Designer Russel Wright had the habit of shaping parts of the land around Manitoga, his home and studio in upstate New York, into “rooms”. Rather than making a room, I love the idea of an outdoor room coming into being simply by finding it or naming it, as happened when I stumbled on some ancient Beeches. Their branches arch down to the ground to define the space around them, making quiet leafy rooms. The feeling of hanging out in them is extraordinary. Wendell Berry nailed it.
Read MoreA Website Can Be a Sanctuary
We hadn’t thought of a website having the ability to act as a sanctuary until we read about Laurel Schwulst’s odd, charming Firefly Sanctuary It is at once a digital space that mirrors a physical one — her Brooklyn apartment — and a quiet meditation on the “invisible, mental counterparts” to visible, physical things.
Read MoreTodd Oldham’s Singular Design Philosophy Powers Solutions to Water Damage and Boring Carpet Tiles
New York Magazine’s recent article about designer Todd Oldham’s house in the Poconos is a revelation: an over-the-top, completely original color-riot of a country house. Its many cool ideas are driven by an unexpectedly liberating design philosophy.
Read MoreDIY Backrest for Comfortable Improvised Daybeds
The art consultant and dealer Peter Heimer’s postwar Berlin townhouse has all sorts of cunning details. We love the yellow daybed Heimer designed himself. The slanted pillows are brilliant, forming a comfortable backrest when reading or lounging. I’ve discovered that you can get the same effect with a simple DIY.
Read MoreHow to Socialize in the Cold + Richard Johnson’s Ice Huts
With winter fiercely, the covid-mandated necessity to socialize outdoors is challenging for those of us who live in cold regions or are simply cold-sensitive. So I’ve hunted down advice about how to hang out outside, whether at a restaurant or on a park bench or in an ice hut if you happen to have one.
Read MoreA Closet Nook for Sleeping or Writing
While we’re home social distancing, finding usable home ideas for when things blow over fortifies us to practice possibility thinking.
Read MoreEscape to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Casa Azul
Transported via the virtual tour of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Casa Azul in Mexico City, we found ourselves wandering through gardens, studios and living spaces: much-needed escape and delight.
Read MoreIdeas to Steal from Le Corbusier’s Tiny, Modernist Le Cabanon
Le Cabanon, Le Corbusier’s odd, spare, modernist cabin in the South of France is like a cross between a hermit’s cabin and a boat with a great deal of style. It offers ideas to steal no matter what size home you have.
Read MoreHouse Tour: Massimo Vitali’s Chill “Natural Habitat” in a 14th Century Church
With its practical, vin-ordinaire fridge and quirky design decisions, photographer Massimo Vitali’s remarkable home in an ancient church has some very cool ideas to steal.
Read MoreInspiring, Do-able Interior Design Ideas from Paola Navone
Whenever we look at designer Paola Navone’s homes, we come away with a zillion ideas that we could actually do, without a ton of dough. Here are our favorite steal-able ideas.
Read MoreVisit Alexander Calder’s Alive, Colorful Homes via Pedro Guerrero
If the usual interior porn leaves you cold, I recommend spending time at photographer Pedro Guerrero’s website to roam through his photographs of Alexander Calder’s very original living spaces.
Read MoreYves Klein’s Interior Inspirations, From Ultimate Blue to His Unusual Do-able Table
A single rare image of Yves Klein’s Paris apartment/studio got us hunting for his plexiglass coffee table filled with astonishing blue pigment he commissioned. We found A LOT of inspiration.
Read MoreSleeping like Donald Judd in Low-to-the Floor Beds, with Details and Plans
At the Judd Foundation, we stumbled upon this wonderful bedroom with a very Judd-esque low bed. It reminded us of the austere low platforms he made for his Spring Street Loft. We took a closer look at how he made them.
Read MoreDominique Nabokov’s As-is, Not-Styled, REAL Paris Living Rooms Are a Joy
Unlike most interior photographers, Dominique Nabokov photographed consciously NOT-styled or lit spaces, each unique because they reflect the very unique lives of the people who created them, whose lives dictated their design.
Read MoreCool Private Spaces Where On Kawara’s Date Paintings Reside
We roamed the internet to collected images from photographer Candida Hofer’s ‘On Kawara, Date Paintings in Private Collections’. Often they are displayed in the place where the collector spends much of his or her time, or where they give the most inspiration and meaning. Unstyled and rather plain, they let On Kawara’s work resonate.
Read MoreKarl Lagerfeld’s Inspired Ideas
The legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld had an immense talent and sensibility. Our friend Susan Dworski sent us this picture of him at his extraordinarily messy desk, which as with other these other views of his home, provides unexpected inspiration and…permission
Read MoreEphemeral Curtains and Room Dividers Strung on Wires Are Easy to Do
In these images of gauzy curtains hung on simple wires via Clothier Aurelie Lecuyer, the lack of an imposing curtain rod achieves a pleasingly minimalist and ephemeral quality that’s easy and inexpensive…
Read MoreOutdoor Rooms in the Natural World, Inspired by Russel Wright
The Moss Room mid-century designer Russel Wright created near Manitoga, his home in upstate New York got us thinking about outdoor space in a new way…
Read MoreMaira Kalman’s NYC Home Laboratory and Her Dream Place
Taking a virtual house tour of designer Maira Kalman’s apartment “laboratory” gave us some great ideas, including a way to discover our dream house.
Read MoreSimple Ways to Create Private Space with Fabric Room Dividers and ‘Slung Cloths’
The quest for a calming, private space can feel like an impossible dream, particularly for those who share tight living quarters. Here are some ideas…
Read More