The refreshing spirit of spring is in full bloom, making it the perfect time to invite a touch of creativity into your days. This issue of American Lifestyle embraces that energy with ideas for enhancing your home, a look at new takes on classic board games, three recipes to share with loved ones, and a trip to a museum where art and nature come together.
If you’ve been thinking about updating your interiors, adding wallpaper is an easy yet impactful way to do it. This issue explores how today’s designs, ranging from subtle textures to striking patterns, can instantly transform a room and offers tips for finding the right material, how to make the biggest statement, and more.
For a touch of nostalgia blended with contemporary style, look no further than WS Game Company. Inside, learn how they transform classic board games into elegant pieces of home decor by blending fine materials and timeless aesthetics, turning each one into both a conversation starter and a lasting keepsake.
If you’re planning to host this season, the enclosed three-course menu is sure to impress. From a vibrant kale salad and a showstopping pasta to a refreshing key lime dessert, these dishes bring restaurant-worthy flair to your own kitchen while keeping preparation simple and fun.
Lastly, take a journey to the foothills of Wyoming to explore a museum devoted to the beauty of nature. With its mountain-inspired architecture, extensive galleries, and outdoor sculpture trail, the National Museum of Wildlife Art offers a captivating blend of art, education, and conservation that deepens one’s appreciation for the natural world.
Here’s to a season of inspiration, renewal, and creativity! As always, it’s a pleasure to send you this magazine.
Once dismissed as outdated and overwhelming, wallpaper is experiencing a stylish resurgence—and for good reason. Today’s designs are a far cry from the busy patterns of your grandmother’s living room, offering fresh, modern options that suit nearly every taste and space. Whether you’re looking to add a bold accent or subtle texture, these wall coverings make it easy to update virtually any room without taking on a full renovation. But before you dive right in, explore these details to help you make the best choice for your home.
It’s important to understand that not all wallpaper is interchangeable, nor is every type suitable for every project. Among the top factors to consider is the application method. Here’s a closer look at the three most common varieties:
On top of the different attachment methods, you’ll find several types of materials. For instance, vinyl is sturdy and washable—making it perfect for bathrooms and kitchens—whereas paper is a classic, eco-friendly choice with intricate prints but less durability. For a more unique look, you can try grass cloth, which adds texture, depth, and luxury to a space, but it only works well on walls that aren’t frequently touched because it’s almost impossible to clean. To ensure that you make an informed decision, do your research and consider discussing your options with a professional, whether you’re planning to take on the job yourself or hire it out. Their expertise can help guide you in the right direction.
Wallpaper can work almost anywhere, but it shines most in spaces where it can be a visual focal point. Some great spots include living rooms and bedrooms, entryways and hallways, ceilings for unexpected drama, and even the back panels of bookshelves or nooks. You can apply it to a single wall as an accent or cover the whole room in it—it simply depends on how big of a statement you want to make.
However, avoid using wallpaper in consistently humid rooms, such as poorly ventilated bathrooms, laundry rooms, and some kitchens, unless you opt for a moisture-resistant material like vinyl. Textured walls are another no-go unless you want to take on the hassle of sanding, cleaning, and priming the surface to get a smooth finish. And while peel-and-stick selections can be DIY friendly, you may be better off hiring a professional installer for prepasted and nonpasted ones due to their complexity.
The range of available wallpaper is impressively plentiful. Retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s sell budget-friendly options in both classic and trending styles, while boutique and designer brands like Anthropologie, Chasing Paper, and Rifle Paper Co. offer a large variety of curated collections. Further, online-only shops like WallPops, Wallism, and Spoonflower provide everything from simple patterns to full-wall murals.
Before you buy, order a sample (especially if shopping online) so you can gauge the wallpaper’s quality and assess how it would work with the rest of your home’s design. As for how much to get, carefully measure the height and width of each wall you plan to cover, multiplying the numbers to calculate the total square footage needed. Depending on the pattern, you might be able to subtract the area of doors and windows, but only if the wallpaper has a repeating pattern; mural styles typically require full coverage so that the design aligns properly.
Further, make sure to overestimate by 15 to 20 percent to account for pattern matching, trimming, and any mistakes. Many online retailers offer calculators to help determine how much to order based on your measurements and the specific product. Always double-check your numbers—ordering too little can lead to mismatched pieces, especially with specialty options or individually dyed batches.
Wallpaper is a wonderful design tool that lets you express your style in a bold, tangible way. With a bit of consideration, you can find the right ones to enhance your spaces and bring a polished yet unique touch to your home.
Kerry Addis, co-owner and chief operating officer of WS Game Company, discusses the organization’s history and unique approach to designing new versions of classic board games.
Tell us about yourself and your company:
I grew up in the board game business, learning the craft from my father, Dana Silva, who cofounded WS Game Company with Mike Doyle in 2000. They were both Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley employees until their office closed due to restructuring. They decided that instead of moving their families, they would use their forty years of combined experience to work as consultants for Hasbro Games to create premium games for their key national accounts.
The business earned a Hasbro licensee contract in 2009 and has collaborated with partners globally to bring board games into consumers’ homes as functional decor ever since. Today, I’m co-owner and COO and run the company with my brother, Jonathan Silva. I help oversee the creative process from start to finish for our growing product portfolio.
What makes WS Game Company’s products so special?
As kids, we always had the latest and greatest board games at our fingertips, but the sheer number of them in our house got to be a bit unwieldy. They wound up living on huge shelves in our basement—out of sight and often out of mind. But at WS Game Company, our goal is to keep games at the forefront of your mind, and that’s easiest when you see them every day.
Our Vintage Bookshelf collection is a perfect example of how games can live in your home as part of your decor. We have twenty-two in this line, including Risk, Boggle, and Trouble, that are packaged to look like fabric-wrapped hardback books, blending nostalgic design with an upscale feel. They look amazing on a bookcase or shelf, and you can easily grab one to play anytime you want.
For all our games, we include storage for the parts so you can display the container without worrying about losing any pieces. The material choices and finishes are very important as well, and we offer products in a range of options—including wood, glass, metal, fabric, and leather—so everyone can find something that matches their aesthetic.
Is there one item that people seem to love most?
Anything from the Vintage Bookshelf collection, really. Board games as decor is very popular right now, so those editions are flying off the shelves. The wide selection in this line has sparked viral treasure hunts among collectors looking to complete their sets. Social media is also filled with videos of people styling their games in various ways throughout their homes. It’s amazing to see how it’s getting more people to play games with their family and friends!
How do you approach reimagining a well-known game?
We start by taking a wider look at our overall offerings to determine what’s missing—whether it’s a certain aesthetic, functionality, or price point. Our design team then explores color trends, materials, and printing techniques while always keeping gameplay and storage in mind. Based on all those details, we create samples and refine the design until we feel we’ve developed the best product for people to enjoy.
As a Hasbro licensee, collaboration is a key part of the development process for nearly every game we produce. When we have a new concept, we present it to the Hasbro team, which gives them a chance to provide feedback before we get too far along. We also stay in touch throughout development to ensure that we incorporate all their latest brand guidelines and they’re able to approve every design component.
Are there any challenges that come with such adaptation?
The most difficult thing is adding value without adding a lot of extra parts. The game of Sorry!, for example, only requires a board, a deck of cards, and sixteen movers, but we also included a card box so the cards can be neatly stored when not in play. (Plus, we swapped out the standard plastic movers for painted wood ones.) In addition, we generally use more premium card stock and printing techniques, improving the overall quality. These subtle changes can make a major difference in your tactile experience of a game and how likely you are to play it again.
How do you update a game without losing what made it special in the first place?
The original versions of the games bring a sense of nostalgia and so many memories for people, and we think it’s important to maintain that connection when possible. Fortunately, the early editions of many Hasbro games are simple and elegant, so it’s not too difficult to incorporate their vintage looks into our premium designs. By switching up the materials, refining the color palette, and playing with scale, we can make something old feel modern but still classic.
For more info, visit wsgamecompany.com
If you’re looking to host family and friends, then this collection of recipes from the book Swing By! will help you create a truly memorable three-course meal. Start with a fresh, vibrant salad, move on to a delicious main course, and end with a light, frozen treat. These dishes prove that putting together an impressive dinner might just be easier than you think.
A perfect first course for any dinner party, this vibrant, crowd-pleasing salad is an elevated twist on a simple classic.
This simple pasta becomes a theatrical masterpiece when prepared in a giant wheel of Pecorino Romano.
These tart and sweet treats are a fun, frozen take on a classic pie that your guests are guaranteed to love.
Recipes from Swing By! by Stephanie Nass. Rizzoli New York, 2024. Photography by Stockton Johnson and Quentin Bacon.
Inspired by my favorite salad at the Palm Beach Grill, this recipe is adapted for a pool party anywhere you are. The ingredient list for the dressing is a bit long, but the alchemy of all the flavors makes it totally worthwhile, plus you’ll likely have leftover dressing that can be enjoyed for several days.
Serves 8
Make the dressing:
In a large measuring cup, combine the peanut oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and garlic and whisk to thoroughly incorporate.
Make the salad:
1. In a large serving bowl and with clean hands, massage the kale for about 3 minutes until the leaves soften.
2. Add the peanuts, Pecorino Romano, and chicken and toss together. Pour ¼ cup of the dressing on the salad and toss. If the salad seems too dry, add another ¼ cup. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
3. Place the salad in a serving bowl, if passing at the table, or on individual salad plates. Serve immediately.
I love dishes that are theatrical and incorporate their preparation into how they are presented. Preparing this pasta dish in a giant wheel of cheese in front of guests is a wow. You can source the wheel online, from a food distributor, or (with enough advance notice) potentially from your local grocer. After the event, you can grate and freeze the cheese for future use.
Serves 8
The tart sweetness of key lime pie is so refreshing on a hot day. I adapted this flavor profile to a frozen treat to make it even better.
Makes 10 popsicles
Art serves many purposes, from revealing the artist’s or collector’s perspective to showing their keen appreciation of the subject matter to making a statement about the world at large. One museum that typifies all three particularly well isn’t found in a major metropolitan city but on the outskirts of an expansive animal refuge in the Mountain West: the National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA). Take just one trip to this wondrous Wyoming institution, and you’ll emerge with a new appreciation of nature, its inhabitants, and those dedicated to honoring it.
The NMWA was the brainchild of Jackson Hole residents Bill and Joffa Kerr, art enthusiasts who had amassed a collection of some 250 works over the course of three decades and wanted to share it with the world. But it wasn’t just any collection—their pieces focused on wildlife, a shared passion of theirs.
In 1987, their dream came to fruition when they opened the 5,000-square-foot Wildlife of the American West Art Museum in Jackson’s Town Square, a small park in the heart of the city. The pair had a grander vision, however, quickly understanding that they would need a larger building for not only their already owned art but also the new pieces they were bringing in. That led to the opening of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, a facility ten times the size of the original, three miles north in 1994.
When you visit, prepare to be amazed even before stepping through the front door. That’s because, in a stroke of inspiration, the Kerrs chose to construct their new building right into the side of a mountain butte overlooking the National Elk Preserve, modeling it after the ruins of Scotland’s Slains Castle. As a result, its rocky facade blends perfectly into the cliffside, giving it a postcard-like quality, especially when paired with the sanctuary across the way.
Inside, the NMWA features fourteen permanent galleries and is home to more than 5,000 cataloged items, some dating as far back as 2500 BCE. The over 550 artists featured here range from locals to famous names such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, John James Audubon, and Carl Rungius. The latter is particularly noteworthy—as one of the world’s preeminent wildlife artists, Rungius and his art are a focal point of the museum, which houses the largest collection of his works in the country.
In addition to displaying a vast number of pieces to peruse, the NMWA prioritizes education. For example, it welcomes over 3,000 students on free school tours every year, hosts a spring art studio for kids, and provides both high-school internships and an annual college scholarship. It also offers online options such as Bisoncast, a video series that discusses both the museum’s art and nature as a whole.
In addition, the NMWA aims to foster visitors’ connection to the great outdoors through a truly unique artistic experience: its Sculpture Trail. Designed by famed landscape architect Walter Hood and opened in 2012, the three-quarter-mile path is bursting with awe-inspiring wildlife sculptures and plants in the open air. For the most complete experience, be sure to add the Greater Yellowstone Botanical Tour; this audio excursion reveals fascinating information about the area’s ecosystem.
It’s been said that “the beauty of wildlife must be preserved, for it is the divine canvas of creation.” That goes to the heart of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, a place founded to not only share its artists’ talents with the world but also connect people with nature.
For more info, visit wildlifeart.org
