Fall 2008

Where does the woman who got America reading curl up with a novel? Welcome to the book-filled haven where no one ever says "Shhhh!"

How did Edith Wharton's view and Edgar Allan Poe's cellar inform what they wrote? See the details of authors' homes that made it into their fiction.

A good book—and a good meal—gives six busy women a chance to share a few tales of their own. Plus 6 delicious recipes from chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Two reformed globe-trotters turn 887 square feet into a loft worth staying home for.
 

Not every bit of value in our homes vanished when the market collapsed. So how bad would it be to hit the house up for some cash?

Your dream home will never materialize if your design schemes remain imaginary. Get going with Martha Beck's four-point, stop-putting-it-off plan.

Designer Barbara Barry merges simplicity with 1940s Hollywood glam. As she explains, it's all in the details.

Novelist Alice Hoffman honors her neighbor's memory by turning his cottage into an imagination-nourishing retreat.

Luxury does come cheap! Intricate details give these finds genuine polish—think of them as investment pieces, minus the sticker shock.

Instead of using florals or stripes, designers are borrowing from the dictionary to really make a statement.

From country to mod, pricey to downright cheap, these 18 beauties belong in every room of the house.

25 of our favorite decorators, landscape architects, and artists tell us which titles helped them think, see, and dream. (A few may surprise you.)