House Beautiful July-August 2013

Napkins A rainbow for your table. Pure cotton hand-dyed and loom-woven in Kerala, India. Color Napkins, 15" square, $90 for a multicolor set of 10 (also available for $9 each). karaweaves.com. 1. Sconce Think of this piece as jewelry to adorn a wall in any room. Inspired by a pair of fixtures found in an English manor house. Wheat Sconce, 20" H × 16" W, $297, by Chelsea House. 1800lighting.com. 2. Clothespins Pin up wet towels, close a bag of chips, clip a napkin to a plate or placemat outdoors. The graphic, diagonal stripe adds real pizzazz. Striped Cloth Pins, $20 for 20, by Ferm Living. burkedecor.com. 3. Outdoor Stool Like a buoyant bubble. In Lime Green, Orange, or Blue, one or more of these playful splashes of color will…

"This is a quiet green, like that pale green that you see in a hydrangea. It makes me think of summers in Nantucket. It would feel very serene in the soft light of a bedside lamp, as you unwind in the evening. Then when the sun comes up, it has enough color to give you some energy to start the day." MARIKA MEYER BENJAMIN MOORE THORNTON SAGE 464 "I like real colors, as opposed to those that are just a hint of something. I love clarity, and this is a clear blue. Anything you put against it—a black bamboo bed, a bright abstract painting—will pop. And the light in the room takes on a wonderful atmospheric quality. You feel good in it." HARRY HEISSMANNVALSPAR LYNDHURST CELESTIAL BLUE 5003-9C "I tend…

I LOVE THE CLEAN, straight lines of Louis XVI– and Directoire-style pieces, like this 1940s French bergère. It has a classic yet modern look that mixes with almost any style or period. GIVE ME ANY HERMÈS accessory. Candles, trays, throws—everything they do is of the highest quality. The craftsmanship and design are simply perfection. I BOUGHT WEDGWOOD'S Singapore Bird china in London in the '60s. My grandmother liked it so much, she bought it too. She left hers to me—now I have place settings for 24! "To make a house a home, you've got to really live in it and make it your own. I think it was Billy Baldwin who said, 'Decorating is never successful unless it is personal.'" I FOUND THE MOST DIVINE-smelling detergents and softeners in Paris—and…

"If the architecture of your home is classical and your taste is modern, embrace the contrast! I like to blend the best of all genres, styles, and periods." WHAT'S YOUR… 1. QUICK FIX Restoration Hardware's cabinet hardware. [Rosette, left, and Dillon knobs] 2. MOST RECENT PURCHASE A Provence Blue La Cornue range for my new kitchen. 3. SOURCE FOR ACCESSORIES Blisshomeanddesign.com for little objects like these sea-glass beads. 4. DREAM FABRICS Fortuny! [From top of pile: Shiraz, Lucrezia, Tapa with Stripe, and Canestrelli] 5. FAVORITE LAMP Vintage Murano glass ones. But for new versions, I love Donghia [Sirena, shown] and Jan Showers. 6. SIGNATURE TOUCH A piece of history. I find old stone and doors at Chateau Domingue in Houston. 7. FIRST CHOICE FOR CARPET I love Merida's abaca and…

FABRICS "In mixing textiles, it's all about layering them in unexpected ways. Both these fabrics play on paisley, and they speak to each other pleasantly but not overtly." On alcove wall: Hatley (left) in AZURE, linen; suzannetuckerhome.com . On alcove sofa: Rajmata in red, Hemp/cotton; peterdunhamtextiles.com. PILLOW "The yellow is a counterpoint to all the shades of red and blue. I find that using a little color that is not part of the scheme brings all the other colors into sharper focus." Arbor Pillow, 18" square, in yellow/cream, $195. judyrosstextiles.com. BACKLESS SOFA "I use them over and over again. You can entertain informally with 'lap dinners,' converse in any direction, and even use them as extra beds." Holden Studio Sofa in Dayne Khaki, 91" w, $1,999. roomandboard.com. RUG "The…

1. Ellerby Union Linen blend in Pink/Green, by Colefax and Fowler. cowtan.com. 2. Pink Hydrangea with Stripe Linen. greygardenscollections.com. 3. Sunswick Cotton in Blue with Dots. sisterparishdesign.com. 4. Dancing Daisy Cotton in Greens All Over, by Tillett Textiles. t4fabrics.com. 5. Dauphine Cotton/linen in China Blue, by Charles Faudree. stroheim.com. 6. Sylvan Linen/cotton in Blue and White. thibautdesign.com. 7. Incarnation Cotton in Fuchsia, by Christian Lacroix. designersguild.com.…