Payne, Lauren
Subscribe to this tagThe Perfect Plan B
Their original idea thwarted, a Brick Township couple went back to the drawing board—literally. It took 16 years, but the wait for their dream house was worth it.
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Smart Choices
Our design panel spotlights 12 innovative ways to enhance your home.
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Delightful Duke
Smack in the middle of Somerset County, one of the state’s largest privately owned parcels of undeveloped land beckons guests to explore and learn.
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Room to Grow
A neighborly architect designs an addition for the family next door—twice—and makes great friends along the way.
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Lush Life, Naturally
Practicing what she preaches, a Frenchtown landscape designer proves that organic gardening brings spectacular results in her own backyard.
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Stellar Cellars
Wine consumption is on the rise—and so are creative custom wine cellars like these handsome, utilitarian vaults.
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Clutter Control
Form meets function in these two clever spaces created with maximum organization and smart storage in mind.
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Modern Mix
Proving that a period house doesn’t need period decorating, interior designer Martina Servos incorporates her love of contemporary style into an old home.
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Let There Be Lights
Nostalgia and gingerbread reign during Cape May’s Annual Christmas candlelight tour of Victorian homes.
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A Santa Story
With nary a child in the house, this Hunterdon County couple embraces the magic of the holiday season with hundreds of Santas standing guard.
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Green Classic
A 6,600-square-foot home with a monthly electric bill of $89? Meet the Sheeleighs, who, along with a dedicated design/build team, created a traditionally styled LEED-certified home in Harding Township.
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(Cooks) Roll Up Your Sleeves
High-tech features meet low-tech functionality in two sleek, streamlined and petite kitchens.
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Pour It On
Cape May’s Wine Fest celebrates NJ’s vinous bounty.
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Control Yourself
Home automation systems make life easier, but where do you get these systems, and how much do they cost? We've got answers.
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Home Automation Boss
With 24 cameras, 14 televisions, 11 touch screens—and 10,000 feet of wiring connecting it all—TV’s Cake Boss has the ultimate in home automation in his North Jersey house.
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Let There Be Shade
Retractable awnings can expand your outdoor living space and allow you to stay outside longer.
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Painter's Paradise
Combining a love of gardening and a talent for art, a New Jersey homeowner creates an oasis in her backyard. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Gentlemen Farmers
Country meets chic on this Hunterdon County spread with animals galore, a bountiful organic garden and plenty
of wool to spin. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Bringing the Beach Indoors
An interior designer creates a Shore retreat where family and friends gather, natural elements abound and sandy feet are encouraged. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Designing New Jersey
Our team of award-winning designers shares the latest wisdom on wine cellars, wallcoverings, master suites, kitchens—and that elusive niche to stash the doggie’s leash.
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A Bright Idea
Outdoor lighting can do more than just illuminate the way. Properly designed, it can add beauty, safety, drama—and value—to your home.
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A Tale of Two Sisters (in-Law)
Jennifer Connell and Jane Connell showcase their style—individually, in their homes, and together, in their new joint venture, Fun House Furnishings and Design in Mendham. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Think Spring
Two small-scale New Jersey gardens will be ready to wow visitors in just a few weeks. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Hues You Can Use
There’s nothing shy about interior designer Nancee Brown’s colorful house. From orange to periwinkle, the tones flow seamlessly from room to room. (Photos by Melabee M. Miller)
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Crystal Clear
Mining the latest deals at Sussex County’s gem of a resort.
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The Good Life For Less: For The Home
Create a classy look at a hefty discount.
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Daddy O
The vibe at Daddy O in Brant Beach is more South Beach than Long Beach Island, but this hip hotel located just across from the beach offers a sophisticated place to crash.
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Blue Bay Inn
More cosmopolitan chic than classic Jersey Shore, the Blue Bay Inn in Atlantic Highlands offers guests an elegant getaway.
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Touch Down
This Marlboro couple, party hosts extraordinaire, earns extra points with an annual Super Bowl and wine-tasting party. (Photos by Joe Polillio)
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Future Cozy
If you think the house of tomorrow is some antiseptic,
Jetsons-style space ship, think again. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Christmas At Drumthwacket
Each holiday season, garden clubs around the state decorate our grand and historic governor’s mansion. Join us on a tour.
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Open House
Step aside, Snooki. Jersey homes are the Garden State’s REAL TV Stars, thanks to the hundreds of commercials shot here every year. (Photos by Glenn Schuster)
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Function Perfection
We asked two cooking professionals what worked best in their newly designed, much-used home kitchens. Here are their ideas. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Island Beach State Park
With summertime crowds departing, Island Beach State Park in Seaside Park is a great place for a little recreational saltwater fishing.
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Allaire State Park and Historic Village
There is plenty for everyone at Allaire State Park in Farmingdale.
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It's Stickley Season
Gustav Stickley's log home is located at Craftsman Farms in Parsippany.
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Mission Possible
With a passion for arts and crafts design and the serene lifestyle it represents, an Oradell family restores an original Gustav Stickley home, step by painstaking step. (Photos by Ray Stubblebine)
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Trend Setters
Mansion in May, one of the state’s premier designer showhouse series, creates new style standards for Jersey homes. (Photos by Emily Gilbert Photography)
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Backyard Retreats
Decked out like five-star resorts, two New Jersey homes raise hanging out to a whole new level. (Photos by Joe Polillio)
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Stay in Style
Boutique hotels find the sassy (and often luxe) sweet spot between the charm of B&Bs and the prestige of resort hotels.
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Simply Put
A tasteful new family home rises from the dunes in Brigantine. (Photos by Jeffrey Totaro)
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All In the Family
It’s a classic beach house, with ocean views, resort-like grounds, and room for multiple generations. (Photos by Joe Polillio)
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Dancer Farm
Dancer Farm is a New Jersey B&B that offers several cozy common rooms, a shady patio, and a screened-in gazebo...all of which are ideal places to unwind.
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Clear Out and Clean Up
Getting organized is the first step to effective spring cleaning.
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Everything Smart
What are the hot new looks for homes? New Jersey Monthly’s Design Advisory Council updates us on ten startling years.
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Strolling the Evanescent Peony Path
They emerge by the thousands late each spring, creating a magnificent display at this grand estate.
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River Dance
By the shores of the Shrewsbury and the Navesink, the outdoors is welcomed in and works of art come into their own.
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A House for the Treasures Among Us
After inheriting a major collection of museum-quality antiques, this Essex County couple put the trove front and center.
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Spring Getaways: Bed and Breakfasts
New Jersey bed & breakfasts come up big in charm, amenities, and hospitality.
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Best of the Best
We asked three of New Jersey’s top design professionals to help us compile a list of the state’s most significant architectural projects in the past decade. Among many worthy contenders, here are the panel’s top ten picks. (Photos by Thomas H. Kieren)
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Stage Right
With real estate sales still lagging, what can you do to prepare your home to sell fast—and for top dollar? Try home
staging. (Photos by Barbara Cluck-Miksits)
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First Impressions
Just how important are exterior first impressions when selling a home? Our experts reveal the truth.
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Great Escapes
In these crazy, stressful times, who hasn’t wanted a place that’s all theirs? We found two New Jersey residents who created their own private spaces.
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The High Life
Luxurious river-view urban living in New Jersey? Check out these ultra-stylish homes.
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Holiday House
A home in Summit gets a sumptuous holiday makeover. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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That Loven Feeling
A Glen Rock couple meticulously restores the charming yet quirky home of noted New Jersey architect Carl Kemm Loven, gargoyles included. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Current Kitchens
Like its residents, New Jersey’s kitchens come in all shapes and sizes. We scoured the state and found these noteworthy examples of current styles.
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Seaside Showcase
A talented group of interior designers, artisans, and craftsmen work together to transform a historic Cape May home into an entrancing show house. (Photos by John Armich)
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Can Do Spirit
Giving do-it-yourself a whole new meaning, this seemingly tireless Long Valley couple completely restored their expansive property with their own four hands.
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The Backyard Oasis
Create your own summer getaway—with no crowds and no hunt for a parking space. (Photos courtesy of Cipriano Landscape Design)
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Summer Showers
Few things end an ideal beach day more refreshingly than an outdoor shower. (Photos by Jeffrey Totaro)
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Life's A Beach
The ultimate collaboration between homeowner, interior designer, and landscaper transforms a ho-hum summerhouse into a glamorous resort-like retreat that no one ever wants to leave. (Photos by Lauren Moss)
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Showing Off
Everybody loves visiting a show house. It’s an amazing opportunity to enter a grand home and see the latest in decorating ideas from top designers.
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Home Of The Brave
A Jersey town honors its wounded Iraq veteran with a place that’s truly his own.
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Chic Convert
The top floor of a former Catholic school becomes home for a Hoboken family of four. (Photos by Jeffrey Totaro)
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A Conversation With Michael Graves
New Jersey’s renowned architect/designer reflects on form,
function, and those fanciful whistling tea kettles.
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Sister Sister
Who says you can’t go home again? These sisters live side by side under one roof, right where they grew up. (Photos by Melabee M. Miller)
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On The Waterfront
Living on Lake Hoptacong means a lot of things to a lot of people. Here, a slice of lake life. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Labor Of Love
A New Jersey architectural team painstakingly restores—over a twenty-year period—a classic Frank Lloyd Wright gem of a house.
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Industrial Strength
Despite the real estate slump—or perhaps because of it—factory-to-residential conversions are on the rise statewide.
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Homelike for the Holidays
Nothing brings warmth to the holidays like a B&B decked out for the season. Here are two of our favorites. (Photos by Laura Moss)
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Style Makers
Kitchens, like most things, come in all shapes and sizes. We identified three distinct styles, then scoured the state to find fabulous examples of each. Here, our picks.
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Beyond the Barbecue
The season is just right for enjoying the outdoors with a stylish al fresco kitchen. Award-winning kitchen designer Deborah Krasner provides the recipe for planning the perfect backyard space.
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Pride of Place
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the American Institute of Architects, the organization’s New Jersey chapter has selected the 150 best buildings and places in the state. Here are a few of the most notable, from a Gothic basilica to a funky old burger joint.
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Counter Intelligence
We asked three design professionals from around the state to share with us their favorite kitchen project. Here are their picks, along with trends, ideas, and products you can adapt to your needs.
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Urban Oasis
Trenton’s historic Cadwalader Heights, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, features curving streets, unique homes, and people who lovingly restore them.
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Knock, Knock!
Who’s there? Company! Don’t worry, three retailers offer the latest looks to spruce up your home.
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Suite Surrender
It’s the ideal escape: a well-appointed master suite with all the comfort and elegance of a living room. In this case, more really is more.
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