July 27, 2011

Transform Your Rooms with Window Treatments

Interiors

Nothing softens a room and makes it more livable than curtains or shades on the windows. Practical plusses like privacy and light control aside, they bring in layers of color, warmth, and texture that make a room feel complete. Adding curtains and shades to the oversize windows in author Jean Nayar’s New York apartment made it much more comfortable. She designed the cotton canvas curtains and linen shades and made them herself to save money and had pros install them. A believer in the positive impact of soft furnishings on a room, she also wrote a book called Curtains, Covers, Cushions & Blinds (Mitchell Beazley), which shows you … Read Post

June 19, 2011

Beautiful New Rugs from Shaw and the Designers at HGTV

Design, Interiors, Products

Looking for a way to sweeten your home for summer? Then consider adding a new rug from Shaw. The company recently entered into an exclusive partnership with designers from HGTV to create a gorgeous assortment of rugs in transitional, contemporary, and traditional patterns (they’ve produced some beautiful new wood floors, too). The rugs are divided into two collections, Haven, which offers fresh takes on old world traditional patterns and gives a give a nod to classic global influences, and Inspire, which includes a vivacious mix of transitional and contemporary designs in bold colors. The Haven rugs are made from Shaw’s EverTouch nylon, … Read Post

August 11, 2010

Win a Free Residence in Manhattan

Market Watch

Along with all the other new building that’s going on in my neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, I’ve been watching the construction of the new W Hotel and Residences. Designed by the New York architecture firm Gwathmey Siegel, the building is due to be completed soon, and one of the residences in the swank new high-rise is being given away with the launch of the HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway, the latest of HGTV’s popular annual Dream Home and Green Home giveaway events. Last week, I was given a personal tour of the 900-square-foot apartment by designer and host of HGTV’s Design … Read Post

May 16, 2010

Easy-Care Gardening

Outdoors

A few weeks ago, the Australian horticulturalist Jamie Durie stopped by my office to talk about story ideas we might collaborate on. Jamie is the charming and good-looking Australian host of HGTV’s Outdoor Room. He’s also writing his eighth book, which will be published by Harper Collins later this year. Among the things we talked about were not only how a well-designed garden can boost the value of your home, but how plants can boost your mood. I asked him if he’d share a few money-wise ways to grow and use plants to enrich your surroundings and brighten your spirits. … Read Post

May 16, 2010

Decorating Ideas for Small Rooms

Interiors

Just because a room is small, doesn’t mean there’s a limit to how happy it can be. Libby Langdon, the super-bubbly designer and talented expert on HGTV’s program “Small Space, Big Style,” knows a lot about how to make a small room live large. I talked to her a few weeks ago, shortly after she’d appeared as a guest on the Rachel Ray show, and asked her for her thoughts on how to amp up the happiness factor in small spaces. While her ideas are great for compact rooms, they could work just as easily in medium and large rooms, … Read Post