We all have our favorite linen napkins and hand painted dinnerware.  But sometimes you have a lot of guests or a crowd shows up for a last-minute pool party (hey, we live in L.A.), and it’s gracious to never fuss when you entertain. 

Those are perfect times to use paper napkins and acrylic.  The good news is that you can still do it stylishly. We love making our friends feel special, so here are a few of our tried-and-true tips for entertaining with paper:

1. Mix and match your table settings. If your plates have an intricate motif, pick up the colors in your napkins or glassware. Or, if you are using plain dinnerware, choose a festive napkin to commemorate a special occasion.
2. Layer your settings. Whether you lay simple placemats, or chargers, or a tablecloth underneath, layers help bring color and dimension to your table.
3. Don’t skimp on table decorations. Try greenery from your garden or fruit from the market or a few candles sprinkled throughout … it all helps.
4. Use paper napkins effectively. Place them near your beverage and hors d’oeuvre stations, but also use them to line any clear bowls you might have. For example, parfaits served in coupe bowls can be beautifully presented on top of cocktail napkins.
5. The grand finale: make sure your plates complement your dessert. We all look forward to indulging a little at the end, so think about what you’re serving and dress it up accordingly.

Keeps things simple, and get to work on that new drink you are dying to try out. Let’s get the party started.

We hear you … it takes effort to cook meal after meal while quarantining, so why not take the whole family outdoors and do a seaside escape?

We love working with coffee tables, as they are both beautiful and infinitely practical.  Here are some of our best design tips.

1. Generally, your coffee table should be about two-thirds the length of your sofa.

2. A coffee table should either align with the seat of the sofa or be about one to two inches lower.

3. Place your coffee table 18 inches away from your sofa, or any other seating in the room.  If it faces a TV stand or fireplace, leave at least 30 inches from the edge of the coffee table for walking around.

4. In oversized rooms, you can often combine coffee tables to create what you need.  For a large square, place two rectangular ones side by side.  Or get creative and join three triangular ones to form a neat whimsical shape.

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Red rooms make a statement.  In deep red, they are rich, elegant, refined, sumptuous, and dramatic.  Brick reds are more earthy, so they’re evocative of country interiors.  And bright reds – like lipsticks – are passionate, powerful, and stimulating.  Here are some of our favorite red rooms.

Red Library: Assouline Paris

Details: Here, the strong orange-red details are lightened by warm beige (in the rug and the limestone walls), but then given a graphic punch by the dark wood cabinetry.  This is a perfect way to balance two dominant colors (red and black).

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When Yves Saint Laurent visited Marrakesh for the first time in 1966, it transformed him forever.  The strong sun, lush colors, and intricate patterns you see everywhere left an indelible mark in his mind.  “Marrakech taught me color,” he said.  “Before Marrakech, everything was black.”

Indeed, one of the most important parts of Saint Laurent’s legacy has been the Jardin Majorelle, the garden he restored with Pierre Berge and a must-see on any trip to Marrakesh.  (Tip for visitors: they don’t take credit cards, so bring plenty of dirhams to cover your entry fees.)  The original garden has been joined by the Musee Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, and plans are now being made to open up Saint Laurent and Berge’s private home (Villa Oasis) to the public.

When it opens, you should think about going to Marrakesh just to see this.  Not only is the house itself spectacular, it captures all the iconic elements of Moorish and Arabesque design, which then fed our favorite Mediterranean, Tuscan, Spanish Revival, and Southwestern styles of architecture and design.  Indeed, there’s literally so much to see at Villa Oasis, it could be hard to absorb in one visit.

Starting from the outdoors, this space is surrounded by a riot of warm weather plants.  Here, fuchsia bougainvillea creates a vibrant canopy in the outdoor patio:

Pink against cool turquoise.  Maybe not a combination you’d naturally pick out in the morning, but it works so well here. Read more

Soaring ceilings.  Dramatic windows flooded with light.  Views across Manhattan to the rivers.  Today’s ultra-luxurious penthouses, like those you’ve seen on Million Dollar Listing New York, have a wonderful Master of the Universe feeling to them:

But in fact, they’re quite challenging to furnish correctly.  The angular walls, metal casement windows, and double height ceilings can feel cold, generic, and even a bit too industrial.  These spaces are begging for the right finishing touches to make them soar and feel like home.
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Bathrooms are the hardest working rooms in every home, so it’s really important to keep them looking fresh.  Here are 7 easy ways to upgrade them:

1) A set of matching bath accessories.

2) A bottle of liquid soap.

3) A scented candle.

4) A set of linen guest towels.

5) A new robe.

6) A new shower curtain.

7) A set of new towels.

To see more bath accessories, click here.

Summer’s here, and although we can’t all be sailing with Beyonce and Jay Z around the Mediterranean, you can definitely live la dolce vita at home.

Here’s how you do it.

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Which materials are used in RabLabs designs?

RabLabs designs are created using semi-precious gemstones, combined with pure silver, 24k gold, and rose gold. They also utilize materials like stainless steel, plated metals, and glass.  These materials are chosen to last forever, and to retain their quality for generations to come.  Each piece is unique, because of the materials, and the variation in the designs. Read more

Thomas Keller.  Among all the celebrity chefs, he is known as the ultimate perfectionist: The best ingredients.  Flawless technique.  Perfect finish.  This is probably why he has won numerous James Beard awards and is the only American chef with two top-rated Michelin 3-star restaurants: The French Laundry in Napa Valley, which revolutionized fine dining, and Per Se in New York, which took it to a new level.

The secret of his success, though, is not just great cooking. Keller also knows how to make his culinary creations look like art.  He’s such an expert on presenting food, he even designed his own Limoges porcelain dinnerware.

After some studying, we uncovered some of his secrets for showcasing food as art.  Whether you’re a star chef or rely on uberEats, we hope these techniques will take your meals to new levels of sophistication:

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