Traditional Home Summer 2021

Working in the design world—and enjoying a great magazine—can be a little like falling in love. It’s hard to explain to a noncreative, but love and joy are as close as I can get. We’re people who are pulled—not drawn, not driven, but p-u-l-l-e-d—by beautiful rooms, captivating furniture profiles, heady paint colors, luminous antiques, and gracefully proportioned architecture. I could go on, as surely you could too. Joy comes from discovering new designers or makers and seeing beauty through their perspectives, their experiences, their inspiration. I felt the calling of glossy magazines, the love of words, and the gravitational pull of interior design as a middle schooler, and by high school I knew I wanted to be a home magazine writer and editor. I didn’t research it or receive that career…

LIFE’S A BEACH It’s been 10 years since Gray Malin turned his talent for photography into aerial-view artwork coveted for its graphic depiction of beach life. To celebrate the milestone, he’s partnered with Cloth and Company to create an assortment of beachy pillows that transport interior spaces into everyday getaways. clothandcompany.com; graymalin.com PIERRE FREY Designers at French textile powerhouse Pierre Frey understand that the attraction to velvet comes from its lush, silky finish. When they sought to produce velvet that stands up to outdoor use, they knew they had to achieve the same level of sumptuous texture. That high standard was achieved gorgeously in a new line of performance velvet available in 20 jewel-tone hues that are as rich in both look and feel as their opulent indoor counterparts. pierrefrey.com Marlo Thomas She wears a…

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. So it follows—at least when you’re designer Corey Damen Jenkins—that when life gives you a Kelly green upholstered armchair, you make a bedroom that’s fresh as a summer day. Jenkins originally had an emerald scheme in mind for this guest space. But when the homeowners’ online auction find arrived, an antique chair wearing a bolder green hue, he seized inspiration from nature and expanded his palette’s breadth. “Green is leaves, grass, plants,” he says. “Most humans like these shades—they feel nurturing and warm.” To dial down the brightness of the armchair, Jenkins re-covered the back with a neutral gray-and-white chevron fabric. Then he repeated the Kelly hue in a leaf-motif wallpaper behind the headboard that also brings in rich emerald tones. Showcasing an emerald-and-white…

The heat is on, and the pool is calling. Whether you’re ready to splash in the water or relax in the shade, this year’s array of summertime products will make sure your time poolside is both fun and fashionable. Furniture takes a shapely turn with chaise longues that put curves into the silhouettes, much like the lines that surface when movement turns water into waves. Comfortable chairs and pretty little ceramic stools make ideal spots to perch with a refresher (and we’re showing you the accoutrements to make delicious and thirst-quenching drinks happen). With outdoor throws and pillows at the ready, the leisure experience is extra luxurious. Getting ready for the pool doesn’t magically happen without effort. Simple stripes are classic on beach towels. Consider a statement pattern—inspired by dazzling motifs that…

Dallas-based interior designer Michelle Nussbaumer indulges her wanderlust, exploring the world to bring its inspiration, its colors, and its treasures home. For a summer gathering with friends, Michelle relied on the bohemian flair that for years has tantalized her fans with mismatched patterns and bountiful colors. Her style rebels against formal entertaining perfection with all of the proper appointments to satisfy etiquette’s guidelines. Rather, it results in a visual feast that rivals the decadent food to come. “Formal entertaining has its place,” Michelle says. “But I like to keep things casual, relaxed, and relatively easy for myself as the hostess. If I’m not at ease, my guests won’t be either. I dismiss the rules and provide a laid-back attitude for everything.” Instead of assigning guests to her formal dining room, Michelle arranged a…

No matter the chaos—from a lively octet of kids, canines, and cats—this kitchen keeps the calm. Quartersawn white oak exudes warmth as it cloaks a workhorse refrigerator and freezer, forms the base of a furniture-style island, and unfurls across floors. The natural wood grain pairs with airy white, applied in broad swaths that offer space to exhale. “I love how open and airy the kitchen is,” homeowner Mary Beth Howland says. “You can breathe.” That’s a striking change from the former kitchen in Mary Beth and husband Rob’s Birmingham, Alabama, home. “Not only was it dated, it didn’t work. It wasn’t functional for our family,” Mary Beth says. The space needed a renovation—spearheaded by designer Dana Wolter and architect Jason Robb. “We gave them a kitchen with all the amenities, done in a…