St. Helena
AF Jewelers
Are you craving effortless Italian chic-issimo while living in Napa Valley? Look no further than AF Jewelers and their elegant yet spirited jewelry. Third-generation jewelers from Milan, Carlo and Kiki Antonini, feature both iconic brands like Buccellati and Pomellato, as well as their own sophisticated and fun designs in their pretty shop located on Main Street in downtown St. Helena. I will take the Buccellati “Hawaii” earrings for everyday and the A & Furst “Bonbon” drops in blue chalcedony, madeira citrine and diamonds for evening…nothing like gorgeous Italian jewelry available right at home…www.afjewelers.com
Calistoga
Ira Yeager Gallery
The art of Ira Yeager is a Napa Valley classic (the artist has a home near Calistoga). I have been wanting one of his landscapes or still-life florals to grace my home for something like decades. From pastoral landscapes to his Native American portraits, Ira Yeager’s works are at once familiar and exotic, natural and whimsical. Talented gallerist Brian Fuller has opened an elegant yet approachable Ira Yeager studio (the only one outside San Francisco) right here on Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga. We are so lucky to have Ira Yeager’s paintings in our midst. I am really looking forward to seeing Brian’s next exhibition inspired by Ira Yeager’s time on Corfu…www.irayeager.com
Firenze
Busatti Tessitori
When I first began to roam around the San Niccolò area of Florence, I was intrigued by an occasionally open door in the side of a Romanesque church. There I discovered Busatti’s elegant little shop selling beautiful (but not precious) handcrafted linens for the tabletop and bedroom. Established before Italian unification, family-owned Busatti Tessitori dal 1842 makes natural fabrics from linen and cotton to wool in their Anghiari mill. Busatti’s tablecloths, napkins pillowcases, and duvet covers are as perfect for Napa Valley as they are for Florence. Plus, Lara and Arielle who run the Busatti shop in San Niccolò are very kind -- they even took the time to drive me to the COOP mega center to find a vacuum cleaner! So, if you want linens that express local Tuscan character and heritage, but transition seamlessly to your Napa Valley lifestyle, look no further than Busatti. Post-pandemic I hope Lara will come over and do a trunk show for us on Diamond Mountain. Let me know if you are interested! Order bespoke from Lara, as well, with handmade lace and custom fabrics…www.busatti.com or www.larabartolini.com for more information about Busatti! Photos of the shop inside are below.
