We never paint anything - a wall, a piece of furniture, and certainly not a house, without swatching first. Not only do paint colors usually look different on the wall than they do in a paint deck, but we've found that the same paint color can look incredibly different when used in various locations.

While we're big fans of the sample sized paints that many paint companies are producing now, we've found it worth the cost of buying a quart, or several quarts, to try out a color before committing. Do you swatch before you paint? Or just pick a color and go for it?

Tags: None Categories: Living Luxury Fine Living

We're a sucker for a good bit of tiling, from stairs to floors, even a faux window. So, it's no surprise that we love this house in Santa Monica...

If you're on the Westside, you might also want to check out this house in Santa Monica. And, afterwards, if you need a coffee while you contemplate what you've seen, we hear that this coffee shop, famous as much for their beautiful blue and white Granada tiled floor as for their coffee, is opening up a branch in Venice.

Tags: None Categories: Living Luxury Fine Living

We're hoping that other people order industrial supply catalogs to round out their bathroom reading material. If you don't, there are several things you could be missing out on. Click through the jump for ideas on how we think these industrial items could be used around the home.

Mail Carts- They could be used to hold laundry supply, plants, or even as a bedside table. Basket Trucks- Although they might be more spendy than your average laundry basket, the aesthetic of them is dreamy. Pressed Wood Pallets- Each pallet is able to hold up to 1500lbs and we think (if you're up to the task) they would make a great bed frame for any loft space particularly, but also in any home that's willing to give it a try! Anti-Fatigue Mats- Even if you don't spend your entire weekend in the kitchen, just the simple task of making multiple bathes of cookies can make your feet ache. These mats are sold by the foot at a lower cost than you would find them in home improvement stores. Drum Dolly- The knee jerk reaction would be to use this as a plant stand in your home, although it would work out great for putting large amounts of dry goods on wheels. (We keep Flour and Sugar around in 50lbs at a time) Industrial Packing Tables- ULINE's packing tables are solid pieces with small price tags. You can equip them with drawers, cutters and shelves. They would be great in a craft room, garage or kitchen. Magna Hopper Bins- Your recycling never looked to chic. They could also double as a dresser if the space was right!

Tags: None Categories: Living Luxury Fine Living

Art & Design Events... AT Events:
• October is Color Month! • Our Fall Colors Contest is underway.

Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It • Elizabeth Royte, reads from her book about how we went from turning on the tap to consulting water sommeliers. • Tonight! 7pm • Strand Bookstore, corner of 12th Street and Broadway Cookie Living Show Home at Riverhouse • Top Designers transform a 3-bdrm condo. Kids can enjoy cooking classes and demos, as well as great giveaways, raffles and special offers. • October 10th through 26th (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays only, from 11am-5pm • Riverhouse, 2 River Terrace, Battery Park City (Entrance on North End Avenue) Living the Italian House in Soho • View a recreation of five spaces found in Italian houses by using elements and products from 35 of the most innovative design companies in Italy, plus events and film screenings. • October 27th (launch party at 7pm) through December 20th (RSVP 212.353.1383 or RSVP9@BDEonline.biz) • 172 Mercer Street Max Lamb at Johnson Trading Gallery • In his first solo exhibition, Lamb explores, celebrates and animates natural materials through a distinctly process-driven approach and anchored by skilled hand-craftmanship • Through November 7th • 490 Greenwich Street between Spring and Canal, 212.925.1110. Pret-a-Habiter at DWR • Get free one-on-one design advice from the Pret-a-Habiter team, using your own floor plans and sketches • October 9th, 6-8pm, Wine and cheese will be served. • DWR Tribeca Studio, 124 Hudson St, 212.219.2217 Junior League of New York House Tours • Visit the home of Andre Bishop, the Artistic Director for Lincoln Center as well as many others • October 18th, 10am-6pm • 130 East 80th Street, between Park and Lexington Aves. Myth and Material at Moroso • An exhibition on the work of Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien • Through October • 146 Greene Street Textile Design • Designer and Japanese textile collector Elizabeth Wilson presents Asiatica's newest fall designs • November 11th through 22nd • AKA/Central Parkm, 42 W. 58th Street Sticks, Stones, Bones • Michael Reynolds, a style and design editor curates this installation culling from design from ancient times through today. • Through November 1st • R 20th Century Gallery, 82 Franklin Street, (bet Church & Broadway) Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary • Exhibition features 50 contemporary artists from 17 countries who transform discarded, commonplace, or valueless manufactured and mass-produced objects into extraordinary works of art. • Through March 1st, 2009 • Museum of Art and Design, 2 Columbus Circle (New Location!) Metropolitan Home and Showtime Networks' Showhouse • Famous designers will transform rooms of a Gramercy Park Greek revival town house, inspired by Showtime's lineup including Dexter, Californication, The Tudors, Weeds, The L-Word and United States of Tara. • Tours run September 13th through October 26th on Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-4pm. ($25 entry fee benefits the Happy Hearts Fund charity) • 23 Grammercy Park South, 1.323.966.4600 Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling • Five Architecture firms have built prefab homes in the parking lot next to the MoMa. Inside, prefab projects spanning the past 180 years fill the galleries. • Through October 20 • Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd St.; 212.708.9400 Brooklyn Flea • Over 200 vendors of vintage furniture, clothing and antiques alongside new designs by local makers of everything from jewelry to textiles. • Every Sunday, 10am to 5pm (rain or shine) • Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn ABC Home Launches Earth Day Campaign • ABC Home is partnering with 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Wangari Maathais Green Belt Movement on its Carbon Poverty Reduction Program. For every piece of goodwood furniture purchased at ABC Home, a tree will be planted in Kenya to replenish rapidly diminishing biodiversity. • 888 Broadway, 212.473.3000

Tags: None Categories: Living Luxury Fine Living

Just like Martha did for a wedding pallet, pair these two powerful colors together and you'll get dramatic results...

We love Heidis kitchen in Capitol Hill. In a moment of inspiration she painted her wall a bright aqua blue, and a friend gave her the red clock. The unconventional pairing worked so well, she just kept adding to it.

Tags: None Categories: Living Luxury Fine Living