The losses just keep coming. Hachette Filipacchi Media US announced today that it will fold Metropolitan Home and focus its energies solely on Elle Décor; the December 2009 issue will be Metropolitan Home’s last. As Elle Décor Editor-In-Chief Margaret Russell mentioned at this year’s Women in Design event, good magazines fold due to issues of the economy, not content — and as always, we wish it weren’t so. Older content from Metropolitan Home can still be found at PointClickHome.com, but the ever-shrinking world of shelter publications won’t be the same without it. — Sarah C.

I don’t know about you, but my kitchen is a mess. I try, I honestly do, but can’t get it to look like the perfectly organized Martha Stewart-worthy kitchens you see in movies and magazines. Ground zero for the disaster is my ever-growing junk drawer filled with mismatched and broken measuring cups. I can at least remedy that situation with these Russian Nesting Doll Measuring Cups from Fred Flare. For $16, these cute little ladies stack inside each other for easy storage and organization. You don’t even have to hide them away! They’ll perch adorably on your counter or windowsill waiting to be used. –Katie D.

Think you can tell the difference? You might be surprised. Graydon Parrish and Mikhail Simkin challenge you to decide if you’re looking at a designer piece by Donald Judd or cheap furniture from your local Walmart in this online quiz. We’d like to say we passed with flying colors, but…well, like we said, you might be surprised.

1) You’re fans of Cleverscene. Janet W says: “So glad to see Cleverscene’s work featured. I own one of her Power Suit bags and I love it! It’s so professionally constructed and the attention to detail is amazing. This bag inspires comments wherever I carry it. There’s something so intriguing about taking that which is inherently masculine (a man’s suit) and making it work so beautifully for something that is inherently feminine (a handbag/tote)! Clever, indeed.” Wow — if you want one, click here.

2) Good Housekeeping reads us, too! Well, at least those formerly of Good Housekeeping. Laura F. says: “Mary, that story from GH was from when I was the home editor for the magazine. I was tickled pink to see your version of the project two years later–yay!” These days, Laura’s blog is The Little House in the Big City. See the cabinet handles she inspired here.

3) Owls are not for everyone. Ellobie says: “This kind of reminds me of the Holly Hobbie pictures that hung in my childhood bedroom. Great big eyes that creeped me out. I spent most nights sleeping next to my sister’s bed in her room.” If the thought of an owl clock doesn’t terrify you as it does Ellobie, click to see it.

4) Your input is appreciated. Marissa asked for help finding a washable comforter, and you obliged. She says: “I wanted to get back to you and let you know what I decided on. I went with the Overstock down alternative comforter you recommended, and also with an Overstock Duvet…specifically this one. Even though the duvet isn’t technically machine washable, 3 people commented that they washed theirs and it still works. I decided to do that and go with less expensive, than to go with the slightly more pricey washable one. Maybe I’ll regret that but I hope not! Thank you again!”

5) Some DIYs are wild. Donna K. says: “When my boyfriend decided to start working on his feature film, we built a small town in our yard to film it in – it’s still in progress! Please note those black curtains? They are only half up — they extend to 34 ft. I am proud of sewing those dang things! The things we do for love!” How do your DIYs measure up?

Photo by Andreas Dahl

Last Days of Gourmet: Kevin Demaria captures the end of an era with a collection of photos of the last few days at the office of Gourmet magazine.

Decorating with dark colors can be tricky. Casa Sugar helps you decorate with gray.

Toronto is the place for shopping — So we hear, ahem! So check out this guide to all the best Toronto boutiques at Vidafine.

The Unclutterer takes a video tour of a 96-square-foot house.

The haystack needle has an early holiday wish list.

Move over, Calphalon: the clay pot is back, at trendscaping.

Making It Lovely’s “Making It Yours” features are always so inspiring. Here she helps us fit a zig-zag rug into our own personal style.

For years, Frames By Mail has been my go-to source for frames. Now they’ve added a new, custom Frame Your Name feature. Simply type in the name or word you want to frame, and a preview option will appear, letting you select letters. Since Frames by Mail specializes in frames, once you have your name or word set, you can stick with the default or select one of 1,700 metal and wood frames. All pieces come fully assembled with mat, plexiglass (for ease of shipping) and backing. — Sarah L.

That’s a photo from my old house, when we got the great idea to dismantle a second-floor kitchen, knock out of some walls, and turn what was originally a bedroom and tiny bathroom into a marvelous, expanded bathroom and walk-in closet. It took us two years, and we finished up just in time to move 2,000 miles away. Still, we’d start a project like that again, and probably will. What about you? — Mary T.

Add this to the collection of awesome Polaroid-inspired products we’ve posted about here on Shelterrific. This box of Polaroid Notes from Fred
Flare contains 20 different images and includes envelopes. I love receiving handwritten notes, and I’ve been making a concerted effort to send real cards instead of email whenever possible. I’m definitely going to pick up a box to have on hand. — Erica P.

With all the great magazines that have come and gone over the past couple of years, I’m glad to see that Country Living is staying fresh. (And supplying me with great easy projects.) The November issue featured two Etsy finds I’d love to call my own. The first is this great Power Suit Tote Bag by CLEVERSCENE, which is in fact a bag made from an old suit coat. The second find is a steal at $25: a handwoven cotton wrap basket from kittyallen. –Sarah L.

Here’s proof that eventually I do use the stuff I pick up from eBay or resale places! I wrote two years ago about Good Housekeeping’s great idea of reusing sillcock wheel handles from outdoor faucets as kitchen cabinet pulls. It took us awhile to buy a house and start to redo its tiny kitchen, but we’re finally making progress. We didn’t have enough sillcocks for all of the cabinets to match, so we went for an eclectic look, then replaced the balance of the pulls with vintage-style (and super affordable) hardware from Target. A few other inexpensive touches are making a huge difference in our very small space — click for details and photos. –Mary T. (more…)