The Artful Life: 7 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. Tiffany’s Famed Blue Box Café Opens at South Coast Plaza

Breakfast at Tiffany’s now has a sunny new address in California. This week, Tiffany & Co. and Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud have unveiled the Blue Box Café by Daniel Boulud at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, bringing the jewelry house’s beloved New York dining experience to Southern California for the first time. 

Adjoining Tiffany’s striking new store, the South Coast Plaza restaurant translates the flagship’s signature whimsy and charm at the Landmark on Fifth Avenue in New York City through a distinctly Californian lens. The light-filled space, swathed in a sea of Tiffany’s signature robin’s-egg blue, is open for all-day dining, including breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea.

Alongside whimsical, nostalgic offerings like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, Boulud’s thoughtful menu leans heavily on California’s vibrant, fresh produce. Local ingredients are celebrated on every plate—from morning pastries baked with organic Petaluma flour and San Joaquin Valley apricots to dishes highlighting Corona del Mar produce. These farm-fresh elements are found alongside Boulud’s signature French classics, such as Spaghettini au Caviar, Saumon aux Épices, and a decadent Soufflé Glacé aux Framboises.—Lucy Rees

2. “A King’s Carpet: Louis XIV and the Savonnerie” Opens at the Met

Back in 1668, Louis XIV and his minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert reached the conclusion that no ordinary collection of rugs would do to cover the roughly 500 yards of the floor of the Grande Galerie at the Louvre. 92 carpets were commissioned from the Savonnerie, the royal workshop in Paris. Four of those carpets went on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday, accompanied by fragments loaned from institutions and private collections around the world.

Monumental court painter Charles Le Brun oversaw the design, which necessitated the creation of supersize looms from timber that would have normally been used to build ships. The implication was in part to assure that those walking the splendid hall would be as impressed by looking down as by looking up and around. Le Brun’s exuberant Baroque motifs combined landscapes, classical allegories, floral ornament, and royal imagery such as fleurs-de-lis and intertwined Ls. The carpets were never installed in the Grande Galerie because Louis lost interest in optimizing the Louvre as a royal palace and focused his prodigious energies on building Versailles instead. “A King’s Carpet,” on the other hand, will be open at the Met until March 5, 2028. —Rena Gross

3. A Berlin Exhibition Reimagines Earth Through an Astronaut’s Eyes

When astronauts gaze back at Earth from space, they often experience “the overview effect,” a profound cognitive shift as manmade borders disappear and the planet’s astounding beauty and fragility comes into view. Anava Projects cofounder Anna Carnick channels that phenomenon into a group exhibition presented by Bocci and Wilhelm Hallen during HALLEN 07 at Berlin Art Week. Inside the Foundry, a cavernous 18,000-square-foot space within a former iron casting factory, works in wide-ranging materials such as glass and silk to microalgae examine humanity’s connection to nature and our shared planetary future. Tara Sakhi worked with Venetian glassmakers on three relics whose surfaces evoke Earth’s atmospheric layers; Fernando Laposse showcases tables and wall panels fashioned with totomoxtle, an innovative material created from the vibrant husks of heirloom corn varieties native to Mexico. Exhibition designer Chris Leeuw, meanwhile, swathed the space in soft, translucent fabric, carving interconnected pathways that dissolve boundaries between works. Together, they return to the central question posed by Carnick: “What will we do with our brief time together in this incredible place?” The exhibition will be on view through September 13. —Ryan Waddoups

4. Lee Jofa & Carrier and Company Bring New York City Glamour to New Textile Collection

Marking the second collaboration between two great design talents, fabric company Lee Jofa alongside design duo Carrier and Company have unveiled their new textiles collection, Gracie Gardens. Featuring an array of pillows, napkins, tablecloths, and more, the latest collection boasts an impressive nine different pattern offerings all inspired by the feel of Manhattan during the Art Deco era. Whether it’s the eponymous Gracie Gardens pattern featuring Japanese-inspired florals; linen-blend Trellis Weave, where its geometric and diamond shapes highlight Art Deco architecture; or Claudie Ikat, warp-dyed fabric inspired by the Impressionist movement, the wide variety of fabrics, colorways, and more will fit any personal taste. — Shelby Black

5. Chanel Brings Paris to the Meatpacking District During NYFW

Chanel isn’t about to let the American designers have all the fun at this year’s New York Fashion Week. The maison is bringing a slice of Paris to the Meatpacking District from September 11 through 13 and 18 through 20 with a charming café-inspired setting, where visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Coco Mademoiselle through a wide range of hair and body products as well as makeup. The charming installation is also timed to the launch of the new fragrance, Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu. The new eau de parfum is feminine, with fruity, floral, and amber notes giving it a captivating confidence, which is embodied by buzzy singer Gracie Abrams, who stars as the face of its debut. Appointments are recommended.—Jacqueline Terrebonne

6. Moto Guzzi Presents a Reimagined Headquarters and Museum in Lake Como

Europe’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer is melding its past with its future in an inspired new headquarters and museum set in Lake Como. In a renovation led by American architect Greg Lynn, the legendary Moto Guzzi brand has created a cultural hub where motorcycle enthusiasts can experience its iconic history with archival exhibitions, see pristine manufacturing up close, and get excited about what’s on the horizon all in one place. Set within the historic Moto Guzzi factory, the new multi-purpose space draws on the technical and metallic language of the brand’s iconic motorcycles. Natural light and the historic location of the headquarters also play a major role, with a central piazza now the focal point of the complex, connecting visitors to the full experience.—Alexandria Sillo

7. An Iconic Poltrona Frau Armchair Gets a Futurist Makeover

Forty years ago, Poltrona Frau launched In Motion, translating its leatherworking heritage into automotive, aviation, rail and marine interiors through bespoke upholstery, material research, and engineering. To mark the division’s anniversary, the Italian brand has transformed its iconic Vanity Fair XC armchair into a limited edition of 40 numbered pieces. Its inspiration comes from Dinamismo assoluto della mano sinistra (“Absolute Dynamism of the Left Hand”), a 1922 painting by the late Ivo Pannaggi, a leading figure of Second Futurism who explored movement through emphatic force-lines. Poltrona Frau digitally printed Pannaggi’s work across Pelle Frau ColorSphere Impact Less Leather, a chrome-free leather developed to reduce chemical use, water consumption, and carbon emissions during tanning. The artwork’s angular geometry pulsates across the generously proportioned chair in luminous gold, amber, burnt orange, and tobacco shades. —R.W.