Cult Shop: consciously sourced cool in California wine country

A self-styled antidote to throwaway culture, Carter and Co showcases artisanal homeware, sustainable fashion and local produce

I’m not into throwaway culture,” says artist, potter and sculptor Richard Carter. “People increasingly want things that are handmade, environmentally sensitive and can’t be found elsewhere. They also want to meet the makers and hear their stories.” After seeing empty storefronts in the Napa Valley town of St Helena, he put his beliefs into practice and in May 2019 opened Carter and Co, a lifestyle store selling artisanal homeware, sustainable fashion and locally sourced produce. Carter set about a meticulous restoration of a 19th-century store – which had been first a butcher’s, then a tailor’s and later an antiques shop. “I felt its soul and history immediately,” says Carter of the now soaring, light-filled space with its white plastered walls, waxed fir floors and wooden dressmaker’s shelves.

From left, owner Richard Carter, Michelle Neal, Erin Radcliffe, Chelsea Radcliffe with dog Oliver, and Toby Hanson © Emma K Morris A set of six French walnut steak knives, $450 © Emma K Morris

A set of six French walnut steak knives, $450 © Emma K Morris

Vintage corkscrews, from $35 © Emma K Morris

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Many of the original store features are used to display items. The wide-ranging book selection is showcased in a restored meat locker; magnificent sculptural bowls ($2,000) and crystalline cloches ($2,600) by architect and glassblower Joshua Parke sit atop a zinc-topped wooden worktable; and rare copper pots and handcrafted knives are on an original butcher’s block. The store is particularly celebrated for its varied selection of dishware, which is inspired by designs created by Carter and artists-in-residence at his studio on his 85-acre ranch in nearby Pope Valley, and fired in the estate’s Japanese wood-burning kilns. Much sought after is the “dirty” porcelain that “contains iron and is more textural”, made in collaboration with the nearby three-Michelin-starred Meadowood restaurant; especially beautiful is the Shed line of ceramics ($38-$195) fired in a salt kiln to give them an ethereal, mottled green veneer.

The wide-ranging book selection is showcased in a restored meat locker © Emma K Morris

Millon and Clark walnut board, $184 © Emma K Morris

Carter’s time spent as a chef at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, three-Michelin-starred as well, has also nurtured a special interest in top-quality culinary implements (“I love caring for good tools – especially if there’s a backstory involved”), and the array here includes hand-forged Swedish axes by Gransfors Bruk ($153), Tetu cast iron kettles ($615) and chopsticks ($10). The most striking piece is a spectacular carbon steel fire pit ($9,000) that Carter designed at the ranch during lockdown. Foodie highlights, meanwhile, include locally produced honey and olive oil. But it’s not all practical housewares. Clothing includes hand-sewn deerskin jackets in tan, gold and chocolate by nearby Marin-based Susan Kim ($1,500-$1,700), while decorative objects include Japanese hollow taper candles ($28) and Breu resin incense ($18). To keep things feeling fresh, Carter also hosts regular pop-ups (most recently with ethical-clothing brand Dosa). “We felt like we could do retail better,” he concludes. “I keep the place spare and change it often. People come to discover niche things that are sustainable and made with love.”

The world’s best antique and vintage furniture stores

A global guide to the greatest second-hand interior haunts

The eclectic experts

Alex MacArthur, Sussex “I love big pieces, both in terms of scale and impact, and there are no limits here,” says antiques dealer Alex MacArthur of her eponymous shop set in a 14th-century former Augustinian monastery in the town of Rye, on the East Sussex coast. Here, she indulges her passion for grand architectural pieces from the 17th century onwards, whether it’s a French c1890 spiral-iron staircase or an imposing 3.5m-long bronze bull she shipped over from Turin, which was snapped up for a client’s sculpture garden. Lighting is a trademark, particularly 1960s Parisian Holophane streetlights revamped for domestic use. Elisa Anniss alexmacarthur.co.uk

Galerie Half, Los Angeles Despite its name – taken from the store’s first address in a West Hollywood alley – there is nothing fractional about Galerie Half, founded by interior designer Cliff Fong and antiques dealer Cameron Smith. Its three locations in LA’s buzzy Sycamore district attract an equally buzzy clientele, such as Diane Keaton and Ellen Degeneres. The artful curation of French, Scandinavian and American pieces is a mélange, says Smith, “that people never thought to put together but which blend seamlessly”. This might be a Pierre Jeanneret desk from Chandigarh or a 19th-century stone and iron console from France. Rima Suqi galeriehalf.com

Galerie du Passage, where owner Pierre Passebon exhibits furniture designers such as Jean Royère and Guy de Rougemont © Jacques Pepion

Galerie du Passage, Paris Tucked into the glass-roofed Galerie Véro-Dodat is a treasure trove that has been visited by Princess Caroline of Monaco and Christian Louboutin. Sourcing vintage pieces from private collections, owner Pierre Passebon puts on exhibitions devoted to renowned furniture designers such as Jean Royère and Guy de Rougemont – pairing them with fetishistic photographs by filmmaker David Lynch, or images of Marlene Dietrich from his own collection. Up next: a likely one-of-a-kind lidded Gio Ponti majolica vase, made by Richard Ginori in 1923. Christina Ohly Evans galeriedupassage.com

Retrouvius, London “Saving things threatened with destruction” is how Adam Hills sums up the architectural- salvage business he set up with his wife, Maria Speake, over 25 years ago. They have rehoused thousands of tons of Iroko-wood lab tops from schools, museum display cases and lots of lighting – from factory pendants to a seven-tier Venini chandelier. The stock also provides a palette for Speake’s interior-design schemes – including Bella Freud’s Chiltern Street shop, which features terrazzo-column cladding from a Liverpool department store. “It’s a great example of what we do: taking a material, then giving it a little twist.” Victoria Woodcock retrouvius.com

The Specialists

Lahandira, Marrakech Hailed as the best carpet shop in Morocco, Lahandira is hidden away on the top floor of an old Roman Catholic church inside Marrakech’s warren-like medina and stacked floor to ceiling with rugs – both new and antique – handcrafted by Berber weavers. “My dad used to collect authentic Berber rugs,” says Ismail Bassidi, who took over the business 17 years ago and is quick to recall some of his most memorable finds: a rug from Boujaad, in central Morocco, woven in a faded mix of butterscotch, burgundy and peach-pink, and a midcentury magenta piece handmade by the Beni-Mguild tribe in the Middle Atlas Mountains. Baya Simons lahandira.com

Jamb, London “I believe we have the most outstanding selection of chimneypieces ever to have been on the open market,” says Charlotte Freemantle. She and her husband, Will Fisher, “scour the planet” for 17th- to 19th-century examples, as well as antique lighting and furniture. Of the 300 items in stock – spread across showrooms in West Hollywood and Atlanta, as well as in their own Pimlico Road space – Fisher’s favourite is a c1777-1791 neoclassical marble chimneypiece carved by British sculptor John Bacon to commemorate peace between Great Britain and the US after the American War of Independence. Nell Card jamb.co.uk

The Italian Collector, Umbria Five years ago, jewellery designer Bec Astley-Clarke relocated from London to a hilltop house in Umbria. Here, the Italophile turned her passion for the country’s antiques into a business. Treasures include a 1930s lemon-adorned vase found in Venice as well as larger pieces like a 1960s brass and mirrored-glass coffee table by Romeo Rega. “I’ve trawled flea markets in Ischia and Gubbio and cantinas in Perugia and Todi, bid at auctions in Florence, negotiated with signori in private homes in Milan and Naples and attended antiques fairs in Abruzzo,” says Astley-Clarke of her eternal quest to hunt down that special find. Clare Coulson theitaliancollector.com

Atelier Vime, Provence Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson established Atelier Vime after stumbling upon an 18th-century hôtel particulier in Vallabrègues, a Provencal village with a rich wicker-making heritage. Here, the pair began restoring 20th-century wicker and rattan furniture alongside creating an original line of contemporary pieces, designed by Raphaëlle Hanley and made from local materials by nearby artisans. But it’s the vintage pieces – emerald rattan armchairs by Janine Abraham, rope chandeliers by Audoux-Minnet and rattan daybeds by Louis Sognot – that lure the design-world fanbase. Pierre Yovanovitch, Rose Uniacke and David Netto are all regular customers. Clara Baldock ateliervime.com

Shiprock, Santa Fe Jed Foutz is a fifth-generation dealer in rare Native American textiles and artefacts whose clients include Ralph Lauren, interior designers and Hollywood A-listers, as well as cultural institutions such as the National Museum of the American Indian. “It’s soulful,” says Foutz of his stock, which at any one time could include a classic and highly collectable 19th-century Navajo blanket or a midcentury black-on-black ceramic vessel from San Ildefonso Pueblo. The highly Instagrammable Rug Room alone is worth the trip for its historic hand-spun textiles in saturated hues of vermilion and indigo. COE shiprocksantafe.com

Sekisen, in Kyoto, focuses on rare bamboo flower baskets, Edo-period tea sets and painted scrolls

Sekisen, Kyoto Michikazu Mizutani, a fifth-generation art dealer and an expert on Japanese history, is best known for the rare bamboo flower baskets he sells from a 125-year-old townhouse in Kyoto’s antiques-rich Ohto area. Sekisen also sells green tea and kaiseki sets – many of which date from the Edo period (17th-19th centuries) – while the store’s back room is filled with unique painted scrolls, sold by Mizutani’s equally enthusiastic sons, Yuichiro and Masaya. “We focus only on the most special pieces,” says Mizutani, whose global clients include New York’s Met and the British Museum. COE sekisen-kyoto.com

Simpson’s, Sydney A dealer since 1978, Andrew Simpson specialises in early colonial Australian antiques – such as a stately c1795-1800 set of cedar drawers with original brass plate handles and escutcheons – which he sells from his home in the Sydney suburb of Stanmore. He’s written books on Australian furniture and art pottery – another focus – while a star veneered Oyster Bay pine circular table that he sold to the Australiana Fund is used for the swearing-in of prime ministers at Government House in Canberra. VW australianantiques.com.au

Midcentury Masters

Wyeth, The Hamptons In the 25 years since Wyeth debuted in TriBeCa, owner John Birch has come to be called “a Larry Gagosian for the interior-decorator set”, with a following that includes Tomas Maier and Gwyneth Paltrow. His original mix of European and American vintage modern pieces with tribal, industrial and found objects remains much the same today, although Wyeth’s sole location is now Sagaponack, in The Hamptons. The discerning assortment might include sofas by Edward Wormely and Dieter Rams, or lamps by Lee Rosen and Gino Sarfatti, but it’s the more unusual pieces that often end up being the stars of the space: a telescope from the 1920s or a 1960s leather bear sculpture. RS wyeth.nyc

Original in Berlin, Berlin It was a fascination with “old cars and ’50s music” that prompted Lars Triesch to start collecting midcentury modern furniture 10 years ago. “It’s a whole lifestyle,” he says. What started as a small patch on Karl-Marx-Allee has transformed into a 10,000sq ft showroom frequented by the likes of gallerist Johann König and musician Paul Simon. Armchairs by Hans J Wegner, Gio Ponti lamps and Jean Prouvé credenzas are among the most treasured items to have passed through Triesch’s 2,000-strong collection, but the piece he wishes he’d never parted with is a hand-carved door by American sculptor Harold Balazs. “I’m usually not attached to things,” he says. “For me, it’s the hunt for the unknown, unique thing that’s the fun part.” Rosanna Dodds originalinberlin.com

Michael Trapp’s Connecticut store – Trapp sources everywhere from Borneo to Boston © Rachel Robshaw

Michael Trapp, Connecticut “I love 17th-century European textiles, objects created when two cultures collide, and, above all, anything from nature,” says Michael Trapp, whose 1830s Greek Revival house in bucolic West Cornwall is an Aladdin’s cave of Peloponnesian oil jars, Iranian tribal carpets and immense teak tables from Borneo. The walls burst with butterfly specimens, taxidermy birds, ostrich eggs and rare shells from Trapp’s travels – in a typical year, he ventures from south-east Asia to Europe to the north shore of Boston, where he sources from old whaling captains’ houses. “I have a curious mind – I’m always looking for the whimsical,” he says. COE michaeltrapp.com

Lorfords, Gloucestershire In Toby Lorford’s capacious Cotswolds showrooms – a former bus garage and two aircraft hangars on the outskirts of Tetbury – you’ll find 5,000 pieces of decorative antique furniture and objets d’art, from a 19th-century Alpine sleigh to a c1770 Swedish tragsoffa. “We specialise in what I fall in love with – the unique and beautiful,” says Lorford, who set up shop in 2003. His “if you love it, mix it and it will work” philosophy has drawn a local crowd: the Beckhams, Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman and restaurateur-turned-hotelier Marco Pierre White. Lucie Muir lorfordsantiques.com

The French House, York For 25 years, Stephen Hazell and Kathryn Wakefield have been turning journeys to their home in France into buying trips. “We go to country-house sales, auctions and village fairs,” says Wakefield. “We are also approached by local residents, who know us as the English couple who buy antiques.” Their finds have made The French House the place in the UK for interior designers to buy the perfect rustic farmhouse table, an 1800s Louis XV-style overmantle mirror or an upholstered 19th-century Marie Antoinette bed. Mark C O’Flaherty thefrenchhouse.co.uk

Luca Workshop, Florence If a Hollywood art director was creating an “Italian antique shop” set, the result would no doubt resemble Luca Rafanelli’s store. Just south of the Arno and Ponte Alla Carraia, it’s the place to pick up Italian architectural salvage – giant clock faces, fabulously ornate mirrors and late-18th-century wig cabinets. “I don’t focus on a certain period,” says Rafanelli. “The original patina is what is important to me. My pieces end up in country villas and Manhattan lofts.” MCOF @lucaworkshop

Cutter Brooks: a charming lifestyle shop in rural England

An eclectic boutique lined with New York-cool fashion finds and artisanal homewares is putting a bucolic Cotswolds village on the style map

One look at the historic 17th-century building in bucolic Stow-on-the-Wold and Amanda Cutter Brooks was sold. “It seemed like a complete money pit, but I loved it,” says the former fashion director of Barneys New York, who lives with her artist husband and two children on nearby Fairgreen Farm. “It took a year to bring the space back to its original form.” The self-described American Anglophile has paired the weathered-oak beams with soft-pink walls to lend it a “feminine feel, but not too girly”. 

Traditional basketry, £100-£300, by Jenny Crisp | Image: Sam Pelly

Since May last year, Cutter Brooks’ eponymous eclectic boutique has enticed a mix of locals, weekenders from Soho Farmhouse and tourists from further afield – primarily Asians and Americans – with its curated clothing and housewares. “I embrace the English countryside style and craftsmanship,” says Cutter Brooks, highlighting the delicate fabric flowers (£100-£350) made exclusively for the shop by her neighbour Silka Rittson-Thomas and the traditional basketry (£100-£300) by Jenny Crisp, who has been growing and weaving her own willow in Herefordshire for over 30 years. “But I also incorporate things from my travels,” she adds, noting a selection of decorative items that includes Indian hand-block-printed napkins (£40 for six) and sisal placemats (£25 each), made by a group of women in Swaziland, as well as découpage trays (£124) by fellow American John Derian – “an old friend whose work somehow feels very English, and is a huge seller for us”. 

There’s a strong New York component to Cutter Brooks’ fashion buys, too, with the flowing designs by Ulla Johnson (tiered Claribel dress, £415) and LoveShackFancy (embroidered cotton dress, £520) offset by Khaite’s more tailored pieces (tweedy walking shorts, £620) – and all bought in very limited quantities. “My customers appreciate I stock things you won’t find easily elsewhere,” says Cutter Brooks, whose closer-to-home buys range from The Tweed Project – “two Irish girls from Galway I discovered on Instagram” creating summery linen petticoat dresses (£380) and cropped, fringed Aran sweaters (£650) – to Florentine nightwear specialist Loretta Caponi, whose cotton voile “granny nighties” (£350) in pastel shades are “old-school, smocked and very Shakespeare in Love”. Cheerful accessories run from chic canvas tool bags (£495) by Paris label L/Uniform – hand-stamped with monograms by Cutter Brooks – and hair ties (£60-£150) repurposed from Hermès, Liberty and Gucci scarves by Copenhagen’s Line Sander Johansen.

“At first, I think a lot of locals were sceptical about this project,” says Cutter Brooks, whose most precious pieces are the limited edition porcelain blackberry branch sculptures (£2,800-£7,900) by Ukraine-born artist Vladimir Kanevsky. “I’ve certainly made a few mistakes – selling resort fashion in December in the English countryside was pretty much a bust – but I think we’ve found our place now. When people visit and say, ‘It’s so warm and cosy here – and the coffee is great,’ I know I’m doing something right.”

Colourfully customised Canadian canoes and paddles

Norquay adds vibrant graphic paintwork to handbuilt craft 

“The canoe is my canvas,” says Canadian designer Natasha Wittke, whose Toronto-based brand, Norquay, creates unique collectable pieces of functional art for the home or on the water. The colourful Kevlar Prospector 15 canoes (from C$5,499, about £3,240) customised by her team are a collaboration with Quebec boat builders Abitibi & Co, whose versatile classic hull shape is handmade with wood gunnels, wood seats and a deep dish yoke. Next comes a lick of durable resin-based paint, according to limited edition designs or bespoke requests. “Most clients come to me for a graphic sensibility,” says the former art director, whose inspiration comes from nature and textiles, as well as First Nations art. 

The Kevlar canoe is handmade with wood gunnels, wood seats and a deep dish yoke

“I love the design process – playing with colour, composition and symmetry,” says Wittke, who launched Norquay in 2013 with a line of bold, painted paddles (from about £227). “I like to think my creations will become heritage pieces to be passed down from generation to generation.” One recent commission was for a mini fleet of canoes with matching paddles for a family; individual colourways and patterns were used for each and names were also incorporated. Depending on how busy Wittke is, canoes and matching paddles typically take between eight and 10 weeks to produce. 

Matching customised canoes and paddles take eight to 10 weeks to produce

Norquay’s painted canoe paddles are priced from about £227

So beautiful are the finished products that many customers hang them on their walls – be it a country cabin or an urban flat – though for keen canoeist Wittke, who named her business “after a tiny island, nested in the cool waters of Lake Huron”, these are primarily creations to be used outdoors. The paddles, hand-carved in cherry wood from Ontario’s Haliburton Forest, come in both wall-art and water-ready versions. “It is not recommended to use them for backcountry canoe-tripping,” adds Wittke, “but they are great for deep-water touring around the lake.” The canoes, meanwhile, are stable yet light enough to be manoeuvrable, and can be paddled in tandem or solo – perfect for plying the waters in high style this summer.

Bespoke boats and floats for stylish summer days

From sublimely elegant canoes to custom sea cabanas – small but perfectly formed excuses to get out on the water

High-performance heirlooms The bespoke boats produced by Artisan Boatworks, based in Rockport, Maine, are nothing short of spectacular – wooden heirlooms that are delivered all over the world. With years of combined seafaring experience, this design collective – led by master builder Alec Brainerd – is inspired by the yachting greats to create environmentally sustainable custom vessels that “blend timeless beauty and wholesome performance”. From precise replicas of classic designs to the latest in high-performance carbon-fibre and cold-moulded daysailers, racers and cruisers, they are built to endure. The classic rowboat – a Nutshell pram with Norwegian origins, or a Catspaw dinghy (from about $5,000-$50,000) – can be elevated to high art. Tantalising tailored options include the Buzzards Bay 15 class ($200,000), Bar Harbor 31 ($1.4m) and custom 24ft yacht tender ($500,000). artisanboatworks.com.

Preszler Woodshop handcrafted canoe, built up in hundreds of layers of different woods

World-class canoes Each of artisan boatmaker Trent Preszler’s exquisitely handcrafted wooden canoes ($100,000) is slowly built up in hundreds of layers of different woods – from ash, cedar and walnut to zebrawood, purpleheart and ziricote – and takes around a year to complete in his Long Island studio. But this does not deter Preszler’s clients. The interior finishes are just as elegant, with woven hemp and leather seats crafted by Texas Heritage Woodworks, while solid bronze cutwaters, cast by Long Island’s Kai Design, add to the modern profile. So sleek and sculptural are the results, some clients have purchased them as works of art, but Preszler says this defeats the purpose: “I always tell people they have to paddle it, because that’s what it was intended for.” preszlerwoodshop.com.

ParrLuxe customisable luxury sea cabanas provide portable relaxation on the waves

Guillemot Kayaks work collaboratively with clients on design, and craft each custom vessel by hand-fitting hundreds of pieces of wood

Supreme sea cabanas Yacht owners who love to swim and lie in the sun are faced with the conundrum of where to lounge comfortably and also be close to the water. ParrLuxe founder Stuart Parr (who oversaw the Marc Newson-produced Aquarama Super for Italian boatmaker Riva) solved this problem with customisable luxury sea cabanas that afford portable relaxation on the waves. These inflatable devices (from $35,000) are hand-built in Italy from luxurious, durable materials – Pennel & Flipo’s Orca (the “Gore-Tex of the marine world”), carbon fibre, stainless steel, polished teak and the softest terry cloth. They accommodate 12-18 people, depending on their size, making them über-rafts for groups or families. Parr incorporates finishes that match the cabana to a yacht or design scheme, and although the standard size for a canopied watercraft is 13ft x 17ft, variations can be made, with an assortment of sun-protective tarps and Bimini tops. There’s even a natural plunge-pool option that allows seawater in through protective netting, keeping marine creatures at bay. parrluxe.com.

Class-of-their-own kayaks “There is a particular quality about a finely crafted wooden kayak; its motion through the water seems somehow smoother than other kayaks, and the sweep of the sheer and smooth arc of the deck draws the hand as well as the eye,” says Nick Schade of Guillemot Kayaks. Schade works collaboratively with clients on design, and crafts each custom vessel by hand-fitting hundreds of pieces of wood. His Standard model kayaks (from $15,000) are strip-built, often in red cedar or marine plywood. Each laminated vessel includes subtle accent stripes and is designed to provide responsive motion in high seas or calm inlets. Commissions take three to six months. For all-round performance, the Guillemot ($15,000-$30,000), with its shallow V bottom and hard chine, is the ultimate choice. This kayak – complete with rich mahogany finishes, recessed wooden hardware and custom upholstery – is offered in a range of sizes. Bespoke graphics are Schade’s speciality: he meticulously matches wood strips and incorporates inlaid marquetry. Paddles are also made to order (from $500) to ensure proper weight and fit. +1860-659 8847; woodenkayaks.com.

A supremely comfortable bicycle with retro design cachet

Old-fashioned features, including wonderfully fat tyres, make the Electra bike an easy ride

One of the cleverest gifts I’ve received recently might just be my sea-blue Electra bike, given to me by my husband to use at the beach. It’s a vehicle of curvy charm: the shiny frame, the old-fashioned extra-fat tyres and the wide seat are a retro-design lover’s dream come true.

The Electra Amsterdam bike in aquamarine, $1,260

I use my Townie Balloon 7i EQ bike ($910) for buzzing around a small New England village, but the design makes it hugely comfortable for longer trips too. The brand’s patented Flat Foot Technology (the crank has been moved forward so it’s ahead of the seat tube) and low seat are a bonus for this cyclist d’un certain age because it means I can plant my feet firmly on the ground, without doing battle with a brakeless hipster convolution requiring backpedalling, or anything else that might lead to a wipeout. And the lightweight aluminium frame means that it isn’t the worst thing when that topple does occur (only once thus far).

While the Balloon model has seven gears, I rarely need to use more than three, such is the ease with which you can climb hills. My natural wicker front basket ($50) is a sweet add-on, a handy size for the morning papers or a towel and sunscreen.

The Electra Loft 3i bike in mint mojito, $520

This California-based bike brand may use old-school styling, but is right up to date when it comes to environmental awareness. It also does a line of e-bikes with intriguing sounding names like Ace of Spades Go! ($3,300) and Loft Go! ($2,800), which are meant for zipping across and around town at up to 25kph. And I’d love to own one of its Amsterdam bikes ($1,260) – preferably in a shade of aquamarine, with a jaunty bell on the handlebar.

Anabela Chan’s Soho trove of statement-making jewellery and sculpture

Vibrantly coloured jewellery and ethereal sculptures keep this little gem of a boutique sparkling in the heart of Soho

“I wanted to create an exquisite gem in the city,” says Anabela Chan of her bijou fine-jewellery boutique in the courtyard of the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho. Showcasing her exuberant, statement-making pieces alongside her personal collection of taxidermy birds and her intriguing artworks, the space is an art deco-esque tour de force – designed by her husband, Jimmy Hung, an architect at Heatherwick Studio. “He devised every cabinet and fixture, as well as the Italian marble, brass and walnut finishes.”

Gold-edged vitrines hold ornate cuffs (from £2,200) and feathered necklaces (from £1,990), while a stuffed crane and preserved parrots stand sentry over Chan’s exotic Butterfly Bloom sculptures (from £9,000). These ethereal arrangements, sourced from the jungles of Brazil and mountains of Mexico, are housed in sculptural, tinted-glass domes “reminiscent of water droplets” that are hand-blown in Wiltshire.

Gold and diamond Morpho Bloom cuff, £13,900 | Image: Michael Leckie

The grandchild of a noted Chinese film director and cinematographer, Chan first trained as an architect, practising with Richard Rogers, before turning her passion for drawing flora and fauna into print and embroidery design work for Alexander McQueen. “But I craved making things with my hands,” says Chan, who then headed to the Royal College of Art to study jewellery design.

She launched her eponymous brand in 2013 with 20 spectacular cocktail rings, and today her creations – “full of the magnificent colours, textures and geometries of nature” – have an international following, including Kit Kemp and Lady Gaga. Known for her use of vibrant stones such as sapphires, amethysts, garnets and peridots, Chan handcrafts each piece in her Chelsea atelier – from the dramatic Bumble Rose Ring (£910) with enamel and coral flowers and gem-encrusted bees surrounding a stunning aquamarine solitaire, to the dazzling Aqua Papillon drop earrings (£1,360), in 18ct gold vermeil with peridots and diamonds.

Unlike many fine jewellers, Chan delights in using laboratory-grown gems – such as the aquamarine mentioned above, as well as champagne diamonds and Japanese opals – but some of her most striking pieces focus on natural stones. The sculptural, modern Morpho Bloom cuff (£13,900), for example, is encrusted with ethically mined white diamonds, and the ornate Cinderella ring (£26,000) in white, yellow and black gold is set with a vivid, multifaceted 13.6ct blue topaz. Equally eye-catching are her one-off Triton earrings (price on request) – clusters of red and pink coral, Swarovski crystals and glass beads inspired by reefs in the Aegean Sea – and the bold Poseidon necklace (price on request), which combines turquoise and hand-dyed blue coral to spectacular effect.

Chan welcomes bespoke work too; she delights in setting treasured gems into new rings (from £30,000); a more outré commission was a tribal-inspired neckpiece in red macaw feathers for Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner. “Jewellery isn’t rocket science,” says Chan, “but it can bring immense joy and empowerment. It’s often a celebration of the past and the future. I find that endearingly romantic.”

Clear Blue Hawaii: creative kayaks

Online inspiration for sea adventurers

Here’s a suggestion for adventure lovers: Clear Blue Hawaii is a website of eye-catching, portable boats suitable for all sorts of sea exploration, from paddleboards to single-person skiffs to five-person tenders. Take, for instance, the award-winning Napali ($6,351, first and second picture) – a sculptural, foldable, single-person kayak that weighs only 12kg and is so functionally beautiful that it has been made a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The Napali comprises a corrosion-resistant Kevlar frame and a transparent, polyurethane shell. It measures 4m in length but can be stored easily in a backpack and put together in less than 30 minutes, making exploring crystalline waters and hard-to-reach coves a breeze.

Other Clear Blue Hawaii creations include the two-person Molokini ($2,299), which has padded seats and a V-shaped hull and is perfect for beginners due to its relative stability. It is made of the same durable polycarbonate that is used to make bulletproof glass and fighter-jet canopies, yet weighs an easily transportable 18kg. The Molokai ($3,705), meanwhile, is a five-person yacht tender made of a military-grade material that comes in a vibrant array of colours – mandarin-orange, continental blue and chili red, for instance – and features a durable deck, as well as two-piece oars and two-person benches. There’s also the inflatable Hanauma II kayak ($949, third picture) that holds two people and is ideal for touring.

Many of the models feature the same transparent windows that allow for dazzling underwater discoveries. But if it’s online surfing you’re after for now, the site features detailed product information and a stunning image library of the products in a variety of settings that promises to banish the winter blues.

A 19th-Century Carriage House is Transformed into an Artful Setting for Two Young Collectors

We didn’t want a pristine, untouched space,” says Anamarie “Pink” Pasdar of the 2,800-square-foot carriage house in the Mission that she and her husband, former Apple executive Iain Newton, spent more than a year renovating. “The fact that we didn’t need a car to be in the center of the action was another plus. After years spent living in New York and London, this particular house—with its funky ’70s bohemian vibe and great flow—just felt like home.”

Pasdar and Newton are art collectors, avid travelers, busy parents, cooks and hosts. His family from the U.K. visits frequently, as do the couple’s friends from around the world. So a house with communal spaces for entertaining and a guest room were requisites. After just one meeting, architect Patrick Flynn of Envelope Architecture + Design was selected to realize the duo’s vision for a home that would patina over time. “We wanted materials and finishes that would wear well as they aged—floors that would be enhanced by scuff marks, not flawed,” says Pasdar.

Following LEED guidelines and sourcing locally wherever possible, the couple also worked closely with interior designer Ilaria Ventriglia Burke to create a series of clean, bright spaces that employ natural colors and materials, as well as stark white walls that show off their collection of works by contemporary artists Banksy, Jeremy Evans and Andre Razo to brilliant effect.

In these communal areas, Ventriglia Burke (“an incredibly definitive, Neapolitan decision-maker,” says Pasdar) was able to help the couple incorporate the furnishings, art and mementos gathered from their far-flung adventures. The dining room is a perfect case in point: Floors made of reclaimed wood from an Oregon hops factory coexist with a Milo Baughman table and an eclectic conglomeration of cocoon-like Hannes Wettstein leather chairs by Cassina, as well as with Shaker-esque wooden versions by Britain’s Ercol. Playful 1920s-era crystal chandeliers cast a gentle glow throughout the space where, as Ventriglia Burke points out, “every piece tells a story, and the room is a total mirror of who they are.”

In the lofty master bedroom, it’s all about the high-low mix: A pair of locally made chairs comfortably coexists with Paul Evans side tables of inlaid wood and mirror. An old Sherwin-Williams paint sample board-cum-installation makes for an unexpected centerpiece, while the original fireplace—complete with a disco ball rumored to be from Studio 54 and given as a birthday gift by Newton to Pasdar—adorns the hearth. Artworks include prints from San Francisco gallery Ratio 3 and a series of small, abstract works by Andre Razo that hang next to the minimalist, Matthew Hilton-designed leather bed frame. A ladder serves as functional objet d’art leading to a loft-like storage area above.

A respect for the original structure and its materials carried over to the kitchen where warm bay-laurel floors and gray soapstone and granite countertops set a practical-yet-sleek culinary stage. Even the stairs have stories to tell, and each serves as a gallery for photographs, drawings and prints. “One staircase was stripped down to its original, acid-green paint,” says Ventriglia Burke. “We initially tried to find a runner to cover it, nothing was as beautiful as the original, worn wood.”

Frederick Wimsett

Murals and screens created by your very own artist in residence

“I love bringing a sense of theatre into homes and work spaces,” says American-born, Somerset and London-based Frederick Wimsett of the elaborate painted walls (from £6,000) and chinoiserie screens (from £4,500, fourth picture) he creates for discerning clients, including Kate Moss, Alice Temperley and Christie’s auction house (third picture). “Designs are often inspired by the location, architecture and surrounding flora and fauna, as well as a client’s preferred colour palette.”

For a commission, clients discuss with Wimsett how the room will be used, what the light will be like at a particular time of day and how much detail versus negative space they would like to see. “I often bring in elements from nature that reawaken a room and transform a living space,” he says.

For murals, the self-taught artist hand-paints directly on a client’s walls – like a very personalised artist-in-residence. Each of his creations – from twisting vines that envelop a room, to elaborate pheasants and peacocks in flight (first and second pictures) – uses acrylic paints, gilding, wax, metal and gold leaf. It takes approximately 10-15 days to complete a single wall, while entire rooms can take up to six weeks. Asian-inspired screens, doors and exquisitely detailed wall panels are all created at the artist’s studio in Somerset.

Home is where the art is? Very much so.

Ride of a lifetime

Bespoke surfboards from a London-based company with global connections and a cult following

The (somewhat curiously) London-based bespoke surfboard company Swami’s is the brainchild of surfing enthusiast Giles Dunn and his wife, Ilka, who named the company after a picturesque Californian surf break. Their passion for surfing and love of art and design has led – over 10 years of independently run operations – to a cult following and collaborations with tastemakers such as Paul Smith (limited-edition board of 50 from £1,200) and Orlebar Brown. Alongside these high-profile partnerships, Swami’s also maintains a commitment to European artisans and working with environmentally sustainable materials.

The process of commissioning a surfboard involves working closely with Dunn on the selection of shape, size, length and design scheme. Much like a custom suit, clients supply information regarding height and weight, as well as level of experience and preferred surfing conditions, so that each of the handmade-to-order boards can be specifically tailored to their needs. Dunn then works closely with his global network of eight shapers, who stretch from Cornwall to South Carolina to the beaches of Australia and are masters at honing boards from both foam and wood.

After a particular model has been sculpted, chic graphic elements – from the shaper’s signature to the rider’s initials – come into play. Specially commissioned images can be incorporated into the company’s signature pared-down designs, which are drawn on rice paper and then laminated onto the decks, where they are sealed by layers of fibreglass, tinted with custom resin and polished to a high gloss.

From designs such as the limited edition of 20 Phantom Feather boards (second picture, £3,600), which are produced in conjunction with online shop 20ltd and have a striking feather motif, to The Monk (£685-£950), an iconic 1950s-inspired model, each is a high-performance board with its own character. Handmade in the UK, the Monk models feature double-wrapped patched decks, tail blocks and split gloss finishes, which are designed for harder turns and bigger barrels. Other special editions include the Turban Wrap (from £1,200) – a board inspired by Indonesian travels that beautifully incorporates silk fabrics into the surface layers.

And just in time for summer’s swells is the launch of Swami’s bespoke wetsuit service. Made in the UK from the finest Japanese Yamamoto neoprene, the wetsuits (from £295) are an even slicker way to enjoy the perfect ride.

www.swamis.com

Amagansett’s chic Tiina the Store

Nordic cool meets East Coast elegance at this Long Island boutique

On a recent visit to Long Island, I came upon Tiina the Store, an Amagansett emporium of housewares, beauty products and under-the-radar fashion brands. Set in a 19th-century farmhouse, the shop is the loving work of Tiina Laakkonen, who draws on her Finnish roots and time spent working with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, at Lanvin, and later at British Vogue, to curate a mix of classic pieces and new labels (there is a dedicated special “guest room” where emerging designers showcase their work).

A visit to the shop is to discover tablecloths set with graphic Marimekko ($198) and Klassböls linens ($39 for a napkin; $42 for a towel); Iittala black-and-white porcelain serving bowls ($125, second picture); and Scandinavian glass tumblers (sets of two, $28) in hues of lilac, sand and blue. Beauty products by cult brand Rodin sit alongside vitrines of semiprecious jewellery – pavé crescent earrings by Ten Thousand Things ($2,560, third picture) and rose gold necklaces by Two Starboard ($850) – while chic interiors pieces range from iconic Aalto Finlandia vases by Iittala ($145-$240, fourth picture) to simple birch tealights ($38) by Aarikka.

The best finds, however, are Laakkonen’s fashion selections. Her expertise really shines through, whether that be in her choice of Santa Cruz pullovers by Crippen ($345), hand-spun cashmere Picasso sweaters ($1,215, fifth picture) by LA-based brand The Elder Statesman, or, my personal favourite, French architect Denis Colomb’s silk, cotton and cashmere shawls ($190-$1,590). I have seen some of his scarves in New York City, but never such a wide selection.

“The store is full of things I love and have discovered either growing up in Finland, in my life in Paris and London, or while travelling,” says Laakkonen. Visitors are in for an extremely stylish treat…

Mish

Magpies flock to this intimate NoHo jewellery salon for its fanciful creations and exquisite bespoke work

Set behind purple-lacquered doors on NoHo’s bustling Bond Street, you’ll find Mish, the eponymous jewellery salon and studio of the very dapper Mish Tworkowski. The designer is noted for his exuberant, sought-after creations and innovative bespoke work, in particular his organically inspired designs.

gold Wakaya cuffs with shell shapes, based on those found in Fiji, embellished with brown diamonds, $168,000 and $166,000 | Image: Dorothy Hong

He learnt to sketch and mould “by osmosis” at an early age, while spending time at a family friend’s jewellery firm. But it was during his years as a jewellery specialist at Sotheby’s in New York and London that he garnered a stylish following who sought the fanciful treasures he created on the side – and who continue to be some of his most loyal patrons. Tworkowski is the sole designer of the salon’s creations, and he works with a team of six to make pieces for an international clientele.

After 10 years in a carriage house on the Upper East Side, Tworkowski and his partner – the shop’s architect, Joseph Singer – moved to this mid-19th-century space in 2011, adding hand-painted walls inspired by petrified wood, a striking art-deco lilac suede sofa and a 1940s Barovier chandelier. The boutique’s bronze vitrines display Tworkowski’s jewels and nature’s inspiration is evident – take the chunky gold Wakaya cuffs with shell shapes, based on those found in Fiji, embellished with brown diamonds ($168,000 and $166,000), and a rose-gold Honeywood cocktail ring with a Mandarin garnet ($64,000). A vault holds some 400 additional treasures, including lariats of topaz nuggets with tassels of pearls and diamonds ($28,000). Modern art collectors, meanwhile, seeks out Mish for his bold, mineral-specimen pieces, such as blue shattuckite earrings ($18,600).

Bonnelle lariat necklace with smoky-topaz nuggets and tassels in gold, grey Tahitian and gold keshi pearls and beads, $28,000 | Image: Dorothy Hong

It is, however, Mish’s bespoke commissions that are the most exciting. From a request by Isabella Rossellini to rework her mother Ingrid Bergman’s strands of pearls into stone-encrusted bracelets and a chain necklace for her daughter, Elettra Wiedemann, to crafting custom-made tiaras, Tworkowski delights in creating “functional sculpture” for a discerning clientele.

This collaborative process includes everything from visits to a client’s home country to museum forays. “I get to know my customers very well – their stories, favourite places, colour preferences and their level of formality,” he says. After initial consultations, an on-site watercolourist then creates renderings on signature chocolate-brown paper, so that a client can visualise each commission.

As a result, his works are both personal and inventive. He has, for example, reimagined a customer’s priceless Suzanne Belperron ring to fit her more relaxed lifestyle, while other standout designs include Asian-inspired keepsakes ($36,000), featuring the camellias, koi and stone lanterns loved by a Tokyo-based couple.

His creations may be uniquely varied, but every one of his pieces showcases Tworkowski’s exquisite artistry and contemporary flair. “In the end,” he says, “I hope that I am creating a client’s power amulet – something that they feel is special but that they can wear all the time.”

An interiors and botanical wonderland

Japanese bird’s-nest ferns and gargoyle lamps are among the finds at this Connecticut shop

My recent road trip through the hills of Litchfield County, Connecticut, yielded many fascinating finds, but the best was Pergola, a home and garden store filled to bursting with striking discoveries. These range from mahogany ferns in glazed cachepots ($26) to an unusual dining table fashioned from an antique New England barn door table ($1,975). Owners David Whitman and Peter Stiglin say they are “foragers at heart” and take inspiration from the wild woods. They seek out local artisans and craftsmen from as far afield as Japan, all of whom work with natural materials.

The store sits above New Preston Falls, just two hours from New York City, and its plants and flowers are a refreshing antidote to chaotic urban life. Inside is a uniquely curated collection of objects in a rich variety of materials – driftwood, gilt, burlap, onyx, skulls and vertebrae, feathers and coral – that sits within a botanical wonderland. Flora and fauna are a passion for Whitman and Stiglin. They have “a wonderful network of growers, greenhouses and farmers” from whom they source pairs of potted plants and floral bunches, which are displayed in galvanised sap buckets.

Weaving through the network of rooms is a journey of discovery. Past numerous chests and tables is a counter with a potted Japanese bird’s-nest fern ($68) and a spectacular printed gauze and canvas British Insects artwork by Elizabeth Lucas ($775). I bought some camellia-scented Carrière Frères candles ($48), pretty paper notecards by local artist Stephanie Wargo ($9 each) and sculptural planters by Ben Wolff ($12-$60), but my favourite piece (though I didn’t take it home, sadly) was an antique painted Chinese console ($3,950) made of elm, which was flanked by Akebia-vine armchairs ($295) with sheepskin throws ($135) – draped just so.  

Elsewhere, gargoyle fragments have been transformed into lamps ($395), which look amazing with linen shades, but nothing trumps the rusted iron and glass curiosity box filled with dried vines, a small raccoon skull and preserved fungi ($420). Could any other curio better sum up Whitman’s ethos for the shop: “Making connections and nurturing the bond between nature and man”? Surely not.

7 East Shore Road, New Preston, Connecticut 06777 (+1860-868 4769; www.pergolahome.com).

Bespoke wooden boats destined as family treasures

Environmentally sustainable craft that stand the test of time

I’ve seen a lot of extremely beautiful things in the course of writing this column – custom-made clothing, exquisite, one-off jewellery, and made-to-measure everything – but I don’t think any have been as spectacular as the bespoke wooden boats being produced by Artisan Boatworks, a group of singularly talented craftspeople based in Rockport, Maine.

“Many clients who come to us know what they want,” explains owner and master builder Alec Brainerd. “They’re looking for lasting value and environmentally sustainable boats that will stand the test of time. For many, the restoration of a family heirloom or the commission of a custom boat is the culmination of a lifelong dream.” And from precise replicas of classic designs to the latest in high-performance carbon-fibre and cold-moulded daysailers, racers, and cruisers, these are boats built to endure.

Artisan Boatworks brings new meaning to the “custom” concept – it works collaboratively with clients to meet deadlines, respect budgets (really) and ensure that the end result is exactly what you’re after. Bringing years of combined seafaring experience – Brainerd has sailed across the Atlantic, aboard a William Fife ketch, through the Med and around New Zealand, where he oversaw the refit of a 100ft 1939 Camper & Nicholsons yawl – this design collective is inspired by such yachting greats as Nathanael Herreshoff, Starling Burgess and John Alden to create vessels that “blend timeless beauty and wholesome performance”.

The classic rowboat – a Nutshell Pram with Norwegian origins, or a Catspaw Dinghy (from about $5,000-$50,000) – can be elevated to high art, and makes a great tender for a larger coastal cruising yacht. Sailboat varieties are endless and include the Nantucket Indian, a small keel daysailer that performs well in a range of conditions; the Murmur (pictured); the Haven 12½, a hard-to-capsize boat (all from about $70,000); and the Boothbay Harbor One Design (price on request), a daysailer that is capable of great speeds.

Particularly special are the Watch Hill 15s (from about $150,000) – fast, responsive beauties that ply the water with slick ease – as well as the International Dragon, a European-inspired racing-class boat that’s built to handle rough waters (price on request). These specialised creations feature hull planking of northern white cedar, frames of bent oak, finishes of Burma teak and Sitka spruce, as well as brightwork crafted from Honduras mahogany – all of which combine to “satisfy the senses in a way that a boat constructed with synthetic materials never will”.

Artisan Boatworks’ wooden heirlooms are delivered all over the world – from the south of France to the UK to Newport, Rhode Island – and as Brainerd points out: “The value in these boats is in the pedigree, not in adding unnecessary bells and whistles. We work within an aesthetic element and these boats continue a tradition that spans the centuries. They will always be the choice of a true connoisseur.” Here’s to a lifetime of smooth sailing…

Made-to-measure bicycles for every occasion

A master Japanese bike builder offers the perfect custom ride

For the truly dedicated rider, a bespoke bicycle is just about as good as it gets. And few are finer than the road (first picture) and track versions handcrafted by Kinfolk Studios, a multidisciplinary design and production company based in Tokyo and Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Founded in 2008 by four friends, hailing respectively from New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo – who sought a fifth partner in master bicycle craftsman Kusaka-San (second picture) – Kinfolk has grown from strength to strength, driven by a desire to produce functional, sculptural bicycles.

“With a custom bike the rider can get a perfect fit as well as the exact colours and design he or she wants,” explains co-founder John Beullens. “It also allows them to get deep into the technical options of the bike. Our customer is someone who appreciates very high quality and attention to detail.”

Ordering a custom Kinfolk frame (or the entire outfitted bicycle, if you wish) is made quite simple through a series of initial emails and phone calls. No visit to Kusaka-San is required; clients simply provide details, such as their height, inside leg and colour preferences (a vibrant array of paint finishes, including glossy, matt or metallic, is available), to get the commission process started. Kusaka-San then puts his 30-plus years of experience in the bike-building business to use, handcrafting a client’s dream ride. After a career spent making track bikes for Japan’s competitive Keirin racers, he is now widely regarded as one of the country’s top builders.

Each Custom Track Frame Set (from £1,098) comes standard with Tange No 1 tubing, a Kalavinka lug set, a threaded circular fork and a Kusaka seat stay cluster, as well as a gorgeous chrome finish. Extra options include a variety of tubing types, additional forks, seats and intricate detailing. If a classic steel-lugged road bike (from £1,253) – an old-school style (think classic ten-speed) that’s perfect for cruising around town and enduring longer distances – is more your speed, then Kinfolk can easily fulfill that wish as well. If you’re a real nomad, then the International bike (from £1,638) is ideal as it can be disassembled.

Kinfolk Studios produces about six to 10 bicycles per month, and delivery takes four to six weeks, depending on the model and level of customisation. Completely finished bicycles – with state-of-the-art tyres, comfy seats and handlebars – range in price from £2,300 to £4,600 (urban bike in third picture). For the passionate cyclist, they’re worth every penny.