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Section D·Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, August 16, 1999
Lawrence mansion receives healing touch
Designers donating time, talent and care to restoration project
By Lisa John
Kansan managing editor
Karla Nathan stretches on tiptoe to reach the uppermost leaves on a mural in the red brick mansion at 1613 Tennessee St.
Nathan is one of several dozen area decorators preparing for Designers' Showcase, working to restore the luster of the 138-year-old, 21-room house.
The Designers' Showcase is sponsored by Cottonwood, Inc., an organization that assists people who have developmental disabilities. Kesha Larson, director of communications, said the house would be open for public tours in September and October as a fund-raiser for Cottonwood.
Designers have been working on the event for more than two years.
Their advice helped.
"Those ladies took us under their wings and showed us everything they knew," Larson said.
This month when the Riordans moved out of the house into temporary quarters, the action began. On July 19, decorators, painters and carpenters went to work.
By midweek, it was clear that changes were in progress. Amid the wet paint and the array of ladders and equipment, the decorators' vision was emerging.
In each area of the house, an easel sports the designers' plans, including fabrics to be used on furniture and windows, carpet samples, paint colors and pictures of furniture.
"The designers are donating their time and talents," Larson said. "The kitchen is the only thing that's separate. Kitchens by Kleweno in Kansas City is doing that at a discounted rate for the homeowners."
In the dining room Wednesday, Markie Bieri, owner of Imagine That Designs, balanced on an eight-foot ladder, sponging gold paint onto the ceiling. Working from another ladder across the room was her friend, Jeannne Wyatt of Ranchview Floral, Overland Park, who is volunteering to help Bieri. Jennifer Catlin, owner of Two Girls and
a Brush, Lawrence, sat cross-legged on the floor applying a fresh coat of ivory paint to the wainscot.
Bieri said that three layers of flooring were removed before the original floor was revealed — a hardwood painted ivory and decorated with painted red Cupids, cats, birds and horses.
"I have no idea who painted this, but what I like about it is it's very whimsical," Bieri said. She said she planned the new decor using the ivory and reds.
In the viewing room, David Gawell, stood on a ladder and dipped his brush in ivory paint to repaint the molding around a window.
"When I first moved to town 12 years ago, this house was one of the first things that I noticed. My friends told me it was the Maupin house and that I'd never get to see the inside of it," he said. "And here I am."
Gawell, who works for Painted Ambient Co., praised the workmanship of the house.
"If there were a tornado coming through the center of Lawrence, 'I'd feel safe here,' he said. "They built these things to last forever."
Nathan, the artist who was painting bathroom mural, said she became involved with the project when she volunteered to help. "I ended up getting a room to do," she said.
The bathroom she's redecorating is no ordinary bathroom. The 9-by-9 foot space directly above the front porch includes four windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. A chandelier hangs below a plaster medallion, and ornate woodwork outlines the room. The ceilings are 14-feet tall.
Nathan plans to furnish the room with an antique hamper she bought at a garage sale, a cabinet and a canvas floor cloth that she said will look like a garden pond with stepping stones.
She smiles as she speaks of the activity going on in the house. Like many of the others working there, Nathan's clothes and skin are paint-spattered, but that doesn't dampen her spirits.
"It's pretty exciting to be involved in a project like this. Every time I come here I see something new that's been done." she said
The key for success in a project like this is flexibility, said Julee Travis, Cottonwood committee coordinator.
"It's giving the designers enough freedom to create a really spectacular display for the public to see, but at the same time trying to protect the history and integrity of the house," Travis said.
Known to local historians as the Ludington Thacher home, the house will be open for public viewing from Sept. 24 through Oct.17. For information about tickets and tours, call 840-1604.
—Edited by Derek Prater
The red-brick mansion at 1613 Tennessee St. is home to more than 20 designers through September. The 138-year old home is commonly known as the Maupin house. Photo by Jamere Roper/KANSAN
Beat the heat with a cold treat; ice cream cools customers
Kansan staff writer
By Panyaluk Maneengam Kansan staff writer
Hot winds and searing sunshine mean it's time to scream for ice cream.
Because a scoop of this cool, sweet stuff can give people a short break from the heat, long lines of people has been a common scene at many ice cream stores in Lawrence.
Summer is the busiest time of the year for Baskin-Robbins. Normally the store uses two employees, but an additional employee joins the staff in the summer, Laden said.
"The hotter the weather is, the more people want to come here," said Penny Laden, employee at Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors Ice Cream Store. 1524 W. 23rd St
As temperatures pushed 100 degrees, a
crowd of customers also gathered in front of the counter at I Can't Believe It's Yogurt (ICBY). 2223 Louisiana St.
"Today is so hot," said Sarah Kreyling, Chesterfield, Mo., senior in communication studies and new ICBY staffer. "That's why a lot of people come in and want to have some cold ice cream."
At Sylas & Maddy's Home Made Ice Cream, 1014 Massachusetts St., unique flavors are made in the store daily.
"In summer we are busier than usual," said Betsy Madl, a two-year scooper in this downtown store. "Many times we have people in line to the front door and there is not enough tables for them to eat here."
Penny Annie's Sweet Shoppe, 845 Massachusetts St. offers popped-
corns, lemonade and a variety of canay. But this time of year Blue Bunny ice cream is most popular.
"In fall and winter, we can sell more candy and chocolate as a present for Christmas or New Year's day," said employee Macalei Kristolic. "But for summer, people come here and ask for more ice cream and lemonade since it's hot outside there."
Not only does summer heat bring people to ice cream stores, but flavor itself is temptation they can't refuse.
With 38 flavors at Baskin-Robbins, 27 flavors at Penny Annie's and 40 flavors at Sylas & Maddy's, ice cream lovers have many options. No matter how often they want to escape from the heat outside, they can find new and different flavors they might have never tried before.
They might have never tried before.
"We bring in different flavors every two weeks usually, and we also have low fat, non-fat and no-sugar-added ice cream," Laden said. Peanut butter and chocolate are two favorite flavors at Baskin-Robbins. "Most people have them not just because it doesn't make them fat, but it also tastes really good, she said.
At Sylas & Maddy's, besides having many flavors to choose from, people can even invent their own flavors.
"We let people write down the flavor they think that would be good, which they can invent by themselves and put it in the box," Madi said. "We'll go through it every month, and if we find something interesting, that person will get a certificate and free scoop from our store."
With a waffle cone of cappuccino chip in hand, Peter Gegenheimer said that he went out to eat ice cream once a week, usually in spring and summer. That's because the ice cream store is a good, cool place that he and his family like. He was with his daughter, Karin, who was licking a cone of mint chocolate.
Even people who rarely think of going out for ice cream find themselves making their homage to that frosty mecca as temperatures peak.
"The first thing I would like to have during a hot day is iced tea," said Karen Ronne of Kansas City, Mo., holding a cone of chocolate chip in her hand. "But today, it's very hot."
- Edited by Phil Cauthon