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Quintessence

Quintessence

Lifestyle blog | Living Well with Style and Substance

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    • Books that I have collaborated on, as photographer, with design author Susanna Salk
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    • At Home with Dogs and Their Designers: Sharing a Stylish Life
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    • At Home with Designers and Tastemakers: Creating Beautiful and Personal Interiors
    • Making a House a Home: Designing Your Interiors from the Floor Up
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Stacey Bewkes

Chesney’s lutyens No. V
Interior design

Creative Collaboration at Chesney’s

Since 1983 Chesney’s has made creative collaboration the core of their business. Initially joining forces with the past, the firm… Read More

enamel tumblers at Dior Home
Design, Gifts, Interior design, Travel

Paris Chic at the Dior Home Boutique

When several of your chicest design friends all mention the same Paris shop as a must visit, it is duly… Read More

Hock pector push up bars
Design, Interior design

Style in Motion with Hock

Finding motivation to exercise is hard enough. So when German product developer Kristof Hock got tired of working out with… Read More

Jim Thompson No.9 Drawn Threads
Design, Interior design, Travel

New Outdoor Fabrics Blur the Boundaries

As the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living continue to dissolve, the choices for new outdoor fabrics are inversely multiplying…. Read More

D&D AD Design Files February 25
Design, Interior design

Building a Business on Teamwork with Cullman & Kravis

I am delighted to be moderating the upcoming Architecural Digest Design Files lecture at the D&D building on Tuesday, February… Read More

cartier chimera mystery clock
Art & Antiques, Jewelry, Travel

Cartier at the Grand Palais Paris

There is a reason the exhibit of Cartier at the Grand Palais in Paris is subtitled “Style and History.” While… Read More

Pierre Frey Venus wallpaper
Interior design, Travel

Report from Paris Deco Off | Wallpaper Appeal

It was a pleasure to see the cheerful lanterns swinging above the streets in Saint Germain and Rue de Mail… Read More

passport
Travel

New Passport Rules | Traveler Beware

Anyone who has seen me within the last week now knows of the new passport rules governing international travel. And… Read More

furniture by Jacob at Champ de Bataille
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Garden, Interior design, Travel

Jacques Garcia’s Champ de Bataille

While his design career was launched with such contemporary projects as the Montparnasse Tower and the Meridien group of hotels,… Read More

Paris Adventures
Art & Antiques, Gifts, Interior design, Travel

Adventures in Paris

My apologies for leaving you readers so long without updates. I had fully intended to write from Paris but it… Read More

In the Pierre Frey Paris Archives with Patrick Frey
Design, Interior design, Travel

In the Pierre Frey Paris Archives with Patrick Frey

Pierre Frey is a welcome anomaly in our modern world. A luxury company, family owned, and privately held, it is… Read More

Bunny Williams Ohm Mirror and Lillian August Karl Door Cabinet
Interior design

Thank You Traditional Home

After recently writing about the fabulous new Tilton Fenwick fabric collection for Duralee, I was delighted to see partner Suysel… Read More

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Charleston has a way of drawing people back again Charleston has a way of drawing people back again and again—and homes like this remind us why.
Tag along as designer @michaelmitchelldesigner welcomes us inside his gracious home, where layers of history, thoughtful collecting, and a deeply personal approach to design make every room a reflection of both its owner and the city itself.
LINK IN PROFILE.
One of my favorite things about setting a table is One of my favorite things about setting a table is that it never has to begin from scratch.

The most beautiful tables are collected over time—mixing old favorites with new discoveries, heirlooms with contemporary pieces, and the things you’ve loved for years with something that brings fresh perspective.

For this table, I’ve paired PeterDunham + Hudson Grace’s (@peterdunhamdesign @hudsongracesf ) beautiful salad and bread plates and napkins with Blue Carnation dinner plates, table linens, glassware, and flatware from my shop, alongside a few favorite pieces from my personal collection.

I hope this table is a reminder that you don’t need everything to match—or come from one place. The magic is in the mix. Every new piece should make you fall in love with the pieces you already own all over again.

That’s the joy of collecting—and the beauty of a table that reflects your own story.

Shop the table through link in profile
Very excited to be returning to @eleishvanbreems o Very excited to be returning to @eleishvanbreems on Nantucket for a 2 day trunk show next Thursday and Friday! If on island, do stop by! There will be many new introductions you will be the first to see!!
Some homes are beautiful. Others tell a story. Th Some homes are beautiful. Others tell a story. 
The Yucatán home of interior designer @laurakirar and architect Richard Frazier @rwf333 is both -  a masterful reflection of its surroundings, where architecture, landscape, light, and craftsmanship come together in perfect harmony.
Tag along for a visit to this extraordinary retreat and discover how years of collecting, collaboration, and creative vision shaped a house that feels deeply connected to its place. LINK IN PROFILE
Wishing everyone a very happy Mother’s Day! 🌸 Flow Wishing everyone a very happy Mother’s Day! 🌸 Flowers from my thoughtful husband - all else from my shop (plates coming soon - DM to be notified).
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