Written by Jeanine Matlow

It all began with a quest for more land. As Carolyn Duryea Smith, founder and partner of Hourglass Wine Company, in St. Helena, California, explains, “The wine we created from the original four-acre Hourglass Vineyard, which my husband’s family purchased in 1976, became very successful, but it limited us in how much wine we could make.” So, she and her husband, Jeff, searched for another vineyard where they could develop a second estate wine.
Their search led to a beautiful forty-one-acre piece of property now known as the Blueline Vineyard. The 1850s farmhouse on the property, however, left much to be desired. “It was very dark, with heavy window treatments and no real continuity between the rooms,” she explains. “The kitchen had been taken over by field mice, and the gardens were a bit overgrown. What it needed was a fresh start. We wanted to open it up to celebrate the amazing vineyard setting.”

The direction of the renovation was clear from the start. “We have great reverence for Napa Valley’s history, so tearing it down was not an option,” Smith says of the approximately 1,400-square-foot structure that now serves as a private guesthouse. “From that point, the guiding vision was to simplify and refresh.”

Because the guesthouse is part of the vineyard and winery, Smith says the aesthetic is driven largely by the forty-one acres that make up Hourglass and the style of wine they make. “Our plan was really a process of reduction more than anything,” she says. “The bones were there; they just needed to be uncovered. We removed much of the adornment that had been added over the years, creating a simpler, cleaner look.”

They removed an exterior wall in the newly renovated kitchen and replaced it with French doors that lead to an outdoor living and eating area. “We did this to encourage that wonderful California indoor-outdoor lifestyle,” Smith says. “But when it came to the original fireplace—the centerpiece of the living room—we simply reconditioned it [by painting the mantel white]. Beyond that, most of the changes were quite modest.”

A natural green paint was chosen for the façade to connect the structure to the gardens and the vineyard setting. “The indoor-outdoor nature of the house and garden is the soul of the property,” Smith says. “The changes we made make it a wonderful place to entertain on those long Napa Valley summer nights. Open the doors and windows, get the Green Egg barbecue fired up, and pour a glass of wine. Or two.”

Smith relied on her keen sense of style to make the place shine. “My mother was an interior designer, so I suppose I couldn’t help but be influenced by my surroundings growing up,” she says. “I then studied art history—a great way to train one’s eye—and I am constantly perusing magazines, art and design books, and rock-and-roll album covers. And, of course, the natural beauty surrounding us here in Napa Valley is always an inspiration.”

White is the driving force throughout the house. “The white painted floors provide a serene, airy feel that encourages the soul to relax, while the white environment offers a blank canvas that allows small elements of color to take on a sense of drama,” Smith says. She added a lively dose of colors and textures to pop against the white. “I love that juxtaposition. To me, contrast—and it can be very subtle—is what makes design interesting.”

She also prefers a laid-back lifestyle. “I love floor pillows and the casualness of stripes and wicker, but with a Big Sur in the ’70s twist,” Smith says. “This is the embodiment of California summers to me—laying on the floor, lounging, bare feet—a place where you can leave a wet towel and it’s not a heinous crime.”

Though the guest house is not open to the public, it serves as a place to entertain their distributors and host charity events. Almost everything inside was either a found item, such as the dining room table, which they discovered rotting on the property; given to them; or from a flea market or IKEA. “I’m a firm believer that a huge budget not only doesn’t equal great design, but it often stifles it because you don’t have to dig deeper,” Smith says. “Then again, it might be fun to test that theory!”

Written by Blake Miller
Photography by Douglas Hill

When architect Lewin Wertheimer began building the East Coast–inspired, shingle-style property in Malibu that he’d spent a couple of years designing for a client, he never anticipated what would happen next. “We went through the entire design phase and actually started construction on the property,” says Wertheimer, “and then the couple decided to stop construction and put the property and partially finished house up for sale.”

Wertheimer, the principal architect of his eponymous firm, based in Venice, California, wasn’t willing to continue working with just any new buyer because, with only partial completion of the home, there were so many potential complications. It would take a special buyer to see the vision he and his team had for the home and one who would be comfortable continuing with the construction as is. “I was very worried,” Wertheimer says. “I spent years designing this and getting the approvals and then here comes a new owner who might want to change everything.”

Clockwise from ABOVE: Susie sourced more than one hundred light fixtures for the home. She happened upon the kitchen’s chandeliers—antique bell jars—at Rosemarie McCaffrey Antiques. She kept with the whitewashed look in the master bedroom, where the sitting area boasts an ocean view. The bathroom was also designed to take advantage of the ocean landscape.

As luck would have it, the Peddicord family was looking for a new home to accommodate their three teenage daughters and their love for horses. After seeing the six-acre property while visiting a neighbor next door, Robert and Susie Peddicord were smitten. “This particular neighborhood in Malibu has a neighborhood feel and yet has enough acreage to feel like a ranch, which is what we were looking for,” says Susie. After the couple met with Wertheimer, the three knew it would be the perfect collaboration. Susie, an interior designer, read the plans and was able grasp the scale and style Wertheimer was working toward with the home. “The floor plan was set in stone and was so perfect,” says Susie of the family-friendly layout. “That was one indication that the house and plan would be the perfect house for our family to live in.”

A few tweaks were made to the existing plans—cabinetry style and window positioning, for example—but, overall, Wertheimer’s original footprint and architecture remained the same. “I tried to come up with a refined but still comfortable Gambrel-style shingle-style home,” says Wertheimer. “I always wanted to play against the size of the house, its grandness, but also scale it down so it had more personal, intimate proportions to it.” The first floor is H-shaped; the hallway leading from the front entrance to the living quarters in the back of the house serves as the middle of the H. The goal was to take advantage of the 180-degree views of the ocean, while also creating a seamless flow from room to room. “It’s a heart home,” says Wertheimer, “where every room connects like the arteries of a heart.”

The finishing of the home was especially important to both Wertheimer and Susie. Because the 10,000-square-foot home had the potential to feel overwhelming and grandiose in scale, which the Peddicords wanted to avoid, Wertheimer focused on the details, such as keeping the ceilings no higher than ten feet and no lower than eight. Architecturally, Wertheimer also developed three levels of detail, the highest level occurring in the main core of the home—the dining room, living room, library, and master suite—where the baseboards, crown molding, and cabinetry details are slightly more refined. The second tier was relegated to the remaining quarters of the home—the family room, bedrooms, kitchen, and so on—and a final, less-detailed series for the laundry and mudroom areas.

“I think it’s very subtle and subliminal,” says Wertheimer of the levels of detail in the finishing throughout the home. “In a house this size, if you carry the same detailing throughout, it diminishes the importance of those spaces. I think really beautiful, thoughtful homes are thoughtful in terms of the detailing and the rooms they relate to.”

Susie then layered her own design aesthetic with simple and comfortable yet elegant finishes, such as the Carrara marble counters and custom-designed cabinetry by Wertheimer in the kitchen. She selected slightly distressed walnut flooring and rich antique linens in creams, beiges, and off-whites mixed with natural dyed fabrics. “The choice in design became more about creating textures and warmth in fabric yet lending it to the colors of nature outside,” says Susie. “It’s all very natural.”

She spent eighteen months searching for the perfect light fixtures for every room in the home. “It was probably my most favorite project,” Susie says. More than one hundred chandeliers, sconces, and other lighting sources can be found throughout the house, each complementary to Wertheimer’s detail work. The few window coverings throughout the home allow the Peddicords to take advantage of the ocean views and the privacy the property affords.
The look and feel of the home is unlike many of the more contemporary and Mediterranean-inspired homes Wertheimer and other architects so often design in Malibu. “There’s not much like this home out here,” says Wertheimer. “It was nice to depart from the Mediterranean look with this house.”

For the family of five, the home has been a relaxing haven. “It’s such a beautiful property and home,” says Susie. “It was great for me to have something to work with that I already loved and to put things into it that I loved. It was an excellent project and experience.”

Clockwise from left: The sunroom, with its antique pieces covered in vintage linen, is one of Susie’s favorite rooms in the home. “It has a view of Little Dune in Malibu, lots of light, and I go there to read, talk on the phone, or take naps,” she says. The dining room boasts a seamless flow to the outdoor living area; the table and chairs are eighteenth-century Swedish pieces, while the chandelier is Belgian crystal. Architect Lewin Wertheimer enjoyed designing the Gambrel-style home because it was a significant departure from the style of homes—often Mediterranean—one often finds in Malibu.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt enough butter to coat the skillet. Working in batches, spoon ¼ cup of the batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes until the edges begin to brown and air bubbles form on the surface, about 1 minute. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden, about 45 seconds longer. Serve immediately.

Raspberry Sauce
Doctoring frozen raspberries with a shower of sugar and a hint of lemon zest creates an easy “homemade” berry sauce.

Makes 1¼ cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus additional sugar as needed
zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

In a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries soften and the liquid starts to bubble, about 10 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Taste the sauce and add additional sugar to taste, if needed. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and serve warm.

Peach-Rosemary Bellini
Rosemary-infused simple syrup lends this traditional brunch cocktail a delicate herbal finish. The recipe makes slightly more puree than you’ll need for 4 cocktails. Reserve any remaining puree for guests who desire a refill.

Makes 4 cocktails
Prep time: 5 minutes

6 ounces (¾ cup) frozen peaches, thawed
3 tablespoons rosemary-infused simple syrup (see note)
1 bottle (750 mL) chilled sparkling wine

In a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, blend the peaches with the rosemary-infused simple syrup until well combined.

Set up 4 champagne flutes and spoon approximately 1½ tablespoons of the peach puree into the base of each glass. (Reserve any remaining puree for second servings). Add the sparkling wine to fill each flute and serve immediately.

Note: To make rosemary-infused simple syrup, warm 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add 2 rosemary sprigs, cover, and let steep until cool. Discard the rosemary sprigs and strain the syrup into an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
The popular combination of lemon and poppy seeds moves beyond the muffin in fluffy pancakes brightened by lemon zest and lemon extract. Look for lemon extract in the baking aisle of the grocery store.

Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup reduced-fat milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional butter
for coating the skillet
zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon lemon extract

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt together.

In a small bowl, whisk the milk, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the buttertogether. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix in the lemon zest and lemon extract until just combined.

Baked Eggs
A baked egg appetizer from Portland’s Lincoln restaurant inspired this savory brunch accompaniment. Though this recipe serves 4, you can easily halve it to feed 2 or double it to feed a crowd. Pair the eggs with batons of soft country bread for dipping.

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes

4 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Gently crack 2 eggs into each of 2 gratin dishes to avoid breaking the yolks.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the cream over the eggs in each dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan over the eggs in each dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake until the whites of the eggs are set but the yolks are still runny, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the oven and garnish with the parsley, breadcrumbs, and chives. Serve immediately.

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Angela and Todd Newnam became engaged, they had been living in separate condos in South End, formerly an old textile mill area and then an up-and-coming neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. With a wedding just around the corner, the couple began looking at homes in Myers Park and Dilworth, two of the city’s most popular and well-known neighborhoods. But something was missing. While the homes they viewed were impressive, none were large enough to accommodate the large family the Newnams dreamed they’d one day have. “We really wanted a larger space,” says Angela. “We didn’t want to have to move twice.”
So the couple began looking elsewhere for their forever home. When they came across the 1920s Tudor-style house tucked away in Country Club Acre—the private, wooded area surrounding Charlotte Country Club—they were enamored. Having grown up in a cozy Tudor-style home in Tryon, North Carolina, Angela was drawn to the 4,000-square-foot stunner, and the couple saw the potential to transform the home into the eighteenth-century English manor Angela had always dreamed of. After little deliberation, the Newnams purchased the home, knowing that renovations would be delayed until after they lived in the home for several years. “It was easier to see what we wanted to change after being in the home for a while,” says Angela.
Nine years and three children later, the Newnams were finally ready to tackle some of the longstanding cosmetic issues of the home: an incongruous 1980s addition; a small, dark kitchen; dated Berber carpeting; parquet flooring; and mirror-covered walls. The largest issue to tackle, though, was how the home was situated on the property. “I’d had the idea to flip the home around,” says Angela. “We just wanted to use the space we had differently.” The couple enlisted the help of Charlotte-based architect Ken Pursley to help bring their dreams to fruition.
Knowing exactly what she wanted, Angela sketched out an addition on one side of the home and transformed the existing footprint into an L shape. “We wanted another kids’ bedroom, a study, a larger dining room, and another bath or two upstairs,” she says. “But Ken really took it to another level. He came up with even better placements. I had the initial view, but he came up with a better view.” The crafting and construction fell to builder Ben Collins of the Salins Group.
After reworking the home’s floor plan (which resulted in an additional 1,000 square feet), the first order of business was to address the outside of the home. What was once the backyard pool would now serve as the front entrance to the home, with a 2,400-square-foot courtyard and an English rose garden. The new front door was set in a small turret that housed a spiral staircase in the original 1920s structure. The roses became a hobby for Angela, who admits that at first the garden had only fifteen to twenty rosebushes; today, it boasts fifty to sixty bushes. The former front entrance became a fenced-in backyard for the Newnam children to play in.

Next, Pursley addressed the outdated kitchen. Dark and cramped, the space needed a full makeover, including windows and new cabinetry for added storage. A farmhouse-style sink, a gourmet Wolf range, and gorgeous white limestone counters complement the large, expansive windows, which Angela and Collins buffed to give an irregular, bleached look. To maximize the space, Pursley suggested recessing the cabinets—now covered in clay-covered leather Angela found at a fabric closeout sale and studded with decorative metal grommets—into the walls for nearly invisible storage. A large butcher block serves as the centerpiece to the kitchen, while hundred-year-old timbers were added to the ceiling to further the Tudor-style look.
Because the Newnams are avid entertainers, Pursley also wanted to create a flow to the home to allow the family to entertain inside and out. The result is four outdoor living spaces, which flow seamlessly from the large dining room and living room by way of French doors. “It’s such a great entertaining house,” says Angela.
Both the living and dining rooms were important aspects of the renovation as well; the Newnams wanted the spaces to be larger and more impressive, so Pursley heightened the ceilings (from seven and a half feet to ten feet) and added antique English wood paneling and bluestone flooring for a rustic elegance. Pursley and Collins updated the home’s overall look by hand-plastering the walls and updating the slate roof and stuccoed façade.
Over the years, the Newnams have collected various pieces that complement the Tudor style. Significant pieces, such as an antique console cabinet, which Angela found at a flea market in Charlottesville, Virginia, and an 1810 American sideboard purchased in Baltimore, finish off the Tudor look, which the Newnams wanted to create with the renovation. Stunning Turkish Oushak rugs purchased at Nila’s Antique Rugs, in Charlotte, are spread throughout the home, offering an early–nineteenth-century feel to the home.

Though their labor of love has taken two decades of hard work and determination, it was their daughter’s request to hold her wedding reception in the garden that pushed Joan and Gary to the finish line. Trees that had seen better days were taken away because they were more than one hundred feet tall and were blocking the light. “It was quite a shock when they came down,” says Joan. “The backyard looked like a moonscape.”
The land already had numerous Douglas fir, which they left standing at the back of the property “for those pesky deer,” Joan says. “But now there is a fence so they have their area and we have ours.” The two native dogwood trees needed to stay, while a few Japanese maples and Mt. Fuji cherry trees were added to the mix. Other plantings include rhododendrons, azaleas, and boxwood, as well as mosses and ferns.
Japanese gardens are not intended to happen overnight. “You have to find all of the objects,” Joan says. “You can’t just bring in a landscaper who buys a few plants and plunks them down.” The unique features must be sought out and they need the look of age and patina. Many of the materials were recycled, like the sandstone, granite, and shingles.
Joan credits her husband with his knack for finding things and his ability to do heavy lifting. She took on the design aspect, and they did most of the work themselves. A friend built the teahouse and helped with the pavilion, while her husband built the fencing and gates. The bridge and sandstone patio were built for them. “For years we hauled in rock, soil, gravel, and plants,” Joan says. “Things kind of came out of necessity as we went along.”
They particularly enjoy the azumaya, or sitting teahouse, by the pond. “I like to sit there and have a cup of tea,” Joan says. Even when they had 125 people for their daughter’s wedding reception, the garden didn’t seem full, she says. The same can be said for the garden tours they’ve participated in that bring as many as 1,200 visitors in two days.
“Some people expect very manicured gardens. This is a little relaxed and somewhere in the middle,” Joan says. “It’s all about line and form as opposed to flowering plants.” Larger plant materials work best in this type of environment. As for the palette, it’s mostly varying shades of green because Joan finds too much color to be a bit “noisy,” she says. “It loses the peace and tranquility.”
There is some required maintenance in the fall and spring but not as much in the summer. “It’s mainly pruning,” Joan says. When they entertain in the evening, the trees come to life with white paper lanterns that provide added light. Decorative objects, such as Japanese-style lanterns, lend visual interest. A water feature, called a tsukubai, consists of a bowl with a bamboo pipe.
The greenhouse-turned-pavilion became a bar area for the wedding reception. The deck is used for entertaining, while the patio areas provide extra space. A bridge and a dry stream were included along with a variety of benches that are strategically placed throughout the garden.
All their efforts paid off in the end. “If we had done it in a rush, we would have settled for a second-best tree and a second-best rock. We got to seek out exactly what we were looking for,” says Joan, who believes the twenty-year project taught them patience. “It wouldn’t be our garden if we had other people doing everything. It’s very personal to us.”

When to Plant
If your winter temperatures stay above 10 degrees Fahrenheit, you can plant your roses when it is cool outside and they are dormant. But if you live where the thermometer plunges below zero, wait until the ground is thawed and warm in the early spring and there is no chance of frost.

Where to Plant
The best location is one that receives filtered morning sunlight. The early light is gentler and allows the dew to burn off early in the day, which prevents leaf mold and other diseases. Give your plants lots of space to flourish—3 feet apart will give you the best results. Climbers require at least 6 feet of space to keep the roses from overtaking one another.

Soil and Fertilizers
If you grow grass, annuals, or perennials, you already have the mineral-rich soil that you need. Surprisingly, if you have rocky soil, your roses will be happy—the rocks give excellent drainage. Be sure to add compost or peat moss to the hole when planting. If you are creating a garden dedicated to roses, spread your fertilizer at the rate of 4 pounds per 100 square feet. Then check with your local nursery for good recommendations on the fertilizers you’ll need throughout the year to increase the nitrogen, sodium, and potash levels in your soil. You’ll want to fertilize twice during the growing season: once in the spring after the first growth and again in mid-summer. Never fertilize in the fall, as plants are preparing to go dormant.

Successful Planting
Rose roots don’t like to be cramped, so dig your hole so the roots can stretch to their full length. If they are bare root plants, soak them in lukewarm water overnight to fully hydrate before planting. Trim away any broken or damaged roots and spread the roots in the hole. If you live in a four-season climate, bury the graft knob of the plant 1 inch below the ground, or in a warmer climate, plant the graft knob 1 inch above ground. Tamp down the soil all around the roots. Water well and allow the water to soak into the tamped soil. Add more soil to cover the roots even with the ground. Leaving a half inch of stem above any bud formation and using an angled cut, prune the rose branches back to 6 inches. Use a sterile and very sharp pruning shear, and dip it in bleach water between cuts. Treat the ends of the cuts with wound compound to aid in healing. If you do plant in the fall, pile straw around the roots, to 1 foot in depth. In the spring, remove the straw after all danger of frost has passed.

When, How, and Where to Cut
Never prune your roses in the winter. Instead, wait until spring when you see signs of new growth, and prune back all the dead branches. Cut out the stragglers that grow very long, deadhead any spent flowers during the growing season, and always cut roses in the early morning when moisture level and sugar content are the highest. Cut 1 inch above a five-leafed cluster at an outward-facing angle to encourage strong and repeated blooms.
Growing roses can be a gratifying experience. Relax and enjoy the gorgeous flowers that spring forth from your efforts, and remember to stop and smell the roses.

For the Foodie
It’s no secret that of all the Southeastern cities, Charleston is one of the most well known for its culinary efforts. During your visit, take full advantage of some of the top restaurants in town per dining magazines such as Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. A brunch staple, Poogan’s Porch boasts delicious pecan pancakes and fried green tomato eggs Benedict (a Poogan’s specialty) with applewood-smoked bacon. For lunch, a must is Blossom, whose contemporary fare features an array of locally caught seafood as well as house-made chorizo served with local creek shrimp and stone-ground grits in a tasso gravy.
For dinner consider Blossom’s sister spot, Magnolias, which serves upscale Southern cuisine (we loved the Down South Egg Roll, stuffed with collard greens, chicken, and tasso and served with red pepper purée, spicy mustard sauce, and peach chutney). Want something more upscale? Try McCrady’s, arguably one of the best restaurants in Charleston (Executive Chef Sean Brock recently won a James Beard award).
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle, drive a short distance to Firefly Distillery, the impetus for the sweet-tea vodka craze that’s swept the nation the past two years. A few miles away is the Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea plantation in the United States, another must-see in the area.

For the History Buff
Like its culinary scene, Charleston is rife with history, from churches, Revolutionary War forts, and former homes of heads of state to battlefields, museums, and eighteenth-century cotton and tobacco plantations. Spend the day walking the city’s Museum Mile—a one-mile section of Meeting Street, which is home to six museums, four scenic parks, a Revolutionary War powder magazine, as well as historic houses of worship and public buildings including the Market and City Hall.
Stop at The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. Completed in 1771 as the Royal Exchange and Custom House, the building has been the centerpiece of such historic happenings as when South Carolina elected its delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and as a prison for American Patriots during the Revolutionary War.
To get a true feel for how Americans lived in the early nineteenth century, tour two historic homes: the Edmondston-Alston House and the Aiken-Rhett House. The former is set on Charleston’s High Battery and offers a glimpse of early-nineteenth-century elegance. The large Aiken-Rhett House (circa 1818) is the city’s most intact antebellum urban villa, and virtually the entire home has been unaltered since 1858 due to a conservation approach.

For the Shopper
Charleston is a mecca for designer goods and quaint storefronts. At Charleston Place Hotel, find everything from Louis Vuitton and Gucci to Papyrus and Lacoste. But King Street is where the bulk of the fantastic shopping can be found.
Stop in some of the shops unique to Charleston, like Worthwhile. This laidback storefront with hardwood floors and a neutral aesthetic has everything from women’s and baby clothing to cool home accessories like a stack of botanical prints from Sweden.

A few blocks away is M. Dumas & Sons, where you’ll find Vineyard Vines and the store’s own line of apparel. Copper Penny offers accessories like Michael Kors riding boots, and be sure to peruse the piles of Three Dots tees at The Finicky Filly.
After hitting King Street, head back to Market Hall, where vendors set up booths every Saturday and Sunday. One of many great finds: Charleston Market Tin Works, which scours the United States for tin ceiling tiles from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century buildings such as hotels or banks about to be torn down.

To Stay
While Charleston offers dozens of intimate and welcoming bed-and-breakfasts, we suggest the Charleston Place Hotel. The hotel’s central location at Meeting and Market streets allows you to walk everywhere without ever having to hop in a cab. Consider the club level, perfect for couples or families, as it provides a full continental breakfast, afternoon tea with small sandwiches and dips, and a cocktail hour with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, cheese plates, and a full open bar. Between 8 and 10 PM, club-level guests are treated to a full dessert tray of cheesecakes and chocolate cakes, among other goodies. The comfort and seclusion of the club level provides an intimate getaway from the bustling streets below.

Here are some of Barash’s favorite edible blooms:

Nasturtiums: Pop the entire flower into your mouth. You’ll first get a sweet essence from the nectar followed by a bold, peppery tang. Add nasturtium flowers to good white wine vinegar. Let the mixture sit in the dark (light will fade the color) for several weeks. Strain the flowers out, pour the vinegar into a clean glass bottle, and use it to make a flavorful salad dressing. You can also make a unique martini by steeping nasturtiums in vodka.
Dandelions are generally thought of as weeds, but the flowers are edible when young. There are varieties that have been bred for their size and leaves, which will make a lovely addition to the spring garden. Native Americans dipped the entire young flower in egg, then cornmeal, and fried it, which turns the slightly bitter flower into the flavor of a mushroom.
The yellow or orange petals of daisy-like calendulas can be used like saffron, but you need to chop and cook them with oil to bring out the color and flavor. Sauté some chopped onion in a bit of olive oil, add chopped calendula petals, rice, and boiling water or broth. The result is a beautiful side dish that looks like (and could be made into) Spanish paella. Sprinkle calendula petals on the cream cheese icing of carrot cake for added pizzazz.
Squash blossoms have a mild vegetable flavor similar to zucchini or yellow squash. Traditional in Mediterranean cuisine, all squash flowers are edible. Stuff with flavored breadcrumbs or ricotta cheese and sauté them for a lovely first course. “Zucchini seem to grow from small tasty fruits to baseball bats overnight—you can never keep up with them,” says Barash. “Eating the flowers is sort of like birth control for the plants; the more flowers you eat, the less zucchini you have to deal with!”
‘Lemon Gem’ and ‘Tangerine Gem’ marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia), with their fernlike foliage, are the only edible marigolds, with a citrusy-tarragon flavor. When you pull the petals from the flower, break off the right-angled portion; it is bitter. Marigolds add spice to something as common as deviled eggs.
Most herb flowers are safe to eat; their flavor is milder and sweeter than the leaves. Try growing dill, fennel, arugula, basil, chives, cilantro, garlic chives, and mustard.
“When harvesting and storing edible flowers, remember to pick them like fruit: in their prime, in the cool morning hours,” the author says. Cut with stems in place and keep them in water or wrapped in damp paper towels in the refrigerator until it’s time to create your culinary masterpiece.

The home’s classic, clean-lined design is typical of Yabu and Pushelberg’s style and exemplary of the work they do through their internationally renowned interior design firm, Yabu Pushelberg. The partners founded the firm in 1980 and now have offices in New York City, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. Each of their projects—whether a specialized retail space, a hotel, a restaurant, or their own home—showcases their talents for experimenting with new materials to create original interiors that defy design type and transcend trendiness.
When working on a personal project like this three-story Canada residence, the duo brings the same design sensibilities to the table. “We make sure to approach all our recent projects in a smart, effective, and timeless way, opting for classic and clear looks as opposed to those of the recent over-styled, complicated design projects,” says Pushelberg.
Part of their approach in designing their 3,000-square-foot home in Toronto’s residential Bennington Heights neighborhood was to invite the outside environment in whenever possible. “Our residence in Bennington Heights is settled within a beautiful wooded area with a running stream that interlaces between our backyard and the surrounding greenery,” says Pushelberg. “The house resembles much of what the environment reflects. We wanted to bring in as much of the natural light and forest ravine as we could, so we decided to use natural grays, dark hunter greens, and soft tones through the living spaces, with wood accents to integrate the outdoors.”

Yabu and Pushelberg chose an eclectic mix of furnishings in the living room. Soft shades of gray and white allow the varying wood tones to sing. The duo designed the dining table shown in the background.

The furniture in each space complements the art and adds personality to the home without detracting from the serene outdoor landscape. Many of the pieces were gathered on the couple’s international travels and selected for longevity and comfort. Yabu and Pushelberg were also drawn to pieces that created an eye-catching composition and those that utilized materials that replicated the home’s exteriors and outdoor environment inside the residence. “For instance, we used mahogany and rosewood leather to accent the furnishings while including the natural color palette,” says Pushelberg.
The home’s clean lines, luxe furniture, and intriguing art collection have come together to create a modern ‘60s-style residence that’s as close to perfection in a project as the
partners have come.