- erik forrest jackson

LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
TheBiggest
HOME
TRENDS
Textured Rugs
Farewell, flokati. Wild and woolly has been tamed by a new wave of lowerproÞle sculpted rugs that use plush pile to impart or enhance pattern.
You still get comfort and luxury but in a more minimal way. The texture
and simpliÞed graphics add visual interest, are easier to decorate
around than a multicolor pattern, andÑbig bonusÑwonÕt date as fast.
Iguana Tibetan wool rug (7K' x 5'), Mark Humphrey for the Rug Company, $3,000; 212-274-0444 or therugcompany.info.
RightNow
WeÕve got the news on the exciting themes,
intriguing colors and fresh style
ideas making waves in the world of design
photographed by KEVIN CREMENS
Warm Metals
Brass, copper and gold washes are
all the rage after a period that has
been mainly about ßoral and
graphic pattern, says inßuential
British designer Tom Dixon. These
metallic Þnishes impart a sensual,
opulent feel to home and tabletop
accessories. Adds Dixon: ÒItÕs a
richer, softer, more feminine look.Ó
Tom Dixon copper pendant lamp (height: 18"), Property,
$450; 917-237-0123 or propertyfurniture.com.
582 S e p t / 2 0 0 7 / I n S t y l e
Organic Wood Pieces
Timber! ThatÕs the rallying cry behind the
impulse to highlight the natural grain and shape
of wood. This sliced-from-the-trunk look is
cropping up in everything from serving bowls
to curvy stools with roots for legs. Too rustic
for you? Try pairing with something sleek (like
stainless salad tongs) to create a dynamic,
sophisticated contrast.
Mango-wood vessels in 7" ($39) and 11" ($69), Pottery Barn; 888-779-5176
or potterybarn.com.
Sept/ 2007 / In Style
583
LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
Black Glassware
Graphic
Wallpaper
Not your grandmotherÕs precious
prints, these bold
papers make a
serious design
statement for
adventurous tastes.
ÒItÕs similar to the
way you might
express your personality through
fashion, but translated to your walls,Ó
says Nicole Caucino
of London papermaker Graham &
Brown. A graphic
Òfeature wallÓ is a
great conversation
starter in a living
room. Or line the
inside of a closet or
armoire to deliver
a small-scale,
stylish surprise.
From left: Paradise paper,
Graham & Brown, $75/double
roll; 800-554-0887 or
grahambrown.com. Heavenly
Scales paper, Naked and
Angry, $60/double roll;
773-878-3557 or nakedand
angry.com. Imperial Trellis
paper, Kelly Wearstler for
F. Schumacher & Co., $183/single roll; 800-523-1200.
584 S e p t / 2 0 0 7 / I n S t y l e
Derived from a mixture of manganese, cobalt and iron, black glassware has a striking, elemental
elegance. This seventies-inßuenced
stemware has made a dramatic
comeback. Amy Mellen, design
director of Calvin Klein Home, says
onyx glassware is Òreßective, dark
and mysteriousÓÑand also a bit
of a design diva, since it often doesnÕt
mix well with other tints. Still, itÕs
tantalizing on a tabletop: The only
way to discover whatÕs inside one of
these black beauties is to brave a sip.
From left: Epure Black red-wine glass and flute,
Devine Corp. for Portieux, $59 each; 732-751-0500 for
stores. Optic champagne glass, Calvin Klein Home,
$25; 212-292-9000 or macys.com.
Gray as the New Neutral
Thanks to the inßuence of Swedish design and the
popularity of lofts in converted industrial buildings,
gray is making a splash as the fresh new neutral on
walls and big-ticket upholstered items. It works
best as a Òclean, graphicÓ canvas, using decorative
colors to contrast, says Sarah Cole, of paintmaker
Farrow & Ball, who speculates that Òthe gray trend
may in fact be a backlash to years of taupe.Ó
From top: Ralph Lauren paint in Spun Twilight (top, $28/gallon) and in Adobe (bottom,
$37/gallon); at Home Depot. Farrow & Ball paint in Pigeon, $65/gallon; 888-511-1121.
Sept / 2007 / In Style
585
LiÄe & Home
I Style Guide
Reptile Motifs
Crocodile-embossed patentleather pillow with Swarovski
crystal detail, Ankasa, $325;
212-861-6800 or ankasa.com.
Recently popular sea and insect
themes have evolved in a more
cold-blooded direction: Scores of
snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators
and crocodiles are creeping onto
everything from pillows and textiles
to cutlery and vases. To some, these
exotic beasties are a ßashback to
the seventies and eighties: ÒI think
of the alligator in fashion, from
Lacoste shirts to Kieselstein-Cord
jewelry,Ó says Jody Sandman
of textile company Ankasa.
Green
Arrangements
This green ßoral concept has a double
meaning: Untreated, locally grown ÒbouquetsÓ in reusable vessels are eco-aware,
and they also stick to an exclusively verdant palette. ÒThe focus is on nuance and
texture,Ó says N.Y.C. ßorist Lewis Miller,
who favors succulents, vines, pods, ferns
and grasses. ÒPlus, thereÕs great beauty
in a weed versus a ßower so perfect
it doesnÕt even look natural anymore.Ó
Parsons Table
Once called the pocket T of American interior design, the
Parsons table is getting a fab facelift. First popularized in the
sixtiesÑand distinguished by its ßush surfaces and square legs
in the same thickness as its topÑthis sturdy classic has become
decoratorsÕ go-to shape for consoles in foyers and living and
dining rooms. Traditional natural-wood and white Þnishes are
now joined by fresh colors like the tomato-red hue seen here.
Parsons wood desk with drawers in Beet, West Elm, $299; 866-937-8356 or westelm.com.
Arrangement of millet, begonia leaves, passion vines,
poppy pods, grasses and succulents in a terrazzo vase, LMD
Floral, $250; 212-614-2734.
Muted Brights
The happening hues in home
accessories are Òserene and contemplative,Ó says savvy Nolita
linens-boutique owner Nancy
Koltes. As supersaturated
brights take on muted overtones,
look for burnt oranges, grayish
blues and slightly dirty greens.
Nancy Koltes percale sheets in paprika and
verde ($312/queen set) and St. Tropez stripe duvet
($138/queen); 212-219-2271 or nkah.com.
586 S e p t / 2 0 0 7 / I n S t y l e
Ñwritten by Erik Jackson; reported by Melissa Feldman, Alejandro Saralegui
Sept / 2007 / In Style
587