Christie Matheson

Well Received

Antiquated registry rules leave most couples with little-used china and quickly forgotten crystal vases. Think outside the pre-gift-wrapped box with these nontraditional wish list items. 1. High Culture Pots and pans are practical, but a bold painting can overhaul a…

Earthlinks

Keeping cool without air conditioning, the buzz on chemical-free flowers, and the scoop on the better building standards coming to a contractor near you. USE: LOW-IMPACT COOLING TRICKS When it gets hot, air conditioning guzzles energy, says Stephanie Horowitz, managing…

Sustainably Yours

Resources for eco-friendly living.   Shop: GreenwardEarth-friendly meets fashion forward at Greenward, the new Porter Square boutique that’s conscious of the environment and aesthetics. “We started Greenward to showcase attractive products we knew were on the market but weren’t available…

Presents of Mind

When giving trumps getting. Can we truly have too many copper pots? Yes. How about candlesticks? Affirmative again. What about medical vaccines, educated kids, or trees? Couples have started turning to new charitable registries, where brides and grooms can swap…

Steal This Style: High-Rise Glam

Christine van Deusen didn’t have much to work with in her client’s new condo at the Residences at the InterContinental. “It was basically a white box,” the decorator says. To forge an upscale, inviting atmosphere, van Deusen imported a mix…

Beyond the Pale

Designer Fernanda Bourlot loves white so much that she named her South End–based home accessories store Simplemente Blanco, which translates from the Spanish as “simply white.” Seven years ago, Bourlot, a willowy brunette, moved to Boston from her native Argentina…