Cooks & Cocinas: Dolly and Floyd Baker
14.09.11
Though for almost a quarter-century a Terrell Hills couple thought their kitchen was beautiful, they are now living a dream with a space that better suits the contemporary style their home.
Who's cooking: Dolly Baker , mother of three daughters, grandmother to eight and great-grandmother to two, and husband Floyd, a surgeon and retired Army major general.
When Dolly was growing up, her mother cooked but didn't teach, so she's a self-taught cook who says she made many mistakes in the kitchen when she and Floyd were newlyweds 62 years ago.
Floyd, who with his dad and brothers cooked after his mother passed away when he was 10, says he “forgot everything he knew about cooking when I got married.” Dolly gives him props for helping, “and he's always on call.”
What's cooking: Dolly cooks lunch and dinner almost every day, using fresh ingredients and few processed foods.
When she and Floyd have small dinner parties, Dolly likes to make dishes she can prepare ahead of time. It's a trick she perfected for all the entertaining she did when Floyd was commander of medical services at several posts, including Brooke Army Medical Center , and then commander of U.S. Army Health Services Command at Fort Sam Houston.
Source: San Antonio Express
Downsized Design
01.10.11
While the economic crash and slow recovery have altered spending habits, they haven’t deterred the desires of today’s homeowners to have beautiful, efficient spaces in their homes. Lives continue to be hectic and stressful, and the home is viewed as a respite – a place for relaxation and gathering comfortably with friends and family.
How those welcoming spaces are achieved, however, is no longer the same as it was just a few years ago. With the age of conspicuous consumption in the past, homeowners have had to alter their mind sets, often working within their home’s existing parameters rather than the large spaces they dream of.
“Clients are definitely making do with the space they have so they don’t have to make as large of an investment,” stresses Ken Czarnecki of KSI Kitchen & Bath in Brighton, MI.
“They won’t be moving with the housing market as it is, so they want their homes to look great, and they want improved functionality. But, the project needs to be kept within a reasonable budget.”
Source: Kitchen and Bath Design News