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THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL HOTELS
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Mood of the Moment “The Christmas season is fleeting, isn’t it? But beautiful and sentimental while it lasts.” — DESIGNER RICHARD KEITH L ANGHA M The soaring 20-foot tree—trimmed with thousands of colored bulbs, foil icicles, and dime-store ornaments—inside interior designer Richard Keith Langham’s former New York City atelier rivaled the neighboring display at Rockefeller Center in size and spirit. This dinner party scene appeared in our 2008 holiday issue, and 15 years later, its merriment endures to inspire this edition’s moments of gifting and gathering, decked-out decorating (including a woodsy Langham encore on page 122), and the wonderment of global travel. As the designer reflects, “By the end of the year, we all need it.” 14 VERANDA PHOTOGR APH BY ANNIE SCHLECHTER • WRITTEN BY GR ACE HAYNES
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CONTENTS Volume 37 • Issue 6 Objects & Artifacts 28 Ringing in the Weekend Our dusk-’til-dawn holiday gift guide for the ultimate celebration with friends 40 Magic in Miniature A Connecticut home aglow in a wonderland of rare and antique German ornaments 48 Carved in Splendor Jewelry maisons seize on the ancient art of stone carving for modern sculptural baubles and objets d’art. 50 The Rich Road to Damask Shiny new woven and printed tributes for the sumptuous Silk Road descendant 54 Feast of Florals The artistry of iconic serving patterns is reimagined in four festive centerpieces. 60 12 Trims of Christmas Floral maestro Mark Thompson unleashes wild winter bounty on New Orleans’s Hotel Peter & Paul with ideas from banister to bedroom. ON THE COVER A centerpiece of peach Kensington roses and blush ranunculus conjures Imari porcelain’s elaborate illustrations. COVER PHOTOGR APH BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER ST YLING BY SAR A CL ARK FLOR AL S BY BUFF Y HARGETT MILLER 18 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPHS BY (FROM TOP) BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER, STYLING BY RACHAEL BURROW; BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER, STYLING BY SARA CLARK, FLORALS BY BUFFY HARGETT MILLER. Flowers & Gardens
Southampton · Palm Beach · Lake Tegernsee · Sylt · Munich Also available at select Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and fine jewelry stores www.tamaracomolli.com
Wanderlust & Journeys 70 Star Sojourns From Mexico and Morocco to Saudi Arabia, our 2023 World’s Most Beautiful Hotels 80 The Rides of a Lifetime Contributing travel editor Tracey Minkin sets out by rail, river, and Land Cruiser. 88 Red-Hot Round Top Alessandra Branca outfits a 1,300-square-foot bungalow for Texas guesting with Italian gusto. 96 Blending a New Noir An oenophile’s master class in creating delicious alchemy in Oregon’s Willamette valley 70 102 Craft in Translation Patek Philippe’s horological homage to Japanese stencil carving Architecture & Decoration 112 106 For the People by Design First Lady MK Pritzker and designer Michael S. Smith thoughtfully redecorate the Illinois governor’s mansion. 112 Golden Tidings The Southampton media room of designer Alex Papachristidis dazzles for holiday dinner. 122 Revelry in the Pines Richard Keith Langham raises the bar on rural refinement with a Mississippi hunting lodge. 130 Now Serving: A Radiant Glow-Up Daring color reigns in the most social spots in the house, from a crimson kitchen to a mint bar. IN EV ERY ISSUE 14 24 134 136 Mood of the Moment Editor’s Letter The Sourcebook Designer Confidential G ET MO RE V E R A N DA E ACH W E E K ! Sign up for a free weekly newsletter from our editors with designer spaces and fresh ideas for indoors and out, plus our favorite new products. Visit signup.veranda.com. 20 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPHS BY (FROM TOP) TRACEY MINKIN; ALISON GOOTEE, STYLING BY DAYLE WOOD. 116 A Very Merry Menagerie Palm Beach design matriarch Mimi McMakin delights in enchanting yuletide theater.
Photographed at The Boston Athenaeum © 2023 Kravet Inc. LEEJOFA.COM
Editor in Chief HEARST MAGAZINES ADVERTISING STEELE THOMAS MARCOUX I N D UST RY L E A D E R S H I P Design Director VICTOR MAZE Executive Editor ELLEN M C GAULEY Managing Editor AMY LOWE MITCHELL Deputy Editor, Digital JAIME MILAN Food, Pharma, Liquor, CPG & Pet PATRICIA HAEGELE Fashion & Luxury HALEY BACHMANN Beauty, Wellness & Mass Retail ELIZABETH WEBBE LUNNY Home & Design JENNIFER LEVENE BRUNO Travel, Tech, Finance & Outdoor CHRIS PEEL STY L E & M A R K ET Style Director RACHAEL BURROW Associate Style & Market Editor SARA ELLIS CLARK C AT EG O RY L E A D E R S KAREN DEUTSCH, DAN FUCHS, CHRISTINE L. HALL, DAVID HAMILTON, RW HORTON, BRIDGET McGUIRE, JEANNE NOONAN, COURTNEY PAPPAS, SARA RAD, JULIE SPITALNICK, BILL UPTON, JOHN WATTIKER, E D I TO R I A L TARA WEEDFALD Senior Home & Garden Editor GRACE HAYNES Assistant Managing Editor MADOLINE KOONCE Copy/Research Editor KATHLEEN PENTON Assistant Editor SARAH D I MARCO V E RA N DA Vice President of Marketing JULIA FRY Brand & Content Strategy MATTHEW HARE Office Manager DEJA STEPHENS FINANCE & OPERAT IONS A RT & P H OTO G RA P H Y Group Finance Director BRIAN M C COACH Director, Advertising Services MERRILL DIAMOND Visual Director KATE PHILLIPS Art Director JULIA LUDLAM Visual Editor IAN PALMER Staff Photographer BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER H E A R ST M AGA Z I N ES Chief Marketing Officer TODD HASKELL Hearst Media Solutions TOM KIRWAN Hearst Data Solutions MIKE NUZZO H E A R ST V I S UA L G R O U P Deputy Visual Director ULRIKA THUNBERG Visual Production Coordinator TEMIRA GREENE Chief Media Officer JEFFREY W. HAMILL Advertising Revenue Operations RACHAEL SAVAGE Agency Relations LESLIE PICARD CO N S UM E R M A R K ET I N G CO N T R I B U T I N G E D I TO R S Vice President RICK DAY Design JOY MOYLER Interiors CAROLYN ENGLEFIELD Travel TRACEY MINKIN Research Editor STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE P U B L I S H E D BY H E A R ST President & Chief Executive Officer STEVEN R. SWARTZ Chairman WILLIAM R. HEARST III Executive Vice Chairman FRANK A. BENNACK, JR. Executive Director, Public Relations CARRIE CARLSON V E RA N DA P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . VERANDA Founder LISA NEWSOM President DEBI CHIRICHELLA Global Chief Revenue Officer LISA RYAN HOWARD E D I TO R IA L O F F I C E S 2901 2nd Avenue South, Suite 170 Birmingham, AL 35233 Chief Content Officer KATE LEWIS Chief Financial & Strategy Officer; Treasurer REGINA BUCKLEY Senior Vice President, Consumer Revenue & Development BRIAN MADDEN President, Hearst Magazines International JONATHAN WRIGHT Secretary CATHERINE A. BOSTRON C U STOM E R S E R V I C E CALL: 1-800-767-5863 Publishing Consultants GILBERT C. MAURER, MARK F. MILLER EMAIL: VERcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com VISIT: veranda.com/service WRITE: Customer Service Dept., VERANDA P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593 22 VERANDA P R I N T E D I N T H E U. S . A . VERANDA assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts; submissions not returned without stamped, self-addressed envelope.
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Editor’s Letter My dress is by Marie Oliver; the chair is from Design Supply, covered in Jim Thompson fabric. The curtains feature a Jasper fabric. I traveled to Japan for the first time for an immersion into the world of Swiss watchmaking. Yes, you read that correctly: I was there for the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, a biennial installation the manufacture holds in a unique market. For two weeks, the company welcomed 60,000 visitors into a nearly 27,000-square-foot exhibit to experience the extraordinary world of Patek. In addition to the display of 190 antique and noteworthy timepieces from its museum in Geneva, artisan demonstrations, and multisensory presentations of two centuries of timepiece innovation, the exhibition featured six limited edition introductions, including a new self-winding Quadruple Complication (so named for its minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and twin chronographs) and the first World Time watch equipped with a date display synchronized with local time (collectors, take note). ARLIER THIS YEAR, While the narrative of the exhibit centered on Patek’s heritage, craftsmanship, and artistry, a stirring subplot of cultural exchange unfolded in the most exquisite way: The manufacture presented a collection of 40 timepieces showcasing rare handcrafts of miniature painting on enamel, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, and microwood marquetry thoughtfully inspired by Japanese art, history, and landscape (see page 102 for its tribute to katagami, or stencil carving). When I asked Patek President Thierry Stern about what prompted these faithful homages in craft, he said: “When I was younger, my dad told me, ‘To know and to understand the product, you have to travel. You have to visit the world. You have to listen to people. You have to look around you. Everything is there.’ That’s what is driving me today.” Witnessing the meticulous Swiss artistry and the Japanese awe and appreciation in response was a powerful reminder of how what we make—and collect—reflects a bit of who we are. It’s as true about textiles, tableware, and holiday traditions as it is about timepieces. In addition to an abundance of festive decorating inspiration, this issue features our annual special travel section, Wanderlust & Journeys (p. 68), with stories about the World’s Most Beautiful Hotels (p. 70), rediscovering the romance of classic journeys (p. 80), and the art of blending wine (p. 96), to name a few. I hope it awakens your desires to look around, listen, and visit the world. ED ITO R IN CHIEF EMAIL: steele@veranda.com INSTAGRAM: @steelemarcoux WIN THESE CHA MPAGNE CUPS! VERANDA FIVE NEW DESIGN BOOKS WE’RE GIFTING THIS YEAR Steele Thomas Marcoux We’re giving away these Eleish Van Breems x Augarten Champagne cups, featured on page 30. Visit sweepstakes.veranda.com (see page 135 for details), and enter for a chance to win. Retail value: $470 24 Editor’s Bookshelf FROM TOP: VERANDA Simply Chic by Stephanie Hunt (Hearst Home) • Ralph Lauren: A Way of Living by Ralph Lauren (Rizzoli) • The Art of Home by Sara Story (Rizzoli) • Alexa Hampton: Design, Style, and Influence by Alexa Hampton (Clarkson Potter) • Home: The Residential Architecture of D. Stanley Dixon by D. Stanley Dixon (Rizzoli) PORTRAIT, BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER; HAIR AND MAKEUP STYLING BY CELINE RUSSELL/ZENOBIA. Lessons in Time Travel
THE BEST GIFTS FOR WEEKEND MERRYM AKING, F R O M A R R I VA L S TO AFTER HOURS • AN ENCHANTING COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE GERM AN ORNA MENTS • T H E L AT E S T C A R V E D S TONE BAUBLES , BOWL S, AND BOXES • DA M A SK ’S SILKEN TE X TILE LEGACY SHINES ANEW IN WOVEN AND PRINTED TRIBUTES 26 VERANDA
For the aspiring grand master on your list, an impossibly chic art glass chess set by Jeffrey Andrews for Harvey’s on Beverly. Checkmate. Playing cards, Smythson. • Simile small wine glasses, ABC Carpet & Home. • Raindrop earrings, Harakh. • Art glass chess set, Chairish PHOTOGR APH BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER ST YLING BY R ACHAEL BURROW AND SAR A CL ARK VERANDA 27
G D N I N G E N K I E R the WE in Pop the Champagne: It’s our dressed-up, dusk’til-dawn HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE for the ultimate celebration with friends. So drop your bag and freshen up, and we’ll see you downstairs. Cocktails are at six. For buying information, see page 30. 28 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPHY BY BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER • PRODUCED BY RACHAEL BURROW AND SARA CLARK • WRITTEN BY ELLEN McGAULEY
Objects & Artifacts 4 3 5 9 8 7 2 6 11 1 PAGE 28, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Scallopino bedding, Schweitzer Linen. • Clawfoot Opaline glass box, Loren Hope. • Jardin cache-pot, CeCe Barfield. • Velvet Venetian mules, Le Monde Béryl. • Velvet quilt, Biscuit Home. • Luggage stand, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. • Paravel Main Line duffle, The Travel Studio. ABOVE: 1. Scala Insignia clutch, CH Carolina Herrera. 2. Wave cocktail napkin, Matouk. 3. Gems cocktail glass, LSA International. 4. Bubble vase, March. 5. Augarten Champagne cup, Eleish Van Breems. 6. Radiant Gold eye shimmer and Lip Cristal, Chantecaille. 7. Reine de Naples 8918 watch, Breguet. 8. Bal d’Afrique perfume, Byredo. 9. Venini Murano frame, Found by Maja. 10. Creart Doge glass box, Artemest. 11. Mint Green earrings, Mateo. For other buying information, see The Sourcebook, page 134. 30 VERANDA BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH, LISA-BLUE/GETTY IMAGES. 10
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Obj ects & Artifacts 6:42 p.m. Gamers’ Cocktail Hour Herend’s cheeky porcelain dominoes tease a crowd for whom games are both gift and ceremony. A lapis and brass playing card case for the ace among them, Dior’s embroidered backgammon set for the dueling classicists, and the Prohibition-chic shaker and hand-cut Japanese martini glasses? Clutched tightly by all, particularly spectators whispering around the loungy perimeter. May the best guest win. 2 1 3 7 4 5 8 6 ABOVE: 1. Match Pewter Custom engraved cocktail shaker, Weston Table. 2. Tiffany & Co. Sterling scalloped bowl, Croghan’s Jewel Box. 3. Embroidered backgammon set, Dior. 4. Haruya Hiroshima Layer martini glasses, Roman and Williams Guild. 5. Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date watch, Vacheron Constantin. 6. Cassiel mosaic card set, Aerin. 7. Dominoes, Herend. 8. Brass mistletoe, Amy Meier. For other buying information, see The Sourcebook, page 134. 32 VERANDA
Objects & Artifacts 5 4 3 6 2 7 1 9:50 p.m. Elegant After-Dinner Banter 34 VERANDA 8 In flickering candlelight, the laughter-streaked thread of conversation snakes around the table well into the evening. Like prodding companions, sinuous, ’70s-cool patterns mirror the fluidity of conversation, from potter Sylvie Saint-André Perrin’s marbled urn (genius as a wine cooler) to Pinto’s rattan-inspired plates and Muranese tumblers that read like aqueous modern art, coaxing guests to linger a bit longer. ABOVE: 1. Roma napkins, Sferra. 2. Jeweled Bark ear clips, Mish Fine Jewelry. 3. Glam Stripe II tablecloth, Casamota. 4. Murano glass tumblers, R. Runberg Curiosities. 5. Sylvie Saint-André Perrin Marbled urn, John Derian. 6. Bianca collar, Jenna Blake. 7. Squiggle 5-piece cutlery set, Misette. 8. Vannerie Cottage plate set, Pinto. For other buying information, see The Sourcebook, page 134.
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Objects & Artifacts 1 1:21 a.m. A Glowing Nightcap Nibble The queen of late night rolls out bites and cordials in warm metallics and etched glass that catch light from a roaring hearth. Their star: a silver swing-arm aperitif service that slides down tables (perfect for roving guests). Dishes in freeform polished brass easily pass from lap to floor, while a regal stone and wood inlay tray mimics swirling malachite, as hypnotic as the low-lit atmosphere. 2 8 6 7 5 9 3 4 ABOVE: 1. La Double J Costiera dessert plate, Design Supply. 2. Young Huh Victoria Polished dish, Modern Matter. 3. Silver aperitif service, Houses & Parties. 4. Eclisse Endless necklace, Vhernier. 5. Alex Cobblestone bracelet, Single Stone. 6. Natalia Whiskey decanter and snifters, Vietri. 7. Dice cocktail napkins, Elizabeth Lake. 8. Babylone small bowl, Christofle. 9. Sapian Bay tray, Wildwood. For other buying information, see The Sourcebook, page 134. 36 VERANDA
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Objects & Artifacts 3 2 4 1 5 7 6 9:15 a.m. Late Riser Breakfast in Bed 38 VERANDA Inviting guests to ease into the day, the host assembles a warmly personal morning greeting: croissants and berries on earthen terre mêlée plates she picked up in France, with fresh juice in a melon-hued, mouth-blown glass jug and tumbler by favorite artist Helle Mardahl. A soft knock at the door, a fragrant offering atop a woven tray, and just like that, the swap of late-night stories begins. With it, a new day’s roster of merriment. ABOVE: 1. Hadley tray, Sharland England. 2. Bon Bon jug and water glass, Helle Mardahl Studio. 3. Catherine Rivière necklace, Larkspur & Hawk. 4. Terre Mêlée dinner and dessert plates, SL & Co. Shop. 5. Botany napkin, Maison Venu. 6. Crosshatch throw, Sunbrella. 7. Ann Mashburn Buckle shoes, Lé Weekend. For other buying information, see The Sourcebook, page 134.
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WIT T Y WINTER TABLE AU The sunroom’s window display features roughly 250 glass ornaments—ranging from merry snowmen to devilish Krampus designs, fairies with floral hats to pretty dogs and cats (purposefully distanced from each other)—arranged as vignettes on a goose feather tree. Collectors Bill Miller and Paul Landy spend more than 100 hours setting their Connecticut home aglow in a wonderland of rare and antique German ornaments. IN 40 VERANDA PHOTOGR APHY BY DAVID PRINCE • PRODUCED BY DAYLE WOOD • WRITTEN BY ALICE WELSH DOYLE
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Objects & Artifacts HIGH TOA ST TO THE COSMOS “I call this my ethereal tree,” says Miller of the living room’s heavenly arrangement, where a tabletop tree is adorned with ornamental figures that float and fly, “celestial bodies such as moons, suns, and angels and things of the air—birds, butterflies, parachutes, dirigibles, and the like.” U R H O M E I S L I K E A T I M E C A P S U L E ,” says Bill Miller of the restored 1773 Connecticut home he owns with his partner, Paul Landy. It’s a melding of period architectural styles both Federal and Greek Revival with abundant tweaking over its long life, he explains, “neglected for about 40 years when Paul and I purchased it five years ago. We completely renovated it and now it has the spirit of a ‘new’ old house.” Filled with 42 VERANDA fine early 19th-century American classical furnishings and Grand Tour objects with some Black Forest thrown in for fun, during the holidays it serves as an enchanted canvas for their collection of antique German ornaments and other collectibles—many of them extraordinarily precious—from delicate hand-painted glass baubles and a gnome diorama housed inside a suitcase to old green goblets deaccessioned from a museum. A love for holiday decorating began early in life for both Landy, director of a New York–based museum, and Miller, a retired banker. But it shifted into a passionate devotion over a decade ago when Miller discovered circa 1900 to 1940 German glass ornaments at an antiques show. “I had never seen anything like them before,” he says. “The fragility of these ornaments fascinated me; they are as thin as a sheet of paper. I quickly became obsessed.” Now a collection of more than 600 adorns three antique goose feather trees while a fourth tinsel tree from Landy’s collection displays a few dozen leaded silver ornaments. While the collecting is serious, the presentation is full of studied charm; thematically oriented, each feather tree is arranged with carefully chosen vignettes like chapters in a fairy tale. Like a page-turner read under the glow of a winter fire, the story is one of individual and shared passions of Landy and Miller, imparting a magical curiosity at every turn. ✦
Objects & Artifacts KINGS OF CHRISTM A S PA ST CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: A metal suitcase diorama that Landy found at auction opens to reveal a gnome village; he outfitted it with custom illumination. • A German-made Benjamin Franklin ornament, originally imported by Woolworth and sold for around 25 cents, is the only one believed to be in existence today. • Antique glass icicles drape a 1970s tinsel-wrapped tree, joining leaded silver ornaments from the Saxony region dating from around 1850 to 1900. • Miller (at right) and Landy with Atticus—“a real Heinz 57 mix,” Miller jokes—in front of their 1773 Connecticut home 44 VERANDA
Objects & Artifacts FANTA SY SUPPER CLUB The couple rack up quite the guest list with the merry troupe dangling from their dining room tree: Elevated on an 1820s mixing table, the display “shows the evolution of Santa, from a thin 11th-century bishop to today’s jolly version,” says Miller. “The figure on the ladder [inset] is a Brownie, a comic strip character created by illustrator Palmer Cox in the 1880s that was a phenomenon during that time.” The green Georgian and Regency period glassware is antique. JOY TO THE WHIRL Lighting the candles on this circa 1900 German wooden pyramid sends heat to the pinwheel, causing the top to spin. “It’s a wonderful effect if we can get it to work—it’s very temperamental!” notes Miller. The economical Germans would reuse the figurines for a variety of exhibits, like the bottom tier’s sheep in a Nativity display and the top tier’s wooden folks people in a Noah’s ark set crafted within the same period. “The fragility of these ornaments fascinated me; they are as thin as a sheet of paper. I quickly became obsessed.” — HOMEOWNER BILL MILLER 46 VERANDA
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in A ravishing new stone age unfolds as jewelry maisons seize on the ancient art of stone carving, turning out a spate of sculptural baubles and objets d’art. A S B L U E - C H I P ACC E N T S ↘ Coveted lapis is carved into a floral motif to crown a petite aventurine box— a genius layering of midnight-hued stones. PHOTOGR APHY BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER PRODUCED BY R ACHAEL BURROW WRITTEN BY ELLEN McGAULEY 48 VERANDA
↙ A S Q U E E N LY VA N I T Y V E SS E L S Ancient Egyptian Coptic cosmetic jars inspired Loren Nicole’s rock crystal bowl with a 22K gold lid that doubles as a regal pendant. AS PRECIOUS HUES IN JEWELS ↘ Tony Duquette mixes rubies, emeralds, and diamonds with sculpted agate and tourmaline for a breathtaking cohort. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ebony, lapis, turquoise, and diamond necklace, Haute Victoire. • Smoky quartz vessel, Loren Nicole. • Large agate box with carved jadeite centerpiece and finials, Seaman Schepps. • Nephrite jade and gold saddle cuff, Belperron. • Rock crystal vessel, Loren Nicole. • Ruby, dyed agate, emerald, tourmaline, and diamond necklace, Tony Duquette. • Pyxis earrings, Prounis. • No. 146 cuff, Verdura. • Small blue aventurine box with lapis carving, Seaman Schepps. • Carved emerald, yellow sapphire, and mother-of-pearl earrings, Tony Duquette. • For fabric and wallcovering information, see The Sourcebook, page 134. VERANDA 49
Objects & Artifacts The ch ad BELOW: A pair of handwoven silk damasks that date to the 1700s, including a robe à l’anglaise (left) likely crafted of repurposed fabric swathing walls of palazzi and châteaus of medieval and Renaissance Europe, not to mention dinner tables and even well-to-do women. Though damask first emerged in the third century BCE, when Chinese weavers used one warp and one weft thread to create opulent, reversible topographies of silk that draped the shoulders of emperors, it gained its moniker when Syrian merchants introduced the fabric to European weavers. In western hands it became damask, for the trading post it arrived from, and took on symmetrical patterns of flowers, feathers, and fruit that became forever linked to the technique. Today’s wave suggests another resonant rediscovery with Nobilis’s channeling of a Mediterranean paradise, Cowtan & Tout’s rustic expressions in linen, and Chelsea Textiles’ “sun-faded” Venetian Damask that sings of distant ports and whispers of old-world fever. ✦ I 50 T WA S T H E U LT I M AT E W E A LT H S I G N I F I E R , VERANDA TOP, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Alexandria fabric, Nobilis. • Rinceau Scrolls trim, White River. • Braquenié Clery fabric, Pierre Frey. • Ruskin fabric (on lamp base), Colefax and Fowler. • Early 19th-century French side table, Lolo French Antiques. • Venetian Damask fabric (on sofa), Chelsea Textiles. • Namay Samay Bernard fabric (bolster), John Rosselli & Associates. • Pavone fabric, Pintura Studio. • Estate Damask fabric, Scalamandré PHOTOGR APHY BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER • PRODUCED BY SAR A CL ARK • WRITTEN BY TR ACEY MINKIN ROBE À L’ANGLAISE, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART/PURCHASE, IRENE LEWISOHN BEQUEST, 2018; GREEN SILK DAMASK, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART/ROGERS FUND, 1909. to
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REIM AGINING FOUR BELOVED S E R V I N G P AT T E R N S THROUGH FLOR AL S • 12 J OYO U S TRIMMINGS IDEAS, S TA R R I N G F R E S H LY C L I P P E D G R E E N E R Y, FRUITS, AND BLOOM S 52 VERANDA
A bucolic brown-andwhite transferware pattern blooms to life in a centerpiece of roses, tulips, ranunculus, and seeded eucalyptus spilling over a vintage tureen. PHOTOGR APH BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER ST YLING BY SAR A CL ARK FLOR AL S BY BUFF Y HARGETT MILLER VERANDA 53
OF The good china as you’ve never seen it: Birmingham floral designer Buffy Hargett Miller reimagines the artistry of iconic serving patterns in four festive centerpieces. The New Royal Botanicals — Pinto Feuillages dinner and soup plates, Ellis Hill 54 VERANDA Alberto Pinto’s Feuillage pattern pays vivid homage to Chelsea porcelain’s botanical collection, a prized acquisition of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, with hand-painted herbarium-like studies of flora and fauna on Limoges porcelain. Miller reprises the naturalist scene with regal lavender anemones and magenta Astrantia mixed with chartreuse hydrangeas. Spiky veronicas lend an English garden feel, plus enticing perches for butterflies. PHOTOGR APHY BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER • PRODUCED BY SAR A CL ARK FLOR ALS BY BUFF Y HARGETT MILLER • WRITTEN BY GR ACE HAYNES
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Flowers & Gardens Humble, Rosy Romanticism — It was caviar taste on a tuna fish budget. Transferware sported designs as refined as its fine china contemporaries but sold at a much lower price, thanks to a new copperplate printing method developed in Staffordshire in the late 18th century. Here, Miller recreates the pottery’s pastoral scenes with a cottage garden–inspired arrangement of Tinkerbell garden roses, spray roses, and tulips in mellow, muted tones; slim, meandering willow branches retrace the finely drawn lines of the floral artistry. Vintage transferware tureen, Nickey Kehoe A Golden Imitation Game — Although the Netherlands’s famed tin-glazed earthenware seized on the blue-and-white boom of Chinese porcelain, the Dutch’s rustic spin—known as delftware, depicting sailboats, songbirds, and European garden scenes—was masterful in its own right. Drawing on this circa 1780 dish’s mimosa leaf motif and mustard slip painted edge, Miller mixed the flowering yellow branches with golden tulips and lemony butterfly ranunculus. Blue antique hydrangeas star as nods to the cobalt oxide used to color the porcelain—imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, after all. Blue and white delft dish, Bardith 56 VERANDA
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Flowers & Gardens A Blooming Sunset Tapestry — In 1616 ceramicists in Arita, Japan, conceived of Imari ware by wheeling local kaolin clay into porcelain and adorning it with textile-inspired illustrations of elaborate flowers. Here, the ruffled petals of peach Kensington roses and ranunculus in shades of butter and blush conjure Imari’s ornate, densely patterned designs, while scarlet tulips, blue thistle, and silver dollar eucalyptus revive the pieces’ saturated underglazes. Antique Chinese Imari porcelain charger, Bardith Buffy Hargett Miller is a Birmingham, Alabama-based artist, stylist, and floral designer as well as the owner and creative director of Buffy Hargett Flowers. buffyhargettflowers.com 58 VERANDA
12 tMs of PHOTOGR APHY BY CEDRIC ANGELES PRODUCED BY R ACHAEL BURROW TRIMMINGS BY M ARK THOMPSON Floral maestro Mark Thompson unleashes wild winter bounty on New Orleans’s Hotel Peter & Paul with ideas from banister to bedroom, off-kilter garlands to a cure for the common fruit bowl. 60 VERANDA LOCATION, HOTEL PETER & PAUL. OPPOSITE: PORTRAIT, WES FRAZER. WRITTEN BY GR ACE HAYNES
1. Storybook Swags A magnolia garland mixes with sprays of Leyland cypress, draping both sides of the banister (opposite) “as if the birds in Cinderella hung it,” says Thompson. Taupe and blue Samuel & Sons silk tassel tiebacks knotted into shoestring-like bows secure it for quite the fairy-tale ending. Mark Thompson is a Birmingham-based interior, garden, and floral designer. Follow him @markg.thompson. 2. Warm Notes of Citron “To me, citron is the color of Christmas,” says Thompson, channeling memories of his mother’s orange-and-clove arrangements into an airy, organic centerpiece of wisteria greenery and Christmas ferns with clementinehued standard and parrot tulips fanning out from an antique iron urn. VERANDA 61
Flowers & Gardens 3–8. Berries, Bows, and Pretty Bedposts ABOVE, FROM LEFT: An ethereal swathe of plumosa fern brings a vintage woodland tapestry back into the wild. “A thin garland feels elegant,” says Thompson. • A white pine wreath hung with a gold-embroidered trim by Houlès draws beauty from simplicity (and spins a little cockeyed). • An asymmetrical Fraser fir garland framing a doorway is garnished with jewel-toned pomegranates that mimic glass ball ornaments dangling from the boughs of a Christmas tree. Tassel tiebacks, Houlès. BELOW, FROM LEFT: Foraged Fraser fir, nandina, and ilex berries gather easily atop a Federal-style armoire like jovial friends settling in for a nightcap. • Holiday romance abounds with a leafy mistletoe branch hung with silk citron and velvet olive ribbons threaded through an antique mirror. • Humble handmade swags of black juniper berry and boxwood are dressed up with black velvet bows and join a crowning boxwood wreath, emphasizing the canopy bed’s lithe wrought-iron architecture. 62 VERANDA
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Flowers & Gardens 9. Manteltop Festoon Artfully Askew A sinuous swag of Fraser fir swoops into a guest room’s gilded mirror. “It hangs almost precariously across the mantel,” he says, adding wisteria branches for texture and clusters of golden quince to echo the glow of candlelight. Foragers can substitute privet or ivy clippings for the wisteria, Thompson notes. 64 VERANDA
Flowers & Gardens 10. A Forest of Evergreen Garlands Flourishing boughs of yaupon holly (hearty woody branches with red berries) filled with additional clippings of pine, Leyland cypress, winged elm, Fraser fir, and boxwood emulate the front doors’ dramatic scale. Tidy boxwood wreaths, hung with a braided citron border (Samuel & Sons), balance the free-form garland. 11. Winter Whites Untamed Loose clippings of black pine and Fraser fir spill over a papier-mâché basket with pearly garden roses, tulips, and flowering quince. Thompson’s design ethos of bringing the beauty of nature indoors shines especially bright during the holiday season, he notes, “when our decorating traditions call for bringing the outside in.” 12. A Vivid Citrus Still Life A shining moment for the holiday fruit basket: Thompson filled a vintage silver-plated punch bowl with oranges and then on top staked layers of limes, Meyer lemons, oranges, and blood oranges to create a voluminous centerpiece for bars or tables. Cut fruits and lemon tree blossoms lend an irresistibly fragrant finishing touch. 66 VERANDA For buying information, see The Sourcebook, page 134.
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FROM ME X ICO TO MOROCCO, OUR 16 MOST BE AUTIFUL HOTEL S IN THE WO RLD • WRITER TR ACE Y MINKIN REVISITS THREE CLASSIC R O M A N T I C V O YA G E S • A R O U N D TO P G UE S T B UNGA LOW BY ALESSANDR A BR ANCA • WINE BLENDING IN OREGON’S W I L L A M E T T E VA L L E Y • A STENCILED TRIUMPH FROM P AT E K P H I L I P P E ’ S W AT C H A R T T O K Y O 68 VERANDA
The divine end of the road: Amid rice fields, waterfalls, shrines, and the jungles of central Bali, you find the luxury resort Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape. PHOTOGR APH COURTESY OF BANYAN TREE GROUP VERANDA 69
STAR SOJOURNS 70 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPHS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) COURTESY OF GRAND HOTEL SON NET; COURTESY OF ROBERT RIEGER; COURTESY OF ELIN ENGELSVOLL. Age-dimpled beams, banana-leaf courtyards, vivid tilework: The year’s 16 BEST HOTELS and villas, manor houses and balés shine as ambassadors of their habitats from rowhouse-rich London to the rocky river banks of South Africa.
World’s Most Beautiful HOTELS 2023 Grand Hotel Son Net Aman New York NEW YORK FORSAND, NORWAY MAJORCA, SPAIN In New York’s 1921 Crown Building, transformed by architect Jean-Michel Gathy, an aura of discreet and exclusive calm pervades, from the entry’s glass fireplace to the 25,000-square-foot spa complete with a 65-foot swimming pool and cryotherapy chamber. When Tom Bjarte Norland bought land overlooking a world-famous fjord, he imagined a set of hermit huts. Taking innovative form, these arose as a quartet of modernist cabins by Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta that levitates reverently amid pines. Hermits welcome. What becomes a 17thcentury Majorcan estate? Designer Lorenzo Castillo’s historically cohesive vision for its restoration. Gathering spaces and 31 suites thrill with the decorative bravura of Mediterranean Baroque and Iberian Peninsula style. It’s a whole new aristocracy. —STEELE THOMAS MARCOUX PRODUCED AND WRITTEN BY TR ACEY MINKIN The Bolder VERANDA 71
Portrait Milano Villa Mabrouka MILAN TANGIER, MOROCCO Who better to wow in Italy’s fashion capital than Ferragamo? Its Lungarno Collection has restored a 16th-century seminary, bestowing a coutureworthy makeover with designer Michele Bönan’s vivid colors and pattern. A true runway moment. British designer Jasper Conran’s elegantly restrained hand has refashioned Yves Saint Laurent’s famed 1940s escapist hideaway as a seaside hotel that enchants with period fixtures, Roman busts, and bejmat and zellige tiles. Boys Hall KENT, ENGLAND After falling in love with a 1600s Jacobean manor in the country, Londoners Kristie and Brad Lomas sought local experts for historic restoration guidance, then dressed the rooms in fresh bucolia. The result: a relaxing rural getaway to lure city folk. 72 VERANDA Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort PUNTA MITA, MEXICO Biophilic design meets Mexican craft in 15 safaristyle tents across the resort’s 48 acres of forest, where regional artisans’ imprint prevails in bespoke fabrics and furniture that feel at home in nature. —SARAH D I MARCO PHOTOGRAPHS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COURTESY OF PORTRAIT MILANO; COURTESY OF ANDREW MONTGOMERY; COURTESY OF NAVIVA, A FOUR SEASONS RESORT; COURTESY OF MARK ANTHONY FOX. Wanderlust & Journeys
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Wanderlust & Journeys Vermelho After a long-standing affair with the Portuguese countryside, Christian Louboutin makes the relationship one for the ages with his first hotel. Designed by architect Madalena Caiado, the interiors take virtuoso maximalist (and high craft) turns directed by the designer’s friends Carolina Irving and Patricia Medina. 74 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF VERMELHO. MELIDES, PORTUGAL
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Wanderlust & Journeys Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection GARDINER, NEW YORK This jewel of the Hudson valley hotel renaissance takes notes from its farm-to-mountain setting, channeled by New York design studio Ward + Gray’s layered, collected interiors that lean into the region’s deep history of craft. Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape Our Habitas AlUla BALI, INDONESIA Natural and man-made wonder meet in this Ashar valley hotel. Nestled between ancient sandstone canyons, find eco-friendly glass villas, contemporary art installations like neon rock gardens, and an infinity pool that mimics a mirage. —JAIME MILAN Beaverbrook Town House LONDON It’s hard to imagine a softer landing in Chelsea: Two chic Georgian townhouses feature 14 cheery yet sophisticated suites by Nicola Harding and the art-filled Sir Frank’s Bar, where martinis invoke historic London figures. —STEELE THOMAS MARCOUX 76 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPHS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) COURTESY OF AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION; COURTESY OF EXPERIENCE ALULA; COURTESY OF BEAVERBROOK TOWN HOUSE; COURTESY OF BANYAN TREE GROUP. Overlooking terraced rice fields from its jungle redoubt, this collection of 16 open-air balés built with reclaimed ironwood displays Bali’s superb artisanship, from hand-hammered copper bathtubs to carved headboards. ALULA, SAUDI ARABIA
Wanderlust & Journeys PARIS The author himself could not have appointed a finer countryman, decorator Jacques Garcia, to conjure a hotel inspired by the belle epoque salons and characters in his masterwork, In Search of Lost Time. Garcia’s interiors are masterpieces to match. Madwaleni River Lodge KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA Like a procession of elephants making its way along the banks of the White Umfolozi River, these 12 sweeping luxury tents exhibit a quiet grace befitting—and honoring—their rocky setting in the glorious Babanango Game Reserve. Shiguchi 78 VERANDA Dornoch Station HOKKAIDO, JAPAN DORNOCH, SCOTLAND Named for the Japanese architectural method of joining wood to wood, owner and curator Shouya Grigg’s divine ideal of a “gallery stay” is a material-forward, artistic reimagining of five 150-year-old rural farmhouses into villas. Tartan wallcoverings, nautical accents, and wood paneling pay homage to this world-class golfing destination’s rugged Scottish Highlands setting. Even Bar Ross is golf obsessed, saluting local course architect Donald Ross. —JAIME MILAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) COURTESY OF SVEN MUSICA/LOVE AFRICA MARKETING; COURTESY OF MARINE & LAWN HOTELS & RESORTS; COURTESY OF SHIGUCHI; COURTESY OF BENJAMIN ROSEMBERG. Maison Proust
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Can classic journeys of the past make sense in our modern world? Wide-eyed adventurer Tracey Minkin channels early explorers as she sets out by rail, river, and Land Cruiser, slipping between eras into a new golden age of travel. 80 VERANDA of Venice. Budapest. Nairobi. The names set a hook: circles inked on a map, fingers tapped on a drawing room globe, stickers layered on a valise. We set off from here. We head there—to a great city, up a grand river, into the African wild. We plan and thrill at what’s to come. A journey that echoes of historic provenance and links us with travelers of the past but that seizes us by the collar amid the high-velocity hurly-burly of 21st-century life and says: Slow down. Regard. Savor. These are grand journeys— these are the Great Journeys. But can something distinctly old resonate as powerfully today? Can we find the slow gear and inhabit the deeper beauty of such travel? With the murmurs of diarists and explorers in my ear, I set out on three Great Journeys to test the theory: Paris-bound aboard the Venice SimplonOrient-Express (VSOE); cruising the snow-flecked Danube to Christmas markets in Hungary and Austria, Germany and Slovakia; and flying into the Kenyan bush for a week on safari. What did I discover? Where do I begin? PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UNIWORLD RIVER CRUISES INC. PHOTOGRAPHS BY (OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP) JONATHAN COSH/VISUAL EYE; COURTESY OF VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS, A BELMOND TRAIN. The
FROM TOP: A traditional safari sundowner in Mahali Mzuri luxury camp. • The SS Maria Theresa glides down the Danube River. • A decadent Grand Suite on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express a
Wanderlust & Journeys My steward, Melissa, flicks her glance warmly at me while never losing track of the Veuve Clicquot she’s pouring. I’m dumbstruck—by her crisp posture amid the gentle shudder of our train car as it lumbers across the watery landscape outside Venice but also by the wild understatement of the question. Simply put: My cabin is gorgeous. All I can manage is to blurt in clumsy French that I want to live here forever—but we both know that in less than 24 hours I’m going to step onto the platform of the Gare de l’Est and my life on the Orient Express will be over. But what a cabin to inhabit until then. A jewelry box to human scale, this triumph of restoration and imagination is one of eight Suites installed in a pair of circa 1920s and 1930s cars that joined the VSOE this summer. The Suites are a new category between the train’s Historic Cabins and their haute-opulent cousins, six Grand Suites with full or twin beds, sofas, dining tables, and full baths. The new Suites lie literally between the categories. Each has a commodious banquette and table—a setup that converts to a double bed (or two twins) with crisp white sheets—and an en suite bath. Rachel Johnson of London’s Wimberly Interiors conjured the four distinct designs, each inspired by the train’s Art Deco heritage and the landscape we traverse (mine is La Forêt, the forest) and rich in French marquetry, Art Nouveau–style textiles, hand-blown and -etched glass fixtures, brass hardware, and a marble bath that would charm an aristocrat. It’s enough to pass an entire day in this intimate Arcadia, but three dining cars beckon with their ebullient patterns and palettes, ample velvet and tassels. It’s said one can never overdress for dinner on the Orient Express, and jolly travelers oblige, with some in fully formal attire, others in thoughtful semiformal dress. The service brandishes lots of Champagne, while the rhythm of cocktail shakers and standards at the grand piano in the famed Bar Car “3674” sing a post-prandial siren song. And this—brilliantly—is the sum of life aboard the Orient Express. It’s a journey of jostled, colorful minijourneys from my cabin down hallways so narrow they require sideways slides, smiles, and nods; luxuriating at meals; chatting and laughing in the bar; and 82 VERANDA repeating with the cadence of lunch, dinner, nightcap, midnight brunch, and breakfast in my cabin as Paris looms to the west. My only duty, really, is to discover I can roll down my window to let the cool Alpine air refresh my cabin, then lean my head out and spy my train’s gorgeous curves as it rounds bends north through Italy and Austria, then turns west across Liechtenstein and Switzerland. To count cows and chalets, to wonder at the world sliding past. To look down at a book, to feel the soothing conversation of old wheels with stalwart rails. And to pause at border stops to step down to the platform, examine the navy shine of our cars with the gold letters telling the world who we are, and catch the curiosity of passersby. We lucky overnighters. V E N I C E TO PA R I S A J EW EL BOX ON THE R A ILS La Forêt (top right) is among eight newly added Suites on the Venice SimplonOrient-Express, a Belmond train, which includes the legendary Bar Car “3674” (above) and three dining cars that each feature signature rail-inspired china. Rates vary according to season and itinerary. Cabins for Venice to Paris one night begin at $3,980 per passenger; belmond.com PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS, A BELMOND TRAIN (3); PLATE, TRACEY MINKIN. H OW DO YOU FIND YOUR CABIN?”
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H E R E ’ S TO Y O U, M A R I A T H E R E S A , I think, lifting my steaming mug of glühwein in tribute. It’s the perfect place to toast the 18th-century empress: I stomp my boots against the frostglazed forecourt facing Schönbrunn, Vienna’s Baroque masterpiece that was her favorite palace, and take in the glimmering goodwill of the market stalls that surround me. With mulled wine in hand, I’ve spent an hour in besotted stroll among vendors offering the bounty we imagine the idealized European Christmas market would contain: gifts and decorations made from blown glass, carved wood, pottery, needlework, even dried fruit— where plastic or paper cups seem never to have existed (all glühwein comes in decorative ceramic mugs, to keep as souvenirs or return for a small refund). Despite the December chill 84 VERANDA B U D A P E S T TO PA S S A U A R EG A L W INTER PASS AGE Architectural triumphs like the Hungarian parliament building (bottom left) tip their turreted caps to Uniworld’s SS Maria Theresa as she floats by on her glühwein-spiced tour of Christmas markets with empress-worthy cabins for tucking in at night. Uniworld’s 2024 Danube Holiday Markets cruises from Budapest to Passau start at $3,599 per guest double occupancy; uniworld.com the market is rich with aroma—roasted nuts, waffles, and crepes, with top notes of cloves, cinnamon, and citrus. Crimson-cheeked schoolchildren roam in excited packs, queuing up for chocolates. Crystal lights wink overhead, and I swear I hear classical music. Perhaps from the palace, perhaps in my head. It doesn’t matter, because this journey—up Europe’s Danube River—occupies that gently liminal geography between history and dream. The empress is with me for the entire week— not just this Viennese afternoon. My journey is aboard the SS Maria Theresa, a cruise ship designed to honor her historic empire along the river. (And reign she does, overlooking the lobby’s marble double staircase from a massive 18th-century portrait.) Fittingly Uniworld’s interior designer Toni Tollman has created the closest thing to a Habsburg palace on the water: My stateroom’s walls are covered in fabric; my bed canopied; my bathroom lined in marble. Antiques and artwork from the period keep company with gilded reproductions; in the resplendent lounge and bar, five murals by decorative artists at London’s Croxford and Saunders wrap the scene in Austrian rurals. It would already be a Great Journey to ply this historic artery through Europe as we do, linking centers of art, politics, and culture. From Budapest we sail overnight into Slovakia and Bratislava, which, although rich with Gothic, Baroque, and Art Deco architecture, feels like a new European discovery after its years hidden away under Soviet rule. Gliding through Austria we tour the museums and walk the grand boulevards of Vienna, meander and marvel at the sky blue Baroque tower in the riverfront village of Dürnstein, and leave our ship for the day to drive up to cinematic Salzburg. Finally we cross the German border and to Passau, another startling discovery of Baroque and Rococo architecture both church-like and civil. Each day we tread nimbly down our gangplank into each world to feel the overlapping sunbeams—and shadows—of empire. And of course, at this time of year, the journey takes on the additional patina of the Christmas markets, each speaking its own dialect of history, food, and crafts. From honey wine in Bratislava to spun sugar in Passau, I taste (and try to pronounce) something new every day. I collect a few glühwein mugs. And I thank, again, Maria Theresa for her imperial inspiration and for the water that ties this world together. INTERIOR AND SHIP COURTESY OF UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES; CHRISTMAS MARKET AND WINE, GETTY IMAGES. Wanderlust & Journeys
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Wanderlust & Journeys I N TO T H E K E N YA N B U S H Beyond the day-trip thrills of wildlife spotting, Virgin Limited Edition’s Mahali Mzuri luxury camp offers forward-thinking immersion in land and culture, including thoughtfully designed tents inspired by Maasai dress (top right). 2024 rates begin at $1,100 per person per night double occupancy in low season; virginlimitededition.com T ODAY IS A DAY FOR ELEPHANTS. We can feel them out there, roaming the Kenyan grasslands; it’s just a question of finding them. We joke that the only elephant we’ve seen so far has been on our bottle of Amarula, the creamy African liqueur that plays a sweet role in our sundown ritual. But today, my safari-mates and I assure one another, climbing into our Land Cruiser, is a day for elephants. This is the optimism of the adventurer, and a safari of any length, anywhere, hands you the chance to occupy that exotic position. But it’s a double down to anchor that safari at Mahali Mzuri, the luxury tented camp created by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition. For one, the camp leaps forward in design, leaving the traditional silhouettes (and colonial aftertaste) of pale canvas tents behind for swooping shelters inspired by the bows carried by Maasai 86 VERANDA hunters. Secondly Branson chose land adjacent to Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara reserve (where so many safari operators go) and helped steer it, with other partners and Maasai people, into conservancy. So we spend a week here in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, sometimes in pursuit of spotting the fauna famed for this part of East Africa—lions, cheetahs, leopards, Cape buffalo, antelope, giraffes, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, and yes, elephants—but other times in conversations with Mahali Mzuri’s partners at a nearby school, with elders who work to manage cattle movement to ease the burden on the habitat, and with leaders of a handicraft collaborative offering financial independence to local women. After so many years of tourism taking from Kenya’s ecosystem and cultural currency, this approach to parity and partnership with people and animals and habitat feels like a new form of an adventurer’s optimism. In other words, it might be enough to bounce merrily along river valleys and across ancient volcanic plains, seeking encounters with these astonishing members of the animal kingdom, pausing for bush picnics, and gathering after dark below the spread of a baobab for a campfire, songs, and dancing. But it’s far more to know that my Great Journey into the African bush treads lighter and joins a forward-looking relationship with this fragile global treasure. And then, one brilliant late morning under the Kenyan sun, we find our elephants. It’s a threesome: a newly born calf, trotting gamely to keep up with its older sibling, then nuzzling the rear leg of its mother, who gracefully allows her baby back into the family’s rhythm. I watch from the quiet of our SUV, as I had watched from my ship pulling into a historic port, as I’d watched from the cabin of my train, and think yet again: This is the gift of the Great Journey. An opportunity to be small, to observe, to be led. To be slow. To be taught. To draw memories close to the chest, and to dream of the next great chance. To spin the globe and let the globe spin us. ✦ PHOTOGRAPHS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COURTESY OF MAHALI MZURI (2); TRACEY MINKIN (2). A N A DV ENTUR E OF OPTIMISM
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Alessandra Branca two-steps into the antiques mecca, outfitting a 1,300-square-foot bungalow for Texas guesting with Italian gusto. A wire-brushed Danby and Nero marble mantel (Strike) is the sociable living room’s centerpiece; Casa Branca’s faux-bois wallpaper mimics the look of rustic paneling. Pendants, Hector Finch. Rug, New Moon INTERIOR DESIGN BY ALESSANDR A BR ANCA • PHOTOGR APHY BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER PROP ST YLING BY SAR A CL ARK • FLOR ALS BY JIMMIE HENSLEE • WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE HUNT 88 VERANDA
LIGHTING FOR LIFE
Wanderlust & Journeys The cabin is painted Black Tar and Moroccan Red, both by Benjamin Moore. BELOW: On the front porch, guests can recount thrills of the hunt around a birchwood-inspired dining table (Woodard). Lantern, Hector Finch. Cabana-striped rug, New Moon Ciao, y’all, pretty much says it all. The phrase is a two-word roundup of what Chicago-based designer Alessandra Branca brings to Round Top: her Italian sophistication plus a wink to Texas swagger plus a heaping dose of Southern welcome. Never mind that prior to this project Branca had yet to join the throngs of design enthusiasts who flock to the tiny Texas town known for its three annual antiques markets. She was invited down by longtime friends and Texas natives Greg Fourticq and John Cone, the developers and visionaries behind Red Antler Bungalows. Fourticq and Cone had both grown up in Houston and, after years living in New York and elsewhere, returned to their roots with dreams of finding property near Round Top. When this well-located parcel came available and their “bungalow” concept (a grouping of six two-bedroom short-term rentals, with four built to date) became clearer, they decided to turn one cabin into a showhouse with the designer’s help. Branca, for her part, was readily charmed by the small town’s friendly character. “Round Top is like Brigadoon—it sort of appears and then disappears before and after the markets, when a town of 90 transforms into a whole world full of wonderful design—but the continuum is this lovely, quiet historic town and all the gorgeous rolling hills and farms that surround it.” She also quickly realized that Round Top was red-hot, and only getting hotter, and thus Red Antler Bungalows presented an opportunity to bring in other collaborators, specifically VERANDA and its partners, to elevate her designs. 90 VERANDA
A collection of seven bespoke fireplaces. Made to order in thirteen unique stone finishes. strikefireplaces.com
Wanderlust & Journeys Brass wall lights (Hector Finch) flank a ruby red mirror that bounces sunlight around the screened porch. • The dining area’s soft-pile rug (New Moon) is inspired by Native American southwestern motifs. • An oversize zinc lantern by Hector Finch crowns the screened porch. Furniture, Woodard. • Lustrous finishes reign in the kitchen, where the gas range (Monogram) features ringlit knobs while the island’s quartz countertop (Cosentino) sparkles with gold veining. Wall paint color, My Valentine by Benjamin Moore CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: 92 VERANDA
Wanderlust & Journeys ROUND TOP ROUNDUP How to hit the wildly popular antiques fair like a pro — “Our cottage is on a creek, so we let the woodsy cabin-like vernacular drive our design,” says Branca. “And I loved that the [Red Antler] logo was in red.” Indeed in Branca’s European-accented world, red means “go” and go big, as she does starting with a red-and-white-striped front porch. The curtains add softness to the ebony exterior but are also practical, “helping control light on the west-facing porch and enhancing privacy,” says Branca. In the main living and dining room, form and function similarly saddle up. Twin banquettes tucked on either side of the fireplace expand seating options for entertaining, a clever move enhanced by Branca trading the standard bungalow’s flush fireplace for one by Strike featuring a wire-brushed stone mantel. Faux-bois wallpaper from the Casa Branca collection becomes “a playful version of wood paneling,” she says, while her Verdure camo fabrics on the banquettes and porch furniture are an abstract spin on the outdoorsy classic. “Everything’s a slight twist on what’s expected,” notes Branca. “And don’t be deceived by the word bungalow,” she adds. “My clients love art, and though only 1,300 square feet, this is a sophisticated project.” To wit: Abstract cowboy photographs flanking the fireplace are from artist Steve Wrubel’s “Rodeo” series. But Branca was careful not to overlasso the western theme. “I’m Italian, not Texan,” she asserts. “I’m not about to imitate Texan interiors. But both Europe and Texas have a strong sense of identity and that’s where we overlap—the spirit of Texas meets the spirit of me.” ✦ 94 VERANDA STAY The Original Round Top Antiques Fair is hosted triannually; visit round toptexasantiques.com for 2024 dates. Bunk beside the fields and barns at the Branca Bungalow (redantler roundtop.com). E AT Set in an early 1800s stone building, Lulu’s is Branca’s favorite dinner spot for Italian fare in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. SHOP TOP AND ABOVE: Textural caramel and ivory wallcoverings (both by Casa Branca) ensconce a guest bedroom and adjoining bath, echoing a graphic Indian wool rug (New Moon). Vanity countertop, Cosentino. ABOVE RIGHT: Designer Alessandra Branca While Casa Branca’s tent beside Red Antler Bungalows immerses antiquers in extraordinary home decor and accessories, you can often find the designer snapping up vintage clothing at modernMarla and hitting the booths at Market Hill, a 135,000square-foot shop that is open year-round.
Oenophile ADAM ERACE travels to Oregon’s pinot-rich Willamette valley for a master class in creating delicious alchemy. First planted in 1965, the vines at David Hill Vineyards & Winery (right) are some of the oldest in the region and include seven clones of pinot noir grapes (above), which are kept separate until blending. 96 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPH BY JEJA/GETTY IMAGES; INSET COURTESY OF EXPLORE TUALATIN VALLEY. BLENDING —A—
Wanderlust & Journeys of sunlight left when I hop in Jeff Lewis’s silver F-150 hybrid to meet the icons of Oregon’s Willamette valley. “The idea is to build some context so you get a lexicon of how to speak about the valley and understand the wines,” Lewis says as we trace the emerald contours of the Dundee Hills he knows like the back of his hand. This is the valley’s most prestigious appellation and the home of Alexana vineyards and winery, whose portfolio Lewis manages. When pioneering winemakers planted the first vines in the hills in 1965, people said they were crazy—turns out they weren’t—and that can-do, counterculture spirit is as ingrained in the valley’s DNA as the iron in its ruddy Jory soil, left over from million-years-old lava flows. “The culture here is built on dreamers and doing something that people didn’t believe in,” Lewis says. “And now it’s a proven thing. If you want a guaranteed win in the wine business, you develop a brand in the valley.” The Willamette valley is in what Lewis calls its golden era, somewhere between Wild West fairy tale and corporate Napa. I’m here as part of The Vines, a traveling club of wine obsessives who jet from Champagne to Tuscany to Mendoza to the Mosel throughout the year to visit acclaimed wineries like Alexana and blend bespoke vintages. “There are lots of places in the world where you can pay to put your label on a bottle of wine,” says Michael Evans, who founded The ABOVE: Rolling vineyards Vines in 2005 after falling hard for the near the city of Yamhill in Malbec grapes of Mendoza. The club’s 99 Oregon’s Willamette valley. members and counting, meanwhile, are BELOW: Michael Evans, who founded The Vines wine creating the wine in that bottle. “When club, perfects a blend. you invite somebody over for dinner and you spend the day cooking and you start off in the morning by going to the farmers’ market, it’s way different than if you call the caterers. That sense of creation is really powerful.” We’ll get to playing God with grapes in a bit. First, that context. “We’re gonna taste through the icons of the valley,” Lewis says as we pull up to the Atticus Hotel in McMinnville, Willamette’s thriving little town with a main street out of a Rockwell painting. In a private room off the lobby, he and Alexana’s head winemaker, Tresider “Tres” Burns, uncork, pour, and talk through pinots from legends like Hyland Estates, Elk Cove, and Eyrie, whose founder, David Lett, is considered the valley’s viticultural godfather. Seated at a long table with a Renaissance centerpiece of local cheese, charcuterie, nuts, and dried fruits, our group includes a Brazilian antitrust attorney, the former chief of staff of a U.S. senator, a cardiologist from L.A., and a toilet magnate from Dallas. Everyone has a different favorite from the icons tasting. The 2019 Estate Reserve from Ribbon Ridge, a fatherdaughter winery from the valley’s tiniest AVA (American Viticultural Area), fascinates me with its voluptuous blackberry expression tinged with wet earth and cookie spices. Burns finds the vintage a little “nervous,” and I laugh through a mouthful of Oregon hazelnuts. I love talking with wine-industry people because they talk like writers, and over the course of three days, our group talks — M I C H A E L E VA N S , to a lot of wine-industry people. FOUNDER OF THE VINES “I’m a big believer that you’ve gotta let wine tell you where to go.” 98 VERANDA PHOTOGRAPHS BY (FROM TOP) TERRY EGGERS/GETTY IMAGES; COURTESY OF THE VINES. H E R E ’ S M AY B E A N H O U R
F I N E L AC QU E R F U R N I T U R E , C U S TO M U P H O L S T E RY, I N D O O R / O U T D O O R LIGHTING & SO MUCH MORE. . . Greenwich - New York City - Dallas - London W W W. O O M P H H O M E . C O M / V E R A N D A
Wanderlust & Journeys 100 VERANDA Burns talks through each of the four blending wines, starting with the Block 7 Pommard clone from 2022, a roller-coaster year that saw a catastrophic late-spring frost, perfect summer, and the hottest October on record, which triggered an early, hypercompressed harvest over 17 days. “It was nail-biting,” Burns remembers, “but the vines ended up rebounding a really interesting way—creating the biggest clusters we’ve seen.” Bigger grapes = higher juice-to-skin ratio = lighter-bodied wines. Coupled with the lower alcohol content from the early harvest, I know the Block 7 Pommard would be the foundation of exactly the type of Pinot Noir I love to drink: easygoing, young, and vividly juicy. I taste and scribble some notes on the placemat: Basket of raspberries and cherries, Light strawberry rose violet nose, Honey and heather, Too lightweight on its own need to strengthen. And strengthen I do. To a base of half Block 7 Pommard, I add 30 percent of my second favorite of the four wines, a Block 21 Coury clone with a beguiling maple nose, followed by 10 percent each of Block 19 Pommard (feisty, higher alcohol, crusted like a prime rib with green and black peppercorns) and Dijon 114 Block 14 (astringent and acidic, my least favorite of the four). I swirl the blend in a bottle, pour a glass, and taste: Too spicy, too tart. Holst and Lewis taste and recommend increasing the Dijon and decreasing the Block 7 Pommard—counterintuitive to my notes!—and the morning unspools with milliliter-by-milliliter tinkering. “[Blending] is like how a painter has a palette they can use to create the masterpiece,” Evans says, but as much as artistry and instinct inform style, so do science and craftsmanship. I find my way to a blend I love around noon, primarily Coury (40 percent) with less Pommard 7 (35 percent), more Dijon than I thought I could tolerate (15 percent), and a dash of Pommard 19 (10 percent). My wine has the Softer tannins of the young pinots I prefer but also a Stronger structure, with most of the ripe berry notes dethroned by Black licorice and Anise. It’s completely delicious, but perhaps more importantly surprising. Evans, who makes 10–15 wines a year, probABOVE: A tasting room with a ably could have predicted this. “I start out with view at Alexana winery. LEFT: Guests’ final blends are made [a plan], but almost always I have to throw that from four young pinots, from out,” he says with a laugh. “I’m a big believer that a Coury clone with maple you’ve gotta let wine tell you where to go.” ✦ notes to an acidic Dijon 114. I taste and scribble some notes on the placemat... raspberries and cherries, light strawberry rose violet nose... PHOTOGRAPHS BY (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF ANDREA JOHNSON/ALEXANA WINERY; CHRISTINA BALDWIN/GETTY IMAGES. One of them, Page Knudsen Cowles, leads us on a hike the next morning to the top of her family’s 52-year-old Knudsen Vineyards. On the uphill walk, we pause for wine refills and viniculture notes but mostly to catch our breaths. The view of the undulating Dundee Hills from up here is stunning, an ombré of neon, olive, hunter, and viridian greens feathered like brushstrokes in a mammoth, living landscape painting. As tourism in the Willamette valley continues to explode, experiences like this become increasingly rarefied. Traveling with The Vines, Lewis says, “you get immediate access to things that would take most people 10 years of coming to the valley building relationships.” And while these exclusive interactions are all fun and hedonic and, sure, maybe include a bit of bragging rights, they are more so in the service of building that critical context that will help us dial into the blending session at Alexana. “As you make your blend, you want to look for things you want to highlight,” Alexana’s cellar master, Tim Holst, explains. On the winery’s cavernous production floor, we’re sitting at a table covered in empty wine glasses and bottles, graduated cylinders, and four young pinots from different clones and different vineyards on the property. “Are you looking for more oak inclusion or more acid? Do you want things to be fruit-forward?” The white tablecloth becomes increasingly winesplotched as I try to answer Holst’s questions and create a pinot suited to my palette.
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Wanderlust & Journeys Etching a Tradition Master stencil carver Rokutani Baiken (left, 1907–73) practices the art of katagami in which layers of washi paper are soaked in tannin-rich persimmon juice, then carved, often in leaf or vine motifs, to create stencils used for resist-dyeing textiles. The 1850s Edo-era stencil below was used to dye kimonos; chairish.com A Virtuoso Tribute in Time I N TRAN S L AT I ON Patek Philippe flexes its mastery of rare handcraft in a dazzling homage to the Japanese tradition of stencil carving—a compelling reminder of art’s universal dialect. 102 VERANDA PRODUCED BY R ACHAEL BURROW • WRITTEN BY STEELE THOM AS M ARCOUX PORTRAIT, CITY OF SUZUKA. One of nine pocket watches created for Patek Philippe’s Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo 2023, “Katagami” (992/178J-001) nods to the historic craft with graphic allusions to paper cutouts and hand-engraved vertical grooves finished with enamel that recall textile fibers. Gold vine leaf appliqués embellish the case back and stand, which is set with an emerald cabochon on a malachite base.
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B R I D G I N G PA S T AND FUTURE INSIDE A R E D E C O R AT E D GOVERNOR’S M ANSION • A L E X PA PA C H R I S T I D I S DRESSES HIS DEN IN S O U T H A M P TO N F O R C H R I S TM A S D I N N E R • MIMI McMAKIN’S A N I M AT E D S P I N O N H O L I D AY S T Y L E • A RUR AL MISSISSIPPI HUNTING LODGE DESIGNED FOR UNPLUGGING • THE NE W COLOR RULES FOR KITCHEN, BAR, AND BUTLER’S PA N T R Y 104 VERANDA
In the first family’s living room at the Illinois governor’s mansion, a sepia edition of Joseph Dufour’s 1812 Les Monuments de Paris wood-block wallpaper offers a muted, contemporary take on 19th-century artistry. PHOTOGR APH BY MICHAEL MUNDY VERANDA 105
For the In the Music Parlor, paintings by 20thcentury Illinois artists Gertrude Abercrombie (left) and Karl Wirsum (right) lend modern contrast to the Greek Revival–style interior architecture. 106 VERANDA
by First Lady MK Pritzker and designer Michael S. Smith honor Illinois history with a thoughtful redecoration of the governor’s mansion for a powerful expression of how a house can be so much more than a home. INTERIOR DESIGN BY MICHAEL S. SMITH PHOTOGR APHY BY MICHAEL MUNDY WRITTEN BY STEELE THOM AS M ARCOUX VERANDA 107
Architecture & Decoration N A SPRING DAY in 1954, hundreds 108 VERANDA Lincoln artifacts, including portraits on loan from the nearby Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, adorn the moiré-clad walls of the Lincoln Parlor. ABOVE LEFT: Members of the Illinois PTA queue on the mansion lawn. INSET: In the State Dining Room, a pair of Christmas trees flanks the mantel and gilded Baroque-style mirror, donated to the mansion by Governor Richard Yates Sr. in 1865. administration in a spirit echoing the original one celebrates entry to the house with Corinthian columns and a central staircase that unfolds with welcome onto the front lawn. Inside, primary public spaces on the first and second floors radiate from a central elliptical stair hall, reconstructed in the 1970s when First Lady Dorothy Ogilvie discovered marks tracing the arc of the original staircase, that allows for views and a graceful flow from room to room and floor to floor. Thanks to the restored Greek Revival interior architecture, TOP LEFT, ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM; (OPPOSITE PAGE, INSET AND PREVIOUS PAGE, EXTERIOR) SCOTT SHIGLEY. of women donning cat-eye sunglasses, fascinators, and strands of pearls befitting the newly coronated Queen of the United Kingdom gathered in front of the Illinois governor’s mansion in Springfield. They were members of the state Parent-Teacher Association and had been invited by First Lady Shirley Breckenridge Stratton for tea (thus the sartorial nods to Her Majesty were not only au courant but also appropriate). Stratton had overseen a comprehensive redecoration of what was known as the People’s House, the largest and one of the oldest governor’s mansions in the United States, with the goal of making it feel more welcoming to the public. She and Governor Stratton were so committed to sharing the mansion with the people of Illinois that they began a new tradition of opening it for tours in 1960. It was this legacy into which Illinois First Lady Mary Kathryn “MK” Pritzker stepped when she ventured into her own redecoration of the People’s House in 2019 shortly after her husband, JB, was sworn in as the state’s 43rd governor. Between 2015 and 2018 Pritzker’s predecessor, Diana Rauner, led an extensive renovation of the mansion, only the third since it was built in 1855. “I felt I needed to continue the good work she had started and that, in doing so, I had a responsibility to showcase all that is great about our state,” Pritzker told me earlier this year about the work she had recently completed, underwritten entirely by private contributions. “JB is so gregarious and loves to entertain, and he really wanted the mansion to be the social hub of Springfield.” Today the mansion is an architectural manifestation of Pritzker congeniality. A portico rebuilt during the Rauner
the rooms exude a proper formality worthy of the building’s purpose with a correctness that puts visitors at ease. Decorating such a large, historic—and public-facing—home might have intimidated some. But for a naturally curious woman with seemingly endless enthusiasm for design history and material culture like Pritzker, the project was a natural fit. “She’s such a doer, and she attacked this from so many directions to elevate it and with the same level of energy she brings to anything she does,” says designer Michael S. Smith, VERANDA 109
Architecture & Decoration STATE OF THE ARTS The elliptical staircase, an original design element, was rebuilt in the 1970s. • Dessert plates featuring an oak tree and leaf motif were designed by Pritzker with Illinois-based Pickard China. • First Lady MK Pritzker and Governor JB Pritzker. BOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT: The Chicago Room is a tribute to Windy City design icons like Frances Elkins; reproductions of her canopied twin beds take center stage while the walls are clad in her signature tea paper. • A pressed zinc cornice dating from 2018 recreates a pressed iron version. • In the East Parlor, a recamier and gilt over-mantel mirror nod to the mansion’s 19th-century origin. who happens to be a longtime family friend and worked with Pritzker to redesign the mansion’s interiors. Smith was an ideal partner for the First Lady given his experience in decorating residences that house public officials, most notably the White House during the Obama administration but also the American ambassador to Spain’s residence in Madrid and other ambassadorial residences. “Part of the responsibility of working on a house like this is to always bear in mind that you’re a caretaker of something with great history that belongs to the people. These houses are not palaces but rather tools meant to bring people together,” Smith notes. “JB and MK have made this a representational gathering space that’s also a really comfortable home.” 110 VERANDA ▲ All proceeds from Pritzker’s book, A House That Made History (Rizzoli, 2023), go to a trust that supports the mansion’s care. For the public reception spaces on the first floor, for example, Smith and Pritzker selected colorful wallcoverings—a buttery yellow-and-white stripe for the symmetrical East and West Parlors, an emerald green moiré fabric for the Lincoln Parlor, and a matching Turkish blue moiré for the adjacent Music Parlor—that not only bring into relief the original Greek Revival–style millwork but also make the grand spaces feel more intimate and inviting. The duo furnished the state rooms with pieces collected by previous governors, 19th-century antiques that evoke the spirit of the building’s origins, in some cases with actual ties to the mansion or Illinois history, and contemporary elements that reflect how the Pritzkers live today. The result is a Continued on page 134 CORNICE, SCOTT SHIGLEY. TOP ROW, FROM LEFT:
The Kankakee Room, named for the women who donated funds for its decoration in the 1970s, features new panels of Les Vues D’Amérique du Nord, the Zuber wallcovering originally installed some 50 years ago.
CHANGE OF SCENERY WITH AN INTIMATE HOLIDAY FETE AROUND THE BANQUETTE. COZY, MEET KINGLY With Papachristidis’s ingenuity and, he admits, “a lot of work,” the media room transforms into an enticing enclave, including a dining table improvised by a board straddling two ottomans and a tablecloth made-to-order. Turkish pillows and leopard-clad taborets round out the seating, lending a whiff of the exotic. The banquette is upholstered in Fortuny cotton and the walls in a Cowtan & Tout strié velvet. The rug is a Beauvais moiré.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY ALEX PAPACHRISTIDIS PHOTOGR APHY BY ALISON GOOTEE ST YLING BY DAYLE WOOD FLOR ALS BY ANASTASIA CASALE WRITTEN BY FR ANCES SCHULTZ VERANDA 113
Architecture & Decoration H, THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, that most decorated of seasons. Yet by stint of their relentless inevitability, they are in peril of aesthetic ennui. If not hidebound by tradition, taken for granted in their predictability. To disabuse this notion look no further than the Hamptons country house of Alex Papachristidis and kin. The New York designer and author is changing it up. He begins by moving the tree, transplanting it from living room to soaring entrance hall. The noble fir is 14 feet in all its glory, with enough gold tinsel to make Midas blush. Then (gasp) he moves Christmas dinner. While this borders on heresy in the minds of some, Papachristidis breezes over it. “I love using rooms in a new way,” he parries, belying his fancy for reinterpreting tradition. Thus the media room beckons with its wraparound banquette and velvet upholstered walls, an inspired and intentional echo of Parisian Alain Demachy’s famous green-andgold dining room. That and Jeannie’s bottle, the designer adds, recalling the zany and beloved 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Swathed in jewel-toned velvets and gold lamé, Jeannie-the-genie’s bottle was as cozy and cushy as it was cheesy. It was also glamorous. In its slightly more restrained palette, Papachristidis’s room is every bit as inviting and glamorous, a delightfully novel choice for hosting an intimate family dinner. Which is not to say informal. The proper dining room does get its just desserts, pun intended, with its mantel lavishly decorated and its table proffering a panoply of sweets. It is an elegant tableau to mark the evening’s delicious finish. Or not. “I love to get up from the table and have a dessert buffet,” says the designer. “It keeps the evening livelier and a little more fun.” By the sound of it, he’s not ready for anyone to leave. ✦ MASTER OF CEREMONY CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: Papachristidis pairs his Climbing Peonies plates and scallop-edged napkins (from Everyday Elegance, his collection with business partner Lisa McCarthy) with Christofle flatware and Syrie Maugham–designed ceramic-handled knives. • The designer with partner Scott Nelson (at right) and their Norwich terrier, Cooper. • Cocktails are served in the living room, where the bar is set up in the shade of a giant camellia arrangement that relieves the space of need for a tree. “It’s important to have things that are of a large scale in a room.” • Placing a dessert buffet in the dining room allows guests to get up and move around after dinner. Of the heirloom silver and china, Papachristidis notes, “I cherish the beautiful things that belonged to my parents because they hold memories of them. People live on in the memories of things they loved—favorite flowers, favorite foods, favorite objects,” he says, pausing. “And of course the lessons they taught you.” 114 VERANDA
TINSEL RENAISSANCE “This is the first time I have put the tree in the entrance hall,” notes Papachristidis. “I liked the idea of placing something taller and more dramatic here, and how divine is it to walk in the front door and see that tree?” Images from Christmases past supply more inspiration. “I was looking at pictures of wonderful old nostalgic trees covered with tinsel,” he adds. “I love the way it shimmers and captures the light.” Garlands, Anastasia Casale of Sag Harbor Florist
In the living room, Balinese umbrellas, glitter-dusted stars, and animals galore, some acquired from an old Neiman Marcus display. OPPOSITE: McMakin with Jack Russell terriers Mango and Panda
At home in Palm Beach, design matriarch Mimi McMakin delights in enchanting yuletide theater with zebras, gators, and giraffes—oh my! INTERIOR DESIGN BY MIMI McM AKIN • PHOTOGR APHY BY CARMEL BR ANTLEY ST YLING BY R ACHAEL BURROW • WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE HUNT VERANDA 117
WHEN YOU LIVE IN AN U N U SUAL HOUS E, YOU NEED THE NECESSARY WH IM SY.” — DESIGNER & HOMEOWNER MIMI McM AKIN O N ’ T T E L L M I M I M C M A K I N T H AT it’s only the thought that counts. Having grown up wading through the tattered remains of gift-giving carnage long after Christmas morning, she knows the wrapping paper counts too. “My dad’s rule was no cleaning up the Christmas-wrapping tornado for at least a week. He loved Christmas, and with eight kids, that made for a big happy mess,” she says. This “bring it on” exuberance still reigns at McMakin’s Palm Beach home, a cedar-shingled former church next door to her gift wrap–strewn childhood abode fronting the Palm Beach lake trail (“I’ve come a long way,” she jokes. “I’ve moved north one house.”). Here, family tradition cleaves as tightly as the bougainvillea climbing the more than 100-year-old facade and the holidays are one cheerful indulgence in all things bright and whimsical. Actually every day is an embrace of whimsy for McMakin, the maven of Florida interior design and founder of Kemble Interiors, but in December she cranks it up a notch. In a porch sunroom where the church’s old 118 VERANDA shingles are painted a jolly pink, a festive flock of cardinals alights on a fiddle-leaf fig espaliered over an arched doorway for a clever red-and-green garland. Outside, Sasquatch-sized vintage stockings and papier-mâché reindeer adorn the entrance to her grandchildren’s play cottage, tucked amid lush tropical greenery. In the main house a towering 14-foot Douglas fir is decked to the absolute max. “My husband once suggested we get a smaller tree and elevate it on a table; I glared at him,” says McMakin. “The more decorations, the better.” You might assume the glittery stars hanging from the living room rafters are part of the Christmas fa-la-la, but no, they’re year-rounders—leftovers from a 50th-anniversary party McMakin hosted for good friends years ago. “They were being taken down, and I said, ‘Leave them! They’re fabulous,’” she recalls. Neither are the giant zebra and giraffe holiday fugitives from FAO Schwarz, but part of McMakin’s ongoing menagerie of wonder, along with a butterfly with a 15-foot wingspan, an alligator that was a prototype for a client’s coffee table base, and Balinese umbrellas outfitted with tiny branch lights (solving the problem of sanctuary rafters that are not chandelier friendly). Such playful ad-libbing comes with the territory. “When you live in an unusual house, you need the necessary whimsy,” says McMakin, who added Portuguese tile floors 45 years ago, lightened some of the dark shingles, installed a Kemble Interiors wicker
Architecture & Decoration A soaring 14-foot Christmas tree and collection of vintage planes, trains, and automobiles spin up magic on the cedarshake porch. OPPOSITE: Toasting old Palm Beach is a charming woven rattan bar (Lane Venture) with retro stools from local shop Wilhelm’s Rattan.
Architecture & Decoration bar (“To me a bar is like a fireplace. People love something to gather around.”), but otherwise retained the spirit of the place, including a church’s sense of welcome. “It’s the happiest structure. It’s old Palm Beach—that casualness of being outdoors, all the flowers, the beach, kids running around barefoot or rollerblading inside. And it’s proof that you don’t have to have a grand house to have a sweet house,” says McMakin, who prefers an open door, even when passersby wander over from the lake trail, not realizing it’s a private residence. “When we entertain, it’s typically less fancy Palm Beach dinner party than why don’t you just stay for supper?” she adds. Table centerpieces are a hodgepodge of creatively arranged whelk shells or coconuts salvaged from recent tree trimming. Variegated leaves from the garden become impromptu placemats for her great-grandfather’s Maddock china. On the terrace a cement coquina floor is inset with favorite seashell finds from her children and grandchildren, while overhead Vietnamese lanterns cast a soft glow at night. “Aren’t they divine?” McMakin says. “It’s all theater for me. My own Shangri-la.” This relaxed joyfulness is McMakin’s decorating secret. “But it’s the antithesis of my professional life, where everything is very planned and organized,” she admits. “Here, I just let it be. Friends snuggle in; there’s an immediate feeling of comfort and welcome and joy.” ✦ CLOCK WISE FROM ABOVE: For holiday dinners outdoors, arrangements of natural lime-green leaves become placemats for heirloom Indian Tree china (John Maddock & Sons). • Vietnamese silk lanterns dangle from the dining pergola, shrouded in banana and areca palms, bleeding heart, and elephant’s ears. • Clocks on the church’s original tower overlooking the lake are set to the times of McMakin’s daughters’ births. Lounge furniture, Mimi by Celerie Kemble for Lane Venture. • Decorative cardinals perch atop an espaliered fiddle-leaf fig tree on the “pink porch.” The patterned flooring is comprised of handpainted Portuguese tiles. 120 VERANDA
WHEN WE ENTERTAIN , IT’ S T YPICALLY LES S FANCY PALM BEACH DINNER PART Y THAN WHY DON’T YOU JUST STAY FOR SUPPER? ” —MIMI McM AKIN VERANDA 121
122 VERANDA
Richard Keith Langham raises the bar on rural refinement with a holiday-ready hunting lodge in the Mississippi woods. Spode Woodland turkey china, antler handle flatware, and foraged elements channel the wilderness. OPPOSITE: French iron and seeded glass wall lanterns cast a warm glow on an Arkansas ledge stone mantel. INTERIOR DESIGN BY RICHARD KEITH L ANGHA M ARCHITECTURE BY LEWIS GR AEBER III PHOTOGR APHY BY BECK Y LUIGART-STAYNER PRODUCED BY R ACHAEL BURROW WRITTEN BY CELIA BARBOUR 123
Architecture & Decoration R E J U V E NAT I N G H O L I DAY G E TAWAY can take many forms, from skiing in the Alps to sunning in the Bahamas. But for one extended family, it often happens at the end of a long red-dirt road on the banks of an oxbow lake “in the middle of nowhere Mississippi,” as designer Richard Keith Langham puts it. Black Bear Lodge is more than a physical destination; it’s also a way of spending time together. “The whole place speaks of Southern hospitality in a real, old-fashioned sense,” says Langham. “Big, comfy guest rooms; wonderful meals and roaring fires; great fellowship, plus a huge amount of time in the piney woods”—some 6,000 acres of piney woods to be exact. Equally important is what it lacks. “There’s no internet,” says the client. “There’s a big rock about 50 yards to the north of the lodge where you can go sit and get a little bit of service. When we’re there, we just enjoy each other and the outdoors—fishing, hunting, and watching for alligators.” The lodge, created by Langham in collaboration with architect Lewis Graeber III, is tailor-made to support such low-key, low-tech gatherings. The downstairs consists of one very big, open room (“I don’t like the term great room,” says Langham) loosely organized around different activities: There’s the fireplace area for conversing, the games table, the bar, the billiards table, and the “snug”— an L-shaped sofa beside a media center. Four upstairs bedrooms all open onto a central gallery that overlooks the big room. So everyone—the clients, their four children and spouses, and 15 grandchildren—can be off doing their own things and feel connected at the same time. Much of the decor is rustic, partly by necessity, partly by design. “It was tough getting a crew in there to work on the lodge,” says Graeber. Remoteness wasn’t the only hurdle; the drive was under a foot of water during part of the construction, and materials and skilled craftsmen could be difficult to come by. Yet Graeber didn’t compromise in creating what he calls “a country sort of perfection,” using elements like custom-made wood windows and doors, hand-plastered brickwork for the fireplace, and reclaimed wood and beams from old sugarcane barns meticulously pieced together for ceilings. He also left room for whimsy, which shows up in details like the bark panels in bar-cabinet doors and the custom round window in the reading nook upstairs. “I always want to add a little something,” he says. “It’s like putting Tabasco on your scrambled eggs.” Langham underscored this homespun spirit, using chalky milk paint on the shiplap walls, a gauzy Belgian
Dogs, Ducks, and Rustic Reds A pair of antique dog statues guards the transomed front door fitted with bark veneer panels that repeat throughout the house. • Duck decoys nest on a reclaimed wood bookcase with zigzag detailing. • An antique hooked rug (Woodard & Greenstein) and a billiards table set a warm, easygoing tone in the entry. • The kitchen’s wrought-iron chandelier (Currey & Company) lights a maple-topped island and suede swivel counter stools (Louis J. Solomon). OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT: A Leyland cypress decked in broad burlap ribbon and hand-turned wooden ornaments (Emily Ford) oversees an intimate holiday table. • The lodge’s deep red trim (Cottage Red by Benjamin Moore) and tin roof are offset by earthy brown exterior siding (Great Smoky Brown by Benjamin Moore) that feels at home in the woodsy landscape. CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: VERANDA 125
“THERE’S NO INTERNET. WHEN WE’RE HERE, WE JUST ENJOY EACH OTHER AND THE OUTDOORS.” — H O M EO W N E R 126 VERANDA A 19th-century French oak table and oak armchairs invite guests to pull a seat up to game night. Embroidered chair fabric, Kravet. OPPOSITE: An antique painted table displays woven baskets and stag curiosities.
Architecture & Decoration VERANDA 127
wall—itself clad in rough-hewn logs mortared with chink. A magniflinen for the downstairs curtains, antique hooked rugs on the floors, icent pair of antler-and-hide armchairs from the Paris Flea Market and lots of twig-work and faux-bois furniture. He “color-coded” each graces the big room, as does an antique tortoise shell. And taxidermy of the upstairs bedrooms “so you can say to guests, ‘You’re in the blue creatures populate many corners, a commingling of pieces acquired room; you’re in the yellow room,’ like being at the White House.” from antiques dealers and those harvested by the family. At home He even provided the country decorations for the lodge’s annual among these pieces are French, American, and English country Christmas tree, including red burlap bunting, brass tinker bells, and house antiques—handsome chests hand-turned wooden ornaments. and sideboards, stately splat-back But a hunting lodge can be more chairs. “Even though I’m a good old than a paean to rusticana. Wherever Mississippi girl, I was exposed to a lot human beings have hunted wild game of fine traditions,” says the client, who on this planet—which is to say, most everywhere they’ve ever lived—they’ve recalls being expected to dress up for adorned their homes (and bodies) with black-tie dinners after each day of the spoils of their pursuits. Over time hunting at a Scottish lodge. these elements have evolved a sophistiBut of all her house’s details, the ” cated style language all their own, with ones that resonate most are those that dialects reflecting regions as diverse as remind her of her childhood. “I was — D ES I G N E R R I C HA R D K E I T H L A N G HA M Germany’s Black Forest, the Scottish a tomboy,” she says. “I caught butterHighlands, African savannas, and the flies; I found feathers and arrowheads.” Pacific Northwest. In recent years she’s gone through her old collections and conThis client is an aficionado of them all. “She has a great eye and a structed shadow box arrangements from the mementos; these, too, great affinity for hunting lodge relics from around the world,” says adorn the lodge’s walls. “The outdoors is my passion,” she adds—so Langham. “Black Bear gets personality and charm from her wonmuch so that she embodies it wherever she goes. “My husband and I derful, quirky collections.” A flock of duck decoys greets guests at live a busy life, and most days I have my porcupine spines raised up. the front door. Antique nature dioramas are inset into the staircase But here it’s just so soothing. I can let my quills lie flat.” ✦ “THE WHOLE PLACE SPEAKS OF SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY IN A REAL, OLD-FASHIONED SENSE. 128 VERANDA
Architecture & Decoration Spinning the Color Wheel OPPOSITE: A collection of animal watercolors layers mustard planked walls. Terra-cotta–hued linens, Linoto. Striped duvet fabric, Fabricut. CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEFT: Sea green walls (paint, Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co.) meet blue Linoto bed linens and complementary tonal lampshades for a supremely restful guest bedroom. Double swing-arm lamps, Black Forest Decor. • A low post bed (The Country Bed Shop) in a worn finish imparts humble beauty; here, it’s topped with a patterned Irish linen (Kerry Joyce Textiles for Holland & Sherry). • A 19th-century American faux-grained cabinet houses an intriguing collection of Palissy ware. • Folk patterns and delightful ticking charm in the barn red room. Duvet and drapery fabric, Fabricut VERANDA 129
This year’s holiday guest of honor: DARING, DIVINE COLOR for the most social spots in the house, from a crimson kitchen to a minty fresh bar. 130 VERANDA
••• WRITTEN BY L AUR A KOSTELNY VERANDA 131
BLACK-TIE BUTLER’S PANTRY 20th-century millwork in this Connecticut butler’s pantry was a gift—even if it needed a little elbow grease to return it to its former glory, says interior designer Sarah Blank. “The original architect, Cameron Clark, was known for building beautiful estates in Fairfield, and his understanding of proportion resonates throughout the rooms, including this one.” First came removing “about 27 coats of old paint from the hinges, restoring a ratchet system for the shelves, and building a bottom for the existing wall cabinetry to house underlighting, which adds a little extra warmth and sparkle.” But it was the black-and-white marble flooring that ushered in the glamour, echoed in lacquered onyx paint on the original woodwork and newly milled appliance fronts—too many coats to count, notes Blank. “There are no shortcuts with high-gloss paint, so it took about six weeks,” she recalls. “But it was worth it—the black is so rich. There’s really nothing like it during the holidays.” T H E B E AU T Y O F O R I G I NA L DOUBLE SPICE KITCHEN Kristen McCory’s clients presented her with a rosy proposition: Use the deep burgundy Lacanche range and hood as a starting point and then don’t hold back. “It was a chance to do something completely different,” says McCory, who repeated the rich shade inside the glass cabinets flanking the sink and on floor-toceiling cabinetry in an adjacent butler’s pantry (shown on page 130). But like all satisfying spice, the beauty is in the balance. Pegasus marble countertops, linen white cabinetry paint, and black accents temper the red, while painted, parquet-like floors and a sepia English garden mural nod to the early 20th-century Georgianstyle architecture. “Everything here is in conversation, providing a beautiful sense of age and character,” notes McCory. Hailey quartz, Cambria Burlesque refrigerator, JennAir THE BLACK IS SO RICH. THERE’S REALLY NOTHING LIKE IT DURING THE HOLIDAYS.” No. 16001 Colonial sink fitting, P.E. Guerin 132 VERANDA Dual Fuel range, BlueStar —DESIGNER SARAH BLANK BURGUNDY RANGE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD, READ MCKENDREE/JBSA, STYLING BY MATTHEW GLEASON (3); BLACK BUTLER’S PANTRY, NEIL LANDINO, STYLING BY BROOKE COOLEY. OPPOSITE PAGE: GREEN BAR, BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER, STYLING BY SARA CLARK; BLACK CABINETRY COURTESY OF JEFFREY TOTARO/JOANNE HUDSON. IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, interior designer
Architecture & Decoration Henry Chronos faucet with walnut lever handles, Waterworks CVA 7370 Built-in coffee machine, Miele Native Trails Redondo Grande sink, J. Tribble MINTED COCKTAIL LOUNGE RO510 Outdoor cooler, Liebherr Prima M2 cabinetry, Downsview Kitchens Louisville-based designer Chenault James conjured the breeze-swept verandas of the famed Sea Island, Georgia, resort in transforming a newly enclosed space into a dining room–adjacent bar. Influential, too, was a charming skylight, which inspired a “solarium, porch-like direction,” notes James. In came the louvered cabinetry with treillage detailing and verdant green paint, together summoning a sun lounge’s garden embrace and sense of airiness. “Before long the resort and Elsie de Wolfe were in full effect,” she says. Practical elements like a minifridge and ice maker were tucked behind cabinetry doors, yielding focus to playful details such as an arbor-inspired arch and “windows” revealing a hand-painted mural featuring trees and plants from the homeowners’ Sea Island property. Says James: “The energy of this one little space vibrates throughout the entire house.” ✦ K E N T U C K Y, M E E T T H E C LO I S T E R : ABOVE, FROM LEFT: Perrin & Rowe Large contour drawer handle, House of Rohl. • Bar cart, Officine Gullo. • Forge Heated ice press, Monogram. • DrawBar, Dometic VERANDA 133
The Sourcebook FOR THE PEOPLE BY DESIGN Continued from page 110 certain timelessness that honors the past, yet it is poised for the promise of tomorrow—and brilliantly belies the redecoration efforts. “I am sort of obsessed with brushing away my tracks in the sand,” Smith acknowledges. The tapestry of old and new, stately yet welcoming proved the perfect complement for Pritzker’s selection of art, both fine and decorative, that celebrates Illinois history and culture. The collection, which features many works by female Illinois artists such as Evelyn Statsinger and Gertrude Abercrombie, comprises a mix of pieces from the Pritzkers’ collection as well as those on loan from the Illinois State Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “This house is a representation of all that is great about our state, our people and culture, and our contributions to American democracy as well as our great art, architecture, and design traditions,” says Pritzker, herself a student of art and architectural history. “I wanted to showcase it here so that when people come to visit, they feel proud to be from Illinois.” In sifting through historic archives and artifacts, Pritzker developed a deep connection to the governors and their spouses who had helped shape the mansion over nearly two centuries. “You can’t help but feel a link to the people who came before, especially the women. Reading about all the First Ladies who had come before, I felt compelled to tell their stories,” Pritzker says. So she decided to write a book—“my COVID project”—documenting not only the work she and Smith did but also the contributions of every administration to occupy the house. Published in September, A House That Made History also reveals the first family’s private quarters and the mansion decorated for the holidays. All proceeds from the book fund a trust that supports care of the mansion. Pritzker’s work at the Illinois governor’s mansion—as well as the retelling of its history in her book—is a reminder of the extraordinary power of beauty in bridging divisions among us. “Beauty is universal, a language that everyone can understand. Experiencing beautiful space, art, or music brings people together,” she says. “My goal was to create a warm and inviting governor’s residence that the people of Illinois could be proud of, a place to honor our past and help to create our future.” ✦ 134 VERANDA OBJECTS & ARTIFACTS Pages 26–27 L’Objet Linen Sateen tablecloth, Collecto. RINGING IN THE WEEKEND Page 28 Trellis Twine fabric, Soane Britain. Antique rug, Eighteenth Street Orientals. Risheh fabric, Natasha Baradaran Textiles. Nightstand, lamp, and mirror, Design Supply. Margeaux cushion, Soho Home. Page 30 Vintage evening dress, MK Quinlan. Antique desk, Architectural Heritage. Spanish Sunburst mirror, Maison de France Antiques. Japanese painted screen, Foxglove Antiques. Brookings table lamp, Serena & Lily. Page 32 Calix mantel and St. Amour French oak flooring, François & Co. Silver vase, Circa II Antiques. Obelisk Chesneys. Cordell Travertine fireplace tools, Palecek. Antique wooden armchair, Design Supply. Promontory drinks table, R Hughes. La Foce rug, Patterson Flynn. Hex ottoman in Fortuny Apollo fabric, Grant Trick Collection. Page 34 Vase, The Travel Studio. Page 36 Angora Shag rug, Marc Phillips. Cirrus fabric, Holly Hunt. Casa Paros side table, Bernhardt. Parisian midcentury coffee table, Circa II Antiques. Page 38 Aziza Matelassé coverlet, Matouk. Classic Ruffle bed skirt, Annie Selke. Embroidered Indian suzani, SL & Co. Shop. Autumn rug, Ward + Gray. Nightstand, Design Supply. Fern lampshade, Sorella Glenn. Famille Verte table lamp, Vaughan. firedogs, CARVED IN SPLENDOR Pages 48–49 Aether wallcovering and Athena fabric, Zak+Fox. Capriccio and Rigoletto fabrics, Kerry Joyce Textiles. FEAST OF FLORALS Page 54 Mother of Pearl flatware, Houses & Parties. R Etsy. Page 56 Barley fabric, Whiteworks. Fleurs Sauvages tablecloth, Cutter Brooks. Page 58 Jasper Indian Flower fabric, Michael S. Smith. and G Tapestry background, 12 TRIMS OF CHRISTMAS Page 60 Veronique and Palais silk double tassel Samuel & Sons. International Silver Co. Garden City Hotel punch bowl, Batterby House. Page 61 Antique iron urn, Architectural Heritage. Page 62 Antique brass candlesticks, Architectural Heritage. Page 64 Antonino Piscitello Lemon vase, Sud. Michael Aiduss Diana braid, Houlès. Diva tassel tieback, Houlès. Page 66 Oxford border, Samuel & Sons. 19th-century French brass scale, Lolo French Antiques. 19th-century wooden pedestal, Tara Shaw, 1st Dibs. Papier-Mâché flower basket, Casa Gusto. International Silver Co. Garden City Hotel punch bowl, Batterby House. tiebacks, FOR THE PEOPLE BY DESIGN Interior design: Michael S. Smith; michaelsmithinc.com. Architecture: Vinci Hamp Architects; vinci-hamp.com. Pages 106–107 Wallcovering and curtain fabric: Templeton Fabric; michaelsmithinc.com. Rug: Patterson Flynn; pattersonflynn.com. Sofa and slipper chair pillow fabric: Lee Jofa; kravet.com. Slipper chair fabric: Kravet. Floor lamps: Visual Comfort & Co.; visualcomfort.com. Pages 108–109 Wallcovering: Templeton Fabric. Rug: Patterson Flynn. Green sofa fabric: Claremont; claremontfurnishing.com. Armchair fabric: Bernard Thorp; bernardthorp.co.uk. Stripe sofa fabric: Schumacher; schumacher.com. Page 110 (top left) Wallcovering: Adelphi Paper Hangings; adelphipaper hangings.com. Page 110 (bottom left) Wallcovering: Gracie; graciestudio.com. Rug: Stanton; stantoncarpet .com. Chair, ottoman, and mirror: Jasper. Chair and ottoman fabric: Templeton Fabric. Ottoman fringe: Houlès; houles.com. Page 110 (bottom right) Wallcovering: Cowtan & Tout; cowtan.com. Drapery fabric: Morris & Co.; sanderson.sandersondesigngroup.com. Yellow chairs:
Jasper. Page 111 Drapery fabric: Kravet. Blue sofa fabric: Holland & Sherry; hollandandsherry.com. Lampshades: Munder & Sons; munderandsons.com. Page 120 (top left) Cutlery: Kemble Interiors. Page 120 (bottom right) Chair cushion fabric: Brunschwig & Fils. Page 121 (bottom) Fabric for cushions and throw pillows: Perennials; perennialsfabrics.com. GOLDEN TIDINGS Interior design: Alex Papachristidis; alexpapachristidis.com. Architecture: Kathrine McCoy; kmccoyarchitect.com. Pages 112–113 Shade fabric and tablecloth: Cowtan & Tout; cowtan.com. Lantern: Galerie des Lampes; galeriedeslampes.com. Fabric for banquette pillow and stool cushion: Pierre Frey; pierrefrey.com. Gold garden table: Bergdorf Goodman; bergdorfgoodman.com. Floor pillow fabric: Clarence House; clarencehouse.com. Floor pillow trim: Samuel & Sons; samuelandsons .com. Handbag: Scotstyle; scotstylebracelets .com. Candelabra: Christofle; christofle.com. Page 114 (top left) Silver artichoke and salt and pepper shakers: Everyday Elegance; everyday-elegance.com. Page 114 (bottom right) Rug: Tibetano; tibetano.com. Drapery fabric: Larsen. Dining chair cushion fabric: Claremont; claremontfurnishing.com. Tall mirror: Burden; jonathanburden.com. Starburst mirror: Gerald Bland; gerald blandinc.com. Lamp: Objets Plus Inc; danielbarney.com. Lampshade: Blanche Field; blanchefield.com. Page 114 (bottom left) Bookcase: Victoria & Son; victoriaandson .com. Silver tea set: Christofle. Silver pear and cake stand: Buccellati; buccellati.com. Tea cups and saucers: Everyday Elegance. Page 115 Wallcovering: Rose Tarlow; rosetarlow.com. Stair runner: Stark; starkcarpet.com. A VERY MERRY MENAGERIE Interior design: Mimi McMakin; kembleinteriors.com. Page 116 Hand-painted rug by Zenon Toczek: zenontoczek.com. Coffee table: Harrison-Van Horn; h-vh.com. Fabric for sofa and kid’s chair cushion: Brunschwig & Fils; kravet.com. Red chair cushion fabric: Pierre Frey; pierre frey.com. Stars: Bronson van Wyck; vanwyck .net. Page 117 Lanterns: Kemble Interiors. Page 119 Chair fabric: Cowtan & Tout; cowtan.com. Side table: Savoy House; savoyhouse.com. Woven chair cushion fabric: Pierre Frey. REVELRY IN THE PINES Interior design: Richard Keith Langham; richardkeithlangham.com. Architecture: Lewis Graeber III; 601-366-3611. Page 122 Paint color: Driftwood by Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co.; milkpaint.com. Lanterns: Reborn Antiques; rebornantiques .net. Floor lamps: Visual Comfort & Co.; visualcomfort.com. Club chair: Langham & Company; richardkeithlangham.com. Chair pillow fabric: Clarence House; clarencehouse .com. Rug: Woodard & Greenstein; woodard weave.com. Pillar candlesticks: Match; match1995.com. Page 123 Pillar candlesticks: Match. Page 124 (left) Pillar candlesticks: Match. Lanterns: Reborn Antiques. Chairs: Fauld; fauld.com. Chair cushion fabric: Kravet; kravet.com. Page 125 (bottom right) Paint colors: Driftwood (trim) and Barn Red (walls) by Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. Lantern: Reborn Antiques. Page 125 (bottom left) Island paint color: Cottage Red by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com. Stool cushion fabric: Hines & Co.; hinescompany .com. Page 126 Chairs: Fauld. Chandelier: Currey & Company; curreyandcompany.com. Drapery fabric: Calvin Fabrics; calvinfabrics .com. Page 128 Paint color: Mustard by Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. Bed: The Country Bed Shop; countrybedshop.com. Duvet fabric: Fabricut; fabricut.com. Sconces and shades: Visual Comfort & Co. Valance fabric: Lee Jofa. Antique urn: Lolo French Antiques; lolofrenchantiques.com. Page 129 (top left) Beds: The Country Bed Shop. Coverlets: Pom Pom at Home; pompomathome.com. Duvet fabrics: Zimmer+Rohde, zimmer-rohde .com; Pindler, pindler.com. Page 129 (top right) Bed linens: Linoto; linoto.com. Sconces and shades: Visual Comfort & Co. Page 129 (bottom left) Paint color: Barn Red by Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. Beds: The Country Bed Shop. Bed linens: Linoto. Sconces and shades: Black Forest Decor; blackforestdecor .com. Drapery fabric: Fabricut. Valance fabric: Pollack; pollackassociates.com. RULES FROM PAGE 24 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Eleish Van Breems x Augarten Champagne Cups Sweepstakes November/December 2023. Sponsored by Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Beginning October 19th, 2023 at 12:01 AM (ET) through December 14th, 2023 at 11:59 PM (ET), go to sweepstakes.veranda.com on a computer or wireless device and complete the entry form pursuant to the on-screen instructions. Important Notice: You may be charged for visiting the mobile website in accordance with the terms of your service agreement with your carrier. One (1) Winner will receive two (2) champagne cups $470. Total ARV: $470. Odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entries received. 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Designer Confidential fhioning an idyll Famed couturier Ralph Lauren on the uncomplicated glamour of his Jamaican winter escape and the comfort of sky, water, and dressing for dinner I always looked forward to summer because I could go out and play ball and go swimming. Then, years later, I discovered Jamaica. In the middle of winter, I could step out of time. We came there on holiday as a young family more than four decades ago. It wasn’t long before we moved into a romantic old villa on the highest point of Round Hill, a resort overlooking the Caribbean. We called it High Rock. It had a spirit and a glamour that harkened back to the days when Grace Kelly, Noël Coward, the Astaires, Errol Flynn, and Ian Fleming wintered there—there was a timelessness that we loved. Surrounded by a jungle of trees and flowers, it was our own Garden of Eden. With our children growing up we needed more space, so in 1997 we purchased Cottage 26 and renamed it White Orchid. Perched right on the water, the cottage was just a short walk down the hill. While High Rock has a classic feel, White Orchid is clean with a barefoot kind of luxuriousness. With a horizon of sky and water all around, it felt like being on a boat. There’s a naturalness and ease of living here that I love. This is the kind of place you can feel comfortable in. You just get here and think about the water and the air, and then you put on a pair of shorts and go for a swim. There’s nothing formal, nothing complicated. My life here is about rejuvenating, a sense of quiet, a sense of privacy. Every time I come here, it’s like the first time. When I first started attending black-tie events, I never totally felt like myself. Then one night I decided to mix my tuxedo shirt and jacket with jeans and cowboy boots. I remember some people were shocked, but I felt good—I felt like myself. Now things are different. Today, whether at a private party or on the red carpet, showcasing one’s individual style through what we wear is not only accepted, but what’s expected. H E N I WA S A K I D 136 VERANDA Sometimes dressing up for no particular reason is reason enough, especially on a balmy evening on the decks at White Orchid (inset). ABOVE: Reprinted from © Ralph Lauren: A Way of Living (Rizzoli New York, 2023), the style titan’s new book featuring his residences and commemorating the 40th anniversary of the brand’s home collection. PORTR AIT BY BRUCE WEBER • WRITTEN BY R ALPH L AUREN INSET, GILLES DE CHABANEIX. When I’m at our home in Jamaica there are evenings I dress up, not necessarily for a party or because it’s expected, but just because I’m in the mood for something different. After a day in the sun, choosing to wear a crisp white pleated evening shirt with cuff links, then slipping into a beautifully cut dinner jacket and trousers, barefoot instead of in cowboy boots, feels cool. You never know who might show up—James Bond, perhaps? ✦
Where Leisure Becomes Legend DISTINCTIVE ARCHITECTURE, RESIDENCES & HOMESITES GOLF CLUB • TENNIS • BEACH CLUB • EQUESTRIAN WINDSORFLORIDA.COM • 772 388 8400 OR 800 447 7347