Piggybacking on yesterday's kitchen post, today's highlight is the Patina Collection, led by the talented Karen Abell, who provided the beautiful furnishings and accessories in the Lake Forest showhouse. The Naples-based retail store and design business founded by Karen was inspired by her love of European antiques, and we saw that love and beauty in the showhouse kitchen. "The kitchen is the center of the home. Families and friends gather in the kitchen, wine spills and memory stains develop on the kitchen table, conversations ensue,” is Karen’s philosophy. The Patina team evoked images of a beautiful English garden in their Kitchen Garden Potting Area just outside the kitchen windows, flanked by the immense green landscape. They included relaxed, comfortable seating inside and out for morning coffee or a bottle of wine. The beautiful center table inside featured topiaries, french baskets, objet from Europe, which all created a unified design. The Patina team worked with Ablaze Group ...