Innehållsförteckning för Mar-14 från House Beautiful

Ceramicware With their exuberant blooms inspired by antique botanical prints, these pieces bring the joy of nature to the table. Field of Flowers Collection, $35–$148 per piece. juliska.com. 1. Chair The woven rush seat and back blend in just about anywhere; the subtle stripes add a little kick.Carson Side Chair, 20" W × 22" D × 34½" H, $495. serenaandlily.com. 2. Doormat Durable coir silk-screened by hand with a motif that's the universal symbol of hospitality. Pineapples Doormat, 24" ×36", $34. garnethill.com. 3. Bowl The perfect hostess gift: a petite crystal bowl packaged in a lovely tin. By Waterford. Lismore Mini Party Bowl, 1½" H × 5" Dia., $75. bedbathandbeyond.com. 4. Plates With a crisp gingham border and gold trim, they can be dressed up or down. In Vichy…

LAUREN NELSON QUICK FACTS LIVES IN San Francisco TRAINED WITH Erinn Valencich OPENED Lauren Nelson Design in 2008 WEBSITE laurennelsondesign.com "Every room needs balance—shiny with matte, heavy with light. Getting the right balance in a space is what makes it feel like home." Above: For a San Francisco dining room, "everything came together around the vintage N.O. Møller chairs," Nelson says. She designed the mahogany table to accompany them and chose the rug for the way its organic pattern echoed the chairs' curved backs. The wave artwork adds another playful shape to the mix. Right: The homeowners love to entertain, so Nelson turned a nook in the room into a relaxed, versatile space for cocktails and conversation. "The sofa shape is low and casual," she says, "but the tufting…

1. Spring Viscose blend in Lavender. Siúin Ltd.: 518-854-9951. 2. Rumi Cotton blend in Lilac. chapastextiles.com. 3. Paris Viscose in Orchid/Ivory. laurenhwangbespoke.com. 4. Chromia Linen blend in Verdigris. romoblack.com. 5. Alchimie H0 By Sonia Rykiel for Lelievre. Viscose blend in Soleil. starkcarpet.com. 6. Enjoliver Melange By Hill Brown. Viscose blend in Canton/Cobalt Multi. hillbrown.com. 7. Soumak Viscose blend in Color 02. osborneandlittle.com. 8. Oxford Couture Cotton blend in Blanc. hollandandsherry.com. 9. Huron By Sarah Richardson. Cotton in Meadow. kravet.com.…

1. Spence By Mary McDonald. Extends out 9", $279. robertabbey.com. 2. Miles By Delightfull. Swivels at wall and in middle. Extends out 29", $1,764. demoraisinternational.com. 3. Charlton By Aerin Lauder. Arm and shade can be individually raised and lowered. Extends out 21", $500. aerin.com. 4. PS 2012 LED Swivels at wall and in middle. Extends out 31", $50. ikea.com. 5. Sargent Swivels at center pole and in middle. Extends out 24", $1,350. ralphlaurenhome.com. 6. Ambra By Astele. Swivels at wall and in middle. Extends out 18", $830. circaantiques.com. 7. Architect's By Peter Talbot. Swivels at wall and in middle; extends out 21½", $357. circalighting.com. 8. 265 By Flos. Revolving head on a pivoting arm that extends out 81", $1,295. dwr.com. 9. Accordion Extends out 47½", $179. westelm.com.…

Your Favorite Pillow "Eighteen years ago, in a tiny Venetian alley on my way to my final water taxi, I spied a storefront with richly hand-blocked velvet pillows. Luggage in hand, no time to spare, and in front of the wide-eyed purveyor, I threw away clothes and stuffed in four of these wonders. I still have two, which elegantly prop up my appreciative lumbar." MARSHALL WATSON "These pillows are a modern play on classic patchwork. The patterns are a subtle nod to the faceted cut of a diamond and inspired by my mother's work as a jewelry designer." NATASHA BARADARAN "I fell hard and fast for this piece of fabric. It's an antique ikat covered in vibrant, hand-stitched suzani embroidery. I had it made into a bolster pillow backed with…

MICHAEL DEVINE "At the start of the day, I bicycled to a roadside bank of Queen Anne's lace and picked as much as my bike basket could hold," Devine says. "To complement the floral arrangements, I chose crisp yellow-and-white table runners in my Chantal fabric. Vintage blue-and-white chinoiserie-pattern dinnerware was paired with napkins tied with striped ribbon. I set jars filled with homemade jam at each setting as place-card holders, encouraging my guests to enjoy the jam straight from the jars throughout the party and slathered on an assortment of local artisanal nut breads." Left: Fanciful faux butterflies wired into the arrangements appear to be fluttering through the Queen Anne's lace. Above: The towering centerpieces cast dappled shadows on the table and create a fairy tale–like effect.…

RIGHT: In a young family's house in Lake Forest, Illinois, decorator Ruthie Sommers cozied up the living room with classic furnishings in a preppy palette of pink, green, and chocolate brown. For a contrast with the original white brick walls, a custom sofa was covered in a mocha cotton velvet. The menagerie of pillows was made mostly from leftover fabrics. "Maybe I overdid it on pillows, but it was all in the same zealous spirit of the house," Sommers says. "I wanted to create that squishy, everyone-squeezing- onto-the-sofa feeling." A lover of traditional hand-blocked floral prints, she re-covered the homeowners' slipper chair in Lee Jofa's Eldon. The plaster sconces, once part of a Dorothy Draper interior, are from David Bell Antiques, with pink pleated shades by Munder & Sons. MIMI…

CHRISTINE PITTEL: This is my kind of modern—clean lines, warm materials. Was this house originally a barn? RELA GLEASON: No, it's all new construction. My clients liked the idea of renovating an old barn, but there wasn't one on the property, so they were thinking of building one. I said, 'You know, if we're going to do that, it can't be just your traditional barn. We're not faking it. Instead, let's look at all the beautiful old stone wineries, icehouses, and barns here in Sonoma and play with that vernacular, turning it into something more contemporary.' What did you come up with? Two structures, one with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom and the other with a master bedroom suite and sitting room. They're connected with a wide wraparound…

1. Accent Tiles Wildlife illustrations by Charley Harper in hand-glazed clay. Cool Cardinal, 4" W × 8" H, $58; Autumn Edibles, 6" Sq., $70; Upside Downside, 6" Sq., $70. motawi.com. 2. Oven The two-door unit on top opens easily with one hand, and the convection system is maximized for fast, even cooking. Viking French-Door Double Oven, 30" W × 52" H, $7,099. vikingrange.com. 3. Bakeware Stylish meets sturdy in these enamel-coated, color-blocked pieces. By Reiss. Enamel Loaf Pan, 12" L × 4" W × 3" D, $50; Enamel Baking Dish, 13" L × 8" W × 2½" D, $65. food52.com/provisions. 4. Grinders With a little tilt, the battery-powered internal grinder whirs into action, and LED lights illuminate where the salt and pepper are going. By Adhoc. Milano Electric Mill, $50…

THE SYMBOL (T) = TO THE TRADE. "To the trade" means a manufacturer sells primarily to design professionals. Many design centers have decorating services that can be accessed by the public. Fabric shops, workrooms, and online services may be able to place an order for you. PAINT BEHR behr.com BENJAMIN MOORE benjaminmoore.com DUNN-EDWARDS dunnedwards.com FARROW & BALL farrow-ball.com FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE finepaintsofeurope.com GLIDDEN glidden.com PITTSBURGH PAINTS ppgpittsburghpaints.com PRATT & LAMBERT prattandlambert.com SHERWIN-WILLIAMS sherwin-williams.com VALSPAR valsparpaint.com FABRIC & WALLCOVERING BRUNSCHWIG & FILS (T) brunschwig.com CARLETON V (T) carletonvltd.com CHRISTOPHER HYLAND (T) christopherhyland.com CLARENCE HOUSE (T) clarencehouse.com CLARIDGE claridgeproducts.com COWTAN & TOUT (T) cowtan.com DEDAR (T) dedar.com DONGHIA (T) donghia.com EDELMAN LEATHER (T) edelmanleather.com F. J. HAKIMIAN fjhakimian.com FARROW & BALL farrow-ball.com FORTUNY fortuny.com HOLLAND & SHERRY (T) hollandandsherry.com HOLLY HUNT…

"In Turkey, the sea is so clear and so bright—a true ocean blue, like this color. You see the same blue in the tiles in the Blue Mosque. It has endless depth, and that makes it very calming. I'm imagining it in a high-gloss finish in an entry or a library. After all, it's only paint. Take a risk and go for it!" DAVID PHOENIX GLIDDEN PREMIUM CARIBBEAN SEA GLB02 "When you think of the color of a lake, you have to think about trees and shadows and clouds. It's muddled, like this gray-blue. It's not a clear jewel tone, like the ocean. The ocean, with its breaking waves, is all about energy. Lake water is more soothing. It laps at the shore. This gray-blue kind of washes over a…

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! SCAN THE PHOTO—YOU CAN ENTER THE CONTEST ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE BLACK MAGIC 518-7 PITTSBURGH PAINTS Manor Hall Interior COBALT GLAZE 570B-7 BEHR PREMIUM PLUS Ultra Interior CIDER TODDY 216-7 PITTSBURGH PAINTS Manor Hall Interior HANDSOME HUE 570B-6 BEHR PREMIUM PLUS Ultra Interior NAME THIS COLOR AND YOU COULD WIN! 1 Come up with an evocative name that describes the color at left. Please include your reasoning in a sentence or two (50 words or less). BE INVENTIVE AND HAVE FUN! 2 Go to HOUSEBEAUTIFUL.COM/NAMETHISCOLOR—or scan the photo above with your mobile device—to enter, from February 7 through March 13, 2014. 3 We'll pick a winner who will receive a $100 AMERICAN EXPRESS GIFT CARD! Three runners-up will each receive a copy of House…

ARMCHAIR "It has a classic silhouette, but the thin legs and touch of brass make it modern and current." Crillon armchair, 28" W × 31" D × 32" H, $8,250. soane.co.uk. RUG "It doesn't look like just a white, boring rug. I like the geometry of the design; it's not rigid and it has a lot of movement. Plus, you can kick off your shoes, and it feels great underfoot." Dara rug in cream/chocolate, 8' × 10', $3,595. restorationhardware.com. PILLOW "There is a nubby white pillow in every house I've done. It's so soft and inviting, you want to put your head on it and take a nap." Wales pillow, 20" Sq., $129. roomandboard.com. LAMP "The gilded lamps skew feminine and nicely balance some of the harder edges…

Taj A majestic Indian graphic in a rich, bright palette. Hand-knotted silk, 6' × 9' in Emerald Green, $4,299. fjkashanian.com. Lima Traditional and fun! Perfect for a girl's room, from tot to teen. Hand-loomed silk, 5' × 8' in Fuchsia, $884. surya.com. 1346344 Inspired by the ocean, with a design partially washed by a wave of color. Hand-knotted silk, 7'10" × 10'4" in Blue/Multi, $10,400. abchome.com. VIDEO SCAN THIS RUG TO SEE HOW IT'S MADE Trellis A fiery field that will light up a space. Hand-knotted silk, 6' × 9' in Florescent, $5,400.stephanieodegard.com. Resama The striation of greens and blues adds visual texture. Flat-woven silk and cotton, 5" × 8'in Emerald, $779. loloirugs.com. SH6741 A damask-like pattern with a shimmery air of mystery. Hand-knotted silk, 6'10" × 7"5", $4,200. shrugs.com.…

Technology for Pets MONITOR AND PROTECT 1. The Tagg Tracker ($100 for the device and three months of service, $8 per month after that; pettracker.com) attaches to your pet's collar and uses a GPS system to keep tabs on location. If your pet strays from a designated zone, the system alerts you with an e-mail and a text message. It also records activity levels, so you can see how much exercise your pet is getting. 2. Another on-collar item, the Whistle Activity Monitor ($130; whistle.com), uses information such as weight, age, and breed to crunch data about your pet's periods of activity and rest. Set and chart health goals and track behavior patterns. 3. The Passport Pet Access Smart System Door ($230; petsafe.com) is a pet door that can be…

To me, there's really nothing better than sautéed chicken in a pan sauce. Done right, it can make a merely capable cook look like a superior one. It was just about the first thing I ever learned to do by myself as a child, and the thing I still order time and again whenever I can in restaurants. So many people ask me, "Alex, what's your favorite recipe?" I hardly ever answer, feigning the same affinity a mother hen does for every member of her brood, but if pressed, I must confess, this one is right up there at the top of my list. Crust is king: It's the direct result of the dry-wet-dry dredging process this recipe employs. Remember: dry-wet-dry. Easy enough? These three steps are the keys to…

In this Rhode Island dining room, designer Juniper Tedhams found a pair of 1920s Swedish chairs in their original gray horsehair and had four copies made, covering one pair in Palma leather from Jasper and the other in Christopher Hyland's blue Paso horsehair. Vintage Beni Ourain rug from F. J. Hakimian. OPPOSITE: The star of the kitchen is the Moroccan encaustic tile from Amethyst Artisan. The custom barstools were inspired by Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret. Easton faucet by Waterworks. Wolf range. "The living room is in a plummy, chocolaty, pale blue world, but it isn't any one of those colors," says Tedhams, referring to the chameleonlike fabrics.Footstool in Sea Anemone velvet by Nigel Atkinson, armchairs in TX-Tucana from F. J. Hakimian, and sofas in Christopher Hyland's Cielo. Tedhams calls the…

DOUGLAS BRENNER: I always feel like a time traveler in Beacon Hill, but I didn't expect to find a Sputnik chandelier under a Victorian skylight. NINA FARMER: When I first saw this octagonal entry with the etched glass above, it reminded me of Sir John Soane's breakfast parlor in London, one of my favorite historical interiors. Unfortunately, someone had roofed over this skylight and painted the walls bright red from the cornice down and white above. That made the space feel out of line with the grand ceiling heights in the other rooms. I knew from the get-go I would paint everything one moody color to give it a sophisticated unity, and that I'd pull a round chandelier through the center of the skylight to anchor the room. Were you…

CHRISTINE PITTEL: That wallpaper is worthy of a Palm Beach heiress. SUMMER THORNTON: Isn't it amazing? Instantly, it transports you to a more glamorous time. The silvery background sets the stage for the traditional unlacquered brass fixtures. I'm obsessed with mixing cool and warm. And you're not afraid to mix messages. What prompted that bold painted floor? The owner is a young, vibrant woman, and we wanted something that would excite her, something she hadn't seen before. The pattern was inspired by a fabric I saw. We blew up the scale, drew it out, and started painting. I thought, This could go really wrong or be really great. Did you pull the green out of the wallpaper? Now that you mention it, the colors don't match. But there's a lot…

"If you have pets or children, white rugs and upholstery are just not in the cards. People love the way they look but never realize that you have to hermetically seal your household to keep them clean." Markham Roberts "Travel as much as you can, and stay on the alert for inspiration wherever you go—you could find a great floor plan in a museum's period room, or a color in a painting. And don't just rely on your camera. If you draw something, you'll really absorb the detail." DD ALLEN "Color is best used in small spaces that you pass through. A dramatic color in a room where you're going to be spending a lot of time might feel too heavy or dark, but if you use…

KELLY WEARSTLER MY SOUFFLE CHAIR IS super-comfy, and the scale is great. It's an occasional chair that works well in any environment. MURCHISON-HUME cleaning products are all-natural, so I feel totally at ease letting my kids run around barefoot. LEFT: Wearstler layered textures, shapes, and materials to create a sumptuous bedroom in a New York City loft. "The homeowners wanted a space that felt sexy, but where they could also just hang out," the designer says. The furniture is a mix of vintage and custom—French 1970s light fixtures, a one-of-a-kind leather-upholstered bed. The stained- walnut walls are finished with wax. MY IDEAL HOSTESS GIFT? The bronze-and-gemstone bottle opener I designed, because it's equal parts decorative and functional. I TAKE HUNDREDS OF photos each week; they're the first steps in my…

BARBARA KING: There's a lot of graphic action here, including on your arm. SETH STEVENS: I really do like graphics, and I love black and white and gray—my favorite paint color is Farrow & Ball's Pavilion Gray. It's a palette I use all the time, usually with a pop of red. There are colors that come and go, like purple or teal or orange, but these colors are timeless, and I'm a big advocate of timeless—even in the way I dress, right down to my carryall bag. It's a classic mason-bag design from a line I had that I'm relaunching, but personalized with a hand-drawn snake, my Chinese zodiac animal. Is the tattoo your walk on the wild side? Here's the deal: The image on my arm represents my astrological…

1. Facade Like an architect's drawing. Nonwoven paper in Chalk/Charcoal. zoffany.com. 2. Globetrotter A tour of the world's most famous attractions. Nonwoven paper in Blue. clarke-clarke.com. 3. Metropolis As delightful as a stroll through an old European city. By Sandberg. Paper in Dark Lilac. starkwallcovering.com. 4. Palazzo Pediments, arches, cupolas, and columns—classical flourishes everywhere you look. Paper in Navy. thibautdesign.com. 5. Mediterranea A magical impression of an ancient city. By Fornasetti. Paper in White. leejofa.com. 6. New York City Watertowers A whimsical take on Gotham rooftops. By Tom Slaughter. Paper in Shadow. cavernhome.com.…

GEORGINA CHAPMAN "My vanity is a serene space where I can just sit down for a minute and take a deep, deep breath. I love the idea of a mirrored vanity. I wanted something that would be reflective and light against my de Gournay wallpaper. It's also quite good to have all that reflective light when you're doing your makeup." Arhaus Margot Dining Chair, $449; Venetian Gems Monet Wall Mirror through Wayfair.com, $481; Ralph Lauren Home Edmonds Table Lamp through Circa Lighting, $1,254. "I started using Josie Maran Argan Tinted Moisturizer [$38] when I was pregnant, because it's all organic, and I've stuck with it ever since." "I like to use Patricia Wexler M.D. Intensive Night Reversal and Repair Cream [$43] with her Exfoliating Glyco Peel System, which is really…

"IN 2012, A VEGETARIAN WEBSITE TOOK THE coffee giant Starbucks to task, stating that its strawberry Frappuccinos were not, in fact, vegan per their description. Instead, Starbucks was using crushed dead bugs to color these drinks pink. Cue public relations nightmare. Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals insisted they use an alternative dye. Regular consumers of the pink-hued Frappuccino went bug-eyed. But the color cognoscenti were bemused, knowing just how many products are tinted by the pigment—and bug—in question, cochineal. Cochineal was worshipped by the early Aztecs. During Mexico's postcolonial era, it was, next to gold, the country's most desired export—an insect that distinguished the powerful from the powerless as the color of the fabric that clothed the rich. The Aztecs were the first to harvest cochineal,…

THERE'S MAGIC IN THE POWER of color to transform a room, a house, and even our lives. Decorators, or designers as many like to be called today, are artists in every sense of the word. To see the work of the best is like looking at a masterpiece. Great decorating can give soul to a soulless room and architecture to a blank space. There's tremendous power in design, and color is at the core of it. I recently visited a lackluster spec house that a designer friend had truly given new life with a brilliant color palette. Would you believe Fanta orange was a key accent color? The furniture plan was, of course, perfectly thought out for how the owners would live in the rooms, but the designer's color palette…

Designer Amanda Nisbet tucked a Macassar ebony banquette into the combined living and dining rooms of a New York apartment. Moore & Giles Cleopatra leather cushions have a shimmery glamour, and an antique bubble chandelier is a whimsical note. Resource Furniture side chairs are covered in Nobilis Filomena. Julian Chichester Dakota table. Chris Leidy triptych. Treillage hurricanes. Opposite: An abstract painting by Fred Cray hangs above a Jonathan Adler chest in the master bedroom. Her client's favorite color is blue, so Nisbet made it the dominant theme in the penthouse apartment. The powdery blue of the living room curtains in Dedar Ikat "plays with the color of the sky." A navy rug from Custom Cool Rugs helps ground the space. Armchairs were reupholstered in S. Harris's Graedon. The custom sofa…

Shutters painted in Benjamin Moore Aura in Old Blue Jeans bring a bright English country note into this urban kitchen. The island was designed to look like a piece of furniture and is painted in Benjamin Moore Aura in Iron Mountain. Counter stools by Calligaris. CHRISTINE PITTEL: What is that beautiful tile on the backsplash? ADAM ROLSTON: It's not tile, it's fabric. This kitchen was designed for an American couple coming back to Manhattan after five years in London, where they fell in love with all things English. We were looking for something that evoked the British Arts and Crafts movement, and we found this embroidered fabric that had just the right handcrafted, cheerful touch. So we laminated it between two sheets of glass and used it as a backsplash.…

1. Bath Mats Favorites from Tommy Hilfiger's newly expanded home collection. Pure cotton in two sizes and eight bright colors. Bath Rugs, 17" × 24", $34; 20" × 32", $52. macys.com. 2. Soap Dispenser The simple glazed-ceramic design gives a bit of retro style to a vanity or sink. Harman Pure Soap Dispenser, 3" W × 2" D × 7" H, $20. burkedecor.com. 3. Shower Seat With a storage shelf and a waterproof cushion, this stainless steel perch is a brilliant fit for walk-in showers. Boulevard Metal Corner Seat, 22½" W × 22½" D × 26¼" H, $599. frontgate.com. 4. Tub The fluid shape is as elegant as a wave. Also available with air jets. Juliet Tub, 72" W × 36" D × 31½" H, from $6,995. mtibaths.com. 5.…