The summer doldrums have set in, so H&H goes fishing for gossip. Or worse, shooting for it.

Is a contractor and a woman at home really "shooting fish in a barrel?" In the lead story, we learn how common tool belt affairs can be while the rest of the design world shows off their wares in preparation for fall (and Vera Wang has a new line of mattresses... at left).

Top Stories

• The Allure of the Tool Belt: David Mager's girlfriend left him for their contractor. Add that to the expense of remodeling.
  
  
  
• A Porch and Flowering Meadow, 6 Floors Up: This is super cool! David Puchkoff and Eileen Stukane built a front porch and yard on the roof of their West Village apartment.
  
  
  
  
• Bar the Bedroom, Raise the Roof: Home Sweet Party Space: If you've got style and space, why not rent out your home for parties? That's what this LA couple do....
  
  
  
• For the Busy Couple, a Bathroom Break: Bathroom's are getting bigger to allow for more hanging out while bathing.

• Q: A flooring salesman discouraged me from buying classic unfinished oak strips. Any thoughts?: Craig Kellog sings the virtues of engineered wood floors.
  
  
  
  
• Personal Shopper: 24 designers have done up the Hampton Designer Showhouse in Bridgehampton until August 27th. We like the grass cloth wallpaper by Twenty2 above.

Currents

• Watch Out! SICIS - a BIG, fancy Italian tile company - opens in SoHo today.
  
  
  
• Banchet Flowers is not just a MePa flower shop, it has become an event space too.
  
  
  
  
• This month West Elm and the Savannah College of Art and Design team up to start selling photographs by the students, faculty and staff members.
  
  
  
  
• The Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory is opening their first US showroom next month in Chicago
  
  
  
• Vera Wang has a new line of mattresses!