Furniture and electrical sales slide

People also drank less in bars last month with bar sales down 2.6% in February compared with the previous month. Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) called on the Government to speedily implement a series of reform measures to allow Irish retailers to adjust their cost base. REI chief executive, David Fitzsimons, said Ireland’s retail industry is in the 38th consecutive month of decline.

"February saw the rate of retail sales decline increase again. One of the leading reasons for this trend is the introduction of the Universal Social Charge. "Reforms, such as banning upwards-only rent reviews and modernising the industry wage-setting mechanisms, will be crucial if large sections of Ireland’s retail industry is to survive.

"With retail sales continuing to fall, retailers must be facilitated in adjusting their cost base to the hugely changed trading environment," said Mr Fitzsimons. Chambers Ireland said that the decrease in the volume of retail sales in February once again highlights the pressures retailers face at this time. Chambers Ireland deputy chief executive Seán Murphy said retailers need costs, such as local government rates and charges, reduced further. "Any cost savings local authorities achieve must be passed back on to hard-pressed retailers in the form of rate reductions now," he said.

Overall the volume of Irish retail sales rose 3.2% in February from the previous month and fell 0.7% from a year earlier. However, excluding car sales, which have been boosted by an extended scrappage scheme, retail sales fell 0.3% on the month and dropped 3.2% compared with a year ago. Last year retail sales rose 1% and economists expect retail sales to grow 1.8% this year, according to the latest Reuters poll.

Chief bond economist with AIB Global Treasury, Oliver Mangan, said the strong February figure reflects good car sales on the month and "... when you strip that out, core retail sales are sluggish enough and have been flat to declining in recent months," he said. Davy economist, Conall Mac Coille, said the outlook for consumer spending remains weak.

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'I was getting headaches . . . my clothes and furniture have been wrecked'

JOHN KINSELLA moved his bed into his kitchen when the dark-green and black mould reached four feet up his bedroom walls. “I was getting headaches from sleeping in there,” he says, pointing to the fungus, which is almost reaching the light-switch on the wall.

A potent, musty smell is the first impression as he leads on to the bathroom, which he says he avoids using as much as possible. Mushrooms up to four inches across are sprouting from the skirting board around the floor by the toilet.

Mr Kinsella moved into the one-bedroom dwelling in the Tor an Rí estate in Balgaddy in September 2008. “There have been leaks almost since I moved in. I have never had hot water here and I have to keep the windows open most of the time because of the sewage smells.”

In the open-plan living area he points to water marks down the walls and all over the ceiling. He has been sleeping on a mattress on the kitchen floor for the past year, due to the mould affecting the walls in his bedroom. “My clothes and furniture have been wrecked by it too.”

He says he has had constant colds since moving in and says his landlord, South Dublin County Council, has responded intermittently to his requests for the damp to be addressed. He says now he just wants to be rehoused.

A few doors away, Mary Cooney moved into her house four years ago. Again one is struck by a damp, musty smell upon entering her two-bedroom home. She points out dark-yellow damp marks over the living room ceiling, particularly around the central light, which she says she has been unable to use since Christmas.

“There is damp all over the ceilings and upstairs too. The damp runs down the walls when it rains, so there’s no point putting shelves or pictures up. The council came out and looked at the roof outside but they haven’t been back yet.”

Her mother Brigid Cooney (59) lives nearby and also moved in four years ago. There’s dark green mould on her bathroom walls and she says the ceiling in the bathroom collapsed five months ago. It has been fixed by the council. Marks left by water flowing down the living room wall are clearly visible. “Whenever it rains there are pools of water coming down the walls to the floor.

“I am sick, sick, sick of it. I’d like to put my own colour on the walls and hang up my photos of the grandchildren. I can’t. I can’t put lino on my floor. I do get depressed because it’s all that’s been happening since I moved in. I just feel like the place is filthy all the time.”

In the Meile an Rí area, Deborah Gaffney is standing in her doorway as we pass. Asked her views on the area she says she “felt like [she’d] won the Lotto” when she moved in. “Now look at the state of the place,” she says, pointing to damp marks on exterior walls, plaster crumbling away. “I love living here but the houses are falling to pieces. The smell of sewage every summer is awful. My daughter won’t bring friends home she’s so ashamed of it. It’s so sad really.”

South Dublin County Council said it was working with all tenants to resolve issues. “The overall scheme is properly designed and constructed, particular building faults are, as previously stated, being evaluated and addressed on a house-by-house basis.”

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What You Get for ... $280,000

WHAT: A town house with two bedrooms and two-and-a-half-baths HOW MUCH: $269,000 SIZE: 1,380 square feet (estimated) PER SQUARE FOOT: $194.93

SETTING: This stand-alone town house is in Thomas Square, a neighborhood just south of 30-acre Forsyth Park. Since the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, many of its homes — including this one — have been renovated. There are several art galleries within a half-mile, and shops, restaurants and grocers around Forsyth Park (including a farmers’ market inside the park itself).

INSIDE: Built circa 1910, the house was renovated by the owner, who bought it as a shell in 2004. Enough of the original heart pine flooring remained to install it throughout the main level. Other salvaged materials include chalkboard slate in the sunroom and glass Vitrolite tile, taken from a condemned building, in one of the bathrooms. On the main level, a long open living area, once two distinct parlors, leads to a kitchen and an adjacent sunroom with floor-to-ceiling windows. The two bedrooms, both upstairs, have en suite bathrooms, one with a walk-in shower stall, the other with a salvaged claw-foot tub.

OUTDOOR SPACE: Off the dining room, there’s a deck with a metal pergola. TAXES: $1,666 annually (estimated) CONTACT: Scott Hinson, for sale by owner (912) 484-2840; historicproperties. ST. LOUIS WHAT: A three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath house HOW MUCH: $279,900 SIZE: 1,904 square feet PER SQUARE FOOT: $147

SETTING: This house is in Compton Heights, a neighborhood of brick homes set on curving streets in southern St. Louis that dates back to the late 1890s. The house is about two blocks from Compton Hill Reservoir Park, a 36-acre space containing playgrounds, decorative fountains and a nearly 200-foot-tall water tower built in the late 1800s. South Grand Boulevard, a mix of the alluring (martini bars) and the everyday (barber shops), is a half-mile away.

INSIDE: The house was built in 1921, and has been occupied by the owner for over 25 years. The main level is built around a center hall, with a living room (and fireplace) on one side, and a dining room and kitchen on the other. There’s a sunroom off the living room. All the woodwork — including the floors — is original, and the kitchen retains its original glass tiles. Off the master bedroom is an office, reached through a set of French doors. The finished third floor could be used as a playroom or an office.

OUTDOOR SPACE: There’s a deck accessible by the sunroom and kitchen. There are also front, back and side yards. TAXES: $2,986 CONTACT: Dawn Griffin, Circa Properties (314) 413-7086; 2941russell. SEATTLE

WHAT: A one-bedroom, one-bath co-op HOW MUCH: $268,000 SIZE: 734 square feet PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $365.12 SETTING: This 1909 building is in Eastlake, a neighborhood on the eastern side of Lake Union. The area is residential, with many smaller, early-20th century apartment buildings, duplexes and triplexes.

Eastlake Avenue, two blocks away, is lined with restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, florists and home décor boutiques. The University of Washington campus is about five minutes away by car.

INSIDE: This second-floor unit is one of 21 in the building. At one end of the apartment, there’s a living and dining room with a closet, a bay window and an arched doorway leading out to a deck. At the other, there is a bedroom with a closet and view of Lake Union. A bathroom and a kitchen separate the two spaces. The walls are 22 inches thick, which, according to the agent, helps keep the building quiet. The unit comes with a storage locker in the basement.

OUTDOOR SPACE: There’s a deck off the living and dining room. The building also has a front porch, and a communal patio that can be reserved for parties.

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Towers Built for the Poor Hear Call of the Condo

For generations of space-starved New Yorkers, Cobble Hill Towers has been an affordable oasis. More than 130 years ago, its architect, Alfred Tredway White, designed its nine low-rise, red-brick buildings to demonstrate that housing for the poor could be both humane and economically feasible. The buildings were known for their distinctive wrought-iron breezeways and features that were considered amenities at the time, like cross ventilation and access to sunlight. Rents were $1.50 to $2 a week. Today, the buildings are perhaps better known for a less attractive feature: the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which was built in the 1950s and sits right across the street.

Still, the realities of real estate have finally arrived at Cobble Hill Towers, as it goes through the gallstonelike and quintessentially New York process of conversion. In 2008, Frank Farella, the local developer who brought the property back from the brink in the 1970s, formed a joint venture with Hudson Companies to turn Cobble Hill Towers into condominiums. A number of rent-stabilized tenants have already taken buyouts and left, and renters who remain have until March 22 to decide whether to accept an offer to buy in at a discounted price for so-called insiders.

So far, the 188-unit building has accepted offers from nine residents, said Debbie Bhatt, Hudson Companies’ project manager for the towers. Residents who do not take a buyout or buy-in can remain as tenants, and Hudson estimated that about half the building will do so.

Amanda and Jonas Abry said the deal offered them a rare chance. “We never, ever thought we would be able to buy in the neighborhood,” said Ms. Abry, who added that they were paying less than $500,000 for the two-bedroom apartment she, her husband and their 2-year-old son, Elijah, live in. “We never were able to save that much money.”

They currently pay a market-rate $2,500 a month in rent, she said, adding that they had thought of the apartment as “one of those places where you may be able to rent, but just not buy where you live.”

Ms. Abry said her family was happy with the apartment because it was newly renovated when they arrived in June 2009. Most apartments there are walkups, but the Abrys have a ground-floor apartment so they do not have to carry Elijah up stairs. Their apartment also sits on the building’s inner courtyard, which Ms. Abry said makes her feel as if she is living on a college quad.

Ms. Bhatt wrote in an e-mail that the insider’s price for each apartment was “based on its layout, location in the complex and views” and that the average offer, if enough people bought apartments, could drop to $459 per square foot, “a fantastic opportunity when the Cobble Hill market” is $800 per square foot.

But there are also residents who say they have been soured by the buying process. Some tenants pooled $6,400 to hire an independent engineer, who reported that the building needed $6 million in repairs, including new roofs, windows, balconies and stairs. Hudson said that the developer had committed to making most of those changes, but that it had not agreed to replace balcony drains and cellar and crawl-space floors. “We just drew our line at taking care of lots and lots of things and not feeling that some items they mentioned were worthy of replacement,” said David Kramer, a Hudson principal.

Carl Rosenstock, a resident since 1997, said he wanted to buy at Cobble Hill Towers. At first he was offered a price of $300,000 for his one-bedroom, or about $627 a square foot. He estimated that the apartment needed $50,000 to $75,000 in updates.

Ms. Bhatt said the latest insider price for the apartment could become $270,000, but Mr. Rosenstock said he found an even better opportunity: he bought a two-bedroom condo in Park Slope that records show cost him $527 a square foot. He has already moved into his new home and is getting ready to return his keys at Cobble Hill Towers. “You’re talking about a fourth-floor walkup with a view of the B.Q.E.,” he said about his old apartment. “I ended up with a duplex and a backyard patio.”

Parental Assistance: For New Yorkers wondering how their underemployed friends can afford a SoHo loft or a Park Avenue Classic Six, one comment on the real estate section of the parenting blog Urban Baby gives a clue:

“I posted a few weeks ago about my guilt around having my family subsidize my life by giving me enough money to buy a new larger apartment in Manhattan. I always wondered what friends or colleagues secretly thought but by hearing from anon strangers who had no need to ‘be nice,’ I realized that people don’t think less of me (I do work and we pay our monthly bills) and I should shut up and enjoy it. “It has been genuinely more liberating for me than years of therapy, so THANK YOU UBERS!!!”

And That’s Not All: Apartment 47G at the Excelsior on East 57th Street has 2 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, expansive East River views, a sauna and 4,800 square feet of terrace spaces that “conjure lawn bowling, a pergola and daydreaming.” Topping it all off is a private glass-enclosed “skytop” pool.

Still, the lure of the high life has not spared the apartment from price cuts. Halstead first listed it in summer 2009 for $5.75 million. Sotheby’s could not sell it either, and now Core is looking for swimmers and sunbathers with $4.75 million.

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Towers Built for the Poor Hear Call of the Condo

For generations of space-starved New Yorkers, Cobble Hill Towers has been an affordable oasis. More than 130 years ago, its architect, Alfred Tredway White, designed its nine low-rise, red-brick buildings to demonstrate that housing for the poor could be both humane and economically feasible. The buildings were known for their distinctive wrought-iron breezeways and features that were considered amenities at the time, like cross ventilation and access to sunlight. Rents were $1.50 to $2 a week. Today, the buildings are perhaps better known for a less attractive feature: the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which was built in the 1950s and sits right across the street.

Still, the realities of real estate have finally arrived at Cobble Hill Towers, as it goes through the gallstonelike and quintessentially New York process of conversion. In 2008, Frank Farella, the local developer who brought the property back from the brink in the 1970s, formed a joint venture with Hudson Companies to turn Cobble Hill Towers into condominiums. A number of rent-stabilized tenants have already taken buyouts and left, and renters who remain have until March 22 to decide whether to accept an offer to buy in at a discounted price for so-called insiders.

So far, the 188-unit building has accepted offers from nine residents, said Debbie Bhatt, Hudson Companies’ project manager for the towers. Residents who do not take a buyout or buy-in can remain as tenants, and Hudson estimated that about half the building will do so.

Amanda and Jonas Abry said the deal offered them a rare chance. “We never, ever thought we would be able to buy in the neighborhood,” said Ms. Abry, who added that they were paying less than $500,000 for the two-bedroom apartment she, her husband and their 2-year-old son, Elijah, live in. “We never were able to save that much money.”

They currently pay a market-rate $2,500 a month in rent, she said, adding that they had thought of the apartment as “one of those places where you may be able to rent, but just not buy where you live.”

Ms. Abry said her family was happy with the apartment because it was newly renovated when they arrived in June 2009. Most apartments there are walkups, but the Abrys have a ground-floor apartment so they do not have to carry Elijah up stairs. Their apartment also sits on the building’s inner courtyard, which Ms. Abry said makes her feel as if she is living on a college quad.

Ms. Bhatt wrote in an e-mail that the insider’s price for each apartment was “based on its layout, location in the complex and views” and that the average offer, if enough people bought apartments, could drop to $459 per square foot, “a fantastic opportunity when the Cobble Hill market” is $800 per square foot.

But there are also residents who say they have been soured by the buying process. Some tenants pooled $6,400 to hire an independent engineer, who reported that the building needed $6 million in repairs, including new roofs, windows, balconies and stairs. Hudson said that the developer had committed to making most of those changes, but that it had not agreed to replace balcony drains and cellar and crawl-space floors. “We just drew our line at taking care of lots and lots of things and not feeling that some items they mentioned were worthy of replacement,” said David Kramer, a Hudson principal.

Carl Rosenstock, a resident since 1997, said he wanted to buy at Cobble Hill Towers. At first he was offered a price of $300,000 for his one-bedroom, or about $627 a square foot. He estimated that the apartment needed $50,000 to $75,000 in updates.

Ms. Bhatt said the latest insider price for the apartment could become $270,000, but Mr. Rosenstock said he found an even better opportunity: he bought a two-bedroom condo in Park Slope that records show cost him $527 a square foot. He has already moved into his new home and is getting ready to return his keys at Cobble Hill Towers. “You’re talking about a fourth-floor walkup with a view of the B.Q.E.,” he said about his old apartment. “I ended up with a duplex and a backyard patio.”

Parental Assistance: For New Yorkers wondering how their underemployed friends can afford a SoHo loft or a Park Avenue Classic Six, one comment on the real estate section of the parenting blog Urban Baby gives a clue:

“I posted a few weeks ago about my guilt around having my family subsidize my life by giving me enough money to buy a new larger apartment in Manhattan. I always wondered what friends or colleagues secretly thought but by hearing from anon strangers who had no need to ‘be nice,’ I realized that people don’t think less of me (I do work and we pay our monthly bills) and I should shut up and enjoy it. “It has been genuinely more liberating for me than years of therapy, so THANK YOU UBERS!!!”

And That’s Not All: Apartment 47G at the Excelsior on East 57th Street has 2 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, expansive East River views, a sauna and 4,800 square feet of terrace spaces that “conjure lawn bowling, a pergola and daydreaming.” Topping it all off is a private glass-enclosed “skytop” pool.

Still, the lure of the high life has not spared the apartment from price cuts. Halstead first listed it in summer 2009 for $5.75 million. Sotheby’s could not sell it either, and now Core is looking for swimmers and sunbathers with $4.75 million.

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Recording an album in your bedroom

Be prepared for a new generation of musicians who create magnificent pieces of music from the most comfortable place on earth: Their bedroom. Armed with a laptop and simple musical instruments, these amateur musicians are brave for entering the harsh music industry from performing live in front of their pillows.

They haven't seemed to give much thought to album releases or music distribution. As long as they have a fast Internet connection in their bedroom, all problems will be settled. If not, they can just contact netlabels that will gladly do the hard work for them for free.

Among the options, there is Jakarta-based netlabel Inmyroom Records, which was set up to accommodate the needs of bedroom musicians. No one knows the current number of bedroom musicians in Indonesia. But many people believe that the number continues to grow as the Internet is getting easier to access and software is becoming more user friendly.

Ridwan Yuniardhika, the founder of Inmyroom Records, believes the existence of bedroom musicians in Indonesia dates back to early 2000 when the Internet boom was happening. "It all started from a hobby. People who like to play music and do it in their bedrooms," he said.

There are 35 artists currently affiliated with Inmyrooms Records. "The enthusiasm is there. We are still receiving around 20 demo tracks for upcoming releases," said Ganesha Mahendra, who is also the founder of the netlabel.

Some of these bedroom musicians have low-quality recordings and so-so music, but others have offered masterpieces, bringing them into the industry spotlight. Adhitia Sofyan is a good example of a bedroom musician-turned-professional, receiving job offers to perform on local and international stages. So get in your room and start playing music, folks.

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Chicago Flower and Garden Show 2011 Goes Sustainable

Chicago Flower and Garden Show 2011 was a breath of "green" Spring air. Featured this year at the event were several incredible displays of green and sustainable garden solutions which helped consumers see how they might apply green living ideas in their gardens.

Above you see a special fountain at the Aquascape Inc. garden display. While it looks like rock, it is actually made of made from post-consumer recycled plastics. Putting the fountain on top of a rain water collection system is a super green garden idea. Contact the Aquascape Inc team via their website to learn more.

Below you see the Conservation Home displays featured by The Conservation Foundation promoting the use of rain water, native plants, and organic gardening. The sustainable chicken display was delightful to see as many cities allow you to own your own chickens now and they offer a lot of "green" value for your investment. You can compost the chicken waste for your garden beds, plus having the organic chicken eggs every morning for your family is simply priceless!

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Living Room new concept for Crystal Lake

One of the owners of a former nightclub in Schaumburg is reinventing the concept for Crystal Lake and believes his dream that’s been 10 years in the making will fill a niche in the community. Robin Ahmed started out at the Living Room as a doorman in 1998 after becoming bored flying commercial planes six days a week. Before it closed in 2007, Ahmed had found his wife, started a family, owned a portion of the business and started plotting about running a new version elsewhere.

“The Living Room changed my life,” said Ahmed, 40. “This is my dream, to open another Living Room. I want to bring a sexy night out to McHenry County.”He believes he’s found the right spot — the former Porter’s Oyster Bar at 446 W. Virginia St. — for his combination steak and chophouse, martini lounge and VIP room.

“What this county needs isn’t just a good eatery,” Ahmed said. “It needs a place you can finish your evening no matter what the occasion. “Lakewood, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Barrington, Bull Valley, Elgin — all these places have the 25 to 35 year olds covered,” Ahmed said. “That older crowd doesn’t have a place to go.”

He and many former Living Room employees from Schaumburg are renovating the building, something he learned a thing or two about since he started buying older properties in Dubai, rehabbing and selling them after the restaurant closed.

The concept is to offer dining in a restaurant featuring high-end steaks, seafood and wine, live music and martinis in the lounge, and finally dancing in the C.R.U.S.H. VIP Room. Although all ages in any attire will be welcome to the restaurant, the martini lounge and nightclub will be geared toward the 24 and older crowd and have a dress code. More than 40 couches will create a living room-like experience, Ahmed said.

Arlington Heights resident Barb Holmes, 41, frequently visited the Schaumburg location. “I didn’t feel too old or too young,” she said. “I’m very excited to hear it’s opening up in Crystal Lake. Us 40 somethings need a place too.”

Chicago resident Tracy Geving, 41, agreed. “It’s nice to have a place to go and not feel too old to be out,” she said. With any nightclub, problems can arise, so Ahmed said he’s working closely with the Crystal Lake Police Department and has hired a security staff of 15 to check IDs and create a safe environment.

“It’s always important to be close to the security personnel and police with an establishment like this. If we’re not on the same page, it’s going to be hard for me,” he said. The concept is new to Crystal Lake, leading police to keep a close eye, Deputy Police Chief Eugene Lowery said.

“We’ve had numerous conversations with the owners of the new Crystal Lake location, and we don’t expect any problems,” he said. Schaumburg Police Sgt. John Nebl said the former location never had problems. City officials see potential in the new business. “I’m interested to see how it pans out,” Mayor Aaron Shepley said. “I haven’t heard anything but good. I hope it’s every bit as successful as it was in Schaumburg.”

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European Modern Furniture from Domodinamica, Italia

Are you looking for a statement piece that you not only sit on, but one that you can talk about? For furniture with an ultra modern flair, check out these cool finds by Italian furniture maker Domodinamica. These European modern furnishings are “outside the box” pieces boasting unconventional shapes, colors and finishes. Inspired by art, and playful by design, this Italian furniture design company has more than 10 years under its belt, and in that time has established itself as the no-fail cure for the mundane.

From the Morfeo pull-out sofa with built-in lighting, to the Calla arm chair that literally can wraps its flexible arms around you, this is European modern furniture with a twist. The Autumn bookcase shatters convention with its unique shelving concept. The Swing chair will leave your head spinning with its awesome swivel design, and let’s not forget about the Pastille, which is your footrest, stool and side table, all in one. To view the full collection, visit Domodinamica.

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Chef builds kitchen of chocolate and sugar

He has built a 20-foot-tall skyscraper of chocolate in New York, a 22-foot-tall chocolate Christmas tree in Hong Kong and a 1,250-pound chocolate cake on "The Martha Stewart Show."And now chef Alain Roby's latest foray into extreme sweetness is a life-size chocolate kitchen in downtown Geneva.

Roby, 55, is a master pastry chef and Food Network regular who has concocted sweet creations for royalty and dignitaries around the world. Now, the French-born Roby is following his passion of constructing amazing works of chocolate and sugar in Geneva, where he and his family have lived for 10 years.

"I like breaking the records and crossing the lines," he said recently, as he worked on more chocolate molds at the display space at 507 S. Third St. "As you build something that has never been done, it pushes you to explore, to push the envelope."Roby, formerly the senior pastry chef for Hyatt Hotels, holds two Guinness World Records designations for tallest chocolate building (20 feet, 8 inches) and tallest cooked sugar building (12 feet, 10 inches). He is hoping Guinness officials will make the trip to visit his kitchen, a replica of his home kitchen. Cabinets, a stove, a sink, a tiled backsplash, teapots and dishes — all are made from more than 2,000 pounds of donated chocolate and sugar.

A few women stopped by the space on a recent Friday morning, oohing and ahhing at the kitchen and checking out the different confections he has for sale. Roby also has a life-size chocolate Blackhawks player, astronaut and dinosaur on display, along with a cookbook he wrote.

"I've always told the people that have worked for me that we are in show business," Roby said. "Yes, the food has to be great, but you also have to make it an experience."

Roby said that the celebrity chef phenomenon has led to an increased awareness among the passers-by who stop in, looking for the drama that they see in the kitchens on their televisions. Average Americans now eat up cooking shows on channels such as the Food Network and aren't intimidated by terms such as blown sugar, Roby said. In recent years, Roby has made several appearances as judge on Food Network challenges and has been featured on specials such as "Extreme Pastry" and "Sugar Rush."

Roby set out to build a life-size kitchen after he decided he wanted to raise awareness for a charity dear to him and his wife, Esther Roby: the Saving Tiny Hearts Society.

Roby became involved with the organization after his son Jonathan collapsed at age 16 on a football field in Geneva in 2007. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, which was treated. He's now a college student.

But as the Robys dealt with their son's condition, they were surprised to discover that congenital heart defects are the No. 1 birth defect and that one of every 125 babies is born with a heart defect. Roby decided to raise awareness and money for the grass-roots volunteer organization that funds research by doing what he does best: constructing extreme creations of chocolate. A portion of all the proceeds of sales from the cookbook and the store goes to Saving Tiny Hearts.

Jonathan Roby said he used to take for granted the incredible creations his father would construct for birthdays and Halloween, such as gigantic birthday cakes and huge sugar ghosts. Once, his dad asked to borrow a toy gorilla, he said, and when he went to his dad's workplace weeks later, he found a life-size gorilla made of chocolate.

"It's always been that way. He gets an idea, and then he is taking on some new challenge. But I no longer take it for granted that he has the ability to make masterpieces of chocolate and sugar," Jonathan Roby said.

The process of building the kitchen started last year with chocolate donated by Callebaut. Roby melted the chocolate into molds he designed, then connected the pieces by using more chocolate. The dishes were made of sugar, and the tiles made to look like tiles by glazing and sculpting. It took months to do, and Roby still has to tweak it now and then. One recent day, he was bustling to repair a door that had cracked. Roby said the chocolate won't melt unless temperatures reach into the 90s.

He said that while the artistry of the kitchen is a challenge, the engineering it takes to build can be just as complicated. When he is executing his visions, he is in a zone, he said. Jonathan Roby described him as looking like a scientist figuring out equations in his head.

"I don't hear anything, I don't see anybody," Alain Roby said. "It's like I'm a movie director making sure that all the parts come together. Then, you just hope it is well-received."

The response to the kitchen has been enthusiastic, and the local developer who donated the open retail space in a development downtown is allowing Roby to stay through the spring. Jean Gaines, president of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, called the chocolate kitchen a unique destination for Geneva residents and visitors that added something special downtown during the Christmas season.

Roby said that after he is finished with his all-chocolate kitchen project, he is sure he'll have another extreme chocolate challenge to tackle. "It's in my blood," he said. "I don't have blood. I have chocolate running through my veins."

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