Traditional Home

from the editor

home for the holidays. That sentiment is complex this year, isn’t it? We have been home quite enough, thank you. Some have hunkered down with family while working remotely, and quarantine inspired us to spruce up our homes. We’ve occupied ourselves with hobbies and pastimes. New puzzle, anyone? So what can possibly differentiate the third quarter of COVID-19 at home? This issue gives us some optimistic answers. We’re going to feel bliss. We’re going to seek peace in moments of rest. We’re going to honor people we love, learn the stories of others, and keep important traditions alive. We might create a few simpler ones. Or luxe up in smaller settings. In the pages that follow, we’ll give you a little of all that—from the coziness of autumn to the shimmer…

movers & makers

NEW LIFE FOR AN OLD LANDMARK In its heyday, the Excelsior Club in Charlotte was a stage for musical giants–Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Nat King Cole. Built in 1944 in streamlined Art Moderne style, the club, owned by James Robert “Jimmie” McKee and listed in the famous “Green Book” for Black travelers, was an epicenter of Black culture and politics in North Carolina for decades. But after closing its doors in 2016, the building fell into disrepair and seemed destined for the wrecking ball. In 2019, it was named one of the nation’s 11 most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. But help came—from more than 2,000 miles away. Kenwood Investments of Sonoma, California, bought the property with plans to remodel the club and build a boutique hotel…

beautiful inside & out

the most enthusiastic givers are famous for putting as much effort into the aesthetic of a wrapped package as they do the gift itself. Gift wrapping is an art form not unlike interior design. The same principles apply: Pay attention to scale, coordinate or contrast the motifs and colors, accessorize by layering with opulent ornamentation. Talented wrappers impress with their creations—sometimes so much that the recipient hesitates to unveil the contents of the box and ruin a paper and ribbon masterpiece. But we say enjoy the wrapping, then go ahead and see what’s in the box! We’ve chosen some of our favorite neutral wallpapers to get your gift-wrap process in gear and inspire ways to wrap your walls in the new year. Plus, you’ll see what’s on our gifting list this…

back to basics

For recipes, visit BHG.com/WinterMenu…

peak performer

like the mountains outside, the architecture in this Snowmass, Colorado, home soars to spectacular heights. Massive wood beams and statuesque arched windows dare to reach for the heavens. Yet like a steaming mug of cocoa sipped beside a crackling fire, the kitchen within this colossus feels cozy, comfortable, and irrefutably inviting. That’s thanks to the genius of designer Mick De Giulio, who used the art of proportion to create a kitchen in sync with human scale. “Because of its volume, this is an exulted space,” De Giulio says. He was tasked by homeowners Martha and John Eggemeyer to envision a new kitchen in the 20-year-old home. “Respecting what was already there, we set a kitchen with an entirely new look between the rough-hewn ceiling beams and the rusticated limestone floors.” The key…

home for christmas

Tradition runs deep during the holiday season—the food, the decorations, the treasured memories of family. And nowhere is that more evident than at William and Mary Castellano’s Hinsdale, Illinois, home. Setting the stage is the property itself, which the Castellanos bought in 2009. The couple loved that the land held a home constructed in 1926 by Harold Zook, an architect responsible for building the town of Hinsdale. Unfortunately, the structure wasn’t in good enough shape to renovate. But its legacy remained in the Castellanos’ mind’s eye when they started work on a new house in 2011. “It was so important to us that we maintain Harold’s vision as much as we could,” says Mary, who directed the home’s design. “Even though we had to take the house down and start over, we…