Housing Awards to promote the importance of good residential design as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit, and a valuable national resource.
In an article on this year’s award-winners in the Wall Street Journal, author Christina S.N. Lewis observed: “With obvious opulence on the outs, the winning AIA homes offer a glimpse of the styles and features that might appeal to homeowners of the future. Many incorporate eco-friendly ideas: solar panels, radiant heating and ‘daylighting,’ the practice of maximizing natural light while reducing glare and heat. Another theme was the celebration of hardy, maintenance-free materials like stone, steel and copper, and reliance on locally available resources.”
Harmon’s Low Country Residence, completed in 2005, is exemplary of all points. It was designed to tread lightly on its lush site overlooking historic Shem Creek, and to evoke the feeling of living outdoors. The long, one-room-deep floor plan creates a slender footprint on the land and allows each room to have windows and porches overlooking the creek. The operable windows also provide natural cross-ventilation and lighting. Approaching the house under a canopy of moss-draped live oaks, the view of the marsh appears like an element in a Japanese painting.
Harmon’s modern interpretation of Charleston’s historic shutters – a series of 10 perforated steel screens that a single person can raise or lower — provides the glass wall overlooking the creek with protection from harsh weather and summer sun. In their upright position, the screens create shade for the glass wall overlooking the creek. In their closed position, they protect the wall and house from hurricane forces and flying debris – an essential need for an area that was ravaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
For strength, the 2500-square-foot house is built of steel and laminated-wood (Southern yellow pine) framing that rests on matt-concrete footings. The roof is a large, simple plane that shelters the house from the area’s torrential rains. Brazilian hardwood porch floors and pool decking avoids heat absorption and radiation during the hot summer season.
This is the third design award Frank Harmon’s Low Country house has received. It has also been featured in numerous magazines and journals and was a “House Of The Month” in the Raleigh News & Observer.
Jurors for the 2009 awards were: Kenneth Workman of RWA Architects; Rainy Hamilton Jr. of Hamilton Anderson Associates; Jane Kolleeny of Architectural Record and GreenSource magazines; and Jeff Oberdorfer of First Community Housing. Project summaries for all of this year’s award-winning designs can be found at aia.org.
For more information on the Low Country Residence and other projects by Frank Harmon, visit www.frankharmon.com.
Photo by Richard Leo Johnson
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Porto Brings Sustainable Furniture Movement to NC Designer Show Home
May 13, 2008 at 5:13 pm | In Interior Design | Leave a CommentTags: eco-friendly furniture, green furniture, sustainable furniture, Sustainable Furniture Council
May 13, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Among the many beautifully appointed rooms in Preservation North Carolina’s 2008 Designer Show Home in Chapel Hill, the Family Room and Office represented more than just the art of interior design. Michael Perry, co-owner of Porto in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, designed these two rooms to prove that homeowners can be stewards of the environment and aficionados of fine interior décor.
For its 2008 Show Home, Preservation North Carolina (PNC) chose Lise and Patrick Noble’s ca. 1920s Lashley House on the corner of East Rosemary and Boundary streets, one of eight historic properties in Chapel Hill protected by permanent preservation easements. Proceeds from the tours benefitted PNC’s statewide work to protect and promote endangered historic properties.
“Historic preservation is one of the best forms of sustainability,” said Perry, “It’s all about preserving and adaptively re-using existing structures rather than tearing them down and using up more natural resources to rebuild. Since the Designer Show Home was sponsored by and benefits PNC, it seemed perfectly symbiotic to represent the sustainable furniture movement within it.”
Going for a warm, casual look and working with a color palette of chocolate browns, copper tones, and a light, gray-green, Perry and Laurie Hamilton, also of Porto, filled the Family Room with hand-crafted furniture from the store’s collections that meet the high standards of the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC). The SFC is an independent, non-profit coalition that promotes eco-friendly practices and principles throughout the process of manufacturing home furnishings, from wood harvesting to non-polluting finishes and upholstery. Porto is a founding member of SFC.
Eco-friendly, or sustainable, furniture in the Family Room included: Cisco Brothers’ “Cosmo” leather sectional sofa and “Avante” armless chair; South Cone’s “Diva” wine cabinet, “Angelina” bookcase, ‘Manu” plasma cradenza and “Loft” coffee table; an oval, tiered side table by Michael Weiss for Vanguard; and a hand-knotted wool rug by Tracy Porter. Accessories included a ‘50s tortoise-shell glass lamp made of recycled materials by Louis Gaskill, and a 42-inch-square reclaimed tin-molding mirror.
To create a “clean, clubby, yet stylish” ambience for the Office, as Perry described it, he and Hamiton complemented soft, straw-toned walls with rich wood and leather furnishings and framed French advertising fliers from the early 1900s. The eco-friendly furniture included a chocolate-leather club chair by Dovetail and a dining chair-turned-desk-chair by Design Masters. “The dining chair added a note of style and comfort for an otherwise functional necessity,” Perry said. Accessories included desk and floor lamps by Robert Abby.
To make certain Show Home visitors understood the principles of sustainable furniture, Porto placed informational literature in both rooms.
“We need to raise awareness among consumers of home furnishings as well as manufacturers, retailers and designers,” Perry said. “High-quality, sustainable furniture not only does no harm to the environment, but it will also be around for generations to come. It will last, as heirlooms, rather than fall apart and end up in a landfill. And it’s up to consumers to drive the demand.”
For more information on the Sustainable Furniture Council, go to www.sustainablefurniturecouncil.org. For more information on Porto and its eco-friendly furniture collections, visit www.portohome.com.
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Raleigh, NC, Salon Owners Judge National Decor Competition
April 13, 2008 at 1:32 am | In Interior Design, hair styling | Leave a CommentApril 15, 2008 (RALEIGH, NC) – Jack and Joelle Ray, the husband-and-wife team behind Samuel Cole Salon and Salon Moxie in North Raleigh, recently served as judges to help select the 2008 “Salons of the Year” winners, a national salon décor competition sponsored by Salon Today magazine.
The Rays were asked to help judge this year’s winners after Samuel Cole Salon — remodeled and enlarged last year — received the magazine’s 2007 First Runner Up honor, placing second only to the grand-prize winner, Frederic Fekkai’s new salon in New York City.
The “Salons of the Year” competition focuses on new and newly remodeled salons. The magazine’s panel of editors and art directors evaluate all the entries and narrow the field down to 20 salons.
The judges then view seven to 10 photos of each remaining entry and score them in six décor categories: (1) use of color, (2) lighting, (3) flooring, (4) efficient use of space, (5) consistency of design, and (6) overall aesthetics. The salon with the highest score is the grand-prize winner and will be featured on Salon Today’s June cover. The next highest score is first runner-up. The second, third and fourth runners-up follow the same progression. The remaining salons are designated “Salons of Distinction.”
“Judging was lots of fun as well and it was an honor to be asked participate,” said Joelle Ray. “The process was more difficult than we thought it would be because there were many unique, interesting, and innovative designs to choose from.”
All of the winning salons will be published in the June edition. Based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, and published by Vance Publishing, Salon Today is a leading business magazine for fine salon and spa owners. Its sister publications include?Modern Salon, Process, and Renew magazines.
Samuel Cole Salon is located on Newton Road in North Raleigh. For more information and to see photos of its award-winning interior, visit www.samuelcole.com.
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Porto’s Michael Perry To Join Duke Panel Discussion on Sustainable Furniture Movement
April 10, 2008 at 6:07 pm | In Interior Design | Leave a CommentTags: Porto, sustainable furniture
April 10, 2008 (DURHAM, NC) – Michael Perry, co-owner of PORTO, a fine home furnishings store in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, will join South Cone Trading Company founder and CEO Gerry Cooklin at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business on Friday, April 11, at 11:45 a.m., to discuss “From the Rainforest to the Living Room: The Movement Toward Sustainable Furniture.” The event is part of the Fuquay School’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE).
Cooklin, of Gardena, California, will discuss his pioneering efforts in the sustainable furniture manufacturing industry. Perry will provide his perspective on the challenges and rewards of being a “green” home furnishings retailer and interior designer.
Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furniture Council – which Cooklin founded and Porto joined in 2007 — will also be a panelist.
According to Michael Perry, South Cone Trading has been one of Porto’s signature collections of home furnishings since the Raleigh location opened in 2004, not only for its quality and craftsmanship but also because the company practices and advocates sustainable forestry practices. Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), South Cone’s furniture is made solely with wood from sustainably managed rainforests.
“From the Rainforest to the Living Room” is is open to the public and will be held from 11:45 a.m,. to 12:45 p.m. in the Fuquay School’s Classroom G.(For directions visit www.fuqua.duke.edu/about/campus/directions.) Lunch will be provided.
The event is sponsored by the Working Group for the Environment in Latin America (WGELA) and CASE. For more information go to www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/case/events/#sustfurniture08 or email: case@fuqua.duke.edu.
Porto is located in Raleigh’s North Hills and Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Shopping Center. For more information on Michael Perry and Porto, visit www.portohome.com.
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Porto To Participate In “Feather Your Nest” Home & Garden Show
February 27, 2008 at 5:01 pm | In Interior Design | Leave a CommentTags: Chapel Hill interior designers, furniture, Interior Design, Michael Perry, NC furniture retailers, Porto, Sustainable Furniture Council
February 27, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – To help shake off the winter drabs and welcome the possibilities of spring, Porto, a fine home furnishings store in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, will present a sample of its collections and offer tips and techniques on sprucing up home interiors for the new season during “Feather Your Next,” a home and garden show to be held at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill on Sunday, March 16.
Porto co-owner Micheal Perry, who spends most of his time in the Chapel Hill store in Eastgate Shopping Center, will be on hand to meet show-goers and discuss what he sees as spring trends. He will also offer information on the increasing popularity of “environmentally friendly” furniture, which is produced by manufacturers who practice environmental stewardship. Porto is a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council and has made it a practice since the Raleigh location opened in 2004 to carry only manufacturers who practice environmental and social responsibility.
The spring show will also feature fabrics, flooring, wall covering, window treatments, lighting, kitchen and bath ideas, floral design, and home entertaining, as well as an “Ask The Experts” area.
The historic Carolina Inn is located at 211 Pittsboro Street. Tickets are $10, which includes hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting, gift bags and raffle give-ways. Doors open at noon. The event is sponsored by The Carolina Inn, MW Design and Chapel Hill Magazine. For more information, visit www.carolinainn.com.
Porto is located in Raleigh at 4151 Main at North Hills and in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Shopping Center, 1800 East Franklin Street. Hours are: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Sunday from 1 – 6 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.portohome.com.
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Carolinas ASID Designer Showhouse Selects Metro Magazine for Program Sponsor
February 13, 2008 at 11:46 pm | In Interior Design | Leave a CommentTags: ASID, ASID Carolinas, Bernie Reeves, designer showhouse, Interior Design, Metro Magazine, Raleigh NC
February 13, 2008 (RALEIGH, NC) — The Woman’s Club of Raleigh and the Carolinas Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) have chosen Metro Magazine (www.metronc.com) as the Program Sponsor for the 2008 Designer Showhouse scheduled for May 10 through June 1. The event will showcase two state-of-the art townhouses in Ramblewood at North Hills in Raleigh. Each room in the town houses will be designed and furnished by area members of ASID. Proceeds will benefit Hospice of Wake County as well as other community organizations and programs supported by the Woman’s Club of Raleigh.
As Program Sponsor, Metro will create the official printed guide to the Showhouse, which will include photographs and descriptions of the rooms as well as advertising opportunities for related businesses, individuals and industries.
Metro Magazine is a leading regional publication with circulation of 160,000 from the Triangle to the coastal area of North Carolina. Each edition features articles on architecture, interior design and historic preservation, along with other topics that appeal to its predominately affluent audience.
The Woman’s Club of Raleigh (WCR) is coordinating the Showhouse project. A non-profit corporation, the Club’s 400 volunteers raise approximately $200,000 and contribute 30,000 hours of volunteer service to the community each year. The Raleigh club last presented a Showhouse in 2005 and Metro served as program sponsor for that one. (To access coverage of the 2005 Show House, visit www.metronc.com.)
The WCR is partnering with the Carolinas Chapter of the ASID. ASID is the largest professional organization for interior designers in the US with over 34,500 members who have passed its acceptance standards. Each of the participating designers will be responsible for the design and décor of a specific area in one of the townhouses.
The finished townhouses will open first to sponsors and invited members of the community at an evening Designer Showhouse Preview Party on May 9. The Showhouse will open to the public daily from Saturday, May 10 through Sunday, June 1. Hours will be: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday; from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets will be $20 each at the door but can be purchased in advance for $15 per person.
Find more information about the Woman’s Club of Raleigh 2008 ASID Designer Showhouse at www.asidshowhouse.org or call the WCR at 919-782-5599.
For information about advertising in the ASID Designers Showhouse official program, contact Katie Reeves at 919-831-0999 or email: katie@metromagazine.net.
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Porto in Raleigh Welcomes New Designer/Sales Associate
February 12, 2008 at 12:10 am | In Interior Design | Leave a CommentTags: Interior Design, Porto, Raleigh, Raleigh furniture
February 11, 2008 (RALEIGH, NC) – PORTO, a find home furnishings store in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, announces that Mark Sieber has joined the North Hills staff as a designer and sales associate.
Sieber brings years of experience in retail and interior design to Porto. He has worked at West Side Furnishings in Raleigh, the former Domicile in Chapel Hill, Nowell’s in Cary, and served as manager of DiProvincia in Greensboro for five years. He attended Guilford College in Greensboro and UNC-Chapel Hill.
“Mark came highly recommended from his previous stores,” said Emily Barrett, who co-owns Porto with Michael Perry. “He has already worked with several of the lines we carry, so he was able to hit the ground running. We are really happy to have him on board, both because of his excellent credentials and his stellar reputation.”
According to Barrett, Sieber is known for “large, creative interior design projects, both residential and commercial.” He describes his design sensibilities as “eclectic” and “outside the box,” and says he most enjoys “assisting a client in executing his or her vision and creating an elegant, harmonious, and inviting space.”
PORTO is located in Raleigh at 4151 Main at North Hills and in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Shopping Center, 1800 East Franklin Street. Hours are: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Sunday from 1 – 6 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.portohome.com or call 919-341-2763 in Raleigh and 919-338-2602.
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