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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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    • At Home with Designers and Tastemakers: Creating Beautiful and Personal Interiors
    • Making a House a Home: Designing Your Interiors from the Floor Up
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Diane James

The Shops at Target
Design, Fashion, Interior design

Made in the U.S.A. Cachet

For those of you who are as enamored of the Wall Street Journal’s Off Duty Saturday section as I, you… Read More

Blue-collage
Design, Fashion, Food and drink, Gifts, Holiday, Interior design

Cheers to the Red, White & Blue – Happy 4th of July!

Whether you’re staying home or going out, dressing up or keeping it casual, there’s a little something here for everyone!… Read More

Holly Stuart Designs
Design, Gifts, Interior design

New York Gift Fair Finds Part 1

This is going to be a year of many firsts for me – and one was my visit to the… Read More

juliska
Architecture, Books, Food and drink

Cottages & Garden’s Innovation in Design Awards

Connecticut Cottages & Gardens is one of my favorite magazines. It isn’t often that a local publication is as stylish… Read More

bar cart
Art & Antiques, Interior design

Nirvana in Westchester

This spring is hopping with design activities, from benefits and showhouses to Brimfield and Blogfest. Last week I had the… Read More

Diane Sawiki & home boutique
Interior design

Help is Here

Saturday night I was invited to the press preview of the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross‘s annual Red… Read More

dress
Gifts, Interior design

Tabletop Royalty

For those wondering what to get the royal couple, Kate and William have asked guests to make donations to selected… Read More

bernardau
Design, Entertainment, Garden, Holiday, Interior design

Holiday Preview

Last night I attended my first holiday event of the season and what a lovely introduction it was! Held at… Read More

Illustration of camera

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Five years ago today, @susannasalk and I embarked Five years ago today, @susannasalk and I embarked on our amazing journey of shooting At Home in the English Countryside: Designers and Their Dogs. Our very first shoot was with @carlosgarciainteriors at his enchanting Norfolk home. We had never met in person, yet Carlos and his partner Michael invited us to spend the night, cooking us weary travelers a delicious dinner. We will always be grateful for the most welcoming and magical start for part one of our epic trip around England (another trip the next year completed our features). Thank you Carlos, Michael and furry family members!! And of course thank you to the other 16 generous designers who opened their homes to us!
Who doesn’t love a screened porch?! Love how des Who doesn’t love a screened porch?! Love how designer @gary_mcbournie_inc and partner @w_j_richards seamlessly added one to their Nantucket home! Such a bonus for island living and best of all feels like it’s always been there! And be sure to watch (or revisit) @susannasalk and my #athomewith visit at their former Nantucket home on the Quintessence YouTube channel!
Thank you @betterhomesandgardens for including me Thank you @betterhomesandgardens for including me in your September Stylemaker issue! And 🙏🏻 to @rimasuqi for the great interview! Kudos to @steporr and team for the terrific design updates over the last year! If you haven’t picked up the magazine lately, take a look – I think you’ll be impressed!#secretsofhighlycreativepeople
Five years ago, @susannasalk and I filmed with @ti Five years ago, @susannasalk and I filmed with @timothycorrigan at his new French home, @chateau_de_la_chevallerie , then a sleeping beauty needing someone of Timothy’s talents and expertise to awaken. We’re beyond excited to be returning next month to capture it in all its current glory! Hop over to Quintessence on YouTube to see the full “before” video and stay tuned! #chateau
What is it about this long end-of-summer light tha What is it about this long end-of-summer light that evokes instant nostalgia? This was one of those evenings – beautiful, wistful, reflective in all of its senses, reminiscent of so many of these transitional summer weekends gone by. Remembering final swims, new fall wardrobes and fresh school supplies. It’s all there, decades of memories - so much has changed and yet the emotions still somehow the same.
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