Table of contents for Summer 2026 in Traditional Home

Details, details, details. They make a difference. Pay attention to them. Character lies within them. And, as another saying goes, the devil is in them too. When designing a home, the ability to dream up and layer details into a “plan” is the obsession of the design, building, and architecture trade. Design plan, floor plan, architectural plan, landscape plan, electrical plan, lighting plan. The list of plans goes on. This issue, filled with homes that present a visual feast, includes the work of excellent planners. We know that, in addition to the vision of interior designers and architects, a tremendous amount of detail-minding happens behind the scenes and beneath the surface of a home project. We see you builders, contractors, landscapers, tradespeople, craftspeople, artisans, and project managers! Collaboration is essential…

Creativity is never left behind with the debut of an 11-day trip from Sourcing Africa (sourcingafrica.com). The itinerary feels like a grand tour through one sprawling art and design emporium. Conceived by founders Helen Johns and Bruce Macdonald to unveil the beauty of African craftsmanship, the tour connects designers (and the design-minded) to sources of the continent’s vast and varied artistry. “In the United States, we tend to focus on European influences and then those from Asia,” says Macdonald, who along with business partner Johns are both from South Africa. “African design is informing the way we look at interiors, noting forms of glass, bronze, wood, and painting. It’s exciting to pull inspiration for design from an untapped region on the planet.” African design, of course, is nothing new.…

Jonathan Ostrow and Nicolette Mayer may leave their eponymous business, Nicolette Mayer, every evening, but their work follows them home—revealing itself the moment they cross the threshold of their Delray Beach, Florida, residence. Guided by Nicolette’s color-saturated artistry, the husband-and-wife duo designs and manufactures digitally printed wallpapers and textiles, and accessories that blur the line between work and life. Their boldly layered home is awash in their vivid wallpapers, fine antiques, and modern accents that function as a living laboratory where they experience firsthand the same joy their creations bring to customers. “Our business thrives in decorative details,” Nicolette says. “Our wallpapers help create grand environments, and our accessories add those little touches that make a home personal. The best way to test them is to live and experience them…

COLOURS OF ARLEY Long before having a signature summer color became de rigueur, English photographer Louisa Tratalos was in pursuit of a just-right striped fabric. When she couldn’t find one that fit her vision, she made the fabric herself—and then kept going. The result? Colours of Arley, a bespoke stripe collection that offers 124 customizable colorways printed on a dozen fabric types and sold by the meter or as cushions, window treatments, and other soft goods (wallpaper too!). coloursofarley.com Mélange Each summer, Cape Cod brims with locals and visitors who delight in stopping by Mélange in Osterville, Massachusetts. What began as a collaborative pop-up shop between the founders of Two Webster (tableware) and The Bar Top Shop (vintage barware) grew into a beloved brick-and-mortar destination selling wares as varied as…

Idyllic summer days come simply and easily for Patrice Kelly. Picnic lunches with her 3-year-old granddaughter spread out on the front porch of her Spring Lake, New Jersey, home. In the late afternoons, Patrice and her husband, John, relax on their porch swing, where they sip wine while chatting up neighbors walking by. “It’s my favorite piece of furniture in the entire house,” Patrice says. For Patrice, picnics, porches, and a sense of community are nostalgic reminders of her childhood. She grew up in Wyandotte, Michigan, a town dotted with 1800s buildings and houses with beguiling wraparound porches. “You learned about history and historical architecture walking around the neighborhoods,” she says. Those memories and an appreciation for craftsmanship led the couple to impart an old soul on their new house.…

Every time Tiffany and Jon Skilling pack their suitcases and head out the door of their Indianapolis home, they can’t help but wonder what could possibly happen this time. Sometimes, vacations yield happy surprises, like the Tudor-style house itself. A neighbor let them know the historical manor on an iconic street had gone up for sale while they were in Colorado. Coming off an exhaustive two-year home search, the couple initially dismissed the lead, but decided to take a look after they returned. “We walked in and I was like, ‘Oh man, this is the one,’” Tiffany, an interior designer, says. The couple and their two kids moved in, thinking they would wait three to five years to renovate the largely untouched 1920s gem. Nine months later came the next…

Q. What has changed most about lighting in recent years? “From a design perspective, there’s been a shift away from novelty. Instead of bold trend statements, there’s a renewed appreciation for proportion, materiality, and restraint. Fixtures feel more enduring now—less about the moment and more about longevity.” —Benjamin Johnston, designer Q. How do you layer lighting outdoors? “The key is not making everything the same brightness. We guide movement, highlight a few important elements, and leave some areas darker so the space has depth. Proper aiming, shielding, and testing a small section first are the basics that make the biggest difference.” —Nathan Orsman, architectural and landscape lighting designer Q. Statement vs. subtle lighting? “Both have their place but they need to be earned. A statement fixture works when the room…

We envisioned this home to be a generational property,” architect Gregory Palmer says of himself and his colleagues at Harrison Design when, more than 25 years ago, they created a classically styled oceanfront getaway for a young Atlanta-area family. “And we have a long-standing appreciation for classical architecture.” He explains, “This home closely hews to the Vitruvian principles of firmitas, utilitas, and venustas—strength, utility, and beauty. Its underpinnings are the proportions, ratios, and mathematical elements that resolve our designs into something beautiful, harmonious, and lasting, which will stand the test of time.” The home has, indeed, stood strong over the past quarter century. And it was well-positioned for updates when the homeowners, now empty nesters with four 20-something children, decided to make the Sea Island, Georgia, stalwart and beloved family…