Photography by Peter Basch

Take a trip down memory lane with style icon Diane Keaton as she revisits some of her most unforgettable fashion moments in her new book, Fashion First (Rizzoli). “We shared a sensibility, but she had a style that was all her own,” says her friend and frequent style collaborator Ralph Lauren in the foreword. The book, which is organized like a photo album with charming hand-written captions, includes photos of Keaton as a young actress sporting her mother’s homemade outfits, iconic 1970s looks from her Annie Hall era, red carpet moments, glossy editorials, street-style shots and candid selfies from the 1980s on. In her signature self-deprecating voice, Keaton hilariously recounts everything from her greatest hits to her most memorable fashion faux pas. “I think all firstborn children can relate to the idea that because you are your parent’s first child you are essentially your parent’s first doll,” she writes in a caption accompanying photos of her as a young child. “There is no better proof than when my mom gave me a perm at three.” As Keaton proves throughout the book, there is nothing more stylish than a great sense of humor.

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In Heartburn, the high priestess of the bon mot wove her thoughtful reflections on food and entertaining throughout the narrative, like footnotes in a juicy diary written by someone obsessed with food — and the many ways in which it can bring people together. No hors d’oeuvres before dinner (guests can’t help but love the food if they’re starving); no fish (it’s eaten too quickly); husbands can’t be seated next to wives (boring! They already know all their stories). And perhaps the most important rule: Never use rectangular tables. Round tables keep people talking.

Ephron, the unofficial sherpa of the modern-day dinner party, would have loved the advice we’ve compiled here. The tips from tastemaker Kate Arends of the lifestyle blog Wit & Delight, actress/comedian/frequent partygoer Liz Carey and Man Repeller founder and The Cereal Aisle writer Leandra Medine Cohen (among others) offer familiar Ephronesque messaging: Keep it easy, and the fun will follow!

Photography by Jeremy Liebman/Trunk Archive

The Guest List

Don’t worry about everyone knowing everyone. Half the fun of a dinner party is the social alchemy created when friends meet friends (there is a special place in entertaining heaven for hosts who bring two single people together and sparks fly). Of course, you don’t want it to be a completely random group of total strangers. A good rule of thumb: Make sure everyone knows at least one other person. This way, all of your guests have at least one person to talk to – and you won’t end up having to babysit anyone when you should be in the kitchen caramelizing mushrooms (Seriously though, do you really need to do that? No one will notice if there are stewed mushrooms swirling around in your beef bourguignon).

When it comes to assembling the perfect guest list, size matters. Just because you own 12 Tiffany place settings doesn’t mean you should use all of them at the same time. “I think the ideal number of guests is between four and six,” says Arends. “Most recipes are made for four to six people. Once you get past eight people, it’s hard to manage logistically, and the group becomes less cohesive. The conversation can easily get broken up, and people can feel left out.”

Artwork by Anna Schwartz

The Invitations

When the group is small, emailing a casual invite a week or two before the event is fine, says etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore, founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach. Of course, certain milestone events like birthdays may call for a bigger party — and a slightly more buttoned-up approach. “If it’s a large, more formal gathering, you should send printed invitations, and they should go out at least six weeks before the event,” says Whitmore. “And make sure all the necessary info is included on the invitation,” adds Carey. “Will dinner be served? What is the dress code? Are plus-ones welcome? Also, please consider this an alert to everyone who will be issuing the ‘shoes off’ statement upon arrival. Let people know so they can get a pedicure or not come!”

Carey also has a funny strategy for making sure that the party conversation will be copacetic before anyone even steps inside the door: “Everyone wants to talk politics, especially now. Nip it in the bud on your invite! In a small font at the bottom, write, ‘Anyone who wants to chat politics or religion is encouraged not to come.’ If that feels too aggressive, make a fun announcement at the outset of the party that anyone mentioning these topics will not be served.”

As for the actual invitations, Paperless Post works well for a casual dinner (check out its adorable collaboration with Liberty Fabrics). For a more milestone event, you can’t go wrong with Mrs. John L. Strong. Or consider commissioning a bespoke design. Illustrator Anna Schwartz hand-painted the invitation seen here.

Photography by The Interior Archive – Stefano Scata/Trunk Archive

The Scene

While most hosts put a fair amount of effort into setting the scene before a dinner party, it’s important not to get your knickers in a twist over nonessential matters. “People spend a lot of time worrying about things no one will notice,” says Arends. “The house doesn’t need to be perfect. A dinner party is about bringing people together and creating shared memories. You can serve a big pot of soup and some great bread, and it can still be wonderful.”

In some cases, it’s more important what you don’t have at a party than what you do. Carey, who is a mom to humans and animals alike, advises locking up your daughters and sons and pets. “No one loves them like you do,” she says. “No one wants fur on their new black dress, and no one wants your kid’s cough. ‘Oh, don’t worry, she’s had that forever!’ Great — now your guests will, too!”

What does matter? By all accounts, good music, good lighting and a steady flow of drinks. Before she hosts a party, Arends always makes a playlist on Spotify that’s around six hours long (108 songs). “It’s mostly jazz, because that tends to appeal to everyone. I find it also kind of sets the tone that we should all be on our best behavior.” To create a relaxed vibe, turn off overhead lights (or use dimmers) and use lamps and scattered candles for a softer effect (just don’t put scented candles anywhere near the food).

Photography by Atelier Doré/Trunk Archive

The Tablescape

If you are pressed for time, you can skip the large, fussy floral centerpiece. (Of course, you can also outsource this task to some local talent like Apricot Floral or Lilia Flower Boutique.) If you have a long table, a series of micro arrangements looks chic — and may require fewer flowers. For an even more laissez-faire approach, look around your home, suggests Merkatz. Jewelry and other random objects can be repurposed as table decor. And don’t overlook natural elements. Pretty branches or pinecones foraged from your backyard can be artfully arranged. Another clever idea: “One of my friends recently carved out purple cabbages and filled them with votive candles,” says Arends.

For groups larger than four, homemade place cards can be fashioned out of smooth black or white quartz rocks (use a gold paint pen to write the names). If the event is very special, consider investing in some beautiful hand-painted watercolor place cards from artist Lexie Armstrong. Or, take a cue from a party Carey recently attended where she was charmed to discover that her name had been embroidered on her dinner napkin. Monograms by Margaret does gorgeous bespoke work.

Can’t find six plates or glasses that perfectly match? Both Arends and Merkatz say they love an eclectic table set with a mix of non-matching but complementary items. Simply choose a color as your theme. At the moment, Arends loves the simplicity of a crisp white, tailored tablecloth, tall burgundy candles and shiny silver accents, like the silver napkin rings she has collected from vintage stores. Another easy way to add a festive finish to your tablescape is to tie velvet ribbons around the napkins or candlesticks.

Photography by Aaron Graubart/Trunk Archive

The Cheese Board

To create a showstopping cheese and charcuterie board, think like a chef: “Your tray should be a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds, featuring only the freshest seasonal ingredients you can find with a variety of textures, colors and flavors,” says Marcy Braselton, founder of Community Kitchen. A few large bricks of stinky cheese take an artisanal turn when drizzled with honey and served with fresh-cut figs. If you are feeling more ambitious, Braselton suggests filling your board with cheese, charcuterie, something savory, something sweet and something to deliver the food graciously into your guests’ mouths. “I like my boards to overflow with all things delicious in an organized yet chaotic way. I aim to create a masterpiece that is almost too pretty to eat!”

A thoughtful selection keeps your board looking and tasting interesting. “I usually include a variety of cow, sheep and goat milk cheeses in different types and textures,” says Braselton. If the cheese is soft like Tomme de Savoie or everything spiced goat cheese, place them on a board in larger pieces as they are easily spreadable and served with a cheese knife. If the cheese is hard or semi-firm like aged cheddar, manchego or Merlot BellaVitano, slice or cut it into bite-size pieces to make serving easy. “The last thing I want to see are my guests standing over my cheese board sawing at a large hunk of hard cheese.”

Braselton’s top go-tos for charcuterie? Capicola, Italian dry salami, prosciutto, bresaola and Calabrese salami. “I typically include two to three options on my board: mild, salty and slightly spicy. If you buy pre-sliced charcuterie, I recommend folding the pieces in half or thirds to display them on your board in a ‘fan’ or ‘river’ of charcuterie.”

According to Braselton, no board is complete without a selection of salty and/or tangy items. A few of her favorites include tiny, tart cornichons and creamy, mild Castelvetrano olives. “I never include fresh vegetables on my cheese board — they belong on a crudités platter with dips. Instead, I like to feature a variety of pickled vegetables like asparagus, okra, peppers, tomatoes, etc.” A savory chutney or onion jam and spiced nuts make wonderful additions as well.

And don’t forget to add something sweet. A high-quality preserve or local honey serves as a nice foil for the savory cheese selection. “This gives your guests creative license to try a drizzle or dollop and create their own flavor combinations.” Adding seasonal fresh fruit and high-quality dried fruit is another great way to balance the savory, salty items featured on your board.

In addition to bread, crackers or fruit/nut crisps, make sure you have some pretty bamboo knot picks or cocktail forks as part of your “delivery device” selection. “Personally, I love a fresh, crusty, rustic baguette as the texture and flavor of golden brown baguettes is unmatched,” says Braselton, noting that they pair beautifully with all of the ingredients on your board. “As a final touch to my beautiful cheese and charcuterie board, I garnish it with fresh, seasonal herbs and edible flowers.”

Photography by Chelsea Kyle/Trunk Archive

The Pour

Consider greeting guests at the door with a signature drink. “I always serve very cold pitchers of martinis,” says Arends. When it comes to wine, she often delegates the task to someone in the group. “People in the Midwest like to feel that they’re contributing something, so I’ll tell a friend what we’re having for the main, and she’ll take care of the wine; another friend will bring a side dish and another one does dessert.” As for how much to serve? Experts advise one drink per person per hour. Of course, it’s important to know your audience — and adjust accordingly.

“I like to start with a bubbly when kicking off a dinner party,” says Leslee Miller, a dual-certified sommelier and founder of Amusee Wine, a wine consultancy firm based in Minneapolis. “Folks come thirsty — it is their first sip of the day. So I account for the first wine and the main course wine to be poured the most. For six people, I would plan on two bottles for your first wine of the evening, two bottles for your main course and one bottle for dessert.”

Miller says you don’t need to spend a fortune on wine. “I love supporting local growers. There are lots of great wines under $20.” For the first drink, she recommends a dry, sparkling Prosecco rosé because “it goes with every appetizer.” One of her favorites: Poggio Costa Prosecco Brut Rosé. When it comes to the main course, she suggests choosing a medium-bodied white as they are more accessible to food pairings than their light-bodied (i.e., Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio) or full-bodied cousins (Chardonnay). Her go-to white: Mary Taylor Gaillac Perlé. For a red, she likes a light-bodied pour. Think Pinot Noir or Gamay. “They work well with fish, pork, vegan, vegetarian and lean beef, poultry or game for a main course.” Madone ‘Perreon’ Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon is one of her favorites. You can find all of these wines, along with more of Miller’s top picks, at Sipbetter.com.

Photography by Julia Kennedy/Trunk Archive

The Meal

“For God’s sake, do not attempt to make something new,” says Carey. Arends agrees. She suggests choosing dishes you’ve made before and know exactly how long they will take. “Braised meat — and anything you can cook in the oven for a long time — is usually a safe bet,” she says. For Friendsgiving, Arends made tiny poussins: “It was so easy. I just popped them in the oven, and everyone had their own little birds, which was a fun, elegant surprise.”

Keep in mind that there’s no shame in outsourcing the food. Carey suggests, “Order some stuff, put it in nice bowls and then cook one thing so the house smells nice. People came for a good time, not to watch you have a nervous breakdown in the kitchen trying to figure out how to deglaze!” Or don’t hesitate to have your event catered or hire a personal chef. “I’ve been to many events where they hired local Minnesota chef Brooke Faudree,” says Arends, “and they were always amazing!”

Photography by Stephanie Sunberg

The Outfit

To get advice on the perfect dinner party look, we turned to fashion blogger Leandra Medine. “From a practical standpoint, you want to wear something relatively comfortable — no jackets or garments that are too structured because you’re probably going to be moving a lot,” she says. Think flat shoes, fancy slippers, or socks with flair. But she also believes entertaining at home is an excellent time to take a style risk. After all, you are presumably among close friends and will have minimal exposure to the elements. “If all else fails, wear an apron as a dress!” she suggests. For a playful option, Samantha Tousey of Minneapolis-based boutique Martin Patrick 3 recommends checking out the whimsical prints from La DoubleJ (they actually have an “Apron Dress” that Medine loves). You also can’t go wrong with a simple black dress in an interesting silhouette, like the one blogger Kate Arends is wearing here (add a bold red lip or nails for a punch of color). Tousey suggests looking at options from Toteme. Whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute to get dressed or pick out an outfit. There’s nothing worse than hearing the doorbell ring when you’re standing in front of a bed strewn with clothes and your hair is in rollers.

Photography by Jamie Chung/Trunk Archive

The Exit Strategy

You may want to start clearing the table at the end of a long night to send a message that the evening is winding down. But resist the urge to turn your guests into dishwashers. “If anyone says they want to help in the kitchen, please know they are lying,” says Carey. “You can accept help from a blood relative.” After all, why spoil a delightful evening for your guests by ending it with an hour of manual labor?

But what if you’ve cleared the table, and no one is moving? How do you tactfully tell your friends it’s time to go home? One surefire trick for coaxing them toward the door is cutting off the liquor, according to Whitmore. Put away the wine or tell them it’s all gone (only you know how determined your guests are when imbibing). But as a universal, all of our experts agreed: When the alcohol is gone, the party’s over. Yes, it’s that easy.

After you’ve cut off the booze, sweeten their exit with some parting carbs. Merkatz likes to send her guests home with a homemade cookie or some leftover dessert so they will have something to remember the evening by the next day. Another fun idea: At the end of one memorable dinner party in which Arends and her guests shared a magnum of wine, they all signed the bottle. It now sits on a shelf in her kitchen alongside a photo from the evening, a happy reminder of time well spent with friends. And as for Carey? She still has her embroidered napkin.

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“Ah, this one is good,” says Antoine Leclef, Domaine’s chief horticulturist. He holds a tiny but beautiful blossom in his hand. The flowers are freshest when they are in full bloom, between 9 and 10 in the morning, he explains in a soft French accent slightly more gentle than what you encounter in Paris. “You see the yellow heart of this rose?” he says. “That’s how you know it’s ready to be plucked. Put two fingers underneath the blossom and your thumb on top,” he instructs. “Then press a little on top and gently rotate as you pull up.” A perfectly intact bloom pops into his outstretched hand, and he slides it into his apron. “Now you try it.”

Photography by Ben Colmbel and © Nem Architectes

It’s 87 degrees today, and I can feel the Mediterranean sun beating down on my bare shoulders. Distracted by thoughts of the sunscreen I’m not wearing, I mangle the first few roses. “You have to roll with your hand,” Leclef says. “When you do it well, it makes the right sound.”

Moments later, I hear a tiny snapping sound and am rewarded with what can only be described as the most intoxicating scent I have ever encountered. “Oh my god,” I whisper, reluctant to put the bloom down. Inhaling deeply, I close my eyes and have an almost out-of-body experience. Like Proust’s madeleines, this perfectly cultivated rose of May — grown without a trace of chemicals and picked at its peak of aromatic development — has triggered a sensory memory so strong and visceral that I feel my entire body relax. Suddenly, the years fall away, and I am back on Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine, my feet covered in sand and my nose nestled in its happy place: deep in the fragrant heart of the wild roses that grow along the craggy shoreline.

The intense emotional response I experienced when first smelling the Rosa centifolia at Domaine can be explained by basic neuroscience: The olfactory bulb — the structure in the brain that receives and relays the scents we breathe in — is directly connected to both the memory-focused hippocampus and the amygdala, which regulates emotions. But I prefer Proust’s more poetic explanation of the transportive nature of smell: “A single sound, a single scent, already heard or breathed long ago, may once again, both in the present and the past, be real without being present, ideal without being abstract, as soon as the permanent and habitually hidden essence of things is liberated, and our true self, which may sometimes have seemed to be long dead, but never was entirely, is re-awoken and re-animated when it receives the heavenly food that is brought to it.”

While I knew it wasn’t the same scent — like wine, each rose’s fragrance is affected by countless variables of the unique terroir, like water, temperature and elevation — I couldn’t help but wonder if the intensity of the scent memory had something to do with the clarity of the rose molecule in the absence of chemicals. After all, the roses at Domaine, like those of my childhood — and me at the time — were wild and free.

•   •   •   •   •

When Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme’s global brand president, first set eyes on Domaine in November 2019, her dream was to create a place that would honor Lancôme’s heritage while moving the brand in a more sustainable direction. Currently, 93% of the ingredients used in Lancôme fragrances are biodegradable, and 73% are bio-sourced. By 2030, the brand is working toward a goal of using 100% sustainably sourced, bio-based ingredients. Today, 100% of what is cultivated at Domaine is organic.

“The people who originally owned the property started farming organically in the sixties, and the people at the other farms thought they were crazy,” says Lehmann. “They said, ‘Why would you grow two roses when you could grow 10 with chemicals?’”

Turns out, the decision to choose only organic growing methods was prescient. “One of the reasons the soil is getting so poor in many other places is because of intensive monoculture farming with lots of pesticides,” says Lehmann. “This is why so many species of birds and animals have disappeared.”

By contrast, the creatures are alive and very present at Domaine. As I continue my tour with Leclef, we are serenaded by 33 species of birds. “The biodiversity really helps the flowers thrive,” he explains, noting that Domaine is also host to 31 species of butterflies, eight species of dragonflies, 12 species of bats and a whole bunch of snakes, mice and other critters. I watch for snakes as we step through the long grass and arrive at a very pregnant mulberry tree, one of 163 species of plants on the property. “You can eat it, go ahead,” Leclef encourages as a rooster crows loudly from the terraced fields behind us. I pluck one of the swollen fruits from a branch and take a bite. It explodes in my mouth. Like the scent of the rose, the flavor of the berry is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Fresher, sweeter, juicier. “Is this what you put in the Lancôme jams?” I ask, making a mental note to stock up before I head home. “No,” says Leclef. “We grow the berries for the birds. They love them!”

“Birds are not crazy,” Lehmann jokes. “They probably all called each other, saying, ‘Come on over here. There should be fewer pesticides at this place!’” While the birds help pollinate the roses, local sheep help prune them. “They are very good workers,” Leclef notes with a mischievous smile. Even the snakes are helpful, he adds. “They eat the mice that can damage crops and spread diseases.”

As we walk, Leclef points out dozens of fresh herbs and wildflowers. “Here is the rosemary,” he says, plucking an exquisitely aromatic stem. “Oh, and this is one of my favorite smells because it reminds me of my grandmother,” he continues, snapping off two green leaves from a bitter-orange tree. “She used a Roger & Gallet soap that smelled just like this. Crush the leaves together and then smell your hands.” I do as I’m told and can’t believe the scent that wafts up to my nose. Woody and hesperidic with a faint hint of floral neroli, it smells shockingly similar to a scented soap my boyfriend in college used that came from Mallorca. He gifted it to me before he went abroad for his junior year in Italy. I pocket my leaves and briefly contemplate picking a few more.

As we reach the end of our tour, we transfer our fresh rose petals into a large burlap sack. (I get permission to sneak a handful into my backpack as a souvenir.) Next, we will transport the petals for processing to dsm-firmenich, a global company with a local perfume distillery. The flowers need to be transported to the factory as quickly as possible; even a delay of just one hour can compromise the integrity of the scent. Today, I have filled half my apron with fresh petals. Leclef says seasoned harvesters like Madame Lafleur (yes, that’s her real name; she has been working here for 50 years) can sometimes fill up to 20 times this amount in just one day using a swift, two-handed method (apparently she can bank four to five kilos in an hour, which makes her something like the Simone Biles of rose picking). This is important because, as Leclef notes, “it takes 800 kilograms of fresh rose petals to make just one kilogram of rose absolute (the intensely scented and highly concentrated oil that perfumers use in fragrances).”

“Smell inside the bag,” Leclef suggests with a broad smile. I gently poke my head into the sack and swoon at the heady aroma. “This must be what heaven smells like,” I think out loud as we jump into a waiting car and head to the distillery.

By comparison to the idyllic horticultural wonderland that is Domaine, the dsm-firmenich fragrance-processing building is where romance meets reality. It is a large, white, uncharming box surrounded by lots of security. Reprimanded about taking a photo, I am reminded of what Leclef said about the perfume industry: “It’s very secretive!”

However, it isn’t long before I am allowed access to the inner sanctum of this inauspicious factory. We don special sterilized boots before entering the lab, where we meet Cyril Mestre, a dsm-firmenich perfumer. We hand him our bag of petals, which he deposits into a machine that can best be described as a flower microwave. After 17 minutes, this process has created a small vial of extremely fragrant rose water. “We call this the watery phase,” says Mestre. “We collect the most interesting aromatic molecules in the flowers by using only water and no petrochemicals. When you use chemicals, you destroy a lot. This new water-based technology allows us to preserve as much of the original scent as possible.”

•   •   •   •   •

The next stop on our adventure is the Barbie-pink main building of Domaine, where Audrey Dangy-Caye, one of Lancôme’s olfactive experts, shows us how perfumers combine different ingredients to make a fragrance. Glass bottles filled with 2,000 raw materials (200 natural and 1,800 synthetic) line four curvilinear shelves of a large workstation known as the fragrance organ. Here I finally smell the much-discussed iris root, which has a sweet, soft, powdery, suede-like scent. We also smell various Rosa centifolia extracts, all differing slightly based on the extraction technology used to capture their olfactive molecules.

After taking our noses on a dizzying journey through dozens of interesting raw fragrance extracts, Dangy-Caye introduces the pièce de résistance: Absolue Les Parfums, a new, rose-centric collection from Lancôme that is launching in September. There will be 11 fragrances in the line, and nine are brand-new. “The idea for this collection is to discover the rose as you’ve never smelled it before,” says Dangy-Caye. By combining the Rosa centifolia from Domaine de la Rose with different ingredients, you can experience the many complex facets of the rose. We thought, why not create a fresh rose, a woody rose, a green rose. …”

The first fragrance, 6 AM Rose, was created by perfumer Fanny Bal at IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances). “This one combines the neo- Absolue centifiola extract with juicy green fruit, lily of the valley, cassis and ambrette seeds,” says Dangy-Caye. We smell five more scents, each more complex than the last. The final scent, Hell of a Rose, was formulated by dsm-firmenich perfumer Nathalie Lorson. “It is meant to evoke a rose coming from ashes,” says Dangy-Caye. Here, the rose extract from Domaine de la Rose is combined with vetiver and ambrette seeds for a more edgy, unisex scent. “It’s amazing that from the same flower, you can create so many different fragrances.” 

•   •   •   •   •

After leaving Domaine, I spend several days in the South of France, taking time to smell the roses everywhere I go. I have a newfound appreciation for the magic of fragrance, and I find myself spending hours exploring perfume shops. But nothing compares to the still-mesmerizing scent of the organic Rosa centifolia petals I have smuggled out of Domaine in my backpack. How long can this scent possibly last? I wonder. It has been four days, and my bag still smells like heaven.

As I pass through customs at JFK back in the States, I am asked if I have any food or farm products in my bag. Looking down, I mumble, “No, I don’t think so,” as they grab my bag and start rummaging.

“Aha! I found it,” the security guard booms triumphantly. With great flourish, he produces a bruised green apple I had stashed there several days ago from my welcome basket at Château de Théoule. “You are not allowed to take this into the U.S.!” he says with clear satisfaction and authority. I smile impishly and apologize.

Heaven is still in my bag.

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When men dress, we tend to adhere to enduring principles of proportion and custom. We’re lucky that way: What worked for Fred Astaire still looks great today. Women famously monitor the ups and downs of the hemline, but men can wear what their stylish father (and even grandfather) wore, safe in the knowledge that they still look good.

But we shouldn’t be too set in our ways. Even men’s style evolves subtly over time. For example, tailoring is softer and lighter now; pick up a vintage jacket and it can feel like a heavy blanket. While “trend” can be a dangerous word — what is in right now may be out in a season or two — there’s nothing wrong with taking a small sartorial step in a new direction from time to time. To that end, here are some of my favorite new menswear trends for your consideration.

Illustration by Hilbrand Bos

Minnesota Chic

Are you living in a style mecca without even knowing it? It’s quite possible. Embracing the rugged outdoor look is always a good idea. And living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes means you’ve earned it! What about a waxed-cotton Hudson jacket from Flint and Tinder? It just gets better with age. Or a subtle flannel shirt — no reason you can’t wear it with a tweed sport coat. If it’s the weekend, then some worn-in Red Wing boots — another great Minnesota tradition. A tartan scarf from Campbell’s of Beauly — yes, that’s made in Scotland, but the principle still applies. Lean into it!

Return of the Tie

Now, this is something I can get behind, since for me the tie never left. But after the casual disconnection of the last few years, people want to feel more pulled together. And not just for a business meeting but also for a special night on the town. I believe a knit tie is an under-appreciated (and very easy) addition to every man’s wardrobe. It’s textured, it’s tonal, it’s terrific. You may love your knit tie so much you’ll want to wear it with a practical chore coat, and you’d look great in that. I like textured ties in general — tweed, wool or anything woven. But if you’re going even more formal, then a striped repp tie remains a classic answer.

The Western Look

Embrace the wide-open spaces of Montana even if there’s not a horse in sight. Start with the Western shirt — usually denim or chambray, with its pearl snaps and distinctive pockets — which has now entered the mainstream. Double RL is a good place to start, and then you can go from there. These shirts are also being made in slightly dressier fabrics by tailors like J. Mueser in New York City and Drake’s in London. They style them with sport coats, and they look excellent. You don’t have to go that far (though I certainly do!). A simple Western shirt is a winning, durable look. Add jeans, depending on your commitment to the style, but corduroys with a jeans cut (Sid Mashburn has some great sports trousers) are a smart addition. Add some Chelsea boots with a wider toe (not too narrow) and you’re in the game.

Grandpa Style

This one is close to my heart, as I channel the spirit of the older gentleman for much of my style inspiration. He has a shawl-collared cardigan that he wears while reading the paper and drinking tea before taking his nap. What’s not to like? The key here is a strong devotion to a few beloved pieces. They can be a pair of loafers (suede Aldens are a good move), a dear cardigan or even some house slippers that you can wear outside your home if you like.

The Long Overcoat

An overcoat is a statement of intent. You walk into a restaurant and say, “Good evening. I am an adult who prefers a proper coat to a parka.” That sounds good to me, and a good overcoat is indeed a wonderful thing. For full effect, it should go down at least to your knees. This might be the time to dip your toe into the world of double-breasted jackets: Men are reluctant to wear them with suits, but an overcoat, with its military associations, is a good starting point. If you really want to step into the deep end, then you can have one made by a tailor; stop by Anderson & Sheppard the next time you’re in London. Otherwise, look for Italian companies that use great fabrics, like Brunello Cucinelli or Massimo Alba. Rubinacci, in Naples, Italy, also makes incredible coats. An overcoat is a simple thing that makes a strong impression — pretty soon you won’t leave home without it.

A Minnesotan turned New Yorker, David Coggins is the author of the New York Times bestseller Men and Style and writes a column for Artful Living.

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Bourdin was shortly entrusted with many pages per issue, the beginning of an exceptional collaboration of over 30 years with the magazine.

Photography provided by Rizzoli New York

When Francine Crescent [Vogue Paris fashion editor, then editor-in-chief] introduced Bourdin to Roland Jourdan in 1964, the creative director of Charles Jourdan was already sensitive to the visual provocations that [Bourdin] was deploying on the pages of the magazine. A few images had tickled [Roland’s] interest in how the photographer staged shoes: the March 1966 cover with a pair of Charles Jourdan heels for Pierre Cardin, long legs in red tights coming out of a miniskirt; in February 1967, [eight pairs of] a Karl Lagerfeld pump for Charles Jourdan stacked in the arms of a naked model. [Bourdin’s photos would expand from the fashion pages until they “took over the magazine.”] In 1966, Vogue Paris stated: “It is perhaps because of his love for detail that Guy Bourdin is among the great fashion photographers. Because he always goes one step further, he never takes the same photo twice, he surpasses himself. He doesn’t imitate himself: We imitate him.”

By hiring Bourdin, the famous shoe brand dared to move away from stereotypical images of accessories, [then] characterized by the banality of the staging and uniformity of the layout. The years after the Second World War were indeed marked by standardized communication. In brand catalogs, accessories were cropped on a neutral background; photography was simply descriptive, its function being only to show the product. A pioneer in communication, Charles Jourdan deliberately took the risk of engaging in a policy of visual expression by which the product was no longer at the center of the image. The Charles Jourdan campaigns, which were entrusted exclusively to Bourdin from 1967 to 1979, were also in line with the company’s commercial and marketing audacity and testified to its modernity.

Photography provided by © The Guy Bourdin Estate

For Charles Jourdan and Vogue Paris, Bourdin demanded control over the final selection as well as the layout of his images. While the very first campaigns were in square format, he quickly adopted the horizontal format, which corresponded to the magazine’s double-page spread and directly evoked the cinema screen. When not working horizontally, he created small sequences that developed a narrative.

With Bourdin, the frame of the photograph is almost always closed; there are few or no skies, and we’re at ground level. Whether indoors or outdoors, the spaces define a closed world, with no off‑screen. In very graphic images, he invented wacky scenes and unusual, sometimes absurd, situations. He juxtaposed bright colors with the almost systematic presence of the sophisticated red emblematic of his photographs.

The 1979 campaign, made with only a pair of half‑legs of window mannequins that he would take from place to place was the culmination of the cutting and fragmentation of the models’ bodies seen in the previous campaigns. This fragmentation of reality is a sign of his taste for surrealism. In his images, the isolation of objects from any human context gave them a reality of their own.

Photography provided by © The Guy Bourdin Estate

The reception of the Charles Jourdan campaigns exceeded the expectations of [his] patron but sometimes provoked extreme reactions. They intrigued and sparked debate; some readers did not hesitate to send inflammatory letters to the company to express their disgust, especially in front of the advertisement published in Jours de France dated 10‑16 March 1975: a pair of pink shoes spilled on the sidewalk in front of a black car, the body of a woman drawn in chalk on the asphalt and alleged traces of blood surrounding it. [Nevertheless, Bourdin’s photos were eagerly awaited in fashion magazines each month.] “It was as if we were publishing not advertisements but a paperback novel or a comic strip. People were hungry to see what was next,” according to Gerard Tavenas, director of marketing. The reception of his work in the magazine Photo was also unambiguous. Each year, portfolios were dedicated to his latest campaigns with titles such as “Bourdin or Unfettered Advertising” and “Advertising Photography as an Art Form.”

Pushing boundaries, Bourdin’s campaigns for Charles Jourdan had a decisive influence on several generations of designers. Even more than the history of advertising, they revolutionized the history of photography.

© Guy Bourdin for Charles Jourdan, Rizzoli New York, 2024. All images © The Guy Bourdin Estate. Condensed excerpt from the introduction.

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At the turn of the 20th century, flour milling was king in Minneapolis, and the wealthy millers built extravagant homes on the fringe of downtown, a prestigious suburb back in the day. Designed by noted architects and upwards of 10,000 square feet, the Washburn, Crosby and Pillsbury mansions overflowed with the finest Italian marble and exotic wood painstakingly installed and hand-finished by skilled craftspeople. Not many remain — either torn down as they became too expensive to maintain or converted to institutional use. A precious few are private homes.

Photography by Spacecrafting

One of these gems, the Alfred F. Pillsbury House, recently underwent a massive renovation with the help of the Minnesota chapters of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and scores of local design professionals and artisans who took part in Design Home 2024. In March 2023, entrepreneurs Matthew Trettel and Ryan Hanson purchased the property (which they call “the castle”) with dreams of restoring it and making it their family home. “Too many of these [historic old] homes have been torn down, and we wanted to show how they can be relevant for modern life,” Trettel says.

Located in the Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District, the 12,000-square-foot English Tudor Revival has lived many lives since Alfred and his wife Eleanor passed away in 1946 and 1950, including housing seminary students as a dorm and office space. Although the previous owner did a significant amount of work to begin the restoration process and convert the house back to a single-family home, there was still much to do — update all the mechanical systems (plumbing, electrical and HVAC) and remodel or refresh every room in the house, including the kitchen, six bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

Design partner PKA Architecture helped Trettel and Hanson reevaluate the home’s layout, which included servants’ quarters, back staircases, coal rooms and other remnants of a bygone era. Their goal was to minimize structural interventions by moving a door here and there or changing the function of a room instead of tearing down walls. “Matt and Ryan wanted to add to the legacy of this home, not hide it, and were willing to set boundaries to do what’s right for the house,” says PKA Associate Principal and architect Andrew Edwins. Taking this sensitive approach, the architectural team converted awkward back-of-the-house areas into 21st-century amenities — a second-floor laundry room near the family bedrooms, a charming third-floor nanny suite for caregivers or an aging parent, a home office for Trettel on the main floor, one for Hanson on the second, and space for a future home gym and spa in the basement. PKA also suggested adding an elevator, a common feature in a house of this size. Trettel and Hanson agreed, knowing it would make aging in place and shuttling heavy items between levels easier. Finding a place for the elevator shaft that worked for each floor, where the door wouldn’t open in the middle of a room, required finesse (the sweet spot was the juncture between the back and the front of the house). Challenges like this and restoring or recreating intricate wood and stone details were invigorating for general contractor OA Design+Build+Architecture, along with the seven additional contractors who worked on specific rooms throughout the home. “It was amazing to think about what it took to create this 100 years ago with hand tools,” says Chris McGuire, production director with Vujovich Design Build. “Our guys live for this stuff.”

Thirty-plus interior designers revamped 34 rooms, volunteering their talents to create a sophisticated and cohesive look from top to bottom. Their shared philosophy was to avoid period looks in favor of a mix of contemporary and traditional furnishings — an approach encouraged by Trettel and Hanson. “Think of a 17th-century Paris apartment with abstract art,” Hanson explains. “It’s more dynamic.” One example hangs just inside the front door — a light installation by Hennepin Made that cascades down the curved oak staircase. Unquestionably contemporary, the handblown glass cylinders have a pleasing rapport with the heavy, ornate woodwork. Hennepin Made founder Jackson Schwartz posits that the reason lies with the maker. “Like the masons and carpenters who finished this house 120 years ago, we also make these by hand and are experts at our craft. We share a feeling of heritage you don’t get with a mass-produced thing.” Another nod to the era:  lots of  saturated color and bold wallcoverings, including several scenic wallpapers and a custom hand-painted design by local studio She She celebrating Trettel and Hanson’s past, present and future. “We referenced old paintings, especially Matisse and Cézanne, for the figures that represent Matt, Ryan, their cats and future family,” says She She co-owner and lead designer Kate Worum.

As the name suggests, the grand salon is the most enormous room in the house. Designed to impress, it features mahogany paneling, a trio of ornately carved walnut archways and a beamed ceiling. Niosi Interior Design’s Kimberly Niosi didn’t shy away from incorporating distinctive pieces into the space, such as a bentwood and glass Piegatto Ghost Table, green velvet leopard sofas and a wall of smoked mirror tiles. But she was careful to complement what was original by choosing sofas with a curved back that mimics the archways. She payed close attention to scale. “Too many divas in the room creates chaos,” she explains. “But a room with this quantity of dark woodwork needs furnishings with personality to bring elation much like a symphony.”

The adjacent kitchen and scullery had designer Kate Roos and Partners 4, Design literally between a rock and a hard place. “The space used to be an outside porch, and the walls are made of the same rock-faced Platteville limestone as the rest of the home’s exterior,” says Roos. This made running plumbing to the new scullery and installing custom cabinetry tricky. The limestone walls also posed a design challenge. “It’s a very aesthetically opinionated material,” Roos points out. “So, our strategy was to complement, not compete.” Rich colors — green-gray, gold, brass, deep red and dark stained oak — play off the stone while inset cabinets, marble countertops, shimmery wallpaper and sparkling pendants add warmth and freshness. For appliances, Trettel and Hanson worked with partner Warners’ Stellian and chose Gaggenau for its integrated look and performance. “Matt swears that these appliances will teach him how to cook!” Appliance Specialist DeAnne Bennett says.

Throughout the house, which includes a family room, kids’ playroom, media room, music room, mudroom, speakeasy, billiards room and many delightful nooks and crannies, the ASID designers and NARI remodelers created imaginative spaces to entertain, work, play, rest and retreat, providing the backdrop for the magic of everyday life. The results are sumptuous and spirited. “Our designers reimagined this entire house in a historically respectful way with incredible results,” says Design Home 2024 co-chair Christine Happel. For Trettel and Hanson, this project has given them the home of their dreams — and the satisfaction of knowing they helped preserve an essential  part of Minnesota’s history. “We think we’ve honored Alfred and Eleanor and are hopeful that the house will inspire others,” Trettel says. “They don’t make them like they used to and there’s no need. The houses are here. They just need a champion.”

Learn more about this home and take a virtual tour at PillsburyCastle.com

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Project Partners

Designers

Abitare Design Studio
Albertsson Hansen Architecture and Design
April Star Interiors
Bruit de la Mode, Inc
Daybreak Interiors
Designer Lindy Haglund
Edmanhill Interior Design
Ethan Allen
Fine House Interiors + Design
Gabberts Design Studio
Jennifer Ball Interiors
Julie Tuerk Interior Design
Kate Roos Design
Katie Brandt Interiors
Laura Engen Interior Design
Lucy Interiors
Mike Rataczak Studios
Niosi Design
Partners 4, Design
SKC Designs LLC
Spencer Design Associates
TDM Designs
Terry Gustafson Interior Design LLC
University of Minnesota Design Students led by lecturer Anne Farniok
Vela Interior Design

Contractors

EdgeWork Design Build
Holly Home Renovations
J3 Renovation & Design
Ohana Home & Design
Otogawa-Anschel Design+Build+Architecture
Partners 4, Design
Quality Cut Design | Remodel
Vujovich Design Build, Inc.

The post Inside the Halls of the Revived Pillsbury Castle appeared first on Artful Living Magazine.

Take the babushkas. I come from a family of Soviet immigrants. My grandma may have worn one in the rain — or to pretend her hair didn’t smell like stale Marlboro smoke when we visited — but why were they cinched tightly over models’ heads as if they were being shrink-wrapped? Even Elson’s envious mass of flame-colored hair was enveloped in a dowdy olive shroud. Then there were the scarves and skirts, which dragged a good three inches on the soddy ground, even though the runway crew was uniformly 5-foot-9 and up. For short people like me, it would have been a mud bath in the making. Don’t get me started on the zippered trousers, which let bare knees escape from the fabric while threatening to scrape them with metal teeth. And the way some nightgown-y evening dresses were tossed over giant cardigans — with no bra underneath? My nipples froze in sympathy.

The funny thing is, Burberry is known as a “wearable” label, the kind of brand that could invite shoppers to directly translate its coveted coats and sweaters from “runway to real way.” Victoria Beckham used the brand to help transition from spray tan Y2K goddess to legitimate fashion player. Emma Watson wore its trench coats to demonstrate that she was no longer a child star but instead a sophisticated urbanite. Runways and ad campaigns beckoned “real” women to do the same with leather pencil skirts and shearling car coats that were at once both timeless and modern.

But fashion executives are smart. They know “going viral” is cheaper than going global with a costly ad campaign. TikTok’s spectacle-rewarding algorithm is more excited about showmanship than simple, great clothes. And so Burberry runways — once showcases for a grab-and-go dream wardrobe — became performances for bored kids instead of real suggestions for busy women. Fun? Sure. Captivating? Sometimes. But still, if you’re a realist instead of a fantasy gamer, you’re likely staring at the runways going, “Cool. What does this have to do with me?”

I was so frustrated trying to answer that question, I even asked ChatGPT. The AI assistant was a bit of a sphinx. “The journey from runway to real life begins with understanding the essence of a trend,” it said. “Fashion is a form of self-expression, and the most stylish people are those who wear their clothes with confidence and poise.”

Oh. Okay.

Maybe I was still angry about the babushkas. Maybe I was just annoyed that even a data-ingesting computer bot believes the hackneyed lie that “attitude” is all it takes to be stylish. Either way, I told the bot to go f*** itself.

Then I called the most stylish humans I know and asked them how, exactly, to wear this season’s top runway trends in the real world, as real people who are neither mannequins nor machines.

Here’s what they said.

Photography by Giovanni Giannoni

The Giant Scarf

“Do not let your scarf drag on the floor!” exclaimed Zanna Roberts Rassi on a recent night out. Being both British and tasked with reporting the biggest red carpets for E!, she knows about winter accessories and impossibly cool ways to wear things. But though Burberry, Balenciaga and Stella McCartney all featured Lenny Kravitz-level scarves on their models, Rassi insists that the correct way to wear one is as her London-based friends at ME + EM, the womenswear label beloved by Kate Middleton, do: “Gently thrown around the neck, like a hug.” Giving the scarf a looser drape lets its pattern and color be fully seen, a boon for styles like Acne Studios’ rainbow-check scarf and ME + EM’s cashmere shawls, which both turn otherwise ordinary navy or black pea coats into canvases for an easy shock of color. Plus, by softly looping a long scarf from shoulder to shoulder, you can quickly pull it over your ears in case of an icy blast of wind. Love the look of a scarf but can’t bear the idea of fabric origami? Designers like Brandon Maxwell offer scarf dresses that transform an accessory into a full look that’s equal parts windswept and practical. “Throw it on with some tall boots,” said Maxwell backstage, “and you’re good to go.”

Photography by Victor VIRGILE

The Skinny Jean

Much like tales of Snapchat’s decline and Shia LaBeouf’s cancellation, reports of the skinny jean’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Despite TikTok rants about the tapered pant being “over,” trusted denim labels like Polo Ralph Lauren, Levi’s and Good American have never stopped making the staple. Meanwhile, the empress of all trends — Miuccia Prada, the creative director of Prada and Miu Miu — put skinny jeans front and center on her fall 2024 runways. Skinnies were also spotted at Gucci, Proenza Schouler, Louis Vuitton, Helmut Lang and (in the pre-fall collections of) Balmain and Alberta Ferrerti. Like many style pros, fashion writer and vintage collector Liana Satenstein has “never stopped” wearing her black skinny Calvin Klein jeans with heels and oversize pea coats. But Samantha Tousey, the director of women’s buying at Martin Patrick 3 in Minneapolis, understands that not everyone wants to go back to their super-skinnies, especially if they’ve embraced a wide-leg jean for their daily uniform. To try the skinny silhouette without the denim, she recommends Toteme’s “buckled slouch” trousers, which look slim but not as if they’ve been shot up with Ozempic.

Photography by Vittorio Zunino Celotto

Pop of Red

The pop-of-red trend seen on fall catwalks for Prabal Gurung, Sportmax and Valentino is likely the simplest one to pull off without shopping at all. “I think the easiest way to incorporate pops of red is by layering on red accessories,” says Tousey. Consider shoes or a handbag, like those from Wandler, the independent Dutch brand that often makes its bold shapes in cherry leather. A scarlet turtleneck or a pair of ruby-red kitten heels from Toteme can accent an otherwise “normal” outfit for work. Or, says Tousey, “if you’re feeling really bold, you can wear a statement red dress.” She recommends La DoubleJ, the Milan-based and female-led independent brand, for maximum color saturation; all its textiles are made in historic European fabric mills. But not everything has to be maximum: Keep the makeup minimal and the hair pulled back to channel a powerful vibe that’s also quite practical. (No blowout needed? Amazing.)

Photography by WWD

Platform Loafers

The Sex and the City continuation And Just Like That may be famous, in part, for its sumptuous street shots of bejeweled Manolo Blahnik stilettos, but in real life, one of the show’s stars, Sarita Choudhury, admires a different shoe altogether. “I love a slip-on loafer,” she said at New York City’s Fotografiska gallery opening for photographer Vivian Maier. Stella McCartney and Saint Laurent have recently offered up chunky options with two- to three-inch platform soles. Blumarine and Ferragamo made Fall 2024 runway versions, too, but this go-with-everything style can be procured from fast-fashion chains as well. Fashion photographer Sophie Elgort got hers at Zara; at a recent dinner party, she paired them with a black pouf-sleeve dress from the Tokyo-based brand Adeam. “If you’re on your feet all day, like I am, they add some height without the discomfort of a heel,” she explained. “Plus, if you wear them with regular jeans, they make it look like you’re actually trying.”

Photography by WWD

The Maroon Lip

If you grew up worshiping the backstage makeup tutorials in glossy magazines, you already know about Romy Soleimani. The cosmetic artist has created iconic fashion looks for Linda Evangelista and Reese Witherspoon, along with campaigns for Kate Spade and David Yurman. But it was her master class for Glossier’s G Suit cream lipstick that brought a runway staple — the deep-maroon lip — into real-life focus. “The secret to a lip like this is blending,” Soleimani explained, noting that instead of letting pigment rest on top of the mouth, gently pressing it into the lip with a clean brush gives a worn-in effect that also helps the color last longer. As seen at Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton, a dark lip can make formal party clothes look cooler and dress up sweaters or even hoodies for a casual brunch where you still want to look put-together. And since the lipstick has already been blotted, it won’t show up on your mimosa glass, either.

Photography by Victor VIRGILE

Leopard-Print Everything

“Leopard print is a neutral,” deadpanned the celebrity stylist J. Errico at a fashion shoot in London. He was swathing the actress Sienna Miller in it for an upcoming cover story in Grazia, the British fashion bible and — thanks to a runway bounty of animal-print everything this season — his options were boundless. Michael Kors put jungle spots on an evening jacket, Alexander McQueen wove them into sweaters and knit dresses, and Alaia put the feline motif on skirts, dresses and silk burnout blouses. Even Jennifer Lawrence, a reliable devotee of super-normal straight-leg jeans and crewneck sweaters, wore a fuzzy leopard-print coat to a Dior fashion show in June. To follow her lead, Errico said, start casual: An animal-print jacket over jeans and a T-shirt is “a statement on its own.” Want to bring some cat power — but not too much — to an evening look? Instead of head-to-toe spots, stick with a leopard-print purse from Ferragamo or Jacquemus, which helps liven up a little black dress … and doesn’t show stains if you spill wine across the front during a girls’ night out.

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Photography by Spacecrafting | Florals by Ashley Fox Designs

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Shop featured Galleria stores: Alo Yoga • David Yurman • H.O.B.O. • JB Hudson • Madewell • Melly • Pumpz • Shinola • Sundance • Sweet Ivy

Visit galleriaedina.com to view the full collection of stores and learn more.

On location at Mother Co. Plants.

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Photography by Rich Michell

It’s the classic cabin conundrum. What should you prioritize – the cozy embrace of the fireplace or the captivating water views? That’s a tricky question that’s been confounding homeowners for generations. “In a lakeside living room, the draw is always to enjoy views of the water, but when a fireplace fills an opposite wall, it feels “wrong” not to face furniture toward it,” says David Heide Design Studio Architect Chris Christofferson.

So, the brilliant solution here? Prioritize them both. Step into the light-filled living room, and you’re greeted by a wall of windows overlooking the lake. Then, cleverly tucked into a low-slung bookcase right below the glass, you’ll see the opening for a petite fireplace, its sleek chimney rising up like a modern sculpture. That’s right, in one fell swoop, they’ve combined both fire and water. “The finished result looks simple, but the architectural detail was complicated. Careful attention was paid to orchestrating venting and mechanicals without compromising the glazing,” Christofferson explains.

And while the big windows offer sweeping landscape views, an adjacent wall holds a playful surprise: a collection of little peek-a-boo windows arranged into an organic vignette. One by one, the glass openings frame colorful branches or snippets of sky — living works of art. “A miniature window provides a view of nature that is often just as beautiful [as that afforded by the larger windows],” Christofferson points out. “Each leaf and tree limb is filled with detail that is easier to notice through a smaller lens.” These unique windows are repeated in the family room and even a bathroom, becoming a beloved part of the design.

The cabin was built in 2021 for a St. Paul–based family of three who wanted a place for group gatherings and weekend getaways. They love fishing and four-wheeling, so this 3,400-square-foot home in northwestern Wisconsin is designed for easy living. Constructed by Keenan Companies in Hayward, Wisconsin, the idea was to update the existing space, which felt a bit dated and dark. “It was really something,” company principal David Heide recalls. “It looked like ‘The Flintstones go camping’ with all the log posts, railings and logs everywhere.” So, gradually, Heide’s team brought in a more modern Nordic aesthetic mixed with a nature-inspired sensibility.

They accomplished this with a savvy selection of materials. The ceiling is clad in vertical-grain white oak, while wood wainscotting covers the walls. You’ll also find touches of Japanese tile, matte stone and rich leather — all adding up to a tactile sense of tranquility. Then, for the furnishings, Heide interior designers Michael Crull and Elizabeth Mueller brought in clean, custom-made pieces and a smattering of well-loved Danish antiques. “This blend contributes to the warm feeling of ‘family cabin’ where it is common to have pieces handed down over the years or repurposed from other residences,” Christofferson notes. “The unexpected pairing of an Eames chair with an antler chandelier overhead creates a character-filled and whimsical space where no one needs to take themselves too seriously.”

This kind of spirited yet highly detailed work is a hallmark of David Heide Design Studio in St. Paul. A full-service architecture, interior design and historic restoration company, they tackle a variety of projects from contemporary cabins to period estates. Driven by a commitment to quality and craftsmanship, the 27-year-old firm is known for creating spaces with timeless appeal.

We see this approach in the kitchen, which feels like a hidden escape. A distinct shift from the white hues in the great room, the color palette here morphs into more earthy tones of gray and red. “At a cabin, where much of the day is defined by brilliant sunlight glinting off the lake, a darker kitchen makes sense for cozy mornings sipping coffee or relaxing evenings preparing a homecooked meal,” says Design Associate Leanna Kemp Kristoff. One of the most beloved features here is the open shelving lining the perimeter of the center island. Its mission? To discretely tuck away all those food containers and party snacks guests typically bring out for the weekend.

Finally, if fun is what you are looking for, head to the lower level where you’ll find a bar that’s inspired by vintage supper clubs in the area. It certainly looks the part with swank leather panels, complete with studded detail. Ditto for the zinc countertops and classic foot rail at the bar. Sip a gin and tonic while looking out the grand picture window framing the lake. All that’s missing is a relish tray and the prime rib special. “It was the perfect addition to this cabin,” Heide sums up. “The owner’s family once owned a Northwoods supper club, so it’s in his DNA — a full circle moment for sure.”

Architect: David Heide Design
Builder: Keenan Companies
Interior Designer: David Heide Design

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