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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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Travel

At Home with Susanna Salk and Windsor Smith
Interior design, Travel

At Home with Susanna Salk and Windsor Smith

Windsor Smith embraces a style that melds modern living with old fashioned values. While she crafts luxurious homes with elegant interiors,… Read More

Beth Webb at Greystone Mansion Maison de Luxe
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Interior design, Travel

Beth Webb at Greystone Mansion Maison de Luxe

Adjoining Nina Campbell’s bedroom for Mr. Doheny, designer Beth Webb of Beth Webb Interiors created a tranquil retreat for the woman… Read More

Villa Santo Sospir
Art & Antiques, Interior design, Travel

Villa Santo Sospir

Sometimes, as you’re falling down a rabbit hole, you happen upon a rare gem. Hence this weekend treat. Jean Cocteau’s amazing Milly… Read More

Catching Up on the Road
Architecture, Interior design, Travel

Catching Up on the Road

I am on the road again and despite my best intentions, time did not allow for a full post. I… Read More

Patrick Dragonette at Maison de Luxe 2015
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design, Travel

Patrick Dragonette at Maison de Luxe 2015

When Patrick Dragonette was assigned his “Room without a View” for Maison de Luxe, he thought about what kind of room he… Read More

Timothy Corrigan at Maison de Luxe 2015
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Interior design, Travel

Timothy Corrigan at Maison de Luxe 2015

With a breathtaking setting overlooking Beverly Hills, Greystone Mansion is the spectacular location for the 2015 Luxe Magazine Maison de Luxe Designer Showhouse. A magnificent example… Read More

Luxe Magazine Greystone Mansion Showhouse Sneak Peek
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Interior design, Travel

Luxe Magazine Greystone Mansion Showhouse Sneak Peek

This week designers have been putting the finishing touches on their rooms in the Luxe Magazine Greystone Mansion Showhouse. The… Read More

Design Leadership Summit in Los Angeles
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Design, Travel

Design Leadership Summit in Los Angeles

Last week the Design Leadership Summit marked its tenth anniversary with an impressive line up of events in Los Angeles. Now over… Read More

Lake Como and Beyond | Italy Redux
Architecture, Design, Garden, Interior design, Travel

Lake Como and Beyond | Italy Redux

There is only so much I can put in a post without it becoming overwhelming and unwieldy. While I hope… Read More

The World of Romeo Sozzi and Promemoria
Design, Garden, Interior design, Travel

The World of Romeo Sozzi and Promemoria

Designer Romeo Sozzi sees the world through a lens of beauty, passion and creativity. Continually curious, endlessly inspired, he carries… Read More

A Day at Château de Vaux le Vicomte
Architecture, Garden, Interior design, Travel

A Day at Château de Vaux le Vicomte

While no doubt familiar with the palatial splendor of Louis XIV’s Versailles, what you may not know is that the inspiration, and… Read More

The Last Days of Summer
Nantucket, Travel

The Last Days of Summer

As the weekend marking the unofficial end of summer winds to a close, here’s hoping you all have a wonderful Labor… Read More

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Bridging the seasons with soft pink and amber, a b Bridging the seasons with soft pink and amber, a bevy of dahlias and beautiful hand blown Brume de Verre glasses from @ascherparis
40 years ❤️ 40 years ❤️
A magical retreat on Paros. There’s something so c A magical retreat on Paros. There’s something so compelling about the home of an artist and collector and @toddmarshard’s is as distinctive and personal as his work @Marshard.Paros . The ceramic artist has filled his stunning home with art and collections gathered over a lifetime. Our latest At Home With is now live - LINK IN PROFILE

Architecture: ALONI | Architects — Elena Terzi @iaveria & Dimitris Popotas
Nantucket baskets are suddenly everywhere this sum Nantucket baskets are suddenly everywhere this summer — filling Instagram feeds, appearing in the pages of The New York Times and garnering attention in publications around the world. Coveted by collectors and a whole new generation of enthusiasts, these iconic baskets are having an undeniable moment. Yet behind all the current excitement is a fascinating story of history, tradition, ingenuity and exceptional craftsmanship.

Five years ago, I had the privilege of making this film with @Mary_emery_design, Director of Heritage Craft for the @nantuckethistoricalassociation , exploring the history and evolution of Nantucket lightship baskets through the people who know them best. We visited master basket makers Karl and Susan Ottison, Tim Parsons and Nap Plank, and heard about legendary maker José Reyes from his son-in-law, Maurice Gibbs. We also spent time with Nantucket scrimshander Michael Vienneau, whose work illustrates another chapter in the continuing evolution of the basket.

The film was made at the time the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum became affiliated with the Nantucket Historical Association, bringing its extraordinary collection — and the stories and traditions it represents — into the care of the NHA.

With Nantucket baskets now capturing the attention of an entirely new audience, it seemed the perfect time to revisit the film and celebrate the remarkable makers, history and craftsmanship behind this enduring Nantucket tradition.

Watch the full film at the link in bio.
August, stay a while. August, stay a while.
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