The New York Times has a jaw-dropping article, "
A Fixer-Upper to End Them All," and coinciding slideshow about the 1902 Stanford White-designed Beaux-Arts sporting pavilion in Rhinebeck, NY, which was purchased and renovated by Kathleen Hammer, a retired producer for Oxygen Media. The building was originally designed for John Jacob Astor IV, great-grandson and heir of the fur and real estate magnate, and originally served as a weekend retreat and entertaining spot.
Astor's elder son Vincent inherited the property, and his third wife,
Brooke Astor, made it more of a residential spot.
According to a recent New York Times article, farms are quickly becoming a popular wedding venue for many couples. There are many advantages to a farm wedding, including a reduced price tag. According to
the article, "Farms Are For Lovers," "Farm weddings can cost a fraction of nuptials at more traditional sites, because couples usually take care of services like catering and music.
The New York Times article "Does This Song Match My Sofa?" reports on homeowners who hire DJs to make custom mixes that coordinate with different rooms of their homes. One music stylist
said, “Our clients are the type who send people all over the world to find the perfect spoon, or doorknob or type of marble.
If you're trying to have a baby, you may have heard that after enduring a miscarriage, your body is more fertile. Unfortunately, according to a recent article in
The New York Times this is just a rumor. While it's true that your progesterone levels (the hormone that helps with pregnancy) are elevated, there's no evidence to support the notion that it can help you conceive any faster.
The New York Times article "
Thinking Like a Student" takes a look at the thrifty, creative home-design moves college students, particularly architecture students, are making during these difficult economic times to make their homes a better place, aesthetically and functionally.
Along with the article is a wonderful slideshow showcasing many of these "on the cheap" tricks. One of my favorites was a set of candle holders fashioned from recycled light bulbs by Lauren Chapman, a student at Yale School of Architecture.
T magazine's
Design Fall 2008 issue is now online! Among other things, the issue takes a look at
provocative new design trends, profiles British editor turned designer
Ilse Crawford, tours the design scene
in Philly, visits
Mario Bellini's Milan palazzo, looks at some inventive
coat trees and umbrella stands, and sneaks a peek at a
monochromatic loft and an
Upstate New York steel-framed guest house. The cover, shown here, which features a chest of drawers that slide in opposite directions, is an allusion to the different directions design is taking today.
I'm always keeping an eye out for unexpected centerpieces for your next party. This pretty alternative to flowers, which was created by New York event designer David Stark, was fashioned by first shaping wire into floral shapes. Then, biodegradable sisal twine was carefully wound around the wire forms.
Clingstone, a 103-year-old mansion in Narragansett Bay, which was
recently featured in the New York Times, sits on a rocky island that's barely bigger than the house. While this situation leaves very little room for a yard or garden, the ocean views make up for it, don't you think?
Eric Jacobs for The New York Times
Back in March, in an interview with German publication Die Ziet, prolific industrial designer
Philippe Starck admitted to feeling "ashamed" for being "a producer of materiality," saying, "Everything I have created is absolutely unnecessary." In shock, the design world was buzzing. Would this mean retirement for the can-do-no-wrong designer?
The New York Times has an
article and
interesting slideshow showcasing the 1830 townhouse of director Roland Emmerich (10,000 BC, Independence Day) in London. When the German-born director moved into stuffy neighborhood Knightsbridge, he asked his interior designer to create a space that was “as nonfrumpy as possible,” that reflected "his predilection for art with a political edge." Especially during a national election, these days, political humor is rampant.
