Congratulations to Emily Henderson, winner of HGTV’s Design Star! If you’ve been following the series then you’re likely familiar with  Emily, the quirky-cool blonde who works as a prop stylist specializing in interior and food styling. She didn’t make much noise in the first few episodes of Design Star but quickly made it known to the judges and the world that she had what it takes to be the next Design Star. Last night she was crowned the winner and will soon be the host of her own show on HGTV! I hate to sound like a know-it-all but I totally had her pegged as the winner from the beginning after seeing her stunning portfolio of work! Now residing in Los Angeles, Emily spent 8 years living in New York assisting noted stylist Cindy DiPrima. Her portfolio of work clients includes styling projects for editorial and advertising clients including the late Domino magazine (tear), Real Simple, Bon Appetit, Coastal Living, Martha Stewart Living, J. Jill, Garnet Hill and more. Check out some of her work:

Above, the winning room in Design Star’s episode 10 challenge which advanced Emily to the final round. Below are a series of beautifully styled photos from Emily’s portfolio. Enjoy!

If you want to see more from Emily she has a great blog called the Brass Petal which you can check out here!

_{A sitting area in Bunny’s office features BeeLine Home’s ever-popular Nailhead Sofa, gold Hourglass Table, Lemon Leaf Ceramic Lamp and Copper Lotus Hurricane (on coffee table).}

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a cocktail party hosted by Bunny Williams at her office where she gave a group of bloggers and editors a sneak peek at some of the exciting new projects she’ll be launching this fall. I got to see photos of Bunny’s BeeLine Home Collection II which includes 45 new furniture, accessories and lighting pieces that will premiere at High Point Market in October. Her first BeeLine Home collection launched last spring to much praise and I’m certain the beautiful new additions to BeeLine Home will be a huge hit too! Bunny also announced that she’ll be debuting an all-new bunnywilliams.com in September which will combine the online homes for her eponymous interior design firm, BeeLine Home and Treillage (the chic garden shop she owns with her antiques dealer husband John Rosselli) into one website. The new site will feature an expanded portfolio of Bunny’s interior design work, beautiful photography of her new BeeLine Home Collection and the Treillage portion will feature online shopping and a bridal registry.



I’m especially excited about the impending arrival of her newest book, A Scrapbook for Living, due out November 1st which also happen’s to be Bunny’s birthday! Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, the book takes readers on a room by room tour of several homes designed by Bunny who offers offers practical advice, insider tips and boundless inspiration for creating a beautiful home.

Aside from hearing all of Bunny’s exciting new updates, a highlight was having the opportunity to tour her gorgeous office. A hallmark of Bunny Williams’ work is her ability to create spaces that radiate a sense of comfort and livability. Her office is  filled to the brim with books and beautiful objects and is so warm and inviting it feels more like a home than a workplace. The space is also impeccably decorated with beautiful furnishings and accessories from BeeLine Home. The above photo shows BeeLine’s blue Regale Armchair, Workhorse Desk, Chicken Feather Lamp and possibly the chicest trash receptacle I’ve ever seen – the Tote Debris Waste Bin made of brass and designed to look like a shopping bag! I also love how Bunny kept her beloved dogs in mind when designing her office space. You’ll notice the stylish cheetah printed doggie bed underneath her desk and another underneath a coffee table in the top photo.

_{A stylish bar display at Bunny’s office}

Bunny has a reputation for being a consummate and gracious entertainer and this event was full of fabulous food and drinks, interesting people, beautiful decor and, of course, Bunny’s warm hospitality which made for a fun, inspiring and truly special evening!

Artist and textile designer Lulu deKwiatkowski’s chic Upper East Side apartment is for sale and it can be yours for a cool $1,999,000! The prewar two bedroom apartment which has been featured in publications like Elle Decor and the now defunct House & Garden and Domino, features a spacious open layout and unique details like Moroccan style archways and built-in bookshelves. deKwiatkowski recently took to her blog to spread the word:

“Great doorman building on 64th Street between Park and Lexington. Two bedrooms, huge kitchen, terrace and loft-like living room all re-constructed by me. Asking 1.999. I have lived and grown, developed my company, painted every collage on the floor of my kitchen here in this apartment for the last 14 years. I loved every day of wonderful solitude in this magical space. I leave only good vibes, which is oh so important in a home. In any case, feel free to contact me if you are truly interested.”

Photos: Trail of Inspiration

I’m always delighted to hear that my blog is a constant source of inspiration for others. Recently, New York based fashion stylist Genevieve Yraola emailed over photos of a fabulous DIY skirted sink she completed in her bathroom after seeing my post on skirted tables. Take a look:

After reading your blog on skirted tables, it inspired me to give my bathroom a quick DIY makeover. I wanted to hide the ugly plumbing under my pedestal sink as well as give extra storage. I made my skirt using fabric and velcro purchased from Mood Fabrics and grosgrain ribbon from M&J Trimming. First I measured the height and width of each side of the sink and just added a couple of extra inches for seam allowances on all sides to each panel. I hot glued a velcro strip under the sink as well as the coordinating strip to the top of each panel. I used permanent fabric glue to create my hems and to attach the grosgrain ribbon trim. For a clean finish, I cut each tip of the ribbon at a diagonal. I attached the front panel first, followed by the side panels. The entire project took me 3 hours and $25 to complete!

If you have a fabulous room, an ingenious DIY project or an amazing before and after transformation you’d like to share, email me at info {at} sohautestyle.com and your project could be featured on So Haute!

Since the full house tour of my apartment was recently revealed on Apartment Therapy I thought you might like to see some before and afters of my space. I’ll start with the bedroom and show you how I transformed it from a boxy, soul-less space into an inviting and elegant retreat.

This is what the bedroom looked like when I moved in three years ago. It had zero character and was also quite small at approximately 11 1/2′ x 12′ with just one modestly sized closet. Aside from creating an elegant sleeping room, I also needed to design a layout with plenty of functional storage…a must in any small space.

Here’s the floor plan I came up with. My bed is the focal point and is centered against a wall opposite two windows. I incorporated a pair of chests on either side plus an armoire for additional clothes storage.

This was my inspiration board that illustrates my initial creative direction for the space. My goal was to create a beautiful bedroom that exudes comfort and sophistication. The key elements are the Chonioiserie floral pattern (inspired by the walls in the Miles Redd designed bedroom shown on the top left) a soothing blue color scheme, bright pops of turquoise, an upholstered headboard in a graceful shape and just a touch of ikat.

Here’s the result of my bedroom transformation. My headboard is custom, upholstered in a pattern called Sestina from Kravet. My Baker campaign chests which I found on eBay are vintage from the 1950s and have deep drawers for storing clothes. The turquoise egg shaped lamps are by Haeger Potteries from Lamps Plus and provide a much needed pop of color that adds a touch of whimsy and makes the space feel youthful. To me one of the things that makes a bedroom feel polished and pulled together is beautiful bedding and I’m particularly a fan of crisp white bed linens. My duvet set is from Pottery Barn and the monogrammed shams elevate the level of sophistication. The ikat pillow was fabricated with a pattern from Kravet that I had my upholsterer use on the reverse. The white bedding combined with loads of down filled pillows really makes the bed look inviting!

My rug is Madeline Weinrib’s Mimm print wool rug which I scored at the ABC Carpet & Home outlet in the Bronx. I have several favorite pieces in my bedroom but by far the most special and most personal are the reverse glass Chinese emperor and empress paintings shown on either side of my bed which I inherited from my grandmother. I believe strongly in surrounding yourself with things you love that have deep, personal meaning like family photos, souvenirs from your travels or items inherited from loved ones. Those are the things that will give your space a sense of your own personality and history…and will make your house feel like home.

My Chinese antique armoire seen here was another eBay find and provides plenty of extra space to store clothing & accessories. I keep my collection of blue & white porcelain as well as all of my clear glass vases on top. The Japanese  scenic painting to the left of the armoire was an auction score that I got for just $25! My chandelier is from eBay and the soft bronze color and delicate vine and leaf motif really compliments the space.  It was fun pulling this room together but, of course, a decorator’s work is never done! I plan to re-paint my walls at some point, most likely a soothing blue-gray, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new bedding. Stay tuned!



Yesterday was my birthday!  I’m actually away in Edmonton, Canada this week for work so it felt kind of lonely to be away from my friends and family on my special day. Still, I had a great day. When I arrived Monday night on the eve of my birthday I walked into my room to find this gorgeous flower arrangement waiting for me along with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and a box of cookies from my boyfriend who happens to be the best boyfriend ever!

After gorging on cookies and strawberries I crashed from an exhausting 12 hours of traveling and then woke up to this beautiful view outside my window.

I treated myself to a yummy breakfast…French toast with bacon and OJ.

Then it was off to the mall. The main mall here has a wave pool and water park inside it. And a haunted house. And a lagoon. And a roller coaster. And an ice skating rink. And many other features that I can’t recall but needless to say it was quite the destination. In fact, the mall calls itself “the greatest indoor show on earth.”

At the end of a long day I celebrated with Mexican and margaritas. Fun times. So now I’m one year older and hopefully a little wiser and I hope this year brings lots of good things my way. Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes yesterday. I so appreciate it and all of your well wishes made being away from home on my special day not so hard after all. Lots of love! xoxo

I recently stopped by the D&D to check out Thom Filicia’s new fabrics for Kravet at the D&D the other day and I have to say, I really like it! The patterns and color combinations are fresh and modern yet the collection still has a timeless appeal. I’m especially a fan of the citron colored faux bois fabric shown on the bench above. You can see all of the collection swatches here and below are a few more photos from Kravet’s Inspired Talk blog. As a bonus, head over to Inspired Talk to watch a video of Filicia discussing his collaboration with Kravet and the making of the collection!

_{The Thom Filicia display at the D & D’s Kravet showroom}

Thom Filicia

After months of speculation over who would replace Paige Rense as editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest (Rense is retiring), it was announced today that Elle Decor’s Margaret Russell will take the helm. She begins her post September 7th and her first issue will hit stands in January 2011. I can’t tell you enough how excited I am about this appointment. AD has long been criticized for being dated and formulaic in its approach and many have agreed that the magazine is in dire need of an overhaul. I believe Russell will bring a fresh point of view to the AD and has the talent and vision to help revive the title. Despite it’s criticism though, AD is hardly struggling. The magazine has a healthy readership of 5MM plus and ad pages for its September 2010 issue are up 5.4% to last year. Nate Berkus also mentioned during the Right Now In Design event last week that for architects and designers, AD is one of the only magazines where a feature actually leads to new clients, which I thought was quite interesting. I’m excited to watch AD evolve and am actually anticipating the arrival of it’s January issue. Congrats Margaret on your new position! And now we can begin the speculation over who will take over Elle Decor!

Photos: elledecor.com and architecturaldigest.com

Etsy is one of my favorite online shopping sources and right now I’m loving these soft hued, vintage inspired prints from the Etsy Shop Simply Hue. Prices range from $20-25$ and the shop is offering free shipping on all prints through August! Visit the Simply Hue shop on Etsy here.

Back in June Apartment Therapy came to photograph my place for a house tour and I’m happy to report that the post is now up! Thank you Apartment Therapy!!! And a special thanks to Annie from AT who captured my space so beautifully! Below are a few of my favorite photos from the shoot and you can see the full house tour on Apartment Therapy here. The post also includes plenty of inspiration for decorating on a budget plus some of my best decorating advice so head over to AT to check it out!

Photos by Annie Werbler for Apartment Therapy

At Wednesday’s Right Now In Design panel, the intriguing discussion revolved around three main topics: building a brand, the state of the industry and what’s new and next in design. Myself and Josh Greene moderated the talk and below is a detailed recap of the highlights.

On Building a Brand…

The first questions touched on whether or not having a specific and recognizable signature look is important to developing your brand and what the key is to creating a successful brand as a designer. Nate and Steven both felt that maintaining a consistent point of view in your work is essential and Nate expanded on that by talking about the importance of maintaining integrity in your work as well. He believes you should never waver on being consistent with your point of view, regardless of how adamantly a client may demand a specific piece, never incorporate a piece into a space if it’s something you don’t believe is a reflection of your point of view.  Nate believes the same tenets hold true when it comes to product design and that quality is crucial.  He says consumers are extremely savvy these days and regardless of whether something costs $9.99  or $9,099, if a customer looks at the product and feels it’s lacking in quality, they’ll move on to the next item on the shelf. He believes you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to “live well,” which is an expression he embodies throughout his work.  He also says that throughout all of his work whether it be his television shows, books or his products for HSN, he is always conscious of being consistent in his aesthetic and approach.

Josh and I also asked the panelists about the role of publicity in building your brand and touched on the demise of many of our favorite shelter publications. The designers immediately brought up Domino and acknowledged the huge impact the magazine had on and the industry even though it was only  around for a short time.  There was also consensus about the increasing importance of online media, although they all agreed there’s nothing like touching and feeling an actual glossy magazine. Jesse Carrier spoke about how publicity has really helped him to create awareness of his brand and reinforce  his credibility as a designer. Since his recent flurry of press this year (He was named one of Traditional Home’s top 20 young designers and also honored on Elle Decor’s A-List) his phone has been ringing a lot more and there is a lot more interest in his firm in general.

We also touched on the subject of licensing. Laura is quite the expert in this field having multiple licensing deals including lines with Ann Sacks, Baker, Kallista and Maguire (all Kohler Interiors Group brands) plus a line with Arteriors Home and a couple of new top secret collaborations in the works. She says that licensing deals are appealing to designers because they think they’ll make a ton of money, but revealed that a scoring a deal isn’t necessarily a surefire way for a designer to get rich. It’s contingent upon the nature of the deal and many other factors.

On the State of the Industry…

We kicked off this topic with the predictable yet still-very-relevant question of how the sagging economy has impacted the design industry and if there are signs that things are finally picking up. Nate, Laura and Steven who all operate larger firms agreed that throughout the recession business definitely slowed down a lot and that people, even the very wealthy, just didn’t want to spend the money on a decorator when times were uncertain. Laura also said that she thinks the recession may have forced people to think differently about how they spend their money and told the story of a client who is currently debating whether to spend the money to re-decorate his home or do something philanthropic with it instead. The designers also felt that their design projects are taking twice as long these days. The reason why is that clients are taking much longer to make decisions because they’re giving very careful consideration to every purchase. Jesse had a different experience than the other designers and said that he benefited from having a smaller design firm. During the recession he was able to secure clients who might have otherwise gone to a larger design firm which resulted in a boost to his business.

Being a blogger, I couldn’t help but ask Nate about the infamous Moggit Girls story. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, back in May a duo called the Moggit Girls who write a satirical blog about design, tweeted Nate that he should do a show with an audience full of design bloggers. Nate tweeted back that it was a great idea and within an hour tweeted again to tell the Moggit Girls that he wants to do the show and to expect a call from his producers! Talk about the power of social media! This story led into a question about how social media has impacted the industry and how having a social media presence has impacted the designers’ businesses and brands. Jesse, Steven and Laura all acknowledged the importance of social media but confessed that they haven’t quite unlocked the secret to finding the time to build a huge social presence for their brands online. Laura does has a Facebook page and says that social media is always a topic that comes up in her marketing meetings, yet she hasn’t quite embraced it the way she would like to. Nate, on the other hand, has a huge social media since joining both Facebook and twitter earlier this year. He admitted though that he fought the idea of  twitter and Facebook tooth and nail but after attending a social media conference at Harpo, finally bit the bullet and now it has become a huge part of his business. He also says that social media will play a big role in his new nationally syndicated show which premieres September 13. (Visit thenateshow.com to check your local listings for air times). The topic of blogs came up and the panelists acknowledged how important design blogs are becoming to consumers. They all said that rather than bringing in tears from magazines, clients are now emailing them links to inspiration they’ve found on blogs. And while they appreciate the exposure that design blogs offer, they’re not quite sure how to manage that publicity against the print world because print is still the priority and they would never want exposure on a blog to cannibalize an opportunity for a print feature.

I mentioned to the designers that with the rise in how-to television programming on networks like HGTV and the wealth of information available through blogs, clients seem to be more educated than ever. I followed that up by asking the panelists how this affects the way they approach their role as a designer. They all agreed that clients seem to know way too much these days, but that it’s not always a bad thing. Whereas designers used to be the ones that presented memos to their clients, the clients are now handing the designers memos from sites like 1stdibs! Still, they feel their roles as designers are solid because while a client can certainly have an eye to spot a beautiful piece, they don’t have the expertise to understand if the scale will work in the space, if it will fit through a doorway, etc.  It also challenges designers to be far more creative with their sources. also, specifying custom furnishings really allows them to take the front seat and lead their clients to their choices.

On What’s Right Now and What’s Next in Design…

Josh broached this topic by asking our panelists for their predictions on the next big color trend and their point of view on color in general. Steven said that he’s drawn to blues and personally loves to use color in his projects although it’s really up to the client in the end. He spoke about a client who expressed how much he adored his use of color but that it wasn’t for him so instead Steven was challenged to experiment with textures and layering rather than strong color. Nate said that he is usually drawn to a combination of colors rather than one specific color, while Laura talked about the practicality of using color in context. She feels that the location of a home has a huge impact on the color choices that are appropriate for the space. She gave the example of how a pink house would look amazing and possibly even commonplace in Florida but if you had a pink house in New York it would seem totally odd.

As a final question, I asked the panelists what they were obsessed with “right now in design.” Jesse is currently obsessed with upholstered walls and Steven has an obsession with interesting surfaces and finishes. Nate and Laura both share a current obsession with mid-century Mexican furniture, a coincidence I found to be quite uncanny!

_{Pierre Frey}

That about sums up the key points of the panel discussion. I want to give a special thanks to Pierre Frey, my gracious co-host who was so kind to let us hold the event in his beautiful showroom! In case you’re not familiar,  Pierre Frey the company was founded in 1935 in Paris, France and designs, creates and manufactures fabrics and wallpapers in the purest French tradition. The company is celebrating it’s 75th anniversary this year! Along with Pierre I want to thank my co-host Josh Greene and his business partner Alex Kale as well as Pierre’s showroom manager Kim Huebner…we all worked together to make this event a success. And finally, a special thanks must be given to our generous sponsors for the evening:

The beautiful floral arrangements were provided by H. Bloom. Check out HBloom.com to try their floral delivery service in New York City.

Fiji Water provided water for the evening to help keep our guests hydrated! Check out Fiji Water’s blog here.

Casa Dragones provided its ultra smooth 100% blue agave sipping tequila for our guests to taste. Visit the Casa Dragones website here.

And finally, Etude wines provided a fantastic rosè and chardonnay for the evening. Visit Etude’s website here to learn more about their wines and vineyards.

_{L-R: Steven Gambrel, Laura Kirar, Nate Berkus and Jesse Carrier. Photo: Marion Curtis/Starpix}

Last night myself along with Pierre Frey and Josh Greene hosted an event with an A-List roster of designers that included Nate Berkus, Laura Kirar, Steven Gambrel and Jesse Carrier. It was a fabulous evening that started off with a cocktail party followed by a panel discussion on design. Now before I get into the recap of the talk, I’ll give you some background on how the event came about and also fill you in on some of the insider info I uncovered about the designers during the course of the night.

_{Me in the middle with co-hosts Pierre Frey to the left and Josh Greene to the right. Photo: Marion Curtis/Starpix}

A while back not too long after Josh started his blog Shagreene, we casually kicked around the idea of collaborating together on a project. A few meetings, calls and ruled out concepts later, we landed on the idea of planning a panel discussion and then brought the idea to Pierre who graciously agreed to partner with us…and the rest is history!  We wanted to keep the event very intimate and bring together a group of young influencers in the design community to hear from our esteemed panel of speakers. Notable interior designers like Brad Ford and Harry Heissman plus a slew of magazine editors from publications like Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Town & Country came out to join us for the evening.

_{L-R: Nate Berkus, Laura Kirar, Pierre Frey and Jesse Carrier. Photo: Marion Curtis/Starpix}

It was also quite surreal to be moderating a conversation with four AMAZING designers whom I admire greatly. I was so intrigued by what they had to say and each designer brought a unique perspective to the discussion. I felt so honored to be engaged in conversation with such an esteemed group of panelists.

_{Nicole Gibbons & Nate Berkus}

Now I’m sure you want the inside scoop on the designers and what they were like so I’ll gladly oblige. Let’s start with Nate. First off I am a HUGE Nate Berkus fan. I love his design aesthetic and really identify with his approachable, down to earth point of view on living. I have most of his Oprah episodes saved forever on my DVR, I have his book and even his sisal rug from HSN…Needless to say I was beyond excited when he agreed to participate. Nate was so genuine, gracious, charming and also quite funny! During the discussion he kept everyone in stitches with his hilarious one liners and off-topic anecdotes. Before answering his very first question of a night he paused to poke fun at the fact that he recently lost a design job to fellow panelist Steven Gambrel! He also suggested we all close our eyes in remembrance of Domino when a question was raised about publicity and shelter magazines. Both Nate and Laura are native Chicagoans but had never met until last night. As the talk went on the two realized they were kindred spirits who both share a love for mid-century Mexican furniture and have a dream of renovating and designing a crumbly old hacienda in the Yucatan one day.

_{Laura Kirar}

Laura, who was so elegant and poised, is actually living out her dream now as she recently purchased and is in the process of renovating a crumbly old dream house in the Yucatan! She joked that she’d invite Nate over for a visit once her house has a roof! She also filled me in on some exciting new collaborations she has in the works but you’ll have to tune in to the first episode of So Haute TV to get the deets!

_{Steven Gambrel}

Steven Gambrel also revealed that he’s also working on some very exciting collaborations launching next year and he also gave the scoop to So Haute TV! (Are you getting excited for the first episode?!) I have to say I was quite enthralled with Steven’s good looks. He’s super tall, tan and incredibly handsome. His dapper gray suit was perfectly tailored…I wanted to pull a “Joan Rivers on the red carpet” and ask him who he was wearing! He shared with the audience that he prefers to specify custom furniture for clients as much as possible and given this, I’d be willing to bet his suit was custom too!

_{Jesse Carrier}

Jesse was a bit more soft spoken than his counterparts and admitted to the audience that it was his first time sitting on a panel! Hearing him talk you would have never known. It’s been a huge year for Jesse who is a principal in the design firm Carrier & Company along with his wife Mara Miller. He was named one of Traditional Home’s top 20 young designers and also honored on Elle Decor’s prestigious A-List so one of the questions I asked him was how all of the recent publicity has impacted his business. His answer? His phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from prospective clients! The recognition and the work is certainly well deserved!

Well, that’s all the inside scoop I have for you now but be sure to check back later for my part 2 recap with a full overview of the panel discussion to hear what these design geniuses had to say about building a brand, the state of the industry and what’s now and next in design.

_{All Photos: Marion Curtis/Starpix}

_{L-R: Nate Berkus, Laura Kirar, Nicole Gibbons (Moi!), Steven Gambrel and Jesse Carrier. Photo:  Marion Curtis}

Tonight was a big night for So Haute! This evening myself, along with co-hosts Pierre Frey and Josh Greene hosted an exciting cocktail party and panel discussion with interior designers Nate Berkus, Steven Gambrel, Laura Kirar and Jesse Carrier of Carrier & Company! We were so thrilled and honored to have such an esteemed group of featured speakers! The designers spoke about building a brand, the state of the industry and what’s “right now in design.” It was a really amazing and inspiring evening. For now I’m exhausted but I’ll be back tomorrow with a full recap and plenty of photos to share.  I also shot the first episode of So Haute TV tonight so I’ll soon have a fun video with an inside look at the event to share with you too! Off to bed now but check back tomorrow for all the details! xo

Former Domino Editor-in-Chief has just landed a new gig! Beginning September 1, Needleman will hold post as Editor-in-Chief of WSJ, The Wall Street Journal’s glossy lifestyle magazine, and will also oversee  a new Saturday Lifestyle section that will debut this fall. She succeeds Tina Gaudoin who is moving back to London and will contribute to The Wall Street Journal Europe. For the last few months, Needleman has been consulting at WSJ, overseeing the redesign of the publication’s weekend pages. Now, with her permanent position, Needleman will really make her mark on the WSJ, enhancing its overall lifestyle travel and culture content as the publication looks to grow its female readership. We won’t see the first issue of WSJ under Needleman’s influence until December (it’s currently published 6x a year but rumored to be increasing its frequency) but her vision will definitely be seen sooner when the daily version’s new Saturday Lifestyle section launches. The Wall Street Journal isn’t necessarily a publication I’d look to for lifestyle content but now that Needleman is at the helm I’ll definitely be checking it out! Will you?

Marie Claire’s Style & Accessories Director Taylor Tomasi-Hill might arguably be the most photographed fashion editor in the industry. Known for her fiery red hair and penchant for combining feminine pieces with edgy, rocker-inspired accessories, Tomasi-Hill has created a style of her own that’s effortlessly chic and totally cool. Her look has incited style crushes all around the world and has made her a favorite subject of top street style photographers like The Sartorialist and Tommy Ton. She recently gave fashion site Refinery 29 a peek inside her her apartment in New York City’s West Village and it it’s no surprise that her home is just as stylish as she is!

_{Above photos: Kava Gorna for Refinery 29}

To see more of Taylor Tomasi-Hill’s chic NYC apartment and hear her style secrets click here to read the full feature at Refinery29. And as a bonus, below are a few of the photos that have made Tomasi-Hill an internet street style sensation!

If you love the stylish hotel suites recently designed by Diane von Furstenberg for London’s Claridge’s hotel, then you’ll love this fabulous cashmere blanket that is currently available at DVF.com. It features the same berry and chocolate ikat print used in her Claridge’s project and is also available in two other colorways. Luxury certainly doesn’t come cheap though as this 100% cashmere blanket is quite pricey at $750. Available here.

Fashion designer and style icon Diane von Furstenberg can now add the title interior designer to her resume after the debut of 20 glamorous hotel suites she recently designed for Claridge’s hotel in London. In her first-ever interior design project, von Furstenberg developed bespoke fabrics, rugs, furniture and cashmere throws for the rooms in the historic art deco landmark hotel. The rooms are stunning with luxurious fabrics in bold geometric patterns, ikat prints and Chinese florals plus pops of bright color, lacquered surfaces  and – of course – plenty of animal prints, a von Furstenberg signature. The bathrooms are quite spectacular featuring rich marble surfaces and complete with plush DVF wrap robes. The suites also feature personalized touches like photos taken by von Furstenberg during her travels through Europe, Africa and Asia. I especially love the striking berry and chocolate colored ikat print sofa shown above which is covered in one of von Furstenberg’s custom fabrics. The DVF suites at Claridge’s are definitely fit for a princess. In fact the 5-star hotel is the only place where von Furstenberg (once married to German Prince Egon von Furstenberg) is still referred to as “your Highness!” Visit the Claridges website for room rates and reservations.



“Hotels are fantasy and they’ve just got to make you dream.” – Diane von Furstenberg

_{Photos: Claridge’s and DVF}

Did you know that West Elm now offers special order upholstery? In a great move, the company is now offering 26 stylish new upholstery options for customers to choose from to create a sofa or sectional with a totally custom look! It takes 6-8 weeks for these special orders to deliver and you can also order swatches so you can see and feel them in person before deciding on the perfect fabric. This means you’ll be able to take this perfectly fine but kinda boring beige sofa:

And transform it into any of these far more vibrant options:



Here’s a look at the current fabric selection:

To learn more about West Elm’s special order process click here or call 1.888.922.4119.

Top Photo: Sutton Sofette, $599-699

Second & Third Photos: Armless Upholstered Sofa, $799-$1149



The best key lime pie I’ve ever tasted hails from the famous Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami. It’s both tart and sweet and has a ridiculously yummy buttery, sugary graham cracker crust that almost melts in your mouth. I tried my hand at the recipe and the result was bananas! It was also super easy to make. Here’s the recipe:

The Best Key Lime Pie Ever

_{Adapted from Joe’s Stone Crab}

Crust:

1/3 lb graham cracker crusts (or 1/3 of a 1lb box of graham crackers)

5 tbsp melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

Filling:

3 egg yolks

2 tsp grated lime zest

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cups of fresh lime juice

Vanilla Whipped Cream Topping:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish with butter. Set aside. Now you’re ready to begin prepping your pie crust. Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Next add in the butter and sugar and pulse again until the ingredients combine. (If you don’t have a food processor you can place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin and then combine the remaining ingredients by hand.) Take the crust mixture and firmly press down onto the bottom and sides of your pie dish. (Tip: Use the bottom of your measuring cup like I did to help you press the mixture down smoothly and evenly). Bake in the oven for approximately 8 minutes or until just golden and set. Set aside on a wire rack and be sure to leave the oven on.

Next combine the egg yolk and lemon zest and beat on high speed using the wire whisk attachment on your electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Gradually add in the condensed milk and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick. Lower the speed and gradually add in the lime juice until just combined.

Next pour the mixture into the crust and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling sets. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate until the pie is completely cold, then set in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes before you’re ready to serve the pie. While the pie is freezing, combine all of the ingredients for the topping and whip together until the cream is stiff. Spread the whipped cream evenly across the entire pie. Feel free to garnish with sliced lime if you wish then cut into wedges and serve.

Be prepared to be blown away by the deliciousness of this pie…It’s that good.

If you haven’t already, you must check out Freunde von Freunden, a German based website that taps into our voyeuristic curiosity by giving an inside look into the stylish homes of cool creative types in and around Berlin (a la The Selby). The site is the brainchild of creative agency No More Sleep and features beautiful photography, inspiring spaces and intriguing interviews. (I just wish they were in English!) Below is a peek at what you’ll find on the site. You can see more here.

All Photos: Freunde von Freunden