New Year’s Movies

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   7 Comments

New Year’s Movies

Since we have a long weekend (and a freezing snowy one here in New England), it offers ample opportunity for staying in to watch some New Year’s Movies. I have posted selections of holiday movies in the past and thought I would create a mix of old and new entries here today. I shared a short clip of Indiscreet in my last post.

Directed by Stanley Donen (Singing in the Rain, Funny Face, Charade, Two for the Road etc), this 1958 romantic comedy is light entertainment with witty dialogue, chic interiors

and fabulous fashion by Dior, all of which is an expression of the era.…

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Posted in At the Movies, entertainment, film, holiday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments  

Quintessential Guide to Champagne 2017

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   6 Comments

Quintessential Guide to Champagne 2017

It’s always hard to believe when a year comes to a close. And as the new one approaches, it also means it’s time for the Quintessential Guide to Champagne 2017 edition. While I believe champagne is wonderful at any time of the year, there is no more traditional time to indulge than on New Year’s Eve. Let’s kick off New Year’s Eve in style with Cary Grant popping some bubbly for Ingrid Bergman (waiting in the bedroom beyond) in her fabulous London flat in Indiscreet. If you’ve ever wondered the how and why of champagne, read on and if you’ve visited this discussion in the past, you can hop to the end for some drinking suggestions with several new additions for this year.…

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Merry Merry

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   18 Comments

Merry Merry

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you all a very merry merry! This year for my table, I had a vision of a woodland scene, like a mini indoor forest with flowers and greens dancing down the table in a natural array. I called Karen Legan of Lemon Dahlia who a friend had used this fall to send me a lovely arrangement. Karen and I met at the house and once I explained my concept and showed her my linens and china, she immediately grasped the theme with enthusiasm.

Yesterday Karen arrived armed with gorgeous blooms and several boxes of greens and accoutrements and within a short time, had assembled my woodland dream.…

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Holiday Shopping in New Preston

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   8 Comments

Holiday Shopping in New Preston

As seems to happens ever year, the Christmas weekend has arrived sooner than somehow anticipated. I did, however, manage to meet up recently with video partner Susanna Salk for a morning of shopping in New Preston, Connecticut, a favorite destination where Susanna is lucky enough to live. This little hamlet may be tiny but is big on style. If any of you have time, I highly recommend the trip where you’ll find a plethora of options for last minute gifting. I first stopped in neighboring town Washington, where George Home was looking fresh with their signature mix of vintage, select new and bespoke offerings.…

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Posted in art, design, furniture, gifts, interior design | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments  

Setting the Table with Bunny Williams

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   11 Comments

Setting the Table with Bunny Williams

Celebrated interior designer Bunny Williams is known not only for her stunning interiors but refreshing and authentic approach to gracious living. She and husband John Rosselli entertain frequently and one of Bunny’s greatest joys is welcoming family and friends to her 18th century house in rural Connecticut. Tag along with me and Susanna Salk as Bunny shares her creative tips for setting the table with natural floral arrangements, fun collections and personal style!

Setting the table has always been a creative endeavor for Bunny. Over the years, she has collected a wide assortment of china, linens and fun accoutrements everywhere from her travels to thrift shops and tag sales.…

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Christmas on Fifth Avenue

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   8 Comments

Christmas on Fifth Avenue

Friend, designer Phillip Thomas loves the holidays and so earlier this week I stopped by to see what he was cooking up for his family’s Fifth Avenue apartment.

In a lovely prewar building overlooking Central Park, Phillip has embellished the apartment with a festive combination of greens and just enough sparkle. Against the glossy black and polished brass, the front door, above, sets the tone.

Step inside and the magic begins in the gallery where Phillip transformed a marble top console with a silk taffeta cover to literally deck the hall! Phillip’s parents entertain frequently so in order to give the decorations longevity, he mixed faux with fresh and gold and silver with greens to imbue the apartment with that special holiday glow.…

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Patrick Mele The Store

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   7 Comments

Patrick Mele The Store

Since he was a young boy, designer Patrick Mele has always wanted to have his own store. And now he officially wears two hats – interior designer and shop owner, as Patrick Mele (the store) opened yesterday to much fanfare in Greenwich, CT.

Within a 500 square foot former neighborhood grocer owned by the same family for a century, the charming shop still features the original storefront windows, tin ceiling and a small garden in the back. Patrick transformed the jewel box space with gallons of white paint covering floor to ceiling and classic track lighting to “recall the straightforwardness of an old gallery space.”

Instead of opening a design office, Mele intends the shop to showcase his style, concepts and express what is on and in his mind.…

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Posted in art, design, furniture, interior design, Shop Talk | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments  

More from Middlefield

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   10 Comments

More from Middlefield

Since Susanna’s and my video visit with Gil Schafer at his country house, Middlefield, seemed to resonate with so many, I thought, as we head into the weekend, you readers might enjoy seeing a few more shots from this gracious home.

In his new book, Gil speaks about the appeal of outbuildings and his garage is a perfect example of how an additional structure is not only functional but adds a simpler style to complement the formality of the main house.

The beautiful large windows not only add light but wonderful cross ventilation in Gil’s handsome master bedroom with Bennison’s Wheatflower on the walls.…

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The Authentics

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   5 Comments

The Authentics

In a world driven by speed, sameness and recycled imagery and content, where the word authentic is batted around as a generic adjective for the mundane and undeserving, it is a true pleasure to read photographer Melanie Acevedo‘s and Schumacher Creative Director Dara Caponigro’s new book, The Authentics.

As Dara expounds what so many of us can relate to in her introduction, “I’ve bemoaned the fact that so much of what is special in this world is disappearing…the quirky people who used to be everywhere in New York, … the intimate and interesting conversations that constantly bubbled up, uninterrupted by texts and selfies; the deep sense of discovery and wonder felt upon encountering a creative spark that felt utterly original.…

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At Home in the Country with Gil Schafer Video

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Stacey Bewkes   •   15 Comments

At Home in the Country with Gil Schafer Video

I first became familiar with architect Gil Schafer when his own country home in upstate New York, Middlefield, was published well over a decade ago. Since then, he has become known as one of the country’s greatest proponents of classic residential architecture. Using the time honored principles of classicism in a contemporary manner, he fuses the best of old and new, designing homes that have the look and ambiance of an old house yet with all the comfort and conveniences of a modern lifestyle. As a long time admirer, I am thrilled to present our latest video with Gil at Middlefield.…

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Posted in architecture, At Home with, garden, Gil Schafer, interior design, Stylish Shopping, video | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments