How times have changed! The home office of yesterday was all about physical forms like furniture, location, arrangements, ergonomics, etc. In fact, many of the work-from-home magazines are still featuring these subjects. But according to technology consultant Raymond Wenig, today the high-tech focus is on functions, operations, services, access, sharing, deliveries and protection.

Ray, an MIT graduate and founder of the Lowcountry Technology Alliance, sees the future trending toward portable devices with selectable services and auto-adaptable features. He further sees the home office becoming a “virtual office,” enabling the user to go anywhere while still maintaining access and connectivity, with a set of services always available including multi-media communications, task management, idea logging and time management.

The future is also leading toward a mixed use of broadband (high speed) wired and wireless connectivity with fiber to the fixed locations and wireless for mobility. A host of information processes are becoming available to the home/virtual office, such as on-line banking, electronic bill paying, vacation and travel planning, work team collaboration and social networking.

Letters to the editor notwithstanding, (and yes, traffic is frustrating, and worse), Hilton Head Island is still an extraordinarily nice place in which to live. Compared to many cities and towns across the nation, local endeavors to keep it attractive are far superior and one doesn’t have to travel far to appreciate it. The point being that a great deal of work is ongoing to make our public spaces not just livable, but extraordinarily appealing. And this is for everyone – not just plantation dwellers. While money spent for public beautification is not chiefly done for gain, it inevitably achieves positive results in the lives of its inhabitants. 

Much has been made, justifiably, of the entrance planting to various residential plantations, including a contest for the most attractive. All of them are very well designed and maintained and are a beautiful part of the environment. But though visible to all from the highway, they are private landscapes, installed to enhance the reputation of the plantation. However, many public spaces on Hilton Head deserving of attention and praise go too often unsung and taken for granted. Only open your eyes to the beauty we are treated to daily and forget, if but for a calming moment, the traffic aggravation on Highway 278.

One of the hallmarks of coastal chic is the marriage of rustic charm with breathtaking color schemes. But what to do when you’ve found that perfect piece to fit your home but the color is all wrong?

One cheap and easy way to achieve the coastal chic look is through spray paint, according to design expert, author and do-it-yourself television personality Kathy Peterson.

“When it comes to experimenting with color and style, spray paint is to decorating what speed-dating is to relationships,” Peterson says. “You can get great results without a big commitment of time or money.” Love the color? Keep it and build on it with flower arrangements, pillows, throws and other accessories. Was your color fling just a flirtation? No problem. With today’s trendy spray paint color palettes, it’s easy to find love with another color the second time around. To achieve that coastal chic look on furniture from chairs to nightstands, find paint in a pure white tone or highlight with soothing pastels. You can even find an earth tone and distress it yourself for that ‘lived in’ look.

You’ve fallen in love with Hilton Head’s famous beaches, perfect weather, Southern charm and gorgeous homes. You’ve finally found the perfect island oasis in the place and for the right price. You’ve decided to rent your property when you’re not using it, but you’ve heard the risks of renting and that little voice in the back of your head is making you hesitant to take the plunge. What if you knew a way to make sure your home stayed in pristine condition from anywhere in the country? What if you knew an expert who could help market your home to interested renters? By enlisting the help of a property management company, you do.

In the following pages, you’ll meet some of the Lowcountry’s most trusted and reputable property management companies. They know property owners are busy people, and work hard to provide homeowners with personable service and high quality care. Not only do they help care for your biggest investment, they also take care of all the fine print and details for you. Protect your investment, and yourself, by entrusting it to the very best.

Southern Accents Magazine recently voted Hilton Head its 6th favorite beach destination, 2nd favorite island destination, and its top golf and spa destination. With accolades like these, its no wonder visitors continue to flock to the island. But, as more and more people discover the pristine beaches, immaculate landscapes, and world class golf the island has to offer, finding a place to stay during a visit has become increasingly harder. So, how do you keep your vacation a time of family fun and relaxation, without the stress of finding a place to stay or booking special activities? How can you find the best island deals? Enlist the help of a property management company to enhance your vacation.

Many people believe property management companies serve homeowners exclusively, but they also offer a variety of services to renters designed to make their vacations as care-free as possible. Today, just about every property management company has online listings, complete with multiple photographs so you know just what you’re getting. With properties listed online, its even easier to find just what you’re looking for, be it an ocean-front home, a place with easy access to golf courses, or vacation property that allows pets. Most Hilton Head property management companies are locally owned and operated. The company owners and employers don’t just work here, they live here too. They have a genuine love of the island, and want to make your experience here as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

Most parents would like to create a fun, happy environment for their child that is a lot more than just a room for sleeping. In order to accomplish this, it is important to engage in a little careful planning before making decorating decisions.

The first thing to consider is your child’s child and what stage, or category, he or she falls into. There are about four main groups: Baby Nursery, Toddler-Preschool, Elementary and the Preteen-Teenager. When your child progresses to the next group, you will probably want to consider redecorating, or at least making a few age-appropriate changes. Choosing neutral tones, in terms of paint colors, will make change easier, and should be considered if you have a limited budget.

Nursery necessities:
Most expectant parents have the nursery designed and planned, and the majority of items selected well in advance. By the time this little bundle of joy arrives, the room is a perfect little world waiting for him or her, especially if parents learn the baby’s sex before decorating.

The basic, necessary items for the nursery include: the crib, changing table, rocker and plenty of storage. Consider convertible cribs that can accommodate the growth of your child to toddler and beyond. By exchanging pieces, they can be converted to a youth bed that is perfect for a toddler. Also, look at the changing table to see if it will work well as a chest for storage later. The rocker can be used for many years for reading to your child and, eventually, they will grow into it themselves.

Additional storage, such as a bookcase or armoire, would also be convenient. There are some great new bookcases designed with pullout storage containers for toys and small objects.

We all want to be healthy and safe in our homes. Is your home safe enough for you and your family? You might have a burglar alarm and insurance policies, but what about the other dangers lurking in your home?

Avoiding Illnesses
Doctors suggest a few simple ways to cut down the chances of catching a cold or flu virus:
• Wash hands regularly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses tend to travel on hands.
• Get a flu shot. Children age 6 months and older can be vaccinated against the flu.
• Don’t touch your eyes or nose, especially during cold and flu season. Cold and flu viruses usually enter the body through those sites.
• Stay away from sick people.
• Cover your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
• Wash counters with a virus-killing disinfectant.
• Don’t share cups or utensils without washing them with hot water and soap.
• Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep.

"Landscaping can add between 7% and 15% to a home’s value,” says a study done by The Gallup Organization. A similar study at Clemson University puts the number at around 10%. And Money Magazine states that landscaping has “a recovery value of 100% to 200% at selling time,” putting landscaping above kitchen and bathroom remodeling as the number one return on investment for property owners. 

Recent advances in technology and the availability of cheaper, more durable building materials have led to a progression extending beyond curb appeal in the South. Trends are moving forward, past the palm trees, perennials and hydrangeas facing the street and advancing into the backyard. To the delight of teenagers forced to earn their keep by their parents everywhere, backyards aren’t just for mowing anymore.

Those who aspire to a Japanese garden in the Lowcountry would have done well to have started 100 or more years ago. Great age is a definite asset because Japanese gardens are not developed overnight and they depend on so many elements not available to us in the here and now. There really is such a thing called the “spirit of the place” or “genius loci” which suggests that it is nearly impossible to impose a design on an unwelcoming environment. The climate, topography and soil, as well as the time frame, are not compatible. Many of the plants in Japanese gardens are, however, familiar to Lowcountry gardeners. They include sago palm, Japanese aucuba, pittosporum, podocarpus, nandina, mondo grass and Japanese maple, as well as azaleas and camellias, as they are natives of Japan. But oh, the podocarpus – they are grown into large trees with massive trunks and branches; quite unlike the rather undistinguished shrubs we normally grow.