I am continually knocked out by the clever design ideas interior designer Susanne Shaker comes up, like this hand-painted De Gournay wallpaper that instills the serene feeling of Nature in a bedroom.
It got me wondering if there was a way to have one of the many wall mural companies around custom-make a wall covering from an open-source digital archive image.
A few years ago Suzanne Shaker made the decision to change her path, from stylist par excellence to interior designer. She quickly became known for “a unique style that combines modern, traditional, and custom-designed furnishings, using natural materials and the sculptural qualities of light, personal objects and art” to make serene, minimalist spaces. Soon, she…
Read MoreAt a photo shoot at Maria’s studio, Suzanne Shaker and I played “face lift”, standing behind each other and gently “lifting” each other’s face. It was a funny, weird, grown-up girls’ game played by women who’d never actually get a face lift. We’re game to go where our faces take us…For a moment, we found a way to improvise younger selves.
Read MoreInterior Designer Suzanne Shaker gave an old shearling coat new life to by turning it inside out, transforming it completely. She said people are constantly stopping her to ask where she bought it. We asked her to send pictures and how she did it. Here’s what she wrote:
Read MoreIn her 1973 essay “On the Perfection Underlying Life”, artist Agnes Martin addresses the rewards of “the panic of complete helplessness”; the real meaning of mistakes, and an unexpected path to contentment.
Read MoreToday at the market we saw a sign that said Cherry season ending soon, and we thought Yeah, better make hay and bought a couple of pounds to eat iced, our favorite way. A bowl of cold ripe cherries on ice are a one-ingredient, sublime dessert that also couldn’t be more elegant and satisfying But there are others equally as lovely…
Read MoreYears ago, I created a crumble recipe that works for just about any fruit. With its crunchy topping of almonds and brown sugar over warm fruit, it’s a fine stand-in for a tart. In summer, I return year after year to the essential strawberry-rhubarb recipe I first published in A New Way to Cook, swapping in fresh pitted cherries…
Read MoreAlthough initially pricey, shearling coats are a great clothing investment: they are incredibly warm and last years. But like anything, they begin to show wear. There IS a simple solution that will keep them going for years that I learned from Suzanne Shaker: turn your shearling inside out and have new zipper put in by…
Read MoreVirginia del Giudice of La Percalina in Buenos Aires sent us a tiny gift via a friend. The wrapping was SO wonderful, that we felt as though we had been given something mysterious, deeply special: a treasure. We took our time unwrapping it and were reminded that when a gift is wonderfully-wrapped, opening it is,…
Read MoreEveryone is heading out-of-town early for the 4th of July weekend, and we’re just wrapping our heads around the fact that it’s HERE! Since we’re unprepared for the celebration, we figured others may be, too. So we compiled our best quick n’ easy, truly do-able recipes — from cocktail to dessert— with ingredients you can easily pick…
Read MoreIn one of the images on the feature 1st Dibs did about interior designer Suzanne Shaker recently, we spotted this clever long shelf made of two different materials, which makes for an unexpectedly interesting shelf unto itself, whether or not it holds objects or art. It was designed by Rogers Marvel Architects for a row of modern townhouses built in…
Read More(Video link Here.) Suzanne Shaker sent us this wondrous video of K.D. Lang singing Hallelujah. We love many things about it: beyond the astonishing rich and forthright voice, and a song of pure joy is Lang singing barefoot before thousands. And when they regale her with praise, she bows long, deeply-moved, expressing the Hallelujah she just sang. According to…
Read MoreLast Saturday, interior designer Suzanne Shaker emailed us images of the Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble she was making at her wondrous Shelter Island home. The recipe is from Sally’s cookbook A New Way to Cook. On Sunday, Suzanne sent a follow-up email with a gluten-free improvisation she’d made on the basic recipe. We’re publishing the recipe, below, along with…
Read MoreBrowsing through my image files, I came across photos I’d collected of matte black door hardware, which I contemplated using in the Laboratory. The first time I saw it used was in a friend’s just-renovated Brooklyn brownstone: black hinges add a surprising graphic element, as does the rosette of the crystal doorknob. Beautiful. Although I only used black hardware in one detail of the Laboratory, I learned its biggest lesson and caveat.
Read MoreOuterlands, a restaurant in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood, is known for its menu of seasonal food, rustic dishes and the strong sense of community created by the space. There, meals are a way for people to gather together, relax, and enjoy a shared experience. Recently Williams-Sonoma Taste featured one of Outerland’s collective meals in which staff, family…
Read MoreThe other day, I accidentally knocked a treasured cup off a table and watched, in the slow motion of a car accident, as it crashed onto the stone floor. It was gone in a moment, an object whose beauty I’d enjoyed daily since my friend Suzanne Shaker had given it to me over a decade…
Read MoreInterior designer Suzanne Shaker recently sent this email: Sally, I’m craving your cherries in grappa. Would you please post the recipe again, as it is that time of year ..our last year’s supply is just about finished. I’m making them for gifts as you always do. A gift that lasts and brings such joy to…
Read MoreWe were instantly smitten with this kitchen, for its spareness and simplicity (on the upper East side of Manhattan no less), but especially for the marble slab table with a rough, unfinished edge. Such a simple detail to leave undone, yet the effect is bold and surprising. It could be done with any stone surface.…
Read MoreInterior space voyeurs, check out this satisfying tour of furniture designer Hubert Le Gall’s apartment from a 2002 Nest magazine. We especially love the ersatz fireplace, which appears to be made from molded plaster and paint, but would be still-swell just painted, (as the fire was for a mantle with no hearth we posted once).…
Read More…fuels our imagination…gives us a lovely vicarious experience: a fantazoom to will lead who-knows-where? via Cabin Porn Related posts: favorite escapist blog: cabin porn ‘tiny homes: simple shelter’ voyeur: suzanne shaker’s interiors evocative ideas from “the best of the selby 2010″ inside björk’s house (we’re back!)
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