Presidential Preferences

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th US president brought historic change to the White House. But in this piece for The Financial Times, I explain that the porticoed building that serves as an office, private home and official ceremony venue for the first family is in line for much more than different occupants. Soon after the new president was sworn in, the 208-year-old executive mansion – set between Lafayette Square and The Ellipse in Washington, DC – started to receive a makeover that stretched from the Entrance Hall to the Lincoln Bedroom.

Dinning in Berlin

Dining in Berlin has long been an East-versus-West affair, with the eastern half of the capital bereft of anything more exotic than Hungarian goulash in the years prior to German reunification. But these days, the most interesting dishes are found not along the upscale thoroughfares in the West but nestled within the canyon of renovated prewar buildings of the Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg districts in the East. Conde Nast Portfolio.com was kind enough to let expense a few meals (and drinks) at an emerging crop of new eateries in Berlin.

 

 

 

 

 

Above, Grill Royal in Berlin.

Taxidermy for City Dwellers

This piece, a cover story I wrote for The Wall Street Journal, garnered quite a bit of attention from decor followers and animal lovers alike.

It’s a look at how taxidermy, long confined to log cabins, lodges and trophy rooms, was coming to life in some unusual places: high-end decor retailers and urban decorators who were aiming to help clients add warmth to their modern and often-cold interiors. Guess which side found the piece amusing? (Relax, PETA. The decor item, left, is faux taxidermy.)