Innehållsförteckning för December 2012 från ELLE DECOR

elledecor.com where style lives! THE BEST OF ELLE DECOR, PLUS EXCITING NEW IDEAS AND INSPIRATIONS Winter wonders • Check out our favorite cold-weather retreats from the pages of ELLE DECOR, including Charlotte Moss's grand Aspen chalet and an idyllic Idaho ski lodge by M. Elle Design, shown. • Need help with holiday shopping? Find out what ELLE DECOR editors are giving this year—and what's on their wish lists—with more than 100 seriously chic gift ideas. • Warm up with Daniel Boulud's best recipes for festive entertaining, from an elegant lasagna to salmon-and-caviar crepes. HOT TOPIC These fireplace accessories bring high style to the hearth Broughton log holder by Chesney's. Jamb's St. James mantel from Dering Hall. Star andirons by John Lyle. Restoration Hardware's 19th-century English tool set. Bella fire screen…

DECEMBER 2012 A FULL DANCE CARD I laughed out loud when I read that Michael Leva has done away with his dining table to make space for late-night dance parties ["Creative License," October]. While I prefer a candlelit dinner with friends myself, I can't deny the appeal of the former club kid's New York apartment—I love those bursts of bright color. How can I score an invitation to one of his soirées? Trina McCauley, Phoenix THE PERFECT FIT I'll admit to being something of a J. Crew addict, so I was particularly excited to see your feature on the home of Frank Muytjens, the company's menswear director ["Vintage Variety," October]. I wasn't disappointed. He has a cool but completely accessible decorating style that matches the clothes he designs. What I…

A+R, LOS ANGELES Owners Rose Apodaca and Andy Griffith have opened a second outpost of A+R, which the pair designed in collaboration with architect Barbara Bestor. The shop features contemporary furniture, lighting, rugs, and accessories imported from Japan, Holland, and the Czech Republic, as well as other far-flung locales. 171 S. La Brea Ave., 800-913-0071; aplusrstore.com SMYTHSON, LONDON The British leather-goods brand has doubled the size of its flagship store to accommodate its complete home collection, which now includes luxe throws. Architect Thomas Bartlett, inspired by classic Georgian style, has incorporated marble floors and nickel accents into the space. 40 New Bond St., 011-44-20-7629-8558; smythson.com MUD AUSTRALIA, NEW YORK CITY Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood is home to the porcelain company's first U.S. store. Its full line of…

The Metropolitan Opera's opening-night gala is a signature event of the New York fall social season. This year's edition, which took place in September, was so dazzling that even the diva onstage couldn't take her gaze off the audience. "It's so glamorous," said Anna Netrebko, the vivacious soprano who performed opposite tenor Matthew Polenzani in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. "All these people with crazy beautiful gowns and jewels. It should be like this all the time!" The Met consistently attracts a high-society crowd, but none is more glittering than the one at its season-launching gala, which is preceded by a red-carpet arrival and followed by dinner for 1,200 in a tent next to the opera house. This year, singer Courtney Love, fashion designer Zac Posen, models Crystal Renn and Erin O'Connor,…

From Tutankhamen's gold throne to the bronze Giacometti lamps commissioned by Jean-Michel Frank, metal furnishings have long lent sparkle and style to interiors. André-Charles Boulle lavishly decorated Louis XIV's furniture with gilt bronze, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated humble copper, and, in the 1960s and '70s, Gabriella Crespi and Karl Springer made brass chic. For designer Ariel Ashe, metal furnishings play a key role in rounding out the mix of materials in a room. "Your eye is always drawn to metal," she says. But she adds a note of caution: While a French gilt mirror brings richness, too much glitter can be a distraction. Decorator Vicente Wolf seconds the call for restraint, but likes to shake up expectations. "Everybody thinks gold leaf is traditional," he says, "but I love…

The allures of France are, of course, legendary: all that history, all that culture—all that amazing wine. Americans have been venturing there since the late 1820s, first to Paris, and then, over time, to the Riviera, Provence, Bordeaux, and Brittany. A region we've explored far less—yet one that in-the-know Europeans, especially Parisians, crave for its crisp air and bucolic landscapes—is the French Alps. Two popular resorts, Megève and Chamonix, lie in the Haute-Savoie, the dramatic, snowcapped mountain range anchored by the colossal Mont Blanc. The villages are a study in contrasts: Megève has cozy, small-town charm with a sophisticated ambience; Chamonix's austere peaks and wooded terrain attract those with an adventurous spirit. Both are less than an hour's drive from Geneva. In winter, each offers pleasures all its own. Prized…

SOME YEARS AGO, a billionaire quietly bought a large parcel of land in Sagaponack, New York, and erected a $200 million, 29-bedroom Italianate compound surrounded by formal gardens. So it's easy to understand why residents of the tiny hamlet, which lies smack in the middle of the Hamptons, were wary when the CEO of a major lifestyle brand and his photographer wife bought one of the last intact farmhouses there. Many in town worried that the couple—whose primary home is a sprawling Westchester County estate—would tear down the farmhouse and put up a monstrosity. Their concern was unnecessary. Instead of leveling the gracious 19th-century structure, the couple preserved as much of it as they could, creating a unique paean to the sort of casual, beachy elegance that used to define…

The textiles designer John Robshaw has a knack for finding unique and affordable spaces in which to live and work. In the mid-1990s, fresh out of art school, he set up his painting studio in the squash court of an abandoned Wall Street men's club. He then moved to Bangkok, where he rented a traditional Thai wood house. By 2001, he was back in Manhattan, residing in an East Village tenement walk-up, and designing hand-block-printed Indian bedding out of a 1920s office building in Chelsea. Robshaw, who has matinée-idol looks and a low-key demeanor, travels to places like Vietnam, Bolivia, and Zimbabwe to collaborate with local artisans on fabrics that combine traditional techniques with fresh pattern and color. But he is also a sharp businessman. His indigo bedding, Afghan tribal…

According to The Farmers' Almanac, the northeast region (not to mention much of the rest of the country) is in for a bitter winter, full of cold and snow and more cold and snow. Which actually might turn out to be a bit of a blessing, because, other than in our travel story on the French Alps, you'll see nary a flake on our pages this month. In each December issue, we try to feature a snowy lodge in Aspen or Park City, or a country house in upstate New York, nestled amid drifts of white, icicles, and pine trees. We photograph these homes about a year in advance, and then save them, as a kind of Christmas present for our readers. But as I am sure many of you…

IMAGE CONSCIOUS From the 1940s until his death in 2004, fashion illustrator René Gruau brought an indelible vision of the glamorous life to magazines and advertisements. Beginning December 3, his depictions of soignée women are on display at the Miami showroom of Italian silversmiths Pampaloni (pampaloni.com). Meanwhile, Gruau: Portraits of Men (Assouline), surveys a lesser-known side of his work. And Zinc Textile is reproducing his radiant colors and swooping brushstrokes on fabrics for the home (zinctextile.com). BEAUTY SPOT The Australian beauty brand Aesop has developed a reputation for daringly designed and very different boutiques—in collaboration with world-class architects—around the globe. Its new Manhattan branch, in the West Village, is a futuristic space constructed from lime-washed plywood by Melbourne architect Rodney Eggleston. Outposts are also opening in Boston and San Francisco…

In 1993, when New York artists Brad Davis and Janis Provisor set off for a year's adventure in China, they had no idea they would one day be designing silk carpets based on their own watercolor drawings. Or that almost 20 years later, their Fort Street Studio collection would occupy an expansive loft in the city's Flatiron district. Last summer, Davis and Provisor—whose painterly rugs are a favorite with interior designers Jamie Drake and Robert Couturier, as well as such celebrities as Brad Pitt, Steve Martin, and Madonna—moved from a small showroom in SoHo to an 8,000-square-foot space in a 1901 building that once housed the Arrow shirt manufacturer. Provisor also creates jewelry, and uses part of the loft as a design studio for her baroque-meets-punk confections, such as chokers…

For Thomas P. Campbell, director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, weighing in on 5,000 years of culture is all in a day's work. "I'll go from looking at ancient Egyptian artifacts to avant-garde contemporary art," he says. Campbell is the ninth director in the museum's 142-year history. Raised in Cambridge, England, he is one of the world's leading experts on European tapestries. Since taking over as director from Philippe de Montebello in 2009, he has presided over the opening of the museum's new American Wing and Islamic galleries. Up next: a renovation of both the Costume Institute and the Met's front plaza, and a major exhibition of Matisse paintings that opens December 4. "It's a constant changing of mental gears," says Campbell, "but it's exhilarating." 1 /…

When it comes to extending a warm welcome, Danny Meyer famously has the golden touch. Through his Union Square Hospitality Group, the New York restaurateur runs some of the city's most beloved restaurants—including Union Square Cafe, the Modern at the Museum of Modern Art, Gramercy Tavern, and Blue Smoke. Even Shake Shack, his burger chain—with outposts from Miami to Kuwait City—is a class act for both the quality of its food and the warmth and professionalism of its well-trained staff. Here, Meyer (who is also the author of Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business) shares his recipe for being the host (or hostess) with the most this holiday season. SETTING THE STAGE      • If you want to throw a great party, know that nothing rises to…

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW The country code is 33. ESSENTIAL MEGèVE Dine on high. Eat lunch on the slopes whether or not you ski (many restaurants are accessible by lifts). On Mont d'Arbois, L'Idéal 1850's terrace has panoramic views (4-50-21-31-26); Javen d'en Haut, on the Rochebrune slopes, serves omelets and homemade pies (4-50-91-92-66). Go for a ride. Horse-drawn carriages gather in the town square, offering a cozy way to tour the cobblestone streets (a 15-minute trip costs 22 euros). Take tea. Wrap up the day with tea and pastries at Le Petit Cintra (170 pl. de l'Eglise) or hot mulled wine at La Calèche (4 rue Monseigneur Conseil). WHAT TO SEE The Calvary Way, megeve.com: A winding path leads to a series of tiny 19th-century chapels,…

Known for dramatic interiors that meld Hollywood glamour and ethnic exotica, Martyn Lawrence Bullard doesn't just design for A-listers—Cher, Elton John, and Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon, to name-drop a few—he also lives like a star. For eight years, the droll Londoner, seen on Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators, has made his home in a 2,800-square-foot 1922 Mediterranean villa in Whitley Heights, one of Los Angeles's first celebrity enclaves. Previous tenants have included silent-film icons Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. Later, novelist William Faulkner wrote screenplays on the balcony off what is now Bullard's master bedroom. "It's amazing to live with something original," says the designer, who decamped for L.A. in 1994 as an aspiring actor and now plays himself on TV. "When you walk in, you are immediately swept up in…

Items pictured but not listed are from private collections. SHOP TALK PAGE 54: Fort Street Studio (212-925-5383; fortstreetstudio.com). Janis Provisor Jewelry (212-924-5257; janisprovisorjewelry.com). TREND ALERT PAGE 58: Jacket, $2,998; vest, $1,098; and pants, $1,498; all by Ralph Lauren (888-475-7674; ralphlaurencollection.com). Chair, $1,399, by Arhaus (212-337-9853; arhaus.com). Eskimo Storm viscose blend, to the trade from de Le Cuona (212-702-0800; delecuona.com). Alo Bakhmal silks by Bermingham & Co., to the trade from Brunschwig & Fils (800-538-1880; brunschwig.com). Adamo & Eva cotton, to the trade from Dedar (800-493-2209; dedar.com). Pillow, $238, by Dransfield & Ross (212-741-7278; dransfieldandross.com). Serenade viscose blend, to the trade from Weitzner (888-609-5551; weitznerlimited.com). Mirror, $1,500, by Made Goods from Mecox Gardens (631-287-5015; mecoxgardens.com). Not Square silk blend by Jamie Drake, to the trade from Schumacher (800-523-1200; fschumacher.com). Sham,…

MARTYN LAWRENCE BULLARD The ebullient Martyn Lawrence Bullard, whose Hollywood home is featured on page 124, has kept design fans riveted with his wit-fired performance on TV's Million Dollar Decorators. To herald the show's second season, Bullard and costar Mary McDonald have collaborated with One Kings Lane to create the e-retailer's first collection (onekingslane.com). The line includes more than 150 Indian-themed tabletop pieces and accessories. (The November 27 episode follows the pair on a trip to Delhi and Jaipur.) Among the offerings is a cobra-shaped candlestick modeled after one of Bullard's favorite antiques. JOHN ROBSHAW In John Robshaw Prints (Chronicle Books), the New York textile designer—whose bedding and fabrics have a cult following among the style cognoscenti—describes how the artist son of a groovy '70s couple from Buffalo, New York,…

STAG PARTY With their wintry white glaze and handles modeled after antlers, the Surroyal pitcher and tureen by Anthropologie add a woodland touch to holiday entertaining. Made of ceramic with hand-applied details, the 13" h. pitcher costs $78, and the 21" dia. tureen is $248. 800-309-2500; anthropologie.com 1 / MIDAS TOUCH Accented in gold leaf, Vagabond Vintage's iron sconces magnify the glow of a single tea-light candle. From top, the Tear-Shaped sconce measures 7.5" h. x 7" w. x 4" d., the Smooth sconce is 7.5" dia. x 4" d., and the Large Hammered sconce is 10.5" dia. x 5" d. They cost $38, $42, and $62, respectively, at Mothology. 404-351-6484; mothology.com 2 / CLEAR FAVORITE Studio Van den Akker has teamed…

Velvet jacket, vest, and pants by Ralph Lauren from fall 2012; ralphlaurencollection.com. Monaco chair by Arhaus; arhaus.com. Eskimo Storm* viscose blend by de Le Cuona; delecuona.com. Alo Bakhmal Velvet* silks by Bermingham & Co. from Brunschwig & Fils; brunschwig.com. Adamo & Eva* cotton by Dedar; dedar.com. Cut Wave pillow by Dransfield & Ross; dransfieldandross.com. Brunelleschi* cotton blend by Etro for Clarence House; clarencehouse.com. Nitenday slippers by Stubbs & Wootton; stubbsandwootton.com. Serenade* viscose blend by Weitzner; weitznerlimited.com. Wade mirror by Made Goods; mecoxgardens.com. Boy Flapbag by Chanel; 800-550-0005. Morgan sofa by Jayson Home; jaysonhome.com. Polidoro* silk blend by Manuel Canovas; cowtan.com. Plush Velvet sham and coverlet by Scandia Home; scandiahome.com. Not Square* silk blend by Jamie Drake for Schumacher; fschumacher.com. *Available to the trade only. See Resources.…

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES Matthew Patrick Smyth transforms a challenging space in a former Manhattan warehouse into a stylish urban oasis for ELLE DECOR's Designer Visions ELLE DECOR: What were the particular issues you faced with this project? MATTHEW PATRICK SMYTH: The building, 250 West Street, is a former warehouse that dates from 1906 and was selected by Hearst for its Designer Visions showhouse program. It's the last structure before the Hudson River, but this is a middle unit, with windows on only one side facing a side street, so light is an issue. As in all conversions, the developer, the ELAD Group, inherited certain structural elements that just can't be eliminated, like columns and bearing walls. This apartment includes a room that is big enough to be a third…

When I was a young chef in France, I made soufflés by the thousands. I'd whip up 30 a night working for Michel Guérard in Eugénie- les-Bains, where we served his famous soufflé aux poires, a very simple version with pear coulis. But the one I like to make most often is chocolate soufflé. This version is based on the recipe we use at Daniel. For a twist, serve it with a delicious clementine cream. There are a few tricks to perfecting a soufflé. The egg-white mixture needs to be whipped until it's quite stiff—that's what gives the dessert its surprising lift. (A little lemon juice keeps the whites from getting lumpy.) Incorporate as much air as possible by beating the whites at a gentle, consistent tempo. Fold the batter…

The first thing you notice about Mehall Griffey and Jerry Maggi's apartment in Catania, on the island of Sicily, is the floor. The couple live on the second story of a palazzo in the city's historic center, and the handcrafted, hand-painted Sicilian tiles were laid when the building went up, between 1860 and 1880. The next thing you notice is the color of the walls: the Pompeian red and the Mediterranean blue of the bedrooms, the smoky, deep gray of the drawing and dining rooms, and the blood orange of the guest bath, this last specially developed with their painter. For that room, they washed color over the scars and humidity stains on the old, beige walls, producing variegations that nod toward antiquity. But many aspects of their apartment gesture…

Architects have a reputation for sweating the small stuff. So it's not surprising that Carlos Aparicio cites as inspiration the work of his forerunners Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, and Gio Ponti—early-20th-century architects who each obsessively oversaw their projects down to the design of the doorknobs. Like these Renaissance men, Aparicio conceives of a house as a whole entity. His vision for a space encompasses everything from the floor plans to the light fixtures to the colors of the walls. Take, for example, his own weekend retreat in the Miami neighborhood of Surfside. "From the start," he says, "I knew what the palette would be and where every piece of furniture would go." Those pieces of furniture reflect a lifetime of connoisseurship. The Cuban-born Aparicio has been collecting since his years…

La Sardina camera from MoMA Design Store, $110; momastore.org. Jam jar with spoon by Asprey, $925; asprey.com. Perle bowls by Zafferano, $55 each; apartment48.com. Pro-Ject Xperience Basic Plus turntable, $999; needledoctor.com. Tea from Le Palais des Thés, $23 each; us.palaisdesthes.com; and Teo teapot by Anthropologie, $148; anthropologie.com. Rally building blocks by Grimm's, $88; acorntoyshop.com. Jungle Elephant tray by Waylande Gregory, $340; waylandegregory.com. Marbleized candy bars from Chocolate Editions by Mary & Matt, $6 each; chocolate-editions.com. Molton cheese set by Calvin Klein Home, $60; calvinklein.com. Olivia box by Ralph Lauren Home, $595; ralphlaurenhome.com. Twirl pitcher and wineglass by Diane von Furstenberg Home, $70 and $25, respectively; bloomingdales.com. Four Seasons Peacock calendar by Connor, $135; connornyc.com. Gourd & Vine serving bowl by Michael Aram, $325; michaelaram.com. Geometric throw by BoConcept, $99; boconcept.us.…