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Kitchen Renovations: Best Decisions & Biggest Regrets

So you’re thinking of renovating your kitchen and are not sure where to begin? Or what to spend money on? Or what to NOT spend money on? Remodeling or updating such a multi-functional room chock full of pricey appliances is no simple undertaking.

No matter how big or small the remodel or refurbish there are many costs and considerations: appliances, venting, cabinets, surfaces…it’s no wonder many of us put it off as long as possible. But most real estate experts agree that kitchen renovations are financially worth the trouble. And most of us would agree that it’s far more pleasant to perform our cooking and cleaning tasks in an efficient, effective and attractive space.

I recently remodeled my kitchen and have my own list of good decisions and decisions I might do differently next time. I thought I’d take an informal survey of friends and family who have also recently remodeled their kitchens and ask them questions about their decision making. Below are their answers (in no particular order of importance). Feel free to add your own answers!

What was the one thing, or things, that you were glad you spent money on?

• Of all the things we spent money on I am glad I spent money on hiring professional drywall finishers. This is definitely a job left to the pros and not something a week-end warrior should consider taking on, especially if you care about having a nice smooth and finished looking wall. Same goes for the backsplash; I am glad I hired a pro to install the ceramic tile. It looked like an easy job but even he had issues to deal with in terms of tricky existing conditions.

• Since we were on a tight budget we chose to spend the money on certain finishes and fixtures that were going to be used daily or were prominently on display. For instance our sink faucet and sink were of mid- to high-quality from Blanco and Hansgrohe. Two of the pendant lights are relatively expensive hand blown glass fixtures from Resolute and the third pendant is also a hand blown glass fixture from Italy, designed by Michele De Lucchi. I also splurged on the tile backsplash which is from Heath Ceramics. Having said that, all of these items were researched online to get the best price or were purchased at sample sales so in the end I still think I got the most for my money.

• I love, love, love my fancy wall oven! After a lifetime of stooping down under the stove, no oven light, one squeaky rack, etc., I still get a thrill being able to look right in at whatever's roasting, then roll it out on ball bearings. Plus it has a sweet James Bond feature where the control panel is invisible until you touch it!

• The radiant floor heating that we put in under our porcelain tiles.

• The pass through that we cut between the kitchen and the dining room/living room and the change we made to the counter. Behind the sink we had a raised bar, which impeded on the size of the useable counter space. We chose to remove the raised bar and have a single height counter that really extended our counter and it gave us a mini island.

• Good appliances. Not super high-end appliances, just good quality. We love knowing that our cooktop, sink, oven, etc. will last a long time and need little repair. We made sure to quiz the appliance salesperson and although we knew little about appliances before the remodel (and thought we didn’t care) we didn’t want to go cheap and end up with frequent repairs and replacements.

• We’re glad we spent money on our countertops. We went for Ikea cabinets but splurged on the expensive countertops. We knew they would be “seen” more than our cabinets and they are so spectacular – they visually increase the monetary value of our kitchen.

• Undercabinet lighting. I'm pretty sure that will make any kitchen look good. Good lighting goes a long way with not too much investment.

• My splurge was the overpowered hood. Its a ventahood brand and its powerful but not as loud. No one likes to use their hood if it inhibits conversation. I hate being able to smell the cooktop from the bedrooms. It keeps the kitchen a lot cleaner too.

• One of the biggest pleasures of ours was working with the cabinet maker and learning about his shop and the woodworking, and we paid for it. I think things that require craftmanship, you just need to decide to pay top dollar.

What is your biggest regret in re-doing your kitchen or what would you do over?

• My biggest regret is that I didn't have the money to install a skylight. The kitchen is on the north side and gets a decent amount of natural light but a skylight would have been great. Aside from the cost, I was squeamish about cutting a hole in my 10 year-old roof and did not want to worry about leaks.

• Due to a communications mix-up with the woodshop the open shelving that overhangs the counter didn't get drilled out to hold the over-counter lighting, which would have been really slick.

• As much as I love the look of my beautiful walnut countertops, they were not the most sensible choice. Ditto my Kartell lamp over the island – the translucent plastic ends up really showing the greasy kitchen dust.

• There are grounded GFCI outlets set in our white tile backsplash. I didn't realize until after the fact that I could have had all-white versions, instead of the ones with the little red and black buttons. Although small the red and black buttons really stick out against the white and it sort of takes away from the all-white look I was going for.

• I probably should have set a budget, but there is not a single thing I would change.

• Not having all our materials on site when we started. We thought we had all kinds of time, but there'd be not enough of something, and then a backorder, etc. We wasted a lot of time waiting on materials.

What was the smartest decision you made in your new kitchen?

• The smartest decision was that we opened up the kitchen to the dining room. This made the whole space feel larger and made for a more visually and spatially connected space. I can now be working at the range and interact with someone in the living or dining room, no longer does the space feel confined and closed off from the rest of the home.

• Ikea cabinets, absolutely. We paid a few thousand dollars for a kitchen that would otherwise have been completely out of our budget. And they've been great -- sturdy, functional, and great-looking, if I say so myself!

• I'd say placing the stovetop in the island, not the counter that runs along the wall. It's really nice to be able to cook while facing everybody else in the room.

• We knocked down the wall between our small kitchen and small dining room and without changing the footprint we visually enlarged the overall space. And now we don’t feel stuck in our kitchen.

• Our contractor! Choosing someone who will really listen to your ideas and offer you viable solutions is imperative. There were continuous challenges and surprises with our remodel and we were so glad that our contractor could think on his feet and come up with creative solutions that didn’t blow our timeline or budget.

• We got all our appliances at a warehouse sale which saved a bundle and could have been a mistake had they not fit. But you can save a lot and not compromise if you have a place to store them and do it early enough to plan around them (you may have a limitted selection on sizes or models). We have Viking and Miele and paid what we would have for Kenmore.

Penthouse Makeover

This penthouse has transformed from an ``ugly sister’’ to a Jennifer Hawkins after being given a complete makeover, says owner Vince Vozzo.
Vince enlisted the help of award-winning interior designer Di Henshall to give the once-dated penthouse the ``wow’’ factor. Vince, who has owned the apartment for a few years, said he wanted a spruce up, which turned into a complete overhaul.
``It was one of those things, you know if you fix something up, then the rest of it would look a little bit tacky,’’ he said.
He looked for someone who had artistic ability and Di came highly recommended.
``I was a bit stunned when I walked into the apartment for the first time,’’ he said.
``It was like I had a date with the ugly sister and I got to the door and I open it up and there’s Jennifer Hawkins.’‘

Di Henshall Interior Design design director Di Henshall said the fact that she was given a blank sheet to design an apartment of this scale, coupled with its stunningly beautiful outlook, was a gift.

Kitchen Trend Watch: Industrial Modern

With this minimal, no-frills approach to kitchen decor, clean lines and natural materials come together in a look that is both modern and utilitarian.


A mix of sleek, contemporary fixtures and antique pieces that are a just slightly rough around the edges, a modern industrial kitchen makes for both a functional workspace and a stylish, inviting place to entertain.
The look can be achieved by investing in core pieces like cabinetry and hardware with clean lines, and juxtaposing these elements with more old-fashioned furnishings and accessories. Exposed shelving, vintage seating and durable appliances maintain a practical and unfussy feel, while subway tiles, modern farmhouse sinks and sharp looking faucets keep this style up-to-date.

NYC Ballet Spring Gala

Doyle New York

http://www.doylenewyork.com/content/more.asp?id=153

My Daily Find

I do only a small amount of cooking in our house, but I do a lot of cleaning up and putting away. About six months ago I brought home these glass storage containers with tight snapping lids, and was amazed at how much BETTER they were than the old plastic stuff we'd used for years. Besides helping avoid leechy chemicals that come from plastic, these things have a satisfying heft, stack and clean easily, are clear so you can actually see your food, can be heated up and lock so tight they make the engineering guy inside of me squeal with delight. I recommend them heartily.

How to Shop for Plants: A Black Thumb's Guide

I'm not a gardener — in fact, I'm a serial killer of plants, but my dark past has taught me that some plants can survive almost anything. Whether you're an under-waterer, you live in a dark cave that rarely sees direct light, or you're just not very good at growing things, there's a plant out there that will forgive your shortcomings and thrive anyway.

Plants that Can Survive a Dry Spell

If you're an under-waterer, try water-retaining succulents, which are adapted to survive in dry climates. California-based blogger Laure Joliet provides a helpful list of her top ten succulents — she writes, "They're easy to take care of, cheap, easily propagate, don't need much water and come in tons of beautiful colors and textures."

• Succulence : This San Francisco store specializes in "all manners of succulents, large and small, unplanted or planted, as well as some airplants and bromeliads." There's no webshop — you have to call or shop in person to buy.

Hard to Kill Herbs

Easy-to-grow herbs include mint, basil, and sage. A few tips: plant mint in its own container (it grows like a weed), space basil and sage evenly and leave room between the roots. This post provides additional helpful info on caring for herbs.

• Gardener's Supply Company : If you're looking for something beyond your local plant store, this mail-order company has a catalog full of herb growing kits, pots, planters, and drying racks. They've also got starter kits for vegetable and flower gardens.

Plants That Can Thrive Almost Anywhere

One of the easiest plants to care for, tillandsia (also known as an air plant) grows without soil. You can place it almost anywhere, and it only requires a spot indoors with indirect light and a weekly misting or soak in water once a week.

• Sprout Home : For a large selection of air plants and cool containers to display them, I like Sprout Home. They have locations in Brooklyn and Chicago, as well as a website where you can shop online. The store staff is knowledgeable and can match first-time gardeners with the right plants.

Plants That Can Survive the Dark

Laure Joliet's post on 5 Overlooked Plants that Can Survive the Dark is a must-bookmark for anyone with a low-light apartment. She recommends maidenhair ferns, begonias, mint, Swedish ivy, and a moss terrarium.

• Alapash Terrariums : Chicago-based Marco Chavarry creates tiny terrariums from succulents, moss, stones, and personal objects. While there are tons of Etsy shops and garden stores selling similar stuff, Marco's feel unique in the sense that they're like little shrines.

Easy to Care for Flowers

Orchids have a reputation for being finicky, but I'm a notorious plant killer and I've always found them easier to care for than an average houseplant. They require indirect light and a little bit of water once or twice a week. If you're still squeamish, try begonias (just don't overwater) or a vase of cut branches like curly willow, which will last up to two months if kept in fresh water.

• White Flower Farm : A family-owned mail-order nursery located in northwestern Connecticut, they've been selling ornamental and edible plants since 1950. Their flower selection is huge, and their website is updated frequently with seasonal specialties.

Missoni Home Collection to be sold at Target this fall

Target is partnering with Italian luxury brand Missoni to introduce an affordable, limited-edition collection for home and fashion. Missoni for Target will be available Sept. 13 through Oct. 22 and will feature home goods including bedding, dinnerware, stationery and décor items, with most items less than $40.

"Our collection for Target embodies Missoni's values of family, color and quality," said creative director Angela Missoni. "It has been a fantastic experience translating our aesthetic into an affordable line, one we are eager to share with families across the United States."

"The Missoni family has established one of the world's most creative brands, and together we've created a collection that will have guests lining up outside their local Target in anticipation," said Kathee Tesija, executive vice president of merchandising, Target. "Our collection with Missoni offers more than 400 compelling products for every aspect of guests' busy lives, all at incredible prices, and provides Target with a unique point of differentiation for the fall season."

Kips Bay Showhouse 2011 Harry Heissmann

Kips-Bay-Show-House-2011 Harry-Heissmann

An Embarrassment Of Choices – Home Design Trends For 2011

It's been said that interior design changes its mind about fashion roughly every 10 years. The change however isn't sudden. What was a trickle of a suggestion a few years ago can gradually grow into a flood present day. Still, strong trends bear out because not only are they a very good idea, i.e., the Greening of America, but also because art does imitate life and interior design trends catch fire because they illustrate what's important today in terms of identity and values in broad strokes. These trends speak to us about who we are and how we want to live.

Small Is Beautiful And Green Is Healthy
The green movement is still alive and well as evidenced by a huge showing of small space solutions. There is increasing demand for design geared towards Living Large in Smaller Space. Easier upkeep, that's easier on the environment is the goal. A smaller space to serve you, not one you have to maintain has undeniable appeal.

Did you know that the EPA currently lists indoor air pollution among the top five environmental health concerns? Indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air due to poor ventilation. As the green machine continues to chug along towards greater energy efficiency and durability there is a new focus on better home design features to insure healthier indoor living as well.

Rough Trade And The Luxury Grunge Look
The impetus towards a greener point of view over the past few years spawned a review of our notions about reclaimed and vintage home furnishings and décor. Now the look has gained an identity thanks to the mass marketing of Restoration Hardware and is seen everywhere at every price point. Some call it the Belgian Look. It can also be defined as looking Repurposed From Some Other Century with emphasis on undyed fabric, or at least grayed out from age, exposed bolts and steel supports. Though the look is more factory-made than hand crafted, still it's from a very old factory. Would you like splinters with your rough wood, Sir? In any event, you will still see nail heads, tape trims and dressmaker tailoring on the upholstered goods.

Industrial Americana
Interestingly, the Belgian Look has seemingly moved across the pond to make a home with more of a "God Bless America" feeling to it. One theory is that after 30 years of outsourcing our manufacturing overseas (and subsequently making those jobs obsolete forever) we've been left with a hole not only in our job market but also in our sense of national identity. As a response to this, the "Made In America" label represents the New Chic. In uncertain times, a return to one's roots is the pathway for renewed strength. Thus "American Values and Traditions" whether Mom's apple pie, the perfect pair of broken-in Levi jeans or the design of our homes has great appeal. At auctions, American antique furniture and objects of art have started to sell at record high prices. Whether actually made in America, or of an Americana theme like the stars and stripes, this influence made a very big splash.

Time Travelers
Mad Men have staked their territory at home. There is a definite 1960s vibe using "The Jetsons" as mascots of streamlined, Jet Age Design. Look for big blocks of colors like orange, mustard, teal, and wine reds, boomerang shapes, tapered legs and fringe "benefits" in assorted materials.

Still Like This Century?
While one would be hard-pressed to describe Modern styling as warm and fuzzy, the contemporary take on a modern look is warmer and softer. The shapes are less hard-edged and further civilized with walnut veneers. It's as though contemporary and traditional are beginning to merge into a new hybrid.

Speaking Of Tradition, How About Saville Row?
It would be remiss not to point out that great clothing designers such as Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani are making an increasing larger impact in the world of interiors. We love these designers for the way they evoke entire life styles based on a sense of luxury and the well-lived life. Style is an attitude. It's also implied by the use of traditional menswear fabrics all over the furniture. Look for leathers, flannels, tweeds, hound's tooth checks in colors like camel, plum, black and cigar brown. The key words are elegance and permanence, perhaps a gentleman's lounge from a different era. A gray flannel pinstriped chair could be in your future.

Exotica Via Accessories
Calling all world travelers: the booty from your travels will now fit in nicely with your overall home design. Been to India lately? Peacock, elephant and paisley motifs rendered in hot spicy colors rule. With all the tribal/cultural/native/migratory looks on display you will be hard pressed to narrow the field down to just a few stylistic choices. There are African and Moroccan influences, Native American and Western styles. The Russian steps and equestrian themes were represented too. Be awash in bright colors, flame-stitching, intricate patterns, chevrons, beads and shells. By the way, Greek key motifs are back. Here are journeys to be experienced without jet-lag. Try to be moderate.

They Must Have Been Hungary At The Time
The green trend is literal. Fruits and vegetables rendered realistically to the point of precise scientific drawings. Not writ small either: big juicy fruits demanding attention - not mousy little patterns modestly taking up space. The same is true for blooms: big and bold in eye-popping colors. There is a lot of green color served up with the edibles and flora, as if one could possibly have missed the message we all need to remember to go Green.

Is There A Glamazon In The House?
While the over-arching trend is for reclaimed and vintage, European and/or American, there is still room for a little glitz. Shiny, metallic finishes and accents, and glass used in a multitude of ways still spell glamour. Lacquer was nowhere to be seen just a few seasons ago, but now it's back in black - and every other deep strong color you might want. While great home design is often a mix of the lux, the low and the just plain odd, you will be best served with an appetizer size of glitter rather than an "all you can eat" extravaganza; Traditional values being so big right now and all that.

In The Pink
If a color can represent the mood you are in, then Pantone making their yearly pronouncement of the color of the year, is also taking the pulse of the country too. Honeysuckle Pink is the big winner, which by another name might be called salmon, sort of. The nation's mood has apparently lightened up. Even though Pink is thought by some to be the national color of India (read into this what you will), it's hard to think "Serious" when the color itself seems to be calling for Sugar Plum Fairies. Considering, the emotional whiplash caused by the global financial meltdown and consequent instability of the last few years, who could begrudge such a charming symbol of hope, sweetness and light?

Don't Throw Out The Gray Sofa Yet
Despite the riots of colors seen with the International Traveler Drumbeat, the Bountiful Gardens themes or the high gloss of Glamazon Details, bear in mind that these were seen a suggestions for accessories, not a call to toss all, including caution to the winds. The idea is to pick a flavor or two for mixing with the foundations of your design scheme, be it Lux Grunge, Traditional leaning towards Gentleman's Lounge or Soft Modern with a Jetson twist. Therefore, Pantone's Pink would be the accent pop set in a neutral background, not a blip in a raging sea of color. Interiors might be rendered in a range of whites such as cream, eggshell, snow and vanilla but as backdrop for the pops of your choice.

Gray was used everywhere from leather, upholstery, painted wood finishes, as the most sophisticated neutral of choice. This is not a non-descript gray but warmed up with taupe undertones to be on the cutting edge between warm and cool. Gray/brown/purple colorations were seen so frequently, the combination deserves a name of its own.

What's Your Pleasure?
Clearly there are many avenues to pursue to freshen up your home vista. Not unlike yourself, creating home that looks like you is never a done deal. Your preference may fall somewhere between "homiest" home to showstopper statement interior, but to truly be a home you love to live in, the idea is to let it grow and evolve overtime - or at least look that way. This year's style servings offer plenty of avenues to explore in pursuit of fuller expression of the home that says "You."

Patrick Robinson Fired From Gap

Patrick Robinson has been dismissed from his job as executive vice-president of Gap Global Design for Adult and Body, effective immediately. A press release issued by Gap this morning included a statement from Glenn Murphy, chairman and CEO of Gap, Inc.:
Patrick has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for Gap brand and our customers over the last four years, and we’re grateful for his hard work, especially related to our 1969 denim...Our leaders of the new Gap Global Creative Center are taking the necessary steps to compete and win around the world.

The decision was spearheaded by Pam Wallack, the head of the Gap Global Creative Center in New York, who spent the last three months with Robinson and his team evaluating their performances. The firing doesn't come as a huge surprise, since the Gap's sales numbers in North America have been lagging behind their global sales for some time now. Some predicted that Robinson's days were numbered when Gap hired former Seven for All Mankind designer Rosella Giuliani to take over their 1969 denim line almost exactly a year ago (she remains at her position). Gap will begin searching for Robinson's replacement "immediately"; in the meantime, Jennifer Giangualano, senior vice-president of Kids and Baby Design, will help manage the adult design team.

Robinson has been at the Gap since 2007. He previously worked at Giorgio Armani, Anne Klein, Perry Ellis, and Paco Rabanne

Loose Threads

• Angelina Jolie was reportedly spotted in Cambodia earlier this week, fueling rumors that she's starring in Louis Vuitton’s next “core values” campaign, shot by Annie Leibovitz.

• Liv Tyler is on the cover of this month’s Vogue Turkey.

• Alistair Carr is developing accessories lines at Pringle of Scotland as part of an overhaul to refocus the brand.

• Hearst has signed a deal with Apple so that digital subscriptions for its magazines can be bought on the iPad.

• The Italian judge who ruled in the Dolce & Gabbana tax-fraud case recently has said that the country’s Revenue Office brought charges “with a carelessness that was frankly excessive.”

• Kate Bosworth’s commercial for Cotton Incorporated has debuted.

• The second Karl Lagerfeld–directed Magnum ice cream ad starring Rachel Bilson and Baptiste Giaboconi is out. Yay! This one is even “better” than the first.

• Karl also described Rachel as “a divine little American actress.” Another quote: “I hate to be limited in an ivory tower, which could happen very easily in this kind of fashion world. I hate ivory towers. But I don't use cell phones. I read, I write, I love faxes, I like to take notes. I hate to be on the phone, I think it's an intrusion. I'm reading, I'm sketching, I don't want to be interrupted."

• The display in Marc Jacobs’s West Village store window shows a lesbian couple getting married as part of an effort to promote marriage equality in New York.

• Burberry continues to launch a new ad campaign each month this season: May’s ad stars Karen Anne and indie-folk singer Johnny Flynn.

• Madonna donated a pair of signed Chanel boots to an auction at LaGuardia Arts High School.

• Here are the scarves that Kanye West, George Condo, and M/M Paris collaborated on.

• Stella McCartney has designed a collection with Adidas for the 2012 Olympics, and here’s a film going behind the scenes at a shoot of the clothes.

• Bryanboy has signed a representation deal and now has a team from Creative Artists Agency behind him.

The Hamptons are Not Preppy

Should you happen to venture into the meatpacking district today and think to yourself, "Hey, I don't think that shingled beach cottage was in the middle of the street the last time I was stumbling around here at 4 a.m.," then you would be right! Tommy Hilfiger put it there, and it's a pop-up shop called Prep World. The designer had a launch party for it last night, and today he's flying to London to celebrate another Prep World that he's plopped down in the middle of an intersection over there, too. All the Prep Worlds are collapsible for portability purposes; the one in meatpacking will be folded up on Sunday and toted cross-country on a truck to L.A.

Hilfiger says that the cottages, which are outfitted with a front lawn, a doghouse, and other beachy accoutrements, were inspired by "Nantucket. New England beach houses." So, definitely not Hamptons beach houses? "Real preppy is really New England. The Hamptons are more a mix of everything. We want to be as authentic as possible so we say that the roots are really East Coast, New England," he explained. Although he grew up in upstate New York — which is technically not New England — he got a lot of exposure to authentic preppy folks because a lot of them attended Cornell, which is near his hometown, Elmira. When asked about his favorite New England memory, Hilfiger described his first store in Elmira (again, not really New England, but we'll let it slide): "It was a boutique selling incense and candles and bell-bottoms ... We painted it black and played rock music." Would he sell incense again? "Yeah! The right incense, I would sell. I love scent. We usually get our scent now from fragrance, but incense is fun, there's something different about incense. We should bring it back."

Alexander McQueen honoured at Met Gala

WTF......B?!??!?!

Beyoncé has hardly met a fishtail gown, pair of hot pants, sequin, contrast leaf print, or giant B-scrawled flag she didn't like. After having infamously worn House of Deréon to the Oscars in 2009, looking like a Bloomingdale's Select skirted body pillow, you might have thought she'd leave black-and-gold fishtail gowns in her past rather than squared away firmly in her future. But last night at the Met Gala she caused a scene in a black-and-gold fishtail Pucci number that was so tight down to her knees she could barely walk up the stairs (which is where husbands really come in handy, it seems, but see also: photo ops). Photographers booed and yelled after she posed too quickly for their liking and then tried to make it the rest of the way up the stairs, probably not to disgruntle the photographers but simply because if she had to fall she didn't want to fall in front of all of them. Was her dress's poor engineering a sign from the diva gods that she should never allow this color pattern and cut combination to be so visually and physically problematic on her again? All black: good! All gold: good! Fishtail cuts: generally good! Black-and-gold fishtails, however: The quota has been doubly filled.

André Leon Talley Made His Own Best-Dressed List

He writes: "[Balenciaga's] Nicolas Ghesquière designed my 80-meter-long French silk faille manteau de cour in LeCorbusier blue, which I wore over my favorite midnight-blue Ralph Lauren dinner suit with shawl collar, Charvet shirt, and bowtie, and Roger Vivier court shoes in framboise. Yours truly decided I was a top note—and why not?!" Also, guess who his No. 1 best-dressed is?

Loose Threads

• Proenza Schouler designers Jack and Lazaro are working on a line of costume jewelry.

• Perry Ellis’s daughter Tyler is launching a line of handbags.

• Cindy Crawford is on the latest cover of Elle China.

• Diane Von Furstenberg was honored by the Municipal Art Society of New York for her contribution to the upkeep of the meatpacking district. She received a medal.

• Tyra Banks and André Leon Talley take on skinny jeans (and muffin tops) in the latest episode of Fa-Fa-Fa-Fashion.

• All the clothes in this editorial from Chinese Vogue are from H&M’s collections.

• Vena Cava’s Lisa Mayock considered a career designing prosthetic limbs.

• Apparently, flash mobs are now being used as a shoplifting “tactic.𔃉

• Bulgari has pledged to donate $7.5 million toward education programs for children in need, in collaboration with Save the Children.

• Elle used a photo of Valentino Garavani to illustrate a story on why you should stop tanning.

• There's a mostly unsubstantiated rumor floating around that Carine Roitfeld may be involved in a reality-TV project.

Here Are the Ugg Boots That Tom Brady Is Contractually Obligated to Wear This Fal

Tom Brady's contract as the face of man-Uggs will commence this fall. Thanks to some photos leaked on the Ugg Australia Twitter feed, you can now see a few of the boots he'll have to wear. They're not too bad — quite manly-looking, in fact — and will probably look about ten times more appealing when it's sub-freezing temperatures and snowing.

Royal Wedding Gossip

• Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen wedding dress will go on display in the U.K. The venue hasn't been decided, but possibilities include Hampton Court Palace, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

• Maid of honor Pippa wore an emerald-green gown by Temperley to the evening reception.

• Prince Harry left his after-party at the Goring Hotel at around 6 a.m. with his date, Chelsy Davy. "They were acting like a couple and kissed in front of everyone," a source says of their behavior.

• The Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society is a Facebook page with about 150,000 likes.

• Princess Beatrice's highly polarizing wedding hat also has a Facebook page. Actually, make that two.

Scott Schuman Is ‘Not Really a Fan of Personal Style Blogs’

The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman is unimpressed with girls who dress up and take pictures of themselves and post them online, mainly because they don't seem to have extensive wardrobes. He tells Style.com:

I’m not really a fan of personal style blog s— you know, the ones [on which] these girls just shoot their outfits and all this stuff. I haven’t seen one that I really like or that draws my attention every day. The good and bad of that is that most these girls only have a limited wardrobe; they don’t have many clothes to shoot and I don’t think most of them have come up with looks that are that interesting, that draw me.

However, he does think that in a hundred years people might like to look back on these photos and wonder what on earth we were thinking when we wore these skinny jeans and platform heels and denim shorts — particularly the denim shorts.

It will be great to be able to look back and say, 'Wow, this is how real girls were kind of into that thing, dressed at that time.' And then maybe historically they’ll be able to pull out similarities. It seems like every girl, everywhere in the world, has a pair of denim cutoff shorts … but I don’t think it’s so much of a contemporary thing but what it will mean historically.

Beauty Marks

HAIR
• Hannah Holman and Jacquelyn Jablonski work big hair on the cover of the new beauty supplement to Japanese Vogue.

• Even more freshly dyed hair: Scarlett Johansson at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend.

• And Oprah has switched up her hairstyle, too, debuting a cropped bob.

FRAGRANCE
• The director's cut of Chris Evans's latest ad for Gucci's Guilty fragrance is online. It also features Evan Rachel Wood and a flaming motorcycle.

• Here are some images from a new Cartier fragrance campaign.

SKIN
• The president of L’Oréal USA’s consumer-products division is retiring, after over 25 years with the skin-care and beauty company.

MAKEUP
• François Nars on makeup: "It's not building a spaceship, just have fun and try different things. People should be less serious about it."