Newsletter Archive

The Chinese porcelain is right at home in front of the Chinese mural painted in The John Volk House, Chapter 5.  Behind-the-scenes: Pearls of Palm Beach, Chapters 5-8! How effortless it is to fall under the enchanting spell of Palm Beach! To me, there is something magical about the tall, manicured hedges that conceal many of the houses. You just know there is a treasure hidden behind them. I wanted my book, Pearls of Palm Beach, to feel like a private invitation into eight timeless and tailored houses… which indeed it is! As a designer, I find that I can read the personality, interests, and background of a homeowner just by seeing a few interior design details. I knew the houses I chose would introduce and reflect stunningly accomplished people who cherish their families and know how to entertain with polished finesse. To me, these houses are eminently inviting and mesmerizingly memorable!

Behind-the-scenes: Pearls of Palm Beach, Chapters 1-4! The tall arrangement of Casa Blanca lilies in the center of the Brauer’s glorious dining room inside The English House was sheer perfection. The elegant reticulated silver tray underneath the base of the vase offers practical footing and adds a timeless touch. Introducing my new book, Pearls of Palm Beach, has been such an honor and a brilliant experience; I am simply overjoyed at how well it has been received! Thank you all for your enthusiastic support and kind words. And, my appreciation is extended to NivenBreen PR in NYC, who has done a brilliant job with the official release of the book! As promised on my Instagram posts, here are some behind-the-scenes stories in reference to the first four house chapters: Chapter One, The English House: Stuart and I were invited to a CEO.org private dinner party at Daniel Boulud in NYC. (Stay tuned, Chef Boulud

It Is Here!  Announcing the Release of My New Book “Holly Holden’s Pearls of Palm Beach”   What a joyous moment to share with you!  I am simply elated to introduce my second book, Pearls of Palm Beach: A secret peek into eight elegant, timeless & tailored houses! A private invitation is to be cherished, right? Well, when you open this book, you are invited to take a rare peek into eight privately owned, refined Palm Beach houses… an invitation to be treasured! Like a classic string of pearls, you will experience the elegant essence of quiet understatement that radiates from each page and is revealed through the hundreds of photographs. These family houses are not overly done-up and glitzy, but are joyful, charming, and enchanting in their quiet sophistication. As you step foot into each front door, the inviting atmosphere will envelope you within the magical world that the homeowners have created.

My daughter Alexandra and I had a stupendous meeting, two years ago, with Elizabeth Gage at her charming Belgravia shop in London. The abundance of flowers surrounding the entrance door set the scene for the beautiful and bountiful collection of her stunning jewels inside.  Elizabeth Gage’s Insight Into Jewelry Etiquette!  It was a grand pleasure and honor to host a dinner party at Fox Hall five years ago for Elizabeth Gage, the renowned, award-winning British jewelry designer! She came over from England to open “The Enchanting Jewels” exhibit, featuring 180 pieces of her gold and stone creations at The New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut. My husband Stuart and I have remained friends with her ever since. Her artistic gift has created the most divine “statement jewelry” that has been exhibited and admired globally. The moment you meet Elizabeth, her genius is palpable and her delightful personality engaging. 

White flowers are the most appropriate to send for a funeral. This arrangement of white roses at Fox Hall have opened up so beautifully that they almost do not look real.  The Farewell Finale:  Funeral Etiquette Part II – Appropriate attire, church etiquette, and acknowledgment notes What to wear to a funeral:   You know this! When attending a funeral, it is most appropriate to wear conservative attire, preferably in black. Gentlemen, wear a dark suit, dark tie, black socks and well-polished shoes. (The importance of polished shoes is my father’s military background speaking, and it is applicable to women’s shoes, too.) Ladies, wear black or dark attire. Queen Elizabeth II, and other lady members of the royal family, will always have a black outfit (along with gloves and a matching black hat, mind you), which are packed in their suitcase whilst traveling in case of an emergency mourning. I learned the

The sunset at Fox Hall, with the white and pink mountain laurel in bloom and the tall oak tree overhead, offers a peaceful moment of reflection. The Farewell Finale:  Funeral Etiquette Part I Funerals… an uncomfortable topic. Death is always painful to discuss, yet funerals are inevitable. We all encounter the end of life for loved ones. A funeral is a grand finale to honour a life. Giving comfort and compassion to someone who has lost a beloved person is the essence of grace and consideration, and this is why I am taking up this subject today. I have received numerous requests from you to do so, my dear ones. I do not profess to be an expert on funerals at all, but I will share what I have learned from my own experience. When I was only sixteen, my beloved father suddenly died from a heart attack. I learned