March 14, 2011

Artful Eco-Friendly Table Accents

Epicure

If you’re an organic foodie dedicated to cultivating a sustainable table, then you’ll love the products from Modern-twist. Founded by Kat Nouri, a mother of three who’s passionate about nutrition, spirituality and organic farming, the company produces place mats, table toppers and coasters that are free of BPA, latex, phthalates and other harsh chemicals, making them as eco-friendly as they are beautiful. A believer that what you eat on is as important as what you eat, Kat collaborates with independent artists and designers to bring art to the table by printing her company’s accents with food-grade, hand silk-screened silicone. Given … 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 6, 2011

Modern Classic Furniture at Good Prices

Interiors

If you live and California and you love modern furniture, you might want to stop into one of the Room Service stores in LA, Newport Beach or San Francisco. They’re having a sale on pillows,  lamps, home accents and custom furniture orders until 3/15. Even if you don’t live in California you can still take advantage of the sale by ordering online. To get a virtual tour of its stores, see a list of its celebrity clients or browse through its products—which range from new pieces to mid-century classics—visit its Web site.  Its idea gallery shows a wide range of … 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 22, 2011

Cross-Cultural Kitchen Concepts

Kitchens

Indians approach kitchen design much like Americans do, but there are lots of differences, too. A primary point of departure, for example, is a general lack of interest in pro-grade ranges or any kind of range at all for that matter. One reason is based on access to fuel. It’s not easy getting gas lines into many of the buildings in India. Another reason has to do with the way Indians cook. Much of the food is rather slow cooked on a stove top, which in India is called a hobb. Very little food is cooked in an oven, so smaller countertop ovens are often … 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 16, 2011

New Furniture from Bungalow 5

Products

What’s best about the furniture and accents from Bungalow 5 is that they’re at once familiar and fresh. The versatile pieces also merge influences from East and West, which allow them to slip easily into rooms of any style—traditional, modern or anywhere in between. Founded by designer Luca Rensi a few years ago, Bungalow 5’s collections are created by a small group of New York-based architects and designers who blend comfortable, classical shapes and silhouettes with fresh finishes and beautiful materials sourced from all over the world. Among our favorites are reasonably priced pieces from the Harlow Collection in the high-gloss … Read Post