My latest cult shop piece in How to Spend It is about the legendary NYC perfumerie, Aedes de Venustas. Originally in the West Village but recently located to the Lower East Side, this gem of an olfactory space is still going strong, with a major cult following....
20 Odd Questions with Bronson van Wyck, the go-to party planner for all sorts of bold faced names. Read all about why your tabletop shouldn't match, but you should invest in Magnolia garland, here....
Vilnius, Lithuania might not be on your radar right now,it's a cool place to visit that is not overrun with tourists. For now. With the opening of a Libeskind-designed museum, and a new design hotel, the capitol of Lithuania is poised for greatness as a travel destination. Get all my recommendations, here....
I know, I know. I miss Pastis too. And I wanted to hate this place, but frankly, it was awesome. Read all about it here....
Dom Vetro is a relatively new eyewear brand founded by an ex finance/tech guy. I know, I know, but it really is legit, and you can read all about why here. The net net: the frames are very cool, hand made, and cost less than most designer frames (which, btw, are made in China). You're welcome....
Departures current issue focuses on Scandinavia. I travelled to Copenhagen to search out a few stories, and had several in the magazine. My favorite, by far, was the discovery of Arje Griegst. Second, a visit to the Georg Jensen smithy and an awesome visit with Frans at Maritime Antiques, which was super cool. ...
Susan Foslien is the owner of the still-under-the-radar after all these years store Susan, on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. She's got a major cult following despite almost purposely avoiding press and having no website. But, through a friend, I somehow got her to agree to not only be interviewed on the record, but to be photographed for an international publication. The article isn't yet online but I will update this post when it is....
Every floor of this Turtle Bay townhouse, designed by Allison Julius and Louis Mara of Maison 24, serves a different function, and is a different color. You can see the whole thing, which is super cool (and I'm not just saying that because I wrote about it) in the current issue of New York Cottages & Gardens....
Virginia Lebermann bought a circa late 1800s Adobe ruin and turned it into her family's home. The native Texan, who co-founded Ballroom Marfa, and owns the Thunderbird Hotel as well as the Capri restaurant and event space, painstakingly researched indigenous methods to use in the construction process, including fermenting cactus to mix with local clay to create a proper adobe paste. Insane! But the results, published in the October issue of Elle Decor, are very cool....
Georg Jensen makes many gorgeous things that are often a bit out of reach in terms of price. But not this super-chic jigger, which I found during the holiday season at one of my favorite stores. It has become my new go-to hostess gift, and you can read why here. ...