Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1284212
T wo years ago, I received a call from my best friend, Alvise Orsini, announcing that his husband, Geoffroy van Raemdonck, had been appointed as new Neiman Marcus Group CEO. They were moving the family from Geneva to Dallas, and I was naturally ecstatic. Like Alvise, I was born in Italy but had lived in Dallas for almost a decade during my time as curator of the Goss-Michael Foundation. I was eager to share my favorite spots and to introduce them to my amazing Dallas friends. (I moved to Sarajevo last year with my husband, Eric Nelson, who is US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.) Most of all, I was extremely happy to have a great home away from home for myself in Dallas during my frequent visits — so I made sure any house-hunting wish list would include ample guest quarters. As a designer, Alvise has a passionate interest in properties that have great presence, historical significance, and plentiful inspirations — all learned from his illustrious mentor, Jacques Garcia, in Paris. Together, they collaborated on a number of international residential projects, ranging from luxury Swiss Alps DESIGNER ALVISE ORSINI, WHO WAS MENTORED BY DECORATOR JACQUES GARCIA IN PARIS, HAS CREATED SUMPTUOUS EUROPEAN-INSPIRED INTERIORS FOR THE 1927 ITALIANATE HOUSE IN LAKEWOOD HE SHARES WITH HUSBAND, NEIMAN MARCUS GROUP CEO GEOFFROY VAN RAEMDONCK. PAPERCITY'S EUROPEAN EDITOR-AT-LARGE FILIPPO TATTONI-MARCOZZI NARRATES chalets and expertly restored chateaux in France and Italy, to commercial commissions such as Cut restaurant at the Four Seasons New York; the newly redesigned Rosewood Washington, D.C.; and the charming Casa Coppelle restaurant in Rome. Through his company, Orsini Design, he has designed residential projects in London, Paris, Tuscany, and in the U.S. His last published residential interior was a stunning contemporary art-filled apartment on the Left Bank in Paris, overlooking the Seine. One of my favorites is surely his redecoration of the historic restaurant Del Cambio in the center of Turin, where the first Italian constitution was originally drafted. Currently, he's working on residential projects from the Bahamas to Highland Park in Dallas and the Cut Lounge at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, which should be completed as soon as the county opens up again. (Continued) Left: Pet chickens roam the formal gardens designed by Alvise Orsini. The potted loquat trees produce fruit and leaves that can be steeped for tea. Right: In the main living room, a collection of African, Asian, and European antiques includes a Chinese console and a 17th- century Flemish portrait.