The Latest: May 2019

Shaila’s kitchen came with both a fun connection to DC history and a pretty funky layout. Aesthetics aside, it was time for a reno; the kitchen had begun to fall apart. Taking a cue from the age of the building and her personal love of art-deco, Shaila gave her new-to-her old kitchen a stylish updated vintage-inspired look. Take it away, Shaila… After serving as a diplomat around the world, it was time for me to come back to Washington.

Sasha Duerr has been dyeing her textiles with compost for over 20 years. The author of two books on natural dyeing and an instructor at the California College of the Arts, Duerr fell in love with natural colors while searching for alternatives to the art school oils and acrylics that made her sick.

Last summer, due in part to a story I did on non-aluminum deodorants, I began my “natural” deodorant journey. After having tested a handful myself for that piece, I came to realize that I, in fact, liked these non-aluminum varieties as much (if not more) than the antiperspirants I’d been wearing since I hit puberty. One of my favorites in particular was Soapwalla’s Deodorant Cream in original scent.

I look at a lot of kitchens for my job, and rarely do I see something completely new that makes me think, “Wow. Why has no one ever done this before?” So when I saw the dishwasher situation in this kitchen above, I definitely paused. At some point refrigerator designers figured out that people don’t want to bend over every time they reach for the orange juice. So now it’s common to see appliances with freezers on the bottom of the unit, and regular cold storage up top.

There are remodels…and then there are total transformations. Julia and Kurt bought a run-down studio apartment nine years ago. The layout was weird and it was on the teeny side. But instead of just improving the look of the current home’s foot print, they thought outside of the box! They decided to take over the home’s huge rooftop terrace to convert their studio apartment into a two-level, two-bedroom modern home. Originally all the living spaces were on one level.

Recently, we shared our expert tips on how to style a coffee table. The table we used specifically, though, was rectangular, and some readers chimed in to request help with how to arrange a round coffee table. Though most of the same principles apply no matter what shape you’re working with, I’ve rounded up takeaways and inspiration for round tables. This tabletop shows off the power of divide and conquer (that is, dividing the table in two, and conquering each side!).

Considering the amazing renovation work done on the living room, dining room and kitchen of Nicole and Dan Lucey’s Brooklyn brownstone, it’s not exactly a surprise that they also showed the same care, intention and design savvy with the family’s upstairs bedrooms. What is surprising are the bold design choices in two of the rooms, and the serene space the master bedroom turned out to be. Nicole and Dan’s sophisticated son originally wanted ALL black walls.

Structurally, there was nothing wrong with the bathroom in Nikki and Chris’ Astoria condo. Aesthetically, it looked a bit like an upscale gas station bathroom from the early 90s. The ‘after’, I think you’ll agree, is a huge improvement. The couple’s vision for their new bathroom was a modern twist on a classic NYC bath.

House-hunting in New York is a notoriously harrowing process. After months of searching, Nikki and Chris thought they had found the perfect apartment in Astoria. It was beautiful, had all the features they wanted, and was within their budget. But after a few weeks, the deal fell through. Incredibly discouraged, Nikki and Chris wondered if they would ever be able to find a place that felt like home. Two days later, they were putting in an offer on another place.

Lately, new designs for the kitchen look more and more like old designs for the kitchen. There’s a certain style of British kitchen — vintage-style appliances, Shaker-style cabinets, a bit austere but with very traditional accents — that’s becoming very popular. Looking at these kitchens, I am struck by the fact that they look remarkably similar to some of the 1920s kitchens I came across while researching this series about the history of kitchen design.