I love maps, and the older the better. I absolutely adore giving reproduction maps from the New York Public Library. It’s seriously my favorite gift for nearly any occasion. Moved to a neighborhood in Brooklyn? A reproduction fire insurance map. Just got married? A map of your honeymoon location. I can come up with plenty of…
I think if you took a vote from the d*s team, stripes would rank pretty high on the list of all time favorite patterns. They are so easily incorporated into every style of decor and just add the perfect little pop of color. I searched through the Sneak Peek Archives to find my favorite examples…
I’ll spare you the obvious comparisons to earrings (just know that I’m really holding back here!), but in my mind, there’s not a room in the home that could do without a little chandelier magic. (Full disclosure: my very first column for Design*Sponge was about chandeliers, so I’m a little sentimental about the topic!) In…
The chilly nights here in Martha’s Vineyard make me want to cozy up to some of the amazing fireplaces we’ve been fortunate enough to feature over the years in D*S sneak peeks. From working and non-working fireplaces to faux, painted and covered mantles, these amazing home owners have showcased it all and I hope their…
I’ve always had a thing for patterned floors. I think they remind me of my travels and how different patterns can have different meanings. It’s fun to think of the floor as an accessory that helps to bring furniture alive. We’ve seen a wide range of floors in the sneak peeks, but today’s Best Of…
Despite living in the technology age — or perhaps precisely because we’re in the technology age — the act of writing and receiving letters in the mail holds the same appeal and excitement for me as I imagine it did for Henry James or John and Abigail Adams. Though I couldn’t dream of matching the…
Grace’s shopping-free gift guide really resonated with me, and I felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of actually following through on making all my gifts this year. I think handmade gifts have the potential to be loved and cherished far longer than any store-bought present. This is not to say that everyone wants…
In going through the 500+ sneak peeks we’ve featured, I must admit that I was surprised by how little purple was represented in homes, particularly given its calm and welcoming effect. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re looking to do something different with your home, purple could become the next big thing. Here are…
My own kitchen backsplash is an ugly brown tile that looks like something left over from the 1970s. I do my best to cover it up with my cutting boards and try to forget it’s there. I’ve always dreamed of a simple kitchen with a little extra kick in the backsplash area (growing up, my mother…
From collecting vintage embroidered maps to using them as project inspiration, maps certainly are a favorite around here! I can’t wait to fill my new library space with vintage maps. It’s such a great way to bring something personal into your home — to remember a favorite place you’ve been, or remind you of some place…
Grace and I are about to become intimately acquainted with our suitcases as we pack our bags and hit the road for the West Coast leg of the Design*Sponge book tour. Although my carry-on bag may be hidden away in a closet, I do have a couple vintage suitcases from my grandmother that make the…
We are on the precipice of holiday season, so I figured a round-up of our best entertaining DIY projects might prepare us for the impending slew of gatherings and dinners in the months ahead. Looking through our archives, I discovered tons of quick, easy projects perfect for hostess gifts, cocktail parties and general dining room…
Now that it’s October, it feels like fall is officially here, with leaves changing colors and pumpkins starting to appear on doorsteps (in the US, at least). So we thought it was appropriate to run a “Best Of Orange” post in honor of fall. I must admit, I never realized how versatile the color was…
Fall always seems to fly by faster than any other season. Before you know it, we will be closing our windows and heading indoors for some nesting (blankets, hot tea — you get the idea). I thought we should take a moment to celebrate the great outdoors with a roundup of our best outdoor-related Before…
Here in the Bay Area, we eagerly await the last month of summer. Believe it or not, it usually brings the first hot and sunny days of the season. I’ve rounded up our best outdoor DIY projects with the hope that everyone who’s lucky enough to get outside will be inspired to try out a…
The office is one my favorite “rooms” in the house because so often it’s not even a room— it’s a converted closet, a dining table working double duty, or a well-organized nook. I love seeing how people customize their homes to make room for a workspace that suits their needs, and I can say from…
I think it’s the inspiration and motivation I get from seeing other people’s homes, or maybe it’s the relaxation of being in a clean hotel with modern fixtures, but organization becomes very important to me when I get back to my house after a long trip. Since the weather is improving, I’m feeling ready to…
In honor of today, we wanted to put together a special collection of sneak peeks based on “people’s choice.” Using a very unscientific formula of most-viewed and most-commented posts, we’ve pulled together a collection of everyone’s favorites. To add to the fun, we’re celebrating our new look by collecting images that match our color scheme….
With the exception of chairs, side tables are probably the best piece of furniture for a Before & After newcomer. They are lightweight and easy to toss into the car or carry home; they are also small and manageable, and if you mess up one, you usually have an identical one waiting for a second…
Few homes are blessed with built-in shelving, so storage is often something we have to figure out for ourselves. Luckily there are endless variations of shelf designs out there, and while shelving is a very utilitarian item, it can also make a great decor element. I’ve rounded up some of our best DIY shelves that…
