Bowl Games
Punch up your next party or picnic with the Super Bowl collection by Bodum.
Ideal for cooking, serving and storing, the bowls can tackle nearly any size dish you make. The bowls are made of tempered glass, so they are safe to use in the oven and microwave. They are dishwasher safe, too.
The bowls (about $3 for 16-ounce size; $4 for 24 ounces; and $10 for 96 ounces), are deep enough to handle your biggest salad--with all the fixings--or chips, salsa and popcorn.
The polyethylene lids are available in iceberg blue, pistachio, China green and cream.
Bodum, based in Racine, Wis., recommends hand-washing the lids to retain their shape, but it is OK to put them on the top rack of the dishwasher.
To complement the bowls, Bodum’s Vacuum Bistro carafe (about $17) has an insulated interior to keep its cool. The carafe, which can also hold hot liquids, holds 32 ounces, and has a twist-off cap and gasket for easy access.
The cap and gasket do not have to be completely removed to use it.
The bowls and carafe are available at the Container Store, Metro Pointe in Costa Mesa, (714) 556-2333.
Go Faux It
Recreating tin ceilings, oak paneling or gilded plaster friezes--decorative effects used in Victorian and Edwardian homes--is as simple as counting to three.
Anaglypta and Lincrusta, two paintable wallcoverings manufactured by Crown Decorative Products Ltd., make it easy to achieve these looks without a lot of skill.
There are three easy steps to doing a faux tin ceiling. First, you apply an embossed Anaglypta wallcovering pattern to the ceiling and seal it with two coats of paint. After 24 hours, apply a silver-toned paint with a roller and a brush.
Then finally, for a more burnished look, apply a tinted glaze over the silver paint.
All of the information on creating the faux finishes are available in a free booklet from Crown Decorative Products. Call: (800) 824-4777.
The wallcoverings can be purchased at paint, wallpaper and home decorating centers throughout the county.
No Bedlam
Bring order to the chaos and disorder in your bedroom with the Heritage Hill Collection by Sauder.
With bedrooms pulling double and triple duty as retreats and home offices or both, it’s easy to be overcome by the papers and potions.
The collection, a ready-to-assemble ensemble that is an updated version of 18th-century style, has a place for everything.
The over-scale armoire ($280) and deep cedar chest ($136) are ideal pieces for any clothes horse. There is ample shelving in the computer desk ($310), with comes with a hutch, and also in the library ($105) and night stand ($108). To complete the look, a matching headboard ($110) is available.
For more information and the nearest retailer, call (800) 523-3987.