The Silk & Burlap storefront. Photograph courtesy of Robin Altice.

Frederick has long been known for its charming antiques stores and saccharin-sweet boutiques, which are the stuff of Girls’ Day Out dreams. But there’s a change in the air in this quiet Maryland town these days—a whiff, if you will, of subtle, citified sophistication. Perhaps it’s because Bryan Voltaggio’s Volt and his recently opened Lunchbox have made Frederick a foodie destination.  Maybe it’s the new bars and bistros popping up along Market Street. Or maybe it’s because denizens of the design world are setting up super-chic spots like relative newcomer Silk & Burlap—much more Soho than shabby chic.

Silk & Burlap—a lifestyle boutique with a focus on vintage furniture and modern clothing and accessories—is the brainchild of native Californians Angelique Hoffman and Saule Smariga. Both women have a background in retail: Hoffman formerly worked as a district manager for Pottery Barn, and Smariga was a buyer for Nordstrom’s East Coast stores. When the two supermoms were introduced by their daughters at gymnastics, they realized they were both in need of a creative outlet. “We hatched the plan over many glasses of wine,” says Hoffman. “Our philosophy would be simple: Do we love it? Would we wear it? Would we put it in our homes?”

Personalized song hearts, $65. Available here.

Valentine’s Day may come around just once a year, but a dash of red or pink will give your home that loving feeling all year round. Head to Etsy for whimsical touches like personalized artwork and glitter-encrusted figurines. Or if you’re looking to embrace your sultry side, All Modern offers a wide selection of contemporary seating—including a heart-shaped cone chair and Heller Studio 65’s famous lip loveseat. Click through the slideshow for 18 V-Day-appropriate pieces to fall head over heels for.

In our February issue we showed you how to brighten your winter wardrobe with pops of neon. Now, daring decorators can liven up their home with the same electrifying shades. Year after year, Jonathan Adler churns out showstopping neon pieces, and this season is no different—tangerine ottomans, fuchsia poufs, and turquoise trays are just the tip of the iceberg.

Photograph captured from YouTube video by the American Humane Association.

In the February issue of The Washingtonian, on stands now, you’ll find a special pets section that includes profiles of Washington’s “wonder pets.” These are animals that have survived against all odds or performed acts of bravery, or that make a difference in their communities. But we wanted to highlight one of them here. Sage, a 13-year-old border collie, is a real hero.

Sage lives in New Mexico, but she’ll forever be connected to Washington. She has been a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) search-and-rescue dog since she was 18 months old. Her first real mission was to search through the Pentagon after 9/11. Amid the rubble she sniffed out the body of the terrorist who had flown American Flight 77 into the building.

Since then, Sage has traveled to seven countries and participated in many high-profile missions. She searched for survivors following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and went to Aruba to look for the body of Natalee Holloway, who disappeared there in 2005.

Sage served in Iraq in 2007 and 2008, where she recovered human remains. Her owner and handler, Diane Whetsel, who accompanied her, says she fell into another role while living in the war zone: “Sage turned out to be the warm fur for soldiers to cry into, or just a playmate.”

The American Humane Association named Sage a 2011 Hero Dog. She mingled with members of Congress at a Veterans Day event honoring all the Hero Dogs. But her job has taken a toll. Sage is battling two rare forms of respiratory cancer, likely the result of sniffing through toxic sites. She’s getting the best care, but to help provide medical treatment to other service dogs, Whetsel started the Sage Foundation for Dogs Who Serve. The nonprofit’s mission is to “promote the welfare of dogs who have faithfully served (often in harm’s way) in wars, police work, crime prevention, and rescue efforts.”

Illness hasn’t dampened Sage’s spirit. While the dog was recovering from a recent surgery, Whetsel hid toys around the room for her to find: “It was like a healing thing for her—she was able to do her job.”

Look for our February 2012 issue feature on pets on Feb. 21.

Photographs by Neil Alexander.

Using a cheerful palette of pink, yellow, and lime, Kelley Proxmire of Kelley Interior Design created a Rhode Island seaside retreat bursting with traditional yet playful touches. Inspired by the home’s sprawling 15-acre landscape, the designer mixed botanical prints with raspberry fabrics, sunny wallpaper, and pops of green. But it’s small touches like colored piping and monogrammed pillows that pull the whole look together. We asked Washington’s queen of prep to share her tips for creating a room Lilly Pulitzer herself would envy.

Photographs courtesy of Helen Norman.

The designer: Lauren Liess, 29, of Lauren Liess Interiors and her upbeat, über-accessible design blog (which recently reached more than 60,000 readers!).

The house: A single-family, ranch-style home in McLean.

The project: Turning an overlooked formal living room and dining room into a family-friendly space.

Jason Cameron of DIY Network’s Man Caves and Desperate Landscapes. Photograph courtesy of Jordan Matter Photography.

Licensed contractor and landscaping expert Jason Cameron has been a fixture on home improvement shows for nearly a decade, appearing on TLC’s Trading Spaces and While You Were Out. Now, the host of DIY Network’s Man Caves and Desperate Landscapes spends his days building manly retreats and transforming humdrum yards. This week, Cameron headlines Washington’s Home and Remodeling Show at the Dulles Expo Center (4320 Chantilly Ctr., Chantilly, VA). We caught up with the venerable handyman to discuss his must-have power tools, his favorite carpentry website, and whether Man Caves will ever make it to Washington.