Welcome to TGP Tidbits where we round up the latest happenings and our musings of the design industry each week. This week we pay tribute to the late Suzanne Rheinstein, take a peek at Peter Pennoyer’s latest architecture division, and the collection of Susie Hilfiger at Stair Galleries. Written by Natalie Aldridge.
A Tribute to Suzanne Rheinstein
On Monday, March 21st, interior design legend Suzanne Rheinstein just shy of her 78th birthday. Born and raised in the historic city of New Orleans, Suzanne developed deep appreciation for tradition, style, and hospitality. After attending Tulane University, Rheinstein found herself in Washington DC and began her career in publishing before pivoting to broadcast journalism. She went on to work for CBS Newsunder during the height of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal under esteemed newscaster Eric Sevareid. While her career little focus on design, her East Coast surroundings informed her classical sophistication.
After marrying her beloved husband, the late television producer Frederic Rheinstein and settling in Los Angeles, Rheinstein opened Hollyhock in 1988. A vision of her adoration for antiques and furnishings, the store quickly became an iconic and indispensable facet of the interior design community. In was within Hollyhock she realized her passion and talent in interior design, bidding her to launch Suzanne Rheinstein & Associates.
Her firm grew to take on projects across the globe. She created homes replete with elegance, comfortability, and soul. Her interiors were unpretentious yet evoked an old-world sensibility so largely forgotten. Throughout her career she authored three best selling books, At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past, Rooms for Living and her latest, A Welcoming Elegance, which was released early March of this year.
Rightfully celebrated, Rhienstein was the recipient of the New York School of Interior Design’s Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s Arthur Ross Award for Interior Design, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Southern California Chapter’s Legacy Award, the LCDQ Living Legends Award, and the LACMA Design Leadership Award.
Her passion extended far beyond her professional work as well. Rheinstein was an accomplished philanthropist. She sat on the board of The Garden Conservancy and, in honor of her late husband, founded the Suzanne and Frederic Rheinstein Fund for Garden Documentation for The Garden Conservancy, which works to developed documentary and archival materials of gardens so they remain for generations to come.
Rheinstein inspired all those who had the great pleasure of meeting her. A true industry titan with a heart for others. She is survived by her daughter, Kate Rheinstein Brodsky, founder of KRB, and two granddaughters.
Peter Pennoyer Architects Conservation
If you are an ardent reader of TGP, you know our passion for preservation runs deep. Too often have we seen historic homes and other buildings demolished and quickly forgotten by most. The loss of a historic structure is a loss for our communities, future generations, and the While these tragedies happen all too often, in-roads to preservation are being made by organizations and individuals across the country.
One such individual is renowned architect Peter Pennoyer. A classicist and fervent supporter of preservation, Pennoyer has announced the opening of Peter Pennoyer Architects’ new in-house conservation division. The division aims to provide specialized historic buildings services for private, commercial, and institutional clients. Conservation Director Lewis Gleason will be leading the team, fostering their mission to revitalize historic buildings, “especially when previous renovations have robbed them of their character and degraded their structures”, says PPA. This is an exciting leap forward for the Peter Pennoyer firm and the future of architecture.
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The Collection of Susie Hilfiger at Stair Galleries
Susie Hilfiger, former wife of Tommy Hilfiger and a tastemaker in her own right, spent over twenty-five years at Denbigh Farm. The historic Greenwich Estate was a masterpiece of her own making with the main house and smaller out-buildings restored and decorated to perfection. Her keen eye for collecting turned the property into a home with a deep story with a magical quality.
In light of her sale of the estate, Stair Galleries will be auctioning many of the sublime furnishing, antiques, and other treasures. The Collection of Denbigh Farm represents the life-long pursuit of beauty, style, and uncompromising taste. The auction will begin on April 19th, 2023 at 11:00 am. The catalog will become available on April 7th. You can pre-register for the auction here.
Images courtesy of Stair Galleries & Restoration.
Read our Favorite Articles of the Week!
A Love Letter to Suzanne Rheinstein written by Kate Rheinstein Brodsky for Elle Decor.
Remembering Suzanne Rheinstein written by Mario López-Cordero for Frederic Magazine.
These Jewel-Toned Timepieces Offer a Colorful Twist on the Classics written by Martha Moskowitz for Frederic Magazine.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Shares Details About Upcoming Karl Lagerfeld Exhibition written by Rosemary Feitelburg for Women’s Wear Daily.
Shop this week’s inspired finds!
x Natalie
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Follow Natalie on Instagram: @natalieealdridge
Very sad news about Suzanne Rheinstein. I hope you will feature her beautiful ‘getaway’ in Montecito – inspiring!
Beautiful tribute to Suzanne Rheinstein. I’ve always admired the living room with the gorgeous Chinoiserie panels. I also adore the chartreuse walls in the library. It’s my favorite color, because it’s the first sign of life in the spring. In fact, here in Boston, we have many wonderful witch hazel trees that bloom in the late winter, the most interesting chartreuse flowers. It feels like nature’s way of saying: “Sorry the weather sucks, but here’s a little respite from the lack of color, until April.”