A fashion-savvy home decorating magazine for the new generation of design professionals and consumers who know exactly what they want, ELLE DECOR covers fashionable and inspirational products that bring couture chic to every room of your home.
MONTHS AGO, AS WE started putting together this issue on style and entertaining, I did something that gave me a real thrill: I went to a dinner party, indoors. It was small, but it was the first gathering like it that I had attended since the start of the pandemic. I noticed a few things, as have all of the editors of ELLE DECOR as we’ve enjoyed the return of socializing in these past summer months: People are getting their homes ready for guests with less fuss and preciousness than they used to—and dressing their tables with more intention and freedom. Bring on the reunions with friends and family, the birthday parties, the long-delayed weddings! On that last subject, author and essayist Roxane Gay writes movingly in this issue (page 29)…
Brighter Days Ahead Ever since the fashion icon Iris Apfel, who turns 100 on August 29, left the interiors world in 1992—after cofounding the fabric brand Old World Weavers and working as a textile designer for more than 50 years—top companies have been banging down her door. But she was done, she said, until Fabricut called. “I said, ‘You know what, it’s time to go back to my roots,’” Apfel explains. Her new collection of upholstery fabrics and trims ranges from a solid satin to striped velvets to embroidered linens, true to her maximalist personal style. And the inspiration was as simple as absorbing the sights and sounds of her hometown, New York City. “People needed joy, and that’s what this collection is meant to provide,” Apfel says. “I just…
WHEN YOU THINK OF RATTAN IN DESIGN, your mind’s eye likely conjures a rustic country estate or a tropical retreat. Designer David Netto has an altogether different slate of references for the palm material: Interiors by Marella Agnelli, 1930s airplane seats, and vintage furniture by Michael Taylor and Isamu Kenmochi all influenced his new collection of wicker lighting, produced in collaboration with Soane Britain. “I have always revered Soane’s taste,” says Netto of the artisan-focused London-based brand, known for highlighting British crafts in danger of extinction, among them rattan weaving. “And using rattan guarantees that something will have a young energy and informality.” “When David sent his initial sketches, it was clear that he understood the sculptural potential of working in rattan,” says Soane Britain cofounder Lulu Lytle. Certainly, Netto had…
THERE WE WERE, AT A SMALL GATHERING OF friends after my wife, Debbie, and I eloped in an office park in Encino, California. I had barbecued steak with homemade steak sauce, made a pasta salad, roasted some fingerling potatoes, and sautéed pea pods with a sprinkling of cracked black pepper and Parmesan. I baked a three-layer strawberry shortcake, and we set everything out on a table. We arranged a basket of plastic plates and cutlery and sat outside to eat, everyone six feet apart, wearing masks when we weren’t eating. It was all very festive—June 2020, three or so months into a very long year-and-a-half of isolation and worry and waiting. Debbie and I had not imagined we would have any opportunities to socialize until there was a vaccine, but…
1. Beaumont Dresser by RH, Restoration Hardware JEAN LIU: The mirrored finish is great for reflecting light in smaller spaces. JAMES HUNIFORD: The piping along the borders adds visual interest. Lean into the design of this piece with an upholstered white bed and white curtains. 60′ w. X 20′ d. X 36′ h.; $2,699. rh.com 2. Wood and Brass Sideboard by Michele Bönan for Chelini JH: The wire brushing of the wood to showcase the grain is really special. Pair it with a large gold mirror. JL: All the right angles of the hardware will balance a room’s softer pieces. 54′ w. X 20′ d. X 31′ h.; $17,570. artemest.com 3. Amalfi Three-Drawer Chest by Arhaus JH: Replacing the wooden top with stone or upholstered velvet would add a twist.…
AS ANY HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTest knows, the trendiest tables are covering up this season (but still showing a little leg). With restrictions on head counts lifting and vaccination rates on the rise, we’re all eager to welcome with open arms the return of tablescapes. And what better way to prepare for the coming partypocalypse than with a few of our favorite linens? From cinnamon-hued solids to tapestry-worthy wildlife scenes, options abound for revenge dressing your table. Also this month: We talk to three tastemakers about what makes their tabletops pop, spotlight two collections that put the art in the Art of Entertaining, and scout out the new companies taking the pain out of partying—assuming you want them to, of course. Bon appétit! “Talk about decorating your table—I have six wigs on…
