Incorporating a natural element like stone into your home decor adds texture and earthiness. Not just for flooring or countertops, stone has made its way into furnishings and accessories.

one: Pacific opal earrings, from Santa Monica, available at The Porch by Nettie White.

two: Osaka Obelisk, available at Savvy Surrounding Style.

three: Brass ring with overlay, available at The Porch by Nettie White.

SLHL: What is the most common problem in older homes in terms of energy efficiency and comfort?
Marc: Most of our clients complain about drafts, rooms that don’t heat or cool properly and cold floors. Of course, people would also like to see their energy bills go down. We are also getting a lot more calls about indoor air quality and ways to make the house more comfortable for people with allergies or chemical sensitivities.

The butter doesn’t care that it’s interview time. Kaylen Wissinger is ready for our meeting, but the butter is the perfect temperature for kneading into the dough. So I sit at a cheerful wooden table in the sunlit bakery while Wissinger works the butter, and her magic, into bacon blue-cheese scones.

Clicking her ruby red slippers together, Dorothy declares, “There’s no place like home.” While the sentiments were simply a line in the classic film The "Wizard of Oz," the phrase couldn’t be truer. Home is where we go to escape after a long day at the office; a place we raise our families and celebrate holidays. Your home gives you a feeling of security and stability that you can’t find in many other places.

You’ll find something for just about everyone at Bishop’s Post. That goes for the menu and the setting, too.

 “We have the best patio in Chesterfield,” says general manager Brenna Marchand. One side is covered by a roof, and the other abuts a burbling waterfall — a lovely scene that gives little hint that Chesterfield Mall is just up the hill and over the parking lot.

The restaurant can seat up to 300 people and offers a variety of large rooms, making it a popular place for parties, business meetings and other groups, she says.

Confused about what it means to build a “green” home?  You’re not alone! “The green building movement was, and continues to be, well-intentioned,” says custom builder Jeff Bogard. “It has moved construction in the right direction, but most clients don’t understand the practical value of owning a green home.”