House Beautiful November 2013

Bouquet Seasonal flowers, artfully arranged. For every bunch you buy, another one is donated to a community organization, such as a women's shelter or an elder-care facility. Wild Thing Bouquet, $50. bloom2bloom.com. 1. Umbrellas Handmade in limited editions of vibrant waxed fabrics; 20 percent of profits supports survivors of sexual violence in the DR Congo. From 30" DIA for $395. marisols.org. 2. Soap All-natural, and each purchase funds rain-forest conservation and clean water for a child in need. Wildflower & Fern Bar, $22 for two. handinhandsoap.com. 3. Ceramic Box Molded from real vege- tables and finished with organic glaze by artisans at a fair-trade cooperative in Vietnam. Scallop Gourd, 5½" W × 6¼" D × 5" H, $45. abchome.com. 4. Paperweight Sculpture for your desk in handblown glass.…

"I want to paint a room gray—the color of a thundercloud—in a semi-gloss finish so it reflects the light and looks almost watery. And I would paint everything—walls, trim, and ceiling—because that feels more modern than picking out the trim in another color. Then I'd accent the walls with an antique gilt-frame mirror and a Cy Twombly painting." BRENDA MICKEL BENJAMIN MOORE REGAL SELECT CHELSEA GRAY HC-168 "I'm longing to try this acid yellow-green, which is slightly poisonous but in a marvelous way. It's a wonderful foil for crisp white accents or dark and brooding contrasts. Teal, white, silver, red, or black would look beautiful against it. Some rooms are meditative and others are stimulating, and this would definitely be a stimulating, compelling room." MADELINE STUART SYDNEY HARBOUR PAINTS PREMIUM…

You can go to design school, take courses in decorative arts, and practice making floor plans. But nothing beats having a mentor who can show you the ropes—as these prominent interior designers attest. MENTEE FRANK BABB RANDOLPH WORKED FOR BALDWIN LATE 1960S–EARLY '70S. "I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE STAYED IN THIS FIELD IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR BILLY." "I took care of Billy's clients in Washington, D.C. Interior design in D.C. was such a small community then—we didn't even have a design center. But Billy inspired me and opened my eyes. He introduced me to painted furniture and took me to buy batiks from China Seas, both of which I still use." MENTEE HEATHER GARRETT WORKED FOR COUTURIER IN 2000. "I LEARNED TO GO DEEP…

LAMP "I love the architectural form and shape. The juxtaposition of the dark shade with the illuminated gold is also the perfect match." stampa lamp, 11" Dia × 22" H, $3,125. coupdetatsf.com . CONSOLE TABLE "The minute I saw it, I knew I wanted to use it, because it's gracious without being overbearing, modern without being too contemporary." Grand Tour Cocktail Table, 48" W × 26" D × 19" H, $3,150. centuryfurniture.com. WALLPAPER "A metallic wallcovering reflects light. On the ceiling, it warms up the space and makes it more inviting." Gold Leaf Grid, to the trade. phillipjeffries.com . FABRICS "It's lucky when you find fabrics with similar colors yet different personalities." maduray by gastón y daniela, to the trade. brunschwig.com . Dunmoore leather, to the…

KEEPING HOUSE You like things just so in your home, but find it difficult to keep them that way. Enter House Pad, a brand-new app developed by Michael Bruno, founder of the website 1stdibs, to help him manage his two residences. The app lets you take notes about what needs to get done and holds them in a queue until they're dealt with. Family members, the housekeeper, a gardener can log into the app (it tallies hours worked too) and see the list. Store and share images of rooms, closets, and surfaces with comments about how you want things arranged—where the linens go, how to set the table for a party. The app has English and Spanish versions, with more on the way, and can translate instructions into dozens of…

Garden Tulip The Glessner House, an Arts and Crafts gem in Chicago, is filled with floral William Morris wallpapers. In Indigo/Brick. zoffany.com. Edith Wharton's Botanical Tiles A charming paper based on one in a bathroom at the Mount, the 1902 Berkshires estate of the celebrated writer, who was also a design wiz. scalamandre.com. Augustine Hummingbirds flutter across this pattern from Rhode Island's Gilded Age Blithewold Mansion. In Document Off-White. thibautdesign.com. Jefferson Trellis The boundary between inside and out blurs in this design, found in a guest room at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Virginia. adelphipaperhangings.com. Décor Chinois An exuberant scene printed with 1832 wood blocks and still decorating the Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. zuber.fr. Celestial Swag A distinctive, hand-printed stripe inspired by a paper…