Current Obsessions: Snow Days

Ten things we’re noting, this midwinter, pre-Valentines weekend:

• Our most popular post of the week? Inside Julie’s minimalist galley kitchen in Brooklyn Heights (and how to get the look).
• On winter landscapes captured in paintings, via T Magazine.
• We are admiring the Obsidian Virtual Concept House, the project of the Black Artists + Designers Guild, with rooms by 23 BADG creators and two rising stars, “designed to invite new conversations about the space of home as a place of thriving for one million Black families.” Take a virtual tour here.
• Julie is awaiting the launch of Toogood’s spring/summer collection, inspired by the British landscape painter Paul Nash, launching on February 12th.
• Attention, all high-school-aged kids in New York and Connecticut: In celebration of the newly released August Wilson Forever stamp—and of the art of old-school letter writing—the USPS is holding an open art competition for teens now through February 18th. Design an August Wilson-themed envelope (including space for a stamp and an address), take a photo of it, and send to [email protected]; winners will be announced in a virtual awards ceremony on February 25th (email [email protected] for a Zoom link).
• A drinking chocolate recipe for midwinter nights (or a Valentine’s Day at home).
• Flowers in the New York City snow by floral designer/self-proclaimed “flower bandit” Lewis Miller (in celebration of John Derian’s new menswear collection with Todd Snyder).
• 10 things nobody tells you about orchids, over on Gardenista.
• And: how to (properly) clean your washing machine.