Dining with a View

Cliff House, San FranciscoSan Francisco's Cliff House has been an historic landmark since the 1800s, offering epic views of the Pacific, all the way to the Marin coastline. Dine on fresh seafood at one of Cliff House's two restaurants, while you watch seals frolic in the waves, or maybe glimpse a passing whale. Sierra Mar, Big Sur  Also perched above the dazzling Pacific coast is Sierra Mar in Big Sur. The award-winning restaurant offers an innovative, four course, prix fixe menu, which changes daily and features organic and seasonal ingredients. Part of the historic Post Ranch Inn, there's no other place quite like it. Sierra Mar, Big Sur  Also perched above the dazzling Pacific coast is Sierra Mar in Big Sur. The award-winning restaurant...

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Create a Mood with Color

Cool colors are relaxing and warm colors promote activity.Light quality can also vary dramatically throughout the country. Let light shine in whenever possible to create the outside feel inside your home.Muted browns produce a soothing, suede-like backdrop. Shades of gray can have the same serene effect.It's good to know color theory basics, but you'll know how a color will make you feel in a room just by living with it.To balance a strong color scheme, add variations of the same color, just as you find them in nature.Just because you've painted a room doesn't mean you're stuck with one mood or a static color statement. Example, with this pink wall you can mix patterns, stripes etc. we mix and match in our clothing the same goes for your...

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Dining with a View

Beverly Hills Restaurant, ThailandWe begin with the appropriately named Beverly Hills restaurant, a popular spot in Koh Samui, Thailand. Here, guests can relax in the sea breezes and watch the play of light across the water. Peaks Restaurant, Palm SpringsVisitors to the top of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway can treat themselves at Peaks Restaurant, which offers stunning views of the California desert and glittering city below. The contemporary cuisine is sourced largely from the surrounding Coachella Valley. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania Enjoy breathtaking views of the Ngorongoro Crater along the eastern arm of Africa's Rift Valley. And enjoy the food too, thanks to luxury travel provider &Beyond. The region is a great place to see African...

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Entertaining/Recipes/Green Design

Spinach Tagliarelle with Pesto and CreamHomemade pesto is simmered with heavy cream, then garnished with pine nuts and basil. Italian plate by Match.   SPINACH TAGLIARELLE WITH PESTO AND CREAM Serves 4 to 6 2 cups fresh basil leaves2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted2 cloves garlic, peeled1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggianosalt and pepper1 pound Cipriani spinach tagliarelle (spinach linguine or spinach fettuccine may be substituted)1 cup heavy creamIn food processor, pulse basil, 1/3 cup pine nuts and garlic 8-10 times until coarsely chopped. With processor running, slowly, add olive oil in a stream until smooth. Add cheese and pulse a few more times. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Cook tagliarelle in large pot...

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Designer Finds/Pottery Barn Accessories

Woven Metal BowlI love home accessories and I found these great pieces at Pottery Barn. Classical proportions and a distressed finish give this decorative bowl its style. Use it to display botanicals or natural items you discover yourself. 17" diameter, 13.5" highMade of iron with a gray painted finish.Indoor use only. Mirrors reflect the vintage Victorian ceiling tiles that inspired them. Mirrors, especially in great frames, add so much to a room. I totally love these, the frames add a lot of character!!!! 17" squareMade of intricately embossed iron.Features a rustic whitewashed finish that’s edge-rubbed for a vintage patina. Inspired by the elaborate, pressed-iron ceiling tiles of Victorian homes.Each mirror in the set has a unique...

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Mixing it Up

David Iatesta's Danish Cabinet adds a dash of old-world Euro-style with its restoration glass and gray finish. Lorts' slate-finish alder chair achieves a weathered look that belies its subtle, metallic undertones. It sits atop Bausman's Iron Console Table, which combines a rust-finish base with a natural oak barrel top. Pearson hand-planes its mahogany side table with bamboo-style legs to create a worn look in distressed gesso. PierceMartin's Oyster Cluster Lamp was inspired by a cluster on discarded rebar. Designer Stephen Woods adds a limestone base and burlap shade but stays true to nature's intent.Allan Knight expands on his acrylic oeuvre with the Gonzalo Cocktail Table. Its acrylic base is topped with cerused oak. Above it is BoBo Intriguing...

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Something Old Something New

An heirloom, an old piece of furniture, or delicate china that has been given as a gift or found in an antique shop may have a special appeal, not only because it is a treasure in its own right, but also because it reflects a period or style for which you feel an affinity. Just one item can be the starting point for a collection of similar objects from that era and, in some cases, can inspire a room to be decorated and furnished to invoke the atmosphere of that time. Then add the freshness of new colors or art for a feeling of vibrancy to your room.Old objects bring a nostalgic ambiance to any room, with the warmth and mellowness that come with age as well as soften the whiteness of modern materia...

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Entertaining/Cooking/Decorating/Green

Shallot-Herbed RisottoTopped with fresh asparagus and peas, served in a Provençal bowl. Serves 4 to 61/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil3/4 cup shallots, peeled and diced8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped1 tablespoon fresh thyme1 tablespoon fresh tarragon1 tablespoon fresh rosemary2 tablespoons fresh oregano1 pound Arborio rice1 cup dry white wine1 cup asparagus, only tips and tender part of spears1 cup fresh or frozen peas3 tablespoons butter1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggianosalt and pepperIn large saucepan, heat oil and sauté shallots until soft. Remove from heat.In separate pan, heat chicken stock until warm. Combine 2 cups stock and herbs in blender. Process until smooth, then return to remaining stock...

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Dump to Dream

From dump to dream: A 1903 country cottage’s stunning rebirthBy Vesta Fort of Southern LivingMoving the structureStephen and Suzie Winston’s love for architecture and good renovation projects has made for many moves. But this time, they were hoping to create a cozy and relaxing weekend getaway where they could make lifelong memories. They stumbled across a lot on the Magnolia River near their permanent home in Fairhope, Ala., and knew they had found a spot for the restful retreat they sought. All that was left was the house.One day, on an ordinary drive down an often-traveled country road, Suzie Winston spied a house that spoke to her.“I’d seen this old, dilapidated house sitting in the middle of a field a hundred times,” she says.Although...

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Busacca Gallery

Busacca Gallery offers consignment support programs to select artists and antique galleries. Their job is to assess their clients' marketing needs and deliver a highly effective Internet strategy, including a custom-tailored solution to generate ongoing profits with a low cost of participation. Their client Internet solutions are conceived at Busacca Gallery, an elegant display space located in San Francisco's affluent Russian Hill.It is the best place on the Web to buy and sell art between $500 and $10,000. And it’s free; no posting fees, subscriptions or advertising costs. It is a beautiful, carefully edited, gallery-like site that makes money on the margin between the minimum bid and the gallery price of an object. The works...

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Hallway Dramatics

The HallwayA welcoming front entry pairs antiques and vintage finds with modern accents to reflect the city's own juxtaposition of old and new.About the Hallway Subtlety had no place in the design of a luxury apartment with views as grand as the city itself. "Right from the start I wanted you to have a visual impact," says interior designer Vern Yip.Antique Peruvian runners purchased at ABC Carpet and Home, an iconic rug and design store located in New York's Flatiron District, lend an air of elegance to the space.    The hallway blends seamlessly into the kitchen, where a palette of dark wood and stainless steel lends sophistication to the work space. Contemporary floor lamps topped with silk shades place a spotlight on art pieces...

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