For a designer obsessed with detail, it’s a fantasy to find a friend, much less a client, with the enthusiasm and stamina to sustain an 80-email thread about one fabric trim. But this was the level of unrushed, joyful consideration that ELLE Decor A-List designer Nicholas Obeid shared with homeowner Deirdre Brodie while working on her historic townhouse in Albany, New York. After completing a gut renovation on the 1875 home, which abuts the city’s 90-acre Washington Park, Brodie and her husband Dan Odabashian tapped Obeid to create some enchanting cohesion among the home’s three floors, and to delight in the details—and emails—alongside her.William Jess LairdSage-green walls create a relaxed mood in the dining room, where a vintage burlwood table is surrounded by French Art Deco chairs with upholstery in Zak + Fox fabrics. Antique rug from Upstate Rug Supply.It was important to Brodie, an Albany native who has lived within the same square mile for two decades, to establish a forever home for her and her husband that was at once welcoming and exciting and that turned the spotlight on local artisanship. Together, designer and client saw the home’s three 19-foot-wide stories as the chapters of a book: a vibrant first floor for hosting and community; a serene second floor for the primary suite, outfitted in soothing brown tones; and a top floor with two guest rooms to suit different design moods. (Brodie says invited couples sometimes happily opt to split up to better relish their preferred quarters.)The stairwell, with original steps dating back to the late 19th century, serves as the book’s binding. A mural composed of large-scale Greek keys, applied by hand using custom-engineered rollers by local artist Nina Stanley, ties the landings together. “It’s a representation of how we wanted the floors to communicate to each other,” says Obeid, who pulled from classical elements in the architecture to create a unifying iconography that draws on Greek and Egyptian motifs, as well as motifs by the Art Deco rug designer Ivan da Silva Bruhns. “The pattern is very classic, but seen in a fresh way,” he says.William Jess LairdIn the stair hall the custom mural features classical motifs and was hand-painted by Nina Stanley.Obeid drew on the strict yet expressive forms of his own furniture line to inform the artful geometries that repeat throughout the interior. “At two feet or 20 feet, every view is totally interesting,” Brodie says. Prized rugs, artworks, and two antique Fortuny chandeliers served as creative fodder for Obeid, who prioritized working with pieces purchased by Brodie’s mother at estate sales and on Facebook Marketplace, transforming them into new family heirlooms. “He was so generous in honoring that,” Brodie says. “My mother’s sense of how beautiful hospitality could be is what made me excited to have the opportunity to do this house.”Other bits of sentimental flotsam and jetsam were taken in decorative stride, like a box of vintage orange Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper that Brodie rescued from an architectural parts warehouse. When she brought the dusty box of “crazy orange” (her term—his was “bananas”) wallpaper to Obeid, she recalls him saying, “This is not exactly my comfort zone, but that’s why I want to do it.” The saturated hue appears in a guest room, tempered with tasseled green curtains in a custom Rule of Three hand-marbled -malachite-like silk.Obeid anchored the space with a chaise longue covered in a striped velvet by Misia, rescued and revived from a cat-ravaged past in storage. But the focal point of the room is a set of seven bespoke decorative plates by the artist Shane Gabier, designed to echo the wallpaper in tones of olive green, butter yellow, and an ultra-classic Parisian blue checkerboard. It’s just one more detail in which to delight in a home punctuated by craft, care, and a commitment to circling back. ◾This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE

About a half hour south of the Puerto Escondido airport is a stretch of Oaxacan coastline where whale sightings are common and the surf break is world famous. The remoteness of the region is key to its appeal. Architects and designers are drawn to the Mexican state for its deep history of crafts, from villages where weavers have worked for generations to the artist Bosco Sodi’s Tadao Ando–designed nonprofit, Casa Wabi. And while this rugged region may be hard to get to, it’s anything but unfamiliar territory to the architect Will Meyer and his wife Kerstin; their sprawling coastal compound occupies a three-acre plot that has been in her family for decades. Based in Nashville most of the year, the couple wanted to create a retreat for themselves and their two teenage children.The IngallsThe living room is set beneath a double-height palapa and has a 35-foot custom sofa. Chairs by Decova; custom cocktail table and rug.Meyer, who co-founded the multidisciplinary design studio Meyer Davis with Gray Davis, worked with builder Patricio Sodi, brother of Bosco, to develop a -family-friendly structure that nods to local culture as well as to Mexican modernism. “It was a really collaborative working relationship,” Meyer says. “We were able to play off each other.”“It’s very difficult to keep the elements out in this part of the world. You have to let nature tell you what to do.” —Will MeyerThe building’s central feature is a double-height palapa, a traditional thatch-roofed structure made of dried palm leaves. A symbol of tradition, the palapa anchors the southern end of the six-bedroom residence and houses communal areas including the dining room, kitchen, and bar.Almost 1,000 custom-made breeze blocks, laid out in a lattice pattern inspired by traditional weavings and made from local clay, serve as a focal point while also allowing for natural cross-ventilation. Only one room in the home has air conditioning. “It is very difficult to keep the elements out in this part of the world,” Meyer says. “You have to let nature tell you what to do. There is a lot of engineering behind the scenes to make it all seem effortless.”The IngallsIn the guest wing’s lounge, the sofa and chair are by Decova, the cocktail tables are by Arca, the rugs are from Dialecto Puerto Escondido, and the lamp is by Tseebal.Living in harmony with the elements is central to the layout. The interiors are outfitted in a palette of warm gray, rich oxblood, and tawny ocher drawn directly from the surrounding landscape. (The concrete pool deck is even -color-matched to the sand on the beach below.) The grounds were planted by Kerstin’s brother Ramses Alexander, who has a home next door, as does her father. The celebrated landscape architect Edwina von Gal consulted on sustainable plantings for the area, which is densely populated with Natal plums, cacti, and 15-foot-tall mangrove shrubs, between which the family likes to hang hammocks.See Inside the Oaxacan RetreatOutdoors, a 35-foot-long built-in sofa stretches along the back of the home, connecting the guest rooms and primary suites and inviting visitors to linger in front of the egg-shaped pool, gazing at the unobstructed 220-degree view of the ocean beyond. “If we’re here, we’re entertaining,” Kerstin says. “We can’t have an empty house. It needs to be lived in.” All the pillows, rugs, and fabrics were commissioned from local vendors by Kerstin, who has spent years sourcing Oaxacan textiles for her company, Maya Sund. “Every town here in Oaxaca has its own talent and its own history,” she says. “There is always something new that you learn in the creative process.”The IngallsHomeowners Will and Kerstin Meyer.The furnishings are sparse, but they feel even more luxurious for the intentionality with which they were chosen. The sizable dining table in volcanic stone was -custom-fabricated in Mexico by Arca, pendants were made locally of palm leaves, and decorative ceramics and dishes were sourced from the ethical online market Obakki. “There’s a precision to the house and architecture that’s seen through the lens of craft, and the hand that can be seen in everything in it,” Kerstin says. “Those two things need each other.”And with a stable Starlink connection and the calming sound of the sea close by, the family just needs to make the time to sit back and relax—and keep an eye out for whales. ◾This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBESean SantiagoDeputy EditorSean Santiago is ELLE Decor's Deputy Editor, covering news, trends and talents in interior design, hospitality and travel, culture, and luxury shopping. Since starting his career at an interior design firm in 2011, he has gone on to cover the industry for Vogue, Architectural Digest, Sight Unseen, PIN-UP and Domino. He is the author of The Lonny Home (Weldon Owens, 2018), has produced scripted social content for brands including West Elm and Streeteasy, and is sometimes recognized on the street for his Instagram Reels series, #DanceToDecor

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Audiophiles can argue over the perfect conditions for music listening from now to approximately eternity. This week, Valentino’s creative director Alessandro Michele, is proposing his version of the musical ideal: an installation called L’Atelier Sonore in the Madison Avenue Valentino flagship. Created in concert with architect Francesco Lupia and Terraforma, the Italian cultural collective, it launches tonight with a private, 10-hour listening party tonight, featuring some of Michele’s favorites, including artist Kevin Beasley and DJ Veronica Vasicka. The next day, the mezzanine opens to the public and will run through August. With its “bespoke sound system, a handcrafted multifunctional listening console inspired by traditional cabinet-making, and modular seating with velvet cushions,” according to a statement by Valentino, L’Atelier Sonore taps into a growing trend of ultra-luxury, bespoke listening rooms. View full post on InstagramCall them the new media room—or the new wine cellar or the new art wing—the listening rooms trending right now aren’t “man caves” or rec rooms with turntables. As much as they’re designed to enhance the sonic experience of the listener, these rooms are also built to showcase a super high-end, technically advanced sound system. Everything about them is sleek, custom, and obsessed with sound. Here, ELLE Decor investigates where listening rooms got their start, what’s happening with them now, and how to even build a listening room of your own. View full post on InstagramWhat is a listening room?Listening rooms are spaces designed to listen to music from high-quality sound systems. The key is amplification of sound quality––and not in only volume. The design is supposed to enhance the natural acoustics of a space so that listeners experience the “true” sound of the music or audio. The listening room therefore has to reduce exterior noise pollution as well as isolate the sound inside the room so it doesn’t bleed into exterior spaces. Listening rooms are similar to an evolved version of listening booths in music stores. Once the realm of audiophiles, the conversational definition of a listening room has expanded to mean spaces made for people who really like music and want to optimize their or their guests’ listening experience. Chairs are comfortable, lighting is low, and the ambiance is relaxed: These are spaces intended to foster an awareness of the way music or audio art makes you feel. What’s the history of the listening room?According to Sasha Frere-Jones, who wrote about listening rooms for Harper’s in 2022, the birth of the traditional listening bar can be traced to Japan just after World War II, when a “weak postwar economy” contributed to music lovers repurposing equipment instead of buying it new: “In the late Fifties and early Sixties, Japanese movie houses gradually upgraded to locally made pro audio, and the older stuff made its way into surplus shops. The used gear became part of listening rooms and jazz cafés.”Though they’re not popping up on every corner of major cities, the number of these types of venues continues to grow. Lists of listening bars in Los Angeles, London, New York and Berlin circulate the internet each year. Hotels are building listening rooms. The St. Augustine, in Houston, Texas has one just off the lobby, so guests can relax after checking in.Nicole FranzenIn the listening room of the St. Augustine, a sofa is by Lee Industries is covered in a striped fabric by Kravet. In tandem with the rise of listening rooms is the increasing prevalence of bespoke sound systems, like the one installed at Maison Valentino or the one made by Bridge Street Sound for Tower Labs, the Tower Records listening room in Brooklyn. Bespoke sound systems like these are typically made to suit the size and shape of the room, which inherently impacts sound waves and how listeners receive sound. And here’s another key to the space designed for reverential listening: There’s no right way to do it. Everyone listens differently just as each space impacts audio differently. The ideal setup, therefore, is up to the room’s builder. With this in mind, here are a few basic tips for constructing a listening room of one’s own. How to build a listening room at homeFirst: Identify what kind of listener you areDo you want to attempt to make a room that’s as close to perfect as possible? Or do you want to wow friends with a sound system that replicates a great music venue? Maybe you just want to optimize the space you have for the speakers you bought. Determining your listening goals will help you decide how much to invest in a listening room. Frere-Jones came up with a mnemonic device to define the different types of listening environments he identified after writing about listening rooms for Harper’s: “corner, club, cathedral, and cocoon”: The street corner is the block party experience, people are talking and ambient sounds join with the music. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the cathedral, which is how he describes the luxe listening room designed by the audiophile. Cocoon and club are in between. If you immediately react to one of these experiences, you might decide that a really good sound system in a room with a really nice chair is the extent of your listening room investment. Or you might decide it’s time to read the trade papers and consider construction on the guest room. Which takes us to step two…Second: Consult a sound expertIf you find yourself drawn to the minutiae of gear specifications: study first, build later. If you’re not, be warned: You can easily get lost in forums that describe the optimal modal density for your listening room and more. But, if this gets you going, here are a few solid resources to help you take flight:Regardless, seeking advice from an expert is helpful. And ideally, you’ll visit a few existing listening rooms to get a sense for the difference each element makes. Third: Consult a contractor. Not everyone has a lot of real estate to work with, and knowing how best to segment and insulate a space to optimize sound quality requires bonafide credentials. Consulting a contractor or specialty architect at this point is key. Though everything will depend on what you’ve got to work with and how much time and money you’ve got to invest, many elements of the listening room are built to cut down on reverberation. A few key elements to consider are:Floors: Most resources suggest solid floors that aren’t elevated above the foundation. Some say carpeting is ideal, others say concrete. Windows: Skip them, or very make sure they’re well sealed and insulated. Ceilings: Consider sound panels. Doors: As far from the sound equipment as possible. Lighting: If you’re after the reverential mood of a true listening room, consider low-light. Seating: Make it comfortable, ample, and reclining.

Mike Rupp (left) and Shawn Henderson debut Pyrion, a new lighting collection available through Hostler | Burrows.With the debut of Pyrion, designer Shawn Henderson and Mike Rupp of Rupp Studio introduce a lighting collection that transforms tactile yet minimal table and floor lamps into collectible design pieces. Rooted in sculptural minimalism, each piece takes the form of a pyramid, its surface hand-finished with a spray metal technique that mimics the rich patina of cast bronze. Complementing this architectural form are handwoven shades from Colombian atelier VERDI, crafted from Yaré vine and metallic threads. They infuse each fixture with a tactile contrast of earthiness and refinement.The collaboration is a study in balance, shaped by a shared design language. “Pyrion came out of a shared love for restraint and richness—how one shape, when made with intention, can feel both powerful and quiet,” says Rupp.Ethan HerringtonThe pyramid informs the collection’s hand-polished lamp bases and custom shades created in partnership with VERDI.In this exclusive Q&A, Henderson, a member of ELLE DECOR’s A-List, discusses the origins of Pyrion, his obsession with proportion, and how a unique design tête-à-tête helped create this notable collaboration. Available exclusively through Hostler | Burrows in both New York City and Los Angeles.ELLE DECOR: HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH MIKE? AND WHAT INSPIRED A LIGHTING-SPECIFIC COLLECTION?Shawn Henderson: Mike and I have been friends for many years and have collaborated on design throughout much of that time. Casual conversations gradually turned into a shared curiosity about doing something creative together. We both feel there’s a real void in the market for special lighting, so it felt like the right place to begin—designing lamps that sit at the intersection of architecture, sculpture, and atmosphere, all things we’re naturally drawn to in our work.Ethan HerringtonPyrion is made up of three distinctive lamps in three shade colors. Pictured above is the Pyrion Table Lamp.WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN SOURCES OF INSPIRATION FOR THE COLLECTION? We kept coming back to the idea of a singular, architectural shape—something clean and elemental, but not cold. We were thinking about ancient forms, like pyramids and obelisks, and how to reinterpret that kind of presence in a way that feels modern and quiet.HOW DID YOU BOTH BEGIN THE DESIGN PROCESS? It started with a shape—literally a triangle. We sketched, talked through proportions, passed ideas back and forth. It was very collaborative but intuitive. We were both aligned in wanting to do less, not more—to find strength in simplicity and let the materials do the work.AND, THIS LED TO PYRAMIDS. WHAT’S MEANINGFUL TO YOU ABOUT THIS SHAPE? There’s something timeless and grounded about a pyramid. It’s a shape that feels rooted and powerful, but also quiet. We liked that tension. Architecturally, it’s incredibly stable—and symbolically, it carries a sense of permanence and intention, which aligned with how we wanted these pieces to feel.Ethan HerringtonEach lamp is hand finished and features lamp shades made of Yaré threads.TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR MATERIAL CHOICES FOR THE COLLECTION? We used Vero metal, which is a hand-applied liquid metal coating. It allowed us to get the feel and finish of cast metal, but with more control over weight and form. The process is incredibly hands-on—each base is polished by hand, so the surface has that human touch to it.THERE IS A TACTILITY TO THE CORDED LAMPSHADES. HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK WITH THIS UNIQUE MATERIAL? We partnered with VERDI, a Bogotá-based atelier that creates beautiful textiles from natural materials and metal. When we saw what they were doing with Yaré and metallic threads, we knew it was the right match. The fiber comes from the Colombian Amazon, and it has this amazing strength and texture—woven with copper or steel, it creates something that’s both wild and refined. It felt like the perfect counterpoint to the sculptural metal base.Ethan HerringtonThe Pyrion Floor Lamp transforms illumination into sculpture.WHAT'S IT LIKE TO WORK WITH A FELLOW INTERIOR DESIGNER?It’s kind of like finishing each other’s sentences—but visually. There’s a shorthand. We both understand proportion, materiality, restraint. There’s also a shared understanding of how pieces need to live in a room—not just how they look on a pedestal. That makes for a really fluid and grounded collaboration.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

At Salone del Mobile in 2023, Armani Casa presented something new. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they re-created their classics. The brand introduced three different techniques that transformed their furniture into new works of art, both bold in color and material, and subtly naturalistic in aesthetic.In a statement, Mr. Armani said the collection's Venus console and Virgola bookcase shelves "feature a new type of hand-painted and lacquered glass." And at a Tuesday night event, partygoers saw the new techniques live and in-person at the brand’s Madison Avenue Flagship in New York. Indeed, Armani noted that the objects are "reminiscent of the uniqueness and beauty of high-end jewelry, made with a craftsmanship that is only possible in Italy." Treatment One: Orsini GlassLorenzo BaroncelliA demonstration of the Orsini Method.The Orsini Method involves artisans painting pieces of glass, creating a series of marbled bands. The brand noted, “This finish is obtained by hand painting the back of a tempered extra-clear glass with a special paint mixing different pastel tones, using a large soft brush.”The colors were inspired by the blue green walls in the Neoclassical Palazzo Orsini in Rome. Though the method is innovative, the painterly process and the use of temperas and pastels still make it feel completely classical.Items re-imagined from the Armani Casa collection with the Orsini Method include: Venus 2024 and Virgola 2024.Treatment Two: Shell Mosaic Lorenzo BaroncelliA demonstrationIn this mother-of-pearl mosaic, experts remove the outer layer of an oyster shell to find a the shiny whites, grays, and blues beneath. The Shell Mosaic, with this high end construction, reflects the ties between Armani's Casa collections and his clothing lines. Said Mr. Armani, “The strongest link between Armani/Casa and my fashion collections is the need to be functional and comfortable without sacrificing luxurious materials and a strong sense of style.” The Shell Mosaic is available in the following pieces from the Armani CASA Collection: Antoinette 2023, Camilla 2023, Sofia 2023, and Vega 2024.Treatment Three: Midollino Courtesy ArmaniThe Midollino Technique on the Riesling Bar Cabinet.Wicker will never go out of style, and Armani Casa’s iteration on the traditional form is reflective of the expertise and craftsmanship constant across the brand's fashion and furniture.The Midollino technique features a carefully woven, but thick and high quality grain. It happens to be the same method also used for a number of Armani handbags, capturing the relationship between the past and present reflective across the collection. Items from the Armani Casa Collection featuring the Midollino Technique Include: Melrose 2023, Riesling 2022, and Sharon 2023.Dorothy ScarboroughDorothy Scarborough (she/her) is the assistant to the Editor in Chief of Town & Country and Elle Decor. 

Pictured above, Cynara by Osborne & Little, shot at Dutch Flower Line.There’s something ineffably romantic about an early morning sprint through New York City’s Flower District. Tucked along West 28th Street, this energetic and fragrant corridor has long been a mecca for interior designers, stylists, and creatives. Buckets overflow with ruffled ranunculus, chartreuse parrot tulips, and branches of cherry blossoms stretching skyward—each one an ephemeral muse. For me, it’s not just about blooms, it’s about fabric.This season a wave of new floral textiles has burst forth (April showers… as it goes). From delicately block-printed and hand-embroidered linens to screen-printed silks and bold cotton chintzes, textile houses are turning to flowers not merely as motif but as mood. As florals reassert themselves this season, there’s no better place to begin than the Flower Market, where scent, texture, and color convene like a mood board in bloom. Supporting this local institution not only sustains a vital creative ecosystem, it keeps the soul of the city’s design scene alive and rooted in community. In this garden of inspiration, flowers are forever.Jennifer LivingstonSandrine by Leah O’Connell Textiles, shot at G. Page.Jennifer LivingstonFrom left: Francesca Purple by Tulu Textiles; Frenchy by James Malone available through John Rosselli, shot at US Evergreen.Jennifer LivingstonPersephone by Spring Street Textiles, shot at Dutch Flower Line.My Favorite SourcesNew York Flower Group (Dutch Flower Line)150 W. 28th StreetThis team has some of the best service and freshest blooms in every color. If you need something specific, call ahead to place an order.28th Street Wholesale150 W. 28th StreetAlthough it has the same address, this shop is next door to the New York Flower Group. They carry interesting seasonal branches and offerings, such as, in season, uncut tulips growing from the bulb.Caribbean Cuts120 W. 28th StreetWith some of the most unique and exotic tropical plants and flowers, this is the place to go for the most interesting foliage and fruit.US Evergreen805 Sixth AvenueRight around the corner, this institution takes over the street and is bursting with the best local branches. It also specializes in custom wreaths and garlands during the holidays, so place your orders early for next season.Tropical Plants and Orchids106 W. 28th StreetChicly located behind the McDonald’s, I always check Tropical Plant for myrtle topiaries and indoor plants, like maiden’s hair ferns or potted orchids—they tend to have the best prices on the block. Plus, they’ll pot anything beautifully with moss.Jamali Floral and Garden149 W. 28th StreetThe go-to source for floral supplies, basic decorative containers, and shears. Head to Jamali to grab some simple taper candles or a julep cup.Jennifer LivingstonBeaton Floral by Ralph Lauren Home, available through Designers Guild, shot outside of Jamali Floral and Garden.Jennifer LivingstonProtea Print by Thibaut, shot at Caribbean Cuts.Jennifer LivingstonPolka by Décors Barbares for Namay Samay, available through John Rosselli, shot outside of 28th Street Wholesale.What to KnowGo early: I recommend arriving between 5:30 and 6 a.m. for the freshest finds and best variety. You’d be surprised how crowded it is with floral designers and stylists, even at this hour.Dress warmly: Since the temperatures inside are often quite low (for the flowers), I recommend bringing an extra layer and dressing for utilitarian purposes—Mother Nature isn’t always the cleanest. Park on 27th Street: Street parking is free on 27th Street but only until 8 a.m. Avoid 28th Street for parking and Uber pickup, as it is always extremely crowded.Use the shelves: The open shelves in the rear of each shop are for customers. It’s really helpful to arrange everything you’re considering buying facing outward so you can see what you have and what you’re missing.Walk the street: I recommend starting on one side of the market and walking across 28th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues to see who has the best of whatever is in season at the moment. Make a mental list and then go back when ready to purchase.Bring a wagon: I am now the proud owner of a collapsible wagon. While not the most attractive item I own, it’s helpful if you’re working on a big project and don’t have an extra pair of hands. Be respectful: Everyone working at the market is super-knowledgeable, kind, and hardworking. I’ve sadly seen some horrifying customer behavior. In a place chock-full of beauty, no one needs to make enemies.Jennifer LivingstonPansy by Marvic Textiles, shot at 28th Street Wholesale.Jennifer LivingstonHindi by Zak and Fox, shot at Dutch Flower Line.Jennifer LivingstonTara Magnolia by Lee Jofa, shot outside of Tropical Plants and Orchids.Style assistant: Julia Stevens

When a Toronto legal eagle who happens to be a hardcore design hound moved into a new home in the city’s Rosedale neighborhood, she knew exactly what she wanted: something moodier and edgier than her last place. She was done with the white wall living that defined her previous home. “I wanted a feel of age and patina,” she says. “The last thing I wanted was a new-build vibe.”So she enlisted Montana Labelle, the rock star of the city’s design scene, to renovate her 1911 Dutch Colonial–style home. The interior designer, who has long Hitchcock-blonde hair and intricate wrist tattoos (her Canadian parents named her Montana “just because they liked the sound of it”) is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design in New York, and she has a wait list among Toronto’s young professional set. She also has a lifestyle brand featuring objects she creates largely out of her favorite material, marble—everything from richly veined salad spoons to toothbrush holders to toadstool-shaped side tables.Patrick BillerA custom bookcase holds the homeowner’s collection of Montana Labelle Lifestyle and vintage ceramics. The chair is by Adrian Pearsall.“Montana is a bit of an outsider, and as such she has attracted the right kind of people.”—Tommy Smythe Despite her firm’s growth, Labelle is selective about the clients she takes on, and she keeps a relatively low profile. “She has managed to remain a bit of a mystery,” says Tommy Smythe, a Toronto decorator and television personality. “Montana is a bit of an outsider, and as such she has attracted the right kind of people. She’s working with clients who want her to create a world for them. She’s truly an artist.”Patrick BillerThe living room mantel in the 1911 home was covered in volcanic ash–glazed tile by Formafantasma for Dzek. Custom cocktail table; Montana Labelle Lifestyle bowl; Samsung Frame TV.Labelle’s face lights up when she speaks of her passion for craftsmanship and objects with beautiful imperfections. “People are craving authenticity and connection in their spaces more than ever,” she says. “Cookie cutter decor is being swapped out for unique pieces that tell a story and add personality to a home.”Patrick BillerThe dining room’s Cresco table by Acerbis is framed by 1970s Mobil Girgi chairs and a vintage Fritz Hansen settee. Sconces by RBW; Venetian plaster walls in Benjamin Moore’s Natural Cream; artwork by Michael J. Kuczer.For this 4,000-square-foot residence she created a bathroom vanity out of a midcentury brutalist dresser, clad a living room mantel in Formafantasma volcanic tiles, and planted a deep clay soaking tub in the primary bathroom. She also enlisted decorative painter Jeanne Shemilt to sheath the walls in rich Venetian plaster finishes. “I wanted every room to feel warm and curated,” Labelle says.Patrick BillerIn the primary bath the clay soaking tub is by Studio Loho. Vintage Pierre Chapo chair; walls in Benjamin Moore’s Masada. The hands-on approach extended to the client, who appears to be as conversant in French designers from the 1960s and in midcentury Italian lighting fixtures as she is in the law. She and Labelle, together with Shemilt, put their heads together, and within a year (which in design terms is basically the blink of an eye) they had created a richly realized and one-of-a-kind monument to the power of women who know what they want—and what they don’t. “What can I say?” says the homeowner, whose first project with Labelle was eight years ago. “We are very efficient.”Tour this Handcrafted, Patina-filled Toronto HomeThe lawyer had no desire for a house that looked like the neighbors’ homes. “She is moody in a good way,” Labelle says. “She likes rooms that are dark and interesting. We wanted to create something that would reflect her personality.”Walls were knocked down, curios were purchased, and each room became a modern yet eminently livable refuge. There were vintage wall tapestries, a midcentury Italian modular sofa now re-covered in earthy Dedar stripes, and in the family room Labelle designed white shutters and had them customized with polka dot cutouts. The goal was to nail down the cool factor but with nothing cold about it.The goal was to nail down the cool factor but with nothing cold about it.Labelle found many of the home’s vintage pieces on Etsy, as well as at Texas and Massachusetts antiques fairs, from which she livestreamed her favorite finds to the client. “I’d send a picture, and within minutes she’d say yes or no,” the designer says. Labelle pushed her to accept groovy finds. For her part, the owner insisted on a bathtub and a laundry room sink ample enough for her goldendoodle, along with a long harlequin-tiled hall corridor where her dog could frolic on freezing winter days.Though the project wrapped two years ago, Labelle and the client still text daily—about their pets or cool design images they spot on the internet. The homeowner now has a dream home as well as a friend and thought partner—and no regrets. “It’s a very different house,” she says of her place. “Every time somebody comes over, they say it’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. And I know if I ever had to move out of this house for whatever reason, it would be okay, because Montana would help me make the next one equally amazing—if not more.” ◾This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE

At Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction last night, Frank Lloyd Wright's double-pedestal lamp broke a record when it sold for $7.5 million after an 11-minute battle between bidders. The iridescent lamp, in shades of gold, green, blue, and purple, is now the most valuable Wright work ever sold at auction, more than doubling his previous record. The price is four times what the lamp sold for when it was last on the block in 2002. Courtesy Sotheby'sFormally titled "An Important Double-Pedestal Lamp for the Susan Lawrence Dana House, Springfield, Illinois," the piece was initially commissioned for one of Wright's early residential homes. There are just two versions of this lamp in existence: the one that sold last night and one that Illinois Governor Jim Thompson and the Dana-Thomas House Foundation acquired in 1988 for the permanent collection of the Dana-Thomas House, which is now a museum.Courtesy Sotheby'sThe lamp is made from iridized and opalescent glass and bronze in a brass-plated “colonial” zinc frame. Wright designed the work in 1903 and it was executed by the Linden Glass Company in Chicago the next year. The lamp's gold, amber, and green shade features geometric patterns and the "sumac motif," a prairie plant Wright used as design inspiration throughout the Dana-Thomas House. Parts of the lamp gently move: the two vertical blue-green glass panels on each side have hinges. Sotheby's notes that these panels may reference Japanese “shoji” screens—believed to repel evil spirits—which Wright admired during visits to Japan.Courtesy Sotheby's Overall, this sale is a boon to the architect's already storied legacy. Jodi Pollack, Sotheby’s chairman and co-worldwide head of 20th century design notes that the sale, "celebrates not only a remarkable piece of American design but a landmark moment in the legacy of one of the most visionary architects in history."She continued: "A true testament to his genius, the lamp stands as a beacon of the American pursuit of design, innovation and progress that reflects Wright’s lasting influence on American architecture and culture." Annie GoldsmithSenior EditorAnnie Goldsmith is the senior editor and digital lead at ELLE Decor, where she covers design, culture, style, and trends. She previously held positions at The Information, covering technology and culture, and Town & Country, writing about news, entertainment, and fashion. Her work has also appeared in Vogue, Rolling Stone, and the SF Standard. 

Relaxed yet tailored outdoor living takes center stage in RH’s latest design story, where form meets functionality in the elegantly restrained Striata collection by Belgian designer Matthias De Ferm. Known for his precise craftsmanship and thoughtful use of materials, De Ferm brings a sculptural sensibility to alfresco spaces, seamlessly blending rope, teak, and architectural lines. The result is a collection that brings the sophistication of indoor design to outdoor spaces—inviting you to relax and linger longer.Courtesy RHThe Striata Teak Lounge Chair embodies Matthias De Ferm’s design language, from $4,200.When De Ferm first connected with RH, it was a meeting of minds and materials. “RH had long been on my radar,” the designer says. “It’s a brand that understands detail, proportion, and permanence.” Though his first proposal didn’t move forward, it established a creative trust that paved the way for Striata, a collection that’s both technically refined and poetically restrained.Courtesy RHPictured above, additional pieces including the Striata Teak Sectional from $13,310, Teak Swivel Lounge Chair, from $3,400 and Teak Ottoman, from $1,660.De Ferm is known for his material ingenuity and reverence for honest materials—he studied product development at AP Antwerpen, furniture design at Thomas More Mechelen, and earned additional degrees in metalwork and carpentry. Here, he faced a familiar challenge: how to create a curve in teak. The solution emerged in the development of a semi-transparent rope panel, one that allows the backrest to arc effortlessly, catching both light and air. This gesture becomes the through-line of Striata, echoed in the taut planes of the front legs and the interplay between structure and void, especially evident in the rear profile.“When you remove the excess, the emotion of the design becomes stronger.” —Matthias De FermCourtesy RHA classic barrel-back silhouette is constructed of natural, handwoven all-weather rope and teak with reeded detailing.“Design lives in the lines,” De Ferm says. Nowhere is that truer than in the lounge chair—the collection’s origin point. Barrel-backed and poised on reeded teak legs, it invites repose. Its proportions nod to the landscape, leaving the view uninterrupted.As terraces awaken and poolside cabanas unfold this season, Striata offers more than seating—it extends an invitation, one of ease, elegance, and joyful summer evenings. rh.com

Spoons, knives, and forks encrusted with gems, or fashioned by hand in sterling silver twisted to look like ribbons: We are in the dawn of a new age of beautifully crafted eating utensils. But it’s hard to call it a trend. Indeed, since Homo sapiens first showed up on this planet 300,000 years ago, stylish diners have progressed past eating with our hands, or with twigs and bones, to inventing implements that do more than just transport food from plate to mouth.Chelsie CraigGlass mosaic cutlery set by Arthur Ristor. Records show that from the earliest days of the privileged classes, ambitious hosts have created tablewares out of precious materials. Beyond their utilitarian function, these very fine and often novel implements added exoticism, status, and sparkle to a table. There are surviving examples of eating utensils throughout history, from the bronze knives and forks and wooden spoons found in the tombs of the pharaohs to the silver spoons and ladles discovered intact in the ruins of Pompeii.Whether Viking, Greek, Mandarin, Ottoman, or Saxon, cutlery styles have continually evolved. The one constant: The most creative tablescapes have included artisanal cutlery of distinction and rarity. These objects, including Renaissance travelers’ bejeweled portable cutlery sets and 16th-century apostle spoons, were designed for dining, and also to dazzle and impress. Once the classic trio (spoon, knife, fork) was established, the race began for ever more elaborate versions. Precious and semiprecious gems, silver and gold, rare woods, coral, and ivory were transformed into utensils crafted with great originality and beauty.Chelsie CraigSterling silver and diamond ribbon cutlery set by Leo Costelloe. The Victorians, with their aspic sickles, grape scissors, and terrapin forks, took it to the next level by inventing an eating tool for every conceivable situation. Meanwhile, in Russia, the House of Fabergé supplied silver and gold tableware to imperial palaces (much of which was melted down by the Bolsheviks during the revolution). In the U.S., Tiffany & Co. was the Gilded Age go-to for elegant flatware services with pieces numbering in the hundreds.Many artists have taken a stab at designing cutlery over the years. In 1966 Claude Lalanne designed her iconic Iolas silverware—complete with forks, knives, spoons, implements for eating fish, and cake knives—in a design that mixed interlacing leaves with crustacean motifs. If that sounds Dalíesque, the surrealist himself created silver-gilt cutlery, including a three-pronged elephant fork with two ruby eyes. In the 1930s the mobile master Alexander Calder put his own spin on utensils with sets fashioned from brass, iron, and silver wire.Chelsie CraigThe Totemic Devotion Cutlery set by Alighieri with 24 karat gold plated stems. Today a new generation of artisans is creating cutlery that is as much sculpture, or table jewelry, as it is functional object. It’s a phenomenon driven by the rise of art and design fairs. The contemporary consumer has a feast of new choices, and the global market of patrons abounds. No matter what you may be eating or how you may be serving it, consider the thoughts of one of my brilliant aunts, who is also a wonderful hostess: “Always remember, eye appeal is half the meal.”Coffee spoons by Thalia Maria Silver.This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE

A few summers ago, when the culture was moving through micro trends as fast as they could be Instagrammed, Cottage Core was born. The trend, which came out of a Covid-influenced romanticism for living close to nature (but not ruffing it, à la gorpcore, fashion’s cousin trend), inspired an infusion of chintz and whicker-filled interiors, and, of course, lush English-style gardens.Flash forward to 2025. All those cottage gardens planted in early 2020—rustic, sophisticated, chic—are at their peak. And there really is something to an outdoor space that merges with the indoors, is there not? On a warm summer evening, when the bougainvillea is in bloom, and the grass is a bit damp, what could be more appealing than a home built to nestle into a fantastical garden.Here, we’ve collected some of our favorite cottage gardens. They range from fairy house gardens to campground landscape, historical (Anne Hathaway’s famed cottage that has inspired Shakespeare devotees the world over) to contemporary compound gardens in the woods.While we may have a specific notion of a cottage garden, but they are—and should be—as unique as the people who tend them. One lesson for planting your own? A small space is an asset rather than a limitation.Below, you’ll find 15 of our favorite cottage gardens from Marin County California to Stratford-Upon-Avon, England.William Jess LairdThis Amagansett cottage was literally designed for “summertime snoozes.” It’s also a good reminder that a delicate slate garden pathway can take you far. Designer Melissa Lee noted how “unexpected” the whole place felt, surrounded by the many mansions of the Hamptons. As she rightfully notes, the charm is in the surprise. A suggestion of mystery always adds to a cottage! Think The Secret Garden or the unexpectedly expansive Weasley Family home.Noe DewittVines climb up this 1920s English Art and Crafts style cottage in the Hamptons. The elegant and eclectic cottage was re-designed by Nick Olsen to emphasize outdoor living with comfy couches, a tiled patio and a pool.William James LairdThis pink cottage kitchen looks out over a garden in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Designer Clive Lonstein’s work is vibrant and unexpected, particularly for a modest Connecticut cottage built in the late 1800s. In a way though, the bright colors all throughout the house are a reflection of the original design for the house. The architect, Ehrick Rossiter was known for his own whimsy, and even included a turret in this design. This cottage is a great reminder to leave the door open all summer long.Stephen Kent JohnsonThis former fishing shack in Provincetown proves that a sprawling garden can fit into a small space. From Windex yellow fox gloves to arching lavender, this is a bucolic slice of heaven. A classic shingled home, complete with flower boxes and a white picket fence, it has a deeply cottage-core sequence backstory. It was used as an artist studio for William Maynard until his death in 2016, and when it was sold, prospective buyers were asked to write why they wanted to live there.Rachael SmithWe love an indoor / outdoor cottage garden. Ideally, you have a branch that grows through a window, like this one in Suzie de Rohan Willner’s English Country Garden. It is a charming marriage of dynamics: English and French, contemporary and historical, and, of course just as eclectic as a cottage should be. Willner notes, “The whole house is a collection of things from each period of my and my husband’s lives. I love to pick up bibs and bobs and it all comes together very happily.”Chronicle / Alamy Stock PhotoKate Middleton’s Adelaide Cottage conjures images of an Arthurian fantasy. The Wales family made this their Windsor home since 2023. Built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide (the German-born wife of William IV, who was the Uncle of Queen Victoria). It went through a transformative renovation in 2015 which left the historical decorations in tact. Fun fact: the Wales family pay market rent for their use of the home.Photo 12//Getty ImagesThe poet, actor, and playwright Anne Hathaway’s famed cottage and accompanying garden must have inspired her husband’s plays (that would be Shakespeare). This might be what comes to mind when you think of a cottage garden. Now open to the public daily, it was originally built more than 500 years ago, and is the site of Hathaway’s own birth in 1556.CostcoThis Costco (yes, Costco!) shed turned cottage is an ideal backdrop for your cottage garden fantasy. If you’re feeling very DIY this year, start here. Priced at $6,499, it measures 12’ x 24’ feet, a perfect amount of space for your own summer hide away or gardening shed.Richard PowersThis glass house is a reminder that a cottage garden doesn’t have to follow a prescribed style. The Amagansett cottage, originally built in 1960, is a marvel of mid-century design, an aesthetic reflected in the mod-furniture choices. Again, we love a stylistic mix in an updated cottage. Japanese Maple Trees complete the woodsy vibe.© David Hockney, Photo By Jonathan WilkinsonDavid Hockney illustrated his own cottage garden during the Pandemic. His drawing is illustrative of the benefits of an English garden: a bit wild, extremely lush, and more green than anything else. If we could, we’d jump right into this scene like Mary Poppins on a rainy day.John M. Hall for ELLE DecorHere’s a rule of thumb: trust Ina Garten. This cottage-like structure, on the grounds of the East Hampton home Garten shares with her husband Jeffrey, is perennially perfect. Note, too, the green and purple color scheme here. This is perhaps the dream cottage garden and something of a childhood playhouse. It has just enough space for a cozy chat and is a reminder that you can build your own little cottage on a very small plot of land.Photo 12//Getty ImagesMarie Antoinette’s Hamlet on the grounds of Versailles still sets the standard for the cottage garden with a thatched roof, hedges, and roses straight out of a fairy tale. During the former French Queen’s reign, her hamlet was used as a faux farm house, where she and her young daughter, Princess Marie Thérèse, would dress as idealized versions of French peasant farmers and milk cows. The interior, though, of this modest cottage, is appropriately grand with silk furnishings and canopy beds.Douglas FriedmanA garden that proves succulents and cottages are a match made in heaven. This one, in Marin County, California, adds a bit of desert flair. On the other side of this cottage is a water way and a perfect little dock for launching paddle boards. We love how the greens liven up this side of the house and create a completely different, almost modern desert-like, aesthetic. As with any great cottage garden, there is a distinctly transportive factor.Michael CliffordA light wood sauna and cold plunge on the grounds of Jenni Kayne’s Hudson Valley farmhouse are hidden behind shrubbery for a sense of privacy against a wide open landscape. We love the idea of adding a spa-like ambiance to a cottage garden as well as finding inventive ways to use the space. This is exactly where we want to be in the summer!Getty ImagesThis is sort of cheating, but Bunny Williams is a necessary inclusion! Williams’s Oak Spring Garden in Upperville, Virginia continues to inspire garden and cottage enthusiasts the world over. Rather than one cottage, the grounds of Williams’s large estate feature a guest cottage and a basket house, both of which are charming in the extreme.Dorothy ScarboroughDorothy Scarborough (she/her) is the assistant to the Editor in Chief of Town & Country and Elle Decor. 

Nickolas SargentEvery item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.Once relegated to the basement or behind a closed door, the recreation room has emerged from the shadows, reborn not as a “rumpus room” of decades past, but as a carefully composed sanctuary of leisure. The new rec room is both playful and purposeful—spaces where sculptural game tables and bespoke seating are arranged with the same care as a formal living room. Today’s designs emphasize flow and flexibility, enhanced by thoughtful lighting, acoustics, and materials that marry durability with personal style.What distinguishes this new iteration from its retro counterpart is intention: a shift from makeshift to highly curated and luxurious. At Miami-based MONIOMI Design, co-founders Monica Santayana and Ronald Alvarez have noticed clients requesting more polished rec rooms in their projects. The note, “We’re getting requests for custom game tables that double as art pieces, hidden bars, integrated tech for music and media, and flexible seating for gatherings.” More than just spaces to unwind, these rooms are becoming expressions of a homeowner's personality—designed to host everything from actual game nights to spirited soirées with friends and family.Nickolas SargentAt the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach, MONIOMI Design’s Monica Santayana and Ronald Alvarez conjured a sumptuous rec room with their MADE by Moniomi collection—where a marble-and-onyx ping pong table, sculptural basketball hoop, and a debut game table turn play into polished spectacle.From sculptural game tables to playful objets and design-forward accessories, these game-themed finds bring a sense of whimsy and sophistication to any space.Assouline Backgammon Set$2,250 at AssoulineAssouline’s Backgammon Set, part of the newly launched Library Collection, marries heritage with handcrafted excellence. More than just a game, it's a masterclass in craftsmanship—a striking interpretation of a timeless classic, tailored for the modern aesthete. Encased in a beautifully grained walnut wood box, the set features an inlaid leather playing board and impeccably crafted leather pieces, each accented with warm brass detailing, it’s a true conversation starter.Elevated Customs x Sasha Bikoff Bon Bon Ping Pong Table$31,250 at elevatecustoms.comThe Bon Bon Table Tennis Table by Elevate Customs in collaboration with Sasha Bikoff is a confection of form and function. It rests on a sculptural base of pillowed, hand-carved layers—each curve flowing seamlessly into the next, evoking both whimsy and architectural intent. Finished in alternating high-gloss lacquers and topped with a competition-ready surface, it strikes a luxurious balance between playful irreverence and polished sophistication.Society Social Wicker Bowling Pin Set$575 at Society Social Add a touch of vintage charm with this handcrafted wicker bowling pin set. Expertly woven in vibrant hues and patterns, it’s a playful nod to nostalgia that brings character to any rec room or game space. Leave the collection out on display when not in use to add texture and color to your bookshelves.MADE by MONIOMI Lux Mini Hoop$2,025 at madebymoniomi.comIf your vision of a rec room includes the satisfying arc of a well-aimed shot, consider MADE by Moniomi’s basketball hoop made of polished marble, copper and cotton. It's an artful reinterpretation of sport-motif, in a sculptural silhouette. More objet than gym gear, it invites both play and admiration in equal measure.MoMA Store Technicolor Dominoes Game$30 at MOMAThis colorful Dominoes set is made from real wood and is stylish enough to leave out on your coffee table. With each purchase, manufacturer DesignWorks Ink plants a tree with the One Tree Planted Initiative, making this playful purchase better for the planet too.AERIN Shagreen Chess Side Table$3,850 at AERINEvoking the quiet elegance of Jean-Michel Frank’s Art Deco sensibility, this dual-purpose shagreen side table—trimmed in brass—has a hidden use. It conceals a recessed compartment for streamlined, gold-and-black chess pieces beneath its reversible lid. The lid itself flips from richly grained wood veneer board to tonal shagreen, transforming from decorative accent to game table.Shinola Leather Dice Cup with Dice$165 at GOOPWith pearlescent orange dice and a finely crafted leather cup, this set brings a touch of polish to even the most impromptu weeknight game. Produced by Detroit-based Shinola—renowned for its timepieces, bicycles, and American-made leather goods—it reflects a commitment to craftsmanship and domestic manufacturing with every roll.Ralph Lauren Home Sutton Poker Gift Set$1,395 at Ralph LaurenA requisite for any well-appointed rec room, this poker set—housed in an embossed walnut and leather case—holds a full complement of chips and twin decks of cards. Designed as much for display as for play, it lends a tactile richness to any shelf or table, elevating the casual game night into a ritual of quiet sophistication.RW Guild Stockholm Coupe Dining Chair$2,800 at rwguild.comWith its gently lowered backrest and quietly confident silhouette, the Stockholm Coupe dining chair strikes a relaxed tone—equally at home encircling a dining table or anchoring an evening of games. Crafted from solid wood and offered with thoughtfully tailored upholstery, it is a piece that invites lingering—over meals, conversation, or the satisfying clatter of chess pieces in play.The Met Store Lingo Portraits Playing Cards$13 at The Metropolitan Museum of ArtIn a collaboration between The Met and Lingo, this deck of playing cards transforms the timeless tradition of portraiture into a pocket-sized gallery. It features a curated array of evocative faces—from Velázquez and Van Gogh to anonymous masters of Japan and Central Africa—each card a miniature window into the art of likeness across cultures and centuries.Jonathan Adler Jacques Game Table$2,200 at Jonathan Adler$2,200 at WayfairNo rec room is truly complete without a game table, and this version—rendered in clear acrylic—offers both visual lightness and sculptural presence. Designed to disappear or dazzle as needed, it tucks elegantly into a corner or lends a sense of spaciousness to smaller settings, while brushed brass corners lend a touch of tailored glamour and just the right dose of bravado.Blackberry Farm Four in a Row$298 at blackberryfarmshop.comCrafted by a local artisan for Blackberry Farm, this collapsible wooden Connect Four game doubles as charming décor and clever storage—perfect for cozy family nights by the fire.Nina Campbell Mark Games Table$27,900 at ninacampbell.comAn exercise in quiet refinement, this versatile games table—offered in richly grained mahogany or a painted finish with gleaming brass accents—conceals its playful spirit beneath a reversible top. There are baize-lined for cards on one side, with marquetry chess and draughts inlay on the other. Lift the lid to reveal a championship backgammon board, handsomely inset in supple leather.John Derian x Artisan Puzzles Shells 1,000 Piece Puzzle$25 at John DerianJohn Derian, in collaboration with Artisan Puzzles, presents thirteen evocative jigsaw designs—from Shells to The Bower of Roses—each drawn from 19th-century prints and reimagined in 750- and 1,000-piece sets. They'll invite hours of contemplative assembly and recall a time when shells, long symbols of beauty and ephemerality, were so revered they adorned Victorian parlors.

Last week, a series adaptation of Judy Blume's bestselling young adult novel, Forever, premiered on Netflix. The executive producer and showrunner behind it is Mara Brock Akil, who adds this series to the list of numerous hits she's spearheaded. In honor of Forever's premiere, we're looking back at the time she invited ELLE Decor into her Los Angeles dream home. When talking “home” with writer and director Mara Brock Akil, you’re not necessarily going to discuss paint swatches, sconces, and square footage. I mean, you should. Besides being the creative powerhouse behind such TV shows as Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane, the screenwriter and producer turns out to also be a design maven who has masterfully renovated the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, Black Lightning director Salim Akil, and their sons, Yasin and Nasir. It’s awash in exquisite original detailing, vintage Murano chandeliers, and a robust collection of work by Black artists, including Lorna Simpson and Noah Davis.Kelly MarshallThe family’s yellow Labrador, Dizzy, lies on the tiled floor in the entry, where a 1960s Venini chandelier from MA+39 hangs above. Artwork by Noah Davis.But for Brock Akil, design is about more than just the details: It’s about the kind of lifelong longings that pull at your heartstrings and prompt you to mood-board since you were a teenager. “We really are our heart’s desires,” she says. “And I want my home to reflect that.” “We really are our heart’s desires. I want my home to reflect that.” —Mara Brock Akil Brock Akil’s career—she helms her own busy L.A. production studio and has a Netflix development deal—is in overdrive. But in recent years, she realized she craved a sanctuary as a source of inspiration and restoration. That need became even more immediate in the aftermath of the 2016 killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, two unarmed Black men gunned down by police that summer within weeks of each other. A generally optimistic person, Brock Akil found herself paralyzed with fear in a country that was constantly undermining and devaluing Black life. “Joy is deserved,” she says. “We don’t have to keep waiting for it. And that’s what this house is.”Take a Tour of Mara Brock Akil’s L.A. Dream Home She had always loved Hancock Park, a historical enclave in the Wilshire section of L.A. A Zillow listing for a late-1920s Italian Renaissance Revival–style house stopped her in her tracks. The 10,400-square-foot house had beautifully preserved architectural details and such amenities as a gym, pool, and movie room. Still, she wondered: “Can we live in it? Can we get to that ‘dream state’?” Kelly MarshallIn the dining room, the vintage oblong conference table is covered in parchment. Vintage Dan Johnson chairs and Murano chandelier, Pegaso Gallery Design; artwork by Elon Brasil.She enlisted designer Tiffany Howell of the L.A. firm Night Palm Studio and explained her goal of creating a home that reflected her own family’s story while maintaining the house’s history. It was their third project together—the two first connected after Brock Akil saw Howell’s work on actress Laura Harrier’s home in Silver Lake. She hired Howell to design the creative suite at her production offices and was impressed when it was completed in just three months. Kelly MarshallIn the kitchen, the custom cabinetry and islands are by Arclinea, and the walls are clad in Arabescato marble. The appliances are by Miele; the Salt-N-Pepa artwork is by Janette Beckman.Just like Brock Akil, the designer believes that a space is first defined by a “feeling.” A former music video director, Howell begins with a soundtrack for each client; Brock Akil’s was heavy on Sade, John Coltrane, Solange, Phyllis Hyman, Prince, and Anita Baker. This is followed by a study of favorite scents, places to travel, and other design preferences. “I do a deep dive,” says Howell. With Brock Akil, she discovered the writer’s love of ’70s Italian and French interiors, accented by a little bit of “funk and grit.”A former music video director, designer Tiffany Howell begins with a soundtrack for each client. In Hancock Park, the vibe is immediately evident in the entryway, which boasts a sweeping staircase, archways, and a skylight encased in a ceiling painted a silvery blue. Reminiscent of Morocco, where the Akils honeymooned, it feels less like a foyer and more like a courtyard. Howell furnished it sparingly with a black-olive tree in a terra-cotta pot and a 1960s Murano chandelier cascading from the high ceiling overhead. Equally dramatic is the family’s dining room, where the paneled walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone, a creamy color Howell describes as “candlelight,” creating a soft glow around a vintage oblong table clad in parchment. Kelly MarshallHowell was tasked with honoring each family member’s unique personality and taste while creating a bridge with the home’s overall style. Salim got a book-filled study with a low-slung brown-velvet sofa perfect for reading. In their own lounge, the boys sprawl out across vintage leather Togo sofas that Howell sourced from a dealer in Prague. And of course, Brock Akil enjoys several rooms of her own. One, aptly named the Rosé Room, is painted a soft blush. This is where Brock Akil entertains friends like the legendary model and activist Bethann Hardison, who recently stopped by to admire its Vladimir Kagan sofa and poolside view. Kelly MarshallHowell took old-world European libraries as inspiration for Salim’s blue study. Sculpture by Kehinde Wiley (top center); artwork by Peter Beard (top right); pitcher by Kara Walker.Upstairs, the primary bedroom has a custom floating bed clad in blue velvet; artworks by Kara Walker hang overhead. And across the hall is Brock Akil’s dressing room, where her well-edited wardrobe hangs on custom powder-coated rods, her shoes perfectly lined up below. The walls are covered in a Scalamandré wallpaper, and a sitting area has a curvy vintage sofa and Italian mohair lounge chair salvaged from a Barneys New York department store. The boutiquelike space is also a beautiful homage to the shopping trips she took as a child with her grandmother, mother, and aunt to Saks Fifth Avenue. As Black women shopping for St. John knits in 1970s and ’80s Los Angeles, she was always aware of the racial barrier—and how her own family insisted on taking up space. And now in her own home in Hancock Park, she continues the tradition. Styled by Bebe HoworthThis story originally appeared in the September 2022 issue of ELLE DECOR. SUBSCRIBE

There is an almost monastic simplicity to the Monk chair by Tobia and Afra Scarpa—an austerity born not of severity, but of discipline. First conceived in 1973 and now revived by Molteni&C with reverence rather than reinvention, the chair exemplifies the Scarpas’ particular genius for exemplifying a clarity of form and construction, providing an almost spiritual tactility.Courtesy Molteni&CThe reissued Monk armchair (left) and dining chair is now available through Molteni&C.Its form is elemental: two planes—a seat and a backrest—united by a pair of solid ash or walnut frames that appear to clasp the upholstery with a craftsman’s grip. But beneath this purity lies a quiet sophistication. The upholstery is restrained, rhythmic, and deliberate. Each curve, each joint, is executed with the kind of precision that invites touch and use rather than spectacle.There is something Italian here, unmistakably so: the chair speaks softly but with unmistakable authority. The Monk chair does not shout for attention, yet once experienced in person, it cannot be unseen or forgotten. It invites the user to not only sit and rest, but to reflect.Courtesy Molteni&CIconic Italian architect and designer, Tobia Scarpa has created furniture for a variety of international furniture companies including Molteni&C and Unifor.Reissued by Molteni&C with a lightness of touch that honors the original design, the Monk chair stands as a paragon of Italian modernism: contemplative, tactile, impeccably poised. It belongs not merely to a room, but to a philosophy of living—one that embraces silence, structure, and the slow unfolding of beauty over time.This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of ELLE DECOR.

The creamy living room, elegant enough for a fundraiser, also had to be comfortable, says ELLE DECOR A-List designer Josh Greene of the Park Avenue apartment he designed for clients with three young children. “We didn’t want the living room to be this overly formal room,” he says, “but dressy enough to dim the lights and have a beautiful space. I want you to be able to come home, flop your shoes off and plop down on the sofa.” This is how he wants all the spaces he shapes: “Stylish enough to be impressive and impactful, formal when needed,” he says, but also livable, usable, and warm.When the clients brought this four-bedroom apartment to Greene, it hadn’t been touched in quite some time. A previous owner had done a tasteful renovation with designer Scott Snyder, which was subsequently undone by a renovation executed by another owner (the exact date of which was unknown to Greene, though the evidence of it was clear). Greene set about accentuating the apartment’s bones, keeping what could be kept—like the “chunky” crown molding and mahogany doors—and updating the rest. The kitchen, for one, needed a complete overhaul. A wall that couldn’t be removed because of the electrical it housed was brought down to a half and turned into a banquette to serve as an informal dining area. Now, marble counters surround a custom table, and pendants by Urban Electric Co. hang over a floating island.Photography by Tim LenzIn the kitchen, an existing wall was lowered and turned into a banquette that surrounds a table.The primary bathroom was also gutted. A “stripey” slab marble went on the walls and was mirrored in matching tile on the floors. Medicine cabinets designed by Greene. This is something else Greene is known for: furniture, textiles and wallcoverings he creates and uses in clients’ homes. A collaboration with Kufri, called Chromia, launched in April, and another with with Lawson-Fenning launched in early May. Photography by Tim LenzIn the primary bathroom, stripey granite forms a mirrored grid on the floor. The medicine cabinets are by Josh Greene Design, faucets by Waterworks, and lights by Urban Electric Company.In the Park Avenue apartment, Greene’s custom touches are everywhere, from the hanging lanterns in the hallway to the nightstands in the daughter’s room to the rug in the dining room (a collaboration with Marc Philips). Even the sofa is custom. “I love a horizontal stripe,” he says. When he first found the fabric by Rosemary Hallgarten, years prior, Greene thought, “this would make a killer sofa.”In each room, art brought in primarily by advisor Sarah Stein Sapier adds its own commentary, punctuating Greene’s designs. Altogether the vision sprang from Greene’s sensibility paired with his read on the client: “Mellow and beautiful and stylish and effortless,” he says. “She and the husband are so nice and easygoing; I’m drawing inspiration from them and trying to create a unique space for them based on who I feel they are.”After a visit to Fresco Decorative Arts the client fell in love with a blue color. So it went on the dining room walls: a speciality plaster echoed by tones found in a large painting by Dashiell Manley, a vintage vase, and chandelier and sconces by Blue Green Works.See Inside the Park Avenue ApartmentGreene’s point of view is shaped by close to two decades of experience in the business. It’s also a record of his influences and the imprint of an upbringing on the West Coast. “In a sense I’m always pulling things deep out of my design vault,” he says. For example, the stripes on the primary bathroom floor: “This reminded me of the floor in the old Barney’s in Beverly Hills,” he says, which had a similar basket weave. Though it’s not always so specific. Implicit memories of place manifest in Greene’s work through his color palette, an instinct for pairing hard and soft silhouettes, and an eye toward livability.And while the Park Avenue apartment by no means shouts California, look closely and you’ll see that hint of relaxed glamour. As Greene puts it: “There is a comfort that I like to bring to the party.”

Walking into Nell Diamond’s Windham, New York ski house, even on a snowy day, is like being embraced by colorful patterns and rich textures. Floral and gingham wallpaper acts as a backdrop for velvet couches, carved wooden furniture, vintage-inspired art, and fabrics from Diamond’s own clothing and lifestyle brand, Hill House Home. It’s a cabin in technicolor—and that was Diamond’s plan. “We wanted it to feel really cozy cottage. We spend so much of our time there in the freezing cold winters, and so I wanted it to feel warm and homey as much as possible,” says Diamond, who aimed for a versatile design as her family also plans to spend time in the house over the summers. For the project, which only took six months from start to finish, Diamond worked with her old school friend, Lauren Carlucci. “Because both of us grew up in the UK, we spoke the same design language,” Diamond says. The pair took inspiration from a range of European references: British and Scottish country homes, including the Scottish hotel The Fife Arms, alongside the European mountain destinations, Lech, Austria and Zermatt, Switzerland, where Diamond grew up skiing. They particularly looked to the Austrian classic, the Hotel Goldener Berg, where plain wood finishes are juxtaposed with a riot of brightly hued furniture. Such far-flung destinations were brought closer to home, at Windham Mountain Club, the Catskills ski resort where Diamond’s husband, Teddy Wasserman, is an investor. Ahead of Diamond’s busiest time of year—Hill House’s summer clothing drop, launching today—she took some time to give ELLE Decor an exclusive look into her new mountain home. ELLE Decor: What were your main sources of inspiration for this house?Nell Diamond: I've always loved the old Lech restaurants and their balconies, with really ornate wood carved details. The idea of carving shapes into wood, to me, always felt like secret messages.I tried to bring in the Austrian element: The antique rug, with the velvet, with the throw blanket, with the more formal Robert Kime pillow fabrics. Layered textures felt very Austrian to me too. How did you balance leaning into a classic mountain house look versus differentiating from it?I’m always somebody who is led by what makes me happy versus what I think is in style or trendy. It never bothers me if somebody says something is basic. So I love leaning into a little bit of kitsch but doing so in a way that feels fresh and modern. We spend most of our time in Windham over the winter, but it's an amazing place to be in the summer too. So I didn't want it to feel out of place if we were there in the summer. I didn't want it to feel too ski-oriented. There were elements of playing with it, but also making sure it was flexible.Inside Nell Diamond's Windham HouseTell me a bit about how you began the design process. I knew at the beginning there were a few non-negotiables: I knew I really wanted to try built-in beds with curtains [located in her sons’ room; Diamond also has a daughter]. I really wanted a four-poster bed. I love four poster beds. I have one at our house in the Hamptons. I have one here in the city. Something about it—you feel like a queen. I love to sleep, and I love to feel like a queen.I wanted some Robert Kime in the house, so Lauren made this beautiful tufted bench and a couple of other Robert Kime things. And I really wanted some pillows in the Pierre Frey Tyrol fabric, which is downstairs in the sleepover room. I wanted a bunk room—I wanted to maximize the number of guests we could have in the little cabin. And then I really wanted a lot of wallpaper, a lot of print.What was it like designing a home with such a close friend?I've never had a design experience like this, where I could be so hands-off, but still feel so seen. And I think that was such a huge benefit of Lauren intimately knowing me and understanding my personal style. I gave her the metaphorical Dropbox of my brain, and then she moved forward.Most of the rooms have wallpaper. What was the decision process behind those prints?I’m a print and pattern person. I’ve always loved wallpaper. It's my favorite thing ever. I love the feeling of being cocooned. And I wanted to bring Hill House elements into the house. Our design director, Sarah Worth Mullally, sent Lauren dozens of our prints that we've used for clothing and said to her, “Let me know what inspires you and we can go from there.”The print that's in the Grandma Room [the guest room], the Sherwood Forest print—Lauren rendered it in this incredible, rich emerald green. We had always done that with a white or a cream base. In my primary bedroom, I didn't even realize it was one of our prints until the install day because she had changed the colors. What is your favorite piece in the house? The built-in boys’ bunk beds. They're just so magical and special. It really is fun for the kids to get such joy out of going to bed, which is often an arduous process. And then the plates. I think the plates just add a bit of quirkiness and funniness.Michael DeTempleDiamond’s plate wall with custom Alpine themed plates by English ceramicist Harlie Brown. Yes, there’s the plate wall near the dining table. Tell me more about those plates. Lauren wanted to do a plate wall. It’s such a British thing. The artist, English ceramicist Harlie Brown, made these plates to reference things that are actually in my kids’ lives. She did a painting of two little skiers, and it says, “Les twins.” My little ones are twins and they love being like, “that one's me and that one's me.” Then she made a plate, and it says “Le Grand Frere,” the big brother, and it's my older son. It's all their favorite things. There's hot chocolate, there's a chair lift, there's skis, there's a cow. They love those plates.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Shop Nell's HomeThe Top Sheet in Powder Blue Sloane$150 at Hill House HomeMargot Dress in Pink Multi Floral Block Stripe$248 at urldefense.proofpoint.comThe Bed Set in Blue Trellis$375 at Hill House HomeTrindle Table Lamp$195 at us.pooky.comThe Bed Set in Pink Pond Floral$375 at Hill House HomeRound Coffee Table$4,800 at nickeykehoe.comThe Bed Set in Blue Botanical$375 at Hill House HomeFolly Four Poster Bed in Plum£3,750 at nicolaharding.comThe Perry Lumbar Throw Pillowcase$128 at Hill House HomeThe Ellie Maxi Nap Dress$218 at Hill House HomeAnnie GoldsmithSenior EditorAnnie Goldsmith is the senior editor and digital lead at ELLE Decor, where she covers design, culture, style, and trends. She previously held positions at The Information, covering technology and culture, and Town & Country, writing about news, entertainment, and fashion. Her work has also appeared in Vogue, Rolling Stone, and the SF Standard. 

One of the most surprising ways to craft a splashy design visual is with striking closet doors. Since they can take up so much visual space in a room, or conceal an entire room themselves, they’re an opportunity to make a truly bespoke feature using an often ignored medium. Not sure where to start with your closet door updates? From full satin panels in a dreamy lilac shade to historic woodwork refreshed with white paint, here is the ultimate list for designer-approved closet doors. 1Jib DoorsChris MottaliniIn this Charlap Hyman & Herrero-designed Miami apartment, shells are everywhere—even on the doors. The added bonus of this door is that, when closed, it disappears. To create a similar illusion choose a material that can adapt to any size or crevice and cover the space surrounding the door with the same material. This door of seashells was fabricated by the artist Me She with Openstudio.2Alpine DoorsYoshihiro MakinoIn this Landed Interiors-designed home, the design firm took a cue from Swiss ski chalets' built-in forms of storage. If you are renovating a second home with recreation at its center, perhaps look to the playful cut-outs and colors found in traditional Alpine architecture. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Fabric Lined Closet DoorsHaris KenjarIf you are looking to turn your dressing area into a bucolic retreat, consider opting for country-coded closets with bottom halves in wood, and top halves in glass. The cherry on top of this aesthetic plan is lining those glass doors with a contrasting fabric—check is best in the countryside. In this Nickey Kehoe-designed dressing room, the mustard yellow closets and cabinets were lined with Fleurons d’Helene fabric. 4Upholstered DoorsNoe DewittIn Jean Liu's Gilded Age era pied-a-terre, she covered the walls with hand-embroidered de Gournay fabric. The same goes for the door, nearly hidden to the right of her Pierre Frey mohair-covered daybed. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5Camouflaged DoorsTodd EberleIn Giorgio Armani's home, closet doors are camouflaged by way of printed silk. Here, the doors were covered in the same silk as that on the walls. This idea works best on walls without excessive trimming or baseboards—a clean line helps drive the visual deception home. 6Antique Closet DoorsSimon UptonIf you have the freedom to decide the dimensions of your closet, why not take the opportunity to install antique doors? Something old is always better (for the environment, and often for your eyes!) than something new. In Maryam Montague and Chris Redecke's home, they installed antique carved wooden doors in a room full of Malian, Indian, and African furniture and art. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Mirrored Closet DoorsSimon UptonA classic option, especially for a smaller space or one with low light, is to mirror your closet doors, like in Kim Hersov's London home. This works especially if you have doors with paneling (new or antique!). 8Textured-Glass Closet DoorsNicole FranzenA sophisticated way to elevate closet doors is with textured glass, like in this Husband Wife–designed Manhattan apartment. In this case, the primary dressing room is a point of interest due to the light play from the reflective glass that serves a functional purpose too; the dark-hued panels conceal any messiness behind them. For a more approachable way to mimic this upscale look, think about using baking soda to make textured paint. Dress up even basic glass closet doors with this clever textural element. 9Monochrome Room Closet DoorsTrevor TondroFor an extra dose of chic, consider matching your closet doors to your curtains, like in this posh Parisian pied-à-terre by fashion industry insider Marc Valeanu. The sunny yellow color makes this an especially inviting space, made more fun with an unexpected shade. Not into this creative hue? Try echoing the tone-on-tone approach to decor with one of the top color trends of 2024. Then, find coordinating paint and curtains to mimic this matchy-matchy dressing area.10Upcycled Closet DoorsDouglas FriedmanThis stand-alone San Antonio house, a collaboration with client Stacey Hill and architect Vicki Yuan of Lake | Flato, makes an antique shine as a closet door stand-in. “These were Chinese folding screens that our client already owned (she found it at an estate sale), and it was her idea to turn them into closet doors in her new home,” shares the architect. “It was a great moment when we realized they would fit perfectly in the space, and we were excited to make them a highlight of her dressing room.” Snag something inventive, like these screens, at an estate sale to try the look in your own space. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Hand-Stenciled Closet DoorsMiguel Flores-ViannaDesigner Anna Sui’s Greenwich Village pad combines two apartments into one glorious, maximalist home. One especially interesting design choice was the closet doors; Sui made them a key feature instead of throwaway space with the addition of Venetian mirrors and a hand-stenciled design. Read our guide to decorating with mirrors to create your own dreamy, whimsical closet door with glam, shiny touches.12Curtain Closet DoorsSimon WatsonChannel traditional curtained kitchen cabinets for a whimsical twist on closet doors, just like Veere Grenney did in this London townhouse project. The fabric adds textural interest in a fresh, unexpected way and makes a built-in more interesting—not to mention conceals your stuff. Want more inspo? Read about inspiring fabric trends we’ve got our eye on. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Timber Closet DoorsWilliam AbranowiczA cool closet helps this cozy, contemporary abode stand out from the crowd. Cliff Fong, principal at Matt Blacke, went for a sleek timber closet door look for his midcentury home in Central Los Angeles. Custom cabinetry and millwork take the design ante up a notch, and these bespoke doors hide potential clutter in case you’re not sure how to organize your closet. You can achieve a similar look with a set of facing midcentury wardrobes, or splash out for custom millwork. 14Floor-Length Satin Curtain Closet Doors Andrea FerrariThis over-the-top closet door solution helped liven up a pandemic-era decorating project for Dimorestudio’s Emiliano Salci. His renovated Milan apartment is bold and colorful, like the purple floor-length satin that encloses his famed designer clothing collection. The dose of theatricality is unexpected and takes this closet (well, entire room) to the next level. Want to try this at home? Think beyond satin, and get some inspo for your own curtain closet with our guide to the best online curtain stores. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Smoked-Glass Closet DoorsStephan JuillardArtisan smoked glass, created using smoke residue during the glass-making process, makes for one-of-a-kind closet doors in this Parisian apartment. Designed by Pierre Gonalons, the 1,900-square foot residence is a study in elegant eccentricity. The glass closet doors offer an unexpectedly lovely way to stay organized. If a custom look is outside your budget, channel the sultry feel of smoked glass with accessories in the same vein, or simply paint your closet door panels in a matte gray chalk paint for a similar effect. 16Wallpaper-Covered Closet DoorsFrancesco LagneseThese lovely blooming blossom doors are an exquisite choice for a dressing area. Founder and designer Emily Todhunter of Todhunter Earle Interiors collaborated with New York architect John B. Murray for this Manhattan apartment project. “The doors are covered with de Gournay Plum Blossom wallpaper, a design inspired by a painted silk Kimono—very fitting for a dressing room and beautifully tranquil,” shares Todhunter. “This was a very multifunctional dressing room, so we wanted the closets to not just be practical but to create a beautifully romantic space where the client could both dress and work.”Channel some flower power for your interiors with this nasturtium pick, or choose from some bloomy beauties in our DIY wallpaper guide. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Upper and Lower White Closet DoorsProduced by Cynthia Frank; photography by William WaldronThe chic Madrid pad of Carolina Herrera de Baez offers a well-curated mix of high-low design, combining flea market finds with designer offerings. Her 19th-century family home in the heart of the city features original touches, like these lovely white upper and lower doors. Consider some of the white paint colors designers actually use to brighten up your closet door game. 18Black Closet DoorsKelly MarshallIn a home with no white walls, these inky black closet doors and built-in dresser offer a striking way to stand out. This New York townhouse, designed by ELLE DECOR A-Lister Danielle Colding, features bold design from top to bottom, from a custom bar to a blue primary bedroom. But amid the colorful medley, the black closet doors are an unexpected, elegant touch. Take a look at our fave black room ideas to inspire your own journey to the dark side!Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Red Closet DoorsWilliam WaldronELLE DECOR A-List legend Martyn Lawrence Bullard pulled out all the stops on this Los Angeles project, his own Whitley Heights residence. The designer to the stars leaned into rich red hues for his custom walk-in closet. (Just peep at that dreamy Schumacher wallpaper!) Looking for DIY inspiration to give your dressing room the same treatment? Check out our favorite red color combinations and designer approved red paint colors to get started! 20Seamless Built-In Closet DoorsBillal TarightA more contemporary take on closet door design can be found in this modern Paris home. Architect and designer Elliott Barnes, an ELLE DECOR A-Lister, designed the whole apartment to showcase and enhance the client’s vast art collection. Sleek, built-in closet doors help maximize space and keep the focus on the rest of the primary bedroom. Get the serene sanctuary vibe with a look at our collection of cozy contemporary bedrooms.

Courtesy of Rooms GPTThe other day my son found me in a frenzy of speed-tidying. I was hastily stashing appliances in cabinets, fluffing cushions, and muttering about coats left on chairs. Then I started snapping photos on my phone and fussing some more.“Move over — you're in my picture!” I barked, swatting him out of the frame.“What are you doing?” he asked.“I’m cleaning up for the AI!” I snapped.Do you know what feels even more foolish than precleaning for the housecleaners? Cleaning up for a phone app.I was preparing to try some of the new AI interior design tools—the ones where you upload a photo of your space, input your style preferences, and get to see the magical result, much like those face-altering apps that show you what you’d look like with bangs or a facelift—and I needed a bunch of “before” photos to get started. I just couldn’t bear the thought of uploading photos that revealed a sinkful of dirty dishes or stray socks on the floor. Was I afraid of being judged by an algorithm? Yes.These tools have multiplied like boba shops in Brooklyn. There’s Home Visualizer, Reimagine Home AI, Home Designs AI, Interior AI, Collov AI, AI Room Planner, Palazzo, and countless others, many with confoundingly similar names (Room GPT versus Rooms GPT versus Room GBT—spot the difference!). All promise to revamp your space with unprecedented speed and creativity, usually charging fees not much higher than the price of a Netflix subscription. Alas, I can’t afford a human interior decorator. The kind of talent you see in Elle Decor would likely take one look at my chewed-up upholstery and quietly back away, so the idea of getting some AI help certainly had its appeal.“Was I afraid of being judged by an algorithm? Yes.”One thing I learned early on is that many apps are not so good at distinguishing between day-to-day clutter and actual decor. Playing around with Palazzo, I uploaded a photo of a room that wasn’t fully tidied: I had left a pile of winter coats on a stool. The app interpreted the outerwear as a lumpy furniture piece and continued to offer me versions of that strangely biomorphic mound.Another surprising find: These tools test your patience. Another surprising find: These tools test your patience. Whether you're using a phone app or desktop platform, you'll face a constant stream of glitches, slowdowns, and error messages. The waiting game may be the most maddening part of the experience. Each app has its own way of telling you it’s thinking. Palazzo shows a crude graphic of spinning tools: a measuring tape, a triangle, and what I eventually realized was a level. Reimagine Home tries to distract you with inspirational quotes from design legends like Dorothy Draper while it processes. (“I always put in one controversial item. It makes people talk.” Thanks, Dorothy, but I'm still waiting.)The results? Sometimes underwhelming, sometimes unhinged. Using Home Visualizer, I uploaded a shot of my dark, beaten-up little kitchen and requested a “Martha Stewart–style makeover.” Where the real Martha would surely have ripped everything to the studs, the result was pretty much my same kitchen with exactly the same cabinets and appliances, just brightened up with white paint and with a few mysterious objects added—including what appeared to be a needlepoint wall hanging where my oven mitts had lived.Maybe I’m playing it too safe, I thought. So I chose a bachelorette party palette of “Fuchsia Fun, Midnight Black Elegance, and Glittering Gold Grandeur” rendered in “glam” style for my kitchen and steeled myself for a scene from Magic Mike. After a seemingly eternal cycle of processing, it returned essentially the same kitchen, but with two hot pink fluffy rugs and a brass chandelier.“Maybe I’m playing it too safe, I thought. So I chose a bachelorette party palette of ‘Fuchsia Fun, Midnight Black Elegance, and Glittering Gold Grandeur.’”Switching to Reimagine Home, I uploaded a photo of my bathroom, a drab, gray little phone booth of an en suite, choosing “Scandinavian” style and one of the app’s preset color combinations, “Sage Green Serenity, Blonde Wood Brightness, and Pale Beige Peace.” I anxiously awaited the results, but the image it served me was nearly the same, the main discernible difference being a new green soap dispenser. Meanwhile, my electric toothbrush remained, as unsightly as ever.The results weren’t all disappointing. Some AI engines do flaunt surprising design literacy. Beyond the typical preset style menu options that most tools offer (think: “traditional,” “modern,” “contemporary,” “farmhouse,” “vintage” and the soul-sucking “transitional”), Rooms GPT offers filters that are like catnip for any design cognoscente who stumble upon its bare-bones website. Its pulldown menu lets you filter for the aesthetic of design luminaries like Bunny Williams, Jacques Garcia, and India Mahdavi—though, based on my experimentation, it’s clear that the real India Mahdavi doesn’t have to worry she’ll be out of a job. Where these tools really showed promise was in their ability to work with real design inspiration. I was most enamored of Home Visualizer's “Fusion” functionality, which asks you to upload a favorite inspiration image—a welcome request for anyone with a Pinterest board. I uploaded a photo of my gray-on-gray dining room (what can I say, it was 2013) along with an inspiration photo from Svenskt Tenn in Stockholm, that temple of Josef Frank designs where I’ve often told my children they should scatter my ashes. Fusion delivered admirably, keeping what I liked (my chairs and light fixture) while adding color and pattern in a reasonably Frankian style.Courtesy of Home VisualizerBut then I had my epiphany. While these tools could generate endless variations on a theme, what I really needed was expertise. I wanted someone to look at my space and tell me what actually needed fixing—not just make it prettier. Enter ChatGPT. When you upgrade to the pro version (GPT-4), you get both image analysis and generation capabilities—meaning it can create design concepts as well as actually assess my existing rooms.I started by telling it exactly what kind of designer I wanted it to be. “You are a famous interior designer known for your excellent taste whose work has been published in Elle Decor,” I wrote, uploading photos of my living room. “You are warm and witty and have a reputation for honesty. Please look at this space and tell me how it could be improved.”To my delight, it responded with a mix of authority and encouragement, starting—as any good designer knows to do—with a compliment. “To elevate this already charming space into something truly spectacular…” it began, before launching into thoughtful suggestions about enhancing architectural features, adding library lights to the bookshelves, and reimagining the lighting scheme.When I directed its attention to the room’s single, small window, which in my mind was the element in most obvious need of zhuzh, it perked up immediately, saying, “Ah, the window—a small but mighty design opportunity!” and proceeded to suggest a velvet or linen-blend curtain “in a soft moss green or taupe with a botanical texture” to be hung on a “clean, slightly tapered rod in antique brass with either orb-shaped or leaf-inspired finials to complement your English-country sensibilities.”I complimented it on its sound advice, while critiquing its overly florid language as “straight out of a 19th-century novel.” It shot back with some sass. “I'll rein in the 19th-century novelist vibes, though I must say, a touch of drama never hurts when discussing drapery!”Before long we were deep in collaborative conversation in a way that felt collaborative rather than condescending. “We'll hang full-length drapery panels well above the window frame,” it told me. It suggested Kravet, Schumacher, and Romo for sourcing the fabric, which met my approval. When I asked about costs, it broke down everything from fabric yardage to installation fees in my area.Surprisingly, after testing numerous specialized AI design tools, I found the best help from ChatGPT playing the role of decorator. While those other tools promised instant visual transformations but delivered mostly superficial changes, ChatGPT offered something closer to an actual design consultation. It could analyze my space, understand its challenges, and engage in the kind of strategic thinking that leads to practical design decisions—corny decorating jokes totally optional.I may have started this experiment frantically tidying up for an algorithm’s approval, but I ended it having actual conversations about design. Though I still draw the line at hanging up my coats.

Art Deco isn't suddenly back, but it does seem to be everywhere, all at once. Why? Some say it's a response to minimalism burnout (is Art Deco the anti-quiet luxury?), others see the trend as in keeping with fashion's typical cycle of rediscovering itself every few years. Whatever the reason, it’s on TikTok's For You Pages, which means if it’s not already in your living room, it might be soon. Below is a bite-sized history, a few important references, and some Art Deco elements to try working into your spaces.What makes it Art Deco?In its contemporary manifestations, Art Deco is defined by symmetrical patterns in contrasting colors, geometric shapes and sharp lines. Almost always a shiny chrome or metal works to underscore the palette, which while bold tends to be muted; black outlines give shape to browns, reds, mosses and umbers. Think intersecting chevrons, arched peacock-like fans, sunbursts and stylized figures. Gold almost always has a strong presence. When asked to describe Art Deco, many reach for words like glamorous, extravagant, and bold. Ask historians and they'll tell you there is no singular definition. When John Malkovich described the Chrysler Building, one of the world’s most famous examples of Art Deco architecture, in a 10-minute short documentary for the BBC in 1994, he used the word eccentric: “It’s so crazy and vigorous in its execution, so breathtaking in its vision, so brilliantly eccentric.” To really understand what makes Art Decor extravagant, muted and eccentric while remaining also somehow beyond definition, a brief dip into history is in order.What time period is Art Deco?While Art Deco traveled far and wide, its initial heyday was relatively short-lived. The name Art Deco came from a 1925 fair in France called the Exposition international des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, shortened to Art Deco or just Deco. Most describe the endpoints of its spectrum as 1919 and 1939, between World Wars. Where does Art Deco come from?adoc-photos//Getty ImagesThe fountain, by Lalique, at The International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris, 1925Art Deco was rooted in art movements that emerged in turn-of-the-century Europe—Dada, futurism, cubism—and schools of design and architecture—From Art Nouveau to Bauhaus; Le Corbusier is an influence, so is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Hilyard Robinson. As in the paintings and decorative arts that eventually helped define it, Deco architecture belays the era’s pursuit of a machine-age modernity (note this was also the Roaring '20s and the Jazz Age; Prohibition played its part). According to Britannica, "the characteristic features of the style reflected admiration for the modernity of the machine and for the inherent design qualities of machine-made objects." It was, if not an outright rejection of the fussy, baroque styles popular in the past, then pretty close to it: Deco was an aesthetic that mirrored the cars and airplanes and radios and sleek machines and factories revolutionizing peoples' lives. In effect, it could be read as an optimistic embrace of the future, and not in the abstract, as with American futurism in the 1950s and '60s, when the threat of nuclear war added a fearful edge to the art and design that helped cement a cultural obsession with flying cars and Jetsons-esque automation. Art Deco was aligned with a future that had already arrived. “No old stuff for me!” the architect and designer of the Chrysler Building William Van Alen famously said. “No bestial copyings of arches and columns and cornices! Me, I'm new! Avanti!''Bettmann//Getty ImagesThe designer of the Chrysler Building, William Van Alen, wore a Chrysler Building hat to attend a Beaux-Arts Ball at the Hotel Astor with his wife. Then came the depression, which effectively put a stop to skyscraper mania and the opulent detailing that made Art Deco what it is. The Chrysler Building opened in May 1930, roughly seven months after the crash of 1929, a famous Thursday in late October. And as we know, when a recession hits, exuberant architectural details that add flair—and cost—for the sake of it are the first to go. What Art Deco inspiration can you look to?JUSTIN TALLIS//Getty Images"Nu adosse I" by Tamara de Lempicka. And now, it's back. Art Deco today doesn't carry the same fresh excitement it once did, but it's not a nostalgia play, either. Deco creates an opulent but comfortable gestalt; it's livable, warm and undeniably bohemian. To invest, however, is a commitment, not only in materials but in learning how to make them play. So before you start experimenting, it will be useful to have some references in mind. Start by looking to the paintings of Tamara de Lempicka, whose heavily outlined figures shown in luxe, shining fabrics rendered in bright colors create a tonally moody feast. View full post on InstagramSimilarly, paintings and works by Aaron Douglass, Sonia Delaunay, and René Lalique are important references; as are the costumes in the 1929 film Ben-Hur, by Erté, and the iconic performances of Josephine Baker. Keystone-France//Getty ImagesThe performer Josephine Baker, circa 1928.Note the Deco inflection behind the works of artist, craftsman and typeface designer, Eric Gill (who is, yes, behind typefaces such as Gill Sans). Look to the lines of certain Cartier watches, the Art Deco district in Miami, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, in Paris, and dig into the history behind so many more buildings that Arricca Elin Sansone wrote about for ELLE DECOR last year. Five Art Deco tricks to try in your own homeStart with the floorsThomas LoofFor this Art Deco entryway, designer Bradley Stephens looked to the grand lobbies of New York’s great public buildings.When clients came to New York decorator Bradley Stephens with a request for Deco, he looked to the "grand public buildings of the period, like banks and libraries," to build a mood board that featured "terrazzo floors, tray ceilings, and metal inlays," wrote Charles Curkin for ELLE DECOR in 2021. With the austere but splashy—and very bank-like—floors in place, he added softer elements and curved lines to draw on two central tenets of the movement: strong geometric patterns paired with well-placed, curvilinear accents. Bring in art, and eye-catching detailsDouglas FriedmanA black-and-white kitchen features a bubble-gum-pink table designed by Sabine Marcelis, and a photograph by Gregory Crewdson in this historic Art Deco apartment. To maintain the integrity of a historic Art Deco apartment, Dorothy Berwin and her architectural designer Sandra Arndt of Studio AKTE had to be careful stewards of a space that came with original "casement windows, tongue-and-groove wood floors secured by timber dowels, an enormous marble fireplace, and two monumental round mirrors facing one another in the living room," Judi Roaman wrote for ELLE DECOR in 2021. In an apartment like this one, understated details, vintage pieces, and prominent art finished the sentence that the bones of this Deco structure began. Go for chrome, steel, and mirrorsThomas LoofDesigner Bradley Stephens amped up the Art Deco glamour in this small space through bespoke onyx-patterned wallcoverings by MJ Atelier, vintage Murano sconces, and a custom counter and sink. Often when people think of Art Deco they picture the impact of chrome, gold, and mirrored surfaces. And they're not wrong. Look to the lobby of the Chrysler Building for the drama and eccentricity so often highlighted as definitional to Art Deco—it's marble on metal plus interlocking patterns. This is one element that clearly reflects the original Deco's embrace of the machine age. The Chrysler Building is, let's not forget, an ode to the Chrysler car empire, and those nesting crowns on the facade represent hubcaps. But images set to a Deco background also often depict a different kind of drama, one produced by the chiaroscuro of details thrown in relief by stark lighting. In other words: Creating drama can be produced by light bouncing of shiny surfaces. Add texture with inlaysDouglas FriedmanFor his Art Deco apartment, New York designer Steven Gambrel created a pad that embodies true "Chicago-ness," with bold geometric patterns, textured wood patterns, and bold colors. The drama of Deco also plays out in details like molding, inlays and floor or wall patterns. And often, all of it at once. New York designer Steven Gambrel together with Chicago architect Phillip Liederbach wanted interiors in this 1929 Art Deco home in Chicago that embodied “Chicago-ness: what it really means to be in Chicago," Gambrel told ELLE DECOR in 2017. "We were trying to cull from the past while establishing a unique vocabulary.” The unique vocabulary, as seen here, draws on Deco with the use of inlays that catch and reflect a rich, two-tone red against steel grey, allowing shadows to create lines that deepen the tonal intrigue of the space. Lean into patterns Simon UptonCustom-made moldings of carved walnut, steel, and silver leaf replicate an original motif in this Art Deco apartment building in Madrid designed by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Lorenzo Castillo. The sink is custom-made, and the towel rack and shower and sink fittings are by Devon&Devon. To create this look in one of Madrid's lauded Art Deco apartment buildings, ELLE DECOR A-List designer Lorenzo Castillo leaned on patterned textiles and floors in muted colors that enhanced the pops of color brought by art and furniture. In the bathroom, boxy shapes created by frames around the mirrors—the shape of the sink and shower barrier—draw on and enhance the Deco vocabulary. Go for drama with pops of color Douglas FriedmanIn this historic Art Deco apartment, pops of color are offset by grey and chrome. Chair by Milo Baughman, cocktail table by Willy Rizzo; rug by ABC Carpet & Home; the walls and ceiling are painted in Dior Gray by Benjamin Moore. The artworks are by Sarah Lucas. Against a muted palette and sharp lines made in black, grey or brown, a spot of surprising color can invoke the voice of Deco. Try accents in bright red, Kelly green, shiny gold or a deep purple. For Berwin's historic apartment, custom banquettes and a Milo Baughman chair added just the right amount of pizzaz to the grey and chrome.

After months of dust, decisions, and construction chaos, your home renovation is finally complete. The contractors have packed up their tools, the new paint is dry, and that gorgeous lighting fixture you agonized over is perfectly installed. The physical transformation is complete, but there’s one final—and often overlooked—step to truly making your refreshed space feel like home: an energetic cleansing. Just as renovation removes outdated fixtures and repairs structural problems, an energy cleanse helps clear out any lingering staleness, construction stress, and old energy that may be hanging around your beautifully updated space. And while the idea of energy cleansing might sound esoteric, many of these practices are rooted in both ancient wisdom and modern science, and they require only simple household items you likely already have in your kitchen.You've already done the hard work of removing the old and bringing in the new. Now it's about ensuring that the transformation extends beyond the obvious changes. As a certified reiki practitioner and professional tarot reader with years of experience in folk magic traditions, I can attest that nothing beats the feeling of walking into a perfectly cleansed space, and I’m here to show you exactly how it’s done. Air Your Home OutStephen Kent JohnsonA simple, effective cleansing method? Open your doors and windows to let fresh air in and stale air out. We’re taking notes from Terrence Meck and Bret Alberti’s charming Provincetown home.Before beginning any spiritual cleansing, you’ll need to prepare your space physically. Open your windows and doors to create cross-ventilation, even if just for a few minutes if the weather is cold. This simple act literally and symbolically allows stagnant energy to flow out while inviting fresh air in. Sweep, vacuum, or mop your floors, working from the farthest corner of your home toward the front door. This traditional practice helps guide unwanted energy out of your space. Cleanse Your Entryway Your home’s entryway is crucial for filtering the energy that enters your space, making it the ideal place to begin your cleansing ritual. First, make a simple salt wash by dissolving a handful of salt in warm water—salt’s natural purifying properties help dissolve negative energy while physically cleaning the space. Then wipe down your threshold and doorframe with this solution while imagining that you’re creating an invisible barrier that welcomes positive energy and deflects negative influences. Daniel SchäferA small table or shelf next to the front door, as in Elad Yifrach’s Lisbon home, is the perfect spot to place a small bowl of lemon water for protection.For an extra layer of protection, place a small bowl of fresh lemon water near your entrance. Citrus has long been used in cleansing practices for its ability to cut through heavy energies, just as it cuts through grease in your kitchen. Leave this for 24 hours, then dispose of it outside, imagining it carrying away any lingering renovation stress or stagnant energy. If you have a welcome mat, take it outside and give it a good shake while visualizing the release of old energy and the welcoming of new beginnings. Cleanse Your Living SpacesYour living spaces, such as your living room or family room, have likely absorbed the most intense energy. Begin by creating a purifying spray that combines natural elements: in a glass spray bottle, mix water with white vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and a few sprigs of rosemary. As you mist and wipe surfaces, work in clockwise circles—this motion mirrors natural energy flows found in nature and helps activate positive movement in your space. Pay special attention to corners, where energy tends to stagnate, and any areas where walls were removed or modified. These architectural changes have created new energy pathways in your home, and they need special attention to be integrated harmoniously. In the evening place small bowls of salt in room corners, particularly in spaces that underwent major structural changes. Salt's natural absorption properties work overtime while you sleep, drawing out any residual heavy energy. Remember to dispose of this salt outside your home the next morning—never wash it down your drains, as it's now carrying the energy you're trying to remove.Cleanse Your KitchenWilliam Jess LairdNeed some motivation to cleanse your kitchen? Just look at this perfectly peaceful kitchen, designed by Silvia Furmanovich.The kitchen, traditionally the heart of the home, deserves particular attention in your cleansing ritual. This space nourishes both body and soul, and its energy directly affects the food prepared here and, by extension, your well-being. Fill your biggest pot with water and add generous slices of lemon, fresh rosemary sprigs (which have natural purifying properties), and a splash of white vinegar. Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, allowing the steam to purify the air and remove any lingering paint fumes or construction odors (the vinegar is excellent for this). As the mixture simmers, imagine the steam carrying away old energy and infusing your kitchen with fresh, nurturing energy. Keep a small bowl of fresh herbs on your windowsill or counter—basil, mint, or rosemary are excellent choices—to maintain the positive energy flow you’ve created.Cleanse the BedroomsThe bedroom may be the most important space to cleanse, since its energy directly impacts your rest and rejuvenation. This intimate space needs to be completely free of the chaotic energy that accompanies a renovation, allowing you to fully rest and recharge. Joshua McHughYour bedroom is your sanctuary. This light and airy bedroom, designed by Eve Robinson, is giving us all the calm, peaceful vibes we need.Mix equal parts salt and baking soda. While salt absorbs negative energy, baking soda helps neutralize both odors and energetic imbalances. Sprinkle this mixture lightly over soft surfaces like rugs, carpets, and even mattresses (test a small area first). As you do this, visualize your bedroom being reset to a peaceful, calm state. For a deeper energy reset, work with the cycles of the moon. During the waning phase—when the moon is decreasing in size—place a glass of water mixed with white vinegar and three pinches of salt on your nightstand. This practice, rooted in folk traditions, helps draw out heavy energy just as the moon pulls at the tides. Each morning for three days dispose of the water outside your home and refresh it at night. Under your bed—a space that can trap stagnant energy—place small sachets of dried lavender and rosemary, or even a few bay leaves, which have been used for centuries as protective herbs.Cleanse Your BathroomsBathrooms present a unique challenge in energy work—they're spaces where we quite literally wash away what we don't need, making them natural energy drains. But with the right cleansing approach, your bathroom can become a place of renewal. Theo TennantAll you really need is some white vinegar and a bathtub or shower, but so much the better if your bathroom is like this one one designed by Maria Speake and Adam Hills of Retrouvius.Begin by adding a full cup of white vinegar to a warm bath or shower. As the steam rises, it carries vinegar's purifying properties throughout the space, neutralizing both physical and energy residue. Along windowsills and doorways, create a protective boundary using a line of sea salt. This ancient practice helps prevent energy from stagnating in these naturally damp places. Leave the salt in place for a full 24 hours before sweeping it away (again, dispose of it outside). To maintain positive energy flow, introduce living elements—a small potted plant like bamboo or aloe vera can thrive in bathroom humidity while actively purifying the energy.Do a Final Overall Home CleanseAfter tending to individual spaces, the final step in harmonizing your newly renovated home involves creating and working with blessed water—a practice that dates back centuries across various traditions, from Christianity to Hinduism, each of which recognizes water’s unique ability to both purify and carry intention. In the Christian tradition, particularly Catholicism, the practice of using blessed water dates back to the early church, with documentation from the 3rd century describing the blessing of water for sacred purposes. This ritual is particularly powerful, because water, like your home, is a conductor of energy capable of holding and transmitting the intentions you set for your space.In a large glass bowl (avoid plastic, which can hold on to old energies), combine filtered water with three pinches of sea salt and either three drops of rosemary essential oil or a fresh sprig of rosemary. Hold your hands over the bowl and take a moment to center yourself, imagining pure white light flowing from your hands into the water. Set your intentions for your newly renovated home—perhaps harmony, creativity, or joy, or whatever qualities you wish to invite into your space.Starting at your home’s main entrance and moving clockwise through each room, dip your fingers into the blessed water and scatter droplets around your space. When you’ve completed your circuit of the home, return to the front door. Take the remaining water and, starting at the top of the doorframe, trace a line of droplets down each side and across the threshold, sealing your home in protective, purified energy. The remaining water should be poured at the base of a tree or plant outside your home. Your home is now ready for its next chapter—beautifully renovated, energetically cleared, and harmoniously aligned with your intentions for the future. Welcome home.Julia CancillaEngagement EditorJulia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE Decor, where she manages the brand's social media presence and covers trends, lifestyle, and culture in the design world. Julia built her background at Inked magazine, where she grew their social media audiences by two million, conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, and penned feature articles focusing on pop culture, art and lifestyle. Over her five years of digital media experience, Julia has written about numerous topics, from fashion to astrology.

Courtesy of Robert HartwellEvery item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.I’ve always wanted to visit Great Barrington, Massachusetts, since I first learned in college that it was the birthplace of W.E.B. Du Bois, the legendary Black activist and writer, who lived there from 1868 to 1873. “I was born by a golden river and in the shadow of two great hills,” Du Bois wrote in his autobiography. “Five years after the Emancipation Proclamation.” In many ways his childhood there was idyllic, “a boy’s paradise,” as he called it. And yet even that far north he felt the severe sting of American racism. Sensing from his daily interactions “that some folks, a few, even several, actually considered my brown skin a misfortune,” he turned inward. He soon stopped playing with white children out of fear of rejection.Recently I found myself searching for a 203-year-old house at the bottom of a sloping street near downtown Great Barrington. I was intrigued by Breaking New Ground, a six-part television series on Max that tells the story of Robert Hartwell, a Broadway performer who bought the house in the summer of 2020 as a refuge from the pandemic and in response to national outrage over George Floyd’s death. The series and a special episode last fall on the OWN network showcase Hartwell’s three-and-a-half-year, $1.5 million renovation.Scheherazade TilletHartwell named his living room “Paulette’s Parlor” after his late aunt. The walls are covered in Toussaint Toile, a Schumacher print by Victor Glemaud with scenes depicting Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian revolution.The Colonial-style house was built in 1822 by a local doctor named David Leavenworth. In the 1830s it was purchased by the Russell family, who owned the Berkshire Woolen Company. The house sat in a dilapidated state on the market for a decade before Robert found it as a path to repairing himself.During the height of the pandemic, Hartwell lived alone and became so depressed that the only way his stepmother could convince him to go outside for a walk was to coach him step-by-step on how to leave his Brooklyn apartment. He found solace on a park bench a few blocks away, where he began reading a magazine article on the design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz. The interview focused on how the couple, who have nine children, bought and restored a home in Great Barrington during another period of cataclysmic loss and an outpouring of national grief: 9/11.“When that happened in 2001, New York City was just so dark, and the Novogratz family said they went house hunting in the Berkshires because they wanted a sanctuary,” Hartwell told me when I recently paid him a visit. “That’s when I realized that’s what I’ve always wanted, too. So, while sitting on that bench, I went onto Zillow and typed in ‘Great Barrington.’ This was the third house that I saw. That was on a Saturday. On Monday I found a realtor, came up here, found the key under the rotting column, walked in, and started crying. I felt a sense of belonging and this sacred protection I did not feel in this city. I put in an offer that Tuesday.”His naivete worked to his advantage. He made a cash offer of $379,000 and put his deposit down on Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery, to mark his homeownership as a moment in history and his own life. Hartwell’s house also bears the weight of that history. Du Bois’s mother Mary was a domestic worker in town, and Hartwell believes she may have worked in the house. He also says he discovered that the 1820 federal census listed “free colored persons” as part of Dr. Leavenworth's 13-person household. It was another 50 years before the names of Black people who worked and resided in the house appeared in the census.One way he has addressed this inequality was by permanently removing the symbol of it—a separate servants’ stairwell—whose entry he closed off in his kitchen during the renovation. What’s more, he pays homage to the Black people who took care of the place in the past and for posterity in another way. A document of the census with the identity of one Black servant—John Vanderpool—is enshrined in a frame hanging in the stairwell.Scheherazade TilletFamily photos and a framed census document in the stairhall.Hartwell is over six feet tall, and with his long, gorgeous braided dreadlocks and smooth, deep, rich brown skin, he stands out in this community of 7,000 residents—more than 83 percent of whom are white. His figure easily commands attention, exuding compassion and charm. All of that worked well on the stage for this former Broadway actor, whose credits include Memphis, Motown, and Hello, Dolly! and who now runs the Broadway Collective, a musical theater training company that hosts programs nationwide.Such magnetism and magnanimity shine through in his renovation. He collaborated with Courtney McLeod of Elle Decor A-List firm Right Meets Left Interior Design on the colorful interiors in this four-bedroom house. Right off the entry is “Paulette’s Parlor,” a purple sitting room Hartwell created in honor of his aunt, who died during the pandemic. A lavender and cream wallpaper called Toussaint Toile, made by Schumacher in collaboration with Haitian-American fashion designer Victor Glemaud, wraps around the space. Seen up close, the scenes of Toussaint Louverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution, at work and play, paired with intricate images of the flowers and landscapes native to the country, are striking. But Aunt Paulette’s spirit lives on in the specifics: Robert reupholstered two chairs from her North Carolina home in purple suiting wool and installed crystal knobs from her house on the doors.Scheherazade TilletThe dance studio features Harlequin sprung floors and ballet barres.Upstairs, two exquisite spaces—a dance studio and a children’s bedroom—embody Hartwell’s ambitions for healing and creating. The all-white dance studio is dedicated to his best friend and fellow choreographer and dancer, Darius Barnes, who died in 2022. The professional grade space has Harlequin sprung floors and ballet barres. Hartwell also dreams of having children, and he created a guestroom where he imagines daughters living one day. It features a pair of custom twin beds and walls sheathed in illustrations of Black women in wide-rimmed glasses, natural hair, and petticoat dresses. Hartwell designed the wallpaper with the artist Kendra Dandy and the company Fine and Dandy (no relation).Moving through these rooms, I felt the entire emotional sweep of his house and Hartwell’s take on American history—a grieving of loss and trauma, on the one hand, and a celebration of the way forward, on the other. He is both looking back and envisioning how his surroundings can be fueled by love and filled by those to come.

Nothing strikes terror in the heart of a homeowner like a renovation. Costly change orders. Navigating mistakes made by previous owners. Keeping cool amid disruptions and making sure neighbors do too. Decisions, decisions, decisions! In order to help you prepare for a project of any size, we reached out to the experts: Elle Decor A-List designers who have learned through decades of experience what you should do—and what you certainly should not do—when it comes to renovating. Copy their moves. You’ll thank us later.DON’T: FOLLOW TRENDS“Please do not follow trends,” Young Huh says. “We’ve had enough of the modern farmhouse!” In other words, trends don’t age well. “These designs will look dated over time,” says Mark D. Sikes, “and you’ll find yourself having to renovate again.” DO: BUILD ON HISTORYInstead of following trends, Ghislaine Vinas suggests honoring the history of your home. “If your home has history or has been renovated over the years, try pulling back its original character to serve as a starting point for your renovation,” Vinas says. “Understanding the home’s history can help create a narrative for the look and feel of the home.” DON’T: BUILD ON MISTAKES There’s honoring the house’s history, and then there’s building on bad decisions. Do the former, not the latter, David Kaihoi warns. “Renovation is house healing,” he says. “If someone took a shortcut in the past and made strange soffits or bizarre lighting plans, do not continue down that road. You will always look at those decisions in the future and kick yourself.” Noe DewittThe guest bedroom in a New York home renovated by Redd Kaihoi. DO: CONSIDER YOUR TEAM“Thou shalt not go with the cheapest contractor and not expect multiple change orders,” Michelle Smith says. “Hire a good contractor,” Rayman Boozer warns. “A vision is no good without someone who shares it and can execute it.”In order to find the best team, Miles Redd says to interview as many contractors as you’re able to and always ask to see finished projects in order to understand what they’re able to do. “Trust your gut,” Redd says. “Contractor and client becomes a very intimate relationship, and it is important to have someone who is responsive and understands what you want.” Similarly, Kaihoi says that “even if you feel confident in your team, the exercise of comparing quotes will make you think about the process in a holistic way and unearth details you likely haven’t considered.”Vetting your team shouldn’t include getting design advice from your build crew, says Jessica Davis. “Enlist a designer or architect for this,” Davis says. “Contractors often lack the training on scale and proportion, mixing materials, what is trendy versus classic, and they likely are a bit behind your trusted design professional.”DON’T: MICROMANAGE Finally, once you have the design professional lined up, don’t micromanage the project. “You know the saying about too many chefs in the kitchen,” Sheila Bridges says. “The more people involved, the more communication breaks down, and the more likely mistakes will be made. This ultimately costs more money.” DO: HAVE A PLANOnce you have your team assembled, make sure to have a plan in place. “The worst thing to do,” says Martyn Lawrence Bullard, “is to enter into the work without having an exact plan. That leaves you open to delays and expensive change orders.”Instead, says Young Huh, “be sure of what you want to do: your schemes, details, and color ways, before you start. Be decisive, be bold, and always have a clear plan from the get go. Not having a plan in place is a surefire way to go way over budget.”JASON SCHMIDTThe living room of a Long Island project by Ashe Leandro with a distinct furniture layout. DON’T: CURTIAL IMAGINATION Be logical in your plan making, but, Alexa Hampton advises, be aspirational, too. “You have to study your furniture plans and sort out in advance what you need to live, and also how you’d like to live. That mindset allows functionality to mingle with the magical side of design,” Hampton says.DO: THINK BEYOND THE DECOR“Always include a water recirculating pump,” Peter Dunham says. “It means all your taps have hot water immediately and it saves a lot of water.”“My essential rule for renovations and decoration—actually, all interior design projects—is to consider what the floors look like, and especially the carpets,” Thomas Jayne says. “Floors have the least amount of variables for their design. It is challenging to find and include the perfect flooring or carpet at the end of the project after all the design choices are made. The right floors can immediately transport a room.”Put plywood behind walls that will have hooks, toilet paper holders, or curtain hardware, Michelle Smith says.DON’T: GO OVERBOARD WITH THE LIGHTING“Avoid going overboard with recessed lights,” says William Cullum. “They are a necessary evil, and you want to make sure you can light a room evenly.” Cullum adds that when selecting recessed fixtures, pay attention to the color temperature. “There is nothing more terrifying than turning on an extremely bright, cold, white overhead fixture,” he says. As for additional lighting tips, Kaihoi says that dimmer switches should be everywhere. “If there is a light fixture, let it be dimmable!”DO: KEEP THE PEACE“It always gets worse before it gets better,” Bridges says. To keep calm, Vinas suggests that her clients live somewhere else during the renovations. “The dust and disruptions can become overwhelming for the homeowners. It also allows the general contractor to work faster without people around.”DON’T: FORGET THE NEIGHBORSJean Liu emphasizes how important it is to be respectful of those living around the job site. “Consider sending a note about the anticipated length of the project, and send a token of appreciation for their patience when the job is done,” Liu says. “It will pay off in spades to be friends instead of foes.”And last: “Don’t worry,” Hampton says. “Like childbirth, the pain of renovation will soon be forgotten. Any discomfort you experience will be erased by the lovely life you’ll live once you move in.” Noe DewittThe completed renovation of designer Jean Liu’s Manhattan studio apartment.

Before you pick up that hammer or start sketching out new floor plans, take a seat and grab some popcorn. Renovating your home isn’t just about blueprints and measurements, it’s about finding inspiration, seeing possibilities, and setting the tone for your space. And what better way to ignite your creative spark than by diving into some of cinema’s most iconic interiors and renovation stories? From Tom Hanks’s hilarious take on the pains of a revamp in Money Pit to Diane Lane's heartfelt telling of an impulsive house restoration in Under the Tuscan Sun, these films offer more than just great storytelling—they can reshape how you think about your own home. Ready to binge-watch your way to a renovation masterpiece? Here are 10 movies that will get your design juices flowing.Beetlejuice (1988)© Warner Brothers /courtesy Everett CollectionDelia Deetz throws a memorable dinner party for her city friends.While the hit sequel dominated the box office last year, thanks in large part to production designer Mark Scruton’s gothic reimagining of the underworld (and Connecticut), it’s Tim Burton’s 1988 original that holds a place in my dark, twisted heart. From decorator Otho’s brutal mauve-and-viridian makeover of the normcore Maitlands’ Victorian pile to Delia Deetz’s collectible design-adjacent sculptures-come-to-life, the movie offers something about interiors that so much of our TikTok culture lacks: a real point of view. —Sean SantiagoBaby Boom (1987)Courtesy of MGM StudiosWatching any Nancy Meyers movie is a great idea before embarking on a renovation. The houses in her films are lustworthy (see Kate Winslet’s charming English cottage or Cameron Diaz’s movie star–level Los Angeles abode in The Holiday). High on the list of Meyers’s films to watch before a renovation should be Baby Boom. When J.C. Wiatt (Diane Keaton) leaves her sophisticated, decorated New York City apartment for a house in Vermont, which she bought without seeing it, there is much to learn. The takeaway: Make sure your budget is big enough for the unexpected. After a series of leaks and plumbing failures, Keaton’s character makes more than enough money to repair her house with a booming baby food business. —Bebe HoworthIn the Mood for Love (2000)©Miramax//EverettThis Wong Kar-wai masterpiece isn’t about a renovation per se, but it does start with a serendipitous moving day in Hong Kong in 1961. Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) are next door neighbors in a bustling apartment building. When they discover their spouses are having an affair, the pair develop a relationship of their own. The forbidden romance is just one facet of this film’s aching beauty. The rooms, though not luxurious, are jewel boxes, thanks to Christopher Doyle’s seductive cinematography and interiors defined by dark red drapes, abstract wallpaper, delicate jadeite dishes, and Su’s body-hugging cheongsams. Chow and Su’s seductive pas de deux, captured in mirrors and through yellow-painted door frames, blossoms in their apartment’s cramped halls and in the dark, narrow streets of ’60s Hong Kong. It’s a movie that’s chock-full of secrets—the alluring sets are just the start. —Anna FixsenInteriors (1978) Entertainment Pictures//AlamyIn Woody Allen’s Interiors, precision and perfection are just a small step from psychosis. The film is no stranger to Allen’s infamously poor treatment of women—basically all the female characters struggle with some sort of mental or emotional infirmity—but the exquisite taste of the lead character, an interior designer named Eve, is another matter. Her home is sumptuously minimal—a lesson in sophisticated restraint and color theory. As she adjusts and readjusts her interiors, we are driven to consider the purpose of endless editing. Is Eve’s need for pleasant proportions the sign of an adept expert or is it an expression of her anxiety amid a crumbling marriage and the neglect of her family? When renovating we usually expect delayed timelines and broken vases to send us over the edge, but what if that very quest for visual perfection is the last straw? —Camille Okhio Mother! (2017)Courtesy of Paramount PicturesThink your renovation plans are stressful? Step into the twisted world of Mother!, where Jennifer Lawrence’s character discovers that renovations are the least of her problems. This psychological nightmare follows a young wife meticulously restoring her poet husband’s Victorian mansion, only to watch her domestic dreams implode as uninvited guests invade her space, and her beloved’s attention drifts. Fair warning: Darren Aronofsky’s fever dream of architectural horror may not offer practical DIY tips, but it will certainly put your own renovation woes into perspective. After all, at least your walls aren't bleeding…yet. —Julia CancillaIt’s Complicated (2009)Courtesy of Universal PicturesPour yourself a glass of wine and settle in for the ultimate pre-renovation comfort watch. It’s Complicated follows Jane (Meryl Streep), a successful bakery owner with an enviable Santa Barbara home who finds herself in a steamy affair with her ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) while simultaneously falling for her charming architect, Adam (Steve Martin). Between planning her dream kitchen renovation and navigating romantic entanglements, Jane finds her perfectly ordered life descending into delicious chaos. This film serves up the perfect blend of laughs, love, and interior design porn. —Julia CancillaMr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)Bettmann//Getty ImagesIf you’ve ever looked for real estate, built a house, dealt with contractors, or renovated a house, every joke in this classic comedy will hit home. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House tells the story of ad executive Jim Blandings (Cary Grant) and his family, who have fled their New York apartment for the Connecticut countryside. The family purchases a dilapidated farmhouse and embarks on a renovation project from their worst nightmares. Not only is this film brimming with a star cast (including Melvyn Douglas and Myrna Loy), it’s replete with many a scene that will have you laughing and nodding your head in relatability. If you can’t get enough of this lovable story, make it a double feature by watching The Money Pit, an adaptation inspired by Mr. Blandings starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. —Rachel Silva The Money Pit (1986)Sunset Boulevard//Getty ImagesHey Zillow zealots, want to buy a mansion for $200,000? Watch The Money Pit first. If the Oscars (or more likely the Golden Globes) had an award for Best Renovation Movie, this one would have cleaned up. The 1986 classic stars Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a young couple who buy a listing that is too good to be true—after viewing it, suspiciously, by candlelight. Taking Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House as his inspiration, director Richard Benjamin hilariously ups the ante—from the exploding doorbell to the collapse of the main Colonial-style staircase to the clawfoot tub filling up with disgusting sludge. In the effort to rebuild, Hanks and Long’s relationship nearly collapses too—an experience relatable to any couple undergoing a renovation. Caveat emptor. —Ingrid AbramovitchRosemary’s Baby (1968)Silver Screen Collection//Getty ImagesNot that you want the whole story to happen to you, but Rosemary’s Baby is one of my favorite movies to watch and think about when it comes to renovations, new beginnings, and the meaning and emotional promise that starting work on a new house holds. The movie depicts a newlywed couple making a home together; we are taken step by step from the blank, echoing, gloomy interiors of the Dakota to the cheerful announcement by Mia Farrow of additions of wallpaper and white paint, to the result: brightness and young energy as the defining impression in all the rooms. Director Roman Polanski very deliberately sets up the progress on their apartment as a timekeeper of the story and a trick on us, since as it gets more cheerful events grow darker. (Visually, the whole thing reminds me of Elsie de Wolfe, actually, and her effect on design at the beginning of the 20th century.) I’m not talking about this movie showing you which shade of white to pick, I’m talking about the real power behind a renovation: the dreams. It’s all in there. —David Netto Life as a House (2001)©New Line Cinema//EverettWhile it’s likely that your renovation will require many a therapy session afterward, it could also be the therapy. In Irwin Winkler’s Life as a House, jaded architectural model fabricator George Monroe (Kevin Kline) is diagnosed with terminal cancer. With a time limit on his life, he decides to demolish the shack left to him by his father and build his own custom house. He decides to take custody of his misanthropic teenage son, bringing him into the project and slowly reconnecting with him through it. If you need a reason to feel some kind of higher purpose in breaking down walls, this film will deliver that in spades. —Rachel Silva Something’s Gotta Give (2003) Courtesy of Warner Bros PicturesIt’s hard for me to just choose one film. I’m obsessed with anything by Nancy Meyers and Woody Allen! These directors’ films offer a master class in the details that transform a house into a home. Meyers’s signature kitchen porn—from Something’s Gotta Give’s Hamptons heaven to The Parent Trap’s London townhouse—has launched countless Pinterest boards and renovation dreams. Meanwhile, such Allen films as Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters showcase the aspirational yet attainable prewar apartments that define urban sophistication, complete with book-lined walls, original architectural details, and the most beautiful wood floors. These aren’t just sets, they’re blueprints for creating spaces that feel both elevated and effortlessly homey. —William Li Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)©Touchstone Pictures//Everett“Stop the bus!” This is the Diane Lane movie—based on the book of the same name by Frances Mayes—that launched a million escapist fantasies about buying a crumbling villa in Italy. For anyone even slightly susceptible (we are legion), it is hard to unsee the apricot stucco house in its overgrown Mediterranean garden in this 2003 classic and not imagine ourselves in Lane’s sneakers. The story, loosely based on Mayes’s, follows Lane’s writer character as she recovers from a bad divorce and heads to Tuscany on a bus tour. As she passes through the town of Cortona, she notices a sign for a house for sale. This is the Hollywood version of restoring a 400-year-old house, with an adorable contractor and lovable workers who bring a shine to the villa’s terra-cotta floors and frescoed walls. —Ingrid Abramovitch

What makes a kitchen “Scandinavian”? The style is celebrated for its clever incorporation of natural light—essential in northern climates with long, dark winters—as well as light, neutral color palettes. Wood is dominant while textiles like linen, cotton, and the rogue sheepskin can be thrown in the mix to add texture and comfort. Touches of stone, leather, and ceramics reinforce an organic, earthy aesthetic.Of course, it’s not all about looks: there’s also an emphasis on functionality, with sensible, no-nonsense layouts to make food prep and clean up easy. Trying to get your own Scandinavian kitchen? Luckily, you don’t need to renovate to bring the look home. Below, we’ve rounded up fifteen ideas to make your own cook space feel more cool, calm, and collected: in other words, Scandi.1Wabi SabiWilliam Jess LairdEarth tones are a hallmark of Scandinavian design. These muted hues blend seamlessly with the wooden finishes and the natural light flooding the space. Open shelving prioritizes accessibility while showcasing tableware and décor in a curated, clutter-free manner.2Bright and LightWilliam Jess LairdNatural light plays a central role in this space, with large windows and skylights maximizing brightness. Stainless steel appliances and a black countertop provide a modern contrast while ensuring durability and easy maintenance, while the hanging pot rack showcases tools as both functional and decorative elements.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Rustic Farmhouse Douglas FriedmanRustic wood elements like the weathered table and stools bring warmth and texture to this otherwise crisp kitchen. This contrast emphasizes the Scandinavian love for natural and organic materials, connecting the interior to nature while ensuring the space feels inviting and livable.4Soft SageDouglas FriedmanThis soft sage green kitchen in a Sonoma, California estate designed by Ken Fulk creates a calm and welcoming atmosphere, while the chevron pattern adds a touch of texture and craftsmanship. Attention to details, such as the brass fixtures and pendant light, infuses the space with warmth.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5MonochromaticDouglas FriedmanIn this kitchen by Nicole Hollis, the cabinetry, absent hardware and defined by clean lines, emphasizes simplicity. The monochromatic color palette, dominated by soft beige and light wood tones, not only keeps the design cohesive but also brightens the space.6Compact and SubtleKirsten FrancisThis kitchen by Augusta Hoffman features a marble backsplash that acts as a subtle yet elegant focal point, adding texture and visual interest while maintaining the space’s overall clean and airy look. Integrated task lighting enhances the space's functionality while glass paneling introduces openness and increased light.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Modern and DurableSimon WilsonIn the kitchen of a New Zealand home with interiors by Jenni Kayne, the gray limestone kitchen island is paired with barstools by BDDW for a modern touch that maintains the softness of the overall design. The grey limestone kitchen island, contrasted with pendants by Rose Uniacke, aligns with Scandinavian principles of incorporating durable materials to ensure functionality without sacrificing beauty.8High-ContrastMagdalena BjörnsdotterWhite walls create a bright, airy atmosphere and reflect natural light in this minimalist design. Black accents, such as the chair cushions, decorative lantern, and hardware, create contrast while the pendant light, crafted from natural wood, brings an organic touch that softens the space and ties it to the Scandinavian affinity for incorporating natural elements. 9Sleek and SimpleRikki SnyderThis kitchen design is balanced by touches of subtle detailing, such as the shiplap ceiling and subway tile backsplash, which add quiet textural interest without overwhelming the minimalist palette. Functionality is a key feature, as demonstrated by the practical yet stylish central island, which provides ample workspace and seating.10Mid-CenturyTrevor TondroIndoor greenery and a bold monstera leaf vase add natural texture and a pop of color to this minimalist Scandinavian kitchen. Combined with functional elements like seamless cabinetry and a practical island, these features strike a perfect balance between utility and beauty.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11California ModernTrevor TondroIn the Los Angeles home of Sophia Bush, a mid-century George Nelson light fixture and stools from the Danish brand HAY are juxtaposed against a sheepskin stool and bright foliage for a perfectly Scandinavian vibe.12Eclectic and PracticalTrevor TondroOpen shelving lends a practical yet stylish element to this kitchen, showcasing neatly arranged mugs and utensils without cluttering the space. The clean white cabinetry with recessed handles emphasizes simplicity as much as usefulness.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Modern FarmhouseMICHAEL CLIFFORDIn the kitchen of the Jenni Kayne Farmhouse, large windows reinforce the connection to nature while a simple Roman shade adds privacy while maintaining the minimalist aesthetic. Decorative touches—such as the ceramic vases and soft lighting—imbue the space with a cozy, lived-in feel without detracting from the clean design.14English CountryAdrian GautThe kitchen of this Houston home, designed by Ashe Leandro, features light blue cabinetry that creates a calm, inviting atmosphere, while also introducing subtle color to the neutral overall palette—a common approach in Scandinavian interiors to maintain serenity while avoiding monotony. The butcher block countertop on the island adds warmth and texture, while the rattan bar stools bring a sense of casual, rustic charm to the space.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Moody and RichChris MottaliniSlatted details introduce a handcrafted, organic quality that softens the otherwise clean and contemporary lines of the cabinetry in this Scandinavian kitchen. The use of rich, dark marble for the countertops and islands creates a striking contrast to the lighter wood tones of the cabinetry and exposed beams.Sean SantiagoDeputy EditorSean Santiago is ELLE Decor's Deputy Editor, covering news, trends and talents in interior design, hospitality and travel, culture, and luxury shopping. Since starting his career at an interior design firm in 2011, he has gone on to cover the industry for Vogue, Architectural Digest, Sight Unseen, PIN-UP and Domino. He is the author of The Lonny Home (Weldon Owens, 2018), has produced scripted social content for brands including West Elm and Streeteasy, and is sometimes recognized on the street for his Instagram Reels series, #DanceToDecor

When James Huniford founded Housing Works’ annual Design on a Dime benefit two decades ago, the ELLE DECOR A-List designer had no idea that the event would quickly become one of the marquee affairs in the New York design calendar. During that first year in 2005, says Huniford, “a small handful of designers came together at Housing Works' Gramercy Thrift Shop to create modest but wonderfully chic displays made up of donated décor treasures—all sold for a dime.”Courtesy of Housing WorksDesigner James Huniford (left) and Billy Cotton at the 2017 Design on a Dime opening night. The dimes added up quickly and the money raised (over $24 million to date) goes to a crucial cause: New York City-based Housing Works is a nonprofit dedicated to ending HIV/AIDS and homelessness. “It was a small first step,” says Huniford, who after two decades remains the event’s chair. “But evidently it was a strong one, because Design on a Dime grew stronger every year.” This spring, Design on a Dime is celebrating its 20th anniversary with its biggest celebration yet. The 2025 event kicks off on April 23 with a gala dinner and awards ceremony honoring designers Nate Berkus, Jeremiah Brent, and Alessandra Branca, along with Bloomingdale’s and journalist and longtime Housing Works supporter Tamron Hall. Design on a Dime’s opening night is the next evening, with a VIP hour from 5:30-6:30 pm, and general admission and sale from 6:30-9:30 pm. The free public shopping days are April 25 and 26. Courtesy of Housing WorksRayman Boozer of Apartment 48 created this vignette for Design on a Dime in 2024. For design devotees (and anyone in search of unmatchable décor deals), the April 24 sale and party are not to be missed. That’s where some of the top interior designers in the business—including ELLE DÉCOR A-Listers Mark Cunningham, Redd Kahoi, Yellow House Architects, Ghislaine Vinas, Danielle Colding, Robert Couturier, Nick Olsen, Leyden Lewis, and Richard Mishaan—will be creating model rooms filled with donated merchandise (marked up to 80 percent off retail prices) from companies like Ralph Lauren Home and Bloomingdale’s. Gary GershoffThe line for Design on a Dime in 2019. The event is held at New York’s Metropolitan Pavilion. Over the years, the vignettes have become all the more elaborate as designers try to outcompete one another. One year, Ken Fulk reimagined the Housing Works Bookstore as a Downton Abbey-esque library, complete with a living Adonis at the threshold. Another time, Eddie Lee created a scene in wood veneer and cinnamon velvet inspired by the French decorator Francois Catroux. Meanwhile, the duo behind Pappas Miron whipped up a Bordeaux-colored salon that conjured a 1920s speakeasy in Left Bank Paris. “The vignettes are Design on a Dime’s heart, genius, and joy,” Huniford says. “Designers coax blue-chip décor donations from dealers, galleries, shops, showrooms, and brands. Then, like sorcerers, they forge incredible interiors. They are like museum-worthy design dioramas but much better because you can shop from them!” Courtesy of Housing WorksAlessandra Branca created this back cushion in Schumacher fabrics for Design on a Dime’s 2025 Pillow Talk auction. This year will feature the debut of two new offerings. First, Pillow Talk, a collection of pillows in an assortment of Schumacher fabrics, by 50 designers, including Sheila Bridges and Billy Cotton (available in an online auction ending on April 24). There will also be a Brunschwig & Fils Bazaar, with five rooms draped in the fabric house’s textiles and designed by Robert Couturier, Sarah Vaile, Roxy Owens, Isabel Ladd, and Nick Olsen. For Huniford, Design on a Dime showcases both the creativity of the design community and its generosity and sense of caring. “AIDS perseveres as a hideous menace locally and certainly globally,” he notes. “And for people of my generation working in fields like design—that were previously literally decimated by AIDS—we'll always be compelled to remember —and love—who we lost, while looking out for organizations like Housing Works who have served and are serving still on the frontlines on so many critical causes in addition to AIDS.” Ingrid AbramovitchExecutive Editor, ELLE DecorIngrid Abramovitch, the Executive Editor at ELLE Decor, writes about design, architecture, renovation, and lifestyle, and is the author of several books on design including Restoring a House in the City.

Courtesy Ralph LaurenOnly one man could swing into the heart of Milan with a confident American swagger: Ralph Lauren. At this most recent design week, that’s exactly what he did. At the Ralph Lauren Palazzo, he showcased the greatest hits of his home collections from over the years (think NYC penthouse to Jamaican retreat to English country estate) alongside a brand new one, Canyon Road. As the name implies, it’s an homage to Lauren’s beloved American West, with ranch-ready motifs throughout. Materials like hand-worked saddle leather, brass nails, and sturdy oak are included in such pieces as an impressive dining table and chair and wing-backed armchairs. A showstopping triple-tier chandelier is crafted from naturally-shed antlers. And an end table takes inspiration from traditional steamer trunks, complete with saddle-leather belt buckles. Courtesy Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren’s Canyon Road collection. The fabrics were made in collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren Artist in Residence Naiomi Glasses and her brother Tyler. “The Canyon Road Collection speaks to my longtime love of the American West—the heroic beauty of its landscapes, its unique heritage and the Indigenous people who have been part of preserving its lands and traditions for centuries,” says Lauren. “Bringing the most authentic expression of the West to life means working with the artisans practicing these traditions and sharing their stories with the world.” This year marks the third time that Ralph Lauren has collaborated with Polo Ralph Lauren Artist in Residence Naiomi Glasses. This time, she recruited her brother, Tyler, and together with Lauren they created fabrics, floor coverings, bed linens, and even pewter entertaining accessories such as trays, napkin rings, and salt-and-pepper shakers. Courtesy Ralph LaurenThe Canyon Road fabrics, in a home office setting. The Glasses’ work includes neutral, red, black, and indigo tones, which reference Navajo traditional hues. The siblings were taught to weave by their grandmother, and they employ motifs that she also used, including horizontal diamonds and four-directional crosses. The latter signifies the four directions of the Earth, while the Spider Woman crosses, which appear on a blanket, throw pillow, and entertaining pieces, reference the creator and protector of the Navajo tradition. One pattern is even named Peppy’s Blanket after a family horse from the Glasses ranch, and features butterfly diamonds after an original saddle blanket by Tyler Glasses. “Navajo weaving is a craft that has carried on through my family for seven generations and preserving these traditions in new ways has been so inspiring to me as an artist,” said Glasses when first iteration of the collaboration was introduced. “To now be able to share it with people around the world, as seen through my eyes and brought to life, is a dream come true.”

Courtesy MinottiMilan Design Week is an embarrassment of riches—everywhere you turn there seems to be another striking, bold seating arrangement or beautifully hand-painted plate. It's easy for standout items to get lost in the sheer vastness of design's biggest week. This year, as major industry players from home, fashion, and jewelry gathered in Italy's design capital, it felt like the number of outstanding pieces, installations, and experiences multiplied tenfold. To narrow things down a bit, we here at Elle Decor asked our editors to share their favorite picks. After a week of scouring by-appointment-only events, elegant showrooms, and, of course, Salone del Mobile and the Fuorisalone, here's what they chose. BuccellatiCourtesy BuccellatiI gasped as I walked through the mid-Milan dream that Buccellati created for this collection. I had seen the house’s beautiful home collection before—and coveted that bamboo silverware—but I had never before witnessed such large scale Buccellati figures, and with all that Italian handcraftsmanship intact. The ambition and beauty of it all was something to behold, and, ultimately why we all go to Milan and Salone. —Stellene Volandes, Editorial & Brand DirectorPoltrona FrauElisa Lipsky-KaraszThe Poltrona Frau showroom is in an incredible historic palazzo in the center of Milan, which they have carefully restored. It was a treat to walk through and visit their private rooms on the upper floors. The juxtaposition of the elaborate Italian frescoes and a very restrained Teahouse collection in one room was especially striking. The serene calm amidst the hubbub of Salone madness was a welcome respite. I especially loved a clever cupboard with hinged shelves that opened to reveal all the elements needed for a traditional tea ceremony. —Elisa Lipsky-Karasz, head of editorial content.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowMolteni&CElisa Lipsky-KaraszGio Ponti, Gio Ponti, Gio Ponti! I will never tire of the great Italian master, especially in Milan, which feels like the perfect setting for his timeless creations. Molteni&C staged an exhibition of his wondrous “Impossible Objects” in the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, which showed his mischievous, absurdist side. Meanwhile, across the street in their newly renovated palazzo headquarters, I wished for this aerodynamic, seemingly weightless D.847.1 desk originally designed in 1947—it seems like it would make all my deadlines fly. —ELK​​Dozie KanuCourtesy Dozie KanuOff the Milan Design Week hidden path and up a curving set of stairs was an intervention by Dozie Kanu at Galleria Federico Vavassori, “not opposed to tossing bricks into the quotidian, your honor.” A steel and aluminum handrail extends the full length of the gallery’s three exhibition rooms, grounding visitors and controlling their movement. Kanu’s work is decidedly fine art, though sometimes with a dual functional purpose (see his sculpture in Knoll’s Salone booth), after all what is design if not tools to direct our movement? In a week of the brand new, shiny plastic seating, derivative works based on past classics, Kanu’s reuse of found and discarded materials is a breath of fresh air. Doubly so as the works on view take on a cosmic, otherworldly skin in Kanu’s hands. As the shows title suggest, Kanu’s highly emotional works are meant to disrupt. And thank God they do. —Camille Okhio, senior design writer.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowSam Baron for Dior HomeCourtesy DiorAt the Dior store on Milan’s Corso Venezia, the French designer Sam Baron exhibited three limited edition vases inspired by Christian Dior’s fascination with botany and gardens. The intricate pieces, designed by Baron and hand-blown by Italian artisan Massimo Lunardon, are delicate feats of glass, with ribbed vases intertwined with petals on branches. “They are part of a numbered edition of eight, which was Mr. Dior’s favorite number,” notes Baron. Also on view was Baron’s collection of glass objects for Dior Maison, out this fall, encompassing everything from wine goblets to carafes. —Ingrid Abramovitch, executive editor .Hermès en Contrepoint Dinner ServiceAnnie GoldsmithThis thirty-three piece kaolin white porcelain table service is subtly, but characteristically, Hermès. Each piece is lined with colorful friezes—from purples to sages to a muted canary yellow. They’re playful and geographic, painted in watercolor by the artist Nigel Peake, and designed to mimic a musical meter. Certainly, any food displayed on these plates is undoubtedly sure to sing. —Annie Goldsmith, senior editor & digital leadAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowCompletedworks at AlcovaCourtesy CompletedworksThe London-based accessories brand Completedworks showed furniture for the first time at Alcova, recontextualizing motifs found in their jewelry and ceramics in pieces like a cast-bronze chair modeled in fabric and re-created in metal through lost-wax casting (pictured) and a hand-built and sculpted console, stool, and coffee table made from clay, wood, and polystyrene in a silver nitrate mirror finish. —Sean Santiago, deputy editor.Adrien Home Office Desk, PoliformCourtesy PoliformLooking to ditch the dining table and finally upgrade to a home office desk worthy of a corporate high rise corner office? You and Jean-Marie Massaud had the same idea. The designer has reimagined the classic Adrien table from Poliform and created the brand’s first piece designed specifically for WFH bliss. High end amenities like a built-in embroidered leather desk pad, cable management and an integrated side drawer unit will keep any home office work tidy and chic. Of course, custom sizing is available upon request. —Benjamin Reynaert, market director Formafantasma and Cassinacourtesy FormafantasmaFor a practice rooted so stolidly in research and data, Italian design duo Formafantasma has cultivated a deeply lighthearted oeuvre. Same goes for the projects they conceive in collaboration. This year the designers conceived a performance “Staging Modernity’ in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand’s collections for Cassina. The happening took place at Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, a classic, cinematic break to showrooms and galleries. Among red velvet folding cinema chairs, several platforms were erected with backdrops that mimicked the natural world and sculptures in the shape of lambs and rams. Performers repeated lines that emphasized humanities link to the animal kingdom, as they swung and stretched over Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Perriand-designed chairs and chaises. The performance was a poignant reminder of how closely life imitates art. —CO Objects of Common InterestPiercarlo QuecchiaGreek design duo Objects of Common Interest are often Milan Design Week's most prolific participants. This year they had six projects on view of which two in particular referenced their history as designers and people. At Alcova’s Villa Borsani location “Voids Rollers,” presented with curator Joy Herrero and gallery The Breeder, extended the studio’s investigation of movement via resins, rubbers, and melting materials. Several lights, stools, vases and pedestals, leaned on walls, hung precariously off shelves, and moved with each curious visitors touch. A short walk away in the gardens of Villa Bagatti Valsecch’s Pasino Glasshouses the duo showed a truly remarkable suite of marble works “Soft Horizons” quarried entirely from Greece. Some marble even came from the same quarry to supply the Acropolis. Sea, sun and land were represented by moving columns mounted in water and a sound installation by ODA. Both installations were a melody for material, encouraging visitors to consider the vast and poetic possibilities of our material universe. —COAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowLee Broom for LladróCourtesy Lladró x Lee BroomLladró showed Cascade, its lighting collection created in collaboration with British designer Lee Broom, as part of Euroluce 2025. Inspired by traditional paper lanterns, the porcelain lights were shown in a custom-designed installation, hung in clusters in a mirrored “dark room” meant to pay homage to the emotive power of lanterns. Technically limited by shrinkage, Broom worked with the Spanish heritage brand’s artisans to push the fussy material to its limits. Known for its colorful collaborations with artists like Jaime Hayon and SupaKitch, Lladró ultimately let Broom be his “modular, monochrome self,” resulting in three distinct silhouettes that can be combined vertically in multiple configurations. —SSRimadesioCourtesy of RimadesioLong known as an interior designer and architect’s secret weapon for the finest built-in wardrobes, custom doors, and room dividers, Rimadesio took the big step of launching a new line of freestanding furniture last week designed by Guiseppe Bavuso. One standout: the Sinua chair which comes available as a dining or lounge chair and available in multiple finishes and materials. A lower magnetic back cushion is also available, helping to keep this piece always looking neat and put together. —BR Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowThe Library Project by Eleftheria Tseliou GalleryPiergiorgio SorgettiIn a quiet corner room at Alcova’s Villa Borsani, lucky visitors were surprised by a library of sorts. Instead of seats and desks, each artist-made book was presented by Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery on glass pedestals, with plastic gloves available to use as you sifted through each volume. Some books, like David Sampethai’s gorgeous tome 'For the Small Price of Your Soul,' showed page after page of unique monotypes suggesting the cosmic toll of transactions in the modern world. Another artist, Iannis Ganas, presented “The Runners,” a hand drawn typography quoting Paul Auster that could be read by the turn of a knob. With each turn the reader is confronted with running as a metaphor for the ending of life. —CONendo for MinottiCourtesy MinottiGracious, undulating curves repeat across the front and the seat backs of the Saki armless sofa designed by Oki Sato, chief designer of Nendo which has been collaborating with Minotti since 2017. The Saki collection features lacquered, almost floating seat backs that elegantly support the rear upright cushions. This poetic piece is poised to become one of the next “it” sofas. Its clean form and trim proportions allow this piece to fit nicely into smaller urban scale dwellings while its flexible design can also expand to fill larger rooms. —BR Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowCarlo Scarpa at Sofia ZeviCourtesy of Sofia Zevi.In the series of Chiarastella Cattana-lined cabinets that comprise Sofia Zevi’s gallery one held a particularly precious surprise. Nestled among tiny, rotund dishes was a green “Torchon” mirror mounted in Venini Murano glass designed by Carlo Scarpa in the 1930s. Like a snakeskin in glass, the circular ribbed frame of the mirror curves in waves set in a brass stand. The glass dishes surrounding the mirror fit comfortably in the center of your hand, in candy colors, fit for a single piece of candy. Beyond this cabinet the gallery was showing astounding contemporary glassware by Akira Hara and lighting fit for NASA by The Back Studio. —COLaila Gohar with MarimekkoSean DavidsonAs far as the story goes, we aren’t supposed to have our cake and eat it too. But Laila Gohar makes sure everyone eats, all the time, even if the cake in question doesn’t appear to be a cake at first sight. The glamorous Egyptian food artist partnered with Marimekko this year on a room-sized bed outfitted in textiles she selected from Marimekko’s archives. The colorful, candy-hued stripes were originally designed by Maija Isola and now stretch the full length of the Teatro Litta foyer where the bed was displayed. Gohar took the surrealist installation one step further by baking and serving a twin mattress-sized cake: the twin of it’s fabric counterparts. So now, not only can you have your cake and eat it, you can do so in bed, and if you’re lucky Gohar might be there to join you. —COAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowOfficine GulloCourtesy Officine GulloStepping into the distinctive Officine Gullo showroom was like being transported to lazy days at sea. The Italian brand synonymous with luxury kitchens has dedicated their newest offerings at Salone to the growing yachting industry. Since kitchens on boats tend to be hidden away below deck, as it were, Officine Gullo puts the kitchen on display, making it the new heart of the home, at sea. —BRPierre Frey courtesy Pierre FreyIn addition to the colorful JC De Catelbajac pavilion erected along Via Fatebenefratelli, Pierre Frey also quietly launched a new collection of “Betty” dining chairs equally influenced by Gio Ponti and the sets of Mad Men. Available with and without arms, these pieces can be used around a table, desk or beyond, as the look smart from all angles and mix well with other furniture in living spaces too. I’m particularly fond of the structured base, the little kink in the rear leg and the idea of upholstering each one in a different colored fabric. —BRAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowArflexCourtesy ArflexLike a loafer from The Row, the leather ruching details give the classic 1970s Marius&Marius sofa a distinctive style for those in the know, which is why I’m delighted that Arflex is bringing this piece back. Designed by Mario Marenco, this generously proportioned sofa calls for all of the good things that signify Italian design, comfort and originality packaged in a chic, iconic profile. —BR MeridianiCourtesy MeridianiOrganic shapes combined with glossy lacquer make this new desk as covetable as a Perriand. Equally viable as a desk, console or even a small dining table in a city apartment, the chunky proportions and graceful curves give this piece a certain presence that stands out in a room but can also mix well with antiques and vintage furnishings too. —BR

This year's Salone del Mobile has come to an end, but the show’s biggest trends are just starting to reverberate throughout the industry. From the fairground to the showrooms—and even occasionally the streets—ELLE Decor’s editors were on the scene to scout out the latest from the world’s biggest names in interior design. From rugs and textiles to window treatments and seating, here’s what we’re keeping an eye on from Milan Design Week.1Archivist Chiccourtesy DedarIt often takes a discerning designer to pull out fresh ideas from a historic archive. Such was the case last week in Milan, where Caterina and Raffaele Fabrizio, CEO and creative director of Dedar, presented “Weaving Anni Albers,” a collection culled from the Josef and Annie Albers Foundation including five jacquard fabrics. Situated high atop the sixteenth floor of the polarizing Torres Velasca, built in a brutalist style in the early 1950s by BBPR Architecture, the designers showcased each design as if examined through an archivist’s lens, complete with historic documents, old televisions and metal filing cabinets filled with neatly organized ephemera from the foundation. Each textile was showcased on looms, providing the viewer different vantage points to experience the texture, light and color within the orderly space and protecting the spirit of hand weaving craft traditions. –Benjamin Reynaert, Market Director2Unconventional Couchingrui_ t-space studioThe LIL daybed and ottoman, designed by Christophe Delcourt for Jerome Aumont’s Collection Particulière, were a potent mix of whimsy and practicality, shown floated in the midst of the showroom floor like plump twin islands. The two asymmetrical forms complement each other even when not pieced together like a puzzle, allowing for various freeform seating arrangements. I was reminded of designer Rebecca Korner’s Lagoon modular sofa series for the Invisible Collection, composed of sculptural pieces that hold their own from every angle. On the other end of the spectrum, Hem’s modular Great Sofa (pictured), designed by Philippe Malouin, was installed two-deep along one wall, effectively turning the sofa into a giant mattress. All fun new ways to think about communal seating. –Sean Santiago, Deputy EditorAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3You're So Vain (And So Are We!)Annie GoldsmithAt Fendi Casa we saw a particularly luxe 70’s style vanity, which looks like a simple, yet beautiful, small table and unfurls into a mirror, leather chair and desk with cabinets on each side. At Baxter, as well, a semi-circular violet vanity was shown with an ovular mirror perched on an elevated shelf. Perhaps TikTok “Get Ready With Me” videos have ushered in the return of the luxury vanity—makeup routines are no longer confined to bathroom counters, but rather on display, on a buttery leather surface, ready for filming. –Annie Goldsmith, Senior Editor4The Joy of Gathering (and Eating)Jere ViinikainenBirds of a feather flock together—especially at Milan Design Week when there is food involved. To celebrate her upcoming bedroom-themed capsule collection with Marimekko, food artist Laila Gohar created a giant “bed-in” consisting of dozens of mattresses pushed together and dressed in the brand’s classic Maija Isola-designed striped sheets. In classic Gohar fashion, the event had an edible trompe l’oeil—the twin bed on the corner turned out to be a cake. Over at 5Vie, Carolina Levi of Rome’s Spazio Giallo Interiors curated an exhibit, Prendete & Mangiate (Take and Eat), consisting of a long banquet table set with color-drenched glassware and vessels by emerging designers. One had the sense that a wonderful meal had just ended—even the tiny house flies (by Utol Ceramica) on the table were made of clay. –Ingrid Abramovitch, Executive EditorAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Work/Life BalanceStellene VolandesSo many chairs and sofas you really want to sink into, but then gorgeous monumental desks like this one from Poltrona Frau that I’m calling Chairman of the Board. –Stellene Volandes, Editorial Director6Lamps-a-Go-GoCourtesy BocciPortable lighting is all the rage these days, with brands quick to introduce increasingly sophisticated versions of take-away lamps. Lasvit introduced a new to-go version of its Miles lamp, designed by the Elle Decor A-List firm Yabu Pushelberg; Issey Miyake unveiled its O-Series portable lights, developed with Japanese manufacturer Ambientec; and Lee Broom showcased a portable version of his sculptural Cascade series, produced in partnership with Lladro. And while not new, it was newsworthy to see Bocci recontextualize its sleek 14p table lamp, introduced in 2023, as part of an installation designed by The Future Perfect’s David Alhadeff to celebrate the brand’s 20th-anniversary. –SSAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below7Office HoursRomain LapradeBeni presented Intersection, a new collection of rugs by Studio Ko, in a crumbling former textiles factory. Displayed amongst an abundance of artfully arranged papers, typewriters, fax machines and chic office-inspired furniture mingle with responsibly woven rugs featuring five distinct weaving techniques. Heading back to the office has never been more appealing. –BR8Green Thumbscourtesy Marcin RusakGarden fever was a constant theme at Milan Design Week. At Laboratorio Paravicini’s ceramics workshop, a new dish series—Jardin a l’Italienne—featured stylized patterns of topiaries and hedges. In Alcova’s Villa Borsani, Japanese brand Noritake showed porcelain pieces hand-painted with roses by Faye Toogood, who was named the Elle Deco Designer of 2025, and who grows roses at her country home in England. The biggest botanical statement goes to Polish designer Marcin Rusak, whose site-specific Alcova installation in an antique orchid house on the grounds of Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, in Varedo, featured massive light sculptures shaped like orchids in varying states of decay. –IA

Grace Cary//Getty ImagesEvery item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.Spring is here, in all its bright if chilly optimism. Tulips and daffodils and hyacinth are everywhere. And you know what that means: it's time to start planning your home refresh. If you're doing Easter, you've probably got bunnies on the brain–dyed eggs (or potatoes?); chocolates, pastel everything. While choosing a chic Easter table arrangement is paramount for brunches to come, let's not forget the front door. That's right, it's Easter wreath season. Here you'll find 18 of our favorites, from classic floral styles to unexpected designs. 1The Holiday Aisle® The daisy grapevine$60 at WayfairIf you're on the clutter aesthetic train, this wreath is for you. Made from artificial flowers and foliage to look plucked from an English garden, this wreath says warm-weather bounty, and a good time. 2Primrue Preserved lavender wreathNow 36% Off$118 $76 at WayfairThis wreath, made from preserved lavender, adds a touch of pastoral flair to any door. It says cottage-core, French countryside, and of course, Easter. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Farmers’ market herb wreath$140 at Williams SonomaIt looks and smells4Citrus grove dried wreath$138 at TerrainWhen it's the return of the sun you're hoping to capture, a dried botanical arrangement filled with yellow is the move. No plastic, no eggs. A hint of green. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5GiGAWOOD Spring Artificial Wildflower Wreath$18 at AmazonLean into color and the summer season to come with this wildflower wreath. Made with artificial materials, it will stay bright long after Easter. It's also one of the more affordable options, so try adding it to multiple doors, inside and out, for full spring impact. 6Lemon vine iron wreath$78 at TerrainNot everyone loves fake flowers, no matter how well executed. If this is you, check out this handmade iron wreath. With a pop of color and a weathered finish, it says spring, holiday and rustic, elegantly. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Easter peony wreath$169 at EtsyThis faux-floral wreath, featuring the star of spring, the peony, is ideal for mounting high on the side of a house, door or barn; from a distance, it reads as real, and its pop of color projects. 8The Holiday Aisle® Foam egg wreath$39 at WayfairForget the flowers, let's talk twigs and eggs: It's still basically winter, after all, and Easter is a celebration of bright blooms next to leafless trees. This wreath, whether it means to be or not, is an ode to the season and the holiday at once. 9Caracaleap Easter egg wreathNow 13% Off$40 $35 at AmazonThis colorful wreath, made from artificial materials mounted to a vine, will look good for as long as you want to leave it up (and next year, too, when it comes out of storage). 10Sitting garden bunny live wreath, 28"This cheerful novelty shaped wreath, made from bright green myrtle on a willow twig frame, is unmistakably Easter-themed. But, with its neutral color palette, can match any home decor. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below111-800-Flowers Blooming Cherry Blossom Wreath$80 at 1-800-FlowersIt's not real, but it sure looks it. And what better symbol of spring than the cherry blossom. This exuberant pink wreath sets the mood. 12Pauline Stanley Studio modern eucalyptus wreath$38 at West ElmFor some, Easter doesn't spell colored eggs, bunnies, or lavish arrangements. If your aesthetic skews minimalist, and your idea of springtime decor does, too, this wreath is a great option. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Faux Easter Wreath$59 at thesuffolknest.comJust because it's Easter doesn't mean you have to go pastel. This foam egg wreath shows up in its grays and whites, as festive as anything done in yellow and pink. 14Pink grasslands natural dried floral wreath$90 at EtsyIt's actually quite hard to find wreaths made from natural materials (that aren't living). This wreath, woven with rattail statice, wheat and avena shows off with globe amaranth and ammobium. It's a nap in a field, a cool but sunny day; it's Easter. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Mixed moss wreath$150 at TerrainLook to the forest floor for your signs of spring with this decorative moss wreath. With the bright greens and tans of lichen–made from "preserved clump moss, reindeer moss, sheet moss and lichen forms"–it brings a rich, natural feel to any space. 16Fun Express Colorful easter egg wreath$20 at Amazon$20 at WalmartThere's an Easter wreath out there for every palette. If it's bold and traditional you're after but with a hint of rustic chic, this is a nice option. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Fresh floral wreath$210 at wildthingsbhm.comReal live flowers fill this living wreath. While it won't last the season or probably longer than a week, a fresh arrangement can't be beat. Choose your own flowers to match your palette. 18Peter Rabbit™ Garden Wreath$79 at Pottery Barn KidsMade from rattan over a wire frame, this wreath features one of the most famous rabbits of all, Peter, alongside carrots and cabbages. Charming, is what it is. Charles CurkinArticles Editor, ELLE DecorCharles Curkin is ELLE Decor's Articles Editor, covering everything related to luxury watches, design, and travel, and has previously written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review.

Following the Sputnik launch in 1957 and Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon 12 years later, jewelers looked to the sky for inspiration. A new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, “Cosmic Splendors: Jewelry from the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels,” explores how space exploration impacted our collective creative spirit. All 70 gems included were pulled from the Van Cleef & Arpels archives for a celestial reason, whether mythological or scientific. On view will be a full moon in yellow gold with rubies dating back to 1969, alongside topaz star clips to scatter across a lapel. Astrological signs grace pendants that span the 1970s and find their modern counterparts in the brand’s current Zodiaque collection. If fate is in the stars, best to keep the cosmos close at hand. The exhibition will run until January 4, 2026. Above: Clockwise from top left—Van Cleef & Arpels pendant, 1969, and clips, 1947; Zodiaque necklaces, $22,900 each, vancleefarpels.com. Supernova wallpaper by Studio DB, calicowallpaper.com. Produced by Will Kahn. Styled by Miako Katoh. This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE