The days are longer and the weather is superb here in California. I’ve been sprucing up the yard, pruning, raking and planting summer annuals because outdoor entertaining is on the agenda. If you’ve been browsing the latest catalogs or online shopping sites, then you know how popular outdoor decorating has become.
Rugs made of recycled [...]

“Lift me up” is the lyrical translation for tiramisu, the Italian version of an English trifle usually flavored with espresso and chocolate. The dessert became popular worldwide in Italian restaurants and in the U.S. shortly after mascarpone first was imported in 1979. Mascarpone is a full-fat heavy cream with the whey removed and a butterfat [...]

One of my favorite weekend pastimes is browsing antique websites to keep up with available inventory and current prices. I ran across a gorgeous solid wood trestle table (above, $6995) from The Whimsey Shoppe in Dallas. A quick phone call later, I learned the table is a 80″ reproduction. Wondering if I could get [...]

Recently we looked at Upcycling and how industry cast-offs are being utilized in making rugs. But what about those small carpet samples that dealers and designers use to show us what the finished product looks like?
In an effort to keep the estimated 700,000 carpet samples out of our landfills, Ample Sample is once again [...]

Many times I’ve come back from a trip wishing that my own bedroom was as comfortable and uncluttered as a hotel room. A stay at the Sofitel in Chicago last fall left me longing for a more modern style and window shades that screen-out glare but let in light.
All these photos (via Budget Living) were [...]

Red-tone, slab-front, wood cabinets are one element in common to these mid-century style kitchens. They also share a fondness for French modernist furniture from the same generation, particularly designs by Jean Prouve, whose distinctive sheet metal and wood pieces are discernible classics.
An informal, ‘60s leaning kitchen [above] features Prouve’s Gueridon Table oak and steel [...]