Ready for Spring

Modern Lounging DeckA cluster of low teak sofas and cement-topped tables forms a central outdoor lounge.Built of Mangaris (a dark, eco-friendly hardwood also known as red balau), the deck of this 1954 house in the Hollywood Hills spans the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom.Worthless to WonderfulThe porch is the hub of life at this house. The mix of antiques and junk-store finds creates a comfortable atmosphere.Dream GardenThe perfect garden for entertaining can also work for quiet relaxation -- even in a small space. The designers organized the yard into zones that correspond to the home's interior: large patios for group activities, intimate spaces for relaxing.Perfect PorchPorches can be enjoyed year-round in some places, especially...

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Pattern Mix

“It’s a contemporary home with strong Moorish influences,” project architect Matthew Stratton, of Bender & Associates Architects, says of a Key West, Florida, house he designed for model, actress and writer Veronica Webb and her husband, George Robb. “It’s like looking into a kaleidoscope,” Webb observes of the rooms. “You have enough pattern and color to keep you entertained: Veronica feels that it all weaves together all of her husband George’s shipwreck culture with her fashion and crafts culture. The dome ceiling was produced in Morocco. Shade trim, Samuel & Sons. (March 2009)John and Jana Scarpa, the owners of a Palm Beach, Florida, house, hired interior designer Scott Snyder, who had decorated the house for another client years...

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San Francisco Design Project

My son has a condominim in the heart of San Franciso, he is currently in the process of purchasing furniture and designing it around the space. He is dealing with a long retangular space which can be a difficult design process. Although, he has asked my opinons and some guidance, I am so proud of him for his own creativity in the project. These are pictures of the process and his statements. As you follow this process, we will share the final design when completed. I have made recommdations on artwork and other accessories which he liked, I am sure the final pictures will be dramatic.His comments on the the picture above:"I took some time tonight to model out the kitchen fixtures, the actual placement of the windows, the balcony, the grating...

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Exotic Entertaining

Grounded by neutral colors and natural fibers, bold coral and turquoise are allowed to shine. "Dinnerware is like jewelry," says designer Jaime Rummerfield of Woodson and Rummerfield's House of Design. "Summer is the time to go big with striking patterns." For a Look Like This:Design Your Own Plates$15Available at Freddy & MaWater Hyacinth Pillows$29 to $99Available at West Elm"It's great to have a signature style as a hostess, but I always add a surprise or twist. In this case, I added a punch of color. Yellow is a popular color to mix with blue, and it adds warmth." Peggy Sewell, Contributing Editor, Southern AccentsClassic Menu: A Homey BrunchFor a Look Like This:Bergamote Blue Tablecloth$180Available at DeVries & DornbosRutherford...

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High Point Furniture Mart 2010

The city of High Point, North Carolina bears the moniker “Furniture Capital of the World”. Barbara Taylor, President of High Point Museum, in a speech she delivered August 17, 2005, explained how High Point got this name. In 1919, The Southern Furniture Exposition Company built a showroom specifically for furniture manufacturers to have a place to display their creations. This showroom was 10 stories and cost over a million dollars to build. This was the first furniture market of its kind.Building on their past with furniture, the city of High Point has become the premier destination for furniture buyers. According to the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau, there are more than 50 discount furniture stores in and around the area. These...

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Asian Embrace

A Manhattan couple turned to Paul Vincent Wiseman’s firm, The Wiseman Group, to design their secondary residence in San Francisco. Wiseman and senior designer Judy McBride kept the living room clutter-free to accommodate visiting grandchildren. The wife found the Chinese figures, from the Han Dynasty, in a New York shop. McGuire rattan lounge chair. “It’s warm and serene,” McBride says of the living room, which features an oil by Robert Ogata. Sofa fabric, Cowtan & Tout. Corner pillow fabric, Clarence House. Green pillow silk, Donghia. Hokanson carpet. McGuire low table. The designers continued the “simple, slightly Asian aesthetic” with translucent screens that separate the kitchen from the dining area. The collage is by Dennis Parante....

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Classical Epihifany

A couple bought the deconsecrated church and an adjacent apartment in La Convertoie, a fortress in Italy’s Chianti region that dates to the 11th century, and asked Siena architect Marco Vidotto and Vero Beach, Florida, designer Susan Schuyler Smith to fuse them into a single residence.The nave—now the living room—was restored to reflect its original design. The 16th-century oil depicts Christ’s presentation at the temple. Restoration of the church was done under the direction of the institution charged with preserving Italy’s cultural heritage. Smith’s goal was to “create a warm and cozy space with the use of lighting, furnishings and color,” while honoring the structure’s rich history. Vidotto brought the fresco above the altar’s replastered...

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Digital Wallpaper

Big Impressions In a downstairs bath, a digital image of a green-and-white botanical evokes spa serenity. Though this Graham and Brown wallpaper mural is discontinued, there's plenty more to choose from on their site.  "It's a fun way to get a great splash for about $120." I love this digital wallpaper, so sad they discontinued the green and white botanic...

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High Rise Architecture

The well-guarded little secret of recently built New York apartments at swank addresses is that the interiors are often banal and the construction iffy, the result of developers designing buildings with their calculators. The apartments coast on drop-dead views. Here on the Upper West Side, a hop, skip and a jump from Lincoln Center, the clients wanted to reset the equation so that the interiors matched the views in quality and drama as they achieved a higher environmental IQ. An energy-consuming Manhattan apartment could go green. New Yorkers called on Hariri & Hariri Architecture to design a Modernist apartment on the 45th floor of a Manhattan tower, the clients asked for environmental intelligence. Collectors and travelers, the...

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Home Ideas

Spice up an all-white den with tangerine accents. A Moroccan floor cushion and cozy throw blanket become statement pieces in this simple, symmetrical living room.A wash of pastels brings this coastal living room together. Promote conversation with four chairs instead of the traditional sofa, anchored by round ottoman.In recent years, pretty much the only place you could spot a beverage cart was in black-and-white movies. But recently, the wheeled, multitrayed carts have been appearing in stores. "Entertaining at home is hot right now, and people have rediscovered the utility cart. If you're unsure where to go first in this Abilene, Texas, home, just follow the cat tracks. From the front door, tiny feline footprints lead toward the...

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Vintage Bathroom Suites

These vintage bathroom suites by Regia are sweet indeed! The combination of their contemporary, clean lines and throwback silhouettes make these vintage suites a bathroom essential that’ll lead you into the future in style. The timeless and classic combinations of black / white and red / white make these sinks, tubs and toilets pop. Just splash your favorite color on the walls or by way of towels and accessories, top it off with some artwork or a large mirror, and you’ve got a trendy look that’s easy to change when the “it” color turns from turquoise to… whatever it’ll be next year! Making the old new again, this chic vintage bathroom collection works well with both modern and traditional designs. Check it out at Reg...

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