Given New York City’s penchant for a somber palette, the opening of a branch of French fabric store Les Toiles du Soleil (Fabric of the Sun) in Chelsea seems like mutiny. “People are scared of having color in their homes,” says Jean-Luc Carrucciu, who runs the outpost with his wife, Sandrine Guibert. “But then they start with one piece and gradually add more and more.” The company is nearly 150 years old and still handcrafts its vibrant cotton and linen fabrics on old-fashioned looms in the original St.-Laurent-de-Cerdans factory in southwestern France. In a similarly bygone tradition, the Manhattan boutique (two others operate in Paris and Tokyo) sells fabric by the yard and will custom-make any number of home goods—from curtains and duvets to tablecloths. Read the rest of this post »

If there’s one thing Hong Kong does supremely well, it’s shopping – from high-end malls to vibrant open-air markets, there’s always something for sale (sans the sales tax!). While strolling in the boutique- and gallery-filled Soho neighborhood, just off trendy Hollywood Road, I happened upon Vintage HK, a very chic second-hand art, clothing, and knick-knack store run by a sharp-eyed hipster named Nadia. Equal parts kitsch and cool (mostly a combination of both), Vintage HK stocks everything from giant plastic Chinese characters (like the Cantonese word for “happiness” pictured in this store window) to funky shoes and accessories to adorable gold shaving kits decorated with animated tigers, horses, or pandas (see photo after the jump). Read the rest of this post »

The new Four Seasons Seattle, which opened this November, has a lot going for it, including a prime location near the newly renovated Seattle Art Museum, clear views of Puget Sound, and on the ground floor, the first downtown location of Fran’s Chocolates. For more than 20 years, Fran Bigelow, a Seattle native, has satisfied many a sweet tooth — among them, those of Barack and Michelle Obama (he favors the smoked salt caramels in milk chocolate, while she prefers the dark chocolate variety). Read the rest of this post »