Wow Home Idea

For steadfast urbanites, cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. will always and forever be a place to call home. That is, as long as the cost of living there doesn't rise too high. Apparently it is, according to Bloomberg Business's new list of the top 20 cities tons of Americans are leaving. While the aforementioned hubs didn't claim the top spot – that honor belongs to El Paso, Texas (pictured above) – they do make appearances on the list..  Several rust belt cities are also included, which Bloomberg reports suffered sharp population drops due to a lack of jobs. These cities include Detroit as well as three cities in nearby Ohio: Dayton, Cleveland and Toledo, where the manufacturing jobs that were once readily available are now scarce.  Take a look at the graphic below for the full list. Bloomberg Business From: ELLE Decor US By Bridget Mallon

That loose shingle is only a warning of what's to come. Getty Dislodged Siding Look for: Climbing vines and other greenery near the house can attract squirrels and rodents, and reduce air circulation, which promotes mold and mildew. Mold can cause wood shingles to deteriorate or pull away from the house; under vinyl siding, rot can result. Extreme weather can cause cracks in vinyl, too. Getty How to Fix It DIY: Cut back low branches and prune shrubs, then clean siding with a power washer. (You can rent one from a home-improvement store for about $$ for the day.) Every few years, protect wood siding and trim with a fresh coat of paint or stain. Then, use a mold-inhibitor spray that's plant- and animal-safe. Use a Pro for: • Landscaping for anything higher than 10 feet • Exterminating services • Power washing, if you're willing to spend $$$ or more • Major exterior painting: Painters are accustomed to climbing ladders and doing time • Consuming prep work •...

Jesus Granada When we saw an acrophobia-inducing proposal for a restaurant on the side of a cliff in Mexico last week, we didn't think it could be topped. But a family home perched on a 42-degree incline in Spain is making the rounds online, and we're getting vertigo just looking at it.  A young couple commissioned Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolomé of GilBartolomé Architects to build the futuristic-looking pad, which they've nicknamed "The House on the Cliff."  GilBartolomé wrote that their design is meant to highlight the ambiguity between the natural and the artificial, and to resemble "the skin of a dragon set in the ground, when seen from below, and the waves of the sea, from above." Huh.  The two-story home in Granada boasts a swimming pool, terraced living room, several balconies, and an auditorium that can host up to 70 people. Party over here?  Check out...

Courtesy Cliveden House Less than an hour from London in the Berkshire countryside, you'll find Cliveden House, an immaculate 350-year-old estate with all the trappings you'd expect from a five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel. The grounds are perfectly manicured; the rooms furnished with rare antiques and original works of art. But don't be fooled by the crisp, freshly-pressed linens — Cliveden House is rife with dirty laundry. You'd certainly never know it just by looking around. Over 376 acres surround the Italianate mansion with perched views of the River Thames. Inside the property's restaurant (which is helmed by Michelin-starred chef André Garrett) you'll notice couples toasting an anniversary over roasted squab and Paris Brest. Arrive on the right day, and you'll spot lingering petals from a ceremony that finished the day before (it's so sought after as a wedding venue that it can take years to book.) The hotel, it seems, is tailor-made for rom...

Getty The holiday season is the perfect time get out those scented candles and stock up on new ones. Apple pie, pumpkin spice, and evergreen are some of our favorites — year round, really. But some of the results from recent studies have given us pause about scented decor. In started when we spied an article by John Naish of the Daily Mail  – the reporter said he found evidence to suggest that scented candles could actually make us quite sick. And it's not just candles; apparently "aerosols, plug-ins, gels, and incense sticks" are also troubling. The fear lies in the chemicals that can be found in the fragrance and wax. While more research certainly needs to be done to make a truly definitive statement, some researchers feel that extended, long-term use of certain scented items might lead to asthma, lung damage, or — in extreme cases — even cancer. We dug a little more to inspect the claim...

James Merrell LISA CREGAN: This was the late Albert Hadley's vacation cottage, wasn't it? What was it like being asked to redo the home of a legend? TODD ROMANO: A longtime client called to tell me she'd just purchased a house in Naples and said, "Actually, I think it was once owned by a friend of yours." I thought, Oh my God, she bought Albert's house! He'd furnished it so sparingly — a wicker chair here, a bust on a pedestal there — it was incredibly simple. But it was gorgeous. House Beautiful published it in 2000. Now it's a winter getaway for an independent woman with grown children and grandchildren. My job was to figure out how to accommodate a family here. And you somehow did it without forsaking any of Mr. Hadley's elegance. This house is a great example of how you can use sophisticated French furniture in a casual setting. It doesn't have to be all rattan and vinyl just because it's Florida! Gilded furniture would, admittedly, ...

Courtesy of Anthropologie If your short list of style icons includes Kate Middleton or Michelle Obama, pay attention: Both ladies are big fans of the British rug designer Luke Irwin and feature his pieces in their home. That's quite the ringing endorsement, if you ask us — and apparently Anthropologie agrees since they scored the first-ever American collaboration with the sought-after designer. Meaning we can all live like royalty now (well, kind of).  But why are they so popular? Irwin was trained by one of the world's foremost rug designers in Kathmandu, Nepal, and therefore he's heavily influenced by the country's traditional weaving techniques. As a result, his rugs are both unique and timeless. For this collaboration, Irwin chose Swedish-inspired geometric motifs and Indo-Tibetan abstract prints to showcase in his trademark hand-knotted style. Here are a few of his designs that...