May 30, 2012

East Meets West

“Unrivaled Splendor: The Kimiko and John Powers Collection of Japanese Art,” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, highlights the singular taste of the couple, who, starting in the 1960s, amassed what is now considered to be the most exquisite array...
May 30, 2012

Jay McInerney, Nina Griscom, Amy Fine Collins, Betty White, and Ellen Burstyn reveal their poshest rooms

A posh affair typically begins in a finely appointed room—at a discreet, elegant hotel such as the Pierre on Fifth Avenue, say, where Lighthouse International recently held its annual Posh Affair gala and benefit auction. An impressive roster of New ...
May 29, 2012

Just Like Home

“Most showrooms display their fabrics along walls in a neutral atmosphere, but at Pierre Frey we try to create the environment in which our products will be used,” says Patrick Frey, chairman and creative director of the storied 77-year-old French ...
May 28, 2012

Fendi Casa expands into kitchens with three customizable cabinetry styles

At the recent Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Fendi Casa launched its first-ever line of kitchen designs, called the Ambienta Cucina, produced in collaboration with high-end Italian kitchen manufacturer SCIC. Designed to integrate seamlessly...
May 25, 2012

Karl Lagerfeld takes on Paris’s 26th Biennale des Antiquaires

To bring a touch of couture to Paris’s 26th Biennale des Antiquaires, from September 14 to 23 at the Grand Palais, organizers have called on fashion designer and decorative-arts ace Karl Lagerfeld to conjure the acclaimed antiques fair’s scenograph...
May 23, 2012

At two recent galas, Bebe Neuwirth, Grace Coddington, and Johnny Weir weighed in on the design of performing-arts spaces

One of New York society’s special talents is the ability to spot and appreciate a subtle face-lift. Hence the abundant kudos for the updates to Lincoln Center overseen by the firms Diller Scofidio + Renfro and FxFowle Architects, recently completed a...
May 23, 2012

Full Bloom

After a yearlong $6.8 million renovation, the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, has reopened its esteemed nine-acre Japanese garden to visitors. The plantings and pathways have been meticulously restored, and a new ceremonial teahouse has b...
May 22, 2012

Well Said: Elsa Schiaparelli called architecture America’s greatest gift

Well Said: “Architecture is the greatest thing America has given to the world artistically, and I believe that, in due time, you will evolve a couture of your own whose styles will bear the same stamp of originality and beauty that your buildings hav...
May 22, 2012

Grandfather Clocks Song Lyrics

When most people think about the lyrics to a or the grandfather clock song, their first instinct is to think of the Westminster Chimes music which […]
May 20, 2012

It’s Not Dick Tracy’s, But It Can Screen Your Messages

I'VE been looking at my wrist a lot lately -- and not just to see what time it is. I've been trying out some of the new watches that display caller IDs, text messages, Twitter and news feeds, and the weather, too -- all beamed from a nearby compani...