AROUND TOWN

MICHEL ARNAUD

GROUP EFFORT READ With Me

LOOKING TO DIG INTO A GOOD READ WITH FELLOW BOOKLOVERS? THEN HEAD TO DOWNTOWN WEST PALM BEACH AND TAKE PART IN ONE OF THESE BOOK CLUBS.

SARA WRIGHT

KIM SARGENT

Few people defined Palm Beach interiors quite like the late Carleton Varney. The legendary local colorman served as president of Dorothy Draper & Company and designed A-list homes and several of our area’s most famous hotels including The Colony, The Breakers, and The Brazilian Court. Varney passed away in July, just a month after the release of the deluxe edition of his 1988 book The Draper Touch: The High Life and High Style of Dorothy Draper. Below, we list five of our fave design signatures for which Mr. Color will be cheerfully remembered. (carletonvarney.com) –S.S.

1. Vibrant colors and bold combinations and contrasts 2. Mixing prints, vertical stripes, and patterns (especially supersaturated, over-scaled flower patterns on fabrics and custom carpets with distinct high-impact patterns) 3. Blending styles and periods 4. Aqua paint on ceilings of outdoor spaces such as porches and verandas 5. An aversion to beige and all things drab and colorless

Local luminaries host each edition of the Hilton West Palm Beach Book Club, which typically takes place the third Thursday of the month. For October only, the Hilton is moving the event to the third Wednesday, October 19, when Michelle Olson-Rogers of ModernBocaMom will lead a discussion of The Last Flight by Julie Clark. Tickets cost $35 and include light bites and wine. (hiltonwestpalmbeach.com)

HILTON WEST PALM BEACH THE BEN WEST PALM

This Autograph Collection Hotel kicked off its Book Stack Book Club series in August; it will return October 27 with Woodrow on the Bench by Jenna Blum. Each event includes a signed book, an author Q&A, and bites and cocktails by Proper Grit Whiskey Library & Supper Club. Tickets cost $175, and the next chapter is January 19 with Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes. (thebenwestpalm.com)

MANDEL PUBLIC LIBRARY

This month, the Mandel Public Library has in-person and virtual options for readers of all interests. It will host its Rainbow Room Book Club at the library October 12, welcoming attendees to share their favorite LGBTQ+ book. Then, on October 19, the Millennials Ruin Book Club invites millennials—and millennials at heart—to turn the idea of the book club on its head. Meet on Zoom and discuss what you’re currently reading, just read, or plan to read. Both book clubs are free, with support from the West Palm Beach Library Foundation. (wpbcitylibrary.org) —Mary Murray

HOT PROPERTY STAY A WHILE

It’s no secret that everyone who’s anyone wants to be in the Palm Beaches. But hotel inventory can be limited, especially as it pertains to extended visits. Electra America Hospitality Group (EAHG) is helping to change that. Earlier this year, EAHG purchased a new property in West Palm Beach (originally intended as micro-apartments) for $84 million and transformed it into an upscale, 217-key hotel residence catering to both short- and long-stay guests. Aside from its central location on South Olive Avenue, AKA West Palm off ers 6,000 square feet of ground-fl oor retail space, an indoor/outdoor lounge and bar, a resort-like pool deck, a pet spa, and more. AKA West Palm marks the second Florida property for the AKA brand (the fi rst is in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood), and it is accepting reservations for stays beginning November 1. (stayaka.com) —S.S.

COURTESY OF AKA WEST PALM

What better excuse for a staycation than to commune with nature? Book a room at the Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa to take part in the recently launched Stargazing on the Sea experience, during which up to six guests can enjoy a complimentary riverKIMPTON VERO BEACH HOTEL & SPA boat cruise with local outfi tter Paddles by the Sea. On the post-sunset voyage, guests will be treated to unfettered over-water views of the cosmos and a stargazing talk by David Brown, a local astronomer and president of Mission Astronomy Group. The program is free to guests, with reservations available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Dates through the end of the year are October 7 and 8, November 4, and December 2 and 3. (verobeachhotelandspa.com)–S.S.

Dress up your table with the new collection from Figue, featuring the brand’s familiar maximalist prints and signature details (think: contrast borders, top stitching, and tassels) now available as cotton linen tablecloths, placemats, and dinner napkins. Designer and Palm Beach local Liz Lange is CEO and creative director of the luxe yet laid-back brand that embodies the jet-setting spirit of the 1960s and ’70s. “Entertaining should mirror your personality, and the Figue woman is bold, sophisticated, and always fashionable,”

Lange says. “Figue Tabletop felt like a natural next step for our customer whose style isn’t only refl ected in what she wears but also translates to every detail in her life, including how she entertains.” (fi gue.com) —S.S.