Palm Beach is certainly one of creative force Aerin Lauder’s happy places; I’m fortunate to have visited her there and witnessed the ultimate Manhattanite barefoot and relaxed in her oceanfront element. Aerin’s legendary grandmother Estée Lauder maintained a beautiful estate (AD, May 2017) where Aerin grew up spending time with her family and eventually her own husband and children.
It’s a bit of a surprise, then, when despite her deep roots and passion for the locale, Lauder emphasizes, “I’ve never had a home of my own in Palm Beach.” So when the romantic limestone 1930s house across the street from her parents—which had captivated Aerin since childhood—came on the market, she did not hesitate to buy it. It’s a treat to see how she has sensitively awakened the rooms in her own signature feminine style, with expert assistance from AD100 designer Stephen Sills.
Passion is the common element in each of the happy places featured in this issue, which celebrates both American style and summertime fun. The fearless couple who hired Austin-based architects Thomas Bercy and Calvin Chen to design a breathtaking modern home on a singular site in Texas Hill Country gave this brief: “We didn’t want to look out over the trees. We wanted to be in the trees.” (Mission accomplished.) In Los Angeles, Kevin and Nahal Danesh describe their single-minded pursuit of in-demand architect William Hefner with these words: “We 1,000 percent stalked him.” After a few missed connections, their persistence paid off. Hefner built a striking residence for the family on an idyllic Brentwood property. And AD100 designer Jeremiah Brent, another talent the couple much admired, handled the timeless interiors. Passion projects, one and all.
