Upper Westchester, NY March 2024

Home Sweet Home

Our Home Issue

Dana

Home. This powerful four-letter word serves as our grounding, our base, and our launchpad. While the unique details in each of our homes in some ways help to define us, the universal meaning and value that ‘home’ holds is undeniable.

Having grown up in a house crafted by my father, home is a special place for me. Long before my brother and I entered the scene, every corner was thoughtfully designed by my father for his future family. The countless and priceless memories of our upbringing in my childhood home stand as a testament to the boundless love from my parents, and the nurturing environment they created for my brother and I. It remains a cherished sanctuary in the tapestry of my life.

As you flip through the pages of our Home issue, I hope you feel encouraged and connected to these local stories. Recently, I’ve heard from readers who enjoy this magazine beyond its labeled month, placing it among coffee table art or saving it to reflect on a favorite feature. As always, thank you for embracing us. It’s heartening to know that Bedford City Lifestyle has touched your lives and found its place in your home.

DANA CIFONE, PUBLISHER @BEDFORD.CITYLIFESTYLE

Tag us or use #BedfordCityLifestyle to be featured! Discover Bedford City Lifestyle in the towns of Armonk, Bedford, Bedford Hills, Chappaqua, Katonah, Mount Kisco, Pound Ridge, and Valhalla.

Dana

Restoration, Cleaning & Reconstruction

As industry leaders in Restoration, Reconstruction and Cleaning– our vision is to continue providing strategic Consumer & Business Solutions while upholding our commitment to exemplary customer service and white glove workmanship. We work alongside our insurance partners as well as in the private sector to handle claims and home improvement projects.

With our exclusive use of cutting-edge equipment and technology, our fully certified staff is capable of handling projects of any magnitude or complexity.

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city scene

Want to be seen in the magazine?

1: Artist Fernando Silva's work will be on display at Bedford Playhouse through March 6th. 2: Art lovers at the opening reception for Captured at Chroma Fine Art Gallery in Katonah. 3: Author Fran Hauser shares her recent work, Reflect & Reset, at Fern Hill Project's event. 4: Hickory & Tweed and Ginnel Real Estate raised more than $8,000 for Northern Westchester Hospital. 5: Yellow Studio welcomed The Quilted Deer for a Visible Mending Workshop in Cross River. 6: Artists Allison Belolan and Angela Fiammetta celebrate their recent exhibits at Yellow Studio Gallery.

7: Realtor and Green Specialist Jess Watts (middle) with Vanessa Seide and Jen Wege.

@BEDFORDPLAYHOUSE

@CHROMAFINEARTGALLERY

@FRAN_HAUSER

@HICKORYANDTWEED

@YELLOWSTUDIONY

@YELLOWSTUDIONYGALLERY

@NORTHERNWESTCHESTERMOMS

business monthly

Experience A Design Consultation with Heather Dibble Interiors

After casually decorating homes for friends and family for many years, Heather Dibble launched her namesake firm in 2020. Specializing in residential renovations and new construction, Heather’s passion lies in creating a beautifully curated home for her clients, helping them make design decisions that will increase their home value and suit their aesthetic. Whether a client’s style is minimalist or lived-in and collected, Heather creates interiors that are unique to the client. @heatherdibbleinteriors

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Discover Palette Pro's Award-Winning Home Painting Services

With over 15 years of experience, Palette Pro stands as an award-winning painting and renovation company. Its mission extends beyond the brush, aiming to inspire and enhance the lives of its employees, clients, and community. This unwavering commitment to excellence emphasizes the value placed on its work and the manner in which it's carried out. Palette Pro ensures an outstanding experience through top-notch craftsmanship and customer service of the highest quality. www.palette-pro.com

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Impress Your Guests with MDRN Design House Luxury Invitations

Owner and Artist, Njomeza Rugova, embarked on her journey as a calligrapher in 2015. Her profound passion for the art of calligraphy evolved into a cherished pursuit, which led to the launch of MDRN Design House. Rugova not only creates distinctive business logos and branding, but her suite of offerings, from paper products and beyond, sets the tone for life milestones such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, intimate gatherings, and more. www.mdrndesignhouse.com

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Photography by Palette Pro

Photography by MDRN Design House

Photography by Heather Dibble Interiors

Keeping

Ready your home for warmer weather with these must-do tips from leading Chappaqua-based cleaning company Cleanology

ARTICLE BY BARBARA ACCETTA

House

There are specific areas of every home that need more TLC than others when prepping for warmer weather. Paola Castro and Diana Osorio of family-owned Cleanology shared with us their best practices to ensure a seamless seasonal transition, whether you enlist a cleaning company or tackle the task yourself.

1. Dusting: light fixtures, ceiling fans, and the exterior of heating & cooling vents need extra attention.

2. Carpets & Rugs: a deep clean will help refresh your indoor environment, especially after the harsh Winter season!

3. Decluttering & Organizing: tackle your cabinets, closets, and pantries.

4. Garage: don’t overlook this area of your home. Remove clutter, sweep the floors, and organize tools, equipment, and storage for a more functional space.

Pro Tip: One of the best DIY cleaning solutions is made by mixing your favorite dishwashing liquid, approximately 1-2 tablespoons, with 2 cups of lukewarm water. Be careful not to use too much dishwashing liquid and NEVER mix chemicals. While vinegar is effective, it can also damage most delicate and porous surfaces.

Cleanology recommends deep cleanings 3-4 times per year for the home interior and 2-3 times per year for the exterior. “If you have a request for your cleaning company, always share it with them,” says Osorio. “It helps them to meet your expectations and ensures that they’ll bring the proper supplies for the day of.” Lastly, don’t forget to change your air filters for better quality air and ventilation. www.cleanologynewyork.com

CHEF ANTONY BALLARD IS A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY, A LITTLE BIT ROCK N’ ROLL, AND A LOT OF HEART

Living in

the Moment

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA ACCETTA

Antony Ballard spends his weekends at the charming North Salem colonial that’s been in his family for 30 years. Its sprawling stone walls and eclectic interior design are equally as elegant as his weekday home: a fourth-floor Upper Manhattan pied-à-terre filled with art, from limited edition Picasso prints to original paintings by Andy Warhol, Salvador Dahlí, Jeffrey Terreson, and more, including Ballard himself. His personal works on canvas are impressive, as is the art that he creates in the kitchen as a private chef to some of our area’s biggest names in show business. Ballard is not one to namedrop, but the expansive collection of framed photographs atop his piano tells a story of Ballard alongside legendary rock stars and A-list actors. The real story, however, began much differently.

THE CHEF

Born and raised in England, Ballard’s parents passed within a year of each other when he was still a teenager. He landed a job as a dishwasher at a 5-star hotel, where he was paid in food and shelter. Eventually, Ballard took an interest in cooking. “The hotel served classic French cuisine, so that’s what I learned,” he says in his British accent.

Ballard moved to New York City when he was 21 years old, and later settled in North Salem to raise his two children, Paxton and Christieann. “The highlight of our home for them was the massive treehouse out back,” he laughs. Ballard opened a

small cafe in town, Thyme For Change, and fate intervened when one of his customers connected him with a gig that led to cooking for famed author Michael Crichton. “I became his family chef for 5 years,” says Ballard. “Michael was one of the greatest storytellers and he would hang out in the kitchen, telling me stories.” Ballard, who never takes a moment for granted, smiles and says, “I feel like I’ve been so fortunate.”

Ballard contends that there’s a spiritual side to cooking. “Creating, doing what I do and how I do it, it works through me,” he says. “When I’m creating a meal or a painting and make a mistake, it takes on its own life and becomes something even better.”

THE ARTIST

While the world was shut down during the 2020 pandemic, Ballard decided to take painting more seriously, creating his first real piece of art. His vision was of a night scene. “And I thought, ‘I'm just going to do that, and that's going to be it,’” he says. He painted a black sea, then “made a mistake somewhere and covered it up with a ship.” The ship became a shipwreck, and Ballard figured out how to paint dramatic, realistic-looking waves. “I ended up with this antique ship that crashed on the rocks,” says Ballard. “I don't know why but I think it was subconscious considering what was going on. Everything seemed like a wreck.”

Ballard framed the painting and hung it in his hallway, admitting that he experienced a love-hate relationship with painting. “Then there are days that I wake up, see my paintings hanging and think, that's pretty damn good,” he says. His art has since come a long way. “When your painting doesn’t piss you off anymore, it’s finished.” Ballard compares the process of painting to making music. “We all feel the music, but the greatest artists can feel the spaces in between and know what to do with them,” he says. “It’s a gift.”

THE MUSICIAN

Ballard plays guitar and for two decades performed in coffee houses to fuel his musical passion. When his daughter left North Salem for college in 2007, Ballard channeled his sadness into a song for her, writing and recording it with longtime music producer friend, Rick Witkowski. “I came up with a chord progression, wrote the lyrics, and sang it in the studio,” chuckles Ballard. The song, Fly Away, tells the story of a little girl growing up and a father’s love as he mourns her childhood while proudly embracing her future. “The biggest downside, and upside, to being creative is love, because creatives deeply feel every feeling,” says Ballard with a tone that reflects his own journey. “Our hearts are always open.” @chefajballard

21 Questions with A.J. Chiarella

A LIGHTHEARTED Q&A SERIES

SPOTLIGHTING LOCAL PERSONALITIES

ARTICLE BY BARBARA ACCETTA

If you’re not one of A.J. Chiarella’s 41,000 Instagram followers on his popular Westchester-centric profile, The 914 Collective, then you’re missing out on everything from battles over the area’s best bagel and behind-thescenes business secrets to sit downs with our County’s movers and shakers, from longtime leaders to hot new names in restaurants, retail, and beyond. A musician by trade and an influencer by accident, A.J. launched his podcast, Shakeout Live!, with his band as an homage to live music (punk rock, to be exact), ultimately leading him down the path of social media stardom. His latest goal is to interview 914 people in the 9-1-4 area code and if you’re lucky, you could be one of them. www.thenineonefour.com | @the914collective

1. What’s your guilty pleasure? I like what I like and try not to feel guilty about it, but I guess the closest thing to it is watching bad reality TV that’s so bad, it’s good. It shuts my brain off before bed.

2. What do you eat for breakfast?  Usually just coffee but I enjoy a great Bacon, Egg, and Cheese – hold the salt, pepper, and ketchup.

3. Biggest risk you’ve ever taken? Getting a Master’s degree and then immediately touring around in a van with my band as much as possible. Lots of debt, not a lot of money, but experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world.

4. What was your first car? A hand-me-down 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport.

5. Current favorite song? Hmmmm…that’s tough. The World Is Yours by NAS. Been spinning Illmatic recently. I go through phases.

6. What item of yours was your biggest splurge? I don’t splurge often, but last year I bought a double-neck guitar. It’s wacky, but I love it.

7. What are three things you can’t live without? My family, girlfriend, a guitar, and my laptop. Oh, sorry – that’s four.

8. Something that always makes you smile? A great live musical performance, spending time with people close to me, and dumb videos on TikTok.

9. When do you feel most like yourself? When I’m playing music.

10. One person you’d like to meet, past or present? Billie Joe Armstrong, definitely. I’ve looked up to him for a long time.

11. What’s your favorite board game? With the right group, Cards Against Humanity can get ridiculous.

12. Do you consider yourself a good dancer? Definitely not, but I do like to dance.

13. What’s an item you’ve kept from childhood? I still have my first guitar from when I was 10. It’s unplayable now but I kept it for the memories.

14. What scares you? Tight spaces.

15. Favorite spot or thing to do around town? Yonkers Skate Park is a favorite hang.

16. What’s your hidden talent? I make a mean bowl of cereal.

17. When was a moment that you felt proud of yourself? I took The 914 Collective from 400 to 40,000 Instagram followers in under 12 months completely organically, so that felt pretty good.

18. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A musician….and at 31 years old, I’m still going for it.

19. Food: sweet or salty?  Salty, definitely.

20. What’s your favorite childhood cartoon or TV show? I was a big fan of All That, Keenan and Kel , and all of those Nick shows. And Spongebob

21. What’s something you’re trying to get better at? Being focused. My mind moves at 100mph.

“I’m not always the best at sticking with things but I’ve been trying to build something awesome with The 914 Collective, and I’m happy with how it’s going.”

ARTICLE BY BARBARA ACCETTA PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANNY COONEY

Home Sweet Home

The dynamic duo behind Ivory & Oak on building their dream home, family style.

Steve and Nicole Viola, the husband and wife team behind luxury residential design-build firm Ivory & Oak, have been creating dream homes for 20 years. In 2019, they had the chance to build their own, in Steve’s hometown, when they purchased a 1940 raised ranch and promptly tore it down. Two years later and still under construction, they moved in with their three kids and haven’t looked back.

CONTINUED >

Working within the existing footprint of the original home, the Viola’s built up, down, and side to side. The result is an open-concept modern farmhouse with soaring ceilings and custom everything, all fabricated by their in-house millwork shop, including the massive oak dining table. “Beauty and function are at the heart of every one of our projects right down to the simplest details,” said Steve.

For Steve and Nicole’s home, the focus was on family. The main living space layout offers a feeling of togetherness while enjoying separate activities, a testament to the family-first process that Ivory & Oak is renowned for. “We’re a family business and tend to each project as if it were our own,” said Nicole. “We put a lot of thought into how each design decision will improve our client’s daily lives.” www.ivoryandoak.com | @ivoryandoak

CONTINUED >

“We designed our home around family, especially our Italian Sunday dinners with all the cooking, eating, and time spent together.”

“We

MARCH 2024

events

MARCH 5TH

Oscar Week Film Screening

Bedford Playhouse | 7:00 PM

Celebrate Oscar Week with a screening of a previous Best Picture winner. Interested attendees can vote for their choice of film from the past Best Picture winners, as well as secure tickets to the event, by visiting www.bedfordplayhouse.org.

MARCH 10TH

Muscoot Farm’s Pancake Breakfast

Muscoot Farm's Activity Building | 11:00 AM

Say farewell to sugaring season with Muscoot Farm. Enjoy delicious pancakes and taste Muscoot’s house-made maple syrup. 11am to 2pm. Registration is required. Tickets are $5 per person. Registration link available at https://www.muscootfarm.org.

MARCH 27TH

John Jay Homestead Lecture Series: The Fight to Vote

Bedford Playhouse | 7:00 PM

Join constitutional lawyer and writer Michael Waldman, President and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, in a discussion surrounding his book, The Fight to Vote, which traces the expansion of voting rights in this country from the very limited allowances in the Founding period to the contested and contentious present. 90 min. Ticket information available at www.bedfordplayhouse.org.

ARTICLE BY DANA CIFONE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAINBOW RESTORATION

Business Spotlight: Rainbow Restoration of Westchester

YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER IN COMPREHENSIVE RESTORATION SERVICES

Rainbow Restoration of Westchester stands as a beacon of excellence in the restoration industry, employing cutting-edge practices to deliver unparalleled services and elevate properties in the commercial, residential, and historical markets across the tri-state area.

Specializing in high net-worth properties, Rainbow Restoration addresses a diverse range of needs including emergencies, flooding, water and fire damage, mold remediation, full-service construction, seamless restorations, comprehensive enhancements, and maintaining buildings’ aesthetic and structural integrity.

At the core of its expertise is a specialized approach to collaborating with insurance companies. Recognizing the intricate nature of high-value properties and their unique challenges, Rainbow Restoration navigates insurance intricacies to facilitate a smooth restoration process.

Utilizing state-of-the-art aerial imagery, Rainbow Restoration offers a unique perspective that aids in accurate damage assessment. The incorporation of 3D scanning technology enhances precision, allowing for a meticulous understanding of the restoration requirements.

With Rainbow Restoration, you're gaining a partner dedicated to excellence, expertise, innovation, an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction, and the latest technologies that can bring your spaces back to life.  www.RBWWestchester.com

The Byram-Armonk

Our spacious two bedroom, two bath en-suite units include an open floor plan, large great room with fireplace, a den/ office, powder room, gourmet kitchen equipped with Viking appliances, security system, central vacuum, private patios or balconies and much more. The Byram also offers beautiful common areas such as a Meeting Room, a Fitness Center, a Grand Lobby, and inviting outdoor spaces with fire pits and relaxed seating areas.

The all new luxury 55+ condominiums are available for showings and purchase.

For more information, call or text 914-393-2681 or visit us at www.byramarmonk.com, 585 Main Street, Armonk, New York