Daily Nectar

The Resurgence of the Farmhouse Table

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Contributed by Bethany Nauert

My mother always insisted that we have dinner together every night. It was the one time a day we could all be together. Perhaps it was this rule that nurtured my love for a formal dining space and table.

I have to admit, my adoration for farmhouse style tables has grown exceedingly with the trend of reclaimed wood and repurposing materials. There is something so luscious but subtle about a huge raw wooden table, or an immaculately polished surface that exposes all the grain and veins of the tree.

A Look at Culinarium: A Mind Set In Stone

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Like a mad-scientist in a lab, Jordan Castro began tinkering with his concrete recipe from his studio in Plum Island, Massachusetts. He sat for hours, as if with a lab coat and bunsen burner, not satisfied until he could create the perfect blend of color, form, texture, and longevity.

Culinarium's carefully crafted line of eco-conscious, concrete accessories speaks to the assiduousness of its creator. The clean lines and industrial textures lure you, despite their grey camouflage. The hand-burnished carnauba wax creates a ceramic-like finish that adds a polish to its rough exterior.

Castro's perfected formula assures a timeless product and a design that seems anything but formulaic.

Brooklyn Slate: From Quarry to Plate

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Kristy Hadeka, a stylish foodie of a fourth-generation slate family, never assumed she'd end up in slate like the rest of her family; but after she and Brooklyn designer Sean Tice saw it's applications in food, there was no turning back.

The visual, art-like distinction of the platters make Brooklyn Slate's 10-by-14 cheese board perfect for laying out multiple cheese pairings or anything else you want to showcase (think chocolates to sushi). You can give the boards an added touch with the included soapstone chalk that you can use to label the night's varietals.

South Street Linen's Sensuous Scarves

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

As the saying goes, this isn't their first rodeo.

Portland, Maine artisans Mary Ruth Hedstrom, Jane Ryan, and Lynn Krauss of South Street Linen began their journey as a collaborative comeback of sorts.

From the growth of the flax plant, to the processing of its fibers into linen, to the cutting and printing of the material, South Street Linen scarves feel the history, attention, and care of many hands.