A few weeks ago when I visited Palm Springs we spent our first night at The Colony Palms which is a beautiful old Spanish style hotel with a storied history. In the 1930s the property was owned by an alleged member of the mob and was equipped with a basement casino, a speakeasy and a brothel! It was Hollywood’s golden area the hotel, called The Colonial House back then, was a glamorous retreat frequented by legendary stars like Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Carol Lombard and many more. Over the next several decades the hotel changed hands a few times before reopening in 2007 after a 3-year $16million renovation which included stunning interiors designed by “million dollar decorator” Martyn Lawrence Bullard. The decor infuses Moroccan, Spanish and Mediterranean influences with classic colonial style, old Hollywood glamour and a touch of the exotic. The property is lush with palm trees, fountains and beautiful gardens which create a laid back and sophisticated ambiance. Here is a peek at some photos I shot during my stay…
This is the elegantly appointed lobby that greets you when you check in. I loved the presence of the framed suzani on the wall behind the desk which creates a beautiful focal point. Framing delicate antique textiles is a great trick for allowing you to beautifully showcase them while still keeping them in tact.
Framed black and white photography with fashion and old Hollywood imagery adorn the walls. There are also more suzanis everywhere…
I loved the addition of subtle contrast welting, nailheads and fringe detail on the plush velvet sofas in the lobby. I always say that good design is in the details!
All throughout the property you’ll find beautiful old Spanish tiles like this covering the floors…
This is the hotel’s amazing restaurant, The Purple Palm, which is situated right by the pool. The food is Mediterranean inspired and totally amazing. Our dinner there the night we checked in was one of the best meals we had in Palm Springs and the next morning we had the most incredible breakfast ever.
We stayed in a standard guest room with two double beds and the decor was simple but lovely. The beds were incredibly comfortable and I loved the suzani covered headboard which provided an energizing splash of color.
Here’s a view of one of the hotel’s courtyards overlooking the pool and The Purple Palm…
And the chic pool surrounded by wrought iron lounge chairs with rust colored cushions which play well off the colors in the terracotta roof tiles and the natural elements…
And finally, a shot of the property just after sunset. For more information on The Colony Palms click here.
Photos by Nicole Gibbons
Interior design by Martyn Lawrence Bullard
The Grounds at The Parker Palm Springs
I recently took a jaunt to Palm Springs for a long weekend getaway with my best friends to celebrate our birthdays and it was one of the most relaxing trips I’ve taken in a while. I’m sure this had something to do with the fact that I completely unplugged which allowed me to truly unwind and recharge my batteries. We enjoyed our stay at two fabulous hotels: The Colony Palms and The Parker Palm Springs which gave us an opportunity to experience two completely different vibes. The Parker had a whimsical and uber cool, retro chic feel while The Colony Palms was a bit more laid back with a sexy, romantic vibe. Both hotels featured stunning interiors which I will be posting about soon! In the meantime, enjoy these scenic snapshots from my trip!
The chic pool at The Parker…
A highlight of the weekend was going for a beautiful early morning bike ride through the desert with my bestie. This was one of the glorious views from our ride…
And these were our rides. I’m a total sucker for a vintage bike with a basket!
Here and below are more shots of the beautifully landscaped grounds at The Parker…
A wind farm on our scenic drive into Palm Springs from LA…
The pool at The Colony Palms.
Looking up into the trees…
Classic Palm Springs scenery!
On April 5th luxury publisher Assouline will release a new coffee table book that celebrates the beauty and magic of St. Barths which happens to be one of my all-time favorite vacation destinations. Written by Pamela Fiori (who also authored In the Spirit of Capri), In the Spirit of St. Barths is full of captivating photos, giving us an up close look at the posh Caribbean isle that evokes the glamour of the French Riviera and is synonymous with chic. Think yachts, champagne, beautiful beaches and beautiful people. Below is a little peek at what you’ll find inside! (Photos and captions from In the Spirit of St. Barths are courtesy of Assouline).
“Sunset on Shell Beach in Gustavia is a good time to find treasures from the sea.”
“Gustavia watercolor on paper by Stanislas Defize.”
“Gustavia harbor lit up at dusk.”
“A colorful harbor view.”
“It takes a skilled pilot to land on the 2,170-foot-long runway without ending up in the Baie de St. Jean.”
You can order your copy of In the Spirit of St. Barths here. And since we’re on the subject, I thought I’d share a few of my own photos of St. Barths that also capture the spirit of this idyllic little island. Now who’s ready for a vacay?!
Fashion designer and style icon Diane von Furstenberg can now add the title interior designer to her resume after the debut of 20 glamorous hotel suites she recently designed for Claridge’s hotel in London. In her first-ever interior design project, von Furstenberg developed bespoke fabrics, rugs, furniture and cashmere throws for the rooms in the historic art deco landmark hotel. The rooms are stunning with luxurious fabrics in bold geometric patterns, ikat prints and Chinese florals plus pops of bright color, lacquered surfaces and – of course – plenty of animal prints, a von Furstenberg signature. The bathrooms are quite spectacular featuring rich marble surfaces and complete with plush DVF wrap robes. The suites also feature personalized touches like photos taken by von Furstenberg during her travels through Europe, Africa and Asia. I especially love the striking berry and chocolate colored ikat print sofa shown above which is covered in one of von Furstenberg’s custom fabrics. The DVF suites at Claridge’s are definitely fit for a princess. In fact the 5-star hotel is the only place where von Furstenberg (once married to German Prince Egon von Furstenberg) is still referred to as “your Highness!” Visit the Claridges website for room rates and reservations.
“Hotels are fantasy and they’ve just got to make you dream.” – Diane von Furstenberg
Photos: Claridge’s and DVF
I just returned from a little mini vacay in Los Angeles and during my stay I had drinks & dinner at Soho House, the posh and super exclusive private members club with outposts in London, New York and Berlin. Soho House West Hollywood just opened this March and has quickly become the newest Hollywood hot spot. On any given night you can look to your left and notice the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie or Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Look to your right and you might spot David and Victoria Beckham (who I hear were on a wait list to join until just recently!). It’s definitely the place to see and be seen for any of the who’s who in LA. (On the night I went I spotted Dylan McDermott, Ashlee Simpson and Ryan Phillipe!) To me whats more impressive than its A-list membership is the club’s fabulous interiors! Designed by Cuban-born Waldo Fernandez, the 20,000 square foot penthouse offers jaw dropping 360 degree views of Los Angeles and features a bar, restaurant, roof garden and a private event space. Fernandez is the go-to designer for Hollywood celebrities and entertainment industry execs and has designed homes for Tobey Maguire, Brad & Angelina, Keanu Reeves and director Brett Ratner among others. For the Soho House West Hollywood he created a relaxed and sophisticated space that evokes the feeling of old Hollywood glamour meets English gentlemans’ club. I was blown away by the beauty of the interior architecture and decoration. Here’s a little peek inside the gorgeous space!
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An exterior shot of Shangri La. Photographed by Luca Trovato for the July ’07 issue of Town & Country
Back in October I went to Hawaii for a few days and the #1 thing on my to-do list while there was visit Shangri La, the legendary estate of Doris Duke.
A 1930′s portrait of Doris Duke by Cecil Beaton. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
Doris Duke was an American heiress and the only daughter of James Buchanan Duke who was the magnate behind a wildly successful tobacco and energy empire. (The Duke Energy Company which he founded in 1904 still provides power to a majority of the southern states here in the US and he’s also the “Duke” after which Duke University was named.) James Buchanan Duke died in 1925 leaving a $50 million fortune (the equivalent of $620 million in today’s currency!) to his then 12 year old daughter, making her the richest girl in the world at the time and earning her the nickname “Million Dollar Baby.”
Duke and Cromwell outside Shangri La. The couple divorced in 1940. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
At 22, Doris Duke married politician James Cromwell and embarked on a year long honeymoon around the world. They traveled to such far flung places as Morocco, India, China, Syria, Turkey and Indonesia. It was through these travels that Duke fell in love with the beauty and exoticism of Islamic art, architecture and culture.
Duke during her honeymoon at the Moti mosque in Agria, India. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
The last stop on their honeymoon was Honolulu. They were supposed to stay only a couple of weeks but Duke loved Hawaii so much she extended their trip to four months. She was captivated by the beauty, the weather and the the privacy Hawaii offered her from the public eye and the New York social scene so she decided to build a home there.
Shangri La under construction circa 1937. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
Duke purchased 5 acres of oceanfront property overlooking the Pacific at the base of Diamond Head, an extinct volcano. She commissioned architect Marion Sims Wyeth to help her envision her home which she called Shangri La after the fictitious place in James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon, which depicted paradise on earth. Duke began building her home in 1935 and spent $1.4 million on the project which at the time made it the most expensive home built from the ground up in Hawaii and is the equivalent of about $22 million in today’s currency.
Duke’s beloved Mohhul garden at Shangri La. Photographed by Luca Trovato for the July ’07 issue of Town & Country.
Wyeth set out to build an estate that married eastern influenced architecture and Islamic references with Hawaii’s lush tropical landscape and ocean views.
An arch and basin in Duke’s bathroom which was designed with motifs replicated from the Taj Mahal. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
The home featured stunning architectural details, many of which were inspired by places she visited on her honeymoon such as the Taj Mahal. The home took two years to complete.
Duke shops for bureaus in Damascus. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
Being a young woman of extreme wealth and privilege, Duke embarked on trips accross the world searching for perfect pieces to outfit her home and comissioning custom work from artisans in places like Syria, Morocco and Iran, having pieces freighted by sea and then
painstakingly rebuilt inside her home.
An 18th century Syrian interior was disassembled and rebuilt inside Shangri La in this room which she called the Damascus Room. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
Inside you’ll find gilt and painted ceilings from Morocco, ceramics from Iran, furniture from Damascus, metalwork and textiles from Spain and many pieces from Dukes priceless collection of art and objects from the Islamic world.
The dining room at Shangri La.
Over a period of 60 years, Duke amassed a collection of more than 3500 objects from the Islamic world including painted ceilings, doors, marble screens, tile panels, ceramics, textiles, carpets and paintings. In her dining room showed above is a priceless 1840s Baccarat chandelier from India and mosaics from Iran along with Duke family heirloom silver.
A passageway off the courtyard at Shangri La
Shangri La was one of Duke’s many estates but it was by far her favorite and most personal. She spent a few months a year there and visited consistently for more than 60 years.
Shangri La’s al fresco dining terrace overlooking the Pacific.
Duke’s will left her estate to her charitable foundation and instructed that following her death Shangri La was to be opened to the public for the study of Islamic art and culture. She passed away in 1993 and in 2002, the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art in partnership with the Honolulu Academy of the Arts opened Shangri La to the public for guided tours. If you’re ever in Honolulu I’d highly recommend visiting and if you’re a design and architecture buff like me, it’s worth taking a trip to Hawaii just to see this incredible estate. For more information on Shangri La including details on its guided tours, visit Shangrilahawaii.org. You can also take a virtual tour of the property on the website!
Doris Duke at Shangri La in 1966. Photo via shangrilaahawaii.org
When you read about Shangri La you’ll often hear that visiting the estate is a complete sensory experience. I absolutely agree. When I visited, I was captivated by the beauty of the landscaping, the incredible interiors, the smell of salt water, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and the feeling of the gentle breeze in the air. It’s a truly breathtaking place! Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside the house so I don’t have my own to share but below are my photos taken of Shangri La’s exterior areas as well as several photos of the home’s interior from the Honolulu Academy of the Arts and Town & Country. As you can see, the estate is truly stunning!
Photo Credits:
Shangri La Hawaii / Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Lucas Trovato for Town & Country
Nicole Gibbons for So Haute
Photo: Mooncici’s Etsy Shop
I recently returned from a week long trip to Los Angeles and I’m already wishing I was back there! I LOVE LA! I was in town for work and then extended my trip into a long weekend and had such an awesome time. I’ve been to LA many times over the years and never gave the city any serious thought but lately the sunshine, palm trees and laid back California lifestyle have begun to seduce me and I find myself daydreaming about living there. Here’s a recap of my week long trip. The post is quite long so while you’re reading, I’ll be away plotting out my master plan to get to LA permanently:)
I usually stay at The Chamberlain whenever I’m in town but this time I decided to try the SLS Beverly Hills which is a relatively new hotel designed by Philipe Starck. The hotel is situated on La Cienega and San Vicente right near the Beverly Center mall and easily accessibly to West Hollywood, the Sunset strip and the La Cienega design district. The hotel’s interiors are bold, sleek and modern and rumor has it Philipe Stark was given a $100million budget to design the property. Above is the guest lobby which leads into Tres, one of the hotel’s restaurants. There is a separate lobby for visitors dining at The Bazaar, which is a popular restaurant also located within the SLS. One of the only drawbacks of the SLS (and this is totally subjective) is that it turns into a bit of a scene at night with all the people coming in and out of The Bazaar and you feel as though you’re walking past a nightclub when you arrive to the hotel at night. Thank goodness for the separate lobbies! Another feature of note is the hotel’s gift shop curated by Moss, the unique furnishings and accessories gallery based in Soho.
The guest rooms were minimal and chic although not necessarily practical. My room looked exactly like the the one above. It was actually quite dark and there were smoky gray mirrors on just about every wall surface including in the bathroom. It definitely looked cool but made simple tasks like putting on makeup a challenge! Still, the space was intimate and cozy and the bed comfortable enough to allow for a good night’s sleep. And the service at the hotel was outstanding!
Perhaps the best feature of the SLS Beverlyl Hills is its rooftop pool area. On the left is a shallow 18 inch wading pool with cold, refreshing water and on the right is a slightly heated swimming pool.
Cabanas, lounge chairs, huge canopied daybeds and colorful Louis style armchairs by sixinch surround the pool creating a very stylish lounge like atmosphere designed for relaxation. As soon as I finished with all of my work obligations, I spent much of my free time here enjoying the sun! One not of caution is that on the weekends, the pool area gets a bit scene-y with loud music and a younger crowd…fun for people watching but not for relaxing. Overall though, I definitely enjoyed my stay at the SLS.
I was really excited that my trip to LA happened to coincide with Westweek which is the market week for the design industry in LA. I wasn’t able to attend many of the Westweek events due to work obligations but I did attend a fun cocktail party hosted by One Kings Lane founders Susan Feldman and Alison Pincus. The event was at Almont Yard – a community of design showrooms that includes Nathan Turner, Harbinger & Lucas Studio, Karthryn Ireland Textiles and Claremont Fabrics all which surrounds a quaint little courtyard. The party was swimming with alll the top names in the LA design community who came out to toast the kick off of Westweek. At the event I introduced myself to Peter Dunham who I was beyond excited to meet since he’s one of my favorite interior designers. He couldn’t have been nicer and invited me to stop by his shop Hollywood at Home which recently moved to a new location on LA Cienega at the end of last year. The old location was actually in Almont Yard in the space that Kathryn Ireland now occupies. Sadly, I didn’t have time to drop by but I definitely plan to the next time I’m in town!
Me pictured with Joe Lucas of Lucas Studio. Photo by Stephanie Keenan.
In addition to Peter Dunham, I was thrilled to meet Joe Lucas and Parrish Chilcoat of the design firm Lucas Studio whose work I absolutely adore. The Lucas Studio design office and their furnishings, fabric and accessories showroom Harbinger are also located in Almont Yard. I blogged about Lucas Studio a while back and Joe sent me the kindest thank you email afterward so it was especially nice get to meet him in person. I was also excited to meet Susan Feldman and Ali Pincus, the evening’s hosts since I’m a huge fan of One Kings Lane which they launched last year. I spent some time chatting with another interior designer who introduced herself as Carla and after about 10 minutes of chatting she handed me her business card and I realized I was talking to Carla Lane who I’m a big fan of and have blogged about before! It was quite a serendipitous moment! She too couldn’t have been nicer and gave me lots of advice about the design industry in LA. At the party I also bumped into designer Brad Ford who was in own from New York and had spoken earlier that day at a Westweek panel at the Pacific Design Center about the role of blogs and new media in the design industry. He was with LA based decorator Vanessa de Vargas who spoke on the panel as well. I also spotted interior designers Joe Nye and Barclay Butera, textile designer Lulu de Kwiatkowski and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis. It was definitely the party of the week and I’m glad I was able to attend!
On the Saturday of my trip I met up with designer Kishani Perera for lunch at the trendy LA eatery Joan’s on Third. Kishani filled me in on her upcoming feature in the June issue of House Beautiful on stands next month! (Congrats Kishani!) She also just joined twitter and you can follow here. As much time as I’ve spent in LA, I’d actually never been Joan’s before! If you’re not familiar, Joan’s is a gourmet marketplace and restaurant often seen in paparazzi pictures because of all of its celebrity fans who eat there regularly.
At lunch I ordered this sandwich filled with short rib, melted Monterey Jack cheese, arugula and sweet caramelized onions on buttery grilled country bread. The sandwich was featured on the cover of Bon Appétit’s February 2010 issue and I swear it tastes as good as it looks in this photo! I loved it so much I went back 2 days later for another one!
Another restaurant I was dying to check out was Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica. It’s a sister restaurant to Blue Plate, also in Santa Monica, but this spin-off specializes in seafood fare. I had heard lots of buzz not just about the food but also about the restaurant’s interiors which were designed by Tim Clarke. The food was delicious. I enjoyed a classic lobster roll with sweet potato chips and my boyfriend (who joined me in LA for the weekend) had fish tacos…both equally amazing. We at outside on cute blue wooden picnic tables while looking out at the beach which is located directly across the street.
The restaurant’s interiors have a beach casual vibe with subtle oceanic references like the pearlized leather banquettes which resemble the inside of an oyster shell, light fixtures made from recycled sea glass jars, sea shell wall sconces, brass mermaid door knockers which hang on the bathroom doors and the soft hues of blue throughout which mimic the colors of the sea. Photographs of beautiful beaches line the walls and there is also a huge octopi motif gilded mirror that serves as a focal point on the restaurant’s back wall which is covered in a bark wallpaper that evokes the color and texture of driftwood.
Here’s a shot of the restaurant’s open kitchen. I would highly recommend checking out Blue Plate Oysterette if you’re ever in the area and you can find more info on their website here. Thanks for reading my ridiculously long recap of my trip LA! xoxo
So I’m back after my week long vacay in the Dominican Republic. With a lot going on in my personal life combined with the stresses of my demanding job and the daily rigors of living in New York, I really needed to get away and this trip is just what the doctor ordered! The island was beautiful and I took great pleasure in being a beach bum all week.
A gorgeous sunset on Bayahibe Beach in La Romana, DR
One of the highlights of the trip was watching the sunset on the beach each night. It was so nice to have the opportunity to relax and recharge in such a gorgeous place. Now back to work!
If you’re looking to plan a little getaway, I’d highly recommend packing your bags and heading South of the border for a relaxing stay at Cabo Azul, a chic luxury resort just outside of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. When I went to Cabo in Feburary I had the pleasure of staying at Cabo Azul and it was truly one of the most beautiful resorts I’ve ever visited. Situated at the tip of the Baja Penninsula along a 12 acre stretch of white sand beachfront, Cabo Azul is a luxe oasis with beautifully landscaped grounds, stylish interior spaces and incredible views of the Sea of Cortes.
The interiors were created by renowned hospitality designer Dodd Mitchell who has designed a number of world class hotels and restaraunts including the Hollywood Roosevelt, the Thompson Beverly Hills and the restaraunts Bond Street and Dolce in Los Angeles. I typically prefer smaller boutique hotels and Cabo Azul has 332 rooms. Despite the size of the resort, it’s surprisingly quiet and has a peaceful, serene ambiance. Each of the rooms are actually 1, 2 or 3 bedroom villas. The villas are sleek and sophisticated with a light, bright and airy feeling. I love all of the dark wood accents and Spanish and Moroccan influences.
Each villa includes a fully equipped kitchen and the resort has personal chef’s on hand to prepare fresh, in-room meals if you desire.
Cabo Azul is full of amenities, one of my favorites being their gourmet market which reminded me of Citarella here in New York. The market offers gourmet selections of your typical groceries including meats, dairy, produce and packaged goods. They also have a great selection of gourmet cheeses, wine and liquor as well as your standard toiletries. If that isn’t enough, the resort also has a bakery, a deli a gelateria, an internet cafe and a great fitness center on site.
Flor de Noche and Javier’s are the two restaurants at the resort. Flor de Noche is located right on the pool deck and offers casual, open air dining under a palapa covered roof. There’s also a swim up bar. This is where I ate most nights during my trip. I loved the fresh fish tacos and other seafood concoctions.
The inside of the palapa roof at Flor de Noche is lined with this incredible pattern of
nautical ropes that cascades down a column in the center of the restaurant. Above is a photo taken at night. Javier’s offers a more formal dining experience. I didn’t eat there at all (stuck to Flor de Noche & room service) but my traveling companions did and they thought the food at Javier’s was amazing.
The pool area is probably the resort’s crowning feature. It includes several connected, multi-level infinity pools which are surrounded by cabanas, stylish chaises and chic bamboo pod lounge beds. The pools are all kept at a warm temperature so you feel as though you’re swimming in a pool of warm bathwater. It’s divine! The landscaping also features several large flaming fire scluptures which illuminate the grounds at night.
For more information on Cabo Azul, visit their website here. And in case you were interested in seeing some of my personal photos from the trip, below are a few.
The bedroom in my villa The main living area. How fabulous is that Moroccan lantern?!
The view of the pool and beach from my room
At the beach
I wish I was back there drinking this!
Sorry I’ve been MIA! Work and life have been crazy! I spent 5 days in LA last week for work so I thought I’d give you a little recap of all of the design related stories from my trip…good and bad. Let’s start with one of my favorite hotels, The Chamberlain West Hollywood.
Stayed a fabulous two nights at The Chamberlain. I go to LA quite often and stay here a majority of the time. It’s quiet and cozy, centrally located and I love the large rooms, the pool, the service, and the gorgeous lobby pictured above. But…during this stay I was very disappointed when my expensive
T3 flat iron mysteriously went missing. I realized it after I checked out and when I called the hotel said they could not locate it. And since then, hotel hasn’t been very responsive to my phone calls. I think I deserve some sort of compesation…or at the very least an apology but nothing yet. I’m hoping they’re just busy and not ignoring me because I’m going back there next week and will surely make a fuss about this if it’s not resolved before my next stay! Anyway…I extended my trip a few extra days to visit friends and enjoy LA so I decided to switch hotels and stay somewhere a bit less expensive after I was finished taking care of business. I landed on
Maison 140 in Beverly Hills which is a sister property to the Chamberlain, both owned by Kelly Wearstler’s Hubby Brad Korzen.
Let me start by saying that I had really high expectations for Maison 140. When I arrived I was expecting valet service and bellhops to take my car and help me with my luggage. But when I pulled up front and no one came to greet my car I was confused. Then I realized the hotel had a self-park lot. At first I thought to myself, “Free parking! Great! Totally makes up for having to schlep my bags inside all by myself.” But nope, $24 per night to self park. Sort of annoying but I rationalized it against the fact that I was saving money in valet tips.
Once inside I forgot all about the parking, because all I could focus on was the lovely lobby. It was dark, moody and very chic. It felt intimate and the staff that greeted me inside couldn’t have been nicer.
While I waited to check in, I was offered a complimentary glass of champagne, which I graciously accepted;-) Definitely my kind of place!
Now on to my room…
My expectations for the decor were especially high since they were designed by Kelly Wearstler. This was my room. Not terrible, but there’s something about the color orange that makes me uneasy.
In the bathroom I noticed a weird windy sound coming from the vent and when I looked up I saw this. A dust bunny covered vent. Eeew. Right then I decided to switch rooms.
I put on a smile and my sweetest voice and kindly asked the woman at the front desk if I could switch rooms. She was extremely nice about it and quickly moved me to one of the property’s “Mandarin” rooms which looked sort of like the one above. (Sorry, I didn’t take a photo!) My new room was small-ish, but perfect! And despite those few minor issues, all in all I had a great stay at Maison 140. I also loved the super cute, quiet location and especially the friendly staff. I’d definitely give the place a second chance.
On Friday night I met up with interior designer
Kishani Perera, who I was introduced to by a mutual friend. (She’s amazing, by the way-Look for a profile plus Kishani’s tips for decorating on a budget coming soon!) We dined at
XIV which is located right on the Sunset strip. XIV is owned by LA nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse who also owns a number of other trendy eateries and nightclubs in LA.
The eclectic menu was created by Michelin rated chef Michael Mina.The food was A-Mazing. I had lobster corn dogs as an appetizer and halibut as my entree plus a yummy nutty banana thingy off their vegan menu for dessert. I loved that they offered different menus and also various options for ordering. They did offer tradtional appetizer, entree dessert but they recommend their selection of small plates so you can design your own tasting menu and try a number of items. The service was also top notch.
As much as I loved the food and impeccable service, I loved the decor ten times more. Designed by Philippe Starck, XIV’s opulent interior spaces are meant to evoke the feeling of a 17th century chateau.
There are cozy fireplaces, built in bookshelves filled with beautifully bound books, rich chocloate brown velvet draperies, furnishings from France and Italy, gorgeaous crystal chandeliers and an incredible collection of original oil paintings and other works of art.
An interesting juxtaposition against the restaraunt’s traditional European furnishings is its open, stainless steel kitchen which adds an element of modernity to the space.
The restaurant also features a chic covered patio which is where we were seated.
The space is beautiful and filled with whymsical touches like vine covered trellises and wheelbarrow shaped chairs. The patio takes advantage of LA’s beautiful weather by allowing patrons to feel the city’s cool breeze as they dine. XIV gets an A+ in my grade book so if you haven’t checked it out, it should be on your must-visit list!
Saturday I checked out a few vintage furniture shops in and around Silverlake/Echo Park. a few I really thought were great were
Living Room,
Casa Victoria and
Sunset Bazaar. Living room, pictured above contains a mix of new and vintage and is a bit more high-end. The beds were covered in Dwell Studio and John Robshaw linens and most of the vintage furnishings the sell are refurbished and re-covered in updated fabrics. Another shop i Liked was Sunset Bazaar which was small but I saw a few great quality pieces that were very reasonably priced. Sunset Bazaar was much larger and had two floors. The top floor was set up more like a showroom and the pieces were much nicer than the selection on the lower level. The lower level was actually two separate garage like spaces filled to the brim with furniture that all needed a bit of TLC but were solid pieces at amazing prices. I spotted a pair of black lacuqer asian insipred armchairs for $25 each! Casa Victoria was also great…reasonable prices and amongst the sea of the furniture there were definitely a few diamonds in the rough. All in all it was a great trip. I used to have a love/hate relationship with LA but now I just love it! I love the constant sunshine and palm trees all around you! I’m going back again next week and I can’t wait!!
Last week I spent a few days in Cabo for work and while I was there I spotted these three stallions just hanging out on the beach. Aren’t they cute?!
My business trip to Santa Barbara last week took me to a magical place called Lotusland which is the most beautiful botanical garden I’ve ever seen. Lotusland is a 37-acre estate and botanic garden in Montecito just east of Santa Barbara. I spent the day supervising a camera crew that was covering behind-the-scenes of a television commercial that was being taped on the property. Talk about a great day at the office! The sun was shining all day and during my moments of downtime I wandered around the gardens testing out my new camera and taking in all the beauty.
Photo via lotusland.org.
Lotusland has quite an interesting history. It was once the private estate of a Polish opera singer named Madame Ganna Walska–a lively character who toured the world singing opera, amassed a huge fortune and had six husbands over the course of her life. She purchased the property in 1941 and spent much of her time renovating and landscaping the grounds. Later in her life she established the Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation to ensure that the beautiful gardens she created would be forever preserved. When she died in 1984 she left the estate and her entire fortune to the Foundation. Lotusland is now a public garden available for private or group tours by reservation only. Above is a map of the gardens so you can get a sense of the layout. It is truly an amazing, fairy-tale like place. If you’re ever in the area it’s definitely a must visit destination. For more information, visit Lotusland’s
website. And for your viewing pleasure, here are some of the photos from my visit. Enjoy!
Here is one of Lotusland’s many orange trees in the orchards which is planted with numerous fruit trees including peaches, plums, apples, figs, oranges, lemons, limes, kumquats and more. 
Here an arbor covered with growing vines of lemons surrounds a picturesque walkway.
A fountain at the end of The Orchards portraying a mythological sea monster.
Looking away from the fountain you can see rows of beautiful olive trees, also part of the orchards.
There were so many pretty brick walkways like this one leading to and from each of the gardens.
Here you can see some of the perfectly manicured boxwoods on the property.
This is the topiary garden which was one of the highlights for me. The main feature is the giant working clock that you see in the foreground which is planted with succulents and embellished with copper zodiac signs.
The topiary garden contains collection of extraordinary topiaries shaped like various animals like the bear and duck you see here.
The topiary “zoo” also includes this meticulously shaped dinosaur…
And this cute giraffe!
I was intrigued by this tangled mess of cacti growing against one of the properties main buildings.
These giant silvery-blue palm plants were incredible.
Here is a plaque honoring all of the donors that supported the planting of Lotusland’s cactus gardens.
Here are some of the beautiful cacti on the grounds.
The collection of cacti was truly impressive.
The property features two swimming pools and next to one is this sandy “beach” filled with giant clam shells.
This is the butterfly garden which includes many varieties of flowering plants that attract butterflies and other beneficial insects which feed on the plants then move to other areas of the garden to prey on common garden insect pests. This natural method of pest control reduces the need for harsh chemical pesticides.
Here’s a view from the butterfly garden looking out into the orchards.
Here’s a beautiful red bloom from one of Lotusland’s many flowering aloe plants.
I spotted this colorful patch of round cacti while walking down one of the property’s many pathways.
This giant tree was so eye-catching…it had hundreds of branches and the beautiful sun rays beaming across its trunk only added to its beauty.
The Japanese garden one of my favorite sites at Lotusland. There were many concrete lanterns such as this one scattered about.
The Japanese garden includes many beautiful trees and plants including Japanese maples and Japanese cypress trees as well as azaleas. In the background you can see many of these trees and plants surrounding a small Shinto shrine.
Here is a serene Buddha statue sitting among flowering blooms.
And here’s a closeup of some of the colorful flowers.
Near the Japanese garden is a water lily pond filled with koi fish which you can see here just under the surface of the water. I was told that the lily pads are plentiful in the spring but there were none visible during my visit.
The parterre includes two beautiful water fountains one of which is seen here. The fountains are surrounded by hedges, shrubs and rose bushes. I loved all of the mosaic tiles that line the inside of this fountain and I was also intrigued by all of the interesting stone statues.
Here’s a closeup of one of the statues.
The end.
As a late Christmas present to myself I recently picked up a new camera, a Canon G10. It’s a high-end digital point and shoot that offers many of the manual settings available on an SLR, but with a more compact frame that doesn’t require the purchase additional lenses and at a much lower price tag. Once I learn how to use the thing correctly, I plan to to take lots of pictures and start documenting my adventures here on So Haute.
My next adventure will take me to Santa Barbara…I’m flying out this morning for a quick work trip. Above is my idol Oprah’s 42-acre, $55million estate in the posh Santa Barbara community of Montecito. Maybe I’ll do a tourist style drive by so I can brush up on my photography skills with a test shoot at Oprah’s casa! Ha! I’ll be staying here and also visiting a beautiful botanical garden during my trip so even if I don’t get to swing by my girl O’s house, I’ll still have lots of photos to share…Stay tuned!
Just before Christmas I escaped to the beautiful island of Virgin Gorda for 5 nights and I’m really excited to share a bit of my trip with you. If you’re not familiar with Virgin Gorda, it’s located in the Caribbean just East of Puerto Rico and is one of the British Virgin Islands. It’s a tiny little island that spans just 8 square miles and has a small population of around 3,000 people. Getting there was a bit of a journey. I flew from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico which took just over 4 hours and from there I took 45 minute flight on a small propeller plane to the island of Tortola. Once I landed in Tortola I took a short van ride to a nearby boat dock where I was picked up by a ferry that took me to Virgin Gorda. The ferry ride was about 20 minutes long.
I snapped this beautiful photo of the sun setting from the boat. During my trip I stayed at a beautiful resort called
Little Dix Bay. The ferry I took belonged to the resort and the great thing about it (aside from the rum punch served!) is that it took me
directly from the dock on Tortola to the Little Dix Bay property. While on the ferry, I was checked in and handed the keys to my room so that when we arrived I was all set to go. Such a great service as it was nice to not have to go to the front desk to check in.
This is the dock at Little Dix Bay. Upon arrival I was greeted by several friendly hotel staffers who took my luggage and since my room was on the farthest end of the resort property, they gave me a lift on a golf cart.
This was my cute little room. The decor was simple…nothing to write home about but it was comfortable and had the most beautiful views of the bay. It’s definitely a place designed for relaxation. None of the rooms have televisions and I didn’t even miss it. In fact, I didn’t even notice there was no TV until my third day there!
Here’s another shot of the room where you can see the gorgeous ocean view just outside my window. It’s hard to tell from the photos but the room was almost octagonal, with a pitched wood beamed ceiling…it kind of reminded me of a yurt. My room was on the second floor but right on the beach. So perfect.
This was my balcony….
And this was the view from my balcony….so beautiful to wake up to every morning.
I didn’t snap any photos of the bathroom so here’s one from the resort’s website. Mine looked exactly like this.
The property was beautifully landscaped with lush trees and beautiful flowering bushes and shrubs everywhere. I snapped this photo walking along the resort’s main road.
Here’s shot of the main road where guests walk or ride via golf cart to get from place to place on the resort. Little Dix Bay offers an array of amenities from amazing restaurants and a gorgeous pool, to a world-class spa, a great gym, tennis courts and a variety of water activities.
The hotel has two formal restaurants as well as a Beach Grill which is a bit more casual. Above is the Sugar Mill restaurant which is the “nicer” restaurant at Little Dix Bay. I ate there on my first night on the island and the food was amazing.
This is the Pavilion restaurant where I ate breakfast and lunch every day as well as several dinners. I’m not much of a fan of buffets but one day a week the Pavilion has this ridiculously over-the-top buffet. It was amazing…I consumed so much seafood I’m surprised I didn’t get mercury poisoning! The pavilion is also where I went for a drink most nights and was great for people watching. I can’t resist telling you that during my stay I spotted Orlando Bloom as well as Nick and Drew Lachey who were all staying at Little Dix Bay too!
This resort is situated on a long strip of gorgeous white sand beach which you can see pictured above. Isn’t it gorgeous?
This is the pool at the resort, also very beautiful. I loved Little Dix Bay. Aside from being insanely beautiful, I give the place an A plus on service as well. The staffers couldn’t have been more friendly and accommodating. After my wonderful stay, Little Dix Bay is definitely on my Haute Hotels list! For more on the resort visit their
website.
Virgin Gorda is definitely a destination for people who want to get away from it all. The Island is small…there really isn’t a central town and if you want to shop you’ll have to hop a ferry to nearby Tortola or St. Thomas. Pretty much the only thing to do on VG is go to the beach, eat and drink which suits me just fine and is all I did when I was there. Above is Spring Bay beach. I spent the first three days of my trip hanging out there during the day. The thing I love most about the beaches of Virgin Gorda is that they’re empty! There were less than 10 other people at any of the beaches I went to at a given time…so peaceful and serene.
Here’s another view of Spring Bay beach.
Another beach I visited was Devil’s Bay. This is a photo of the path to get there. I was surprised to see lots of cacti on the island because I usually equate cacti with desert locations, but there was cacti abound on Virgin Gorda.
Here’s more of the path to the beach. It was about a 15 minute hike down a hill, through trees and
bushes…it was a beautiful hike but also kind of scary because I was all alone walking through
what felt like a jungle!
When I finally got to the beach this is the beauty that awaited me.
There was a lovely Canadian couple walking nearby who saw me taking photos of myself and offered to take my picture. I jumped at the offer since all of my pictures from the trip are “self-portraits” with my extended arm visible in the shot! I usually don’t like to post photos of myself but this is the only one I had that showed a broader perspective of what Devil’s Bay looks like. Isn’t it beautiful?
While I was laying out there were some chickens that tried to encroach on my territory!
It was pretty funny to see chickens on a beach! This one had such beautiful coloring.
The island is best known for all of its beautiful natural rock formations. These are some of the rocks at Devil’s Bay but just nearby is perhaps one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the Caribbean…a beach called The Baths that has the most beautiful natural rock formations I’ve ever seen.
The Baths
The Baths
The Baths
The Baths is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Virgin Gorda. People often take day trips from nearby islands just to experience this unique beach. The giant rocks and boulders form many natural caves with shallow pools of water that are so much fun to explore. I took this photo above inside one of the caves.
I only ventured away from the resort for dinner once and that was to go to
The Rock Cafe. The Rock is considered by many to be the nicest restaurant on the island. Inside is a lively atmosphere with a bar and a band band while outside is a serene dining area surrounded by large rocks (hence the name) with fish ponds and waterfalls adding to the ambiance. The service was great as was the food…I had lobster spaghetti…so good!
The day before I headed back to New York I took a taxi tour of the island so I could finally get a chance to see more than just the beaches. Above are the Copper Mine ruins.
Up until the late 19th century, Virgin Gorda was rich with copper and this used to be the mines where the copper was extracted. The Copper Mine ruins are now a national park.
For Virgin Gordian’s this is the equivalent of the Rockefeller Center tree in New York. While I was there, the island had its tree lighting ceremony. I didn’t go but I heard that many of the islands residents attended and each year it’s quite a big event in town.
My taxi driver Andy was nice enough to drive me up up the tallest mountain on the island so I could see the view from the highest point. This is a zoomed in photo but the far island in the shot is Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s luxe private island which is a popular vacation destination for the uber rich and famous.
As we were coming down the mountain the sun was starting to set so I had to stop and take a photo. One of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve seen and a perfect ending to a perfect trip!
In my last post I recounted my experience at
Los Dos, a cooking school in the colonial town of Mèrida in Yucatan, Mexico. One of the highlights of the trip was staying at the beautiful home of Chef David Sterling and his partner Keith Heitke. Before David and Keith purchased their Hacienda in 2002, it had been abandoned for 10 years. After an extensive renovation, the house was transformed into the beautiful home that you see in these photos. I recently caught up with David via email to learn more about what went into renovating his home. Read on to hear about the process in his own words…
This is the courtyard at Los Dos. All of the home’s rooms face this beautiful garden.
How did you find the house?
We had no intention of moving to Mérida, but after 9/11 in 2001, we did think carefully about how to invest our money. We concluded real estate was the best bet, and the husband of a friend of mine who lives here (he is a Meridano) told us about this house. We were still in New York, but on his recommendation rushed down with a stack of American dollars as a down payment – sight unseen!! When we entered the house for the first time I almost threw up because it was so HUGE and such a WRECK. I just heard those “ca-ching” sounds of the cash register for all the work it would take to restore it.
David’s dream kitchen. This is where the Los Dos cooking classes take place.
How long did the renovation take?
It took 12 months to get the real sludge work done. By that point we had decided to move here temporarily to see if we liked living in Merida. I asked my business partner if I could take a sabbatical of 9 months, to which he agreed. So we moved in. It took another two months of cement dust and constant chipping noises to finish the remaining two rooms: the kitchen and dining room. The end of the story is that we never went back to New York. And as you well know, the story never really ends because we are constantly involved in projects for the house! We finally just completed our façade (well, I’ll call it Phase C with a couple more on the way); we finally got a section of the bookcases Keith designed for our study; and I have mapped out my plan for some kitchen improvements (bigger range, built-in oven, new side-by-side refrigerator, space for the wine fridge).
The dining room.
Describe your design process? What resources did you use to find all of your furniture, fixtures, artwork and other decorative items?
I did all the plan drawings on paper on an old drawing board in the dining room of our New York City condo. I shipped them down in FedEx tubes to the general contractor (the same man who found the house for us). Once I had determined the layout of the whole house and knew where I wanted cabinetry to go, Keith took over. He is our furniture and decorative detailing man. We had a lot of the furniture and cabinetry fabricated here, since there are excellent craftsmen for reasonable rates. Also all the ironwork. Knowing that we would be setting up house here, and knowing that these homes in Centro were from the Victorian era, we took advantage of New Yorkers’ disdain for Victorian furniture and bought up tons of it in upstate antique shops. We also bought all of our bathroom and kitchen hardware from Waterworks, lamps and lighting from Home Depot Expo, and . . . Well, you get the picture! All of this was sent down in a container upon our arrival. And of course we have found a lot of antiques here, too, such as “roperos” (big old Mexican armoires), tables, chairs and such. The one very difficult thing to find here is good lamps. So I order online from Lamps Plus! They are one company that actually ships to Mexico!
The living room.
Thanks David for sharing your story!
Aside from discussing the renovation of Los Dos, David was also very excited to inform me about his and Keith’s latest project, Worldstudio International, a full service design studio that specializes in the restoration and renovation of historic homes throughout Mérida. Be sure to check out the Worldstudio International website to view photos of more of their work and enjoy the rest of the photos of their home below!
The master bedroom.
The master bath.
The guest room. This is where my sister and I stayed during our trip. 
The guest bath.
