Out and About Here and Across the Pond

Wardington Manor via Quintessence

For all of you who may have been wondering (or not) about my recent absence in these parts, let me take you along behind the scenes of what has been a whirlwind past few weeks. Before leaving for a trip across the pond, Susanna Salk and I were busy filming new episodes for our At Home With video series. We visited Thomas O’Brien at his extraordinary Long Island home (actually two houses), below, and charming shop, Copper Beach.

Thomas O'Brien The Library

We also filmed with Carolyne Roehm at Weatherstone, her Connecticut country home,

Carolyne Roehm Weatherstoneto celebrate her new book, Design & Style: A Constant Thread. Stay tuned for both of these episodes later this fall!!

Carolyne Roehm Design & Style

Jeffrey Bilhuber has designed a smashing collection for The Lacquer Company which was feted (and is sold) at KRB NYC. From mirrors and lamps

Jeffrey Bilhuber for The Lacquer Company at KRB NYC

to trays of all sizes, colors and configurations, it is a chic, practical and covetable collection in Jeffrey’s masterful colorful combinations!

Jeffrey Bilhuber for The Lacquer Company at KRB

Pierre Sauvage, owner of the stylish Parisian homeware emporiums, Casa Lopez, was at favorite cabinet of curiosities, Creel & Gow, for his NYC book party – the shop’s window display below.

Casa Lopez at Creel & GowAs always, it was a hopping evening with the design aficionados out in force to meet and greet and have the dapper Pierre sign their copies.

Pierre Sauvage at Creel and GowI also stopped by Christie’s, who hosted cocktails and a chat with Martina Mondadori Sartogo, Ashley Hicks and David Netto (Martina and David below)

David Netto and Martina Mondadori Sartogo at Christie's, photo Samantha Nandez:BFAphoto by Samantha Nandez/BFA

to celebrate the launch of Cabana Anthology, a new volume looking back at the first ten issues and five years of this special, intimate and maximalist publication.

Cabana Anthology

Cabana Anthology spread

Then, Susanna and I headed across the pond for our first group of shoots for Dogs and Their Designers in the English Countryside: Sharing a Stylish Life, the British sequel to the American version published last fall. We allowed ourselves a day to get acclimated to the time change and snuck in a few must-sees in London, including a private tour of the Sir John Soane Museum (thank you friends Anne Hardy and Alice Ryan Miller).

Sir John Soane Museum

For those of you who have never experienced this remarkable house museum, put it on your list for your next trip to London. It’s an inspiring singular sensation. And fittingly, below, is Soane’s gravestone for his dog Fanny.

Sir John Soane dog's gravestone

Sir John Soane museumSusanna made a point of capturing me behind the scenes all along the trip – below, mesmerized among the ancient artifacts.

Quintessence at Sir John Soane museumphoto by Susanna Salk

We were lucky to catch the tail end of the Christo’s London Mastaba, the amazing temporary floating sculpture in Hyde Park’s Serpentine Lake. The artist’s first major outdoor public work in the UK, it consisted of 7,506 barrels, weighing 650 tons, specifically made and painted for the sculpture, on a floating platform.

Christo's London Mastaba

Our first shoot took us to Norfolk, to visit designer Carlos Sanchez-Garcia, his whippets Theodora and Tristan and latest addition, Alfred, below.

Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence and designer Carlos Garcia

It’s amazing how welcoming Carlos, who we’ve only known through Instagram and his partner, Michael were, not only treating us to a lovely dinner but putting us up for the night in their charming home.

Carlos Garcia country house, photo Susanna Salk

two photos above by Susanna Salk

Carlos Garcia country houseWe then visited landscape architect, author and BBC Radio 4 host, Bunny Guinness and her dogs Grace Jones and Beatle at her beautiful house and garden in Cambridgeshire.

Bunny Guinness house in England

Susanna Salk and Bunny Guinness

Bunny Guinness house

And lest you think we were just casually popping from one house to another down the road, let me give a major shout out to Susanna, who not only expertly planned this 9 days of shoots but fearlessly drove for miles on end (on the wrong side of the road AND car) in the English countryside. Based in London, we ventured out each day to a different destination, hours out of the city, navigating endless roundabouts, impatient fast lane drivers and narrow local roads.

Veere Grenney country houseArriving at The Temple, Veere Grenney‘s gracious country house, it was a treat to see the elegant pink great room that we’d only seen in print, laden with geraniums that he grows in his green house on the property. Above, Rio, his elegant lurcher, explores near the pond.

Veere Grenney The Temple

Every house is unique and designer and antiques dealer Christopher Howe‘s Gloucestershire cottage is a clever and resourceful renovation of a small country barn, filled with carefully edited finds, each with a personal story and history.

Susanna Salk and Christopher Howe Susanna and Apollo bonded immediately.

Susanna Salk and Christopher Howe's ApolloOur next destination, Wardington Manor, home to Bridget Elworthy, half of The Land Gardeners duo with Henrietta Courtauld, is a bit like a relaxed version of Manderley, the famed fictional house in Rebecca.

Wardington ManorA rambling family home, its many generous rooms have classic bones, filled with faded chintz, comfortable sink-in sofas and receptacles overflowing with the home grown flowers

The Land Gardeners via Quintessence

they deliver weekly to lucky London recipients. If it looks like I was settled in, you would be correct – it was very hard to leave that comfortable spot!

Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence at Wardington Manor, photo by Susanna Salkphoto by Susanna Salk

The only home we could reach easily by train was Paolo Moschino’s and Philip Vergeylen’s West Sussex farmhouse.

Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen country houseThe best of both world’s, it is easily accessible from their busy lives in the city and yet totally private and bucolic with generous yard and garden.

Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence shooting Paolo Moschino country house

Their adorable French bull dog puppy, Jack, was frisky but managed to relax for a few minutes on the sofa in the chic guest cottage.

Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence shooting Paolo Moschino dogtwo photos above by Susanna Salk

Happily, Paolo was also able to film an At Home With video segment with us at his and Philip’s glamorous London apartment.

Susanna Salk and Paolo Moschino in London

Sophisticated and filled with personal treasures and collections,

Paolo Moschino apartmentthe apartment is the perfect spot for in-town entertaining and a short commute to their London shop and design studio, below.

Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd

We were thrilled that we were also able to visit with Lulu Lytle of Soane for another London At Home With video shoot. You may recognize Lulu’s distinctive apartment from Susanna’s recent Power of Pattern Book.

Lulu Lytle London apartment

And while we couldn’t include Lulu in the book since she lives in the city, we were delighted to meet Panther her whippet, below,

Lulu Lytle and her whippet Panther with Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence

and finally make the pilgrimage to Soane’s chic London outpost.

Soane Britain London shopOur final shoot for this trip was with Emma Burns, design director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, and her pug, Dahlia, at The Dovecote, her quintessential English country house.

Emma Burns and Susanna Salk

Originally purchased and renovated by her parents when she was a child, Emma has continued to work on the house over the years, updating while maintaining a classic and comfortable country feel.

Emma Burns country house

Happily, Emma’s house was not too far from Amanda Brooks’ much lauded new shop, Cutter Brooks in Stow-on-the-Wold. A stop there confirmed all the hype. Charming with tempting wares in many categories, it is definitely worth a detour if in the general area.

Cutter Brooks

The front room is dedicated to home and the rear fashion. And while I did wander to the back, it was the front room that captured my full attention.

Cutter Brooks with Atelier Vime

I loved seeing Atelier Vime represented, as well as Scanlon Apparati, la Tuile a Loup and many other favorites.

la tuile a loup at Cutter Brooks

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our home base during this trip – Kit Kemp’s stylish Haymarket Hotel, where the staff went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable.

Haymarket Hotel Londonall photos by Stacey Bewkes for Quintessence unless otherwise indicated

It was always a relief knowing we would be taken care of after a long day on the road out and about. I am already looking forward to returning next spring to shoot our next group of English designers and their dogs in the countryside. And in the meantime, stay tuned for new video visits from here and across the pond coming every month!

33 thoughts on “Out and About Here and Across the Pond

  1. This is such an interesting collection of very different styles. I really love places that reflect the personality of their residents and are created in layers over time.

  2. What a delightful post! I could spend lots of time perusing the homes and places featured here.

    • Thank you Cathy!! All of us at Quintessence is just me ;-) and with Susanna for the video series!

  3. Fabulous post… love it all… look forward to the new videos … the English countryside is just the best….thank you for all your work on this…

  4. Absolutely marvelous. I was completely transported to heaven and let the telephone ring while I immersed myself in this portfolio. And this was a mere tidbit of things to come. I actually let out sighs of pleasure and delight whenever a new pup or two were introduced. These are intensely loved homes. Nothing presented here is only of the moment, or a passing trend. One would look forward to coming home to any one of these spaces. What I saw was calm and simple luxe. I feel this is achievable because you have just presented it. Thank you ladies. Thank you!

  5. Quintessence reports The Worlds Most Beautiful Homes ! It’s Like Quintessence takes one right inside The Designers Houses !…..It’s a lot the see !

  6. Always transported to another world through your joyful, discerning eyes. Thanks for sharing your journeys with us!

  7. This post is a feast! I know I will come back to it many times. You two do such interesting things!

  8. Your posts are always so much fun and I love entering the homes you choose. You always present in such a personal way, like guests rather than a magazine shoot.
    Well done, can’t wait to see the videos!

    • Thank you Pamela – exactly my goal here and also Susanna’s and my goal with the videos – so glad you enjoy!

  9. Love living vicariously through your travels. One wonderful place after another…..hope Amanda Brooks farm & her dog Gingy are included in addition to her shop…& as a bonus, Juice???

    • Thanks Kris – it was a fantastic trip! We’re hoping to shoot Amanda on our trip in the spring – we’ll see who joins in!!

  10. Love everything in this post…so much to see! Thank you both for all of your efforts in sharing your delightful adventures with us.

  11. How fabulous! I love every photo! Just made my day. I’m in the middle of decorating two new rooms in our home and taking a break for inspiration. While recharging I opened your blog. Wow! I felt as if I was on the tour with you – inspiration was in every photo.
    Thank you! Love it! Love all your books – can’t wait for the next one!
    Please come to Hillwood museum,home and gardens in Washington DC. I think you would love it!
    Cheers!

    • Thank you Marilyn! The blog is me, the books are Susanna and the videos are both of us!! Maybe someday for Hillwood! Thank you – Stacey

  12. I live in the English countryside in an old house that we are lovingly renovating. It has a gorgeous garden which makes it feel like it’s miles away from anywhere. I stumbled on your YouTube videos which have been so enjoyable & enchanting & gave me so many great ideas for decorating. I grew up looking at my mom’s interior design books by Henrietta Spencer Churchill so my taste is very classical but I have to say every video you’ve done has been just so lovely! Just wanted to say Thank you so much for sharing with us & please keep doing what your doing! The world is a better place because of dreamers like you who combat sterility in urban architecture & domestic interior decor.

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