Lexmond, Holland-based Ruud Visser Architects renovated a 1930 wooden church on a river in Rotterdam for a young family, and it's one of the most outstanding homes I've seen. The structure hadn't been in service since the '60s and had been used as a storage space, so it was transformed into a contemporary home. At almost 10,000 square feet, the building could have been divided to house six small Read more

You may not know Fedor van der Valk by name, but chances are you know his work. Fedor's string gardens have graced the pages of books and the posts of numerous websites over the past few years. When I was in Holland last month, I saw his works displayed in several shop windows. His string gardens capture the imagination with their suspended, unexpected beauty. Recently, Fedor sat down to answer Read more

Hugo Kaagman, a Dutch artist who has been working in spray-paint art since the 1970s, has re-interpreted the traditional blue-and-white Delftware pattern on many surfaces over the years, using spray paint and an updated take on the traditional motifs. Today, while visiting Holland's Zuiderzee Museum, I toured the fishing village on the grounds of the museum. Many of the individual homes in this Read more

Pippa Middleton dressed up to watch friends Camilla Hook and Sam Holland get married at Aberlady Parish Church in East Lothian, Scotland, today. She wore a red dress and netted fascinator and was joined by a female pal for the occasion. Pippa's been lying low since last month's controversial appearance in Paris where a guy friend pulled a fake gun on photographers during a drive. She's reportedly Read more

This week was booming with activities around the globe! Outgoing French leader Nicolas Sarkozy and first lady Carla Bruni welcomed the incoming President Francois Hollande and his partner, Valérie Trierweiler. In Windsor, the Duchess of Cambridge got some quality time with Prince William and Prince Harry, and in Japan, the Sanja Festival took over the streets of Tokyo. Back here in the US, Read more

Outgoing French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, 44, is a singer/songwriter, actress, former international supermodel, and mother of two. But we already know about Carla, who even made a cameo in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. France's new "unofficial" first lady, Valérie Trierweiler, will bring a different flavor to the Elysée Palace. She's 47, a working journalist, a graduate of the Read more

This weekend, France will vote for its next president. After a first round, it's down to incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and his socialist challenger Francois Hollande. Since Sarkozy was elected in 2007, a lot has changed. One of the most intriguing evolutions has been the love connections among the politicians. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is technically the second first lady France has known under Sarkozy. Read more