“A cast iron skillet and a camera” is Beth Kirby’s moniker. But that only begins to touch upon what she does in her kitchen. Out of her decade-old, “generic little house built by a builder,” in North Chattanooga, Tennessee, Beth works as photographer, stylist, writer, recipe developer, teacher, and blogger (see Local Milk). She needed a […]
Christina Lundsteen’s Velvet Pillows: “Mixing Colors and Patterns Like Nobody’s Watching”
“Colors makes people happy,” says Christina Lundsteen of the potent hues and patterns on her velvet cushions. The Danish designer initially worked in fashion; in 2006, she launched her own workshop and has been stitching pillows ever since. Christina sells her line on her own site and via retailers the world over. Each cushion is […]
Sheltering at Home—and Posting on Instagram: 12 Inspiring Glimpses from Behind Closed Doors
Rearranging, sanitizing, trying to stay healthy–and taking photos. These last few cooped-up weeks have been a time of interior introspection. And an opportunity to take part in some Instagram Show and Tell. For design voyeurs, there’s been a steady flow of inspiration to distract from the news and the fear. Here, a dozen inside looks […]
Remodeling 101: What to Know About Installing Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers
Installing kitchen cabinets isn’t a job for your average homeowner. Think about the total weight of all the ceramics, glassware, and appliances stored in your wall-mounted cabinets—and how disastrous it would be if those cabinets came tumbling down. Enough said? Let’s leave installation to the pros. But if you’re planning a major kitchen remodel, trying […]
Kitchen of the Week: Base Cabinets by Ikea, Chic and Colorful Doors by Reform
If we were to describe this kitchen using words only and no images, you’d be forgiven if the word “tacky” comes to mind. Let’s give it a try: This kitchen in Berlin features minimalist cabinets with fronts in a variety of colors—red, green, orange, white, and blue. See what we mean? Fortunately, we have images […]
Light-Diffusing Shutters Made from Plexiglas
On a visit to Parma Lilac, interior designer Janie Jackson’s house converted into her showroom in Notting Hill, London, we taken by these custom shutters of opal Perspex (the UK name for Plexiglas) with chrome hinges. Above: Made to order, and to fit exact window dimensions, Parma Lilac’s Perspex Shutters range in price from £684 to £724. Photos via Airspace. For more about […]
A Small (but Growing) Apartment Inspired by a Favorite Novel
Lots of people get lost in novels; architect Mariana de Delás’s client wanted to curl up and live in her favorite book. Italo Calvino’s The Baron in the Trees is a fable about an 18th century young baron who breaks away from his restricted life by climbing into the tree canopy and leading a rich […]
“As Long as There’s Continuity, You Can Go Wild”: Combining Wallpaper, Fabric, and Rugs with Vanderhurd
Ahoy, all you color- and pattern-averse people! Come take a look at the latest from Vanderhurd, designer Christine Van Der Hurd’s London-based rug and textile company which specializes in combining kindred colors and prints. Opticality, Vanderhurd’s new block-printed linen designs, are available in the UK—the Vanderhurd shop is on Portobello Road—and at Studio Four NYC […]
The Simple Life: A Montauk Beach House for a Creative Couple
When Elisa Restrepo, cofounder of the shoe line Dieppa Restrepo, and her husband, Dylan Dodd, who owns NYC restaurants Karasu, Walter’s, Walter Foods, and Barrio Chino, went looking for a place to escape the city, they chose a three-story split-level house in the “sleepy surfing town” of Montauk and hired Brooklyn architects Space Exploration to overhaul it. They’d worked […]
“Spend Every Day with Peace of Mind”: A Labor-of-Love Family Home in the Japanese Countryside
It took me a while to realize that my new pen pal, Hironobu Kagae, is an emerging lifestyle guru. He and I met on Instagram: I sent him a message admiring his entryway and we struck up a halting conversation. I don’t speak Japanese and Hironobu was relying on Google Translate. But he shared intriguing […]
Trend Alert: The Great American Patchwork Quilt Comeback—as Art, Clothing, and, Yes, Bedding
The art of patching scraps into bed quilts is a revered American tradition. But for a time, much of that handiwork had taken on a quaint dustiness. No more. Vintage patchwork has been embraced by, of all unexpected corners of the world, men’s fashion as primo material for kaleidoscopic jackets at couture prices. Patchwork quilted […]
Object of Desire: Heather Taylor Home Gingham Bedding
When I was little, I had a child-size picnic basket, complete with mini teacups, saucers, faux-enamel flatware, and napkins. It all came packaged in a dark-brown wicker basket, which to my child-brain seemed like the most valuable treasure chest imaginable. The real star, though, was the pink gingham lining that held everything in place. It […]
Ebony Lodge: A New Take on Classic Safari Style
On a recent trip to the Singita Ebony Lodge, I found myself cataloging the experience from a design perspective. While many of the design elements of the lodge are reflective of a reimagined British colonial safari style, some feel a bit more natural. Namely the 300-pound Kudu antelope standing in your path as you approach the […]
Kitchen of the Week: A London Kitchen Inspired by Traditional Haberdashery Stores
Noticed of late: kitchens that look like furnished rooms as opposed to, well, kitchens. If you’re intrigued by the trend, you may want to consider deVOL’s Haberdasher’s Kitchen line of modular cabinets inspired, says the company, by traditional British men’s clothing stores and their “glass doors and sliding drawers, of row upon row of lift-up […]
Remodeling 101: 6 Kitchen Cabinets Transformed with Paint
When it comes to remodels, we all know that kitchens are the biggest money sink of all. That’s why we’re big fans of budget rehabs that make creative use of low-cost materials. But sometimes even these minimal kitchen makeovers can be out of range, especially if you’ve just spent your last red cent on purchasing your […]
Steal This Look: A Considered Kitchen in an East London Townhouse
When couple Paul West and Michelle Bower began renovating their 1717 East London townhouse, they took on a full transformation of a basement kitchen. The kitchen they started with “wasn’t in good working order,” Paul describes, so they enlisted UK kitchen design company deVol to see out their vision. Here we’ve profiled the key elements, […]
Steal This Look: An Authentic Midcentury Modern Bedroom
When Carla and Niall Maher bought a 1950 suburban ranch house in Westchester, New York, the couple made a commitment to midcentury style. Built into a hillside among other midcentury houses by Roy S. Johnson and Stanley Torkleson, the house was sheetrocked and whitewashed by previous owners (and an Ikea kitchen to boot). The Mahers […]
Linen Duvet Covers from Cisco Home
Made in Los Angeles of 100 percent linen, Cisco Home’s new line of bed linens feature a subtle elegance and come in shades of Belgian-inspired grays and browns, with contrasting piping. Above: Solace Duvet Cover and Shams with Piping in rice paper; $475 for the twin set (but available in all standard bed sizes). Above: […]
Steal This Look: A Bedroom in Natural Materials in Veracruz, Mexico
A while back we profiled Maison Couturier, a 19th-century estate turned hotel in San Rafael, Veracruz. We’re still drawn to the bedrooms…You, too? Here are some ideas for re-creating the look. Above: The estate is made up of limewashed walls and original brick floors. The mix of vintage decor is a nod to the French immigrants […]
Steal This Look: A Remodelista’s Minimalist Galley Kitchen in Brooklyn Heights
When my husband, Josh, and I moved to Brooklyn Heights a few years ago, we were lucky enough to find a parlor floor flat that hadn’t been updated for a couple of decades, so it was a blank slate. The kitchen in particular needed work, so we called on our friend Malachi Connolly, a New […]
Kitchen of the Week: ‘A Secret Retreat’ Above a Violin Store
Designers often say that the best renovations come about after you’ve actually clocked some time living in a space, so that you can have a better understanding of how your home supports (or hinders) your daily routine. Architect Jack Tsai’s clients, a couple in their 60s, had 15 years to figure out what was wrong […]
Survival Guide: Life in a Tiny Apartment, Brooklyn Edition
When we first moved into our tiny Brooklyn Heights apartment, my husband, James (then fiancé), and I negotiated a six-month lease because we weren’t sure we could survive more time than that in such a cramped space. More than two and a half years later, we’ve gotten so accustomed to our tiny abode that it’s […]
Furniture with a Feminine Touch (and a Masculine Name)
Despite the masculine-sounding name, Richard Watson is the design studio of two women, Brooke Richard and Laura Watson, who describe their work as furniture through “the filter of a feminine mind.” A number of years after meeting in graduate school at the New England School of Art and Design, the two founded an interior design firm, Orange Street Design, […]
Steal This Look: The Ultimate Chef’s Kitchen in Brooklyn
Yesterday, we toured the Brooklyn townhouse that architect Elizabeth Roberts of Elizabeth Roberts Design/Ensemble Architecture reinvented as a Greenhouse for Living. Today, we’re dissecting its rustic-luxe kitchen tailored for a couple who love to cook. Kitchen photography by Dustin Aksland. Above: Owners Allison Freedman Weisberg and Peter Barker-Huelster requested a cozy yet spacious kitchen: “They […]
Shop Owner Makié Yahagi’s Charm-Filled Loft in SoHo, New York
Designer Makié Yahagi opened her pint-size children’s clothing shop on SoHo’s Thompson Street in 1999 calling it, simply, Makié. The daughter of a seamstress, Makié was making clothing for her two sons (they’re now just a little older than her shop) when she got the idea. We’ve been adherents of her brand (that now includes […]
An 1890 Brooklyn Townhouse, Reinvented for Modern Times
In the high-stakes world of speculative real estate, it’s not surprising that so many people stick to familiar and unimposing design choices. But what made us take note of this Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, townhouse fixer-upper was the inventiveness of the overhaul. Owner Tatiana Cames of Townhouse Therapy is both a real estate broker and a […]
Kitchen of the Week: A Family Kitchen in Copenhagen with Uncommon Style
This bright kitchen belongs to two leaders of the style pack in Denmark: Frederik Bille Brahe is the chef-owner of Atelier September and Apollo Bar and Kantine, all of which we’ve spotlighted. Caroline Brasch Nielsen (who also goes by Bille Brahe) is one of the world’s leading fashion models and has her own clothing line, […]
Steal This Look: A Wedding Suite on Mykonos
Lambs & Lions of Berlin are the masterminds behind the San Giorgio Mykonos Hotel, on the Greek island of Mykonos, home to some of the most laid-back luxurious–and romantic–bedrooms we’ve ever come across. Here are the design elements to re-create your own islands-inspired honeymoon suite. Above: Airy white quarters at the San Giorgio Mykonos Hotel, mosquito […]
Steal This Look: An Alcove Bedroom in Somerset, Winter Light Included
At The Three Horseshoes, a 17th-century pub in Somerset, England, former gallerist and antiques collector Max Wigram worked with interior designer Frances Penn to create five guest rooms using soft yet colorful tones, reclaimed oak floors, and carefully selected antique furnishings. Here’s a look at the bedroom’s key sources, from yardage to fixtures, in order […]
Required Reading: Retrouvius, Designing Houses from a Philosophy of Reuse
Retrouvius is Maria Speake and Adam Hills’s combination salvage business and design studio: they lead by example and we’ve been drawing inspiration from them for years. The couple met as architecture students in Glasgow in the early 1990s and, after witnessing many of the city’s historic structures being felled, they found their calling. “We just […]
The Gothic Getaway, NYC Edition
Design firm Roman and Williams have left their mark on lodgings all over New York, including the inventive and buzzing Ace and Standard hotels. The High Line Hotel, which officially opened last week, is one of the most imposing and also the quietest of the duo’s designs (most nights, the small lobby is quiet enough […]
Design Sleuth: Noirish LA Bedroom
Spotted on the blog of one of our favorite lighting designers (Atelier de Troupe): the Los Angeles bedroom of one of our favorite fashion bloggers (Lizzie Garrett of Tomboy Style). Recreate the look with a pair of Navire sconces (info below) and dark slate washed linen Montecito bedding from HomeMint. Above: The Navire sconces add […]
Lessons in Mixing and Mismatching: Merci Reinvents a Paris Apartment
For 12 years now Merci has been at the top of every aesthete’s must-visit list in Paris. The lifestyle store, with its linen bedding in impossible-to-find-anywhere-else jewel tones and basement of gorgeous gardening supplies, is known for its eclectic, insouciant take on design. Merci is approachable rather than precious; it’s an emporium devoted to celebrating […]
Victorian, Revamped
When a sculptor wanted to bring more light into her Brooklyn Victorian brownstone, she called on Elizabeth Roberts to help her radically reshape the space without compromising its historical details. “The woodwork and the narrow width of the house meant it was very dark,” says Roberts, who has a degree in historic preservation and is […]
The Ultimate First Apartment in Paris: A Brother and Sister’s Shared Quarters Designed by Marianne Evennou
A few years back, Paris interior designer Marianne Evennou worked on a family house in Neuilly and along the way became friends with the owners. When their now twenty-something-year-old daughter and son, Lola and Joseph, went in on Paris apartment together, Evennou was again summoned. Having bought what the designer describes as “the rare gem […]
Artist Heather Chontos at Home in Her 18th-Century Stone Farmhouse in Southwest France
Heather Chontos’s restless verve is writ large all over her paintings. And her bright abstract paintings are all over her farmhouse in Southwest France: brushed and drawn directly on the walls, patterning the upholstery, and tucked inside old wooden drawers. Raised in New York’s Hudson Valley, Heather says her gusto is in response to a […]
Kitchen of the Week: A Waste-Conscious Remodel for a Ceramic Tile Designer
Here’s a kitchen that thoughtfully references the period and place the home was built (sometime in the 19th century, in London), yet feels thoroughly modern. It belongs to ceramic tile designer Sophie Caulfeild and her husband, James, a fund manager. The two hired architect Thom Brisco, of Brisco Loran, last year to brighten, update, and […]
Cutout Kitchen Cabinet Pulls: 17 Favorites from the Remodelista Archives
I dream of unadorned kitchen cabinets that are inexpensive to fabricate and easy to use. This is how I discovered the cutout drawer and cabinet pull. As much as the next person, I do a lot of swooning over open shelving. The reality of my small kitchen and obsessively ordered personality, however, is that I […]
7 Favorites: Gingham Bedding for Warm Winter Nights
All of the beds in Goldilocks and The Three Bears were made with gingham linens—at least in the version I recall. Which makes sense: this classic check is reliably homey for adult and child-size setups. With caveats: so often gingham bedding is too cute. Or it’s too bold. But when the details are in harmony, […]
An Ancient House in Old Town Lamu
Irish jewelry designer Penny Winter recently restored a villa in the heart of Lamu Old Town to its former glory and now rents it out to travelers seeking an out-of-the-ordinary African experience. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, Lamu Old Town is regarded as one of the oldest and best preserved Swahili settlements […]