Moments of relaxation spent on the terrace of the Ava Gardner Suite at Splendido Mare.
Photo: Mattia Aquila
The Artful Life: 5 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From designer Robert McKinley’s first furniture collection to a transportive tome by Assouline spotlighting dreamy Italian destinations
Sunbathing above the gentle waters of Bagni Fiore. Bagni Fiore in Paraggi. Photo: Marco Valmarana
Verdant Portofino coastline. Photo: Marco Valmarana
1. Assouline’s New Book Takes You on an Unforgettable Italian Getaway
Are you planning a vacation to Italy? Or did you just get back from one? Or are you dreaming of one? Whatever the case may be, the new book Villeggiatura: Italian Summer Vacation (Assouline), out this August, is not to be missed. Filled with transportive photography, featuring Belmond’s eight Italian hotel properties, each page will tempt you with its divine landscapes, delicious cuisine, and extraordinary design at storied properties such as Cipriani, Splendido, and Caruso. The book spans from the sparking seas of the Italian Riviera to the rolling hills of Tuscany on a journey that is not to be missed. So, grab an Aperol Spritz and let the adventure begin. —Jacqueline Terrebonne
La Bastide de Saint-Tropez. Photo: Matthieu Salvaing
A piece by Olivia Cognet at La Bastide de Saint-Tropez. Photo: Matthieu Salvaing
2. Jessica Barouch Transforms La Bastide de Saint-Tropez Into an Airy Sanctuary
After going through a renewal, Saint-Tropez institution La Bastide de Saint-Tropez has officially reopened its doors. Located among lush greenery between Saint-Tropez and the beaches of Pampelonne, this hotel oasis now features furnishings that perfectly match its picturesque backdrop, thanks to decorator and gallerist Jessica Barouch. Emphasizing natural southern light, Barouch incorporated shades of light yellows, beiges, and ochres to complement the hotel’s airy ambiance. Natural materials such as rope can be found in the furnishings both inside and outside through the reception area’s sofa and around the pool area. For decor, Barouch brought in ceramist Olivia Cognet to provide artistic additions ranging from large-scale wall pieces to smaller works throughout the hotel. This go-to destination for travel insiders provides rest and relaxation with a luxurious feel. —Shelby Black
Building Blocks sofa and Ingrid sconce from designer Robert McKinley's debut furniture collection, Monea. Photo: Courtesy of Studio Robert McKinley
3. Robert McKinley Introduces His First Furniture Collection
Known for his beautiful residential and hospitality spaces from Montauk to Manhattan, Palm Beach to Laguna Beach, Robert McKinley creates elegant interiors that retain a welcoming sense of warmth. Now, the designer has translated that sense of cozy sophistication into his first collection of furniture and lighting, Monea. Paying homage to his maternal ancestry, the 11-piece line celebrates Italian craftsmanship with its unique blend of soft shapes and solid forms. Here, McKinley has transformed a refined washed linen into the plush Building Blocks sofa, a striking combination of marble and wood block into the Mitre table, and handblown Murano glass and rattan into the seductive Marella light fixture. “My hope is that the pieces in this collection will be used often—touched, loved, and sat on—because true art is found in how we live,” says McKinley. —Jill Sieracki
Untitled (Carnival Revelers), 2021 by Paul Anthony Smith Photo: Courtesy Paul Anthony Smith and Jack Shainman gallery
Untitled (Carnival Revelers), 2021 (detail) by Paul Anthony Smith Photo: Courtesy Paul Anthony Smith and Jack Shainman gallery
4. Didier William Curates a Group Show at James Fuentes Gallery
A thoughtful collection of artworks that challenge the way of seeing, “OFFSIGHT,” curated by Didier William, is now open at James Fuentes Gallery on New York’s Lower East Side. William’s own artistic practice features intricate layers of painting and printmaking, creating a feast for the eye, and the artists he selected for this group show all create works as thought provoking as his own. “All of these artworks point me toward what I miss when I’m looking. They ask us to consider where the limits of an object or image fall short, and find space in the simply unknowable. With them I redirect my gaze to the corners, the gaps, and the pockets of our narratives that reveal more to us about ourselves than we already know,” William explains. The roster includes Galerie’s 2020 Emerging Artist, Widline Cadet, along with Abigail Lucien, Leslie Smith III, Alex Jackson, Marianna Olague, Paul Anthony Smith, Mark Fleuridor, Destiny Belgrave, Raelis Vasquez, and Cosmo Whyte. “OFFSIGHT” is on view until August 12. —Stefanie Li
Marcel Breuer's brutalist office in Connecticut reopens as Hotel Marcel. Photo: Seamus Payne
5. Marcel Breuer Landmark in Connecticut Reopens as a Hotel
In 1970, famed modernist architect Marcel Breuer completed the hulking Pirelli Tire Building in New Haven, Connecticut. The two-tiered Brutalist structure held administrative and executive offices for the following two decades, but it fell out of use by the ’90s, and a portion of the ground level was even demolished to make room for an IKEA parking lot. Mercifully, the aging structure was saved in late 2020 by architecture and development firm Becker + Becker, which spearheaded a gut renovation that turned the former office building into a 165-room hotel. Dubbed Hotel Marcel, the new property features interiors by Brooklyn-based Dutch East Design, which stayed true to the building’s Modernist heritage while focusing on custom-made furnishings and sustainable building methods. —Geoffrey Montes
Cover: Moments of relaxation spent on the terrace of the Ava Gardner Suite at Splendido Mare.
Photo: Mattia Aquila
