The cabin dates from 1979, but its newly shored-up kitchen has the sepia warmth of a much earlier era. Located in the Poconos, in Bushkill, Pennsylvania, a hike from the famous Bushkill Falls, the hideaway was purchased by a group of four friends for use as a retreat and word-of-mouth rental. The new owners include […]
Backyard Bunkhouse, Hollywood Royal Family Edition
When actors (and hands-on remodelers) Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen decided to downsize to a 1949 three bedroom fixer-upper in Studio City, LA, they had to find space to fit their family of six. The fact that their four boys, ages 15 to 24, all happen to be giants made the need for extra room […]
An Artful Hotel on the Swedish Island of Gotland
It’s been over fifteen years since I walked the cobblestone streets of the medieval town of Visby, located on the Swedish island of Gotland. I’m plotting a return visit to the island–and if I go I’ll be sure to stay at the hotel and restaurant Hotel Magazin 1. Located on the southern part of the […]
Kitchen of the Week: A Brightly Colored (and Cost Conscious) London Kitchen
Like so many people, Alexandra Evans and her husband, Tom, had always been cautious about color: “We had to think about resale value, so we painted everything white,” she says. Then the couple bought a 1914 fixer upper in Richmond Park, in southwest London, for themselves and their three children, ages 4, 9, and 13. Feeling as if […]
Kitchen of the Week: Masterful Storage in a Workstead Design
So many kitchen designers of late bypass above-the-counter cabinets to avoid an overly kitchen-y, old-fashioned look. But Workstead’s solution for a Brooklyn family of five makes masterful use of floor-to-(nearly)-ceiling millwork. And there’s nothing Betty Crocker about it. In fact, the cabinetry is so elegant, it works equally well in the dining area. Photography by Matthew Williams. Above: Situated on the parlor […]
Seaside Scandi : A 1970s Cabin Makeover on the Danish Riviera
Designers Christine Sofie Johansen and Rasmus Robert are among their own best clients. In addition to running Studio Force Majeure, their Copenhagen interiors firm, the couple have spent the last seven years rehabbing and flipping vacation houses on Denmark’s north coast, just a hop and skip from Copenhagen. They call this venture The Business and […]
A Midcentury-Style 1980s House: The Takatina Take on an Upstate Hideaway
Ten years ago, when we first met Takaaki and Christina Kawabata, they had just fled Brooklyn with their two young kids to live in an entirely open-plan cabin in upstate New York. The couple—he’s an architect, she’s an interior designer—transformed their modest 1960s retreat into a Japanese-style, minimalist farmhouse: see The New Pioneers: A One-Room […]
The Perfect English Townhouse, Courtesy of a UK Design Authority
Design writer Ros Byam Shaw is the creator of the “Perfect” series of books: Perfect English made its debut in 2007, followed by Perfect English Cottage, Perfect English Farmhouse, and Perfect French Country (as well as the instant classic Farrow & Ball Decorating with Colour). The former features editor of The World of Interiors, Byam Shaw teamed up with […]
10 Things Nobody Tells You About Washing Your Bedding
There’s nothing like a freshly made bed, with clean sheets and luxurious pillows—particularly during hibernating season. But is your bed (where you sleep, relax, read, watch Netflix and, quite possibly, eat and work) really clean? It’s a question we almost couldn’t bear to ask. “It pays to go deeper,” says bedding maven Tricia Rose of Rough Linen, […]
Steal This Look: A Characterful Kitchen in Copenhagen
Chef Frederik Bille Brahe and designer Caroline Brasch Nielsen live with their two young children on the top floor of a 17th-century house in Copenhagen. While the bones of the apartment are decidedly old, the kitchen is strikingly contemporary, thanks to cabinet fronts designed by Belgian artists Muller Van Severen for Reform. And the fact […]
A Pastoral Dream, Realized
Virginia native Dianne Nordt discovered her craft in college and envisioned a future as a weaver, living on a farm with her husband and children, and raising sheep. It’s all panned out with the Nordt Family Farm. Weaver and designer Dianne Nordt, together with her husband, runs the 400-acre Nordt Family Farm on the banks […]
Expert Advice: Tips for a Softly Moody Bedroom with London Stylist Twig Hutchinson
How to create a soft, sumptuous bedroom that doesn’t feel too fussy or too juvenile? (I’m picturing the eyelet bedskirt my sister had on her bed as a girl.) We consulted Twig Hutchinson—London-based art director, stylist, and founder of online journal Minford, who recently redid the bedroom and ensuite in her early Victorian London home—for her […]
Steal This Look: A Pink Paint and Brass Kitchen in Cambridgeshire
One of our favorite renovation projects is the conversion of Georgian estate in Cambridgeshire from a monastic silent retreat location to a glamorous modern home. The kitchen is one of the newer components of the renovation, situated in the place of the religious order’s canteen area. Complete with warm pink cabinets, brass fixtures, and mirrors […]
Steal This Look: A Plaster Pink Kitchen in Bath, England
It’s hard not to be seduced by the all-white kitchen, but for those willing to make permanent decisions, think colorful ranges and painted cabinets, the payoff can be huge. Take this pastel kitchen designed by Nicola Harding for a couple living in a renovated Georgian manse. On color, Harding explains: “We used dark colors to […]
At Home in Saint-Paul de Vence with a French Architect
The late architect Yves Bayard, who designed the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice, reconstructed a 16th-century sheep barn with his wife, designer Jacqueline Morabito, in the town of Saint-Paul de Vence (home to the Fondation Maeght). We like the ad hoc window treatments: pieces of fabric casually tacked to the window frames. Photos […]
Premium Bohemian: Danish-Designed Cappelen Dimyr Rugs and Coverlets
“We want our pieces to be the final element of a personal and eclectic home,” write sisters Maja and Ellen Dixdotter. The Copenhagen-based Swedish duo together run minimalist fashion label By Malene Birger as well as Cappelen Dimyr, a young company devoted to creating handmade, ethically produced contemporary rugs, wall hangings, and coverlets in By […]
Trend Alert: 9 Kitchens with Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinetry
Noticed in some of our favorite kitchens of late: floor-to-ceiling cabinetry in lieu of wall-mounted, over-the-counter cabinetry (some with library ladders to access the upper reaches). It adds up to a cleaner look with multiple storage opportunities. Above: In a house in LA’s Los Feliz, designer Tamar Barnoon reconfigured an outdated kitchen, adding a wall […]
Five Favorites: Wooden Beds with Angled Headboards
After two years, I was ready to part ways with my right-angled headboard, which I fought with every time I tried to sit up and do some laptop work in bed. My mishmash of creatively arranged pillows was not a good enough solution. Enter the angled headboard, which provides exactly the support I was looking […]
Steal This Look: A Bunk Room in Full Color (and Pattern)
When Brooklyn-based designers Peter Dolkas and Michelle Ficker of Studio Dorian were called upon to renovate a Brooklyn family’s new property in Litchfield County, Connecticut, the project started as a weekend house. Throughout the renovation, though, the couple decided to fully relocate from Brooklyn. They still intended to welcome many guests into their home, so […]
The House on Dolphin Street: A Remodeling Tale of Tenacity and High Style
Artist/illustrator Russell Loughlan is a serial house remodeler who labels his latest project “a total impulse buy.” Located on Dolphin Street in the seaside town of Deal, in Kent, England, the 1768 Georgian row house had been untouched since the 1960s. And to see his fixer-upper now, you can understand why he fell for it. […]
A Family Home Turned B&B in Rome
A stay at Arco dei Tolomei includes velvet furniture passed down through generations, charming floral-wallpapered rooms, and a dapper Italian hotelier. At least that’s what Design Tripper‘s Meghan McEwen had to say when she stayed at the guest house a while back. Longtime owners Marco and Gianna remodeled their old family house into a B&B […]
Variations on a Theme: A Linen Collection in Six Shades of White, from Flaneur
When it comes to bedding, I gravitate towards white, every time: it’s timeless, easily cleaned, and effortlessly makes the bed look fresh and crisp. But anyone who’s looked through white paint chips knows there are almost limitless shades and hues, with subtle differences that can set completely different tones. It’s with that in mind that […]
Expert Advice: How to Fold a Fitted Sheet, Step by Step
No doubt about it, when it comes to domestic efficiencies the fitted sheet is a dream invention. Yet, too often it’s an absolutely nightmare to fold. All those elastic edges just refuse to be tamed. Fortunately, there is a way. With the help of my husband, Chad, here’s how to properly fold a fitted sheet. […]
The New Old West: Contigo Ranch Hotel in the Texas Hill Country
Frede and Claudia Edgerton took a chance on a rambling property in the Hill Country near Fredericksburg, Texas: a replica Old West town complete with a sheriff’s station facade, a saloon facade, and replica Alamo building. The Edgertons, working with their daughter-in-law, Austin interior designer Ann Edgerton, called on architects Kevin Stewart and Liz Rau […]
A Belgian B&B, Surrealism Included
On our radar since 2009, the minimalist oasis Galerie Sofie Lachaert in Tielrode, Belgium, offers an ever-changing display of vintage and modern pieces curated by jewelry and product designer Sofie Lachaert. With two guest rooms that Lachaert runs as a bed and breakfast, you might be tempted to claim permanent residency. Photography by Danica O. […]
Monastic No More: A UK Religious Retreat Redesigned as a Chic Family Home
Discovered on The Modern House: St. Francis House, a monastic retreat transformed into “an exceptionally chic modern home.” Located in Cambridgeshire, a 45-minute train journey from London, the late-Georgian structure was built as a country estate. It was in the 1950s that a religious order moved in and purpose-rebuilt the place as a silent retreat, […]
Japanese-Inspired Matchstick Blinds
Last year, I went on a rampage and covered all the windows with simple white fabric roller blinds—inside mount, no frills. I had not anticipated all the options for cords and pulleys, borders, linings, and valances. While you can go wild with trimmings, we favor a leaner look. Not as spartan as an all-white linen […]
Steal This Look: A Bright Blue Bedroom in a London Loft
We recently featured a renovated loft in a former upholstery factory on Hoxton Square in the East End of London. The project, by Mark Lewis Interior Design, has dozens of design details to steal. To start, the bright blue bedroom; here’s a list of sources for creating look (some straight from Mark Lewis). For more on […]
Steal This Look: Le Corbu-Inspired Kitchen in Los Angeles for a ‘Lady Bird’ Producer
Los Angeles-based firm Commune Design was the perfect match for a client looking to harness the details and energy of French modernism and adapt it for a Santa Monica apartment. That was just the case when Hollywood talent manager Evelyn O’Neill (who produced Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird and Little Women) called on Roman Alonso and […]
Vitorrja: A Vintage-Leaning Hotel in Los Angeles from the Gjelina Group
For as often as we’ve enjoyed a tuna sandwich and vinegar shrub in the courtyard of Gjusta, it was only recently that we came across Vitorrja, the first hotel from the Gjelina Group behind both Gjusta and Gjelina in Los Angeles. In spite of its location one block from the boardwalk and beach in Venice, […]
Kitchen of the Week: Shaker in the City
We are big fans of deVOL kitchens, so we took notice when the UK-based bespoke cabinetmaker opened up a New York City outpost not too long ago. Now you can see all four of their cabinet styles up-close at their showroom on Bond Street in Lower Manhattan. While each line has something to recommend itself, […]
Kitchen of the Week: ‘Cotswold Charm and Japanese Simplicity’ in New Jersey
Interior designer Hollie Velten-Lattrell, of SPACES by Hollie Velten, has a unique of getting to know her clients. She doles out a deck of cards with prompts like “I left my heart in . . . ” and “The first thing I do in this space is . . . ” to sleuth out what […]
Steal This Look: A Blush Bedroom in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
German design firm Studio Oink has a way with pastel. Case in point: the main bedroom of a Brooklyn townhouse, done in a deep shade of blush and accented with rose-brown tones, from paint to linens and window coverings. Here, we profile the main features of this pared-back yet romantic space. Above: Douglas fir flooring […]
Color Connection: A Warm and Whimsical Remodel in Altadena, Los Angeles
Our friend, Los Angeles photographer Ye Rin Mok, recently shot a renovated 1947 house in Altadena, a neighborhood just north of Pasadena that sits at the base of the Verdugo Mountains. The project is from Katrina Rumford of Slow Dust Studio, a designer relatively new to the field after renovating her own house lead to […]
The Scandinavian Sleep Secret: Mine and Yours Duvets
Anki Spets has been out to improve American slumber since 1990. Back then, she was a Swedish fashion designer new to NYC and dismayed by the wrinkle-proof, mixed blend sheets that dominated the US market. Years before Ikea and Scandi style arrived on the home front, way before bedding disruptors entered the picture, her business, […]
Remodeling 101: Bedside Lighting
Even Arianna Huffington reads in bed. Today, we’re zeroing in on a crucial bedroom detail with a lot of options: bedside lamps. Above: Mix-and-match bedside table lamps do the trick. See Steal This Look: An Artful Attic Bedroom in London for more. Why have bedside lighting? Recently we wrote about the importance of being able to […]
Just Add Pillows: The DIY Headboard for $35
“Whatever we don’t already own, we’ll make ourselves.” Remodelista directory members Dale Saylor and Joe Williamson of design-build firm Hollymount gave themselves this challenge when they moved with their young son to a characterless two-bedroom rental in New York’s Chelsea. We dropped in on them not long ago–see the DIY New York Apartment–and were particularly taken with their […]
5 Favorites: Bedside Shelves (in Lieu of Tables)
The traditional bedside table is a space hog that offers little storage in return. For small spaces, consider a better bedside companion: the wall-mounted shelf. Above: The wall-mounted Bedside Console is made of solid maple by PELLE, a Brooklyn studio run by two Yale-trained architects. Intended as a catchall for the essentials, the compact design has a […]
Modern Maritime: Skeppsholmen Hotel in Stockholm
Architects Claesson Koivisto Rune were inspired by the mist and fog of the Swedish archipelago when they chose the palette for the Hotel Skeppsholmen in Stockholm. Located on a small island, accessible by bridge to Stockholm’s city center, Hotel Skeppsholmen is housed in two buildings that date back to 1699 and were built to house Sweden’s […]
An Architect’s Estate, Open for Business: Wanås Hotel in Skåne, Sweden
Four years ago, when architect Kristina Wachtmeister and her husband inherited an estate located outside the village of Knislinge, they converted its 18th-century farmhouse into an 11-room hotel. The hotel, called Wanås (pronounced va-noos) after the estate, is renovated with sustainable oak (sourced from the estate forest) and limestone floors, vintage tile, and custom or […]