Save to...
16 World Famous Interior Designers’ Tips on Area Rugs
After working on hundreds of projects, designers are full of practical advice on choosing area rugs. As one of the largest pieces in any room, rugs will immediately make or break the space and everything you layer in afterward. That’s why many designers, like Martyn Lawrence Bullard, won’t start working on a space until they’ve selected the rug.
Here’s a selection of their best tips:
A Complete Guide to Downright’s Comforters and Pillows
As one of the country’s foremost manufacturers of down products, Downright offers many different types of fill, support, and warmth level to meet your needs. In fact, since they’re based in New York, they can even create custom comforters and pillows (if you’d like one, let us know).
But we understand that sometimes too much choice makes choosing a little confusing. So we asked our friends at Downright to help us better understand the world of down and guide us through their collections. As it turns out, it’s quite simple.
A Parisian Find: Hand-Embroidered Linens from Renaissance Paris
In the 8th arrondissement in Paris near the elegant Musee Nissim de Camondo, there’s a small shop devoted to hand-embroidered linens, like the ones the fashionable Camondos would have enjoyed during their heyday. And even though the space is small, you’ll quickly see why the Palais de l’Elysee (the official residence of the President of France), the Ritz Paris, and designer Jacques Garcia all turn to Celine Perrin-Davy’s Renaissance Paris for their custom embroidered linens.
Video: The Lotus Layered Napkin Fold
Kim Seybert’s table settings are so gorgeous that you practically don’t even need food to have a party. Part of her secret is knowing how to add volume to her napkins.
For the lotus layered napkin fold below, all you need are:
1) One organza napkin
2) One regular napkin
3) One napkin ring
And to learn how to put them together, just follow the instructions in the video below. We promise you everyone will be impressed.
Mottahedeh: At Home with President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan
As an actor who became one of our most beloved Presidents, Ronald Reagan brought a new sense of style and glamour to the White House. Ronald Reagan wanted the country to feel optimistic again, and Nancy Reagan dressed to reflect this:
Alain Saint-Joanis: The Poshest Flatware Maker You’ve Never Heard Of
Wolfgang Puck knows his forks and knives. Same with three-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire. As does, of course, the King of Morocco. And when each of these opened celebrated restaurants in the last few years, they all turned to Alain Saint-Joanis for custom flatware. This small, family-owned company has been making cutlery in La Monnerie-le-Montel in the center of France since 1876. And although they’re not a household name, they are – for a certain group of folks – the only go-to when you want custom handmade flatware.
Whether you prefer lacquered (for your city dining room), olivewood (for the beach house in Martinique), resin (for your annual 4th of July bash), or a custom color to match your yacht, they can make it for you. We sat down with Alain Saint-Joanis President Alain Poujol for a few questions.
– What makes Alain Saint-Joanis unique?
The huge variety of looks … people come to Alan Saint-Joanis for quality and design. We have collections inspired by Art Deco, Celtic, Greek, nature … it goes on and on.
Beauville Linens: How a Small French Manufacturer Thrives in the Age of Globalization
For Coffee Lovers: The Most Elegant Espresso Spoons Ever
If you own a Nespresso or a De’Longhi or a Breville, you can now up your coffee game with these new espresso spoons from Christofle, which come artfully encased in a drop-dead gorgeous presentation egg case.
The silver option ($360) includes six silverplated espresso spoons, a polished stainless steel chest, and a dark walnut wood insert.
Destination Palm Springs: Annie Selke’s Getaway
When we heard that Annie Selke, the talented owner and designer behind the colorful Dash and Albert rugs and Pine Cone Hill linens, had bought a home in the Marrakesh Country Club community in Palm Springs, we knew it would be fabulous. Here, we share Annie’s story with you.
What made you decide to purchase a second home?
“After we had a horrible winter a few years back, I decided I wanted a second home someplace warm! I looked in Southern Florida, but nothing felt right. When I decided to buy the home in Marrakesh, it was kind of like my birthday present to myself. I really wasn’t even looking to buy anything.” But then, her friend John Gilmer sent her real estate listings, she saw pink and green everywhere, and she was sold.
Alberto Pinto: Dinnerware to Match His Interiors
First there was the red-eye to London. The customs and immigration line snaked around the terminal like a coiled serpent, lethargically moving in the early morning. Then there was the bumpy, stop-and-go rush hour ride into central London.
But the moment you walk into The Lanesborough hotel, your jaw dropped. The dull, harried modern world outside melted away. You were in a magical place filled with gilded carvings, cream and black marble, and shimmering silks and damasks.
