June 11, 2010

Artful Floral Arrangements

Epicure

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a party showcasing a new green boutique apartment building at 180 East 932d Street in New York, where I met the talented floral designer Mark Rose. Mark created the floral arrangements for the model apartment in which the party was held, and I was impressed with how beautifully they complemented the room’s subtle, sophisticated décor, which was done by interior designer Richard Mishaan. Since I plan to host a mid-summer dinner party next month, I asked Mark about his approach to doing flowers, hoping for ideas for a casual yet inspired centerpiece for … Read Post

June 9, 2010

Healing Herbs

Outdoors

Growing herbs indoors is practically impossible—at least for me—so I always look forward to spring, when I can grow fresh basil, chives, parsley, cilantro and oregano in pots on my terrace. I like to grow culinary herbs, but after talking to Carol Brzezicki, an herbalist who works at the Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center and Botanical Sanctuary in Barre, Vermont, I think I may start growing a few medicinal herbs, too. Among the herbs we talked about, calendula interested me most—partly for its sunny yellow-orange color, but mainly for its ability to soothe the dry, irritated skin, which is often … Read Post

June 2, 2010

Clearing Clutter

Interiors

I consider myself to be a relatively neat person, but my husband, Anil, has a different view of my organizing skills. He told me recently that if I could get organized he’d give me a crown. I don’t care about the crown, but who can’t benefit from a little more order in life? So, I invited Lisa Zaslow to my home for an organization consultation. Lisa is the CEO and founder of Gotham Organizers, a New York-based firm that specializes in helping people clear their clutter at home and at work. I hoped she could offer me some advice on … Read Post

June 2, 2010

Fresh Start

Projects & Tips

There’s nothing like a change of scene to clear out the mental cobwebs and alter one’s perspective. My husband, Anil, and I ventured off to the Chesapeake Bay over Memorial Day weekend, and the beautiful historic buildings in Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels and Annapolis—as well as the lovely rural landscape surrounding these villages—gently diverted my attention from my home improvement projects to quieter ways of living as well as the rich history of our nation (I’ll write about my visit to the landmark home of William Paca, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, in a later post). … Read Post

May 26, 2010

Home Improvement Wish List

Projects & Tips

After three years of excess work, the time has come to focus more of my attention on my family—and my home. Benign neglect can be a good thing, but there’s a limit. The washing machine incident (see previous post) was my cue that a little household management is in order—as well as some freshening and repairs. As I know from all the work I’ve accomplished professionally recently, the best way for me to ensure that things get done is to define them in writing on a To Do list. Since chronicling my own home improvements is a defining feature of … Read Post

May 25, 2010

Silver Linings

Homes

As I was preparing for my weekend cleaning projects this past Saturday, I encountered a most unpleasant surprise en route to the closet where we keep our cleaning supplies: The hand-woven runner next to the closet was drenched! At first I thought a bottle of cleaning fluid had tipped on its side and spilled all over the floor. But when I opened the closet door, I noticed water dripping from a pipe at the top of the closet and realized it was coming from the washing machine in the guest room on the upper level of our apartment. I went … Read Post

May 23, 2010

Affordable Organic Cotton Towels

Interiors

It’s still the middle of spring, I know, but after going to a preview of new bath and bedding products from Lands’ End recently, I’m already looking forward to fall, when the Wisconsin-based company’s new velvet quilt and all-season Portuguese flannel sheets will be available. In the meantime, I’m happily enjoying its new certified organic cotton towels, which come in a dozen colors and are longer, wider and thicker than the average towel to provide extra coverage. They also feature zero-twist cotton loops at an ample 600 grams per square inch, which make them softer, fluffier and more absorbent. And, … Read Post

May 16, 2010

Warming Up Modern Rooms

Interiors

I love the work of Nestor Santa-Cruz, a Cuban designer who’s a design principal with the Washington D.C.-based firm Gensler. He has a wonderful way of bringing warmth and personality to modern spaces. I asked him recently to share his thoughts on how he generates positive feelings in a room. He told me that as a designer, he tries “to make spaces that have a soul and therefore bring an certain ‘interior’ joy to the inhabitants of the rooms.” He said he likes to find or create a personality in a room by developing a point of view that somehow … Read Post

May 16, 2010

Flowers as Anti-Depressants

Interiors

I went to a fun media event last week sponsored by the Society of American Florists. Intuitively, I’ve alwa ys understood the power of flowers to chase the blues away. Whenever I feel low, I go for a walk to get a lift from the abundance of flowers in the lovely park in my neighborhood. But representatives from the Society introduced me to some research that’s been done by top universities across the country on the happiness-inducing effects of flowers that quantifies their positive impact on the human psyche. A Harvard research team, for example, investigated the effects of flowers … Read Post

May 16, 2010

Finding the Perfect Mattress

Interiors

Like Goldilocks, I am in search of, among other things, the perfect mattress—one that feels just right. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to test out a couple of options from Sealy’s new Embody line of mattresses, which will be available in select retail stores this spring. The sleek, new innovative mattresses come in two models: a Visco/Memory foam mattress for people who like the feeling of sinking into their bed and a latex foam mattress for people who prefer the feeling of lying on their bed. I preferred the latex model, and found that there was much … Read Post