MILIEU

Change. Some people love it, others prefer that it not happen. But as the expression goes, the one thing in life that always stays the same is change. Right now, at this time of year, the seasons are changing, and that is one of nature’s most wonderful events. Do I hear anyone disagreeing with that? In this issue, we celebrate good changes, ones that inspire all of us to make changes in our own lives. Every one of our “Well” stories involves a big shift. Seasoned interior designer Becca Casey continues to undertake the transformation of the rooms of her own home in Connecticut, while Serge Castella and Jason Flinn recently finished renovating an abandoned centuries-old house they came upon in a small Spanish village. Betsy Brown helped her client move from…

“As we worked on its restoration, the house informed us as to how to proceed.”—SERGE CASTELLA “Moving Into Town” p. 110 “It’s fun to have a client who makes you look at things in a different way.”—BETSY BROWN “A Lasting Legacy” p. 124 “The home’s layers have accumulated over time.”—ABBY YOZELL “Observing History” p. 134 “Refined, elegant, friendly, inviting — those qualities define my style.”—CAROLINE IRVIN DAVIS “Our House” p. 148 “I really wanted the home to feel like a warm hug.”—BECCA CASEY “In Progress” p. 158…

Andrew Trotter remembers his first building. Just as any of us recall the first experience of something new and joyous, so, too, does Trotter continue to cite with affection the first real building he designed as an architect. “In some ways, of course, I like all the hotels and houses I’ve designed, but Masseria Moroseta is very special to me,” he says, referring to the boutique hotel in Ostuni, Italy, that was completed in 2016. “It was my first project, and one that brought me many things. All my projects have come from that one project. And I’ve met many wonderful people as a result.” So iconic has the design of the hotel become in the Puglia region of southern Italy that it is as much a landmark in the dramatic landscape…

BEING HONEST Sophie Lombardi understands the demands and joys of motherhood, so much so that she decided to found her own company, Poppy and Honesty, in response to what being a mother meant and involved. While she was living in Perth, Australia, in 2012 she gave up her career as a teacher to others and instead taught herself how to create a business fashioning bedding, cushions, and lampshades. “I started this business from the kitchen table, sewing cushions and bedding around the demands of two small children,” she says. Having since relocated to Cornwall, England, in 2015, Poppy and Honesty now employs six equally talented seamstresses, many of them mothers with small children. The women, each of whom has specialized sewing skills, work both in their own homes and together in…