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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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Design

Robert Brown bathroom
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

Kips Bay Show House First Look

During the flurry of spring design events, Kips Bay is always on everyone’s list. This year, the anticipated show was… Read More

Lisa Mende and Traci Zeller show house
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design, Travel

Junior League Show House at Adamsleigh Continued

Today we move upstairs at the Junior League Show House in Greensboro that I visited when at High Point. It… Read More

Bradshaw Orrell Sun room
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design, Travel

Junior League Show House at Adamsleigh

Having a show house during High Point was a wonderful way to both highlight local and national talent and provide… Read More

Therien chair detail
Design, Interior design

La Cienega Design Quarter Legends 2013

It’s hard to beat the La Cienega Design Quarter in Los Angeles for its charming casually chic home shopping venue…. Read More

Christopher’s Crepes
Design, Garden, Interior design

1st Annual Garden Show at the Antique & Artisan Center

While I am currently in LA for Legends, I’m so glad I’ll be making it back in time for a… Read More

Show House at Adamsleigh Collage
Architecture, Interior design

The Junior League Show House at Adamsleigh

There have been so many notable design events of late that it has been challenging to both attend and share… Read More

Spring Show NYC Collage
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

AADLA Spring Show NYC

This year marks the third edition of the AADLA Spring Show NYC at the Park Avenue Armory. Wednesday evening I… Read More

Stylish Shopping with Susanna Salk and Miles Redd
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

Stylish Shopping with Susanna Salk and Miles Redd

Miles Redd needs no introduction among design cognoscenti. This expert mix master represents modern glamour at its best. Combining such… Read More

Archives AD Design on a Dime
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

Housing Works Design on a Dime Continued

For those who haven’t heard, this year’s Housing Works Design on a Dime was a rousing success, raising over one… Read More

D&D building
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

Join Me on Tuesday at the D&D Building

I realized that, while I made an announcement on Facebook, I never informed you readers who aren’t on social media…. Read More

High Falls Mercantile Design on a Dime
Design, Interior design

Design on a Dime 2013

Design on a Dime is one of the interior design community’s most popular events. Yesterday evening was the opening reception,… Read More

High Point style spotting
Art & Antiques, Design, Garden, Gifts, Interior design

High Point Picks

As many of you know, I have spent the last four days at High Point market, scouting the enormous variety… 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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