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Of course the Biltmore Estate in Asheville has a Cool House.

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VisuaLingual 2012 Gift Guide

It’s time for the annual VL Gift Guide and, as before, the focus is on some of the many amazing independent designers whose work we admire. Three Sheets 2 the Wind in Georgetown, KY specializes in simple, almost childlike screenprints on fine linen, including these sweet canvases above, which would be perfect for a kid’s room.

The Leader Building Ghost Sign in Asheville

At 10 Patton Ave. in Asheville, NC sits The Leader building with its cool stained glass and tiled entryway. I’m guessing that The Leader was once the local newspaper, but I can’t find any proof of that.

Looking Back: Best VL Posts of 2011

This year, VL work kept us really busy, but we were able to squeeze in a few quick trips. I found plenty of inspiration in Cincinnati and beyond, and here are my favorite posts of my adventures. Pictured above is the glorious Guardian Building in downtown Detroit.

Grove Arcade in Asheville

The Grove Arcade, designed by Charles Parker and built in 1928, is one of the architectural gems of downtown Asheville, NC. Built as a downtown public market, it still essentially fulfills that function with an array of boutiques, galleries and restaurants on the ground level and offices above.

S&W Cafeteria Building in Asheville

The old S&W Cafeteria building at 56 Patton Ave. in downtown Asheville is now an upscale restaurant called S&W Steak & Wine. In a town that seems filled with Art Deco architecture, this building is a gem, its façade covered in blue and gold geometric patterns.

VisuaLingual 2011 Gift Guide

If you’re in the midst of holiday shopping right now, give the gift of independent design! Here are my favorite gift picks from the various corners of the VL microcosm: friends, friends of friends, neighbors, all of them amazing, hard-working people who love what they do.

Eagles Home Ghost Tile in Asheville

I spotted this ghost tile announcing Eagles Home in a doorway at 75 Broadway in Asheville, NC. Below, I broke my own rule of only catching these phenomena in their “natural” habitat and moved the leaves to get a better look at the letters.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville

The Biltmore Estate in Ashevile, NC was built for the Vanderbilt family and opened its doors on Christmas Eve in 1895. The 250-room home was the vision of George Washington Vanderbilt II and was modeled after great country estates in France. It is the largest privately owned home in the US.

Satirical Accessories by Not Made in China

Charlotte-based designer Nikki Mueller runs a one-woman show at Not Made in China, a studio that creates and produces buttons, mirrors, magnets, totes, t-shirts, and prints with a sense of humor. Originally from Oceanside, CA, Nikki both loves her current home in the South and lightheartedly makes fun of it. As an expat myself, I can definitely appreciate this!