All the Best LIST ™

Malcolm James Kutner

2010-11-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

Malcolm James Kutner:
World Traveler
Style Arbiter
Aesthete
Interior Designer

Malcolm James Kutner was born in Houston, Texas. He established his own interior and garden design practice in London in 2001, and has received several awards in the US and the UK for his design work. In 2007, he moved to New York City, where he now lives and works.

A graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, Malcolm pursued graduate studies in England at The University of Sussex (MA Design and Aesthetic Theory), and the Inchbald School of Design/University of Wales in London (MA, Design). He is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and was a select recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.

Malcolm James Kutner maintains that the most important part of his job is to bring his clients into harmonious, natural, and essential relationships with the environments in which they live.

Process and synergy are the cornerstones of this design ethos. Malcolm pays careful attention to the relationships between form and function, between interior and exterior, and between the human, visual, and physical experiences of a space. For him, the process is largely about the comprehensive and dynamic integration of the three dimensions and the five senses.

“Design is largely about problem-solving,” Malcolm says, “but it’s also about making things look and feel good. It has to function and be aesthetically pleasing and resonate with the wider context, and all of these things have to happen on a multitude of levels and in conversation with each other. The triumph of the whole depends on the success, coherence and assimilation of each of the parts – which demands successful collaboration among artisans, designers, and manufacturers. Again, an endless layering of process and synergy.”

Malcolm has been published in Garden Design, House Beautiful, Traditonal Home, British House and Garden, British Art and Antiques, and Elle Décor, as well as in various private and local publications.

Home:
New York City

www.malcolmjameskutner.com

Christopher Spitzmiller

2009-05-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Christopher Spitzmiller:
Ceramic Artist
Chicken and Bee Keeper

With a passion for art and a desire to start his own business, Christopher Spitzmiller graduated from St. Lawrence University and continued his fine arts study at the Rhode Island School of Design and at Central St. Martins College of Art in London. Following his dream he setup shop in an old school near Washington D.C. and worked as a summer artist in residence for Mecox Gardens in Southampton. His artistic skills soon became widely apparent, attracting commissions from Albert Hadley, Richard Keith Langham and Suzanne Rheinstein.

In the fall of 1999, after outgrowing his Washington space, Christopher moved his studio to New York City. A decision he calls, “one of the most important turning points in my life.” Each of his lamps beholds a timeless appeal and luxurious quality. Perched atop gilt bases and outfitted with jewel-like hardware, Christopher’s works have a high-fashion sophistication. No more than 60 lamps are created each month-a couture-quality pace that ensures one-of-a-kind lights with timeless appeal.

Unique, classically formed and vibrant make Christopher Spitzmiller lamps as appealing as the man behind the name.

Home:
New York City and Millbrook, NY

www.christopherspitzmiller.com

Marcia Sherrill

2009-05-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Marcia Sherrill:
Designer
Style Maven
Tastemaker
Author

Southern born, internationally acclaimed Marcia Sherrill is a multifaceted jack-of-all-trades. A Vanderbilt University grad, Marcia has made her mark on the world as a handbag and accessory designer, television personality, author, interior decorator and writer.

A member of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of American, Marcia’s designs have debuted in the world’s most renowned specialty and department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, London's Harvey Nichols and Japan's Takashimaya.

A regular guest expert on CBS's Living It Up! With Ali & Jack, Marcia also has a monthly style segment on Fox's Good Day Atlanta and Good Day Alabama. A five-year regular on Lifetime's Our Home, Sherrill has appeared on The Today Show, HGTV, B. Smith with Style, CBS and The Food Network.

Marcia’s work has been featured in numerous publications including Vogue, Town & Country, W, Women's Wear Daily, Elle, Mirabella, InStyle, Lucky, Harpers Bazaar, Self, Metropolitan, Homes, New York Magazine, House Beautiful, Southern Accents and House & Garden.

Marcia is currently creating an affordable collection of luxury accessories, Anabelle by MARCIA SHERRILL, to debut nationwide Fall 2009.

Home:
New York City

Hobbies and Interests:

www.marciasherrill.com
www.victoryoverdivorce.com

Elizabeth Mayhew

2009-05-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Mayhew:
Lifestyle Expert
Epicurean
Author

Elizabeth Mayhew, lifestyle expert for NBC's Today show and special projects editor for House Beautiful magazine, unwittingly become a lifestyle expert after starting a catering company while at university. The Georgetown University art history major and self-professed epicurean began a full-fledged catering business while in college.

The media veteran was editorial development director for Real Simple magazine, prior to launching her latest book Flip! For Decorating.

Flip! For Decorating includes more than 200 color photographs and dozens of line drawings (illustrated by Elizabeth’s mother), as well as the fundamentals of color, no-fail wall and trim colors, the art of picking the perfect sofa, chairs, tables, and lighting and strategies on how to prioritize your decorating decisions.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, she now lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Home:
New York City and Millbrook, NY

Hobbies and Interests:

www.elizabethmayhew.com

Thad Hayes

2009-05-18T06:49:00.001-07:00

Thad Hayes:
Interior Designer
Author
Man of Distinction

Clean, luxuriously appointed interiors are the hallmark of contemporary interior designer Thad Hayes. Since establishing his New York office in 1985, Thad Hayes has become much sought-after in the design world. The lauded designer, who counts Carl Jung’s Man and His Symbols among his influences, is known for his subtle use of color, a “reduced palette of materials” and deep knowledge of design history’s many styles.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Thad graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Environmental Design. He practiced as a landscape architect in New York City and studied interior design at Parsons School of Design. Hayes went to work at Bray-Schaible Design in 1982 before establishing his own office, Thad Hayes, Inc.

Thad’s interiors bear a distinctive stamp, yet each tells its own fresh story. His projects are individually conceived and meticulously crafted. Hayes continues to be honored as one of "The AD 100" and was named one of the "Deans of Design" by Architectural Digest Magazine. His work is regularly featured in international design books and publications.

Most recently Thad authored his first design book, The Tailored Interior (forward by Evelyn Lauder), published by Rizzoli. The Tailored Interior includes twenty-two residences, ranging from a penthouse on Central Park, a Deco duplex on Park Avenue, a pied-à-terre at the Pierre Hotel, a Palm Beach retreat and a Hamptons hideaway.

His work has been frequently featured in ELLE Décor, House and Garden, New York and Architectural Digest.

Home:
Montclair, New Jersey

Hobbies and Interests:

www.thadhayes.com

Sally Horchow

2009-05-10T11:40:00.001-07:00

Sally Horchow:
Lifestyle Expert
Journalist
Hostess Extraordinaire
Entrepreneur

Sally Horchow is a lifestyle expert, journalist, on-air personality, celebrated L.A. hostess, and co-author (with her father, Roger Horchow) of The Art of Friendship: 70 Simple Rules for Making Meaningful Connections (St. Martin's Press, 2006).

Sally is a blogger on the Huffington Post, and she regularly contributes her original, witty point-of-view on all lifestyle trends-from entertaining, food, and travel to design, fashion, and art-to publications like The New York Times, Town & Country, and DailyCandy.com, and she has appeared as both guest and host on multiple national television and radio shows - from NBC's "Today" to "Tyra" to E!Entertainment Television.

Sally served as the national spokesperson for Pepperidge Farm and their "Connecting Through Cookies" campaign, a marketing and advertising initiative spanning web, print, and television.

Prior to her print and on-air career, Sally built her expertise in many aspects of the entertainment and media industries. She worked at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," was the executive assistant to Steven Spielberg, produced an independent film, and was an event planner, website producer, and interior designer.

Sally is also the creator and director of hiving™ :: party with a purpose - a social group in Los Angeles and on the web (www.hiving.net) dedicated to inventive outings that both inspire connections and contribute to different charities. Sally has orchestrated such events as a Craft Night, an Indian Cooking Class, and a Séance, and has raised thousands of dollars for charities like the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, ArtShare, and Feed the Children.

Sally grew up in Dallas, Texas, and received her B.A. from Yale University. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Christopher McCauley, and two Labradors, Annie and Maggie Mae.

Home:
Hollywood, Malibu, and Nantucket

Hobbies and Interests:
Traveling with my husband, cooking, entertaining groups of all sizes and hiving™ (my word for creating inventive group activities to enhance connections. I plan unusual outings that raise money for different charities.)

www.sallyhorchow.com
www.hiving.net

K. Cooper Ray

2009-04-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

K. Cooper Ray
Writer
Event Planner
Lifestyle Connoisseur

K. Cooper Ray is the former Global Vice President of PR and Events for Bottega Veneta and Ambassador of Dom Perignon. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Cooper has lived in New York City, Milan, Italy, Cape Cod and now Los Angeles. He is a sailor (2006 regatta champion), novelist (upcoming Last Night at Moomba), Martini Bar & Music Hall proprietor (Eighth & Rail) and was recently chosen one of Angeleno Magazines’ Top Ten Men of Style in Los Angeles.

Cooper launched the popular site SocialPrimer.com in September 2008, an insightful and humorous source for answers on manners and style. Written for men, but read by an equal amount of women, the site is narrated by Cooper Ray’s alter ego, SP.

Social Primer.com recently opened a pop-up shop within the West Hollywood floral boutique Lily Lodge on North Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood. The Shop offers a well-edited -- and affordable -- selection of finds to compliment the civilized man’s life such as vintage books, old-fashioned high-ball glasses, cuff links, signet rings, fine art, even riding boots. The selection of made-to-order offerings includes monogrammed stationery, playing cards, cocktail napkins and soaps.

Home:
Los Angeles, California
Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Hobbies and Interests:
Sailing, gardening, reading, and entertaining. Whether a dinner party at home for eight, a drinks party for 40 or an opening event for 200, I get the most satisfaction being in a room full of people having a great time.

www.socialprimer.com

Suzanne Aaronson

2009-04-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Aaronson:
Lifestyle Curator
World Traveler
Epicurean

Suzanne Aaronson is the founder of Suzanne’s Files, an online resource that provides a savvy perspective on quality lifestyle. An atypical businesswoman, Suzanne received her BA from The American University of Paris with a dual degree in European Cultural Affairs and French Literature. She has lived in six different countries, speaks French and Spanish and has traveled extensively since childhood.

Suzanne’s Files is an online resource that provides savvy perspective on quality lifestyle. Combining her unique sense for research and vetting with the service acumen of a private banker, Suzanne has turned her passion for lifestyle curating into a successful business with an impressive international following.

Drawing on years of personal travel and extensive research, Suzanne and her global network of “Insiders” provide in-the-know insight for discerning individuals who crave interesting experiences and inspiring destinations but have no time to source them.

Home:
London, Mallorca and Bugneaux, Switzerland

Hobbies and Interests:
I’m an outdoors and nature girl. Tennis and long walks are amongst my favorites in sunny weather. I come from a cooking family and I like to cook “big” whenever I have the occasion. I fill the dining table with bowls and platters of gorgeous, fresh and simple food so that guests can gather around and enjoy.

www.suzannesfiles.com

Patricia van Essche

2009-04-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Patricia van Essche:
Artist
Illustrator
Blogger

Dedicated to living an artful life and from an early age, it was the love of drawing, designing and creating led her to follow her dream of illustration. Born and raised in Kentucky, Patricia moved to New York after college to pursue a career in Fashion Design.

Patricia attended the University of Cincinnati’s acclaimed College of Design, Architecture and Art, where she received a BS in fashion design and was awarded the school’s coveted “Golden Brush” award. For 15 years she worked in New York City as a designer and design director for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Liz Claiborne.

Always fascinated with "lifestyles" and desires to capture it on paper, be it "bohemian or luxe, Patricia realized her dream soon after her children were born. She began illustrating for clients and building a business that offered artistic design service to private as well as corporate individuals. Her popular blog draws a very large and loyal audience. Some of her favorite things to draw are people, pets, places, parties and lifestyle vignettes.

"All the Best" blog header was the first blog header Patricia artfully illustrated and is proud to be a part of the all the best profile. Drawing for all the best is a dream and an honor. Many of her clients refer to Patricia's work as whimsical, playful and often comment that it reminds them of Cecil Beaton and a time gone by.

Home:
New York

www.pvedesign.com

Amanda Nisbet

2009-04-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Amanda Nisbet:
Interior Designer
Arbiter Elegantiarum

Amanda Nisbet founded her interior design firm in 1998. Her portfolio includes numerous high-end residential projects in the United States, Canada and Europe. Notable clients include comedienne Caroline Rhea and O Magazine publisher Jill Seelig.

Untethered by design rules, Amanda brings a fresh energetic approach to a traditional sense of luxury. Color, texture and form blend to create her trademark comfortable elegance. Her work seamlessly balances function and style, Classicism and Modernism, in surprising ways.

Amanda believes in keeping both her company and number of projects small thus affording her control and commitment to each project. Amanda Nisbet Design has been published in Elle Décor, House and Garden, House Beautiful, O at Home, Town and Country, Quest, Traditional Home, Home, New York Spaces, New York Home, Hamptons, The New York Times, The Washington Post among others. Amanda is currently developing an new line of lighting and fabrics.

Home:
New York

Hobbies and Interests:
Playing tennis, skiing, and going to the beach with her family.

www.amandanisbetdesign.com

Katie Ridder

2009-04-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

Katie Ridder:
Interior Designer
Style Arbiter

Born and raised in the Bay area, Katie Ridder moved East after college and began her career as a decorating editor at House & Garden and House Beautiful. After seven years in the magazine world, she opened an eponymous retail home furnishings store located on Lexington Avenue, where her clients included all the top decorators of the day. She founded her own interior design firm in 1995.

For the past 12 years, Katie Ridder has decorated everything from Fifth Avenue floor-throughs and Park Avenue penthouses to country mansions, Hamptons estates, and working farms in Virginia and New Zealand. Her projects are a striking balance between style and discretion, combining comfort, practicality, and sophisticated color while staying true to the architectural surroundings.

Katie’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Elle Decor, Town & Country, House & Garden, Domino and House Beautiful. Her work has graced the covers of House Beautiful and Elle Decor. In addition, she has appeared on the “Top 100” list of designers for House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and New York magazine. Kaite was interviewed live on Good Morning America in a segment devoted to her entry in the Ebay Decorator Showhouse of 2005.

Home:
New York

Hobbies and Interest:

www.katieridder.com

Photo Credit:
Rooms Lucas Allen
Portrait Scott Francis

Michelle Adams

2009-04-05T09:24:00.001-07:00

Michelle Adams:
Fabric Designer
Stylist
Trailblazer

The brilliant Manhattan based Michelle Adams, founder of Rubie Green, is one of the hottest fabrics designers to emerge in recent years. After studying apparel and textile design at Michigan State University, Michelle landed her dream job—a coveted position with domino magazine. While working on the magazine’s inaugural "green issue," she realized no one was making eco-friendly textiles in classic prints and saw an opportunity to combine her two passions: design and sustainability. So, in 2007 she left the magazine to start Rubie Green.

During her time at Michigan State University she took a course in sustainability that opened her eyes to the importance of environmentally friendly design. "My professor believed that if we are going to put more products onto the earth then we needed to do so responsibly. It's a concept that has stuck with me throughout the entire manufacturing process, despite the fact that it would have been twenty times easier to manufacture my fabrics in the traditional ways."

Today Rubie Green offers organic upholstery fabrics and a new line of bedding. Michelle recently launched a side project called Lonny with photographer Patrick Cline. Patrick and Michelle met at a domino shoot in 2007 and have collaborated on several lifestyle and interiors projects. Lonny (short for London and New York) offers photography and styling services to companies as well as limited edition signed art prints via the Lonny website.

Home:
New York

Hobbies and Interests:
Flea marketing for vintage treasures, sustainable design, decorating, collecting design books, styling photography, skiing, traveling, running and hanging out with my family in Michigan.

www.rubiegreen.com
www.lonnyphoto.com
www.brand-arts.com

Michelle Nussbaumer

2009-04-03T04:40:00.001-07:00

Michelle Nussbaumer:
Interior Designer
Tastemaker
World Traveler

Elle Decor describes international interior designer Michelle Nussbaumer as a fearless style monger known for her dizzying trove of antiques and signature line of furniture and lighting.

Over the years Michelle has found numerous paths to channel her boundless and creative energy. Whether it's decorating the elaborate homes of her clients with her own furniture designs, Ceylon Portfolio, promoting her exotic line of jewelry, Ceylon Bijoux, seeking out fine antiques to sell at her chic showroom, Ceylon et Cie or just working in her garden, Michelle reflects the style and culture of all the places she has traveled and lived.

Born and raised in Texas, she attended Southern Methodist University where she pursued a degree in Theatre Design. She spent four years in Rome where she lived on the Appia Antica, owned a shop in Los Angeles’ trendsetting La Brea for nine years, and frequently visits Switzerland, the homeland of her husband, where they share a home.

Michelle's work and furniture designs have been featured in many national publications including Elle Decor, Veranda, Southern Accents, House and Garden, House Beautiful, Western Interiors and The New York Times. Michelle resides in Dallas with her husband and four children. Current projects include a hacienda in Mexico and projects in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. Additionally she is working on a design book (soon to be published), as well as a fabric line.

Home:
Dallas, Texas; Switzerland; Mexico

www.ceylonetcie.com

Carolina Irving

2009-04-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

Carolina Irving:
Textile Designer
World Traveler
Global Tastemaker

Carolina Irving, former Design Editor at House and Garden, has always been obsessed
with fabrics, colors and textures. In 2006 she achieved her heart’s desire, founding her own textile design atelier.

Born in the United States, to Venezuelan parents, and educated in Paris, Carolina studied art history and archeology at the Ecole du Louvre. She specialized in 17th Century Italian art and began her never-ending fascination with design and antique textile documents. “I particularly like fabrics that are easy to live with, look handmade, slightly old and colors that are not jarring, but never beige…I’m not a beige person!”

Traveling has always been a vital part of her life and she absorbs art history and the decorative arts wherever she goes. She is most inspired by these travels and especially is stimulated while traveling to India and the Middle East. Going to museums around the world she finds particularly motivating and fills her with ideas without end.

Carolina’s premier collection features old-fashioned colors that look vegetable–dyed and hand-printed, while having great depth. The collection includes several multi-colored designs, many others printed in single colors both in large and small patterns that all work together and are meant to be mixed.

In her first year, Carolina’s textiles have been featured in Domino Magazine, House Beautiful, and in upcoming editions of British Vogue, Traditional Home Magazine and Florida Inside Out Magazine.

Carolina’s textiles are available in New York through the John Rosselli & Associates showroom, in Los Angeles at Peter Dunhams’ Hollywood at Home, in London at Tissus d’Helene, and in Australia through Diane Bergeron Interiors.

Home:
New York

www.carolinairvingtextiles.com

Carolina in her Manhattan apartment photographed by Francois Halard for Vogue

Profile photo by Sean Fader

Tobi Fairley

2009-04-03T04:20:00.001-07:00

Tobi Fairley:
Interior Designer
Blogger

Selected by Traditional Home Magazine as one of the Top 20 Young Designers in America for 2009, Tobi Fairley has a signature look that is fresh and simple combining colorful, large-scale geometric prints with classic furniture styles for a beautiful and functional result.

Since establishing her firm a decade ago, Tobi’s projects have spanned the southern region and the nation from Charleston to Los Angeles. Her award winning designs for high-profile and celebrity clients have been published in Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens special publications, and have graced the cover of At Home in Arkansas Magazine 6 times.

Tobi’s design blog, which chronicles the happenings at her luxury residential design firm and highlights Tobi’s favorite things, has gained immediate popularity since its launch in September 2008.

Tobi’s unique combination of degrees in interior design, accounting and an MBA from the prestigious Sam M. Walton College of Business, give her a competitive advantage in the design industry. She is currently working on product designs for several companies that will be introduced in early 2010 and has become a popular speaker at industry events across the nation sharing both her business and blog successes.

Home:
Little Rock, Arkansas

www.tobifairley.com

Peter Pennoyer

2009-03-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Peter Pennoyer:
Architect
Author
Man of Distinction

Peter Pennoyer is an architect and author. He is principal of the eponymous thirty-member firm with a national practice in classical and traditional architecture. Born and raised in New York City, he earned both his BA and Masters of Architecture at Columbia University.

Peter Pennoyer Architects has designed houses and historic renovations across America. The firm has also had many institutional and commercial commissions, most involving significant historic buildings. Projects have been widely featured in newspapers, books and periodicals including The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Design Times, and House & Garden.

With co-author Anne Walker, Pennoyer has written three books: The Architecture of Delano & Aldrich, The Architecture of Warren & Wetmore, and The Architecture of Grosvenor Atterbury (W.W. Norton, Fall 2009). He has also contributed articles and reviews to Architectural Digest, Perspectives on Architecture, Period Homes and the New-York Journal of American History.

Pennoyer has served as chairman of scholarship committees at the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of The Morgan Library & Museum, The Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America, and the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation.

Home:
Peter lives in Bronxville, New York with his wife, Katie Ridder, and their three young children.

Hobbies & Interests:
Fishing (surf casting), skinny dipping, shopping for food then cooking and operating power tools.

Interests include etymology and the history of anything in the zip code 10021.

www.ppapc.com

Portrait Jon Wallen
Images Scott Frances

Barrie Benson

2009-03-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Barrie Benson:
Interior Designer
Epicurean

It takes real skill to flawlessly mix Louis XV Bergère chairs alongside Milo Baughman, something interior designer Barrie Benson does it perfectly.

Born in “a teeny town” near Norfolk, Virginia Barrie moved to Columbia, South Carolina as a teen and attended Furman University. After graduating with a BA in history and a minor in Art, she set off to Cortona, Italy to study abroad.

Barrie then received a BFA in Interior Design from the University of Georgia in Athens and returned to Cortona to teach a summer course. In her own words, “Heaven on Earth!” From Italy she moved to Atlanta and signed on with Hirsch Bedner Associates, a design firm specializing in hotel design. A few of her projects included the Park Hyatt in Mainz, Germany, the Park Hyatt in Hamburg, Germany and the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans.

In the fall of 1997 Barrie launched her own firm. A few notable projects include:
The residence of Laura Vinroot and Perry Poole; Capitol Clothing, Charlotte, North Carolina; The Poole Shop, Charlotte, North Carolina; The residence of Laura and Coy Monk, Charlotte, North Carolina; The apartment of Margaret Hynes, New York, NY. Barrie’s work has been featured in domino, Vogue and The New York Times.

Home:
Charlotte, North Carolina

Hobbies & Interests:

Monika Biegler Eyers

2009-03-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

Monika Biegler Eyers:
Freelance Design Editor
Writer
Creative Consultant

The daughter of a talented amateur decorator and a gifted amateur photographer, Monika is the first in her family to channel her creative abilities into a career. She has spent most of the last decade on the editorial staff of various interior design magazines, most notably Domino, where she was one of the founding editors.

Monika frequently travels the world searching for beautiful objects to cover, from trade shows in Milan to flea markets in Paris to back alley shops in Jodhpur. In the U.S., she has appeared as a guest on multiple television shows including ABC’s Good Morning America; CBS The Early Show; CNN’s Open House and HGTV. Monika has also been interviewed for articles in national and regional American publications such as U.S.A. Today and Hamptons Magazine.

Having left the corporate world upon moving to London, she has recently started consulting work on various design projects, including interiors, renovations and websites.

She believes passionately in the importance of good design, be it a well-appointed room or a perfectly crafted vase. These are the things we experience in our daily lives and they should make us happy.

Home:
After calling New York home for 9 years, Monika now lives in London with her husband. They also have a home in Miami, FL.

Hobbies & Interests:
Travel, photography, writing, interior design, product design, visiting galleries and museums (art to archeological).

monika_eyers@me.com

Mark Dean

2009-03-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Mark Dean:
Pioneer Art Dealer

On 9/11, Mark Dean hopped in a rogue taxi headed uptown, the only car on a deserted Seventh Avenue. Soon after the life altering day, he went back to night school in Arts Administration, and left his senior corporate marketing position.

His inaugural exhibition in 2006, at the New York sculpture/object/functional art show SOFA, drew the attention of 57th Street Manhattan dealer Garth Clark Gallery. Clark offered his Long Island City project space gallery for Dean to create private exhibitions - a gesture Clark had never made in the 30-year history of his gallery.

Ultimately the building that housed Clark's project space was sold and Dean went public with his own gallery right across 21st Street in September 2007, six years to the month after his cathartic cab ride.

Today, Dean is a dealer of emerging artists (in the $3,000 to $50,000 price range). Dean selects artists that harness classical training to conceptual content. Committed to furthering the development of art that has the power to effect social change, Dean creates a bridge between artists, curators, collectors and institutions, but he also channels those relationships into reaching out to the community, planting the seeds of future artists and collectors.

Home:
New York City

Hobbies & Interests:
Collecting George Ohr ceramics, wood-firing ceramics, family, driving and preparing innovative dinners.

www.deanproject.com

Work of artist Tim Berg

Work of artist Sandra Bermudez

Peter Dunham

2009-03-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Peter Dunham:
Interior Designer
Textile Designer

Peter Dunham was raised in France, spent his summers in Spain, and was educated in England. After studying modern languages at Oxford University and International Business at the American University in Paris, he moved to New York where he resided for the next 15 years.

Peter moved to Los Angeles in 1998 and started his own interior design company. Currently he has residential projects in Los Angeles, Aspen, San Francisco, Laguna, Ojai, and Montecito. In addition to residential work, he has designed hotels and film studio offices.

Design magazines have described Peter’s work as “sophisticated casual… vibrant and daring within a classical structure… a stylish blend of European sensibility, American practicality, and zest.”

Peter is the founder of Hollywood At Home, an eclectic interior designer's resource, where inspiration and creativity go hand in hand. Home to Peter Dunham Textiles, this charming shop is filled with antiques, custom furniture, lamps, floor coverings and fabrics.  Nestled in the design community of Almont Yard, Hollywood at Home is in close proximity to the Pacific Design Center and is open to the general public as well as to the trade.

Home:
Los Angeles, California

Hobbies & Interests:
Adventurous travel, hiking, drawing, books, art collecting, seeing friends, my dogs, auctions and flea markets.
www.peterdunham.com
www.hollywoodathome.com

Thomas Burak

2009-03-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

Thomas Burak:
Interior Designer
Creative Genius
Host Extraordinaire

Thomas Burak is a well respected New York interior designer whose work has been showcased in the Hampton's Designer Showhouse, The Colgate Mansion in Sharon Connecticut, numerous magazines as well as interiors for many clients.

As the former Vice President Creative Director for Schumacher he has extensive textile, trimming and wallpaper design experience. He is currently the design consultant for the premier trimming company Samuel & Sons Passementerie where he has designed and colored many trimming collections.

Beautiful surroundings and comfortable living are not only reflected in his interiors but his passion for flowers. He has done numerous tables For the prestigious New York Botanical Gardens Orchid dinner, House & Gardens New York Design week, featured designer at the annual Macy's flower show and events for the Columbia County Historical Society.

Home:
Gramercy Park, New York City and Kinderhook, NY.

Hobbies & Interests:
Travel, gardening, collecting

Christopher and Suzanne Sharp

2009-02-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

Chris and Suzanne Sharp:
Entrepreneurs
World Travelers
Global Tastemakers

Christopher and Suzanne Sharp founded The Rug Company in London in 1997, and it has since earned a reputation as the leading name for handmade, contemporary and traditional rugs, cushions and wall hangings. Success in the UK enabled The Rug Company to open its first store in New York’s SoHo in 2002, followed by Los Angeles in 2005, and there are now over 14 The Rug Company stores worldwide.

With an experienced in-house design team, as well as a host of carefully selected top designers, including some of the world’s brightest stars in interiors, textile, fashion and product design, The Rug Company has now achieved international recognition as the freshest and most innovative rug label offering exceptional quality, materials and customer service.

Home:
London

Hobbies & Interests:
Reading, rummaging around antique shops and markets, sewing, beach combing, cooking, photography.

www.therugcompany.info

Robert Passal

2009-02-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

Robert Passal:
Interior Designer
Arbiter Elegantiarum

Robert Passal is the proprietor of Robert Passal Interior and Architectural Design located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. His unique style and attention to detail have provided the framework for a notable career in the field of Interior Design. He has been selected as featured designer in the prestigious Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Robert's work has been featured in many books and publications including House and Garden, The New York Times, Forbes, and The Financial Times.

In 2007 Robert was named Fresh Designer of the year by Traditional Home. Recently, he has been designated to head the design team for the launch of Men’s Health’s new habitat publication.

Robert's client roster includes a range of professional athletes including New York Yankees’ all stars Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and, Jason Giambi, NBA star Troy Murphy, legendary music mogul Antonio “LA” Reid, as well as host of others.

Home:
New York

Hobbies & Interests:
Combing the streets on New York, there is always something yet unrevealed.

Journaling. I became an avid writer due to the the work of Julia Cameron and her book The Artists Way, a must for every designer & artist that needs a bit of inspiration.

Rooftop Gardening. Living in New York City and pining for a garden I had no choice but to become a container gardener and, enjoy all seasons tending to the garden on my roof deck. It's an escape from the urban jungle.

www.robertpassal.com

Emily Evans Eerdmans

2009-02-18T03:55:00.000-08:00

Emily Evans Eerdmans:
Author
Decorative Arts Historian

Emily Evans Eerdmans is a design and decorative arts historian and the author of Regency Redux and Classic English Design and Antiques. She received her master's degree in fine and decorative arts from Sotheby's Institute of Art in London and has written extensively on design for many publications.

Emily is currently working on a monograph on the decorator and antiquaire Madeleine Castaing as well as the catalogue raisonné on American craft artist Wendell Castle. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her fiancé and three cats Augustus, Stubby, and Fred Astaire.
Home:
Brooklyn, New York

Hobbies & Interests:
Watching old Hollywood films, trolling auctions, reading vintage interior design books, admiring her quite handsome cats, killing plants with her black thumb.

www.regencyredux.com
www.emilyevanseerdmans.blogspot.com

Tamara Heber-Percy

2009-02-18T03:29:00.001-08:00

Tamara Heber-Percy:
Mr & Mrs Smith Co-founder
World Traveler

Marketing director and co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotel collections, Tamara graduated from Oxford with a degree in languages. After growing up between Ibiza and Shropshire, her first job took her to Brazil to launch a new energy drink. Since then, she has worked as a marketing consultant for brands such as Ericsson, Honda, Unilever and Swissair, and then in business development for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at one of the UK’s top marketing agencies.

She left the corporate world in 2002 to head up her own company The County Register – an exclusive introductions agency – and to launch Mr & Mrs Smith. Combining travel expertise with cutting-edge technological knowledge, Tamara has been the driving force behind the development of Mr & Mrs Smith’s e-commerce-enabled website and the recent launch of the Smith Travel Blog.

Home:
London

Hobbies & Interests:
Hobbies:
Flying, reading and swimming

Favorite hotels:
Calcot Manor for family trips
Rough Luxe in King’s Cross, London as a new design hotel
C'as Xorc in Mallorca for a sunny holiday (where I was married)
Hacienda de San Antonio for the fabulous view

www.mrandmrssmith.com

Melissa C. Morris

2009-02-18T02:18:00.000-08:00

Melissa C. Morris:
Blogger
World Traveler
Philanthropist

Melissa C. Morris is a 20-something year old American whose blog "May December" was recently voted one of the 20 must-read blogs for girls by the UK's Sunday Telegraph. Melissa has an upbeat, positive attitude that shines through in her blog posts highlighting her home
life, her charity involvements, and her international travels.

"May December" is a combination of the ordinary (what she cooked for dinner last night), and the extraordinary (what she did on her luxurious bicycle trip through coastal Spain). She asks readers in a playful way to weigh in on decisions she's making...everything from what color she should paint her country house to which Bloody Mary mix is bestfor an afternoon cocktail.

Melissa's blog has been featured on the front page of the Sunday Styles section of The New York Times, in Radar Magazine, on NPR, and in numerous online publications. Melissa lives with her older husband, a New York investor, and her adorable Italian Greyhound, Monty who is featured in weekly post entitled "Monty Monday".

Home:
Melissa divides her time between New York City, New Canaan, Connecticut and the window seat of an airplane.

www.melissacmorris.com

Eric Prokesh

2009-02-18T01:32:00.000-08:00

Eric Prokesh:
Interior Designer
Foodie
Writer
World Traveler

Eric Prokesh originally contemplated a career in financial services. Hired by a designer friend to handle the books and financial statements, he soon became interested in design and began what became a four-year apprenticeship

Now an independent designer for over 20 years, he has been recognized in books and publications including House & Garden, Southern Accents and House Beautiful. Eric been featured on HGTV’s Homes Across America program. His work has taken him as far afield as New York, Washington and Mexico City. He makes use of frequent trips to Europe to ransack museums and historic houses for inspiration and to add to his specially selected inventory of antiques.

An amateur cook and lover of food, he has often been called upon to cook for visiting singers and conductors appearing at the Dallas Opera. Some of his recipes culled from his travels were featured in D-Home.

Recently he has tried his hand at writing, blogging his last trip to Asia for a local magazine. Eric had constructed a career combining all of his passions—art, architecture, history, a love of travel and cultures.

Home:
Dallas, Texas

Hobbies & Interests:
Reading, Travel, Cooking, Bicycling,Running and Swimming

www.ericprokesh.com

Todd Alexander Romano

2009-02-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

Todd Alexander Romano:
Interior Designer
Entrepreneur

Todd Alexander Romano, affectionately known as the “Dapper Tastemaker”, began his career in decorating seventeen years ago working for Mario Buatta as his assistant. He founded his design firm and eponymous shop on Lexington Avenue in 1999.

His work is best known for its eclectic and youthful approach to traditional high-end interior design. His clientele is equally as diverse as are the locations of his projects, ranging from coast to coast, as well as several projects in Europe. He has been named to numerous lists of the Top 100 Best Decorators in America.

Todd recently opened an expanded showroom version of his stylish shop in the heart of New York’s Design District at the Fine Arts Building. His showroom represents specialty fabrics, lighting and custom rugs, in addition to the expertly edited antiques, artworks and unusual accessories for which he is renowned.

His showroom has become a popular destination for some of America’s top decorators and stylemakers. His own line of custom prints, wallpapers and furniture is eagerly expected to debut in late 2009.

Home:
New York

Hobbies & Interests:
Tennis, Backgammon, Reading, Movies, Music, Travel, Architecture, Art, Design and Photography

www.toddromanohome.com

Tracy Porter

2009-02-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

Tracy Porter:
Designer
Artist
Entrepreneur
Author

Tracy Porter, nationally known lifestyle, home and fashion designer, operates her multi-faceted design business from the rural college-town of Ripon, Wisconsin. Women from New York to Los Angeles seek out Tracy for a taste of her fashionably eclectic goods, savvy tips and inspiring style advice.

In 1991 Tracy started her hand painted luxury furniture line created from her farm’s vintage chicken coop. These humble beginnings left retailers on an exclusive waiting list for her one-of-a-kind treasures. Tracy Porter is renowned for her fanciful dinnerware collections (favored by Neiman Marcus, Horchow, Bloomingdales and Target) and inspired designs for the home (bedding, furniture, lighting, décor).

Tracy has launched an ever-inspiring lifestyle blog. She delights in chatting with readers and produces a daily lifestyle on demand video series offering a peek behind the scenes into Tracy Porters design studio as well as cooking, gardening and fashion tips.

Home:
Tracy, her husbandbusiness partner, John, and their four young boys. Tracy resides on a country gentleman’s farm in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Hobbies & Interests:
We have four boys under age 8, lots of power ranger toys (though I don’t collect those) and pez dispensers (I do collect those). We have a donkey (an anniversary gift 10 years ago to each other), a goat, many ducks and 2 gargantuan Newfoundland dogs.

We love to eat, cook and cocktail.We are very passionate about food and all things related. I love writing, gardening, swimming in our pond and hanging with our family. I could read all day and may not ever have enough books or bookcases. I collect nearly everything...I am a distracted collector always onto the next. Sugar is my biggest downfall, namely cheap candy bars or fancy pastries.

www.tracyporter.com
www.tracyporter.com/blog

Amanda Jaron

2009-02-16T21:33:00.001-08:00

Amanda Jaron:
Jewelry Designer

Before designing her own jewelry line, Amanda Jaron traveled the world for more than a decade while designing in NYC. She created pieces for Givenchy, Tommy Hilfiger, Nine West and Jones New York, as well as crafting runway pieces for couture fashion houses of Europe.

When choosing a place to put down roots to raise her family, Amanda found inspiration in her native sun-drenched Florida. Ultimately settling in Naples, fittingly called the “crown jewel” of Florida. Amanda launched A. Jaron Fine Jewelry in 2004. Her jewelry exudes a rich yet relaxed luxury.

The unique A. Jaron collections and designs have captured the attention of style-conscious fashion experts and A-list celebrities worldwide. Amanda’s philosophy is to create red carpet moments for every woman.

A graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, she holds a BFA degree in Jewelry and Metalsmithing. Amanda has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, VH1, FOX and HSN and her jewelry can be found HSN.com, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ajaron.com.

Her charitable work includes support of the One Campaign, which raises public awareness of global poverty, hunger, and disease in developing countries as well as, many charities to benefit children and education at home.

Home:
Naples, Florida

Hobbies & Interests:
Inspiring young people to follow their dream of becoming an artist, beaching it, finding time to DRAW with a pencil, antique/thrift shopping: handbags, buttons, vintage chandelier crystal and glass bottles in the shape of fish, going to the zoo, taking time to smell the roses, promoting public education, listening to my children laugh on the playground.

www.ajaron.com

Nathan Turner

2009-02-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

Nathan Turner:
Shop Owner
Interior Designer
World Traveler
Host Extraordinaire

A fourth-generation Californian, Nathan Turner grew up in San Francisco, surrounded by a large extended family. Deeply rooted in California heritage, he spent many weekends at the family ranch in Northern California, where they would ride horses, raise cattle and cook scrumptious meals. Indeed, home is where Nathan’s taste for adventure was born, and something he expresses through his travels and eclectic lifestyle.

Nathan attended St. Mary’s College of California where he graduated with a degree in business. He then lived abroad in France and Italy, where he studied the area’s language, art history, and honed his culinary skills.

Upon moving to Los Angeles, Nathan successfully merged his greatest passions-- design, travel and food--into his eponymous shop. Located on North Almont Drive in Los Angeles, Nathan’s store has become an expression of his years traveling, a faithful source for the country’s leading interior designers, as well as some of the most stylish individuals from coast to coast. An avid cook, Nathan equipped his store with a full kitchen so that he could host intimate dinners and parties on site.

Nathan’s parties, products, and designs have been featured in major national and regional publications including Domino, Vogue Living, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Food & Wine, and C magazine.

In 2008 Nathan launched the Nathan Turner for Elite Leather collection of upholstered furniture.

Home:
Los Angeles, California

Hobbies & Interests:
Horseback riding (western), cooking, country music, San Diego Chargers

www.nathanturner.com

Mary McDonald

2009-02-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Mary McDonald:
Interior Designer
Style Maven
Tastemaker

Glamorous and sophisticated, Mary’s signature style has been the focus of over a dozen cover stories including Town and Country, House and Garden, House Beautiful, Veranda, Elle Décor, Instyle and Domino Magazine. She has consistently been recognized as one of House Beautiful top 100 designers and her award winning designs have graced the cover of every major national design magazine. Her work has placed her among the elite group of America’s top designers.

Mary was raised in Brentwood, attended Boston University and Parsons School of Design. In her early twenties she began her career as a milliner with her designs featured in Vogue, Bazaar, Vanity Fair and the New York Times. Mary’s sense of “couture chic” translates into a design style that is a totally fresh “New Look”. Her signature rooms are classic and clean. Combining European antiques with contemporary lines Mary creates the feeling of “old world glamour” in a contemporary world. The scope of McDonalds work ranges from commercial to residential, with a high profile clientele including celebrities and CEOs.

Mary is currently working on her first book (Rizzoli) due out in 2010, while also developing a furniture and fabric line.

Home:

Beverly Hills, California

www.marymcdonaldinc.com

Charlotte Moss

2009-02-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Moss:
Designer
Author
Philanthropist
World Traveler

Charlotte Moss has developed a signature philosophy of style blending couture living and elegantly curated spaces in which one is meant to live, enjoy and entertain. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Moss’ distinct Southern charm has left its mark on society as a philanthropist and an elegant host.

It was in 1985 that Moss left her executive position on Wall Street to follow her true passion and join the world of luxurious interiors. Soon after its founding, Charlotte Moss and Company, a home furnishings store and interior design firm on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, became the authority of lifestyle for home décor.

Moss has designed residential installations in diverse locations throughout the United States and the Caribbean, published six books, and has become a sought after lecturer in the home, art, culture, and lifestyle circuits.

Inspiration in her work is drawn from Moss’ extensive travels, avid reading, native Southern heritage and the legacies left from great women of style. She and her husband, investment banker Barry Friedberg, divide their time among residences in Manhattan, East Hampton, and Aspen.

Home:
Manhattan, East Hampton and Aspen

www.charlottemoss.com

Kelly Wearstler

2009-02-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

Kelly Wearstler:
Designer
Author
Tastemaker

Recognized among design aficionados and contemporary culture devotees for her enchanting take on interiors and the luxury lifestyle, Kelly Wearstler has fine-tuned contemporary notions of elegance since establishing her firm, Kelly Wearstler, Inc., a decade ago.

Dubbed one of the design world’s top tastemakers by House & Garden and honored among House Beautiful’s best designers for seven years running, Wearstler has re-imagined the visual landscape on a diverse array of award-winning projects. In addition to international resorts and hotels throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico, she has designed select offices, restaurants, retail environments and residences for a high-profile and celebrity clientele.

Wearstler’s projects are frequently featured in fashion, design, travel, lifestyle and business publications and continually magnetize design cognoscenti around the world. Currently, she is preparing the lifestyle and design experiences for six hotel residence projects, which are underway in Miami, Anguilla and Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

Wearstler’s debut monograph Modern Glamour: The Art of Unexpected Style (Regan Books/HarperCollins, 2004) was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. A follow-up for Regan Books, titled Domicilium Decoratus, featuring the designer’s former Beverly Hills residence, was initially published in 2005 as a deluxe, limited-edition folio; a general edition followed in 2006. Several additional volumes are underway for publication as the decade continues. A regular contributor on living with style to such fashion bibles as Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and W, Wearstler was named one of the best dressed of 2007 by Vogue. She also serves as a judge on the Bravo network’s interior design competition series, “Top Design.”

As the namesake and creator of several product lines, Wearstler enjoys sharing her signature style with design professionals and discriminating retail shoppers. Fall 2007 marked the opening of the Kelly Wearstler boutique at Bergdorf Goodman. The boutique showcases a range of decorative home accessories designed by Wearstler exclusively for the legendary store. An extensive collection of handmade carpets for The Rug Company debuted in Spring 2008, followed by a fabric and trim collection for Groundworks at Lee Jofa in Fall 2008 and a soft home goods collection for Sferra in Spring 2009. Tabletop, new wallcoverings and more will soon join this portfolio of home products.

Home:
Beverly Hills, California

Hobbies & Interests:
Family time with my husband and two sons, Oliver (6) and Elliott (5) and our dog, Brea; Hiking the trails in Malibu; biking on the beach in Santa Monica; Barry’s Bootcamp – the best workout in the world; Vintage and antique shopping; Visiting art galleries; Traveling

www.kellywearstler.com

Preston Bailey

2009-02-11T03:53:00.001-08:00

Preston Bailey:
Event Designer
Style Arbiter
Author

Preston Bailey was born and raised in the verdant, tropical paradise of Panamá, so it’s little wonder that he is world renowned for his innate sense of style, inspired by the vibrant colors, organic shapes, and lush natural abundance of his homeland.

After 27 years in business, Preston has become especially renowned for his ability to completely transform raw, ordinary spaces into sumptuous, theatrical environments, translating his clients’ fantasies into awe-inspiring reality.

Preston’s one-of-a-kind events, which include the most extravagant weddings and galas for Royal families across the globe, have earned him a reputation as the world’s preeminent event designer. He has attracted such clients as Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Uma Thurman, Joan Rivers, Donna Karan, Liza Minnelli, Matt Lauer, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Laurence Fishburne, Emmitt Smith, and Bill Cosby.

Preston has written three bestselling books, Design for Entertaining, Fantasy Weddings, and his latest, Inspirations. He is currently working on his fourth book, scheduled to be released in 2008.

In addition to his many public speaking engagements, Preston’s numerous television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Martha Stewart, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, CBS’s The Early Show, and The Today Show.

Home:
New York City

Hobbies & Interests:
A daily dose of yoga, traveling the world, competing in triathlons.

www.prestonbailey.com

Vicente Wolf

2009-02-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

Vicente Wolf:
Designer
Photographer
Author
World Traveler

For the past three decades Vicente Wolf has fostered the global development of his brand through a simplicity-driven principle that infuses his many creative endeavours: interior design, photography, art collection and global travel. From the spacious light-filled loft in New York City where his company is headquartered, Wolf and his team at Vicente Wolf Associates build on his passion for design, maintaining an impressive portfolio spanning multinational conglomerates and private homes to hotels and restaurants across the globe.

House Beautiful named Vicente Wolf one of the 10 most influential designers in the United States, and Interior Design Magazine inducted Wolf in its Designer Hall of Fame. He was selected as one of the top 100 designers in both Metropolitan Home’s "Design 100" and Architectural Digest’s "AD 100". He is the owner of the Manhattan-based luxury showroom, VW Home, and is part-owner in two New York restaurants – Convivio. and Alto.

Wolf is the publisher of two books, Learning to See (Artisan, 2002) and Crossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of Design (Monacelli Press, 2006), that focuses on the many design inspirations found throughout the world – through the eyes of a traveler. He is currently planning his third book for launch in 2010.

Home:
New York City

Hobbies & Interests:
Travel, photography, theater (Vicente goes twice a week), collecting art, running in Central Park (five mornings a week), intimate dinner with friends (never more than two guests) - delete, cuddling with his cat Nene and shopping around the world to find one-off antiques for his luxury showroom in Manhattan, VW Home.

www.vicentewolf.com
www.vicentewolf.blogspot.com

Peter Callahan

2009-02-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Peter Callahan:
Caterer extraordinaire

If you’ve read Town & Country, InStyle, Quest, Elle or House Beautiful—just to name a few—chances are you’ve heard of caterer Peter Callahan. Peter’s unique blending of great food, pitch perfect presentation and a witty sense of humor places Callahan Catering head and shoulders above the competition.

In 1985, after a brief stint on Wall Street, Peter decided to trade in his financial career in exchange for one with a greater degree of creativity. Today his company’s clientele list reads like a who’s who—Hermes, JP Morgan, Lehman Brother, Ralph Lauren and Tiffany are just a few notable clients.

Peter recently launched PCK specializing in glatt kosher catering. PCK Catering offers OK kosher certification and works under strict orthodox rabbinical supervision abiding by all kashrut requirements of the OK kosher certification and Jewish law.

Peter has been featured on VH1 The Fabulous Life, MTV, Food Network and is a regular guest on the TODAY show. He has catered a birthday bash for Kelly Ripa and is a favorite of Kate and Andy Spade.

Home:
Peter and his wife Josephine Sasso divide their time between New York, an historic farm in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and a captain's house in Nantucket.

Hobbies and Interests:
Skiing, squash, tennis and old fashion body surfing. My catering is definitely the racey side of my life.

www.callahancatering.com

Josephine Sasso

2009-02-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

Josephine Sasso:
Fashion Designer
Interior Decorator

Josephine Sasso has designed gowns for Oprah Winfrey and is the darling of Martha Stewart Weddings. Josephine and her husband Peter Callahan's own lavish wedding graced the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings. Josephine’s dresses are a regularly profiled in Town & Country, Glamour, Lucky and InStyle. In addition to dresses and gowns Josephine has extended her design talents to include interiors. Her Nantucket home was featured in domino magazine.

Home:
Josephine and Peter divide their time between New York, an historic farm in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and a captain's house in Nantucket.

Hobbies & Interests:
My passion is designing and when I run out of rack space in my clothing store or ideas for gowns, I turn my attention to my houses. I am fortunate that I have more than one. I like to go skiing, as my husband takes me to aspen, and then I have a chance to shop. I also love to entertain, it's just one more reason to dress and be dressed. Of course it doesn’t hurt to have a husband who is a caterer to do all of the work. I love Palm Beach and feel a little guilty in this economy saying that, but it’s where I grew up, so it’s ok, right?

www.josephinesasso.com

Sara Story

2009-02-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

Sara Story:
Interior Designer
World Traveler

Sara Story’s birth in Japan, coupled with extensive travel in the Far East, have influenced her approach to design. Moreover, living in Texas and California further affected her vision of design to result in a contemporary, eclectic and timeless aesthetic for interiors. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of San Diego, and received a degree in Interior Architecture at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.

Sara moved to New York City in 2001, where she worked with prominent designers before creating Sara Story Design to infuse her own vision into the world of interiors. Sara is a fervent traveler. A few favorite destinations include: Istanbul, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Tokyo. Thailand and Vietnam.

Home:
New York City

Hobbies & Interests:
Traveling, art, discovering the food and wine of various cultures, yoga (bikram), Pilates and running.

www.sarastorydesign.com

Ronda Carman

2009-02-09T04:41:00.001-08:00

Ronda Carman is founder and editor of the internationally recognized blog All the Best. Founded in January 2007 as an online guide to stylish living, All the Best ranks in the top 90 Design Blogs by Alexa Internet, one of the largest Worldwide Web crawlers, and in the Top 50 Design, Travel and Fashions blogs by NetworkedBlogs.com.

All the Best averages 50,000+ unique visits each month and is read in more than 40 countries. All the Best has garnered attention from press and readers around the globe. Daily posts include topics ranging from design, shopping, travel, fashion, food, wine and art.

Ronda Carman is a reviewer for the prestigious Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotel collections and a contributor to Decorati.com, a leading online resource for high-end interior design. In October 2008 Ronda was invited to speak on the Decorati panel ‘Influence of the Design Blogger’ at the Decoration & Design Market New York, hosted by Architectural Digest.

What sets All the Best apart from other similar blogs are my interviews with industry icons. A few notables include—Katie Lee Joel, Charlotte Moss, Kelly Wearstler, Eva Jeanbart Lorenzotti, Ivanka Trump, Vicente Wolf and Jonathan Alder.

Amy Lagae

2009-02-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

Amy Lagae:
Founder of Avenue PR
Style Maven

Building on a fifteen-year career in public relations and special events, Amy established Avenue Public Relations, a boutique agency specializing in product placement, branding, media consultation and special events. Amy's impressive resume includes positions with Vogue Magazine, House of Lavande, The Orlando Shakespeare Festival, The Henry B. Plant Museum and The University of Florida.

Avenue Public Relations is based in Palm Beach, with an office in Paris and plans to open an office in New York.

Amy writes for Palm Beach Society Magazine and was named one of the 10 most stylish women in Palm Beach.

Home:
West Palm Beach

Hobbies & Interests:
Cooking, reading, writing and hanging out with her adorable son.

www.avepr.com
infoparis@avepr.com

Thomas Paul

2009-02-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

Thomas Paul:
Artist
Textile Designer

Born and raised in New York City, Thomas graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in textile design. He got his start in the fashion business working as an intern at DKNY as the head colorist for a silk mill specializing in neckwear and scarves. He developed neckwear collections for Bill Blass, Oscar De la Renta, Calvin Klein and DKNY before launching his own label and the thomaspaul pillow collection 2001.

Thomas recently contributed to the exhibition Fragiles organized by the German publisher Gestalten. The exhibition focuses on cutting edge designs in porcelain, glass, and ceramics. A special collection of porcelain plates featuring designs from the thomaspaul melamine collection was produced especially for the exhibition.

The work has subsequently been published in the book Fragiles. Thomas’s work has also been published in the book Simply Pattern (Victionary) showcasing the best of graphic and pattern design from around the world.

The collection is currently expanding further into the personal accessories category to include a full collection of bags, small accessories, and scarves.

Home:
New York City

Hobbies & Interests A - Z:
Art
Bikes/Birds
Cats
Dishes
EBAY
French Toast
Google
Horses
Ipod
Japan
Knits
Lichtenstein
Music
New York
Ocean
Pillows-(duh)
Quarters
Ralph Lauren
Shopping
Trees
Umbrellas
Valley Girls
Watches
Xerox
Yang
Zoos

www.thomaspaul.com

Tamara Heber-Percy

2009-02-06T05:35:00.000-08:00

Victoria Amory

2009-02-06T04:36:00.001-08:00

Victoria Amory:
Cookbook Author
Hostess Extraordinaire

Born and raised in Spain and England, Victoria combines European style with American practicality to create scrumptious meals that are simple to prepare. Victoria’s philosophy is a simple one - even the nicest dinner parties and the most practical everyday meals can be achieved without pressure nor pretension. Food, she believes, whether plain or sumptuous, is to be magical, exciting and above all, pleasurable.

Wonderfully stylish table settings, accessorized with objects from around the home, are the Victoria Amory signature trademark. Her dinner parties and tabletops have been featured in a myriad of magazines including Veranda, Southern Accents and Food & Wine.

The author of two cookbooks, she is a regular columnist for the Palm Beach Daily News, contributes to numerous magazines and blogs and appears regularly on TV. Her latest book, Delicious Flavors, is a collection of favorite recipes for easy, elegant and fun entertaining at home.

Home:
Victoria lives in Palm Beach, Florida and Southampton, New York with her husband and their three boys.

Hobbies & Interests:
Sports with my children (golf & tennis), travel and antiquing.

www.victoriaamory.com

Alexis Swanson Traina

2009-02-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Alexis Swanson Traina:
Creative Director Swanson Vineyards

Alexis Swanson Traina is the creative director of Swanson Vineyards and the namesake of the vineyard’s famous Alexis wine. Inspired by the literary and culinary salons of 18th-century Paris, Alexis put the Swanson wine tasting Salon on the map in Napa Valley.

To help execute the vision, Alexis hired friend and legendary New York decorator Thomas Britt. Guests to the Salon are seated at Moroccan burl tables in a beautifully appointed room surrounded by coral walls and a massive stone fireplace. Remaining true to the family tradition of culinary innovation, wine is paired with wild American osetra caviar and dark-chocolate truffles dusted with a curry powder of star anise, cumin and cloves.

Alexis and her husband Trevor Dow Traina, great-great grandson of Herbert Dow, founder of Dow Chemical, are famed in the wine country for their ability to throw great parties.

Swanson Vineyards and the Salon have received press coverage and accolades from Robb Report, NY Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Wine Spectator, Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, InStyle, Town & Country, W and ELLE Decor.

Home:
San Francisco and Napa Valley

Hobbies & Interests:

www.swansonvineyards.com

Carolina Zapf

2009-02-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

Carolina Zapf:
Founder CZ and Baby CZ
Style Maven

The German-born Carolina Zapf, founder of CZ and Baby CZ clothing lines, epitomizes contemporary elegance and style. The daughter of renowned furniture designer Otto Zapf and style icon Rosalie Zapf, Carolina is well-versed in the world of fashion and design. She and her husband John Josephson, managing director with the media investment bank Allen & Company, frequently entertain media moguls and industry elite in their Beresford apartment.

In addition to their time in Manhattan, the family spends summers and weekends at their century old hilltop house on the north shore of Long Island. The rambling Shingle-Style house once belonged to the legendary Birdseye family.

Both Carolina and her clothing line are frequently featured in Gotham, Hampton Style, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, InStyle, Cookie and Vanity Fair.

Home:
Manhattan and Long Island

Hobbies:
Ridding dressage, Skiing, Cooking, Collecting vintage baby-prams

www.babycz.com

James Lohan

2009-02-05T06:12:00.001-08:00

James Lohan:
Mr & Mrs Smith Co-founder
World Traveler

James is the Managing Director and one half of the couple behind the boutique hotel provider Mr & Mrs Smith. His first company, Atomic, organised legendary London parties and corporate events. Working in industries he was passionate about, he moved in line with his target market and co-founded a restaurant and members’ club – The White House. Next, naturally, he turned his attentions to boutique hotels.

Since Mr & Mrs Smith’s first guidebook was published under the Spy Publishing imprint in 2003, Smith has grown under James’ entrepreneurial eye from a labor of love to a multi-faced boutique travel provider. James’ latest projects include launching the Smith brand in the USA and opening an office in Australia to expand into the Asia-Pacific region, as well as introducing a 24-hour telephone booking service for luxury travelers worldwide.

Home:
London

Hobbies & Interests:
Squash, tennis, and collecting Vinyl which he occasionally dust off for the odd friend’s wedding.

Favorite Hotels:
Calcott Manor for a family trip
JK Place in Florence has a wonderful concierge who can help you do anything legal
Blakes in London for its dark glamor.

www.mrandmrssmith.com

Michael Devine

2009-02-05T05:36:00.000-08:00

Michael Devine:
Fabric Designer
Writer

Michael Devine left behind the world of journalism and his career as a magazine editor to found his eponymous collection Michael Devine Home. Housed in an 1840’s storefront on the town green in the village of Kinderhook, New York, the true cornerstone of Michael's collection is his exquisite hand printed fabric collection.

Michael Devine Home and fabrics have graced the pages of domino, ELLE Decor, House and Garden, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, Veranda, Traditional Home, The World of Interiors, British House and Garden and Quest.

Michael Devine's company is the first small American boutique to show its fabric line at the prestigious Maison & Object Edituers in Paris.

Home:
Kinderhook, New York and Gramercy Park, New York City.

Hobbies & Interests:
Chic sustainable gardening, cooking, needlepoint, reading works of Proust and Rousseau, watching movies of Jean Cocteau, collecting out of print garden and entertaining books from the '30's and '40's.

www.michaeldevinehome.com
Online Fabric Collection

Nupur Tron

2009-02-05T04:13:00.000-08:00

Nupur Tron:
Jewelry Designer

Jewelry designer Nupur Tron left her homeland of India at age 16 for a summer holiday in Connecticut. So taken with the States she stayed to further her education. After graduation from F.I.T New York she traveled extensively to Asia and Europe in order to learn the technical and production side of the fashion industry.

A brief period at the Paris Fashion Institute changed her course of history. On her last day in the city, she met future husband Frederic Tron at a couture show. They were engaged within two months and married two years later in St. Tropez.

Once again fate came calling fortuitously. A necklace designed by Nupur for her mother-in-law, caught the eye of the wife of Philip de Beauvoir—director of Le Bon Marché. Nupur launched her collection at Le Bon Marché in the summer of 2006. Le Bon Marché, the oldest department store in Paris, was designed by Gustav Eiffel in 1852.

Home:
Paris

Hobbies & Interests:
Reading, travel, opera, tracking in the mountains and cooking for my dear friends and family.

WEBSITE:
coming soon

Christine Elia

2009-02-04T10:26:00.001-08:00

Christine Elia:
Founder of Closet Couture

Closet Couture is an online fashion network that allows you to connect with like minded individuals, stylists, and designers, in order to share ideas and seek advice. Anchored around virtual closets, Closet Couture provides an easy way to manage wardrobes, upload photos, sell or swap clothes, hire stylists, shop for the season’s most coveted pieces and share web links.

Before launching Closet Couture, Chris’s career covered the media spectrum. She most recently worked in development at ABC and UPN networks in Los Angeles. In New York, she worked as the Senior Editor for My Generation Magazine. Prior to that, Chris was an editorial manager at iVillage UK in London and she started her career at Random House in New York.

Home:
Los Angeles, California

Hobbies and Interests:
Chris serves in the Otis College of Art and Design Board of Governors, and is a trusted committee member of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City.

www.closetcouture.com

Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti

2009-02-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti:
Founder of VIVRE
Style Maven
Philanthropist

Hailed as a "mail-order magnate" by TIME and "one of the 10 most stylish women in fashion" by VOGUE, Eva single-handedly redefined the business of direct marketing to the affluent consumer with the first mailing of the Vivre catalog, which featured two European luxury brands. A favorite of the media, Eva's trailblazing success is often featured in the pages of both the business and fashion press. Her articulate insight has been shared through venues as diverse as the Harvard Business School Entrepreneurship Conference, the International Herald Tribune Luxury Conference, the American Express Luxury Conference, CNN, CNBC and the Fine Living Channel.

Born and raised in Switzerland, Eva's deep familiarity with the European culture and her multilingual command of five languages have uniquely positioned her at the center of the rapidly evolving international luxury market.

Eva lends her expertise to a number of charity and philanthropic efforts, including leadership roles with the Guggenheim Museum Young Collector's Club, the Henry Street Settlement, Save Venice Inc., and the Kips Bay Decorator Showcase.

Home:
Eva and her husband Lorenzo Lorenzotti reside in Manhattan with their two children.

Hobbies and interests:

Entertaining, photography, cooking with her daughter and traveling.

www.vivre.com

Ruthie Sommers

2009-02-04T08:51:00.001-08:00

Ruthie Sommers:
Interior Designer
Owner of Chapman Radcliff Home

Ruthie Sommers, the talented Los Angeles-based interior designer, who graced the cover of domino magazine’s premiere issue, fuses an elegant and easygoing style while combining European antique and flea-market finds.

Recognized by House Beautiful as among the top designers in America, and named as a rising design star in Southern California, Ruthie imbues an East-Coast-classic-meets-West-Coast-bohemian flair.

In 2002, she opened the Chapman Radcliff Home boutique in West Hollywood, a celebrity stomping ground for the design obsessed. Ruthie studied at Parsons in Paris, her work has appeared in House Beautiful, Traditional Homes, Coastal Living, Architectural Digest, Southern Accents, and Lucky.

Home:
Los Angeles, California

Hobbies & Interests:
Oil painting, tennis, games (scrabble, charades, taboo, puzzles), skiing and gardening.

Ruthie’s main interest is the environment. She is obsessed with waste and counts the amount of plastic she buys, composts and reuses all grey water. A complete sap for rescue animals of any kind, she visits the pound way too often. Ruthie has 3 pound dogs of her own and is a sucker for animal rights groups and saving the seals in the over polluted oceans. She is often told to lighten up about the environment, but find it a difficult task given that we need to give the earth that we borrowed back to our children.
www.chapmanradcliffhome.com

Elaine Turner

2009-02-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

Elaine Turner:
Handbag Designer

A former apparel designer and merchandiser, Elaine used her industry experience to fill a void in the market for luxurious accessories at an accessible price point. Inspired by great design, travel and her mother’s impeccable fashion sense, Elaine Turner handbags debuted in 2000 with much praise and acclaim.

Elaine Turner is currently sold through her namesake boutiques in both Houston's Rice Village and NorthPark Center Dallas. Elaine Turner is also sold at Nordstrom stores nationwide, Elaine Turner in-store shops at all Tootsies locations-Houston, Atlanta and Dallas, Elaine Turner online and over 200 specialty stores throughout the U.S.

Home:
Elaine was born and raised in Houston, Texas where she currently resides with her husband and two children.

Hobbies & Interests:
Travel, interior design, collecting art, photography and lithographs, tennis,spending time with my children and family, wine and animals (dogs especially).

www.elaineturner.com

Schuyler Samperton

2009-02-04T05:01:00.001-08:00

Schuyler Samperton:
Interior Designer

Schuyler Samperton is best known for her modern-classic style – an imaginative blend of low-key and elegant pieces with a youthful, West Coast flair. Vogue Living declared her as one of “Today’s Tastemakers” in its 2006 inaugural issue. Schuyler’s work has also been featured in Elle Décor, W, Departures, In Style, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2003, House Beautiful named her among “America’s Top Young Designers.”

Schuyler spent six years as a publicist for the Fox Broadcasting Company, where she lent her creative touch to promotions for hit shows like The Simpsons, Melrose Place and the Emmy Awards. Schuyler launched her interior design career through a four-year stint with legendary celebrity decorator Michael S. Smith.

Home:
Los Angeles, California

Hobbies:
Spending time at the beach with her puppy Tricky, visiting Ojai, reading and movies.

www.samperton.com

Photo by Robert Zuckerman

Jane Green Warburg

2009-02-03T13:25:00.001-08:00

Jane Green:
New York Times Bestselling Author

One of the founding writers behind the 'chick lit' phenomenon, Jane Green now writes novels that reflect the lives of real women today. The author of eleven novels, including several New York Times Bestsellers, she is published in over thirty languages around the world, and is a number one bestseller in her native England. Her last release, The Beach House, sat at the top of the New York Times list for six months, and her latest novel, Dune Road, is to be released in June 2009.

Jane was awarded the Fun Fearless Fiction Award by Cosmopolitan magazine in 2007, is a contributor to The Huffington Post and wowowow.com, and has recently contributed to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms, although she now worries she misunderstood the title, and is, in fact, the antithesis of a Power Mom.

Home:
Jane lives in Connecticut with her husband and their blended family of many children.

Hobbies & Interests:
Jane's passions are food, entertaining, and gardening. When not attempting to juggle a household and a career, she can usually be found either cooking, or covered in dirt, planting vegetable seeds.

www.janegreen.com

Robert and Cortney Novogratz

2009-02-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Robert and Cortney Novogratz:

Property developers, designers, world travelers, parents of seven

This dynamic duo has created a lucrative business transforming dilapidated buildings into upscale residences. Having refurbished or built from scratch more than 10 homes, the Novogratzes have a history of turning nothing into something, and creating real estate value where little existed before.

Featured in scores of American and European shelter magazines, their work includes residential and commercial projects throughout the world.

Their new book Downtown Chic is published by Rizzoli.

Hobbies & Interests:
Robert - marathons, photography and collects vintage coats.

Cortney - collects perfume bottles, loves movies and skiing.

Both are involved in the local community, church, school and their kids' sports. Both love antiques, contemporary art and bad wine.

Home:

New York, New York

Massachusetts

Trancoso, Brazil

www.sixxdesign.com

Laura Harris

2009-02-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Laura Harris:
Furniture designer and founder of Lorely

A Trinity College graduate with a bachelor of arts in Art History, Laura has always been intrigued by color, design and the decorative arts.

Laura spent several years working with venerable New York interior designer David Easton before founding Lorely. Laura’s designs are the perfect balance of function, texture, luxury and whimsy. Lorely has been featured in Elle Decor, Town & Country, Glamour, House Beautiful and Martha Stewart Living.

Home:
New York, New York

Hobbies:
Tennis, lots of outdoor time including my latest passion gardening, obsessive antiquing and sourcing, books...books and more books and my husband, my dogs and most importantly my daughter Lulu.

www.lorelyfurniture.com

James Andrew

2009-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

James Andrew:
Interior Designer
Blogger
Style Guru

James is passionate about interior design, fashion and living well. He shares his ideas on fashion, living and personal style via his website What is James Wearing.

James spent eight years with Ralph Lauren's Home Collection before joining Parish-Hadley in New York. After two years of working along side Albert Hadley, he founded his own design house, James Andrew Interior Design, Inc. Mr. Hadley continues to be one of his most valued friends and confidants.

James' work has been shown and featured worldwide in Elle Decor, Russian Elle Decor, House and Garden and The New York Times. He was recently described by The London Daily Telegraph's Stella magazine as an "..updated David Hicks."

Home:
Manhattan, New York

Hobbies & Interests:
Fashion, shopping, travel, researching destination and finding hotels that really capture the essence of the place, decoration, design, architecture, collecting dishes and tableware, cooking and reading.

My spiritual path is something that is extremely important to me and I am always striving to be a better version of myself, figuring out how to be in touch with my greatness and be a light to the world.

I love animals, I would love to be a weekend gentleman farmer and have an odd collection of animals. Right now it’s just Rupert and Nigel my whippets.

The arts and promoting up and coming artists like Scott McBee and Alexander Scott.

www.whatisjameswearing.com
www.jamesandrewinteriordesign.com

Susanna Salk

2009-02-01T04:16:00.001-08:00

Susanna Salk:
Author, regularly contributor to NBC’s TODAY Show, Contributing Editor to 1stdibs.com, Bon Appetit Magazine and ivillage.com.

Salk is the author of Assouline’s “A Privileged Life, Celebrating WASP Style” published in March 2007. Her next book, “Weekend Retreats” will debut in April 2009 from Rizzoli.

She is now working on “Rooms of Their Own,” celebrating fabulous children’s rooms, to be published by Rizzoli in 2010.

Home:
Salk lives in Connecticut with her husband and two boys.

Hobbies & Interests:
Tennis, traveling with my family, French film, becoming a better hockey Mom

www.susannasalk.com