The spotlight shines on Crypton in Newsweek video feature:

Last week, Newsweek interviewed our own Julia Szabo for a video feature on pet pampering. Viewers got a tour of Julia’s New York City apartment, which she’s customized for the comfort of her four – count ‘em, four – large dogs.

We spotted our favorite dog beds and pillows used as cushions on Julia’s bed, which she shares with her pack of canine companions.

Meanwhile, we learned about a new use for our multitasking  throver. We knew it comes in very handy on the bed or sofa, in the car, even on a boat. Now we saw Julia use the Throver as a handy mat on the floor, where her veterinary chiropractor “adjusts” the senior dogs, to get their spines in proper alignment.

Now that’s what we call pampering! Watch the video here.

An Apron with Star Quality

Actress Juliette Bennett is an enchanting performer, a natural entertainer who’s in her element both on stage and in film. She has old-school star quality reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and Veronica Lake, but with an ultra-modern edge.

She’s brilliant at interpreting playwrights from Shakespeare to A.R. Gurney, but Juliette is equally enchanting when she’s entertaining friends at her New York City apartment.

With its magnificent vistas on the East River, the view from her living room window is captivating. But so is the view inside the kitchen, where Juliette recently prepared a spectacular organic, vegan curry stew, served with rice and an avocado-dressed salad.

Nothing stains quite like turmeric, that dazzling yellow spice that’s the key to a great curry. In fact, turmeric has been used for centuries as a natural fabric dye. But Juliette needn’t worry about errant yellow stains on her outfit, because she’s armed with her favorite apron.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Do you have a clan of messy eaters in your house? Are dinner time spills taking over your table?  We’ve got an opportunity for you! Recently, Crypton developed a fun line of colorful and reversible mess-free suede placemats.  Not only are they stylish, the Crypton technology behind the fabric means they are completely stain- and water-resistant, too. Although you can’t buy these placemats in stores yet, we thought it would be fun to offer our readers an exclusive opportunity to test them out. We’ll even give you the full set of four placemats – all you have to do is share your story with us.  

 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!

Checking in with old friends who get better with time

One of our very best friends, Molly B. Rubin, often reminds us how important it is to check in with old friends on a regular basis, and Twitter has proven to be a great way to keep in  touch. We’re very proud of our longstanding friendship with The Bark, still the premier magazine for dogs and the people who love them. Together, the two-person powerhouse team of Claudia Kawczynska and Cameron Woo created the gold standard of dog magazines at their Berkeley home base – not to mention a bevy of best-selling books, including their latest title, “Dog Joy.”

When it got its start, The Bark was the first publication of its kind: a rare new “breed” of maverick magazine celebrating deceptively “ordinary” mutts (like Ms. Molly B.!) and the truly extraordinary people who adore them. And The Bark still maintains its lead, despite lots of healthy competition in a market now filled with dog-themed glossies. Plus, The Bark’s online presence, notably its blog, fills the space between its bi-monthly issues so dog lovers don’t miss a single beat, and it delivers strong content with great style – which is something Crypton certainly appreciates! Follow them on Twitter @The_Bark.

From California, we cross the country to Maine, where FetchDog has been a Crypton supporter since its successful launch in 2007. We’re so proud to be staples in the FetchDog catalog – our Screen Saver dog bed is on their page of Best Sellers! And we’re over the moon that our pet beds have a place in the home of glamorous Glenn Close, whose husband Dave Shaw founded the site together with his son Ben. We never miss “Lively Licks,” Glenn’s fabulous Fetchdog blog – check it out, and follow the company on Twitter @ FetchDog.

Fetchdog recently partnered with UrbanHound, the terrific site for city pets and their people. Become part of the UrbanHound community for great, opinionated advice on services and products for dogs in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. 

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Each week, Randy Rubin, co-owner of Crypton, features several articles or blogs that resonate with Crypton’s core goals: providing clean, beautiful design for everyday living.

Everyday living means life with kids, pets, and anything else that finds a way into your home. Below are just a few thoughts and ideas we are inspired by this month.

Material Girls: Like some of our featured reads last month, this blog is packed with photos to inspire contemporary design. Check out the post showcasing the many iterations of BarcelonaChairs (and Crypton’s version , while you’re at it)

How do I select beautiful furniture that will work with my pets?: The Denver Post Homegirls blog met with Tennille Wood to hand out tips on decorating with pets – including special tips for any “chewers or scratchers.” Wood, an interior designer, also blogs about luxury style at Beautiful Habitat.

Decorating in a Downturn – Part 3

This is the final piece of a three-part series on decorating on a budget from guest blogger Debbie Wiener. Debbie is a DC-based interior designer and author of the top-selling book, “Slob Proof! Real life Design Solutions.” She has also recently partnered with Crypton to develop the Slobproof! Collection – a colorful line of Crypton-covered furniture designed with busy households in mind. You can find more information about Debbie, and links to purchase Slobproof! furniture pieces at www.slobproof.com

Wite it out! Keep the correction fluid “Wite Out” on hand for quick corrections to white cabinetry, doors, wood trim and even white tile grout! It quickly covers flaws, dings and damage until you have the time to re-paint. Got scratches on painted furniture and walls? Sharpie permanent ink markers come in dozens of colors and can be used to camouflage marks on furniture legs, walls, picture frames…just about anything in color.

Using Wite Out to hide a small nick

Do the Flip! Rotate sofa cushions to hide wear and tear and to extend the life of your seating. Got a spot on that seat cushion? Turn it over and keep the clean side up when company comes. Rotate your area rug to extend its life span and even out the wear and tear. You may even be able to hide spots and stains under furniture with this simple move.

Debbie Wiener is an interior designer in Silver Spring, MD and head matriarch of a house full of slobs. She’s also the author of the top selling book, “Slob Proof! Real life Design Solutions” from Penguin Press. You can send Debbie your designing dilemmas by visiting her website www.mydesigningsolutions.com

Decorating in a Downturn – Part 2

In the next week, we have a three-part series on decorating on a budget from guest blogger Debbie Wiener. Debbie is a DC-based interior designer and author of the top-selling book, “Slob Proof! Real life Design Solutions.” She has also recently partnered with Crypton to develop the Slobproof! Collection – a colorful line of Crypton-covered furniture designed with busy households in mind.

You can find more information about Debbie, and links to purchase Slobproof! furniture at www.slobproof.com

1. Follow the three R’s! Re-mat, re-frame and re-arrange your art and photos to update wall and table-top displays. Replace white and off-white matting with something fresh and colorful- grass green, pumpkin orange or periwinkle blue. Try a few new frames to give new life to your photos. Check out the assortment at www.exposures.com 

This room has a gallery look from a day of re-matting, reframing and re-arranging at a do-it-yourself frame shop. 

2.  Toss It! If you can’t afford to change the sofa and chairs, change your toss pillows! Soft, down-filled pillows in unexpected patterns and colors will make the seating look new and feel luxurious. My favorite sources include www.blissstudio.com and www.companyc.com.

It’s the pillows that make this window nook an inviting place to sit.

3. Light it Up! Nothing makes modest rooms look impressive like good lighting. Start by lighting up room perimeters to make small spaces look large and dramatic. Inexpensive canister uplighting, purchased in home stores, fits inside floor plants and behind furniture to add Hollywood style accent lighting along room walls.

Battery-operated flameless votive candles use LED bulbs for realistic and long-lasting candle light that’s perfect in groupings. Add them down the middle of a long dining table, along a fireplace mantel or on shelving for soft, zen-like room lighting. Upgrade the standard bulbs in your recessed lights and lamps to halogen to ensure you’re getting the brightest, whitest light possible from your existing fixtures.

Debbie Wiener is an interior designer in Silver Spring, MD and head matriarch of a house full of slobs. She’s also the author of the top selling book, “Slob Proof! Real life Design solutions” from Penguin Press. You can send Debbie your designing dilemmas by visiting her website www.mydesigningsolutions.com

Stay tuned next week for more of Debbie’s design tips on a budget….

Decorating in a Downturn – Part 1

In the next week, we have a three-part series on decorating on a budget from guest blogger Debbie Wiener. Debbie is a DC-based interior designer and author of the top-selling book, “Slob Proof! Real Life Design Solutions.” She has also recently partnered with Crypton to develop the Slobproof! Collection – a colorful line of Crypton-covered furniture designed with busy households in mind.

You can find more information about Debbie, and links to purchase Slobproof! furniture at www.slobproof.com

Yes, the economy sucks! But even a small decorating budget can yield big results, making your home look brighter, and more spacious and stylish.

1. Paint It! Use paint to make even empty, unfurnished rooms feel warmer, and older room designs seem fresher. Yes, you can! In one weekend, paint your ceilings in a pale sky blue, add color around your white fireplace, stripe your crown moldings with color pulled from the furniture and accent one wall in a white room with your favorite color. Freshen up areas that are showing the signs of wear and tear with a new coat of paint.

A room transformed: a colorful accent wall in a white room

A scrubbable finish, like Benjamin Moore’s Aura, provides one-coat coverage with very low odor. It’s a perfect choice for winter re-decorating when it’s too cold to open the windows. Need color inspiration? Check out the crown moldings, fireplaces and accent walls featured in my book, “SlobProof! Real Life Design Solutions” from Penguin.

2. Curtain Calls! Give new life to older curtains that you can’t yet replace. Buy colorful tie backs and decorative trim at your local fabric store. You can add tapes, scalloped edges and tassel trims to the inside or “lead” edges to make plain curtains look new again and “pop” with color and style. My favorite on-line trim source? www.mjtrim.com. Got too much on our window? Take down the curtains, leaving shears or simple blinds to allow more light and spaciousness into your room.

Debbie Wiener is an interior designer in Silver Spring, MD and head matriarch of a house full of slobs. She’s also the author of the top selling book, “Slob Proof! Real life Design  solutions” from Penguin Press. You can send Debbie your designing dilemmas by visiting her website www.mydesigningsolutions.com

Stay tuned this week for more of Debbie’s design tips on a budget….