•Set in stone and tile: Historian Robert Winters has preserved his 1903 bungalow that belonged to artist Ernest Batchelder, whose famous tiles and touches fill the house.

•Alluring but elusive charms: "Sure, daffodils and irises are lovely. But in the world of bulbs, calochortus is that rare, exquisite choice."

•Life after stainless steel: It's coming, slowly: The Kitchen/Bath Industry show in Chicago showed a turn away from stainless and towards glass (as well as coper and bronze...)

•A cinematic awakening transforms L.A. architecture: According to the author, movie depictions of glamorous surroundings and foreign cultures encouraged "a quest for a more exotic life." They were a means of escape, as were the period revivals in architecture that they often displayed.