Speaking of Nate Berkus, his new line of accessories for Target debuts on the 21st of this month. I made this collage to showcase a few of the 150 pieces. Whether you've just graduated college and are moving into your first apartment or just looking to add a few key pieces to your existing decor, you are bound to find something in this collection. I really like the tortoise shell wall accessory in cream, as well as, the lamp. (Which should look sophisticatedly sexy with a black, lacquered shade.) Maybe, I'll be asked what I want for Christmas... early! 

1. Lacquer Tortoise Shell Wall Accessories in green and cream, ($40)
2. Khaki Herringbone Sheets ($45-$65)
3. Brass vases $25 & $20
4. Indigo Star Ikat Pillow ($25)
5. This Oval basket ($17) ~ great for magazines or to stow a throw.
6. Hammered Brass Bowls small ($8) and large ($15)
7. This Sculpted Branch Lamp Base ($25) and the Drum Shade ($25).

His new book, The Things That Matter, comes out tomorrow (October 16th, $35.00) and will not only offer further details about his own home, but the homes of twelve others, as well.

(All images & video via Target.com)

e first came to know him as Oprah’s home-makeover guru: beautifully transforming neglected spaces once deemed hideously outdated and cluttered. That’s been more than 10 years ago and until recently, we welcomed him into our homes as the host of his namesake daily talk show. But, most importantly, over the years we’ve come to know and trust Nate Berkus as our go-to-guy for all things house & home: interior design, interior decorating, furniture, paint, lighting, etc. You name it, he could transform it. For the uninitiated (or the uncertain), he’s shown us how to live in such a way that our home "rises up to greet us." 

Practicing what he's preached over the years (“I believe a home should be lived in”), in the November issue of Architectural Digest, he has opened up his three bedroom, 19th century Greenwich Village duplex to allow us a peek inside his sanctuary. Designed with the help of architectural designer, Carlos Huber, the originally painted parquetry and stone tile floors were replaced with white oak boards. It is indeed a home reflective of the style that we've come to appreciate from Nate: welcoming with obvious attention to detail. And it was done in true Nate fashion - all in three months! 

(click here for before image)

I think that I am most impressed that he turned what was once a gym into the above skylit dressing room. (Maybe, because this is definitely something I would do: I may not exercise like I should, but I do need a place to house my clothing and shoes.)

Mario Grauso, an executive at Vera Wang, has his home featured in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar (here's the article). I'm definitely not a velvet person, but the couch above is a beautiful shade of blue, while the couch below is the most perfect shade of green. I know I need glasses, but isn't the globe to the left, green as well?

I don’t think you have to have a winter home in Aspen or Telleuride to appreciate the new Alpine Lodge Collection by Ralph Lauren Home. But, can you imagine coming off the slopes, inviting some friends over for dinner or cocktails and entering this sumptuous retreat? From the calming earth-toned palette to the manly accessories, this place screams sophisticated ruggedness. 

I was born in the south, where verandas often appear on the most simple to the most extravagant of homes, so I really do like the one shown above with the rattan furniture. I'm not so certain If I'd have dinner out there in the winter months, as suggested, but what a picturesque scene. And what better place to spend my next winter holiday? (If for no other reason than
to have the rare opportunity to wear one of my favorite winter staples... a cashmere sweater.)

All Photos and video via Polo.com

Who hasn’t seen and fallen in love with at least one image from the late photographer, Herb Ritts? (For me, any photo of Cindy Crawford works) His images are more than beautiful photographs. They are reminders of places and times in pop culture; visual soundtracks, if you will. There’s Janet Jackson in the desert, Cindy, Naomi, Linda, Christy, Stephanie and Tatjana insouciantly huddled together in a nude embrace and one of his first photographs: Richard Gere posing defiantly behind a broken down vehicle in San Bernardino, CA.

The Getty Center has brought together some of Ritts’s most recognizable portraits for this breathtaking and informative exhibit. These are pictures that we’ve seen and admired in publications such as GQ, Vogue and Vanity Fair; images that are forever woven into America’s tapestry. Since the retrospective has been extended until next Sunday, Sept 2nd, you’ve one more week to witness, up close, the genius of Ritts. Be certain to rent the free audio guide, which offers backstories on some of his work, as well as, interviews from a few of his famous subjects like Cindy Crawford, Richard Gere and fellow photographer, Matthew Rolston. 

One good thing about going to museums, as opposed to a movie, on a first or second date is that it gives you a chance to connect and discuss, in the moment, shared likes/dislikes: Monet vs Manet, Jacob Lawrence vs. Wm. Johnson, Picasso vs. Kadinsky, etc. You wouldn't want to find out too late that your "soulmate" is a Koons supporter, would you?

(Click here for schedules of other Southern California museums.)

And a couple of images for the ladies...

The following images by N.D. Harrington for The Sophistciated Gentleman...

THE GETTY CENTER
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, California 90049
310.440.7300

HOURS:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 10:00 - 5:00
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 - 9:00