Meg Donohue is a freelance writer, editor, and blogger. She shares her love of all things stylish – from interior design to fashion to travel – in a host of national magazines and websites, including StyleHive.com, Shelterrific.com, and HeliumReport.com. She also writes StyleSavestheWorld.com, a guide to chic, green living.
You can’t open a home design magazine without seeing a stylish serving tray in at least one, if not every, editorial spread. It’s no wonder magazine prop stylists have an ongoing love affair with serving trays; what’s not to love? Trays are relatively small, relatively inexpensive, and exponentially spike the style points of any given room. Whether holding mail on a hall console table, martini glasses on a luxuriously upholstered settee, a sweet vignette of roses and poetry books on a bedside table, a festive array of liquor bottles atop a bar, or a sparking Bellini and breakfast on a crisp, white bed, trays give a room both polish and unique flair.
Clearly, the term “thread count” is important or it wouldn’t correspond so directly to the price of bed linens. So what exactly does it mean? Here’s a handy primer and why the number of threads directly correlates to the number of hours of sweet sleep.
What: Thread count is the number of threads woven together in a square inch of fabric. Finer thread allows for more thread to be woven into that square-inch, resulting in smoother, softer fabric.
Who: Frette, Pratesi, Nancy Koltes are three of the big names in luxury bedding. Anna Sova and Veritas are less well-known companies that are jumping on the green trend by offering high thread-count, organic linens. Odds are they won’t be under the radar for long!
Keep in mind: The 200-400 thread count range is usually a safe bet, but sometimes you have to ignore the numbers and do some good old fashioned in-store testing or, if you prefer online shopping, at-home testing. Open that package up, press the pillowcase to your cheek, and let your skin do the deciding!
Ready to run some numbers? Check out the slideshow for some of the Hive’s high thread count bedding faves.
Surfing and yoga. Yoga and surfing. Like all great pairings - peanut butter and jelly, espresso and skim milk, and TomKat come to mind - yoga and surfing make for one bizarrely perfect match. If the idea of a vacation spent learning how to ride the waves and tone up your wannabe-yogi bod sounds as heavenly to you as it does to me, you’re in luck. I’ve om’d my way through a virtual world tour of surf and yoga retreats; without further ado, the top four finds…
I don’t know about you, but the holiday season always leaves me feeling in desperate need of a vacation. And, since this is likely to be the only month I’m actually mindful of my new year’s resolution to learn how to cook, I’m thinking a vacation that combines delish recipe instruction, luxe accommodations, and a chic locale is in order. Here’s a peek at five delectable cooking vacations where you can stir things up in style. Bon appettite!
If you’re a design junkie or a domino magazine reader (or if your home, like mine, is bombarded with West Elm catalogs on a daily basis), you’re probably familiar with the term “Mid-Century Modern.” But what exactly does it mean?
When: “Mid-Century Modern” refers to, no eye-rolling please, the design aesthetic that rose to prominence during the middle of the 20th Century.
What: The most recognizable features of the style are simple, clean lines that result in unpretentious, functional pieces (no flowery carvings or superfluous complexities allowed).
Who: Designers of note from the 1950s and 60s include Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Herman Miller.
Why: After a few decades of floundering, Mid-Century Modern is without a doubt the hot design aesthetic these days, which means that companies, such as Design Within Reach, that offer reinterpretations and reproductions of the trendy look are sitting pretty.
Need more, eager student? What a brown-noser! Check out the slideshow for examples of Mid-Century Modern in the Hive.
Hey, you! Yeah, you, the one with the sad, bare walls and empty pockets. I bet you’d love to find some cool art for that boring spot above your couch, but sometimes the options seem to boil down to a generic Ikea print or an oil painting that costs the same as a closet filled with Jimmy Choos. So what’s a budget-minded art lover to do? Luckily, there’s the Internets! Talented artists creating unique, affordable work do exist and can be found, you guessed it, right here on the crazy lil’ thing that’s become our new best friend. (We’ve named her Irene. Yes, the Internet is a “she.") And in the spirit of holiday giving, I’ll even share with you eight of my favorite artworks - all for $60 or less. But don’t thank me - thank Irene.
A lot can be forgiven of dinner party hosts and hostesses savvy enough to own cool place settings. Which is why it’s especially important for all of us spatula-challenged folks to invest in some kickin’ tableware that’ll distract and delight anyone naive enough to pull a chair up to our dining tables.
In other words: No plain Jane plates need apply. For a playful and modern twist on dining, we’re entirely smitten with the fresh crop of eye-catching graphic tableware on the market. For fab dining pieces adorned with everything from organic shapes to pin up girls, check out our round-up of hot Hive graphic tableware.
Hive Tip: Wanna go bold, but not too bold? Or not ready to make the financial commitment of a whole new set of plates? Just invest in a few graphic pieces such as platters or dessert plates and mix and match them with your tried and true tableware!
Bored at work again, huh? Well, no one said work was going to be fun, but you owe it to yourself to at the very least work in style! One of the true joys about working from home, be it every day or just the occasional late night, is that you’re out of the drab and dreaded cubicle. So why not make your home office - or bill-paying / emailing / iTunes-downloading nook, as the case may be - a reflection of the chic little workabee you actually are? Whether you’re hoping to give your office a pop of color, a glam makeover, or a serene, Zen vibe, you’re bound to find the stylish desk you’ve been craving right here in the Hive.
My own home office selection? Room & Board’s Basis Desk. I adore its clean lines, and the desktop’s expanse of warmly toned wood inspires me to keep it free of junk. Yet… wanna know my deep, dark secret? There’s a big “hidden” drawer below the desktop where I sweep everything at the end of each day. Let’s just keep that between you and me, shall we?
Picking up on Lisanne’s previous “cuddly” post, I’d just like to add that chilly nights are made for one thing and one thing only: snuggling! As soon as the temperature starts dropping, I’m all about fireside naps, hot cocoa (or toddies), and watching Elf, my favorite holiday movie of all time. And guess what? Each and every one of those things is vastly improved by simultaneously cuddling with a loved one under a stylish yet cozy throw blanket. Whether your cuddle-thon will be best provoked by faux fur, organic cotton, cashmere, down, or flannel, the Hive has the hottest throws to keep you sleepily inspired all winter long.
Hoity-toity chandeliers - like that crystal dinosaur gathering dust above your great-aunt’s dining table - are thankfully things of the past. But that doesn’t mean all chandeliers are passe! Toss out your preconceived notions of stuffy grandeur and say hello to the plethora of modern chandeliers on the market today. From witty takes on iconic shapes to glamorously glittering explosions of color, contemporary chandeliers are sure to throw your style savvy under a spotlight.
Check out my slideshow for the most fabulous modern chandeliers in the Hive.
The Yin-Yang pairing of wood and metal is a marriage made in style heaven. Part sleek industrialism and part rugged naturalism, this trend amounts to a modern, versatile look that can be pulled of just as easily in a Tribeca loft as in a Vail condo. Metal may give furniture clean, contemporary lines, but the warm, organic vibe of wood provides a perfect contrast (and balance).
Few home items evoke the spirit of timeless hotel luxury as well as an upholstered headboard. Whether interpreted with classic or modern lines, the look always manages to be both bespoke and sexy, tailored yet dangerously sumptuous. In other words, enough to make you want to lounge around in bed all day, eating bonbons, sinking into long naps, or doing any number of other countless naughty things that an afternoon between the sheets inspires.
Want to introduce hotel-style luxury (and romping) to your bedroom? Check out the SLIDESHOW for luxury beds that will make you happy you don’t need to permission for late checkout.
Skinny lamps are kind of like the supermodels of the lamp world. You know how any clothes look great on a model? Almost any room benefits from a skinny lamp. Airy and sculptural, they do wonders to lighten the tone of a room. Check out our SLIDESHOW of the most stylish skinny lamps in the Hive.
Home accessories, like fashion accessories, are an ingenious way to revamp your style without breaking the bank. And of all home accessories, pillows are the best way to have fun with of-the-moment trends without risking serious pangs of regret a year or two down the road.
There’s something about rocking chairs that seems to have captured the public eye lately. Whether it’s the modern nursery craze, or the continued crush of home editors on all things mid-century, rockers are enjoying a major surge in status. In materials ranging from rattan to plastic, a modern rocker can ratchet up the design wow factor of a room several significant notches. Stick one in a corner of your living room before your next holiday party and prepare yourself for the torrent of compliments that will (rock and) roll in all night long. Check out our
slideshow for the top 10 Hive chairs that rock.
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