Home Sweet Home
The Well-Loved House is the beautiful (Rizzoli) book by notable decorator (a term she prefers) Ashley Whittaker. Ashley was recently in Kansas City to discuss her book and interiors work as the featured guest for the annual Committee of 100 luncheon at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
C100 is an auxiliary membership group dedicated to hosting signature fundraising events that deepen engagement and further the museum’s mission as a cultural anchor for Kansas City. While C100 organizes events and programming across the year, the most notable is their annual luncheon, which has hosted a staggering roster of design world icons. Past headliners include last year’s dynamo Bronson Van Wyck, and previously Miles Redd, Alexa Hampton, Charlotte Moss, Suzanne Kasler, and Bunny Williams. I’ll note that the committee does an exceptional job at varying annual guests by their style and field. Last year was a flashy event designer; this year was a neo-traditional interior designer. What will next year bring? I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but I’ll give you a clue: architecture. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves….
The C100 flagship event is part lecture, part lunch. And before all that, actually, morning terrace cocktails. As one should. (I was blown away by the watermelon margarita; if you were there, you get the pun.) Following a heaping dose of spirited conversation with some of the most delightful ladies in our city—who all got the floral print memo—we wandered to the auditorium. Ashley took us on a visual tour of several homes featured in her book, sprinkled with personal anecdotes and advice.
Overheard “She’s got more legs than a bucket of chicken.”
Ashley’s first foray into decorating was covering her off-campus college bedroom (painted red—the horror) with leftover childhood Laura Ashley wallpaper—applied via staple gun. It wasn’t long until she traded her college classrooms for “the school of Ralph.” You know the one. She graduated from staple guns to planning PR campaigns, large events, and legendary fashion shows. Ashley eventually founded her own design firm in 2007. Since then, she has had the opportunity to outfit great homes from coast to coast—Montana to the Upper East Side.
I could see the wheels spinning inside my interior design friends’ minds, pondering what they might do with the Greenwich, Connecticut, budgets Ashley is accustomed to. “Move” a pool to accommodate a new loggia? Ellsworth Kelly artwork in a children’s room? Scrap plans for a tear-down, then top-to-bottom remodel, only to design a new home that will fulfill the original tear-down plans? All in a day’s work for Ms. Whittaker.
Some of Ashley’s top tips? Contrast is essential—be it color, pattern, material, or scale. Think: gorgeous modern art juxtaposed with a Louis XVI armchair. Or, in a large room, try two rugs to break up the space vs. one behemoth. Otherwise, you may wind up living in your own Marriott ballroom. Sidenote: This expert contrast of pattern and scale was on full display at the event’s benefactor party held the preceding evening that Clare & Nick Blasi hosted at their stunning Mark Sikes-designed home. Another Ashley tip: sleep in your own guest bedroom(s) at least once. Another—your home should never look like the decorator just left (even if the decorator lives there). Dishevel something. Just a little bit.
Following Ashley’s remarks, I was once again honored to share a table with the event’s most gracious co-chairs, Shelly Copaken and Amy Thompson. And of course, Ashley. While her 9-year-old son was off experiencing what must have been the most awesome game of Night at the Museum, we got to enjoy Ashley’s company amidst the lush, garden-like ambience imagined by Andrea Martin and Ken Sherman at Trapp and Company. We dined on Andrew Wigger’s chilled spinach avocado bisque and niçoise-roasted baby potato and ahi tuna salad. Pastry chef Aubrey Wellingon’s fluffy blueberry donut with lime tequila curd and wild blueberry coulis was something we knew we didn’t need, but couldn’t resist seeing through to the last bite.
Finally, a word about some of my tablemates: the Thompson family contingent—there to support co-chair Amy and represent Country Club Bank. Though our paths don’t frequently cross, I’m left with an indelible impression by their family patriarch, Byron Thompson. He was humorous, gentle, and a good friend to my grandfather, Virgil, when they were alive. I will forever remember my annual dinners with them at the Broadmoor’s rooftop Penrose Room each summer during the Kansas Bankers convention. I don’t suppose they were as entranced by the white-glove service as the sole child in the restaurant, nor do I imagine either gave much thought to how beautiful the dining room was—or design, generally. But I know that each cared about their families deeply and would have very much subscribed to the idea that a home is for living. That’s precisely the warm, embracing ethos conveyed by Ashley Whittaker’s designs—and something we can all strive for.
Spotted: Honorary Chairs Kay Newell and Lisa Schellhorn, Julián Zugazagoitia, Mina Steen, Shirley Helzberg, Dr. Phyliss Bernstein, Susan Bernstein, Bunny Copaken, Amy O’Connor, Ann Baum, Ellen Merriman, Liz Uhlmann, Emily Fehsenfeld, Lauren Blazer, Carmen Sabates, Rachel Sabates, Amy Embry, Gina Penner, Lillis Beihl, Susan Bubb, Megan Bubb, Ann McCray, Barbara Spilker, Kim Klein, Sharon Hoffman, Tammy Edwards, Debby Ballard, Jon Porter, Katie Kwo Gerson, Jamila Weaver, Melanie Miller, Erica Crenshaw, Jane Gard, Anne Hickock, Missy Love, Tiffany Ruzica, Alissa Block, Lisa Lala, Lisa Hardy, John Rufenacht, Courtney Bash, Margaux Blackwell, Tess Merriman, Jane Ehinger, Suzy Hall, Carol Logan, Beth Cole, Georgina Herrera, Lucy Coulson, Sara Noble, Emily Sanger
Hot Gossip: Who lost a tooth at dinner and surreptitiously stowed it away in her Chanel bag?
Hallmarket
Adding to my growing list of firsts, I took advantage of a gorgeous autumn day (albeit early rain) to check out Hallmarket. Held annually since 2010 at Crown Center Square, the one-day art festival is typically scheduled for the Saturday coinciding with the Plaza Art Fair weekend.
The event is an outlet and showcase for the Kansas City creative bastion that is Hallmark. Current and retired employees are invited to gather and sell their personal creations to the community. Wandering through the nearly 80 booths, I spied a number of treasures and had the opportunity to connect and converse with several of KC’s most talented artists and creators. There were beautiful fly-fishing lures by Kristina Ferguson and clay-bead jewelry by Karen Skillet. Marcos Román, a senior designer and illustrator, had one of the most colorful and joyful offerings. His vibrant, quilt-patterned, mixed-media collages are made of painted paper and canvas scraps. He also had collage kits available for aspiring artists to assemble their own paper quilt creations.
Ginkgo Embroidery by Jeffrey Nguyen also made an impression on me. His tufted, framed art stood out for its originality and nostalgia. Nguyen also had an iPad on hand, continuously looping a video of his process. It was mesmerizing to witness a near-finished product getting sheared like a sheep. Hat tip to my friend and proud Hallmarker, Bernard Shondell, for flagging this not-to-miss artist on my visit.
Finally, The Artsy Fartsy, by mother and daughter duo Christine & Lilli Stalder, caught my attention due to the bustle of activity inside their combined tent. While they had stacks of illustrated prints, it was their female icon mixed-media collages that were a total hit with passers-by. These framed pieces with a quote and 3-D details included legends such as Frida Kahlo, Iris Apfel, Dolly Parton, Cleopatra, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I snapped up a (very popular) Taylor Swift one—complete with beaded jewelry and gown—for a friend’s upcoming birthday. Beyond these market highlights, there was a diverse array of creations including the more obvious paintings, photography, jewelry, and ceramics, but also dried flowers, bath bombs, candles, and adorable tooth-fairy pillows.
In addition to the market itself, there was an afternoon of programming and entertainment. While there, I got to enjoy some upbeat acoustic cover songs from The James Perryman Band and local R&B artist Kent Crockett. Earlier in the day, there was a presentation on how to write like a Hallmark humor writer. I had a delicious lunch from the outdoor pop-up for nearby Burnt End BBQ while witnessing some of the lawn games. I also dropped by the free card-sending station for one of my favorite activities—sending cards to friends. Snaps to Hallmark for providing this venue for its artists to share their creativity with the community.
Overheard “Hey, honey. What’s our zip code?”
PorchFest Returns!
I had heard of PorchFestKC, but a multi-year hiatus spurred by the pandemic put a major pause on my plans to attend. Fatefully, as the stars and stoops aligned, this was my year! Perhaps one of the most unique and joyful live-music events in the city, PorchFest occurs (mostly) annually—and yes, on historic neighborhood porches. More than 100 genre-diverse musicians gathered to perform 60-minute acoustic sets at staggered times among walkable neighborhood addresses. Earlier iterations tried out the West Plaza, Union Hill, and Longfellow neighborhoods, but the organizers recently landed on the perfect KC neighborhood: Roanoke. My endearment for the close-knit Roanoke community definitively stems from the 1,001 (neighbor-heavy) parties I attended at my good friend Jim Blair’s former Frank Lloyd Wright home there. Let it be said—if I ever trade downtown condo living for house living, it will surely be in Roanoke. (And, technically, the fest spanned across Southwest Trafficway to neighboring Valentine, which is nearly as lovely.)
On this first chilly day of the autumn season, it was the perfect opportunity for me to don a snuggly vest just pulled from storage and spend an afternoon with the first fallen leaves crunching beneath my boots. I began in unplanned fashion at a home near where I was able to find street parking (pro tip: arrive early). I heard the sweet vocals of singer/songwriter Erica McKenzie and floated in her direction. Her rendition of Landslide nearly brought me to tears, as it always does.
Meanwhile, I joined some friends who happened to be nearby, and we made our way to Rhonda & Scott Burnett’s (recently sold) home. There, we lingered and heard the jam/funk band, Satori. Soon though, we were off on Scott’s golf cart to get a glimpse inside his (stripped-to-the-studs) future home. You never know where the day might take you. Following the impromptu tour, we caught the cheery folk band String Theory, appropriately strumming and singing from a grand plantation-style home.
As we wandered, we nibbled on bites from some of the food trucks, including Tamale Kitchen, Johnny Jo’s, Julita’s, and Tacontento. The mobile app greatly helped us navigate the band locations as well as food and portable restrooms. Our final stop was to hear the boisterous (and very popular, judging by the crowd) New Orleans-style Back Alley Brass Band performing on the stately, columned porch belonging to Lucy & David Terry. There’s just something jubilant and thrilling about a live brass band. With so many performances and overlapping, limited time, I naturally missed some of the day’s other standouts including Pepper Sprouts, Electric Lungs, Swallowtails, Carlton Rashad, Friendly Thieves, Kansas City Bear Fighters, and Meyadi.
Though I imagine other cities have scattered neighborhood music festivals (actually, PorchFest founder Kathryn Golden was inspired by a similar event in Napa), this felt like a uniquely Kansas City community event. Neighbors and visitors walking, talking, lawn-sitting, snacking. It was a beautiful, midwestern-type thing; something I hope suffers from no future hiatus and becomes part of my annual autumn traditions.
Hot Gossip: Who remotely purchased a painting featured in this column, without ever viewing it in person?