Internationally renowned artist BettinaWerner is the Queen of Salt – literally. She invented a complex technique of creating art using vibrantly pigmented salt crystals from Sicily, and established the Salt Queen Foundation to encourage other artists working with innovative techniques.

When the artist entertains at her beautiful loft in Philippe Starck’s luxury “Downtown” building across the street from the NY Stock Exchange, she chooses Crypton placemats
for everything from the kitchen (pictured) to the dining table – Bettina even puts a placemat under her MacBook! “I love that they are made with green technology,” she says.

If you aspire to live surrounded by magnificent artwork, you’re in luck – The Salt Queen is renting out this live-in museum while she takes a trip abroad, and it’s a showcase for her breathtaking canvases. Everywhere you look, you will see precious paintings which range from $5,000 – $54,000: In the bedroom, the kitchen, even the bathrooms! View
pictures of this amazing place here.

All artwork by Bettina Werner

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Mom-of-three-to-be Pam Walsh reports, “Got a peek inside my belly and saw Luke’s face. It was the best birthday present ever!”  Handsome Luke won’t hit the scene until August, but already he’s a stylin’ Virgo babe, with a fully-loaded Crypton crib awaiting his arrival – decoratively decked out by his big brothers, Jack and Reeve, with a Throver and pillow.

According to Crypton’s favorite astrology expert, Susan Miller, the colors the big boys selected are perfectly Virgo – it’s an earth sign that naturally gravitates to deep, dark brown.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog” features glam, globe-trotting dog trainer Victoria Stillwell making house calls to help modify undesirable dog behaviors. On the episode about
Victoria’s recent visit to the palatial pad of Jill Zarin, a star of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” we spotted a few of our fave pet products: a matching Doodle Dog pet bed and pillow in Jill’s living room, plus another Doodle Dog pillow outdoors, on the balcony seating. Jill and her family know from fine fabrics – her father founded Zarin fabrics, a New York City institution – so this is a high compliment indeed!

Posted by Julia Szabo.

The actor dubbed “The redoubtable Daniel Reichert” by The Los Angeles Times is a leading man of the California stage whose talent, dark good looks, and mesmerizing voice command the spotlight in a wide array of starring roles.

He’s as sought-after for the pictures he takes as the scenes he makes. When he’s not playing theater roles to critical and popular acclaim, Daniel moonlights as a headshot photographer. His keen eye for portraiture helps his fellow acting talents put their best faces forward, to secure the plum parts they deserve.

Daniel has the classic Virgo’s  perfectionist eye for detail, so not surprisingly, his very collectible fine art photography zooms in on familiar things – a quarter, a pencil, a fork – with microscopic precision. Viewed through his lens, these ordinary, often overlooked objects appear iconic and much larger than life.

We were thrilled when Daniel applied his signature “Up Close” technique to a place mat. The result, we think, is a perfect portrait of Crypton Super Fabric: combining yesterday’s charm (the retro glamour of a rum highball) with tomorrow’s convenience (spill-proof protection).

Cheers!

Posted by Julia Szabo.

That perfectly describes a shopper that looks great with any outfit, and folds up neatly into a small bundle, to stow away in your briefcase or handbag when it’s not in use. And unlike socks or ties, a shopper is something nobody can have too many of. When all is said and done, isn’t shopping something we all do – in some form – every day of the year?

Not many shoppers can call themselves genuine works of art, but we know of one that actually can. Artist Randy Twaddle has electrified this shopper with his Power Lines design. Not since the 1970s hit song “Wichita Lineman” have power lines been so eloquent! And don’t worry if anything spills in or on your bag – it’s got a patented moisture barrier to prevent liquids from penetrating the fabric, so whatever you’re carrying won’t short-circuit.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

 That’s all it takes to receive three additional placemats: a full set!  This opportunity won’t be available for long and space is limited, so sign up soon! All signed up? Once you’ve recieved your placemat, fill out a feedback form to recieve the other three.

We look forward to hearing your messy stories!

New York residents are lucky: if they can’t bring their pets along on vacation, they can book a stay at one of the country’s most impressive boarding facilities, Unleash Brooklyn. I confess that I didn’t travel long-distance for several years because there was no place I’d trust with my pack of dogs; thanks to this incredible place, I’m now free to hit the road. 

Banish thoughts of an ordinary kennel. In fact, the co-owners of this unique establishment are hardcore dog lovers who won’t even use what they call  “the K-word” — and to back this up, there isn’t a single cage in the place. Constructed entirely of eco-friendly materials, this is a “holistic loft for cats and dogs.”

A stay here is a play-cation: Dogs are walked outside and enjoy carefully-supervised play sessions in three spacious exercise runs floored with shock-absorbing rubber,which is very kind to dogs with sore joints. There’s even a treadmill for super-high-energy dogs to burn off steam – or paunchy pooches, to help them battle the bulge.

When it’s sleepytime, the canine guests repair to individual rooms and “dog suites,” separated by wooden Dutch doors as in a posh horse stable, with homey touches including framed dog portraits, rugs, and chandeliers. And what do the guests lay their heads on? What else? Crypton dog beds! Now, that’s what we call deluxe accommodations.

And how’s this for reassuring: The morning after my dogs’ first night at their new home-away-from-home, I received the following text message: “They are awesome and slept great!”  

Posted by Julia Szabo.

They don’t make furniture the way they used to: beautiful and built to last in equal measure. That’s one conclusion to be drawn from a visit to the swanky antique furniture gallery Carlton Hobbs,

 carltonhobbs  where the world’s most discriminating designers shop for celebrity clients amidst shimmering chandeliers and other opulent oeuvres (some boldface names rumored to live with Carlton Hobbs furnishings are Madonna, Elton John, and Mick Jagger).

A fine example of the treasure at this temple of taste is an imposing neoclassical stool of partridge wood and gilt, circa 1800. Its seat is raised on two opposing sphinxes and two pierced, inverted anthemion which spring from a shaped, oval plinth above eight tapering, gilded feet. Flanking the seat are scrolling, down swept ends joined by turned arms.

This exquisite piece of museum-quality historical seating is priced at $85,000. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be lived with comfortably and casually - and to prove it, gallery director Stefanie Rinza had Lore Decorators

www.lore.qpg.com  cover the original cushion in  Crypton Suede  Lipstick. The sturdy, fitted slipcover sports a zipper for easy removal and laundering, yet looks every bit as elegant and regal as the original, fragile silk it came with.

Gamely demonstrating how family-friendly Crypton can make almost anything, even an irreplaceable antique, is Stefanie’s adorable son Alan Crockett.