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Quintessence

Quintessence

Lifestyle blog | Living Well with Style and Substance

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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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Interior design

If It’s Tuesday…
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Design, Gifts, Interior design

If It’s Tuesday…

This week felt a bit like the 60s comedy, If It’s Tuesday It Must be Belgium. With a plethora of… Read More

TEFAF New York Fall 2017 Continued
Art & Antiques, Interior design

TEFAF New York Fall 2017 Continued

The number of highly selective dealers and quality of their pieces made it challenging to cover the TEFAF New York… Read More

TEFAF New York Fall 2017
Art & Antiques, Interior design

TEFAF New York Fall 2017

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) landed stateside in NY. After… Read More

About Decorating: The Remarkable Rooms of Richard Keith Langham
Art & Antiques, Books, Interior design

About Decorating: The Remarkable Rooms of Richard Keith Langham

Rather like his own personality, Richard Keith Langham’s interiors never take themselves too seriously. Yet they all possess an easy… Read More

Thank You
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

Thank You

A big thank you to Lillian August for hosting me and Susanna Salk for a hopping At Home with Dogs… Read More

Special Shopping for the Chic and Unique
Design, Fashion, Gifts, Interior design

Special Shopping for the Chic and Unique

Last week was an insanely busy week of design and although I was under the weather and missed many fun… Read More

At Home in New Orleans with Jane Scott Hodges
Art & Antiques, Books, Entertaining, Interior design, Tabletop, Travel, Video

At Home in New Orleans with Jane Scott Hodges

As the founder and owner of Leontine Linens, Jane Scott Hodges is credited with reviving the art of couture linens… Read More

At Home with Dogs and Their Designers
Books, Design, Gifts, Interior design

At Home with Dogs and Their Designers

When Susanna first suggested that I shoot the photos for her book At Home with Dogs and Their Designers, I… Read More

Shelter
Interior design, Video

Shelter

Over the course of the past year while making the book At Home with Dogs and Their Designers, Susanna and… Read More

Rockefeller Homes and Gardens
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Books, Interior design

Rockefeller Homes and Gardens

When you grew up, as I did, on the Hudson River, in the vicinity of Pocantico Hills, the Rockefeller name… Read More

At Home in Connecticut with John Robshaw
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design, Video

At Home in Connecticut with John Robshaw

With a background in fine arts and painting, John Robshaw caught the textiles bug when traveling to India in the… Read More

Haute Bohemians
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Books, Design, Interior design

Haute Bohemians

Miguel Flores-Vianna’s photographs are more than merely beautiful. They are poetic, instinctively capturing the spirit of place and the essence… Read More

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The Christmas Tablesetting Contest starts now!! Fr The Christmas Tablesetting Contest starts now!! From this moment until midnight on January 7, 2026 you can post photos of your tables to win the contest and a myriad of incredible prizes. To take part you need:

1. To post photos on a public IG account
2. ⁠To tag in the picture of your post @Academia_de_la_mesa & mention you are taking part in the Contest 
3. You can publish as many photos of your table as fit in a single POST (no reels, no stories, no videos please). We need to see AT LEAST 2 pictures of your table showing the entire table and one placesetting.
4. ⁠You can take part a maximum of 3 times, with 3 different tables (one single post for each)
That’s it!! Winners will be announced in January. Please post pictures of your own tables at home, no event or magazine pictures 🙏🏻 (and no AI). 

The winner will receive a wonderful prize of the best of the best that there is in tableware kindly donated by @alain_saint_joanis @artel_glass @noel_lingedemaison_paris and @raynaud_porcelaines AND just for taking part you will be eligible for 7 additional magnificent  prizes by @aquazzuracasa (in conjunction with @incasastudio) @elalmacendeloza @erbavoglio.milano @gordiola_vidrios @palmira_decoracion @staub.es and @thetablelove (see stories for details). (NB: unless otherwise stated by the donors all prizes will be delivered in Spain but we can help winners arrange shipping) 

We can’t wait to see your tables! Happy tablesetting with love from the jury, made up of: 
@amarosanchezdemoya @azarraluqui @bea_satrustegui @bonadeaofficial @carmencarooneill @casa__lopez @paz_qb @quintessence @raulromeropress @vanessacraccoliving and @vioscooking
Our latest video visit is here! Join me and @susan Our latest video visit is here! Join me and @susannasalk at the welcoming Connecticut retreat of designer @tamara_meadow_interiors where lake views and meaningful furnishings distinguish this stylish custom built home! LINK IN PROFILE (latest video).
While much of my tabletop arsenal is still in stor While much of my tabletop arsenal is still in storage, I managed to pull together a simple table for a small family dinner to give thanks on this special day. Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Our latest video visit is here! Join me and @susan Our latest video visit is here! Join me and @susannasalk at the glamorous Manhattan maisonette of designer @james_andrew and artist @scottmcbee41 where James magically transformed a characterless prewar apartment into a sparkling jewel box! LINK IN PROFILE (latest video).
Our latest video visit is here! Join me at the stu Our latest video visit is here! Join me at the stunning countryside home of Spanish interior designer @ludovicoporta where he transformed a ruin of an 18th century palazzo into an idyllic weekend retreat ! LINK IN PROFILE (latest video).
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