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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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    • Making a House a Home: Designing Your Interiors from the Floor Up
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Travel

Looking Back to Move Forward
Art & Antiques, Fashion, Interior design, Travel

Looking Back to Move Forward

Having just immersed ourselves in the dazzling world of Duke Fulco di Verdura, it was fortuitous to learn, via T magazine,… Read More

Design Moving Forward
Interior design, Travel

Design Moving Forward

January has been flying by almost as quickly as the holidays came and went. While most vestiges of Christmas in my house… Read More

Armchair Traveler to France
Architecture, Books, Design, Food and drink, Interior design, Travel

Armchair Traveler to France

I buy design and lifestyle books for any number of reasons – for reference, for inspiration and certainly for enjoyment…. Read More

Austria in the Air and Other Online Gallavanting
Fashion, Gifts, Style, Travel

Austria in the Air and Other Online Gallavanting

You may remember last year at this time I suggested a visit to the Neue Galerie Gift Shop as all things… Read More

Giving Thanks to You
Interior design, Travel

Giving Thanks to You

Since this holiday weekend is all about giving thanks, I’d like to acknowledge the many featured guests and visitors who have helped… Read More

Stylish Shopping with Susanna Salk and Timothy Corrigan at Les Puces in Paris
Art & Antiques, Interior design, Travel

Stylish Shopping with Susanna Salk and Timothy Corrigan at Les Puces in Paris

What design maven doesn’t dream of shopping at Les Puces, the famous Paris flea market visited by thousands of designers and… Read More

Hotel Splendido Portofino
Architecture, Travel

A Walk from Santa Margherita to Portofino

After enjoying our hotel‘s bountiful buffet breakfast on our one full day in Santa Margherita, we approached the always helpful concierge to… Read More

Grand Hotel Miramare in Santa Margherita Italy
Style, Travel

(Not Quite) 48 Hours in Santa Margherita and Portofino

While less than 48 hours on the lovely Ligurian coast seems impossibly short, it was just long enough to get a… Read More

Cornucopia Magazine
Architecture, Art & Antiques, Design, Food and drink, Interior design, Travel

Cornucopia Magazine

I can still remember seeing Mica and Ahmet Ertegun’s Bodrum villa for the first time. It was decades ago in a publication… Read More

Italian Riviera collage
Travel

A Respite on the Italian Riviera

After Susanna and I wrapped up our shoot of the antiques show in Parma, we scurried over to the coast… Read More

Antiquing in Parma
Art & Antiques, Design, Interior design, Travel

Antiquing in Parma

For most of this week, I have had the privilege to be shopping the fall Mercanteinfiera in Parma, Italy. Susanna and I… Read More

Video thumbnail for youtube video osygqwn6h3o
Design, Interior design, Travel

In the Studio with Peter Fasano Unveiling his Latest Designer Collaborations

“New blood brings new ideas. It allows me to have my vision re-widened, to see things through other peoples’ eyes and… Read More

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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.
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.
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