Last May, I wrote about our move into new offices along the river in East Norwalk. A year later, I am surprised to say that not only have we outgrown our space here but also our small offices in Manhattan! Considering the state of the industry during the past several years, we are grateful to…

Everyone I know has been traveling this year—and the destinations run the gamut from Holland to China and Nevis to Florida. I am not sure what has prompted this sudden wanderlust, but our recent travel survey confirms that this is not a phenomenon limited to my circle of friends. ■ Recently, we asked you, dear…

In my mother’s day, spring was for cleaning; in my day, spring is for redecorating. There is nothing like a new coat of paint or a reupholstered chair to lift the spirits. All that frenzied decorating and redoing: from ambitious architectural extensions to cool wallpaper projects, it’s easy to get into the spirit. New York’s…

In my mother’s day, spring was for cleaning; in my day, spring is for redecorating. There is nothing like a new coat of paint or a reupholstered chair to lift the spirits. ■ It seems that the national spirits will be lifted over the next five years, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing…

Connecticut builders are buzzing. Milton, Coastal Construction, Mayfair and Gardiner Larson all report excellent activity in custom projects, and several of them have considerable developments under way. And we couldn’t be happier. ■ As we gear up for our sixth annual Innovation in Design Awards (IDAs), we are seeing interest mount as entrants and past…

Memories of last winter in Connecticut have been filling me with dread. For weeks I traveled between my house and the garage along a 24-inch pathway with 3-foot walls cut into the snow. I became adept at cleaning and salting the narrow canyon that represented my access to the world. And I developed a routine…

Most readers of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and Westchester Cottages & Gardens know how close these sister publications are in mission and spirit. So at a dinner following HC&G’s Innovation in Design Awards this summer, I wasn’t surprised when judge Vicente Wolf asked when we were coming to New York. ■…

Most readers of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and Westchester Cottages & Gardens know how close these sister publications are in mission and spirit. So at a dinner following HC&G’s Innovation in Design Awards this summer, I wasn’t surprised when judge Vicente Wolf asked when we were coming to New York. ■…

As Governor Malloy addressed the assembled group in the foyer of the Governor’s Residence on Prospect Avenue in Hartford, I was struck by the audience’s expressions. The governor was saying that he and his wife, Cathy, were genuinely appreciative of the monumental effort that had been made by Connecticut’s design community under the direction of…

When I was publisher of Self magazine in the late ’80s, we petitioned the mayor of New York City to proclaim October Breast Cancer Awareness Month in New York. Our editor-in-chief, Alexandra Penney, invited Evelyn Lauder to guest edit the October issue on breast cancer. From those beginnings, came national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the…

Builders comparing notes with architects, designers deep in discussion with retailers, real estate über-agents dropping hints to landscape designers—such was the fervor at the first annual Hamptons Cottages & Gardens innovation in design awards cocktail reception at guild Hall in east Hampton. Judges charlotte moss and Vicente Wolf mingled with finalists during the cocktail hour…

Art and antiques seem to be on everyone’s mind these days—perhaps rep- resenting lasting value in our turbulent times. Our feature “Living with Art” on page 72, an excerpt from Living Traditions: Interiors by Matthew Patrick Smyth, reveals a stunning collection of modern art juxtaposed with antique furnishings in a Connecticut farmhouse. ■ Antiques are…

There’s nothing like a revived real estate market to lift one’s spirits! ■ Amadeus Ehrhardt of Brown Harris Stevens just sent me a copy of the firm’s second-quarter east end market report, which shows that for the first time since the third quarter of 2007, sales of at least $1 million accounted for the majority…

I recently attended the annual ArtHamptons art fair in Bridgehampton, and as usual, it was quite a scene. This year HC&G was delighted to be the exclusive media sponsor of the preview party, with our very own VIP Platinum lounge. The 1,600-square-foot sitting room, fashionably decorated with furniture by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, was…

I lost both of my mothers this winter. ■ The passing of Mum (my Scottish mother) and Mom (my American mother-in-law) left great holes in my soul. Mom, an exquisitely tailored bird of a woman with twinkling blue eyes, collected antiques, painted portraits, wrote poetry and managed her stock portfolios till shortly before her death…

I am delighted to announce the finalists for HC&G’s first annual Innovation in design awards! congratulations to all the nominees: Anthony-Wright Interiors, Austin Patterson Disston Architects, Barnes Coy Architects, Fred Bernstein, Halper Owens Architects, Hampton Design, Martin Architects, Stelle Architects and Tristan Harstan & Company. And thanks to all who entered the competition. ■ Our…

I lost both of my mothers this winter. ■ The passing of mum (my scottish mother) and mom (my American mother-in-law) left great holes in my soul. Mom, an exquisitely tailored bird of a woman with twinkling blue eyes, collected antiques, painted portraits, wrote poetry and managed her stock portfolios till shortly before her death…

The Greenwich Red Cross Ball at the NetJets hangar in Westchester was a stunning success with marvelous tables capes that were designed by our area’s top creative teams. Barclay Butera as Design Chair and Stephen Baldwin as Master of Ceremonies added to the excitement of a truly glittering evening. ■ CTC&G’s table was the creation…

For the past Five years, Cottages & Gardens publications has held it’s very own innovation in Design awards for our sister magazines in Connecticut and Westchester County. The annual competition attracts the crème de la crème of architects, designers and judges. ■ I am delighted to announce that as we celebrate our 10th season of…

Last year we moved to riverside offices in East Norwalk, where the voices of the Saugatuck Rowing Club’s sculling coaches waft in through our windows. Inside, we are grateful to the local companies that helped us make Cottages & Gardens headquarters so special. The Innovation in Design Awards (another place where we honor the best…