10 of Patricia Altschul’s Favorite Things

If you haven’t noticed, I am a huge fan of Patricia Altschul. I have featured her Mario Buatta-designed home numerous times on my blog (here, here, here, here, and here). And in case you missed it, on Friday she provided The Glam Pad with an exclusive interview on how to recreate her classic, timeless style at home.  In her book The Art of Southern Charm, Patricia outlines specific tips on how we can all obtain a little slice of her charmed life on a daily basis. She offers words of wisdom on subjects including diet and exercise, how to dress, proper etiquette, relationships, decorating, entertaining, and more. My copy is full of Post-it notes and highlights of Patricia’s favorite things, and today I will be sharing a few of her recommendations.

1. Patricia begins each morning with breakfast in bed, provided by her doting butler, Michael. While we cannot all have a Michael, we all can have his coddled eggs. It is a throwback recipe (page 41 in The Art of Southern Charm) Patricia believes deserves a revival. To make this dish, you must have a special egg coddler. Patricia recommends Royal Worchester, the china company that claims to have invented the dish in the 19th century. These are not easy to find these days, but there is a nice selection available via Etsy and Amazon.

2.  Patricia suggests pearls for “that polished Grace Kelly touch when you want to look demure.”  She recommends Kenneth Jay Lane (who sadly passed this month) for the most incredible faux pearls. “No one could ever tell that they were fake, and every First Lady had a wardrobe of them,” she said.

3.  For fine washables, including cashmere sweaters, Patricia uses products from The Laundress. They are beautifully packaged and the scent is lovely, actually making laundry fun, she says.

4.  Patricia loves fine linens, and she has an extensive collection. After laundering and pressing, she stores her napkins and placements by set, placing them on heavy cardboard sheet (which is purchased at an art supply store) with proper label. She loves her Dymo LabelWriter 450. Many more of Patricia’s organization tips are outlined in her book.

5.  To help maintain her youthful appearance, Patricia relies on her Clarisonic Mia2 for face cleaning. If you don’t already own one of these, they truly are worth the investment!

6. Thanks to Patricia, I am addicted to Claus Porto Madrigal water lily soap.  The packaging is a reproduction of a label from the 1920’s, and the scent has a delicate lily of the valley base. This is a huge bar of soap… it smells divine and lasts forever. Patricia’s signature Guerlain perfume also has a lily of the valley base… you can purchase it here.

7.  Patricia is addicted to lip balm by Fresh. This moisturizing lip treatment is infused with a refreshing sugar mint flavor that promises to smooth and soften for younger-looking lips.

8.  While Patricia loves her Louis Vuitton luggage, for the airport she advises that your bags be plain and utilitarian, “not an advertisement for all the fabulous things you’ve packed.” She purchased gold Radan luggage, which is strong and functional, but also has a built-in phone charger and an app that enables you to track your bag. It is also available in additional colors such as pretty pale pink gloss and light blue gloss. Patricia offers many other travel tips in The Art of Southern Charm.

9.  In The Art of Southern Charm, Patricia discusses how to build a proper stationery wardrobe, and she believes words flow better with the right pen. She uses a Chopard pen, but she also recommends disposable fountain pens “that can make the worst handwriting look elegant.”

10. To scent her exquisite home, Patricia loves the bamboo candle by Nest with its clean pleasant scent, and Agraria’s Bitter Orange potpourri, nicknamed “Park Avenue Potpourri”…

Now we can all enjoy a little of Patricia’s elegant style at home!  This is just a very small taste of the tips and products you will learn about in her book…  For more, please read The Art of Southern Charm.