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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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Textiles

Paris Deco Off Preview
Design, Interior design, Travel

Paris Deco Off Preview

While I continue to edit my photos from Paris, I bring you a quick Deco Off preview. Among the showrooms I… Read More

From My Christmas Table to Yours
Holiday, Interior design

From My Christmas Table to Yours

The time has come to wish all of you who celebrate a very Merry Christmas. Longtime readers know that one of… Read More

Inside the Design Library with Beacon Hill at D&D Fall Market
Books, Interior design, Style

Inside the Design Library with Beacon Hill at D&D Fall Market

“Textile designs serve no practical function, but they can transform an environment, tell the story of a culture, symbolize a… Read More

Friday Five Favorite Finds VIII
Art & Antiques, Design, Fashion, Food and drink, Interior design, Nantucket, Travel

Friday Five Favorite Finds VIII

This week’s Friday Five Favorite Finds starts with a discovery that truly deserves its own post. But with many articles… Read More

Introducing Schumacher Couture and Classics Collections
Design, Interior design

Introducing Schumacher Couture and Classics Collections

Before the holidays I visited the Schumacher headquarters to preview their early 2016 releases. While most of you are no doubt… Read More

Video thumbnail for youtube video osygqwn6h3o
Design, Interior design, Travel

In the Studio with Peter Fasano Unveiling his Latest Designer Collaborations

“New blood brings new ideas. It allows me to have my vision re-widened, to see things through other peoples’ eyes and… Read More

Soffia B. silk robes and dressing gowns
Design, Fashion, Gifts, Interior design

Fall Product Previews

Although the last couple days have felt like monsoon season here, fall is looming on the horizon, at least according to the many… Read More

Privet Lives debuts with Madeline Weinrib
Design, Fashion, Gifts, Interior design

Welcome Privet Lives

As if the New Preston, CT outpost of Richard Lambertson’s and Suzanne Cassano’s chic shop Privet House wasn’t tempting enough… Read More

In the Pierre Frey Paris Archives with Patrick Frey
Design, Interior design, Travel

In the Pierre Frey Paris Archives with Patrick Frey

Pierre Frey is a welcome anomaly in our modern world. A luxury company, family owned, and privately held, it is… Read More

Oberkampf Fleurs Tropicales et Palmiers
Art & Antiques, Interior design

Interwoven Globe and JAR at the Met

As many of you head into the city for a holiday visit, I would encourage you to make a stop… Read More

Michele Aragon pottery
Design, Gifts, Interior design, Travel

Favorite Paris Finds | Michele Aragon

With the power of the internet and communicative nature of the blogosphere, undiscovered Paris finds are few and far between…. Read More

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Design, Interior design

DwellStudio Modern Color Theory for Robert Allen Design

DwellStudio is already over a decade old – it’s hard to believe! Originally focussed on bedding, the company, founded in… Read More

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August, stay a while. August, stay a while.
Charleston has a way of drawing people back again Charleston has a way of drawing people back again and again—and homes like this remind us why.
Tag along as designer @michaelmitchelldesigner welcomes us inside his gracious home, where layers of history, thoughtful collecting, and a deeply personal approach to design make every room a reflection of both its owner and the city itself.
LINK IN PROFILE.
One of my favorite things about setting a table is One of my favorite things about setting a table is that it never has to begin from scratch.

The most beautiful tables are collected over time—mixing old favorites with new discoveries, heirlooms with contemporary pieces, and the things you’ve loved for years with something that brings fresh perspective.

For this table, I’ve paired PeterDunham + Hudson Grace’s (@peterdunhamdesign @hudsongracesf ) beautiful salad and bread plates and napkins with Blue Carnation dinner plates, table linens, glassware, and flatware from my shop, alongside a few favorite pieces from my personal collection.

I hope this table is a reminder that you don’t need everything to match—or come from one place. The magic is in the mix. Every new piece should make you fall in love with the pieces you already own all over again.

That’s the joy of collecting—and the beauty of a table that reflects your own story.

Shop the table through link in profile
Very excited to be returning to @eleishvanbreems o Very excited to be returning to @eleishvanbreems on Nantucket for a 2 day trunk show next Thursday and Friday! If on island, do stop by! There will be many new introductions you will be the first to see!!
Some homes are beautiful. Others tell a story. Th Some homes are beautiful. Others tell a story. 
The Yucatán home of interior designer @laurakirar and architect Richard Frazier @rwf333 is both -  a masterful reflection of its surroundings, where architecture, landscape, light, and craftsmanship come together in perfect harmony.
Tag along for a visit to this extraordinary retreat and discover how years of collecting, collaboration, and creative vision shaped a house that feels deeply connected to its place. LINK IN PROFILE
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