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- [00:00]
Michael Boudreau
This is the Cherish podcast and I'm your host, Michael Boudreau. I'll be taking you for an inside look behind the glamorous facade of the interior design industry at a time when every aspect of the business, from sourcing to trends to marketing to dealing with clients, is undergoing rapid change. Palm beach has long been considered one of the most beautiful escapes in America, known for its balmy weather, social register residents, old world style and beautifully maintained architecture and gardens, not to mention great vintage shopping. But for a long time, the town was thought of as more than a bit sleepy and set in its ways. But all of that has changed. Palm beach now attracts hordes of youthful, stylish and design obsessed residents and visitors who have shaken up the establishment. Nothing exemplifies this shift better than the resurgence of the Colony Hotel known as the Pink paradise, which originally opened in 1947 and has since served a who's who of royalty, movie stars, political figures and wealthy tycoons. In 2016, the colony was taken over by Andrew Wettenhall, whose father co owned the hotel in the 1970s, and his wife, Sarah Wettenhall. Since then, the couple have refreshed the rooms and vibes of the hotel, working with noted style setters Celery Kemble, Aaron Lauder and Mark D. Sykes to bring fresh takes on tradition to its villas. And the latest of these collaborations is a newly opened cherished villa done in partnership with the famed fabric house Schumacher. I'm excited to have with me four people who have been instrumental in the revival of the Colony Hotel and in Palm Beach's resurgence as a center of style and joie de vivre. First up is Sarah Wettenhall herself, who before becoming president and CEO of the Colony Palm beach worked in fashion public relations for numerous brands including the French Connection, Nicole Farhill, Hugo Boss and Calvin Klein. Welcome, Sarah.
- [02:02]
Sarah Wettenhall
Hi. It's so great to be here today.
- [02:04]
Michael Boudreau
So glad you're here. Isabelle Element is the president of Schumacher Hospitality and is an expert in what today's travelers are looking for at a luxury hotel. She works with a wide range of designers to bring their visions to life, often updating and customizing classic Schumacher fabrics and wallpapers to make them relevant for today. Hello Isabel.
- [02:23]
Ana Brockway
Hi.
- [02:23]
Isabel Ellerman
I'm delighted to be here.
- [02:25]
Michael Boudreau
So glad you're here. Designer and dealer Meg Braff is based in both Palm beach and Locust Valley, New York. She is known for her updated, colorful and charming take on tradition, bringing the exuberance and fun of Palm beach style to projects across the country. And in The Caribbean. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful, Traditional Home Veranda and among others. And her book, the Decorated Living with Style and Joy was published by Rizzoli in April 2017. Welcome, Meg.
- [02:52]
Meg Braff
Thank you so much for having me today, Michael.
- [02:55]
Michael Boudreau
So glad. Finally, I'm pleased to again welcome Ana Brockway, the co founder and president of Cherish, to talk about why Cherish and the Colony are such great partners. How she chooses her collaborators, Bergdorf Goodman and the Colonies. So not so bad so far. And what's ahead for design and for Cherish. Hello, Anna. Hi.
- [03:14]
Ana Brockway
Nice to see you, Michael. Hi, everyone.
- [03:16]
Michael Boudreau
I'm so glad you're all here. Sarah, I want to start with you because obviously there is a family connection to the colony, that your father ran the hotel in the 70s. But why did you and your husband decide that this was the moment that you wanted to get back involved with the colony, take it over again? Was it changes to Palm beach itself? Was it just a business opportunity that you saw? How did you envision this?
- [03:38]
Sarah Wettenhall
That's a great question. Some projects choose you and you choose some projects. As creative people, we all know this. The colony picked us. I would love to say that we had the business acumen or the crystal ball to look into the future, to say this is the right time to, you know, enter into the world of Palm Beach. But frankly, we were fulfilling my father in law's dream of bringing it back in the family. That was the reason for the purchase in 2016, almost seven years ago. My father in law, as you said, together with his business partner, owned the colony from 1969 through to the late 80s, early 90s. And it was always one of his big regrets that he let it go. And in fact, he kept his apartment in the penthouse. Even when he wasn't part of the ownership group, he always stayed. So he lived in the penthouse of the colony from 1969 through to when he passed a couple of years ago.
- [04:28]
Michael Boudreau
Oh, what a great story it is.
- [04:30]
Sarah Wettenhall
So it was always part of our family. I mean, my husband and I have been there. My husband grew up going there, of course, and I've been on property with him every year since we met. And our children have spent every Christmas and New Year's and Easter as Palm beach kind of. It's part of our fabric, of our family. And so when we had the opportunity to bring it back into the family, the decision was largely for and on behalf of my father in law. And I would say even now we view ourselves as stewards of the property, not only for the family, but also for the town. It really. It wasn't necessarily a business decision. It was an emotional decision.
- [05:03]
Michael Boudreau
But it's interesting to me and Meg, you've been involved with Palm beach for a long time. It seems to me that the town has changed quite a lot. I can't tell you how many people I know now have either moved to Palm beach or got a second home there or go there for vacations, which never used to be the case when I was young, which admittedly was a while ago. The town was beautiful, but it was considered totally state and very establishment. And how have you seen that evolve over the years?
- [05:32]
Meg Braff
Well, let's see. I first came to Palm beach when I was dating my husband, Doug Braff, many years ago, 30 years ago.
- [05:40]
Michael Boudreau
Romance.
- [05:41]
Meg Braff
Another romance.
- [05:41]
Michael Boudreau
Not a family romance, but a real romance.
- [05:43]
Ana Brockway
Wow.
- [05:44]
Meg Braff
Oh, my goodness. We would come and spend New Year's and Christmas in really more in Hope Sound with his family. But we had so many friends in Palm beach, so we always made a point of spending a lot of time here. And then I began to have projects here. And over the years, we have owned several residences here. And most recently, we purchased a home about three years ago and made West Palm beach our home. And we really enjoyed it. But having said all that, it has changed a lot. And originally, I think it was a little sleepier. It was always so stylish. I always had such admiration for the residents of Palm Beach. The architecture is so beautiful and so glamorous. The setting is just so picturesque. There's just nothing like it really anywhere. And I think a lot of the changes have been very good changes. So I think it's a very vibrant design community. I think the shopping has never been better for both fashion on Worth Avenue and all the other fabulous streets in Palm beach, but also for home and decor. So I think it has so much to offer, I mean, for people who just enjoy coming to visit.
- [06:53]
Michael Boudreau
It's interesting because Dixie highway has always been legendary for resale shops and vintage. And I knew people from New York who would go down and pluck the stores and ship stuff back to the city because it was the kind of thing it was. You know, it's a highly decorative style, which I think has become only more popular in the United States since, as I repeat, I was young so many years ago. But now it's interesting to me that Palm beach has remained as beautiful as it is. But with West Palm, it's almost become a cultural center. Beth Ruden DA Woody opened her little museum there, and it seems that it's got the best of both worlds in that West Palm is a little more funky and artistic and creative, where you should still have all the glamour of Palm Beach. Do you think that's true? Sarah, what do you think?
- [07:39]
Sarah Wettenhall
Without a doubt. I think what West Palm beach has evolved into is this wonderfully elevated, stylish, cultural and even urban in a good way hub that it wasn't 20 years ago. Beth Ruden, Dwoody's bunker. I mean, if you look at the Norton Museum of Art and what that has evolved to under its current leadership, even the Anne Norton Sculpture Garden there is, I would say, just this core of culture and the arts in West Palm Beach. And of course, it's also on the island as well with the four arts, don't get me wrong. But if you look at food and beverage and shopping and museums, and that's even what's happened to the housing stock and neighborhoods like El Cid and Soso, and there's been this, and I wouldn't even call it resurgence because it's new. It's a groundswell of preservationism and people loving the homes over there and the architecture over there. And what I would say perhaps 20 years ago was more of a slash and burn mentality on tearing down old homes and rebuilding something new and bright and shiny and sparkly. Now there's this preservation mentality that we have to keep West Palm Beach, West Palm beach, and we need to preserve the beautiful architecture that exists over there.
- [08:57]
Michael Boudreau
Yeah. Ana, when did you first start thinking about the colony? When did you become aware of it? And when did you start thinking that this would be a great collaborator for Cherish?
- [09:06]
Ana Brockway
Well, as you know, I'm a West coast kid. And so for me, Palm beach was always this really kind of mythical, breezy playground for American aristocracy.
- [09:17]
Michael Boudreau
CZ Guest Right.
- [09:18]
Ana Brockway
Totally. So fancy. And I've had the chance, over the course of being in the vintage business to spend many hours on Dixie highway and throughout, really West Palm beach, which has such a fantastic dealer community and all these beautiful homes that exist behind these gorgeous hedges, both in Palm beach, but increasingly, to Sarah's point, in West Palm beach, was just really nice to see, have these fabulous contents. And when the houses change hands, these wonderful things become available. And so the pickings are just so darn good down there. It's really unmatched. To your point.
- [09:53]
Michael Boudreau
I know that from personal experience, let.
- [09:55]
Ana Brockway
Me tell you, right. I mean, it's like, God, back up the truck. So that's kind of how I got to know Palm beach and the area initially. And then through Marissa Marcantonio, who you know well and is a friend and former cherished colleague, I got to know Sarah and learned a lot about what she was doing at the Colony Hotel, which is so right up our alley because of their mindset towards taking something iconic and historic and really breathing new life into it, which is, of course, what we at Cherish do as well. And so it really just felt like a match made in heaven. And if you've spent time in the Colony and seen the work that Celery's done there and then what Sarah's done with the hotel, just from a community standpoint as well, and the partners that she works with, it's about, to me, contemporizing and opening up sort of a historic point of view, and it's just so fun. And so it just felt like a match made in heaven for us.
- [10:45]
Michael Boudreau
What's interesting to me and Isabel, I wanna ask you about this. It's the Palm beach aesthetic, I think, has been broadened out. As I was saying, I think it's influenced so much of design in the United States. More color, more whimsy, more charm. It doesn't have to be all coastal, but that sort of joie de vivre. I think it's had such a big influence in American homes. But, Isabel, what's interesting to me is that I think also what people are looking for in hotels has changed, because, you know, it used to be the luxury hotels were, well, padded, shall we say, but beige. You know, acres of beige, pale marble, acres of beige. Nothing very distinctive. And, you know, when I was editor at Elle Decor, people would say, oh, I want my home to look like a hotel. And I would think, why? They're so impersonal. You know, they're so bland. I mean, I understand the services. You want to have a big bathroom. I get the appeal of all of that.
- [11:39]
Ana Brockway
And.
- [11:39]
Michael Boudreau
And, you know, the fact that Schumacher teamed up with Cherish on this is so interesting to me. First of all, I don't think a lot of people realize how extensive Schumacher hospitality is. I certainly didn't. So I'd love if you talk a little about that and then why you wanted to work with the Colony and with Cherish on this project.
- [11:56]
Isabel Ellerman
So I couldn't agree more with you that I think what guests are looking for in their hotel stays has completely evolved. And I think Sarah and Kemble Interiors and the Colony just really embodies it. It's just like a perfect example of what people are looking for when they travel. They want to find a home away from home. They want to feel welcomed. And what's so exciting, too, about both the Cherished villa and the colony itself is that they can also bring sort of the design that they see home with them. And I think that is such a wonderful sort of era that we're entering into in the hospitality industry. And so we, as you mentioned, we worked extensively with Kemble Interiors and Sarah. I think it was just 12 months ago that you had sort of the opening and we were just so honored to be thought of. And because there's just so many parallels, I think, between the colony and Schumacher, like, we are really stewards of this. Schumacher has been around since 1889, and so all of us feel like stewards of this historic brand and company and want to bring it into sort of the 21st century. And so the partnership was just perfect. And then when we learned about this Cherish opportunity for the villa, we completely, we just jumped at it. We were so excited to have another opportunity to partner with both the colony and Cherish to sort of bring some of these archival and maybe older designs and bring them back to life and sort of infuse them with life while also making sure while these are places that people will check into and check out of, that it's. It still feels homey, it still feels residential. It's going to pass the muster of time, but you feel like you are at a home away from home.
- [13:38]
Ana Brockway
Hi, everybody, and thanks for joining us for another episode of the Cherish podcast. I'm Ana Brockway, co founder and president of Cherish. I'm delighted to share that Cherish is now offering only to the trade, the most generous return policy in the industry. That is a 14 day return window on all our exceptionally curated inventory. Designers asked for it and we listened. This offer is now available to interior designers on all purchases. So it's time to get shopping. For more information, visit cherish.com trade that's C-H-A-I-R-I-H.com trade and now back to the show.
- [14:21]
Michael Boudreau
One of the things that really interests me about the Cherish villa is that originally it was designed by Carlton Varney, who of course was the protege of Dorothy Draper. And I thought, oh, that's really exciting. But in a sense, that's also very terrifying. So, Ana, how did you approach it? You know, you could have screwed it.
- [14:38]
Ana Brockway
Up so bad, went out and had a cocktail. Yeah, that was a little intimidating. So, just to start, I think one of the things that Sarah and her team have done so well, and what we were just talking about with hospitality is this notion of placemaking and also being responsive to kind of the local design vibe that exists. And so that was our going in assumption with a villa, is that we weren't trying to bring something in. There was just tons of material to work with and how do we take that and build from there? And so actually we kept a lot of the Carlton Varney pieces that were there. So we kept these beautiful plaster mirrors, which were very unsurprisingly, Dorothy Draper inspired because, of course, they were collaborators. Console tables, some of his upholstered pieces that we redid in new hospitality, Schumacher fabrics. But we actually kept, to the extent that we could, many of the pieces there that we felt like we could continue on with. So that was a big part of it. I think really what we endeavored to do was start off by studying classic Palm beach design. So we spent a lot of time at the Flagler Museum in their period rooms, looking at really sort of traditional old school historical Palm beach design. And then also, of course, many of the homes there have been photographed and well documented. And so that was really fun was digging into all of that. And then it was just incredibly adventurous for us to work with Schumacher, who are fabulous collaborators for Cherish on multiple projects we've worked together on. But digging around your guys archives is such a ball. And we were able to find archival prints that felt very Palm beach, but that haven't been used recently and really kind of deserved. We felt a dusting off and a re look, and that was really fun. So we used a print called Deltasora, which is shells and sea life and all kinds of kooky stuff. And we brought that to Sarah and she's like 100%, I love. We used a drape, kind of a faux drapery look as well that was done by a set designer from the 1930s or inspired by a set designer from the 1930s. So we really looked for pieces and starting places within the Schumacher archive that felt right for Palm Beach. And then what we were able to do was source everything locally. So we got a lot from Meg, Show Pony Circa who, all these great local dealers. So most of the vintage pieces that we used in the property and the villa are actually sourced from within, you know, 5 to 10 miles of the hotel itself, which is a really fun thing to be able to say. And Palm beach is probably a unique location that you can actually say that and do that kind of work. But it was really fun for us to be able to leverage what's existing and sort of part of the community, which was a ball.
- [17:16]
Michael Boudreau
Yeah. And, Meg, when they came to you and said, we're doing this villa, what was your response? I mean, I know the clientele of the colony has changed, and I want to ask you a little about that, Sarah, but did you think, okay, this is exciting. This is a way to get my name and brand known, better get people to come to the shop. How did you think about it?
- [17:33]
Meg Braff
Well, first of all, I was so excited to be involved with Cherish and also to be involved with the Colony, because I think they're two brands that are doing things really well these days. So kudos to both of you, and we love to participate in a lot of community efforts. So I was thrilled and very flattered that you came to us and that you were able to find some things that you felt were appropriate and that felt sort of old school. Palm beach, that's kind of something we strive for a little bit. So we were excited.
- [18:01]
Ana Brockway
Well, what we loved about working with Meg, just to put a point on it, is the idea was to take old school design, but also infuse it with something new for a contemporary, younger, newer guest. And so I think, Meg, you've such great inventory to help us do that. And we were able to layer in lots of contemporary art, lots of other pieces on top of that to create something that feels Palm beach, but reinterpreted for today, really.
- [18:25]
Michael Boudreau
And, you know, not surprisingly, I think that's basically what you've been doing with the colony at large, Sarah. No, I mean, have you seen a change in who comes to stay at the hotel? The clientele, the type of person that comes. I would think you get more design lovers to begin with, without a doubt.
- [18:43]
Sarah Wettenhall
I mean, our guest is multi generational. That goes without saying. Just because of being on Palm Beach.
- [18:48]
Michael Boudreau
And as you were saying, family traditions, every holiday, whatever, you know, all of that still goes on, which is wonderful.
- [18:54]
Sarah Wettenhall
Exactly.
- [18:55]
Michael Boudreau
It.
- [18:55]
Sarah Wettenhall
You know, we were. It's funny going back, because I'm a history geek at heart. And so going back through archival records, I found the original marketing brief on the colony when it was built in 1947. And it was built to be the island's guest house.
- [19:08]
Ana Brockway
Great.
- [19:08]
Sarah Wettenhall
And so it was where Palm Beachers were supposed to put up their house guests. If you couldn't stay in their home, you would stay at the colony. And that was the original brief from the family that built it. And I think that story arc rings through today. You know, a lot of our guests do have a connect to Palm beach in some form or fashion. But more and more, we're seeing that not being the case. We're seeing guests who want to come and explore the island for what it is. They want to explore the colony for what she is. I think what links our guests together is it's that multi generational component. It's, of course, an affluent traveler, it's a savvy traveler, but it's a traveler who enjoys whimsy and who's young at heart. And I think that is what makes it really fun, is we can build visual experiences like the Cherish Villa, but also interactive experiences that are for a wide range of ages and some may fit you and some may not. But they all have a general mindset of being whimsical, fun, young at heart, and loving all that is Palm Beach. And that's really, if you water it down, that's what the colony is supposed to be. In one street corner, the corner of Hammond Avenue and South county is supposed to be the essence of Palm Beach.
- [20:17]
Michael Boudreau
And have you seen more foreign visitors? Because, you know, foreigners love American experiences. And I think, you know, Palm beach and the colony is such an American, you know, movie stars, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor stayed there. You know, it's like, it is kind of legendary.
- [20:30]
Sarah Wettenhall
So without that, it's been really fun to watch. The Brits love us because again, we're an older building. She, the colony is female, she's a little quirky. No corner is a true 90 degree corner. Like everything's a little off. And I think the Brits really, that really speak to them. And so it's been so much fun to introduce the brand to our friends in the uk. And another interesting market segment that comes a lot to us are South Americans. We joke, we get a lot of humidity, impervious families. And the South Americans fall under that category. And so it's been a great joy, particularly in the last three years, to expand that brand beyond the United States and beyond Florida.
- [21:10]
Michael Boudreau
Yeah, because I think of it as like, you know, you go to Miami when you're really young and you want to go out clubbing every night. But then after a few years and maybe after your first kid, then you start, I would think Palm beach starts to get way more attractive.
- [21:23]
Sarah Wettenhall
You gravitate a little north, but the beauty is, you know, we're only two hours north of Miami, same weather. And so, you know, those of us who are a little older and kids like to go out and have. Kids like to go out too. And so you get the best of both worlds. You come to Palm beach, you stay at the Colony, and then you just hop the bright line and go to a club in Miami and come home that night. And it's the total package. But it allows you to stay out of the fray.
- [21:45]
Michael Boudreau
Exactly. So, Isabel, I wanted to ask you, I wanted to get back to how you're seeing this shift. Ana was saying, you know, have all the references and, you know, there's all the. But have you seen a shift larger in city hotels outside of Florida? I mean, I think the Kit Kemp hotels are so successful in creating that. I think it has sparked a desire for more of that. And are you seeing that at Schumacher Hospitality?
- [22:07]
Isabel Ellerman
Absolutely. I think this sort of desire to stay somewhere that does have connections locally and that that is reflected in the design is something that travelers seeking out. So they want to go and stay at a hotel that is unique to the location that they're visiting. So we're seeing a lot of that. I do also think that people are paying more attention to the design and sort of what surrounds them, and so they might want. You know, I think a lot of hotels now have an Instagram moment, and that's great for designers because it allows them to be creative and to create within hotels and these wonderful places to create a space to post on Instagram or really. And that's also something you're sharing.
- [22:47]
Michael Boudreau
I think they probably need more than one Instagram moment at this point.
- [22:51]
Isabel Ellerman
Yes, yes. And then you're sharing those pictures across many travelers over the course of a month. And so I do think that there is a deep desire to seek out places that really do have exceptional design. I also think when there were years and months when we couldn't travel, I think travelers now want to go to a place that's really special, you know, that's taking them away from where they were during the early days of the pandemic. And so I think. And that's. You're seeing that with really exciting design and hotels, that that's what people are seeking out.
- [23:20]
Sarah Wettenhall
And I think what's interesting, Isabel, I don't know if you see it obviously, on your end, but for us, we have a lot of fun kind of stretching the boundaries in design, because from our perspective, our guests aren't buying it. They don't live with it forever. They live with it for about two and a half to five nights, which is our average length of day. And so we can do some of these kind of really different cool things that some may like and some may not like. But the great way is with us, they're trying it on and then they get to go back home. And so we like to push the boundaries of the colony, and perhaps not everybody does, but we feel like for a design driven individual, why not enter into this immersive, visually stunning environment? Because even if it's not for you, you check out and head home a few years later. And for us, unlike someone's interior, a hotel, hospitality based interior that gets our wear and tear, just honestly, because of our occupancy, we can only live with it for about seven years and then we have to make a change. So unlike someone in their personal life that may be very wary of a certain print or a sofa or a design aesthetic because they have to live with it for the rest of their lives. For us, we're like, well, it's seven years. Like, what do we think the design landscape is looking forward to for the next seven years? And much beyond that, we're gonna have to make a change anyway just because of wear and tear. So to someone who's in love with interiors and obviously obsessed with color, it allows us to have a lot of fun.
- [24:47]
Michael Boudreau
And what's great about it, and I'm so glad you brought that up, Sarah, is, you know, yes, you want hotels to be more domestic, but at the same time, you don't want to lose the drama and the grandeur of those ballrooms with, you know, 12 crystal chandeliers or over the top wall fabrics and stuff like that. Because that's also part of the fun of being at a hot to the restaurant. You know, being in the lobby. Like Isabel was saying, you want to take all your selfies to post them. So I guess it's like, how do you manage that and balance that so that you have the beauty and the comfort of it, but you don't lose the drama and you don't become trendy. Although, as you were saying, Sarah, when you have to replace things every seven years, it's easy to keep up with the trends, but you don't want to be so trendy that. But, you know, I've been at hotels where you check in and you think, oh, my God, I'm staying at a discotheque here. You know, it's like, what have I done?
- [25:39]
Isabel Ellerman
I do think what's magical about the colony and I have not been to the cherished villa yet, but from what I've seen the photos, I can imagine it's the same sort of magic, is you do feel like the outside and your location has been brought inside so that it is a very. You've got this, like, meaningful moment. You know, you're in your hotel room, but you are definitively in Pompeii beach. And you have that connection, even though you're inside. So you've kind of got this inside, outside connection. And we were talking about the vintage or archival Del tesoro with the seashells and very sort of ocean themes. And that's just also, again, you might not want Del tesoro on your headboard and your wall covering and your drapery at home, but it allows you for this totally immersive experience when you're at the colony, which is just sort of one of a kind.
- [26:27]
Sarah Wettenhall
And I think that balance, Michael, that you reference of having that drama, but having it be cozy and home, like, I mean, that's where the colony. We've been blessed with these wonderful design partners, and we look to these different design experts to help us, walk us through that process. And that's where we've had so much fun. But I also, personally, I've learned so much. We have learned so much. And I think our guests really benefit from the fact that we have worked with Anna and Meg, and we worked with Celery Kimball and Mimi McMaken and Aaron Lauder and Mark D. Sykes and all of these people to help put their individual spin on Palm beach style. By not sticking necessarily with the same design perspective, it allows that drama to ebb and flow throughout the property.
- [27:11]
Michael Boudreau
And, Meg, I wanted to ask you, because obviously you're a designer, you design a lot of properties, residences in Palm beach and other places obviously, too. But. And also, I would imagine that your shop caters more to residents than travelers, although God knows I've had stuff shipped up, so I know you get some of that. But have you seen this town? Style change is what people coming to you to buy or looking for for their homes. Has that shifted at all?
- [27:36]
Meg Braff
I think people always are looking for things that are timeless and a little fanciful in Palm Beach. I think, to Sarah's point, I think Palm beach is a resort town. I think you can do things that are a little more fanciful and a little more whimsical and playful. And I think people continue to want those types of things, whether they be of a vintage variety or something that they have made or custom pieces. I think that definitely continues. And I think so many things that I love about the colony, there are touches of wicker and rattan and a little bit of fantasy chinoiserie and very colorful wallpapers, and creating a little Drama in a really great way. And I think actually the colony embodies a lot of what I think of Palm beach decorating. I think they've really nailed it. I think Kimball and Mark Sykes, and there have been so many really wonderful people to have given design direction, including Sarah, that I think it seems to have landed in a really fabulous place.
- [28:40]
Ana Brockway
I think everyone's sort of talking about it's like liberating when you're down in Palm Beach. I was calling my husband, who's back in San Francisco with all the tech bros and the Patagonia jackets, and I'm like, guys here wear pink pants every day. This is really a thing. It's a fun place. There's tons of experimentation, whimsy. People have a sense of humor about it. They don't take it too seriously, but it's very sophisticated and very high end at the same time. And I think that's what makes it such a fun, like, treasure chest for design. It's so much fun.
- [29:11]
Michael Boudreau
Yeah.
- [29:12]
Sarah Wettenhall
And I also think that's one of the reasons why people are drawn to Palm beach in this world that we live in. Palm beach is a small town, fundamentally, but with a really big personality. And that's a fun thing to experience in this day and age that we live in. And so to go to a place that's on an island that is tropical, but at the same time, it's a resort destination, but it's not in the islands per se. It's very safe, but yet you have all the goods and services that you could ever desire. It fundamentally at its heart, Michael, as you referenced earlier, that it has a reputation for being sleepy at its heart. It's still a small town, but with a huge personality.
- [29:50]
Michael Boudreau
And it has that residential feel, you know, when you're in Palm beach, that people live there, unlike if you go to a Caribbean island, per se. You know, you're at a resort, you don't feel like anyone's living there. Whereas Palm beach is really, like, you're saying a small town. And you can walk Worth Avenue and go pop in for coffee, go to the restaurant for lunch, whatever.
- [30:09]
Sarah Wettenhall
It has that folksy feel that, again, I think, that people are drawn to. I mean, my dog got out about a year ago of our house. We had a house next to the colony, and my dog got out of the house, don't ask how. And I got a call from the chief of police saying, I've got Palmer. And of course I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. And he's like, no, we're feeding him treats. Just come by when you can. And it just. It was that sort of Miniberry esque feel. But yet you have Worth Avenue right around the corner and all this incredible architecture and style and design around. But yet, when Mike Cavalier got out, the chief of police kept him for me. So where in the world do you.
- [30:47]
Michael Boudreau
Get that that's so great? So, Ana, I want to get a sense from you. What are you thinking of next for the cherished collaborations? Anything on the Runway?
- [30:56]
Ana Brockway
Oh, my gosh. We're talking to a number of people. I mean, I think as Sarah was talking about what drew her and her family to take on the challenge of the colony so beautifully. We're the same way in that you're kind of inspired by who feels like the right collaborator and what feels like the right. Like your heart has to feel that connection, I think, to a project for us to do collaborations, we need to feel that way because they do take a ton of time and resources, and we're a relatively small team. So I think Sarah will tell you and Meg too, and, well, and Isabel as well at Schumacher, like, we're kind of like all hands on deck when we do this, and we put a lot of people on it, and it becomes really our main thing, so it has to mean a lot for us. So I don't have any news to share except that we're snooping.
- [31:39]
Michael Boudreau
Okay, that's fine. So listen, the villa is just opening, right? I mean, the cherished villas. This is the new thing. But, you know, I've only seen photographs like you, Isabelle. But it really looks fantastic. I mean, I think you should all be so pleased. And, you know, to me, it's a compliment, Anna, that cherishes up there with talents like Mark Sykes and Aaron Lauder and Celery, and that you pulled this off so beautifully, obviously drawing upon talents like Meg and Isabel and the Schumacher team. And Sarah's input as well, obviously, because you can tell that she's a fierce protector of the colony, as well. You should be, Sarah. And I think it's just really a fantastic thing. And I know anyone who books the villa is gonna be really, really happy with what they get there. And I think it's gonna inspire a lot of people to look at Palm beach in a slightly different way, which has already been happening. As I said, I know so many people who never have really thought about spending a lot of time in Palm Beach 15 years ago are now doing it, and I think that's so great. So congratulations to all of you. And thank you so much for being part of the Cherish Podcast. I want to thank my wonderful guests Sarah Wettenhall, Meg Braff, Isabel Ellerman and of course, Ana Brockway. And thank everyone for listening to the Cherish Podcast. You've been listening to the Cherish Podcast, brought to you, of course, by Cherish, which was recently voted by the readers of USA Today as the best place to shop online for furniture and home decor. If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend or colleague. Or better yet, go to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. We appreciate your help in spreading the word and we would love your ideas for future episodes. Please email us@podcasterish.com the Cherish podcast is produced by Britta Muller and engineered by Hanger Studios in New York. Until next time.
- [33:41]
Isabel Ellerman
Sat.