When friends of mine returned from a trip to southern Portugal a while back, they told me all about their secret find: Casa Modesta, a rural guest house on the Ria Formosa Nature Park in the Algarve. Before owner Carlos Fernandes and his sister, Vânia Brito Fernandes, inherited the house from their

We’re all about low-investment, high-impact changes that can transform the home, especially if they can be finished in a weekend. One of our favorite types of project? Switching out generic, clunky hardware for a design-conscious choice. However, if you’ve ever rented an apartment or home, you know

It’s been well documented (ahem, in this month’s Editor’s Cut) that stripes are having a (big, bold) moment. Further evidence? Banded, striped, and otherwise patterned towels and robes from Parachute Home’s “beach capsule,” perfect for toting to the pool….or just making a shower feel like a vacation

Welcome to Meanwhile, on Gardenista, in which we take a look at the goings-on over on our sibling site. In this week’s edition: So long to huge, uninterrupted swaths of lawn. Gardenista makes the case for laying out your garden like a home, with distinct spaces and outdoor ‘rooms’ to spend all summe

What makes a perfect bathroom? In my mind, it looks like this one, in the former LA home of designer Pamela Shamshiri. (The house sold to new owners a few summers ago.) Spa-like but cozy, simple but sophisticated, it’s anchored by a hinoki soaking tub for long, relaxing baths. Above: The room’s pale

In partnership with renowned planner Rafanelli Events, Engel & Völkers explores how to transform private estates into unforgettable wedding venues filled with meaning, elegance, and personal touches. From design strategy to guest experience, discover how to craft a celebration as unique as the coupl

When Lana Launay couldn’t find the lampshades she was after, she started making her own. It wasn’t a stretch. The Sydney-based artist has a background in jewelry making, textile design, and visual arts, and applied a range of these skills, improvisation included, to create her first pieces. That was

A truth that we live by? The smallest details can make the biggest impact. From window latches to door pulls, paper towel racks to light switches, good design is found in the minutiae.One particular source of our obsession is bathroom hardware. Here, practicality is key: Bathroom fixtures are put to

When we first featured Espanyolet, the Mallorca-based project of Thomas Bossert and Melissa Rosenbauer, the year was 2016 and the duo had quit their jobs in New York, sold their belongings, and embarked on an Eat, Pray, Love-esque year of adventure in which they ended up studying, and falling in lov

Designer Nick Spain’s star has been on the rise the last few years—though technically his training isn’t in interiors. “My background is in theater,” he says. “I try to approach each project as a role to be played and imbue it with its own distinctive style.”This goes some way to explain his knack f

Met Gala-inspired paint palettes, a trusty bar accessory, jaunty attire inspiration from the garden, and more on our editors’ desks this week: Above: Weekend here? Photograph Casa Tiny, a Walden-Inspired Getaway in Mexico. Photograph by Camila Cossio, courtesy of Casa Tiny.Farrow & Ball takes on the

Born in Paris, French designer Beatrice Faverjon first moved to California to pursue a directing career. After the birth of her second child, she shifted her focus to ceramics and interior design, creating homes “with the desire to elevate their functionality to the level of art while giving beauty

A shopkeeper’s artisan-filled Mexico City apartment. A secluded indoor/outdoor tiny house (available for rent). A 300-year-old (formerly roofless) casita.The projects we’ve visited in Mexico over the years run the gamut from urban to off-grid, polished to ad-hoc—but they all share a sense of creativ

They say trends reappear every 20 years, give or take. So, it seems, do tumbleweeds.Back in 2010, Julie took note of the sculptural specimens on display at Dosa in Accessories: Tumbleweeds as Decor. (At the time there was an operation, Prairie Tumbleweed Farm, that was catching tumbleweeds as they b

Spotted on our designer friend Victoria Kirk‘s Instagram: Rosetta in Mexico City, the prettiest restaurant we’ve seen in a while. Owner Elena Reygadas studied in New York and London before returning home to open Rosetta in 2010; since then, she’s been named Latin America’s Best Female Chef (in 2014)

We first featured our selection of the 10 best blenders back in 2016. At the time, the market was essentially defined by Vitamix and the usual standbys. Fast forward nearly a decade and the blender scene has drastically improved. So we thought we’d take a moment to update our list with the latest mo

Castle Core Medieval brings a bold new twist to home design by combining the romance of medieval architecture with the ease of coastal living. The trend blends arched details, stone accents, and rich textures with natural light and ocean-inspired palettes. Discover how to incorporate this captivatin

Lollipops, peace signs, full moons, porthole windows. The circle is symmetry at its finest and comes with so many appealing associations.We’ve been admiring the game-changing effect of a single, outsized circle painted on a wall. Here are seven examples in a range of shades, some quietly arresting,

Above: This could be you. Photograph via Radisson Blu Aruba.Calling all readers in need of a getaway (or a last-minute Mother’s Day gift idea): We’re teaming up with Real Simple, Gloria, TOMS shoes, and a few of our favorite partners for a start-of-summer sweepstakes. The grand prize? A four-night s

A while back we profiled Maison Couturier, a 19th-century estate turned hotel in San Rafael, Veracruz. We’re still drawn to the bedrooms…You, too? Here are some ideas for re-creating the look. Above: The estate is made up of limewashed walls and original brick floors. The mix of vintage decor is a n