After a restful summer recharge, the art world seems to be taking “back to school” very seriously, offering plenty to see and much to learn. London alone promises a particularly busy term, and if you missed out on a ticket to the anticipated Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum, fear not.

Between London Design Festival, London Sculpture Week, and exhibitions ranging from William Klein to the Freud Museum, there is more than enough to make a trip worthwhile. While across Europe and the US, exhibition centers, museums, galleries, palazzos and historic houses are following suit, with everything from medieval embroidery and studio ceramics to Surrealist fashion, fantastical maps and Sofia Coppola’s Versailles.

EXHIBITIONS

CHICAGO, USA

Utamaro: Elements of Beauty

The Art Institute of Chicago brings together more than 40 celebrated works by Kitagawa Utamaro, the great chronicler of feminine beauty in Edo-period Japan. From courtesans and geisha to women at work and at home, Utamaro’s exquisite woodblock prints capture the fashions, rituals and intimate worlds of late 18th-century Japan.

September 23 - December 21 2026, The Art Institute Chicago, CHICAGO, USA

LONDON, UK

The Bayeux Tapestry

Nearly 1,000 years after its creation, the Bayeux Tapestry makes its prodigal return. Stretching some 70m, this extraordinary medieval embroidery recounts the events leading to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest, while offering an unusually vivid glimpse into 11th-century life.

One of the great treasures of the medieval world, it is a remarkable testament to the mastery of craftsmanship that has survived the ages. Tickets have already sold out, but a further release is expected later this year.

September 10, 2026 - July 11, 2027, The British Museum, LONDON, UK

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Labour of Love

Celebrating 25 years of Galerist, Labour of Love brings together more than 40 artists who have shaped the Istanbul gallery’s history. Paintings, sculpture, textiles, photography, video and installation span generations and disciplines, with historic works placed alongside new commissions in a celebration of artistic exchange, collaboration and the gallery’s evolving identity.

September 16, 2026 - November 7, 2027, Galerist, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

LONDON, UK

William Klein: 100

To mark the centenary of William Klein’s birth, HackelBury brings together his restless vision of the modern city. Moving between vibrant New York, Paris and London, Klein captured the energy and contradictions of urban life. From street photography and revolutionary fashion imagery, to early abstractions and painted contact sheets, the show traces his radical reinvention of photography and enduring influence on post-war visual culture.

September 9, 2026 - February 2, 2027, HackelBury Fine Art, LONDON, UK

VERSAILLES, FRANCE

“Marie Antoinette” by Sofia Coppola

Twenty years after Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette turned Versailles into a confection of pastel colour, music and fashion, the château looks back at the making of the cult film. Working documents, mood boards, costumes and set pieces reveal how Coppola transformed the historical queen into an intimate portrait of youth, isolation and self-invention, and reshaped our vision of Versailles in the process.

September 22 - January 24, 2027, Château de Versailles, VERSAILLES, FRANCE

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On Sunday I went to Venice for the day. Which is not quite accurate: I went to Venice for six hours, and filled every one of them with craftsmanship.

Taking the train from Milan, when the trains are on time, is easy, and it remains one of my favorite ways of traveling around Italy. You get the landscape, you get to read, and you can work if you have to.

The reason for the expedition was the 2026 edition of Homo Faber, or the “Davos of craft,” as the FT’s HTSI put it. And boy, was it worth it.

First, the location. The island of San Giorgio Maggiore sits directly opposite Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale, and on it stands the San Giorgio monastery, partly conceived by Andrea Palladio and today the headquarters of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. Simply wandering the cloisters and gardens is a pure delight, quite apart from the view you get of Palazzo Ducale and the Campanile di San Marco.

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In the latest Cabana Live, Martina Mondadori is joined by Adam Charlap Hyman for a conversation on interiors, memory and the art of world-building. From childhood fascinations with castles and architecture to his years at Ralph Lauren and the research-led approach behind his work today, Adam reflects on the references, histories and instincts that shape…

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American architect Thomas A. Kligerman is celebrated for his classically inspired houses that draw on the architectural traditions of the American Coast. The author of Summer by the Sea, he has long championed a timeless approach to design rooted in craftsmanship, landscape and place.

Here, he shares his favorite corners of Rhode Island, from historic inns and antique shops, to coastal gardens and beloved local restaurants.

My Favorite Place to Stay

The Weekapaug Inn, a property I have known since I was ten, is an expansive shingle style hotel at the western end of saltwater Quonochontaug Pond.

Built in the months following 1938’s Great September Hurricane, the hotel captures the leisurely shore life from a hundred years ago. A Relais & Chateaux hotel, it offers New England style rooms and suites. Best of all is cocktails on the raised porch while watching sailboat races and birds glide over the barrier island and Atlantic. Elegant restaurant, clam bakes, bicycles, nature tours and access to a two-mile stretch of beach—the Inn has it all.

My Favorite Restaurants

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Interior designer and rising star Adam Charlap Hyman reflects on The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) New York, highlighting some of his most-coveted objects, including a sofa by Salvador Dalí created for an interior by Jean-Michel Frank.

Join Adam and Martina Mondadori live on Substack on August 24th at 5pm CET / 11am EST for a conversation exploring his creative journey, from the moment he knew he wanted to become a designer to his distinctive work across interiors, architecture and the decorative arts. Together, they’ll discuss the people, places, travels and interests that continue to shape his imaginative world.

Together, they’ll discuss the people, places, travels and interests that continue to inform his imaginative world.

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Admired for his studio’s unique blend of sophistication and character, Adam Charlap Hyman, co-founder of Charlap Hyman & Herrero, has enchanted the design world with his imaginative, eclectic interiors. Recent projects include the restoration of a historic Stanford White house in Long Island, set design for a summer production on New York City’s Little Island, and curating a show for R & Company.

This year, he brought his unique perspective to The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in New York. One of the world’s premier art fairs, TEFAF marked its 10th edition, bringing together nearly 100 international exhibitors at the Park Avenue Armory.

As the dust settles on the five-day event, Adam highlights his most-coveted selections. Each piece marks his diverse blend of periods and styles into cohesive and compelling interiors. As he navigated the historic venue, his keen eye for extraordinary pieces demonstrated his knack for discovery and talent for design.

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Painting by Henri Fantin-Latour

“I have always been stunned speechless by the flower paintings of Fantin-Latour, which, in defiance of his saccharine palette, have a piercingly acute melancholy quality.”

Brice Marden at Gagosian

“This work by Marden, made in Greece, with excess cuttings from a quarry there and painted with a blue stripe, is small but powerful. It dominated an entire wall at the Gagosian booth and radiated the quiet, simmering intensity his larger paintings are known for. Somehow, it had a personal feeling that I could not place exactly.”

Kristi Cavatoro at Galerie Gisela Capitain

“I love the work of Kristi Cavatoro and have been following it for a while. This sculpture, out of lead and glass, had a little more of an organic line than what I have seen from her in the past, and I am very into it. I imagined how beautiful and strange it would be outside, with sunlight caught within its prismatically faceted translucent form.”

Lucio Fontana at Robilant + Voena

“The two scroll-like works above are separate from the crucifix, but they do all look good together. I go crazy for Fontana, especially the more Baroque ceramics like these, which almost seem like impressions of more intricate antiquities. His hand is very present in these ceramic pieces; as such, they have a potency almost overflowing - they are a little violent and extremely virtuosic.”

Rebecca Salsbury James at Salon 94

“I had never encountered the work of Rebecca Salsbury James, who died in 1968 and was married to the photographer Paul Strand, who later married Georgia O’Keeffe, until today at Salon 94. These pieces are reverse painted on glass, which gives them an icy, milky richness that is extremely tactile and exciting. The technique is very hard, but the resulting paintings are amazing. This presentation blew me away and was so happy to learn about her practice.”

Maurice Marinot at Galerie Marcilhac

“I fell in love with Marinot’s work, at a show at Le Stanze del Vetro in Venice, and haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. It was very cool to see these small perfume bottles as they are quite rare, and each is completely different. Marinot was known for his mastery and extreme precision with the medium and developed many techniques, colors, and processes lost to us today. The bottles, while small, are masterpieces that seem to contain entire galaxies of artistry and mystery.”

Rosemarie Trockel at Sprüth Magers Gallery

“Rosemarie Trockel is an incredible artist, and this striking light blue piece from the early 1990s (my favourite colour) is emblematic of her meticulous exploration of materials in unexpected ways through her mixed media practice.”

Lip sofa by Salvador Dalí at Galerie Jacques Lacoste

“This sofa by Dalí for an interior by Jean-Michel Frank is one of my favorite things ever. It was a treat to see it in person as I have seen it documented so many times. Of course, it was made multiple times and copied a million more, but this is the original - a real relic of one of the most important constellations of designer and patron. The color was faded but still beautiful, and it glowed in the booth of Galerie Jacques Lacoste, which seems to hold the keys to this period of design history.”

Head of a Bull at Galerie Chenel

“Galerie Chenel’s presentation was brooding and dramatic, and I thought it was great. The antiquities sparkled and almost floated surrealistically despite all being carved of heavy stone. This fragment of a bull’s head was majestic and solemn.”

Giorgio Morandi & George Ohr at David Zwirner

“I died for the curation at David Zwirner’s booth, which configured incredible paintings by Giorgio Morandi and mindblowing ceramic vessels by George Ohr. I have only recently learned about Ohr, and it was cool to see so much of his work in one place - the range of technique and motif and the richness of his colour palette and textures were extremely exciting to examine close-up. The combination of the two artists brought both a clarity and an undeniable charge.”

Maria Pergay at Demisch Danant

“Maria Pergay is one of my favourite designers of all time, and I am always excited to see what Demisch Danant will do with their booths because each one is fresher and cooler than the last. Pergay’s signature use of steel and her very particular line never got old for me, and this chair had a raw force that drew me in. They let me try it out!”

Today it is a hotel of thirteen cabins, and from the moment you arrive time slows down. You are deep in nature and the outside world simply stops reaching you (don’t we all need that right now?).

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Stockholm is a city I return to again and again. I have long been fascinated by the Swedish decorative arts and by the extraordinary atmosphere the Swedes have created in their interiors. There is something at once restrained and dreamlike about them. The city is beautiful in every season.

Even in winter, one should not be discouraged by the darkness. Stockholm possesses a particular glow of its own. Miguel Flores-Vianna

My Favorite Places to Stay

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Mexican-born, London-based interior designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza offers her personal guide to Mexico City. With its extraordinary architecture, vibrant histories and endlessly inspiring corners, she reveals the places that capture the spirit of the city: from volcanic stone museums and Porfirian houses to beloved restaurants, hidden cultural spaces and one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. Stephanie also shares a first glimpse of El Desconocido, the recently unveiled, richly atmospheric Roma Norte cultural club she designed.

My Favorite Places to Stay

I stay with family in La Condesa, which is a privilege in itself. That said, Condesa DF, part of the Habita Group, who consistently deliver beautifully considered hotels, is an excellent choice.

I would also keep an eye on El Cortés in La Roma, which has just opened its doors. I have not yet visited, but I am planning to when I am next in the city. It looks exquisitely restored, another Porfirian building, no less.

My Favorite Cozy Bar: El Desconocido

I love El Desconocido, although I might be a little biased as it’s run by my brother and sister-in-law who enlisted me to design the space. You can settle in for a quiet drink with wonderful music at the Hi-Fi bar, or catch an extraordinary live concert in an intimate and wonderfully informal setting.

The food is outstanding, the kind of sharing plates that feel simultaneously relaxed and considered. It is perfect for when you want great music, great company, and absolutely none of the stiffness of a formal restaurant. You might be lucky enough to go when there is a tarot reader there too.

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Within the lush jungles of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, amid a vast, flat land dotted with crumbling haciendas, mystical cenotes and ancient prehispanic ruins, Mérida stands as a city both dynamic and steeped in history. Founded in 1542 and established on the site of the ancient Maya city of T'hó, it has emerged, after years of faded glory, into a thriving artistic hub with a diverse creative community. Design writer Susana Ordovás shares an insider’s guide.

Where to Stay

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As the Salzburg Festival (through 30 August 2026) brings the Austrian city to life with dazzling performances of music, opera and theater, gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac shares his personal insider’s guide to the cultural landmarks, hidden corners, classic coffee shops and enduring rituals that define his Salzburg.

My Favorite Place to Stay

I have a home in Salzburg, so I don’t usually stay in hotels there, but I can recommend the Townhouse Weisses Kreuz, an intimate boutique hotel with only six rooms in a restored 16th-century building in the heart of Salzburg’s Old Town. It was designed by Axel Vervoordt, and although it is in the city center, it feels very relaxed and a bit removed from the hustle and bustle.

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As summer begins to settle, August invites a more gentle rhythm of discovery before September’s bustling-to-the-brim cultural season. Seek respite from the heat in the Nordic capitals, or venture onwards to Italy, the USA and Indonesia, where exhibitions, festivals and extraordinary craftsmanship offer fresh perspectives on art, design and the enduring beauty of the handmade.

EXHIBITIONS

CHICAGO, USA

Lee Miller: Fearless

Bringing together some 150 photographs, Lee Miller: Fearless traces the extraordinary career of one of the 20th century’s most compelling and versatile photographers. From Surrealist experiments in Paris to haunting wartime reportage for Vogue, the exhibition also unveils rarely seen photographs from Miller’s years in Egypt.

August 29, 2026 - December 7, 2026, The Art Institute Chicago, CHICAGO, USA

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ROME, ITALY

Metamorphoses

Following its success at the Rijksmuseum, the partnership exhibition now moves to Rome, where tales of jealousy, lust and deceitful anthropomorphic gods take centre stage. At the Galleria Borghese, Metamorphoses explores Ovid’s inexhaustible wellspring of passion, power and transformation.

From Titian and Caravaggio to Louise Bourgeois and contemporary video, the exhibition traces 2,000 years of artistic reinvention, revealing why the ancient poem remains a true “Bible for artists.”

Through September 20, 2026, Galleria Borghese, ROME, ITALY

LONDON, UK & LOS ANGELES, USA

Marilyn Monroe: The Centenary

A century after her birth, Marilyn Monroe continues to captivate. As major exhibitions in London, Santa Monica and Los Angeles revisit her life through extraordinary photographs, costumes and personal stories, read Anthea Gerrie’s deep dive for Cabana into the woman behind the icon: an artist of remarkable intelligence, vulnerability and ambition.

Through September 6, 2026. “Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait”, National Portrait Gallery, LONDON, ENGLAND.

Through September 5, 2026, “Marilyn Monroe: A Silent Life”, Peter Fetterman Gallery, SANTA MONICA, USA.,

Through September 5, 2026, “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon” , The Academy Museum, LOS ANGELES, USA.

ATHENS, GREECE

Inspirations. Ancient Greek Art living in Italy

Bringing together 38 masterpieces that rarely leave Italy, this show examines the enduring influence of ancient Greek art on Roman civilisation and beyond. Ceramics, bronzes and marble sculptures trace a cultural dialogue that continued to shape artistic expression well into the 20th century.

Through August 30, 2026, The Acropolis Museum, ATHENS, GREECE

PHILADELPHIA, USA

Americana: Photographs 1850–1950

Coinciding with the United States’ 250th anniversary, Americana explores a century of photography through tintypes, postcards, collages and vernacular images. Together they offer a nuanced portrait of American identity, told through both celebrated and anonymous photographers.

Through October 11, 2026, Philadelphia Museum of Arts, PHILADELPHIA, USA

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“Travel, for me, is not an escape from home — it’s a search for its echo”

- Martina Mondadori

Here at Cabana, the hotels we love most are rarely the ones trying the hardest to impress us. Instead, they have the warmth and individuality of a much-loved home: rooms with a strong sense of place, gardens and terraces that invite you to linger, and hosts who make every arrival feel personal.

For the next chapter of our Summer Edit, we travel across the Americas, from a legendary New York address and a secluded Vermont retreat to the wild landscapes of Colorado, the coasts of California and Florida, and some extraordinary hideaways in Mexico and Peru. Some are grand, others deeply intimate, but each has that elusive quality we always look for: character, atmosphere and a feeling that you have discovered somewhere truly special.

These are the hotels we return to in memory, recommend to our friends and contacts, and dream of building a summer (or all-year) journey around.

Before we reveal the full list, begin planning your escape with us...

»Plan your American Escape

And because every great summer hotel deserves an equally thoughtful suitcase, Martina has shared below what she’s packing this season, from dresses and swimwear to the small luxuries that make a trip feel complete.

»Pack with Martina for Summer

Continue reading this article for a tightly curated edit (not an exhaustive list) of the 14 American hotels we’ll be dreaming of all summer…

Cabana’s Favorite American Hotels: 2026

(in alphabetical order)

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A century-old summer cottage on Narragansett Bay, published in architect Thomas A. Kligerman’s new book, reveals how generations of one family have layered memory, ritual, and collected beauty into a deceptively modest retreat where antiques, mid-century finds, and maritime history coexist in effortless harmony. Read on for an exclusive chapter from Summer by the Sea.

Compact and simple, Wainwright Cottage is low-slung, as unprepossessing as the gravel road that brings you to the front porch. Its location down the slope from the road exaggerates its diminutive form and scale.

The exterior belies the world inside: tall visitors duck or stoop to enter through the painted shingle entrance, but inside it feels as though the building has suddenly grown. The main room runs front to back, from the windows on the inland side through a glazed porch to Narragansett Bay.

The spaces in the house, including its five bedrooms, are warm and layered, honey-colored wood from floor to ceiling.

Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright built the cottage around 1915. Wainwright was second in command on the battleship Maine when it was blown up in Havana harbor during the Spanish-American War. He retired to Jamestown, selecting this grassy site across the water from the U.S. Naval War College.

During the Great Depression, the current owners’ great-grandparents bought the cottage from Wainwright’s widow. Its location on a sheltered part of the bay allowed them to moor their sailboat and watch the parade of other craft passing by against the backdrop of Aquidneck Island.

Generations, from grandparents to grandchildren, still share the cottage. Its physical layout creates life patterns and traditions. One of them is preparing lunch in the kitchen but enjoying it on the porch served on 1950s-vintage TV tables. The juxtaposition of the painted metal trays and wicker chairs from 100 years before TV sums up the aesthetics of this family. It’s not just the objects, but their placement that gives this building its personality.

The living room furniture likely dates from Wainwright’s ownership, but other furniture and seaside paraphernalia fill the house in the same way a fisherman’s net may catch a variety of unintended prey.

In other hands, this might have been clutter, but this is a family with an extraordinary eye for beauty and meaning in every object. Collecting antiques and furniture grew into a business, and items were cherry picked to display in rooms throughout the house in every nook and cranny.

A corner cupboard is filled with majolica, but the everyday china is Vernon Kilns’ “Homespun” pottery made in California. There is a smattering of midcentury objects acquired by the grandparents after WWII. The dining table is Danish modern, the light fixture from the early 1960s. The white enameled St. Charles kitchen, though 70-years-old, is still called the new kitchen. Conveniently and artistically hung above the stove is a collection of vintage spatulas and utensils, arranged on a painted pegboard panel.

By contrast, the owner’s bedroom hosts a minuet of cobalt plates, platters, and bottles above a bed covered in a pale blue coverlet and toile pillows. A painting of a clipper ship hangs above the brick fireplace, the building’s sole source of heat. Nautical touches like storage bins with hatches outfitted with flush ring pulls are vestiges of Admiral Wainwright’s world.

A curved bronze plaque from the Wildwood, a ferry that plied the waters between Jamestown and Newport, hangs near a chart of the bay. Over the barn door, the entrance to the dining room, spans a board with Wildwood in capital letters. A vintage running light is now a lamp set behind the sofa. None of this feels cliché, it all feels right.

The cottage is one of a few remaining un-winterized houses on the island, and despite its small size, it has its own, even smaller outbuilding across the road. The one room cabin is known as the chauffeur’s cottage, once sparse quarters for the family’s driver. Until recently, his chair, a desk, and single bed were arranged in the modest room.

This arrangement is a vestige from a time when families living in houses, no matter how small, still retained staff. It also suggests that a house as good as this one, can change with the times and be home to new ways of life.

Further Reading

»For the Full House Tour, read the story via World of Cabana

»Find more House Tours at Rooms & Gardens via World of Cabana

For renowned designer Stephen Sills, a memorable table design begins with thoughtful composition. At his home in Bedford, New York, Stephen invites Cabana to the table, sharing four summer settings and the simple ideas that shape his approach to entertaining.

How do you create atmosphere and mood when hosting at home?

It starts with selecting several of my small accessories that fit the mood. Next I make small, clustered arrangements that I then edit. I layer in greens from outside to bring living things into the room.

How do you make your tables stand out?

Arranging good tablescapes is an art, like painting a picture. I keep the overall tablescape artistic and simple. I love to juxtapose textures and use high-low objects, like a stainless-steel table with rocks and a terracotta pot.

Do you have any favorite color and pattern combinations?

I gravitate towards simple, harmonious colors – grey/blue, sand, off-white. I add these colors through my object selection like beautiful books on a mahogany table, a composition of silver boxes, or ivory magnifying glasses.

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Are there any personal touches you rely on?

Personal objects are important to the tablescape. I include my personal collection of 18th century French and English silver candlesticks that create a wonderful atmosphere, especially when entertaining at night. For a formal dinner, place cards are important to arrange your guests appropriately for good conversation. But I don’t use place cards when hosting friends casually.

Your go-to recipe when hosting at home?

In the summer, I love grilled white fish with roasted carrots and a cold squash soup. Simple and fresh.

A seated dinner or pre-dinner drinks party, what’s your preference?

A seated dinner.

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Your favorite seasonal flowers to style your table with?

My favorite flowers are whatever’s blooming in the garden at the time, irises, lilies, roses, and Japanese anemones. I’m lucky that I can use greenery from my greenhouse all winter.

Do you create a playlist for events? If so, what song is always on there?

I always play classical music low, in the background. I also love Lena Horne and Tina Turner. I worshipped Barbara Streisand when I was growing up but her music is reserved just for me.

Any failsafe tips for the nervous or reluctant host?

Ask for help – I’m always a little nervous myself, so that’s my real secret.

Three words you use to describe your hosting style?

Fun, welcoming, casual.

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Do you approach styling an outdoor table differently from an indoor one?

Yes, outside is more casual and I use more humble baskets, pottery, and flowers. An indoor table is more formal with elegant items like silver and crystal, but I still keep it simple.

How does the garden influence the way you entertain at home?

I always use whatever’s blooming in my garden – spring, summer, and fall. In the winter, I look to the greenhouse.

How do you celebrate Fourth of July?

I celebrate by having friends over for something casual. I used to be able to see the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks in the East River from my old apartment, and I still watch it on TV.

Further Reading

Masters & Muses | The Interview: Stephen Sills

For a fresh perspective on the Eternal City, follow Roman artist Paolo del Gallo through the places that shape his creative life and artistic practice.

From hidden palaces, secret gardens and atmospheric cafés to timeless trattorias and off-the-tourist-track museums and shops, Paolo’s hyperlocal insider’s guide reveals a Rome of everyday beauty, extraordinary romance and enduring inspiration, far beyond the well-documented landmarks.

My Favorite Places to Stay : The Flair Monserrato & Domus 21

When friends come to Rome, I never recommend big hotels. For me, the real gems are private homes hidden behind anonymous doorways, the kind that, for some mysterious reason, end up on Airbnb.

Two of my favorite places are the apartments of two friends. The first is The Flair Monserrato, in a Renaissance building, where you sleep beneath painted coffered ceilings six meters high: more than a room, a small stage set, with the advantage of being able to live inside it.

The other is Domus 21, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Here too, frescoes are not lacking, but it’s the view of the domes that does the rest, that kind of panorama that constantly reminds you where you are, in case you forget.

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Puntaldia is close to my heart. It’s where I’ve spent every summer of my life since I was born. It’s a beautiful corner of paradise, but after a few days you might feel like exploring beyond it. That’s why I’ll also be sharing a selection of places in Sardinia that I visit regularly, have discovered, or hope to visit in the future, all within a one to one-and-a-half-hour drive of each other.

Discover Teresa’s vintage edit for Cabana: a celebration of Italian ceramics rich in character, craftsmanship and decorative charm, chosen to bring colour, texture and a collected Mediterranean spirit into the home.

DISCOVER HER CHARMING ITALIAN CERAMICS

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Interior designer Alfredo Paredes was surprised to find fresh inspiration in a Victorian cottage on New York’s Shelter Island. A thoughtful renovation, a few meaningful edits, and a porch bathed in sunlight transformed the house into a mellow All-American family haven with an ever-changing vista of Dering Harbor. Read on to hear Alfredo Paredes, Ralph Lauren’s former chief creative officer, share the story of his Shelter Island home.

After we’d had a house in East Hampton for close to twenty years, there came a point when we started to think about alternatives for where to spend our weekends and summer breaks—we knew we were going to be dads and were ready for something a little more mellow.

Around that time, we were invited to lunch at a friend’s place on Shelter Island. It felt so special that we reached out to a broker the next day. About six months later, he sent a listing for a Victorian cottage in Dering Harbor. We drove there on a beautiful summer Friday. It was late in the day and the house, which sits on a bluff overlooking the harbor and Gardiners Bay, was lit up like a lantern by the setting sun. It was glorious and took our breath away.

As a rule, I’m not a huge fan of Victorian architecture, but this one had less gingerbread than some. I loved its simplicity—it reminded me of an Edward Hopper painting. It needed a lot of work, though, so once we closed we had to push to get it done in time for the summer, by then just around the corner. We also had a newborn, so living there during construction wasn’t an option.

It was all so rushed that my directions to the contractor never went much beyond “Paint it! Change it! Pull it out!” All the shingles had to be stripped. All the shutters were removed. All the screen and storm windows were fixed. The porch leveled. Trellises put in. New gutters. Wi-Fi and cable. New appliances across the board. We fixed the bathrooms, added lighting inside and out, removed a furnace from the basement that hadn’t worked in a decade... We did a lot, and we did it fast.

Before taking on a major renovation, I always recommend letting a house “talk” to you so you can understand what it really does or does not need. This is especially true for old houses, where new interventions that remove or damage original features may be difficult or impossible to restore. The challenge always is how to keep the patina and the authenticity while at the same time making it feel fresh and up-to-date.

For example, sometimes it’s best to just keep the old bathroom sinks but update the tile or paint. I’m typically drawn to homes where things have been allowed to age in place, and where there’s a lived-in casual-ness to even the most formal spaces. I wanted Shelter Island to be the kind of place where the kids could run around barefoot and not worry about getting mud on the floors—which was the point of seagrass rugs everywhere.

One pleasant discovery was that once we cut back some of the overgrown landscaping, we found that the front of the house was actually quite sunny and that the three ground-floor rooms on that side were bathed in warm light. The last thing I wanted to do was to impede that in any way. But the house was also missing a front porch. It clearly had one once, probably a wraparound, but when we bought the place it was long gone and the front façade looked a bit like a face without a nose.

The challenge was restoring that without blocking all the natural light. We compromised by adding a small, two-tiered porch to the front entrance. On the upper level we created a balcony that connected to the second floor’s center bedroom via French doors— the perfect spot for watching the water or the weather rolling in. It made that bed- room really special—so of course Brad and I quickly claimed it for ourselves.

It actually took me a while to make this house feel like a home, and somewhat surprisingly it didn’t have much to do with decorating the interiors per se. Two relatively simple things made the biggest impacts. First, the property had no hedges around the perimeter when we bought it, which meant no privacy, so when we finally added them the site no longer felt so exposed.

That’s when it all started to shift. Second was the simple addition of a porcelain farm sink and a marble counter to the kitchen island. With these two relatively small changes, everything began to feel more elevated. And then, once we put it in the pool it became our own happy little resort.

One thing I loved immediately was the screened-in side porch, which faces the harbor. Before we even closed, I found a great Victorian dining table with a zinc top and ornate wood legs in the perfect size. From the start I envisioned filling the porch with white wicker, which I knew I could find at the flea market in Brimfield, MA. It was amazing to see it come together as a real outdoor room, especially when we added rugs and lamps.

In the late afternoon and evening the breeze tends to pick up along the harbor; there’s nothing better than sitting on one of the wicker sofas out there, listening to the wind chimes. At times it feels like being in one of those old Shingle Style cottages along the northern coast of Maine, something Brad picked up on the first time he laid eyes on the place, having spent some memorable summers there as a kid.

I always like a house whose rooms reflect the tones you see on the exterior, which in this case meant relating furnishings to the green-and-white striped porch awnings visible from every window in the living and family rooms, as well as all the shades of green in the surrounding trees and the grass. Luckily, I find greens very soothing and relaxing. A green sofa in the summer feels fresh; toss a throw blanket on it in the fall and it turns cozy. In fact, the more we layered the house with that palette the better it started to feel.

One of the decisions I made early on was to use the designated dining room in a different way. As originally laid out it was right off the screened-in porch, in the spot where an outdoor dining table would naturally sit, which meant there would have been two long tables and their corresponding lineup of chairs in adjacent spaces—useless except for meals. Shifting the inside dining area to a more intimate room farther away allowed the original dining room to function as a kind of family room.

Now it gets constant use by the kids and we can have family breakfasts there. During the warm months we mostly eat dinner on the porch, so we made sure the “new” dining room would feel cozy in colder months. It was a good move and helped us to truly optimize the busiest spaces in the house.

The living room just evolved naturally, with a mix of pieces from East Hampton, landscape paintings (which I love), and odds and ends we’ve gathered over time. Initially the room’s proportions felt slightly awkward—because it’s a bit narrow the seating areas had to be placed far from each other, but I wanted to make the space feel more conducive to conversation. I ended up finding a large, rectangular coffee table to fill the empty floor space, loaded it up with books and objects, and it somehow balances the room and makes everything feel closer and more unified.

Upstairs, I felt I had more latitude to play with different ideas, in part because you don’t see the kids’ rooms in the back from the principal rooms up front. That gave me license to try something else there in terms of color and pattern: wallpaper. I think the house would have turned stodgy quickly if we hung too much of it, but using it in isolated areas felt really good—in tune with the era but still at ease.

Given the house’s location I’d known we’d have the pleasure of watching the ferry travel between Greenport and Shelter Island year-round, but I wasn’t aware of what a sailor’s haven Dering Harbor is, or the fact that we’d have a front-row seat to all the races and other sailboat activity happening around us. We’re also treated to the sight of these and other boats, many of them incredibly majestic, anchored right outside our door.

This happens throughout the summer, with a number of them arriving during the night so they become a surprise addition to the next day’s backdrop. It’s an ever-changing vista—sometimes a huge sloop, others a major yacht—and at night they tend to be all lit up, with the twinkling lights reflected on the water. It’s pure magic.

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Alfredo Paredes At Home, published by Rizzoli, chronicles the homes and interior designs of Alfredo Paredes, Ralph Lauren’s chief creative officer and the designer behind many of the brand’s most famous visuals, including the legendary Polo Bar.

From fashion weeks and late nights to friendships, favourite tables and well-worn rituals, Paris has long played a part in Derek Blasberg’s story — and in the pages of his new book, Fast + Louche. Following its Paris launch, he shares the places he returns to, the addresses he never misses and why, after all these years, the city still holds its magic.

My Favorite Place to Stay in Paris

I consider myself the luckiest guy in Paris because I often stay with my friend Lauren Santo Domingo when I come for fashion week. I travel all the time, and while hotels can be efficient for quick trips or when you want to escape, staying with a good friend is much more fun. It doesn’t hurt that LSD has incredible taste and a brilliant sense of humor—the perfect partner in crime during fashion week. This week, her teenage daughter was around often, so it was fascinating to see fashion week through fresh eyes.

My Favorite Restaurant

I will join the many, many people who will tell you that Le Voltaire is their favorite restaurant in Paris, and for good reason—delicious food and fabulous lighting. When I want a quick, cheeky meal, I go a local Chinese restaurant called Lao Tseu.

My Favorite Café or Coffee Spot

You’re going to think I’m a monster—I go to Starbucks! Sue me.

My Favorite Bar

Hemingway Bar, of course!

My Favorite Museum or Gallery

Paris is spoiled for incredible places to look at art and design. When I come for fashion week, I ask my friends at LVMH to give me a little VIP treatment at their Foundation. This week, they gave me and a group of friends a guide to take us around the Alexander Calder show. It was incredible.

It’s the largest exhibition of his work, and it’s presented chronologically, so you see how he started doing small sculptures as a kid, then experimented with painting, then wire, which included my favorite works, his larger-than-life Josephine Baker figurines. Then he sees Mondrian, and the abstract works inspire the mobiles, a term coined by Marcel Duchamp.

Incredible to see it all laid out like this. Other spots I always go to are Gagoisan Galleries (I’ve worked with Larry for nearly a decade and a half, and I’m still impressed with everything he does), and the Musee d’Orsay.

My other non-fashion highlight of fashion week was a tour of the Louvre when the museum was closed, which was organized by The American Friends of the Louvre. It was insane to have a private audience with the Mona Lisa. She’s effectively the most famous woman in the world, and I was starstruck

My Favorite ‘hidden gem’

It’s not personal, and it’s not hidden, but I still get a smile on my face whenever I cut across the river on foot from one side to the other through the Tuileries. It’s incredible. I take meetings in there, if I have time between a show I’ll sit there and work on my phone. Last season, Jonathan Anderson’s Dior invite was the green painted chairs that are free to the public in the park, which I loved. I asked the Dior press team to give me the extras.

My Favorite Antique Store or Flea Market

During fashion week, I’m pretty much in fashion mode. But if I’m lucky, I can find an afternoon on the weekend to check out the Marché aux Puces flea market. You just have to be in the right mood to hunt and haggle.

My Favorite Shop

I miss Colette. I haven’t found a replacement for that. If you know one, tell me.

My Favorite Paris Ritual

I always end up in Charvet buying at least one buttonhole rosette or knit knot cufflinks. I have a bunch, but they make me happy. And yes, I too am curious about what Chanel’s acquisition of that brand will mean for its future.

Most Exciting Event this Week

The launch of my new book, Fast + Louche, of course. My publisher, Just an Idea, organized a book signing and a Q&A with W Magazine’s Sara Moonves in Karl Lagerfeld’s library and photo studio behind the 7L bookshop in the 7th arrondissement. It was a wonderful, full-circle moment for me because I had worked with Karl several times in the space, and it was an honor to be back there. The book was inspired by a specific period—from late 2009 to early 2012, when I had a column in every issue of Interview magazine. It was in the spirit of Andy Warhol, who founded the magazine, and was basically my diary—nights out, days with my family, travels around the world. I try not to spend too much time thinking about the good old days.

Like most people who cover fashion and culture, I’m more interested in what’s next than what’s already happened. So going through these images—it’s hard to believe the column started 17 years ago!—reminded me just how different life felt then. This was a sweet spot after the Digital Revolution made us superconnected, but before social media took over the way we document our lives. I’m grateful I got to experience those years just before social media changed the way we lived our lives, and it’s been fun to relive them through this project.

A Paris Moment from the Book

Fashion weeks here in Paris were a big part of that book, and they remain a big part of my career. Here’s the thing: I still love it.

I still get excited when the lights go down, the music starts, and the first model comes out. I may be less fast and less louche now, but I’m still living my fantasy by working in this business.

Derek’s latest book is available to purchase ⁠through Just An Idea.

»For more insider travel guides visit Cabana Travel via World of Cabana

For everyone affected by the global heatwave, we suggest marble halls, cool galleries and museum cafés. This month’s Global Cultural Bulletin rounds up the cultural events and exhibitions worth stepping inside for. From Lisbon’s reopening of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and Santa Fe’s iconic International Folk Art Market, to exhibitions moving through the cool and intimate interiors of Hammershøi in Zurich, the vivid optics of Signac in Potsdam, or the experimental dialogues between Michelangelo and Rodin in Paris, July offers a rich programme and an escape from the scorching sun.

NEW OPENING

LISBON, PORTUGAL

Grand Reopening of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Following an extensive and much-anticipated restoration, Lisbon’s Calouste Gulbenkian Museum reopens with its original vision renewed.

Enhanced galleries, restored interiors and a revived dialogue between architecture, art and the surrounding gardens invite visitors to rediscover one of Europe’s finest collections.

July 18, 2026, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, LISBON, PORTUGAL

EXHIBITIONS

LONDON, UK

Frida Kahlo: The Making of an Icon

More than 30 of Frida Kahlo’s defining works anchor this major exhibition tracing her transformation from artist to global icon. Alongside paintings, objects and over 200 works by contemporaries and successors, it culminates in an exploration of “Fridamania”, and Kahlo’s enduring cultural legacy.

Through January 3, 2026, Tate Modern, LONDON, UK

PHILADELPHIA, USA

Workshop of the World Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia

Marking the museum’s 150th anniversary, this landmark exhibition explores Philadelphia’s pivotal role in the American Arts and Crafts movement.

Bringing together more than 250 objects, from furniture and ceramics to stained glass and textiles, tracing the perpetual dialogue between craftsmanship, industry and contemporary making.

Opening July 12, 2026, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, PHILADELPHIA, USA

Read more

From a fantasy guest cottage in Palm Beach, designed by American interior designer David Lucido, to a Cotswolds Manor’s newly transformed gardens and insider’s travel guides to Greece, Italy and Montenegro, here are some new articles you may have missed over on the World of Cabana…

A Fantasy Guest Cottage in Palm Beach

For returning clients, interior designer David Lucido transformed a modest guest house into a transportive retreat using floral fabrics, painted floors and a palette drawn from sundrenched destinations. He talks to Busola Evans.

Read the article here»

Travel Guide: A Weekend in Capalbio

Once marshland, Capalbio has transformed into one of Maremma’s most captivating escapes. From its reclaimed landscapes to its rise as a haven for artists, intellectuals and travellers, this Tuscan hill town combines wild natural beauty, Mediterranean charm and a timeless atmosphere.

Read the travel guide here»

A Garden of Rooms in the Cotswolds

British landscape designer Elizabeth Tyler transformed a historic Cotswolds manor’s grounds into a sequence of distinct yet interconnected spaces.

Read the article here»

Finders Keepers: Extraordinary Objects at The Zetter Bloomsbury with James Thurston Waterworth

The Zetter Bloomsbury, designed by British interior decorator and antiques expert James Thurstan Waterworth, opened its doors this spring in the shadow of the British Museum. Taking the neighboring institution as his point of reference, James sourced nearly 2000 antiques and artefacts for the project. In a special edition of Cabana’s Finders Keepers series, James shares the stories behind ten exceptional pieces found within this unique hotel.

Read the article here»

One Day with Oberto Gili

For Oberto Gili, photography has never been about perfection. Over a career spent moving between New York, Italy and some of the world’s most fascinating houses, he remains drawn to the details that reveal how people truly live. As he marks the launch of his new book Everything, At Once, published by Cabana, Oberto reflects on curiosity, observation and the enduring pleasure of finding meaning in the things others might overlook.

Read the interview here»

A Greek Summer: Cabana launches New Travel Guide, A Weekend in Greece, at Pavilion Press

Cabana’s latest travel guide, A Weekend in Greece, drew London’s Hellenic and Greece-loving crowd to Pavilion Press in Chelsea for a lively launch breakfast, where editors, tastemakers and longtime Greece insiders gathered to support the magazine’s newest, and beautifully curated, travel companion.

Read the article here»

Travel Guide: A Weekend in Montenegro

The tiny nation of Montenegro is the unsung gem of the Adriatic coast, an ancient land where writers, poets, intrepid travelers, and adventurers have long been seduced by mountains, monasteries, secret beaches and medieval fortresses. Fabrizia Caracciolo shares an insider’s guide.

Read the travel guide here»

A Modernist Home in São Paulo, Brazil

With the help of interior architect and designer Carolina Maluhy, entrepreneur Julia Hartogs transformed a tired mid-century townhouse in São Paulo, Brazil, into a serene retreat layered with family heirlooms, Brazilian modernism and a deeply personal history.

Read the article here»

My Devon with Paul Eldwin Glade

A small, particular stretch between Plymouth and Exeter, “caught between the windswept vastness of Dartmoor and the softer, almost turquoise coastline” is where Paul Eldwin Glade’s heart lies. The designer and creative director shares his favorite spots in this singular pocket of the English coast.

Read the travel guide here»

For more house tours, insider travel guides, inspirational interviews, Cabana Films, and more, visit the World of Cabana at cabanamagazine.com