Veranda November/December 2022

“My father taught me how to be a curious traveler, to see the world through the lens of history.”—MARY AARONS From magazine photographer Slim Aarons, whose aspirational photographs of high society on holiday served as inspiration for this issue, Mary Aarons learned the “fine art of seeing the world.” Over a lifetime of travel alongside her father, including summer stints working as his assistant, Mary recalls going on assignments and “stealing away for a morning so he could introduce me to museums and architecture and show me the things that inspired him. He was guided by the great masters in art, learning composition and color and mise-en-scène from [Pieter] Bruegel and others. He taught me to travel with an open eye, how to appreciate a new place by learning from the…

EARLIER THIS YEAR the design world lost one of its greats: Robert Kime, known for being the interior designer to King Charles III before his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died. Antiques dealer extraordinaire, global textile virtuoso, and brilliant collector are among other epithets that come to mind. But his most fundamental, if informal, designation—and the one Kime would have felt most comfortable accepting—was ardent devotee of beauty. It was his insatiable curiosity about history, archaeology, and material culture that propelled Kime to travel the world in search of design discoveries—from Iran, where he gained nearly unparalleled knowledge of antique rugs, to, more recently, Japan on a textile pilgrimage with friend and client Tory Burch. (The trip inspired Kime and Burch to collaborate on a fabric and wallpaper collection.) Whether for client…

A Lavish Capri Feast BOUNTIFUL CITRUS, LIVE BOUGAINVILLEA, AND SHADES OF THE TYRRHENIAN SEA IMMORTALIZE THIS CLIFFSIDE DINING SCENE, SHOT IN 1980. Verbier’s Winter Sun Soiree AARONS’S 1964 SKI LOUNGE IS ALPINE LEISURE WRIT LARGE, CALLING FOR FRENCH REDS AND BLUES AND PEAK-OF-CHIC VIEWS. Palm Springs Poolside Shindig THE DESERT SUN RISES ANEW ON THE 1970 KAUFMANN HOUSE GATHERING. THE GUESTS OF HONOR? HERMÈS’ RADIANT SOLEIL PLATES AND LAGUNA~B POP ART MURANO GLASSWARE SLIM AARONS PHOTOGRAPHS, GETTY IMAGES.…

STARRY PORPHYRY Aglow with sparkling constellations of crystals, the reddish-purple stone was a regal choice in imperial Rome. Though the mineral’s scarcity then and now makes it highly coveted—found primarily in antiques or as a recycled stone—exciting faux interpretations like artist Thomas Engelhart’s fantastical papier-peint in cheeky new hues renew its celestial reign. GOLDEN TIGEREYE Optical illusions abound in the chocolate-caramel stone so named for its chatoyant dance of light. A half century after its 1960s and ’70s heyday, the svelte gem reemerges in both imaginative homage and quotidian use: Gleaming Sherle Wagner International door hardware, for instance, revives an ancient tradition of dispatching favored stones as jewellike handles and knobs—a captivating finishing touch. MALACHITE ALMIGHTY Hollywood design visionary Tony Duquette proclaimed malachite his “fetish stone,” replicating its patterning on everything from carpets to curtains…

Empirical Elegance In a chromatic network of “ribbons,” the necklace’s emeralds, rubies, and sapphires nod to classical Empire-era stripes, says Victoire de Castellane, Dior Jewelry’s creative director. “Playing with undulations highlights the emerging patterns.” The Shape of Water “The deep blue of the sapphire reminds me of the sea,” says de Castellane of the necklace’s showstopping 14.66-carat center stone from Myanmar, designed to look “as if overflowing onto the diamonds.” In radiant contrast the gems of a check-patterned ring that drapes two fingers fall into symmetrical repeat with a central shimmering sapphire. A Couturier’s Garden In a subtle tribute to Christian Dior’s 1949 Miss Dior floral gown, the delicate, diamond-studded waves of necklace and bracelet appear to be embroidered with roses of rare rubies, pink sapphires, pink spinels, and yellow diamonds. Shimmering Appliqué “The necklace is imagined…

MESOPOTAMIAN PARADISE The fertile gardens of ancient Persia were seen as sacred links to the divine. On new linens and grass cloth, modern interpretations of the vibrant florals and vines edging these ethereal courtyards feel reminiscent of a stroll along the terrace of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. JAPANESE BAMBOO FOREST Contemplative Asian gardens conjure beauty through simplicity and symbolism. New, ornate botanicals, in lyrical scenes of hand-painted and screen-printed peonies and chrysanthemums, bring refined beauty to a place of repose. Sea-blue grounds represent the centrality of water in instilling tranquility while painterly shoots of evergreen bamboo convey longevity. MOROCCAN PALM OASIS Prolific green palmeraies—like the villa-studded grove outside Marrakech—are reimagined in sultry, nuanced blues. Watercolor Asplenium ferns, metallic gold leaflets, and saturated grounds shed emotive new light on the mesmerizing tropical giants.…