ELLE DECOR Winter 2023

Assembling our annual Escapes Issue is always an exercise in repressed envy. The villas and family compounds, the hotels and spas, the latest staggering high jewelry: Each of the design wonders in our Winter edition elicits no small amount of covetousness. But, look, let’s be real. Making it to the end of a tumultuous year like this one calls for gratitude, not jealousy. With that perspective, cozy season affords a chance to “escape” not just into luxurious environs—though if you’re hungry for a top-tier getaway, we have you covered—but also into new ideas of what our future world can be. For our Point of View column, writer Kristen Bateman checked in on design in the metaverse, including interiors and architecture. In this issue, we also explore the creativity coming out…

1 NEST OF THORNS BY JONATAN NILSSON In the spirit of Iris van Herpen’s otherworldly runway looks, this mirror combines materials from resin and metal to rubber and plastic. 2 CERRA BY BRADLEY L BOWERS Taking cues from the way flowers open and close beneath the sun’s rays, Cerra is made with a sugar cane–based filament. 3 GRADIENT BENCH Yes, you can put concrete into a 3D printer and achieve striking results. Here, the light-green palette gives the tough material a soft, inviting look. 4 GIRIH VASE BY WONMIN PARK Inspired by the star and flower motifs found at the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, Park’s 3D-printed works for Trame Paris present new possibilities for the ceramic medium. 5 PINE CUPS BY NATALIA TRIANTAFYLLI shiny purple plastic for an These homewares unite traditional porcelain with object that channels and…

ALESSANDRO MICHELE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT GUCCI, IS KNOWN FOR revisiting wardrobe staples with an eye for modernity, reinterpreting suiting, scarves, and the house’s signature loafers. So it’s no surprise that his latest high-jewelry collection, Hortus Deliciarum, shown this past summer in Rome, included pieces that recast the ancient art form of micromosaic in an entirely new context. The Vatican workshops recruited micromosaic artisans from Venice during the 18th century to save the deteriorating frescoes of St. Peter’s Basilica; they worked to reduce mosaic tiles into tiny pieces to cover the fading paintings. Those small tiles, or tesserae, were later deployed to create finely detailed portraits, jewelry, and furniture. The form’s popularity rose during the 19th century when it was used to depict the Eternal City’s ancient monuments, from the Pantheon to…

1. SUNSET BOULEVARDIER This is the company of Danielle Motor, a brilliant mixologist in Los Angeles. She’s the best in the world. sunsetboulevardier.com 2. VINTAGE TABLE LINENS I have big dinners for lots of guests, so I like the look of a long table set with vintage linens—a tablecloth, runner, and napkins. sundayshop.co 3. BATHS You can give me the smallest room in the hotel—it doesn’t have to be fancy, it really doesn’t. But what I want the most is a bathtub. 4. FRENCH BURGUNDIES It’s always nice when someone brings me a bottle of my favorite wine, French Burgundy. parcellewine.com 5. VEGAN BAGS I remember a time when you couldn’t go into a designer showroom and find a purse not made of leather. nanushka.com 6. NATURAL FRAGRANCES When I was 13, I would wear every chemical I could think of. Now I have to…

When the under-the-radar architecture firm Modellus Novus learned that they had won the commission to design Tatiana, the new restaurant at Lincoln Center, they’d be the first to admit they were surprised. The studio, known as MN, had made its reputation on designing such cool downtown Manhattan spots as Saga and Crown Shy. After a six-week proposal process, “we beat out all these heavy hitters for this commission,” says Preeti Sriratana, a principal at MN. Even better, they were selected by a pair of their idols: architects Billie Tsien and Tod Williams, who recently completed a transformative revamp of David Geffen Hall, the home of the New York Philharmonic. “MN makes spaces that are intimate and seductive,” Tsien says of the selection of the small studio to design the hall’s…

SHOP PARIS Originally opened in 1899, Cartier’s Paris boutique at 13 Rue de la Paix is where many of its most iconic jewelry lines—from the Trinity to the Panthère collections—were born. That kind of legacy demands a home worth its weight in, well, gold. The two-year renovation of the 32,000-square-foot flagship (its first refresh since 2004) was overseen by three Paris-based firms: Moinard Bétaille, StudioParisien, and Laura Gonzalez. In late October, the maison unveiled the very chic results—a show-piece for watches, fine and high jewelry, private appointment salons, and an archive, as well as a dedicated “residence” that captures the essence of Parisian life, Cartier-style. cartier.com —Sean Santiago SEE MIAMI To belong is one of life’s most fraught pursuits. It’s also the central theme of artist Didier William’s new retrospective, “Nou Kite Tout Sa Dèyè”…