FROM TOP: JOSHUA M C HUGH; SIMON UPTON 30 ELLEDECOR.COM Class Act Wonderful article and pictures of the chic Park Ave- nue apartment designed by its owner (“In the Clear,” December). Susan Chalom has an amazing eye: Her place is minimal, yet warm. And her simplicity is clas- sic. What an inspiration! Thank you for including a feature for nonprofessionals such as myself. Lyn Segal, Aspen, CO Spelling It Out The photographs of the American ambassador’s residence in Helsinki (“Northern Exposure,” Decem- ber) look great, but the distinguished architect you refer to is Harrie T. Lindeberg, not Harry T. Lindberg, as you had it. A copy of Domestic Architecture of H.T. Lindeberg sits above my desk and has inspired my work. As a librarian’s child, I cannot help but comb texts with an editor’s eye. Andrew Tullis, via e-mail Village Vamp Your feature on Candace Bushnell’s Greenwich Vil- lage apartment in the September issue (“Love at First Sight”) was gorgeous. Her space exudes a sexy and feminine character that I’d love to bottle and bring to my apartment in Philadelphia. Tracy Mack, Philadelphia, PA The Gift of Giving I was extremely touched by your Editor’s Page in November. I am the head of the President’s Club of Vista Del Mar, a 98-year-old orphanage in Los Angeles, and grew up in a truly charitable family that taught me what you give comes back in so many ways. I respect you for a fabulous magazine. Janis Black, via e-mail Fine Type I want to express my deep admiration for ELLE DECOR , my favorite design publication. You have such great style! You consistently present top-quality articles on decorating, furnishings, and architecture, and the stories are always well written and photographed. I very much like the genuine care and depth of feel- ing you show for the people featured, be it the de- signer or a client, and their homes. The blend of the personal and professional is present, too, on the Editor’s Page. It is exemplary and rare, and one more reason why I keep reading your magazine. There is much more to praise, but I’ll conclude by thank- ing you for your integrity. It is very much needed, and welcome, these days. Michael Feeley, via e-mail Greetings from Greece I cherish the interiors you feature on your pages. I would even call you a long-distance university of good taste. Congratulations on a wonderful job. Papasifakis Panagiotis, Athens, Greece Holiday Blues How sad that references in your magazine to the holiday season have been reduced to one article about shopping (“Frozen Assets,” December). Gone are the days when shelter magazines celebrated with beautiful spreads depicting families gathered in celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas. The hol- idays have now been reduced to a few material trin- kets that may be purchased to celebrate what? The article doesn’t even say. I assume that you have made a decision that it is politically incorrect to write about such things. Lisa Montague, via e-mail Not at all. Until very recently, ELLE DECOR has been published eight times a year, with a December/Jan- uary issue, and few things are sadder than a Christ- mas tree cover in January. Our increase in frequency to ten issues allows for a separate December pub- lication; look for a more festive celebration of the holiday season next year. From top: The living room of Susan Chalom’s Manhattan apartment. The December cover. mailbox MARCH 2006 To subscribe to ELLE DECOR , to order a gift subscription, to change your subscription address, or for any questions regarding your subscription, e-mail elledecor@neodata.com. Please be sure to include your mailing address and all perti- nent information for your subscription; you may also call 850-682-7654. To order a back issue, call 800-333-8546. Send Mailbox your letters—but keep them short and to the point (we reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and style). The address: Mailbox, ELLE DECOR, 1633 Broadway, 41st floor, New York, NY 10019; e-mail: ELLEDECOR @hfmus.com. THE THOMAS PHEASANT COLLECTION FOR A COLOR BROCHURE CALL 1.800.662.4847 MCGUIREFURNITURE.COM/SLIPPER SHOWN: WS-44 SLIPPER CHAIR IN M C GUIRE FABRIC PHHH122, TB-41G TEXTURED BRONZE SIDE TABLE, RKL-14 PEBBLE LAMP. PHOTO: KARL PETZKE KANG KIM 33 What’sHot! Dispatches from the world of design Text by Julie V. Iovine Produced by Anita Sarsidi Blue Plate Special Ceramic artist Robert Dawson takes a tried-and-true Wedgwood china pattern and makes it new again by blowing up de- tails and placing them off center around the plates, adding dimension, depth, and drama to this historic chinoiserie design. The After Willow dinner plate costs $40, a dessert plate is $35, and the tea- cup and saucer set is $90. Call 800-955- 1550 for stores; wedgwoodusa.com. what’s hot! 34 ELLEDECOR.COM 1 2 3 4 2,4: KANA OKADA; 3: KANG KIM 1 Back Splash Don’t put this chaise longue against the wall; it’s a standout. Designed by Richard Frinier for Century Furniture, it evokes shoji screens, raku pottery, and Frank Lloyd Wright designs. Part of the 12-piece Kyoto Leisure collection, it has a cast- aluminum frame with an aged finish; measures 32" wide, 75" deep, and 34.5" high; and costs $3,200 as shown. Call 800-852- 5552; centuryfurniture.com. 2 Light Work Not since Jean Cocteau designed the ones for his classic film La Belle et la Bête has a sconce possessed such poetic flair. The gold-plated, cast-bronze Appliqué Iris by Objet Insolite resembles stylized plant stalks, and measures 18.5" tall and 16.75" wide. It costs $832 at Distant Origin. Call 212-941-0024; distantorigin.com. 3 On a Roll The Angel table by Mary Forssberg up- dates Deco and puts it on wheels. Sheathed in hand-stained leather and inset with shagreen, the diminutive table will elegantly work in any room. Available at a height of either 24" or 27", it has a 13" diameter, comes in 15 colors, and sells for $4,100. Call Bergdorf Goodman, 800-558-1855; or Førssberg studio, 305-856-9590. 4 Pattern Play Famed fabric house Boussac has found in- genious new ways to spread its patterns around, including laminating some onto lightweight plastic trays. Here, it’s Paloma, designed by Jacques Grange in tribute to Picasso and his daughter. The company’s new home-accessories collection also includes curtains, cushions, and serving pieces in a variety of patterns and color- ways. The tray is available in red and white versions as well, and comes in two sizes, 15.75" by 20.5" for $130 and 10" by 15" for $95. For store locations, call 212-213-3099. Your commute just got significantly shorter. Introducing the 2007 Lexus RX 350, the latest in the revolutionary RX series. Harnessing a new 3.5-liter V6 engine with 270 horsepower* and dual VVT-i, it has the uncanny ability to transform any route you’re on into the shortest one. And the most luxurious one, as you’ll find the kinds of features that have become synonymous with Lexus. Such as an available backup camera, heated seats and rear-seat entertainment system. Experience the RX 350. And see what it’s like to arrive in style a few minutes early. THE NEW RX 350. EVEN MORE POWERFUL. THE PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION YOU ARE HERE. YOU COULD’VE BEEN HERE. *Ratings achieved using the required premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher. If premium fuel is not used, performance will decrease. ©2005 Lexus. 36 ELLEDECOR.COM 1 what’s hot! 4 2–4: KANG KIM 3 1 Lighter Brighter Blu Dot, the Minneapolis-based furniture firebrand, makes goods that have an im- mediate impact but also work hard. The plywood-topped metal Strut table is typi- cal—it’s as lean as a line drawing, but has the tensile grace of a kite in flight. Powder-coated in glossy red, the table measures 90" long, 29" high, and 34.5" wide, and costs $1,199. (A slightly smaller size is also available.) Go to bludot.com. 2 Mirror Illusion What might appear to be the curvy wrought-iron frame on a simple mirror turns out to be loops that are hand-carved out of mahogany. Designed by Anne-Marie Midy for Casa Midy, the Loop mirror is 36" high by 28" wide and sells for $1,610 at Room. Call 212-226-1042; roomonline.com. 3 To Dye For Rug and textile designer Madeline Weinrib has always had a passion for old weav- ings. Now she’s investigating the possibil- ities of the ancient process of dyeing yarns before weaving them, called ikat. She has merged the traditional technique with a sophisticated modern palette in her new line of pillows, handwoven in Uzbekistan. Each 12"-square cushion costs $400 at ABC Carpet & Home. Call 212-674-1144; madelineweinrib.com. 4 Bubble Up Transparency brings more to light, so why not a lamp made entirely of clear glass, including the shade? The Conran Shop offers handblown lamps with one, two, or three bubbles. The two-bubble version, far left, is 20.5" tall and costs $525; the one- bubble version stands 27.5" tall and is $325. Call 866-755-9079; conran.com. 2 Also available at macysweddingchannel.com or call 1.800.537.0234 BED BATH TABLEWARE MATTRESS ESCAPE TO PARADISE. NIGHTLY. 38 ELLEDECOR.COM top f loor Bergdorf Goodman rethinks luxury for the home, with new shops and a magical restaurant what’s hot! shops FROM TOP: ANNIE SCHLECHTER; JOSHUA M C HUGH (3) The most dramatic dining room to open recently in Manhattan bucks a trend—and might just cre- ate a new one. BG is neither in a swank hotel nor in a fringe neighborhood that’s suddenly hot, but rather on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman, which has been a mecca for luxury shopping since 1899. In fact, the whole floor, which is devoted to the home, just got a serious refresher with an injection of new, high-end furnishings from around the world—prov- ing that fashion stores are no longer just selling clothes; they’re selling a lifestyle. For her first project in New York, L.A.-based in- terior designer Kelly Wearstler gave BG, the res- taurant which overlooks Central Park, a decidedly residential feel by creating a series of salons rather than one huge room. It’s a nod to the Beaux Arts build- ing’s heritage: The Goodmans used to live two floors above in a 16-room apartment. With a refined palette of ivory, black, and gold, Wearstler has enlivened the setting, which includes a swank bar, using hits of unusual color: Leather-covered canopy bergères, modeled after ones she saw in a Christie’s cata- logue, are robin’s-egg blue; turquoise silk from De Gournay, embellished with a chinoiserie design, covers some walls; and avocado and mustard make appearances, too. “We wanted to be true to Bergdorf Goodman aesthetically, and we knew this wasn’t going to be a minimal, white box,” says the store’s CEO, Jim Gold. Adds Wearstler, “I wanted it to feel fresh. It’s a room for people of all ages.” The rest of the floor is divided into small boutiques where the unusual reigns, with one-of-a-kind ob- jects like perfectly preserved ostriches and pea- cocks from Deyrolle, the famed Parisian taxidermist; whimsical, hand-painted stationery from Bernard Maisner (with calligraphers on hand to address in- vitations); vintage books and entomological prints from Jane Stubbs; exquisitely embroidered bed- ding by Leontine Linens; and a stash of vintage hotel silver. “We want the floor to have a sense of discov- ery,” explains Gold, “as if you are shopping the stalls of a luxury flea market.” Vicky Lowry Vintage hotel tableware and serving pieces. A new boutique with items from Deyrolle in Paris and decou- page platters by John Derian. See Resources. BG, the new restaurant de- signed by Kelly Wearstler on Bergdorf Goodman’s seventh floor. A display of innovative table settings.