Franklin holds annual Labor Day art fair, family event
Franklin’s annual Labor Day fine art fair, “Art in the Village,” will kick off at 10 a.m. Monday, featuring the work of more than 80 artists. There will be pottery, glass, furniture, jewelry, fiber and more at this year’s show, which is the 35th annual. There will also be music from Sean Blackman and Rennie Kaufmann. The art show runs until 5 p.m. The historic Franklin village, meanwhile, will also be celebrating Labor Day with its 71st annual Round Up, a summer’s end family celebration. There will be a parade at noon, petting farm, pony rides, giant inflatables, a raffle, magician, jugglers, a classic car show, and more. The Round Up runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday in downtown Franklin. For information, go to franklinartinthevillage.com.
Michigan Design Center presents
‘Art of Design’
Good design isn’t effortless. There an art to it. That’s the topic of the Michigan Design Center’s final installment of its Summer Event Series, which starts at 10 a.m. Thursday. “The Art of Design” will include presentations at showrooms throughout the day by local interior designers. Julie Byrne of Julie Byrne Interiors will present “Quick Fix Design Trends” at 10 a.m. in the Decoroom showroom, while designer Corey Damen Jenkins (below) will present “Making Your Dreams Come True,” at 12 p.m. at the Kravet showroom. There will also be presentations on the art of collecting, fine linens, and more. And designer Ann Marie Anton will transform the design center’s lobby into an eclectic meeting place. “The Art of Design” is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. The design center is at 1700 Stutz in Troy. For more information, call (248)649-4772 or go to www.michigandesign.com.
Sherwin-Williams introduces ColorSnap Studio, 200 new colors
Paint retailer Sherwin-Williams is rolling out a new color system that will make it easier to select possible paint colors, whether you’re in the store or using your smart phone. The new ColorSnap studio includes a redesigned display, integrated online tools, and tools for professional designers. Rather than strips, paint is now featured on 2-by-3 inch take-home color chips and colors are organized by family. Sherwin-Williams says in-store testing showed the new ColorSnap Studio reduces the time it takes to select a paint color by 60 percent on average. As part of the new system, Sherwin-Williams also is adding 200 new colors. There’s also an online tool, the CoolSnap Visualizer that lets customers scan a paint chip with their smart phone and then see rooms featuring that color. The in-store ColorSnap Studio started rolling out last month.
‘Tranquility’ is this week’s winner, grand prize named next week
Debora and John Kubik’s Canton yard isn’t just a garden, it’s a sanctuary for butterflies, hummingbirds and more. It’s also their personal sanctuary with its beautiful mix of annuals, perennials and antique garden art. “The garden is my escape to Peace, Love, Serenity,” say the Kubiks. Their photo, “Tranquility,” is this week’s winner of the Homestyle Garden Photo Contest. They’ll win a free home or garden book. They’ll also be the last finalist for the grand prize — a $100 gift card to English Gardens. To see all of this year’s entries, go to www.detroitnews.com/gardenphotos. And hold on to your gardening gloves: The grand prize winner will be announced next week!
Troy Garden Club hosts
topiary lecture
Topiaries are shrubs or trees trimmed into ornamental shapes. They can add character to an otherwise bland yard. On Wednesday, topiaries will be the topic of discussion at the Troy Garden Club’s meeting as it presents “Topiary: the Fanciful Shaping of Plants” at the Big Beaver United Methodist Church, 3753 John R. Designer Lisa Steinkopf of Steinkopf Nursery garden center and landscaping in Farmington Hills will be the featured speaker. The guest fee is $7, which includes a light lunch. Go to www.troygardenclubmi.com.