House Beautiful articles from October 2006

House Beautiful archives from October 2006

Wild and wonderful.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... You've had your fill of black-and-white tile floors, you say? The colorful possibilities, from sophisticated to Aquarian, are endless with this new line of 33 mixable, matchable vinyl tiles from MiYO (stands for Make it Your Own). They're all...

1 art book.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Pay thousands for a watercolor by Andrew Zega and Bernd H. Dams when their show opens at Manhattan's Didier Aaron in October. Or buy Chinoiseries, their limited-edition book of 50 color plates, and--be daring--take it apart. For $1,100, that's...

2 mattress.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... We love Vera Wang and her peppermint-striped, pillow-top mattress. Sleep well knowing you supported a good cause: Serta has contributed to breast cancer research. $1,399 for a queen-size set. VERA WANG FOR SERTA: 888-557-3782. ...

3 vanity.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Great legs! Chic, plus serious storage--panels conceal a huge drawer. The creamy enameled cast-iron top will transport you to the Left Bank. Provinity vanity, $1,850, and mirror, $400. KOHLER: 800-456-4537. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

4 hostess gift.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... The shape and mosaic look of this 15-inch Pompeii platter really appealed to us. No word on volcanoes, but it will survive the dishwasher. $195. HOME, JAMES!: 877-329-8878. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

5 table & bench.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Picnic set meets Erector Set--but easier to put together. Birch plywood and laminate, in four colors, by Scott Klinker. Truss A-Frame table, $589, and bench, $349. CONTEXT: www.contextfurniture.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

1 bowl.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Fishing for a compliment? Try this handcrafted aluminum bowl that can take the heat (up to 325[degrees]) or chill out in the freezer. Trout salad bowl by Michael Updike, $134. MARIPOSA: 800-788-1304. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2 wallpaper.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Nobody is more brilliant with color than Tricia Guild. Luminous is the word for Marinsky dappled silver and Fioravanti azure damask. Leave it to the English. DESIGNERS GUILD, THROUGH OSBORNE & LITTLE. www.osborneandlittle.com. ...

3 etagere.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Billy Baldwin would have loved this high-rise brass etagere--the handsome walnut drawers, the tinted glass shelves. Display art glass, or bring out your inner Gatsby and stack shirts and sweaters. Frazier etagere, $ 8,386, by Laura Kirar....

4 laundry.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Finally, the laundry room is reinvented! A drying cabinet (we're sold already) is integrated with a washer and dryer--and there's a freestanding cold iron (not shown) for pressing linens. The UltraCare Laundry System, $4,099. ASKO:...

5 sofa.(THE BEST!)
October 1, 2006... Why wait three months for a place to sit? Lee Jofa will build the Hedy (or any other upholstered piece) in three weeks. No problem. No extra cost. LEE JOFA: 800-453-3563 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Color for blondes: which color is the best color for a blonde? We went straight to the roots of the problem. Here's what our (mostly blonde) designers said.
October 1, 2006... CAROL PRISANT RALPH LAUREN HIBISCUS #GH133 In the interest of full disclosure, I'd have to admit that I love pink rooms because, in my innermost soul, I'm still brunette. Remember "blue is for blondes and pink is for brunettes"? On the...

Instant room new traditionals: trying for traditional with a modern twist? Or modern with a traditional twist? Interior designer Victoria Hacjan shows you how to put together a great new look.
October 1, 2006... HOW SHE'D DO IT This month interior designer Victoria Hagan creates a dazzling living room with furniture and fabric from Victoria Hagan Home. As curtains setting the pace, FOUR SEASONS (1) in Autumn. On a Cate slipper chair, LUCKY MATCH...

I want to buy a blanket: eagle-eyed carol prisant shows us what to look for.(COLLECTING)
October 1, 2006... A LITTLE BACKSTORY Cuddly and comforting and useful at picnics; a little too heavy, now and then (not heavy enough, now and then), America's blankets--highly and suddenly collectible--are American history. From the blanket that cloaked...

I want to try 'high dining: the hottest thing in the kitchen is the new "gather no table," 42 inches tall! Everybody, up ...(SHOPPING/HIGH DINING)
October 1, 2006... 1 EDO CAFE TABLE, $2,500; EDO STOOL, $1,480. THOS. MOSER: 877-708-1973; www.thosmoser.com. 2 CHUNKY BAR, $379; T BARSTOOL, $139. WEST ELM: 866-937-8356. 3 BRIO TABLE with adjustable height, $698; LEM PISTON STOOL, $598. DESIGN WITHIN REACH:...

Ask the dog shrink: cure those oddball fears with praise and rewards ... teaching her table manners.
October 1, 2006... Q My puppy steals food from the table at dinnertime, but when I yell "NO!", she starts racing around the kitchen like a crazy dog. Yelling louder and chasing after her only makes her run faster. I'm at a loss for what to do! A WHAT'S GOING...

Maintenance framing: before you mat and frame one more piece of art, pay close attention to what Steve McKenzie of Larson-Juhl has to say about conservation. You'll thank him later.(Interview)
October 1, 2006... Almost anything can be framed, right? I see all kinds of pieces I wouldn't have expected on your website: wine corks, jewelry, fishing lures, a vintage sundress. Almost anything, it's true. What's exciting about framing is how personal it...

Weekend shopper/Eddie Ross.(Interview)
October 1, 2006... where: Brimfield Antiques Show in Massachusetts--with Annie Selke... what Eddie and Annie found: 7-piece rattan furniture set... what they did: painted it and made cushions from a rug THE FINISHED TOUCH ON ANNIE'S PORCH: "Eddie...

Technophobia steamers: skip the ironing and dry cleaning. Best Buy's Karen Soto tells Terry Trucco about some incredible appliances that get rid of wrinkles and odors in the friendliest ways.(Interview)
October 1, 2006... I'd love to spend less money at the dry cleaners. Can the new steaming appliances help? The Fabric Freshener from Whirlpool, which costs $199, won't take out stains, but it removes odors and relaxes wrinkles. How does it work? ...

Ask the Barefoot Contessa: my favorite thing in the freezer.. what is "kosher"?... some tips about tablecloths..
October 1, 2006... Q What kinds of tablecloths do you use? Do you starch them? A I HAVE TO SAY, my taste in table linens is pretty simple: I buy lots and lots of square white tablecloths, particularly white damask. I collect them from antiques stores and flea...

Cookbook: our reviewer falls for the really, truly, honest-to-goodness One-Pot Cookbook by Jesse Ziff Cool that really, truly makes cooking--and cleaning up--easier than ever. Honest.(Recipe)
October 1, 2006... AM ALMOST ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT DINNER whenever I look through a pile of new cookbooks. What's doable is what's on my mind, and recipes that I can really feed my family are what I'm after. That said, you would think I would have greeted...

Traditional now: light!(traditional then: fussy)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... "WHAT EVER HAPPENED to traditional?" is a question. I get a lot. When did a fine old piece of mahogany become cheaper than a spindly piece of fifties metal? Just wait. I've been through golden oak, Art Deco, high tech, Memphis, French country,...

Traditional now: energy.(traditional then: sleepy)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... FRANCES SCHULTZ: When I meet someone new, I consider it a good sign if he doesn't try to bowl me over with how smart/funny/rich/ talented he is. Rather, the more I get to know him, the more interesting I find him. I feel that way about this...

I want a fresh start.
October 1, 2006... Eight months ago... ... I walked into this boring white box and said, "I'll take it." Faster than the agent could whip out the apartment lease, my heart sank with a pitiful, echoing thud. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I made...

I want to live in Ojai.(City overview)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... American Life (first in a new series about the best places to live) People come for a visit and home. Eighty miles northwest of Los Angeles, Ojai (pronounced sybaritic, and uncommonly sane. It's a place that has made a out of sunsets--the...

Traditional now: surprising!(traditional then: predictable)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... MIMI READ: This Malibu house has the ultimate amenity: a view of infinity. If the front door is open, you have a clear blue view of the Pacific Ocean through French doors on the rear facade. How did the view inspire the decor? MICHAEL...

Kitchen of the month/Champlain, Virginia: it takes a subtle touch to retrofit an old house with a new kitchen--and not lose a drop of that gentle Southern charm.(Interview)
October 1, 2006... CHRISTINE PITTEL: This is a historic Virginia house, but nobody really wants a historic kitchen. Originally, it wouldn't even have been part of the house, but in a separate building. So where did you put it? DESIGNER THOMAS JAYNE: It's a...

The look kitchen of the month: call the contractor! Windows that won't streak ... floorboards with character ... a dishwasher that takes care of your crystal. What do you want from our kitchen?
October 1, 2006... 1. Designers swear by Pantone's universal library of 3,000 colors, and now you can get PANTONE PAINT to match every last one of them. Made in Holland, this is high-quality paint that promises superior coverage. About $85 a Euro-gallon. FINE...

Correction.(Correction notice)
October 1, 2006... August 2006: The resources for "The Rustic Fantasy," p. 87, listed the wrong Web site for Franke. The correct Web site is: frankeconsumerproducts.com.

The last words: how do you give a room a little heart and soul? Mimi Read asks the experts.
October 1, 2006... Books. They're intimate and revealing. My very first client was a great reader, and she had this magnificent library with thousands of books in vertical stacks. Some were used as stands. Some were used as tables. Nothing was arranged properly....