O L D -F A S H IO N E D C H A R M
Slightly overgrown
landscaping that includes
hydrangeas and tall grasses
suits a carefree style,
above.
K E E P IN G IT C A S U A L
(opposite, clockwise from
top left
) A piecemeal
collection of antique chairs
scoots up to the dining table.
A small kitchen seems more
open with doorless cubbies
for dishware. On the front
porch, weathered rocking
chairs beckon. Inside, a
wicker chair is a textural
counterpoint to white
planked walls.
R e t h i n k b o u q u e t s For
R e b e c c a c o l e ,
anything from nature can be a
bouquet. The New York City landscape and interior designer pinches pennies by
using wispy grasses from ditches and yards, twigs from trees, and colorful and
interesting-looking produce from farmers’ markets. “They offer conversation
as much as they do beauty,” Cole says. “There’s nothing more beautiful than
just a simple bowl filled with apples. That looks better than an uptight flower
arrangement.” When she uses flowers, she keeps bouquets low and loose.
Ea.S
0
U p O il a r t “I love to lean pictures on a mantel or windowsill instead of
hanging them,” says
j a n n a l u f k i n ,
a Redmond, Washington, designer.
E l i z a b e t h
g i b s o n - w a k e m a n
likes the look of black-and-white photos. “They’re usually
best with a white mat in a black frame,” says the Sarasota, Florida, designer. “The
look is almost a nonstatement because of the absence of color.”
A d d s o m e t h i n g o ld San Diego designer
k a t h y a b e l l
loves throwing in
offbeat surprises—a trunk as an end table, a flat dough bowl to hold bottles of
cooking oils, or a toolbox for magazines. “The key is that the item needs to have
a purpose,” she says. “And when you bring in one old thing, you need to bring
something else old into the room to balance it out.”
T o n e d o w n t h e g l i tz “Shiny things—a brassy lamp or silk pillow—say
formal, while matte finishes say casual,” Abell says. Textured metal spray paint
is her budget remedy for brass chandeliers and cabinet knobs. “With the right
spray paint, you can make them look like black ironwork,” she says. Clarke says
the shiny-equals-formal rule even applies to wood stains and paints, which now
come in washable matte finishes.
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AUGUST 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
