Haute Hygiene
Cut carrots! Serve cheese! A wooden cutting board is so useful, it’s hard to remember it can also serve as a petri dish for bacteria and icky viruses. Good thing Brooklyn furniture restorer Christophe Pourny concocted a Cutting Board Tonic ($22, Salt & Sundry, Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE; 202-556-1866, shopsaltandsundry.com). Pourny blends vinegar with rosemary and walnut oils for a conditioning, sanitizing blend.
Vertical Blurizon
Massachusetts artist James Soares, also known as “Spires,” creates colorful, geometric graphics for surfaces as diverse as soda cans and canvases. His latest collaboration, with decor decal company Blik, puts his blend of hard-edged shapes and soft-focus colors up against the wall. The thin, self-adhesive tiles feature earth-toned rectangles (above, $50 for two 24-inch by 48-inch decals, whatisblik.com), blue and black triangles ($50 for two 24-inch by 48-inch decals) and other color combinations.
The Beach Is Back
Warm temperatures and sun seem like a fantasy right now. Until you pop into Georgetown’s new Calypso St. Barth boutique (3307 M St. NW; 202-337-1371, calypsostbarth.com), which hawks beachy, breezy women’s clothing like striped knit tunics ($150) and boho-cool dresses (shown, $495) plus shore-worthy housewares including pillows and throws.
Cookie Up a Better V-Day
Forgo the tired roses-and-chocolates combo for something more original this Valentine’s Day, like heart-shaped macarons from Macaron Bee ($2 each, $24 for 12; 1669 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 202-338-0216, macaronbee.com). Flavors include red velvet, raspberry yogurt and pink champagne, which are all naturally gluten-free (bonus!). Other flavors like chocolate lavender and pistachio are also available, though not in the aww-inducing shape.
Hot Deals
Williams-Sonoma, the California cookware giant, sells $3,000 espresso makers and $600 copper pots. But the baking/boiling/braising supply emporium isn’t just for the top 1 percent of foodies. Its new Open Kitchen line features 100 value-priced items, including a 10-piece cookware set (shown, $300, williams-sonoma.com and stores), a sleek nylon spatula ($10) and bistro-worthy white soup bowls ($20 for four).