Delight Magazine

september

2017

september

photography by KRISTINA BING

EDITOR’S LETTER

hello People tend to dress well or decorate well—but seldom both. My mother says I started obsessing about furniture in seventh grade. Every third day, she’d find my bedroom totally rearranged. Clothes, alas, were another story. That same year, I was so clueless about what to wear that I bought an entire outfit straight off the Bloomingdale’s mannequin: plaid button-down blouse, brown wrap skirt, brown knee socks and orange sling-back wedges.

(Poor me!) Getting dressed is still a struggle. I frequently sneak downstairs to Lucky magazine for help—just as Lucky’s editor, Kim France, has been known to come upstairs seeking apartment advice. But there are those rare few who can swing both ways, so to speak, and we are featuring three in this issue: fashion designers Matthew Williamson, Vanessa Bruno, and Michael Bastian. Their points of view are so distinct and so strong, they carry across all aspects of their lives—from their collections to their homes to the way they look. I admire the purity and pervasiveness of their styles. But even more than that, I’m inspired by how they’re not trying to be anyone other than who they are. The message I take away from them is: Relax and be true to yourself.

-JUSTINA BLAKENY

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CONTENTS

HOME DELIGHT

8

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Fifty & Living in Pardise

12

Small Spaces

14

Your Favorite Blogger just Released a New Cookbook

15

A Handy Guide to Cooking Winter Squash

18

How to Grow a Lush Garden in the City

22

Editor’s Cravings

24

Giving (plus getting) on your vacation

25

Nine Places We’d Rather Be

27

Makes Me Happy

15 DESTINATION DELIGHT

24

FOOD DELIGHT

12

14 GARDEN DELIGHT

18

22 PURE DELIGHT

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27 september

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SNEAK PEAK

Don’t miss out — Learn how to grow a lush garden in the city pg. 18

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home

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FIFTY &

LIVING IN PARADISE text by ARIANA SPEYER

Jumping in rivers and off of waterfalls is perhaps not what you’d expect from semiretired parents of five, but with boutique owner Pippa Irma and fashion photographer Richard, it’s wise to expect the unexpected. After falling in love with Maui during a photography and windsurfing trip 16 years ago, the couple bought a former pineapple field on the island’s less developed northern coast, hoping to transform it into a retreat

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photography by KEN KOCHEY

produced by SARA RUFFIN COSTELLO

where their adventurous clan—Chico, 38; Max, 29; Tasmin, 28; Caitlin, 22; and Lola, 17—could escape the frosty winters of their native Long Island, NY. Eventually, Pippa, 56, and Richard, 62, could move there for good. “It appealed to my pioneer spirit,” Richard says.

Within a year, learning through trial and error, Richard constructed a light drenched neocolonial inspired by cottages

in Barbados. “We wanted it to feel old,” he says, so they chose simple pine planks that they painted and let weather naturally, then scoured antiques shops, yard sales and “the side of the road,” as Pippa puts it, for furniture that furthered the loose, cheerful mood. “I think of this as home, even though it’s not our primary home­­—yet,” Richard says. “Sometimes you just have to take a leap and go for it.”

Ever wish you could ditch the workday world and escape to a tropical paradise? Pippa and Richard Irmie are half way there: They built a Hawaiian vacation house from the ground up. It is a breezy Eden that (one day soon) will be their family’s new home base.

september

A Place to Kick Back & Just Be

Eating Wherever, Whenever

“My idea about decorating is that it has to be really practical and really comfortable,” Pippa says. In the gabled living room, which overlooks the ocean, she assembled a hodgepodge of preppy, traditional and tropical elements, all in her beloved blue and white: “I went to Marshalls and filled baskets with everything I could find in those colors. There’s no point in buying anything fancy for a house like this.”Slipcovered white sofas and casual striped throw pillows offset an ornate mirror and classic lamps, while bare floors add a beauty element. The turquoise on the window frames and bookshelves was an impromptu choice, inspired by “some leftover paint Richard had in the garage—it was just there, so it got used!” Pippa says.

Enjoying local, organic meals together is big part of life in the Irmie household, and on the island, planning them is nearly effortless: The family keeps seven egg laying chickens, and avocado, papaya and mango trees dot the neighborhood.

A typical dinner might be curried fish made with locally caught Mahi and coconuts that Richard has hacked off the tree with his machete. Mornings are equally uncomplicated: “You pick a papaya and that’s breakfast,” Pippa says.

Her keep-it-simple philosophy extends to the dining room. Of the well-worn pine table, on of the couple’s first purchases after building the house, she says, “It does the job. Every piece of furniture here needs to— if it doesn’t it gets chucked.”

Mismatched chairs bring ramshackle charm, creating an informality that carries over to the deck.

HOME DELIGHT

Room to Romp An active crew of surfers, sailors, horseback riders and tennis players (Pippa won a doubles tournament while eight months pregnant with Lola), the Irmies wanted to integrate their home with the great outdoors. They installed louvered doors throughout (even on the bathrooms, which Pippa laughs, “freaks some people out”) to allow cooling trade winds to refresh the AC-free space; Richard built the house a few feet off the ground for additional circulation. A pool “reflects all the trees,” Pippa says—her personal favorites are several Italian cypresses, which have grown from seedling to

higher than forty feet over the past decade, with no signs of stopping.

Open Ended Slumber Party As far as whose bedroom is whose, “it’s a movable feast!” Pippa says. “Everyone swaps around.” Most of the spaces are comfortable but basic—one exceptions is Caitlin’s preferred room, which features a wrought-iron bed from a former sugar plantation. “It was rusty and old,”Pippa says, “but we kind of liked that.”

Visitng family and friends can stay in a pair of sleeping lofts or the “bunk bed room,” which is kitted out with

pine bed frames and shelves just large enough for a few books or shells from that day’s excursion.

Sometimes the girls end up sleeping in there together, Pippa says. “When all of them are here at the same time, they stay up and giggle into the night.”

Each bedroom faces east, “so you can catch the sunrise each morning,” Richard says, while the front deck faces west and “catches the sunset, so you can start and end the day in beauty.”

After all, what more is there to life than living in paradise?

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HOME DELIGHT

SMALL

SPACES text by ELLY LEAVITT photography by ALLA PONOMAREVA

There’s something fascinating about a space-efficient, expertly-decorated tiny home. And if it only cost around $700 to build, why wouldn’t you want to have one?

Photographer Alla Ponomareva and her husband Garrett were able to stay on budget by being savvy about the materials they used. They upcycled two windows from Ponomareva’s sister-in-law’s trailer and recycled other materials—like the wood, which was perfectly aged and used to be an old deck—to keep the price down.

And as for the size constraints? No big deal. Thanks to an A-frame design by Derek Diedricksen that allowed for a transformable, multifunctional home.

“We’re very used to living in small spaces while living abroad, so building small was a no-brainer for us. Of course, this cabin is mostly for friends and family, but living on a beautiful 20 acre piece of property in Montana, the last thing you want to do is stay indoors,” says Ponomareva. “We’re hoping to inspire whoever might stay in the A-frame to appreciate small things in life, as well as to experience a few days without the beeping of gadgets or notifications.”

home’s wooden deck. And with more light streaming in, the line between indoor and outdoor space is blurrier than ever.

The home has one wall that is fully transparent—which Ponomareva implemented to fulfil her goal of being able to stargaze whilst lying in bed—that lifts up to provide direct access to the

Besides the natural light, another way Ponomareva made the space feel less cramped was with the color scheme. The couple implemented bright, cheery colors like coral and a pretty pale green in bold patterns to breathe life into the tiny home.

The A-frame’s interior is surprisingly spacious, fitting two single beds. There is even a makeshift kitchen area in the form of built in shelving and a solar panel with enough energy to charge a smartphone or two. Intended as a guest house, the tiny cabin makes a great getaway for a couple of nights.

“It was a bit challenging convincing my husband to go with the color theme [that was] chosen, but in the end I think such a vivid theme is what makes this cabin so unique and quirky,” says Ponomareva.

Affordable, sustainable, and quick to build—the project took about three weeks to complete— the 80 square-foot space feels cozy and inviting. This tiny cabin and its inspirational space is definitely giving us more than enough reasons to downsize.

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food

september

A NEW COOKBOOK

FROM YOUR FAVORITE BLOGGER

BRUSSEL SPROUTS SALAD DRESSING: 2 large lemons 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil salt and freshly cracked pepper SALAD: 1 lb. brussel sprouts 1/4 cup of pitted castelvetrano olives 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted Aleppo pepper, for sprinkling.

Flaky sea salt cracked pepper

Grate zest from 1 lemon; squeeze 1/3 cup of juice from both lemons.

Whisk together the zest, juice, and oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts into a large bowl. Add the olives and pecorino, reserving a handful of the cheese for garnish.

Drizzle the new salad with lemon dressing; toss until evenly coated.

text by KRISTIN LIMOGES photography by KATIE HYDE

Athena Calderone, plus her design and entertainment blog EyeSwoon, hardly need an introduction. But, just in case: Calderone describes herself as an interior designer, visual and culinary storyteller, and entertaining expert— and if that wasn’t enough, she’s added cookbook author to the long list. Her first book, Cook Beautifully, will be on stands and online October 10.

Extensively and impressively broken down by seasons, Cook Beautifully offers not only delicious recipes, but of course, impeccably beautiful recipes. We have the delight of showcasing two of our favorite fall recipes from the book: Shaved Brussels Sprouts With Pine Nuts and Green Olives, and Pan-Roasted Chicken With Shallots and Dates.

And if that wasn’t already good enough, Calderone even gave us her favorite fall entertaining tips as well. Preheat the oven, you’re going to want these recipes ASAP.

Golden Glow Bring the colors of the natural world to your table and create autumnal warmth with sculptural seasonal produce like persimmons, golden beets, and wild mushrooms. Carry golden hues through your glassware and flatware to give the feeling of warmth that we crave in the fall.

(AND ITS EPIC)

Take Cues From Your Setting Be holistic about the choices you make for your event to tie it all together. If the setting is rustic, make your table settings raw and rustic too. For farm dinners, I love to incorporate autumnal elements like cinnamon sticks, clippings of golden-hued fall flowers or sprigs of wheat tied with twine on rustic linen napkins. Playful and textural touches like hay-bale seating really set the mood!

For a dinner in my townhouse, we were still under construction when the time of the event rolled around. We embraced it and decided to play up the atmosphere by setting the table with canvas drop cloths. They fray beautifully at the edges when torn, bringing texture and sense of the “intentionally un-done” to the decor. You can continue the look by using small strips of the drop cloth to tie together a seasonal bunch of foliage each guests’ plate.

Fall Foliage Forage decor from your own garden: a beautiful turning leaf or minimal branch placed simply on a guest’s plate is impactful and simple!

FOOD DELIGHT

A HANDY GUIDE TO WINTER SQUASH text by Anna Kocharian photography by CODY GUILFOYLE

By now, you’ve probably been privy to the plethora of winter squash readily available at the market. And for as beautiful as they are, it can be difficult to distinguish between each one, much less, determine the various methods for cooking with them. With this in mind, we rounded up a handful of the more common varieties of squash, to help you out this culinary season. Here’s what you should know.

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FOOD DELIGHT

Acorn Squash Savory in flavor with subtle sweet notes.

When roasting, consider pairing with butter and brown sugar to bring out the breadth of its flavor. Thanks to its cup-like shape, acorn squash is also ideal for stuffing.

Kabocha Squash Also known as Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha’s claim-to-fame lies within its ultra smooth texture and sweet flavor, which is often likened to chestnuts.

Indulge via this winter squash carbonara with pancetta and sage or through this kabocha and kale miso sesame soba salad.

Red Kuri Squash Resembling a ridgeless pumpkin, red kuri squash has a slightly nutty flavor with a few hints of sweetness, which is naturally amplified when cooked. It’s also loaded with fiber, and Vitamin A and C. This roasted red kuri pumpkin and coconut soup is a must-try!

Sweet Dumpling Squash Another picture-perfect squash, and true to its name, the sweet dumpling variety definitely skews towards the sweeter spectrum, relative to the other types of the veggie. Try it via this roast sweet dumpling squash recipe with red onion and pumpkin seeds or, even sub it into a sweet potato pie recipe!

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Butternut Squash Arguably one of the more recognizable in the family, butternut squash is known for its impeccably sweet flavor, which makes it a versatile ingredient in just about any recipe. Here’s what we’re making: roasted butternut squash and plum salad and roasted butternut squash tartines.

Delicata Squash This low calorie veggie is often dubbed as a “sweet potato squash” hinting at its deceptively sweet taste and versatile flavor.

You would be surprised to discover that most cooks even prefer it to butternut squash itself. We’re making this hard squash hummus asap.

garden

september

HOW TO GROW A

LUSH GARDEN IN THE CITY text by MOLLY GUY

photography by MIKEY NEFF

You and your partner have said your vows, run off into the sunset, and are on your way to everlasting domestic bliss. The registry items have been unpacked, the monogrammed towels are hanging up on hooks, and all your books and belongings have been merged. The inside of your home looks homey—but what about that concrete slab of outdoor patio space that’s just sitting there all grey and empty?

Time to call a landscape designer who can design an outdoor urban space that’s way cooler than your standard Stepford Wives-like boxwood hedges and hydrangeas. Enter: Jake Hawvermale of Urban Roots, a full-service, sustainable landscaping company, whose mission is to create innovative urban gardens. Here, Hawvermale offers five tips for newlywed city dwellers who are eager to get their wild green thumb on… but have no idea where to start.

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GARDEN DELIGHT

5 RULES EVERY GREENERY-LOVING CITY DWELLER MUST FOLLOW 1. Study the Light Whether your outdoor space is a small stone slab outside your bedroom or a big rooftop patio, the most important thing to do is understand how much direct sun exposure your plants will get. “You want to know where the sun is coming from, how many hours of direct sunlight it gets, how strong the light is, and if it’s reflective,” says Hawvermale, an aficionado of all things green who grew up on an 80-acre farm in Connecticut.

“Every plant has a level of sun it likes and doesn’t like. Make sure you have a good understanding of your light exposure, as it will directly inform what plants you should buy. For example, if the light is low, go with with ferns and

low light shrubs like astilbe and aucuba.

But if the sun is powerful, the sky’s the limit. Roses, vegetables, and fig trees are all exciting options.”

2. Make a Watering Plant “Planting an urban garden requires much manpower and maintenance,” says Hawvermale. “The city can get VERY hot during the summer months, and you can’t always rely on rain the way people in the country do. You need to come up with a detailed plan to provide your plants with ample amounts of water daily. Make a schedule and set a specific time every day for watering. If we want our plants to flourish we need to give them a little TLC. Commit to making it happen.”

3. Go For the Greenery “There are endless amounts of plants to learn about,” says Hawvermale, “but most important is to identify what kind of plants you want to grow and what function you want them to serve. Some of my clients only want edibles— raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers. Others are into perennials flowers like Black-eyed Susans, Yarrow, and Aster—these are sturdy, unfussy plants that die at the end of the season and sprout again the following year. Herbs like thyme and rosemary are very hearty, and can last through the winter. Sage smells great and basil, of course, is the classic summer herb. I mean, pesto tastes great on everything.”

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“REMEMBER, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT GARDEN.”

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GARDEN DELIGHT

4. Embrace Imperfection “I prefer when my clients are willing to experiment and think outside of the box,” says Hawvermale. “There’s a good chance that the aspects of your space that seem odd or ugly, like pipes and brick walls and AC units, are actually your biggest assets. It can be really challenging to figure out how to incorporate those elements into your space, but if you keep an open mind, it can also be beautiful.”

On my own terrace in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Hawvermale designed the edible garden you see in the pictures here. I had a lot of found vases and vessels, and Hawvermale created a hodgepodge lush paradise that was not only beautiful, but functional. “We ended up building boxes for herbs, growing tomato plants out of repurposed wooden benches and planting raspberry and blueberry bushes in large clay pots,” he says. “Remember, at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as a perfect garden. Take whatever space you have and make it into a living breathing green biosphere that you can hang out in with family and friends.”

5. Be Mindful of Mother Earth “Take into consideration the needs of the natural environment around you,” Hawvermale advises. “Plant things that will benefit the local wildlife—like berry shrubs that birds can eat. And perennials like echinacea and yarrow are great for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and beetles to enjoy. We are all apart of something much bigger. The goal is to keep the whole eco-system healthy, and your garden will thrive as a result.”

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EDITOR’S CRAVINGS

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND TOP TO BOTTOM: THE PERFECT SQUARE PLANTERS BY THE SILL $45 ARCADIAHOMEINC.COM | EVERYDAY METAL PLANTERS 2 1/2’ 9’ $30 FOR 3 PORTOBELLO ROAD (617) 264-2020 | CONCRETE PLANTER $12 HOME DEPOT | HAND MADE ELEVATED PLANTERS $65 ROCKPAPERSISSCORS. COM | TIKI PLANTER $75 WEINRIB ATELIER (212) 473-3000 | EUCALYPTUS (808) 564-7676 THE GOOD ROSE NUSRERY | CLASSIC CERAMIC POT $1.75 HOME DEPOT | HANGING PLANTER $15 CORAL CABANA | CELOSIA AND TEA LEAVES $8.75 FOR A SET OF BOTH CACTUS AND TROPICALS SALT LAKE CITY

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destination

september

GIVING (PLUS GETTING) ON YOUR VACATION text by CYNTHIA QUEEN

Every so often I look out my cubicle window at all the skyscrapers and think, How did I end up in corporate America?

Wasn’t I going to save the world? It might be too late for that (besides, I, Like my husband and my comfy house), but maybe not for a new kind of vacation I’d heard about, where you do a mini Peace Corps-type stint— as short as a week, as long as a year—and even get to have some fun. After a little research, I called an agency named Global Vision International and signed up for two weeks in Guatemala.

“Stovers and teachers, up to the terrace,” said our group leader, a charismatic Owen Wilson look-alike. All 15 of us were gathering at the staff house, a typical expat flat with tiled floors and scrounged furniture. A British computer programmer who’d already been there for six weeks led me upstairs, where I was introduced to an airline executive from Los Angeles and a middle-school teacher from Nevada. Local hosts were putting us up in Antigua; each morning, we’d be driven to the villages to help the Maya, who make up a majority of the country’s population, and who in many communities, have an illiteracy rate of 80 percent and earn about $1 a day.

As I got into the rhythm of the labor the next day, it dawned on me that this domestic device would most likely be the biggest, most important possession that this family would ever own. Whoa, that was a stopper. When had I last done something this important? As we finished, the mason wrote, “Cynthia U.S.A.” on

photography by MIKEY NEFF

the side. The family oohed and aahed, saying aloud what they thought was my name: “Cynthia Ooosa,” Did John Jacob Astor feel like this when he saw his name engraved on the New York Public Library?

Several days later, I took a break from my next stove to go back and ask Marcela if cooking was different now. “Yes,” she said.

“I don’t burn my arms anymore.”

I’d been worried about taking this trip along, but it turned out to be really fun getting to know my fellow volunteers— gap-year British kids with aristo accents, older people taking breaks from corporate jobs that they couldn’t remember how they’d gotten themselves into, a 65-yearold named Lester healing from love gone bad. In our free time we’d poke around Antigua, shopping and sightseeing, which is when I realized the dirty little secret about these giving-back vacations: They’re counterintuitive. Instead of feeling guilty about spending my free time eating and lazing, I felt like I’d earned it.

On my last day, the mother from one of the families I’d made a stove for, Elena, invited me into her home and handed me a beautiful blouse. It must have taken her weeks to weave. Holding it, I realized that in spire of all my good fortune-my house, my car, my job—nobody had ever done anything so generous for me before. When I put it on, it looked like something I could have bought at an exclusive boutique. And here I’d thought I was the one doing the giving. My three stoves were nothing compared to what had been given to me.

DESTINATION DELIGHT

9 PLACES WE WOULD RATHER BE

by ANNA KOCHARIAN photographty by FATHOMAWAY

BLUE LAGOON IN ICELAND TOURING NORWAY’S FJORDS

LOST ON THE STREETS OF SANTORINI

AT THIS HOTEL IN THE SWISS ALPS

LOUNGING HERE ALL DAY

ON A BEACH IN TULUM

TAKING A DIP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

SOAKING UP THE SUN IN TAHITI

AT THIS STUNNING JUNGLE RESORT

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“Skin Series” Bud Vases Cleveryly constructed using plastic heat-shrink tubing, each squeezable piece is a bit different.

7”, 6” AND 4 1/2” | $12 EACH | THEMIGHTYBEARCATS.COM FOR INFO.

Glam Yarn Lamp Jacquard Acid Dyes If I haven’t worn a dress in a while, I pop it in the washing machine with this concentrated product, and presto, “new outfit!” $3.55 | 1/2 OZ. | DHARMATRADING.COM

10 THINGS

that make me happy

“Carrie” Bike Basket A faux-lace carryall for pedaling to picnics by Lake Michigan.

It’s almost DIY: You choose the size and the color, and let the designer Keven Patrick McCarthy do the hard part.

14” X 11” “WILSON” | $400 SPARTAN | (512) 579-0303

Bobby Pins Nothing fancy, but essential: They’ve always been the absolute easiest way to keep the hair out of my eyes.

RICKYCARE RUBBERIZED FLAT | $5/SET OF SIX | RICKY’S NYC | (888) 574-2592

17” X 9 X 12 | POLYPROPYLENE | $50 | SFMOMA MUSEUM STORE | (415) 357-4035

“Freeform” plates Who: Zoe Ryan

Holga Camera Designed so that bits of light leak in, this toy-like device takes gorgeously unpredictable photos.

Where: Chicago What: As the Neville Bryan Curator of Design at the Art Institute of Chicago, London-born Ryan just launched the museum’s first graphic-design show, “Graphic Thought Facility.”

These may look hand-thrown, but they’re actually machine made, dishwasher-safe and cheap enough to use every day.

BAHARI PORCELAIN | $8 AND $22 SPARTAN | (512) 579-0303

LOMOGRAPHIC STARTER KIT | $62.08 | AMAZON.COM

Reversible Rug Faux Bone Bracelets I’m wearing bangles with just about everything this fall, from tailored dresses to turtlenecks and jeans.

RESIN | $38 | R.J. GRAZIANO | (512) 579-0303

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I put this homespun but highquality cotton piece under a farmhouse table to carve out an eating area in my kitchen.

Secret Sweetener

COTTON “CORAL CABANA” | $775 | MADE LINE

Instead of cream and sugar, I add a bit of Starbucks’ bottled Frappuccino to my coffee.

WEINRIB ATELIER | (212) 473-3000

9 1/2 FL. OZ. | $189 | STARBUCKS.COM

“OUR HOMES SHOULD INSPIRE US TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO DO GREAT THINGS, AND THEN WELCOME US BACK WITH REFRESHMENT” -Melissa Michaels

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