Here now, Curbed National's weekly dissection of the NYT's Home & Garden section. Brace.
Lordie, lord, lord, lord. Just when it seemed that maybe—just maybe—the "squeeze tons of framed things into a random arrangement on a single wall" trend has finally subsided, here it is again in all its grand, curated glory: "Lots of Pictures, Little Space," screams the top headline in the Times Home & Garden section today. It's not exactly the sweet nothings one hopes to hear whispered on a sunny Thursday morning like this, but it's a marked improvement from the paper's recent fascination with aquariums (as decor) and manliness (also as decor). So what's the best and the worst within this week's stories? Here's the break down:
· Most awkward moment: She also mentioned that she had been upset that Mr. Kassel, who routinely handles some of the country’s finest art collections, hadn’t been more complimentary about her pieces.
· Most egregious price point: $50,000 for a mattress.
· Coolest job ever: Mr. Koren, who carries the awkward job title of design philosopher, was explaining personal causalities: how a Viennese flower shop healed his broken heart, for instance, and how a disco radio station propelled him and his partner, Emilia Burchiellaro, into a happy exile on the edge of a wildlife refuge an hour north of San Francisco.
· Oh wait, scratch that: He is the founder and publisher of the ’70s-era cult magazine Wet—its impish mandate, “a magazine about gourmet bathing,” came to Mr. Koren while he was taking a bath and allowed for articles on nude beaches and the drug Ecstasy, and contributions from Matt Groening, Leonard Cohen and Paul Bowles.
· Most inaccurate statement: The design is simple: two glass-and-wood pavilions — one for living, one for sleeping — connected by a floating bamboo walkway, surrounding an ocean-facing infinity pool.
· Bougiest lifestyle detail: Grass planted on top provides insulation to optimize natural cooling and a spot for the couple to practice yoga at dawn.
· Vaguest quote: "“To me,” she said, more expansively, “when I see an object it gives me pleasure.”
· Most obvious statement: Every lawn needs routine seasonal attention, but before doing major work, homeowners must consider how pristine they want the result to look, and the cost (in dollars and labor) to accomplish it.
· Worst Q&A interview question: "Should I call you Dr. Hampton?"
· Runner-up: "I was surprised that it had as much instructional information as it does."
· Most jam-packed description: (The brindle-hide version is available in plain gray and dark gunmetal finishes; the shock-cord model is black or camel-colored cord with a polished-steel or blackened-steel frame.)
· Most journalistically weird use of direct quotes:
· Home & Garden section [NYT]
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