ELLE DECOR July - August 2014

SUMMER ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE. After a brutal winter in much of the Northeast and a rainy and cold spring that delayed even my hardy daffodils—not to mention the opposite problem of ongoing drought, unseasonable heat, and wildfires in much of the West—it seems unrealistic to expect three months of long, sunny days and cool, breezy nights. But even if the weather turns out to be perfect, the season has been altered, perhaps irrevocably. Bees once filled the flowering apple trees on my property in upstate New York so densely each spring that their buzzing sounded like electric transmission lines. Now their population has been reduced to the point that they create barely a hum. Bats by the dozens used to nest in my potting shed, hanging high…

KEITH AND JON MEACHAM In 2013, after working for more than two decades in education, Keith Meacham—whose family's Nashville, Tennessee, home appears on page 116—joined the founding team at Learn With Homer, above, an app designed to build reading skills in children ages three to six. The app launched last August and already has more than a million users in 140 countries. "I work on everything from building our education advisory board to creating content partnerships with cultural institutions, such as Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, which gives children who use the app an exclusive look inside one of this country's most beautiful houses," says Meacham. The Jefferson connection runs in the family—Keith's husband, Jon, is the author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, right, which became a number-one New York…

MAIL João Mansur's Brazil home ["A Tale of Two Stories," May] is truly a masterpiece. So many fascinating antiques, so many incredible wallpapers, and so many gorgeous shades of green! Lauren Cowell, via e-mail I'm always excited when my issue of ELLE DECOR arrives. The featured homes are beautiful, interesting, and sophisticated. I love the fact that they don't have a staged look—they all appear to be real homes that are lived in and used. I try to imagine what it's like to live in them—I look at the photos with a magnifying glass and try to "walk" my way through my favorite rooms. Susan Kelly, via e-mail I was surprised to see the term chaise lounge in the May issue [Appraisal]. Many French decorating terms have been assimilated into…

IKATS THIS METHOD OF DYEING TEXTILES HAS BEEN POPULAR AROUND THE GLOBE—FROM INDONESIA TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO SOUTH AMERICA—FOR CENTURIES, AND IT'S TAKEN A STARRING ROLE IN ELLE DECOR FOR THE PAST DECADE. GLOSSY SURFACES LACQUERED OBJECTS DATE BACK TO ANCIENT CHINA, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS CONSIDERED A HIGH-GLOSS SHEEN THE HEIGHT OF MODERNITY. WANT TO ADD DRAMA TO ENTRIES, DINING HALLS, FURNISHINGS? PUT A SHINE ON IT. PATTERN MIXES PLAIDS, FLORALS, GEOMETRICS, AND ANIMAL PRINTS: THE MORE YOU MIXED THEM UP, THE MORE LIKELY THE PROJECT WOULD END UP ON OUR PAGES. WHEN IT COMES TO ELLE DECOR STYLE, MORE IS DEFINITELY MORE. SALON HANGINGS WE'VE LONG BEEN ENTRANCED BY THE 18TH-CENTURY FRENCH TECHNIQUE OF HANGING ARTWORKS AND OBJECTS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING. GATHER A GROUP TOGETHER AND PUT…

THIS SEASON, TWO MUSEUMS EXPLORE THE EVOLUTION OF A JAPANESE CLASSIC. "KIMONO FOR A MODERN AGE," AT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART, FOCUSES ON EXAMPLES FROM THE 20TH CENTURY, SHOWN, MANY INFLUENCED BY WESTERN ART (LACMA.ORG; JULY 5–OCTOBER 19). "KIMONO: A MODERN HISTORY" AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN NEW YORK RANGES FROM 18TH-CENTURY ROBES TO A CIRCA-1940S KIMONO ADORNED WITH WARSHIPS (MET?MUSEUM.ORG; SEPTEMBER 27–JANUARY 4, 2015). A 1940s flag-inspired kimono. A 1930s example with waves and sea foam. An Art Deco–era kimono. MILAN MOMENT Design aficionados who gathered in Milan this spring for Salone del Mobile were dazzled by an array of new shops and products. American brand BDDW opened its first international showroom, introducing its high-style rustic pieces overseas (bddw.com). Famed paisley purveyor Etro unveiled…

DOWN TO THE WIRE The French design collective Petite Friture tapped Europe's top young talents to create powder coated–steel indoor/outdoor furniture in playful shapes. Amandine Chhor and Aïssa Logerot's Trame chair, top, comes in Burgundy, shown, as well as Black and Light Grey. It measures 22" w. x 33" h. x 20" d. and costs $467. Constance Guisset's stackable Drapée chair, middle—shown in Pigeon Blue, one of four colors—is 23" w. x 33" h. x 20" d. and costs $391. Pool's stacking side tables—the 16" sq. x 17" h. Iso-B, left, and the 18.5" dia. x 18" h. Iso-A—are offered in White and Black and cost $336 each. 011-33-1-44-54-13-95; petitefriture.com 1 / STICK FIGURE The quest to create a piece that uses no fasteners led Chicago designer Steven Haulenbeek…