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Design Dilemma: Timeless vs. Trendy

Timelessness, not trendiness, makes for sustainable design that need not change from year to year. But does timelessness mean tradition? Can you be timeless but cool and funky at the same time? And what is timelessness, anyway?
To our mind, timelessness is design that allows an owner’s personality to shine through unobscured by momentary trends. It does not mean [...]

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Design Dilemma: Managing Family Photographs

Have you ever noticed that those fabulously chic and modern interiors in shelter magazines never seem to include the framed family photos that most of us collect as treasured personal mementos? How come?
Here’s one guess: while photos of family and friends may mean an awful lot to us, they’re also not exactly “design-friendly.” That is, [...]

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Design Dilemma: Putting Your House on a Diet

Feeling kind of bloated?
We are. It seems our waistlines aren’t the only thing to expand during the cold months. After a long cold winter, we can’t help but survey everything that has collected around us as we cocooned on those snowy or bitter cold days, and feel the urge to purge. The goal: a bright, [...]

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Design Dilemma: Lightening up the Feel of Dark Furniture

Dark furniture stains have become all the rage in the last few years. We’ve seen espresso, wenge, deep mahogany, and even black, everywhere. Especially among those furniture retailers touting urban sophistication and elegance. (Think West Elm and Bo Concept.) We think the trend toward dark furniture is already on its way out, leaving legions of [...]

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Design Dilemma: Choosing A Grout Color

Okay, so you’ve decided on a white subway tile backsplash for your kitchen. Now comes the hard part: what color should you choose for a grout? White? Black? Grey? Lime Green?
It’s not a choice to make lightly. Grout color can profoundly affect the look of your tile project. Depending on the color you choose, the [...]

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Design Dilemma: Making Black Rooms Work

Can black rooms ever work? We’ve grappled with this question, and while we think they’re pretty darned hard to pull off, black or dark gray walls can sometimes provide a drama and allure that bright white walls just can’t match. What’s the key to pulling this look off?
1) Seek balance, either with light or colored [...]

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Design Dilemma: Functional Desks that Are Cool, Too

Sensible desks are a bit like sensible shoes. In other words, they’re functional but not so pretty to look at. The design challenge: finding a desk that can handle a computer, office supplies, papers, cables, printers, and still look deliciously elegant. (Above, the Piu desk formerly offered by Design Within Reach beautifully fit our criteria [...]

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Design Dilemma: Help for Hallways

We lavish lots of attention on perfecting our kitchens, living rooms, and even our bedrooms. But there’s one space that ironically is the most used AND the most neglected: the hallway. Many of us simply forget to spend any time at all making it a more pleasant passage. Just a few touches, however, can make [...]

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Design Dilemma: Choosing A Leather Sofa

Buying a couch is already daunting enough, but when that couch is leather, things get even scarier. Leather is so expensive. Is it worth the expense? Will leather really be more durable and practical than fabric? Will it be comfortable or cold to the touch in winter and hot and sweaty during the summer? Following, [...]

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Design Dilemma: Bring Order and Style to Chaotic Bookcases

Just about everyone has a bookcase. And just about everyone has trouble taming it. Bookcases left to their own devices become wild and woolly things filled with tchotchkes, DVDs, photos, assorted household detritus, and just about everything except books. How do you tame the beast and make your bookcase a showcase of style?
1) Declutter. First, [...]

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