editor's letter

摘要

So often the story of a house is really the story of a place. In this, AD's annual travel issue, the sense of place is strong, starting with cover-star musician and designer Lenny Kravitz at the 1,000-acre, 18th-century Brazilian coffee plantation he has been renovating and freshening for nearly a decade. Kravitz tells writer Mayer Rus that his first visit to the sprawling property turned into a six-month stay. "I learned to ride horses from the cowboys, learned about farming, and reconnected with nature. This farm, this land, they have a life force of their own." As for American entrepreneur Chris Burch, he dreamed of an apartment on the rue de Seine in Paris but ended up finding bliss in a majestic but neglected 1608 hotel particulier in Senlis, a picturesque town about an hour from the city. Burch, working with friend and designer Marco Scarani, notes, "We wanted to bring it right back to the way it had been." That desire encompassed not only the masterfully reborn house but also the vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, and even the barnyards (now home to animals like rabbits and chickens). Less far-flung but just as evocative are two New York City apartments we visit this month. Patricia Herrera Lansing, who has lived in the same rambling Little Italy loft with her family for almost 20 years, just recently created the kind of kitchen that city folk fantasize about—enormous, light-filled, with tons of storage—and even outdoor space! Farther uptown, W editor Stefano Tonchi and gallery owner David Maupin devised a modern, art-filled home in the decidedly unmodern 1885 Osborne building. A brilliant blend of past and present, it's an authentic piece of the Big Apple.