Sometimes, nothing goes better with a rich (rustic) cigar than the wonderful taste of Bourbon Whiskey or rye. I would take this combination anytime - especially anywhere I could have it outside and away from direct sunlight.
Spectacular simplicity! Gaziano & Girling cacao suede slipons - the ultimate summer shoe. Best worn with a finely milled two piece cotton suit and a beautiful British Blue dress shirt. Always worn open collar in the summer. With socks optional.
Sometimes one just needs a super delicious smoked meet sandwich with all of the credentials: grass fed beef, minimum rye bread, maximum smoked beef, pickles, mustard, cold, organic brewed beer. Cigar to enjoy on the balcony after lunch.
The Saracen Wall Mirror is a stunning full height shield that looks great in both residential and commercial environments. Here, I am studying the classic French style of the heraldic wall mirror mounted on the rough plaster walls of this Bermuda residence.
June 17th will mark another Father's Day, that one day a year when we celebrate everything good and memorable about our fathers. Here, those two most urbane of fellows, KIrk and Michael Douglas celebrate an afternoon on the ocean with fishing gear on father's Day last.
Carpets are a little too warm to make comfortable summer furnishings. I love all the things one can do with them during the cooler winter months. That's when they really come into their own as home accessories.
I love this stylized alfresco dining room - the walls are perforated wood slats that have been coated with an emulsion of lime and water. The slats allow gentle sea breezes to blow through the pavilion and keep everyone inside cool and comfortable - in style.
What a surprise I was in for! On Friday evening, Pamela and I were taken to Toronto's ultimate "stealth" restaurant, Speducci Mercado, an out of the way, but always oh so good, emporium of delicious Italian and Spanish cured specialties, such as those from the black hoofed pig.
As a young man in the early 1970's, I learned to appreciate this cigar as the epitome of classic good taste and, for a while during the lesser restrictive climate in restaurants, bars (and even airlines) could be an enjoyable way to pass 45 minutes of a day.
Last night, I wanted to enjoy a solid cigar after dinner and set off to purchase a few Bolivar Royal Crown Tubos from Jerry at Cigar Studio a few blocks south from our house. With my first cut, I knew the cigar was rolled perfectly - confirmed with my first draw.
John F. Kennedy is far more than just a "political icon of the mid-Twentieth Century" - he is considered a model of style, and as such, smoked more than his share of remarkable cigars. His favorites were the Hoyo Epicure, a robusto and the equivalent by H. Uppmann.
For decades now , Gloria Cubana Organelles have been one of my favorite though often almost impossible to obtain sticks. Frequently made for aficionados in the Swiss and German regional markets, it can be hard to find in North America.
I have always loved the impact that a touch of whimsy has in the rooms and spaces that I create. For my client's private shower room where he could clean-up after a morning of deep sea fishing, I had these custom wall sconces made by artisans in New York City.
Retailer Long Island at Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke has recently expanded with a stand alone menswear shop that includes a full service barber shop, coffee and espresso bar, walk-in-humidor and Havana cigars. Visitors: find your way there. You won't regret it.
One of my favorite techniques is to to paint the walls and ceiling of a room with a mid-range (usually) flat tone and then place a large, contrasting piece of furniture or other object in the center of it. This creates drama and almost always looks wonderful.
Three examples f what I consider the greatest (still perfectly reasonably priced) shirts that are able to see a man move effortlessly through the business day, lunch, dinner, travel and whatever else the day throws at him. All by Turnbull & Asser. London or New York.
For the past three or four years, I have been loving the soft warm look of parquet floors, especially when used in offices, galleries and other spaces where the parquet is the most dynamic element in the space.