Herein Season 4

/ delight in being home & away /

/ season 4 / spring & summer /

EDITOR’S LETTER

With every season of herein, we delight at being both home and away, and attempt to shine a light on ways to enrich readers’ lives. In this, our fourth season, we hop around the globe in cities and places across Marriott International’s diverse portfolio of luxury branded residential communities. We head to Philadelphia and New York to eat world-class Israeli cuisine from James Beard award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, and head to Texas for one of the biggest furniture and design shows. We travel to Europe to drink wine, to Chicago to look at the intricately designed artwork of Eric Gushee, and to Bali to learn about some elegant and environmentally conscious flip-flops made from discarded tires. We also tap some experts in their respective fields to teach readers how to host an unforgettable shindig, and how to capture top-tier food and interior photos. We hope you love the issue as much as we loved putting it together. Enjoy the journey herein.

the residences at the st regis new york , between fifth avenue & madison avenue , offers owners five - star service at the beaux - arts masterpiece built by john jacob astor and amenities including dining at astor court and the iconic king cole bar

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About the Cover

Counter Culture Studio by Chad Kilgore at Blue Hills. Round Top, Texas. Image by Melinda Ortley

Is there a fountain of youth?

If there was, this remarkable water would be the closest thing to it...

Ty en t l u x u r y w at er io n i z e r s t r a ns f o r m tap w ate r i n to fr e s h alkali ne w ell ne s s w ate r – t h e h ealt h ie s t , clea n e s t , mos t a n ti oxida n t- r ic h a n d r ej u v en ati n g w at er i n t h e w o r ld !

J oi n t he w o r ld ’ s top at h l e t es , c e l e b r iti e s a n d do c al r eady el e vati n g t he i r li v e s b y d r i n ki n g Tye n t Alkali n e Wat e r.

to r s wh o a r e

R e m e m be r, yo u ca n ’t stop t he agi n g p r oc es s –sl o w it d o wn ! Ta k e o ur 7 5-d a y he alt h c h all en g e a n d f e e l t h e di f f eren c e tod a y

b u t y o u ca n

SCAN FOR

10

14 Chicago

CROSSED WIRES

Chicago artist Eric Gushee makes intricately woven and jaw-dropping metal sculptures from reclaimed material.

26 Europe

PARIS POURS

A photo tour through the many wine bars keeping the City of Light lit.

40 Texas EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS

Your guide to Round Top, host of one of the most storied design and furniture shows in the world.

52 Global

HOW TO SHOOT INCREDIBLE PHOTOS OF YOUR HOME

Get magazine-worthy shots, every time.

64 Portugal

KIND OF BLUE

Understanding

azulejos is key to understanding Portugal.

78

Philadelphia

COOKNSOLO CONQUER PHILLY

From a dream on a west philadelphia rooftop to national acclaim, Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov are a dynamic culinary duo.

90

Global HOW TO TAKE FANTASTIC FOOD SHOTS

We asked one of the premiere food photographers…how’d you get that shot?

96 Global HOW TO HOST A WOW WORTHY AFFAIR

Throw a memory-making party that’ll leave guests in awe.

120

Tampa / Atlanta / Miami / Utah / New York / Jordan / Maryland

WELL AND GOOD

Explore some of the world’s most iconic destinations for coastal living.

122 Jordan

THE JORDAN LESS TRAVELED

Five great (and unexpected) day trips from Amman, Jordan

 each story in herein shares a location with one or more of these residences .

58 Global TEAM EAMES

The home of the legendary couple, in pacific palisades, has become something of a mecca for lovers of modern design.

104 Indonesia SOLE SOLUTION

How a blown-out flip-flop on the streets of Bali gave birth to a sustainable foot wear company.

114 Egypt / Miami / Oregon / Mexico

LES NOUVEAUX

Discover the newest Marriott International branded residences.

texas

Round Top Design | 40 image courtesy of melinda ortley

THE INFINITE BEACH

Exquisite Oceanfront Residences

Ideally situated along 435 linear feet of pristine beach and immersed in unforgettable ocean views, The St. Regis Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami, represent the height of exquisite living. Where skyline-defining architecture, visionary style, flawless craftsmanship, and signature St. Regis service and rituals create a singular experience of effortless luxury in a glamorous setting.

t. 786 485 1809 srresidencessunnyislesbeach.com

The St. Regis Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami are not owned, developed or sold by Marriott International, Inc. or its affiliates (“Marriott”). La Playa Beach Associates, LLC uses the St. Regis marks under a license from Marriott, which has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made about the project. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to the documents that are required by section 718.503, Florida statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee. The developer is la playa beach associates, llc which has a right to use the trademark names and logos of fortune international group and chateau group. This is not an offer to sell, or solicitation of offers to buy, in states where such offer or solicitation cannot be made. The rendering contained herein is an artist impression, conceptual interpretation, proposed only and merely intended as illustration. No guarantee is made that the described features, services, amenities or facilities will be available or built. Developer reserves the right to make any modifications, revisions or withdrawals in its sole discretion and without prior notice. All improvements, design and construction are subject to first obtaining permits and approvals for same by the relevant authorities. DBOX

A welcoming gesture.

A welcoming gesture

Crossed Wires

Eric Gushee is sitting in his studio on Chicago’s west side and behind him is a striking, gray cloudlike structure that wraps around the corner of his gallery’s wall. It’s an in-progress piece from his Exhalation Series, made of untwisted and interlocked aircraft cable that’s reclaimed and repurposed from his previous work as one of the city’s most in-demand sculptors. These nebulous, time-intensive, and large-scale installations are always one-of-a-kind and are a reflection of the artist’s playfulness. He thrives on turning familiar, everyday material into something spectacular and mysterious all while never masking its original purpose.

“I’ve always said the perfect client for me is somebody that’s willing to trust me and allow me to really do what I do,” he says. “I love it whenever someone just tells me to go crazy. When I’m given that kind of freedom, that’s when I have my best work.”

He’s been working on this particular

piece for the past three months all while juggling several other projects for clients around the country. For the past decade, Gushee has done commissions for residential and commercial properties using conventional fiber, weaving, and textile techniques for unconventional but organic pieces that wholly refresh spaces. To name just a few disparate locations, a rustic mountain getaway in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a modernist architectural paradise in Big Sur, California, and a luxury boutique hotel in Phoenix have all been transformed by his work.

“I’m obsessed with fiber art, but I’m just kind of a terrible fiber artist at heart when it comes to knitting or crocheting or doing those kinds of things,” laughs Gushee.

“I’m more interested in the process of fiber art: extrapolating that process and reimagining it in my own way.”

Raised in New York City by actor parents, Gushee was surrounded by artists for most of his childhood. “When I was growing up,

chicago artist eric gushee makes intricately woven and jaw - dropping metal sculptures from reclaimed material . text by josh terry images courtesy of eric gushee

a lot of my friends were potters and artists who just roughed it in warehouses,” he says while crediting his parents for sparking his creativity. He attended Marlboro College in Vermont to study creative writing but an art installation class he took reoriented his perspective. “With the installation class, it was the ability to work in space that inspired me: the limitlessness of it all,” he says. “Using your work to engage and reflect with the environment it’s in is something really appealing to me. Spending time making something huge but then it’s got to come down gave me the ability to not be precious about the work.” Fully invested in making art, he attended the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, graduating in 2010.

In Chicago, Gushee found his niche and his community, noticing immediately it was a place he could actually have space. “This is a city that still had industrial buildings everywhere where you can find these surprisingly cheap, large spaces. For my work, that’s what I needed.” Along with five other local artists, he moved into a 6,000 sqft barrel truss structure in the city’s Logan Square neighborhood and converted it into a live-work space. That do-it-yourself ethos has carried over into his career even as he moved into more traditional studios and grew a base of higher-end clients, especially in his reliance on recycled and reclaimed materials as well as his scrappy and resourceful work ethic. “Living where you work gives you a real backbone and forces you to wake up every day and think, ’Okay, I’m living in this awful environment to help and to sacrifice for my

career to move forward,’” he says before joking “It was very important but I don’t want to do it again.”

Around this time, Gushee was also working at a local foundry called West Supply which created high-end custom bronze furniture for Holly Hunt and had his early work shown at an artisan showcase. These pieces, which later became his signature Emergence Series, were wires and rebar ties painstakingly fashioned into mesmerizing and layered circular shapes. “Luckily enough, somebody saw the piece and bought it,” says Gushee. “I got a phone call a week later where they asked me, "Can we get eight of them?" Shortly thereafter, I quit my job and focused on that full-time.”

catalog and finding inspiration in even more unexpected places. Enter Labors Lost, his latest series which serves as an investigation and memorial to craft workers and textile artists who have been forgotten. Inspired by his time perusing thrift stores and discovering magnificent but discarded handwoven items. “What I do is I take those fabrics, sometimes they’re also materials like backpack strapping from a factory that went out of business or recycled fishing nets and I arrange them and cover them in plastic. Then I just kind of create these complex patterns,” he says. “Some of them are kind of like paintings, some of them are more sculptural, but there’s a real focus on trying to preserve what once was and what these people once did.”

Like the awe-inspiring structures Gushee creates, his process-first and patient approach has paid off in his career. He now has two assistants who help him juggle the multitude of commissions. In late 2022, he opened a gallery called Artruss in Chicago’s Hermosa neighborhood with real estate entrepreneur Catherine Caravette and artist Salvatore Dominguez, who also once lived at that live-work space with Gushee over a decade prior. But for all the growth and opportunities, Gushee still wants to take his sweet time.

As his work became more in demand among interior designers, gallery owners, and more in Chicago and elsewhere, he started his Exhalation Series using recycled materials from his Emergence pieces. “I like to recycle and I like to keep a mostly selfsustained practice,” says Gushee.

Over the past decade, both the Emergence Series and the Exhalation Series have become Gushee’s signature works but now he’s focused on expanding his

“My process has helped me as a person, especially in terms of being patient with others and being patient in a field that especially requires a lot of it,” says Gushee. “If I had it my way, a piece would never be done.”

image by christian barreno

Paris Pours

Paris is a city that exudes a certain charm and sophistication that is hard to replicate. It has something for everyone, from breathtaking architecture to world-renowned cuisine. It’s also known for its love affair with wine, and whether you’re a seasoned oenophile or just starting out on your wine journey, the City of Light has an abundance of spots that are sure to captivate.

text by oliver patrick images by michael persico a

photo tour through the many wine bars keeping the city of light lit .

In this photo essay we stroll around the city in search of good vino, and take a bullet train down to Bordeaux, and visit famed French aperitif wine brand Lillet.

On our journey we stop by several of Paris’ most famed wine bars…

Chambre Noir, whose dimly lit atmosphere adds to the ambiance and makes it a great spot for a romantic evening or a casual catch-up with friends.

Cave Michel, which has been around since 1947 and has a great selection of local fermented grape juice. The bar also offers a variety of charcuterie and cheese plates.

La Buvette is a popular wine spot located in the trendy Belleville neighborhood, and has a rustic and cozy atmosphere.

Aux Deux Amis and Fro Paris offer a bustling scene, and serve a variety of natural and biodynamic wines, which readers of Herein season three know all about. We also sip at Le Mary Celeste, a laid back cocktail bar popular with locals that also serves natural wine.

Drinking the good stuff in Paris is a joyous experience. Whether you prefer the classics or something more modern, the city has a wine bar to suit your taste. Grab a glass, sit back, and soak in the charm and beauty.

WONDER OUTSIDE, WONDER INSIDE

home

A haven worth savoring

Everything’s bigger in Texas

Surrounded by three of the largest cities in Texas, the tiny hamlet of Round Top is more than just a rural respite. It is the literal and figural heart and soul of the state, and its biannual antique and design show has become a sensation that attracts hundreds of thousands of creatives each season.

Round Top is located in the sweet spot between the flat, humid Gulf Coast and the dry, rocky Hill Country. Its rolling

green hills and wide-open pastures cast with ancient oak trees are the hallmark of the central Texas landscape. The 90 or so permanent residents would have preferred to keep their small town a secret, but it’s become a mecca for creative Texans and visitors from around the globe.

They come to breathe in the natural beauty of the area and be whisked away by the magic of the Round Top Antiques + Design Show, which takes place over a two-week

text by candice cowin images by melinda ortley

guide to round top , host of one of the most storied design and furniture shows in the world .

41 round top | interior bluecrate antiques and reclaimed goods at cisco village bluecratefindings com

stint each spring and fall. Antiques and vintage dealers, artists, and designers of all stripes are among the participants in the shows. Culinary experts, musicians, and hospitality connoisseurs have followed, making Round Top a destination worthy of booking for a long weekend any time of year, but the shows remain the biggest lure.

It all began in 1968 as a two-day country antique show held in a historic German dance hall. A couple dozen dealers were hand-picked for the event by Texas antiques maven Emma Lee Turney to sell to a group of her well-heeled friends. The event was a hit and has grown season by season to become what it is today: an ever-evolving international marketplace with a culture all its own.

The shows now span both sides of an 11-mile stretch of road through the center of town and bring in an estimated 4,000 merchants. About 200,000 attendees converge on the area over the course of the shows, which begin at the more temperate cusps of Lone Star State’s seasons in mid-March and mid-October. A winter show held in mid-January has been gaining traction but is not yet as well attended by vendors or visitors as the fall and spring shows.

Antique show vendors arrive each season laden with authentic treasures from the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, and all over the U.S. Many ship overseas containers filled with carefully curated finds directly to Round Top. From humble pickings to pedigreed vintage and antique furnishings, rugs, lighting, and art—it can all be found here in embarrassing abundance. Most of the furniture and decor on offer ranges in age from the 16th century to the mid-20th century (widely known as mid-century modern).

Such care is taken in the presentation of these wares that most dealers begin creating their showrooms a full week or more in advance of the show’s start. Nearly every tent and barn becomes a unique (albeit fleeting) sensory experience. The smell of mesquite wood smoke, and fresh hay or wood shavings underfoot only enhances the adventure of perusing fine antiques in the middle of a cow pasture. So stirring are some of the vignettes that shoppers are occasionally compelled to buy out entire spaces on sight. Browsing solely for inspiration is a common pursuit, but finding something to bring home is inevitable. Pieces too large to be tucked away in a carry-on or a suitcase can be shipped almost anywhere via white glove delivery services offered at most of the larger venues.

Prized pieces are snapped up quickly, so those in the know come early and with cash in hand. That includes celebrity designers like Kelly Wearstler and fashion icon Jenna Lyons. Several of the hosts of HGTV’s most popular programs (past and present) are show regulars, as are country and pop music stars like Miranda Lambert and Gwen Stefani.

This past spring, famed designers Alessandra Branca and Suzanne Kasler were spotted along with celebrated architect Bobby McAlpine. Famous people, Instagram sensations and regular folk alike take the opportunity of a Round Top visit to indulge in western fashion fantasies. Many don boots, hats and some form of denim. Over the top looks are encouraged and even applauded, but the serious shoppers and show veterans are identified by their more practical footwear, comfortable layered clothing, and refillable water bottles.

opposite page : ellis motel in henkel square . @ ellis motel

If you’re planning a visit, be prepared for lots of walking on uneven terrain and in all kinds of weather. A vehicle with fourwheel drive is recommended for parking in sometimes muddy lots and pastures (although it is Texas, which means there is always someone in a large pick-up truck with a tow cable nearby). Temperatures can range from near freezing with rain to intense sun and temperatures approaching the mid-80s, sometimes within 24 hours. Mind you, the show is too vast to be consumed in a single day, but there are some must see venues that should be on everyone’s list.

First and foremost is the Marburger Farm Antique Show, which is renowned

a museum quality collection of antique American flags presented by Jeff R. Bridgman Antiques. The Continental Tent is adjacent to the Big Red Barn and is filled with some of the finest imported antiques available at the show, along with a large selection of Fortuny textiles.

The Big Red Barn’s sister venue, BlueHills, is an eclectic mix of fine antiques, fashion, imported rugs, fine Italian glass lighting and contemporary fashion, home goods, and outdoor furniture. It also hosts killer food trucks like Dapper Bear Seafood Company, which may be the purveyor of the best grilled fish tacos on the planet. The Halles is a newer seasonal venue that houses a select group of highend vendors under several permanent, ebonized barn style structures. The Halles provides what may be the best modern interpretation of antiques and vintage on display at the shows and often hosts internationally famous designers and architects for talks and book signings.

for the quality of its dealers and the impressiveness of their displays. Marburger Farm is one of the few shows that charge an entry fee, but it’s entirely worth the price of admission. The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, also known as the Big Red Barn is also a must, as it is the first official permanent venue of the Round Top show following its 1968 dance hall debut.

Expect early American antiques including

Bader Ranch is a contemporary barn style structure which manages to look and feel as if it were plucked directly out of the French countryside and deposited in a Texas pasture. It houses French country and garden antiques and mid-century French imports with a select group of dealers in table linens, fashion, and designer jewelry at the back. A chef-created dining menu and cocktails are also available on-site at Bader Ranch. Another venue to add to the list is The Compound, which has grown over the past few years to include several newly constructed barns and antique buildings. Most are filled with fine European imports from the likes of Eneby Home, Fickle International and Jardin de France, but there is a bit of décor and fashion available here too.

opposte page : bader ranch ( barn )

@ baderranchatroundtop above : antiquaire de france at the compound

@ antiquairedefrance left : curate by stash in downtown round top , texas

@ curatebystash

Market Hill is a newer mixed-use venue anchored by contemporary furniture and decor showroom Paul Michael. This permanent venue also features fine imports from Renouveau Antiques and Susan Horne Antiques and Duo Modern restaurant, which serves a chef crafted, upscale buffet each day for lunch and dinner.

If you’re in the market for an authentic Texas honky-tonk experience with a side of couture western wear (a la Urban Cowboy), check out The Stone Cellar and Round Top Dance Hall. 550 Market is sandwiched in between these two historic buildings, offering custom made boots, hand-tooled leather belts, solid silver

showrooms opened by L.A.-based Cisco Home and Big Daddy’s Antiques. Each offers its own mix of clean-lined, theatrically scaled pieces for home and garden.

A stop at Henkel Square Market in the center of town may be the perfect way to end a shopping day. Turn in at the town’s only stoplight to find the Round Top Antiques & Design Center—a great place to find a mix of antiques and contemporary art, rugs and lighting. Round Top Smokehouse is also located on the square, offering the best Texas barbecue in town.

Be sure to stop for a nightcap at Il Cuculo bar and lounge, or the Ellis Motel, which isn’t a hotel at all, but a chic bar created out of a century-old farmhouse decorated with local finds like perfectly worn Chesterfield sofas, vintage industrial signage, taxidermy and long-retired dirt bikes.

That about perfectly sums up the vibe. You never know what exactly you’ll find at the Round Top Antiques + Design Show, but like the state itself it’ll be bold, and no matter what you pick up and make part of your home, chances are it’ll get people talking.

getting there

buckles, and one-of-a-kind apparel pieces via its anchor store Rockabilly Baroness.

As a counterpoint, the west coast has come to Round Top in a big way over the past few years with warehouse style

Like most obscure places worth visiting, Round Top isn’t easy to get to. And while you can’t book a direct flight into town, the hour or so journey by car from nearby major cities is pleasant. The drive from Houston, San Antonio, or Austin during the spring show can be downright delightful as the Texas state flower is routinely in abundant bloom. Bluebonnets crop up in startling purplish-blue swaths along the sides of the roadways, sometimes mixed with orangey red Indian paintbrush and

french by design antiques at blue hills @ fbantiques

other brightly colored wildflowers. Do pull over and join the locals for a quick pose among the flower fields but resist the urge to pick the iconic blooms. It’s against the law.

On the subject of breaking laws, that whole southern ’slower pace of life’ trope doesn’t apply on the Texas interstates. Those who wish to enjoy the scenery should keep right. Things slow down significantly after the exit onto Round Top’s main thoroughfare. Highway 237 is an undulating, two-way farm road that runs through the center of Round Top and its surrounding towns. Referred to as the “antiques corridor,” its reduced speed provides ample opportunities to marvel at the sprawling, ancient oak trees and moo at cows. Deer or rabbits can also be spotted, depending on the season. The pastoral scenery eventually gives way to a series of antique buildings, metal barns, and white pole tents which are erected alongside the roadway for dealers to inhabit during the shows.

counter culture studio by chad kilgore at blue hills chadkilgore com

How to shoot incredible photos of your home

Itook my first photography class in high school. The assignment was to teach a skill using only images, so I grabbed my Dad’s old Pentax and took eight images describing how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After a clumsy dark room session, I think maybe four of the photos actually turned out. But I loved the medium anyway, and spoiler alert: I still shoot film alongside digital.

Now, years later, I’m a professional photographer who specializes, among other things, in shooting interiors.

During an interior shoot there’s, at a minimum, one inspiring take-away, be it a color palette, layering of textures or beautiful furniture form. Interior design, architecture, and construction is functional art and I’m invited to capture a creation they’ve poured themselves into. What an honor!

The first task when taking any photo of a room or space is to assess the light. You want to stay away from light harshly streaming in through windows and doors and plan your photos when the light is softly diffused throughout the room.

Line up your image so the lines are straight. Depending on the angle, your vertical

or horizontal lines of a room (corners, floorboards, silhouettes of furniture) need to be straight. Digital cameras have grids to help with this task and even our phones have the option to turn on a photo app grid. (Speaking of phones, download a photo editing program like Lightroom for editing everything from exposure to erasing distracting light cords.)

Decluttering is essential. However, we don’t want a room to be devoid of personality or feel overly staged. When photographing a space I suggest taking all soft furnishings and decor out and then layer these items slowly back into the room. You can’t imagine how many hands it takes to make a throw look like it’s been ever-socasually cast over the back of a chair.

Don’t be afraid to move a distracting sculpture or lamp from a table or move small furnishings around entirely to showcase the true wow moment of a room.

Less is more here.

Turn off all artificial lights and notice when the natural light comes through. If the room is especially dark, or small, you may need to play with turning some lights on or moving in a lamp for purposeful moody lighting. Experiment with different times of day. A primary bedroom may look its best when the light is gently falling away, highlighting its moody coziness.

Grids help here as well. There’s a technical rule called the Rule of Thirds which divides an image into thirds both horizontally and vertically, and lining important aspects of a room along the intersection points creates a pleasing composition.

But what are rules unless they’re made to be broken every now and then? Sometimes it makes sense to throw out the grids and think of your room as a story with a few main characters, a varied supporting cast, an unexpected moment and an overarching theme. When capturing the overall essence of a room, you’ll want to include a little bit of all elements to tell the entire story. If you have an unexpected piece of artwork in a living room, you’ll want to shoot the room from an angle that really shows that off.

Practice composing an image by moving around a room and seeing how varying views make you feel. Your eye will naturally fall to the anchoring design elements and an interesting composition will become clear.

Once you find your angle and composition, experiment with varying heights from ground to eye level.

Start a pinterest board or dog-ear pages of magazines that contain interior images that feel good to you. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and there are a slew of amazing interior photographers published every day. Any skill can be learned by practicing, composing, comparing and experimenting. And thankfully, photographing a room isn’t as stressful as photographing a wedding. You can always reset, move around and try again.

Legendary Waterfront Lifestyle Has Arrived In Naples

For those who long for a home where captivating modern design and a stunning coastal location are just the beginning, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples redefines elegant Southwest Florida living. Endless Gulf views, white-sand beaches, a marina-front lagoon, more than 50,000 square feet of curated amenities, chef-inspired dining, and The Ritz-Carlton service have all come together in one exclusive address limited to just 128 residences.

Now offering Pre-Construction Pricing

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples residences from $4 million Sales Gallery

2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road Suite 106 Naples, Florida 34109 Phone 239-249-6260 RCRNaples.com

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES, NAPLES ARE NOT OWNED, SOLD OR DEVELOPED BY THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, L.L.C. OR ITS AFFILIATES (“THE RITZ-CARLTON”). STOCK RESIDENCES, USES THE RITZ-CARLTON MARKS UNDER A LICENSE FROM THE RITZ-CARLTON, WHICH HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE STATEMENTS OR REPRESENTATIONS MADE HEREIN. ORAL REPRESENTATION CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY THE DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. ALL RENDERINGS AND PLANS ARE PROPOSED CONCEPTS SHOWN ONLY FOR MARKETING PURPOSES AND ARE BASED ON THE DEVELOPER’S CURRENT PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. DEVELOPER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, REVISE OR WITHDRAW THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN DEVELOPER’S SOLE DISCRETION WITHOUT NOTICE. NOTHING HEREIN OR ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION SHALL BE DEEMED TO OBLIGATE THE DEVELOPER, OR ANY AFFILIATE OF DEVELOPER, TO CONSTRUCT THE PROJECT OR OFFER ANY OF THE PROJECT FOR SALE, AND NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED A GUARANTY OF ANY KIND. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SALE OR SOLICITATIONS OF OFFERS TO BUY.

the home of the legendary couple , in pacific palisades , has become something of a mecca for lovers of modern design .

Team Eames

The Eames House, located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and often heralded as a landmark of mid-20th century modern architecture, rests atop a bluff that’s high enough to see the ocean in the distance. Charles and Ray Eames, a married pair of American industrial designers, moved in on Christmas Eve 1949 and stayed until the end of their lives. (Charles died in 1978; Ray in 1988.) The home, which they built as part

text by alex norcia images by thula creative, dennis scherdt, and juan miguel agudo

of a program meant to encourage affordable modern housing, features exposed steel and a number of sliding glass doors that open to the outside, where wildlife teems around fresh-smelling eucalyptus trees.

It also, on a limited basis, fills with people. The place has become something of a mecca for appeciaters and lovers of modern design, as the younger generations of Eames have kept it maintained for the public.

The structure now stands as a National Historic Landmark and museum, offering a number of tours throughout the year. Guests, who should certainly plan ahead if they cared to visit,

Based largely in Los Angeles, Charles, an architect, and Ray, a painter, had polymathic careers, where for decades they complimented each other, allowing their respective creative aspects to shine through, and made significant contributions not only to furniture designs, but to communications, filmmaking, art, and photography. They had the confidence, emphasized Pat Kirkham, a professor emerita at Bard Graduate Center and the author of Charles and Ray Eames: Designers of the Twentieth Century, to follow their own interests and seemed to only take on work that they really wanted to do.” It’s a luxury, perhaps, that’s not afforded to every designer.

“Their legacy has always been changing,” she says. “A lot of the questions I get from students now are much less technical than when I was teaching in, say, the 70s. Today, I think much more the legacy is around ethical use and integrity. It’s about quality at the end of the day. Like the notion of truth to materials and honesty to construction—doing something very well in the appropriate manner.”

can tour the home’s exterior and grounds and occasionally peek into a window, where they can view the couple’s meticulously curated art. If you choose, you can also schedule an interior tour.

The Eames House is, in no small part, tantamount to the legacy of Charles and Ray, the former of whom said the role of a designer is “a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.”

Beyond that, they developed a reputation as the good “hosts” Charles once described. Quite literally: They constantly entertained friends and family and took a real joy in their labor and creation, in a way expanding an arts-and-crafts theory from the mid-to-late 1800s popularized by the textile designer William Morris. “They took your pleasure seriously,” Kirkham says. “Maybe a better way to put it is that they took pleasure in the serious parts of their lives. They had the ability to make everyday occasions very special.” For them, designing—and the pleasure they derived from it—didn’t stop. “The design process for Charles and Ray never ended

in manufacturing,” Eames Demetrios, a grandson of Charles and Ray and the current director of the Eames Office, said during a TED Talk. “It continued. They were always trying to make things better and better.”

“They didn’t obsess about style for style’s sake,” he later added. “They didn’t say our style is curves; let’s make the house curvy. They didn’t say our style is grids; let’s make the chair gridy. They focused on the need. They tried to follow the design problem.”

As mid-century furniture has had a kind of revival in the past few years, so too has consumers’ fascination with Charles and Ray’s work, particularly the series of Eames Lounge Chairs and Ottomans they constructed during their lives. Certain versions of chairs, which the couple fussed with over the decades, can fetch thousands and thousands of dollars in the secondary market. (Some of them are even exhibited in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.)

The demand for the Eames Lounge Chair became so high that Ryan Hobbs, a former high school teacher, quit his job to restore them and other mid-century modern furniture full-time. Hobbs and his wife Nicole own Hobbs Modern, a mid-century modern furniture dealer and restorer in San Diego. Before the venture, he had no formal training in furniture restoration. But his admiration of Charles and Ray’s eye for precision sparked a passion that turned into a vocation. Eventually, he approached a local furniture restorer in San Diego who, on the brink of retirement, agreed to teach Hobbs the trade. He never looked back. “Every component of the Eames chair was just built really, really well,” Hobbs says. “The Eames bases were all sawed aluminum, so we sometimes polish the

aluminum to factory chrome shine. The wood shells can take a day to sand. And then we put shock mounts on the chair, which are super precisely put in.”

Hobbs searches for his own chairs to buy and restore, and he also has clients who approach him for custom restorations. He’s constantly on the lookout for Eames chairs, scouring auction houses and estate sales.

“I always compare the Eames Lounge Chair to a Rolex watch,” Hobbs says. “It’s an item that, once you’ve made it in life, you’re like, ’I want one of those.’ Today, I can probably get $4,000 more for an Eames Lounge Chair than I could only a few years ago.”

Hobbs spends more than 30 hours restoring a given chair, and estimates he has already restored more than 100 with no likelihood of slowing down. He has never enjoyed working more in his life. The whole process, he says, is a joyful one. It’s a pleasure taking other people’s pleasure seriously.

Kind of blue

Achat with the director of the country’s Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum) reveals recent discoveries and sheds light on the very Portuguese love affair with the iconic tiles.

Strolling the streets of Lisbon, Porto and nearly any other city or town in Portugal, it’s impossible to miss a singular architectural feature–tiles, tiles, everywhere that are as much a part of the urban landscape as the country’s ubiquitous cafes selling the delicious custard tart called pastéis de nata.

Called azulejos (from the Arabic word azzelij, which means “little polished stone”), the tiles were originally brought to Europe by invading Moors in the 13th century.

But it wasn’t until the 16th century that the presence of azulejos in Portuguese architecture really exploded onto the scene. They’ve been an ever-evolving fixture in the country ever since, found everywhere from inside historic palaces and on the facades of churches and restaurants to decorating the walls of Lisbon’s subway system, considered among the most beautiful in the world, and even in modern day graffiti, too.

We sat down with the director of Lisbon’s Museu Nacional do Azulejo, Alexandre Pais, to learn more about the deep Portuguese relationship with azulejos and how their expression in art and architecture has evolved over the centuries.

herein : Is there a particularly spectacular display of azulejos people might miss at the

images by julie ricard , jocelyn erskine kellie , maxine ficheux , alice butenko , serge le strat

National Tile Museum that you can point us toward?

PA i S:

You can’t miss the museum’s greatest jewel, the Grande Panorama de Lisboa, a representation of Lisbon in the 18th century. And you won’t, either, because it’s a very large panel stretching for 40 meters that shows how the city looked during this time period.

It’s a very important historical document of sorts for our country because Lisbon was destroyed in 1755 by a very damaging earthquake. In this panel of azulejos, you can see what was lost.

The depiction of the Royal Palace, right in the center of the panel, is so opulent. You see this panel and could think the Royal Palace was still standing in Lisbon today as it is in this depiction. But the palace was lost, along with its contents, during the earthquake and ensuing tsunami. It housed a very important collection of African, South American and Asian art since the kings of Portugal were always demanding that their ships making navigations bring back objects from those places. It was a very important structure but it all disappeared in the disaster. After you see this panel of azulejos you can walk to the area where the palace once stood in Lisbon, the Praça do Comércio, one of Europe’s biggest squares, and imagine the building as it once existed there.

There are some other surprises to discover in the museum, too. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo occupies the site of an ancient convent from the 16th century. When people come here they aren’t expecting to see parts of that ancient baroque building. I’ll save the details so you can visit yourself and be surprised by its splendor.

herein : In Portugal, azulejos have been called a form of “identity art” for the country. Can you explain what that means?

PA i S: Through azulejos, you can understand who the Portuguese are as a people, how we react to history and all the demands that history makes on us, too. It’s a very rich way of understanding how the Portuguese behave and express themselves. The way azulejos are used in Portugal is unlike other uses of ceramic tiles in places like the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. In Portugal, azulejos are inextricably connected with the architecture, whereas in places like Morocco and the Netherlands you can remove the tile panels and transfer them to another place. In Portugal’s use of azulejos, if you remove a panel of the tiles you’ve lost something, because they’re connected to the architecture and they bring new meanings to the architecture itself.

herein : How has the use of azulejos evolved in Portugal throughout the centuries?

PA i S: Azulejos have been used during very important moments in Portugal from the 15th century through today, and they’re always being reinvented in each moment to relate to different aspects of events that are taking place in our country.

The first use of azulejos in Portugal can be traced back to the late 15th century. By the 16th century, Portugal was importing azulejos from Spain, and this is the moment the Portuguese were experimenting with using azulejos from other countries. We call it the experimental period.

The 17th century in Portugal was by far the century of patterns. We’ve identified more than 1,000 patterns and are still discovering new patterns from that era. In the 18th century, narratives entered azulejos. This is the period of the blue and white tiles you can

see so many examples of, but that was really a short window in Portugal’s azulejos history. During this century, churches and palaces became like books you could read, with stories and narratives told through their azulejos. The interior walls of the architecture became experimental during this era. You are looking at them and reading the narrative and stories.

The 19th century saw azulejos being put on the facades of buildings for the first time, embellishing their exteriors. The bourgeoisie began using azulejos on their own residences during this time to identify their houses and show they had importance and money. So azulejos became a statement of a new class in society.

Then came the 20th century, the moment we see azulejos used as urban art in the city squares, train stations and parks. The subway in Lisbon is considered one of the most beautiful in the world because it’s filled with azulejos. Each station has its own identity and the most important artists of the 20th century were commissioned to create them.

herein : How is the 21st century shaping up for the expression of azulejos in Portugal?

PA i S: Today, we are facing new challenges as a society in Portugal and the use of azulejos is adapting with that. They are being used in the expressions of graffiti artists in Portugal to convey cultural issues. And now that those expressions are being made with azulejos (instead of spray paint), they’re no longer ephemeral. They can potentially last forever.

Graffiti with azulejos is almost a perversion of the concept of graffiti.

We have graphic artists making azulejos and people using pixelated images that are transferred to azulejos. They’re using 3D elements transferred to them, too. So the composition itself now can be in three dimensions.

Because this century is so young, we don’t exactly know what all the expressions of azulejos will be. Only by the end of the 21st century will we see the whole story of this century’s evolution of Portuguese azulejos.

herein : Have there been any exciting new recent discoveries or learnings in Portugal when it comes to azulejos?

PA i S: We had two very recent discoveries in the last three years that changed the history of azulejos. Near Lisbon, a 17th century find in a private palace changed our perception of patterns in azulejos. We always said there was no 8x8 pattern until this was found. Patterns can be in a single azulejo, a 2x2 (we need 4 azulejos to make a motif that will be repeated to infinity), a 4x4 (16 azulejos), a 6x6 (36 azulejos) or a 12x12 (144 azulejos). Until this finding there were no mentions to an 8x8 (64 azulejos) or a 10x10 (100 azulejos).

And just last year, in Torres Novas in a place that was to be destroyed, we found a series of azulejos that changed our perception of them, too. Until last year, we understood all the patterns in azulejos to be geometric or with

vegetal patterns, like flowers, repeated. But last year we found human figures repeated in patterns on azulejos for the very first time. They are the faces of angels that date to the beginning of the 17th century. They’re currently being restored so they can be put on display for the public in our museum and the Museum of the city of Torres Novas.

herein : Beyond Lisbon and Porto, where else will visitors be wowed by beautiful examples of azulejos around Portugal?

PA i S: Évora is a very important city in the south of Portugal with a lot of monuments made with azulejos. Also, Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro and Ovar. Coimbra had a production in the 18th century that was really different from that of Lisbon and the rest of Portugal at the time. Aveiro and Ovar have a very important settlement of Art Nouveau azulejos. You can go all over the country–including the Portuguese islands in the Azores and Madeira–and find places with azulejos.

Riveria Nayarit, Mexico

Dawn

of a new you.

What will it stir in you?

eat & drink

A nourishing pastime

CookNSolo

conquer Philly

days before , i ’ d stood high in the ruins of the kastro , gazed over the church ’ s rooftop ,

Marigold Kitchen’s backyard ran up to its rear neighbor’s garage, and over the summer of 2007, Steve Cook and Mike Solomonov would sit on its roof, blow cigarette smoke into the sticky West Philly atmosphere and sketch out the bones of what would become the city’s most celebrated restaurant.

“We had plenty of time since nobody came and ate there on the weekdays,” Solomonov remembers with a wry laugh. Despite the acclaim falling at this avant-garde BYOB’s doorstep like the overripe apricots and plums heavy on the neighborhood’s ancient trees, “we were doing seven covers on a Tuesday, and whatever Steve was paying me was probably a hundred percent more than he could afford.”

from a dream on a west philadelphia rooftop to national acclaim , steve cook and michael solomonov are a dynamic culinary duo .

text by adam erace images by michael persico

Working opposite hours of his wife, Shira, a teacher, and making little money, Cook burned out of being a chef-owner not long after opening Marigold in 2004. “It was the hardest year of work I ever had,” he says. “In addition to being very stressful, it was very lonely.” He’d heard about Solomonov, an acquaintance of Shira’s from their childhoods in Pittsburgh, and brought him in to run the kitchen. He wasn’t looking for a wunderkind to propel Marigold to the next level, just a warm body, someone “capable of running this business while I could take time to figure out what I wanted to do,” he says. “Somebody that I, frankly, didn’t need to manage.”

business guy,” the left brain to Solonomov’s right, and together they settled into a professional rhythm and personal relationship shaped by their shared Jewish heritage and ideas about food. “I don’t think it took very long for us to develop a relationship that seemed like it had more of a future than just Marigold.”

The future, “it was just sort of there,” Solomonov says, “hanging over our heads.”

The hummus was smooth as buttercream. Its obscene ratio of tahini to chickpeas gave it depth and presence, a sun orbited by little bowls of dazzling vegetable meze. It came with a steaming disc of laffa, a little-known Iraqi flatbread, freckled with za’atar, a little-known Levantine spice. It was 2008. Solomonov and Cook had just opened Zahav in Society Hill, and the notion of Israeli cuisine was not a thing in the American restaurant industry. The hummus, people understood. The rest of the menu took a minute.

“Zahav definitely didn’t hit right away,” Cook says. “We had put literally everything we had into the restaurant, so there was no reservoir of capital for an extended ramp-up period. Mike’s dad cut us a check for ten grand because we were probably within one [period] of not being able to make payroll.”

Cook wasn’t looking for a future business partner and best friend either and for a while, he avoided the restaurant. When he did return, he found his office buried in unpaid invoices. Instead of the mess compounding his stress, it gave him a sense of direction. The Wharton business grad thought, “I actually know how to do this stuff; I can understand this side of it.” It was his way back in—through chaos, order. “That’s how I became the

“That was a horrible feeling,” Solomonov says. “There was so much going on in my personal life, too. I was struggling with addiction, and everything was falling apart,” while Zahav, a 100-seat sandstonehued dining room, was serving less than 20 guests on weeknights. He and Cook gave it six months. Fortunately, that’s when Solomonov got sober and when the press started to roll in, local at first,

the interior of k far the donuts of federal donuts

opposite page : steve cook and michael solomonov inside k ’ far philly

the interior of cooknsolo ’ s laser wolf in brooklyn

then national within the year, along with a James Beard Rising Star nomination for Solomonov. The dining public’s passion for the hummus never dimmed, but new stars emerged—the coal-kissed duck hearts, the salty halloumi with candy-sweet dates, the smoked and braised lamb shoulder lacquered in pomegranate molasses—and formed a constellation that made Zahav the center of Philly’s culinary universe.

They never had to cash that check.

If the story of Cook and Solomonov were a movie, it would be time for the montage: the tuxedoed duo at the Beard Awards, bringing home Best Chef MidAtlantic (2011), Outstanding Chef (2017) and Outstanding Restaurant (2019); Solomonov roaming Tel Aviv and Galilee for the PBS documentary The Search for Israeli Cuisine; cookbook pages running furiously off the printer; new restaurants opening (Federal Donuts, Dizengoff, Abe Fisher, Golide, Merkaz, K’Far, Laser Wolf), others sold off, others closed altogether; the gang expanding to (then retreating from) Miami and conquering New York.

Producers would overlay this flurry of activity with the Cam’ron and TLC tracks that made Zahav feel like a Millennial prom party and intersperse them with lingering slo-mos of Solomonov at the bread station,

pressing his fingers into the pliable laffa dough. His first food job was at a bakery in Israel. Making bread at Zahav is a meditation and a spiritual link, to his time abroad and to his brother, David, who he lost in 2003.

“This food represents the blood, sweat and tears of actual people, and it represents a culture a lot of people can identify with,” Cook says. “This concept was not created in a corporate boardroom.” It was created on the hot roof of a garage in West Philadelphia.

Solomonov remembers one of their early business plans for Zahav. To court investors, Cook wrote a line that 16 years later feels prescient: Israeli food will be the next big thing, the next food trend. “He was completely full of it,” Solomonov laughs, “but it actually turned out.”

this page : the interior of zahav , the restaurant that launched an empire .

next page : cooknsolo ’ s latest , k ’ far in brooklyn .

How to take fantastic food shots

Istarted my career thinking I’d be a fashion or music/portrait photographer but my love for food, cooking, and the culture surrounding it pulled me in. All through school I worked in restaurants, learning from all types of friends, both front and back of house, as well as friends who happened to be farmers or other producers. It really clicked for me when one of my first full time jobs required me to shoot a food review each week for a small local publication in Philly. I went all around town shooting this vibrant food town and all these

dedicated craftsman making and serving food that they loved. It was amazing!

Travel and the opportunity to constantly meet passionate people doing what they love is my favorite part of the job. We all have that zest for life and I cannot get enough of it being around like-minded food people.

To take really great food shots that pop, I’d say try your best to show it in a way that would get you super excited about seeing that photo. That could be the light,

text by michael persico as told to brian mcmanus images by michael persico

or other things on the table, shooting friends/people to remember the moment... it’s really interpretive. It could even be a food fail–think dropping ice cream off of the cone. The story of making (or messing up) is a lot of the fun too. It’s an experiential thing at its core, so let that come through however possible.

Beyond that: composition is key, of course, but also those other elements in frame have to compliment the story. That’s important. Pizza with some grated cheese and hot pepper flake sort of spilled and scattered. A drink with condensation and a squeezed lime to the side...a bid for that "lived in look.” If that’s not your vibe maybe it’s a perfectly sliced lime still atop the drink, and the pizza gooey and steaming, ready to eat...no mess. Again, this is all really interpretive. What makes you excited?

As for lighting a shot, I’d say tend toward a nice clean singular source. Natural light can do incredible things for food. Figure out if you want it to be hard or soft and find some great spots inside (or outside) your house and have them in mind when you want to photograph your dish. I like my light to come somewhere from the top half of the frame...it’s a great start and usually makes the food look great.

But most of all I think being curious and experimental is really important. I still remind myself every day, every shoot— every phone photo, even—to try and find another way to shoot whatever is in front of me. I take a look around and check in with my surroundings to see what else is possible. Some of my best photos have been a result of that "What if we ran over there!" curiosity. That’s not just limited to photos... I try to live that way however I can, too.

How to host a wow-worthy affair

It’s a homeowner’s tale as old as time—when to open your home to friends and family for a dinner affair, birthday party, or just because? We’re referring to the seemingly wonderful idea to open your home to friends and family for a dinner affair, birthday party, or just because. Yet as the host, it’s quite easy to find yourself frantic over house-cleaning tasks, managing staff or slaving away in the kitchen while laughter and glass

clinking ensues in the next room over. But just because you’re playing host doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun. After all, everyone loves a house party.

Take it from Virginia Frischkorn, a seasoned event professional who, despite owning luxury event planning company Bluebird Productions, saw a need in assisting event hosts who prefer a do-ityourself, yet still elevated, approach to an at-home affair. Cue Partytrick, an online platform she launched in October 2022 that’s designed to assist the aspiring athome event host along every step of the process—from helping select an event theme to reminding its users to eat four hours before guests are scheduled to arrive.

When it comes to entertaining at your home, picking a theme can be a great place to start, Frischkorn says, noting that having a motif “helps guarantee a cohesive guest experience, and thus confidence in a host as they have the piece of mind that everything goes together.” And don’t fret—there’s ways to avoid crossing over from tasteful to tacky. “A theme can be as simple as a farm-totable dinner or ’Italian chic,’” she says.

For Charli Penn, the executive lifestyle director of Apartment Therapy Media, writing everything down is first up, and is a must to keep organized— a trait she says “will always be your secret weapon for success.”

“Keep meticulous notes on everything, from the recipes you’ll prepare to the types of barware and serveware you’ll need on the big day.” You’ll also want to note how many guests are bringing plusones, plus food allergies and restrictions,

and “decor that’s needed—complete with vendors you may need to book and details on setup and takedown,” Penn says.

From there, “assign a due date to each task on your party planning to-do list, and leave yourself ample time to accomplish each one” to accommodate for the inevitable hiccups that are sure to occur along the way, Penn adds.

Kabrel Geller—the founder of This Messy Table LA—always has a grazing table front-and-center as they’re not only a decor statement in and of themselves, but they’re great for inspiring the mixing and mingling (Or should we say “dipping” and “snacking”?” that are characteristic of any successful event.

“Done well, it can (also) be a topic of conversation at your event,” Geller says. Start by picking a surface to house it on, which can be anything from “kitchen islands to coffee tables to tree stumps.” And while the Messy Table founder says “there are no rules” when it comes to a grazing table, “variety” and “layers” are a great way to accommodate every palate while creating a scene that surprises and delights, yet tastes oh-so good.

“Don’t just put everything flat,” Geller advises. “Maybe put some honeycomb on top of your brie or food-friendly leaves under your meat (to) create some dimension.” And in the spirit of lawlessness, don’t be afraid of combining cheeses, meats, fresh and dried fruits, and crackers with dips and even sweets, or adding in some non-edible decor elements, like “flowers or greenery, or a found object like a vintage scale, or jars of herbs.” For budget-friendly options that still make

an impact, Geller says it’s “two words: Trader Joes. Great quality and great prices.”

Atlanta-based Bold Catering & Design’s general manager, Chris Villard, and director of sales, Martin Collins, advise to keep your grazing table to “fingerand fork-only food items” so guests can “eat, drink, and chat without being distracted by having to use a knife.”

For Frischkorn, charcuterie is a great option as it “sits well over a long period of time,” which is a great trait for rookie event hosts who may not have their timeline down pat just yet.

On a final note, “Use your imagination,” Geller says, noting that your own home or yard, as well as social media search engines, can be a great source of inspiration.

For more advanced hosts who want to show off their culinary skills with a seated dinner, family-style pasta dishes and short ribs are meals that are easy, yet can be as elevated as you desire, and are filling, says Penn. But be sure to clean as you go. (“Use the dishwasher!” Villard and Collins advise, so as to not “get too distracted by the fact that you’re hosting (and) forget to join in on conversation.”)

Looking to go all out? “Hiring a great local chef to create a custom menu and prepare the food for the event” is definitely a wowworthy touch that’ll ensure “a custom feel,” Penn says. And, of course, Villard and Collins point to Bold Catering & Design in Atlanta as a great partner, “as private chefs are readily available” to accommodate a range of event needs. The last piece of the puzzle—guests. “There will always be someone who arrives early,

(so) set aside something ’low lift’ for them to do so you can get over the awkwardness of the first arrival guest,” Frischkorn suggests. She also advises creating a “light itinerary”—such as keeping arrivals and cocktails within one hour and setting a time to transition into dinner—so as “to be respectful of guests’ timelines—if they have a babysitter at home, for instance.”

To take the pressure off the ice breaker, Collins and Villard say “inviting someone that is the ’life of the party,’” can be a great way to mitigate social stressors, while Penn is “a big fan of the murder mystery done right.”

She continues: “It’s always a great icebreaker to get guests working together on a group challenge. Find a simple ’Who Am I/Find the Guest’-style game and incorporate it at the start of your event. These types of challenges get guests to immediately start asking each other questions, working together, and getting familiar with each other.”

However, you ultimately “can’t control when guests will arrive and how soon they’ll warm up, so trying to keep to a strict party plan will only frustrate them and you,” Penn says. On the same note, Frischkorn reminds hosts “guests will be relaxed if you are!”

Remember—when thinking about a memorable affair, it’s about fostering “memorable moments shared with friends (or family) where the ’vibe’ is just right,” Frischkorn says. A big part of that? “A relaxed host,” rather than “decor or food or music.”

forward

A catalyst for departure

image courtesy of indosole

Sole Solution

Travel always brings new learnings and experiences into our lives. And for all the social media-worthy images of destinations you might dream of visiting, inspiration can strike in the most unexpected and mundane travel moment.

It’s a lesson Kyle Parsons, the founder of Indonesia and California-based upcycled footwear company, Indosole, learned during his first trip to Bali in 2004.

Originally from New Hampshire, the then 25-year-old was working a retail job in California when he decided to take a three-week surf trip to Bali, inspired by travel stories he’d heard growing up from his father, who visited Indonesia regularly for business.

“Bali grabbed me,” Parsons says. “The culture is very vibrant, the colors,

shoeless on the asphalt in one of southern Bali’s most bustling neighborhoods.

Parsons popped into a nearby shop to look for a solution to his situation and spotted a “unique pair of sandals with a natural weave on top and part of a tire for a sole.”

Motorbikes–Bali’s primary means of transportation, the island is home to millions of them–were whizzing by the window outside the shop. Parsons looked at the shoes he was about to buy, their soles made from motorbike tires, and had an Aha moment.

“I thought, wow, that’s so resourceful and cool they’re able to upcycle these sandals,” he remembers. “They were very uncomfortable and gave me blisters right away, but it was the story that stuck with me.”

the food is amazing, the beaches are beautiful. The surfing is great and there’s amazing artisanal manufacturing.”

But it was a less photogenic moment that ultimately altered the course of his life and career during that first trip.

“I was walking down the street one day in Seminyak and I had a blowout,” Parsons recalls, referring to the thong of his flip flop breaking apart from its sole, leaving him

Years later, after many return trips to Bali, that story eventually eventually evolved into the B-corp certified and 1% for the Planet-recognized shoe brand Indosole, which to date has kept more than 150,000 motorbike tires out of Indonesian landfills by incorporating them into functional and fashionable flip-flops and slides that retail for between $35 and $75 a pair and transition from the beach to the beach bar and boardroom (depending on where you work, of course).

In Indosole’s early days–the company officially launched in 2010 with 500 pairs of sandals to distribute–the sandal soles were made from cut out pieces of motorbike tires, ideal because they don’t have steel wiring inside them, like car tires.

But as the company grew–Indosole currently has three brick and mortar shops in Bali (in Uluwatu, Ubud and Canggu) and sells more than 100,000 of shoes a year online and through brands like Madewell–Parsons says a decision was made to scale up and change the manufacturing process.

It was a decision both to keep up with increasing demand and as a way to keep even more tires out of landfills, he says. Today, motorbike tires are pulverized into a powder that’s used in a mold to make the sandals’ soles, with the shoes still manufactured entirely in Indonesia.

And while the word is out about plastic pollution, tire waste–a plague that National Geographic referred to in a 2019 article as “the plastic polluter you never thought about”—is a huge global problem that doesn’t command nearly the same spotlight.

TIres are made from natural rubber, plastic and other materials that do not break down and ultimately end up in landfills as well as polluting oceans and rivers. Parsons says once he became aware of the problem, he began to notice tire pollution everywhere he went in Bali and beyond.

“Tires are one of the biggest environmental problems and lots of people don’t know they’re a problem,” he says. “They’re also being burned by small factories. When you burn a tire, they’re made of oil, and black smoke goes into the air and the oil seeps into the ground.”

Indosole, which employs three people in California and 17 people in Indonesia (manufacturing has moved to Java from

its early days in Bali), sources all of the motorbike tires used in its sandals from Indonesia, getting donations from big tire companies as well as from local mechanics and individuals, says Parsons.

The brand’s ESSNTLS line goes truly full circle, using motorbike tires in their entirety to make the brand’s recycled tire soles. Upper materials used in the sandals are all naturally sourced, vegan and waterproof.

The company recently launched its Lost Soles Collection, using defect sneaker parts thrown away by huge factories in Indonesia and pulverizing it into a substance like the tire powder used in Indosole sandals.

The next frontier for his company, says Parsons, is looking to other countries to help evolve their economies by creating products that walk the walk when it comes to sustainability.

“Anywhere there’s a tire problem, we can make an Indosole-like product,” he says.

Helping consumers think more consciously about the shopping choices they make is an ongoing goal for his company, too.

“From an environmental standpoint, the true meaning of sustainability is a product that can withstand the test of the time,” Parsons says. “A recycled tire sole is very strong and doesn’t shred or break down.

“We feel Indosole are truly sustainable because they’re durable.”

WELCOME TO YOUR HOME AT THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

Here, the ownership experience is translated into a personal lifestyle in a setting like no other. This is the life you’ve been searching for, tucked away in one of the most treasured corners of the world: Los Cabos

This exquisite collection of residences surrounding Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Hotel include: West Enclave, offering 6 bedroom single-family homes, East Enclave, offering Signature Collection Residences & 6 bedroom single-family homes, and North Enclave, offering 2 - 5 bedroom condominiums.

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Les Nouveaux

Joining the brand’s hotels in Mexico City, Punta Mita and Los Cabos, The Residences at The St. Regis Costa Mujeres Resort will feature 80 homes with spectacular views of the Island of Isla Mujeres to the east and Cancun to the Southeast when it opens in 2025. Plans for the resort include three distinct food and beverage venues, several swimming pools, a glamorous beach club, meeting space, and the signature St. Regis Butler Service.

As the first branded residences in Egypt, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New Cairo, Al Jazi Gardens comprises over 1,000 homes, each fully furnished and fitted with exquisite materials. Al Jazi Gardens is the first complete pedestrian development in Egypt and is the first residential development to become LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The project’s unique facilities include a jogging and cycling track, swimming pools and water features that cover over half of its communal areas.

e D iti O n Residences, Fort Lauderdale will offer 65 residences, with two- to fourbedroom floor plans, as well as nine villas and four penthouses inspired by the upscale, yet laid-back lifestyle of what’s known as “the yachting capital of the world.” Interiors are conceived by Clodagh Design, and boast expansive private terraces offering unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean or skyline. Owners will be close to a 24-mile stretch of golden beaches, vibrant arts and culture scene, chef-driven restaurants and intracoastal riverwalk with boat dock.

As the first residential building to be branded by a major hospitality company in the city, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Portland consist of 138 condominiums in a newly built, landmark structure in the heart of downtown with views of the skyline, the Cascade Mountain Range and the Willamette River as well as Mount Hood.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay has commenced sales of its 20-story luxury tower, which will be built in the mixed-use Quay Sarasota development, and include 78 homes, with prices starting at $3.5 million. Owners of the threeand four-bedroom residences with airy, sophisticated interiors and up to 13-foot ceilings, will have views of Sarasota Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and downtown Sarasota, when it opens in 2025.

Situated north of Cancun on the scenic Yucatan Peninsula, The Enclaves, a RitzCarlton Reserve Residence , reflects the natural beauty of Los Cabos’ pristine coastline fronting the Mexican Caribbean. Tucked around Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, the West Enclave’s 27 modern, four- and fivebedroom single-family homes are positioned on a bluff with panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez and steps away from a secluded twomile beach. The North Enclaves have four three-story towers, with five condominiums in each. Located within the gates of Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo, this masterplanned community has a world-class marina and two golf courses designed by Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus.

newest

new cairo , egypt ; fort lauderdale , miami ; portland , oregon ; sarasota , mexico ; and los cabos , mexico .

United States & Canada

alabama

The Residences at The Westin Huntsville

arizona

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Dove Mountain

british columbia

The Hotel Condominium Residences at The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler

The Hotel Condominium Residences at Westin Bear

Mountain Victoria Golf Resort

 california

The Residences at The West Hollywood EDITION

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, San Francisco

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, LA Live

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe

The Residences at The St. Regis San Francisco

W Residences Hollywood

The Residences at The Westin Monache, Mammoth Lakes

colorado

Beaver Creek Lodge, Autograph Collection

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bachelor Gulch

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail

The Sky Residences at W Aspen

The Residences at The Westin Riverfront, Avon

district of columbia

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Washington, D.C.

 florida

Waterline Villas & Marina Residences, Autograph Collection Residences

The Residences at The Miami Beach EDITION

The Residences at The Tampa EDITION

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bal Harbour

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Coconut Grove

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Fort Lauderdale

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Key Biscayne

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singer Island

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Orlando, Grande Lakes

The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour

W Residences Fort Lauderdale

W Residences South Beach

 georgia

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Atlanta

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Buckhead, North Tower

The Residences at The St. Regis Atlanta

W Residences Atlanta — Downtown

hawai ‘ i

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Kapalua

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī

 illinois

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago

The Residences at The St. Regis Chicago

maryland

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baltimore

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chevy Chase

massachusetts

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Boston Commons

The St. Regis Residences, Boston

W Residences Boston

michigan

The Residences at The Westin Book Cadillac, Detroit

minnesota

The Residences at The Westin Edina Galleria

 new york

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Central Park

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New York, NoMad

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, North Hills

The St. Regis Residences, Rye

The Residences at The St. Regis New York

W Residences Hoboken

W Residences New York — Downtown

ontario

The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

The Suites Residences at The St. Regis Toronto

The Residences at The St. Regis Toronto Downtown

The Hotel Condominium Residences at The Westin Trillium House, Blue

Mountain

 pennsylvania

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Philadelphia

quebec

Delta Beaupre

The Residences at Le Westin Resort & Spa, Tremblant

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Montreal

 texas

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Dallas

W Residences Austin

W Residences Dallas — Victory

The Residences at The Westin Houston Memorial City

 utah

The Residences at The St. Regis Deer Valley

virginia

The Residences at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center

c O ming SOO n

New locations coming in 2023 and beyond

arizona

Paradise Valley

 california

Los Angeles

Santa Ana

florida

Clearwater Beach

Longboat Key

Naples

Palm Beach Gardens

Sarasota Bay

Tampa

georgia

Buckhead

hawai ’ i

Honolulu

 illinois

Chicago

montana

Bozeman

oregon

Portland

 texas

McKinney

tennessee

Nashville

utah

St. George

virginia

Reston

Learn more at marriottresidences.com

belize

Alaia Residences, Autograph Collection Residences

bermuda

The Residences at The St. Regis Bermuda

british virgin islands

Scrub Island, Autograph Collection Residences

cayman islands

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Grand Cayman

china

Bulgari Residences Beijing

Bulgari Residences Shanghai

The Residences at The Westin Tianjin

W Residences Guangzhou

greece

The Residences at The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino

 indonesia

Bulgari Residences Bali

W Residences Bali — Seminyak

israel

The Residences at The Jaffa, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tel Aviv

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Herzliya

 jordan

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Amman

The Residences at The St. Regis Amman

kazakhstan

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Almaty, Esentai Tower

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Astana

The Residences at The St. Regis Astana

malaysia

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Kuala Lumpur

The Residences at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur

mexico

The Enclaves, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Mexico City

Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence

The Residences at Sheraton Vitoria

The Residences at The St. Regis Kanai, Mexico City

The Residences at The St. Regis Los Cabos

The Residences at The Westin Puebla

panama

JW Marriott Residences Panama



portugal

JW Marriott Residences Algarve

The Residences at Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, a Luxury

Collection Resort

The Residences at Sheraton Cascais Resort

W Residences Algarve

puerto rico

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residence (West Beach and East Beach)

The Residences at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort

saint kitts and nevis

Marriott Residences St. Kitts

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, St. Kitts

singapore

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singapore

The Residences, at The St. Regis Singapore

The Residences at W Singapore Sentosa Cove

south korea

Marriott Residences Daegu

thailand

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bangkok

The Residences at The St. Regis Bangkok

marriott branded residences are not owned , developed or sold by marriott international , inc . or its affiliates (“ marriott ”)

 a story in herein shares a location with one or more of these residences

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New locations coming in 2023 and beyond

turkey

Le Meridien Residences, Bodrum

The Residences at Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bodrum

The Residences at Sheraton Istanbul Esenyurt

turks & caicos

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Turks and Caicos, Grace Bay

The Residences at The St. Regis Turks and Caicos (Grace Bay)

united arab emirates

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Dubai, Creekside

The St. Regis Residences, Dubai

W Residences Dubai — The Palm

united kingdom

Bulgari Residences Knightsbridge

W Residences London — Leicester Square

The Residences at The Westin London City

argentina

Buenos Aires

bahamas

Eleuthera

belize

Ambergris Caye

Banyan Bay

bermuda

St. George

brazil

Gramado

Sao Paulo

china

Lijiang

costa rica

Peninsula

Papagayo

Reserva Conchal

cyprus

Limassol

dominica

Roseau

dominican

republic

Cabarete

Cap Cana

Sosua

egypt

Cairo

guyana

Georgetown

 indonesia

Jakarta

jamaica

St. Thomas

kazakhstan

Astana

south korea

Jeju

malaysia

Penang

mexico

Cancun

Costa Canuva

Costa Mujeres

Los Cabos

Riviera Maya

Riviera Nayarit

San Miguel de Allende

Santiago de Queretaro

morocco

Marrakech

Rabat

nigeria

Abuja

oman

Muscat

panama

Pearl Island

philippines

Cebu

Mactan

Manila

 portugal

Lagos

puerto rico

San Juan

qatar

Doha

Marsa Arabia

Island

russia

Moscow

saudi arabia

Red Sea

serbia

Belgrade

sri lanka

Colombo

thailand

Krabi

Phuket

turkey

Istanbul

turks and caicos

islands

Providenciales

united arab

emirates

Dubai

united kingdom

London

vietnam

Hanoi

Saigon

Well and Good

You don’t have to go far to enjoy the benefits of culinary tourism if you’re an Owner of a Marriott co-branded residence. An exciting array of international dining experiences are sure to please any discerning palette.

Lilac, the signature Mediterranean restaurant at The Residences at The Tampa EDITION is helmed by Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser and features a four-course prix fixe dinner menu celebrating his vegetable-forward philosophy of using fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients. Owners of the on-property residences also can enjoy Azure, Fraser’s rooftop restaurant showcasing fresh Greek cuisine with expansive city views.

Tomo, whose menu is overseen by Nobutrained Chef and owner Tomohiro “Tomo” Naito, has been satisfying foodies and Owners at The Ritz-Carlton Residences Buckhead with its fresh sushi-grade fish flown in daily to the Atlanta neighborhood from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market.

In addition to the Signature St. Regis Cognac and Tea Room, The St. Regis Residences, Miami , in Brickell, will include a new luxury dining experience by famed Italian Chef Fabio Trabocchi, whose Fiola restaurant recently earned a Michelin star for the fifth consecutive year. The 50-story tower, overlooking Biscayne Bay, will deliver a total of 154 bespoke residences when it’s completed in 2026.

Similarly, The St. Regis Deer Valley is partnering with Chef Matthew Harris, who trained at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s

signature restaurants in New York, to serve timeless Italian cuisine at La Stellina (“Little Star”) where mozzarella is hand-pulled as a copper-tiled pizza oven soars above 500°F to achieve the right temperature for classic, crispy pies topped with locally sourced ingredients. La Stellina is the centerpiece of the resort’s new Snow Park Building, a hub of activity that also includes the Astor Bar and Topgolf Swing Suites.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Amman has committed to global cuisine with six restaurants offering six different cuisines at Roberto’s, Ambros, Sarab, Iris, The Founder’s Room, and Soleil. Roberto’s is the highest restaurant in Amman, Jordan, with 360° views of the city; Ambros offers a seasonally rotating menu sourced from locally grown ingredients, and draft cocktail cart. Sarab is a distinguished shisha lounge embracing Middle East flavors; while Soleil, serves plantforward, vegetarian, and vegan creations.

Residents of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New York, NoMad have access to reservations for private, chefdriven meals created by The Bazaar, inspired by the Spanish roots of chef Jose Andres, and Zaytinya, serving a creative mezze menu influenced by Greek, Turkish and Lebanese cuisines.

If you can’t make it to one of New York’s best restaurants, it comes to Owners of The St. Regis Residences, Rye, through a unique relationship with the celebrated Manhattan restaurant Eleven Madison Park that delivers a full menu, including wines and cocktails.

photo by nikolas koenig

the lillac restaurant inside the tampa edition

The Jordan Less Traveled

Although compact in size, Jordan boasts of a number of historical and geographical wonders. Of these, the mystical ruins of Petra, the otherworldly landscape of Wadi Rum and the mind-boggling Dead Sea get the most eyeballs.

But for those looking for more, there are smaller archaeological finds, cultural sites and glorious outdoor attractions to be uncovered.

Make time in your itinerary for these lesser-known wonders of Jordan that are equally as magnificent and delightful to discover and experience as their morecrowded counterparts. And they’re all within perfect day trip distance of Amman.

As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip. jer

Continuously inhabited for the last 6,500 years, Jerash is known for its remarkably well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins. One of the 10 Hellenistic cities that made up the Decapolis League during Roman rule, Jerash begs for slow exploration.

From the imposing Hadrian’s Arch, built around A.D. 129, walk to the magnificent oval plaza, or forum, ringed with 56 Ionic columns. Then pass through the colonnaded street via a paved walkway dotted with wildflowers to the nymphaeum, a fountain dedicated to nymphs, lined with ornate Corinthian columns.

If you think you have seen it all by this point, you’ll be pleased to find more. Continue walking to the immaculately preserved north theater and then on to the huge south theater, big enough to seat nearly 3,000 spectators.

There’s a palpable feeling of serenity and divinity at Mount Nebo, about 21 miles (33 kilometers) southeast of Amman. On a clear day, from the mountaintop, you can see all the way to the Jordan River, Dead Sea and beyond to Jerusalem.

Legend goes that it was from here that Moses had his first sighting of the Promised Land, which he was barred from entering. He’s believed to have lived on Mount Nebo until his death, and some believe he’s buried nearby, although there’s no clear evidence of this.

The fourth-century Moses Memorial Church on Mount Nebo has a fabulous collection of Byzantine mosaics representing wildlife and hunting scenes.

Be on the lookout for the towering Brazen Serpent sculpture by Italian artist Gian Paolo Fantoni, a serpentine cross that references the biblical stories of both Moses and Jesus.

m ADA b A

You know you have arrived in Madaba, about 20 miles from Amman, when you

m O unt neb O

start seeing shops selling mosaics in all shapes and sizes.

Inside the small and peaceful Greek Orthodox St. George’s Church lies the town’s biggest draw: an exquisitely detailed sixth-century mosaic of the region, thought to be the oldest mosaic floor map in existence.

What remains of the map, originally made with millions of colored pieces of stone, displays an astonishing amount of detail, capturing the area from Lebanon stretching all the way down to the Nile River delta.

If you haven’t had your fill of mosaics, head to the nearby Archaeological Park, an open-air museum, to peruse Roman ruins and Byzantine mosaics.

The sixth-century Church of the Virgin Mary inside the park has an impressive mosaic with intricate geometric designs

that was hidden for years beneath a private home until its excavation in 1887.

Located on a hilltop looking down over the Jordan Valley and far out to the Sea of Galilee, Umm Qais is known both for its fantastic views as well as its impressive ruins.

Roughly two hours by road from Amman, it’s a perfect day trip to explore the remnants of a well-laid-out ancient Roman city, Gadara, which like Jerash was part of the Decapolis League.

Meander along a still-paved central road with imposing columns and visit a wellpreserved ancient theater. Also, look out for an abandoned Ottoman-era village that was occupied as recently as the 1980s.

In Umm Qais, picked in 2022 as one of the Best Tourism Villages by the

United Nations World Tourism Organization, culture fiends can look forward to partaking in a variety of activities that offer deeper insights into local life and customs.

There are plenty of options through local tour operators, from olive picking to beekeeping and cooking lessons.

a hilltop that offers spectacular views of Jordan Valley and beyond.

A small on-site museum has on display a collection of mosaics, medieval weaponry and other artifacts.

In the village of Orjan, visit the Soap House, part of the RSCN’s community development initiatives, where local women craft handmade soap from olive oil.

Leave Amman’s urban sprawl for Aljoun’s verdant slopes and pleasant weather, just over an hour away. Covering 5 square miles (13 square kilometers), the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature’s (RSCN) Aljoun Forest Reserve is home to evergreen oak, pine, carob, pistachio and wild strawberry trees.

The best way to explore this magical corner of Jordan is through its many hiking trails. The nearby Aljoun Castle is an imposing 12th-century fortress built on

At the Biscuit House, sample a variety of edible goodies made using the finest of naturally sourced ingredients from the region.

A short walk away, in the nearby village of Rasun, visit the House of Calligraphy to watch a demonstration of Arabic calligraphy. Those who are interested can also learn the basics through guided workshops.