By Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home & design writer

Considering the mere fact that I'm a home and design writer known to produce craft projects, at a recent pumpkin-carving party the expectations for photo-worthy designs was particularly high. Of course, when I show up with a box from the office labeled "pumpkin carving tools" I'm not doing anything to help sway the assumption that we're about to make martha-stewart-style art.

Fortunately, my handy box of tricks included numerical stencils from last year's pumpkin house number story, so when asked "what should we design?" without any illustration books in sight (and embarrassed to recommend anything traditional like smiley faces; I'm supposed to have advanced style after all) I was pleased to suggest house numbers to keep my friends Eliza and Larry's doorstep aglow for the week of Halloween. They were thrilled—thank god—at the idea. I described it as pumpkin carving for adults—part utility, part craft.

First, Eliza and I gutted the pumpkins, saving the pumpkin seeds in a bowl to roast with olive oil and salt a little later.

Next, we cleaned the pumpkin’s surface and taped the numbers of Eliza’s home address to the flattest side of the pumpkin.

Then came the surprise master carver. Though I was a little concerned about how small the numbers appeared when I removed the stencils (last year's project used much larger stencils; one number per pumpkin), Eliza's boyfriend Larry (who by the way gets mad props for just being interested to partake in our project at all) was called in for precision work (first with an exacto knife; then—carefully—with a small hand saw). I have NEVER seen such craftsmanship! Larry’s an industrial engineer whose job, I imagine, necessitates attention to detail, so his expert carving skills shouldn't have been surprising at all.

What he doesn't know yet is that I'm trying to think up a creative way to pitch him the idea of working for me the next time my editor calls for October story ideas.

by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large

When I was in college, dorms were nothing to write home about--architecturally anyway. But that's changed radically since universities began commissioning big name architects like Steven Holl for student housing. I just learned of this gorgeous graduate housing complex on the Charles River in Cambridge, MA, designed for Harvard University by architect Kyu Sung Woo..

The building is expected receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and its building systems are designed and engineered to minimize energy usage. Green-minded finishes include regionally-sourced siding with recycled content; renewable bamboo flooring and wall paneling, and low-VOC paints.

(Photos by © Timothy Hursley - The Arkansas Office)

Projects like this really disprove any notion that institutionalized architecture, whether dorms, schools or affordable housing, has to look, well, institutional! An elegant and well-conceived building like this almost makes me want to go back to school.

by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor

This time of year we here at Sunset are always looking for new things to do with pumpkins.  One idea we came up with was a no-carve stenciled pumpkin, using paint instead of a knife. After a little deliberation I turned to macabre masters Edward Gorey and Alfred Hitchcock for inspiration.

After trolling through Google results of Gorey and Hitchcock I decided on some classic Halloween images — a crow, a waning moon, and a barren tree. Spooky!

Instead of assigning one image to one pumpkin I thought it would be nice to make a scene by extending the tree over two pumpkins. What do you think?

Now, I am not going to lie. This was not as easy as I had hoped. I don't have any process shots to show you (they are all of me swearing and almost cutting my finger off with an X-acto knife) but I will tell you what I did, more or less step by step.

First, I found images that I liked online. After I printed out the images I held them up to the pumpkin to make sure that they were the correct size. It took a few tries but I finally got it right.

Next, I laid my image on a piece of cardboard and placed some durable, reusable mylar from Stencil Ease on top. Then, I taped both the image and the mylar down and began to cut with my X-acto knife.

After I had cut out my stencil I tried to glue my stencil to my pumpkin with some adhesive. The adhesive wouldn't work because the pumpkin was just too, well, round. I had to call in Jess Chamberlain to hold down the stencil while I painted. Thank you Jess. It went quickly after that.

The stencil paint that I used was terrific. It is a dry solid and it is specifically for stencils. Plus it comes in tons of colors! It doesn't run or drip and allows a lot of control. Partly because you use it with a very short bristled brush. It is less like painting and more like poking. But it works! Word of warning though — the paint never really dried on the pumpkin so I had to be very careful when moving them.

I have actually used this same brush and paint on walls and it was so easy. Plus, it actually dried.  Stenciling is such a fast way to decorate!

Have you ever tried this on a pumpkin? Send me photos if you have!

By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager

The older I get, the harder it is for me to shop for the sake of shopping (a.k.a. the obligatory holiday season that is fast on our heels). The other day while shopping for the sake of shopping at Bellisima Jewelry Design (okay, jewelry shopping is still a serious addiction), I discovered Nest, a nonprofit online boutique that sells one-of-a-kind clothes, jewelry and housewares made by more than 80 emerging designers on the indie scene. Profits from Nest sales are used to create interest-free business loans for women artisans in developing countries. I love it! Here are some items that inspired me to holiday shop for this great cause.

This Sky Bowl from Swedish designer Karin Eriksson is so lovely. Great gift for your favorite co-worker!

I love this 8 1/2 x 11 Umbrella print from artist Dallas Shaw. Drawing of butterflies and umbrella is superimposed on a piece of vintage wallpaper. At only $20, it's a great find for your stylish friends!

Who can resist this great-looking canvas tote? What a hip gift bag, that you can use year-round.

by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor

I love dictionaries and never thought that they needed any improvement. Being a reference tool, they work perfectly well without any bells and whistles.

That is what I used to think. Last week I called in this beauty from See Jane Work for a photo shoot.

I included an enormous picture so that you had no choice but to marvel at it. It is not an understatement to say that I am 100% obsessed with the white crocodile cover and the gold stamping. If this dictionary were a bag I would buy it. 

It is $180 but aren't dictionaries investments? It is not as though I would need to buy a new one every year. 

In case white hot leather isn't your thing I also found these options at Gift Genius.

It should be no secret that I want that gold one. And maybe the yellow one. What if I decided to put a dictionary in every room? These embossed calfskin ones are a little less pricey at $159 and would make a delightful gift for everyone. Well, maybe not everyone.  Everyone I know though, for sure.

by Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home & design writer

First off, let me just say that I adore Max and Linda Geiser, the husband/wife design duo behind Wallter and Fold Bedding products—they're off-the-charts talented, endlessly innovative, and two of the nicest people in the industry. Not to mention they're super young to have already launched such great companies! (Note: They merged the two companies under the "Wallter" name last year.)

Wallter products (wall decor, mobiles and bedding) are colorful, playful, and modern—three adjectives that don't often work together. Some of my favorites: the tree pillow, palm mobile, starburst wall decal, and this just-announced-today slat rack.

I'm envisioning a few white ones staggered in an entryway. Functional (and affordable) art—just what our busy lives demand.

PRODUCT INFO
Dimensions: 23 wide x 16 tall
Colors: white, orange, green, brown
Price: $145
Where to buy: www.wallter.com
Materials: powder coated steel, hardware included, made in the USA
Use: serves as a coat/bag/hat/umbrealla rack, and the little “shelf” can hold magazines, mail, and newspapers

By Sarah Gaffney, Sunset Idea House program manager

I love these pendants, end of story. The creative guys at Seattle's Graypants (featured in our October issue) salvage pieces of discarded corrugated cardboard and upcycle them into Scrap Lights, their wonderfully organic and textural pendants. Don't be silly and put them in a damp location. Available at Velocity Art and Design.

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

I'm hopeless when it comes to holiday shopping. I'm better at coming up with excuses for "opting out" than I am at thinking up with gift ideas. So, with more than two months to go, I'm happy—no, ecstatic—to say that my shopping is all done. Well, at least in my head.

Derek Fagerstorm and Lauren Smith, who own the quirky, cool Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco, vouch for a prettily packaged gift of hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows. And for those of us (read: me) who need things spelled out for them, they made a step-by-step video recipe showing just how to make the marshmallows.

by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large

When it comes to furniture I'm a pretty tough customer. It's hard to reinvent the chair or table; it's hard to improve on classics from Thonet to the Eames. But every once in awhile, a designer creates something that breaks out the mold.

I recently learned about Nightwood, a Brooklyn-based company specializing in its own reconstructed furniture and textiles on one of my favorite design sites Remodelista. Nightwood's work brings to mind the works of Droog, of George Nakashima. Pieces like this dining table made from poplar, pine, cedar, and plywood, feel incredibly fresh and new yet have the allure of treasured antiques.

I don't really need any new furniture but I want every piece on their website!

by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large

One of the best days I've spent in San Francisco was the one spent helping to plant the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden over the summer. (You can read about my own personal Victory Garden in the current issue of Sunset).

The bountiful fruit, herb, and vegetable garden that resulted from the diverse group of us who gathered together to get our hands dirty has proven to be so popular that the City of San Francisco has extended Slow Food Nation's "lease" on the project. Slow Food Nation and a number of Bay Area organizations are hosting a series of weekend activities to bring the community in. I'll be bringing my family this Saturday, October 18 from 11am-3pm for the first Community Day, which will focus on growing food in San Francisco. The next Community Days are scheduled for Saturday, November 1 and Saturday, November 22.

For more information about the Victory Garden, or the Community Days, visit Slow Food Nation.

Participating organizations include Alemany Farm, Urban Sprouts, and The Edible Schoolyard.