Join Us Around the World and At Home

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Stacey Bewkes   •   8 Comments

Join Us Around the World and At Home

While Susanna and I have often spoken together at private events and clubs across the country, we have never spoken at a Connecticut venue open to the public. So I am excited to invite all local readers and friends to come hear us at the Darien Library next Wednesday evening. As a Darien resident, I am delighted to support our incredible “new” library, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. It is a fantastic and innovative resource for our vibrant community with the highest per capita circulation in Connecticut (more than 32 items per resident checked out each year).

We will be chatting about our video series with behind the scenes footage, images and stories.…

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Posted in interior design, learning, travel | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments  

Recognizing Women in Art

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Stacey Bewkes   •   7 Comments

Recognizing Women in Art

As the new year starts, there are many auctions, exhibits and art and antiques fairs on the horizon. One of the most interesting is the “Female Triumphant Sale” coming to Sotheby’s during Masters Week at the end of the month in New York. While Old Masters has traditionally been a category reserved for male artists, Sotheby’s will be recognizing the legacy of women in art with a curated selection of paintings, drawings and sculpture of 14 leading female artists from the 16th – 19th centuries.

As gender equality continues to be addressed in many other venues, the art world is slowly catching up.…

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Posted in art, art history | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments  

Ancien et Moderne 2019 at Paris Deco Off

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Stacey Bewkes   •   4 Comments

Ancien et Moderne 2019 at Paris Deco Off

Next week marks the start of the design year with Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off 2019. And for the fourth year, Ancien et Moderne will again be presenting its signature artisanal vision with a cadre of international design talent.

illustration by B. Russell Melzer

Representing the fusion of time-honored craftsmanship with 21st century lifestyle, the salon style pop up will again be in same charming left bank location, in the heart of the Paris Deco Off action. And while I won’t be attending, I have been behind the scenes learning everything Ancien et Moderne creator, Beth Dempsey, has conceived for a theme celebrating an updated version of the timeless art deco style of the Orient Express.…

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New Soho Design Destinations – Artemest Pop Up

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Stacey Bewkes   •   5 Comments

New Soho Design Destinations – Artemest Pop Up

Few countries in the world have a legacy of luxury craftsmanship like Italy. And no other website has curated a selection of handmade Italian home decor, jewelry and fine art like Artemest. Founder Ippolita Rostagno, the acclaimed jewelry designer, has a passion for beauty, craft and artisanship and has assembled a team that travels throughout Italy to find artisans and products to feature on their site. And until the end of January, you can find Artmest in person at their exhibition-like space in Soho, where a rotating selection of pieces are on display and for sale.

Bridging the art of the handmade with modern technology, each item has a scannable QR code which shoppers can access, connecting them to more information about the piece directly on the Artemest site.…

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Movies to Celebrate and Start the New Year

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Stacey Bewkes   •   4 Comments

Movies to Celebrate and Start the New Year

Traditionally, I have posted New Year’s movie suggestions before the calendar turns its last page but with this year’s mid week holiday, lounging still seems to be on many people’s agenda, so I thought this weekend might just make for prime viewing. This compilation includes some favorites from the past and some new ones to start the new year off right!


One of my favorites that I seem to include every year is George Cukor’s 1938 classic, Holiday. Though not as well known as their other comedic collaborations such as Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant star in what is a winning romantic comedy with a great cast, witty repartee and mindful message, not to mention fabulous setting and elegant wardrobe.…

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Posted in At the Movies, entertainment, film, holiday | Tagged , , | 4 Comments  

Giving Design a Voice – A Look Back and Ahead

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Stacey Bewkes   •   34 Comments

Giving Design a Voice – A Look Back and Ahead

Welcome to 2019! As we all are celebrating the new year and thinking of what has passed and what is in store, I, along with my video partner Susanna Salk, want to thank all of you who have joined us on our design journeys around the world! Giving design a voice is our passion and we couldn’t bring you our video series without the generosity of all the hosts who have opened their doors to us thus far and those who are welcoming us in 2019. So to start off the new year in style, we have prepared a little overview that takes a look back and a peek ahead.…

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Posted in architecture, art, At Home with, garden, interior design, Quintessence video series, Stylish Shopping, video | Tagged , , , , | 34 Comments  

Quintessential Guide to Champagne 2018

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   14 Comments

Quintessential Guide to Champagne 2018

As tomorrow is (shockingly) the last day of December, the time has come for the Quintessential Guide to Champagne 2018 edition. In my book, any time is ripe for champagne, but New Year’s Eve in particular inevitably beckons some bubbly. And while I encourage all to imbibe responsibly, perhaps F. Scott Fitzgerald got it right when he said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.”

Clearly Dali and Bardot got the message! And while the elegant Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant may have used champagne to calm their nerves in Notorious,

Betty Davis knew “There comes a time in every woman’s life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne.”…

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Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   5 Comments

Merry Christmas!

I meant for this to arrive in your inboxes this morning but with the excitement of having everyone home, guests arriving, last minute wrapping and the extenuating commotion that is Christmas Eve it somehow never made it. But that now affords me the opportunity to wish all of you who celebrate, a very Merry Christmas!

Holiday tables are one of my great creative joys and this year I went with a chalet-ish theme, starting with the über charming Pierre Frey Montana fabric. A longtime favorite, it seemed the perfect pick to partner with my handsome new Christopher Spitzmiller marbleized plates.

In considering fabrics for coordinated napkins, another favorite, le Manach Plumettes, proved to be an ideal foil for adding an additional layer of nature-related pattern to the mix.…

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Setting the Table in the Hamptons with Alex Papachristidis

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   8 Comments

Setting the Table in the Hamptons with Alex Papachristidis

Staying in the Hamptons with Alex Papachristidis is like being transported to an exclusive five star hotel owned by your best friend, where you are the only guests. Known for his elegant interiors, Alex’s country home is sophisticated yet intimately welcoming, formal in style and yet casual in how he and his family live within. And his approach to entertaining is the same, echoing his passion for beauty in every aspect of the table and his life. Tag along as Susanna Salk and I visit Alex in the Hamptons as he shares his joie de vivre and tips for collecting blue and white, setting the table and nature in the decorative arts.…

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Posted in interior design, Quintessence video series, Setting the Table, Stylish Shopping, video | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments  

New Soho Design Destinations – One Kings Lane

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Stacey Bewkes   •   1 Comment

New Soho Design Destinations – One Kings Lane

My how things have changed in Soho! During the 10 years I lived there, it was primarily art-focused with galleries and a handful of restaurants predominating. Since then, the retail scene has exploded. So last month I hopped downtown to check out a couple new design destinations in the neighborhood.

After the success of their first brick and mortar store in Southampton, One Kings Lane has now opened a flagship shop in the center of Soho. In an early 19th century building with modern glass and steel annex attached,

it echoes their signature mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings, bringing their concept of residential retail to the urban market.…

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Posted in art, design, furniture, gifts, interior design | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment