Palm Beach Illustrated October 2022

Anyone who’s moved out of a larger house after a decade-plus of raising children and accommodating extended family can attest to the enormity of the task. We had that privilege this past summer. I say “privilege” because it can really teach you something. We thought we were organized, but behind every door and cabinet lurked a monster pile of stuff that we didn’t even know we had, let alone need. It’s amazing how much we amass in the process of living life, and how little of it actually serves us. Donating carload after carload to charity and giving outgrown items to friends with kids, and feeling freer for it, was a lesson in keeping your eye on the things that matter: not stuff, but experiences and passions. Home is the…

FRIENDS OF JAMES BEARD WHO: Discover The Palm Beaches and PGA National Resort WHAT: Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner to kick off The Palm Beaches Restaurant Month WHERE: PGA National Resort, Palm Beach Gardens HIGH-LIGHTS: Guests indulged in a Palm Beaches–inspired menu crafted by James Beard Award semifinalists and local celebrity chefs Lindsay Autry and Jeremy Ford. YOUNG FRIENDS UNITE WHO: Young Friends of Palm Beach Symphony and Young Friends of the Norton Museum of Art WHAT: Season Finale mixer WHERE: Great Hall, Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach HIGHLIGHTS: Young supporters of the local arts organizations mingled, sipped cocktails, and enjoyed an intimate recital. RAISE THE BAR WHO: Junior League of Boca Raton WHAT: Raise the Bar annual fundraiser WHERE: Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar, Boca Raton HIGHLIGHTS: Local celebrity bartenders and…

SPOTLIGHT Hope SPRINGS ETERNAL To speak a heartfelt sentiment tangibly, say it with flowers. Their life span is short, but North Palm Beach resident Stephanie Summers found a way to imbue the transitory nature of flowers with a beautiful permanence. “I began painting birth flowers when my husband and I lost our first pregnancy and I wanted a tangible piece of art to honor the significance of that sweet life,” Summers says. “I never promoted these birth flower paintings as a sign of remembrance, but I have been part of many families’ stories as they share why they want specific flowers hanging in their homes.” Her birth flower paintings can represent anything from loss to anniversaries, and she creates “birth flower bouquets” to bring together various moments into a meaningful art piece. The birth…

Few people defined Palm Beach interiors quite like the late Carleton Varney. The legendary local colorman served as president of Dorothy Draper & Company and designed A-list homes and several of our area’s most famous hotels including The Colony, The Breakers, and The Brazilian Court. Varney passed away in July, just a month after the release of the deluxe edition of his 1988 book The Draper Touch: The High Life and High Style of Dorothy Draper. Below, we list five of our fave design signatures for which Mr. Color will be cheerfully remembered. (carletonvarney.com) –S.S. 1. Vibrant colors and bold combinations and contrasts 2. Mixing prints, vertical stripes, and patterns (especially supersaturated, over-scaled flower patterns on fabrics and custom carpets with distinct high-impact patterns) 3. Blending styles and periods 4. Aqua paint on ceilings…

Nyasha and Ike Chimbandi are putting their real estate know-how to work helping unhoused people in Palm Beach County—and it all started with an empty rental unit and a chance encounter with a man in need whom they housed for free. “We were like: ‘You know what? Go ahead and use our place,’” Ike recalls. “In the meantime, we contacted [Palm Beach County] and got him services. He stayed there for three weeks.” “That’s when we realized there was a need in the county for affordable housing,” Nyasha adds. The couple founded their nonprofit, We Second Chance, five years ago to purchase, manage, and provide safe and affordable housing to people in need. Now, through a partnership with The Lord’s Place, they’ve helped dozens of local families find housing. Deirdre is one of the…

Top SLEEP FOODS » Magnesium-Rich Foods • Spinach• Pumpkin seeds• Avocado• Quinoa » Vitamin D–Rich Foods • Salmon• Mushrooms• Eggs• Also, sunshine! » Tryptophan-Rich Foods • Salmon• Eggs• Nuts and seeds » Omega-3-Rich Foods • Salmon• Avocado• Nuts and seeds• Olive oil What is Melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone that the brain’s pineal gland produces in response to darkness. Maybe you’ve heard of the importance of seeing the sun first thing in the morning and avoiding screens in the bedroom to help set your circadian rhythm (the internal clock that controls the sleep-wake cycle). When we have trouble sleeping, we often chalk it up to too much stress, too many intrusive thoughts, too much blue light, or an overall feeling of restlessness. When that sleep-wake cycle feels off and sleep is hard to come by, many of us are quick…