The Artful Life: 7 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. Chez Sotheby’s Invites Guests to Dine Amongst $150 Million of Blue Chip Art in Paris

There is no better way to experience great art than within the intimacy of a domestic setting, where masterpieces are removed from a museum or gallery setting and instead become part of convivial everyday living. For Paris Art Week, Sotheby’s Private Sales and Polimeno have taken that idea to create Chez Sotheby’s. From October 19–24, the auction house has transformed an elegant apartment at 243 Rue de Rivoli overlooking the Tuileries into a refined dining space blending blue-chip art with French hospitality.  Drawing inspiration from legendary French salons and historical art-world haunts such as Marie-Laure de Noailles, Jacqueline de Ribes and Charles de Beistegui, Le Palace and Le Mathis, the residential setting places $150 million of masterworks of modern, postwar, and contemporary works within a fully operated restaurant helmed by chef Erika Blu. The menu pairs classic Italian dishes with French desserts, and is complemented by a cocktail menu devised by legendary bartender Colin Field, former head barman of the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris.

In the dining room, a salon-style hang features a work by Hernan Bas surrounded by pieces by Jean Dubuffet, Pablo Picasso, and Gerhard Richter. The foyer, meanwhile, captures the spirit of the Greek-American art gallerist Alexander Iolas with unexpected pairings of Lucio Fontana, Andy Warhol, Francois Lelannes, and even an original Oscar Wilde manuscript. At the bar, a mirrored silver counter surrounds works by Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, and Fernand Léger. –Lucy Rees

2. Marrakshi Life Opens Dreamy Debut Boutique at La Mamounia

Launched after New Yorkers Randall Bachner and Nicholas Minucciani relocated to Morocco, Marrakshi Life creates stunning caftans, coats, and dresses from fabrics handwoven in Marrakech using a rainbow of threads that artisans dye in Casablanca. And while the kaleidoscopic collection has long been available at luxury boutiques around the globe, the brand had previously never had a retail space all their own. This month, however, the duo unveiled a stunning jewelbox at the city’s picturesque resort La Mamounia. Working with creative director Gabriella Khalil in her first project in Africa, the team transformed a octagonal glass pavilion at the hotel into a vibrant salon where the artfully colored clothing is displayed against a sumptuous Studio Sana Benzaitar rug of earthy hues, ethereal butter yellow curtains, and black lacquer cabinets constructed by local craftsmen. Adding to the cinematic setting are a decadent assortment of collectible design items including a 1960s Italian Tornado chandelier by Elio Martinelli, LRNCE ceramics, and a trio of bespoke stools upholstered in Marrakshi Life’s fabrics, the latter the collection’s inaugural furniture pieces. —Jill Sieracki

3. Venus Williams Brings Her Designer Touch to Miami Beach 

Tennis champion Venus Williams has an extraordinary eye on and off the court, as exemplified by a collection she crafted with Crate & Barrel that was introduced shortly after she made her high-profile return to the U.S. Open alongside her sister Serena. Now, V. Starr, the interior design firm Williams founded in 2002, and Crate & Barrel are teaming up again at NoBe PARC Miami Beach, a 15-story, 232-residence set to be completed in late 2028. Fully furnished residences will feature select pieces from Williams’s collection, which is inspired by the visual language of tennis and the movement of the game. “When selecting pieces for a home, I look for a balance of timeless design, comfort, and personality,” Williams recently told Galerie. “I love pieces that feel modern yet can evolve with you over time.” Developed by Robert Finvarb Companies and designed by Arquitectonica with TAG Architecture, the residences average under 500 square feet and include layouts from studios up to three-bedroom-plus-den residences, located just two blocks from the ocean. “This is our first ground-up residential project after more than two decades in hotels,” said Robert Finvarb, CEO of Robert Finvarb Companies. “Hospitality teaches you that guests can feel when every detail of a space was planned together, and we wanted owners to feel the same way here. Venus has been part of this building from the start through V. Starr, so having her select pieces of the collection as part of the interior decoration of each residence is a big moment for us. Owners walk into a finished home, whether they plan to live here year-round or rent it out while they’re away.”—Alexandria Sillo

4. Edgar Jayet Transforms a Historic Le Bon Marché Salon into a Parisian Jewel

Often credited as the world’s first modern department store, Le Bon Marché has cultivated a singular relationship with art and craftsmanship since founders Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut revolutionized Parisian retail in the mid-19th century. Today, the LVMH-owned landmark continues that legacy through ambitious contemporary art commissions and exclusive shopping experiences. Its latest flourish comes courtesy of Galerie Creative Mind designer Edgar Jayet, who has transformed a private salon for top clientele into an intimate showcase of his exquisite furniture. Occupying Aristide’s former office, an Art Deco jewel conceived by Sue et Mare, the wood-paneled retreat evokes a soigné Parisian residence. A sumptuous beechwood and cashmere daybed from Jayet’s Viennese Secession–inspired Mitteleuropa collection joins moiré silk and sycamore cabinets from Le Collectionneur. Gleaming brass luminaires from his La Bouillotte collection for Delisle illuminate the ensemble, which also features Aristide Maillol bronzes and Andrée Putman’s celestial Voie Lactée rug—a fitting tribute to the visionary behind Le Bon Marché’s iconic escalators. —Ryan Waddoups

5. Recess Hotel & Club Ushers in a New Era for Lifestyle Travel in Savannah 

In Savannah, real estate development and hospitality firm Left Lane has returned a century-old building in the Historic District to its roots with the recently opened Recess Hotel & Club. The 221-key property, originally opened in 1912 as Hotel Savannah, follows a “retro-futurist” narrative, leaning on screen-free, nostalgia-fueled pop culture references inspired by artists, storytellers, and others who make up Savannah’s creative community. Each floor features a Rumpus Room, which serves as a social hub with vintage board games, vending machines, and flat-screen televisions. The hotel, designed in collaboration with Atelier Pond, opens with Lobby Bar and The Servery on the ground floor, but also features Le Flâneur, a French brasserie, and Kilter, a rooftop bar 12 stories up. Additionally, Club Recess, the members-only social club, features a collection of dynamic event spaces overlooking Savannah’s historic Johnson Square. “Luxury travel is evolving with guests seeking out community and meaningful experiences built around connection,” said Jon Kully, Managing Partner of Left Lane. “Savannah’s rich cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, and vibrant arts community made it the perfect home to launch Recess, and we’re honored to build on the success we found with Bardo in a city that means so much to us.”—A.S.

6. Jakob Kudsk Steensen Conjures Up Berlin’s Lost Wetlands at MoMA

“There used to be a swamp here” feels like the least automatic of thoughts to have while wandering through quintessentially cosmopolitan Berlin, but it is the truth. The name “Berlin” roughly translates as “in a swamp” in the extinct Slavic language once spoken in the area. Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen re-envisions that lost environment via game engine technology, 3D scanning, and photogrammetry in “Berl-Berl,” which opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on October 12. Developed in collaboration with Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the musician Arca, the immersive digital installation uses sound, imagery, and giant screens to surround the viewer with a dreamlike ecosystem. On view through March 7. —Rena Gross

7. A Beloved Seoul Hotspot Brings Inventive Korean Cocktails to Genesis House

Genesis House, the Korean luxury automaker’s cultural flagship in New York’s Meatpacking District, is entering a new chapter with a revamped restaurant operated by Hand Hospitality and an exclusive cocktail program from Seoul’s acclaimed Bar Cham, marking its first restaurant partnership overseas. The refreshed menu celebrates Korean culinary traditions with seasonal interpretations of beloved dishes such as bulgogi, kimchi bindaetteok, and bibimbap. Drawing on relationships with Korean micro-distilleries, Bar Cham’s nine inventive cocktails showcase regional ingredients, fermentation techniques, and the country’s distinctive spirits. Highlights include Chungju Gimbap, a refreshing blend of soju and makgeolli with cucumber, wasabi shrub, lemon, and a touch of sesame oil, as well as Jeju, a Korean spin on the Negroni infused with roasted Solomon’s seal and dried mandarin peel. Guests can savor the creations at the main bar, in the dining room, on the terrace, or from tableside carts. The restaurant will welcome diners beginning on October 20, with period Bar Cham residencies to follow. —R.W.