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    cottages-gardens.com

    cottages-gardens.com

  • Creative Room Dividers

    Many things can serve to symbol a change from room to room in a home or apartment with open space. Here are a few creative ones we've seen.1. Open art workA custom triptych depicting rhythmic waves was designed to define the living space and serve as a visual punctuation mark.2. Creative tilingWhat appears to be a tile-covered room divider is actually the furnace room.PLUS: A Peek at Some Unique Homes3. Changing depthIn lieu of walls, shifting ceiling planes signal transitions. ...

  • Whimsical Animal Decorating Ideas

    See how animal prints and antique are used in these classy homes to add a homey feel and a touch of whimsy..Give a small bathroom character with koi fish wallpaper..A few choice butterflies add s sense of movement under this light fixture..The stone fireplace, itself a work of art, is adorned with a copper fish sculpture from the homeowners' antiques collection.PLUS: A Peek at Some Unique Homes.A hand-printed English phoenix-patterned fabric lines the walls in the powder room, where a traditional console sink from Waterworks stands next to a patterned hand-knotted antique rug. ...

  • Ideas from the Most Amazing Dining Rooms

    Entertain in style by creating a dining oasis. See what these three amazing homes have done with their dining rooms.Create a theme: Split-bamboo shades give a dining area a tropical boost, along with a Jansen table, a Marc Newson wicker chair and a throne-like vintage wicker chair from a Paris flea market.Create a mood: Use paintings to transport the diner, as this mural does. The handpainted Stark mural depicts West Point on the Hudson River. Reproduction Queen Anne chairs surround the 18th-century English dining table. ...

  • Heated Elements for Your Home

    Kill the chill in the spring morning with these luxury items from the simple to the ultimate1. The ultimate luxury (above) -- A heated toilet seat and a foot warmer: Kohler's Numi toilet combines modern design with cutting-edge technologies like a motion-activated lid and seat, integrated bidet and air dryer, and a heated seat and floor-level vents to keep your feet warm.2. Heated towel bars: Add a touch of luxury to your bathroom with this affordable addition. Find out other ways to turn your bathroom into a spa escape.3. ...

  • Would You Live in the Skinniest House in New York City?

    Here's the skinny on a celebrated townhouse in the West Village: At just 9½ feet wide and 30 feet deep (including the rear garden), the Millay house at 75½ Bedford Street is universally described as the narrowest abode in New York City-and it's on the market.Best known as the former residence of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (actors John Barrymore and Cary Grant also once lived here), it's being advertised as both a sale and a rental: Lease it for $13,500 a month, or buy it for $3.95 million-$550,000 less than its $4.3 million ask this past December. ...

  • 3 Ways to Incorporate Natural Landscaping

    Don't have a green thumb-or the time-for exotic flower beds and perfectly tended gardens. See how this landscape architect incorporates the surrounding into his designs.1. A grassy ramp connects different areas of the garden at a 26-acre Hamptons estate.How do you make a landscape look natural?You can usually make a few bold changes to a garden that are actually very subtle to the eye but help to tie a landscape together. Also, I think it's a mistake to fight the natural plant palette-or the regulations that might exist at a site-so you should never do anything that's too radical.2. ...

  • How Green Would You Go?

    Check out these amazing sustainable products. Tell us how green would you go?Walls made from recycled corksHabitus cork is created using sustainably harvested cork-the bark of the Mediterranean cork oak tree is merely trimmed, allowing the trees to live up to 200 years. I was pleased to learn that Habitus cork mosaic tile is recycled from Spanish and Portuguese wine stoppers, making my occasional glass of Vinho Verde feel especially verde. The hand-cut chips are warm, insulating and antibacterial, with an assortment of organic stains available. ...

  • Unique Homes Built in Extraordinary Locations

    Creative architects, designers, and more were called on to turn these unique locations into actual homes.Converted Home from an Abandoned Water TankSixteen years ago when the opportunity arose to purchase a cistern perched on a hillside just outside of New Haven with views of Long Island Sound and the Gothic spires of Yale, architect Peter de Bretteville didn't hesitate. "There's something extraordinary about industrial buildings like warehouses, mills and water tanks. They are bigger than life-taller, wider and more robust-than normal residential buildings," says de Bretteville. ...

  • 4 Ways Designers Decorate with Photographs

    Here are four very different ways of decorating with photographs. Let your space and color theme be your guide.1. Find a close up with the colors you are looking to bring into the room.A NASA photograph of Saturn's rings hangs on the wall in the living room of the apartment shared by design gurus Bob Willliams and Mitchell Gold. The photograph brings the elements of the living room together.Plus: A Peek at Some Truly Unique Homes2. Creative placement of similar theme. ...

  • Stylish Traffic Zone Fabrics

    Don't forgo style for function. Use these designs for the rooms where you need fabrics that can withstand traffic and spills.1. Sina Pearson's Santa Fe Sun, from the American Southwest Collection with Nano-Tex finish, creates a stain barrier so spills bead up and can be wiped away, sinapearson.com.2.Thibaut's Bolton-Woven, Courtyard collection, #W8454 in Palmetto, of 100 percent high-UV polyester that is mold and mildew resistant, thibautdesign.com.3. ...

  • No Space to Plant? Time to "Grow Up"

    From high to low, here are three inspirational takes on growing herbs and vegetables in any space.Wall of Nature | For those who love to grow their own vegetables or herbs, Green Living Technologies, LLC has created easily maintainable green walls and roofs. Their sustainable design can be assembled indoors or out, on a small or large scale for a touch of nature or a permanent statement. The walls are perfect for someone who wants to grow an abundance of fruits and veggies but does not have the space to grow them the old-fashioned way. ...

  • The Perfect Cheese Plate for Any Occasion

    Love cheese, but
never quite sure what to pair it with or how to serve it? HC&G asks Lucy Kazickas, of
Lucy's whey cheese shop in east Hampton, to come up with five cheese pLates that
are perfect for entertaining-no matter what the occasionCLASSICWHAT'S ON IT (ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP)• Green Hill, a Brie-style, soft-ripened cow's milk cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy in Georgia• Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, an earthy, grassy, sharp, traditional English-style bandaged cow's milk cheddar from Cellars at Jasper Hill, Vermont• Dante, a nutty, sweet and dry Manchego-style sheep's milk cheese from the ...

  • The Beautiful Alternative to Fresh Flowers

    See how these beautiful flowers for homes, weddings, and more are made--not grown--in a Bronx apartment.THOUGH SHE HAS WORKED FOR SUCH MAJOR NEW YORK FLORISTS as Renny & Reed and Belle Fleur and styled countless floral photo shoots for Martha Stewart, Livia Cetti has always been smitten with paper flowers. She spotted her first specimens while trolling vintage markets with her mother, an antiques dealer, when she was growing up near Santa Barbara. "I started making paper flowers at age 13," she says, "though my calling took a while to develop. ...

  • Beautifully Modern Wallpaper

    Check out this stunning wallpaper collection for a classy alternative to paint.Ms. Treat in Heron by GROW HOUSE GROW, NYC, (770) 883-2709, and Anthropologie, NYC, (212) 620-3116, grow-house-grow.com.Check out these gorgeous tile ideas for your home.Errai from TROVE, NYC, (212) 268-2046, troveline.com.Wallflowers: Flower and Nature Inspired WallpaperAirheads, Floral Collection, by TRACY KENDALL, available through Ted Boerner (T), New York Design Center, (212) 675-5665, tracykendall.com. ...

  • How a Shoebox Can Help You Choose Paint Colors

    Does choosing a paint color terrify you? Here are few expert tips on how to get it right. The owner of London's Paint & Paper Library and designer of the Stark Paint color palette, David Oliver talks about his favorite color combinations, what he's using in his home, and how to choose the right colors for yours.What is it about color selection for the home that sends people into a fearful frenzy? Color is one of the most difficult aspects of decoration to get right, as it has as much to do with light as with pigment, and neither are constant. ...

  • 4 Stunning Tablescapes You Need to See

    Want some ideas for the most amazing wedding tables? These four from the The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House annual fundraising spring dance are a little over the top but full of great elements. The theme this year was "Spring Fever," whimsically executed by the Design Committee with Honorary Chairs Bunny Williams and John Rosselli. Spring was in full bloom as designer's displayed dramatic centerpieces on each of the 45 tables. Here are a few as captured by Quintessence.THE SILVER GROTTO Christopher Stevens presented an elegant table with a showstopping centerpiece from City Aquarium. ...

  • 4 Amazing Fixtures that Don't Look like Lights

    Dainty glass twigs are suspended en masse in this Mossy chandelier, turning your living room into a fantastical forest. YELLOW GOAT DESIGN, 724-422-5344,yellowgoat.com.au.Held by solid cast bronze stems, each tempered glass drop in OCHRE's Seed Cloud Installation houses a single-watt LED light. The delicate raindrops radiate calm. NYC, 212-414-4332, ochre.net.Inspired by natural forms as well as modern design, the Same Same desk lamp doubles as a work of art. The silk-over-metal design byAQUA CREATIONS offers warm radiance in a unique silhouette. NYC, 212-219-9922, aquagallery.com. ...

  • Taking a Home Off the Grid

    A traditional house goes off the grid with groundbreaking technologies and elegant eco-conscious design. See the exclusive gallery of images.The architect wanted to infuse the entire interior of the home with the water view, which led to a linear design with an emphasis on openness, to allow sunlight and views into the 12,200-square-foot home.The design also meant that the home would have a considerable amount of exterior exposure that would be an energy draw. ...

  • How to REALLY Taste Chocolate

    Tasting chocolate is a lot like tasting wine. With fine wine you simply don't grab the glass and gulp it down; with premium chocolate you never chew-banish the thought-and swallow.

  • 6 Life-Changing Green Products for the Home

    Want to go beyond recycling to improve the environment? Check out some of these amazing new green products that will change the way you live.Smart House, There's an App for That | The Audiocom Group's integrated energy installations allow homeowners to control their HVAC and lighting systems right from an iPad. They can even set parameters on energy use to cut consumption; and installations can be retrofitted or built in. The Audiocom Group, Norwalk, 203-552-5272, theaudiocomgroup.com.A responsible shower | Shower responsibly with ROHL's ECOModern showerhead. ...