Shopping in NYC: Best Home Stores

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 15th anniversary - we were married over Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington, NC on a rainy day that looked like it was going to be a total washout. It poured rain all the way to the church, but about 30 minutes before the ceremony the skies cleared and we were able to get some beautiful outdoor pictures. At some point during the wedding ceremony, another storm came through and at the exact moment that we were saying our vows, thunder boomed throughout the church. But once again, as we stepped out of the church, the skies had cleared and the sun had come out. At the time, we weren't sure whether the perfectly timed thunder was a good or bad omen for the future of our marriage, but 15 years and two beautiful daughters later, that question has certainly been answered.

Unfortunately, the same thunder and lighting that punctuated our wedding vows had a little anniversary of it's own. My husband's flight home from his business trip was cancelled and with all of the Memorial Day weekend traveling, he couldn't get another flight out for almost 24 hours later. So our wedding anniversary was "celebrated" with the two of us being several states away from one another. Fortunately, we have plans later this month to have a belated celebration by taking a weekend trip to New York City. I'll be arriving to NYC several hours before my husband, so of course my wheels are spinning thinking about how much shopping that I can cram into that time. There are several home stores in NYC that are on my "I'd love to shop" list including:

1. ABC Carpet & Home

This multistory flagship store has it all - rugs, furniture, antiques, textiles, accessories, etc. I've never been but have heard that there's something for everyone, whether your decorating style is contemporary or shabby chic. 

2. The Evolution Store

{TripAdvisor}

While it's more of a cabinet of curiosities than a home store, I've heard it's a great place to go if you're looking for unique accessories. They also sell large botanical and animal posters such as these beauties in Lauren Liess' family room:

{Pure Style Home}

3. Pearl River

{American Homestead}

Pearl River is an Asian import store that sells everything under the sun - clothes, groceries, cookware, plants, shoes, as well as some great things for your home. I've heard rave reviews of their lamps and ceramics and after reading a recent post by Holly Mathis on her visit to the store (blue and white patterned bowls and ginger jars? Yes please!), it's on my short list for sure.

{Holly Mathis Interiors}

{Holly Mathis Interiors}

4. Steven Alan Home Shop 

{Refinery29}

Steven Alan's new home store opened in Tribeca just a few months ago and I hear it's fantastic. The shop includes textiles, furniture, ceramics, books, and gardening tools mixed together in an Anthropologie type way. The shop also features pieces from various local purveyors.   

{Racked NY}

5. John Derian Company and John Derian Dry Goods 

John Derian is known for his decoupaged works, which are mixed in with vintage items and other unique home decorations. While I've never been to either of these shops (which are located right next to each other), they look just my style and are ones I'd love to make it to during our NYC visit.  

{Apartment Therapy}

6. West Elm

{TimeOut}

Yes, a big box store is also on my list. West Elm left Cincinnati several years ago and at the time, I didn't think it was a big loss because everything in their store was very modern and not at all my taste. However, West Elm is sooo different from what it once was! It's become one of my favorite stores and I seek it out whenever I'm in a new city. I saw several things in their most recent catalog that I'd love to see in person including these Outdoor Embroidered Pillows:

and this Dexter Outdoor Bench, which I'm eyeing for the entry of our new home:

7. The Brooklyn Flea 

The Brooklyn Flea has been ranked as one of the best flea/antique markets in the U.S., with hundreds of vendors selling antiques, jewelry, art, etc. every weekend. I won't have the time to go to the Brooklyn Flea during our upcoming weekend visit, but it's one of the places I am most looking forward to going to after our move to CT. 

So I'm dying to hear from all of you who live in NYC or are frequent NYC shoppers so I can figure out which 3 or 4 shops you'd recommend I hit during my weekend visit. I'd especially love to know if you have a favorite that's not on my list. Thanks and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

3 Little Mustard Seeds Giveaway Winner

First I must say that my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma. You can donate by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Also, if you live in an area that is at risk for tornadoes, visit the Red Cross' site {here} to read about their free tornado warning app that will alert you when a tornado warning has been issued. It also has a one-touch "I'm Safe" button to let loved ones know that you are okay after a tornado has passed. The Red Cross also has similar apps for hurricanes and earthquakes. In addition to those directly affected by the storm, I always feel for their friends and family who are waiting and wondering if their loved ones are ok so the "I'm Safe" feature of this app is a wonderful idea.

This month's giveaway from 3 Little Mustard Seeds got lots of love from you guys! It's always fun to read through the giveaway post comments and see the items you chose as your favorites. The most loved were the Monogrammed Burlap Table Runner,

Gray Elephants/Chevron Diaper Bag,

 Woodland Owls/Chevon Diaper Bag,

and the Navy Chevron Burlap Tote, which was the favorite of our giveaway winner!

So who is the big giveaway winner? Angie! Angie commented that she absolutely LOVES the chevron and burlap beach tote. Congrats Angie and thanks to Kelly, Sarah, and Emily at 3 Little Mustard Seeds for this great giveaway!

The giveaway winner was chosen at random by Rafflecopter

Garage Door Replacement: 10 Tips for Making the Right Choice

Several weeks ago we replaced our garage door and I shared the before and after pics and my excitement over how the new garage door transformed the look of our home. My husband and I had never purchased a garage door before and since it's a pretty big investment, I did quite a bit of reading and research before making a choice. I'm not claiming to be a garage door expert, but I certainly learned a lot along the way and have put a everything that I learned together to create this post with tips for making the right decision when choosing a garage door. I hope that having all of this information in one place will be helpful to some of you when the time comes to replace your own garage door (which hopefully won't be due to an oops like mine - an open car tailgate and closing garage door aren't a good combination...).

1. Know the pros and cons of natural wood doors versus steel or aluminum doors before choosing a material for your garage door. The most popular garage door material is steel. Steel doors can be insulated to be more energy efficient than wood doors and they are lower maintenance and generally less expensive than wood doors. Aluminum doors are typically the least expensive type of garage door and the most lightweight (and thus easiest to lift manually) but also the most prone to dents. However, aluminum has the advantage of being resistant to rust and corrosion, giving it an advantage in coastal regions. Natural wood doors need to be repainted or restained every few years and they can be quite costly compared to steel and aluminum doors. However, the warmth and beauty that wood garage doors can bring to a home is undeniable!  

2. Consider the insulation value ("R-value") of the garage door.  The higher the R-value of the garage door, the greater the insulation value and energy efficiency. If you live in a temperate climate, this may not be an important issue for you. However, if you live in a harsh climate, have finished living space above your garage, or plan to heat or cool your garage because you are using it for purposes other than parking cars (for example, a workshop or laundry area), the garage door's R-value is definitely something to consider. Several years ago, we put a master bedroom/bath addition above our garage and the space has always been much colder than the rest of the house in the winter - our new garage door that has a much higher R-value than the old one has made a significant different in the colder temperatures. The negative of getting a garage door with a high R-value is the cost - generally, the higher the R-value of the door, the higher the price. So your need for a well insulated garage door needs to be weighed against the extra cost.

3. Choose a garage door color that coordinates with the exterior colors of your home, whether that be by selecting one of the standard prefinished door colors or painting/staining your door a custom color. Most garage door manufacturers offer their garage doors in several fairly standard color options. If one of the standard colors matches well with the rest of your house, perfect! A prefinished door is the way to go if you can find a color that works for you because it's virtually maintenance free. However, if none of the colors offered by the manufacturer work well with the exterior colors of your home, consider painting it. To make the painting job easier on you, you can request to have the door delivered to your home prior to installation so that you can paint the individual sections of the door before it is hung. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for how to prep your door before painting, the type of paint to use (use of oil based paint may void the warranty), and restrictions on painting with dark colors. 

4. Don't underestimate the visual impact of adding windows to your garage door. My old garage door didn't have windows so initially I didn't consider this option when selecting a new one but after using Clopay's Door Imagination System (see tip #6), I could see for myself what an amazing difference the addition of windows would make to the overall look of my home. Now I've become a believer that the vast majority of the time, the most attractive garage door for your home is going to be one with windows. These two homes from Clopay's "Before and After" Pinterest Board are other great examples of the difference that windows can make:

5. Select a style of garage door that complements your home. Obviously, you don't want to put a contemporary looking aluminum and glass garage door on a traditional Colonial home or a carriage style door on a contemporary home. Also, if your garage door will have windows, be mindful of the shape of the windows and the size of the window grilles that you choose. As examples, these three homes in the same community all have garage doors with windows that were thoughtfully chosen to complement the home:

The rectangular shape of these garage doors' window openings and the division of the windows with square grilles mimic the design of this home's large window (to the left of the garage doors) that has rectangular trim and square grills.  

The arched shape of these garage doors' window openings and the division of the windows with square grilles mimic the design of the arched windows to the right and above the garage doors.  

The rectangular shape of these garage doors' window openings and the division of the windows with rectangular grilles mimic the design of the large windows to the left and the right of the garage doors.  

6. Use an online tool such as Clopay's Door Imagination System that allows you to upload a photo of your home and change the design of the garage door to see how various designs transform your home's appearance. For example, I uploaded this picture of my home with the old garage door:

When I tried out a carriage-house style door without windows it looked like this:

but with windows, the visualizer showed me that it would look like this (much better!):

7. Be aware that most garage door manufacturers have options for different styles of decorative door hardware and also that installing some of the hardware on the door is optional. For example, I chose a carriage-house style garage door but wasn't fond of the look of the hinges or step plate (hardware on bottom center) with the style of my home so I chose to not install those pieces of hardware. I also changed out the standard lift handles for colonial handles that better suited my home.   

8. If you live in an area at risk for hurricane force winds, be sure that your garage door is a wind-rated door that meets local wind load reinforcement requirements. Approximately 80% of residential wind damage starts with wind entry through the garage door. 

9. Ask about the the warranty for your garage doors, as some manufacturers offer longer warranties than others. The length of warranty can also differ depending upon the specific type of door you choose.

10. Once you've found the door that's perfect for you, be sure to price shop. I had gotten the quote for the Clopay door that I ended up choosing from a local dealer but then saw that Home Depot was having a sale on Clopay doors that would have made my garage door less expensive to buy through them. I informed the salesperson that I was working with and they agreed to match the Home Depot sale price, saving me a few hundred dollars.

Good luck with choosing a new door! While shopping for a new garage door isn't the most fun you'll ever have, take the time to make the right choice. The impact that a new garage door can have on the appearance of your home is likely much bigger than you may expect!