Friday Favorites 1/6/2012

Paula Bodah, Senior Editor
I love the boldness of Hancock & Moore‘s new handcrafted furniture upholstered with leather in shades from ruby to claret to vermillion. A touch of red brings a spark to any room, don’t you think?

In a more traditional setting, the French pine Brock Wing Chair, with its combination of claret-hued lambskin leather interior and Jagger Ruby fabric exterior, would be smashing.

The Strada chair in soft Weston Ruby leather would fit right into a more casual, comtemporary room.

Karin Lidbeck Brent, Contributing Editor
Without a doubt, my best find in 2011 was Terrain, a home and garden store in Styers, Pennsylvania. It’s worth the trip.

This is a home and garden shopping experience that will overwhelm you–every inch is beautifully styled. At Terrain, the indoors and outdoors come together in a celebration of life and design. Home accessories, furnishings, vintage finds, lighting, gifts, books, tabletop, culinary and organic food products are all set in a horticultural environment that is fabulous.

Inspiring ideas are plentiful. Some of my favorite finds were this console repurposed in plaid…

…and old canning jars turned into lanterns.

To top it all off you can end your shopping experience at their amazing café, set in an antique greenhouse. Here your senses are in for a big treat, aesthetically and gastronomically. Masterful chef Keith Rudolph creates an all-organic menu crafted from a seasonal harvest of locally grown foods.

And–even more exciting–Terrain is building a new shop in Westport, Connecticut. Now that’s something to look forward to!

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief
We here at New England Home spend a lot of time fretting about things like electrical outlets and light-switch plates. Somehow these humble little objects of utility, easily overlooked in real life, can morph into monstrous eyesores when photographed. Surprisingly often, even the most high-end, carefully considered interior may suffer from a thoughtless, last-minute application of cheap plastic outlet covers–usually glaringly white or dead black on an otherwise beautifully colored and textured wall. During photo shoots we frequently attempt to hide such things behind a cunningly placed lamp or vase of flowers; other cases call for some judicious photo retouching.

Photos courtesy of Trufig

Well, I’ve discovered a company that can make the situation better. California-based Trufig manufactures beautifully minimal flush-mounted light switches and outlet covers that can be matched to the surface of the surrounding wall, cabinet or backsplash. They also have products that will ameliorate other bugbears of an interior stylist’s life: ventilation grilles, Lutron keypads, and recessed audio speakers. I urge you to check them (or other purveyors of similar wares) out–because once you’ve noticed it, the difference isn’t visible only in photographs.