OUT AND ABOUT: HUDSON GRACE AT MARIN COUNTRY MART

Gary McNatton and Paul Wiseman talking shop while Hudson stands by

Photos - Kirsten Honeyman

On a recent trip to the farmer's market, held on Saturday mornings at the

Marin Country Mart

, Paul wandered into

Hudson Grace

. Owner Gary McNatton happened to be in the store.

Gary and Paul enjoying catching up with one another

Holiday selection of quality tabletop and gift items

Terra cotta bust festively bedecked in a wreath and strand of over-sized

wooden prayer beads

Salesperson Jennifer Murr ringing up a

red gnome

, a popular gift item

Paul's favorite item among many wonderful choices? A comfortable, well-crafted Adirondack chair.

Adirondack chair by Woodlodge

~

CHEZ PAUL: ROGER THOMAS OPINES ABOUT DINNER ON BELVEDERE

Roger Thomas, head of design for Wynn Hotels and Resorts, recently dined at Paul Wiseman's home on Belvedere Island. Visit

The Roger Thomas Collection

for a report... 

FIELD TRIP: VEGAS DONE WELL

Photo - Wynn Hotels and Resorts

On a recent business trip to Las Vegas, Paul Wiseman stayed overnight at the Wynn Encore. The luxury hotel was decorated by

Roger Thomas

, friend and head of design for Wynn Hotels and Resorts.

Table lamp at the Encore Hotel

Photos - Kirsten Honeyman, unless otherwise specified

The luxury decor at the Encore doesn't translate readily into the kind of residential design done by The Wiseman Group, but Paul was able to spot a number of light fixtures that could work well in a private home.

Wall sconce in the Encore Towers lobby

Crystal chandelier in the Encore Casino

One of the key amenities of the Encore is the availability of fine restaurants within the Wynn-Encore complex. Paul dined at the Wing Lei, the first Chinese restaurant in the country to be awarded a Michelin star.

Paul Wiseman dining at the Wing Lei

After a delicious dinner, Paul took a short walk through the complex to take in a performance of 

Le Rêve

at the aqua theater-in-the-round built especially for the production. The fantastical show, voted "Best Production Show in Las Vegas" for an unprecedented five consecutive years, did not disappoint.

Gigantic flowers unfurled in the finale of

Le Rêve

The Wynn experience made it possible to conduct business and enjoy a mini holiday all in the span of 36 hours! 

~

IN THE NEWS: JAMES HUNTER'S PROJECT IN SFC&G

Under the title "Elevated Style," the work of James Hunter was recently

featured in

SFC&G

 (

San Francisco Cottages & Gardens

). The Wiseman Group design principal created a très chic apartment in the Millennium Tower for his client, Juli Betwee. Among many creative tours de force conceived by James and his team, the 5-by-10-foot taffeta window panels are among the most awe-inspiring. Commissioned from Pietro Seminelli, a French curtain couturier and origami master, the panels are both beautiful and supremely functional.

Pick up a copy of SFC&G or read about the project online at

cottagesgardens.com/SFCandG

.

~

FIELD TRIP: OUR BLOG AUTHOR VISITS LA FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON

On a recent trip to Paris our blog author, Kirsten Honeyman, visited the new Gehry-designed art museum in the Bois de Boulogne. Please enjoy her guest post about the experience.