Archive   |   October, 2010

design envy: house in nisyros, greece

Nisyros George-Koukourakis 9

Nisyros George-Koukourakis 8

Through my usual hours of internet time wasting, I ran across this beautiful Grecian vacation home over at Yatzer and immediately fell in love. The house, dating back to the 1890s on the Dodecanese island of Nisyros, recently underwent a restoration by designer/architect George Koukorakis. A perfect blend of antique and modern, this mediterranean-style house has plenty of drool-inducing features, like the original 1890s cement tile and the sleeping loft in the kitchen, adjacent to the wood burning oven. Lots of bright colors like kelly green and warm yellow lighten up the dark wood finishes and antique furniture, and pair nicely with Saarinen tulip tables and bright red Smeg refrigerators while enhancing the original design features of the home. See even more gorgeous photos of the house here. In the meantime, I’ll start saving my drachmas and daydreaming of the day I can visit. –Megan B.

real life test kitchen: 20 minute apple tart (and pastries, too!)

RLTK1

RLTK2

sprinkles

What to do when you find yourself with a 40 lb bag of free, less-than pretty-but-so-delicious apples? Apple party!!! Okay, maybe there were just two attendees, but a few nights ago, my friend Kletia and I made a pretty good dent in my apple bounty armed with little more than a few sheets of frozen puff pastry dough. Seriously — we ended up with not only a simple apple tart, but also some crazy-delicious apple cinnamon cream cheese rolls AND apple cheese danish (not pictured) in no time flat. Fun to both make and eat, these are perfect for last minute entertaining or playing in the kitchen with your kids. I hope these easy apple desserts — or breakfasts, for that matter — may just become go-to classics in your home too! –Megan B. Click for an Apple Pastry Bonanza!

(more…)

little luxuries: kate spade’s party coasters

kate spade coasters

I love feeling fancy. I doesn’t happen often, which central to its allure, but it’s a welcome soul vacation in my otherwise happily down-to-earth lifestyle. And little luxuries like these Kate Spade coasters bring on that feeling. The bright circles and shiny gold polka-dots would pop right along with the champagne at your next soiree. At $20 for six, they’re far from a necessary expense, but that’s exactly why they might be the perfect gift for the next hostess who enjoys a bit of sparkle. Unnecessary? Yes. Fancy fun? Absolutely. — Sarah C.

special offer for shelterrific readers: 20% off at pineconehilloutlet.com

pinconehilloutlet

Here’s a nugget of good news for those midweek mumbles: Pine Cone Hill, long known for its vibrant bedding, sleepwear and home accents, has taken its outlet offerings to the web. The recently-launched pineconehilloutlet.com features the brand’s collection of outlet merchandise at bargain prices. What’s more? They’re sweetening the deal for Shelterrific readers! For the next two weeks, shop the collection and receive an additional 20% off any purchase by using promo code SHTR20 at checkout. Happy shopping!

hardcore halloween: decorating with real spider webs

webs copy

While cotton ball cobwebs may be fine for some, if you fancy eerie realism in your Halloween décor, look no further than these Spider Web Circles by Emil “Rocky” Fiore. A web-catcher extraordinaire, Fiore has made an art form (and a business) of preserving real spider webs on glass. Available in 3”, 5”, 7” and 10” diameters, each glass circle contains an intricate web with a label noting the genus and species of its spider author on the back. A spooky extra for Halloween, these one-of-a-kind items double as intriguing pieces of art for everyday. For more on Fiore and his technique see part 1 and part 2 of the “To Catch a Web” miniseries on him at Coolhunting. – Sarah C.