House
Muscari. Muscari, also called grape hyacinth, and many other smaller bulbs spread by seeds as well as underground bulblets. Leaving both the spent flowers and the foliage on the plant is essential for seed formation and nutrient absorption back to the bulb. Treat muscari as perennials, and hold back on deadheading — good news, really, since the flowers are so small
dRINKS_ Paloma. This light and refreshing tequila-based cocktail is a beautiful drink to serve, thanks to the pink grapefruit juice it contains. It’s also an especially seasonal cocktail, as winter is prime grapefruit season. Juice of ½ red grapefruit 1½ ounces (45 milliliters) reposado tequila 1 tablespoon agave syrup or simple syrup, optional ½ cup (65 grams) flaky sea salt ½ lime 1 ounce (30 milliliters) club soda 1. Combine the grapefruit juice, tequila and syrup, if using, in a mixing glass and stir until well-combined. 2. Cover a small plate with the sea salt. Rub the lime along the rim of a tall glass and press it into the salt until well-coated. 3. Pour the grapefruit-tequila mixture into the glass, add ice and top with club soda. Squeeze any extra lime juice into your drink and enjoy.
TABLE SETTINGS FOR XMAS
The wood-sided tub floats along a sea of light blue tile in this London bathroom by Fay Markopoulou Interiors. The slight color variation on each tile gives the illusion of gently flowing water.
ceiling
tile
windowsill
Shelf
plants
BOOTH
LIKE THIS BOOTH
backsplash
CURTAINS
CABINETS OPEN
love the color scheme
4. Serene in green. If you like the idea of a bold ceiling color but find that orange is a bit too zesty for you, try a more soothing hue, such as green. This green is still vibrant, but because it picks up on the natural verdant hues out the window, it isn’t quite as punchy as the previous palette. A super soft sage green on the wall bridges the ceiling color and the pure white trim nicely. Get the look: Ceiling in Lime Rickey, walls in Sagey and trim in Pure White, all from Sherwin-Williams.
gREENS
Bench seating
Sparkling Frost by Dunn-Edwards or Icy Waterfall by Glidden
BROOM FLOOR
DOG BED
BASEMENT
BRASS PULLS AND WHITE
BEAD BOARD
GIRAFE GROW CHART
The ceiling also appears to be reclaimed, but it is knotty pine that has been stained with tea, another of Mennes’ tricks with the inexpensive material. To get the look, she first painted the wood with a strong black English breakfast tea and let it dry. Then she painted the wood with vinegar in which steel wool had been soaking. The result is a natural stain that resembles aged barn wood. “It has this silvery-grayish hue to it,” Mennes says. She let the steel wool soak for an hour because she wanted a fairly light stain. The longer you soak it, the darker it gets. “You have to experiment with it,” she says.
BREAKFAST NOOK
a dark butcher block from Ikea for the desktop and used two Alex drawer storage units from Ikea for the base, which add more contrast to the dark walls.
BATHROOM LOVE
PRETTY ROSE GOLD AND GREY
Freshen up underfoot. Make your own “green” carpet freshener. Try a simple recipe of two cups of baking soda and 10 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. Mix them together in a container (ideally with a perforated shaker lid), then sprinkle on your carpet and leave for 10 to 15 minutes so it can absorb odors. Then just vacuum it up
those pots
Sometimes there’s nothing more elegant than a traditional master bedroom. This space, designed by Phoebe Howard, features a collection of antique furniture. Many of the pieces have been reupholstered in a sage-colored fabric. The walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Healing Aloe tie everything together in a sophisticated bow.
s Sigmund Freud noted: “Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.”
Bathroom
Q