JULY/AUGUST 2016 HOUSE & HOME 11

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11HOME FRONT 13KIDS

CORNER

Edited by Liz Hunter

Found in NatureCeramic artist David Regan cre-ated Living Walls Tile, a smallstudio based in Montana wherehe produces handmade art tile.His sculptural work is on dis-play around the world, includ-ing at the Metropolitan Muse-um of Art in New York, andnow his work can be on displayin your own home through hisunique tile patterns that capturethe essence of nature, like thisCaribbean Water subwayshaped tile. Although it maylook like it, the image is notpainted on, but subtly texturedwith turquoise glaze. These tilesare 10 inches by 6 inches andideal for a bathroom shower orbacksplash. (Available at LivingWallsTile.com for $40)

Hollywood GlamSince 1980, Ann Sacks hasbeen a well-known name in theworld of tile and stone, grow-ing from a humble living roominto a global brand. Their BeauMonde collection is sophisticat-ed and elegant, using the inspi-ration of ancient mosaic art tocreate elaborate images onstone. Beau Monde featuresmodern graphics with a hint ofglamour and nod to Old Holly-

wood—as reflected in the tilenames, like Audrey (shown),Marilyn or Errol. This tile issuitable for all indoor wall andflooring applications. (Purchas-ing information available atAnnSacks.com, prices rangefrom $60.45-$606.30 persquare foot)

Made in ItalyNella Vetrina is an exclusiveand high-end company thatfeatures home collections fromluxury Italian designers. TheirItalian ceramic tiles are no exception. Handcrafted byartists in Fiorano Modenese,these tiles are made for thecontemporary kitchen or bathroom. Their Crocodilecollection is available in three

sizes and 10 different colors,including gray, orange, whiteand lilac (shown) for a show-stopping look you likely won’t find in any of yourneighbors’ homes. (Available at NellaVetrina.com)

HOME FRONT

Timeless TileTile is one of the most versatile materials for a home. It cantransform the look of a floor, wall, bathroom and evenceiling. Although the idea of tile might sound cold and plain,the high-end designs available today are anything but.Whether you want something subtle and simple or bold andbright, there is a tile to fit your tastes and the ones featuredon this page are just a glimpse into what you can find.

Hello Old SportIf your tastes lean more Gatsby than Gone with the Wind then thisInara Strathmore Brass and Marble Tile is hard to pass up. Composedof a blend of brass, bardiglio and black jade, this polished black,gold and gray tile adds dimension and drama, becoming the focalpoint of any space (especially the bar). It will surely have guests talk-ing, just like Gatsby’s parties. (Available at TileBar.com for $70.50)

13BOOKMARK12SIMPLIFY 12WHO KNEW?

Recycled BeautyCork is one of the most renew-able sources for tile and flooring,and harvesting cork oak is high-ly regulated. The material is water-resistant, anti-microbial,helps to reduce noise and is anatural thermal insulator (meaning no cold feet even in the winter). This Rain Cork wall tile from AmCork is hand-made, with each square placedin opposite directions for acheckerboard design. For any-one who designs with the Earthin mind, cork provides a rawand attractive touch to anyroom. (Available atAmCork.com for $77 per carton of 22 square feet)

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SIMPLIFYTips & products to declutter and de-stress

Jewelry OrganizerOver the years, women canamass quite a collection of jew-elry, from the sentimental andvaluable to the fun and funky.Sadly, most of it gets crammedinto jewelry boxes or drawerswhere it’s hard to find and some-times forgotten. That’s why welove mixing the idea of jewelryplus décor. When hung on thewall, bracelets, necklaces andearrings are proudly on displayand easy to grab and they dou-ble as art in your room. This Pineand Iron Wall-Mounted JewelryHanger from Pottery Barn is es-pecially eye-catching for its rus-tic charm. Made of mango woodand aluminum with a powder-coated finish, the hanger fea-tures plenty of holes for earrings,knobs for necklaces and a barfor bracelets. It might just haveyou looking for a few new piecesto add to your collection. (Available at PotteryBarn.comfor $99)

WHO KNEW?Unusual uses for common products

Aluminum foilThis kitchen staple does more than preserve casseroles in the fridge. Grab a piece for any of the following needs:

n Sharpening scissors. Fold up astrip of foil and cut into pieces.Once-dull scissors will be likenew after a handful of snips.

n Faster ironing. Place a sheet offoil on the ironing board un-derneath a garment. As youiron, the foil will help conductthe heat onto the clothingrather than it being absorbedinto the board.

n Deterring garden pests. Addbits of foil to the soil and mulcharound your plants and theshiny foil will keep light-sensi-tive pests from eating them.

JULY/AUGUST 2016 HOUSE & HOME 13HouseMagazine.com

BOOKMARKAdd this to your bookshelf

The French-Inspired HomeDesigner, decorator and writer Carolyn Westbrook has a love affairwith French style and it deeply influ-ences her work. From distressed itemswith elegant appeal to rustic and fad-ed touches, there is something classicand romantic about the French-inspired interiors. Westbrook displaysher passions in three settings: a plan-tation house, urban apartment andtown house to show this genre’s versatility and longevity. (Cico Books,August 2016, $29.95, Amazon.com)

When a new bundle of joy is about to join a fam-ily one of the most exciting aspects can be choos-ing items for the nursery, including bedding.Babies are so delicate and sensitive and shouldonly sleep on the best, which is why we love theorganic baby sheets and blankets from Boll &Branch. Made of 100 percent cot ton,each piece is super soft

and ethically made in Certified Fair Trade facto-ries. Choose solid sheets or ones with a trellis orseedling pattern in soft hues of blue, pink, grayand white and coordinating blankets. We canguarantee baby will be comfortable but we make

no promises on sleeping through thenight. (Available at BollAnd-

Branch.com for $30-$50)

KIDS CORNERLiven up the little spaces

Organic Baby Bedding

fairtrade

certified!

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EDUCATIONAL ELEMENTS

Smart GardenThere’s nothing like picking freshfruit, vegetables or herbs fromyour own backyard, but in ourclimate gardening can be unpre-dictable. The Click & GrowSmart Garden is an easy-to-use,self-watering plant system thattakes the guess work out of itwith NASA-inspired technologythat encourages faster plantgrowth. The Smart Garden hasspace for three plants (the herbgarden start kit comes with threebasil plants) and supplies themwith the right amount of oxygen,

water and nutrients, without pes-ticides, insecticides or hor-mones. The LED lamp adjusts asplants grow, and the reservoirholds up to one month of watersupply, making this fool-proof.And while the unit does need tobe plugged in, it consumes amere six watts and $3 of electric-ity per year. As with anything“smart,” this garden also has afree iOS app to provide plant in-formation and reminders. (Available at ClickAndGrow.comfor $59.95)

GREEN THUMBWhat’s growing on us this month …

onemonthwater

supply!

What to know about ...

Findings from the Fifth Annual Houzz & Home SurveyPOPULAR HOME DESIGN WEBSITEHOUZZ.COM recently released itsFifth Annual Houzz & Home Survey report, which had 120,000respondents. Several areas stoodout as signifying key trends andhabits among homeowners:

Kitchen and bath projects remain a priority: Accord-ing to the survey, kitchens remain the most popularinterior remodeling project, at 31 percent, followedby master and non-master bathrooms, at 22 and 26percent, respectively. The average spent on these proj-ects increased by 12 percent.

Budgets are an after-thought: Nearly one-third of thosetaking on a remodeling project do so without settinga budget and 31 percent admit to exceeding their ini-

tial budget. Choosing more upscale products was thetop reason for going over budget, at 45 percent.

Generational differences: Millennials are showing theirmotivation in remodeling, with 61 percent of that agegroup reporting activity, yet baby boomers and oth-ers over age 55 spend three times more on renovationsthan millennials. The survey also showed millennialswith a greater interest in installing home automationsystems (26 percent) than their counterparts.

The Houzz & Home Survey was sent to registered users of Houzz and fielded in March-June 2016. The Farnsworth Group, an independentmarket research firm, conducted the survey.

The full U.S. report is available at http://info.houzz.com/HH2016.html.