As always Paris Deco Off has been a whirlwind week. Our Ancien et Moderne pop up has been hopping and I’ve been getting to as many other spaces as I can! There hasn’t been time yet for editing photos or thoughts so I leave you for now with a Paris peek with more to come!!
A quick bonjour from Paris. It was a beautiful sunny but FREEZING day as I arrived yesterday. The city is already showing signs of the festivities for Paris Deco Off, with the signature lanterns adorning the streets in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
And signs of Thursday’s opening of the event were seen with the large framed posters being delivered throughout the quarter.
First stop was the obligatory visit to the iconic Café de Flore
for a quick breakfast
And a marvelous afternoon was spent at my favorite La Tuile a Loup making final selections for the Pop Up!
Apologies for the brevity – do follow along on Instagram for more timely action.…
While both California natives, it took designers Nathan Turner and Eric Hughes years before they would have a Malibu beach home together. Always a west coast boy at heart, Nathan built a successful career in southern California as a designer, shop owner and entertaining expert. Eric in the meanwhile had bounced back and forth between coasts, first as a movie executive and then ultimately finding his calling in design, based in New York. Their place in Malibu effortlessly blends their east coast meets California surf styles. Tag along with Susanna and me as we visit the two talented designers in their welcoming beach retreat!…
Next week marks the start of the design shows in Paris as well as the second edition of our Ancien et Moderne Pop-Up. As I am prepping for Paris, I thought I would share a few finds for any of you planning a trip to the City of Lights. Meals are of course an essential element of any trip and the new volume Must Eat Paris includes a list of unconventional culinary addresses, each with their ‘must eat’ and history.
From the cult wine bar Le Verre Volé (the Rue de Lancry location)
to Guy Savoy’s elegant new location at La Monnaie de Paris, the 18th century building that once houses the Paris Mint Institute, each restaurant is chosen for its “authenticity, devotion, genuinely top ingredients and a non-nonsense attitude.”
My new favorite guide to Paris has to be Astier de Villatte’s Ma Vie à Paris.…
As we endure these tundra-like temperatures here in the northeast, it’s the perfect time to dream about a tropical destination. High on my list is the Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic. Last March was my first visit to the DR and while I didn’t have the pleasure of staying at Puntacana, I was lucky enough to be escorted there for a day of lunch and learning more about the resort.
The entity of the Puntacana Resort & Club encompasses over 26 square miles, including a variety of accommodations, spa, two championship golf courses, full service marina, restaurants, shopping village, the Puntacana Ecological Foundation and the incredible convenience of their own Punta Cana International Airport – an easy direct flight from JFK and many other locations.…
As we enter the new year, it seems the perfect time to share Louesa Roebuck’s wholly original and fresh vision on plants and floral arranging in her recent book, Foraged Flora, written with Sarah Lonsdale, co-founder of Remodelista. Organized by month, the book takes us through a year of inspiring, organic floral installations and arrangements, all created using local and foraged plants and flowers.
Beautiful and poetic with an organic point of view, the book will not only open your eyes to a new way of approaching floral artistry, but encourage you to fully appreciate and learn to see the natural beauty that surrounds you.…
It is not often that you can find amazing, visually stunning and fascinating content that is mostly appropriate for the entire family. But Planet Earth II is exactly that. Over the holidays, our family was riveted watching some of the new BBC documentary series that is a sequel to the original from ten years ago. The trailer, below, gives you a sense of the dramatic scenery, wildlife and incredible quality.
This version takes us even closer to the wildlife in breathtaking locations using new technology such as 4K high definition footage, low light and thermal cameras and drones that can capture close-up imagery of animals such as this sword-billed hummingbird, below, the only bird in the world whose beak is longer than their body.…
Now that the new year is here, the biggest design destination on everyone’s calendar is Paris for Maison et Objet and Deco Off later this month. I am thrilled to announce that Beth Dempsey and I will be presenting Ancien et Moderne 2017, our unique Paris Pop Up that debuted last year. Representing the fusion of time-honored craftsmanship with 21st century lifestyle, the space will feature an international cadre of talent.
In our same charming left bank location as last year, in the heart of the Paris Deco Off action, will be a space celebrating the best of timeless style.…
As we ease into a new year, it is about both looking back and moving forward. And these days, in our attempts to meld past and future, we often come to the intersection where tradition meets technology. In thinking of how this translates into design, I was reminded of a segment in a recent video that was not included in the final cut (the challenge of editing). Architect Peter Pennoyer‘s passion for classicism and extensive knowledge of architectural history clearly informs all his work. And while he is inspired by the past, he is not restrained by it.
Understanding the history of architecture and design provides the information and tools to move forward in a creative and original way.…
As New Year’s Eve and Day conveniently fall on the weekend this year, it’s the perfect time to publish my annual favorite movies for the holidays. There are always some classic repeats that are required holiday watching but I’ve tried to include a few new ones that I think warrant inclusion. Of course, no holiday movie list is complete without It’s a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra’s timeless classic that reminds all of us what really counts.
Classic movies for the holidays is a long list including The Bishop’s Wife, Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, Remember the Night, Christmas in Connecticut and the more contemporary Love Actually and The Holiday. …
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