The hothouse colors, the hand-painted tiles, the lazy drift of hammocks and mosquito netting: If you visit Mexico, it’s hard not to fall in love with the look and the lifestyle.
But unlike a craft or curio that you can pack in your suitcase, Mexican style isn’t always easy to bring back home. And if you do, it may not look the same. Hibiscus pink, you may say to yourself. What was I thinking?
(more…)
Plants die. Sweaters go out of fashion. Chocolates get gobbled fast. But design books are gifts that keep giving.
It’s true. Sumptuously illustrated books about well-designed objects, inviting interiors, and extraordinary homes are forever useful, always up there on the shelf offering ideas or the occasional escape into a more comely world.
So add a trip to the bookstore to your last-minute shopping rounds and look for these selections from among this year’s notable releases: (more…)
The interior design for the NZX building in Wellington; a book which describes a model for Maori sustainable development; a solar panel to remotely operate electric fences and a stylish marine navigation device, were among the major winners at the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand’s 2006 BeST Design Awards.
The awards, which were presented at the Aotea Centre on Friday, August 25, are judged in three disciplines: product, spatial (interiors) and graphics. This year there were 535 entries, slightly increased from last year, and Cathy Veninga, Executive Director of the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand (DINZ) said that the graphics entries were of the highest standard since the BeST awards began in 1988. (more…)
The human home is now just as much the dog’s. Homeowners who are building or remodeling have taken to considering their pets’ needs as much as they do those of their biped family members, turning “pet-friendly decorating” into industry buzzwords.
This is about more than stylish dog beds that cost upward of $350; this is about stain-resistant fabrics, scratch-resistant flooring, colors that match a pooch’s coat, or out-and-out design and architectural elements.
In Chris Rudolph’s case, the Chicago architect put in “dog overlooks” and a “Doggy Detox,” a large porcelain-tiled shower with hand-held showerhead, when building his Michigan home. (more…)
Patty Martin of Morristown didn’t know what to expect when she arrived at the A&R Interiors warehouse on Saturday to pick out some “gently used” furniture.
There was a French Country dining set, a 1930s-style Biedermeier dining set, and Queen Anne chairs.
“This is quality,” said Martin, surprised by her good fortune. “I feel like this is furniture that will last for years still.”
In the fourth year of A&R’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity to help furnish local families’homes, Allyson Rich Morren said this year’s furniture drive brought in some true gems for 14 Morris County families.
“It gets bigger and bigger, and this year we got the nicest furniture,” said Morren, A&R co-owner . (more…)
