World's Most Stunning Skylines: FT

Guess who is on the list? Houston.

If you are like me, I have a great affinity for downtown skylines. Some people prefer great parks or beautiful ocean views. I happen to enjoy staring out onto towering concrete and steel structures. The Forbes Traveler came up with a list of world's most stunning city skylines. Check out eight of the great urban silhouettes.



Chicago: From modern skyscrapers like the John Hancock Center and the Sears Tower—the world’s tallest high-rise building for more than 23 years ending in 1997—to earlier icons such as the 1895 Reliance Tower and 463-foot-tall Chicago Tribune Tower, completed in 1925, Chicago boasts a skyline of monumental proportions.


Sydney: More people recognize the glorious Sydney Opera House than have probably ever been to an opera.


Dubai: It was clear with the erection of the 1,053-foot-tall Burj al Arab Hotel in 1999 that the sheikdom of Dubai was bent on stealing the global skyline spotlight. Lest there be any doubt, consider that this year Dubai will be home to the tallest skyscraper in the world: the 1,900-foot Burj Dubai tower.


Seattle: Seattle’s location between Puget Sound and Lake Washington lends an impressive backdrop to its central skyline, of which the Space Needle has been the most recognizable feature since its completion in 1962.


Paris: It’s an absence of skyscrapers that defines the French capital’s skyline (with no usable surfaces, the Eiffel Tower doesn’t count). Thanks to its concentration of historic slate gray-roofed six and seven-story buildings, many of which date from the mid-19th century and before, Paris has a remarkably uniform skyline for a city of its size.



London: London’s Parliament and Big Ben “were skyscrapers in their time,” say architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat. “And today London has some amazing modern buildings, such as The London Eye and the Norman Foster-designed ‘Gherkin’ building, which looks like a giant pickle.


Houston: “Houston has the Transco Tower and also Pennzoil Place, two towers that kiss,” say New York architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, “and all three are Philip Johnson buildings.”


Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh has one of America’s great unsung skylines.

The It List: Our Editor's Top Furniture Picks!

Our own Design Guru has spoken. We even created an entire area on our website for his favorite furniture pieces. Here are his exclusive top furniture picks:

The Suzanne Chair: This luxurious green leather chair is a sure fire, attention-getter. It sits like heaven and has looks that kill. It's $799 for a top grain leather chair!

The Cassini Cabinet: Black and White stripes are very hot right now. There is a Beatlejuice-esque coolness to this designer piece.

The Angelina Sofa: First off it's $899, which is a great price for this stylish, eco-friendly sofa. Tight seat, tight back sofas tend to be less than comfortable. But the Angelina is definitely the exception and not the rule.

The Donnabella Chest: This Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Art Deco inspired staple looks terrific in person. The great thing is that the piece is so versatile. You can use it as a night stand, place it in a hallway, or stick it in your living room. You can use it in traditional or transitional settings. It's got a cool, Hollywood glam vibe going for it.

The Shinto Office Armoire: It has been one of our best sellers since we opened the store 3 1/2 years ago. Made of solid walnut and using Chinese wood joinery techniques, this heirloom quality piece combines the best of form and function.

The Vivian Dining Table: Internally, we call this the Iron Man table. It's the desk that Robert Downey Jr. has in his office. All 47 of us loved the movie, and by default we love this table.

The Peking Dining Table: It's made out of reclaimed elm. This distressed dining table has a very nice, subtle turquoise base. It gives off a very comfortable vibe, yet it makes for a style statement.

The Melina Bed: It's a very simple, low bed with a tufted headboard. The bed can work in contemporary, traditional, or transitional settings. The linen-look fabric is actually 100% polyester. It makes for a very practical fabric cover, and it upholsters beautifully on the headboard.

The Selma Chair: The rich crewel fabric and nubuck leather sides will work beautifully in cottage and ranch style homes.

The Eileen Chair: The floral gray print makes the chair feel both feminine and masculine at the same time.

The Dexter Sofa: The cognac colored velvet looks so rich on this frame. The button back with the tuxedo arms gives off a very sophisticated and refined feel.

The HF List: Oh What a Tangled Web...

I remember those days, maybe 10 years ago, when the internet was not the behemoth that it is today. The web was there, but it wasn't so world wide. Today, most people spend a good portion of their workday on the internet, not to mention their downtime. Why buy an encyclopedia when you can Google? Why go to the store when you can have it shipping for free? Words like "google" and "netflix" have become verbs, as in, "He seems nice, but did you google him yet?" or "I'm not going to spend 10 bucks to see that movie. I'll probably just Netflix it." Women's Health ran an article in its June 2008 issue about the 100 Most Useful Sites on the Web. Click here for the full article, but I included my favorites here:

1. Working out is tough, but it gets a bit easier if you've got a good soundtrack to jam to. The best songs for major cardio are in the 120-150 bpm (beats per minute) range. To find out if your songs make the cut, bring up Convert-a-lot and you'll have the perfect mix in no time!

Don't ask him to do anything naughty. He won't like it!

2. Don't waste time on just any website. Waste time with Subservient Chicken. It's a guy in a chicken suit that will do your bidding. Just don't ask him to get naked. He is not cool with that!

3. Next time you're invited to a dinner party, don't bring just any ol' bottle of booze. Check out the recommendations at Cork'd and you'll be on the guest list for every dinner party to come!

4. Ever spent way to much time searching for an 800 number only to give up? I have and it is frustrating to no end. Go to Hard To Find 800 Numbers. They'll find it for you.

One of the Rooms We Love at HFH's Flickr page.

5. Flickr is the best place to find amazing photos for free (noncommercial use only). I've found some truly inspiring pictures there! And, HFH has a photostream there of inspiring interiors for your time-wasting pleasure.

6. It's no fun to buy a ticket to fly across the country only to find the fare has dropped a week later. Sign up with Yapta. They will moniter your flight information and if the fare drops, they'll let you know and help you get a refund. That'll get you some new vacation shoes!

7. Being an adult means being responsible and being responsible means prepping yourself for the worst. As much as we don't want our houses to be broken into, it happens. It happened to my parents and it was a nightmare. But fortunately for them, they were insured and had an inventory of all of the bigger items they owned. When it came time to replace them, they knew exactly where to start. If you need a place to start, go to Stuff Safe. They make it easy to upload pictures of your stuff with descriptions and values. And hopefully, you'll never need to use it!

Have a lovely day with the little bit of random from See Jane Work.

8. Work can be boring. Make it better with cute office supplies. Okay, so they won't make your job suddenly exciting, but they're nicer to look at than your basic black Swingline. See Jane Work has some of the most fun supplies around.

9. Hate your boss? (Even if I did, I couldn't tell you here!) Let 'em have it without getting fired by posting an anonymous rant on Work Rant.

10. For all of you book fiends out there (Eclectorator, I'm looking at you!) check out What Should I Read Next? Just enter the title or author of a book you loved and it will give you 10 suggestions that you will also love. I tried it, and it was dead-on.

11. Why would you want to pay for shipping when you could not pay for shipping. Go to Free Shipping On for the inside scoop on free shipping from over 500 stores.

They have a ton of fantastic, time saving, just-plain-cool sites on their list. Enjoy perusing the internet!

The HF List: Fall Trends Report 2008

A couple days ago, D*sign Addict and I hit up a Fashion Group International: Fall Trends 2008 seminar. We got to see what will be hot for Fall 2008 (besides the Houston weather), so that we could bring it to you. While their report was quite extensive, I've condensed it for you to the top ten most wearable trends for the season. Take a look, feel free to give me some feedback, and remember- despite what you see on the runway, looking like yourself is your best bet! Now, on with the show!

Blooms on a light background are too Spring- to bring florals into Fall make sure they are on a dark background. From Left: Matthew Williamson, Dries Van Noten, Vera Wang.

The sheath dress is THE silhouette for Fall. Prim and ladylike- perfect for work and uptown parties. Lanvin, Chado Ralph Rucci, and Collette Dinnigan.

Make your knits extra chunky this year with variations in color. It will add punch to more simple pieces. Rodarte, Dries Van Noten,and more Rodarte.

The cutaway jacket will slim your middle this season and beyond. Hang on to this piece as it will always be a good one. Threeasfour, Chanel, Proenza Schouler.

Add some plaid in the form of miniskirts or coats. Make the plaid abstract to keep it from looking too "Catholic Schoolgirl". Matthew Williamson, Dries Van Noten, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

A monochromatic look makes a bigger statement than one bold color. To make it more wearable, just match your shoes to your dress a la Marchesa on the left. Marchesa, Celine, and Celine again.

If you do one thing for Fall, add black opaque tights to any outfit. For added impact, pair them with bright pumps. Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, and Burberry.

At night, pair your cocktail dress with a sweet cardigan and keep other accessories sparce. Alberta Ferretti, Bill Blass, Just Cavalli.

Ruffles are seen everywhere right now and will explode for the Fall. They're on everything-skirts, tops, coats, dresses. Pick one and go with it. Marni, Bill Blass, and Celine.

For accessories, chunky necklaces will be the focus. Keep it costumey and don't be afraid to go for the gusto. Dries Van Noten's example is a necklace made of bracelets! Zac Posen, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten.

All photos are courtesy of Style.com

The HF List: Summer Vacation for Grown-Ups

If you're a parent, more than likely your summer vacations will be limited to kid-friendly locales like beaches, theme parks, and the occasional zoo. If you are not a parent, more than likely you don't want to spend your summer vacation with other people's kids. Maybe you're looking for a romantic spot in which to cozy up with your love, or a relaxing vineyard to enliven your wine palette, or you could just need some peace and quiet. Italy and France are both fine and good for those purposes, but it's not always feasible to jump across the pond. Money, family, and vacation time all prohibit big trips. So when you need to get away, just for a weekend, it's easy to do so by just jumping in your car. Better yet, rent a Prius and save on gas (even more relaxing!). There are great spots all over Texas where one can wine, dine, and chill.

The Hill Country: Magnolia House Bed & Breakfast
Nestled in Fredericksburg, the Magnolia House is in close proximity to tons of shopping- antiques are a big part of the city. The Hill Country is also a great place to visit if you enjoy wine- there are several vineyards to visit and taste at. The B&B itself is charming and quiet and serves a MEAN breakfast. I promise you won't be disappointed!

West Texas: Thunderbird Motel
You may or may not be familiar with Marfa, TX, it's great art scene, or the Mystery Lights. When driving up to El Paso, you won't find a lot on the way. I know this as I've made countless road trips there to visit grandparents. If only, as a kid, I had enough sway with my parents to make a quick detour off of I-10 to explore Marfa. We could have stayed at the design lovers paradise, Thunderbird Motel. The minimalist space is nonetheless luxurious and perfect for a desert getaway.

The Gulf Coast: Hoopes House
If water and sun is what you crave, drive down to Rockport. You can lay on the beach, catch up on your reading, and sip on something fruity. Then, when the sun has wreaked havoc on your energy level and skin, head back to Hoopes House for some much deserved R&R indoors. The restored 1890's home offers casual, spacious rooms that don't evoke feeling of staying in a museum, but a beachy summer villa.


South Texas Plains: Inn on the Riverwalk
Enjoying a nightlife somewhere doesn't require you to stay at a Holiday Inn. You can enjoy a quiet stay in the middle of downtown if you know where to look. If exploring the Riverwalk in San Antonio is your thing, try Inn on the Riverwalk. You'll be close to all of the action of the Riverwalk- the clubs, shopping, dining, etc- but instead of coming back to a generic hotel room, you get a sweeter place to rest your head.


The Big City: Modern B&B
For an anniversary or birthday, it's nice to get out of the house and try someplace new without even leaving town. I know where I'm heading: Modern B&B. Just to be clear, this isn't your mama's B&B. This place is sleek, modern, cool. You'll still be close to all of the hip things going on in the city. You'll come back to an amazingly designed room, a view of the city, and a good night's sleep.

The HF List: Five Trends That Make Me Cringe (and five that I'll always love)

All things fashion come and go. Remember Madonna's major cone bra? And those platform boots with the goldfish in them? So, maybe we'd prefer not to remember some things. Interior design is just like fashion design. There are trends that come in and out of style. Just like you might cringe when you see someone in a hideous outfit, you may also cringe when you step into a home that you think is tacky. I've watched a lot of people decorate homes, and through that I've seen a whole lot of good and a whole lot more bad. Here are some of the highlights:

Bad Trend #1: Chocolate and Aqua

Just. Plain. Tired.

Stick a fork in it, this color scheme is done. Over. Finished. About five years ago, this color scheme became really big, and for some reason, no one ever adopted another idea! The chocolate just shrinks a room to almost nothing, and the bland, muted blue that accompanies it does nothing to remedy that. Please, resist the urge to do the Brown & Blue and pick somthing lighter like...

Good Trend #1: All White

Good morning. From Garnet Hill.

This is a look that will absolutely never go out of style. There is something about an all white room from the walls to the sheets to the drapes that always looks crisp and clean. But an all white color scheme doesn't mean your room will lack personality. It just makes it easier to incorporate different textures like silk with cotton eyelet with linen and so on. Consistently chic.

Bad Trend #2: Bedroom or Dining "Suites"

So busy and yet so boring.

Just because a furniture company makes matching furniture does not mean you are required to buy it all and stick it in your room. Where's the personality in that? It may be more difficult to mix and match pieces yourself, but the result is so much more interesting. Leading me to...

Good Trend #2: Mix and Match Dining Chairs

Now it doesn't matter if they don't have 6 matching chairs! Picture from Domino.

I've seen a lot of this trend in magazines lately and it has totally inspired me! Rather than buying 6 or 8 of the same dining chair, scout out flea markets and antique shops for single chairs. You can get some that are all wood, some that have upholstered seats, some with wicker backs, whatever you want. Paint them all the same color and upholster the seats in the same fabric. Voila! Unique chairs that are unified.

Bad Trend #3: Elaborate Drapery Treatments and Bedding Sets

Hey honey! You in there?!

Too far. Just too far.

Here is my problem with the window treatments that have the panels + a swag + cascades, etc. The window disappears beneath the whole mess. Windows are there for a reason! To see out of! Now, here is my problem with matchy bedding sets. Don't you get tired of making a bed every morning with sheets + comforter + blanket + shams + pillows + throw pillows, etc.? I'm tired just thinking about it! It's time to simplify...

Good Trend #3: Simple Panels and Bedding Sets

So easy you could make them yourself. Or Pottery Barn could do it.

Now, isn't this a tad more inviting? From Dwell Studio.

At the very least, your husband will thank you for simplifying his sleeping process. Ditch the fringe trimmed pillows and dry clean only silk duvet. Go for some high thread count sheets and a cotton comforter. Throw on a couple pillows and you're all set. That is all you need! As for the drapes, why not put up a couple linen panels. Linen looks lovely in a drape, it's easier to clean than silk, and it doesn't rot in the sunlight like silk does. Your bedroom with go from frou-frou to casual chic in a flash.

Bad Trend #4: Silk Bedding for Baby

That's just wrong.

There are so many things wrong with this and I see it all the time. First of all, babies don't remember anything before age 4, so they won't appreciate the fine fabric. Second, silk bedding needs to be dry-cleaned. Babies get things dirty. Indiscriminately. A babies room can be adorable and functional at the same time...

Good Trend #4: Modern Baby Bedding

Your little princess would be more comfy in this. From Dwell Studio for Target.

You can move beyond the ducks and bunnies without upsetting the baby. I assure you of this. Dwell Studio for Target has proved it! They offer cute, modern printed cotton bedding for affordable prices. Truly a win-win situation. Except for the dry cleaner.

Bad Trend #5: Ready-made Slipcovers

Just as unflattering as wearing a burlap sack would be.

When you are in college and you need a solution for the ugly sofa that comes with your apartment, ready-made slipcovers are an acceptable option. When you are out of college, they are not. Slipcovers that aren't made for your sofa specifically are just sloppy. Not to mention the fact that they shift around everytime you sit on them. It's about time for an upgrade...

Good Trend #5: Upholstered Sofas That Can Be Slipcovered

Slipcovered and stylish. From Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

This is the best of both worlds. The slipcover can be thrown in the wash and protect against pet paws and kids' spills. The slipcover can then come off to show off a completely different sofa- free of stains. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams will soon offer that option with their Tyler collection. The options are endless!