House & Garden Explores the Art of Collecting and Prepares for the Holidays.

December Issue on Newsstands November 7, 2006

NEW YORK -- House & Garden:

Holiday Flowers page 51

Somewhat weary of poinsettia, holly, and mistletoe, House & Garden asked floral designer Anouchka Levy of Polux Fleuriste in New York City for her own variation of traditional holiday decorating.

Working in seasonal shades of red and green, she created woodland fantasies of ranunculas, astrantia, moss, and ivy, as well as striking centerpieces and garlands guaranteed to inspire everyone this season.

At Home with Margherita Missoni page 17

The youngest in the matriarchal line at one of Italy's most famous fashion houses, Margherita Missoni is also the first to establish a career (and a home) completely her own. Her stylish Manhattan apartment conveys her signature hip style with vintage furniture from flea markets and works by emerging artists found at art fairs. The key? Something her grandmother passed along: nothing need be too perfect and coordinated.

Collecting page 46

Enthusiast-turned-expert Jewel Stern offers guidance on the American silverware market and collecting strategies. Stern, considered the leading authority on industrially produced modernist American silverware, extends a helping hand not only to design scholars and dealers but to novice collectors as well. When the collecting urge strikes, you must burn up the aisles at antiques fairs and wear out your computer keyboard doing research. To be a successful collector, says Stern, "that primitive hunter's urge has to kick in: the thrill of exploring new territory."

Eco-Chic: Design with the Earth in Mind page 22

Opt for little luxuries made from rich sustainable woods, recyclable plastics, and naturally dyed organic textiles hand- picked by House & Garden's Eco Editor and Global Green USA Board Member, Zem Joaquin.

House of Worship page 48

Imagine a visual impact so enormous that it translates into a physical force. That is Boston's Trinity Church, with a coffered ceiling, soaring square tower, and walls saturated in Pompeian red, decorated with superb murals of prophets, apostles, angels, and Biblical quotations. The interior is in sharp contrast to the turreted stone exterior that, in turn, stands in dramatic contrast to neighboring skyscrapers.

A Personal Arcadia page 104

The heart of interior designers Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper's garden is a splendid and unusual collection of trees. The couple was looking for year-round texture and scale and, Ingrao says, "spires, waves, and bollards," and also wanted an element of surprise.

* Much of this text is directly excerpted from the December 2006 issue.

House & Garden is the only magazine that shows more than 5.7 million affluent readers how great design can touch their lives. It is a 2006 ASME nominee for General Excellence and is a Conde Nast Publication.