August Preview

The August issue of Martha Stewart Living generally ranks as my favourite among the summer issues. There's just something about 'high summer' that lends itself so perfectly to editorial depictions: an abundance of summer produce, hot days and cool nights, vibrant colours and the ease of living that comes with summer holidays. The editors have done a superb job defining August in the magazine, through photographs and ideas for summer entertaining, crafts and cooking that will leave you inspired.

The cover is clean, clear and inviting.

An article on collecting bottles takes the reader through the entire spectrum of collectible varieties, from violets to greens to blues to clear to ambers and reds... Lovely photographs by Johnny Miller.

Inspired by the horizon, where sky meets sea, these dip-dyeing projects capture the relaxed beauty of summer's essential elements.
Visit a flower farm in South Cairo, New York, and discover how passion can become a fulfilling livelihood.
Using a Hipstamatic application, digital photographs of classic bicycle styles take on a sunny, Polaroid quality, adding to the vintage charm of the article.

Also in this issue:

• Martha explores the virtues of a tropical garden
• Kevin Sharkey tells us about his furniture makeovers
• Lucinda Scala-Quinn delves into the mouth-watering gorgeousness of summer feasting
• Craft editors examine the many facets of braiding
• Great Finds include charming items for the home, the face and the summer hike

Guest Blogger: David Jimenez "Living with Photos"

I've introduced you to David Jiminez before on this blog. (You can read his other Martha Moments contributions here.) The talented designer and stylist is vice president of visual merchandising for Hallmark and is a regular reader of this blog. David and I struck up a friendship after a bit of online banter and he has thankfully agreed to periodically contribute some design tips to Martha Moments. In this article, David reflects on his passion for collecting and displaying photography in his homes (he lives in Kansas City and has a summer place in Palm Springs) and offers some helpful tips for displaying your own collection. Read his article below and please visit his website for more inspiration.

Ever since I can remember, I've been passionate about photography. As a teenager, I would buy those inexpensive large calendars (the kind that are filled with black and white photos of European cities), tear them apart and use the prints as artwork on the walls of my small bedroom in the Bronx.

I would carefully thumbtack the photos, edge to edge, creating a perfect grid above my headboard then lounge for hours staring at the beautiful images, transported to the romantic destinations they depicted. Over the years, I’ve amassed a large collection of black and white photography and charcoal drawings. They have no pedigree to speak of, just a range of subjects I choose based on how they make me feel. As a result, it’s an eclectic mix that ranges from thrift store finds to original pieces signed by the artist. What unifies them is their monochromatic scale and my admiration for them.

Whether it’s a gallery of family photos or a mixed collage of subjects, I love the way a wall of framed photography adds warmth to a room and conveys a personal story. I also love how impacting just a single photograph can be when it's placed in the perfect spot, giving the design of the room context and character.

When I relocated from San Francisco to Kansas City, it took me a little while to adjust to my new surroundings. I was driven to set up the rooms quickly, surround myself with furnishings that were familiar and reconnect with my stuff.

Filling the rooms with photography was something I was anxious to do since it gave me the same pleasure that I had as a kid daydreaming about far away places in my room.

The feeling we all experience when we create the right space is one of peace and harmony – a happy place that we can’t wait to spend time in and share with those that mean the most to us.

A collection of black-and-white photographs mingle with charcoal prints behind a sofa in the carriage house. They create geometric depth while drawing the eye upward to the bank of small windows above.

A closer look at the same vignette reveals the beauty of the layers and the contrast in scale and texture.

In the home office, photographs snuggle warmly into the corner, filling nearly every inch of the wall. A photo of a pair of hands on the desk leans casually onto a framed mirror behind it.

Subtlety is the order of the day in this guest bathroom. A photograph of a woman standing on a rock by the sea fades quietly into the lightness of this all-white room. The feeling is clean, pure and airy. In David's bedroom, below, a bouquet of white roses is echoed in the striking photograph behind it.

Inspiration: Create the Perfect Gallery

Nearly every surface of my home is layered in some way. Sometimes, it's as simple as layering a mirror with a photograph to create a casual vibe and a look that is spontaneous and carefree. In making choices, I start by pulling together pieces that vary in shape, texture, and finish. Creating gallery statements with my art collections is a fundamental cornerstone of style that I rely on time and again. Whether they are family photos or collected pieces of artwork, nothing is more personal than a grouping of framed art collected on a gallery wall. Here's a closer look at how it's done on this wall of eclectic photography and some tips to consider when creating your own gallery.

Keep your palette simple. I usually stick to all black-and-white, gathered in a combination of like-minded frames.

• Different frame sizes will create an asymmetrical composition that will look more interesting.


• Keep the wall neat and aligned by laying out the frames on the floor first and assembling them there in a rectangle that duplicates the space on the wall.


• Use a bench or a piece of furniture to anchor the scene. It gives the gallery a finish line.


• Create added warmth and richness by accessorizing with pillows, throws, and candles. Heap a stack of books on any surface to add depth and create instant chic.


• If you have wall space to the left or right of the piece of furniture, layer and lean photographs against the wall, instead of hanging them, to keep the arrangement looking casual and loose.

Going Dutch (Or Spanish): Orange and Red Rooms

In the name of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals this weekend, I thought I'd offer a slightly more design-conscious celebration of the game than ear-shattering vuvuzelas, wild cheers and bar-room brawling. The two teams participating in the finals this year are the Dutch and the Spanish so I'm using the colours of their uniforms as an excuse to celebrate these hues through interior design. How's that for team spirit?

People shy away from bold, warm colours in rooms mainly because of their intensity and the perceived notion that they are difficult to work with in interior design. Finding furniture and drapery to match a room saturated in rich, warm tones can be a challenge - but the rewards can be striking. As with any vivid colour the key to using hot tones indoors is to stand up to their vibrancy with courage and conviction, using the colour either as a base for the entire room or choosing to use it as an accent colour to a more neutral backdrop. Either way, your options are many; you can make the colour as intense or as subdued as you wish, as you'll see in the Martha Stewart Living illustrations below. Which shade are you routing for?

DUTCH: ORANGE

Orange is a favourite colour of mine. I love its sense of playfulness. Using it indoors is not something I have tried, except in accent pieces. I splurged once and bought a beautiful Indian silk pillow in the most bold shade of orange you can imagine. It was embellished with a beautifully ornate design that was stitched using a neutral cotton twine. I also have a whimsical pair of dish towels from Anthropologie featuring a whacky orange design with appliquéd parrots and green pom-poms on the fringe. It sounds outrageous, but they look fantastic as pops of personality in an otherwise white kitchen. Expect the personality of a room with orange to be light and peaceful with a whimsical edge. Using it in formal spaces will soften the seriousness with a playful hit. Below are some examples of how to use orange effectively indoors.

This traditional English-style foyer, painted pumpkin orange, offers a warm welcome to all who enter. Paired with plenty of whites -- the wainscoting, ceiling, risers, trim, and balusters -- the walls feel crisp, particularly when outlined with brown grosgrain ribbon (which is adhered with craft glue). The warm browns of the wood harmonize well with orange, animating and restraining it.

The dove gray of a bookcase tames the vibrant orange shelves and interior; the armchair's dusty-orange velvet upholstery is toned down by a cream-and-pale-green side table. It's easy to add orange shades with a flower arrangement like this clutch of coral roses

An iron garden table is painted an irrepressible orange -- perfect for waking up at the breakfast table with orange juice, cantaloupe, and marmalade. Window seats are made cozy with cushions covered in mocha-colored canvas and piping in another fresh orange. Café curtains with a subtle orange stripe add a horizontal element.

In this living room, Philippe Starck chairs sit next to a weathered celadon cabinet. The pale-orange walls unite this unexpected pair.

Here is whimsy at its finest. An array of elaborately floral cushions in shades of orange mingle on a daybed on a sunny porch. The effect is fun and eclectic with a definite nod to nostalgia.

A sunset's colors look best in the bedroom, where burnt oranges and warm yellows make this room warm and enveloping.

A hot orange in carefully modulated doses visually organizes disparate elements in this formal living room. A pillow, a console, a coffee table, and picture mats all wear the same vivid hue. Chinese porcelain -- the lamp and two lidded jars -- adds accents in a similarly intense shade. The sofa sports stripes of peach and orange; the Sultanabad carpet with strong orange elements is handwoven.If you're feeling any trepidation, you can start off on a small scale by customizing a neutral room with a few coordinated accessories: a spicy-orange bedspread, terra-cotta Roman shades, and a curry-colored lampshade.

SPANISH: RED

There's a reason why bulls charge those taunting red sheets wielded by matadors. Traditionally associated with passion, heat, love and anger, red is the most extreme colour of them all. Use red in rooms conducive to spirited conversation and activity: living rooms, dining rooms and entry halls. Avoid using red in bedrooms where peace of mind and rest are the focus. As with orange, red can be used intensely or sparsely, depending on the mood you are aiming to achieve. Pops of red in neutral spaces are punctuation points: use it in flowers, cushions, trim and decorative accent pieces to create focal points. (Red will never fade into the background!) As a unifying colour, the bolder the better; dive in and fearlessly use red on the walls or the floors for a very dramatic effect. Below are some examples of red indoors.

When Martha first purchased her home in Bedford, she experimented with red in the Colonial house on the property, transforming the rooms into lush examples of bold colour executed perfectly. In the formal living room, a black lacquered Chinese screen, an Indian carved-teakwood table, and a pair of modest beige armchairs counterpoint the red-hued walls, upholstery, and carpet. The fireplace-wall paneling and the curtains are embellished with reddish faux-bois effects: The pine paneling was coated with a deep-red glaze and then grained with a reddish-black paint to mimic a luxurious, dark wood; the curtain fabric was silk-screened. Antique red Turkish Oushak carpets, such as this one, are rare. The arrangement of snapdragons incorporates the spectrum of reds used in the house. (Martha has since transformed the rooms again and the red is no more.)

A coppery-red arrangement of astilbe and celosia warms a cool-gray hallway in Martha's home. Above the flowers, a Directoire-style girandole holds a white porcelain model of a mandarin figure. A Chinese ceramic garden seat in a deep sang de boeuf red stands under the table.

Orange Fitzhugh-pattern Chinese-export porcelain, originally from Skylands, inspired Martha's dining-room color sceheme. The painted walls match the deepest tone on the china. A quince-colored velvet tablecloth and sunset-hued fabric on the folding screen highlight the richness and depth of gold-tinged reds.

A Chinese-style red painted bureau in Martha's living room has a faux-marble top. Black tole candlestick lamps, a set of lacquered stacking boxes, and a grouping of eighteenth-century English prints depicting Asian-inspired scenes continue the chinoiserie theme.

A 1930s Chinese Chippendale-style fish tank (one of Martha's collectibles) showcases a red mini-orchid. Even the covers of the books on the shelves -- a collection of Loeb classic, a series of works in Latin translated into English -- contribute to the color scheme.

This homeowner brings nature's elements indoors and turns them into pure decorating gold: The stools, for instance, are tree stumps from a nearby field that she coated with a latex primer and five layers of fire-engine-red porch-enamel paint. The Manila clamshell light, red coral pillow, and bamboo-inspired glass-topped table are all outdoorsy touches.

This kitchen, which has windows on four sides, is further enlivened with glossy red paint on the window frames, some of the cabinetry, and a staircase that leads to a guest bedroom. Black-and-white linoleum tiles pull together furnishings and fixtures from a range of eras, including bobbin-turned English Regency chairs with rush seats grouped around a nineteenth-century Continental trestle table.

An ornate, vividly colored fabric, such as this Turkey red damask tablecloth, instantly adds warmth and a sense of refinement.

With the help of these candle and flower centerpieces, the whole table will shine. For each one, use candle wax to attach a small floral frog to the center of a shallow bowl. Push a taper into the floral frog to secure. Pour water into the bowl. Clip amaryllis blooms (or other large flowers) from their stems, and arrange them in the bowl around the candle.

Martha Stewart Clean - At Last!

On a trip to the grocery store this evening I casually strolled down the cleaning aisle looking for my usual all-purpose cleaner when I noticed a new bottle perched right beside it: Martha Stewart Clean. Much to my delight, Loblaws in Canada now sells the brand, as well as the Home Depot. It's nice to see the brand is spreading to more retailers, making it more conveniently accessible. Loblaws had all of the products: the dish/hand soap, the dishwasher detergent, the window cleaner, the floor cleaner, the carpet cleaner, the fabric softener, the laundry detergent. I only bought the all-purpose cleaner to start with and will test it out over the coming weeks.

A power shot of my new bottle of Clean. (Notice the bilingual label: French and English are musts for all products sold in Canada.) Like all of the Clean products, the all-purpose cleaner is made with plant-based ingredients, is fragrance-free and colourless. The bottle is quite large, too.

Good Things for...Hoses?

While looking through a past issue of Martha Stewart Living (I prescribe myself at least one issue a day, and this one was the July 2001 issue) I came across three Good Things that I felt I had to share, given the season. All of them are connected to the rural outdoors and to the use of hoses. I've always been a sucker for themes.

This is a Good Thing I've always loved. As a frequent cottage-goer and beach comber this time of year, there was something very alluring about its casual practicality. Designate a grassy spot a step away from your porch or patio as the place for washing sandy feet before re-entering the house. Make a weatherproof frame with four three-inch-tall boards. The box shown is 16 inches square. Fill it will several layers of smooth, flat stones - river stones look particularly handsome and are easy on the soles. Sand rinses away into the stones and grass below, leaving bare feet clean.

A standard, galvanized paint bucket makes a multipurpose garden-hose caddy. Drill three holes in a triangular pattern in the bottom of the bucket. Depending on your wall surface, bolt or screw the bucket to the wall; use washers to strengthen the cut edges of the holes. The space inside the mounted bucket provides additional storage; a sprinkler fits nicely inside.

Designating a spot in the garden for washing up is always a Good Thing. This little station includes a small wire caddy for a sponge and liquid soap. The bar of soap was altered with a rope to make it easy to hang, and therefore difficult to lose. To make soap on a rope, use an apple corer lengthwise through the soap, which should be large enough to withstand the coring. Fold a three-foot length of cotton rope in half and push both ends through the hole; tie a square not at the bottom of the soap and hang it near an outdoor faucet.

Martha's First eBook: Everyday Food

Martha Stewart Living has made Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast available for download as an eBook on its website, marthastewart.com or through Amazon. Click here to download the book for $9.99, which is $15 less than the original book. The file is delivered electronically using Amazon Whispernet to Kindle devices, including Kindle for i-Phone, Blackberry, i-Pad, Kindle for Mac and Kindle for PC. It contains all the same recipes and photographs supported by devices that allow full-colour imagery as well as devices that only allow black-and-white content. Watch for more of Martha's books becoming available for download soon! (It's such a nice idea to have all the recipes filed onto an electronic device for portability and easy access.)

Martha to Expand Home Depot Line

Martha Stewart Living rugs are poised to replace Stainmaster carpets at Home Depot after the latter dropped the hardware retailer in a recent negotiation. Home Depot will no longer offer the Stainmaster brand starting today and will finish installing Martha Stewart displays in stores during the first week of July, executives said in interviews. Home Depot already sells paint, patio furniture and closet organizers through an agreement with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. An expansive line of rugs and carpets will add to the growing line.

Robin Marino, president and CEO of merchandising at Martha Stewart Living, was quoted as saying that she hopes to provide the consumer with everything that they need to decorate their home through the Home Depot line. Watch for cabinets and countertops this fall followed by more gardening tools and an exclusive line of holiday decorations.