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Monthly Archives: April 2012
Tucked between sofas and chairs, coffee tables help balance out a room. Although known as a staple in living or family rooms, coffee tables are also found in other areas of the home such as bedrooms, offices and sunrooms. Regardless of the location, styling a coffee table is an essential element in completing the room’s overall look.
It may seem simple, but artfully styling a coffee table takes careful consideration. It’s easy to plop down some...
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'Tis the season to put on your sneakers and head out to the antique fairs of your choice. There are hundreds of them all over the country where you can step back in time looking for treasures. One of the best things I love about these fairs and flea markets is the dealers—they are a certain breed who buy and sell the past and live their lives that way, too. It shouldn’t surprise you...
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Let the games begin! I can’t think of a better way to spend time outdoors with your family and friends than enjoying a little friendly competition. It doesn’t matter whether your yard is large or small; there is a game out there for you. Take a look at a few of my favorites, and you'll be sure to find the perfect set for your crew! Good luck and have fun!
- Justin
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The first time I heard the word 'semifreddo', it was from the honeyed tongue of English food writer and television personality, Nigella Lawson. Hearing her mesmerizing description of a dessert that sounded much like a simplified ice cream, without the hassle of a churner, was as enticing as the idea itself. I naturally had to try it for myself and so started a love affair with semifreddo.
If you are a lover of ice cream...
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If you were to pass by my desk and observe me staring off into space you might think I am mentally running errands, plotting strategy for an online flash sale of designer shoes, or ruminating on today’s news. The truth is that glazed look means I’ve teleported to some serene garden where woulda, coulda, shoulda don’t have a seat at the picnic table, and where the sheer beauty of nature doing her thing is...
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Once you step foot into the Alice In Wonderland world of kitchen renovation, there are seemingly a million pieces to the project AND a million things that you have to buy! No worries—follow these insider tips to make a small splurge or two that will make your kitchen look like a designer kitchen. You don’t need to buy “the best of everything”. Design your kitchen to include both high and low budget items and...
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There is no getting around it--the position of a sofa in the living room defines the space. Up against the wall is usually the first option, but in some instances (creating symmetry, allowing for traffic patterns or maximizing functionality in the space) a sofa is best positioned in the middle of the room.
If your sofa is destined to live in the middle of the room, you may be struggling with what to do with...
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From spring through fall, Andrew and I spend most weekends at my future mother-in-law’s home on Cape Cod. She even lets us bring our cats. How lucky are we?
I love many things about her home. Andrew’s parents designed and built it facing a beautiful pond. Andrew and his brother were both born and raised there, and I love hearing stories of mischief while sipping wine on the raised deck. I adore eating freshly picked tomatoes...
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I don't know about you, but I am always losing scissors. I could blame it on the kids, but the truth is, I take them from room to room and never put them back where they belong. I remember my mother wearing her embroidery scissors on a string around her neck so she wouldn't loose them. Instead of resorting to that, I went on a quest to find the solution to this dilemma, because quite frankly,...
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As I watched chef and tv personality Gordan Ramsey in a Mexican restaurant (his current challenge on the show Kitchen Nightmares) ranting about cliché décor as the camera panned striped blankets and sombreros on brightly colored walls, I was immediately sucked in. The only thing I dislike more than just-plain poor design, is a room that overuses a theme in decorating.
Ramsey's team went on to work their magic and when the new interior design...
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My home office is currently under construction but, hiding in a corner amidst the rubble and chaos, is a glimmer of hope. You think I'm kidding but no, it's right there next to the dust bunny farm and the photography props. Here she blows about a month ago:
Sometimes that hope says to me "HELP, I'm DYING!" (as it often does whenever we are in the middle of any room renovation) and once in a while it shows...
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When designing a space, like so many other areas of our life, sometimes it can be hard to find the starting point. Here's a hint for those times when you find yourself asking, “where do I begin!?” Start with what you don't love about that room. This is a pretty simple concept, but in my experience, it is a great way to get the ball rolling. Ask yourself, “What do I want to change...
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Fire up the grill! Nothing is better than having the smell of barbeque waft under
nose! Grilling can be an adventure all on its own. From parties to cookouts,
even a romantic dinner for two, you can bet that everything tastes better when you
cook it yourself.
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The Easter Bunny gets burned out delivering those big, candy-laden baskets. The candy is heavy. It’s too much sugar for the kids. So this year The Bunny decided to give out small baskets accompanied by all the supplies a kid would need to make a DIY terrarium. For that, he needed my help. But I’ve never made a terrarium before.
To make something that looks decent and won’t die, I needed help. So I turned...
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Pizza or flatbread? To-may-to. To-mah-to? Or is it all in the tomato?
There seems to be an ongoing debate as to what constitutes a pizza and what differentiates it from a flatbread. And as I sit here, flying home from one of the pizza capitals of the world, I will admit to feeling just as confused as everyone else.
I spent the weekend in New York, immersing myself in all things culinary at the esteemed International...
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The kitchen sink, that otherwise simply shaped vessel that sits in the countertop in every kitchen no matter how small or large, conceals an encyclopedic number of functions in our everyday lives. When it’s time to think about replacing the kitchen sink, it’s important to remember all those little ways the sink makes your family’s life in the kitchen efficient OR inefficient!
There are so many ways that the kitchen sink serves as your family’s...
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If you watch Mad Men, you may also feel particularly captivated by Don Draper’s beautiful in-office bar cabinet. Can’t every space be that cool?
A well-stocked (and beautifully styled) bar in the home is an entertaining must. Bar carts can be wheeled between rooms at the arrival of surprise guests. They can also be styled as part of an entryway or dining room. While intended for spirits, these carts display vintage glasses, books and framed...
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Everywhere I look I see a sure sign of spring—bright, sunshine-yellow forsythia. I enjoy seeing sprays of yellow blossoms gently swaying in the April breeze, knowing that winter is behind us, and the sun-drenched days are on their way.
Yellow is such a happy hue at any time of year, and in your home even a little yellow can bring out that joyful feeling. Taking my cues from spring, sunshine, and forsythia, here are a few idea for how...
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White ceramics hold a very special part of my heart. It doesn't matter what in what form, I just love them.
I think it all began when I was registering for my wedding. I was immediately drawn to white dishes. It may have something to do with a tidbit of info I once heard on a cooking show--that food actually looks and tastes better when presented on white dishes. (I'm guessing this is why so many of the world's top...
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Entertaining needn't unfold in a harried manner. This year plan a slower, more leisurely brunch that allows guests to breeze in and out from late morning to early afternoon with easy-to-prepare foods that mix homemade with specialty store bought items. Give yourself time to have fun with the details and really enjoy your guests.
I love brunch because it can be a mix of breakfast and lunch foods both savory and sweet. Many can be...
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In my mind, something shiny and sparkly has a place in every room of the house.
This is especially true in a space filled with upholstered pieces or pieces made from wood, metal, and other hard materials. Adding a glass or mirrored piece can instantly give a room a Hollywood Regency vibe, and add a much-welcome lightness and reflective quality.
Yes, this can be accomplished by simply hanging a mirror on the wall. This is a great idea, but what...
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