Section
Air, water and the materials of daily life, chosen for a humid climate.
A beautiful house is also a working one. This section is about the systems and objects you live with every day: the air you breathe indoors, the water from the tap, the pans on the stove, the products that clean your marble and glass, and the steady battle with South Florida humidity. We favor materials we can name and makers who disclose what they use. We choose from published evidence rather than testing ourselves: makers' specifications, certifications and published performance ratings, each cited with the date we checked, so you can judge the evidence for yourself.
Guide · Read now
A purifier will not dry a damp house, and it should never add ozone to it. Here is what one does do, how to size it by the numbers, and six machines, most of them made to be seen, for rooms from the dressing room to the open-plan living room.
Guide · Read now
Room by room, the everyday things worth replacing with something better made, better disclosed and built to last.
Guide · Read now
Stainless, cast iron, enameled iron, carbon steel and ceramic, what each asks of the cook, and seven pieces from the great French, Belgian, Italian and American makers, with one better-value skillet.
Guide · Read now
In a house that breathes sea air for most of the year, drying it is a matter of numbers. Here is how to read them, and seven machines worth a look, led by the systems that disappear into the house.
Explainer · Read now
What federal health and environmental agencies advise once the water recedes, in the order you will need it.
Explainer · Read now
A reassuring word with no fixed meaning, and the better questions to ask instead.
Planned stories. Each piece publishes with its sources and the date we last checked them.
Weekly, free
One considered pick, one beautiful find, one Palm Beach moment and one good deal, every week.