A STAR AMONG STARS
At Home with
KELLY LYNCH & MITCH GLAZER
PEEK INSIDE THIS ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE by JOHN LAUTNER in the HOLLYWOOD HILLS
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L I V I N G H A R M O N I C A L LY
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In this issue On the Cover
The Harvey house, designed by John Lautner in the early 1940s and built in 1950, is one of the architect’s most exemplary pieces of work from that time period. Its classic midcenturymodern style also boasts influences of organic architecture—expected in a home designed by one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most promising students. Aluminum magnate Leo Harvey and his family lived in the unique single-story house in the Hollywood Hills until the 1970s, and it changed hands once before actress Kelly Lynch and writer/ producer Mitch Glazer purchased the property in the late 1990s. They have since spent much time and money restoring the house to its original glory. Photo by Sara Essex Bradley
Vie is a French word meaning “life” or “way of living.” VIE magazine sets itself apart as a high-gloss publication that focuses on human-interest stories with heart and soul. From Seattle to NYC with a concentration in the Southeast, VIE is known for its unique editorial approach—a broad spectrum of deep content with rich photography. The award-winning magazine was founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Lisa and Gerald Burwell, owners of the specialty publishing and branding house known as The Idea Boutique®. From the finest artistically bound books to paperless digital publication and distribution, The Idea Boutique provides comprehensive publishing services to authors and organizations. Its team of creative professionals delivers a complete publishing experience—all that’s needed is your vision.
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THE ART OF HOME STAGING HAS BEEN A REAL ESTATE STANDARD SINCE INTERIOR GURU MERIDITH BAER BEGAN MARKETING THE PRACTICE IN THE 1990S. THIS MANHATTAN RESIDENCE NEAR HUDSON RIVER PARK IS A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF WHAT MERIDITH BAER HOME CAN DO TO MAKE A LISTING SHINE!
Photo by Travis Mark
FEATURE
VOYAGER 93
30 An Architectural Masterpiece: A Star
94 Orchids Are in Bloom
among Stars
102 Privacy Please! History and Creativity
LA MAISON 29
Are Alive at the Exclusive Coral Casino
36 L’intermission: Cherry on Top 40 Organic Modernism: Bringing Design to Life 46 Staging for Success: Meridith Ba Baer’s
110 The Greek Revival: A House and Community Renewed
Legacy Continues
INTROSPECTIONS 117
52 Design Is Art
118 To the Class of 2020: Accepting Acceptance
57 L’intermission: Hydrangea Fields Forever
121 L’intermission: It’s All Gravy
58 Lovelace Interiors Do Does It All: Great Design
122 The Pink Teacup
Is Everywhere
120 Nourish Nicaragua: Florida Businesses
64 Private Sanctuaries: Paradise in Santa Barbara
72 @Home: Dwelling Well with Beau
Come Together for Good
124 Good Credit Is Chic!
Home Interiors
VIE BOOK CLUB: THE READERS CORNER 127
75 L’intermission: Super Bloomin’
128 Connecting Lines: The Art of Shantell Martin
76 A Light That Never Goe Goess Out 82 Living Spaces: Combining Home and Heart with Design
THEIDEABOUTIQUE.COM INFO@THEIDEABOUTIQUE.COM
109 L’intermission: Grow, Garden, Grow
C’EST LA VIE CURATED COLLECTION: EDIT AND UPDATE FOR THE CHIC OF IT! 88
THE LAST WORD: STAYING IN 133 AU REVOIR! 137
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 11
Fulfilling Dreams Since 1976
efs a nj u a n.c o m
Photo by Romona Robbins
CREATIVE TEAM FOUNDER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com
FOUNDER / PUBLISHER GERALD BURWELL Gerald@VIEmagazine.com
EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR JORDAN STAGGS Jordan@VIEmagazine.com
CHIEF COPY EDITOR MARGARET STEVENSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SALLIE W. BOYLES, FELICIA FERGUSON, ANTHEA GERRIE, ANNA KLEMENT, CARRIE MCCONKEY, MYLES MELLOR, KELSEY OGLETREE, CAROLYN O’NEIL, TORI PHELPS, SUZANNE POLL AK, NICHOL AS S. RACHEOTES, GENESIS ROSARIO, L AURETTE RYAN, COLLEEN SACHS, JANET THOMAS, MEGAN WALDREP
ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR TRACEY THOMAS Tracey@VIEmagazine.com
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS OLIVIA PIERCE HANNAH VERMILLION
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS SARA ESSEX BRADLEY, ZSOLT BICZO, EDWARD BUTERA, BEN CHU, THEO COULOMBE, TOMMY CROW, AMY DICKERSON, F11PHOTO, CHRISTIAN GIANNELLI, JACK GARDNER, STACEY ZARIN GOLDBERG, DAVID HERNANDEZ, ANDREA IZZOTTI, BRENNA KNEISS, HOLLY LEPERE, GRAY MALIN, TRAVIS MARK, PA XTON POWELL, ASHLYN RILEY, ROMONA ROBBINS, VICHAIYUT TONGMAK, CONNIE TSANG, DBSHOOTS PHOTOGRAPHY, DEAR WESLEYANN, J. LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY, L AND AIR SEA PRODUCTIONS, SARA K ATHERINE PHOTOGRAPHY, SHUTTERSTOCK
ADVERTISING, SALES, AND MARKETING DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR MEGHN HILL ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABIGAIL RYAN MARKETING COORDINATOR OLIVIA MANTHEY BRAND AMBASSADOR LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com MARTA RATA Marta@VIEmagazine.com
AD MANAGER OLIVIA PIERCE Olivia@VIEmagazine.com
VIE is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2008–2020 Cornerstone Marketing and Advertising, Incorporated (Publisher). All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. VIE is a lifestyle magazine and is published twelve times annually on a monthly schedule. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of the Publisher. The Publisher and its advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in this publication. The Publisher is not liable for the accuracy of statements made by its advertisers. Ads that appear in this publication are not intended as offers where prohibited by state law. The Publisher is not responsible for photography or artwork submitted by freelance or outside contributors. The Publisher reserves the right to publish any letter addressed to the editor or the Publisher. VIE is a paid publication. Subscription rates: Printed magazine – One-year $29.95; Two-year $49.95. Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.VIEmagazine.com.
14 | JUNE 2020
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Editor’s Note
THE GREAT RESET Home Is, and Always Will Be, Where the Heart Is
T
he coronavirus pandemic has, as yet, proven to be the greatest upset known by any living generation the world over. When was the last time a single cataclysmic event caused absolutely every person around the globe to be shaken to the core by either pain, grief, anxiety, sickness, economic strain, or a combination of these? When we emerge on the other side of all this, things may never be the same, but maybe they can be better. Since it is not over, we don’t know what the outcome will be, but many lessons have been learned thus far, and I’m sure there will be more to discover as time marches on. I am not proud to admit it, but one lesson I have realized through this is that, for more than a decade, I’ve been merely existing through my life—operating at lightning speed with minimal downtime—rather than living my life. The stay-at-home mandate has forced me to recognize things that I most likely would not have come to terms with otherwise, one of those being an appreciation for my home. Before the pandemic, our house functioned more like a pit stop, a place where I mostly slept, only to get up and rush out to do the next day’s bidding. It has not been what most would consider a serene life. To truly live, in my opinion, is to live in the moment—to take the time to be still and be fully present. Meanwhile, life remains beautiful, and in this issue, beauty abounds. Read about and marvel at Hollywood couple Kelly Lynch and Mitch Glazer in our feature cover story, “An Architectural Masterpiece: A Star among Stars,” by Anthea Gerrie. Enjoy this exclusive peek inside their John Lautner–designed home, which has been captured by the lens of Sara Essex Bradley. Another visual stunner is “Private Sanctuaries: Paradise in Santa Barbara,” an interview with landscape architect Margie Grace by managing editor Jordan Staggs. Holly Lepere’s gorgeous photographs magnificently showcase Grace’s distinctive landscaping style. One significant disappointment during the last two months—among so many—is that countless students, having worked so hard to achieve an important milestone in their lives, are unable to celebrate openly with a graduation ceremony. We met Genesis Rosario five years ago in New York City, where she performed at a Girl Redesigned event coordinated by the Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation and educator Erica Ann Garber. VIE was a proud sponsor of the event, and the story appeared in the 2015 May/June issue. I followed up with Genesis this year to see how she was doing. We are honored to share her poignant story, “To the Class of 2020: Accepting Acceptance.” At VIE and The Idea Boutique, a new level of gratitude has been reached during this time of isolation. Despite the hardships, we have discovered new methods for creating and managing content. We now know that a magazine can be published while collaborating remotely from home. I am not sure what that feat would have looked like if this disaster had occurred before the Internet; it has indeed been a godsend to keep
the team connected from a safe distance. To the VIE team, you amaze me at every turn, and this issue is no exception. Thank you for your professionalism, talent, and enthusiasm. You are heroes in your own right for creating another stunning issue. It seems fitting that we present our annual decor and home issue as most of the world has been relegated to their homes for the last two months. The circumstances that require us to remain homebound are unfortunate, but we should consider ourselves blessed. I pray that I can continue to help those who need it and show new levels of compassion and kindness to all those who are homeless, unemployed, and scared.
Above: Staff members from VIE, Q Tile, and Coastal Elements Construction gathered at the site of the upcoming VIE Beach House – A Show Home for a blessing of the house in January 2020. Photo by Abigail Ryan
To Life!
—Lisa Marie Founder/Editor-In-Chief V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 19
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The Creatives We collaborate with talented photographers, writers, and other creatives on a regular basis, and we’re continually inspired by how they pour their hearts and souls into their crafts. Follow these creatives on social media and don’t forget to check out our account, @viemagazine.
IN THIS ISSUE, WE ASKED THE CREATIVES: AS WE’VE ALL BEEN SPENDING MORE TIME AT HOME LATELY, MANY OF US HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO UPDATE OUR SPACES. WHAT IS ONE ROOM OR AREA IN YOUR HOME YOU WOULD LIKE TO REDO, AND WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM PLANS FOR IT?
make, and the rug would come last. Maybe I will paint an accent wall. I would definitely enlist the guidance of a designer friend, working out a trade with them. My second choice would be the bedroom, where we need to rip out and move the closets so we can fit a king-size bed in there. I never thought I’d want one, but I also never thought I’d be fifty years old.
ASHLEY GILBREATH
I constantly have too many books and not enough room to store and display them. And my husband and I have shared a love of music throughout our thirty-year relationship (when I found out on our first date that he, too, liked the dreamy songs of Bryan Ferry, I deemed him marriage material). Our robin’s-egg-blue living room begs to be outfitted with white floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, with spaces of different heights to accommodate tomes and treasures of all sizes. The room would be accented with leafy monstera and snake plants, and an Eames lounge chair with ottoman would serve as a comfortable and stylish resting spot. A stereo console with our vinyl record collection would complete our romantic “rec room,” where we could leave behind our electronic devices, listen to cherished music, read, and reconnect!
Interior Designer, “Living Spaces” @ashleygilbreathinteriordesign
I think the easy answer here (or at least the answer my husband would give) is our home office, but I am selfishly going to say our living room. We have spent so much more time together as a family recently and I am loving every minute, so if I could update a room at the moment, it would be our living room. With a nine-year-old, a sevenyear-old, and a four-year-old, we need a spot for playing games and working puzzles, as well as a spot that looks nice for a laptop to live when necessary. The games and puzzles have become a regular event, when they used to only be for special occasions. So, I see a little rearranging in our future and maybe a cozy spot for a game table.
SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
ALWAYS A VORACIOUS READER, I CONSTANTLY HAVE TOO MANY BOOKS AND NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO STORE AND DISPLAY THEM.
TRACEY THOMAS Art Director @traceyleighthomas
Photographer, “An Architectural Masterpiece” @saraessexbradley
Shooting beautiful spaces really emphasizes the need to tighten up my quarters. While most of the house is fairly complete, my den is kind of crazy looking. The rug and the pillows clash, and the artwork needs editing. Most important would be re-covering the large, vintage, cat-destroyed sectional in a darker shade of blue and investing in more scratching posts for the cat. The Norman Cherner armchair is also in need of fresh upholstery. Then new pillow covers, which I can
CARRIE MCCONKEY Writer, “The Greek Revival” CarrieMcConkey.com
I dream of updating the living room in our 1950s ranch house to create a midcentury modern–inspired library and listening room. Always a voracious reader,
I would love to expand my kitchen to include a beautiful white butler’s pantry equipped with wall-to-wall white marble countertops and white cabinets lined with natural woven baskets, labeled glass apothecary jars, and clear storage containers. There would be a fridge drawer for beverages and a freezer drawer for ice cream and frozen treats. It would be beautifully organized so that everything had a place. Finding anything would put me at ease because I would know exactly where it was stored away. Cooking meals would be easier, food would taste better, and life in general would be a breeze! V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 23
La conversation
Right Back @You! WE LOVE TO COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT WITH OUR READERS! AND WE LOVE IT EVEN MORE WHEN THEY PROUDLY SHARE THEIR STORIES AND POSE WITH VIE FOR A CLOSE-UP! THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT: SHARING, LOVING, AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. WE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE YOU!
@theideaboutique Talented and driven artist @leslieodomjr is more than a triple threat—he has risen above his roots as an actor, singer, and dancer to add published author and television producer to his professional résumé. This year, the former @hamiltonmusical star is promoting his third solo studio album, Mr, released in November of 2019. Check out the article in @viemagazine’s Music & Entertainment Issue! Photo by @paulmorejon
@thesouthernatelier The May issue of @viemagazine just hit stands and I’m in love with the @dhfashiondesigns editorial I styled for @laurenathalia that’s featured in “Embrace Creation.” We pulled from some of my fave Southern brands to create the looks in the feature, including @exvotovintage, @privategallery, and @coastalroadleathergoods. Model: @delaneytyndall Glam: @stacyalderson
@lisamburwell I met this Hollywood legend at the home of @peggy_chacha and Jimbo Adams! We were covering a story for @viemagazine’s Entertainment Issue. Meet ninety-three-yearsyoung Cora Sue Collins, an American former child actress who appeared in over forty films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. As the saying goes, “The show must go on,” even in times like these. Her story is heartwarming and she’s an elegant woman.
@n_anderson0 This has been a special project since its inception. Getting ready to fill all these openings with custom glass. So excited to see what started on paper come to life. #viebeachhouse #showhome @franks_cash_carry @q_tile @beachluxury30a @viemagazine @eurowalldoors @jeldwenusa @clarkhalldoors
LET’S TALK!
@zavalabespoke Couldn’t have said it better myself. Big thanks to @viemagazine for our little May issue feature, and stay tuned this summer to see more Zavala Bespoke in their Art and Culture issue. Can’t wait!
@megan.waldrep What’s your go-to in LA? B.C. (before COVID), @viemagazine needed an LA travel piece and I said, “I’m your girl!” So, I ran around Los Angeles to hit the cool spots for you. Here’s an opportunity to plan your next trip once we’re out of this crazy quarantine. To see who’s who, check out the March issue of VIE magazine online now!
Send VIE your comments and photos on our social media channels or by emailing us at info@viemagazine.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts. They could end up in the next La conversation!
VIEmagazine.com
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 25
JAMES WATTS Luxury Real Estate and Development BeachLuxury30A.com | (850) 246-1809 @BeachLuxury30A
YOU R N E W
Home Office
La maison
Visit JWS-Interiors.com to learn more. Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
La maison WHERE THE HEART IS
Listening to her clients’ needs and translating them into spaces that are not only beautiful but also functional and timeless is a specialty for interior designer Jennifer Wagner Schmidt. She launched her high-end design firm in 2006 and has been evolving and elevating her brand ever since. She partners with such top furniture and lifestyle brands as Ralph Lauren Home, Z Gallerie, KitchenAid, and more. Follow along and see more of her work on Instagram @jwsinteriors.
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 29
AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE A S t a r A m o n g S ta r s BY ANTHEA GERRIE
AN ENTERTAINING SPACE EXPANSIVE ENOUGH FOR FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE IS AN UNUSUAL ATTRIBUTE FOR ANY FAMILY HOME, BUT ALMOST UNHEARD OF IN A TWO-BEDROOM RESIDENCE. HOWEVER, THE HARVEY HOUSE, PERCHED ON A HILLTOP HIGH ABOVE HOLLYWOOD, IS EXTRAORDINARY BY ANY STANDARDS. “It was built by John Lautner, the man Frank Lloyd Wright called ‘the world’s secondgreatest architect,’ for aluminum magnate Leo Harvey,” says actress Kelly Lynch, who has lived in this very special aerie for twenty-one years with her husband, Florida-born writer and producer Mitch Glazer. The couple has reveled in the never-ending project of restoring the once-derelict, partially degraded masterpiece to its former glory over the past two decades. Kelly admits friends tried to deter them from racing to buy a ruin which, on the surface, looked like a potentially bottomless money pit. But their passion for California’s wealth of modernist architecture and the opportunity to experience it firsthand would not be denied. “We just love living here and sharing Lautner’s vision with others,” explains the star of the cult classic film Drugstore Cowboy and the 2000 reboot of Charlie’s Angels, who looks even more sensational at sixty than when she first became a marquee name at half that age.
Opposite: The Harvey house in the Hollywood Hills, designed by John Lautner in the early 1940s, is a stunning example of midcentury modern and organic architecture. Below: The main part of the home is a circular hub with rich wood partitions creating separate spaces. Its breathtaking views include the Los Angeles skyline, the Hollywood Sign, and the Griffith Observatory. Photos by Sara Essex Bradley
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 31
T
he Harvey house was one of the first commissions for Wright’s now-famous student, who got the gig because he was known to be a superb engineer. “This site wasn’t flat—it was a mountaintop and had to be flattened to build on,” explains Kelly. “Leo Harvey was one of the first to establish a home in these hills, and he had heard about Lautner’s expertise in building on difficult sites.”
It was a time, she explains, when Lautner and his family were splitting a large loaf of bread and an outsize can of beans for dinner “because that’s all they could afford in the late 1940s. When Leo Harvey arrived with a $250,000 check for the commencement, they called him the architectural angel!” That’s nearly twice as much as the second owners bought the house for in 1978, doing it no favors. “It was in bad shape,” Kelly shares. “The second owner never understood the architecture and started adding sheetrock additions that were never finished, leaving dangling wires. We had to look at the plans to see exactly what the house was originally and take everything away to get to what was there. Friends were throwing themselves in front of us telling us we could not do this.” But that did not stop the couple paying ten times as much for the house just twenty years later, when they outbid Leonardo DiCaprio to secure their $1.5 million purchase. “We knew what we had ahead of us— that we would have to put another $1.5 million into the house,” Kelly admits, “so we were very nervous, but we really wanted it. We are both preservationists, and although it looked a mess when we got it, we knew it was between Leo and us or the house being torn down.”
Actress Kelly Lynch and her husband, writer and producer Mitch Glazer, bought the Harvey house in the late 1990s. Photo by Amy Dickerson 32 | JUNE 2020
The thought of such a jewel, which overlooks all of Los Angeles and is bookended by views of the Griffith Observatory on one side and the iconic Hollywood Sign on the other, being demolished was really what drove Kelly and Mitch to take their giant leap into restoring it to its former glory.
“
WE KNEW WHAT WE HAD AHEAD OF US— THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT ANOTHER $1.5 MILLION INTO THE HOUSE. SO WE WERE VERY NERVOUS, BUT WE REALLY WANTED IT.
The couple has spent a considerable amount of time and money restoring the home while preserving the integrity of its original design.. Photo by Sara Essex Bradley V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 33
T
he house is one of a series Lautner created in LA, his most famous being the Chemosphere house overlooking Beverly Hills. Each home has a central pillar supporting what looks like an enormous spoked wooden wheel as the ceiling; in the Harvey house, this “wow” feature is now in an enormous foyer. Originally it was an indoor-outdoor area, but it was closed off in the 1960s to create a larger entertaining space with glass walls that span a giant semicircle. “We call it the lobby—it’s kind of a joke because it’s such a big space,” laughs Kelly. The couple hosted a party here for the late legendary photographer of modernist architecture Julius Shulman, and Kelly herself is celebrated in a huge mural photograph showing her at the premiere of Drugstore Cowboy—“a rare moment of glamour in what is often a far from glamorous industry,” she laughs drily. A delightful living room overlooking the city is floored in the original parquet laid seventy years ago, and, just for fun, the owners kept the original midcentury television set and hi-fi equipment built into the satinwood wall fixtures. Although it’s also original, the ornate and expensive finish on the fireplace was not the choice of Lautner, who eschewed extravagant ornament. “But Leo Harvey was somewhat ostentatious and insisted on cladding the fireplace in marble,” laughs Kelly.
34 | JUNE 2020
Kelly and Mitch call this “the lobby.” The spacious main entry area features a mural photograph by Peter Beard of Kelly at the 1989 premiere of Drugstore Cowboy. Opposite: The small swimming pool was once a therapy pool built for Mrs. Harvey after she suffered a stroke. It is now a quiet place to relax and enjoy the view. Photos by Sara Essex Bradley V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 35
T
he two bedrooms, with their magnificent views, were designed as his-and-her master suites for the Harveys. Each has the feel of an ocean-liner stateroom, thanks to walls clad in floor-to-ceiling padauk wood. In the art deco–style bathrooms, Harvey, the metal magnate, added his design imprint with built-in circular mirrors and innovative aluminum fixtures.
The color scheme in the bathroom is the same salmon pink and mint green so indicative of the Beverly Hills Hotel; Kelly went to great lengths to research the exact shades. “I was actually prowling in the hotel shrubbery trying to color match the paint until a guard told me I couldn’t do that!” she laughs. The carpet has been replaced throughout the home by handsome black slate floors, with the exception of Mitch’s office, which is outfitted in cork. There are pictures on the wall recalling the 1950s architecture of Miami, where his father worked as an engineer on many noted construction projects, and Mitch confesses he was “steeped in architecture as a kid.” His own construction projects have included an astonishing $14 million hotel mock-up created for Magic City, the Golden Globe–nominated TV show set in the modernist Miami of the late 1950s. “We built this fake hotel on stages out near the airport, and a couple of people actually tried to check in,” he jokes. The handsome ficus tree outside looks as though it has been on the site forever, but it was actually planted by Kelly and Mitch. Past it, the views are outstanding—a constant reminder of why Leo Harvey thought it was worth the cost of slicing off a mountaintop to perch the house within view of two great Los Angeles icons (the observatory and the famous hillside sign). Naturally, there is a swimming pool. It’s small, as it was adapted from a therapy pool installed for Mrs. Harvey when she was recovering from a stroke, and it cannot be enlarged because of building regulations. Still, the wraparound lawn, which is used as an outdoor entertaining space, holds a newer secret—a jungle-like tropical garden far below.
36 | JUNE 2020
“
BUT AS PROUD PRESERVATIONISTS, WE LOVE THIS WORK AND HOW MUCH ENJOYMENT THESE HOUSES BRING TO ALL WHO SEE THEM, AS WELL AS BRING TO US WHO ACTUALLY GET TO LIVE THE DREAM.
There is always going to be plenty to do in this house, where the original all-wood galley kitchen, separated from the living room by a serving hatch, is too small to be functional for a modern family. A much larger kitchen—with 1970s cabinetry installed by the previous owners—and an adjacent family room are buried in the interior of the house. These will be Mitch and Kelly’s next projects for renovation. Next, but not last, the homeowners have acquired a residence in the rural California hinterland of Lone Pine. It was designed by another famous modernist architect, Richard Neutra. With two old properties requiring constant careful attention, Kelly and Mitch
are veritably locked into a long-term labor of love. “But as proud preservationists, we love this work and how much enjoyment these houses bring to all who see them, as well as bring to us who actually get to live the dream,” says Kelly.
Anthea Gerrie is based in the UK but travels the world in search of stories. Her special interests are architecture and design, culture, food, and drink, as well as the best places to visit in the world’s great playgrounds. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Mail, the Independent, and Blueprint.
Above: The Harvey house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 for its significance as one of Lautner’s best examples of architecture from 1940 to 1944. Photo by Sara Essex Bradley Opposite: Kelly and Mitch share their beautifully preserved home with their adorable furry companion, the Ram. They plan to continue updating the house, starting with the kitchen. Photo by Amy Dickerson
VISIT THESE
JOHN LAUTNER DESIGNS IN CALIFORNIA From time to time, the owners of Lautner’s amazing homes in Southern California open them for visits. The 1963 Sheats-Goldstein house—which has had extensive renovation and been featured in The Big Lebowski—has been promised as a future gift to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Tours will be allowed periodically by owner James Goldstein, still in residence. Visit JamesFGoldstein.com to learn more and take a virtual tour.
the desert in 1947. Although it was aborted after only four units were completed, they have been preserved and beautifully restored as vacation rental accommodations. The compound is also a popular venue for weddings. Check out TheLautner.com to learn more and see photos.
The Lautner Compound in Desert Hot Springs, California, is an ambitious resort project on six hundred acres that Lautner was commissioned to build in V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 37
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Cherry on Top
Cherry blossoms abound at the Jefferson Memorial in the nation’s capital. Photo by f11photo / Shutterstock
Pink hues and cherry dreams! The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, is a famous annual event celebrating Tokyo’s gift of thousands of cherry trees to the US back in 1912. During the beloved spring festival, the city’s numerous varieties of cherry trees put on a spectacular show of blooms. If you get a chance to go next year, take part in the Japanese tradition of picnicking beneath the beautiful flowering trees!
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ORGANIC BRINGING DESIGN TO LIFE BY J O R DA N S TAG G S · P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U R T ES Y O F K E N GA N E AUX
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In the coastal communities of Northwest Florida’s Scenic Highway 30-A, many elite custom homes line the beautiful pathways, walking trails, and white-sand beaches. Their facades range from traditional and Southern to clean and modern, and most interiors seem to capture the whites, soft blues, and sandy hues of the Gulf Coast. Interior designer Ken Ganeaux, who has worked on residential and commercial projects in the area for twenty years, strives to stand out in a sea of beach-inspired looks and colors.
aneaux’s midcentury-modern style is a refreshing yet classic look that, perhaps surprisingly to some, melds seamlessly into the 30-A area’s eclectic mix of architecture as his principles value both nature and practicality.
purpose, and bringing a sense of joy and comfort. Kelly Wearstler is my design idol; she has a very edgy, stylized approach that I relate to. Miró, Picasso, Damien Hirst, Chagall, Julian Opie, Anna Halldin-Maule, and Friedemann Buehler are artists I have been afforded the luxury of purchasing for clients.”
“Growing up close to Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright inspired me to move into form and function in design,” Ganeaux shares, “relating the outdoors to the indoors, making sure everything in a space has a
As a child and teenager in Pennsylvania, Ganeaux says he was always encouraged by his parents to embrace what he wanted and to learn how he could achieve it through being an independent go-getter.
Above: This kitchen was created by Northwest Florida interior designer Ken Ganeaux, who also designed and built the custom walnut cabinets. Ganeaux says he wanted the space to evoke the feel of a classic yet modern yacht. Photo by Land Air Sea Productions
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is father, an automotive engineer who worked for GM, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi, no doubt passed along a strong work ethic, while his mother was the more artistic of the pair. “We were always taught the value of being self-sufficient and that life is not just handed to you; you have to work hard and stay focused to obtain the goals you set for yourself,” says Ganeaux. It wasn’t too difficult for the young man to figure out what he wanted to do in life. “I have always had a love for all things in the home industry,” he shares. “I bet I rearranged my bedroom growing up at least a thousand times. I scoured garage sales, curbside gems, and refurbished furniture to get the look I wanted.” As an adult, Ganeaux made a move to Nashville and assisted on countless renovations and other home projects as he learned the skills and trades that would propel him forward in the industry for which he was so passionate. No job was too big or too small. These experiences prepared him to form his studio, Ganeaux Designs Inc., when he moved to Northwest Florida.
the look. “The mosaic adorns an entire wall in the bath, topped with a frosted-to-clear switch-activated window strategically placed for privacy,” he says. “This incorporated the feel of an outdoor shower with all of the modern, luxurious amenities of a spa at home.”
Ganeaux also built the live-edge cypress table in this kitchen. “I couldn’t find one to fit the space, so I built one!” Colorful pottery and a vintage rug from Marrakesh give finishing touches. Photo by Land Air Sea Productions
“I studied interior design, which gave me the skills of color theory, special relations, and styling,” he recalls. “Moving to the beach twenty years ago and forging a new path of working with clients through architect selection, home functionality, and even down to furnishing and the aesthetics of everyday life have been such rewarding experiences. They’ve ultimately resulted in valued personal relationships built between my clients and myself. I have made lifelong friends and traveled across the country to assist with other commercial and residential projects stemming from these ties.” His style of “organic modernism,” as Ganeaux refers to it, is a timeless mix of nature-inspired organic materials and more modern pieces that can be adapted to any architecture or location. Its elements incorporate a blend of old and new, with the natural furnishings lending a softer side to some of the sleek, hard lines found in a lot of new construction today. “Organic modernism is an aesthetic that speaks to me,” the designer explains. “I feel the architecture of the home sets the tone for the style of the interiors, while mixing old and new gives the home character and a sense of history.” One of Ganeaux’s favorite examples of his style is a “his” bathroom design in a Gulffront home along 30-A’s beaches. The challenging project first required taking over part of an existing porch to extend the bathroom while maintaining the porch’s integrity and aesthetic. The shower brought nature indoors with a gorgeous mosaic tile mural created by pixelating a photograph that showed the dunes, the Gulf of Mexico, and the surrounding vista. Ganeaux worked with a tile creator in Venice to achieve 42 | JUNE 2020
ITS ELEMENTS INCORP OR ATE A BLEN D OF OLD AN D NE W, WITH THE NATUR AL FURNISHIN GS LEN DIN G A SOF TER SIDE TO SOME OF THE SLEEK, HARD LINES FO U N D IN A LOT OF NE W CO NSTRUC TIO N TO DAY.
“ WHAT I LOVE ABO UT LIVIN G AN D WORKIN G IN THIS ARE A ARE THE A M A ZIN G ARCHITEC TS, DESIGNERS, AN D CR AF TSMEN HERE AN D THE SENSE OF PRIDE IN O NE’S EVERYDAY SKILL SE T.”
Ganeaux also consulted on design and worked with the talented Allyson Runnels of Laura Allyson Interiors and Premier Development Group to curate finish selections for owners to choose from when personalizing their residences in the luxurious Thirty-One on 30A Gulf-front property in Seagrove Beach. “I was given the opportunity to furnish the model unit, and I mixed contemporary, organic, and midcentury styles to achieve a very peaceful but elegant look,” Ganeaux says. Often adding elements that stand out through textures, lighting, and unexpected materials, Ganeaux says he enjoys working on both residential and commercial projects, whether it is helping an owner fill their new
Left: This living room features vintage Italian lighting, including a Murano “snail” lamp on the credenza, and a Gio Ponti rosewood chair covered in black cashmere. The art above the fireplace is by a Puerto Rican artist who embedded newsprint telling the story of the destruction and development of his village into this painting. Photo by Land Air Sea Productions Inset: A colorful, contemporary living room design at ThirtyOne on 30A resort in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, by Ganeaux and Allyson Runnels Photo by Tommy Crow
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La maison home with the things they love or assisting realtors and property developers with staging. “Residential design gives me more of an opportunity to truly get to know my clients: how they live, what brings them joy, and how to find common ground between my vision and theirs to ultimately give them an emotional and physical connection to their new home at the beach. Commercial design is all about the functionality and durability of the space. It forces me to become very analytical, making sure every last detail is thought through.” He continues, “Every project is treated with the same respect and nurturing. What I love about living and working in this area are the amazing architects, designers, and craftsmen here and the sense of pride in one’s everyday skill set.” Although the world has experienced some setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic—and the design industry is no exception—Ganeaux says he has been working through it and staying positive. “I am using this time to reevaluate my priorities and place importance on things that matter the most. Every day is a new day and not one to be taken for granted.”
S TAY T U N E D TO S E E MO R E WO R K F ROM D E S I G N E R K E N GA N E AUX W H E N YO U FO LLOW H I M O N I N S TAG R A M
Ganeaux and Allyson Runnels brought the natural coastal surroundings of Santa Rosa Beach indoors with this entertainment area at Thirty-One on 30A resort. Photo by Tommy Crow
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MERIDITH BAER’S LEGACY CONTINUES
I
By Jord an S tag gs Ph o t ogra phy c our t es y of Me ridith B ae r Home
t seems unusual that a nationally renowned interior decorator might have stumbled upon the profession by accident, but that’s exactly how Meridith Baer’s career transitioned from journalist and actress to the full-time interior guru who brought the art of “home staging” to the US real estate industry.
“Though I’d earned a living as a writer, I was drawn to gardening and fixing up my home,” recalls Baer, who is now seventy-two years old and has been at the helm of her design studio, Meridith Baer Home (MBH), since its inception in 1998. “One day, the owner of the house that I was leasing came by, saw what I had done, and said, ‘Wow—you’ll have to move. I’m going to make some money on what you’ve done!’”
Left and below: This stunning home in the Florida Keys—94100 Overseas Highway— set a price record in early 2020 as it was listed at $24.5 million. Renowned interior designer Meridith Baer and her team staged the home. Photos by David Hernandez
What might have seemed like an inconvenience turned out to be fate. “A friend of mine had built a spec home and suggested that I move my furnishings there to show how a buyer might live in the space,” Baer says. “I did, and the home sold in less than a week for a half million dollars over the asking price. Real estate brokers who knew about this started to ask me to ‘stage’ other homes they were trying to sell, and soon I had a thriving staging business.” V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 47
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Above: This Santa Barbara residence staged by Meridith Baer Home allows the open floor plan to flow nicely while incorporating natural materials and textures that complement the home’s wooden beams and floors. Photo by Edward Butera 48 | JUNE 2020
ithin just a few years, MBH grew from a one-woman show to a team of fifty people working on several homes per week. The phenomenon of staging homes became a valuable tool for realtors all over the country, and Baer’s concept even landed the designer her series on HGTV called Staged to Perfection, which debuted in 2013. Today, the company has offices in Los Angeles, New York, the Hamptons, Miami, and San Francisco, and its properties belong to celebrity clients and top luxury realtors. “Now, we might do thirty homes a week, and we’re all over California, Florida, and the East Coast,” Baer says. “We do jobs in Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and Colorado and have even installed in Atlanta. Last year, we did over 2,200 installations. Our staging mission is to help homeowners sell their property as quickly as possible for the best price possible.”
Evolving from the staging business, MBH also includes a full-service interior design department. Its talented team works with homeowners to create their dream spaces— but Baer admits that she still loves staging the best. “Personally, that process is too slow and tedious for me,” she says of interior design. “I like to move quickly and see results fast. That’s why staging is perfect for me. We install a home in a day or two!” Her favorite spaces to stage are the ones that are most lived in, such as family rooms. “I love the challenge of making a room like this beautiful but, at the same time, extremely comfortable and practical,” she shares. With much of her business done along the East and West Coasts, Baer also has a passion for staging incredible outdoor living spaces in beach homes and other luxury waterfront homes, such as 94100 Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys. The home recently set a price record, listed at $24.5 million. “In coastal regions, homeowners spend a lot of time outdoors, so those rooms have to be furnished,” Baer says. “More and more, we create entire outdoor rooms that include outdoor rugs and lighting, decor, pillows, and florals.” For 94100 Overseas Highway, Baer’s team staged each room to truly highlight the magnificent views all around the home, which include the
“II LOVE THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING A ROOM LIKE THIS BEAUTIFUL BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE AND PRACTICAL.” PRACTICAL.
Above right: The Overseas Highway property features two private white-sand beaches at the edge of the Florida Bay. Inset: Showcasing the stunning views of both the ocean and Everglades National Park, Meridith Baer Home created a relaxed yet refined feel for this unique residence. Photos by David Hernandez
ocean as well as the Everglades. “We used a white palette and low-profile furniture combined with neutral, light accessories. We also showcased the calming beachfront location with natural wood elements complemented by organic textures in the fabrics and materials.” The business is continually evolving, thanks to new technology and market demands, and Baer’s team has evolved with the times, always looking for fresh, creative ideas. Because many homeowners share her desire to see results quickly, Baer says, MBH created a product called Instant Home. “Once we know what the client likes and needs, we hunt and gather for a month or so and then install the home, soup to nuts. We provide the client with a price list, and they
have a few days to decide what they want to buy, and we pick up the rest. After that, we can make another delivery or we can finish off the home with interior design services.” Staging such luxurious—and often enormous—homes also means MBH needs a large inventory of top-notch furnishings, art, decor, and lighting to fill them. Collaborating with designers and brands is necessary, but Baer also loves finding those “wow” pieces that you might not see in a store or showroom. “One of my favorite pieces to add to a room are these large iron sculptures I had commissioned from a local artist friend—they add instant drama to any space!” She continues, “We buy from so many different vendors, but I feel what really sets us apart are the unique pieces we purchase at auctions and estate sales. Last year, our team traveled to Morocco and came back with containers of amazing rugs, pillows, ottomans, and other unique finds. We also have been manufacturing a lot of our own pieces that keep our interiors fresh and personal.” V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 49
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nother big evolutionary move for MBH came in February, when the company acquired the ultramodern Encore Design Studio, which has catered to the Hollywood elite for a decade. Designer Lukas Ruzbasan and his team bring a new edge to Baer’s repertoire— ideal for clients who wish for the sleek, modern look that befits many of LA’s most fabulous homes. “We were aware of Lukas and Encore Design Studio for some time and would see his work often in Trousdale Estates and the Hollywood Hills,” Baer says. “Lukas had a strong reputation for clean, modern design, and although that was a look we did often, we weren’t always the first thought for clients who wanted it. When Lukas approached us about getting out of the staging business, we thought it would be perfect to bring him on board to help promote the modern side of our business and utilize both his design and sales talents.”
“WE WE BUY FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT VENDORS, BUT I FEEL WHAT REALLY SETS US APART ARE THE UNIQUE PIECES WE PURCHASE AT AUCTIONS AND ESTATE SALES.” SALES. The reach of MBH is limitless: it continues to work cross country as well as stage spaces for exclusive special events. The studio was selected to stage artists’ dressing rooms for the 2019 and 2020 Grammy Awards, which was an exciting creative opportunity for Baer and her team. “We looked at the design for each of the dressing rooms in terms of the artist’s individual personality,” she says. “For example, for Ariana Grande, we thought fun, flirty, and fluffy by mixing textures like velvet, mohair, bouclé, and fur. We kept it very feminine with shades of dusty rose and pink, throwing in some sable gray for glamour. Vintage 50 | JUNE 2020
designer books about Chanel and Dior adorned the coffee table with candles everywhere.”
This page and opposite: Baer’s vision for the Florida Keys property centered on contemporary styling, clean lines, and a neutral color palette. Through the large windows, nature becomes the star of the show. Photos by David Hernandez
It’s no wonder the firm has won top design honors on Houzz for the past seven consecutive years, was chosen to stage Meryl Streep’s penthouse last year, and was recognized as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s largest women-owned businesses, among other accolades and achievements. Meridith Baer continues to be a driving creative force in the home-staging field she pioneered, and she and her team still have new paths to forge.
TO LEARN MORE OR SEE MORE PROJECTS, VISIT MERIDITHBAER.COM.
C lo s e w it h C on f ide nc e. O v e r 4 0 Ye a r s o f C o m b i n e d R e s i d e n t i a l a n d C o m m e rc i a l R e a l E s t a t e C l o s i n g E x p e r i e n c e
KIRBY WILLIAMS
CHRISTY MOONEY
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P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U RT E SY O F T H E I N V I S I B L E C O L L EC T I O N
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THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT STYLE IN 2020 IS THAT THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG. TRENDS ARE MORE LIKE GUIDELINES OR INSPIRATIONS THAN DEFINED RULES ABOUT WHAT’S IN OR OUT. IT’S THE SAME IN INTERIOR DESIGN AND ART AS IT IS IN FASHION AND BEAUTY. ANYTHING GOES! THAT’S WHY THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION HAS AMASSED A GROUP OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE INTERIOR DESIGN ICONS OF TODAY AND CURATED A PLACE WHERE CONSUMERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS ALIKE CAN FIND THEM. 52 | JUNE 2020
Left: A gorgeous living room design and furnishings by CollettZarzycki, a twenty-fiveyear-old architectural practice founded by Anthony Collett and Andrzej Zarzycki. Collett-Zarzycki joined The Invisible Collection in summer of 2019 with its first furniture line. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 53
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This page and opposite: Contemporary dining room, living room, and bedroom designs by Collett-Zarzycki studio show the versatility of The Invisible Collection’s designers.
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ounded in 2016 by former journalist and Bloomberg lifestyle editor Isabelle Dubern-Mallevays and entrepreneur Anna Zaoui, TheInvisibleCollection. com is the first website of its kind. It is a mecca for bespoke, handmade furnishings and decor by some of the world’s most talented artists. “From Pierre Yovanovitch’s iconic armchairs, Jérôme FaillantDumas’s exquisite Cabinet of Curiosités, and Damien Langlois-Meurinne’s sculptural Coming Over Table to the whimsical Conversation Collection by Vincent Darré, The Invisible Collection is the go-to place where design meets art,” the website states. “The Invisible Collection hires and collaborates daily with a strong team of renowned expert photographers, editors, stylists, sales representatives, shippers, architects, art advisors, and graphic designers known for their interior design and lifestyle work in London, Paris, and New York.”
IT IS A MECCA FOR BESPOKE, HANDMADE FURNISHINGS AND DECOR BY SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST TALENTED ARTISTS.
The collection also has an exclusive London showroom; it is housed in a beautiful former private apartment in the affluent Belgravia neighborhood. They offer individual styling appointments in addition to traditional retail, not to mention an abundance of design and lifestyle inspiration through the “Stories” section of the website, which covers everything from tips and photography to interviews with the icons of modern design whose pieces they carry.
Visit TheInvisibleCollection.com to learn more or shop now, or follow @theinvisiblecollection on Instagram for more inspiration.
Below: Shoppers can visit The Invisible Collection’s website or the impressive showroom in London’s Belgravia neighborhood to see more collaborations with some of the world’s top interior designers and furniture makers.
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Hydrangea Fields Forever
Purple hydrangea bushes flourishing during winter in Dalat, Vietnam Photo by Vichaiyut Tongmak / Shutterstock
A hydrangea’s beauty is unlike any other. Pink, purple, green, or blue, hydrangeas have a way of turning our heads with the distinctive round shape of their blossoms. They’re often seen as a symbol of Southern charm but can be found growing throughout the Americas and Asia. Multiply these beauties through the propagation of cuttings. They’re sure to dress up your garden or front yard!
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Photo by Jack Gardner 58 | JUNE 2020
LOV ELACE I N T ER IORS DOES IT ALL
G R E AT D E S I G N I S E V E R Y W H E R E
B
eing in business for twenty-five years is no small feat. Constantly evolving and growing during that time is even more impressive. Northwest Florida interior designer Susan Lovelace and her husband, Sparky, along with their team of design professionals at Lovelace Interiors, opened their second location, Lovelace
Lifestyle, last year. Even amid the COVID-19 crisis, they are striving for excellence in commercial and residential design, retail options, and customer service. When it comes to sprucing homes and offices, working with architects to design spaces to fit their clients, or partnering with top-of-the-line furnishers and decor brands from around the world, there’s nothing they can’t do! V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 59
La maison LIVING ROOM DESIGN From ensuring that the scale and style of sofas, chairs, tables, and entertainment consoles properly fit your space to bringing in those personal elements that make it yours, the Lovelace Interiors team knows how to make the living room the heart of your home. Their showroom is stocked with on-trend and timeless looks in all types of upholstery, including performance fabrics, so your furniture will be as strong as your style!
O U T D O O R S PAC E S Along the Gulf Coast and surrounding areas the Lovelace Interiors team calls home, having a great outdoor living space is a must. Susan and her team know how to make your patio, porch, courtyard, or pool deck the ultimate at-home getaway destination for relaxing, entertaining, or spending quality time with family. The team will make sure your outdoor space is a seamless extension of your home and lifestyle.
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With guidance from the team, you can create a bedroom that is your ultimate sanctuary of comfort for unwinding and getting a great night’s sleep. BEDROOM DESIGN Lovelace Interiors suggests choosing a bedroom color scheme that evokes the mood you want to achieve— for example, light tones for a calming effect. A statement wall can also bring interest to this part of the home—the part that is truly all about you and no one else. With guidance from the team, you can create a bedroom that is your ultimate sanctuary of comfort for unwinding and getting a great night’s sleep.
O F F I C E S PAC E S Whether for a top-rated dentist’s office, a trendy fashion boutique, or any business environment, commercial design is meant to be functional and mirror the personality of the brand. Lovelace Interiors knows that lighting and practicality are vital to achieving these things. Even in your home office, organization, storage space, and color will help you stay focused and productive throughout the day.
F OY E R S A N D E N T RY WAY S First impressions can be everything! The first thing anyone sees when they enter your home is the foyer. There’s no excuse not to give it a little dramatic flair. Storage space is also a must for keeping shoes, coats, and bags tidy and organized. Lovelace suggests trying a large mirror, a piece of artwork, or unique furniture in the foyer to make a statement.
This page and opposite bottom: Photos by Jack Gardner Opposite top: Photo by Dear Wesleyann V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 61
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UNIQUE AREAS Some homes have those spots that you just don’t know what to do with when it comes to decor. A built-in bar, a mudroom, an outdoor shower, or a pet’s room can pose challenges when it comes to design. The team at Lovelace Interiors knows how to take those spaces you might want to hide and make them pop so you’ll want to show them off instead! These unique places in your home are the perfect opportunities to reveal your personality and make the house yours.
KITCHEN DESIGN The kitchen is probably one of the busiest spaces in your home, so durability and functionality are top priorities! Select materials that suit your style and the way you will be using the kitchen. If you’re building a new house, Lovelace can also work directly with your architect to achieve the perfect kitchen layout, ensuring smooth flow between appliances and adequate storage space. Above: Photo by Romona Robbins Above right: Photo by Jack Gardner Right: Photo courtesy of Emeril’s Coastal Italian 62 | JUNE 2020
DINING ROOMS Contrary to what some might think, formality should not be the top factor to consider when it comes to your dining room design. Conversation and comfort are your best allies here. The Lovelace team can take what might feel like a stuffy space and turn it
These unique places in your home are the perfect opportunities to reveal your personality and make the house yours. into a warm and welcoming entertaining area. Having furnishings that are flexible and can be adjusted based on your needs is a great way to make sure you’re prepared for any occasion! While Lovelace Interiors excels in the areas above, they really can do it all. Your home is your sanctuary—now more than ever, when so many are staying in to stay safe and healthy. The benefit is spending more quality time with the ones you love. Why not make it a place you genuinely enjoy and a real reflection of your ideal lifestyle?
The Lovelace Interiors team is available for appointments and consultations for any residential or commercial project. Give them a call today at (850) 837-5563 (Miramar Beach showroom) or (850) 909-0435 (Lovelace Lifestyle at The Shoppes @ Inlet Beach). Visit LovelaceInteriors.com to learn more.
CHRISTIAN CALVIN 814 Meadowlark Lane Goodlettsville TN 37072 (615) 594-0336 | 33NART.COM | @christiancalvin33
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Paradise P R I VAT E S A N C T U A R I E S
I N SA N TA B A R B A R A Interview by JOR DAN STAGGS | Photography by HOLLY LEPER E
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ith a family history and background in geology, landscape architect Margie Grace says her original career path never panned out because the “bottom fell out” on the job market in the field. But her rocky start was met with by a nimble redirection, she says. “With four other geologists in the family, I decided I should diversify,” Grace recalls. “Committed to having a career in which I could work outside, I left the program and went to work in landscape maintenance.” Now, with forty years under her belt as a landscape designer—twenty in her firm, Grace Design Associates—the talented designer has curated some of her favorite spaces and places in her new coffeetable book, Private Gardens of Santa Barbara. Released in March, the compendium of beautiful Southern California gardens is a passion project for Grace, but not her last—she has more books in the works. “Beauty is to be shared; therefore, gardens are for sharing,” she says, explaining the inspiration behind her first book. With most of her work in the Santa Barbara area, popularly known as America’s Riviera, Grace knew it was the ideal focus. We caught up with Grace to discuss her inspiration for Private Gardens of Santa Barbara, working with photographer Holly Lepere, her best tips for garden design, and more: VIE: What inspired you to create a book about gardens? MG: Most of us are starved for nature. And we’re all moved by beauty. This book allows readers to escape into the featured spaces for a nature and beauty fix. People are also looking for good ideas for their own gardens. They’re looking for inspiration, and this book provides both. They often don’t know how to go about designing their outdoor spaces, so the short background on each garden in the book gives access to the process, but it all starts with a story. I’m at an age and station in life such that a little introspection and retrospection is appropriate. I got to looking at what I’ve learned through the decades. Why do people respond so strongly to our gardens? What is it about the landscapes we build that 66 | JUNE 2020
THE B O OK IS DRIVEN BY THE IM AGE S. THERE’S SUCH RICHNE S S IN A GARDEN—IT ’S NOT JUST VISUAL . THERE ARE S OUNDS AND SMELL S AND THE FEEL OF THE SUN ON YOUR SKIN.
resonates with people in a way that doesn’t happen in other outdoor spaces? With a lifelong career in landscape design-build—firmly steeped in landscape maintenance— I’ve come to see the design-build-maintenance continuum as a single, integrated whole. If any one of those components is off, the whole garden is off. This first book is a delightful romp through eighteen gorgeous gardens. It’s meant to provide everything outlined above and to get readers hungry for more—more knowledge, more ideas, more “How did you do that?” (If you’re thinking ahead, yes, there are four more books to come.) These gardens are private—most people don’t have access to them. Now they do! But I also want to be clear that, despite the title, there are ideas in this book that are adaptable to any region, climate, style, soil, and so on. VIE: How did you go about the process of creating the book? MG: WWe’ve had a printed portfolio at Grace Design Associates for years and years—since before everything went digital. Just images, beautifully bound in leather. Everyone loved the portfolio. Clients would look through it and ask, “Where can I
get a copy of this book?” With some clients, we’d leave the portfolio behind for them to peruse at their leisure and we’d have trouble getting it back! Finally, it dawned on us that people were hungry for a beautiful book on our gardens. The book is driven by the images. There’s such richness in a garden—it’s not just visual. There are sounds and smells and the feel of the sun on your skin. We wanted a format that would pull the reader into each garden and give him or her a sense of that richness. The large-format, full-bleed images do just that. To read the book is to fall in love with what’s possible in a garden. Once the images were winnowed down, I set about penning the short background stories describing how each garden came to be. It’s my hope that these narratives stimulate readers to think about their own outdoor spaces in a new way that gives them access to creating the garden of their dreams—one that really supports their lifestyle, is gentle on the land, is easy to maintain, and brings ongoing joy. VIE: Did you work closely with photographer Holly Lepere? MG: Absolutely. Holly has been photographing our work for twenty years. Dawn (Dawn Close, my partner in business and in life) and Holly have worked together shooting the gardens all that time. We’d talk in broad terms about the story we wanted the book to tell, then Holly and Dawn would put their heads
Origin
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Kitty Taylor, Broker, GRI, CRS, CIPS Catherine Ryland, Broker Associate “Grayton Girl Team” Selling Grayton and Beach Properties along 30-A Realtor of the Year 2017 for the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors
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La maison together, selecting, laying out, and cropping the images. The whole book was laid out before we ever even approached potential publishers. Then, one day, the phone rang. Katie Killebrew, an editor from our soon-to-be publisher, Gibbs Smith, was on the line. She’d come across our work and wanted to know if we’d ever contemplated doing a book. “Funny,” we said, “we’re working on one right now.” How’s that for kismet? Amazing—just amazing. VIE: How did you feel seeing it all come together and holding the book in your hands? MG: This was a great process. It required critical thinking, identifying exactly how I design and execute a landscape, debating what should be included and not included, etc. I liken it to childbirth—a taxing process, but an awesome result! It was sheer joy opening the box and holding the book, at long last, in my hands!
SHE’ D COME ACROS S OUR WORK AND WAN TED TO KNOW IF WE’ D EVER CON TEMPL ATED D OING A B O OK . “FUNN Y,” WE S AID, “ WE’ RE WORKING ON ONE RIGHT NOW.” HOW ’S TH AT FOR KISMET ?
VIE: What are some of your favorite plants to see (and plant) in a garden? MG: I love grasses and grass-like plants, especially slender veldt grass (Pennisetum spathiolatum), Berkeley sedge (Carex divulsa), Campo Azul moor grass (Sesleria ‘Campo Azul’), Pink Flamingo muhly (Muhlenbergia ‘Pink Flamingo’), and ruby grass (Melinis nerviglumis). I also love sycamore trees, coast live oaks, purple smoke trees, and the beautiful bark of crape myrtles. Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) are otherworldly to me. And I love having sculptural succulents in a garden—aloe, agave, echeverias, euphorbias, ponytail palms, and so many more. To anyone who wants to create a beautiful garden: Dream it. Design it. Do it!
Despite temporary disruptions due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Margie Grace is still hoping to host many talks and book signings this year, along with spending time with her new grandchild, taking a trip to float down the Rio Grande, and, of course, continuing to work on her upcoming books! Visit GraceDesignAssociates.com for more information and updates. Private Gardens of Santa Barbara is now available on Amazon. 68 | JUNE 2020
M A R G I E G R AC E ’S TIPS FOR BUILDING A G R E AT GA R D E N RESEARC H: • Find/take photos of gardens you love—online, in magazines, around your neighborhood. Don’t focus on plants or other details yet. You’re looking for a feeling; it pulls you in, inspires you; it’s joyful; it’s tranquil—whatever attracts you. Do as little or as much of this as you’re inclined to do. Don’t stress over this. It’s supposed to be fun! HOMEWORK: Think of the following: • FUNCTIONS: Make a list of how you’d like to use the space—for outdoor cooking, playing with family and pets, entertaining, growing veggies, chill-axing, etc. • FANTASIES: Write down your wish list— everything you ever wanted in your dream garden. Put it on the list. • FINANCES: Figure out your budget. BUILD YOUR TEA M: • FIND A GREAT DESIGNER. Meet them on-site. Bring your homework and photos from your research. See if you have a good rapport and a shared vision of your project and whether you like his/her aesthetic. Then hire them and trust them to guide you to your best garden. • OR DESIGN IT YOURSELF. Find and copy a space or spaces that fit your needs. Refer to your research and homework frequently as you consider possible designs. BUILD YOUR GARDEN: • Do it yourself. Have a landscaping party. Use a gardener or a landscape contractor. Or use a design-build firm such as Grace Design Associates. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 69
P H OTO BY JON AH ALL EN
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D w e l l i n g We l l w i t h B e a u H o m e I n t e r i o r s
Because of the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, many people have been staying home for their own safety and the safety of others. This has brought about a surge in home improvements and redecorating as many want to create a more stylish and comfortable place to spend their time. The team at Beau Home Interiors in Grayton Beach, Florida, are here to help transform your home into a tranquil, beautiful space to call your own. Comfort and wellness are fundamental, as many are experiencing anxiety about the world outside. Those essential workers who are in the middle of it all also need a serene place to rest and recharge when they’re at home. Candles, books, soft textures, and decor elements with personality will make your space feel like it’s genuinely your getaway from all the chaos outside. Let the designers and retail specialists at Beau help you create a perfect oasis—you’ll want to stay home even when it’s not required!
Shop online at BeauHomeInteriors.com and see more products and furnishings on their Instagram @beauhomeinteriors. The showroom at 32 East County Highway 30-A is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m. You can also call the team at (850) 534-0700 to schedule an appointment with a designer!
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1. For design services, call or schedule online at BeauHomeInteriors.com. 2. Tabletop decor and vintage sea glass beads 3. Original art by Elizabeth Chapman 4. Books, devotionals, and other gifts are always available. 5. Whimsical lumbar pillows with washable covers 6. White demijohn bottles in three sizes 7. Sunday Suppers by Karen Mordechai 8. The Beau Home Interiors team is your go-to source for coastal lifestyle inspiration. 9. Organic elements and soft hues combine to make elegant table decor. 10. Mistral bath and body products in Coco Palm scent 11. Shop gifts under $100 or under $50 on the web. 12. Beau carries a variety of jewelry in beautiful coastal hues. 13. Transform your bedroom into a serene oasis. 14. Shop Stack candles in nine different scents. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 73
L’intermission
Super Bloomin’
A super bloom of golden poppies and other wildflowers takes over the Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve. Photo by Ben Chu / Shutterstock
A somewhat rare natural phenomenon, the “super bloom” is an occurrence during which fields upon fields of flowers blossom in areas that are normally barren. The super bloom works in wondrous ways, growing where we least expect them. Whether in the torrid California desert or the Dead Sea plains, they don’t call them super for nothing!
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A T H AT N E VE R G O E S OU T BY J O R DA N S TAG G S
P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U R T E S Y O F B E VO LO GA S & E L EC T R I C L I G H T S
E V E N A M I D T H E C OV I D - 1 9 C R I S I S T H AT S H U T D OWN T H E WO R L D - R E N OWN E D N E W O R L E A N S F R E N C H Q U A R T E R , A B E AC O N R E M I N D S A M E R I C A T H AT E V E N T H E DA R K E S T T I M E S C A N ’ T S N U F F O U T E V E RY F L I C K E R O F H O P E .
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he Crescent City was named one of the country’s most vulnerable areas as the novel coronavirus pandemic spread. Tourism ground to a halt. The once-packed streets and sidewalks were virtually emptied. A veil of uncomfortable social quiet fell over the Big Easy, interrupted by light traffic and the sounds of construction work hammering onward, but outdoor voices and the raucous laughter and music from local saloons were deafening in their absence. In the Bevolo workshop, the hushed city is the perfect backdrop for the work of artisans who can hear the soft whoosh of a flame igniting from a newly finished gas lantern. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights was founded after a time of hardship. The company emerged in 1945 during the post–World War II expansion, just as the world was inching its way toward a new normal. Founder Andrew Bevolo, an Italian immigrant who had metalworking experience with manufacturers like Ford, Sikorsky, and Higgins prior to forming his own guild just after the war, was known for working on iconic London streetlights. He began employing his war-learned expertise to repair them, finding that rivets—like the ones used to hold together the first helicopter Bevolo worked on at Sikorsky—were the perfect way to save these soldered antique victims of the Blitz. This would become Bevolo’s historic contribution to gas lighting. His place in the industry was secured, but his story was far from over.
Left: Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, founded by Andrew Bevolo in 1945, is one of the world’s most trusted sources for handcrafted copper gas lanterns, electric lighting, and unique decor. Opposite: Bevolo’s French Quarter Lantern, created in the 1960s, is still its most iconic design.
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evolo’s business thrived into the 1960s, when he was working in his French Quarter shop and modernist architect A. Hays Town strolled in from Royal Street. The sound of hammers on metal had attracted him, and his keen ears steered him straight into Bevolo’s good graces as Town proclaimed he was seeking lighting for a new building he was designing for a local college—now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The smith confidently accepted the task of bringing Town’s design plans to life, and the company’s signature French Quarter Lantern sparked the first of many original designs that are still crafted by Bevolo artisans today.
As the brand celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary in the French Quarter this year, the team looks back on history as a road map for the future. “There’s no better time to have a product that is solely made in America,” says third-generation owner Drew Bevolo, who was passed the torch by his Uncle Jimmy in the 1990s. “Bevolo was born in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and each of our lanterns is still manufactured here. Our brand is deeply rooted in history and tradition. Although we are constantly evolving and developing to stay on trend, we believe that classic design and quality products never go out of style.” Although its retail locations closed due to stay-at-home advisories and other pandemic restrictions in March of 2020, the dedicated team at Bevolo harked back to its resilient roots. The brand nimbly set up its sales team to work from home while its craftsmen did what they do best while following safe social distancing practices. Those staying home and realizing it might be time for a lighting upgrade can still shop Bevolo online and by phone, as well as make pickups by appointment. With lanterns still burning that were built seventy years ago, it’s no wonder that the award-winning Bevolo has become the most trusted name for gas fixtures with architects, designers, and homeowners. Its French Quarter Lantern is still the best seller, although the brand now offers a range of gaslight designs, electric lanterns, and interior lighting and decor to suit any style.
Above and opposite: Andrew Bevolo’s greatest contribution to the modern lighting industry was his discovery that rivets held copper together much better than traditional soldering. Bevolo’s craftsmen still use this method. 78 | JUNE 2020
Bevolo’s antique designs for open-flame copper lanterns became known worldwide for their quality and longevity, and the family business still operates today with the same appreciation for old-world craftsmanship that will stand the test of time. In the coastal South, this is especially important as the salty air from the Gulf of Mexico is brutal on metal, meaning light fixtures often need to be replaced or repainted. Bevolo’s pure copper or stainless steel lanterns are a perfect solution.
Keeping the lights on is not just a profession for Bevolo’s team. They also shine a brilliant metaphorical beam on local and national nonprofits. Community is everything in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter, and the company gives back annually to New Orleans–based organizations, events, museums, and hospitals, as well as to national initiatives. It also partners on many show homes whose proceeds benefit people in need, such as the upcoming VIE Beach House – A Show Home in Seagrove Beach, Florida. Proceeds from the show home will benefit Northwest Florida organizations aiding with ongoing Hurricane Michael relief efforts and other charity funds. “We love participating in these projects to gain exposure to consumers who come to see the talent of some of the top designers in the country,” says Bevolo. “It’s an opportunity to introduce the Bevolo product to new designers and builders while also giving back
THE CO MPA N Y ’ S HIS TO RY A ND INN OVATI O N PROV E TH AT EMERG IN G FRO M THE DA RKNE SS D O E SN ’ T ME A N IT ’ S TIME TO E X TIN GU I SH THE LI G HT.
to charities and organizations who are doing great things for others.” Bevolo has participated in previous show homes with Veranda, Southern Living, Traditional Home, and Coastal Living, as well as the Historic Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, the House of Windsor with designer Windsor Smith, the Hampton Designer Showhouse, and the Southeastern Designer Showhouse and Gardens. VIE Beach House designer and owner Suzy Accola and builders Jim Accola and Scott Kurfirst of Coastal Elements Construction have carefully selected Bevolo gas lanterns for the new show home. The house’s vibe evokes the ultimate harmony among the homeowner, the surrounding coastal landscape, and the laid-back yet elegant lifestyle found within the beach communities of Scenic Highway 30-A in Northwest Florida. Partnering with Bevolo on the project ensures that the home’s entry and pool deck will have a “wow” factor that is not only beautiful but also offers ultimate functionality. Bevolo lanterns can be found along 30-A in some of the area’s most beautiful homes throughout neighborhoods including Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Grayton Beach, WaterColor, and more.
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“We pride ourselves in offering a wide range of fixtures that will complement every architectural style imaginable,” says Bevolo. The brand’s lanterns can be found in all fifty states and in forty-seven countries worldwide, with over five hundred light and bracket combinations to suit any setting. Traditional, historical, or modern, a Bevolo lantern flickering on the front porch is a sign of longevity and solidarity. The company’s history and innovation prove that emerging from the darkness doesn’t mean it’s time to extinguish the light. If you keep it shining, others will take notice, light a torch of their own, and make the whole world a little brighter. Bevolo’s designs can be viewed and purchased at their New Orleans and Mandeville, Louisiana, store locations, as well as at the Bevolo Gas Light Museum and Shop on Royal Street in New Orleans. Please call for hours and details regarding COVID-19 precautions.
TO L E A R N M O R E O R TO S H O P B E VO LO GA S & E L EC T R I C L I G H T S , V I S I T B E VO LO . CO M . FO R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N O N T H E V I E B E AC H H O U S E – A S H OW H O M E , H E A D TO V I E M AGA Z I N E . CO M/B E AC H S H OW H O M E .
Spaces LIVING
Combining Home & Heart with Design By A N N A K L E M E N T
P h o tog ra p h y c o u r te s y o f A S H L E Y G I L B R E A T H
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orn and raised in Baton Rouge, Ashley Gilbreath has been greatly influenced by her origins and surroundings. As a young girl, Gilbreath would draw house plans at her grandmother’s house in Louisiana. In fact, her attraction to the design world was thanks to her grandmother’s emphasis on family and the importance of home. Home set the stage for memories to look back on, stories to tell, and messes to make. After high school, she attended Auburn University for their reputable architecture program. “I began as an architecture student and graduated with an interior design degree,” says Gilbreath. “It was my junior year when I realized I was more interested in the inside of the spaces we were planning. I was always wondering when we would get to designing the inside of the buildings.” With her senior year approaching, she migrated to New York City to continue her education at the New York School of Interior Design while simultaneously working under Richard Keith Langham. Langham—whose work has graced the pages of Elle Decor and Architectural Digest, not to mention the home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—is an Alabama-born designer, so it’s no surprise that Gilbreath’s brand became synonymous with Southern, traditional style under his mentorship. She says, “I never want to create a room that feels like it can’t be lived in. My signature style is to keep a room casual yet elegant––distinct, yet comfortable. My approach is to create beautiful designs that can also fit a family’s lifestyle.”
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MY STYLE IS A MIXTURE OF UNIQUE FINDS, SUCH AS CLASSICAL SCULPTURES, WITH MODERN PIECES THAT HAVE A COASTAL OR EUROPEAN FLAIR.
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nd you can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl. Gilbreath married her college sweetheart, an Alabama boy, and she laughingly says, “Montgomery boys never seem to leave Montgomery.” Their long-distance relationship began while she was interning in New York, and Langham allowed her to return often to Alabama. Eventually, Gilbreath returned full-time to start their future together. Before starting her interior design studio, she worked in hospitality design and at an architectural firm in Montgomery. It was evident the city would be a base for her family to make memories and form lasting friendships, and it still serves as the headquarters for her business. She quickly became highly reputable in the industry, and she has been featured in numerous home and lifestyle publications as well as on HGTV renovation shows. Her success in both commercial and residential projects led to the opening of her lifestyle store Parish Shoppe in Montgomery, which is dedicated to her origins in Louisiana. “I have a complete dedication to my work. I don’t do anything halfway,” she says. “The shop is an extension
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of my own home, and I hope that clients will feel it is an extension of theirs as well. Parish is a territorial term for counties in Louisiana, my home state. Homes are for being. It’s where we can gather together and truly live in the space.” Gilbreath explains, “I want things to be casually elegant, which means it’s child-, pet-, and wine stain–proofed. The rooms should capture the character of the owner without feeling like everything is fragile. History is important for telling the story; I’ll mix family heirlooms with a modern piece of art to keep a sense of place.” She is also inspired by places she has traveled. “Paris, Spanish flea markets, botanical gardens, and the magical world of antique shops. My style is a mixture of unique finds, such as classical sculptures, with modern pieces that have a coastal or European flair. I think it’s important to invest in larger staple pieces that are universal and can be matched with fun accessories like colorful pillows.” The flagship store is unique to Montgomery because of its highly curated pieces thoughtfully sourced from all over the world. When Gilbreath decided to expand her business, Rosemary Beach, Florida, was a no-brainer for the shop’s second location. As some of the community’s original residents, Gilbreath’s
family has owned several cottages in the area, and the place is dear to her heart. Her first adventure into the world of retail on Scenic Highway 30-A was a summer pop-up shop behind the Hidden Lantern Bookstore in Rosemary Beach several years ago. That summer was an experiment in seeing whether she could bring Parish Shoppe to the area permanently—and it was a success. In the spring of 2020, Parish Shoppe in Rosemary Beach opened in the heart of Main Street. This central location, Gilbreath hopes, will bring a lot of foot traffic when the town recovers from the closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. “We recognize that most of our customers will be searching for goods to fit in their beach homes, and we’ve refined our inventory from our flagship store and adapted it to a coastal feel without being overdone,” she says. The beach lifestyle shop is a special collaboration with Gilbreath’s business partner, Elizabeth Adams of Ex Voto Vintage. Customers can find furniture, timeless keepsakes, stylish clothing, accessories, and curated gifts. The limitededition collection from Ex Voto (which means “votive offering”) includes one-of-a-kind designs by Adams that breathe new life into vintage jewelry. Many of her pieces include gold, leather, pearls, crystals, and semiprecious stones. As for Gilbreath, she hopes she’ll have something for everyone to enjoy at Parish. It serves as a love letter to her interior design work in the Gulf Coast area, matching the cool, laid-back attitude that 30-A possesses. She’s fond of muted blue and V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 85
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The Parish Shoppe satellite outpost in Rosemary is open weekdays, while the Montgomery location is open by appointment only Monday through Thursday and from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Fridays. Visit AshleyGilbreath.com to learn more.
Anna Klement is a freelance magazine writer and editor. She is a Santa Rosa Beach local and has a degree in journalism and creative media from the University of Alabama. She writes profile essays inspired by people, places, and good food for both print and digital media. She strives to write meaningful stories that are enlightening and offer a different perspective.
tweens, womens, gi�s 104 north barre� square RO S E M A RY B EA C H , F L
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C’est la vie
EDIT AND UPDATE: FOR THE CHIC OF IT!
Aside from essential workers (read: heroes!), almost everyone has been stuck within the walls of their homes. Quarantined or not, we are always looking for ways to lift spirits. One great way to get out of a funk is to spice up what you see every day. So it’s out with the old and in with something new for the home! Free up some space by decluttering, and resist the urge to make impulse buys when it comes to new furnishings. Every purchase should be purposeful and thoughtful. Most of all, it should make you happy! Check out some of our top picks for chic decor and home tweaks.
Float like a Butterfly 1
Funboy Butterfly Float $144 – Frontgate.com 88 | JUNE 2020
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Birdie Bling
Looking Sharp
Diamond Bird Feeder $199 – GardenGlory.com
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MasterClass Five-Piece Brass-Colored Stainless Steel Knife Set and Knife Block $74 – KitchenCraft.co.uk
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Rosé Your Way
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé Vintage $370 – ReserveBar.com
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Let’s Have a Mixer
Smeg Stand Mixer $460 – Williams-Sonoma.com
Two-Faced
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Atlas Split Vase $425 – JonathanAdler.com
The New Normal: Dining In 7
Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes $33 – PenguinRandomHouse.com
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Diggin’ Diamonds
Rose Diamond Spade $69 – GardenGlory.com
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C’est la vie
Chair-ish This
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KOKET Audrey Chair €4,990 – ByKOKET.com
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Water We Planting? 11
Eight-Liter Watering Can in Jade $59 – GardenGlory.com
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Way to Glow
Globo Square Table Lamp $895 – JonathanAdler.com
All. Day. I. Dream. 12 About. Shoes.
Adidas NMD R1 Shoes $130 – Adidas.com
Modern Vintage
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Anthony Sideboard: Midcentury Modern Designs $9,000 – EssentialHome.eu
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Just Four Fun
Four in a Row Game in Fawn Marble $1,495 – Edie-Parker.com
MicrodermaDelight! 15
MicrodermMD Home Microdermabrasion System $299 – TrophySkin.com
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Voyager
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SEE THE WORLD
Cue the song “Cold Little Heart” by Michael Kiwanuka. (If you’ve watched HBO’s series Big Little Lies, Lies, you know why.) This scenic view of historic Bixby Creek Bridge along world-famous Highway 1 is a well-known landmark in Monterey County, California. Its majesty stands out even more in this beautiful summer sunset with its dramatic cloudscape and golden light. A road trip could be the perfect way to get out and explore this summer while staying safe and practicing social distancing.
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ORCHIDS A R E
I N
By Suzanne Pollak Pho t og r a p hy courtesy of New York Botani ca l G a r d e n 94 | JUNE 2020
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Voyager The brilliant, bold, and beautiful CEO of the New York Botanical Garden, Carrie Barratt, says she had been wondering if the plants there miss the visitors now that no one is coming to see them. But when she visited her essential gardeners at NYBG in early April, she caught a glimpse of magnificent fields of plants and trees in bloom, growing in harmony at the otherwise empty garden. As always, Mother Nature knows her business, and the plants are thriving even while we are all at home.
Below: The New York Botanical Garden’s 2020 Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope, was unfortunately cut short in March due to COVID-19.
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ne of NYBG’s recent shows, which had to close after just three weeks, was the Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope. Celebrity floral designer Jeff Leatham has been the florist for two Four Seasons hotels: the George V in Paris and the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. Sadly, the public show had to be cut short due to the gardens’ closing amid COVID-19 concerns. When Carrie told Jeff they would have to close the Orchid Show early, she says he shed some tears but said he understood and loved working with NYBG. (They are both hoping to do it again as soon as possible.) Somehow his gracious and emotional response seems just what one might
expect from a man who has arranged flowers for both Dolly Parton and the Dalai Lama. We can’t sneak in the gardens like the CEO can, but we can still take a virtual tour! And we should. Communing virtually with nature may help our souls. The cherry trees are blossoming, the daffodils and magnolias are flowering, and the NYBG website highlights the whole blooming show. The gardeners organized incredibly compelling tours! Some are arranged like a couture fashion show using a gallery of photos, each plant more beautiful than the last. Other tours invite the viewer to take a walk with an expert. From where I sat (at home), it was a pleasant walk indeed. I might have missed the smells and breezes of the NYBG, but I didn’t have to bat bugs away or get covered with pollen. Marc Hachadourian, NYBG’s director of glasshouse collections and senior orchid curator, walked us through Jeff Leatham’s Orchid Show like a kindly uncle. By the end of the tour, I felt I had a new friend. Marc pointed out highlights of unique varieties; my favorite was the bizarre butterfly orchid from northern South
My favorite was the bizarre butterfly orchid from northern South America, which started the Victorian-era mania of collecting, displaying, and building enormous glasshouses for orchids. America, which started the Victorian-era mania of collecting, displaying, and building enormous glasshouses for orchids. We walked through the LED tunnel (by then I felt like Marc and I were in this together) and we strolled into the rain forest to see thousands of orchids attached to the trees. Did you know the NYBG has a rescue center for plants smuggled into the country? Instead of destroying the seized plants, they are brought to the gardens to be bred, propagated, and shared. Marc imparts many little throwaway but useful facts, which I love collecting. Did you know that a vanilla bean is really the seedpod of an orchid? And that there are only six flowers in the world that have the same remarkable color as the jade vine, a thirty-six-inch cluster of turquoise green. For the finale, we arrived at the garden’s huge arches blanketed with orchids. Perhaps it was better to experience this first online, because if I had walked under the orchid arches and around the reflecting pool in person, I might have fainted, fallen into the pool, or become teary like Jeff Leatham.
Above and left: Flora enthusiasts can still witness the beauty of this year’s Orchid Show at the NYBG—without leaving home—through the garden’s virtual tour on YouTube. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 97
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Right: Thanks to NYBG’s virtual tour with Marc Hachadourian, director of glasshouse collections and senior orchid curator, visitors can tune in and get to know some of the stunning and unique orchid varieties displayed. Opposite: Celebrity floral designer Jeff Leatham 98 | JUNE 2020
fter the tour, and even the following day, I found myself dreaming of the gardens I want to design one day. Maybe I will have the opportunity or maybe not, but for those twenty minutes virtually touring the Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope, my imagination soared and expanded. I think I’ll hang some store-bought orchids on my walnut tree and order LED lights to create a little NYBG magic of my own.
Visit NYBG.org to learn more and see more from the New York Botanical Garden. Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder and dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal Mansion section and Town & Country magazine. Visit CharlestonAcademy. com or contact her at Suzanne@CharlestonAcademy.com to learn more.
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Peering Through the Window
A GLIMPSE INTO FUTURE TILE AT THE VIE BEACH HOUSE – A SHOW HOME
17 Uptown Grayton Circle, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 (850) 213-0000 | Q-Tile.com
PRIVACY, PLEASE! Histor y and Creativity Are Alive at the Exclusive Coral Casino
By Megan Waldrep | Photography courtesy of the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club
I
n some private homes in Montecito, California, paintings of the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club hang as a tribute to days gone by. The Coral or the Casino, as it’s called by real locals, has been one of the most exclusive private clubs in California for almost a century, and the story behind it is pretty juicy. Robert Odell, the main shareholder of the Pacific States Savings and Loan Company who acquired the Santa Barbara Biltmore Hotel in foreclosure in 1935, was a native Nebraskan whose boisterous personality rubbed Santa Barbara country club owners the wrong way. Instead of vying for approval, Odell redesigned the hotel’s former Biltmore Beach Club into the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club as a private place for affluent families and the Hollywood elite to relax.
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He authorized the building of a larger-than-Olympicsize saltwater pool, a thirty-foot high dive was installed, and, in front of two-story cabanas, steamheated sand took the place of decking. Today, the high dive and sand are gone, but the glass double doors open to a modern scene where an intimate world of California glamour and intrigue remain. One treasured decision from the Odell years was the hiring of Hal Boucher as the club’s resident photographer. Boucher was to the Coral Casino what Bill Cunningham was to the New York Times. He captured a revolving door of families and celebrity members, including Bing Crosby and Zsa Zsa Gabor, along with famous visitors like Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Benny Goodman, Gregory Peck, Rock Hudson, Lana Turner, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Even the Kennedys called Boucher to take photos while vacationing on their honeymoon nearby. In personal photo albums, debutantes pose for Boucher in long white dresses with handsome escorts on the former dance floor under the stars, and his iconic images of swan divers still float around the internet and inspire to this day. Starting in 1948, Boucher came to work every day until sickness befell him in 2019, the last year of his life.
Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club, Horizontal Photo by Gray Malin from his 2017 series Gray Malin at the Coral Casino Above right: A vintage photo showing the small sandy “beach” on the Coral Casino’s pool deck
Most of the original staff worked at the Casino for decades, and it’s those personalities who gave the club a small-town feel in its prime. For example, Hedi in the front office was known for running a tight ship, and it was she (not the parents) who decided whether young boys were too grown to enter into the locker rooms with their mothers. Or there was Trudy, “with the big red hair,” who ran The Raft snack bar and would chase you out if you were caught inside without a towel, wetting the floor. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 103
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“T
he Raft is where everybody gathered, and you didn’t have to dress up,” says Daphne Moore, a Coral Casino member since the 1940s. “You could have ice cream and cheeseburgers and just be happy.” The Raft’s menu offered simple fare such as chips, milk shakes, or the Mickey Mouse (a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich). Hot fudge sundaes were served later in the day, but braver souls sipped the Whale Watcher, a potent rum drink ordered at the poolside bar. Moore drifts back to fond experiences she shares with her family even now—not only did she and her brother take swimming lessons in the iconic saltwater pool, but her children and grandchildren have, as well. Her family, including her parents, is just one example of members representing four generations at the Casino.
Above left: Photographer Hal Boucher captured daily life at the Coral Casino from 1948 until shortly before his death in 2019. Above right: In addition to the enormous swimming pool, the club enjoys endless views and great surfing on the Pacific. Right: A thirty-foot high dive was once the focal point of the club’s largerthan-Olympic-size saltwater pool but has since been removed. 104 | JUNE 2020
During World War II, the US Army Air Corps used the Biltmore hotel as a “redistribution station for reassignment of overseas returnees.” Soldiers could stay up to fourteen days for $2.41 per day, which included breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Men in uniform were occupied at the Casino by the passing celebrities, pingpong games overlooking the beach, and California beauties who frequented the club. Because of this and many other events, the Coral Casino was designated a historic landmark in 2003. After a forty-year ownership by Odell, the club changed hands several times before Ty Warner, founder of Ty Inc. and inventor of Beanie Babies, bought the Biltmore in 2000. With that, the Coral Casino underwent a $65 million renovation by award-winning architect Peter Marino to emphasize the club’s original scale, light, and feel.
CORAL CASINO UNDERWENT A $65 MILLION RENOVATION BY AWARD-WINNING ARCHITECT PETER MARINO TO EMPHASIZE THE CLUB’S ORIGINAL SCALE, LIGHT, AND FEEL. A complete restoration means the menus at the Casino have been elevated as well. For example, Tydes restaurant offers panoramic views and seasonally inspired cuisine; Fins is a casual walk-up kiosk for juices, smoothies, and healthy bites; and at the Coral Reef Bar, you’ll watch the sun disappear into the Pacific while you’re bellied up to the 275-gallon saltwater aquarium bar. Membership to the Coral Casino is coveted and it isn’t easy to get in. The waiting list is long, you must be referred by a member or grandfathered in, and the initiation fee, which was three hundred dollars back in the 1940s, is now in the hundreds of thousands (and that doesn’t include annual dues). But there is a loophole for nonmembers to enjoy—the Coral Casino and Cabana Club is now part of the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, and depending on their room category, guests can enter without an additional fee. In 2017, the same year as the Coral Casino’s ninetieth anniversary, fine art and aerial photographer Gray Malin shot a 1960s-inspired series evoking an endless summer with vintage bathing beauties in dreamy peach, turquoise, and pink hues. (Photos with titles such as Beach Ball Splash, Après Swim, and Lounging Ladies are possibly already tacked on your Pinterest boards.) He’s not the first notable name to make the Casino a creative hub. In the 1950s, Louis Vuitton presented white-gloved models down a runway atop the pool and another presentation in 2008 showcasing the Louis Vuitton Cruise collection for the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club’s grand reopening.
Left: Pink Balloons II Photo by Gray Malin from his 2017 series Gray Malin at the Coral Casino V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 105
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hroughout changing ownership, modernizations, and renovations, what’s unalterable are the locals coming for a swim, the visitors unwinding in chaise longues with drinks in hand, and the families savoring quality time under the sun. The Coral Casino is a place where the past and the present coexist. And on any warm California day, you’ll hear lifelong members finish conversations with words they’ve uttered many times before: “I’ll see you at the Casino.”
Visit CoralCasinoClub.com or follow the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara on Instagram @fssantabarbara. Megan Waldrep is a freelance writer who recently traded life on a thirty-four-foot sailboat in Mexico for a vintage Airstream in Carpinteria, California. She also writes a relationship blog called I Heart under the pen name Elizabeth Rose. What does all this mean? Find out at MeganWaldrep.com. Above: Dining options at the Coral Casino are plentiful, and the food is as spectacular as the views. Right: Pool Party Photo by Gray Malin from his 2017 series Gray Malin at the Coral Casino 106 | JUNE 2020
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Grow, Garden, Grow
Photo by Zsolt Biczo / Shutterstock
Sustain, save, and sprout! Growing your own victory garden is a great way to have fresh produce year-round. The practice of building these small plots of vegetables and fruits at homes and public parks began during the World Wars when people were encouraged to supplement their rations and boost morale, and it’s making a comeback! It’s also a way to avoid harmful chemicals and save money. Be kind to the earth and yourself and give back with the gift of sustainability.
Love, VIE xo V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 109
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GREEKR A HOUSE
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and
COMMU NIT Y R ENEW ED
Revival
By C A R R I E M C C O N K E Y Photography courtesy of A S H F O R D AC R E S
nnastasia Peoples was at a crossroads in the spring of 2015. Two months shy of graduating from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, the political science major had been law school bound until a case that drew national attention caused her to question her future career. As the clock ticked toward commencement, the native of Cynthiana, Kentucky, went into self-reflection mode and created a list of things that made her happy. The would-be attorney came to a surprising conclusion: she loved party planning. One year earlier, Annastasia’s sister Sonia Kirkman had experienced stirrings of her own regarding her life’s calling. She had been living in Los Angeles with her husband, Robert, one of the cocreators of The Walking Dead media franchise. They were visiting their mutual hometown in Kentucky when Sonia first noticed a stately Greek Revival–style antebellum home fronted by a lawn dense with mature oak, maple, and walnut trees. She hadn’t noticed the residence before but made a quick turn into the graceful circular driveway after seeing a For Sale sign on the property. “This would be the perfect bed-and-breakfast,” she thought. “This is a place I would want to stay.” Sonia’s longtime dream of restoring an old home resurfaced as she looked up at the grand house, and the idea of combining it with a much-needed resource for Cynthiana—an elegant and restful place to spend the night—made the concept even more attractive. But when they returned to LA, Robert reminded her of her biggest challenge: how would she manage an inn from over two thousand miles away? V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 111
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he answer came when Annastasia called Sonia for advice on her career dilemma, describing her vision to plan special gatherings. “I want to open an event venue in Danville,” said Annastasia. Sonia stopped her, as most elder sisters might, but not because she doubted the choice of vocation. She described the antebellum house to Annastasia and suggested combining their ideas of a bed-and-breakfast and an event venue. Suddenly, the pieces were falling into place. The aging house, built in 1858, was still on the market when Sonia, Annastasia, and their father, John Hicks, took a tour with the homeowner and the realtor. There was much to be done, including the repair of an ominous crack in the west wall that ran from the foundation to the roofline and was visible inside and out. But neither sister was deterred. John turned to Annastasia and asked, “How does the house feel?” Annastasia replied, “It feels like there has been so much love here.” Robert and Sonia purchased the property just weeks after Annastasia’s graduation, and intensive work began
Previous spread: The majestic antebellum facade of Ashford Acres Inn in Cynthiana, Kentucky Photo by J. Lynn Photography This page: The inn boasts five guest suites that blend modern amenities with the historic charm of the 1858 home. Photos by Christian Giannelli Opposite page: Dining at Ashford Acres is always a treat, with complimentary breakfast served in the charming dining room or, weather permitting, on the veranda. Photos by DBShoots Photography 112 | JUNE 2020
to reestablish the 157-year-old home’s past glory and prepare for its exciting future. The sisters took great care in accurately restoring as many areas as possible in the 5,600-square-foot house while updating it to meet the codes and safety requirements of modern commercial use. At the forefront of their minds were the comfort of their guests and making visitors and the community feel welcome within the inn’s walls.
The project became a source of pride for the tiny town of Cynthiana (population 6,370). Facebook updates with photos of the restoration kept locals abreast of the progress, and many enjoyed watching the transformation as they craned their necks while driving by on Kentucky Route 36. On December 23, 2016, the bedand-breakfast, all decked out for Christmas, opened to the public, and those who had been curious about the place for years walked through its doors. Named for the girls’ great-grandfather, from whom their father and Sonia’s son had inherited their middle names, the Ashford Acres Inn welcomed its first guests.
NA MED FOR THE GIR LS’ GR E ATGR ANDFATHER, FROM WHOM THEIR FATHER AND SONIA’S SON HAD INHER ITED THEIR MIDDLE NA MES, THE ASHFOR D ACR ES INN WELCOMED ITS FIRST GUESTS.
Today, the sixty-four-acre property has been a home away from home for guests from as far away as Canada, Australia, Portugal, and Finland. In an area of Kentucky where hotels are scarce, the inn offers comfortable accommodations and good meals to visitors of Kentucky’s nearby attractions, such as Keeneland racecourse and auction house and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, as well as the surrounding tourist destinations of Lexington, Louisville, and Cincinnati. Up to 150 events are celebrated at Ashford Acres yearly, along with exclusive offerings such as a day-long workshop by guest speaker Lee Cockerell, former executive vice president of operations for the Walt Disney World Resort. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 113
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Cynthianans may benefit from the venue more than anyone. Lifelong resident Pat Barnes works in many different capacities at Ashford Acres, along with thirty-seven other part-time employees and four full-time ones. Pat describes how Sonia and Annastasia “want everyone treated the same,” from Hollywood stars seeking an anonymous getaway to local folks celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, or class reunions. Sunrise yoga classes on the veranda and pop-up hamburger cookouts with games on the lawn bring guests together and provide opportunities to catch up. The inn’s Christmas on the Farm event, featuring carriage rides, craft vendors, and a visit from Santa Claus, is a favorite. “It’s become a big thing,” says Pat.
R ECALLING THAT NIGHT AND THE FIR EWOR KS THAT GLITTER ED IN THE SKY ABOVE THE CELEBR ATION, SHE SAYS, “IT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST PR ESENT I’VE EVER BEEN IN LIFE. EVERY PERSON AROUND US, AND THAT MOMENT, WAS LOVE.”
Throughout their business endeavor, Annastasia and Sonia have been committed to their relationship with the community. “I wanted this to be an opportunity for Cynthiana to grow,” Sonia says. “In every decision we make, we try to put everyone else first. Our goal is always to make sure we are doing good things.” Mayor James Smith describes the impact the sisters and their business have had on the city: “The renovation and opening of Ashford Acres have been a tremendous part of Cynthiana’s rebirth as a community. We are all proud of the inn as it symbolizes everything our city wants to become and is becoming.” Guests comment on the comfort and care that the house exudes. Annastasia says, “It’s rewarding. We’ve continued what we felt when we first stepped into the house.” On June 1, 2019, Annastasia held her own wedding at the inn. Recalling that night and the fireworks that glittered in the sky above the celebration, she says, “It was probably the most present I’ve ever been in life. Every person around us, and that moment, was love.”
Visit AshfordAcresInn.com to learn more or to book your stay or special event! 114 | JUNE 2020
Opposite top: Photo by Ashlyn Riley Left: Since opening, Ashford Acres has been a place of celebration, hosting events including holiday festivals for the community and, of course, beautiful weddings. Photo by Paxton Powell Opposite bottom: Ashford Acres manager Annastasia Peoples celebrated her marriage at the inn on June 1, 2019. Photo by Sara Katherine Photography V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 115
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Introspections
Introspections THINK DEEPER
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Introspections
TO T H E C LAS S O F
By G E N E S I S R O S A R I O
I
t’s a goal many of us have had since primary school: walking proudly across the stage, knowing you accomplished not only four years of high school but also twelve years of public education, and simply hearing the sound of your name while accepting your diploma. You dream of getting ready for senior pictures, prom, and graduation, seeing the smile on your mother’s face as you walk across the stage in a cap and gown, feeling the rush of emotions while changing the tassel from the right to the left. Senior year is already a time filled with ups and downs. In the first semester, we are preparing our college applications—probably the most stressful time of our lives. And now, due to these challenging times, the Class of 2020 around the world is dealing not only with the loss of their senior year but also with the losses, stress, and anxiety brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
O N PAU S E I am a senior at a public school in Manhattan, New York City, the city that “never sleeps,” but a city that’s currently sleeping. Brooklyn, where I live, is a ghost town. The bodegas, the Salvadoran and Dominican restaurants, and all the other places I love are closed. I’m not seeing my mom, who is an essential worker and sent me to quarantine at my grandma’s so as not to put me in harm’s way. Not seeing my entire family has become normal. I understand the loss many seniors around the globe are feeling as we think, How did this happen? Quarantine started around mid-March. My friends and I had anticipated it would only last a week or two but little did we know about the pandemic ahead of us. The word pandemic now weighs heavily whenever I say it. We couldn’t imagine the chaos we would see: the president and the governor talking about it every day, our future in their hands as they dictated, “Stay home,” “School is closed,” or “Essential workers, go work.”
Accepting Acceptance
The last day of school for me was like any other day at school: I saw my friends, had class, and went home expecting to repeat everything the next day. By this time in March, I had applied to colleges and was just waiting on their decisions. I was starting to feel stress-free and looked forward to enjoying the rest of my senior year. Suddenly, all the talk at school turned into “stay home, be safe,
wear a mask, wash your hands, essential workers, toilet paper, Lysol, hand sanitizer!” Meanwhile, we seniors were busy with, “What if I don’t get into the college?” “I got in!” “I got a scholarship!” “I didn’t get in . . .” We didn’t have the luxury of supporting each other. Where congratulations were once given with a hug or a teacher’s look of pride, we got virtual congratulations via text, email, or video call. All the major events that had been planned—senior trip, prom, and graduation—evaporated. Also lost were all the little moments, like College Decision Day, that were just as special—moments that many of us seniors looked forward to sharing with our classmates and teachers at school. Yearbook signing would have represented how much you’ll be missed beyond what any social media post can say. These are just a few of the things that we aren’t able to experience. We will easily go down in history as the Class of COVID-19 2020, a class that was put on pause. But while the stress this caused in our heads may be huge and heavy, one thing I know: life goes on!
ONLINE When the quarantine was announced, everything was moved online. All the events and celebrations and even classes were held virtually. My first experience with this new online “pandemic” life was when I joined my first ever “Zoom party.” It was for the members of Polluters Out, a youth-led coalition that I’m a part of. Students from around the world got together on the video-calling site to socialize and get a taste of our new lifestyle, what some call “the new norm.” More than seventy participants joined the call, and while it was a little chaotic, it was a fun way to practice social distancing while still having fun with friends. Most of my life now takes place online—way more than before. My teachers assign work and expect it to be completed and turned in online. I talk to my friends online. I talk to my family through Zoom or FaceTime. I had a “Quarantine 18” birthday party, which meant sending out a virtual invitation to family and friends to join me while I cut my birthday cake (which someone had to break quarantine to get). Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” and wished me a feliz cumpleaños. It was an emotional day not only because eighteen is a milestone birthday, but also because I was sad, unable to spend it with everyone I love, to simply feel their hugs, to
have everyone taste Mom’s or Grandma’s cooking with the bachata and merengue playing in the background, and to hear the shouts of “Make a wish!” while cutting the cake. I missed all of that. Nonetheless, I felt blessed to have everyone I know safe and healthy, which was the best birthday gift I could have asked for. There are also gains from all of this. As a climate activist, I am learning about new ways of protesting online. I am seeing older family members adjusting to the norm, like my maternal grandma finally learning to use her FaceTime or my paternal grandma learning how to organize virtual parties on Facebook.
“
It helps a lot to remember that I’m blessed, that my family is safe and healthy. It helps to celebrate the smallest of things each day.
O N M Y WAY Yet another senior pressure was having to decide where I would go to college. April was supposed to be the month when I would visit all the schools that had accepted me. Now colleges were pressing. They went out of their way to assure students that virtual tours would offer us a similar college-visit experience. We have the best campus ever! It felt like being on an online dating app, but for colleges. I got virtual tour after virtual tour and heard from graduates and current students about their experiences. Finally, I chose bachelor number one and made my decision to go to Hobart and William Smith Colleges (on a full ride!) as a mathematics major. The stress of college decisions, of COVID-19, of not seeing my friends, of not having graduation, of not having a prom, of not being able to say good-bye to my teachers and friends, of not signing yearbooks— all of this has taken a toll on me emotionally. Life has changed overall and gone completely digital, from protests and birthday parties to maybe even a virtual prom and graduation, although I may not be able to wear my prom dress or hear my name on the microphone while accepting my diploma. Thankfully, I reached out to my guidance counselor, who discussed with me ways to cope with all the stress and anxiety. It helps a lot to remember that I’m blessed, that my family is safe and healthy. It helps to celebrate the smallest of things each day. I make sure to show my appreciation to the health-care and essential workers daily. Every evening at seven sharp, since the start of quarantine, my family and I take a pause. We stop eating dinner, grab spoons and pots, and go out to the balcony, where we bang and clap and shout and make as much noise as possible to show our appreciation for all that essential workers have done and are doing throughout this pandemic. So, to the Class of 2020 everywhere, accept acceptance. Accept the fact that our living rooms have become our classrooms. Accept that we made it and that we will make it. And we should make sure to congratulate ourselves for all of our hard work these past four years. If 2020 is the year that COVID-19 stole from us, then we are the class that will one day win it back. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 119
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It's All Gravy • 1 cup salted butter, melted To learn more about Chef Sam Jones and to find more delicious recipes from Southern chefs, visit VIEmagazine.com! Photo courtesy of Sam Jones BBQ
• 4 cups sugar • 5 large eggs, at room temperature • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract CHOCOLATE GRAVY
• 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder • 1 cup sugar • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour • Pinch of kosher salt • 2 cups whole milk • 1⁄4 cup cold salted butter, cubed
Directions: To make the pudding, crack the biscuit cans open on the edge of the counter. (I thought it was so cool when my mom did that.) Bake the biscuits according to the instructions on the can. Set the oven temperature at 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Combine the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, nutmeg, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Mix to combine.
BISCUIT PUDDING with CHOCOLATE GRAVY By Chef Sam Jones, SamJonesBBQ.com SERVES 12 TO 15
Ingredients: PUDDING
• 3 (9.5-ounce) cans Butter-Me-Not Biscuits or any canned biscuit with “butter” or “buttery” in the description • 4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
Crumble the biscuits by hand into the mixture. Continue to mix until relatively smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the pudding is stiff and lightly browned on top. While the pudding is baking, make the gravy. Sift the cocoa, sugar, flour, and salt together into a 12-inch skillet. Slowly pour in the milk, while whisking, and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, while stirring, until the gravy thickens to the consistency of a thin pudding, about 8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add the cubed butter. Stir until the butter is melted and the gravy is smooth. To serve, place a scoop of pudding into each bowl and top with a ladleful of gravy.
Love, VIE xo
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By Suzanne Pollak
Colorful and historic buildings line the streets of downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
122 | JUNE 2020
Introspections
I SEEM TO HAVE LIVED IN A SERIES OF PINK HOUSES THROUGHOUT MY LIFE. THE FIRST WAS IN MOGADISHU, SOMALIA, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL. THE SECOND, IN THE EARLY 2000s, WAS AN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY TOWNHOUSE ON RAINBOW ROW IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. NOW I LIVE IN ANOTHER EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY PINK HOUSE AROUND THE CORNER ON CHURCH STREET, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STREETS IN THE CITY. THE HOUSE IS THE SIZE OF A TEACUP—WITH THE CHARM OF ONE TOO. THE SPECIAL APPEAL OF THE ABODE IS THE SMALL BALCONY OVERLOOKING THE STREET. UNBELIEVABLY, NO ONE STEPPED ONTO THE BALCONY FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS.
chose the pink teacup because of that balcony and the street’s busyness below, which reminded me of cities in my childhood. The streets in the Middle Eastern and African cities were newspapers in motion, all sections: front page, editorial, sports, even advertising pages. The verbal secret newspaper. Gossip central. News, free for all! One of the best places to learn the news was in the elevated outdoor spaces above the streets (balconies, terraces, piazzas, and verandas—the name depended on the culture). I watched people hiding on secondfloor verandas along narrow alleys in crowded cities, occupants shaded behind lattice or screens or beaded strings. Suddenly, a laugh echoed through the air or a mother’s shout commanded her child to stop kicking the soccer ball and come to eat. The aromas of cooking drifted down. We could smell dinners, hear low voices, and see the veranda sitters daydreaming, reading, or snapping green beans while information from the street rose to them. My Church Street balcony was similar: a central hub in downtown Charleston. I gathered information like an ancient seer or snoop. The perch allowed me to collect local, national, and global data using eavesdropping and observation techniques I learned from my secret-agent father. Not much passed that I did not pick up. But no longer.
That was the world before March 2020. In the months before, and a hundred or two years before that, the house’s location was the center of the most popular block in Charleston: one block south of Broad (the street of lawyers); one block away from the four corners of law (the Federal Courthouse, the State Courthouse, City Hall, and Saint Michael’s Church); and directly across from “animal alley,” with three shops named after quadrupeds (a charming cheese shop called Goat. Sheep. Cow. and two art galleries, Dog & Horse and Fox Fine Art, sitting side by side). Church Street has live animals too—in addition to the well-bred dogs and their walkers, horses pull carriages filled with international tourists. From these carriage drivers, I learned few facts and much fiction about our history. Eavesdropping from above, I gleaned the truths of what was going on, who was seeing whom, love affairs igniting, marriages on the rocks, who was going to what party, who went to church. I even knew who invited people for cocktails at the last minute because the host would rush into the cheese shop after work and then sprint out holding a cheese plate. I loved spying, like my father, who was one for the CIA. Watching people I knew step out of their fancy cars and check themselves in their mirrors or posture in front of a store window checking their reflections made me smile. Which one of us hasn’t done the same V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 123
Introspections
NOW, I HOVER ABOVE A HAUNTINGLY EMPTY STREET, WAITING AND WISHING TO SEE FACES, HORSES, TOURISTS. WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE? TO HIDE IN HOUSES OF THEIR OWN WHILE WE WAIT OUT COVID-19. when we thought no one was looking? Like my father before me, I watched, listened, gathered tidbits: mine about individual social lives; his, the beliefs people held about their governments. But no longer. Now, I hover above a hauntingly empty street, waiting and wishing to see faces, horses, tourists. Where have all the people gone? To hide in houses of their own while we wait out COVID-19. I used to not feel lonely sitting by myself. My balcony connected me to my community. I enjoyed my solitary afternoons with
a book and a beer at five, a computer and work before the drinking hour. Can you imagine a better office? When I needed a minute to collect my thoughts, I had a world below to take in. If I wanted company, I invited a friend walking by to come on up. But no longer. Through the window, the sounds of the Monday morning garbage truck at five thirty wake me up, and the little bird still sings daily at six. Then a whippoorwill chimes in while I carry my milky tea to the balcony and think about the new paths all our lives are on, the world in the midst of cultural shift.
Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder and dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal Mansion section and Town & Country magazine. Visit CharlestonAcademy.com or contact her at Suzanne@CharlestonAcademy.com to learn more.
Debu ts
2020
SPONSORS
VIE is proud to announce its fourth show home, coming this year to Seagrove Beach, Florida! We are once again working with the developers and owners, Suzy Accola of Q Tile and Jim Accola of Coastal Elements Construction, to create a show home of inspired ideas, the VIE Beach House! They will implement the latest in innovative building techniques, integrated home technology, appliances, and more to build a house unlike any other. An incredible lineup of partners and participants is also on board with building materials, flooring and tile, furnishings and decor, artwork, and so much more. Stay tuned for more updates as the VIE Beach House – A Show Home takes shape!
PARTNERS American Leather · Betsey Mosby Interior Design · Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights BlueStar · Cindy McCarley Designs Farrow & Ball · Frank’s Cash and Carry · Gregory D. Jazayeri Design · isidro dunbar Modern Interiors · Lovelace Interiors Maison30a Home + Garden · Mobile Appliance · Shoreline Title · Summer House Lifestyle · The Beach Group Properties
PARTICIPANTS Artistic Tile · ARTO · BlueStar · Brizo · Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits E. F. San Juan · Grimes Cabinets · Horton Land Works · Jonah Allen Studio · LiLi Cement Tile New Ravenna · Porcelanosa Tile · Sabine Hill · SICIS Tile · Tabarka Studio
PHILANTHROPY PARTNERS The Sonder Project · The Chapel at Seaside FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES PLEASE VISIT
viemagazine.com/beachshowhome
BOOK CLUB THE READERS CORNER
Visit Library.JHU.edu/libraryhours/george-peabody-library to learn more. Photo by Andrea Izzotti / Shutterstock
Books line the walls and freestanding shelves beneath a glorious skylight inside the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. The building, opened in 1878, was designed by Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind and features this grand atrium with black-and-white marble floors, sixty-one-foot ceilings with frosted glass, and ornamental cast-iron balconies. The library is part of the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University but, in keeping with Peabody’s original goal, is open to the public for all who wish to consult the wisdom within it. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 127
The Readers Corner
The Art of Shantell Martin
By JORDAN STAGGS | Photography courtesy of SHANTELL MARTIN
128 | JUNE 2020
IN A LONG, TWISTING, SEEMINGLY NEVER-ENDING LINE OF IMPRESSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PROLIFIC ARTIST SHANTELL MARTIN RELEASED HER FIRST BOOK, LINES, IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. BUT THE BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED COFFEE-TABLE TOME IS JUST ONE LOOP ON THE PATH THAT MARTIN IS FORGING. EVEN THE SETBACK OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC HAS NOT STOPPED HER FROM CREATING AND CONNECTING WORLDS THROUGH HER ART. Although her book tour was postponed, Martin hosted her first virtual event celebrating the book release on April 16 via livestream. On April 9, she had invited fellow innovators Timothy Goodman, Kennedy Yanko, and Juan Marin for a virtual evening of “conversations and musings” that fans and friends could tune into on the Crowdcast mobile app and ask questions of the artists. Lines is now available for purchase on Amazon, with signed limited editions available through Martin’s website at Shop.ShantellMartin.art. Each limited edition has unique hand-drawn cover art!
House in Boston. The female-led program, called ChoreograpHER, will also feature conceptual art by writer and artist Emma McCormick-Goodhart, choreography by Nanine Linning, New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, and choreographer and Norwegian National Ballet principal dancer Melissa Hough. Visit BostonBallet.org to stay up to date on this and other 2020 performances.
Despite the hardships of 2020 and having to put off public exhibitions and lectures, Martin has already had a big year. In January, she teamed up with Midnight Moment, the world’s largest, longest-running digital art exhibition, to display her work Lines of Mars on dozens of Times Square billboards, synchronized for three minutes from 11:57 p.m. until midnight every night in February. According to Martin’s website, “The piece referenced multiple aspects of Times Square, including a staircase reminiscent of the Red Steps, ‘1904’—the year Times Square was named—and ‘12,’ a reference to the end time of Midnight Moment or the beginning of a new year. Presented during the month of Love in Times Square, the work encouraged viewers to understand, to be, and to love their true selves.”
Martin’s solo exhibition WAVES, which ran January 22 to February 25 at Band of Vices Art Gallery in Los Angeles, showed another side of her work, with large-scale murals and smaller products covered in her signature black-and-white line drawings. As always, it was a series about connection.
Opposite: British artist Shantell Martin has seen a steady climb in her career since she moved to the US in 2008. She has held many exhibitions, led seminars, collaborated with international brands and other artists, and traveled the world. This photo was taken at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Photo by Connie Tsang (@conniemtsang) Below: This year, Martin released her first book of art and stories, Lines, published by HENI (@heni) and distributed by Artbook (@artbook).
Also in February, Martin collaborated with the Boston Ballet to create art by working closely with the Boston Ballet principal dancer and choreographer, Lia Cirio. The upcoming project is set to launch May 20 with a three-part program, preceding the ballet’s fifty-seventh season in the fall of 2020 at the Citizens Bank Opera
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The Readers Corner
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BUT I’VE ALSO LEARNED THAT TIME HAS A FUNDAMENTAL ROLE TO PLAY IN THE ACT OF BECOMING ITSELF. SO, I DO SEE THE WAVES OF TIME AS BEING SOMETHING TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND VALUE.
“So many things affect our ability to connect with who we are, but at any given moment, one does have the ability to come back to oneself,” Martin says. “It sounds almost superbly simple, and sometimes it is—and sometimes it isn’t. But I’ve also learned that Time has a fundamental role to play in the act of becoming itself. So, I do see the waves of time as being something to acknowledge and value. To be patient. To ride and then rest. And, in this, surrender to understanding how it serves not just yourself or your work as an artist but the world around you.”
Photo by Connie Tsang
Fans can view WAVES by Shantell Martin on her website and the Band of Vices YouTube channel. While no one is quite sure what will happen in the aftermath of the largest pandemic in modern history, it’s clear that we all need connection more than ever—to each other, to the earth, and to the things that speak to our souls. Artists like Shantell Martin are bringing that human connectivity to people worldwide every day through their work and their digital events. Log on to connect with them and connect with fellow fans, and see how each connecting line becomes a million more.
VISIT SHANTELLMARTIN.ART TO LEARN AND SEE MORE, OR FOLLOW ON Photo by Theo Coulombe
INSTAGRAM @SHANTELL_MARTIN TO STAY UP TO DATE ON NEWS, ART, AND CONNECTIONS!
The Last Word
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STAYING IN BY MYLES MELLOR
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It’s become the go-to place for work (2 words) Brighten ___ the place Wall hangings Creamy-white color Cool Tempo Large lake with clear waters Chef ’s how-tos Woodworking tool More nuanced Relaxed on the sofa Current measurement, for short Quilting design Artist’s support Santana lyrics “___ como va, mi ritmo” Home in the mountains Cooked on the BBQ Kitchen vessel Like organza or chiffon Wool type
Traditional symbol of the home Is compatible with other colors in a room Shade of green Architect’s layout (2 words) Playing hard to get Plumbing installations Circles and squares Fridge cube Fastener Kind of school (abbr.) Floor covering Worker in a garden Like some floors Areas open for redesign Put off, as a motion Renewable energy Watch closely Common conjunction Measurement of academic performance (abbr.) Bled, as colors V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 133
The Last Word
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The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. — Maya Angelou
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Visit Charleston Virtually Enjoy “Sip with Suzanne Pollak,” Wednesdays 5:30 PM EDT.
ZOOM IN
After a cocktail demo and toast, learn what matters most: How to make a meaningful life at home.
MAKE A RECIPE PLAYLIST
Learn the classic dishes and drinks to know by heart and why they’re important.
R AISE YOUR SOCIAL IQ
Develop skills to be comfortable anywhere, anytime—online and off. C H A R L E ST ON ACA DE M Y.C OM
Au revoir!
Au revoir!
Visit Mirror.co to learn more or order yours. Photo courtesy of Mirror
BEFORE YOU GO . . .
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? If you’re hoping to improve your health and physique, then Mirror might be the perfect solution! This new state-of-the-art home fitness machine is so much more than just a mirror—it’s a fully customized real-time personal trainer. Your chosen workout will virtually appear in the Mirror, which then tracks your movements and monitors your form so you can get the most out of every session, see where you need to improve, and compete with yourself for points. Time to get moving!
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