Table of contents for May/Jun 2018 in Veranda

this year, Veranda celebrates the idea of wanderlust—that yen for exploration that broadens the mind, upends expectations, and yields dividends in style. To kick off our first-ever special kitchen section inspired by cooking spaces from around the world (beginning on page 61), five internationally renowned tastemakers, each in a different foreign locale, share insight on travel, adventure, and living (and eating!) the good life. Their insider tips are glorious food for the soul. Pair them with Miele’s cutting-edge, high-performance appliances, and bringing the world home, one plate at a time, is easier than ever: Whether you’re jetting off to a new time zone or letting your taste buds do the exploring from the dining table, blazing a trail never looked—or tasted—so good.…

i’ve been mulling over my manifesto for summer. I thought I’d come up with one or two goals, but here are 10! 1. Keep it simple. Whether it’s highbrow (alfresco entertaining) or ho-hum (doing chores), don’t sweat it. 2. Immerse yourself in fun. Gardening, yes! Lawn games, no—although I’m really trying to go with the flow. 3. Experts say you should use rainy days to organize your closets and junk drawers. I say, curl up with a good movie. Consider this permission. 4. Don’t overthink things. Thorough planning is always a good idea, but obsessing is entirely different, especially when you—that is, I—just want to switch out throw pillows. 5. Treat yourself. I had a big, fluffy chocolate croissant this morning, and the world didn’t end. The treadmill will be…

LUCKY CHARM Created in 1968, Van Cleef & Arpels’s Alhambra motif gained a following among cognoscenti like Princess Grace of Monaco (above) and Romy Schneider. For the collection’s 50th anniversary, the house is gilding its iconic clover shape with hard stones like turquoise and malachite, vibrant new hues fit for latter-day princesses. PATTERN PLAY Vivid trench coats and bucket bags emblazoned with cacti or palm leaves are the eye-popping fruit of a collaboration between the Maison Alma fashion brand and Pierre Frey. Big, bold prints from the French textile firm’s storied collections, usually reserved for sofas and curtains, are the stars. Scarlett O’Hara, eat your heart out. El Cactus trench coat, $2,680; maison-alma.com. CUTE AS A BUTTON This Father’s Day, elevate his suit game with vivid or witty cuff links…

THE GOOD EARTH You won’t find umbrellas in your sundowners or butlers to wipe your sunglasses, but at these farm hotels, that’s the point. Each has a symbiotic relationship to the land, most with sustainable, organic practices that are meant to reconnect you to an elemental way of life. Which is not to say they’re without creature comforts: Accommodations cosset with a distinct sense of place, and forward-thinking, field-to-table cuisines are on the menus, with tastes you’ll want to re-create at home. THE EXPERIENTIAL GOURMAND Luxury giant LVMH recently launched an online retail brand, Clos19, focused on top-drawer spirits and extraordinary experiences, such as tastings, mixology classes, and journeys abroad. Trips are geared toward the unforgettable, featuring activities like ethically farming oysters in New Zealand or glamping with emperor penguins…

a bounty of garden shows are sprouting this spring and summer, primed to inspire even the most novice gardener to pick up his or her tools and head into the backyard. Here, we gather the swooniest and most dazzling among them. The mesmerizing wisteria tunnel at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan, is an enchanting pathway enclosed by a delicate canopy of lavender blooms cascading from gnarled, winding branches. Late April–early May; kawachi-fujien.com. A Renaissance-style château in Chantilly, France, hosts Les Journées des Plantes, gathering together 250 global exhibitors who compose artful installations starring their favorite flowers near gardens designed by André Le Nôtre. May 18–20; domainedechantilly.com. Since 1913, the Royal Horticultural Society has presented the Chelsea Flower Show, the ne plus ultra of the genre, featuring the best…

in 1996, at the age of 22, newly relocated and unemployed Briton Alice Ryan Miller found herself in the New York office of family friend Liz Tilberis, the celebrated editor of Harper’s Bazaar. Their tête-à-tête coincided with a visit from PR bigwig Paul Wilmot, whose clients included the likes of Calvin Klein. “He walks through the door and says he needs someone for Oscar de la Renta’s team, and the next thing I know, I’m on a flight to Paris,” she says. Miller spent three years with de la Renta before becoming global events director for Ralph Lauren. Though she later started her own firm—A Company represents brands like Givenchy and Dior—Lauren’s iconic American ethos still influences her arsenal of feminine frocks, fur-collared capes, and tailored blazers. Now based in…

VIENNESE VERVE Gustav Klimt’s glittering embodiment of Secessionist Vienna—glinting surfaces, bold geometrics, and clean lines—is a reflection of his indelible style. FRENCH ACCENTS Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s famous work Luncheon of the Boating Party captures a very French joie de vivre and the pure joy of coming together at the table. TASTE OF MEXICO Frida Kahlo’s unbridled enthusiasm for elaborate entertaining and good food, and her passion for vivid colors, were reflected in her use of the bright, unalloyed hues of Mexico.…

ORDINARILY, THE YOUNG MARRIED COUPLE in Washington, D.C., would have laughed off the idea of taking time to study abroad. Their hands were full—with a toddler, an infant, two successful careers (his in real estate development, hers in business consulting), and a prime empty lot near Georgetown awaiting the 12,000-square-foot residence they yearned to build. But when Thomas Pheasant, the D.C. designer they had chosen to decorate their new home, asked, “Why don’t you join me in Paris while I’m at my apartment there?” they jumped at the chance. The ensuing week of Pheasant-guided architecture tours and gallery visits laid solid groundwork for spaces yet to be sketched out back home. “I showed them how we could pare away the ornament in a French period room to do a fresh…

Go to the source: Hunt for truffles in Normandy (or Tennessee!), fish for trout in Scotland, forage for ramps in Canada, or make mole in Mexico. C’est bon! Elevate the everyday: There are thousands of varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Look past your grocer’s produce aisle to find the unique and unexpected. Raise the bar: Improve your cocktail hour with bitters from London, liqueurs from Italy, and Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. Stock up: Fill the cupboard with chai and oolong teas for morning pick-me-ups, Mediterranean anchovies for last-minute sauces, and French double-cream Brie—just because. Rethink the basics: Incorporate chefs’ secret weapons, like Castelvetrano olives for taste, and custom knives from Kyoto, Japan, for technique. Cast a spell: Evoke a European feel with an unlacquered-brass faucet, café…

Whether you swear by an annual chart checkup or think “Mercury in retrograde” is a vintage-car reference, here’s what your zodiac sign can do: provide a road map for jewelry that’s unique to you. It can be as simple as adopting your sign’s gem as a signature—stock up on diamonds, Aries!—or indulging in personality traits (quiet Cancers, showy Leos) that are written in the stars. GEMINI MAY 21–JUNE 21 Not-so-prim pearls for the zodiac’s social butterfly. (1) Maria Canale Drop earrings, price upon request; neimanmarcus.com. (2) Datejust 41 watch, $14,150; rolex.com. (3) Ice Fan earrings, $15,400; mastoloni.com. CANCER JUNE 22–JULY 22 Sparkle suitable for wallflowers. (4) Tiares earrings, price upon request; alexandrereza.com. (5) Spiral Torque necklace, $29,500; belperron.com. LEO JULY 23–AUGUST 22 Showstoppers fit for spotlight seekers. (6) Elizabeth Locke…

when it comes to kitchen building blocks, the best draw from the culture of their country of origin—a Korean knack for technology, say, American manufacturing, or a European respect for artisanship—then combine it with the latest advancements to create gorgeous functionality that’s scrumptious. Family-owned since 1917, Wisconsin’s Perlick is best known for undercounter refrigeration. This year, it went full-size with integrated wine, freezer, and fridge columns. 24" Column Refrigerator, $6,850; perlick.com. California-based Thermador’s iconic Star Burner not only looks good, it also increases the amount of flame on the pan for more precise, even cooking. 36" Masterpiece Gas Cooktop, $1,649; thermador.com. Based in Florence, Italy, Officine Gullo handcrafts ranges and accessories that showcase the talent and tailoring of local artisans. Bergamo wall-mounted faucet, $3,987; officinegullo.com. Depression-era economics made technology an…

as a lifelong gardener and sought-after event designer, Keith Robinson might be expected to have a set of tried-and-true maxims for floral arranging. In fact, he has only one rule—and it’s that there are none. “So many people are rigid when it comes to flowers, but just throw the rules out the window!” he says. “I can’t imagine there’s anyone who doesn’t love a beautifully composed arrangement, but I also like mixing things with abandon.” The cutting gardens at Redwine Plantation, Robinson’s antebellum Georgia estate, offer a seemingly endless array of blooms, including 30 varieties of hydrangeas (his favorite, Hydrangea paniculata, changes from green-tinged white to burgundy over the course of its long growing season). Unpretentious flowers like chrysanthemums and marigolds also play a starring role. “There is something about…

HALFWAY THROUGH COCKTAILS, I have my we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore moment. I’d come to Windsor, Florida, a New Urbanism–style members-only hamlet on the central coast, to see freshly unveiled guest suites redesigned by Chicago-based decorator Alessandra Branca. The setup, I’d thought, was clear: a tony planned community in an elevated, but essentially country club, vein. Yet here I stand in the clubhouse’s gallery, clutching my negroni sbagliato, confronted with etchings, ceramics, and tapestries by Grayson Perry, a Turner Prize–winning, cross-dressing Londoner who mines his subconscious in intricate, idiosyncratic, and oft-explicit works of art. It’s fabulous. And this delicious dollop of culture was designed precisely to upend the kind of expectations I’d packed along with my monk straps. “We have all the classic things: golf, croquet, tennis, the beach,” says entrepreneur Hilary Weston, who—with…

ONE OF THE GREATEST JOYS IN LIFE is bringing friends together to savor a meal and spend precious time with one another. When I send out invitations to friends requesting “the pleasure” of their company, the pleasure is really mine, and the enjoyment begins long before they arrive. All that we do—create a still life, arrange a flower bouquet, set a table for dinner—is our autobiography in the making. These gestures embody our own personal style. They tell our stories and reveal something about ourselves. I am a big fan of collage, and to me, a tablesetting is a form of collage. I love the playfulness that comes with the layering of objects, even those that are seemingly unrelated. When you experiment with different combinations, you are on a path…

MASTER CLASS Interior design: Thomas Pheasant, 202-337-6596, thomaspheasant.com. Page 92 Artwork: Jane Puylagarde, janepuylagarde.com. Wall paint: Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com. Page 93 Sculpture: Nadia Pasquer, pierre mariegiraud.com. Benches: Baker, bakerfurniture.com. Pendant: Charles Edwards, charlesedwards.com. Runner: Stark, starkcarpet.com. Page 94 Side tables: Pia Maria Raeder, pmr.design. Wall sculpture: Lori Cozen-Geller, loricozengeller.com. Sculpture: Kelli Bedrossian, alexandreskinas.com. Cabinet: Thomas Pheasant Studio. Artwork: James Austin Murray, jamesaustinmurray.com. Wallcovering: Romo, romo.com. Curtains fabric: Schumacher, fschumacher.com. Page 95 Sofa: Baker. Cocktail table and slipper chairs: Thomas Pheasant Studio. Slipper chairs fabric: Romo. Painting: Paul Jenkins, dianedepolignac.com. Page 96 Draperies and wallcovering: Romo. Table and chairs: Baker. Mirror: Barbara Saltarelli, barbarasaltarelliassociates.com. Page 97 Range: Wolf, subzero-wolf.com. Ovens: Miele, mieleusa.com. Stone flooring, island countertop, and faucets: Waterworks, waterworks.com. Stools: Design Within Reach, dwr.com. Pendants: Holly Hunt, hollyhunt.com. Page 98…

VERANDA CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN HIGH POINT WITH OLY STUDIO The VERANDA 30th Anniversary party at Oly Studio brought out the icons of design. Guests enjoyed the signature “VERANDA 30 La Fête cocktail,” passed canapés, music from North Carolina jazz band Zen Poets and an Instagram garden moment with a custom VERANDA 30 logo in cast iron by Oly. olystudio.com NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN ORCHID DINNER AT THE PLAZA HOTEL VERANDA celebrated its ninth year of support for the New York Botanical Garden with an enchanting and bloom-filled grand fête in New York City. Twenty-nine designers created lavish centerpieces and table settings that greeted guests as they entered the iconic Grand Ballroom. More than 300 guests raised $550,000 in support of orchid research, collection and preservation. nybg.org Thank you to…