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Open House

The Ultimate Beach House, Tips For The Perfect July 4th Bash

Aired July 02, 2005 - 9:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

GERRI WILLIS, HOST: We're talking vacation homes and holiday parties, just in time for the July 4th weekend.
ANNOUNCER: Today on OPEN HOUSE, the ultimate beach house. We'll tour "House and Garden's" designer show house for the latest trends in home design.

Plus, now's the time to find those last-minute summer rentals. Well show you how to get a great deal on a vacation home.

And plan the perfect July 4 party, from fireworks safety to the best backyard bash, next on OPEN HOUSE.

WILLIS: Hello, and welcome to CNN OPEN HOUSE. I'm Gerri Willis.

I'm here at the ultimate vacation home. It's "House and Garden"'s Hampton designer show house in Southampton, New York.

Each year, the magazine works with top designers to make over a beautiful home. Today, we'll show you those designers' best ideas that you can use on your own.

Come on, let's take a private tour.

Joining us now is Carolyn Sollis from "House and Garden" magazine.

Good to see you.

CAROLYN SOLLIS, "HOUSE AND GARDEN" MAGAZINE: Hi, Gerri.

WILLIS: I love this room. It reminds me of one of those old- fashioned hobby rooms.

SOLLIS: To me, it's just the perfect great American summer living room. There's lovely, comfortable furniture, there's lots of ideas, there's places to play games, lots of light, a fantastic porch with a balcony with a great view. So, just a room that everybody'd love to relax in.

WILLIS: We've got puzzles, we've got a bed for the dog. Everything's here. But can I do this on the cheap, or does it cost a lot of money to put this together?

SOLLIS: You know, I think you could do it very inexpensively, because they're solid fabrics, there are lots of different pillows, there's lots of mixing of different surfaces, lots of textures, and then lots of details that make the room really special.

WILLIS: You know, I was looking at some of the mixing and matching that's going on here, and I'm always afraid I'm going to do it wrong. Is there any rule of thumb I can use?

SOLLIS: You know, I think you have to think a little bit about scale. You have to have sort of colors that are compatible, and then you always need a color that's a surprise. This color scheme is basically pink and brown, which we think is a very hot color combination.

But just sort of think of the overall palette, and get colors that blend together. I think that helps you sort of get the scheme right.

WILLIS: One of the things I love are these bamboo curtain holders. They're really creative, and I'm wondering if I can do that on my own.

SOLLIS: Well, designer Bunny Williams is very clever. She's one of the best in the country, but yet she knows how to do good ideas, go find simple things. She actually went to just a bamboo supply place and put the rods up. And then at the end, where the finial normally would be, there's just a pod from a living plant that's dried that she's used to make the finials. So they're very clever tricks here.

WILLIS: Carolyn, let's go see the next room.

The ceiling in this bedroom shows a great design idea. Carolyn, explain.

SOLLIS: Well, Jamie Drake is known for color and luxury. And he has put shimmery silver fabric up on the ceiling.

WILLIS: It's really pretty.

SOLLIS: And then edged it with a little rope all the way around.

The color scheme in this room is all beautiful soft blues and greens. You feel like you're by the seaside, which we are in Southampton. The wallpaper is from Alpha Workshops, and it's combed in a wonderful crosshatch design. And again, there's a little silver in it, so it shimmers.

So I think you could pick up the ideas a little bit more affordably using some inexpensive pieces of Lucite. Maybe you would use some glass. Maybe you want a glass lamp that you could find at a shop that's a little bit less expensive than we have here.

But you want to create that effect of sort of the silvery soft blues and greens.

WILLIS: Well, I have to tell you, I think combining this blue and this green is a little experimental. It wouldn't have occurred to me to put the two together. How do you decide what colors to throw together, now? SOLLIS: Well, they're in the same family on the color wheel, so that you -- they do sort of naturally go together. But these are sort of softer tones, which is probably prettier for a summer house, like we have here. He's added them into the floor is stained a beautiful green. And that's a trend right now. We're seeing people staining floors rather than keeping them a natural finish. So that looks fantastic. So this is just a very soft green on the floor.

WILLIS: Let's see the next room.

A lot of people think you can't have big decorative impact in a small room, but this shows they're wrong.

SOLLIS: Well, Charlotte Moss used great color, tangerines, oranges, big-scale pieces of furniture, and lots of character in this space.

WILLIS: I love all the textures and all the different designs that come together in this room. But one thing that you might not notice at first is the paint on the walls. Is this a technique they're using?

SOLLIS: It's a stria technique. All the paint in the house is from Farrow and Ball, and this is the most wonderful sort of soft, buttery yellow. So you feel like the sun's shining even on a rainy day, which is fantastic.

WILLIS: How can I get this look at a lower price?

SOLLIS: Pick a fabric that has a good, strong pattern on it. And again, this color scheme is kind of corals and soft browns. Fabric with a good scale, good scale pieces of furniture. And then sort of mix and match. There's tiger pillows. A little -- somebody says a little skin in every room is what you need. So that looks fantastic. And then just smaller touches, smaller details. The window shade has a scallop on it. The lampshades are coral and are pleated.

WILLIS: You mentioned collections. There's beautiful maps that are framed on the wall over here. Makes you feel almost international. Is there a way, is that the way people add their own personality in a room?

SOLLIS: Well, I think sort of international style is very important right now. People love to mix. And even if you don't travel, you can collect things from almost any store now that looks like you've been far away. So if you like maps, you could go to a local map shop, cut them out, frame them inexpensively, put a group of them together. If you group things together, it has much more impact than if you just do one or two things. That's a great suggestion.

Mix textures. Look for contrast in rooms. I think that's what makes them really interesting. A shiny surface with a matte surface, something old, something new. All that mix makes it look exciting.

WILLIS: Bringing together different things, so you don't have (INAUDIBLE) kind of a monochromatic...

SOLLIS: Exactly.

WILLIS: ... feel to the whole room.

SOLLIS: Exactly.

WILLIS: Carolyn, we'll see you a little later in the show, when you help us plan our Fourth of July celebration.

SOLLIS: Great.

WILLIS: But first, we're going to see another room and meet two designers.

Joining me now to discuss their design of this screened-in porch are Lisa Jackson and Stephen Siegel.

Hello.

STEPHEN SIEGEL, DESIGNER: Hey.

LISA JACKSON, DESIGNER: Hello.

WILLIS: All right, this is like no screened-in porch I've ever seen. Tell me what you guys were thinking as you designed this.

JACKSON: Well, when you start a show house, the sky's the limit. So you -- what you want to do, the goal is to do something a little unexpected, a little dramatic. But part of the other thing is, people come here to sort of get design ideas as well.

WILLIS: Well, it's very dramatic, and it's very different. I'm thinking about how low this table is. Is this practical? Is this something that you find people embrace, Steven?

SIEGEL: Well, you know, we wanted to do something that was a little bit different. And we thought it would be kind of fun to come in and camp out for the night at a dinner party, so we threw a lot of pillows on the floor and made it very comfortable.

WILLIS: It's beautiful. And I love the color scheme. Now, how did you come up with this color palette?

JACKSON: Well, we're sort of the ying and the yang, masculine, feminine. And I really had a hankering to do something pink. It's sort of summery and airy and always casts a beautiful glow.

WILLIS: You must be the brown, then.

SIEGEL: Yes, yes. Well, we both like brown. It's sort of like the new pink.

WILLIS: Exactly. All right. You have beautiful Lalique china here on the table. But what I'm wondering is, how can I get this look and not pay a lot of money? JACKSON: I think everything here is about repetitive elements. I mean, we've used hurricanes here and lots of candles. So that's easy. You can get that anywhere. These are actually fishing baskets from Indonesia. You can use paper lanterns and do them in a repetitive way.

WILLIS: They're really beautiful.

JACKSON: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).

WILLIS: I love the way they're set up here. And they can hang really low, because you've moved the table height.

One thing I like about this room is, it feels like you've brought the outside in. There are so many natural elements, with this beautiful table. Tell us how you achieved that effect.

JACKSON: I think that it's important to -- it's the summertime. Everything's blooming. This was originally a screened-in porch. So, go out into your garden or, you know, and do some cutting. They don't have to be the same color. Just use lots of them. The important thing, what makes an impact in this room is that there are a lot of each thing, and that's sort of by...

WILLIS: (INAUDIBLE).

JACKSON: Yes.

SIEGEL: I think that when you do elements in a repetitive fashion, it doesn't really matter if they're modern or they're traditional. I think that the repetitive nature of them will make it feel modern and fresh. So if you have hurricane candles, put a dozen of them on the table.

WILLIS: All right. And you've certainly done that. You, you -- you know, we have many candles, we have many lights. We have lots of flowers. There's a sense of abundance in this room, which is really attractive.

JACKSON: And then I think it's important to choose a color and let that be dominant in the room. I mean, you can see there's a lot of pink in here, accented by naturals. And even -- and it goes into the china. So just do color blocks. Whatever your colors are, it doesn't really matter, mix it up. That's part of the fun.

SIEGEL: And take some risks. I think there's a lot of great stuff out in the market these days.

WILLIS: Lisa Jackson, Stephen Siegel, thanks for the tour of your screened-in porch.

JACKSON: Thank you.

SIEGEL: Thank you.

WILLIS: Next on OPEN HOUSE, summer may already be under way, but it's not too late to find a beautiful vacation home to rent. We show you how to find a great deal.

Plus, July 4 celebrations and fireworks go hand in hand. But before you light off your display, we have tips on keeping yourself and your family safe.

But first, your tip of the day.

ANNOUNCER: Looking for huge discounts on designer furniture? Check out model homes in your area. Sometimes the high-end furniture on display is for sale. Builders often spend big bucks to furnish homes in hopes to entice prospective home buyers. But once the units sell out, they look to get rid of the furniture and accessories. They may send the furniture to charity, sell it to employees, sell it to their home buyers, or offer items for sale to the public.

So if you visit a model home and see something you like, ask the salesperson about that builder's policy.

And that's your tip of the day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Welcome back to OPEN HOUSE.

We're at "House and Garden"'s designer show house in one of the nation's hottest summer rental markets, now, it's the Hamptons, New York. Now, most of us can't afford a beach house like this, but there are still deals out there, and we have tips on finding them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS (voice-over): Though the summer season is in full swing, for last-minute planners, a summer rental is still within reach.

LAURA BEGLEY, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE" MAGAZINE: If you've procrastinated, and you haven't made any plans yet for summer, you're not out of luck, because there still is a lot of availability, depending on where you look.

WILLIS: Start by identifying properties online, or through rental agents in the places you want to go. And once you find them, make your procrastination pay off.

BEGLEY: Being really last-minute can work to your advantage, because the homeowner will be more willing to negotiate. Homeowners are more willing to do bargaining if you wait until the Wednesday before a weekend booking.

WILLIS: Keep in mind other tips to getting the most value.

Look for midweek rentals. Owners who only use their vacation homes on weekends may be willing to rent it out during the week at an affordable rate.

Skip the peak weekends like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day, when rates tend to go up. And opt for shorter-term rentals.

MARK FIORAVANTI, PRESIDENT, RESORTQUEST: There are a few markets in the Northeast that still require seven-day rentals, but we're seeing more and more opportunities for consumers to go online and book more flexible vacation opportunities in the vacation home category.

WILLIS: Why so many availabilities late in the season this year? Americans have changed the way they plan vacations.

FIORAVANTI: We have seen, in the leisure industry generally, a shortening in the booking window as people have used the Web to understand what their options are, look for potential last-minute deals. And we've seen that trend continue through this season.

WILLIS: Another reason? High inventory.

FIORAVANTI: We also have seen a great deal of increase in supply over the last several years, as more and more people have found the value in purchasing vacation homes. So there is more and more inventory available to choose from for consumers when they want to book that vacation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: And remember, when you are ready to book, flexibility is the key.

Wherever you are this Fourth of July weekend, you'll probably have fireworks on hand. Chris Huntington has some safety tips.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Americans are buying more fireworks than ever before. The American Pyrotechnics Association says sales this year are clearly on a pace to set a new record.

JULIE HECKMAN, AMERICAN PYROTECHNICS ASSOCIATION: The demand for backyard consumer fireworks by the general public has just skyrocketed. In particular, following the horrific events of September 11, we've seen an increased rise in national pride and patriotism, and more Americans are choosing to use backyard fireworks to celebrate their freedoms.

HUNTINGTON: But fireworks come with obvious dangers. Last year, there were nearly 10,000 fireworks-related injuries, almost half involving children under the age of 14.

Thirty-nine states, plus the District of Columbia, allow at least some type of consumer fireworks. Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, and Vermont allow only sparklers. Arizona allows only so-called novelty items like snappers and champagne party poppers. But Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island ban all consumer fireworks.

And the federal government has a nationwide band on popular items like M-80s, cherry bombs, and silver salutes. Still, across the U.S., fireworks can be easy to find.

(on camera): Wherever you are in the country, and whatever the laws are in your particular area for fireworks, you know that these kind of stands exist all around the nation. And if there isn't one near you, chances are you've got a cousin or a friend that can getting access to one.

But the Consumer Product Safety Commission says ignoring these bans could mean facing civil or criminal penalties and possibly even severe injury.

Here, an M-80 is ignited.

HAL STRATTON, CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: Every year, children and adults lose fingers and hands or worse due to illegal fireworks.

HUNTINGTON: The Consumer Product Safety Commission says even so- called safer fireworks can be dangerous.

STRATTON: While sparklers are legal in many communities, they burn at temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees, hot enough to cause third-degree burns.

HUNTINGTON: But following a few rules can minimize the risks.

Buy from a reputable dealer.

HECKMAN: Look for the permit at their stand. Never buy anything that's not labeled. If it doesn't bear a label, which is required by the federal government, no label, it's most likely an illegal explosive.

HUNTINGTON: Follow label instructions. Have a responsible adult present. Never shoot or aim fireworks in the direction of another person or animal. And douse fireworks with water before disposing them.

And always take some extra precautions.

(on camera): So a bucket of water is crucial, obviously, in case things get a little bit out of control. Obviously, you've got some safety goggles, good idea, for the person who's in charge. And the rest of us, who are going to be watching...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)...

HUNTINGTON: ... keep a safe distance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE), this (INAUDIBLE)...

HUNTINGTON: All right, I'm going to go join the family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Safe distance away. Again, yes, you're right. We have our bucket of water, we have our safety goggles, which I'll put on now. We have our lighter. We light the product. Move away.

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): And what should you do if one turns out to be a did?

HECKMAN: You never attempt to relight a fireworks that didn't function. You want to leave it alone for at least 15 minutes. Light another device, you know, at a safe distance from where the previous one was.

HUNTINGTON: And remember, fireworks can be enjoyed as a spectator sport. You can always sit back, relax, and watch the public displays put on by the professionals.

For OPEN HOUSE, Chris Huntington, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Coming up on OPEN HOUSE, our weekend project. Throw a top-notch July 4 party, from table settings to menu ideas. We have tips to create the ideal get-together.

But first, your mortgage numbers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Welcome back to OPEN HOUSE, from the Hampton designer show house.

Our weekend project, planning the perfect Fourth of July celebration.

Our J.J. Ramberg and Carolyn Sollis from "House and Garden" magazine show us how.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

J.J. RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tell me a little bit about this table, because this is fancier than what you usually think of when you think Fourth of July.

SOLLIS: This is much fancier. But it's kind of nice to think about a sophisticated Fourth of July. And although it looks fancy, it's very simple, and you could do it in a minute.

RAMBERG: It doesn't look like you could do it in a minute, though, because there's so many different things on this table. So you have to go rush out and get everything?

SOLLIS: Well, you don't. And the good news about Fourth of July at the last minute is, you can find everything. And there's so many sales and bargains out there that you can add to what you have at home by mixing in things that you've found at the stores.

So we have beautiful ocean china from Williams Sonoma that looks fantastic, with seashells and starfish on them.

RAMBERG: What do you think of when you're putting together this table? First, red, white, and blue, right?

SOLLIS: Well, we've added red with flowers. Just very inexpensive red carnations, which are really hot right now. And you have to kind of cut them down. You have to buy a lot of them.

RAMBERG: What's the menu here?

SOLLIS: I'm thinking lobster, I'm thinking champagne, probably beautiful seafood bisque in the soup bowls, and a wonderful green salad. And for fewer people. You probably wouldn't do this for a crowd.

RAMBERG: Tell me a little bit about some of the things you have decorating the table. Because where can you find -- I mean, we're in the Hamptons. We can find this at the beach, but...

SOLLIS: Absolutely.

RAMBERG: ... what if you're in the middle of the country?

SOLLIS: If you're in the middle of the country, I know you can find some sort of sea motifs. You really can. And if you're in the mountains, you know, maybe you do something different with pine cones. and make it rustic.

RAMBERG: What about bugs?

SOLLIS: Bugs? Well, I've decided that the only way we can get rid of bugs is do it attractively. And we found these fantastic citronella candles that we got from Pier One. They're very inexpensive. I think they were $3 each, and...

RAMBERG: Oh, wow, those are beautiful.

SOLLIS: ... they stick in the ground. You light them up and hopefully no mosquitoes will be bothering you.

RAMBERG: So how much, about, would it cost someone to put together a meal like this, not the food, but just all the stuff?

SOLLIS: I'd say probably around $300 max.

RAMBERG: Carolyn, we saw the really fancy Fourth of July set-up, but this one just looks like a lot of fun.

SOLLIS: This is the picnic. This is the relaxed, casual...

RAMBERG: (INAUDIBLE)...

SOLLIS: ... hot dogs...

RAMBERG: ... (INAUDIBLE)...

SOLLIS: ... barbecued chicken...

RAMBERG: ... (INAUDIBLE). SOLLIS: Absolutely. All American, polka-dots, young, fun, just happy and fantastic.

RAMBERG: You know what I love? I just have to start with this, because I think this is the most clever part, the blue and red drinks.

SOLLIS: Blue and red drinks. And actually the blue and red drinks, this is incredible lemonade. And the blue is just bubbly water, but the bottles are so fantastic. They're part of the centerpiece, so we have flags to put in them.

RAMBERG: All right, let's go through the rest of this table.

SOLLIS: Absolutely.

RAMBERG: What else is here? What kinds of things did you think of to make it fun?

SOLLIS: Well, this was also last-minute Fourth of July. And as I said, you can save some things from home. Everybody seems to have white plates, white bowls. So these we recycled from our cupboards. But I ran to Pier One, and I found fantastic red bowls.

RAMBERG: The whole thing together, if you had to estimate...

SOLLIS: Oh, my gosh, I...

RAMBERG: ... (INAUDIBLE)...

SOLLIS: ... would say probably definitely less than $100, no question about it.

RAMBERG: Wow.

And here you have a lantern.

SOLLIS: Well, if this picnic was in the evening, they're...

RAMBERG: (INAUDIBLE) easy...

SOLLIS: ... incredible lanterns. This is from the Pottery Barn. And there are lanterns that you can hang from the trees. We have a big tree above us. You could hang them around an umbrella.

RAMBERG: What I love about this is, I'm looking, you don't have that many centerpieces here...

SOLLIS: No, (INAUDIBLE)...

RAMBERG: ... but it looks like it's a very decorated table...

SOLLIS: It does. Because just, you know what? The contrast of the red and the white just looks so clean, it almost looks modern. It's very traditional, but it looks very up to date and very modern.

RAMBERG: And in this case, you went red with a little touch of blue.

SOLLIS: Red with just a tiny bit of blue. So I'm getting the theme in, but I'm doing it just with a little finesse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: Coming up on OPEN HOUSE, a look at next week's show. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Coming up next week on OPEN HOUSE, our special backyard bash. Create a vacation spot in your very own back yard. We'll take a look at beautiful pools, the best barbecue grills, and small things you can do to spruce up the outside of your home.

Thanks for watching OPEN HOUSE. And thanks to "House and Garden" for having us.

Coming up next, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED."

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