In May, with little fanfare Ashley & Mary-Kate Olsen opened the Row clothing store, their first in New York on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The townhouse they had set their sights on was previously occupied, first by a Japanese tea shop and then by a denim store...
Read MoreThe legendary Ritz Paris hotel finally re-opened on June 6th, after a severe electrical fire in January delayed the original opening scheduled for that same month. The extensive renovation that took almost 4-years was carried out by world-renowned French architect, Thierry W Despont...
Read MoreOne of my very earliest blog posts was about Cosme restaurant which was brought to New York by the super-talented Mexican Chef, Enrique Olivera. Having dined at Pujol, Enrique's critically acclaimed restaurant in Mexico City, I was very excited at the prospect of one of his restaurants opening in NYC and felt confident of Cosme's success before it had even opened...
Read MoreIn Alex Papachristidis's ever so elegant dining room at the Kips Bay Showhouse last week, I was struck by his use of one of a pair of elaborately carved 18th century consoles doing double duty as a bar...
Read MoreThis year's Kips Bay Showhouse is being held at the just renovated 10,000 square feet limestone townhouse, Carlton House, on the upper East Side...
Read MoreMy annual search is on for that essential summer white frock. I've left it so late that any minute now they'll all be on sale - not a bad thing. Aside from the white dress, the summer trends have a Victorian-era sensibility of romantic ruffles, lace, silk, pleats, off-the-shoulder, pearls, flowers and embroidery details...
Read MoreWe're planning to update our kitchen, which we haven't significantly changed since moving in a few years ago. Knowing we would eventually do a full-on gut renovation, to tide us over we made cosmetic changes...
Read MoreI've been in search of inspiration for an interior design project I've just begun. These clients have requested European-style interiors with classical decorative touches. So, I was very happy to come across a recent Quintessence blog review of the volume Inside Venice: A Private View of the City's Most Beautiful Interiors, written by Toto Bergamo Rossi...
Read MoreFraming art can be overwhelming. It might be an oil on canvas, works on paper or photography that needs framing. However, with so many frame options to choose from you may wonder where to begin?
Read MoreTaking the Eurostar from St Pancras we arrived in Paris a stress-free 2 1/2 hours later. Whenever I travel I aim for a hotel that captures the spirit of the city I'm in. In Paris for me, it's the Hotel Duc de St Simon a beautifully renovated 18th century townhouse in the St Germain district, where we've stayed for the last several years...
Read MoreI returned to Brooklyn from London and Paris last weekend and finally feel free of jet lag. My first stop was in London and during this trip I made visits for lunch and dinner to the recently opened Ham Yard Hotel in Soho, which along with several small boutiques in the courtyard is collectively known as Ham Yard Village...
Read MoreSo, my dear readers I'm currently visiting two of my favorite cities, London and Paris...
Read MoreEvery once in awhile an artist comes along who stops us in our tracks because we're mesmerized by their extraordinary talent and/or originality. Benjamin Clementine fits both categories. On the cover of last Sunday's T Magazine and also the model of the menswear layout between the covers, Benjamin shows off each outfit with refined, classical elegance...
Read MoreEverywhere I look I'm seeing pajamas as daywear. New York Times T Magazine and a recent Habituallychic post both caught my eye, not just because of the dreamy ensembles, but also the exquisite setting they were placed in...
Read MoreAlessandro Michele is the recently appointed Creative Director for Gucci and his second collection for Spring/Summer 2016 landed with a bang during Milan's fashion week last September. At first glance I wasn't so enthralled as it seemed like a random mix of wild patterns, clashing colors and over-the-top flourishes of sequins, chiffon, lurex and grosgrain...
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