The Latest: 2016

It’s holiday party season, which means ample opportunities for awkward exchanges with your office crush, your neighbor crush, or your longtime friend crush (huzzah?). Ok, more like blergh. So just for fun, since we’re all design fans, let’s imagine a world where, instead of stilted small talk about craft beers or Netflix shows, we exchanged design-related pick up lines…a world like this: *Okay, no one said these were any good, but please do report back if you try one!

In the early 2000s, Pier One Imports was the epitome of worldly sophistication for me, what with its exotic wood furniture, beaded throw pillows and Buddha statues galore. When I redecorated my post-collegiate bedroom, I hit up the store for unique international treasures. “Why yes, these ruffled dupioni silk throw pillows are from the foreign land of Kissimmee, Florida.” Fast forward a decade, and I’ve discovered a new local mecca for global goods: World Market.

I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly committing to hosting the holidays or big events, while completely ignoring the fact that, when it comes to dinnerware, I’m extremely underprepared. Something just happens to me in that moment where I get swept away with the anticipation of a great evening surrounded by family and friends and I subconsciously fail to recognize that in no way, shape or form do I have twenty-plus matching settings of any kind of dinner, stem or flatware.

In case you missed it, Benjamin Moore announced its Color of the Year for 2017. Shadow 2117-30, a deep purple that can lean more toward a smokey charcoal or a lighter violet depending on the light, came out on top for the paint brand. In honor of the celebrated hue, we’ve put together four different palettes that work with a deep, rich purple so that, no matter your taste, you’ll be tempted to incorporate the in-style shade somewhere in your home.

Are you smitten with the hardworking look of industrial kitchens? If you’re planning to re-create the look in your own home, here are a few details that are worth stealing. Scott and Kristan built the beautiful copper pipe shelves (shown above and in the lead image of this post) in their Los Angeles home.Rustic wood and brackets make for beautiful open shelving in this kitchen from House Beautiful.

Fall always has me turning toward dark, moody spaces, and this autumn I’m especially drawn to dark kitchens. While black (or dark gray or navy) might be an unusual color choice for the kitchen, it’s also, as you can see here, an incredibly stylish one. Maybe these eight spaces will be just the thing to bring you over to the dark side.

Sure, we think “less is more” can be incredibly lovely, but it has its place. Sometimes, a table calls for more and more…and more. We are always in awe of those that can pull off that ultra-layered look with effortless grace and sophistication. Here, we’ve pulled together inspirations from tastemakers who have created tables that embrace a maximalist aesthetic. These collected beauties prove the possibilities to be endless when it comes to what you can put on the table.