Grape Expectations

Bring the wine country home with you.

wine country inspired home accessories

No need to pack up your bags and head to Napa or Tuscany to get your fill of wine country. Yes, you can pick up a favorite bottle from the neighborhood liquor store. But we were thinking of a slightly more offbeat way to bring a little vino style into your home. How about a wine-bottle centerpiece, some art made of corks, or adorable grape coasters for your next party? Or maybe you’d like to dangle a bunch of white grapes from your ears the next time you host a cocktail bash? Both fashion and home-goods designers have tapped the vineyards for their newest collections. And since it appears to be a very good year, you better get them while they’re in season.

For more wine-country-inspired home decor, visit Red Typewriter’s Pinterest Page.

Eat Outside the Box

Jazz up lunchtime with one of these stylish totes.

lunch box trends

You have a busy life, and packing a lunch shaves precious time off your morning routine. On the flip side, it’s so easy to fall into the habit of buying lunch every day, and those restaurant and take-out bills can add up. So what’s a hungry working girl or a frantic mom to do? There’s no reason you can’t outfit some soup, salad or a sandwich as fashionably and intelligently as you do yourself (or your little ones). All you need are some fun, reusable containers to up the lunchtime style quotient.

Luckily, those old metal boxes and plastic monstrosities have gone the way of the rotary phone. The newest lunch totes are eco-friendly, versatile and pretty. So you won’t mind spending a few extra minutes packing up a meal for you, your kids or a significant other. Bon appétit!

It’s a Wrap: Above, clockwise from far left: Sugarbooger Good Lunch Sack by o.r.e. at Bed Bath & Beyond, $18. “Eat Me!” eco-friendly tote from Oh Little Rabbit at etsy.com, $16. “Pick Your Fabric” lunch bag by Willow Handmade at etsy.com. Luckies of London reusable brown lunch bag at Amazon.com, $20. Tiffin box by Global Views at Domino.com, $200, currently unavailable. Lego lunch box at Amazon.com, $17. Waxed canvas lunch tote #215 from ArtifactBags.com, $65.

For more luscious lunch boxes, visit Red Typewriter’s Pinterest Page.

You Had Me at Hello

Welcome your peeps with one of these dashing doormats.

stylish doormats

Welcome home, gorgeous.

Mama taught us it’s not OK to be someone’s doormat. We couldn’t agree more—except when the doormat in question attracts an unprecedented amount of positive attention. With autumn almost under foot, now’s the time to spruce up the entranceway to your home with one of these adorable, stylish welcome mats. Look for ones constructed of resilient materials with nonslip rubber backings and, of course, a pattern or image that reflects your personality.

Doormats, above photo, clockwise from top left: Bicycle doormat from Hayneedle.com, $40. Geo Crafts “Oh No! Not You Again” coir doormat at Casa.com, $20. Purple brocade WaterGuard mat at Worldmarket.com, $40. Cupcake coir mat from Tag2u.com, $32. Computer keyboard doormat at UncommonGoods.com, $32. Butterfly doormat Pier 1 Imports, currently unavailable. Anchor handwoven coconut fiber doormat at Wayfair.com, $34. Piano handwoven coir doormat from Hayneedle.com, $39. Rubber owl at Kirklands.com, $11. (Below: Bell Exotic Wood doormat at Hayneedle.com, $60)

For more adorable doormats, visit Red Typewriter’s Pinterest page.

stylish doormats

 

An Ocean of Ombre

The latest wave of ombre is rolling out in cool, calming aqua.

ombre aqua home fashion trend

Ombre has been hot for several seasons now, with graduated shades of a single color popping up on everything from fashion and home furnishings to nails, jewelry, hair coloring and even food. The latest hue to roll with the trend is aqua, a calming color whose popularity is swelling in preparation for those easy, breezy months ahead. Lending an oceanic air to all it touches, aqua ombre has been making waves this spring on a range of ready-to-wear and accessories. Now the look is working its way into the house, adding a playful element to window treatments, rugs, walls and other home accessories. So what are you waiting for? Let aqua ombre enrapture you this summer. //READ MORE

A Room With an Infusion

The cocktail culture hits home.

cocktail culture
“Mixologist Quarters” by Reba Jones of Butler Armsden Architects at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Photo by INGA LIM.

Not since the 1960s has the cocktail culture occupied such a prominent place in the home. Today, not only bar carts but entire rooms in the house are being devoted to the art of mixing drinks. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the current Decorator Showcase in San Francisco, where designer Reba Jones dedicates a small space to the “endless pursuit of blending.” Powerful elixirs, nostalgic cocktail recipes and vintage barware line the shelves of this sexy red room tucked into a corner of the spacious mansion. Also on display at Showcase, “Dad’s Honey Hole” is designer Sunny K. Merry’s tongue-in-cheek nod to the private bar of days gone by, “where a man could be himself without judgment.” Gentlemen’s magazines, wallpaper featuring pin-up-girl images, and a full bar nestled inside a steamer trunk make this a room Don Draper could kick back in. Now, only one question remains: Who’s gonna design a drinking hole for the ladies, complete with cosmos and couture? Sistas need a sanctuary, and we need it now!

Spring into Action

10 beautiful things you can do to welcome this sumptuous season.

We know you want it. After a long and—in many parts of the country—snowy winter, you are ready for spring. Ready for the warm weather, the longer days, the blossoming flowers and trees, the proximity to summer. You might also be ready to celebrate—not just the spring holidays, but the fact that it’s no longer dark outside when you leave your office.

Spring is a great time to refresh your home and garden, take a day trip, or do some crafts with the kids. It’s also an ideal time to get social. Because most people won’t be traveling until summer, chances are your friends and family are around and, having just emerged from their winter shells, just waiting to be invited over. So what are you waiting for? Shed your winter gloom and start enjoying this sensuous season. //READ MORE