2009 Best of the Good Life

We all strive for our share of living well. It starts with squeezing in a bit of down time between career demands and honey-do obligations. For domestic types, sprucing up the home is more leisure pastime than chore. In that pursuit, consider the winners of the 2009 Best of the Good Life as a step toward living well — at home.

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Best Place to Outfit a Kitchen: (TIE)

Beaver Tile & Stone, Farmington Hills; 248-476-2333, Troy (Michigan Design Center); 248-649-5552, Shelby Township; 586-991-0780, beavertileandstone.com.

Extraordinary Works by EW Kitchens, Wixom; 248-669-1300, Troy (at Michigan Design Center); 248-649-0500, ewkitchens.com.

Best Place to Buy Kitchen Appliances:

Hawthorne Appliance, Birmingham; 248-644-2200, Rochester; 248-299-4800; hawthorneonlinestore.com.

Best Art Gallery:

TRA Art Group, Troy (at Michigan Design Center); 248-816-1691, traartgroup.com, michigandesign.com.

Best Place to Buy Landscape Plants:

English Gardens, seven locations; englishgardens.com.

Best Place to Buy a Couch:

Quatrine, Birmingham; 248-644-4705, quatrine.com.

Best Source for Garden Furnishings:

Detroit Garden Works, Sylvan Lake; 248-335-8089, detroitgardenworks.com.

Best Decor Trend:

Less is more.