Chic by the Seaside

Where better to find Sarasota style than a store called “Seaside Chic”? Specializing in eclectic home furnishings, accessories, lighting and gifts, the Venice Avenue shop carries an array of charming, unusual and striking items to furnish Southwest Florida homes with style and individuality. Pick from brands like Lee Industries, Dash and Albert, Company C and Pine Cone Hill. Seaside Chic offers interior design services, too. Visit their tongue-twister website, shopseasidechic.com, to find out more.

Autumn Aromatherapy

“At the Garden Center, we’re seeing a lot of interest in aromatherapy gardens,” says Michelle Hazeltine of local gardening standout Hazeltine Nurseries. “And fall is a great time to work in the yard and for plants to thrive. Planting herbs and flowers with fragrances can bring back memories while creating new ones for you and your family,” Hazeltine advises. “Many flowering plants such as jasmines and gardenias can be cut and brought inside.” Plus, herbs like sage, mint and thyme are not only fragrant but useful in the kitchen as well.

Binjara Two

Binjara Traders has been a St. Armands mainstay since 1987, but a November 2009 fire forced the store to temporarily relocate across the street until the damaged space could be repaired. Still, shoppers so loved this second space that the owners kept it open even after the original Binjara Traders reopened in April 2010. Renamed “Sahara,” this popular Binjara spinoff actually brings the owners’ St. Armands ventures to three: They also own Ivory Coast, which opened in 1991.

Light at Night

More than ever, landscape lighting is being utilized to integrate architecture and landscape into a single, beautiful nighttime scene. Well-planned lighting can make the whole site come alive, say the experts from Robert Davie and Associates Landscaping. By illuminating key architectural elements, the whole property comes into focus—not just the plants. Plus, as outdoor rooms and outdoor living grow even more popular, people spend more time appreciating the view of the home from the outside.

At Robert Davie and Associates, good design is more than “pointing and shooting” a light at a tree or bush. Entryways as well as the outer parameter of the landscape are important to maximizing the outdoor space. Intelligent planning, proper placement of fixtures and mimicking nature are all part of the process of accomplishing a beautiful and rewarding landscape at night.