Welcome Mat

Pretty potty

Acclaimed interior designer Jonathan Adler has expanded his portfolio to include covers for toilet paper rolls. His three colorful new designs are part of Cottonelle's spring collection. "Part of my passion for design is taking everyday objects and turning them into eye-catching conversation pieces and, until now, toilet paper has been a relatively untouched canvas," Adler tells DrugStore News. "So I was thrilled when Cottonelle approached me." Check: cottonelle.com/Respect-the-Roll/Order-A-Roll-Cover.

Tulip time at the DIA

From carved wooden blooms imported from Holland to painted floral dinnerware and silk flowers, everything's coming up tulips in a special gift shop set up by the Detroit Institute of Arts in conjunction with its special exhibit, "Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus." The cheery tulips and other Dutch treats, including chocolates, Wilhelmina peppermints and licorice shaped like little herrings, greet visitors exiting the exhibit, which runs through Feb. 12. Museum hours will be extended in the final weeks: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Jan. 28 and 29; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 4 and 11; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 5 and 12. Don't wait until the last minute — and do check out the gift shop. The wooden tulips, pictured, are $3.95 per stem, less for DIA members. Tickets are timed and include museum admission and a multimedia tour. Adults are $16 and youth ages 6-17 are $8. DIA members get in free and get a discount in the gift shops. Check dia.org or call (313) 833-4005.

Special events and promotions around Metro Detroit

Bring your vintage radios and related electronics to the Michigan Antique Radio Club's annual winter radio show and sale on Jan. 28 at Costick Activities Center, 28600 11 Mile (1/3 mile east of Middle Belt), Farmington Hills. Nicknamed "the Roadshow of Radios," it features some 90 tables of vintage radios, parts, tubes and advertising, plus some floor-standing wood console models. Club members evaluate items in the "Radio Rescue" area, and attendees may offer theirs for sale or silent auction. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; entry is $5.Check michiganantiqueradio.org.

Ready, set, head for the Sample Sale at the Michigan Design Center, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 27 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 28. Expect savings of 60-70 percent off top names in furniture, rugs, lamps, home accessories and artwork. Pictured is a distressed, inlaid veneer table in the Marie-Howard showroom for $780, down from $2,176. A portion of the $5 admission goes to COTS (Coalition On Temporary Shelter). Save $1 at http://www.michigandesign.com/Events/Samplesale/coupon.html. The design center is at 1700 Stutz Drive, Troy.

How to preserve antique furnishings

If you're among Michigan snowbirds visiting Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or elsewhere around Mobile, Ala., this winter, Bellingrath Gardens and Home hosts special programs each Wednesday in January and February (except Feb. 22). Here are tips from curator Tom McGehee's session on Wednesday on "Preserving, Protecting and Restoring Antique Furniture." (We'll share glassware and silver tips in coming weeks):

Vacuum upholstery regularly using an attachment with soft bristles. Slip seats may be removed for cleaning but never force the seat back.

When moving furniture, lift, don't drag. Chairs should be lifted from under the side rails, never by the back rail of the chair.

Remove marble or glass tops from a piece of furniture before attempting to move it.

When removing drawers, number each from below with chalk. This prevents possible damage from trying to return drawers to the wrong space.

Keep water or alcohol away from wooden surfaces. Wipe up spills immediately.

Spray polishes may be applied to a cloth but should not be sprayed directly onto the surface of a good piece of furniture. Conservators prefer using beeswax on furniture, but no more than three times a year.

Keep furniture out of direct sunlight. Even light from a north facing window can fade it.

Examine veneered furniture for loose pieces. Use a non-damaging painter's tape to hold them down but don't attempt to glue. Store pieces that have come completely loose in a plastic bag taped beneath until a furniture conservator can be consulted.

A $12 workshop fee includes Bellingrath Gardens admission. Check bellingrath.org.