ELLE DECOR June 2014

Humans may be hunters and gatherers, but we are also counters and quantifiers, compilers and organizers. It seems to be a primal instinct to compare and contrast, to evaluate and rank. Plus, whatever the topic, we get the joy of applying our own criteria. If a list isn't selective, it isn't worth the paper it's printed on. And if it isn't subjective, what's the point? So ELLE DECOR's A-List may not be definitive, but it is opinionated, informed, and put together with passion. There have been some changes this year. We have made several additions, and a few designers have been elevated to Grand Master status. (I can't see how anyone could argue with this, but I'm fully prepared that some people will.) And yes, there have been a few…

VICKY LOWRY In 2010, Vicky Lowry purchased a house in the Hudson Valley. "It had dark knotty-pine interiors, and I whitewashed it from floor to ceiling," she says. It's only natural that her sweet spot for white furnishings led her to become obsessed with Stephen Antonson's white plaster pieces, which appear on page 76: "When he produced a series in resin for West Elm, I literally ran up to the branch near our office and bought all that was left—a pair of candlesticks." Lowry joined the staff of ELLE DECOR in 2005 and frequently writes about art and design for the magazine; she now oversees the features for Veranda and House Beautiful as well. DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN Douglas Friedman, who photographed the home of Christine and Richard Mack on page 156,…

JUNE 2014 MAIL Federico de Vera's converted rail station home in upstate New York is a total charmer, and it's catnip for an antiques junkie like myself ["On the Right Track," April]. I love everything about this place, from the staggering walls of interesting art (even in the garage!) to the vitrine of vintage glassware to the mismatched dining chairs. It's the only way to travel! Ben Farrell, via e-mail Incredible to spend a foggy night on the moor at Jemma Kidd and Arthur Wellesley's Hampshire home ["The Next Chapter," April]. What an alluring supply of sumptuous sofas and chairs, each with its own tempting comfort. Awesome! Irene Lee, Freeport, IL I'm still very new to ELLE DECOR, but I am already blown away by such an awe-inspiring decorating magazine.…

STRAIGHT FROM OUR PAGES, THE WIT AND WISDOM OF SOME OF OUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS "I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE PERSIST IN MIXING DRINKS IN THE KITCHEN. NOTHING SHOUTS 'WELCOME' LIKE A DRINKS TABLE RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN." —Jeffrey BilhuberAugust/September 2003 "SERIOUS IS A WORD THAT MUST BE ENTIRELY AVOIDED WHEN IT COMES TO DECORATION." —Kathryn M. IrelandFebruary/March 2002 "I'M ALLERGIC TO NOISE AND VULGARITY. I THINK NOISE IS POSSIBLY THE WORST OF ALL POLLUTIONS." —John SaladinoMay 1991 "TRADITION ALWAYS HAS TO BE UPDATED AND PUSHED FORWARD. AFTER ALL, YOU WOULDN'T SEND A DEBUTANTE TO HER 80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY WEARING HER ORIGINAL DRESS." —Thomas JayneJuly/August 2008 "ENGLISH HOUSES ARE THE PRETTIEST, MOST COMFORTABLE HOUSES IN THE WORLD. WHO ARE WE KIDDING? YOUTH-QUAKERS ARE EMBRACING TRADITION, AND WHY NOT? IT'S THE…

CLOUD COVERAGE Otherworldly and ethereal, clouds have long captured the collective imagination. In 2002, design firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro used fog machines to create Blur Building, a mysterious haze that hovered over Lake Neuchâtel at the Swiss Expo. Beginning this spring, to mark the 65th anniversary of Philip Johnson's Glass House, Fujiko Nakaya's site-specific installation shrouds the building in a dense mist for 10 minutes each hour, a dreamy disappearing act that plays with the notion of transparency (theglasshouse.org). Berndnaut Smilde balances temperature and humidity to create clouds within striking architectural environments, photographing them moments before they disappear (ronchinigallery.com). And Leandro Erlich creates a case study in cumulus, layering sheets of painted glass to portray a captured cloud (leandroerlich.com.ar). Nimbus Green Room, 2013, by Berndnaut Smilde. Fujiko Nakaya fog…

SWING TIME Nicaragua's Hang a Hammock Collective uses handwoven cotton and sustainable local woods or bamboo. The Deluxe, top, shown in Berry, measures 49" w. x 162" l. and costs $114; the Matrimonial, shown in Chocolate and in Sky, measures 42" w. x 150" l. and is $94. The flooring is from Armstrong's Architectural Remnants collection. 011-505-8255-2660; hangahammockcollective.com 1 / WALKING TOUR Brooklyn designer Aelfie Oudghiri's line of vibrantly colored flatweave rugs features patterns that evoke both Scandinavian and Persian carpets. Saskia, shown, a wool blend, is offered in a variety of sizes. A 3' x 5' rug costs $217. 631-603-5574; aelfie.com 2 / SERENE SEATING The back of Casamidy's Venezia chair was modeled after a pattern that designer Jorge Almada saw on a wall in…