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

January 4, 2011

Smart Cabinet Solutions for a Small Kitchen

Kitchens

This newly renovated New York kitchen may be compact, but thanks to a super-efficient space plan by kitchen designer, Dave Burcher, along with the storage-enhancing features of its new cabinets from Brookhaven it’s incredibly functional and beautiful, too. Dave has much to say about the finer points of good-quality cabinets, particularly with respect to making the most of a small kitchen with smart, space-saving solutions. We asked him to share his top small-space, value-added cabinet and storage ideas. Here’s what he had to say: 1. Start by carefully considering layout and construction. This galley kitchen was converted into a U-shaped layout to gain a narrow slice … 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 20, 2010

Beautiful New Wallpaper Designs

Products

Thanks to a spate of fresh designs by a new crop of designers, wallpaper is experiencing a renaissance. The new wallpaper designs come in fresh colors, too, like Pantone’s 2011 color of the year—a luscious pink called Honeysuckle. This pretty pink, along with other livelier updated colors, are also breathing new life into wallpapers with classic patterns, such as damasks, lattice prints, and florals. I love the idea of papering just one wall of a neutral room to rev it up with a pop of pattern and color. Any of these three sensational papers—one contemporary, one classic and one transitional—would … Read Post

December 17, 2010

Stylish and Hardworking Kitchen Sink and Faucet

Design, Products

T’is the season to celebrate! And if done right, a newly renovated kitchen makes it easy to party. And among the essentials that can help most are a quality sink and faucet, like those from Elkay’s Avado collection of products in this updated kitchen. The sink is line’s the simplest under-mount version, which is made of durable 16-gauge stainless steel. It also incorporates a proprietary Sound Guard that mutes the sound of dishes and utensils knocking about inside. The faucet sports an elegant low-profile (it rises less than 12 inches from the countertop surface) and is finished in brushed nickel. To be as eco-friendly as possible, … 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

December 9, 2010

Bespoke Bohemian: English Style with a (Rock Star’s Sentimental) Twist

Interiors

We’ve been fans of the music of Bryan Ferry since the Roxy Music days, so it’s not surprising that the living spaces in his London apartment would appeal to us, too. We saw these photos of his two-bedroom artist’s studio in the Chelsea area online earlier this week in a story that appeared in WSJ. Magazine. Written by Rita Konig and photographed by Alexia S, the piece offers a glimpse of the gentleman rocker’s digs, which prove that the urbane singer-song writer is as particular about crafting lovely living spaces as he is about making beautiful music. The light and airy … Read Post

December 8, 2010

The Newest, Energy-Efficient Lightbulb

Products

Talk about a bright idea! Most people know that one of the easiest ways to go green and save money at home is to replace a standard incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent. Well, now it’s just as easy to go even greener and save even more money by replacing that incandescent with new a new bulb from General Electric. Called the EnergySmart LED, the 9-watt bulb is super energy efficient—it generates the same amount of light as a 40-watt incandescent with 77 percent less power. It also produces the same omnidirectional quality of white light as an incandescent, unlike … Read Post

December 3, 2010

Easy Seasonal Accents

Products

Each new season calls for a change of scene inside, too. Consider switching out wool carpets and velvet pillows for a woven jute rug and some zippy woodblock-printed, indigo-dyed and embroidered pillows from John Robshaw. The designer describes the pillow making technique like this: “You touch a woodblock to wet clay and then to the fabric. After the clay dries, you dip the cloth into the indigo vat and the clay stays on. One dip gives the fabric a sky-blue color, two dips and it deepens to cobalt, three dips and its a saturated midnight blue. Then the fabric is laid out to dry in the … Read Post

November 30, 2010

Easy Holiday Decorating Idea

Projects & Tips

Want to brighten a table for the holiday season? Consider making a zesty runner like this one, produced by stylist Ingrid Leess. All you need to do is cut a long piece of felt about 13-15 inches wide, then cut and glue random strips of felt in alternating colors across the main strip. You can choose colors to complement your decor, like Ingrid did, or opt for hues that tie in with a theme like Christmas or Hanukkah. It’s a great low-cost way to dress up a coffee table during the holidays. Or you could use the technique to make fun pillows to give … Read Post