March 16, 2011

Win a Collection of Great Home Cleaning Products

Projects & Tips

Thymes, a creative fragrance collaborative based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recently launched a new line of cleaning products called Mandarin Coriander, just in time for the spring cleaning season. And if you’re willing to share your household cleaning secrets and tips on its site, you could take the new products for a test drive. The company is now running a contest inviting you to share your home care secrets—and if they’re chosen as the most liked on the site, you could win its entire Mandarin Coriander Collection (valued at $227 retail) in return. How do you make your home a welcoming place for … Read Post

March 10, 2011

How Feng Shui Can Transform Your Life

Projects & Tips

If you’re interested in feng shui and plan to renovate your kitchen try to find out where it falls within the bagwa to determine which area of your life will be affected by the changes you’ll make. If it’s in the career section, for example, chances are as you transform your kitchen your career will transform, too. It’s also interesting to note the differences in kitchen design as it’s done in different parts of the world. One particular feature of every Indian home in Bombay, for instance, is what’s known as a chajja, a kind of metal or cast concrete window awning. This is a … Read Post

March 1, 2011

Creative Curtain Idea

Projects & Tips

A talented photographer and designer, Jennifer Levy is known for her imaginative problem-solving ideas. Take this clean, crisp curtain idea she came up with to cover the glass door leading to the terrace of her Brooklyn brownstone, for example. By installing a curved track and floor-length cotton panel along the ceiling in front of the door and along the adjacent wall, she was able to completely cover the door to control light and add privacy when necessary. But when she wants access to the full view, the curved track allows the curtain to be swept fully away from the door without … Read Post

February 15, 2011

Trends in Residential Stonework

Products

Last week representatives from Charles Luck, the Virginia-based supplier of exquisite stones from all over the world, were in town and shared their thoughts on the kinds of stonework we’ll be seeing in residential settings over the next couple of years. They see new economic realities leading to a new way of thinking, living, and working—and consumers are yearning for a new sense of positive energy, simplicity, and a wholesome moderate way of life with products that have relevant, lasting value. Here’s a look at the trends they’re predicting and a taste of the ideas and inspiration behind them. Heritage: This … Read Post

February 6, 2011

English Author Mary Gilliatt on English Style

Projects & Tips

Just before the holidays we had the good fortune to spend some time with our friend Mary Gilliatt, a talented English decorator and the author of more than 40 books on decorating and design. She told us a charming story about her second book called English Style in Interior Decoration, which was first published in the U.S. by Viking. She was walking along Park Avenue on the Upper East Side recently and saw her English Style book displayed on a table in an antiques shop. Knowing the book had been out of print for several years she went inside to ask the owners … Read Post

January 29, 2011

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Tips

Projects & Tips

We have no shortage of friends—both male and female—who are fanatics when it comes to keeping a clean house. One of them is New York real estate agent Pavan Uttam, who us a few of his household cleaning ideas: I am a self-proclaimed clean freak. My son’s au pair tells people that I am the most uptight man she has ever met when it comes to cleanliness. The woman who cleans my home, on the other hand, loves my cleaning habits and she tells me she has a cushy job. Here are my strategies to keeping three key areas of the house super … Read Post

January 24, 2011

Forcing Forsythia

Projects & Tips

Mid-winter blues starting to get to you? Our friend Megan Fulweiler just sent us another post with one of her techniques for beating them—forcing flowers. Here’s what she wrote: To combat winter blues, I long ago began a tradition. As soon as the holiday decorations are safely stored away, I grab my garden clippers and head outdoors. An armful of forsythia branches snipped from our bushes and plunked in a container of tepid water takes only about two weeks to open. Kept out of direct sunlight, the cheery yellow blossoms last for days. Still to prolong the delight of having spring flowers … Read Post

January 9, 2011

Doggie Decor: Pet-Friendly Decorating Ideas

Projects & Tips

Interested in some pet-friendly decorating ideas? Our friend Megan Fulweiler, a design author and journalist based in Rhode Island, has lots of them. She recently sent us this post on a few easy-care decorating solutions she’s deployed in her own home to accommodate her family’s pup. She also included a few decor tips for canine lovers from notable designers, too. Read on for her thoughts. According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2009/10 National Pet Owner’s Survey, 62% of American households own pets. Out of that number, 45.6 million feature dogs. If you have one, you already know dogs are all about … Read Post

December 30, 2010

Fresh Colors to Watch For in 2011

Products

As one year comes to a close, it’s always fun to start imagining possibilities for the next. Like music, movies and haircuts, one of the most distinctive markers of an era is color. Wanting a glimpse of the hues we’re most likely to see in homes across America in 2011, we talked with interior designer and Benjamin Moore color expert Sonu Mathew to find out which colors she and the paint company expect to see emerging in the months ahead. She started with Benjamin Moore’s color of the year called Vintage Wine, which, she says, reflects the idea of balance. “Whether you’re balancing work … Read Post

December 13, 2010

Affordable Handmade Ornaments

Products

If you haven’t decorated your Christmas tree yet—or even if you have and it needs some finishing touches—then consider visiting West Elm, which is having a sale on its handmade ornaments from all over the world. The charming handcrafted felt balls (below) are made with New Zealand wool by women artisans who live in a village near Kathmandu, Nepal, and the adorable painted wooden birds were made in El Salvador using a folkloric technique unique to the La Palma region. There are plenty of others, too, including some by the talented designer David Stark. The ornaments start at just $2. Plus … Read Post