Rattan

London based designer Allegra Hicks and her husband recently took up residence in a historic building in Naples, Italy. I'm gushing over her terrace (above), as shown by Architectural Digest this month. I'm a huge fan of rattan seating, it reminds me of my Grandfather's breakfast table in his New York kitchen. He would shuffle into the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning in his bathrobe and slippers beckoned by his habitual breakfast, one that was routinely prepared the night prior. He was also surrounded by terra cotta planters like the above, full of geraniums he would nurture. Above: Allegra Hicks' terrace chairs are Verner Panton and rug from her own collection. Read more, here.

Leftovers

Thank you to everyone for such a beautiful birthday weekend. If there is one thing I've learned in recent years, it is how important it is to carefully select the people you let into your life. I am especially grateful for all the friendships I've made in the past 3.5 years in San Francisco. Looking forward to enjoying these flowers leftover from the garden party Saturday. xx

Pretty Please

A scene I'd like to slip myself into today, courtesy of photographer Jérôme Galland.

Data-Driven

In our business, like many, we spend a great deal of time thinking about data-driven decisions, a sharp focus on optimization, utilization and growth. These thoughts on optimization of course, carry over to our personal lives. How do we optimize our weekends? Our workouts? Our sleep? Our sex drives? We are constantly thinking about how we can most effectively improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. This article in the NY Times left me provoked (and pained).