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Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor
Bright colors—turquoise, orange and purple in shades from lilac to eggplant—figure big in interior design palettes for 2012, but classic black-and-white will never go out of style. In fact, against a backdrop of vibrant color, one of the pieces below would make a dramatic focal point.

A classic floral-print makes a chic statement in a chair by Linda Lane for Jessica Charles.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Charles

The St. James tufted high-back chair from Hancock & Moore, an updated interpretation of a King James–era piece, is bold and dramatic with its zebra-stripe hide leather back and sides and plush cream leather seat.

Photo courtesy of Hancock & Moore

Cheryl Katz, Contributing Editor
Meandering through New York’s Lower East Side is one of my favorite pastimes. Maybe it’s because I imagine my grandparents wandering down the very same streets, stopping to look in the very same shop windows or the very same storefronts as I do. But while they ogled the bakeries and appetizing arrays of delicacies reminiscent of their homeland, I am ogling clothing shops and home stores in search of something I’ve never seen before.

Top Hat, an inevitable stop whenever I have the time, is just that. It’s a charming, tiny shop on Broome Street, nestled between Ludlow and Orchard streets, that showcases highly edited and well-curated items. On a recent visit, I couldn’t resist these postcards, which come with a gold-tipped needle and red thread so you can chart your own course—whether familiar or far—while keeping the folks back home apprised of your travels.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Bella

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief
This past Sunday was the SoWa Art Walk here in Boston, and I actually managed to grab a few leisure hours to saunter around the neighborhood (incidentally enjoying the stellar weather) and check out what some of New England Home’s creative neighbors have been up to. Here are a few things our design-savvy readers might want to know about…

Lovely, bright white openwork porcelain by ceramic artist Isabelle Abramson. Some pieces, such as this “woven rope” bowl, are so delicate that it’s hard to imagine how they survived their trip through the kiln.

Woven Rope Bowl. Photo courtesy of Isabelle Abramson

Photographer Yorgos Efthymiadis distills striking two-dimensional images from striking three-dimensional spaces—often stairwells—by prominent architects.

Wilson Hall, Chicago. Photo courtesy of Yorgos Efthymiadis

Textile designer Seema Krish, newly returned from a visit to her printing and embroidery workroom in India, gave me an unofficial introduction to her new fabric line (available soon at a design center near you). It combines a beautifully textured, handworked quality with a dash of cosmopolitan shine.

New fabric designs by Seema Krish

And I was especially pleased to see new work—such as this cross-stitched mirror—from Debra Folz, one of our 5 Under 40 award winners in 2011, as she prepares for her upcoming debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.

“Sight,” mirrored stainless steel, painted plywood backing, and nylon embroidery thread. Photo courtesy of Debra Folz

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By Cheryl Katz

It’s like a jolt of caffeine after a particularly long meeting. It’s a cure-all for boredom. It’s a natural high, a celebration, a special occasion. It’s best when not performed online, in a hurry, out of need or desperation, but purely for the visually stimulating, thought provoking fun of it.  A word of caution, however: it can be habit forming.

Photos of Patch NYC South End courtesy of Cheryl Katz

Just in case you’re thinking that this is a new kind of vitamin bar or nutritional shake, let me be clear. This “it” provides another kind of stimulation—the kind you get when you enter a good (no, great) store. Right about now you must be thinking, “She’s banal and shallow to be making such a fuss about shopping. Really?” Really. Let me explain.

I love all kinds of stores: grocery, shoe, drug, hardware, gourmet and dollar. I don’t care if I spend hours meandering through aisles, pawing through racks, sorting through shelves or caressing acres of countertops only to come up empty-handed. But what I really love is the experience and the POWER it holds. Literally. For me, great stores are defined by Personality, Obsession or Oddity, Whimsy, Exaggeration and, yes, Romance.

In a few hours, when my studio reads this post, they will start laughing at me. They’ve heard my POWER pitch before. I started using the acronym about ten years ago when we were pitching a new client. Yet, the same traits that helped me codify the qualities necessary to create a great store for that client hold sway today just as they did a decade ago.

Case in point was a recent visit to the revamped Patch NYC store, the brainchild of designers Don Carney and John Ross. Walking through the brick courtyard off Waltham Street in Boston’s South End to reach the front door, I instantly recognized that Don and John shared my passion for a great shop. It’s clear. They’re a pair of Power Patch kids.

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Kara Lashley, Associate Editor
On a recent weekend in Maine, my husband and I stopped in at Portland Architectural Salvage, wondering if they might have just the right iron trellis for our garden. And did they ever! We took our pick from tons of perfectly patinaed trellises, then browsed the massive three-floor emporium, marveling at the seemingly endless array of things old, rare and extremely cool, from slate sinks and industrial metal baskets to stained-glass windows. Whether you’re on the hunt for a funky vintage sign, old-school hardware or just a bit of inspiration, this Portland treasure trove is more than worth a visit.

A sampling of unique items from the store’s enormous inventory.

Photos courtesy of Portland Architectural Salvage

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor
Audrey Sterk Design has turned out a line of lacquered trays in the same colorways and patterns as their beautiful wallpapers. Made in the USA, using water-based custom colors, the trays come in a variety of colors and styles with some of my favorites here.

Flowers/Blue Green. Photos courtesy of Audrey Sterk

Links/Blue Green

Links/Charcoal Cream

Jared Ainscough, Assistant Art Director
This week I blogged about Karin Ganga Sheppard from Island Weaves on Nantucket. My favorite design of hers are these terry cloth bathmats that she creates from recycled towels. They remind me of braided rugs, both in style and concept. She creatively repurposes old materials, and the mats serve as a smart solution to a problem most people would overlook. Plus they look great!

Handwoven Stria rug. Photo courtesy of Island Weaves

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By Jared Ainscough

Karin Ganga Sheppard from Island Weaves, in Nantucket, is dedicated to her craft. She spent twenty years working at looms before starting her own business making throws, rugs, upholstery and more.

Usually when craftspeople start a business, the handmade quality of their work is traded for the efficiency of mass production. Karen Sheppard is the exception to the rule. She hand works every fiber that comes into her studio—cleaning, sorting, dying and weaving every yarn. The act of weaving has transcended hard work and attention to detail. She has turned the process into a sort of meditation. That tranquility and dedication comes across in her work. Each piece is a study in patience and perfection.

Look for a story about her and her business in Made Here in the New England Home’s Cape and Islands issue, coming out in June.

Hand-woven silk, angora and wool throw. Photos courtesy of Island Weaves

Baby blanket with white stripe and sewn edge

Rosepath rug made of linen and terry cloth

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By Stacy Kunstel

There’s a new showroom in the Lillian August flagship store in Norwalk, Connecticut.

The design mega-store, besides adding new areas by Waterworks and a to-the-trade-only fabric room and Edelman leather section, now has a styled-to-the-hilt children’s furnishings area featuring the made in the USA line ducduc.

Here’s a room fit for a glam princess.

Photos courtesy of Stacy Kunstel

At Lillian August it’s just not a matter of choosing some furniture and plopping it down on the floor for people to browse. The vignettes are part of a concept, a fantasy and an idea-driven marketing tool pulled together by designer and vice president of stores and marketing Skye Westcott.

Here’s a room for the bohemian tween.

The new section of the store takes designing parents from an ultra-cool baby crib

to growing boy

to style-conscious teen.

After deciding on such stylist fittings for the kids, you’ll of course need to visit the rest of the store to upgrade your own spaces.

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With spring underway and summer fast approaching, I can’t help but look forward to enjoying pleasant days outdoors. Each of us has a different idea about what makes the ideal outdoor space; for some, a tranquil retreat makes the perfect escape while others look forward to getting their hands dirty in the garden. For me, however, the ideal outdoor room is an extension of the interior, another destination for guests in my home, and the perfect place for summer gatherings!

Design by Amy Aidinis Hirsch. Photo by Neil Landino

To start, anyone furnishing an outdoor area in New England has to be mindful of the weather.  We get our fair share of rain and sun, not to mention those typical New England winters. Anything that spends the year outdoors must be able to withstand extreme elements while still looking fantastic. One product I cannot stop raving about is Perennials outdoor fabrics. These fabrics look amazing, are super resilient, and so easy to care for. They feature 100 percent solution-dyed acrylic fibers, making them highly UV resistant. You can literally just hose the fabric off while you water your flowers and not have to worry about fading, mildew or wear-and-tear. With a huge range of colors, patterns and textures, outside fabrics aren’t limited to typical solids or stripes, and you can stretch beyond patio cushions in bringing in fabrics. You can certainly go with funkier prints to infuse your styles with plenty of personality. Perennials also offers stunning custom rugs that are so beautiful, they look as if they belong indoors. The icing on the cake? These plush fabrics feel as great as they look. There’s no need to sacrifice comfort and beauty for durability. My perfect color palette definitely starts with a selection of these fabrics.

Fabrics from Perennials: 1) Bird Tracks in Nantucket; 2) Plushy in Linen; 3) Classico in Lagoon; 4) Vibes in Bone

For furniture, I really love teak for sturdiness and heft, as well as it’s simple good looks. The Poolside Collection from Sutherland Furniture is my personal preference. The seat cushions are made of flow-through foam so water moves through them instead of soaking them, which means they dry quickly after a summer rain.

Photo courtesy of Sutherland Furniture

I’d then choose to complement the teak furniture with wicker for a textured, layered look. Restoration Hardware’s Biscayne Collection, particularly the chaise, would suit me just fine. Upholstered in Perennials fabric, the furniture becomes maintenance-free, weatherproof, comfortable and so lovely.

Photo courtesy of Restoration Hardware

Like I said, my ideal outdoor room would be a place to host gatherings. With groups in mind, I’d install a long trestle table. Along one side of the table, I’d place a bench. Besides adding something different, a bench is a great seating option for kids who tend to come and go many times throughout a meal or party. The header chairs would differ from the chairs along the other side of the table for added interest, and I’d definitely stick with fun, sturdy tableware that can stand-up to outside use.

My ideal outside space would absolutely include a fireplace. Nothing compares to the light and ambience of a fire on a New England night outdoors, when the setting sun usually brings cooler temperatures. Lighting a fire invites guests to linger over conversation and sets a more intimate mood for the gathering. Even without guests, you can enjoy the romance of the fireplace along with a great glass of wine or bond with your family over s’mores.

Design by Amy Aidinis Hirsch. Photo by Neil Landino.

There are a couple of other pieces I’d have to add to my perfect outdoor area. Dedon has these fantastic Nest Rests, which can hang from a tree branch or rest right on the ground. Everyone should have one of these to bring back their inner child!

Nest Rests. Photo courtesy of Dedon

Dedon also has the super cool City Camp Garden Swing by designer Annette Hinterwirth that would have to be part of my ultimate outside room.

Garden swing. Photo courtesy of Dedon.

I’d also add an African table fabricated of cast stone from Sutherland Furniture’s reproductions of the great John Dickinson’s work.

Photo courtesy of Sutherland Furniture

Because I’d be entertaining, the Peninsula Bar Cart by Terry Hunziker for David Sutherland is a must!

Photo courtesy of Sutherland Furniture

Finally, I’d round out my outdoor retreat with some incredible accessories. David Sutherland has a line of table and floor lamps designed to shed light on even the most remote areas of your yard. These battery-operated lamps can go anywhere and look great. And, of course, with shades covered in Perennials fabric, fading and wear aren’t going to diminish the looks of the lamps from one season to the next.

Photo courtesy of Sutherland Furniture

Imagine the effect of handsome furniture, a custom rug suited to the outdoors, a blazing fireplace, and table and floor lamps, all in an outside space. What you have is truly an extension of your home and a wonderful place to relax, enjoy company, or while away summer days and nights with your family.

Design by Amy Aidinis Hirsch. Photo by Neil Landino

Amy Aidinis Hirsch

Amy Aidinis Hirsch is an interior designer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She writes the blog bSpoke. “Keeping an idea book of materials, references, photos and sources isn’t at all a new concept among designers,” she writes. “Taking that inspiration and sharing it with a wider audience was the logical next step and is how bSpoke came into existence.”

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By Kara Lashley

Working on our upcoming Cape & Islands issue, I’ve gotten a sneak peek at some of the fabulous items local shops will be carrying this spring and summer. Should your travels take you east of the Cape Cod Canal any time soon, here’s a roadmap of what’s new at a few of our favorite home decor hotspots.

Osterville: Stop by Margo’s for unique accessories both hip and homey, from a shocking-yellow coral on a Lucite base to folk art paintings by Tim Campbell.

Photos by Dan Cutrona. Courtesy of Margo’s

Photos by Dan Cutrona. Courtesy of Margo’s

Chatham: Midsummer Nights is brimming with textile luxuries like Mia + Finn bedding, nautical throws by Connecticut-based Happy Blanket and summery pillows from Ryan Studio.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Studio

The store also stocks some serious statement lighting: behold Currey & Company’s Hedy chandelier in turquoise and jade glass.

Photo courtesy of Currey & Company

Provincetown: Head to WA for hand-painted lamps by Brazilian artist Ana Maia, as well as shapely wooden bracelets by Colin Schleeh—they’d be just as pretty sitting on a dresser as on your arm.

Photo courtesy of www.wwiec.com

Photo courtesy of Schleeh Design

Also in P-town, Shor is all stocked up on tabletop and furniture pieces ideal for summer entertaining, like the chic Sag Harbor table by Worlds Away.

Photo courtesy of Worlds Away

Nantucket: You’ll find these cool wooden stools and other island-inspired wares at Belongings.

Photo courtesy of Belongings

Or go for a vintage vibe at Coastal with this metal daybed and ticking-stripe cushion.

Photo courtesy of Coastal

And you’ll definitely want to pick up a few handwoven cotton blankets from island workshop Union Textiles.

Photo courtesy of Union Textiles

The Vineyard: Bespoke Abode is your source for stylish pieces from Martha’s Vineyard Furniture Co., including this cocktail table from the line’s Destination collection. (Note the MV zip code.)

Photo courtesy of Bespoke Abode

For a splash of seaside flair, we also love the store’s Lord Bogner triptych from Natural Curiosities.

Photo courtesy of Natural Curiosities

Last stop: Vineyard Haven’s Midnight Farm, where there’s certainly no shortage of fresh home furnishings, from cozy seating to seahorse lamps.

Four-seat folding bench with distressed finish. Photos courtesy of Midnight Farm

Comfy couch by Cisco Brothers

Reclaimed wood bed by Four Hands

Fiberglass Buddha with handmade candles and glasses from Mexico

Look for more great finds from these stores and others in our Cape & Islands issue, coming in June!

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By Paula M. Bodah

To the casual observer, the three gardens below might seem quite similar. They all incorporate long swaths of grass, green rooms, if you will, bounded by stone elements, trees and perennials. But Douglas Jones and Keith LeBlanc of Keith LeBlanc Landscape Architecture speak eloquently about the differences. “In our mind,” says Jones, “they’re very distinct in terms of the objective of each design, what we’re trying to feature, and how each design is driven by its context.”

What’s common to all three, say the landscape architects (whose work is featured in our March/April issue) is a level of richness and detail in the plantings and stonework combined with an overall simplicity. “We’re very careful in striking the right balance,” Jones says, “Things are pared away and simplified so that the thing that wants to rises to the top.”

In the case of this garden in the Boston suburbs, the thing that “rises to the top” is the Japanese maple tree on its carpet of ground cover. The goal here was to introduce a contemporary landscape plan to a space populated with wonderful old trees. “The low wall, with its rough granite façade and capping was a detail we had observed in a historic Boston burial ground,” LeBlanc explains. While the wall functions as a retaining wall and to define a grade change in the property, it also stands as a frame that relates to the classical architecture of the house and sets off the Japanese maple. “A tree that might have gotten lost in the woods is turned into a star,” says Jones.

Dedham, Massachusetts. Photos by Keith LeBlanc

For a Nantucket home in town and surrounded by other houses, the landscape is “really more about being inwardly focused,” Jones says. The property consists of several buildings that pinwheel around the open space. “We wanted to amplify the scale of the space, keeping it open but animating it so that it’s not just an empty piece of lawn,” he adds. A series of garden “rooms” stand around the central, main lawn, which offers a sort of pause, a moment of serenity, while also making itself available for a lively game of croquet or soccer. A walkway of paving stones softened by fluffy hydrangeas borders the lawn on two sides. “We used a common bluestone for paving, but played with the pattern, using random lengths to keep the space simple but animated,” Jones notes.

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Another Nantucket home, this one with ocean views, called for a different treatment of the same theme. Here, the long panel of lawn is one in a series of linear elements that lead to the water. A thin paved walkway provides a sense of enclosure and delineation, but, as LeBlanc notes, “Beyond the thin border it has a much looser organization of perennials, native grasses and native woods.” This garden, says Jones, “is a little more porous in terms of how it connects to the house.”

In all the gardens, LeBlanc says, open space is a bit of a luxury. While you wouldn’t want an empty room in your house, the landscape equivalent—an expanse of grass—is a restful, peaceful element.

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With warmer weather approaching, my mind starts drifting to Cape Cod. I always look forward to a new season of shows in the Provincetown galleries. While most of the shops and galleries line up along the water on Commercial Street, some of the best galleries require a little detour off the main drag. These are a few of my favorites.

The Berta Walker Gallery, at 208 Bradford Street, represents the honor society of Provincetown artists, several of whom studied with Hans Hofmann. Although the space feels more like a museum than a gallery, there’s no need to feel intimidated. The gallery loves visitors and welcomes questions.

Artist Sky Powers describes Interior of a Landscape as a dreamscape, an inner reflection of her experiences and love of nature. Even at face value, it’s an exciting abstracted landscape in a daring neon palette that the artist frequently uses.

Sky Powers, Interior of a Landscape. Photo courtesy of Berta Walker Gallery

I love it when an artist takes materials that have already lived a life and gives them new life. No one does this more masterfully than Varujan Boghosian. His collages and constructions are filled with elements we associate with the past, even our own childhoods, and often with a sense of humor.

Varujan Boghosian, Childhood Dreams (The Archer). Photo courtesy of Berta Walker Gallery

Just around the corner from Berta Walker is artSTRAND in the old schoolhouse at 494 Commercial Street, but be careful not to miss the side entrance on Howland Street. ArtSTRAND is owned and operated by its nine-member artists. Their sculptors always present the most beautifully executed work.

Breon Dunigan creates sculptures incorporating vintage household items such as pitchers, teapots and furniture parts. Dunigan is probably best-known for her bronze and plaster sculptures, but her ongoing series of upholstered trophy heads such as Torchbearer, utilizing furniture parts for antlers, should satisfy any hunter and gatherer.

Breon Dunigan, Torchbearer. Photo courtesy of artSTRAND

Although the gallery has several sculptors whose work is superb, their painters and photographers are also first-rate. Francis Olschafskie’s Diptych juxtaposes the textures of the Thames and a Louis Braille page from Coupvray, France.

Francis Olshafskie, Diptych. Photo courtesy of artSTRAND

Gallery Ehva, at 74 Shank Painter Road, provides a venue for the emerging and established artists who live and work in Provincetown. The gallery also shows early Provincetown work from local art collections. I’m always intrigued by the sculptures of Didier Corallo whose #2 (Landscape after Casper David Frederich) is a construction of layered glass boxes and oil paint that evokes the feeling of a misty sea fog hanging low over the landscape.

Didier Corallo, #2. Courtesy of Gallery Ehva

Although the medium and style are totally different, Rob DuToit’s oil on canvas, titled Fall Wharf II, relays that same kind of feeling.

Rob DuToit, Fall Wharf II. Image courtesy of Gallery Ehva

Finally, the Julie Heller Gallery, at 2 Gosnold Street, is a hidden treasure tucked down an alleyway just two streets west of the center of town. Her gallery represents over 100 years of Provincetown art. Paintings hang salon-style, floor to ceiling, and in stacks down the center of the space through which visitors are encouraged to browse.

Karl Knaths (1919-1971) is one of my favorite painters and this gallery always has several fine examples of his work, such as his Vista Del Mar, dated 1958. Knaths is undoubtedly one of Provincetown’s masters with a distinctive style that retained his early cubist influences throughout his career.

Karl Knaths, Vista Del Mar. Courtesy of Julie Heller Gallery

We can’t leave town without also including a white-line print, a process that was actually invented in Provincetown. Although there have been generations of artists that have practiced this technique, there is no finer work than that of Ferol Warthen. She learned the process from white-line master Blanche Lazzell and produced some of the most beautiful prints made using this method. Her Provincetown Harbor scene is, in my opinion, her masterpiece.

Ferol Warthen, Provincetown Harbor. Photo courtesy of Julie Heller Gallery.

Steve Fuller

Steve Fuller is a Cambridge resident and author of An Urban Cottage blog about restoring his 1842 Greek Revival cottage, art, cooking and life in New England.

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By Karin Lidbeck Brent

My scouting trips to search out houses to feature on our pages are a behind-the-scenes portion of my job with New England Home that I enjoy because it gives me an exciting opportunity to explore all that is happening all over the New England region.

On these scouting trips, I can discover exciting design projects and meet with the architects and designers who conceived them. Seeking new and superior projects to fill our pages is a never-ending quest and one that I thoroughly enjoy, especially when, as on a recent expedition, it means traveling the breathtaking coast of Maine.

Photo courtesy of Karin Lidbeck Brent

During three fast-paced days viewing homes between Falmouth and Deer Island, I found many fabulous projects of diverse style that hint at the incredible range of visual choices offered by Maine’s architects.

Bernhard & Priestley Architecture. Photo by Norman McGrath

Bernhard & Priestley Architecture. Photo by Norman McGrath

Elliott + Elliott Architecture. Photo by Brian Vanden Brink

Elliot & Elliot Architecture. Photo by Brian Vanden Brink

Architect John Edward Gillespie

Interior designer Linda Banks. Photo by Francois Gagne

Interior designer Linda Banks. Photo by Francois Gagne

On this scouting trip, I was able to search out and discover some fabulous design shops, like Simply Home owned by interiors and architectural designer Linda Banks. Her stylish and unique vision for home decor is evident all over her shop in Falmouth. Simply Home offers a highly distinctive selection of furniture, accessories and home decor.

Simply Home

One of my favorite discoveries while touring through Maine was the Camden Harbour Inn. This historic 1874, eighteen-room inn was renovated by architects Bernhard & Priestley of Rockport, Maine.

Camden Harbour Inn, renovated by Bernhard and Priestley. Photo by Norman McGrath

Richard Bernhard and  John Priestley worked with owners Raymond Brunyanszki and Oscar Verest to renovate the inn to create an award-winning boutique hotel. The exterior renovation of the inn oozes with quintessential storybook charm.

Camden Harbour Inn. Photo by Norman McGrath

Once inside, the vibe changes as the historical integrity mixes with a chic cosmopolitan sensibility and high global styling. The sophisticated, hip decor of Natalie’s, the inn’s gorgeous restaurant and bar, sets the scene as you enter. The award-winning cuisine is indicative of the extraordinary quality you will find in every aspect of the inn.

Natalie's. Photo by Norman McGrath

Natalie's. Photo by Norman McGrath

Maine is a magical place, filled with stunning homes and beautiful views at every turn. After a very enjoyable and successful three days of scouting, it’s no wonder I am already planning return trips to shoot exciting projects to grace our pages and, of course, to scout and scout and scout….

Photo courtesy of Karin Lidbeck Brent

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