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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

Art Link International Karel Appel
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design

AVENUE Antiques & Art at the Armory Part II

The AVENUE Antiques, Art & Design show includes dealers in a wide variety of categories. Some are specialists while others… Read More

Milord Antiques
Art & Antiques, Design, Fashion, Gifts, Interior design

AVENUE Antiques and Art at the Armory

The AVENUE Antiques and Art show at the Armory is the premier destination this weekend in New York for anyone… Read More

My week
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Books, Design, Entertainment, Fashion, Interior design

It’s Fall – A Busy Week!

Although my favorite season has not officially begun, fall events are already in full force. It was a busy week… Read More

Mayflower Inn Shakespeare Garden vignette
Garden, Interior design, Travel

The Mayflower Inn Shakespeare Garden

While all the grounds at the Inn are beautiful and immaculately groomed, the Shakespeare Garden at the Mayflower Inn is an… Read More

Mayflower Inn spa tea
Architecture, Beauty, Garden, Interior design, Travel

The Mayflower Inn Spa

While the sumptuous Mayflower Inn is, in and of itself, enticing, it is the Spa that seals the deal. There is… Read More

Mayflower Inn porch
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Design, Fashion, Food and drink, Garden, Gifts, Interior design, Travel

Welcome to the Mayflower

A mere two hours from New York City, nestled in the heart of rural Connecticut, sits an idyllic luxury resort… Read More

Lela-Rose-ink-blue-etched-dress-for-spring-2013
Art & Antiques, Fashion

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2013 | Lela Rose

At Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Lela Rose frequently cites an artist or, in the case of last season, an architect, as… Read More

Video thumbnail for vimeo video 48943065
Design, Interior design

DwellStudio Modern Color Theory for Robert Allen Design

DwellStudio is already over a decade old – it’s hard to believe! Originally focussed on bedding, the company, founded in… Read More

Berti knife case
Design, Food and drink, Gifts

Cutting Edge Gifts for the Man Who has Everything

This month marks both my anniversary and my husband’s birthday. It’s hard enough coming up with creative gifts for a… Read More

Verdura customer cards
Architecture, Design, Fashion, Gifts, Interior design, Jewelry

New York Style at Verdura

At a recent visit to the beautiful Verdura boutique, I had the opportunity to see some highlights from the new… Read More

Masseria Castellini
Architecture, Design, Interior design, Travel

At Home in Italy

As many of us are celebrating the long weekend here in the States, perhaps some are still on vacation, enjoying… Read More

Thomasville-Reinventions-and-Cottage-collections
Design, Fashion, Interior design

High Point Happenings

Although I still can’t believe today is the first of September, this month will surely fly by. While there are… 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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