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LEVI’S SHOPPING SHINDIG TABLE OF
CONTENTS
IN EVERY ISSUE
10
EDITOR’S LETTER
12
SHOPPING CART
16
34
18
42
BEYOND PRECIOUS
IN GOOD FORM
MEET THE TEAM
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15
22
EXTENDED FAMILY
INSIDE SCOOP
TAKEN TO TASK
RUE SHOPS Putting Minneapolis on the retail therapy map.
BLOGGER SIDE-BY-SIDE Two of our favorite bloggers go to print!
CAMBRIDGE CREDENTIALS
24
BLOUSE IT OUT, BABY
186
RUE TURNS ONE!
26
EDITORS’ FALL ESSENTIALS
44
MEET THE DESIGNER FORM LOS ANGELES
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GALLERY WALL
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62
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A tasty treat from Chewing the Cud.
Tomatoes are the perfect summer-to-fall transition food.
COCOA FOR TWO
HARVEST BOUNTY
STUDIO TOUR A look at where Chronicle Books makes magic.
HANDS ON
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BEST BLOSSOMS
61
SURVIVAL GUIDE Cozy DIY’s for cold weather nesting.
A centerpiece worth writing home about.
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NEW IN TOWN Discover San Francisco with Gilt City.
FEATURES
104
REGENCY REVIVED
150
A DASH OF SASS
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The brand new home of HGTV star Sabrina Soto.
LIVING MUSEUM A San Francisco home full to the brim with art and curiosities.
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MISSION POSSIBLE
166
A NOVEL HISTORY
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NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO Spend a Saturday in the season’s best colors, prints, and patterns .
An evening of Revelry with Old Village Hall.
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MANHATTAN HAPPENSTANCE
176
MUSIC TO THEIR EARS
EDITOR’S LETTER When we began Rue we couldn’t have predicted the incredible ride it would prove to be! We’ve had the good fortune to travel to beautiful cities near and far, the opportunity to be welcomed into the most beautiful of homes, and even the honor of being featured in the New York Times!.
It’s hard to believe that with this issue Rue officially turns one! It feels like just yesterday that my cofounder Anne and I dared to dream big and let a seed of an idea take on a life of its own. When we conceived of Rue, I lived in Chicago and Anne was in San Francisco. We hadn’t yet met in person but were brought together by our shared love of design and a desire to bring the inclusive nature of blogging to a magazine format. Two months later we finally met in a Manhattan hotel at 2am the night before our first photo shoot (a shoot with Vicente Wolf no less!) Six months after that I found myself moving to beautiful San Francisco to set up Rue’s office with Anne.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON
But more than anything we’ve enjoyed the privilege of being a part of your world. We are continually floored by the generosity of our contributors who share their talents with the magazine and wow us with their creativity. The longstanding partnerships we’ve built with our advertisers make the magazine possible. And our loyal readers inspire us to scour the globe for inspiration and keep going night and day. Since we pressed ‘publish’ on our premiere issue last fall, we’ve gathered a plethora of memories and knowledge, all of which we’re grateful to carry with us into the next year of Rue and beyond. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for joining us on this journey. Sincerely,
CRYSTAL GENTILELLO CO-FOUNDER and EDITOR IN CHIEF
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MEET THE TEAM
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CRYSTAL
GENTILELLO
CASSANDRA LAVALLE
BRI EMERY
ANNE SAGE
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MARKET EDITOR
ART DIRECTOR
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON
WE ARE THE RHOADS
JEN HUANG
MANDY MORTIMER
MARISSA LIPPERT
FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER
FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHERS
FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER
SALES DIRECTOR MANDY@RUEMAG.COM
FOOD COLUMNIST
PHOTO: ARIAN SOHEILI
DuraleeDesigner 速
www.Duralee.com
u
Available exclusively through architects and interior designers
14 twitter.com/duraleefabrics
u
1 - 800-275-3872
facebook.com/duralee
EXTENDED FAMILY AMY MOORE copy
LAINA NAVARRO styling
ANDREA BRICCO photography
MACKENZIE HORAN copy
ARIAN SOHEILI photography
MATTHEW LUCAS styling
DREW ALTIZER photography
MEAGANNE MCCANDESS hair and make-up
ELIZABETH DEHN copy
OSKARI POLHO videography
EMMA ROBERTSON graphic design
SANA KEEFER styling
ERIKA CARLOCK copy
SEAN DAGAN photography
JEN ALTMAN photography
SHOKO WANGER copy
JAMIE LAUBHAN-OLIVER graphic design
SIERRA BASKIND styling
JOSH GRUETZMACHER photography
WOODNOTE PHOTOGRAPHY photography
KATIE RODGERS illustration
WILL TAYLOR resident gent
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SHOPPING CART
ANTHROPOLOGIE $18
CRATE & BARREL $35/PAIR
SEE BY CHLOE $450
DEBORAH LIPPMANN $18
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ROBERT CLERGERIE $95
PHOTO: WINTER KATE
ARTERIORS $598
MOD VINTAGE $29
BEYOND PRECIOUS A shining palette of bronze and amethyst proves all that glitters isn’t gold.
JONATHAN ADLER $150
URBAN OUTFITTERS $34
PHOTO: HAYNES ROBERTS
SHOPPING CART
IN GOOD
FORM
Abstract shapes with chiseled edges carve out a serious style niche.
RUGS USA $89 AND UP
MECOX GARDENS $2295
FRITZ HANSEN € 7815
DRIES VAN NOTEN $1265
STONE TEXTILE $185
LARA KURTZMAN $90
JEFFREY CAMPBELL $199
JEROME DREYFUSS $830
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SHOPPING CART
PLASTICLAND $18
JONATHAN ADLER $395
HORNE $395
ROBERT ABBEY $218
MOD PIECES $250
REGINA ANDREW $385
PB TEEN $79
LIGHTING ENTERPRISES $329
EMPIRIC $240
CHIASSO $148
ALL MODERN $220
HINDSVIK $49
TAKEN TO TASK GLUED TO YOUR DESK? AT LEAST YOU’LL BE IN BRIGHT COMPANY!
SHOPPING CART
HABITAT £7
PHOTO: GUERREISMS
POSTAL CO. $20
TOPMAN £14
AUBIN & WILLS £10
COLE HAAN $398
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TOPMAN £46
NEED SUPPLY $295
FEE BROTHERS BITTERS $15
CAMBRIDGE CREDENTIALS Natty Englishman Will Taylor delivers picks to keep every guy looking smart this fall.
NEED SUPPLY $295
SHOPPING CART RIVER ISLAND £28 TOPSHOP
£110
HALSTON HERITAGE $60
N JONATHA S R E D N SAU $865
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GUCCI $618
SONIA BY SONIA RYKIEL $395
ANTHRO
POLOGIE $118
PHOTO: SINCERELY JULES
CALPYSO ST. BARTH $185
BLOUSE
IT OUT, BABY!
A borrowed-from-him style gets even better re-imagined in silk, then pleated, puckered, or tied with a bow.
TONIC HOME $479
OLY STUDIO $2385
PALECEK
CONTACT FOR PRICE
THE RUG COMPANY CONTACT FOR PRICE
SANTAL 26 $70
ABC CARPET & HOME $73
JAYSON HOME & GARDEN $2995
PORTRAIT: ANDREW JACOBS / INSPIRATION PHOTO: BRIDES.COM
MARNI $1295
THE VAMOOSE
ASOS $22
CONTACT FOR PRICE
MARC BY MARC JACOBS $390
ASTLEY CLARKE
NARS $17
WARBY PARKER
PORTRAIT: ANGELA + ITHYLE / INSPIRATION PHOTO: FREDRIK AKUM
SERENA AND LILY
GO COFFEE GO $12
STEVEN ALAN $75
NEW MUSEUM STORE
CUTLERY AND BEYOND
FLANNEL POUCH STEINER 1888
TERRAIN $2592 PORTRAIT: CAROLINA RAMIREZ FOR REFINERY29 / INSPIRATION PHOTO: ETSY
ASOS $37
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
JOSEPH $1995
CATH KIDSON $33 DENTS $73
KIMCHI BLUE
DKNYC $85
PORTRAIT: AMANDA HOWSE / INSPIRATION PHOTO: ETSY
INSIDE SCOOP
RUE SHOPS:
MINNEAPOLIS
with Elizabeth Dehn
PHOTOGRAPHY: WOODNOTE PHOTOGRAPHY COPY: ELIZABETH DEHN WITH ANNE SAGE
Minneapolis isn’t known for its shopping, but according to BeautyBets.com editor-in-chief Elizabeth Dehn, it should be. Born and raised in this larger sibling of the twin cities, and now a regular contributor to local and national lifestyle publications alike, Elizabeth is thrilled to have witnessed Minneapolis’ retail renaissance in recent years. When she’s not testing formulae for her own skincare line By Elizabeth Dehn, she can be found indulging in other favorite pastimes— lipstick sampling, coffee sipping—at her hometown’s many hotspots.
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RUSSELL + HAZEL
4388 France Avenue South
Russell + Hazel gives hope even to the least organized. Explains Elizabeth, “I don’t go anywhere without at least one of their pretty binders or notebooks, and I also give them out as gifts left and right.” The newly expanded flagship store is like a candy shop for grown-ups.
2 HUNT & GATHER
4944 Xerxes Ave
This shop is proof positive that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Elizabeth can spend hours scouring the massive collection of curiosities and oddities; and she knows people who have decorated their entire home with finds from this gem of a shop.
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RUSTICA BAKERY
3220 West Lake Street
Behold: The best baked goods and designer-y coffee in town. Elizabeth holds most of her meetings here just so she has an excuse to devour a butter cake and a vanilla bean latte. “The communal vibe reminds me of a European café,” she says.
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3
THE BEAUTY LOUNGE
20 University Avenue NE
4
ROOM NO. 3 4948 France Avenue South
Every city needs a girly place that provides quick blowouts or false eyelashes before a fancy night on the town. Proprietress Julie Swenson has an eye for hard-to-find boutique lines and is also a makeup genius who hosts foolproof classes for the beauty-impaired.
This pocket-sized boutique truly looks like something straight out of the Hamptons. The owners know exactly what a girl wants: impossibly yummy loungewear, luxurious lacy bits, and leg warmers to keep it real.
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MARTIN PATRICK 3
212 Third Avenue North, Suite 106 “My happy place, and about the only thing on earth that makes me wish I were a man,” says Elizabeth. “A very dapper, immaculately groomed man, that is.” There’s plenty for girls here too: vintage men’s watches, classic apothecary, and gorgeous leather goods. Don’t leave without sharing a shot of whiskey with Sam the shopkeeper.
BLOGGER
SIDE-BY-SIDE
Best part of your job? Seeing my clients’ joy when they walk into their newly furnished homes. Inspiration behind your book? My life with Steve, our three children and our pets, and the desire to live beautifully without driving everyone crazy. Describe your aesthetic in five words. Relaxed, natural, calm, neutral, imperfect. Wishlist item you want so bad it hurts? French antique roof tiles for our next house. Style icon whose closet you’d most like to raid? Jennifer Aniston. She always looks comfortable but classically gorgeous. Color combination you’re crazy for? Cream and gray. Polka dots or stripes? Soft muted stripes. Girl crush? My daughter, Leila. She amazes me. Which designer could you wear exclusively for the rest of your life? James Perse. Simple, classic, relaxed, casual. Food you could eat every day and never get sick of? The grilled vegetable salad with chicken at The Ivy at the Shore.
Brooke 42
CAN we have an autograph? this fall two of our favorite bloggers—brooke giannetti of velvet and linen and Grace bonney of Design*sponge— RELEASED MUCH-ANTICIPATED DECORATING BOOKS. CHEERs, LADIES! Best part of your job? Getting to work on something the second I have an idea. There’s no one to run it by or get approval from! Inspiration behind your book? I wanted to go beyond inspiration and give the actual skills, tools and confidence needed to create a dream home. Describe your aesthetic in five words. City preppy mixed with vintage. Wishlist item you want so bad it hurts. A huge over-dyed rug in purple or turquoise. Style icon whose closet you’d most like to raid? Alexa Chung. Color combination you’re crazy for? Right now I’m really into pale moss green with pops of bright red/orange. Polka dots or stripes? Stripes, hands down. Girl crush? Carrie Brownstein. Which designer could you wear exclusively for the rest of your life? Madewell or Rag & Bone. Food you could eat every day and never get sick of? Bananas. I eat them like their going out of style: in desserts, for breakfast, with peanut butter for lunch.
Grace Illustrations: Katie Rodgers
INSIDE SCOOP
PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREA BRICCO COPY: ERIKA CARLOCK INTERIOR DESIGN: FORM LOS ANGELES
Q&A
MEET THE DESIGNER:
FORM LOS ANGELES THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERIORS FIRM, C O M P R I S E D O F R A FA E L K A L I C H S T E I N A N D J O S H U A ROSE, DESIGNS A ROOM TO HELP LOCAL WOMEN R E G A I N F I N A N C I A L S T A B I L I T Y.
Hi Rafi and Josh. Let’s get started with how you found yourselves in the design realm. We bought our first house together in Franklin Hills, and it was a disaster. We were really lucky and managed to transform the home on a microscopic budget. Then, as we were designing a business card for ourselves, our real estate agent called with our first client. We ended up doing over forty projects that year!
So you essentially fell into designing. How would the two of you describe your design approach? As far as aesthetics are
concerned we love variety and fun. We like to turn everything on its ear, to spin it into a clean and modern interpretation of each particular style. But most importantly the space must be comfortable and functional for each individual.
The space you designed for the Good Shepherd Charity Design Project embodies exactly that. What was the most exciting aspect of designing the room?
To do something we weren’t trying
to sell! This was the first project in which we could really consider the woman living there—where she’s coming from and where she’s going. We ended up combining punk rock with Marie Antoinette glam pink to create a magical room for the women who will stay here over time.
The room is part of a temporary housing facility where women can get back on their feet. What was your motivation for being a part of the charity? It was an
unusual opportunity to give back through our craft, especially on an emotional level. Knowing that our
work would live on through many inhabitants and remain with these women was very inspiring.
You were on a tight budget. Tell us about any challenges that created. Everything had to be
donated by the vendors or purchased by us personally. But oddly enough the most challenging aspect of this project is what made it so unbelievably successful. The items we originally had our sights set on we were unattainable. Surprisingly, the pieces we could acquire turned out to be much more successful.
The Details
It’s great to see talented individuals like you guys giving back to the community. What other projects do you have in store for the coming year? We
have some really exciting things happening. We’re working on our first restaurant project: a celebrity driven vegan restaurant. We also have a rug line coming out, numerous residential projects, and a deal with FUSE lighting for a chandelier debuting soon. It’s going to be a spectacular year. We’re thrilled!
INSIDE SCOOP
9. CHARL ENEL I U
INSIDE SCOOP
Studio Tour:
CHRONICLE BOOKS THE PUBLISHING COMPANY CARVES A NICHE AND BLAZES A TRAIL IN THE CITY BY THE BAY. COPY: MACKENZIE HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON
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The outside of the office isn’t what you’d expect from a well-known publishing company. In truth, the expansive brick building looks more like a warehouse than a workspace. But then Chronicle Books isn’t your average publishing company, so why should their headquarters fall anywhere short of extraordinary? “The first word that comes to mind is free-flowing,” says Chronicle’s Creative Director Michael Carabetta, who played an integral role in the planning and design of the space. “It’s in the staircases that physically connect the four working floors. They’re very conducive to chance conversations.” The design and the location of the office were equally deliberate. “San Francisco is a mecca for design, technology, education, and culture,” Carabetta explains—and it’s clear that Chronicle intends to live at the intersection of those fields. For a publishing company founded in 1966, Chronicle has done a remarkable job staying ahead of the curve. In addition to a vast roster of award-winning books on art, cooking, and pop culture, they publish
“THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO MIND IS FREE-FLOWING.” - CREATIVE DIRECTOR, MICHAEL CARABETTA -
i don’t believe in minimalism.
an impressive collection of children’s books and quirky merchandise like the Five Year Memory Book, a date book that features five lines per day so people can compare the current year’s daily sentence to what they wrote on that day in years past.
This loft-like office is where the magic happens: a multifunctional interior that
hosts book signings, client presentations, design student visitor groups, and literary readings, in addition to the requisite employee offices and internal meeting rooms.
The walls are comprised of exposed brick and adored with framed book covers,
which honor the company’s revered past while heralding ever brighter prospects for the future. “We continue to challenge conventional publishing wisdom,” says Carabetta. “We’re setting trends in both subject matter and format,” a priority very clearly reflected in the unique space that Chronicle Books calls home.
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THE RUE 2011
STAYCATION SURVIVAL GUIDE
PHOTOGRAPHY: TERI LYN FISHER
STYLING: SUGAR & FLUFF
RECIPES + FOOD STYLING: JENNIFER PARK
HAIR + MAKEUP: MONICA ALVAREZ
PHOTOGRAPHY: S EANDAGAN
PUT COCOA MIX AND MARSHMALLOWS IN JARS, WRAP IN A PRETTY CLOTH, TIE A CHEERY KNOT. OPEN IN CASE OF EMERGENCY!
Hot Chocolate for Two by Chewing the Cud
DOWNLOAD THE TAGS & RECIPE
TRANSFORM ANY CONTAINER WITH BIRCH BARK!
Autumn Blossoms FROM FLORAL STYLIST TRACI TERRICK
THE FLORALS: Traci used dahlias, chocolate cosmos, lambs ear and miniature oranges.
RUE COOKS There’s nothing like the turn of season from
your grandmother’s kitchen; get excited.
summer to fall. Those glorious few weeks when
A hands-down favorite end-of-summer delight,
there’s a surge of renewed energy in the air, a
the heirloom tomato, which is in its final few
push forward on all fronts both personal and
weeks of splendor. Oozing with antioxidants and
professional, as well as a temperate nod to the
lycopene, tomatoes can help fend off cold season
cold weather months ahead. It’s an impetus to
and keep your complexion radiant all winter long.
savor the fleeting flavors of summer while you still
Lycopene is released in greatest capacity when
can, and a call to make them last with an afternoon
tomatoes are cooked, so eat your share of fresh
in the kitchen canning and preserving to your
salads and sides with heirloom and vine-ripened
heart’s content. Last call for heirloom tomatoes,
varieties and then turn those little lovelies into an
juicy peaches, damson plums, and bright bell
easy, rustic sauce that will brighten up pasta, fish
peppers in a rainbow of colors. Get em while
and chicken, vegetables and more from now until
you can and take the next step to “put ‘em up.”
next spring. So, break out your stash of masons,
You’ll be left with a pantry full of mason jars large
start canning to lock in summer’s goodness and
and small filled with sauces, jams, chutneys and
jump straight into a brand new season.
pickled vegetables. It’s like you’ve just reentered
HARVEST BOUNTY TOMATOES PHOTOGRAPHY: JEN ALTMAN COPY & RECIPES: MARISSA LIPPERT
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RECIPES!
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RUE & GILT CITY DO...
SAN FRANCISCO TWO BAY AREA ENTITIES, two one-year anniversaries, one great
big celebration! Gilt City San Francisco gives Rue co-founders Anne Sage and Crystal Gentilello a guided tour of their favorite haunts. From local shopping to an escape to wine country, there’s no better way to get over being the new kid than to step out your front door and experience what your city has to offer.
PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON
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1 NO.
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TAYLOR STITCH 383 VALENCIA STREET
In the heart of the Mission District you’ll find this menswear boutique dedicated to locally made goods. With their high quality craftsmanship it’s the perfect shop for finding unique pieces.
2 NO.
LAFITTE
THE EMBARCADERO, PIER 5 Head to Pier 5 on the Embarcadero where the cocktails are almost as strong as bad boy Chef Russell Jackson’s language, and the French inspired dishes are sure to leave an impression.
3 NO.
BOUCHON
6534 WASHINGTON ST, YOUNTVILLE Chef Thomas Keller has built his reputation on this world-renowned brasserie in the heart of wine country where the atmosphere offers a true experience in French cafĂŠ dining. Be sure to pick up some treats on the way out from the Bouchon Bakery.
4 NO.
CAFE DES AMIS 2000 UNION STREET
After a full day of shopping in the Marina, pop into this cozy restaurant for sophisticated dishes and continental elan.
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 2011
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S
Tom Bonauro gives a guided tour of his San Francisco home. no admission fee required. PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON COPY: MACKENZIE HORAN
“IT SEEMED LIKE A NICE CONTAINER FOR THE THINGS I ALREADY OWNED,”
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says visual artist Tom Bonauro of finding his home nine years ago. Indeed, the light-filled interior makes an ideal backdrop for his expansive art collection and for the myriad of trinkets he has gathered through the years. The home was essentially a blank canvas awaiting his artistic eye. “I had been spending so much money replacing fixtures and refinishing surfaces,” he says of his previous home. “I was really fortunate here that the previous owner had good taste!” Good taste is something Tom knows well. “There are certain things that just speak to me, whether they’re handmade or mass-produced,” he explains, highlighting several Alma Allen carvings as amongst his favorite pieces. “I view things as artifacts; these are the things I’ve collected while on planet earth.”
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“WHAT YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE IS AN EXPRESSION OF ONE’S ART.”
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The manner in which Tom has arranged these artifacts is perhaps just as interesting as the objects themselves. “For me, displaying art is about creating visual relationships,” he says. “What you do with what you have is an expression of one’s art. I like to think there’s some kind of invisible order—this strange alignment for how things fall next to each other.”
Tom admits that he arranges and rearranges these collections “almost constantly.” When he moved in, it was “less about decorating and more about where to put what I already had,” Tom says. Amongst his most prized possessions are the Vinyl 45 of The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever, a 1968 catalog from Andy Warhol’s Stockholm exhibition, and a first edition copy of Truman Capote’s Other Voices, Other Rooms.
What Tom has not collected personally, he has likely commissioned from fellow designers whose work he admires. The angular table in the living room, perfect for a deliberate arrangement of his favorite books, was a custom piece by San Francisco designer Philip Agee. “I’ll admire someone’s aesthetic, discuss what I’m looking for, but then really just let them do their thing and hope I like what they come up with,” he says.
It’s clear that Tom has created and curated a home full of things he truly loves, belongings that reflect his interests in archeology, art history, and pop culture. “This place is a portrait of me,” he says. “The interior and all the different things for people to look at: it’s my own visual narrative.”
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“I VIEW THINGS AS ARTIFACTS — THESE ARE THE THINGS I’VE COLLECTED WHILE ON PLANET EARTH.”
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TO M ’ S ARTISTIC INFLUENCES ANDY WARHOL CHRIS JOHANSON DAMIEN HIRST H E R B E R T B AY E R ROBERT HAWKINS
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PHOTOGRAPHY: WE ARE THE RHOADS VIDEOGRAPHY: OSKARI PÖLHÖ STYLING: ANNE SAGE BEAUTY: MEAGANNE MCCANDESS
NO PARTIC ULAR PLACE TO GO Spend a Saturday in Fall’s best colors, patterns, and textures. ‘Cause life’s not a fashion show, but it’s fun to treat the sidewalk like a catwalk now and again.
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PAGE 84: ON HIM: jeans, levi’s. sweater, vince; tee and shoes, john varvatos star usa; at neiman marcus san francisco. ON HER: blouse, club monaco. j brand at neiman marcus san francisco. leather bracelets and shoes, john varvatos star usa. rings, sarah swell jewelry. sun glasses, marc by marc jacobs at endless.com. THIS PAGE: ON HIM: wallet, john varvatos star usa. ON HER: tee, laugh cry repeat; jeans, insight; earrings, shiela b; all at mira mira boutique. on him: sweater and henley, club monaco. plaid shirt, john varvatos star usa. jeans, levi’s.
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THIS PAGE: ON HER: sunglasses, stylist’s own. dress (on charlotte bottom right) funktional all at mira mira boutique. PAGE 87: ON HIM: glasses, warby parker.
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PLAY VIDEO
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ON HIM: shirt, levi’s. tee, stylist’s own. pants, dockers. boots, john varvatos collection. leather cuff, john varvatos star usa. ON HER: dress, club monaco. sweater, society for rational dress. shoes, converse by john varvatos. purse: coach.
THIS PAGE: ON HER: blouse, tucker by gaby basora at neiman marcus san francisco. jeans, levi’s. shoes, michael michael kors; bag, cc skye; both at endless.com. bracelets, chloe rose boutique. necklace, sarah swell jewelry. ON HIM: shirt, vince at neiman marcus san francisco. jacket and shoes, john varvatos star usa. pants, dockers. scarf, john varvatos collection. sunglasses, warby parker.
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ON HER: dress, society for rational dress. earring, shiela b at mira mira boutique. ON HIM: jacket, royal underground at neiman marcus san francisco. shirt, john varvatos star usa.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON | COPY: AMY MOORE | INTERIOR DESIGN: LEAH STEEN
REGENCY REVIVED Interior designer and vintage shop owner LEAH BALL STEEN brings fresh life to a historic home.
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NESTLED BEHIND A HEDGE OF STATELY BOXWOODS IN SEATTLE’S GEORGETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
sits interior designer Leah Ball Steen’s bungalow. As the owner of Revival Home & Garden, a popular local store know for its carefully curated selection of vintage furniture, it follows suit that Leah’s home would be just as lovingly curated. Leah came across her current gem of a residence eight years ago after striking out on several other places. “When I stumbled across the listing for this house, it was like a dream: built in 1900, recently gutted and refurbished by a carpenter, hardwood floors, crown molding and picture railing....the whole laundry list,” she reflects. Feeling fortunate to have found a home with good bones, she got to work refinishing the kitchen, with one of the first changes being the addition of the serene sea-green glass tile backsplash. New appliances and countertops were installed, and so was a custom breakfast nook. “Red and turquoise remain one of my all-time favorite color pairings, so I knew I wasn’t likely to tire of the palette too quickly. Things pretty much evolved from there.” Working off her love for Hollywood Regency glamour with a funky twist, Leah injected special touches like printed wallpaper in the nook—of which she gushes, “It makes me so happy I can barely stand it!” That same
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enthusiasm carries into her collection of artwork, which is impeccably displayed amongst several gallery walls throughout her home. When the topic of art is broached, Leah ardently declares, “I LOVE art so much—one of the first things I would do if I won the lottery would be to run out and buy from all my favorite artists!” As a purveyor and a lover of vintage goods, Leah has selected mostly pre-loved furnishings to fill the rooms. Noting that older pieces are often better-made and more affordable than their modern counterparts, she also confesses that she is a sucker for items with a good story. For instance, the kitchen island was a candy-making table for a Michigan factory in the 1950s. Of her take on vintage shopping, she confides, “My strategy for buying for my home and my store is the same. I buy what I love and then find a place for it. As a shop-owner that’s a risky proposition, because what I love isn’t necessarily what others will love, but I can’t do it any other way. It’s an approach has no doubt served her well. Perhaps the crowning glory for the home is the gardens. A blank slate when Leah first moved in, the front and back yards required six years of constant work to bring them to their current state. In the front yard Leah aspired to a more classic look and lined the property with the aforementioned boxwoods. A more relaxed vibe was implemented in the back garden with potted trees, a fountain, cobbled paths, and a sitting area. “As a designer, all aspects of the house are important to me, and because the home is so small, I wanted a garden that had a number of different ‘rooms’ to create the perception of a larger space,” she remarks of her landscaping plan.
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“RED AND TURQUOISE REMAIN ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE COLOR PAIRINGS.”
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And indeed, though the home is compact in size at just 1300 square feet, there is no shortage of style. And with Leah’s careful consideration for design both inside and out, it’s no surprise that she says she couldn’t love her house or neighborhood more. Surely, her neighbors must agree!
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PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON COPY: MACKENZIE HORAN INTERIOR DESIGN: CRYSTAL GENTILELLO
MISSION
POSSIBLE CRYSTAL GENTILELLO SETTLES DOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO, JUST IN TIME FOR RUE’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY.* *An authorized tell-all by intern-turned-editorialassistant Mackenzie Horan.
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“Somebody pinned a picture of your old bedroom on Pinterest,” I’d say to Crystal on any given work day. “It’s so funny when that happens!” she’d reply. “It’s
great that people like it, of course, but it’s weird to think that they’ve seen inside my bedroom!” We were working from the dining room table of her new apartment in San Francisco, far from the Chicago home that was featured in Rue’s premiere issue one year ago. Both Crystal and Rue have changed quite a bit since that first home tour. Crystal has moved across the country to open Rue headquarters with her cofounder Anne. Rue has taken off more quickly than either had anticipated; once just a dream but now a viable business, it has enabled both of them to quit their day jobs and eat, live, breathe all things Rue. In May I moved to San Francisco as a summer intern for the magazine and as an extra pair of hands for the apartment. The balancing act between running the magazine and completing the space was a tricky one; there were days when Crystal was so exhausted
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from calling contributors, coordinating photo shoots, or working with advertisers that the last thing either of us wanted to do was sit down and look at fabric swatches for the curtains or potential chandeliers for the dining room. One day we bought three posters at the hardware store and I wrote a largerthan-life list of everything that we needed to accomplish before the apartment could be photographed. It was an intimidating prospect indeed: hang curtains in every room, paint the trim in the living room, source art for the hallway, and so on. Even as large pieces like furniture and paint fell into place, the thought of accessorizing and styling every room remained daunting. The fact that everything had not only to meet Crystal’s standards but also to be worthy of publication (and the blogging, pinning, and tumbling that ensues) did not escape her either. I had my doubts that the apartment would be finished in time for this issue, even more so after I returned home in August and wasn’t there to check tasks off the almighty to-do list. But as she has done with every issue of Rue over the past year, Crystal somehow just made it happen. When she shared the photos with me in September, I simply could not believe my eyes. The quirky art arrangement in the hallway? That was new. The floating shelf in the striped bathroom? I loved it. The wall of mirrors in the dining room? I have a hunch we’ll be seeing that shot on Pinterest and Tumblr months— no, years—from now.
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“I’m really happy with the way it came together,” says Crystal, who sourced items from flea markets to PB Teen to H.D. Buttercup and everything in between. The pale pink bedroom with its brassy wall hanging and upholstered headboard suits her girly side; the dark ceiling and walls of the living room offer an unexpected contrast that I imagine will be as appealing to readers as it is to Crystal herself. The clawfoot tub is a covetable classic; the chic yet affordable pieces from Hayneedle and West Elm make it relatable for the average reader.
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C R Y S TA L’ S SOURCES FOR SOPHISTICATED LIVING WEST ELM H AY N E E D L E PA L E C E K S E R E N A & L I LY THE SHADE STORE COCO COZY H.D. BUTTERCUP HOUSE OF HONEY
Launching & running a digital magazine is no easy feat — and neither is trying to pencil decorating decisions into a planner that contains virtually no blank space. But with the same determination and grace that have carried Rue to where it is now, Crystal has completed mission impossible: the design and execution of an elegant, accessible apartment in a new city that’s sure to see her well into Rue’s next year and beyond.
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Andi Potamkin takes on New York from the skyline overlook of her eclectic loft.
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Ask New Yorkers how they found their apartment and you’re likely to hear a sob story about misleading Craigslist posts or overworked realtors. But not from Andi Potamkin. “It was my friend Lizzie’s birthday and her sister threw a dinner party,” she recalls. “I fell in love with the apartment and raved about it for months as I reconstructed a place in Brooklyn. Well, the Brooklyn apartment didn’t work out and I went online to see what was available. Lizzie’s sister’s apartment had been listed that very morning—so we took it off the market that day and moved in the next week.” COPY: Mack enzie Horan P H O T O G R A P H Y : E m i ly J o h n s t o n A n d e r s o n
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“The furniture you own should be a culmination of all the different people you have been at different points in your life�
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Similar happenstance led Andi, who graduated from NYU with a major in theater, to her current line of work. She and her boyfriend, hairstylist Jordan Blackmore, own Three Squares Studio, a hair salon and art gallery in the Meatpacking District. When they moved to the city from Miami four years ago, the couple couldn’t find a salon with “an energy and a concept” they liked. So they opened their own.
Andi and Jordan transformed their “big concrete block” of a salon with reclaimed wood, exposed lighting, and a giant bookshelf that houses literally hundreds of coffee table books. This aesthetic carries into their apartment, which overlooks the Hudson River, the New Jersey skyline, and sunsets so beautiful that their yoga instructor occasionally comes over to meditate with them.
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Though the apartment was larger than their previous residence, Andi resisted the urge to furnish it all at once. “The furniture you own should be a culmination of all the different people you have been at different points in your life,” she says. “And think about how much time you spend sitting on your sofa—don’t you want the color to make your skin glow? And textures! You should want to touch everything, run your hands along surfaces, sink into enveloping chairs, feel soft carpet or cool concrete beneath your feet.” Intuition governed the majority of the couple’s decorating decisions. “We just bought things that we saw and said, ‘I love that. I want to be around that. I want that in my home,’” she says. “I think the only thing that ties our apartment together is that Jordan and I like
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“We definitely have a style, but I’m not quite sure what it is...I guess it’s ‘the sty le of Jordan and Andi’”
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everything we have. We definitely have a style, but I’m not quite sure what it is...I guess it’s ‘the style of Jordan and Andi.’” There is a certain element of humor to ‘the style of Jordan and Andi’ that makes them seem both insanely cool and wildly likeable. The couple’s creative streak runs through everything from the Dali works they found in her father’s basement to the friends they entertain on weekends (girlfriends who come to eat “fancy pizza,” actor friends who read lines from a friend’s “brilliant” play in the living room). But it’s the two African sculptures that best sum up their sensibility—bedecked in a feather boa, a fur stole, and Andi’s graduation cap, they’re just as fresh and intriguing as their owners.
A DASH OF
SASS FOR SABRINA SOTO, TARGET
STYLE EXPERT FOR HOME AND HGTV DESIGNER, LIFE IS BUSIER AND BETTER THAN EVER.
PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON-ANDERSON INTERIOR DESIGN: SABRINA SOTO COPY: ERIKA CARLOCK WITH ANNE SAGE
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A
s anyone with a full-time job (or two) can attest, getting situated in a new city requires effort. When that anyone is Sabrina Soto, the effort is no less, but its outcome looks more like design done with a fairy godmother’s wand than with months of painstaking trial and error. After all, it’s not every day that comfort and class marry with such finesse. However, Sabrina blends both flawlessly in her newly completed Manhattan apartment, where she brings her expertise for mixing luxury with economy to life.
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SABRINA'S HIGH/LOW TOOLKIT ETSY
*
“So man y a m a z i n g handmade and vintage finds on this s i t e ! ” TARGE T
“You ca n g o t o a h i gh-end shop and buy a crystal lamp, or f o r $ 5 0 y o u can find a similar piece at Target.” CRAIG S L I S T “People m o v e , t h e y get relocated, and they don’t want to t a k e e v e r y t hing with them. You’ll get a mazing d e a l s . ” DIY “If you c a n ’ t a f f o r d that expensive designer pillow, sometim e s y o u c a n make it yourself.” PATIEN C E “It’s not g o i n g t o c ome together overnight. There a re day s w h e n y o u go into a vintage shop and leave w i t h h a n d f u l s of stuff, and there are days when yo u g o i n a n d leave with nothing.”
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“ M Y M O M WA S V E RY A D A M A N T T H AT E V E N THOUGH WE HAD NO M O N E Y, W E C O U L D STILL BE PROUD OF OUR HOME.”
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Sabrina attributes her ability to design sophisticated yet budget-friendly homes to her mother, a decorator and party planner who passed along her gift for creating memorable spaces on a shoestring. “My mom was very adamant that even though we had no money, we could still be proud of our home.” Sabrina shares this philosophy with the nation at large on her hit HGTV show The High/Low Project, on which she replaces pricey decor elements with inexpensive ones and then challenges homeowners to spot the difference. More often than not, they can’t—and Mama Soto’s legacy lives on. A glance around Sabrina’s own apartment boasts an abundance of standout pieces that don’t cost a fortune. Over the sofa hangs a celebrated artist’s canvas, bought for a song at an online estate sale;
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ONE OF S A B R I N A’ S IN-STOR E TA R G E T FINDS, O N LY $ 1 6 !
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behind the desk, a wall unit intended for kitchen organization keeps drafting supplies in check. But perhaps most apparent throughout the home is Sabrina’s passion for adding a touch of sass to every room, a tendency she credits to her Cuban roots: “I like to infuse [aspects of] my heritage with a bright color or an unexpected piece.” In the dining room a playful chandelier does exactly that, adding whimsy without detracting from the striking view of Central Park.
But Sabrina’s favorite part of settling into her Upper West Side condo? Starting from scratch. After living in a pre-war building in Washington DC, moving into this just-built unit provided a refreshing change for the designer. “I really didn’t bring anything to this apartment other than clothes and a few knickknacks.” Of course aesthetics alone don’t cut it. Says Sabrina, “For me it’s not just about looking good; it’s got to be comfortable too.” The result is a combination
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REPURPOSED FROM THE KITCHEN!
of clean lines, deftly applied color and pattern, and palpable warmth in a space that is equally inviting and fun. With her new home more or less finished— as finished as an interior designer’s home can ever be, of course!--Sabrina has much to look forward to in the coming months: working as a style expert for Target, hosting her HGTV series, appearing on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and carving time from her packed schedule to discover what the Big Apple has to offer. ”I want to explore New York City and feel the energy,” Sabrina explains. “I love that every day is a new experience. I’m always learning, and I’ll never say that I know it all.”
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USE inexpensive BLOSSOMS EN MASSE TO MAKE A STATEMENT!
IT’S AMY FROM Elle Decor ONLINE!
PUT A friend ON REFILL PATROL SO YOU CAN pay attention TO YOUR GUESTS
LOREN FROM HGTV IS ONE OF OUR ALL-TIME
faves
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEN HUANG COPY: ANNE SAGE PROP & TABLETOP STYLING: SIERRA BASKIND FOOD & FLORAL STYLING: SANA KEEFER & MATTHEW LUCAS
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A NOVEL HISTORY
OLD VILLAGE HALL FOUNDER SCOTT HILL INVITES FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HIS NEW YORK CITY STORE FOR AN EVENING OF OLD FASHIONED REVELRY.
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t’s the unofficial last night of summer in New York City. School starts tomorrow, and reluctant students everywhere are heading to bed. But on East 2nd Street at Avenue B, as a week’s worth of rain dries from the sidewalks, a small group of lucky kids is strumming ukeleles while their parents drink wine and eat pie. The occasion? The folks at Old Village Hall are having a party. This tiny storefront in Manhattan’s East Village is more accustomed to housing furniture and linens than hosting rambunctious children of all ages; and with limited space amongst the chairs and cushions, the guests spill out of the shop and onto the street. But for Old Village Hall founders Scott and Erica Hill, this gathering of family and friends embodies exactly what his brand has come to represent: a celebration of community, a material exploration of the American experience, a new way of anticipating the future through the filter of the past. Tonight’s event marks over seven years since the first Old Village Hall location opened in upstate New York, and in that time the label’s aesthetic has become immediately recognizable and widely renowned. Scott hand screenprints fabrics with patterns based on his collection of historical artifacts
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(everything from old photographs discovered in a steamer trunk to handwriting from Marie Antoinette’s correspondence), and he then uses the cloth on items such as reupholstered vintage chairs and decorative pillows that have become the darling of style editors and homeowners alike. In order to bring the Old Village Hall sensibility to life as a dinner party, Scott and Erica don’t have to look far. A meal of local artisinal deli foods and desserts satisfy appetites, while flowers fill glass bottles culled from the store’s selection of oneoff antique findings. Tucked into the brand’s bestselling Edgar Alan Poe tote bags are favors such as fresh jam and homemade soaps sourced from around the Hill family’s country home in the Catskills. Entertainment is provided by Scott himself, who knows a thing or two about another aspect of the American experience; he used to play in a rock band called the Heroine Sheiks. As the evening winds down and the last of the guests wander home, Scott and Erica lock the doors that open to East 2nd Street and look around at the remains of a successful evening. The weeks ahead contain an increased focus on the company’s burgeoning wholesale business—the shop will now be open for special events or by appointment only—but for now it’s night in the city, the kids are asleep, and it’s time for another glass of wine.
IN ORDER TO BRING THE OLD VILLAGE HALL SENSIBILITY TO LIFE AS A DINNER PARTY, SCOTT AND ERICA DON’T HAVE TO LOOK FAR.
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FAVORS (PAGE 172): tote bag and fabrics, old village hall. jam, burn ayr farm in delhi, ny. soap, kathryn scullion. candles, soap and paper factory. tabletop (THIS PAGE): plates, marble cheese slab, serving bowls, canvas. salt and pepper shakers, michael aram. goblets, crate & barrel.
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MUSIC TO THEIR EARS T H E L A D I E S O F I D 8 1 0 D E S I G N G R O U P C R E AT E A S PA C E T H AT H I T S A L L T H E R I G H T N O T E S .
PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY JOHNSTON ANDERSON STYLING: LAINA NAVARRO COPY: SHOKO WANGER INTERIOR DESIGN: ID810 DESIGN GROUP
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THEMEREMENTION of the term “bachelor pad”
causes interior designers Virginia Toledo and Jessica Geller to cringe. So forget the bearskin rug, the towering sound system, the fold-out ping pong table. Here, there isn’t a Scarface poster or mirrored ceiling to be found. Instead of shag carpeting, there are faded tribal throws; in lieu of leather, there’s houndstooth. This is the man cave, re-imagined. Situated in a building of artists’ lofts, three floors above the streets of Manhattan’s Flatiron district, the apartment’s design presented the pair with a unique challenge: create a space for a jet-setting record executive that honors both his fashion-forward edge and a somewhat unexpected love for tradition. "He has a rocker side to him, which we definitely wanted to incorporate,” says Jessica. “But when we first met him, he kept showing us images of country homes. Here's this guy, dressed all in black, showing us pictures of roll arm sofas and quilts. But we thought, okay, we can make this work.” Hours after that first meeting, the designers—partners behind the interior design firm, id 810 Design Group— retreated to their offices to brainstorm ideas for a concept; a theme to tie the space together. The final verdict?
HERE'S THIS GUY, DRESSED ALL IN BLACK, SHOWING US PICTURES OF ROLL ARM SOFAS AND QUILTS. BUT WE THOUGHT, OKAY, WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.”
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“A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY, A LITTLE BIT ROCK AND ROLL.”
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Gothic Country. “A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll,” Jessica elaborates with a smile. Thus began a six-month renovation process, one that started with a near-total restructuring of the apartment’s 800 square-foot floor plan. Only the kitchen and bathroom remained in their original locations; the rest of the loft was transformed in order to maximize function and versatility. The bedroom’s double-pocket doors, for instance, open to the living room, allowing the client—whose name we’re keeping under wraps—to watch TV from the comfort of his bed. Adjacent to the bedroom is a large dressing area that houses a vast collection of sneakers and hats. True to its theme, the apartment teems with carefully considered details that reflect both softness and edge. In the bedroom, black reptile wallpaper and a steel bedframe coexist alongside an unfinished teak nightstand. In the living room, a pair of houndstooth armchairs (“grandpa chairs,” as Virginia calls them), and a reupholstered, hand-me-down sofa sit happily in the presence of a wall whose emerald color was inspired in part by the client’s green thumb. (Among the few items relocated from his previous home in Brooklyn was a single, beloved houseplant.) Original, turn-of-the-century details add to the apartment’s dual personality. An oversized radiator and a metal grate on the living room wall are bold, unlikely art pieces—“like jewelry,” says Jessica. The herringbone floor—restored to its original glory through a painstaking process of sanding and staining—bestows warmth. “In the lobby, there’s a picture of the building with horse-drawn carriages and unpaved roads,” says Virginia. “This structure’s been around for a long time. As interior designers, we wanted to respect that.” Grandpa chairs, snakeskin walls, herringbone, houseplants: the elements may be diverse, but the effect, oddly enough, is calming. “We didn’t want this to seem like a hotel,” Virginia explains. “There’s no stuffiness.” “For us,” adds Jessica, “Interior design isn’t just about looks. It’s about how a space makes you feel.” And how does our mysterious client feel about his somewhat eccentric digs? Suffice to say that all sides of him are equally happy.
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San Francisco Gathers at
as Rue Turns One!
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSH GRUETZMACHER & DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY
AN AMERICAN INSTITUTION Levi’s invites Bay Area bloggers to celebrate denim history--and do a little shopping!--at their San Francisco headquarters.
GEEKING OUT IN THE LEVI’S ARCHIVES!
PHOTOS: : EMILY ANDERSON
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!
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