Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2022 i Victoria

DEAR FRIENDS An enthusiastic child alighting on my doorstep, spring fills my window with loveliness, beckoning me out of doors with all the persistence and charm of playmates from my youth. As frosty weather melts into mild temperatures and watery grays give rise to vivid greens, I shed the fetters of age—responsibility, caution, and a tendency to dwell on serious matters—like a winter coat shaken to the grass as the sun bathes my shoulders in warmth. Our March/April issue arrives like an exuberant friend with a brilliant array of creatives in tow. On page 25, Christine Chitnis guides us through the New England Farm Coast, a region known for postcard-perfect towns set amid rolling fields and atmospheric beaches. Images from this talented photographer also survey the delights of Rhode Island’s…

When they received invitations for a gathering with Emily Kontos, guests suspected that a retrospective afternoon was in store. The social media influencer behind The Thrifted Table revealed only that a spring picnic was planned, but they knew it would be so much more. However, those friends never guessed that they would be reading Tennyson aloud from the faded pages of old books while sprawled on colorful coverlets with delicate blossoms wafting all around. And nobody had the slightest inkling that Emily would send everyone home with a souvenir bookmark she personally handcrafted of antique French ribbons and silverware. The weather was glittering when Emily pulled up in her 1966 Caribbean Blue Ford pickup (named Lucille, for her grandmother) overflowing with stacks of quilts bouncing in back. Every time Emily…

Blossoms of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths begin to bud in Hungary’s capital city as the last drifts of winter snow melt away like honey in a warm cup of tea. Eszter Kanyári rolls out a special mixture called CMC paste, the first of many steps in the intricate art of crafting sugar flowers. Popularized in the royal courts of France in the eighteenth ​century, flowers made from gum paste were used to adorn confections enjoyed by the most notable congregations. Now, these edible sprays are a popular choice for decorating wedding cakes, for drawing admiration as a luxurious table centerpiece, or even for gifting as a longer-lasting version of a fresh bouquet. Years after discovering sugar flowers while planning her wedding, Eszter began designing saccharine blooms in 2019 and dubbed…

Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite March/April features: Call of the Farm Coast Survey the varied charms of a region of New England, where billowing fields meet rolling seas and quaint towns offer ample opportunities for exploration. Wisteria and Sunshine An ode to The Enchanted April, our afternoon tea menu blends English and Italian influences to inspire a party as delightful as our Victoria Classics Book Club spring selection. Encouraged to Bloom Gardener Emily von Trapp, who found her bliss cultivating tulips in Vermont, shares her secrets for bringing loveliness to colder months through forcing bulbs. Southern Sanctuary An interior designer invites us into her French Country–style abode, which…

High school sweethearts Melba and Chris Dawley have resided in the amiable, arts-centric community of Northport, Alabama, for all thirty-eight years of their married life, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that they built their forever home in this history-rich area set amid picturesque rivers and lakes. “We fell in love with the Lake Tuscaloosa property,” explains Mel, “and knew it was where we wanted to spend the next phase of our lives and retirement.” She and Chris designed a spacious, one-level French Country house with an open floor plan that perfectly suits their needs, hired an architect to refine their sketches, and finished construction in 2019. While her husband’s desired amenities included a workshop and a media room, something many women long for topped Mel’s wish…

The view gazing out of the floor-to-ceiling windows in Choosing Keeping reveals the city’s first signs of spring: budding tulips and bright daffodils. But inside the redbrick shop, a wondrous host of stationery accoutrements, boldly patterned accessories, commissioned furnishings, decorative papers, and prismatic paints offers a revival of its own to all who enter the curious environs. After growing roots on famed Columbia Road, Choosing Keeping found its home on Tower Street in central London, enticing crafters and passersby with charming window displays and uncommon finds. With newly established space, custom-built tables and pottery from ceramicist Steve Harrison outfit the century-old building and exhibit exotic silk screen fabrics from Japan, handmade traditional wax seals made in France, and a cache of intricately embossed Italian art. “We are here to offer…

I recently shared the trip of a lifetime with my cousin, Evelyn. In the early 1900s, our Finnish grandmother, Esteri, immigrated to the United States at the age of eighteen. After the passing of our parents, Evelyn and I decided to connect with our family that still lived in Finland. Our purpose was to meet relatives and hear family stories, but the venture became much more. We reached out to the relatives there who we already knew and were welcomed to visit. Unbeknownst to us, they began contacting more kin. They planned gatherings, meals, sightseeing, and more to make our stay memorable. We saw where our grandmother grew up and were even welcomed to stay in the ancestral home. As the two weeks sped by, Evelyn and I shared laughter…

“THE AIR IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY WITH FRAIL BLUE WINGS. THE HAPPY EARTH LOOKS AT THE SKY AND SINGS.”—Joyce Kilmer…

A shining token of the tabletop, the knife rest was popularized in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, although rudimentary wooden versions may have been used as early as during the reign of Henry VIII. The instrument was devised as a safe place for resting a used utensil to avoid staining the tablecloth during a meal. Originally, only a single large rest was necessary, used by the master of the house or the butler when carving meat, but over time it became customary for smaller interpretations to be stationed at each individual place setting. Matching sets of the collectible were well-loved in the Victorian era, when extravagant ornamentation was praised, leading to the production of beautifully intricate patterns fashioned from materials such as precious metals, crystal, porcelain, or even…

Claud Cecil Gurney appreciates the drama that luxurious wallcoverings bring to a room. When he established de Gournay in 1984, his priority was to create new interpretations of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century exotic paintings and panels using both original Chinese sources and renowned European reproductions of ancient Asiatic artwork. The timeless style of Chinese garden and floral depictions became the hallmark of de Gournay. In keeping with traditional techniques from long ago, the company employs artists to render each design by hand on papers made from the finest materials, from gilded silver to prismatic silks and India tea paper. In de Gournay: Hand Painted Interiors, the visionary offers glimpses into the magnificent rooms where these papers come to life. The book features the perfectly wrought arrangements of several international designers. Inside,…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: Erica Bauermeister is The New York Times best-selling author of four novels, including The Scent Keeper. Her most recent work is the memoir House Lessons: Renovating a Life. To learn more about Erica, visit ericabauermeister.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: Lesley Holmes captures the Cornish countryside and coastline, along with scenes from the Cotswolds, in her idyllic paintings, such as Dappled Cottage and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. To learn more about her works, visit lesleyholmes.com or email the artist at lesley@lesleyholmes.com. BEHOLDING VERNAL BLISS Pages 17–18: Crave Candle Co.: Blue Mercury Glass with Lid, $48, Stemless Silver Mercury Glass with Lid, $40; 205-983-2808, cravecandlesco.com. The Enchanted Home: Basketweave Five Piece Flatware Set, $35, Beautiful Handblocked Linens in Periwinkle/Green 20" Scalloped Napkins, $52/set of four, Beautiful Handblocked Linens in Periwinkle/Green 80"x120"…

Easter Monday Picnic Spring always seemed to appear quite suddenly in the South—slipping past our mild winters unnoticed, leaving a trail of yellow daffodils, bright green buds on the trees, and delicately blushing dogwood blooms everywhere. I was always looking for these signs, since winter’s gray days seemed so bleak. With the chance of snow an impossible dream, we were always ready to welcome warmer days. I looked forward to Easter as one of the most important springtime rituals as well. Each year on the Monday following, we would plan a special picnic. Most years, it was so balmy that we could don shorts and sneakers, or even sandals, for the occasion, running wild in the bright sunshine. Easter Sunday was a much more formal affair—all frilly pink or yellow…