Things To Do Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Spring Escape: The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier Resort, known as “America’s Resort” since 1778, has well deserved this title. It is the perfect place for a spring escape, you’ll fall in love with the well-manicured lawns and all the bright colored flowers. The stunning architecture takes you back in time and the lavish decor will make you feel like royalty. It is my duty as a fellow interior designer to give a shout-out to the famous Dorothy Draper for decorating this spectacular estate. The resort describes itself as “a timeless classic that maintains a high standard of elegance while catering to the expectations and creature comforts of twenty-first-century travelers.”

Top Things to Do at The Greenbrier

Relax

The Greenbrier is located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia so it is most well known for its mineral waters that have bubbled up from the surrounding Allegheny Mountain range. People have visited for the past 240 years to “take the waters” and bask in their healing powers. Therefore, a trip to the Greenbrier Mineral Spa is a must for a relaxing and therapeutic treatment that uses natural minerals found on the property. Their services include massages, facials, wraps, manicures, and of course, sulfur soaks and mineral baths. In addition to the spa, there are many places throughout the estate where you can simply sit and take in the beauty around you or read a book. With the spacious estate rooms, you won’t mind just chilling in your room.

Dine

Boasting 20 different bars and restaurants, there is something for every palate. Being a Dorothy Draper fan, Draper’s is one of my favorite places to eat at The Greenbrier. It is a super cheerful and lively ambiance and the menu features some of Dorothy’s very own recipes. Plus, there is an ice cream and dessert bar… I hear my sweet tooth calling! To really receive The Greenbrier experience, dining in the Main Dining Room is a must. It is the epitome of elegant southern dining. Everyone is dressed to impress and there is live music playing to set the tone for the night. It has been serving guests for over 100 years and the ravishing chandeliers were custom-made. If you fancy something unique, then In-Fusion is the place for you. They serve a variety of wonderful Asian dishes and have an elaborate sushi bar in the middle of the restaurant.

Get Active

The Greenbrier has more activities than you will ever have time to do in one visit alone. You can get off the beaten path and explore the surrounding area off-road in a Jeep Wrangler. An activity uncommon to most places is falconry but The Greenbrier gives you the opportunity to take falconry lessons; having the fortuity to get up close and personal with this majestic hunter has to be one of the coolest experiences. The sport has been around for 4,000 years! If you enjoy a court sport, they have top-notch tennis and pickleball facilities. It wouldn’t have the label of America’s Resort without world-class golf. One of the courses, The Greenbrier, is the only course in the world to have hosted both The Ryder Cup and The Solheim Cup. These are just a few of the over 55 amazing activities they offer at The Greenbrier. Furthermore, they offer children and teen programs so there is fun for the whole family!

The Best Shops in Palm Beach

If you’ve been following me, you know that I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Palm Beach earlier this year. Getting my fix of sunshine and warmth definitely reinvigorated me and the town was bursting with interior design inspiration everywhere I looked. One of my favorite things was visiting all the different shops to see what Palm Beach had on offer, and I was not disappointed! If you’re visiting the area, be sure to check out these four amazing locations. You won’t regret it!

1. Worth Avenue

Worth Avenue is not one specific shop, but rather a shopper’s paradise. It is filled with exclusive clothing boutiques and home furnishing shops. Many of them sell both clothing and furniture, which is great if you’re like me, and love both! Palm Beach is truly one of my favorite places to come and buy clothing, beautifully embroidered caftans, straw handbags and sandals, and beautiful home furnishings. The perfect area to spend a day in Palm Beach.

2. AERIN by Aerin Lauder

AERIN, located on Via Mizner, Palm Beach, is a luxury lifestyle store that sells clothing, accessories, beauty products, decor, and furniture. Aerin Lauder is the granddaughter of Estee’ Lauder and a renowned businesswoman. She founded AERIN on the idea that “living beautifully should be effortless.” She is known for being a lover of traveling, design, and fashion, and her stores truly reflect that style.

All of AERIN’s products fit perfectly into the Grand Millennial style that I love. Each piece is timeless with a modern flare. Simply being inside the shop gave me a lot of inspiration for my own designs. I was inspired by how elegant and simple many of the pieces were and how she used delicate pops of color to bring life to the shop. If you can’t make it to Palm Beach, AERIN also has locations in East Hampton and Southampton in New York, as well as an online shop!

3. IL Papiro

IL Papiro is the perfect shop if you’re looking at remodeling your home office, you love journaling, or you want to give someone a special gift! This shop is famous for its Italian marbleized papers inspired by Tuscan tradition. They specialize in desk accessories, picture frames, dust bins, storage boxes, journals, and more. Every single item in this shop was beautifully handcrafted with the most elegant designs. Having your workspace filled with beautiful items helps create a more productive atmosphere and motivates you throughout the workday. Because of that, I really recommend buying desk accessories from this shop.

IL Papiro is historically important, because its founders revived this nearly extinct Tuscan tradition of paper-making, and marbleizing paper. Each item is created in Firenze Italy and imported to their shops around the world! They have 14 shops in Italy, 1 shop in America (Palm Beach), 2 shops in London, and 1 in Australia. If you can’t make it to Palm Beach, they also offer custom orders if you’re planning an event, such as a wedding, and want invitations made!

4. Walker Zabriskie Furniture

The next best Palm Beach shop to visit is the Walker Zabriskie Furniture store on Worth Avenue. Inspired by his travels, Walker Zabriskie has brought his signature style to Palm Beach. His shop is simply filled with beautiful and unique furniture pieces, artwork, and decor from all over the world, namely Bali, Europe, Africa, and India. When I visited, I was especially captivated by their beautiful ceramic lamps and artwork. Their accessories and furnishings are all unique and would add a wonderful “well-traveled” look to any house.

Walker regularly travels the world to bring Palm Beach only the most beautiful items. This is a perfect shop to visit if you’re inspired by different design styles around the world and would like to bring that into your home!

Palm Beach, full of inspiration!

Aside from the shops, every corner of Palm Beach is bursting with color, beautiful nature, and design inspiration. Be sure to check out our article on The Colors of Palm Beach. If you love visiting furniture stores but have difficulty visualizing which items will look good in your home, we provide a full range of renovation and design services to bring our clients’ designs to fruition. We oversee and manage the entire remodeling and decorating process, including visiting the stores with you! Head to our services page to get started today.

Making This New Year Special: Tips & Reflections

2020 was full of lessons about coping with the unexpected and finding joy in the people we love. It seems that a lot of us have been waiting to say goodbye to 2020, looking forward to more hopeful times and the light at the end of the tunnel. And as we get ready to enter 2021, a lot of people are wondering how to mark this occasion. While this year won’t be like previous New Years, there is still plenty we can do to prepare for a fresh start ahead!

Last New Years

This time last year I was in New York City, taking in the lights and getting ready to welcome the New Year. I had the pleasure of visiting the Plaza Hotel for a fun evening with family, friends, and champagne (obviously!). I was ready for 2020. I had plans to embrace the new year with vigour and determination…interior design was on my mind. It was a lovely time, but nothing could have prepared me for the year that laid ahead. I hope that next year I’ll be able to return to NYC to take in more design and visit the Plaza Hotel again!

Bringing in 2021

Many of us have trouble imagining a New Year’s celebration without big parties and fireworks. While we won’t be able to celebrate as usual, there is still plenty we can do to start 2021 with the right mindset:

Set Intentions for the New Year

Setting intentions is useful no matter what time of year it is. Ask yourself questions like, who am I, what kind of life do I want to lead, and what can help me get there? These could be concrete goals (e.g. buying a house, changing jobs, getting in shape, etc), or more internal goals (e.g. practicing patience, starting meditation, etc). It’s good to lead life with intention and mindfulness, to help us cope with the unexpected.

Be Realistic

If there’s one thing we’ve all learned this year, it’s that you can plan all you want, but life will always have plans of its own. Realistically, life is not going to instantly get better on January 1st. Be realistic with how much you can actually predict for 2021, and aim to be kind to yourself with whatever may come your way. Making peace with the unexpected is definitely one of my 2021 goals!

Celebrate Safely

Although big parties have been cancelled, there’s nothing stopping you from getting a bottle of champagne to pop at home! Get dressed up, treat yourself to your favorite food, play some great music, and make a night of it! If you live alone, try to organize a video call with people you love. Alternatively, focus more on New Year’s Day. Plan to relax, clean your space, eat well, and really start off 2021 on the right foot!

A Lesson in Design

Life is much like Interior Design. You prepare for the design by finding inspiration, making plans, and setting goals. And once the project begins, unexpected twists and turns are sure to come your way. Maybe the paint color isn’t what you expected it to be. Maybe the sofa just doesn’t quite fit in the space. When you encounter these problems, the solution is not to throw the entire design away. You work with the mistakes, you reorder the sofa, and you keep trying until the design is perfect…in all its imperfections.

We can plan and set goals, but life has surprises for us, Global Pandemic or not. Let’s prepare to take those surprises and get ready to turn them into something beautiful. I’m confident that 2021 will be brighter for all of us. So get your champagne, and have a very happy New Year!

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