House Beautiful articles from December 2006

House Beautiful archives from December 2006

An instant knack with flowers ...(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Be your own expert florist with this charming tulipiere. Pick one kind of flower (no need to limit yourself to tulips) and without even trying, you'll have a fabulous centerpiece. 24-inch-tall Square French Tulipiere in Yarrow, designed by...

1 Gift tags.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... There are a million gift tags around, but we've never seen them as big as this--big enough to make a statement. $6.25 for four 6-inch, or $4.25 for six 4-inch tags. ROCK SCISSOR PAPER: 818-361-1142. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2 Outdoor hearth.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Push the ignition button and you've got a cozy campfire--right on your own deck. This portable gas fireplace comes with faux logs, so no worries about sparks. Weber Flame, $649. WEBER: 800-446-1071. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3 Desk.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... It's the femme fatale of desks--blonde, rail-thin, and vaguely French. The designer added a hidden writing board and dropped the drawers to create a shelf. Shelby Writing Desk, $1,595. MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS: 800-789-5401. ...

4 Holiday book.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Mary Emmerling has been collecting crosses for years (even on cowboy boots!). Her latest book captures this ancient symbol in all its variations, from the simple to the sublime. The Art of the Cross, $20. GIBBS. SMITH: 800-835-4993. ...

5 Portable toast.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Celebrate the new year anywhere. Champagne stays chilled in this elegant isothermal case with four engraved flutes and a table runner. From Ruinart, France's oldest house of Champagne. Ruinart Escapade Set, $225. MORRELL & CO.: 800-969-4637....

1 Salt & pepper.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Invite an emperor to dinner. He'll be dazzled by these shakers, set with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls. Platinum Pagoda shakers, $155/set. SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: 800-347-9177. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2 Art.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Out of the classroom and onto your wall, these German botanical charts are dark, handsome, and amazingly detailed. Hagemann charts, 44 1/2 x 32 1/4 inches, $225. PEDDLER'S HOME DESIGN: 800-391-4927. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3 Plate.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... We couldn't believe the price of this plate--only $6. And we loved the design--pattern-on-pattern on melamine. But we were really impressed when we learned that it's by students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. 8-inch salad plate,...

4 Ornament.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Worthy of Marie Antoinette, this mouthblown, hand-painted glass ornament conjures up its own Hall of Mirrors. Versailles in Lavender, $58. JOHN TOOLE DESIGNS: 512-452-6965. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

5 Fire screen.(THE BEST!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Just the finishing touch your fireplace needs. The steel mesh halts stray embers, and when there's no fire on the hearth you're facing coppery leaves instead of a black hole. Tree Urn Fire Screen, 45 1/2 x 38 inches. $375. CHARLESTON GARDENS:...

Color for a sunny room: should you go bright to stand up to the sun, or soft and cool to subdue it? We asked a few brilliant designers to share their strategies.
December 1, 2006... NANCY BRAITHWAITE BENJAMIN MOORE VAN BUREN BROWN HC-70 When you go out into the sun, the first thing you do is put on sunglasses. It's no different inside a room. You want to tamp down the glare so your eyes don't squint. This is a deep...

Instant room: linen florals: a free spirit with a passion for pattern, fabric designer Kathryn M. Ireland is inspired by the radiant French countryside. Here's how she'd put together a kitchen.
December 1, 2006... HOW SHE'D DO IT Ireland suggests layering patterns from her Kathryn Ireland Fabric line to create a European-style kitchen like her own in California, where cooking and living take place in one warm, wonderful room. Floral Batik (1) for...

I want to buy a dollhouse: eagle-eyed Carol Prisant shows us what to look for.
December 1, 2006... A LITTLE BACKSTORY I'll bet you thought dollhouses were for little girls. But they started out as miniature rooms for grown-ups to furnish when European nobles commissioned replicas of their grand estates. In 17th-century Holland, in fact, one...

I'm looking for nesting tables: they're the secret weapon of every decorator. What's your style?(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... 1 MISHA NESTING TABLES, $895. MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS: 800-789-5401. 2 LOUISE NESTING TABLES, handmade and shown here in copper, $5,360. PAUL MATHIEU FOR THE STEPHANIE ODEGARD COLLECTION: 212-545-0069. 3 HORIZONS NESTING COFFEE TABLES,...

Maintenance silver: you thought it was OK to put your sterling flatware in the dishwasher, but oh dear, look at it now. Take some tips from metal restorer Paul Karner.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... PHOTOGRAPHS BY LIZZIE HIMMEL Everybody must ask you this question first: What's the best polish? Hagerty Silver Foam. It's not too abrasive, and it's water-soluble. For really bad black tarnish, Simichrome Polish. It's made in...

Ask the dog shrink: we know you mean well, but let her pick out her own dog ... he just loves decorations!
December 1, 2006... Q My mother has always said she wants a dog, and I want to surprise her with a puppy for Christmas. Any recommendations? A JUST ONE. DON'T. Besides Christmas being one of the most chaotic times on the calendar, the fact that your mother...

Weekend shopper/pendant lamps: all it takes is a little ingenuity, and a can-do spirit on a Saturday. When House Beautiful's Barbara deWilde wanted a light that was just right for her 1911 craftsman dining room, she bought a lampshade and made it herself.
December 1, 2006... CREATING A PENDANT: "For years I searched for a pendant light to hang over my country French table," says Barbara. "I knew what I wanted, but couldn't find it anywhere. I finally decided to go ahead and make one. I bought the right shaped...

Technophobia iPod accessories: confused by all those cool gizmos that seem to be toppinq everyone's gift lists? Apple's Bob Borchers gives Terry Trucco a cheat sheet for the season's latest and greatest.
December 1, 2006... Is it my imagination, or are there a zillion iPod accessories on the market at the moment? The iPod universe is burgeoning with more than 3,000 accessories, from a new fiat-panel TV from Samsung that connects to your iPod to things that...

Ask the barefoot contessa: how do you make fish cakes taste light and fresh? Ina shows you how.(Recipe)
December 1, 2006... Q I'm always to think of ways to use leftovers so that my family doesn't realize they're leftovers. What with cooked fish? A I love making crabcakes, but you can also make them with all kinds of leftover fish, particularly cooked salmon,...

Cookbook: Jennifer McLagan has convinced us: anything cooked on the bone has so much more flavor. You can't argue with dishes as tasty--and comforting--as these from Bones.
December 1, 2006... I LIVE WITH THREE CARNIVORES, plus two dogs happy to chew on anything that falls their way. Any meal that does not have a large portion of protein at its center (and preferably on the bone) is a disappointment to most of my family. Lured by the...

At this time of year we thought you might need a little vacation.
December 1, 2006... At this time of year we thought you might need a little vacation. So this month House Beautiful travels to Florida, where we've been seeing so much inspiring new design work. Its not the old one-look-fits-all Florida; it's a new kind of...

Warm is hot!
December 1, 2006... From November 5 to December 10, the 2006 House Beautiful Showhouse welcomes everybody to Aqua in Miami Beach. Aqua calls itself the new American city, and this house, decorated by eight red-hot American designers, is a fantasy of American life...

Warm is pretty.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... CAROL PRISANT: You really went all the way with the blues and pinks--not the first colors that come to mind when I think Florida apartment.' What inspired you? MICHAEL WHALEY: I wanted the apartment to be... pretty. There, I've said it! I...

Warm is intimate.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... An antique zinc-framed mirror hangs above vintage Knoll furniture on a shady terrace. OPPOSITE: Foxtail palms surround the pool; floating stainless steel gazing balls are from www.lawnornamentsandfountains.com; a pair of Philippe Starck's Louis...

Warm is easy.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... FRANCES SCHULTZ: What prompted you, an established New York designer, to take a weekend place in South Beach? T. KELLER DONOVAN: My mother. She retired Hear Delray Beach, I wanted to be nearby but not so near that I'd have to go and hang a...

Warm is luxurious.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... MIMI READ: If you had to describe this house in a couple of words, what would they be? BOBBY McALPINE: I think of it as a treasure ship. Most beach houses stay to the point of being airy and whimsical, but we wanted this house to be more...

Kitchen of the month/Greenwich, CT.: wide open spaces and wall of windows with the most beautiful banquette make this the place where everyone wants to hang out.
December 1, 2006... CHRISTINE PITTEL: WOW! This is almost as big as Texas. I bet you could seat twelve people around that island. ARCHITECT JOEB MOORE: The island is big--14 feet long. But kitchens these days are really a gathering place for the social life of the...

The look kitchen of the month: we found amazing copper-clad windows, paint that can take a scrubbing, and a kitchen island perfect for rolling out piecrust. What would you like?(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... 1. We've never seen anything like the CYPRIUM COPPER VERDIGRIS PICTURE WINDOW with its handwrought copper cladding. Stack a few for an industrial look; the patina is a bonus. Many sizes. Prices through dealer. LOEWEN: 800-563-9367;...

The last words: for that inevitable moment we all know is coming, some great last-minute gifts.
December 1, 2006... You know what I give? Nobody even knows about them--Aunt Ruby's Peanuts from North Carolina. I give them to fancy people in New York all the time and they go all to pieces as soon as they taste them. I like the country style because they re...