"The Power of Color" for VIE November 2023

“In Africa, where my family lived in dozens of US government-owned houses, we carried our furniture and belongings with us, including bookshelves to hold the thousands of books and records my father collected. But we unpacked without ever changing the interiors: each house had the same bland wall color. I suppose it was because, in those tropical and subtropical climates, the color was outside, in the gardens and views.

As a result, when I had my own house to design, wall color remained a mystery. I was color clueless. But at the time, I figured, ‘How hard could this be?’ If I like light gray, why not use that? However, when the color went on the wall (I was too inexperienced to test different shades), the gray was uninspired and didn’t move me. The truth is, at the time, I didn’t know about the connection between color and the experience you have living with it—my understanding of the role of color came years later….”

Read more about “The Power of Color” in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE.

"Influencing through the Art Experience" for VIE September 2023

“When the First Lady of Virginia, Suzanne Youngkin, and her husband, Governor Glenn Youngkin, moved into the Executive Mansion in 2022, one of the first things she did was transform its walls.

As one might expect to find in the country’s oldest continuously occupied Executive Mansion, the rooms were lined with paintings of Virginia statesmen and Virginia landscapes set in heavy gold frames. But Mrs. Youngkin saw things differently. She wanted a broader, newer story to be told about the Commonwealth of Virginia through the work of living as well as historic Virginia artists, and she wanted to reopen the Federal-style landmark, designed in 1813 by prominent architect Alexander Parris, which had been closed to the public since the pandemic.

Mrs. Youngkin asked Judy Boland and Ann Goettman, who sit on the Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion (CAC), to realize her vision by creating the Art Experience (https://www.executivemansion.virginia.gov/art-experience/). The duo was an interesting choice: Neither one is a museum curator. But while Boland’s background is in psychology and Goettman’s is in marketing, both are passionate about art. Although the women were not well acquainted at the time, they found themselves agreeing on which artists and paintings to suggest for the first exhibition, Spirit of Virginia….”

Read more in the September issue of VIE Magazine HERE.

"The Power of a Good Walk" for VIE August 2023

“Another cultural connection to nature that I read about and incorporated in a way is the Japanese custom of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, an eco-therapy that emerged in the 1980s designed to encourage people to reconnect to and protect the country’s forest. For me, that translated into being more observant of nature that surrounds me in my coastal ecosystem, cultivating quiet, contemplative time as I walked along the vast vista of the water under expansive skies. My area may not have forests to stroll through daily, but I could still bathe in nature and absorb the therapeutic benefits to mind and body.

“Although walking has been a formative aspect of my life and part of my routine for a long time, implanting these customs from other countries has given new meaning to my daily practice.…”

Read more in the August issue of VIE Magazine HERE.

"Centuries of Style" for VIE July 2023

“Now that every entertainment event has a red carpet, fashion has become a Who are you wearing?’ moment. But whenever I hear that clichéd question, I wish the answer would be, ‘I am wearing the artistry and craftsmanship of hundreds of people, created with centuries of tradition.’ If you want to see what I mean—if you want to understand how the exquisitely skilled work of so many people behind the scenes ends up on the red carpet—the best place to start is by watching Dior and I, the 2014 fashion documentary that gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the fabled couture house….”

Read more in the July issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"Embrace the Conversation" for VIE June 2023

“Being part of the Charleston Literary Festival has added to my life in many ways, including deepening my interest in reading and igniting my curiosity about how books are written. Listening to our visiting authors discuss the process behind their work is such a privilege. I loved Lisa Taddeo’s conversation about writing entire books in coffee shops (Three Women), while Louis Menand’s The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War revealed that he doesn’t make an outline or even a draft, but rather just starts with the first sentence….”

Read more about the Charleston Literary Festival in the June issue of VIE Magazine HERE.

"The Power of a House" for VIE May 2023

“My childhood abodes in Africa birthed my faith in the power of houses. Because my father was a diplomat and we moved frequently, our homes were more than shelters for our family. They were tools that helped us quickly connect with the communities where we were sent, until my father was posted somewhere else—or until a civil war erupted and we evacuated. Although temporary segments of our lives, those houses of my younger life sparked my feelings of how to be in this world—that it is possible for homes to reflect and respect our privacy while providing a conduit to the community around us….”

Read more in the May 2023 issue of VIE Magzine HERE!

"The Pop-Up is the New Picnic" for VIE April 2023

“Now, post-COVID, my favorite way to entertain has returned to in-person gatherings—through brief, quirky, community-building ‘pop-up’ dinners. I partner with my friend Autumn, and we combine our imaginations to plan these dinners, from selecting the participants to choosing beautiful public spots throughout Charleston as our dining rooms.

We pick places with action views: a rising moon, a tugboat coming in, or dolphins playing a few yards away. Our sideboard—covered with everyone’s potluck offerings—is often a nearby bench, and our chandelier is the stars.

As we set up tables, one of our pleasures is having passersby express encouragement when they realize what we are doing. Those who are tourists often say they want to do this in their hometowns…..”

Read more in the April issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"A Revered Literary Gathering" for VIE March 2023

Guests gather at the Circular Congregational Church for “Press and Palace” featuring Tina Brown, Betsy Prioleau, and Amanda Foreman at Charleston Literary Festival 2022. [Photo by MCG Photography]

“Every summer, I become absorbed by the world of books and brilliant minds as I embark on a mission to raise money and plan parties for the Charleston Literary Festival (CLF) each November in historic Charleston, South Carolina. Part of my position includes orchestrating multiple social events that I hope will be unforgettable for everyone. That desire is tenfold when it comes time for CLF, where our guests include esteemed authors, speakers, visionaries, community leaders, donors, and ticket holders. We always strive to leave them feeling well-appreciated and happy to support or attend the event again. This is vital to our area, as the arts, literature, and cultural events can contribute so much to the overall health of a city.

The festival’s foundation is its roster of diverse, highly regarded authors who are most certainly befitting the epithet of ‘change maker’—often Pulitzer, Booker, Nobel, and book-of-the-year winners. The 2022 lineup alone was a who’s who in thought leadership—see the sidebar for the impressive list. Their sweep of ideas and abundant creativity are enriching and transformative, with discussion topics including race, gender, war, technology, evolution, health, law, art, music, poetry, theater, opera, and more….”

Read more about Charleston Literary Festival in the March issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"Blessed Journeys with Friends" for VIE February 2023

“I ate at Lebanese restaurants every Sunday during my eighteen years of growing up in Africa, and I’m still convinced that Lebanese food is the best anywhere in the world. Known as the ‘land of milk and honey’ for its natural abundance, Lebanon’s fish is always freshly caught, its coffee is so strong your brain stands to attention, and its falafel is unlike anything in America.

One late afternoon in Baalbek, we wandered into the only open restaurant—empty except for a table of men playing backgammon. They looked up with shock when two women entered. Autumn asked for food, but we were offered only water. It seemed the place wasn’t open after all (it may not have even been a restaurant). Still, in a gesture of hospitality not often seen in the West, one man from the table came over and arranged to have roast chicken, hummus, salad, yogurt, olive oil, French Fries, and Pepsi brought to us from a place nearby. He then motioned for me to move over so he could play backgammon with Autumn, playing like a military commander. We learned enough from him to beat most people in the US. He turned out to be a member of the politically militant group Hezbollah.”

Read more in the February 2023 issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"Spring Forward" for VIE January 2023

Credit: Post & Courier

“It was April 2022, and the world was stirring again when essayist Kerri Devine became curious about the insights her girlfriends may have gained during the lockdown and what they planned to do next. She hosted dinner for a small group, ages forty to sixty-five, which she called Spring Forward, not just for the season but for a reason: How would they move on after the pandemic ground life to a halt?

…As the guests revealed what they had been through, Kerri told a story about her public meltdown in a Hobby Lobby store, an incident that left her feeling shaken and confused. Turning to friends for help, she discovered that not only did others have similar experiences, but they also gave it a name. Her first thought was: WTF, Mom? Why didn’t you tell me about this thing called perimenopause?

As her way to ‘spring forward,’ Kerri created a survey about these symptoms and discovered 99 percent of the one hundred women surveyed (ages twenty-five to seventy) said they knew very little about the years prior to menopause (feeling that their mothers and doctors didn’t prepare them), and 73 percent said they wanted to hear from other women on what to expect.

With the goal of sparking more open conversation about this transition, Kerri launched ‘Hot in Charleston’ on World Menopause Day, October 18, hosting a lunch for 150 women and a panel discussion between six writers and doctors, which she moderated.”

Read more in the January 2023 issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"The Robin Hood of the Music Industry" for VIE September 2022

Read “The Robin Hood of the Music Industry” by Suzanne Pollak in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"The Music of Food" for VIE August 2022

Read “The Music of Food” by Suzanne Pollak in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

'Conquering Fear' by Autumn Phillips for VIE June 2022

Read ‘Conquering Fear’ by Autumn Phillips as told to Suzanne Pollak for the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE.

China Galore!

You might wonder what difference can a plate make? Excellent question! Setting a table with imagination — think art installation, think many patterns of plates — may cause all manner of things to happen. Empires have risen and fallen around the dinner table. We ourselves might not be able to mend the world but we can tidy up our corner of it. Dinner by dinner we make life worth living for ourselves and others. One way is by having fun setting the table.

An opportunity has arisen to collect bits and pieces, stacks and sets, china considered best in the world; Richard Ginoi, Haviland, Royal Crown Derby, Mottehedah, Herend, Gien. Charleston’s finest wedding and gift store shut down resulting in a porcelain treasure trove. The owner of Vieuxtemps is selling off a myriad of marvels at a discount. If you relish adding zing to your dinners do something lickety-split. (This post is not sponsored!)

A single dinner plate or a set of twelve is not a big investment but an unremitting delight. Collecting these things pays dividends over and over and over, not in interest payments but in creating settings that facilitate interesting conversations and connections.

Owning multiple sets gives you tools and options to continually create unique settings. Unify the table according to your own rules. Choose plates with a similar feature from different sets, such as all rims, or medallions, or in the same color way. Have fun finding out who notices your roast chicken served on different color bird plates. Design useful centerpieces, lining chargers down the center of the table and topped with food, like serving platters. Fill wide rimmed tea cups with soup, for a first course. Collect dozens of different tea cups to host an annual mother daughter holiday tea party.  

Royal Crown Derby bird plates

Herend tea cups

Different patterns, different chargers...

Different makes (Haviland & Ginori) same color way

Now don’t get me wrong. There is a certain charm to our grandmother’s and great grandmother’s match-y match-y dining tables — do remember that their handbags and shoes, coats and hats, nail and lipstick matched too. That was the way it was. Now we live in a diverse society free to express many moods, create endless experiences and introduce all kinds of people to each other, right from our dining tables. Why not do it in the most imaginative way possible to create a scene and make things of consequence occur at and from your table?

Consider:

- A set of six different color bird plates from ultra-luxury Royal Crown Derby.

- Sets of Herend tea cups and saucers to mix and match for hosting mother daughter holiday tea parties on an afternoon between Christmas and the New Year.

- Six or twelve plain and patterned chargers to mix plus use as serving platters.

- Sets of plates of one make but with different patterns and color ways that work together.

- Sets with central medallions.

For more information:

Email info@vieuxtemps.net

DM via Instagram @UndertheFiggTree

'A Woman in Her Own Right' for VIE May 2022

Portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice by Anders Zorn

“This woman was a trailblazer. Bella made her first blockbuster purchase (without the aid of an art advisor) in 1892 when she bought Johannes Vermeer’s The Concert (c. 1664) at auction. She was the first American to own a Botticelli and the first to bring a Matisse to an American collection. There were no limits to her learning or collecting. Whatever moved her, she bought: Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler, and Sargent, of course. She trusted her gut. Her collecting partner, Bernard Berenson, once sold her a Rembrandt that she was not crazy about but, on his urging, bought anyway. A hundred years later, her instincts proved impeccable—it was discovered to be a fake.

Even today, this sui generis woman would be a renegade. Anyone who knows what moves them and dives in, learns more, and makes it their lifelong passion and pursuit can move mountains. Isabella Stewart Gardner is considered one of America’s greatest art collectors and museum builders. Her gift opens up a new world and invites us to see things in a different way.”

Read more about Isabella Stewart Gardner, her incredible art collection and house museum in Boston, in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE.

'A Lowcountry Treasure' for VIE April 2022

Photo by Niki Nero Photography

“Shrimp and grits are a culinary equivalent of the little black dress—good for all occasions. An LBD needs accessories to make it individual. So does this staple of the Lowcountry coast, only we add garnishes. Just like accessorizing this can be tricky business. The recipe is not a catchall. We like appropriate accessories—for example, mushrooms. Quartered or halved, mushrooms are not out of place in the bowl. They grow in forests right near the waterways. To honor the South Carolina Pig, I like hunks of sautéed andouille in my S&G….”

Read more and find Suzanne’s favorite recipe HERE in the latest issue of VIE Magazine!

'Learn to Live in Wellness' for VIE March 2022

“Now that people are beginning to invite others inside again, our wellness centers can make them feel cared for, but it starts with ourselves. We do this by letting our true spirits reign. Design is as vital the health of a house as food and drink. People choose paintings for their walls, pieces of music that lift them during their day-to-day activities, or soft lighting and candlelight to change moods.

“How you arrange your personal habitat is a window into why you truly are. Your passions, hobbies, and idiosyncrasies become apparent. The private you becomes known. Houses done by an interior designer and left exactly that way may have less of your spirit roaming around. People fall in love with individuals, not a perfectly done look that is so in style now. People fall in love with quirky individualism and personal expression. When you are reflected in your house, it’s the beginning of finding wellness through the freedom of expressing your authentic self.”

Read more in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

Thanks J. McLaughlin!

“All year ‘round, there’s always something simmering in a yellow Le Creuset pan on Barbara’s range. She and her daughter Madeline are taking virtual cooking classes with Suzanne Pollak at the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. Barbara also finds inspiration in Melissa Clark’s From the Pantry in The New York Times. And, now that the holidays are just around the corner, she’s making her signature Meyer lemon marmalade with fruit from her own trees.”

Thanks to J. McLaughlin for the mention in the latest blog post & newsletter! We love having Barbara and Madeline in class and hope YOU will join us this Holiday season too…

'Art Can Change the World' for VIE November 2021

“Watson & the Shark” by John Singleton Copley (1778)

‘There is a difference between close looking and looking closely. I grew up going to the Art Institute of Chicago. Then in my work as a curator, close looking was almost like a guided tour or guided meditation, where someone who knew a lot about a painting would stand and tell you all about it. At the end of the tour, people would say, “Thank you! Now I know so much more.”

In our world of social media, information transfer, and the light-speed digital revolution, most people enjoy works of art by sharing them. It isn’t just demographic; it’s not just young people—it’s everyone. “Look where I am! I’m taking a picture and I’m posting it.” You see people with their phones all the time, which even five or six years ago used to bother many people. “Can’t these people just put their phones away and look?” I have come to realize that’s actually the wrong instinct. When people share what they see in a museum, it’s because they are putting themselves in the picture. They are putting themselves in the situation of being in a museum. I’d like to do less telling and more asking, flipping the curatorial profession into one where expertise still matters a great deal, but it shouldn’t be first. My telling you everything I know about a Copley is only relevant after I’ve said, “What do you see?”’

Read more from Suzanne’s conversation with Carrie Barratt, former deputy director of the Met & first woman CEO/President of the NY Botanical Garden, in the latest issue of VIE!

'Traveling Through Memories' for VIE October

“Africa was a long time ago and large chunks of my memory lay dormant. When my eldest granddaughter Anna was born, memories began to return. When I cared for her, I saw flashes of my life when I was her age. Sometimes I thought these memories could not be real. But they came, some strange and unsettling, and pieces of my past returned. When Anna turned four, I wanted to tell her my stories. She brought back my girlhood feelings.

I was born in Beirut, the Paris of the Middle East. Naturally I don’t remember Beirut, or anything about Libya either. I cannot recall Tripoli or Benghazi where I lived when I was two and three, respectively. My memory starts in Somalia. When Anna tells me her favorite color is pink and she wishes her house was painted pink, I know exactly what she means.

I lived in a pink house – pale pink surrounded by a walled garden covered with bougainvillea vines. The house sat on top of the highest hill in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. I don’t remember the Paris of the Middle East but Mogadishu was Paris to me. The whole city lay below our house and I could stand outside the gate and watch everything. Camels walked through the streets. The world’s most beautiful women balanced pots on their heads and babies on their backs, and the Indian Ocean shimmered in the distance.”

Read more about Suzanne’s childhood memories & reasons for sharing them in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!