For its latest catalog -- er, "style guide" -- J. Crew decided to take its preppy Americana (and the preppy Americans who model it) on the road. Perhaps feeling an "Eat, Pray, Love" moment coming on, the J. Crew crew headed to Bali, where it photographed the latest spring looks against a backdrop of ancient temples and the village of Ubud. The team also paired their spring models with local Balinese children, "our littlest local friends," wearing traditional religious dress on the steps of a thousand-year-old temple. Are the children adorable? Totally. But some might find J. Crew's "Bali Adventure" slightly off-putting. As one Instagram user (who Instagram'd the new catalog cover) noted, "Come on, J. Crew. Accessorizing with brown kids is so 2010." The ... Continue reading →
Sand, sun and frozen margaritas ... on New York Avenue?The beach just got a little closer to downtown Washington. New York Avenue Beach Bar took delivery of 70 tons of sand this morning — sand the owners were told comes from near Ocean City. There’s now a layer of sand about three inches deep spread across the former Warehouse Theatre parking lot, which is a lot bigger than you’d think. (See photo above; the surface area is about 5,500 square feet.) While exact opening details aren’t set in stone — there’s one more licensing hearing to go before the frozen drinks can start flowing — you may get your first chance to check it out this weekend. Frozen margarita and daiquiri machines will sit atop ... Continue reading →
Jura Koncius is a Washington Post staff writer who specializes in home and design. Read her daily twitter feed @jurakoncius for the latest in decorating trends, shopping, decluttering, organizing and DC retail. Home Q&A archive Continue reading →
Jason Wu for Brizo: The Odin black faucet As Rachel Lupton, bstyle Interior Designer, and I walked this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show floor, we noticed a more positive audience. There were “New” signs everywhere, meaning the manufacturers had been at work designing new products. There was an excitement in the air and a lot of positive energy. Here are some of the product trends: 1) Black Faucets Matte black faucets were in just about every faucet manufacturer’s booth. We noticed one designer that may have influenced the trend; Jason Wu had designed a special line for Brizo. We saw new black faucets at Delta and Kohler; and we know that American Standard is coming out with a matte black line as well. 2) ... Continue reading →
THIS WEEK ON NBC.COM Preview NBC's New Season! Preview "Revolution", "Animal Practice" and more NBC fall shows now! Watch » Continue reading →
Photo: Joshua Scott; Craft Styling: Morgan Levine Haven’t you always dreamed of owning a Hamptons weekend getaway “inspired” by the Lazienki Palace in Warsaw and the Château de Groussay outside Paris, like the mega-crib featured in this month’s Veranda? Or perhaps you’d prefer a “small castle” in the Netherlands blending “old-world charm and modern-day simplicity,” as seen in Elle Décor? These are places where a $550 waste bin or $20,000 luggage—just a few of the “trinkets” in the latest design tomes—would feel at home. With luxury surging back, high-end shelter magazines once nearing extinction are riding that gilded wave back to the top. The upturn comes after the 2008 recession bloodletting when a slew of shelter glossies folded amid the ad sales free fall. Today, ... Continue reading →
