House Beautiful articles from September 2007

House Beautiful archives from September 2007

We want every single shimmery color ...(the best!)(guide to floor pillows)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Peacock blue, marigold, violet. These floor pillows are made from the most exquisite Indian sari silks and stuffed with pure cotton. For meditation (we wish), or those moments when the kids flop down to watch TV. 12-...

1. Night stand.(the best!)(guide to drawers)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Those moldings on the four convenient drawers caught our eye. Perfectly proportioned for bedside, with pretty glass knobs. Curator Night Stand, $698. ANTHROPOLOGIE: 800-309-2500; anthropologie.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2. Sconce.(the best!)(guide to light fixtures )(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Instant atmosphere and no wiring required. The patina on the handwrought role looks centuries-old, and the 30-inch height adds drama to any room. $275; $550/pair. ROOMS & GARDENS: 310-481-5154; roomsandgardens.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3. Porcelain logs.(the best!)(guide to porcelain)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... We saw these at Kips Bay Showhouse and thought: Perfect for the fireplace, off-season. There's something wonderfully surreal about white logs, but it's the stick that sold us. Still Life Wood Set, $275. KLEINREID: 718-937-3828; kleinreid.com....

4. Lemon bar mix.(the best!)(guide to tarts)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Foolproof. And Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, knows just how we like them, tart, with a buttery shortbread crust. $11, exclusively at CRATE & BARREL: 800-967-6696; crateandbarrel.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

5. Salt and pepper.(the best!)
September 1, 2007... Thomas O'Brien's Vintage Modern wooden shakers have an appealing heft. 5 inches high, $4 each. TARGET: 800-800-8800. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

1. Basket.(the best!)(guide to baskets)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Every room needs a hand-made touch. These exuberant Indonesian straw baskets come in three sizes, 8 to 12 inches high, from $38. ANDRIANNA SHAMARIS: 212-388-9898; andriannashamaris.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2. Cooler.(the best!)(guide to ice chests)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... This doesn't pretend to be anything but plastic, and that, plus the six Popsicle colors, is the fun. Try them out on the patio for a party. 15.5 inches high, $28. NANCY KOLTES AT HOME: 212-219-2271. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3. Lamp.(the best!)(guide to lamps)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Foo dogs were the ancient guardians of Chinese temples, but these two, a female with her cub and a male with a globe, won't bite. A classic decorator look in hand-glazed porcelain. $428 each; $765/pair. WILLIAMS-SONOMA HOME: 888-922-4108;...

4. Notes.(the best!)(guide to sticky notes)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Guaranteed to get their attention. Post-it notes in the new Samba Collection will give a whole new rhythm to your desk. From $2. STAPLES: 800-378-2753; staples.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

5. Gift.(the best!)(guide to tableware)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Cream and sugar, anyone? Dazzle guests with sterling that shows off that famous Tiffany & Co. craftsmanship. Garden cream and sugar set, $750. TIFFANY & CO.: 800-526-0649; tiffany.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Splurge.(The best!)
September 1, 2007... Play tea party again--the sterling silver sugar pot is just two inches high, minus its flower top. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Color neutrals: what neutral do you find yourself always using? These designers reveal the colors that keep them loyal.
September 1, 2007... "I love grayish blue as a backdrop--the blue of a washed-out sky just after a storm has passed. I'm sitting here in my office right now with this color on the walls. I have Swedish painted grayish-blue chairs, an 18th-century mahogany desk, a...

Instant room: Brooke Gomez: bold patterns in whisper colors ... It's no wonder designer Brooke Gomez admires the hand-printed fabrics from TylerGraphic.
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Curtains POMPEII STRIPE is wonderful for draperies: "Leave the fabric unlined for the beautiful translucency that only linen can give." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Sofa ROSE DU ROI, based on an old...

Our favorite store: Ankasa, New York City: how long has it been since you fell in love with everything in a store? We did, at fashion-forward Ankasa ...(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The hallmark of the Ankasa took is its dramatic embroidery. Your pillows are works of art. SACHIN AHLUWALIA: The Ankasa collection began with pillows. My wife, Babi, and I were decorating a new apartment, and we...

Everywhere we look ... four-poster beds: antique or modern ... richly carved or simple and sleek. These beds deliver more than a good night's sleep. They tell a story.(guide to beds)(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Little Backstory Shakespeare bequeathed his second-best bed to his wife, but his very-best bed was surely a four-poster with all the trimmings: goose-down pillows, feather mattresses, heavy bed-hangings to keep...

The makeover part 3: the hallway: find a room you never knew you had. Designer T. Keller Donovan brings out the best in a space that, too often, is simply overlooked.
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I see a plain hallway. What do you see? Possibilities. Some people might think bookshelves. I made it a gallery. The secret is to find a theme. Since I live on Washington Road, I decided to collect antique prints...

Maintenance jewelry: emeralds, diamonds, your mother's pearls ... There's a right and a wrong way to care for your prized possessions, jeweler Earl Kahn tells us.(Q&a)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... EVE M. KAHN: I wanted to bring my own jewelry boxes to show you--the one filled with all the pieces I wear, and the other jammed with everything else, but I didn't want to horrify you. How much am I doing wrong? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

I'm looking for an ottoman: a footrest, coffee table, or extra seating ... it's the piece that does it all.(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2007... 1. Noctua, embroidery on linen/cotton, $598. Anthropologie: 800-309-2500. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Ames in leather, from $1,415. Drexel Heritage: 866-450-3434; drexelheritage.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3. Tuileries in...

Technophobia skype: how do you make a phone call without a phone? Log on, check your e-mail ... call home with the newest Internet service.(Q&a)
September 1, 2007... ANGELA TAORMINA: What is Skype? I know it's a phone service, but I don't understand the first thing about how it works. FRED SHEN: It's so cool! Think of it as a service provider, like ATS&T. Except that Skype sends your voice--and video,...

Tablescape altar table: this antique Chinese console at the 2007 San Francisco showhouse was dressed up by Suzanne Tucker of Tucker & Marks. Here's how you can get the look at home.(buyers guide)(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Highlight a large piece of art by framing it, not blocking it, with tall pieces. Combine contemporary and antique elements; your arrangement will have more life. Remember the power of pairs. Symmetry makes...

Ask the Barefoot Contessa: grandparents, grandkids, cousins, aunts: Ina's Mac & Cheese will thrill the whole clan.(Q&a)(Recipe)
September 1, 2007... "I'm having a big family party and I don't want to cook two separate dinners for the children and the growth-ups. What can I make that everyone will love?" It's hard enough to pull together one dinner for a party--but two? Never! I would...

Cookbook: Sara Foster's casual cooking: who has the time for fussy cooking anymore? No one we know. These recipes are all about the way we really like to eat.
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SARA FOSTER BEGAN HER CAREER DECADES AGO as the chef of Martha Stewart's catering company, back in the day when Ms. Stewart, then a caterer from Westport, Connecticut, taught us to bake wheels of Brie and jam them...

I've always wondered why "color issues" of decorating magazines are filled with rooms that would make me crazy after fifteen minutes.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] I've always wondered why "color issues" of decorating magazines are filled with rooms that would make me crazy after fifteen minutes. Why does "color" have to mean "screaming"? I thought it was time to explore the...

Neutrals are sensual: brown + beige + gold + splashes of coral.(THE NEW NEUTRALS)(interview with Kathy Smith)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] MIMI READ: This is a brand-new home in an idyllic Charlotte subdivision. Why does it look so settled, burnished, and prettily faded? KATHY SMITH: I used autumn colors--brown, beige, and gold neutrals with...

Neutral ares crisp: black + white + a flash of purple.(THE NEW NEUTRALS)(interview with Betsy Brown)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] FRANCES SCHULTZ: Well, you sure can't predict a decorator's style by her accent--Alabama, lovely and lilting, in your case. Somehow I expected ruffles and prints and your Great Aunt Bessie's sideboard. Maybe you'd...

25 (colorful) neutrals.(THE NEW NEUTRALS)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Lavender is the new beige. From lilac to amethyst, it's an extraordinary neutral and a great unifier--a soothing, peaceful color that- is timeless. It used to be there were no arguments with beige, but suddenly...

Neutrals are shimmering: cream + beige + blue + flickers of gold.(THE NEW NEUTRALS)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHRISTOPHER PETKANAS: Your Atlanta apartment is a model of easy elegance. I understand you took a divide-and-conquer approach to the work. PHOEBE HOWARD: My husband, James, and I work independently as...

Neutrals are serene: beige + taupe + chocolate + blue + a touch of red.(THE NEW NEUTRALS)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] CAROL PRISANT: Everything you've done here is so calm--almost Asian. GARROW KEDIGIAN: Doesn't everybody want a beige room? While beige and taupe predominate, there are solid helpings of chocolatey browns, plus...

Neutrals are natural: green + gray + blue + wood + gardens all around.(THE NEW NEUTRALS)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LISA CREGAN: I covet this house. How do you create something from brick and mortar that tugs so hard on the heartstrings? BOBBY McALPINE: I think a lot of good architecture is like that. Remember that beautiful...

Kitchen of the month: Kentfield, California: it's a little Italian, a little French Country. We love Sandra Bird's mix of old-world materials and warm colors.(Interview)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHRISTINE PITTEL: It looks like the whole kitchen revolves around that piece in the center with the wraparound hood. What's going on there? DESIGNER SANDRA BIRD: That was our biggest challenge. A 4-by-4-foot...

The best for the kitchen: gorgeous glass, a high-speed toaster, the perfect paint ... new products to transform your kitchen.(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2007... 1. Here's a really new look: Bio Glass countertops made from recycled glass. The 3/4-inch top comes in green, white (shown), or brown. $50 per square foot. COVERINGS ETC.: 800-720-7814; coveringsetc.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2....

Ask the dog shrink: he's been warning you all along, but you didn't listen. It's not your fault ... you just have to speak his language.(Q&a)
September 1, 2007... "My eight-month-old puppy loves my five-year-old son. Usually, he smiles and talks when we pet him while he's eating, but yesterday he bit my son. Why did he suddenly turn on us?" When I hear the description of your dog's behavior, it...

The last words: how do you keep a neutral room from being boring? Some top designers share their best tricks.
September 1, 2007... "When doing a neutral scheme, I like to use various shades of a neutral color. I also find that color comes into a room when there is art. I never pick out the colors from pictures, because it will have a very forced, decorated look. I also...