Sophisticated Living St. Louis May/June 2022

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26 My Go To 2

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Photo by Spencer Pernikoff

May/June 2022

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on the cover: Make a statement with these earrings from Elleard Heffern Fine Jewelers in Clayton. Photo by CADAR

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New York Meets London in Clayton Condo

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My Go To

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The Love of Beautiful Objects

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Something New Under the Sun

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Bibliotaph

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Half-Sisters Making a Whole Lot of Difference in the Wine World

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Unwrapped & Updated

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The St. Louis Black Repertory Company Anniversary Gala

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YWCA Leader Lunch

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A Night with the Stars Gala

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A Night for Newborns Dinner Auction and Gala

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Fabulous Feud Live

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26 The Love of Beautiful Objects Photo courtesy of Atelier Zobel

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ALISE O’BRIEN PHOTOGRAPHY

E M I LY C A S T L E . C O M Designed by Laurie LeBoeuf, Allied ASID

From the Publisher Nothing lasts forever, or at least I don’t think so. Perhaps they did years ago, when things moved slower, there was less competition, and everyone wasn’t fighting for the same piece of the pie. But lately, everything seems to be changing quickly.

Remember when everyone laughed at Jeff Bezos because for years he never made a profit? Look at him now. But if history tells us anything, Amazon will only be successful until someone else comes along and does it better, or when people decide they want to support local businesses again instead of collecting corrugated boxes.

Great restaurants come and go, with only a handful making it more than a generation or two. Even some technology and service businesses get displaced by the next big thing. I remember when Monster.com monopolized the job search and recruiting game. I never see them anymore. Indeed.com seems to have taken over. Apple almost went bankrupt multiple times, and now they are one of the most valuable companies in the world. And, Steak ‘n Shake first dominated the smashburger concept, only to be outclassed by Shake Shack based on the exact same concept.

In this issue, I wrote a feature about Elleard Heffern, the fine jeweler in Clayton, and I wonder how they thrive in the world of bigger local stores, national players, and exclusive designer boutiques. Unlike many family businesses who never get past the second or third generation, Heffern has had four generations of family members who love the business, who live for the experience and customer relationships, and have avoided the mistakes others have made expanding too quickly, moving to the glamorous mall, or forgetting to evolve as their clients do.

I have always been into technology and gadgets. Since I was a kid I made sure I had the latest thing: the first cell phone, fax machine, laptop, flat screen TV, or the Apple watch despite my love for my Rolex. But as I age, I am less intrigued by what’s next. I want less, and the simpler it is the better.

One of my first jobs out of college was as the public relations director of Jan Stuart Skin Care in New York City. Jan was an entrepreneur who saw a market for men’s skin care products, launched his company with blood, sweat, and tears, and before long was featured on many of the cosmetic counters in the top department stores coast to coast. With a great story to tell about mixing his lotions and potions in his mom’s bathtub, he was the talk of the town (NYC) and featured in every magazine and newspaper…until he wasn’t. Other brands came along, stole some of the wind from his sails, improved on the concept, and Jan’s dreams faded as quickly as they began.

So much of success is rooted in luck, timing, being in the right place at the right time, and the available resources for being the strongest competitor. I know this first hand as some of my ventures have been successful and others crashed just when it looked like we were destined for industry dominance.

Sophisticated Living is a great example of businesses in changing markets. As print publications get replaced by digital media, it isn’t clear what will happen to us. Despite how hard we work, some months we do great and others are not as strong. When the pandemic hit, I was certain it was the beginning of the end. But as luck would have it, the pandemic forced people back into their homes and many of them realized that their homes needed to be improved. They read our magazine more, and our advertisers heard great things from our fans.

Not only did we survive; we are thriving. Our philanthropy special issue, Sophisticated Giving, has more sponsors and we feature more nonprofits than ever. We hear from nonprofits that our readers have called and made six-figure gifts.

Check out Karen Kalish’s video tooting our horn! (https://tinyurl.com/2bsj2zcm) We’re now working on a special issue called Sophisticated Wellness to give our readers a snapshot of the best hospitals and doctors, best health clubs and personal trainers, best exercise equipment and weight loss gurus, urgent care and senior living…because we have come to realize that we can’t take wellness for granted, and not all providers are created equal.

Tell us how we’re doing and what you like and what you don’t. Suggest stories you would like to see covered and let us know those that you pass over. While we get some feedback on each issue, it’s not enough for my liking. I want a grade so I know where we stand. I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to stay relevant, entertain our readers, and give you what you want. One exception, we will avoid politics, religion, and other polarizing subjects. We will stay focused on what unites us.

Craig M. Kaminer, Publisher craig@slmag.net

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NEW YORK MEETS LONDON IN CLAYTON CONDO Written by Jessen O’Brien / Photography by Alise O’Brien

There was no hesitation when these Clayton residents had the chance to create the home of their dreams.

“When we bought our condo, the kitchen was separated from the family room and the rest of the space. I had always said that if the condo adjacent to ours became available, I’d love to buy it, expand the kitchen, and have a family room so that I could spend time with my family while I was cooking. And that’s exactly what happened,” says the homeowner.

They put in an offer and contacted Meghan Heeter, of Castle Design, whom they had been working with for the past five years.

“I wanted to continue the style we started in the original condo but do something a little brighter, fresher, and more modern while still maintaining the classic look we had achieved,” says the homeowner. “Meghan’s previous work was wonderful; we have a great relationship.”

This would be their largest project together to date, and the one with the most ambitious scope: turning two condos into a single unit while injecting the space with a SoHo-meets-Soho vibe.

Heeter partnered with Max Bemberg of Bemberg Architecture and Troy Duncan of PK Construction to bring the homeowner’s vision to life. Inspired by her time living in both New York and London, the homeowner “wanted it to feel like an Upper East Side penthouse with an English design influence,” says Heeter.

“The catalyst for the design was the black lacquer finish that appears throughout the condo; it gives the space that sophisticated, New York vibe.” Antiques and classic patterns were then added throughout as a nod to traditional English design.

In the newly expanded kitchen, the black lacquer finish gives presence to a large and central island topped with an elegant gray quartzite countertop and decked with blue Jessica Charles counter stools. Blue notes appear throughout the condo. “We put together a black-and-white color palette - very elegant, classic English design - and then we threw in a more American style with blue and white touches,” says Heeter. slmag.net

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The homeowner’s dream of creating an open-plan chef ’s kitchen motivated them to buy the neighboring condo when it became available.

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In the guest bedroom, Heeter mixed antiques with new pieces to create a sense of the furnishings being collected over time.

The layout and cabinetry were designed around the homeowner’s cooking habits. “One day, I wrote down all of my steps while cooking - what I did, where I went to get utensils, spices, and pots and pans,” says the homeowner. She and Heeter then worked with Bob Burmeister of Marc Christian Fine Cabinetry to ensure that the kitchen would fit her needs exactly. “Now, I’m able to be so much more efficient. I use my tools more because they’re so available. I know where everything is, so I never have to look for it.

It’s a beautiful space that I not only love creating food in, but which also lets me talk to my family while making dinner.”

The design also had to take the condo’s structure into account.

“One of the challenges you often have with condos is that there are large, concrete pillars throughout,” notes Heeter. “There was one to the left of the oven, giving us only six inches of space - but we decided to use it. It’s amazing what you can fit in there; in fact, it worked out perfectly as a place to store her olive oils and vinegars.”

Next door, the butler’s pantry inverts the color balance with dramatic black cabinets. The same quartzite used in the kitchen island here extends upwards to create a graphic backsplash that highlights the natural beauty of the stone. The lighting - a molded-glass fixture

by Tech Lighting - softens the space and provides a more modern element, while the upper cabinets house a traditional display: teapots 18 slmag.net

and china collected during the homeowners’ time abroad. “When we travel, we like to buy things that we can then enjoy at home,” says the homeowner. “Little things like that are so much fun to incorporate.”

Other times, the homeowner’s travels served as direct inspiration for the condo’s design. “I would send Meghan pictures while I was living in London, and one was of these beautiful, black-and-white marble tiles set in a diamond pattern,” says the homeowner. “We put them on the floor of our powder room and it’s just stunning - it has such a dark, moody look that is very London or New York.”

Photographs the homeowner took during a trip to Cannon Beach, Oregon, rest on a marble ledge, itself another example of Heeter’s ingenuity when confronted with the condo’s structural elements. “Sometimes, you don’t have the access you need to move plumbing around because of the apartments above and below you. In order to get plumbing into the area, we had to add a little half wall,” says Heeter. “We made it seem like it’s a design feature by adding a stone ledge and the artwork.”

Another challenge typical to condos is that they are made up of a number of small, individual rooms. “The architect, Max, came up with an amazing design to create an open feel,” says Heeter. “One of the things I love most about it is the flexibility of his design for the family room and office.”

Embroidered fabrics, antique furniture, and a hand-knotted rug create a sense of tradition in the living room, which overlooks downtown Clayton.

The same dramatic marble is used in both the powder room’s sink and the condo’s double-sided fireplace.

The butler’s pantry functions both as a coffee station in the morning and a serving area when entertaining.

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A Phillip Jeffries wall covering adds texture to the pretty guest bathroom.

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A variety of subtle patterns are layered together in the guest bedroom, balancing visual interest with serenity.

Bemberg divided the two rooms with a double-sided fireplace flanked with bookshelves, then added glass-paneled pocket doors on either side that allow the office to easily switch between being a private or open space. While a working fireplace wasn’t feasible, Heeter created an updated hearth room feel by lining it with black marble and adding candles inside. A fleur-de-lis was carved into the mantle in tribute to St. Louis, while the bookshelf displays blue-and-white Chinoiserie-style pottery popular in Europe.

Another fleur-de-lis can be found on the ceiling of the guest room - formerly the second condo’s dining room. They kept the room’s arched doorway but added custom, black-lacquer French doors that open up to reveal the bedroom. The wall covering is one of several by Philip Jeffries that add texture throughout the condo; here, it’s a mosaic of gray grasscloth pieces with metallic detailing.

“Even though it’s tone-on-tone, it has such a huge impact,” says Heeter. “As you look at the room as a whole, you start to pick out these little details that make it so special. I love to layer textures, fabrics, and metal finishes that make a space more interesting.”

Heeter brought new life to the homeowner’s antique side tables by painting them a lacquered gray and using them as nightstands. The pillows are a mixture of Cowtan & Tout’s Miro

and Serengeti prints, while the Thibaut fabric bedding calls back to the family room’s blue-and-white pottery.

The connected guest bathroom features another half wall, along with a pretty patterned floor tile. Not only do the sink cabinets offer plenty of storage, but so do the mirrors, medicine cabinets from Robern’s Maine Line collection. Newport Brass fixtures in polished nickel are used both here and in the powder room, another element that creates visual continuity throughout the home.

“The first day we started on the project, the homeowner’s husband met with the whole construction team and explained to everyone how important this project was to them, because this was their forever home,” remembers Heeter. “They took the time to tell the craftspeople how much they appreciated them coming in and helping turn their dream into reality.”

Now that the project is complete, the homeowner is hard pressed to decide on a favorite space. “I love it all; I’m overjoyed with my kitchen, the butler’s pantry is just off the charts, and we use the family room all the time,” she says. “I’m so proud of the work we did with Meghan. Her leadership guided us through the whole project. She made it into a great adventure, to the point that when it was over, I thought we have to think of something else to do because this was so much fun!” sl slmag.net

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MY GO TO

By Craig Kaminer / Photos by Spencer Pernikoff

Because I grew up in New York City and lived in Italy, people always ask me which are my favorite restaurants? Most of the time, I just share a list of places and let them figure out what they are in the mood to eat. I used to always recommend fancier places, but for the last few years, I have been suggesting places similar to where I went nightly in Florence. All have consistently great food, welcoming and passionate servers, an owner who is deeply engaged, and an intimate atmosphere where you always feel like a regular.

Louie is one of those places and we eat there weekly. It has a simple, Italian-forward menu, with just enough regular offerings and a handful of specials to make ordering easy and uncomplicated. The team has worked together for years, are like family with each other and their guests, treat everyone like they own the place, and strive for perfection every time.

Located in the Demun neighborhood of Clayton, Louie is surrounded by Sasha’s Wine Bar, the original Kaldi’s Coffee, and Clementine’s Creamery – all of which are standouts in their own right and attract lines nightly. Together, they complement and 26 slmag.net

support each other. My opinion: their clientele protect this little slice of culinary heaven by not telling too many of their friends about it!

Since it opened in 2017, I have eaten everything on the menu.

For me, the perfect evening starts with a bottle of Poliziano Vino Nobile from Montepulciano, a half portion of the freshly sliced prosciutto, shaved parmesan cheese, and drizzle of Tuscan olive oil, then the roasted chicken with rapini (broccoli rabe). I always razz my wife that we eat too much chicken at home, but the roasted chicken at Louie is without compare. The portions are generous, so I typically share this with my wife.

While this is my go-to order, some of my other favorites are the charred eggplant dip or hummus as starters, burrata and heirloom tomatoes when they’re in season, a margherita Neapolitan pizza, the grilled pork chop with shisito peppers, or the polenta. While I rarely order dessert, their panna cotta and ice cream sandwiches are the best.

But don’t forget that Clementine’s is down the block - there’s always a wait - so the options are bountiful for something great.

The somewhat shy and reclusive owner, Matt McGuire, is one of the great restaurateurs in St. Louis. He was the founder of

King Louie’s in the Grove long before the Grove was the Grove. He worked with Gerard Craft for a number of years and ran Brasserie

by Niche in the Central West End. Later, McGuire partnered with out-of-town investors on Central Table on Euclid Ave., and while it was great, its location, large size, and Central West End drama were responsible for a premature closing. After some time off spent strategizing, McGuire has hit the long ball home run with Louie… and his fans applaud him every chance they get.

Louie has a small but great wine list, carefully crafted cocktails, perfect menu, and a team that goes out of its way to make your meal the best anywhere. If you have been here before, you know what I am talking about. If you haven’t or can’t get a reservation, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s so good that we make reservations weeks out just so we have them!

If you don’t have a reservation, try sitting at the bar. The bartenders are fun, happy to give you tastes of wine, and you can always strike up a conversation with a regular from the neighborhood or someone alone on a business trip (remember those?) who searched “best restaurants in St. Louis” and decided on Louie.

As St. Louis’ native son and famed restaurateur Danny Meyer will tell you, it is not just about the food...it’s about the hospitality. The host is on top of it, and will have you wait at the bar or Sasha’s until your table is ready. The servers know their stuff, will make recommendations, and may even pull up a chair to meet everyone at the table. McGuire does his best to say hi to guests; but make no mistake about it, he is watching everything going on from his prosciutto perch in the corner. When he has a second to say hello, you’ll know him because he is frequently stopped by regulars giving him big hugs.

The only complaint I have ever heard about Louie is that it can be loud at times. For me, I love the energy, the laughter, and the crowd. After a couple of years of silence, the buzz and commotion are welcome. It’s hip, stylish, and always foodie.

In fact, many of the top chefs in town camp out at the bar, supporting McGuire and I am sure trying to figure out what makes this place tick.

Whatever it is, I would want my restaurant – if I had one – to have the same vibe. sl slmag.net

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photo by: Alise O’Brien

LIVING with

ART

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Ar t is meant to break the galler y walls. Let it live in the world you create.

ART SALES ART ADVISEMENT

(L) Webster Heffern and (R) Kit Heffern Photo by Colin Miller

THE LOVE OF BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS

By Craig Kaminer

When I was younger, richer, and always trying to prove something, I would buy my wife jewelry for every special occasion...birthday, holidays, birth of our kids, or just because. Truth is, I love jewelry design, and from the time I lived in Florence, Italy, and window shopped daily on the Ponte Vecchio, or searched for engagement rings (before the internet and before my wife was ready to say yes), I was not shy to walk into jewelry stores, ask questions, become educated, and eventually buy something I really loved. I must be doing something right because my wife still loves everything I have ever bought her and wears it regularly.

Perhaps one of my favorites is a stunning pair of earrings hand made by Michael Good I found at Elleard Heffern Fine Jewelers in Clayton. Pictured on page 31 on the lower right, they are finely made of yellow gold, sculpted into two loops of varying thickness, and hang perfectly because of their balance and lightweight construction. The designer used a technique whereby sheet metal is formed directly with a hammer on a snake-like stake. A flat sheet of metal is shaped by stretching its edges and compressing the center so that the surface develops two curves at right angles to each other.

The pattern of the sheet plays a major role in the final form that will be achieved. However, many different forms can be made from the same pattern. In some ways they remind me of a cross between a Calder mobile and a Bernar Venet sculpture.

But this story isn’t about me or what I bought, it’s about Elleard Heffern, which has been in business since 1913, and its current

patriarch, Kit Heffern, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary at the store which bears his family’s name. Despite my opinion on longevity in the publisher’s letter, Elleard Heffern (the store) is the perfect example of focusing on their knitting, loving what they do, not getting sidetracked by the competition, and foregoing meteoric growth for deep relationships with designers, manufacturers, gem cutters, employees, and principally clients and their heirs.

Today, the discreet, private, gallery-like showroom is on the first floor of the Hanley Corporate Tower (101 S. Hanley Rd.) in Clayton where generations of notable St. Louisans have shopped for jewels which are passed down to future generations. Designed by famed architect Ted Christner 1990 and updated in 2003 by Sasha Malinich, the jewelry studio is intimate, private, and a beautifully designed masterpiece that perfectly complements the showcases, the clientele, and the designers who have been working closely with a Heffern family member for 109 years. If that’s not longevity, I don’t know what is.

The jewelry business seems to be divided into three camps: fancy stores in high-visibility locations, studios in office buildings which cater less to foot traffic and more to by-appointment meetings with clients and word-of-mouth referrals, and internet retailers. Since Elleard Heffern moved to Clayton in 1972, it has been out of the retail limelight, protecting its clients’ anonymity, and maintaining a private experience similar to what you may find in New York or jewelry centers of Europe. Who wants to bump into a friend or neighbor when you’re shopping for a special surprise or a gift to yourself? slmag.net

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While earlier Hefferns were also in the jewelry business dating back to the 1890’s, the predecessor to Elleard Heffern was named Heffern-Neuhoff and opened in 1913 in a downtown office building at 819 Locust St., which was originally called the St. Nicholas Hotel.

The building was designed by Adler & Sullivan Architects and later altered by famed Eames & Young Architects in 1905 and renamed the Victoria Building. In those days, they billed themselves as “purveyors of extraordinary gems and knowledgeable jewelers.” The store also sold fine silverware and watches. As trusting relationships developed between staff and clients, Heffern began catering to St. Louis’ most prominent citizens. Kit says, “They started the business with no real money to speak of, but my father had many wealthy friends from his years attending St. Louis Country Day School.

Twelve of his high school friends invested in Heffern and told him to ‘pay us back when you can.’ It took almost 20 years, but he paid them all back and eventually owned the business.”

In 1929, Sam Heffern recruited Adie Giesow, a Washington University-trained designer, who was the preeminent jewelry designer in St. Louis. Giesow was best known for winning a De Beers award for diamond design and designing hundreds of works of art which

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are still in the possession of many St. Louis’ prominent families.

Giesow remained with the company for 60 years working with three generations of Hefferns. Kit said reminiscently, “She was here 10 years longer than I have been here; and I hope to beat her record.”

In 1955, Kit’s father, Elleard Heffern, changed the name of the store to Elleard Heffern from Heffern-Neuhoff and moved it from a street-level space into a third-floor suite with private salons. He was the only employee at the time and his wife did the bookkeeping.

Elleard was an impressive force, graduating from Princeton in 1936 and then training to be a registered jeweler with the American Gem Society (AGS). “In fact, he was a founding member of the AGS in the 1930s, and we were the first AGS-certified store and he was the first certified gemologist in St. Louis,” says Kit. The original store remained downtown in the Victoria Building for 59 years until the 1972 move to Clayton. Their first location in Clayton was in the Sevens Building at 7777 Bonhomme Ave. Heffern moved to its present location in 1990. The business evolved into more private, one-on-one sales transactions and the introduction of original items by international designers to customers and now focuses on gold and platinum jewelry, gems, and diamonds.

Over the years there have been a number of standout employees who stayed with the company most of their careers and helped make it what it is today. Keith Shaw, who started in 1963, announced on his 65th birthday he would retire on his 70th. And he did. Shaw was with the company for 40 years (until 2003), was very active in the community, and was known for moving heaven and earth for his clients. He would travel to see them in other cities, open the store any time day or night, and very early on became involved with some of St. Louis’ standout arts organizations including Opera Theatre and Craft Alliance.

Kit recalls, “Keith came in one day and said that we had to advertise in the Opera Theatre’s program. We have been doing so every year since. And, Keith could sell jewelry like nobody else.

He had clients in the middle of Arkansas and he would drive to their homes and offices, bring great pieces with him, and sell all of them. He was one of a kind.”

Kit said, “I always liked business and when I was young, I don’t know that I ever thought I’d be in the jewelry business per se. I loved economics and things of that sort. And then after I graduated as an electrical engineer from Tufts University, I worked at

McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) for about a year. Then I joined my father’s company. And I liked it. I mean, what’s not to like? But jewelry wasn’t on my radar screen as a kid. People don’t realize that designing fine jewelry is much more complicated than you think.

Something has to be designed and then made; gemstones have to be selected…particularly gemstones that are very rare.”

To build on the success of the business, Kit focused on attracting the top jewelry designers in the world to work exclusively with Elleard Heffern. For example, Eric Seibert was a post World War II designer from New York who made exceptionally beautiful jewelry and sold it to top retailers and patrons around the world. Even Andy Warhol. “We did very well with Seibert’s bracelets. After he died, his widow, Carol, took over the company. Several years later, Carol and her business partner, Ralph, weren’t getting along and they stopped making the jewelry. But, I kept calling her saying ‘why don’t you sell me the designs if you’re not making them; they have no value to you.’” Eventually Carol agreed and Elleard Heffern purchased all of the molds and exclusive rights to this rare and exquisite jewelry which remains popular to this day. slmag.net

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Another high profile designer Elleard Heffern has featured for 30 years is German designer Peter Schmid, owner of Atelier Zobel.

“Schmid lives in the small medieval town of Konstanz, Germany, and he has such a unique style and sensibility that people love. He has a worldwide following and customers love the pieces. We do a show once a year when he comes to America. And it’s not something you see anywhere else in St. Louis,” Kit notes.

But Kit points out that the business has changed. “It used to be that everyone had a favorite family jeweler and that’s where they shopped. Now there is competition everywhere and people window shop 24/7 online. People travel more now and often buy jewelry to remember their trip. But we benefit from this too as we are down the street from The Ritz-Carlton and many out-of-town guests come to see us when they are in St. Louis. And, of course, one of the biggest changes is that brands are more important than ever and it’s not uncommon for someone to look for a piece by a specific designer.”

So as the world of fine jewelry continues to evolve, so too has Elleard Heffern. Kit’s son, Webster, 38, is now involved in the business. He first started working behind the scenes and has now moved into sales and marketing. Like his father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Webster has excelled in school and is now working 32 slmag.net

on his PhD in microbiology. But he loves the jewelry and fashion business and plans to join the family business. He is acutely aware of the storied history of Elleard Heffern, and is eager to not only maintain it, but also attract the next generation of fashion-forward lovers of beautiful objects with the intent that they become lifelong customers. With his quick wit, creativity, and fashion sensibilities, Webster plans to lead Elleard Heffern some day, with a sense of style, vision, and opinions all his own.

After talking with Kit and Webster, I realized that owning a retail jewelry business is a labor of love. “We travel to the most exclusive jewelry shows in the world as well as purchase from individuals or estates, buy merchandise that we love and know our clients will too, and have unique relationship with the designers themselves. And, the designers visit us annually, meet with our customers, and build friendships that go beyond retail transactions. We think every piece of jewelry has a story, and its only through these kinds of relationships that the story is passed from one generation to the next. As I think back on my 50 years here, I can tell you all of the families I have worked with, what they bought from us, and who in their family owns it now.” But Kit slyly reminds me that he won’t share that information because his customers want it that way. sl

The Grand Canal with a a view of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.

Photo by Matthew Cottrell

SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN Ca Di Dio, Venice's newest five-star hotel, presents a masterful melding of old and new.

Written by Bridget Williams "If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you've imagined.

Venice is—Venice is better." ~Fran Lebowitz On the long-haul portion of our flight to Venice (via CDG), I delved into The Venice Sketchbook, an easy and engaging read by Rhys Bowen. The author wove the narrative by alternating between the stories of a young British woman in Venice around World War II and her niece in the present day. The author did such a fabulous job setting the scene that several sights appeared familiar even though it was the first time I'd laid eyes on them.

I have COVID to thank for a much less crowded visit this past February, which also happened to coincide with the start of Carnevale. Lingering restrictions meant more breathing room in places like the famous St. Mark's Square to watch the parade of lavishly costumed revelers. Following the movement of the swarm of onlookers made it easy to locate the most over-the-top ensembles, and I was happy to join the fray seeking a photograph.

We arrived at our hotel, the newly-opened five-star Ca Di Dio, as one should when visiting Venice for the first time (or anytime you can): by motoscafi (water taxi), at the hotel's "side" door. The property sits in the quieter Arsenale district, where the famous Art Biennale

is held; it's taking place now through November (labiennale.org/en/ art/2022). We braved the chill to sit in the open-air portion at the back of our motoscafi to watch as the bell tower of Piazza San Marco came closer into view as we transitioned from open lagoon to narrow canals. Instantly enamored, I marveled at how the water, which some argue is cleaner and clearer due to Italy's 2020 lockdown, lapped at doorways like an incessant solicitor.

As an American whose county is a mere 246 years old, learning that portions of Ca Di Dio were erected in the 13th century is just mind-boggling. For reference, during this time, the Crusades were still underway, and Venetian explorer Marco Polo was traveling the Silk Road.

Part of the VRetreats collection, managed by Italy's VOI Hotels, Ca Di Dio's three-story structure has served as a hostel for Crusaders and later as a hospice for women. Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola spearheaded the three-year renovation. Strict historic preservation guidelines prevented changes to the Istrian stone façade dotted with 442 windows and the interior floorplan, resulting in an aura of austere elegance. Juxtaposed with the original features are contemporary building and interior design elements sourced exclusively from Italy, such as the handcrafted Murano glass lamps, Venetian plaster walls, and custom furnishings. slmag.net

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A walk-in closet is concealed behind antiqued mirrors in a suite at Ca Di Dio.

Once the site of an ancient house of worship, the centerpiece of the double-height lobby is a massive chandelier comprised of 14,000 Murano glass tiles designed to evoke the sails of a boat. Old-meetsnew as a pair of antique statues peers down from their plinths at sinuous sofas upholstered in colorful velvet.

There are 57 suites and nine deluxe rooms, all sumptuously decorated with custom-made furniture from Molteni & C in a unique style that defies cliché categorization. Our third-floor corner room was one of ten suites offering a view of the lagoon and San Giorgio Maggiore Island. The two largest suites have a staircase leading to a private roof terrace overlooking the San Marco basin.

Following the original contours of the roof, the ceiling height in our sleek suite went from low at the perimeter to vaulted at the center, lending a shape-shifting Alice in Wonderland effect, especially when considered alongside the room's whimsically-shaped Murano light fixtures. I spent a good deal of time trying to locate the promised complimentary minibar and Lavazza espresso machine before finding it concealed cleverly behind wood paneling. A sliding door sheathed in antiqued mirror revealed a spacious walk-in closet. A portion of the walls in the suite are upholstered in the same Venetian Rubelli fabric as the drapery. An expanse of Rosso Verona marble and Venetian 34 slmag.net

plaster walls executed in a complementary hue emanates a sleek, contemporary vibe in the bathroom. The hotel leaves a nightly postcard imprinted with a vintage photo from Camera Photo Epoche's archive in lieu of a traditional turndown sweet.

As we quickly discovered, greenspace is a rarity in a city where buildable land is scarce. This makes Ca Di Dio's courtyard garden, complete with two original wells, a hidden gem for relaxing after a day of exploring. This predominance of private spaces has already made the property a hit among A-list celebrities seeking an underthe-radar sojourn.

Also counted among Ca Di Dio's treasures are its food and beverage program. Comprised of three small rooms, the goldceilinged Alchemia Bar appears to be the place for well-heeled Italians to congregate, and with good reason: the cocktails are as exceptional as the convivial bartenders. We became fast friends with bartender Marco Mdolla, a Venetian with palpable enthusiasm for botanicallyinspired craft cocktails. If you want to know what to see and where to go that's off the typical tourist beat, just spend a few hours here, and your itinerary for the following days will be complete. It's notable that Alchemia features a line of gins distilled by Zu Plun, and created exclusively for Ca' di Dio in collaboration with The Merchant of Venice. The Sál variety is infused with saltwater from the lagoon.

Once the site of an ancient house of worship, the centerpiece of the double-height lobby at Ca Di Dio is a massive chandelier comprised of 14,000 Murano glass tiles designed to evoke the sails of a boat.

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Antipasti of cooked and raw sturgeon with candied lemon, caviar, cheek lard foam and bitter salad at VERO restaurant. Photo by Matthew Cottrell.

The Alchemia Bar at Ca Di Dio.

VERO restaurant at Ca Di Dio

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Bartender Marco Mdolla at Alchemia Bar in Ca Di Dio. Photo by Matthew Cottrell.

The Reading Room at Ca Di Dio.

One of two 13th century wells in the courtyard at Ca Di Dio.

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A traditional a mascarer's workshop.

Glass artisan Giorgio Nason at Designs 188.

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On the right is the Palazzo Papadopoli, a Baroque-style palace located on the Grand Canal. Photo by Matthew Cottrell.

Following an aperitif and lively conversation at Alchemia Bar, we passed through the lobby and into the cozy wood-paneled reading room to reach VERO, an intimate restaurant. I couldn't keep my eyes off the Jannelli & Volpi wallpapered ceiling, a custom design by Patricia Urquiola inspired by the region's land and sea bounty. Again, the service was exemplary, as was Chef Raimondo Squeo's cuisine, complemented by wine pairings focused on vintners from northeast Italy and served in lovely glasses handcrafted nearby in Murano.

Overlooking the courtyard, Essentia Restaurant offers a more casual atmosphere. It was a must-stop for us before heading out each morning to partake of their European-style buffet and a cappuccino.

Ca di Dio's location in the Castello District, known for its contemporary art scene, is less crowded. Yet, it's still just a 20-minute walk from the perennially packed Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. So, without a hard and fast agenda, we walked, and walked, and walked—most days in excess of ten miles— making frequent pitstops at out-of-the-way bacaris (local bars) to partake of Venetian cicchetti (finger foods), accompanied by an Aperol Spritz. I loved being able to try small bites packed with so many varying flavors from land and sea.

Venice boasts a dizzying array of shops offering wares from kitsch to couture. While we enjoyed fawning over high-end goods, including sumptuous diamond-quilted-leather-wrapped espresso machines at GIOBAGNARA (giobagnara.com) and exquisite Venetian-made linens at Jesurum (jesurum.it/en), it was the smaller shops off the beaten path that we found most intriguing. Spying a shattered rainbow of glass rods on the worktable of artisan Giorgio Nason—whose ancestors are among Murano's original

glass-making families—in the window of his studio near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of Modern Art (guggenheim-venice.it/en), drew us in to admire his work-in-progress and his unique collection of glass jewelry (designs188.com). Despite the proliferation of vendors selling mass-produced masks, less than a dozen shops produce papier-mâché versions in the traditional style. Stepping into a mascarer's workshop immerses you in an environment that's simultaneously cool and creepy.

Wanting to experience an icon, we met friends from Milan at Harry's Bar. Credited with inventing beef carpaccio and the Bellini cocktail, it's known for hosting some of the most famous faces of the 20th century. Two Bellinis each and $211 later, our Italian friends joked that some fleecing of tourists is expected, but that Harry's was next level. They selected Bistrot De Venise (bistrotdevenise. com) for dinner, and we thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant's fresh interpretation of Venetian recipes from the 14th to the 18th centuries.

A few other dining options of note include 1000 Gourmet for a dizzying array of pizzas (gruppo1000.it/); Ristorante Da Ivo, an upscale spot frequented by George and Amal Clooney (ristorantedaivo.it/); the quiet and charming Al Covo (ristorantealcovo.com); Antiche Carampane for their takeaway paper cones bursting with fried mixed seafood (antichecarampane.com/en/); and cicchetti at standing-roomonly Enoteca Schiavi (cantinaschiavi.com); and Bar All'Arco. Our experience is that you have to work hard to have a bad meal.

The psychology of anticipation means that some destinations don’t live up to expectations. However, reality definitely trumped imagination for my first trip to Venice. sl Rooms at Ca Di Dio begin at $800. For more info and reservations, visit vretreats.com/ca-di-dio/.

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Bibliotaph...

Compiled by Victoria Chase

This hardcover collection of stories brings to life the magnificent southern regions of Italy, from Naples to Sicily, as seen through the eyes of literary greats from Ovid and Virgil to Elsa Morante and Elena Ferrante. Ella Carr—Stories of Southern Italy— hardcover, 400 pages, Everyman’s Library After a one-week trip to Florence in 1994, Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri became infatuated with the Italian language, eventually reading exclusively in Italian in preparation for a move to Rome in 2012. This collection brings together 40 writers representing a cross-section of Italian society who informed her love of the language; more than half of the stories have been translated into English for the first time. Jhumpa Lahiri (editor)— The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories—hardcover, 528 pages, Penguin Classics

This collection of 80 recipes with wine pairings focuses on a unique region of Italy that bridges the Alps and the Adriatic Sea. Bobby Stuckey, Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson & Meredith Erickson—Friuli Food and Wine: Frasca Cooking from Northern Italy’s Mountains, Vineyards, and Seaside—hardcover, 272 pages, Ten Speed Press.

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Acclaimed Italian wine expert, sommelier, winemaker, and restaurateur, Joe Campanale went on an epic quest through Italy’s 20 wine regions to produce a comprehensive, transportive, and educational guide to contemporary Italian wine. Joe Campanale & Joshua David Stein—Vine: The Essential Guide to Real Italian Wine—hardcover, 320 pages, Clarkson Potter.

Missy Robbins, one of New York City’s premier pasta chefs, who has been cooking and researching Italian food for two decades, shares recipes for 40 handmade pasta shapes and 100 Italian American, regional Italian, and modern dishes. Missy Robbins & Talia Baiocchi—Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes—hardcover, 416 pages, Ten Speed Press.

bib 'li' o 'taph, [bib-lee-uhtaf, -tahf ]: a person who caches or hoards books New York Times bestselling author Dianne Hales highlights our enduring love affair with Italy and Italian culture, from literature to art, music to movies. Dianna Hales—La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World—hardcover, 320 pages, Crown Archetype.

For the most fervent Ferrari enthusiast, this massive $6,000 limitededition tome holds hundreds of photographs from the Ferrari Archives and private collectors. It comes enclosed in an aluminum display case designed by Marc Newson. Giuseppe (Pino) Allievi— Ferrari XXL—leather cover, 514 pages, TASCHEN (taschen.com)

Native Italians Daria Reina and Andrea Ferolla take readers on an off-the-beaten-path tour of their home country that’s on point with the quintessential details that define timeless Italian style. Daria Reina and Andrea Ferolla—Italian Chic—hardcover, 264 pages, Assouline (assouline.com).

A vividly illustrated and definitive exploration of how and why the Renaissance flourished in Italy for two centuries. Norbert Wolf—The Renaissance Cities: Art in Florence, Rome and Venice—hardcover, 272 pages, Prestel

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Andréa McBride John and Robin McBride

HALF-SISTERS MAKING A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE WINE WORLD Founded in 2010, McBride Sisters Wine Company is the largest Black-owned wine company in the US. Written by Bridget Williams / Photography courtesy of Michelle Magdalena & Garrick Gray Half-sisters Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John grew up in world-class winemaking regions but on separate continents and no knowledge of one another until they were young adults. Robin hails from Monterrey, California, while Andréa spent the first 16 years of her life in New Zealand. While their father, who died in 1996, was not a prominent figure in their lives, their reunion was the fulfillment of his dying wish.

After meeting for the first time in 1999, they found themselves together in California in 2005, united by a shared passion for all things wine and a desire to shake up the industry with a blend of old-world elegance and new-world finesse. Capitalizing on Andréa's winemaking connections in New Zealand and Robin's business background in importing and exporting goods, they started in 2010 as importers of New Zealand wines before launching their own label five years later.

Today, the McBride Sisters Wine Company has grown to become the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States.

Community, inclusivity, and philanthropy remain core company tenents. Today, a team comprising fifty-one percent of people of color and ninety-three percent women across two countries oversee three core brands: McBride Sisters Collection, Black Girl Magic, and SHE CAN. The SHE CAN Fund, established in 2019, promotes the professional development of women as part of a concerted effort to help close the gender and race gap. The Fund pivoted to support Black-and-women-owned small businesses across several industries and awarded 30 women with $10,000 scholarships in response to the pandemic. This year, the Fund has announced it will be supporting women specifically in the hospitality and food and wine industries and awarding $50,000 scholarships to Southern University as part of the Fund's Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Initiative and Scholarship Program.

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Making wine education more accessible and inclusive for all was the driving force behind the development of McBride Certified: Wine 101 with Robin and Andréa, a free, multi-module wine course available to anyone interested in wine. Prospective students—more than 10,000 to date— can request to join the Facebook group and complete the course at their own pace.

The McBride Sisters Black Girl Magic Wine & Book Club launched in 2021 with publisher Simon & Schuster. Club members receive a book of the month, authored by a black woman author, paired with Black Girl Magic wines, and an invitation to a live virtual event with the author. The May selection is Speak, by Peloton fitness superstar Tunde Oyeneyin.

McBride Sisters Collection Reserve Wines, single-vineyard wines from California and New Zealand representing pivotal moments in the Sisters' journeys and founding story, sit at the top of the company's portfolio. This past March, they released a pair of wines from New Zealand, made by the brand's Kiwi-based winemaker, Diana Hawkins: Reserve Gamay “Rebels” 2020 ($69) and Reserve Pinot Noir “Papatūānuku” 2019 ($69). Reflecting the standout characteristics of New Zealand's southernmost and mountainous wine region of Central Otago, these wines illuminate Andréa's upbringing in Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand.

Available in late spring, the fifth McBride Sisters Collection Reserve Wine is the 2020 "Abalone or Pāua?", a white blend from Paso Robles, California made by the brand's Golden State winemaker Amy Butler. The name of this wine references the mother-ofpearl-lined sea mollusk and unites the two different cultures and hemispheres where the Sisters grew up. McBride Sisters Collection wines are available at various retailers throughout the United States and through their website, mcbridesisters.com. sl

Reserve Gamay “Rebels” 2020 & Reserve Pinot Noir “Papatūānuku” 2019

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UNWRAPPED & UPDATED

BMW reveals a refresh of its 8 Series Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe for 2023 Written by Andre James / Photography courtesy of BMW BMW has continued to refine the award-winning design of its 8 Series luxury performance vehicles since the model debuted in 2018. The new 2023 8 Series heralds a redesigned front fascia and technologydriven interior refinements that include an enlarged interior 12.3-inch Control Display for the BMW iDrive operating system.

Most notable among the exterior changes is the addition of a BMW Illuminated Kidney Grille. Waterfall lighting highlights revised grille elements and activates when the vehicle is unlocked or a door opens; it can be switched on or off manually by the driver. In addition, five new exterior paint colors and two new wheel options are available. Wheel style 895M is fitted with highperformance, non-runflat tires. It is included in the Cooling and High-Performance Tire Package, which is optional on M850i xDrive coupe and Gran Coupe.

A new optional M Sport Package Professional adds extended Shadowline trim with black kidney grille, black calipers for the standard M Sport brakes, M Shadowline headlights with dark inserts, and a black M rear spoiler for the M850i xDrive coupe.

M850i models also boast new side-view mirrors.

To mark the 50th anniversary of BMW M GmbH, all M850i xDrive models will feature the classic BMW Motorsport logo on the hood, trunk, and wheel hub covers in lieu of the usual BMW roundels. The anniversary emblem is reminiscent of the original BMW M GmbH trademark first used on racing cars in 1973.

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Technological advances drive changes inside the cockpit.

Standard is the BMW Live Cockpit Professional. This fully digital display network consists of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and a central Control Display, which has increased from 10.25 to 12.3 inches. The larger screen enables fast, convenient, and intuitive operation of numerous vehicle functions, powered by the seventh generation of BMW iDrive.

Under the hood, the powertrain remains unchanged. All 203 8 Series models come standard with 8-speed automatics and allwheel drive. The base 840i xDrive is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter I-6 with 335 hp; the M850i xDrive has a twin-turbo 4.4liter V-8 with 523 hp; the Alpina B8’s V-8 outputs 612 hp; while the M8 Competition boasts the most horses at 617, courtesy of a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 with a maximum speed of 201 mph.

The 8 X Jeff Koons, unveiled this past February at the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, is the latest car resulting from a decade-long collaboration with American artist Jeff Koons. The special edition BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe features an entirely custom design inside and out personally created by Koons himself. It will be exclusively limited to 99 models worldwide. THE 8 X JEFF KOONS will be displayed in New York City’s iconic Rockefeller Plaza from April 1-4, and a charity auction at Christie’s New York on April 4, 2022.

Full pricing is yet to be announced, but BMW says the base price for the 8 series will remain unchanged at $85,995. sl

Artist Jeff Koons with thespecial-edition 8 X Jeff Koons. Photo by Enes Kucevic.

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HIP TO BE

SQUARE

Compiled by Bridget Williams

Clockwise from top left: Nak Armstrong small tile Rivière green onyx necklace ($1,375; nakarmstrong.com). Dale Novick LTD double stone pendant ($4,500; dalenovick.com). Rush Jewelry Design Icon Betty Geo Inlay pendant ($4,990) on 16” signature chain ($6,500; rushjewelrydesign.com). Alice Cicolini Memphis Square Stone ring in Iolite ($4,086; alicecicolini.com). The Fadia ring from L’Atelier Nawbar ($2,875; lateliernawbar.com). Nicole Rose Three Square pave diamond disc ring ($1,495; nicolerosejewelry.com). VRAM Oak Eon ring (vramjewelry.com).

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Clockwise from top left: Ara Vartanian diamond and tanzanite necklace ($71,000; aravartanian.com). Elizabeth Garvin Fine Large Ice Pendant ($2,870; elizabethgarvin.com). Anerise hoop earrings from KATKIM ($8,600; katkimfinejewelry.com). Bee Goddess Mondrian gold, diamond and emerald earrings ($11,104; beegoddess.com). Bea Bongiasca Candy Square earrings ($1,160; en.beabongiasca.com). Cartier Tank MC watch ($7,600). Available from Diamond Cellar in Columbus and Nashville, Reis-Nichols in Indianapolis, Simons Jewelers in St. Louis and cartier.com.

Roberto Coin diamond square earrings ($1,090). Available from Diamond Cellar in Columbus and Nashville, Reis-Nichols in Indianapolis, Davis Jewelers in Louisville, Simons Jewelers in St. Louis and at robertocoin.com. Buccellati AGALMA Manhattan timepiece (from $135,000). Available through King Jewelers in Nashville and at buccellati.com.. Assael Modern Mobiles Fijian pear and peridot earrings. Available through Diamond Cellar in Columbus and Nashville and at assael.com. Yi Collection emerald and diamond Awakening pave earrings ($5,950; yicollection.com).

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Kathy Lefakinis (center), with daughters Alexandra and Kassandra.

SEA CHANGE

Valef Yachts' second generation, all women, take the helm of the fifty-three-year-old charter company.

Written by Elliott Greene / Photos by Gregory Karydis When he founded Valef Yachts in 1969, Vassilios (Bill) Lefakinis pioneered the yacht charter business in a country predestined for it: Greece. Born in Athens in 1933, Bill left Greece on his own at the age of 13 to go to the United States to pursue a better life. He graduated from an Ivy League school on a scholarship, served in both the U.S. Army and in the Hellenic Air Force, and founded Valef Yachts at the age of 36 to provide comfortable access to the wealth of the Greek islands, under his motto 'Discover the Yachting World of Greece.'

When the yachting scion passed a year after the company's 50th anniversary, there was little doubt who would fill his deck shoes: his daughters Alexandra and Kassandra. Their mother, American Kathy Lefakinis, manages Valef Yachts' U.S. office. Working together, the women manage a portfolio of more than 400 exclusive vessels, delivering bespoke land and sea experiences in Greece and the Mediterranean with 24/7 support for their discerning clientele.

Bill's drive came from the need to succeed, and his daughters experienced first-hand the passion he put into the business, spending every summer on the Aegean Sea. "He did a lot of heavy lifting with his personality and charm. That was back then with no internet when you really had to make a lasting impression," remarked his daughter Kassandra. Before taking a co-ownership role in Valef, she made a name for herself in the wellness industry as co-founder of the organic 48 slmag.net

self-care brand OPUNTIA Luxury Oils, which features a skin-healing aromatherapeutic blend of rare essential oils procured from the Mediterranean. Kassandra added, "The biggest gift of my life has been growing up on boats. It is all about a new approach to living and access to a different world. Greece serves that in abundance with each Greek island being completely unique and in no comparison to the other."

To reflect the generational and gender shift in leadership, the sisters have coined a new campaign moniker designed to celebrate the power of the female: "She will lead you anywhere and everywhere."

The slogan reflects that boats are traditionally referred to as "she," a practice dating back to ancient times and likely stemming from goddesses and mother figures playing a protective role in looking after a ship and crew. In this instance, the' she' is a nod to both a Valef executive and the fleet in their charge.

"Greece reflects the soul. Being out on the sea feeling the elements looking into an endless horizon, your mind, heart, and soul go different places. It's a priceless experience," says Kassandra.

With vessels ranging from 60 feet to 325 feet, Valef's weekly charter rates range from $16,000 for a yacht accommodating up to six passengers to the highest category yacht with rates starting at $647,000 per week for a party of 36. For more information, visit valefyachts.com. sl

Alexandra and Kassandra Lefakinis.

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STILL STUNNING AT SEVENTY Corvette Celebrates Seven Decades as an Icon with a 70th Anniversary Edition.

Written by Andre James / Photos courtesy of Chevrolet

2023 marks the 70th anniversary of Corvette. As one of the longestrunning nameplates of any car on the road today—bested only by the Chevrolet Suburban, which launched in 1934 as a commercial vehicle—Corvette has pushed the boundaries of technology, performance, and style while remaining an attainable cultural icon.

For their 2023 model year, the Corvette Stingray and Corvette Z06 will celebrate this milestone with a special 70th Anniversary Edition package.

"Passion for Corvette runs deep at Chevrolet, and this anniversary is extra special because of the excitement and sales success we've achieved with the eighth generation of America's iconic sports car," said Steve Majoros, vice president, Chevrolet 50 slmag.net

marketing. "Even after 70 years, Corvette still makes hearts race and kids dream of the open road."

The Anniversary Edition Corvettes stand out in one of two exterior colors unique to this package: an all-new White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat or Carbon Flash Metallic. Optional stripes are available in complementing colors: Satin Gray with the White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat and Satin Black with the Carbon Flash Metallic. While Stingray and Z06 will feature distinct wheels with commemorative wheel center caps, the wheels share a similar dark finish and Edge Red stripe. Additional commemorative touches on the exterior include 70th Anniversary Edition exterior badging with special Corvette crossflags, Edge Red brake calipers, and rear

bumper protector and trunk cover. The 70th Anniversary Edition Stingray coupes will also include an Edge Red engine cover.

Drivers will find two-tone Ceramic leather GT2 or Competition Sport seats, red stitching throughout, red seat belts, and sueded microfiber seat inserts and steering wheel inside the cockpit.

Coordinating with the interior is a set of custom luggage with red stitching and the 70th Anniversary Edition logo.

The 70th Anniversary Edition package will be available when production starts later this year on the 2023 Corvette Stingray 3LT and Z06 3LZ coupe and convertible models. In addition, the 2023 Corvette Z06 visualizer at Chevrolet.com now includes the 70th Anniversary Edition package.

Indicative of the car's desirability, when VIN 001 of the special edition Corvette Z06 crossed the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale this past January, with proceeds benefitting Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit focused on building strong, stable, and secure military families, it fetched $3.6 million. The winning bid annihilated the previous record of $3million set in 2020 for a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray VIN 001 auctioned by Barrett-Jackson to benefit Detroit Children's Fund.

All 2023 Corvettes, including those not equipped with the 70th Anniversary Edition package, will feature a commemorative 70th-anniversary interior plaque located on the center speaker grille and a graphic imprinted on the lower rear window. sl slmag.net

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BACK TO BARNSLEY Not content with resting on its laurels, the award-winning north Georgia resort continues to evolve its offerings.

Written by Bridget Williams Some travelers have their go-to place, whether inherited, generational, or discovered. And, even if it’s only visited annually, the sojourn serves as a bookmark in a life’s chapters. Though I’ve always been more globally curious than a repeat visitor-type traveler, Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Georgia—nearly smack dab in the middle between Atlanta and Chattanooga—could be my place.

Why? First of all, it’s a snap to get to. As a fan of road trips, I opted to make the five-hour drive from my home in Louisville for my visit this past November. Second, there are scores of things to do. And, even if you want to be a total sloth, you can eat to your heart’s content and be very, very happy you came.

The 3,000-acre resort, sited in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, envelops the ruins of Woodlands, an 1840s estate with an exquisite boxwood parterre garden.

Guest accommodations are spread out amongst 39 spacious freestanding cottages organized in the style of an English-inspired pedestrian village, along with a 55-room Inn. Opened in 2018 and 52 slmag.net

inspired by the work of noted British architect Edwin Lutyens, the stately structure sits prominently at the end of a tree-lined boulevard, standing watch over the charming cottages like a proud parent.

The Inn is the antithesis of a bland box, boasting16 different room configurations, including third-floor dormer rooms with window seats that complete the country estate feel. The entirety of the resort is charming year-round, but it really comes alive at Christmas, where a storybook quality is even more pronounced.

I arrived after dark, and after so much COVID-era travel, where resorts were primarily empty, and visiting seemed to serve more a reminder of the pandemic rather than an escape, I was happy to find myself in a bustling place with people genuinely enjoying themselves. After taking a hot second to admire my spacious room, I headed through the center of the village to meet my travel mates for dinner at Woodlands Grill. En-route, I spied a crowd, bundled up off to ward off the chill and sticking close to a firepit, raucously sharing a drink at the Beer Garden while listening to live music. This being the

The 55-room Inn at Barnsley Resort opened in 2018. The architecture is inspired by the work of noted British architect Edwin Lutyens.

South, you better believe that they answered my curious glances with an invitation to join them.

A feeling of community is encouraged throughout the village, demonstrated by the Adirondack chair-ringed fire pits and corn hole sets lining the greenspace separating the cottages. S’mores kits are set out in the lobby of the Inn each evening, adding to the allure of the firepits. Renovated from floor-to-ceiling since my last visit, the food at Woodlands Grill was even better than I remembered. Focused on Southern regional comfort food, the familiar hallmarks are there, some remixed, others true to form, but all exceptionally plated. An arugula salad with grilled peaches was particularly memorable, as was the sinful brioche French toast coated with Frosted Flakes I enjoyed there following my workout the following morning. As a side note, it’s not unusual to find pre-dawn gym goers coaxed from their machines to head outside and admire spectacular sunrise views.

A strong commitment to craft extends to all dining options, including privately catered affairs where the creative tablescapes

whet the appetite. For a private barbeque lunch in the Beer Garden, property pit master Paul shared some secrets of his 48-hour brisket, and gave each guest a glass jar filled with his proprietary housemade rub to enjoy at home.

At the time of my visit Javier Cuesta, an accomplished French-trained chef with 25 years of experience in destinations around the globe, had just been appointed Executive Chef.

During our visit, he took our taste buds on a journey to his native Portugal by serving Cataplana, a pork and seafood stew, and Morocco with a lamb and faro dish, before returning “home” with bacon-wrapped venison.

Launched in 2021 and offered seasonally, Barnsley’s Fire Kettle Cooking Demonstrations offer an open-air culinary exhibition where Chef prepares one of his favorite seasonal recipes over the open flame of a Sea Island Forge fire kettle. Guests are given recipes following the experience to recreate the dish and relive the memory at home. slmag.net

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An aerial view of the cottages at Barnsley Resort. At the end of the greenway is Woodlands Grill and the 18-hole Jim Fazio-designed golf course.

A king dormer room in the Inn at Barnsley Resort.

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Property pit master Paul sharing some of the secrets to success of his 48-hour brisket.

Executive Chef Javier Cuesta presenting salt-baked fish during at dinner at Rice House.

The pinnacle of on-property dining is Rice House, a seasonal, dinner-only destination housed in a 19th-century farmhouse painstakingly relocated to its present site from Rome, Georgia. The tasting menu is ‘garden-to-table’ focused and rotates every few weeks to accommodate in-season ingredients sourced within 150-miles. With Perrier-Jouet champagne pairings, our five-course tasting menu went from one high note to the next, including the dramatic presentation of salt-baked fish and desserts (almost) too perfectly pretty to eat.

As a native Kentuckian, I appreciate Barnsley’s commitment to the Bluegrass’ native spirit, bourbon. Resort Manager Matt Quick is a Certified Bourbon Steward. On weekends and during other special events he leads a tasting at the Inn of Woodford Reserve infused with hickory-smoked Georgia pecans via a drip system on display in a case in the lobby. Quick, who also leads bourbon exploration experiences for corporate groups on the property, has a palpable passion for the spirit going back two decades and genuinely enjoys engaging with guests who have questions.

Quick can take his show on the road with a custom Party Peddler trike outfitted with a two-bin cedar chest for cold beverages and a pair of three-gallon kegs. “You better believe that people come running when I ring the bell,” laughed Quick.

Working up an appetite is easy at Barnsley, and engaging in activities from morning-till-night made all of my indulging a little

Southern favorites infused with global flavors are a hallmark of Executive Chef Javier Cuesta’s cuisine.

less guilt-inducing. We started with a lesson at the Beretta Shooting Grounds’ 28-station clay course. Noticing several nervous firsttimers in our group, our instructor, Randy Mangum, lightened the mood by remarking, “If you can’t have fun shooting, you have issues I can’t help you with.” Randy displayed a superior knack for employing everyday analogies to make the physicality of the sport understandable. His relaxed and expert instruction had the newbies shouting “pull!” with great aplomb by the end of the outing.

We took our outdoor adventure up a notch with wingshooting and a UTV tour, offered in partnership with John Burrell’s High Adventure Company. The upland quail-hunting venue is part of an 1,800-acre property a short drive from the mainland resort. Here, legendary Italian Beretta firearms pair with a world-class team of guides and their pointing and flushing dogs. The operation is the first time Beretta has allowed its name to be used alongside another enterprise. “It really speaks to the caliber of clients that come to Barnsley,” remarked Burrell, a native of the area who also operates hunting and fishing lodges in Hawaii, New Zealand, and South Africa, to name a few. “We’re just good old boys with a big old idea,” Burrell said. High Adventure Company has developed a combined major in wildlife management and hospitality with a local college and offers students the opportunity to get “real world” experience as interns at their properties. slmag.net

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Above: John Burrell (foreground) and Drew Burrell of John Burrell’s High Adventure Company along with their expertly trained pointing and flushing dogs lead quail hunts on an 1,800 property near Barnsley Resort. Photo by Bridget Williams. Below: The Golf Performance Center utilizes Trackman technology.

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The private Wine Library at Woodlands Grill

The ruins of Woodlands, an 1840s estate with an exquisite boxwood parterre garden look particularly picturesque during the Christmas season.

Safety briefings and post-shoot banquets are staged in the High Adventure clubhouse. In the distance, you can hear a cacophony of sounds emanating from the dog kennels, where prized pups call out for their turn in the field. We learned that Southwest Georgia is often referred to as “The Quail Hunting Capital of the World.” In my first foray into the sport of wingshooting, I have to say I was utterly captivated by the dogs, which Burrell refers to as “super-star athletes.” I admired watching their focus and pure joy as they carried out the tasks they were bred and trained to do. Following the hunt, we returned to a beautifully set long table at the clubhouse, where Chef Cuesta created a field-to-table quail feast.

The only birdies we pursued the following day were on the 18-hole Jim Fazio-designed Par-72 golf course. I am not even an amateur by any stretch of the imagination, but a photo of me teeing off above the dramatic drop on the 14th hole belies my ineptitude.

Then, hoping to make some gains in the skill department, I headed to the Golf Performance Center. My swing was analyzed using Trackman technology and then tweaked by Director of Golf Bill Daggett and Head Pro Kyle Morris, both of whom had me believing I might finally get the hang of the game.

Setup for an infused bourbon tasting at the Inn.

Overlooking the golf course and near the Woodland’s Grill, the 10-room Spa at Barnsley Resort harvests their own loofah gourds onsite. I opted for one of their signature services, a Fire and Ice facial. I likened the paprika-laced treatment to the feeling of eating a Habanero pepper and chasing it with a glass of ice-cold milk. My therapist reminded me of the importance of skin cancer checks and using products with natural ingredients, saying that skincare “needs to break its love affair with lab-created products.”

I used the time in-between activities to explore the 1.8-mile fitness trail with 20 different stations, miles of walking trails that alternate between forest and field, and the resplendent ruins of the Manor House, lavishly decorated for the holidays. The ruins would be absolutely dreamy for a destination wedding, and there’s plenty of room to party, with seven distinct event venues able to accommodate intimate affairs all the way up to 500 guests.

Even with all I experienced over my three-day stay, I still didn’t get to try everything or venture to nearby Adairsville, Cartersville, or Rome. This trio of small towns offers interesting museums, locally-owned restaurants and boutiques, and turn-ofthe-century architecture. Next time. sl For more information, visit BarnsleyResort.com.

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WINDS OF CHANGE Maserati unveils its new Grecale SUV Written by Andre James / Photos courtesy of Maserati Following a tradition begun in 1963 with the Mistral, Maserati named its newest model, Grecale, after a wind, this time a northeasterly Mediterranean breeze. Reflecting Grecale’s position as the future of Maserati—it will become the first full-electric SUV in Maserati history— its global debut was entirely digital, and broadcast live on Maserati’s website this past March. Italian actors and Brand Ambassadors Matilda De Angelis and Alessandro Borghi were tapped to illuminate how the new model, developed at the Maserati Innovation Lab in Modena and produced at the Cassino plant, represents the everyday exceptional.

At 190.8 inches long and with a wheelbase of 114 inches, Grecale is a smaller sibling to the mid-size Levante SUV, accounting for nearly 60 percent of Maserati’s global sales. While the Grecale boasts a distinct design language, the shape of the low and imposing grill and the vertically oriented headlights call to mind the MC20. At the same time, the Giugiaro 3200 GT inspires the taillights. Carbon fiber highlight the technical components.

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Notable among its many attributes is the extensive range of available engines: conventional internal combustion, hybrid, and, in a year’s time, full-electric. An eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard on all variants. Powering the GT is a fourcylinder mild-hybrid engine capable of delivering 300 hp. Modena offers a four-cylinder 330-hp mild-hybrid engine. The powerful Trofeo is equipped with a high-performance 3.0L 530-hp V6 based on the Nettuno engine fitted to the MC20. As a result, the Trofeo can make the 0-60 sprint in 3.8 seconds. Completing the range is the Grecale Folgore, the 100% electric version with 400V technology.

New to the Grecale is a 100% Maserati Vehicle Dynamic Control Module (VDCM) system, offering 360° control over the car and clear distinction between the various DRIVE MODES: COMFORT, GT, SPORT, CORSA (Trofeo only), and OFFROAD. Maserati says VDCM “can be compared to a top-ranking orchestral conductor who can set precise targets and timing for all the major actuators in the vehicle, ensuring they are all aligned,

reducing intervention times and increasing performance, driving pleasure and vehicle safety.”

The sportscar finish in the cabin is heavy on technology. Even the traditional Maserati clockface, positioned in the center of the dash, has been given a digital update and can transform into a veritable in-car concierge, courtesy of voice control. Touch-based technology is primarily controlled via a large 12.3” central screen, the largest ever seen in a Maserati. An 8.8-inch lower screen manages the climate system. The latest Maserati Intelligent Assistant (MIA) multimedia system provides each customer with a simple, intuitive, and customizable user experience. MIA can be configured with multiple tab-based screens based on favorite or most commonly used functions to optimize quick access and enable operations with just one tap.

Audiophiles will appreciate the Sonus Faber 3D sound system.

The standard Premium level includes 14 speakers, while the High Premium level offers 21 speakers on demand for a fully immersive listening experience. Engineers at the Maserati Innovation Lab in

Modena worked directly with Italian artist Dardust to customize the “chimes” – the sound alerts received by the user.

Tremendous attention has been paid to the fit and finishes in the interior, available in three trim levels. With characteristics that include a Saffiano leather dashboard insert, and burnished inserts on the central console and door panel, the GT interior presents an environment that draws inspiration from interior design.

Sporty and outdoor-oriented, the Modena interior features an embroidered and stitched graphic motif on the dashboard, panels, and seats. Available trim in this variant includes dark ash burl, an unusual, contemporary wood with a grey tone, and an open-pore finish. The Trofeo trim level is suited to sports enthusiasts. It focuses on high-performance materials, such as exposed, three-dimensional carbon fiber and perforated leather, paired with chevron motifs that emphasize the car’s dynamism.

Pricing for the Grecale SUV will start at just under $65,000, with delivery scheduled to begin in the fall of 2022. sl slmag.net

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Of Note... What's Cooking Compiled by Colin Dennis CAFÉ™ Dishwasher Drawer offers two independently operable dishwasher drawers in the same space as a traditional, single dishwasher. Available Q2 2022 and priced from $1,299 for Stainless finish and $1,449 for Matte White and Matte Black finishes.

Stripe tile collection from Theia Tiles are handmade in Portugal (theiatiles.com).

Fisher & Paykel 48” self-cleaning dual fuel range with four burners, four induction zones, and guided touchscreen cooking (fisherpaykel.com)

Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry’s new Moditional collection offers inset styles in some of the companies most popular transitional door designs (woodmode.com)

Modular kitchen designed by Lago (lago.it/en)

Available in the US in July, Dometic’s DrawBar offers the functionality of a full-size wine cooler in a compact design that fits five bottles. DrawBar can be seamlessly integrated below or adjacent to 24” -wide standard cabinetry. With the option to be faced with glass, stainless steel or custom paneling, installation is easily customizable (dometic.com)

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This “Midcentury Botanical” kitchen features Sub-Zero’s new 48” stainless steel Classic French Door refrigerator, Wolf M Series 30" stainless steel built-in professional convection steam oven, Wolf 48" dual fuel range, Wolf 48" pro wall chimney hood, Wolf M Series Contemporary 30" stainless steel coffee system, and Wold 30” warming drawer.

Designed by Natasha Shtapauk The Alibi kitchen

by BT45 German Kitchen Tailors features dark eucalyptus wood and Pietra Gris marble (bt45.de).

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Of Note... What's Cooking Compiled by Colin Dennis

Waterworks Dash wall mounted articulated pot filler with metal cross handle ($2,045; waterworks.com)

Infinitely customizable and available in three widths, the Amherst cabinet is the result of a collaboration between Room & Board with True Residential. Shown with Cambria quartz top (from $6,299; roomandboard.com)

Miele DGC 7880X handleless 30” Combi-Steam oven allows you to steam, bake, grill and more, all in one oven ($7,099; mieleusa.com)

Fisher & Paykel 36” four-zone induction cooktop with integrated ventilation ($5,999; fisherpaykel.com)

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BOURBON Swivel Counter Stool and NAICCA Pendant Light by BRABBU in a NYC penthouse designed by BRABBU and Home’Society (brabbu.com)

Cabinetry by Bakes & Kropp. Photo by Genevieve Garruppo.

Miele’s new Generation 7000 Artline 30-inch Combi-Steam Oven features the new Miele Mix & Match, a function that allows users to cook or reheat any combination of foods simply by using the oven’s control panel or selecting the exact food items from the Miele app and sending the cooking instructions directly to the oven. Priced from $4,099 (mieleUSA.com)

The Real Shaker kitchen cabinetry by deVOL in Refectory Red. Handmade to order in England (priced from $20,000; devolkitchens.com).

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I AM TITANIUM

As strong as steel but weighing half as much, titanium is an expressive jewelry metal that can change color via anodizing.

Compiled by Bridget Williams

Clockwise from top left: BARE Fine Jewelry Lotus Ring in titanium ($6,500; bare-jewelry.com). VHERNIER Calla bracelet black titanium and 18K pink gold ($9,500; vhernier.com). Akillis Paris Fatal Attraction pink gold and titanium pendant ($2,500; akillis.com). Limited edition BR-X1 R.S.19 from Bell & Ross with titanium and ceramic case with rubber inserts ($21,500). Available from Diamond Cellar in Columbus, Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis, King Jewelers in Nashville, and at bellross.com. Chopard ceramised titanium 42 MM L.U.C. Time Traveler One Black ($15,500). Available from Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis, King Jewelers in Nashville, and at chopard.com. David Yurman Chain Link Bold Bracelet with Black Titanium ($800). Available at Diamond Cellar in Columbus, Moyer Fine Jewelers and Reis-Nichols in Indianapolis, Davis Jewelers in Louisville, and at davidyurman.com.. Jose Marin pink titanium, black silver,18k gold bracelet with garnet and citrine ($6,284; 1stdibs.com). Stella Flame Gallery Francesca Villa Ad Astra agate ring ($7,590; stellaflamegallery.com). Titanium, diamond, and opal ring from Picchiotti ($797,000) Available through Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis, and at picchiotti.it/en/.

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N O W I S T H E T I M E T O C O N TA C T

T E D W I G H T, A L E A D I N G AG E N T W I T H T H E F I N E ST S U P P O RT T E A M WO R K I N G AT A TO P AG E N CY. tedwightrealestate.com |

Hilary Persky REALTOR ®

Stlouis.style | c. 314.607.5555

Ira Wight

Ted Wight

Claudia Diel

Ryan Falk

REALTOR ®

REALTOR ®

Client Experience Director REALTOR ®

Social Media Manager REALTOR ®

TED WIGHT tedwightrealestate.com | c.314.607.5555 ted.wight@sothebysrealty.com

dielmannsothebys.com | o. 314.725.0009

NEXT GENERATION SMART HOMES ARE HERE

by Craig Kaminer / Photography by Alise O’Brien

Smart Homes have been a mega trend for the last 10-plus years, but until now the market was primarily early adopters who saw the benefit of having a smartphone controlled thermostat, lighting, or a whole-home audio system to make life a little easier and more enjoyable. Recently many people have added Wi-Fi connected security cameras so they could see who was at the house, if the workers or cleaning crews showed up on time, or what their dog was up to. And that’s exactly how I got interested in Smart Homes.

As I added devices and functionality to my house, there was no turning back. Home theater, high fidelity, and controllers were the next things on the list, facilitating anyone in our family to turn things on and off, watch movies, and listen to a great playlist without being an audio engineer. But as the market matured, so too did the products. I remember the first time I conversed with Alexa.

I doubted that I needed it to have audio control of my music. But now, even my 86-year-old mom has a Google speaker and she loves how it fills her apartment with music, news, weather reports, and even allows her to call her friends just by asking it to call someone by name. And this is just the tip of the functionality iceberg.

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Like all things dependent on technology, the market moves from those early adopters to the masses. And when it does, the number of products and applications multiplies exponentially. Today, many people with Smart Homes also control their door locks, window treatments, HVAC, air purification systems, whole-home security, and garage door openers with their smartphones, control modules, or PCs. But only a surprisingly small number have integrated all of it into a singular control device like a Crestron brand home processor.

Soon you’ll need to control your personal robot, touchfree devices, roaming vacuums, auto-replenishing refrigerators, washers and dryers, home patrolling drones, smart air purifiers trained to help remove specific allergens, and in-home healthcare. It may be the perfect time to take things to the next level.

With the standardization of the technology, integration across all devices, and artificial intelligence, Smart Homes are becoming smarter and their functionality more intuitive. But the key to harnessing all of this is to utilize an experienced Smart Home integrator. Walbrandt Technologies & Electric is St. Louis’ premiere and most recommended home automation company, helping

homeowners seamlessly integrate Smart Home functionality, Wi-Fi networking, and hard-wiring options to make life easier, safer, and infinitely more convenient. There are a lot of products and installers, but few specialize in high-end homes, top-of-the-line brands, and providing a level of service that matches the cost of the system - which could be $500,000 or more. The result is a Smart Home that can be operated by the homeowner with a service team for back-up that can solve last minute hiccups any time day or night.

Aaron Walbrandt started the business in 2010 when the Smart Home industry was in its infancy. But there was a growing market of St. Louisans who were interested in the technology available at the time. Now, many more homeowners are looking for all that and more. As Walbrandt describes it, “Luxury homeowners are seeking convenience and ease of use. For example, first thing in the morning, the shades rise, lights in specific areas of the house turn on and others turn off, and your home warms as you wake.

Maybe your favorite song plays to greet you while you check your day’s schedule, drink your morning coffee, and catch up on the news. When it’s time to leave, lights turn off and thermostats adjust

all at the command of your voice. If you work at home, humancentric lighting design in your home office elevates productivity as you work. When a visitor arrives, you can remotely view and greet them without leaving your chair. Tapping ‘relax’ on your home automation system dims your lighting and starts a soothing playlist indoors and on the patio as you enjoy a glass of wine before dinner.

Group the music playing on the patio with the kitchen through an intuitive voice command as lights brighten to set the perfect culinary scene. Enjoy a chapter of your book, then tap ‘goodnight’ from your bed to lower the shades, turn off the lights, adjust the thermostat, and arm your home alarm. Any scenario you can imagine can most likely become a daily event.”

It sounds simple enough, but to make things this effortless requires a team with lots of experience. “With technology becoming such an integral part of every home, with anywhere from 75 to 150 devices on your network, having an experienced, integrated team who can design a system around your current and potential future needs is critical to making things work when you need them,” Walbrandt says. slmag.net

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Walbrandt’s team includes designers, engineers, architects, electricians, and programmers. This is not comparable to the do-ityourself Smart Home technology that you can buy from Google or Best Buy. They’re highly sophisticated and integrated systems that work in the background and require no more than basic word commands or a touch of a button to make any of these “scenarios” come to life.

Walbrandt says that while the most complex Smart Home installations tend to be in new construction, where the entire home can be hard wired, there are still many options to retrofit homes where it is not possible to run new wire. The biggest misconception is that Smart Homes are mainly built on wireless networks. With the size of video for surround-sound movies and high-definition audio growing each year, it makes more sense to add fiber optic and high speed CAT cables while a house or addition is being built.

While this can be added later to an older home, it’s much more affordable doing it before the drywall is installed.

If you are familiar with professional equipment like Crestron, JBL Synthesis, Josh.ai, Kaleidescape, Leon, Lutron, Ketra, Monitor Audio, Savant, Sonance, Seura, Ubiquiti, and Samsung (QLED and 8K televisions) you know that very few integrators carry all 70 slmag.net

these brands and product lines. Why? Because they’re not for the mass market and require years of experience to integrate them into a whole home system. Customizing the functionality is half of the cost, but is responsible for all of the pizazz. When done well, Smart Home technology should be invisible to the users. I can say from experience that once you are exposed to a Smart Home of this pedigree, you will quickly become reliant upon and confident in the technology and soon realize that you’ve been living in the equivalent of a cave for all these years!

Explains Walbrandt, “It all starts with a wiring plan. We run all the low-voltage cabling, including speaker wire and internet cables which are used for a variety of purposes - not just internet. We also design the wireless network in the house. This network will allow a control system to communicate with things like security cameras, lighting, and all the audio and video devices for total control from any interface - handheld remotes, wall-mounted keypads, touch screens, or your smartphone.”

Most everyone knows that iPhones, iPads on the wall, and light switches can control everything in the house. Now, you also can use your voice. Josh.ai, a preferred voice control product from

Walbrandt, is a proprietary system that unlike Google Voice or Amazon Alexa, doesn’t collect data and send information to servers on the internet. With Josh.ai, security and privacy are central to their business models. They do not use data for marketing and advertising, and the hardware is made and programmed to work with the main home control systems. Voice commands are intuitive and multiple commands can be strung together to accomplish several tasks at once.

Walbrandt further explains that many of their Smart Home installations also include home generators, large battery backups, and redundant high-speed internet. “With our extreme midwestern weather, the threat to our energy grids is real. Our lives are dependent on continuous energy supply and internet communications. More and more, homeowners are adding this to the top of their home improvement lists.”

Recently, Walbrandt launched its own electric business unit.

“It has always been an important part of our installations, but now it is mission critical. Our clients want it perfect from day one and the best way to achieve that is to have a team working together on all aspects of the project.”

In just a few short years, the concept of indoor/home wellness has gone from being talked about to adoption. Our homes are the foundations of our well-being - providing shelter, comfort, security, and space for learning, collaboration, and socialization. As more people work from home and others want to be able to hunker down for months or years on short notice, it is easy to understand why they are investing in one of their greatest assets…their homes. As we spend more time indoors, the quality of our indoor wellness has become more important than ever. Ensuring that the air we breathe is clean, the products we use to decorate are free of pathogens, the water we drink is contaminant free, and our lights enhance our circadian rhythm and promote overall health and well-being is now possible.The Smart Home can automate not just the abovementioned items, but our cardio, exercise, performance, immunity, and respiratory systems.

As you’d expect, Home Wellness Automation is very popular now in California and in countries where residents are confined to their homes because of pollution and overpopulation. But if there is anything that the pandemic has taught us, it makes as much sense in St. Louis as it does in Los Angeles. sl slmag.net

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Is Low the

New High?

By Wendy Cromwell

Photo credit © SACAI

Do you wear canvas high-tops, or are you all about the upmarket leather sneaker? No matter what type you prefer, everyone wears them! The first high-top was a canvas basketball sneaker designed for Chuck Taylor in 1922. Today luxury brands retail sneakers for thousands of dollars, are traded online, and compete at auction. Case in point: in April 2021, a pair of sneakers that Kanye West wore to the Grammys sold for $1.8 million, a world record for sneakers.

This is a clear-cut case of “low,” or mass-market consumer goods, entering the “high” market of unique works of art, vintage cars, and fine wine. Clearly, the boundaries between consumer culture and fine art have collapsed. How did we get here?

From the Skateboard to the Sneaker The “high-low” dichotomy was officially applied to art in 1990, when MoMA mounted an exhibition called High & Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture. For the first time in a museum setting, newspaper cartoons, comic books, graffiti, and mass-produced objects from consumer culture were shown side by side with iconic paintings that incorporated “street” sources - think Picasso’s newspaper collages or Lichtenstein’s cartoons.

Thirty years later, the show seems to have predicted the evolution of the art market. From Warhol to Koons, Contemporary art that incorporates mass-market imagery tops the charts.

Show You the Money • Andy Warhol, Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster), 1963 - sold for $105 million at Sotheby’s, 2013 • Jeff Koons, Rabbit, 1986 - sold for $91 million at Christie’s, 2019 72 slmag.net

• Roy Lichtenstein, Nurse, 1964 - sold for $95 million at Christie’s, 2015 • Beeple, EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, 2021 - sold for $69 million at Christie’s, 2021 (Spoiler: this one’s an NFT) Warhol’s Silver Car Crash set the record for any Warhol at auction, ever. The image was taken from a tabloid photo that shows dead people hanging from crumpled metal (pretty dark compared to soup cans).

Takeaway: Warhol not only understood our fascination with sensational violence, but he also recognized that media images have the potential to transform the way we see; as such, he used familiar imagery to make art that would reach people. For Warhol, there probably never was a “low” or “high” to begin with.

Warhol’s Populist Legacy Warhol was a Populist, similar to Jeff Koons. Pop art lends itself to merchandising, and Koons capitalized on that to reach a wider audience. From the get-go, Koons made “mini” versions of his monumental sculptures that cross over from the “high” world of auctions to the “low” world of the gift shop!

His collaborations run the gamut from beach towels to handbags, to a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

So if you can’t afford the sculpture, you can still buy the handbag (art collectors ALSO buy the handbags!).

Other artists whose work stems from Pop culture, like Richard Prince, took note of the handbag phenomenon. Missed the drop? You can find your bag on The RealReal or Rebag, fashion’s answer to auctions.

Photo credit THE SKATEROOM © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

Show You More Merch The Pop Shop was the first-ever art merch store, brought to us by Keith Haring. When it opened in SoHo in 1986, critics called him a sell-out. But, in fact, Haring started as a street artist and was returning to his Populist roots. Haring opened a second store in Tokyo in 1987, where it was a hit among followers of Otaku, a subculture that embraced futuristic cartoons (Manga).

Fun Fact: It was Warhol, the King of Consumer Culture himself, who encouraged Haring to merchandise his brand.

Haring went on to make affordable items like t-shirts, stickers, and buttons with his signature imagery.

Japan and the Rise of Consumer Culture We can’t talk about the “merch” without giving Japan its due. In the 1990s, Japan’s consumer culture, which was youth-driven and open to new ideas and brands, took the luxury goods market to new heights.

Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, Pop artists who emerged in Japan in the 1990s, rode the merch gravy train.

Alongside their fine art practices, the artists produced toys, keychains, fabric, and t-shirts. These items became widely available at a low price point, instead of needing privileged access to acquire a painting or sculpture through a gallery.

With that, a new model of coexisting “high” and “low” was born! This bridging of street culture and high art in Japan was hugely influential to KAWS, also who was active in Japan at the time.

KAWS and the Contemporary Collectible KAWS, aka Brian Donnelly, started off as a street artist (like Haring, who KAWS cites as an influence). In 1999, a Japanese toy company approached him

Photo credit Sotheby’s

to collaborate. He produced a vinyl toy, Companion, in an edition of 500, and the rest is history.

Fast Forward: Today, KAWS’ entire artistic production, including brand partnerships and his first museum show, is proof positive that the high-low dichotomy is old news. The artist himself has become a global brand.

Takeaway: In this age of consumer culture, artists have the power to move the merch like never before!

From Low to High and Back Again From Warhol to KAWS, products by Populist artists have never been in higher demand.

Sure, a segment of the art world (i.e. abstract painting) will forever remain disassociated with mass-produced, consumer goods. But, Populist artists have broken through the barriers that used to segregate fine art from its street sources.

Today, it would appear that the street - and the sneaker that hits the pavement - are the ones to watch! sl

Prior to founding Cromwell Art 18 years ago, Wendy Cromwell was Vice President of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art for nearly a decade. She ran a Fortune 500 corporate art collection before that, and consulted for several bluechip art galleries while in graduate school. Wendy received her Master of Arts in Modern Art from the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University and graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History.

Wendy is past president and current board member of the Association of Professional Art Advisors and a member of the Appraisers Association of America. For tasty bites of art world knowledge delivered to your inbox monthly, subscribe to the Cromwell Art Snack.

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LIVE RESIN A Little Dab’ll Do Ya

by Craig Kaminer

With nearly 40 states now producing and dispensing legal cannabis, it comes as no surprise that the number of new brands, products, and manufacturing technologies has exploded. Back in the day, you would buy whatever you could get your hands on.

Now there seems to be an unlimited supply of types, strengths, form factors, efficacy, and paraphernalia more complex and discreet than anything this 1960s kid remembers.

I recently crossed the river to Ascend Cannabis in Fairview Heights, Illinois, and spoke with General Manager Mark Schorfheide and Ky Eads, an extremely knowledgeable budtender and the Retail Marketing Coordinator. Figuring some readers who are interested in trying these products do not have a medical cannabis card, which is required in Missouri, I felt Ascend Cannabis could best answer questions from both a medical and recreational perspective.

According to Eads (not related to James Buchanan Eads, the designer and builder of the Eads Bridge), there are many new products hitting the market such as cannabis cocktails (think soda + cannabis), sublingual cannabis drops (used by placing a few drops underneath the tongue), and cannabis infused teas. But the hottest 74 slmag.net

category is Live Resin. Live Resin is a full-spectrum concentrate made from freshly harvested cannabis plants that are flash frozen, which retains most plant compounds including the delicate trichomes containing terpenes and flavonoids. This differentiates it from other concentrates made from dried and cured cannabis plants.

Says Eads, “The real benefit with Live Resin products is that you get more of that full cannabis experience including taste, high, and health benefits. A lot of people in the industry call that the ‘entourage effect,’ which means all of the cannabinoids are working synergistically to give you the most pleasurable experience. With cannabis indicas, a lot of people experience more relaxation and better sleep…especially REM sleep. Others find it better helps control anxiety, keeping it at bay longer because all of those terpenes are working together.”

For anyone interested in these next-generation cannabis products, Live Resin is a good place to start.

For gummies, try Kiva’s Lost Farm Gummies. Ascend Cannabis carries two different strains of them: Pineapple Express and Lemon Bean…both which work more like cannabis sativa.

Photos courtesy of Ascend Cannabis

You’ll feel more energy, focus, and concentration that a lot of people find with sativas. It’s really good for a happy mood.

For smoking inconspicuously and/or in low doses without lighting up, try the Live Resin cartridge used with a vape pen. Ascend Cannabis has many strains to choose from. Two of their more popular strains are the Cake Mints and South Beach. South Beach is a hybrid strain with more of a good body feeling to it. According to Eads, “A lot of people experience a very happy high from it. It’s perfect for just relaxing during a day off of work.” Cake Mint is a sativa which provides more of that energy feeling.

If you like to smoke flower, Ascend Cannabis carries Live Resin pre-rolls called Black D.O.G. by Ozone Reserve. They come as a single pre-roll, equaling one gram total. They also have it broken into two or three half-gram pre-rolls, which is especially good for anyone who does not want to smoke an entire pre-roll in one sitting. These equal 1 to 1.5 grams total. The two strains available are Lemon Cake and Member Berry. The pre-rolls are packed with flower with a little Live Resin concentrate drizzled throughout the pre-roll for the added THC and flavor.

Lastly, Black D.O.G. Live Sugar by Ozone Reserve is pure Live Resin made up of fine THCA crystals embedded in a terpene-rich matrix of THCA wax. The overall texture can range from a goopy applesauce consistency to gritty sand. Color should range from whitish golden yellow to light brown. Dabbing is the most popular way to consume Live Resin. To do so, you’ll need a dab rig, torch, and nail, or an e-nail or e-rig. You’ll also need a dab tool to handle the concentrate and place it in the nail, most likely something with a scoop on it, given Live Resin’s goopy consistency. You can also put live resin in a dab pen, a device similar to a vape pen, except for concentrates.

I have found the budtenders at Ascend Cannabis to be very well trained, experienced, and happy to spend time with customers who have a lot of questions. As the cannabis industry continues to grow like a weed (pun intended), it’s hard to know what’s new, what really works, and how it will likely work for you. Take a quick trip to one of the reputable dispensaries like Ascend Cannabis, and I am sure you will come away well educated, supplied with the products best for your needs, and an experience that will make for a lively dinner conversation with your friends. sl slmag.net

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SOPHISTICATED CELEBRATIONS

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With summer on the horizon and nearly all events back to being in person, now is the time to fully re-engage in the social scene.

From the annual Give STL Day regional fundraiser to golf tournaments, walk/runs, and the kick-off of the 104th season of The Muny, our calendar for May and June is full. For those wanting to dress up for a good cause, there are plenty of opportunities including the Alzheimer’s Association Gala and the St. Louis Ballet’s Spring Gala. Share your celebrations with us by tagging photos with @sophisticatedlivingmag. Let us know about your upcoming events by emailing grace.mikula@slmag.net. - SL

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GiveSTLDay, www.givestlday.org Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition’s Millennial Madness Trivia Night, www.foster-adopt.org/trivia Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis Casino Night, www.bgcstl.org/casinonight St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, shop.slso.org/7188 Saint Louis Ballet’s Spring Gala: Starry Night, honoring Mary Strauss, www.stlouisballet.org/springgala2022 Alzheimer’s Association’s Affair to Remember Gala, www.alz.org/greatermissouri/events/affair-to-remember-gala

St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Food Truck Finale, SLCLFoundation.givesmart.com Chicago at The Muny, www.muny.org/show/chicago-2 Anita Jackson Sings Nina Simone at JazzSTL, my.jazzstl.org/921 American Parkinson Disease Association’s Annual Golf Tournament, www.apdaparkinson.org/community/st-louis Walk to Defeat ALS in Forest Park, secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/Walks/SaintLouis?fr_id=14912&pg=entry Jim Butler’s Charity Golf Classic for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, hwww.bgcstl.org/golf Art Speaks: Joan Miro and Surrealism at the St. Louis Art Museum, www.slam.org/event/art-speaks-joan-miro-and-surrealism

Streaming

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jazzstl.org 314-571-6OOO 3536 Washington

Photos by Phillip Hamer

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THE ST. LOUIS BLACK REPERTORY COMPANY ANNIVERSARY GALA

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On November 13, 2021, The St. Louis Black Repertory Company hosted its 45th Anniversary Season Gala. Hank Webber, executive vice chancellor at Washington University, and Keith Williamson, president of the Centene Charitable Foundation, were the co-chairs of the fundraising event.

The evening featured a performance by the Grammy Awardwinning Fisk University Jubilee Singers. The Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Award was presented to Kim Norwood, the Henry H. Oberschelp Professor of Law at Washington University, and posthumously to Dr. Johnathan Smith, who served as vice president for diversity and community engagement at Saint Louis University as well as president of The Black Rep’s board of directors. The Woodie King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to actress Starletta DuPois, Dennis Reagan, former president and CEO of The Muny, and theater director and educator Ed Smith. The President’s Award was presented to long-time community supporter Keith Williamson.

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1) Rochelle Smith, Associate Dean at Yale University, accepting the Frankie Freeman Award, awarded posthumously to Jonathan Smith 2) Shelbe Bullock and Frankie Freeman Award Winner Kim Norwood 3) Brian McKinley, Dennis Reagan, Kwofi Coleman 4) Founder and Producing Director of The Black Rep Ron Himes and the Woodie King Jr. Award Winner, Starletta DuPois 5) Tim & Corinne Bennett, Ron & Heather Beal Himes 6) Zahria Moore, Ron Himes, Kristen Gray, Brian McKinley

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“The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.”

Photography by ProPhotoSTL

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YWCA LEADER LUNCH

On December 9, 2021, YWCA Metro St. Louis held its annual Leader Lunch at Union Station Hotel and virtually. Since 1979, YWCA Leader Lunch has been the premier event honoring the noteworthy accomplishments of women in the St. Louis region.

Honorees included Aparna Deora Ph.D., Renee Brummell Franklin MBA, MAT, Carol Voss, Gloria Carter-Hicks, Dr. Cheryl Watkins-Moore MBA, Kelly Gast, Kristen Wild, Charli Cooksey, Kristian Yarmani Nelson, Cathy Arshadi, and Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer SPHR, MBA, Ph.D. Thank you to the 2021 sponsors: The Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Commerce Bank, Delta Dental, and United Healthcare.

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1) Dr. Cheryl Watkins-Moore 2) Betsey Bruce 3) Carol & Tom Voss 4) Kelly Gast and family 5) Ciliah Hall and Pamela Karanja 6) Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer and family 7) Guests from Anheuser-Busch 8) Kristen Sorth, Zundra Bryant, Dr. Cheryl Watkins, Carol Voss 9) Shannon Durio and Rachel Tibbetts

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Photography by Peter Wochniak

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A NIGHT WITH THE STARS GALA

On February 26, 2022, UCP Heartland hosted its annual A Night with the Stars Gala. Held at the Marriott St. Louis Grand, the evening featured live entertainment and fabulous silent and live auction items. Hallie & Karen Gibbs and Shari Clay were given the Heart of the Community Award. Guests of note included Clint Bolser, CEO of UCP Heartland, and auctioneer Rene Knott. Funds raised at the event support UCP Heartland’s work to enact real change for people and families living with disabilities.

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1) Matthew & Megan Ingerman, Anicia Thomas, Anique & Pershing Harris 2) Rene Knott 3) Jeff Eichholz and Jennifer Bierling 4) Marla Fuesting, Joanie Hitt, Ed Balmes, Nora & Chuck Amato, Greg Fuesting, Jane & Terry Flanagan 5) Clint Bolser, Kevin Litt, Don & Melanie Hiemenz 6) Kevin Litt, Shannon Talton, Nina & Brian Murphy 7) Jerry & Lori Burch 8) Julia & Richard Fitzer 9) Shari Clay and Clint Bolser

Photography by Holly Swan Photography

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A NIGHT FOR NEWBORNS DINNER AUCTION AND GALA

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On March 12, 2022, Nurses for Newborns held its 24th annual A Night for Newborns Dinner Auction and Gala at The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries.

KSDK-TV reporter Justina Coronel and Board Member Kelly Ferrara co-hosted the evening, which was generously underwritten by The Steward Family Foundation. The funds raised at this event benefit the babies and families who rely on Nurses for Newborns for services including peer support for infant caregivers as well as diapers, formula, and safety equipment.

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1) Marianne Hayes, Jim Goebel 2) Pat & Bev Dougherty, Mary Ellen Cotsworth, Bill Siedhoff 3) Rob Brandenberg, Lily Roepke, Julie Brandenberg 4) Barbara Warner, Chris & Tara Smyser, Cynthia Rogers, Chad Sylvester, Amy & Sam Julian 5) Kelly Ferrara, Dan Green, Melinda Monroe 6) Marty & Vickie Knobloch, Genie & Harry Mueller 7) Ken & Jill Worland, Kristen Cleveland, Mary Glenn 8) Kamlesh & Bhavisa Patel, Jagruti & Milan Anadkat

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15TH ANNUAL IRISH PARTY

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On March 4, 2022, the St. Patrick Center Young Professional Board hosted its 15th Annual Irish Party.

The event raises money for St. Patrick Center and its services, such as providing lunches, bus passes, and school uniforms for kids. Held at the Schlafly Tap Room, guests enjoyed bottomless Schlafly craft beer and wine, a DJ, delicious food, and plenty of Irish cheer! Other highlights included amazing raffle items, a photo booth, and a whiskey/wine pull. Thank you to sponsors Ernst & Young and Anders CPAs + Advisors.

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1) Kelly Erlinger, John Anderson, Erin DeViney, Nancy Anderson 2) St. Louis inspired merchandise from Series Six 3) Stacy Broner, Sarah Webb and friends 4) Whiskey & Wine Pull winner enjoys his pick 5) Denny McDonough, Dan Krupp 6) Whiskey and Wine Pull 7) Raffle winners! 8) Anna and Matt Quinn hand out raffle tickets

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CALL TODAY FOR MOTHER’S DAY FLOWERS

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FABULOUS FEUD LIVE

On March 12, 2022, the J Associates held its annual fundraiser, Fabulous Feud Live. In the same spirit as the popular television game show Family Feud, Fabulous Feud Live features families from the community who team up and square off against each other to play “The Feud.” Six teams competed: The Bald & the Beautiful, The Matzah Ballers, Growe for the Gold, The Baris Necessities, The Sabra Shabbat Playahs, and The Arbor Roots. The event raised $169,000 for various departments of the J including Adult Day Services, Theatre Unlimited (for adults with disabilities), and various scholarships, which offer opportunities for children to attend the J’s Early Childhood Center, J Day Camps and Camp Sabra, the J’s residential camp.

Fabulous Feud Live was co-chaired by Lisa Gubernik and Elise Krug with assistance from J Associates President Debbie Lefton and Vice President of Development, Amy Bennett.

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1) Wes Adkins and Ben Nordstrom 2) Gary Growe, Jason Growe, Rebecca Growe, Danny Soshnik & Jennifer Growe Soshnik 3) Steve Chorlins, Terri Grossman, Julie Shanker, Larry Opinsky, Jenny Hoffman-Mentle 4) Keith Grosz, Judy Grosz, Rob Baris, Jon Baris, Melissa Baris 5) Nancy Goldstein, Elizabeth Snidman, Susan Goldstein, Jonathan Goldsein & Will Goldstein 6) Jorie Gold, Andy Sandler, Julie Sandler, Lisa Moons, David Moons 7) Diane Sanger, Rachel Sanger, Bryan Sanger, Stefanie Woollen, Bryce Woolen 8) Wes Adkins, President of J Associates Debbie Lefton, Vice President of Development Amy Bennett, Event Co-Chairs Lisa Gubernik and Elise Krug, Ben Nordstrom

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PLNK GRAND OPENING

On February 19, 2022, PLNK, opened its fifth studio and the third in St. Louis. The new Town and Country studio opened with giveaways, balloons, a DJ, and all the shakes! In just one 50-minute Megaformer class, guests get a full body high-intensity, no-impact workout and can burn up to 600 calories. PLNK memberships can be used at any location.

Class schedules and details can be found on the PLNK app or website at plnkfitness.com

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1) Brooke Meek 2) Planks at PLNK 3) Bailey Crutcher 4) Welcome to Town and Country 5) Richelle Reese 6) Tyler Frank greets guests 7) Linda Waller 8) Smiling through the masks

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