Copy of TROORA_Living_Spring_Issue_2023

Meet some of SF’s great up-and-coming people and businesses. You can learn how fallen neighborhood trees are turned into beautiful, bespoke pieces (From Soul Trees to Custom Home Interiors). Check out the SF food scene with featured chefs Suzette Gresham (More than a Chef), Daniel Azarkman (El Lopo), Ravi Kapur (“Local Food” with a Hawaiian Twist), and more. Explore the arts with James Bacchi (#InTheSky), Mark Decena (Kontent for Change), and Sarah Arnold (Capturing a Concert). In our Fashion section we share our highly anticipated photoshoot featuring Lance Victor Moore's bespoke accessories and Couture Masks and Jad Racha's Timeless Bridal designs. We also bring to light other designers in the Bay Area such as (Artist and couture fashion designer Colleen Sen, Inga Tarelaite of Apoteca, fashion forward thoughtful objects and jewelry by Stella Fluorescent and much more. San Francisco is rich with hidden gems and raw talent. It is an honor to share this meticulously curated list created just for you!

L I V I N G

Wolfgat, and it’s Celebrated chef, KOBUS VAN DER MERWE Are Making Massive Waves on the International Dining Scene A Star Is Born

A Collective Of WOMEN REDEFINING The Way We See Travel Photography Bell Collective

Interior Designer COURTNEY MCLEOD Creating Cohesive Expression With Color, Texture & Pattern Right Meets Left

SPRING ISSUE

Lucid Motors Luxury mobility company reimagining what a car can be.

Peruvian Wall Mirror - Crescent Moon

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estellecoloredglass.com

vintage-inspired yet refined and modern colored glass collection that starts a revival of colored glass that is reminiscent of a past time

A carefully chosen selection of items for people that enjoy “ the finer things in life. ”

dlish.us

THE WORLD’S FINEST HIDE RUGS

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Founder TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM

CREATIVE ART DEPARTMENT Creative Director TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor In Chief TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM Copy Editor AMANDA ORAHA Editorial Design Director SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO Creative Art Director ANDRES MALDONADO

Proofreading CRISTINA DEPTULA

WRITING DEPARTMENT Contributing Writer MICHAEL DAKS Contributing Writer NIZIE LOKMAN Contributing Writer JESSE ADUMA

ART DEPARTMENT Graphic Design Director SAMMY CAMPANER Asset Creator MUHAMMAD ASIM Photo Editor ALAA AL-SAEED Photo Editor ZAIN AL-TAWEEL Brand Strategy Graphic Designer JANINE AIGNER ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Global Brand Outreach KATIE LISTER European Brand Outreach MANSOUR NDIAYE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT Operations Director TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT Executive Administrative Assistant RONA MAGLINES Virtual Administrative Assistant INNAH MARIE ALMARENIA

Culinary Contributing Writer CARY WONG Contributing Writer CRISTINA DEPTULA Travel Contributing Writer FILIPA ARAÚJO Fashion & Beauty Contributing Writer STELLA POLIZOIDOU Beauty Contributing Writer NEHA SURADKAR Contributing Writer GEORGE DIKE Contributing Writer KEVIN JEFFREY JAMES Contributing Writer MRUDAVI PUNEKAR Contributing Writer HIRA TUFAIL Contributing Writer ADEPEJU FARUQ Contributing Writer ROBYN ALEXANDER Contributing Writer VICKI SLEET Contributing Writer GREG COX Contributing Writer MANDY ALLEN Contributing Writer TUDOR CARADOC-DAVIES Contributing Writer ELSA YOUNG Contributing Writer GRAHAM WOOD Contributing Writer TARA SLOGGETT Contributing Writer DANIELA KRATZ STYLING DEPARTMENT Styling Contributor SHELLEY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT Contributing Photographer MICHAEL DAKS Contributing Photographer GAELLE BELLER Contributing Photographer WARREN HEATH Contributing Photographer KWAME ACHEAMPONG Contributing Photographer COURAGE MUEGBEYOGHO Contributing Photographer GILBERT ASANTE

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TrooRa’s Sustainability Efforts

TrooRa is committed to building a sustainable business model promoting and protecting the environment . Our digital platform on troora.com offers a conscious approach, creating an immersive space. With your help in building robust online support, TrooRa will print fewer magazines to ensure we remain a leader in the industry. However, when TrooRa produces print issues, we will uphold the highest quality in sustainable standards.

The magazine you are reading is:

printed on fully recycled paper;

printed with vegetable-based ink and biodegradable laminates;

printed in close proximity to our markets in an effort to reduce distribution emissions.

Trystanne Cunningham Editor-In-Chief Creative Director Founder

Charles Schoenberger

Editor’s Notes

As TrooRa Founder, Creative Director, and Executive Editor, I am thrilled and honored to re-introduce our second publication. TrooRa Living is focused on diverse makers, home design, decor, culinary, art, and culture, highlighting and honing in on the best practices of the wellness industry from a global perspective. TrooRa’s Living Spring ’23 Issue, on hiatus for a few years now, has been reborn. This spring issue showcases the stories of inspirational creatives passionate about their crafts. You will enjoy the distinct methods of Interior Designer Courtney McLeod and the unique ways she compiles the utilization of a kaleidoscopic toolbox of texture, pattern, and color that creates singular and cohesive expressions of each of her client’s unique personalities and lifestyles. In Culinary, it may be a small restaurant with a small staff in a small seaside town on South Africa’s West Coast—but Wolfgat and its celebrated chef, Kobus van der Merwe, are making massive waves on the international dining scene. Discover the Huka Lodge, start planning the holiday of your dreams! Elegant and calming, opulent yet grounded, the eighteen Junior Lodge Suites and single Lodge Suite are the ultimate romantic retreat for couples at Huka Lodge, while the four-bedroom Owner’s Cottage and the two-bedroom Alan Pye Cottage showcase unparalleled comfort and luxury, with multi-generational family holidays in mind. Artist Katarina Tifft carefully handcrafts her stunning art with tiny seashells making organic, textured patterns found in nature. We bring you a powerful article focused on mental wellness and a new innovative app that solves issues within the wine industry’s inventory. Enjoy delicious, healthy, fresh spring salad recipes from Daniella Kratz of Farmhouse Lab. This Living issue celebrates the season with crisp spring colors inviting you to step out of your shell to begin edging into summer. We are proud to continue to increase our featured subjects’ brand awareness, exposure, and visibility through TrooRa Living Issues. Never miss this or any TrooRa Magazine issues. Follow us online at troora.com and #prescribe to our print subscription offer, and keep up with our social media posts on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and Twitter. Ta Ta For Now et A+! TrooRa Magazine! Be Inspired!

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L I V I N G

Create, Inspire, Grow Discover TrooRa

YE ARLY PRINT SUBSCRIPTION

Clean Conscious Skin Care Cruelty Free, Vegan, Organic, Inclusive for all Skin Types Get Your Glow On

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CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

GRAHAM WOOD Bureaux Contributing Wr i ter

CRISTINA DEPTULA Contributing Wr i ter

SHERDELLAH ANUNCIADO Editorial Design Di rec tor

ANDRES MALDONADO Creative Art Di rec tor

AMANDA ORAHA Copy Editor

TRYSTANNE CUNNINGHAM Editor-in-Chief

PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THIS ISSUE

GREG COX

BUREAUX

ELSA YOUNG

HUKALODGE.CO.NZ

TARA SLOGGETT Contributing Wr i ter

DANIELLA KRATZ Contributing Wr i ter

FILIPA ARAÚJO Trave l Contributing Wr i ter

ROBYN ALEXANDER Bureaux Contributing Wr i ter

MANDY ALLEN Contributing Wr i ter

TUDOR CARADOC- DAVIS Contributing Wr i ter

VICKI SLEET Contributing Wr i ter

WARREN HEATH

FARMHOUSE LAB

UNSPLASH

yoursustainablehome.com

ARARAT ENCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

Armenian brandy made from Armenian white grapes and spring water

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CONTENTS

Home Design & Decor

42 52 62

SECRETLY SEEKING SPRING

COLOR CODED

SENSUAL SIMPLICITY

Culinary

FOOD FROM THE SOUL

100 1 10 1 18 126

A STAR IS BORN

REAL LIVE WILLY WONKA! THEAMERICAN-ITALIAN DREAM

INVINTORY

Travel

136 144 160

STAY AT HUKA LODGE

BELL COLLECTIVE TRAVEL KINDLY

Right Meets Left 74 COURTNEY

MCLEOD SAYS “GET BEYOND THE BEIGE!”

A Start is Born 100

WOLFGAT, AND ITS CELEBRATED CHEF KOBUS VAN DER MERWE, IS MAKING MASSIVE WAVES ON THE INTERNATIONAL DINING SCENE.

Bell Collective 144 A COLLECTIVE OF WOMEN REDEFINING THE WAY WE SEE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

A VESSEL COMPANY

TIMELESS AND UNIQUE VESSELS. MODERN MINIMALISTIC CERAMICS AND PAPER MACHÉ VESSELS HANDMADE TO FILL YOUR HOME.

SPARSANDMINIMAL.COM

Art, Music, & Film

172 178

TIFFT’S GOLDEN RATIO

KWAME’S EYE-PHONE ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY

188 194

VEIGA’S BLAZING ART REBUILDING CHICAGO

Wellness

206

LIVING IN AWE: ABUNDANCE, WELLNESS, EMPOWERMENT

214 220 228

COLORFUL TASTE & HEALTHY LIVING WORKING OUT AT HOME EFFECTIVELY

Tifft’s Golden Ratio 172 A MIXED MEDIA ARTIST FROM FLORIDA IS MASTERING THE SHELL CRAFT, TURNING ORGANIC SEASHELLS INTO SENSATIONAL ART

PREVENTION, NOT TREATMENT

Kwame’s Eye-Phone 178

KWAME ACHEAMPONG CAPTURES HIS IMAGES THROUGH THE LENS OF HIS IPHONE.

Living in AWE: Abundance, Wellness, Empowerment 206 INNOVATOR MARK CHASAN

DESCRIBES AWE AS A STATE OF AMAZEMENT, WONDER, LOVE, REVERENCE, AND GRATITUDE FOR ALL WE HAVE THE FORTUNE TO EXPERIENCE.

swim and lounge wear sustainable and inclusive designed for fit, comfort, and versatility

boldswim.com

Plant-based designs bringing the outside in & celebrating the natural world

fableandbase.co.uk

42 SECRETLY SEEKING SPRING BY TARA SLOGGETT Gather your friends and take a trip to a colorful wonderland. 52 COLOR CODED BY ROBYN ALEXANDER Ten of the best color-filled kitchens. 62 SENSUAL SIMPLICITY BY GRAHAM WOOD This classic Haussmannian apartment in the heart of old Paris was built for the owner’s art collection.

home design & decor

PHOTOGRAPHED BY WARREN HEATH WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY TARA SLOGGETT

Spring is just around the corner, we can almost taste it; Gather your friends and take a trip

to a colorful wonderland. S pringtime 2023 holds a much bigger significance to all of us. So bring a smile to friends and family by celebrating together, using what you already have, bringing joy and hope in abundance. Start afresh and if you’re a lover of color and a little bit of a dreamer, get your whimsical on with our Springtime set up.

Secretly Seeking Spring

PREPARATION FOR PERFECTION Ensure you have all the ingredients to guarantee a stress-free funfilled party then pack up your car and head into the great outdoors. * Keep the bubbles and spirits nicely chilled in this retro style cooler.

SET THE SCENE Create a beautiful Springtime celebration with ease. Go for easy to transport furniture and colorful accessories. *A pair of trestle legs and a plank of wood makes the perfect instant table. *Linen always looks stylish ironed or not, so remove the hard work and glam up your table. *More the merrier. Armfuls of colorful wild flowers are perfect for filling recycled bottles and jars to scatter on your table. *Never overlook what’s growing wild. Even weeds make the prettiest of decorations, like these trailing nasturtiums. Suspend the vine to create the prettiest feature wall. * Keep your cool under a beautiful tasselled umbrella that has UVF50+ protection too. * From white painted brickwork to a fabulous flower filled wall, find yourself a backdrop that is Insta-worthy and keep those memories alive forever.

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD When it comes to feeding your guests, keep things simple so you can enjoy the celebrations too. *A good G and T topped up with fresh fruits and herbs and a finishing touch of edible flowers will be greatly received by guests. * Glam up your cheeseboard with finger-licking toppings of honey and walnuts, served on a bed of edible flowers and miniature veg. *Take a plain cake and use the filling to decorate the outside for an on- trend naked cake. Top with mouthwatering berries and edible flowers for a beautiful centerpiece in a matter of minutes. If you’re feeling Easter vibes, add a few chocolate eggs too. *If the little ones are joining, you’ll never go wrong with bowls of miniature chocolate eggs. NB: if using the cake pic with yellow dress, the dried hydrangea is just for décor, all other flowers are edible.

DECORATIVE TOUCHES There’s no need to spend a fortune. Use vintage pieces, dried flowers, and and paper decorations all reminiscent of welcoming in the warmer weather and sunnier days ahead. *Upcycle vintage tennis rackets with pretty ribbon on the handles and dried hydrangeas and use as decorative touches to your table by simply leaning up against the the wall. When the party’s over, you can use as an everlasting floral artwork in your home.

*Add a nod to Easter with readymade decorations you can scatter throughout your table or create an Easter tree by hanging paper eggs from a branch. *No fancy plates? No worries! Add a quirky touch by using vintage tennis rackets as serving platters.

SHOPPING CREDITS Cooler box in Orchard Orange, The Fieldbar Co. www.fieldbar.co.za @ fieldbar.co Llandudno retro tasselled umbrella, The Beach Bums @thebeachbums.cpt Dried Hydrageas, Jane Valken janevalken.com @janevalken Edible flowers, Freshly Delivered freshlydelivered.co.za @ freshlydeliveredcpt Linen tablecloth, paper Easter egg decorations, green crockery, pink teacup, square seat pads, baskets, all H&M.

REGENERATIVE AND JUST.

zero-waste, fair fashion

tonle.com

COLOR CODED Ten of the best color-filled kitchens F rom leafy greens to bold blues – plus peachy coral and PHOTOGRAPHED BY GREG COX, ELSA YOUNG, WARREN HEATH WRITTEN BY ROBYN ALEXANDER PRODUCED BY SVEN ALBERDING

even a luscious lilac – the lively shades used in these bright and breezy kitchens are sure to inspire a colorful makeover in your own home.

CUT THE MUSTARD The restoration of a modernist suburban house took care to honour the primary palette used originally in the home via playful pops of color – such as the bright yellow tiles used for the kitchen splashback. This eye-catching element combines with stone countertops, a whitewashed arched brick ceiling and oak built-in shelf above the counter to make for a contemporary update that also gives a knowing nod to mid-century color palettes and design. Tip Adding loads of easy, sunny charm to the kitchen – as well as an authentic modernist feel – the 130x130mm square yellow tiles used for the splashback were sourced from Tile House (tilehouse.co.za).

TRUE BLUE Renowned for her penchant for bright colors, an interior designer took the use of bold shades – and combinations thereof – to the next level in her own family home. First off, she painted all the walls of the dining room, kitchen, and lounge in a vibrant forest green (inspired by the color of a ceramic beer mug she’d found in an antique store!) and then splashed dashing blue on the kitchen cabinetry. “Once I start, I can’t stop.” She smiles. “White just looks blah.” Tip The kitchen was all white before interior designer Sarah Ord (sarahord.com) put her color sense to work here. The walls are painted in Hunters Prairie (G4-C1-1) by Plascon (plascon.com), and the cupboards in Granite Falls (B4-C1-2), by the same manufacturer. Thea artwork of a seated lady viewed from behind is a Picasso print on chipboard, unearthed at Cape Town’s Milnerton Market (milnertonfleamarket.co.za).

MY BLUE HEAVEN Since it’s owned by an art dealer and collector, it feels very appropriate that the kitchen of an austerely lovely urban abode should feature a wall of built-in cupboards painted in a shade as close to Yves Klein blue as this one. The color offsets the cast concrete structure beautifully, and complements the mid-century furniture as well as the contemporary and tribal African art that the owner has been collecting for over 20 years. Tip The kitchen is open plan to the dining room, and leads out an open courtyard space. The vintage runner provides a touch of complementary color, as do the artworks, while the industrial lights date from the late 1930s and originally hung in an old German warehouse.

JUST PEACHY This open-plan mountainside home is filled with natural light year round, so the bold decision to go with a pale coral shade for the kitchen walls, combined with plenty of dark, rich iroko wood, has paid off handsomely. The result is a warm and genuinely inviting space. The skylight window inserted above the open shelves means the play of light on the wall – and the items displayed on the shelves – changes throughout the day. Tip For a similar paint color, try Terracotta Teas or Lovely Papaya, both by Dulux (dulux.com). The kitchen joinery was custom-made by Kitch Inc (kitchinc.co.za), and the concrete countertops are by Stoneform Concrete Studios (stoneform.co.za).

POP HEART “I didn’t want to feel like I was living in a small space with really small appliances,” says this homeowner, who accordingly designed his very compact kitchen (the entire apartment is just 68m2) to accommodate a full-sized, much- used cooker. To add character to the all-white small space, he then added smaller appliances, cookware, and artworks in a range of ultra-bright primary colors that really make this interior scheme sing for its supper. Tip The colorful cast-iron pots and measuring jug are all by Le Creuset (lecreuset.com), as is the stovetop kettle. The Coca Cola bottles on display in front of the poster artwork are collector’s pieces that speak to the homeowner’s work in the world of branding.

IN THE NAVY Featuring grandly proportioned rooms and a park-like garden, this house is also home to a tribe of six children – including pre-tween triplets. As a result, it’s essential that elegance be combined with family-friendly practicality, as seen in the kitchen, where fitted cabinetry was previously painted turquoise, and is now a much more sophisticated navy. The light oak counters were stained dark, too, and the result is a space that’s both savvy and smart. Tip Interior designer Simone Hirsch (simonekatherineinteriors. com) selected the paint color and contrasting patterned splashback wall tiles, as well as choosing Zimbabwean Black Stone countertops to add a further dimension of practicality to the prep areas.

PARTY CENTRAL The all-white island and cabinetry in this family kitchen is designed to fade into the background, enabling one’s attention to be focused on the plethora of colorful artworks and objects on display. What’s more, by night, the lighting can be switched to a colorful “disco” mode, transforming it from domestic hub to a strobe- and color-filled party zone at the flick of a switch. “I love the notion that we are having a regular family dinner but have disco lights on too. It’s all about being playful,” says the homeowner. Tip A series of eye-catching photographic prints by homeowner Kirsten Goss’s (kirstengoss.com) husband, Clive Will (clivewill.com), as well as objects and artworks collected from artists, craftspeople, and markets across Africa, are showcased here and throughout the home.

OLIVE GARDEN

In a real old grande dame of a house, the ground floor kitchen leads out onto the garden and a covered patio, as well as an adjacent casual dining space and sitting area. The traditional- style fitted joinery is painted a beautiful deep green color reminiscent of park benches and leafy trees, and is smartly complemented by vintage light fixtures and patterned encaustic floor tiles that add to the room’s old-school appeal. Tip The cabinetry is painted in Garden Seat by Plascon (plascon.com), the cooker is by Bertazzoni (universal. bertazzoni.com), and the white glass light fitting is from Gilles de Moyencourt Haute-Antiques (instagram.com/ haute_antiques/). The contemporary sculpture just seen through the doorway is by salvage artist Philippe Bousquet, and is made from old car parts. It was sourced at Southern Guild (southernguild.co.za).

PURPLE HAZE In small city spaces, there’s

often a tendency to eschew color in favor of neutrals, but the owner of this apartment has instead applied shades of green, cobalt blue, red, and even electric pink – among others – to the walls of his home. Far from making it seem cramped, his graphic color- blocking tendencies bring individual rooms to life – and define them. The brilliant lilac kitchen walls, for example, create a sense of separation from the hallway leading directly into it, as well as the adjacent living room. Tip The homeowner describes his use of color in the kitchen as “completely instinctive” and designed to add a sense of drama. The countertops are made from cast concrete, and the carved wooden stools were made by an Afro-French artisan in Paris.

IN THE PINK “I am naturally drawn to color,” says the interior designer and owner of this petite but perfectly formed family home. And from the bright blue and green ikat wallpaper in the guest cloakroom to the fuchsia pink seen here in the open-plan dining and kitchen space, joyfully vibrant shades meet the eye all over the house. Asked where her affinity for color comes from, she simply says, “Color makes me feel happy and brings interiors to life.” Tip Homeowner and interior designer Kim Stephen (kimstephen.com) decided on a chic monochrome “backdrop” in the open-plan kitchen and dining area of her home. Onto this, she layered subtle texture – as seen in the dining chairs, from Sika Design (sika-design. com) – and eye-catching color accents such as the bright pink rug from Gonsenhausers Fine Rugs (finerugs.co.za).

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY GREG COX WRITTEN BY GRAHAM WOOD STYLED BY SVEN ALBERDING

Sensual Simplicity

The study is to the right of the entrance. As well as an art collection, Frederic’s clients have a substantial collection of books, and the study functions as a library. The bench integrated with the desk, designed specifically for this space by Frederic, is lit from behind by a window onto the courtyard. Its purity and simplicity of form exemplifies Frederic’s approach: using materials like wood, stone, and leather in a celebration of textures, which he layers to create the “sensual simplicity”—a “soft touch, a smell, an expressive look, a classical reference…” The desk lamp is by Lampe Gras. A figural sculpture suspended in the corner is one of British artist Marilène Oliver’s “Dervishes.”

This classic Haussmannian apartment in the heart of old Paris was built as a low-profile frame for the owner’s art collection, yet it finds luxury in its simple, elegant, contemporary approach and rich textural aesthetic.

W hen architect Frederic Berthier first encountered this apartment, its classical character was completely obscured. It was in what he calls a “classical Parisian building”—a nineteenth- century Haussmannian apartment building—in “the real old Paris,” the historical center of Saint-Germain-des-Prés among the galleries and bookshops and the famous cafes where everyone from Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir to Picasso, Ernest Hemmingway, and James Baldwin would hang out. “The apartment had been decorated by an architect in the 80s,” says Frederic. “There were angles everywhere, very complicated volumes and corridors...” The design was the complete antithesis of its classical character. “I tried to bring it back,” he says. “My work was mainly to rebuild the rooms as they were before.”

A subtle division has been created between the living room and TV area with a long, low bookshelf. “A part of it is made with cedar,” says Frederic. “It smells very good; I really love it.” The circular table is by Christian Liaigre. The wooden floors recall classic Parisian materials, and a long, low ledge in Carrara marble is perfect for the display of art. The lounge suite is by Frederic Berthier Design. The sofa, coffee table, and wood-block side table are all by Christian Liaigre. The natural textures of the raw wood and sisal rug contrast with the sleek black of the other furniture. Frederic says that he felt it was important when creating a sanctuary that shelters his clients from the information overload and rapid pace of change that characterize modern life, to create a connection with nature. He’s achieved that through the use of natural materials, but also by filling the terraces with plants. One of his favorite things about this apartment, he says, is that “you are in the centre of Paris, but you live with open windows and you see only green.”

He doesn’t, however, mean that he created a replica of a classical nineteenth- century home. To begin with, the apartment didn’t have mouldings or any of the other decorative details of the era to preserve. Its character was in its proportions—“Big entrance, everything square or almost.” “My idea was to create a very low-profile architecture,” says Frederic. “Very simple.” His clients collect art and books. “They are kind people,” he says. “I wanted to create a soft apartment for them.” The apartment, he says, was also to “be a frame for the pieces of art.” He stripped out the previous architectural intervention until he had “an empty box.” The walls, like those of a gallery, are white, with the notable exception of the entrance hall, where they are clad in a very dark, gloss- sealed wood. This reversal of the “white box” is also in the service of art. “The black entrance has been created like that for the Anish Kapoor artworks,” he explains. The luminosity of Kapoor’s acrylic “Space as an Object” sculptures, which look like rapidly rising bubbles trapped and frozen in time and space, are given their full expression in a dark setting. The dark walls make the boundaries or edges of the entrance hall hard to define. They seem to recede, creating a sense of an infinite space that allows the full drama of the void or absence at the centre of these remarkable artworks to find expression.

Although the kitchen is also used for the display of art (the layered resin work, “The Kiss” is by British artist Marilène Oliver), it is also a fully functional, practical space. The apartment’s celebration of natural materials, particularly Carrara marble, wood, and steel, continues in the kitchen, which also is, like the living areas, a white box layered with natural materials and a frame for the art. The kitchen is partially divided from the dining room by display shelves that wrap around the dining area and were designed specifically for the owners’ extensive collection of tableware. “It had to work well as a display, but also be convenient because they really use the kitchen,” says Frederic. The dining table is by Frederic Berthier Design. The Wishbone chairs are by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son. The barstools in the kitchen are Philippe Starck for Emeco.

allow the works their full expression. The fact that Kapoor’s work is concerned with the nature of space, and the manner in which objects (or absences) define the spaces around them, is given an advantageous setting in the entrance hall because the dark walls make the space in the entrance hall, its boundaries or edges, hard to define, or to seem to recede. In the entrance hall, the frame, contrary to what the word suggests, is almost without borders. (Kapoor is known for his fascination with black, and, interestingly, has the exclusive artistic rights to the world’s blackest pigment, a substance known as Vantablack.)

Architect Frederic Berthier says that, apart from stripping away a 1980s alteration to the apartment and restoring its classic Parisian character and proportions, he saw his task as creating an architectural “frame” for his clients’ art collection. The entrance hall of this apartment in Saint Germain des Pres in Paris, is designed specifically to display the owner’s series of acrylic Anish Kapoor “Space as an Object” sculptures. The walls are clad in a very dark, gloss-sealed wood, allowing the luminosity of the frozen, trapped air bubbles their maximum effect. Light is central to these works, and the darkened walls—the opposite of the “white cube” of the archetypal gallery—

The bedroom exemplifies the notion of “sensual simplicity” in its pared- back, modern aesthetic and monochrome color scheme. Its use of simple but rich natural materials, however, belies its monastic appearance. The lamps and the side tables are all by Christian Liaigre. The piece of art on the wall is by Pavlos Dionyssopoulos.

Before Frederic established his own architectural practice, he worked for a number of very prestigious architects, including a couple of years with Jean Nouvel—“architects all dressed in black”—and a longer spell with Philippe Starck. “I loved working for him. I learnt so many things. He’s really a smart guy. His level of detail is very high.” Ultimately, however, Frederic found that for him “the essence of architecture is really ‘home.’ My main reference is more a shelter than a tower.” He explains, “This is where I found poetry … in simple things.” Although he found Starck’s ideas-driven approach to architecture impressive, and even touching at times, Frederic found materiality, simplicity, and sensuality more fundamentally important in the end than novelty. “I see my work mostly in creating soft places, to protect people from [the world] outside,” he explains, clarifying that this refers to projects in cities where the information overload and pace of change erode peace of mind. “I try to create environments where you feel peaceful, with your family, friends or alone, where you can be yourself, disconnect from all that, and take a breath.”

The greenery on the balcony, when you open the windows, adds to the serene atmosphere. “In this apartment, you are in the centre of Paris, but if you leave the windows open, you see only green,” Frederic observes. The white walls have another advantage. “At the end of the day, when you have an orange sunset, all the white walls take this orange color,” says Frederic. “You can’t have this if your walls are too dark.” But the design of this apartment is not just about looking. The “sensual simplicity” Frederic refers to differs from minimalism in its tactile qualities—its warmth, softness, texture. “I like to see, but touching things is also very important, even smelling them,” says Frederic. “For example, there is a low library which separates the living room from the TV area. A part of it is made with cedar. It smells very good; I really love it.”

Architect Frederic Berthier is influenced by a number of the prestigious architects and designers he’s worked for in the past, including Jean Nouvel and Philippe Starck, but has subsequently forged his own aesthetic that is more concerned with a characteristic that he calls “sensual simplicity,” and which involves a celebration of natural materials and a sparely elegant, stripped-down version of classicism.

And so it was with this apartment. Beginning with the base of a white box, he enriched it and humanised it with layers of natural (and classically Parisian) materials: the beautiful oak floors, abundant Carrara marble, and furniture that celebrates both nature and classicism in its simplicity and proportions. “I think we are really peaceful when we connect with nature,” says Frederic. He also describes how his understated, neutral design celebrates nature. “There is really a lack of nature in Paris,” he says. “I try to [bring back] some nature with the materials I use.” The apartment’s white walls serve not just as a frame for art, but also as “a frame for all these amazing natural things.” “Materials, as they are in nature, or almost, is the best for me,” says Frederic. The wooden floors, the marble in the kitchen and bathrooms, and the ingenious low ledge in the living room for the display of art are also a celebration of nature’s art. “It’s always impressive to know that on the earth you can find a perfectly white marble with just a perfect grey pattern on it or an almost black wood. I try to show these kinds of things in my projects.”

Frederic is responsible for the design of a significant number of the fittings and furniture pieces in this Saint-Germain apartment. In describing his approach once again he speaks of a crossover of minimalism and classicism. “I start with classical features and try to erase all that is inessential in those classical things,” he says. So, no elaborate detail or decoration—the classicism comes through in the materials and proportions. His pared-down style is also a way of celebrating the materials. His furniture designs are mostly timber, perhaps including marble or leather. Although he spent years working for Philippe Starck, who remains one of his design idols, he says that aesthetically speaking, his own work is closer to the minimalism of the likes of John Pawson, Donald Judd, or Rothko. “There is no plastic in my projects, only natural things,” he says. “I love wood; it’s the perfect material.” The bathroom makes rich and abundant use of Carrara marble. While the material signals a certain opulence, the design is the perfect illustration of Frederic’s approach, which is more about expressing the natural characteristics of the materials than about sophisticated details. “I try to remove all the decorative parts of it and keep what is really essential,” he says. The end result is something that seems at once classical and modern. The taps are by Dornbracht. The wall light is by Christian Liaigre.

It’s through Frederic’s contemporary textural approach that this apartment turns simplicity to sophistication. There’s nothing ostentatious and opulent about it, and yet it provides both a calm atmosphere and a rich sensory experience. While the designs of the furniture are stripped of detail in their elegance, they nevertheless connect with the building through their classical proportions and their materials. “In the end, I think that we feel we are in a Parisian apartment,” says Frederic.

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Right Meets Left Interior Design Courtney McLeod Says “Get Beyond the Beige!”

PHOTO CREDIT: COURTNEY MCLEOD WRITTEN BY: CRISTINA DEPTULA

Get Beyond the Beige!

I nterior designer Courtney McLeod says it’s time to “get beyond the beige.” Based in NYC, she showcases a variety of home and business interiors full of vibrant pinks, oranges, greens, blues, grays, browns, and yellows. Her work suggests that people are moving away from simple and subdued looks toward bolder interiors. In a November 2022 interview with Architectural Digest , McLeod says she’s “seeing an embrace of maximalism over minimalistic styles. Sofas drenched in color, pattern, trim, fringe, and pillows. Velvets continue to be a popular fabric choice, as well as bold prints.”

designer, earning a business degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and becoming a leading portfolio manager in real estate private equity.

Some of the interiors she showcases on social media include balloons, huge floral arrangements, intricate paintings on living room walls, and touches of whimsy, such as bananas painted over an entire hallway near a child’s bedroom.

She brings the rigor and logic she learned from that into her current line of work. Also, having managed finances for real estate developers gave her a sense of how to speak their language and provide effective assistance with staging commercial properties for sale. McLeod says that she’d have made the career transition into her true passion earlier if she’d known how well her background would prepare her for entrepreneurship. She also suggests that other aspiring designers learn the basics of business accounting before opening their studios.

To McLeod, there isn’t one singular look that screams “good taste.” The ultimate luxury, as she says, is the ability to personalize your space. HOW FINANCE PREPARED HER FOR FULL-BRAINED DESIGN Courtney McLeod’s business handles a wide range of projects, from an interior decor refresh for a client’s apartment to a full-scale commercial project, working in consultation with architects to design a building from the ground up.

“Pattern and color are such

powerful tools to create emotional moments in your home—don’t be afraid to use them.”

Born and raised Creole in New Orleans, McLeod says her background has informed her taste, along with her extensive travels throughout Europe and Asia. Although she currently lives in Harlem, she says she’ll always be a Southerner at heart.

The name comes from her concept of combining right-brain aesthetic sense with left-brain analytical concerns for detail, analysis, and return on a client’s investment. McLeod worked in finance for 15 years before becoming a

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

McLeod debuted on the Elle Decor A-List as someone who “does not fear a yellow wall or quake at the sight of an orange sofa.” She received the Rising Star Award from Decoration and Design Building in 2022, was named an Emerging Designer To Watch by Luxe Magazine in 2019, and made the 1stdibs Top 50 Interior Designers List in 2022. House Digest considers her one of the most inspiring Black interior designers to watch and encourages people to follow her on Instagram. NBC’s Open House NYC featured some of her interiors as part of a series on “homes that aren’t afraid to take chances.” Also, one honor that makes McLeod extremely grateful is her recent election to the Board of Trustees of the New York School of Interior Design. “I look forward to making the most of this opportunity to open doors in the industry for students and designers of color. A decade ago, an introductory course at this school was my first baby step into the industry and a new life. This is a true full-circle moment. I hope to make all those who have opened doors for me along the way proud.”

“We utilize a kaleidoscopic toolbox of texture, pattern, and color to create a singular and cohesive expression of each client’s unique personality and lifestyle.”

BOLD, BESPOKE INTERIORS McLeod’s favorite clients are new homeowners and empty-nesters, people looking to move into a new phase of life. She loves to work with people in transition to create bespoke interiors that fit their lifestyles and reflect their personalities. She explains, “We utilize a kaleidoscopic toolbox of texture, pattern, and color to create a singular and cohesive expression of each client’s unique personality and lifestyle.”

She encourages clients to get out there, take risks, and boldly express their personal styles. McLeod says, “Pattern and color are such powerful tools to create emotional moments in your home— don’t be afraid to use them.”

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90 FOOD FROM THE SOUL BY CARY WONG How Chef Debra VanTrece Transcends Multiple Boundaries 100 A STAR IS BORN BY ROBYN ALEXANDER Wolfgat, and chef Kobus van der Merwe, is making massive waves on the international dining scene. 110 REAL LIVE WILLY WONKA! BY CARY WONG Chocolatier Philip Ashley Rix 118 THE AMERICAN-ITALIAN DREAM BY CARY WONG Chef Cristina Bowerman and Glass Hostaria 126 INVINTORY BY CRISTINA DEPTULA InVintory provides 3D inventory for your wine cellar

culinary

Food From The Soul How Chef Debra VanTrece Transcends Multiple Boundaries

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MIA YAKEL & JOSH SWINNEY WRITTEN BY: CARY WONG

Chef Debra VanTrece

“I was a bit of an introvert—which comes as a complete surprise to those who know me now,” says Chef Debra VanTrece. That fact may be rather unexpected for those who have seen her lively appearances on various TV programs. It was, however, not the only transformation she had gone through in her life.

Born and raised in Kansas City, she worked as a model and a flight attendant. Eventually, she became a culinary student at Atlanta’s Art Institute, graduated as a valedictorian, and settled in the city. There, she started working as an executive chef for a catering company. During the 1996 Olympics, she cooked for the VIPs and opened her first restaurant, Edible Art. Since then, she has started more ventures, including Twisted Soul, The Catering Company by VanTrece, Oreatha’s, and Serenidad—all as parts of the VanTrece Hospitality Group that she founded. She has also published The Twisted Soul Cookbook and was showcased at the James Beard House, among other honors. From a personal perspective, she also transitioned from being a daughter, a wife, a mother who came out as a lesbian, to co- owning businesses with her wife, Lorraine Lane. Through all the changes, the pleasure of gathering individuals to enjoy great food has never changed. “I learned early on that food was something that brought people together, no matter what the occasion,” she says. “My family was not rich or poor, just somewhere in the middle. But we considered ourselves blessed because there was always good food on the table. Not necessarily expensive food–but good food.”

Serenidad Chef Deborah VanTreces Second Restaurant in Historic Cascade Heights Now Open

Having been trained in classical French cooking techniques, she could have focused on any cuisine. However, she decided to focus on the dishes at the heart of her upbringing. As she traveled to different places, she also realized that the soul of a country is defined by the soul of its cuisine. With that in mind, she wants to celebrate the food that tells those age- old stories. “I understand my version of soul food was often going against tradition,” she says. “But I believe traditions were meant to be used as a foundation to build on. And as we evolve, so should our traditions.” In the beginning, she received strong push-back and faced lots of obstacles, from the assumption that soul food was all that she could make to the idea that soul food or comfort food was simply unimpressive, not to mention the false narrative that soul food was deadly to one’s health. The negative sentiments surrounding comfort cuisine were irrational. In her opinion, it is more challenging technically to make less-heralded ingredients—like hog intestines—taste as good as

Since she was young, her family created magic on the dinner table from paltry ingredients. The biggest feast was on Thanksgiving when all her family gathered and shared their best dishes. That tradition continued even when she grew up and moved away from home, as she would spend hours on the phone with her mother to discuss their menus and recipes. Fast forward to current times, Chef VanTrece is still working on menus and recipes—only now they are in the context of a restaurant group. For her, it is an exercise to balance her sensibility and creativity. She follows some basic rules, such as seasonality, ingredient combination, pricing, and considers the needs of those with special diets such as vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, the gluten-free, and others for an inclusive menu. After that, “comes the time for fun. This is when I really get to utilize all my knowledge from living, traveling, and reading to create something a little different but still familiar,” she says. “This is how I put a little of myself and my story in each dish.”

expensive ones. She takes pride in being innovative and creative with products that some consider castoffs. Nowadays, with the sustainability movement, more people are jumping onto the bandwagon. At the same time, more chefs are experimenting with soul foods of different cultures and accepting the diversity of good food in general. Being a Black female chef and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, her experience in the kitchen was a unique one. “Quite frankly, when I started this journey, I was simply a Black woman, not a lesbian Black woman,” she says. “I found out that my male counterparts were more concerned with what was between my legs instead of my culinary acumen.”

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It was a daily reality for her to deal with rampant sexual innuendos, inappropriate comments, and name-calling. As a Black woman, she was passed up for promotions, talked-down to, and ridiculed for wanting to do “that kind of food.” Once she came out as a lesbian, in addition to losing customers, she was subject to harassment that came in the form of gossip. She was constantly told that she did not look like a lesbian. “I’m still trying to figure out what a lesbian is supposed to look like and how that plays into my ability to cook,” she says. “I can’t say that these experiences changed my view of the kitchen because I’ve never seen it from any other space... I can only share the perspective from my eyes.” In addition to dealing with the toxic environment in the kitchen, it is also difficult for minorities to access capital. It has always been and continues to be a problem. She does not believe that there is any easy fix. Though it could start with not just listening but truly hearing the cries for equitable opportunities within the system, and

Agua De Vida

asking what we can do to make things better. To Chef VanTrece, marginalized communities are called that for a reason, and it is our responsibility to help find solutions to these real-life issues. There need to be better resources and platforms for true engagement with financiers. Minorities themselves must take the initiative to learn how to establish relationships with banks and know when to cut ties if the relationships are no longer mutually-beneficial. She does think improvements are being made by many organizations to remove barriers, to educate, and to mentor. And even though things are moving in the right direction, there is still a long way to go. Despite all the obstacles— with neither a roadmap showing her the way nor counselors steering her accomplished a lot. For that reason, she is committed to providing mentorship and helping the next generation. As far as her business in the right direction— she does feel she has empire goes, the next step is to expand outside of the Atlanta area. The exact locations are yet to be decided, but the process has already begun. In addition, another cookbook is in the making. When asked about her favorite cuisine, she says she simply loves good food and does not have a strong preference. However, when she feels down, her go-to is always the traditional African American soul food. “Like my mother would make,” she says.

Duck Pot Pie

@CHEFDEBORAHVANTRECE @TWISTEDSOULCOOKHOUSE @OREATHASATTHEPOINT @RESTAURANTSERENIDAD WRITTEN BY: @DIGITALWONG

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Certified organic, 100% vegan Real Food Dressings Carefully selected Blends of premium oils & Ingredients From artisan producers committed to sustainability Gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, dairy-free, no garlic.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY WARREN HEATH WRITTEN BY ROBYN ALEXANDER PRODUCED BY SVEN ALBERDING FOOD BY WOLFGAT, PATERNOSTER

Every dish is meticulously considered and plated, including the first course on the menu, called ‘Strandveld Snacks’, which consists of, amongst other things, white mussels, buttermilk rusk crumbs, and a local green called soutslaai (salty salad). Each ingredient belongs naturally to this area—the same could, of course, be said of Wolfgat.

A Star Is Born It may be a small restaurant with a small staff in a small seaside town on South Africa’s West Coast—but Wolfgat and its celebrated chef, Kobus van der Merwe, are making massive waves on the international dining scene.

E arly one April morning at the small beach town of Paternoster on the West Coast of South Africa, a chef leaves his restaurant to go ingredient hunting. He does not go to the market or the shops—he heads for the Atlantic. There’s a bite in the air and the morning light throws a million sun pennies on the water. It is the most perfect of autumn days. The chef leaves his shoes and socks on the beach, straps a fishing basket on his back, and wades into the rock pools.

Soon, he finds what he’s looking for. He reaches down and plucks his harvest for the day: a big bunch of seaweed, klipkombers in the local Afrikaans tongue, meaning ‘rock blanket.’ Then he’s done. His restaurant is a small one, after all, and this bushel will keep him supplied for up to a week. He subscribes to the forager’s code: He will take no more than he needs.

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