Sprinkled throughout the February issues (or Jan/Feb as the case may be) are some interesting materials stories — covering everything from surface materials for countertops to cashmere for the walls.
Cashmere, anyone?: For the curious who simply want to see what cashmere-upholstered walls look like or aluminum leaf (also as a wall covering), the February issue of Architectural Digest will satisfy. Chicago designer Alex Jordan is featured in “How to Be Your Own Best Client.” It’s the “before and after” story of his own two-bedroom condominium in a vintage brick-and-limestone building in the city. Jordan basically gutted the place and inserted a classic modern interior that is rich in color and materials. He used the deep brown cashmere (choosing it over merino) as a nod to the luxury of a nap in the guest/sitting room. The aluminum leaf offers a stunning backdrop for serious artwork in the entrance foyer/gallery.
Chintz it up: Just when you thought no one (save for maybe New York interior designer Mario Buatta a.k.a. The Prince of Chintz, the master of the English country look) was using chintz anymore, the editors at House&Garden put together a pretty picture story on how to use these glazed cotton prints with great style. Find tips on how to successfully combine busy patterns and pull off a look that is not “stuffy or overwhelming,” as they put it.
The counterculture: The ever-hip and irreverent dwell armed Norman Kornbleuth and his daughter Heather Lamster (proprietors of the New York kitchen emporium Broadway Panhandler) with eggs, oil, a bleach-based cleaner, ketchup and several pots of hot water and unleashed the two on six countertop materials — and, no, not the predictable granite and marble. The idea was to test the performance (Does it stain? Scratch? Dent? Clean up easily?) of alternative choices for counters — including stainless steel, a recycled glass material, a quartz/resin product and concrete.
Their favorite: System 25 Stainless Steel by the very austere and high-end Bulthaup of Germany.
And finally, calling all romantics: It just seems all warm and dreamy and wonderful — a tiny, 15-foot-square baking studio nestled in a circle of redwood trees outback. Check out the February issue of Inspired house (published by The Taunton Press) for the story of cookbook author Fran Gage and a passion that really heated up.
