Table of contents for November 2014 in ELLE

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A NIGHTSTAND. This summer I had the pleasure of reading Factory Man, a new book by Beth Macy that chronicles the history of three generations of the Bassett family, who created a furniture empire in rural Virginia. It is a bracing saga of struggles and power plays within a single clan, but it also tells the larger story of furniture manufacturing in this country. At least once a year I head to the High Point Market in North Carolina, where most of the largest American furniture companies show off their new wares, so the book has particular resonance for me. Macy is an engaging writer who knows her territory, and in her protagonist, John D. Bassett III, she has a compelling character: a man who…

SHOOTING STARS WHO CAN RESIST A RISING STAR? IN THE 1950S AND '60S, HOLLYWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER SID AVERY TRAINED HIS CAMERA ON THE TALENTS OF HIS DAY IN PLAYFUL MOMENTS: AUDREY HEPBURN ON A BICYCLE, PAUL NEWMAN FRYING UP LUNCH, ROCK HUDSON WEARING ONLY A TOWEL. AVERY'S CANDID IMAGES ARE NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH LOS ANGELES'S DRAGONETTE LIMITED, WHERE THEY FEEL AT HOME AMID THE SHOWROOM'S MIDCENTURY FURNISHINGS (DRAGONETTELTD.COM). IN HER NEW BOOK, YOUNG HOLLYWOOD (ASSOULINE), CLAIBORNE SWANSON FRANK APPROACHES TODAY'S UP-AND-COMERS—ELISABETH MOSS, IMOGEN POOTS, AUBREY PLAZA—FROM A MORE FANCIFUL ANGLE, WITH COSTUMES AND SETTINGS THAT EVOKE A RETRO ROMANCE. MOURNING GLORY This season, macabre is à la mode. "Death Becomes Her," at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases mourning fashions from the 19th and early 20th centuries (October 21–February 1,…

GROWTH FACTOR Late fall, when many gardens are being put to bed, is the perfect time to dream about next year's plantings. Three new garden books have arrived to feed our fantasies. If you've ever imagined transforming the backyard into a miniature Versailles, Royal Gardens (Abrams) provides a tour of André Le Nôtre's classic along with such other noble gardens as Frederick II's Sanssouci and Tokyo's cherry-tree-lined Imperial Park. With an introduction by garden designer Madison Cox, the ambitious Gardener's Garden (Phaidon) is an encyclopedic survey of the world's most noteworthy gardens, from Canada's Jardins de Métis to Russia's Peterhof and Denmark's Anne Just Garden. The book also includes less accessible (but no less significant) sites, including the Bagh-e Babur garden in Kabul, Afghanistan, which is lush with symbolic plants…

"I don't think it's possible to come up with an extraterrestrial form," says Paris-based designer Damien Langlois-Meurinne. "Everything I do is derived from nature." His inspiration dates back to childhood visits to his family's 2,500-acre woodland property in the Dordogne region of France, as well as summer vacations spent backpacking around Greek islands with his parents. "We'd sleep on beaches under the stars," he recalls. "It was extraordinary." Langlois-Meurinne initially trained with Christian Liaigre before setting up his own firm, Agence DL-M, in 2003. His interior commissions have included a house in Saint-Tropez, an apartment in Megève, and a day spa in Beijing. He has created furniture collections for Zimmer + Rohde, Sé, and Pouenat; fans of the latter have included decorator Muriel Brandolini, ex–Formula 1 driver Alain Prost, and…

Mille Fleur linen* by Eric Cohler for Lee Jofa; leejofa.com. Deco Menagerie wall panel* by Gracie; graciestudio.com. Diana credenza* by Jean de Merry; jeandemerry.com. Dover Unicorn sweatshirt by Mother of Pearl and Richard Saja; modaoperandi.com. Indramayu linen-cotton* by China Seas; quadrillefabrics.com. Paul Manship's bronze gate for the Ancient Playground in New York's Central Park. Box bag with crystal by Dolce & Gabbana from fall 2014; dolcegabbana.it. Cow handle by Soane; soane.com. Bowl with Hippopotamus by Hella Jongerius for Nymphenburg; avenue-road.com. Roman Safari dress by Valentino from fall 2014; valentino.com. Rabbit Forest shawl by Klaus Haapaniemi; klaush.com. Zodiac Aries clip by Van Cleef & Arpels; vancleefarpels.com. Savoy linen* by Cowtan & Tout; cowtan.com. Anubis andirons by Marc Bankowsky; maisongerard.com. *Available to the trade only. See Resources.…

"I am in love with the life of the village," says Brunello Cucinelli. Indeed, the Italian sportswear designer has created one of fashion's most successful luxury brands by investing in small-town life. Cucinelli's coveted cashmere sweaters are stitched by hand by the residents of Solomeo, a miniature Umbrian hilltop hamlet that the designer has spent years painstakingly restoring. A 14th-century castle houses the company's offices and workshop, while an antique farmhouse serves as its canteen, offering up homemade gourmet lunches. "It's so important to me that our artisans work in a beautiful place rich in history and humanity," Cucinelli says. "In every one of our products I want to convey that this is Italy—this is our way of life." 1 / WATCHES BY VACHERON CONSTANTIN AND PATEK PHILIPPE Precise and…

LOOKING BACK/ LOOKING AHEAD Blame it on Downton Abbey. For years, the most coveted kitchens were the sleek and minimal marvels produced by Italian and German firms such as Dada, Gaggenau, Boffi, Bosch, and Bulthaup. But now many people are looking backward, at least as far as aesthetics are concerned (no one wants to go back to stoking the fire just yet). Brands including Aga, La Cornue, and Officine Gullo offer appliances with a heft and swagger that's more turn-of-the-19th-century—think Mrs. Patmore stirring a pudding—than 21st. But minimal isn't going away, either—it's becoming even more high-tech. Gaggenau's Vario 400 series ovens open with a tap on the touch display, and its stoves come with retractable, low-lying downdraft exhausts, which means they can fit into an island and the chef can…

Unlike their side- and cocktail-table kin, which play supporting roles, center tables are often the star attraction in a room, a primary piece of furniture that serves as a focal point, both anchoring a space and heightening its decorative appeal. "One of the traditional places a center table gets used is in the entryway," says designer Matthew Patrick Smyth, "so it can be the first thing that greets someone upon walking into a house. A center table offers an opportunity to make a style statement. It welcomes visitors and introduces them to the space." Because center tables are unencumbered by sofas or chairs, materials and shapes take on particular significance. "The base, whether it's sculptural and ornate or pared down and simple, helps set the tone of the room," says…

Some occasions call for indulgence and a touch of luxe, and few ingredients evoke glamour better than lobster and Champagne. Certainly, they are two of my favorites. For a very special occasion, I love to combine the pair. Adding Champagne to a recipe can make a dish feel transcendent. This libation is great for a celebration, but add it to food and it brings acidity, sweetness, and a complexity that gives charm to a dish. This recipe begins with the freshest possible New England lobster. I get mine from my friend Rod Mitchell, whose company, Browne Trading, ships live lobsters straight from his home state of Maine. We French chefs believe that, often, the sauce makes the dish. This beurre blanc sauce rises to the occasion by marrying the Champagne…

In the living room of Manolo March's Madrid apartment, the custom-made daybed is upholstered in a Loro Piana cashmere, the 1960s steel and leather bench is French, the 1980s carved wood chair is American, and the 1920 alabaster table and pair of 1950s leather lamps by Jacques Adnet are from Bakelita; the gold sculpture is by Brancusi, the painting is by Santiago Castillo, the sculpture to its left by Igor Mitoraj was purchased from the artist by March's father, the custom-made screen features a photograph by March, and the silk rug is Belgian. A 1940s bench in the entrance, where a hanging wood sculpture by Antonio Serrano is reflected in a Louis XVI mirror; the pair of photographs is by Lidia Benavides, the graffiti was spray-painted by March and his…

MASTHEADS PAGE 34: Toscana leather key tassel, to the trade from Samuel & Sons (212-704-8000; samuelandsons.com). Nickel-plated brass knob, to the trade from Nanz (212-367-7000; nanz.com). TALENT PAGE 82: Damien Langlois-Meurinne of Agence DL-M (011-33-1-48-04-56-90; dl-m.fr). Furniture available at Zimmer + Rohde (203-327-1400; zimmer-rohde.com), Sé (011-44-20-7627-4282; se-london.com), and Pouenat (312-329-5999; pouenat.fr). TALENT PAGE 86: Ronda Rice Carman of Ronda Carman Fine Fabrics (713-470-9771; rondacarman.com). TREND ALERT PAGE 94: Mille Fleur linen, in Berry, #970089-97, by Eric Cohler, to the trade from Lee Jofa (888-533-5632; leejofa.com). Deco Menagerie wall panel, in White on Peacock Blue, #SY-RA, to the trade from Gracie (212-924-6816; graciestudio.com). Diana credenza, $25,950, by Jean de Merry (877-336-3779; jeandemerry.com). Dover Unicorn sweatshirt, $1,025, by Mother of Pearl and Richard Saja from Moda Operandi (modaoperandi.com). Indramayu linen-cotton,…

BEE WILSON "The key to my becoming a food writer was my mother's small but well-chosen shelf of recipe books," says Bee Wilson, whose essay on the evolution of the kitchen begins on page 126. "As a child I devoured cookbooks the way other kids read comics, and I dreamed about the feasts I would make when I had my own kitchen." Wilson, who lives in Cambridge, England, is the author of four books, including, most recently, Consider the Fork (2012), a look at the way our kitchen tools have shaped our eating habits. Still, she learned one or two things writing for our pages. "I knew high-end knives were now very expensive," she says, "but I hadn't fully taken on board that it was possible to spend $2,000 on…

DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF DESIGN Filipino designer Ito Kish was inspired by the ornate balustrades that are ubiquitous in homes in his native country to create the regal Gregoria lounge, made from durable gmelina wood with a handcrafted rattan seat. Shown in a natural finish, it can be ordered in any custom color. It measures 71" w. x 32.25" d. x 67.75" h. and costs $7,750; a chair version is also available. kish.ph 1 / A NEW LEAF The venerable Austrian crystal maker Lobmeyr commissioned Vienna design team Kim+Heep to craft Lily, a suitably elegant successor to Josef Hoffmann's 1917 Patrician glassware. The teacup and saucer, left, costs $164; the Mokka espresso cup with gilt-brass saucer is $261. 212-226-2921; stillfried.com 2 / FINE LINES British designer Tom…

In 1453, Constantinople fell to an Ottoman army led by a sultan barely out of his teens, effectively putting an end to the 1,100-year-old Byzantine empire. Europe was aghast, and propagandists railed against the so-called barbarians. But over time, fear of the Turks turned to curiosity about what Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, wife of the British ambassador to Istanbul, would later describe as the "indolent voluptuousness" of Ottoman culture. Hostilities continued—after the Turks failed to take Vienna in 1683, Prince Eugene of Savoy commissioned a bed with wood posts carved to resemble captured Turks. By the 18th century, traders, diplomats, and traveling artists were returning from Turkey with reports of elaborately detailed (and covetable) costumes. As Hadyn Williams explains in his lavishly illustrated Turquerie (Thames & Hudson), the aristocrats of…

If you consider tartans and tweeds to be tame, time-honored fabrics for the likes of Miss Marple and the Duke of Windsor, Ronda Rice Carman intends to reboot your thinking. The founder of the lifestyle blog All the Best, Carman lived for eight years in Scotland, where she visited centuries-old textile mills that produce fabrics for the European interiors market as well as fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood. She became captivated by the ravishing colors and soft textures and impressed by the attention to detail. "The tartans were like nothing I had seen before," recalls Carman, who relocated to Houston last year. "The unbelievable color combinations—like hot pink, black, and gold—made for a fun twist on tradition." When she learned that American interior designers had little…

1. For the Manhattan dining room of two Francophiles, interior designer Robert Couturier complemented the original plaster ceiling with decorative woodwork by French firm Féau & Cie and mirrored panels. Two tables by Ron Arad with stainless steel bases are surrounded by Lucite chairs from the 1970s upholstered in silk and velvet; the sconces are 1940s Italian, and the light fixture is by Eugene Printz. 2. In a nod to the postwar French decorator Georges Geffroy, Alex Papachristidis sheathed the entrance hall of his New York City apartment with a Lee Jofa variegated-stripe linen, mitering the corners and adding a scalloped valance to evoke a campaign tent. A vintage tole light fixture, an antique bookcase, and a print by Walton Ford enhance the room's exotic appeal. 3. A…

For proof that Franco Albini's ideas were ahead of their time, one need look no further than the Veliero bookcase. Equal parts ethereal shelving unit and room divider, the piece is composed of glass shelves that dangle from taut stainless steel cables and tie rods supported by two diagonal wood masts. Designed in 1940 for the Italian architect's own Milan apartment, only a single prototype, which exhibits an impressive tensile equilibrium, was made at the time. Now considered Albini's most iconic piece, it wasn't put into production until more than 70 years later, when Cassina finally manufactured it in 2011. "He was able to read how the times were changing and find solutions in advance, thinking about how things would be decades later," says Paola Albini, Franco's granddaughter and vice…

No matter how large or luxurious the kitchen, there's usually one nagging problem: the sink. Platters don't fit, or the basin is too narrow for two people to stand comfortably side by side. And inevitably, there's someone waiting for a turn at the spout. "Isn't it frustrating?" says Peter Sallick, CEO of Waterworks. "Over the past 10 years, ovens and refrigerators and other appliances have evolved. But the kitchen sink has hardly changed." That is, until now. This fall, the luxury bathroom company founded in 1978 by Sallick's parents, Barbara and Robert Sallick, is expanding its reach into the heart of the house. With the launch of Waterworks Kitchen, the company ventures into high-end kitchen design with more than 200 new products, from cabinetry to surfaces to lighting to tabletop…

TO THE FINISH: RESTORING FURNITURE Christophe Pourny, expert refinisher and author of The Furniture Bible, makes an eloquent plea for his disappearing craft Q: Has furniture restoration become a lost art? A: Museum-quality restorers still exist on the high end, but many of the smaller artisans are disappearing. This is a shame because antiques need to be taken care of if we want them to survive. With adequate care and repair, handcrafted older pieces will last for decades if not centuries. I am not sure we can say the same about mass-made furniture. Q : Does refinishing affect the value of an antique piece? A: It does if you are inflicting a drastic treatment on an old piece. But not every old piece is a museum item that requires the…

In a career spanning more than two decades, British architectural and interior designer Colin Radcliffe has grown accustomed to hearing his work described mostly with words that begin with S—sexy, sleek, swank, and seductive. As his tastes have matured and his clients' bank accounts have become more substantial, some important M words have crept in as well—marble, mirrored, Maison Jansen, Macassar ebony, and even a touch of mink for good measure. Since he was a teenager, Radcliffe has been a passionate collector of beautiful furniture and objects; antiques dealers from Pimlico Road regularly call him as soon as they spot standout vintage Venetian light fixtures or a massive marble table at which some 1950s Milanese bank president might have held forth. Little wonder he has a strong client base in…

What is life without a little glamour? It's a question Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the British designer, star of Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators, and keeper of a celebrity client list as diverse as Cher, Cheryl Tiegs, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ozzy Osbourne, asks himself at the start of every project. Famed for his extravagant interiors, the author of Live, Love & Decorate counts castles, villas, ranches, and, most recently, Saudi Arabia's royal palace among his commissions. For commercial property developer Judah Hertz and his wife, Astrid, a fashion stylist, tapping Bullard to oversee the creation of their fantasy home was the easiest decision they made in the three years it took to realize it. Not that the design process was difficult. "Martyn understood exactly what we would love," Astrid says. "He never…

Kendall by Iomoi, $88; shopiomoi.com. Asher by Ralph Lauren Home, $195; ralphlaurenhome.com. Tartaruga Ebano by Silia, $1,600; flairhomecollection.com. Wine ice bucket with tongs by Georg Jensen, $275; georgjensen.com. Leather-wrapped ice bucket with tongs by Mark and Graham, $135; markandgraham.com. Heritage by Reed & Barton, $190; reedandbarton.com. Dauville by Canvas Home, $95; canvashomestore.com. Ocean by B-Home Interiors, $465; tableartonline.com. Lambeth ice bucket with tongs by Pigeon & Poodle, $220; st-tropezhome.com. Ice bucket by Rita Konig for the Lacquer Company, $295; thelacquercompany.com. Iskender by Hermès, $1,525; hermes.com. Blue ice bucket by Mr. Ice Bucket, $32; jonathanadler.com.…

MAIL Your September issue is the best in years! Having traveled to São Paulo a number of times, I have been a big fan of Sig Bergamin's work for a while. His Paris apartment is beyond incredible ["Into the Night"]. If I moved in, I would not want to change a thing. Ron Martin, via e-mail Vicky Lowry celebrated a living Venice in the September issue. From the delectable razor clams served at Trattoria da Remigio to the modern glass of the sisters Sent on Murano, she wove a wonderful portrait of a "civilized" city replete with art from the centuries—including this one. Brava! JoAnn Locktov, Bella Figura Communications, Mill Valley, CA Congratulations on your 25th anniversary issue. You outdid yourselves—I am so impressed. Thank you, thank you. Anne-Liss Flanders,…

PETAL POWER A rose is a rose is a rose—or is it? "Bouquets: French Still-Life Painting from Chardin to Matisse," at the Dallas Museum of Art, examines the role of floral still-life paintings in 19th-century France. With more than 60 works by more than 30 artists, the show challenges the conventional perception of the genre as supremely traditional, reframing it instead as a vehicle for expression, discovery, and experimentation. Paintings by lesser-known artists such as Anne Vallayer-Coster—one of only four women admitted into the Académie Royale before the French Revolution and revered in her time for her virtuosic depictions of blossoms—sit alongside those by boldface masters like Delacroix, Cézanne, and Manet. The still-life mode is presented as ripe for aesthetic problem solving, as Renoir's use of warm, dappled light gives…

Architect Eliel Saarinen is best remembered for such large-scale commissions as the 1919 Helsinki Central Railway Station; his son Eero's 1962 TWA Flight Center terminal in New York became an iconic midcentury design. But both men took on residential projects as well, and the new book Saarinen Houses (Princeton Architectural Press) focuses on this rich subject for the first time. The famously close pair's aesthetic dialogue—Eero worked for his father's firm until Eliel passed away in 1950—grows and shifts across the 17 homes, presented chronologically. Hvitträsk, the rural Finnish complex Eliel helped design in 1902 and where he lived with his young family, expresses the idea of a house as a complete work of art, its flowing floor plans, built-in furniture, and site-responsive designs presaging Eero's modernist approach. At their…

WHAT'S NEW TO THE TRADE—FABRICS, FURNISHINGS, AND FABULOUS FINDS 1 The Jasmine chair by Promemoria pairs a curvaceous bronze frame with supple leather upholstery. The 23.5" w. x 21.5" d. x 31" h. piece can be customized in a variety of leather options. 646-588-4409; promemoria.com. 2 London-based designer Luke Irwin looked to 18th-century Italian peasant textiles for his Tarantella collection, a range of hand-knotted Tibetan rugs in linen, silk, and wool. The intricate St. Giovanna, shown in Red and Black, can be ordered in custom sizes and colors. 212-688-7700; pattersonflynnmartin.com. 3 Alison Berger, known for her glass-and-bronze pieces, has introduced the Pulley pendant lamp, featuring a pulley system and a handblown crystal shade that is counterbalanced by a crystal weight. The fixture has a 27" range of movement. 800-320-3145; hollyhunt.com.…

When Mary Lum wanders a city—as she does habitually, to gather elements for her collage works—she turns her camera not on the grand monuments but on what she calls the "unpredictable everyday." That might be a corner or a stairway, the way a shadow falls, or a relationship between color and space—any of the funky little nooks and juxtapositions that happen in the crowded urban landscape. "The photograph is a record of something I've noticed, just being attentive," says Lum. She cuts these images into a palette of fragments, then reassembles them into dynamic compositions that incorporate geometric shapes of painted color. The small-scale works on paper and large-scale wall installations oscillate between recognizable imagery and abstraction. "I want viewers to get involved in the experience of urban space rather…

OVER THE PAST CENTURY, THE KITCHEN HAS EVOLVED FROM A HIDDEN DOMAIN OF SERVANTS AND PUT-UPON HOUSEWIVES TO THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN HOME. OPEN KITCHENS OUTFITTED WITH THE LATEST APPLIANCES AND TECHNOLOGY ARE NOW DE RIGUEUR FOR ENTERTAINING, AND OUR CONTINUING PASSION FOR ALL THINGS CULINARY—WHETHER EXOTIC CUISINES OR SIMPLE FARM-TO-TABLE MEALS—HAS TURNED WHAT WAS ONCE A PLACE OF DRUDGERY INTO A CANVAS FOR SELF-EXPRESSION AND CREATIVITY. DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS ARE RESPONDING WITH KITCHENS AS PRECISELY ENGINEERED AND SEDUCTIVE—NOT TO MENTION AS COSTLY—AS THE MOST EXQUISITE SPORTS CARS. ELLE DECOR LOOKS AT HOW THE ONCE-HUMBLE KITCHEN IS BECOMING THE MOST GLAMOROUS ROOM IN THE HOUSE. THE NEW COUNTER CULTURE With the rise of the middle class, advances in technology, and the liberation of women, the American kitchen has progressed…

"Architects make architecture, but Phyllis Lambert made architects," said Rem Koolhaas last June upon presenting one of his field's top honors— the Venice Biennale's Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement—to the woman who has been called Joan of Architecture for her crusade on behalf of great design. In the 1950s, she convinced her father, liquor tycoon Samuel Bronfman, to hire Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to design the groundbreaking Seagram building on Park Avenue. After studying architecture at Yale and working in van der Rohe's office, she returned to her native Montreal, where she became a force for historic preservation. After Seagram, her most enduring legacy is the Canadian Centre for Architecture, a globally renowned museum and research institute. Ever the evangelist, she asks, "What is the point of a building…

ELLE DECOR: How did you come to choose this apartment when you moved from Philadelphia back to Sweden? MATS NILSSON: When I returned to Sweden in 2010, I went looking for something in an old building or industrial loft, something with character, but it was difficult to find anything that had not been ruined by generations of ill-thought renovation. Eventually I settled on this place because the architect, Mikael Wikeborg, has a way with detail that pleases me enormously, like the oak strips he used to line the doorways, the black light switches, and the hardware. ED: What is the neighborhood like? MN: It's a community called the Western Harbor, in a former shipyard. Like many industrial cities, Malmö has seen the export of manufacturing jobs to Asia. Here, they…

In the drawing room of a Manhattan apartment designed by Ann Pyne of McMillen, Inc., the Art Deco mirror is from Bernd Goeckler Antiques, the parchment-top cocktail table is a custom design, a wall sculpture by Thomas Houseago hangs above a sofa upholstered in a linen damask by Mulberry Home, and armchairs covered in a Larsen fabric are paired with a cocktail table by Silas Seandel; 19th-century sculptures from Barbara Israel Garden Antiques flank a photograph of Andy Warhol by Francesco Scavullo, and the rug is by Beauvais. See Resources. FROM THE EXTERIOR, the townhouse fits right in with the other quietly opulent residences on a leafy street on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Its floor plan is no less classic, consisting of "10 chunky rooms, all in the same proportion,"…

In the living room of a young family's apartment designed by Achille Salvagni in Rome's Palazzo Colonna, the sofa, upholstered in a velvet by Dedar, and cocktail table are custom designs, the 18th-century settee is Italian, and the custom-made rug is from Tibet. See Resources. For richness of history and for grandeur, no Roman palace surpasses the Palazzo Colonna, at the foot of the Quirinal Hill. Not even the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles outdoes the pomp and splendor of its Sala Grande. The Bronzinos and the Tintorettos lining the walls of its renowned gallery attest to the Colonna family's enduring wealth and prestige. When the architect and designer Achille Salvagni received a commission to create an apartment on the top floor of the palace, the challenge, he says, was…