Photos by Taylor Hall O’Brien 
Words, Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner
Special thanks to Jo Ellison

“Time travelling is my favourite fantasy,” says Geoff Howell whose Italianate home in Athens, upstate New York, is a cache of eclectic finds. Howell is the founder of Geoff Howell Studio- a visual merchandising and design business that, over the past 43 years, has created sets for cultural institutions including the Whitney Museum and the American Museum of Natural History and brands such as Gucci and Tiffany & Co. But his home is a dense canvas of antiques, curios and ephemera in which each room takes on the character of a still life. Read the fully story here.

Photos by Taylor Hall O’Brien 
Words by Lucrezia Lucas

The village of Burneside, on the edge of England’s Lake District, has been a water mill village for centuries. Its centerpiece, the James Cropper Mill—the oldest family-owned paper mill in the UK—traces its roots to 1746, when the village’s wool mill was converted for paper-making and later sold to James Cropper in 1845. Today, James’ great-great-great-grandson, Mark Cropper, carries the family legacy with renewed fervour and a clear sense of purpose: to revive and safeguard the endangered art of handmade paper-making. Read the full story here. 

Photos, words, and styling by Taylor Hall O’Brien

After a long drive north and a 20-minute journey over water, a wooden boathouse marks the approach to a remote island in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness - home to these painstakingly constructed traditional log cabins. Surrounded by untouched wilderness, owners Susan and Paddy cherry-picked this five-acre island in their search for a wild and peaceful site and broke ground in the summer of 2022. The first summer was spent in tents, cooking in an outdoor kitchen and sleeping under the stars as construction progressed, with the couple turning to local neighbours - and a healthy dose of Northwoods grit - to bring their vision to life. Of course, the beauty of such isolation brings logistical gymnastics: building more than 100 miles from the nearest city, accessible only via a private mainland parcel, means every material arrives by boat - and nothing happens quickly. A second guest cabin - a trapper's shell crafted from 300-to 400-year-old storm-felled logs, each weighing more than a ton was transported 285 miles from Wisconsin before being coaxed inch by inch up the island's stony ridge. Inside, however, the mood is far removed from rugged Northwoods vernacular. Susan, who led the interiors, has layered the log architecture with European refinement: a kitchen created with deVOL at its heart, textiles by Pierre Frey and Colefax & Fowler softening the timbered walls, and an extraordinary collection of antiques sourced from Scandinavia, England, Austria and France. The result is a rare balance of rustic comfort and quiet sophistication - on an island where solitude reigns and wilderness stretches all the way to the Canadian border. Read the full story here. 

Happy Campers for The World of Interiors

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Words by Donna Salek

Replete with historical and cultural significance, forged through passing generations, Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, still oozes a nostalgic all-American charm thanks to its current custodians. Read the full story here.

Photos by Taylor Hall O’Brien 
Words, Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner
Interior Design by Alecia Stevens

Built around 1700, Villa Marchetti is an 18th century estate in the hills of Pistoia, Tuscany, surrounded by olive groves, grape vines and a quality of light that feels otherworldly. Liz Gardner meets its newest custodian, 71-year-old Alecia Stevens, an Iowa-born interior designer who has been "chasing beauty" her whole life. Read the full story here.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling by Hudson Moore
Words by Jennifer Fernandez

Centered by Design incorporates well-curated antiques to give this recently renovated Chicago home an old soul. The perfect example of New York cool meets California calm. Read the full story here.

Photos by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Words by Ryan Waddoups
Florals by Ann Elizabeth Mekala

Prospect Refuge Studio channels the late British luminary Lucie Rie’s lesser-known “Button Era” works to guide a craft-driven renovation of a former convent on Saint Paul’s historic Summit Avenue into a tactile celebration of all things ceramic. Read the full story here.

Words & Images: Taylor Hall O’Brien

Interior Design: Justice Quinn Interiors

The 1927 Adah Robinson House in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the earliest works of 20th-century American architect Bruce Goff (1904-1982). A child prodigy who had his first architecture apprenticeship at the age of 12 and designed his first home by age 15, Goff quickly grabbed the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright as an adolescent. He penned a letter to the great master, who was nearing 50, and asked if he thought it a good idea to attend architecture school. In his response, Wright encouraged Goff not to pursue a formal education for fear that he might ‘lose Bruce Goff ’ in the process. Neither of them received a formal architecture degree.

Later, as their relationship grew, Wright invited Goff to join him at Taliesin – the former’s home, studio and school in Wisconsin – as his ‘right-hand man,’ but Goff declined then, and subsequently twice more. Architect Robert Morris recorded a series of interviews with Goff, his mentor, between 1979-1981, which were published after Goff ’s death in the journal Cite in Spring 1983. In them, Goff recounted declining Wright’s offer: ‘Mr. Wright, I regard you highly and know people who have worked with you [...]. You are too big a man for me to be close to, and I need to be away from you in order to keep the right perspective. I hope we can continue to be friends.’ He went on to explain, ‘Wright was silent for a long time, then put his arms around me and gave me a big hug and said, Bruce, I wish others knew me like you do.’

Read the full story in the August 2025 issue of Wallpaper*

Camp Nebagamon - A Place of Welcome, For All

Photos & Words by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner
Special thanks to Kelly Dorow

A 100-year-old summer camp on Lake Nebagamon in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Read the full story in Cabana Magazine, Issue 23, on stands worldwide.

Images & Words by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner
Interior Design by Jacqueline Fortier
Florals by Kelly Dorow

In a quiet corner of Minnesota lies an extraordinarily well preserved piece of French history: a remarkable, entirely intact Parisian interior, dating from the 18th-century. How did it get there? Taylor Hall O'Brien investigates. Read the full story here.

Photography by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Written by Anne Hardy
Interior Design by Ryan Lawson

After 25 years living in the same home in Houston, Texas, Greg Lofgren and Don Bayer reached out to New York–based AD100 designer Ryan Lawson to help them reconsider the space. “They were collectors, but they wanted an editor to help bring it together,” Lawson says. The nearly 1,500-square-foot bungalow needed a rethink and a refresh. “We’ve always had a nice-looking house, but we wanted something different,” says Lofgren, a retired graphic design professor. “I wanted to feel the magic that happens only when you visit someplace you’re not familiar with.” Read the full story here.

79 Summers in Rural Wisconsin for Cabana Magazine

Images & Words by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Art Direction + Styling by Liz Gardner
Florals by Kelly Dorow
Editor: Camilla Frances

Eighty-year-old Bill Carter has spent 79 memory-filled summers at Kelley's Kabin, a collection of atmospheric log cabins overlooking the Flambeau River in rural Wisconsin. Bill gives Taylor Hall O'Brien a tour, sharing the cabins' history and stories of summers past. Read the full story here.

A Living House for Cabana Magazine

Images & Words by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design, Creative Direction, Styling by: Liz Gardner

Maison Bodega, a 1920s mansion in Minneapolis with a storied history, is the culmination of all things nearest and dearest to multi-hyphenate creative, Liz Gardner. Taylor Hall O’Brien meets Liz for a tour of the unique space, discovering a house alive with creativity. Read more here.

A Living History for Cabana Magazine

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner
Special thanks to Kelly Dorow
Editor: Camilla Frances

Written above the entrance of the historic Batcher Block Opera House are the words, “A place where dreams come true.” For Colleen Frost, who purchased the building in 2003 after a terminal cancer diagnosis, it has become her living legacy. Now, 21 years later, when asked about the moment she purchased the property, she references the poet, William James, who pledged to ‘spend my life working on something that will outlast my life.’

Read the full story in issue 22 of @cabanamagazine with covers by @chanel x @lesage on newsstands worldwide.

Angels in Hunters Point for Cabana Magazine

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Words by Parissa Mostaedi
Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner

Lorna Kollmeyer did not start out with a master plan; nevertheless, her ornamental plaster and her studio are a masterclass in creativity and innovation. Her workshop, the last of its kind in San Francisco, is a place that honors craftsmanship and artistry.

Read the full story in The Atlas of Craftsmanship section of Cabana Magazine, Issue 23.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design by Ryan Lawson
Styling by Liz Gardner

Tucked among the pines of central Minnesota is a home that just may be one of the state’s best kept secrets. The architecture itself tells part of that story. The original 1930s footprint remains visible — modest, contained — while a 1970s addition opens the lake house into more expressive volumes. Over time, rooms were adjusted, updated and added onto in ways that reflected evolving interests. A recent remodel, completed later in the homeowner’s life, became the turning point. Read the full story here.

A House of Surprises - An Antique Dealer's Modernist Home

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner
Florals by Kelly Dorow

In a quiet wooded grove in Minnesota, Belgian-born antique dealer, Claire Steyaert, has filled her Bauhaus-inspired Modernist home with a lifetime's worth of art and antiques. Taylor Hall O'Brien meets Claire for champagne, croissants and a conversation about the joy of collecting. Read the full story here.

A Designer's Greek Revival Home In The Hudson Valley for Cabana Magazine

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Words & Styling by Liz Gardner
Editor: Camilla Frances

In the 25 years that milliner and fashion designer, James Coviello, has owned his one-acre property in the Hudson Valley, he’s attended to every nook and cranny, reaching into his expertise of 19th-century domestic structures. Liz Gardner and Taylor Hall O'Brien take a tour, discovering how the house has become Coviello's calling card. Read the full story here.

In my latest piece for Rue Magazine I traveled to the north woods of Minnesota to tell the story of a family cabin on Gull Lake. Read the full story in the Winter 2025 issue of Rue Magazine, on stands now. 

Words and Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien

Interiors by Tays & Co. Design

Architecture by Marka Architecture

A special thank you to Kelli Lamb

Photos by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Words by Yeong Sassall
Interior Design by Henri Interiors

Weaving in elements drawn from past and present, Henri Interiors crafted a timeless home on the shores of Gull Lake, built for forging family connections and beautiful summer memories. Read the full story here. 

Photography by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling by Tessa Watson
Words by David Nash
Interior Design by Prospect Refuge Studio

A new 42-storey building alongside the Mississippi River isn’t necessarily the place you’d expect to find a home designed in homage to the Celtic goddess Brigid. But for Minneapolis, Minnesota-based interior designer Victoria Sass, the mythological figure was the perfect encapsulation her client. Read the full story here.

Inside the ancestral home of the Earls of Bradford, Weston Park

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling & Creative Direction by Liz Gardner
Words by Emma Becque

Viscount and Viscountess Newport, Alexander and Eliza, are planting the seeds for generations in more ways than one. The young couple is restoring their Bradford Estates, creating communities and tracking their lost ancestral heirlooms. Today, their countryside retreat is blossoming in more ways than one too - step inside for an exclusive peek. See full story here.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design & Styling by Studio Day Design

This St. Paul, Minnesota home’s 1890 Exterior inspired the wood cabinets in the kitchen. Read the full story here.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design by Ryan Lawson
Styling by Liz Gardner

Photos and Words by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design by Studio Day Design

For LA-based Brian Robinson, an exciting job in Florida presented an opportunity to start a new life with his young family – and design a filmic new home. Working with interior designer Deidre Webster, Brian and his husband, Adam Larson, created a home based on one of their favorite movies: the boundary-breaking 1996 comedy, The Birdcage. Read the full story here.

We take a tour of the home of Hello Norden owner/designer, Kassina Folstad, for White Bear Lake Magazine. Read the full story here.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design & Styling by Hello Norden

Tchotchkes Design Studio places family heirlooms at the center of their design concept in this fully in-tact Mid-Century rambler. Brimming with personality and nostalgia, the project oozes charm and familiarity.  

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien

Centered by Design updates this Raleigh, North Carolina home with color, pattern, and bespoke pieces to give the space richness and depth. As seen in Rue Magazine, Fall 2025.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling by Andrew Carter Thomas

This Mission Victorian in San Francisco was reimagined by Yond Interiors to suit a young family. Every detail was thoughtfully redesigned to balance the home’s historic charm with modern needs. This complete Victorian home renovation in San Francisco now offers the perfect blend of old-world charm and functional modern spaces. Read the full story here.

Images by Taylor Hall O'Brien
Styling by Rachel Forslund
Architect: O'Sullivan Architecture
Builder: Larkspur Builders
Cabinetry: Workhorse Cabinetry

Sometimes designers have a handful of smaller projects that aren’t full home projects for publication, but they still want to document them for their website and social media. Here is an example of a portfolio update for interior designer, Anne McDonald.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling by Liz Gardner

Henri Interiors Gives a Minnesota Home a Psychedelic Refresh

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design by Henri Interiors
Styling by Hannah Tilou

For a family home in Wayzata, Henri Interiors went a little wild. The starting point was a stately 11,000-square-foot structure where every inch was regal and refined. The only issue was that the family was entirely not. Read the full story.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design & Styling by Prospect Refuge Studio

There’s Hidden Meaning to the Custom Tiles in This Family’s Minneapolis Renovation by Prospect Refuge Studio. Read the full story here.

Images by Taylor Hall O'Brien
Design by Modern Nest

Nestled on a quiet street in the heart of Paradise Valley with sweeping mountain views, Desert Muse is Modern Nest's new-construction luxury residence, with architecture by Cosan Studio. This home captures Modern Nest's signature approach where design, art, and earth converge in perfect balance. Modern architectural lines blend with rich, organic materials and sculptural detailing to create a sense of warmth and depth.

A 1920s Minneapolis Craftsman, Moody Makeover

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design by Anne McDonald Design
Styling by Liz Gardner

Anne McDonald recently worked her magic on a 1920s Craftsman bungalow that was lackluster and cluttered, using its original dark-stained red oak trim and millwork as the inspiration for a moody palette of rich browns and ambers. Then she balanced the warmth with dusty blues and deep greens that highlight the leafy views through the windows. Read the full story here.

Mary Jo & Steve Hoffman perfectly aligned the release dates of their respective books. Both books, STILL: The Art of Noticing by Mary Jo Hoffman and A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern Franceby by Steve Hoffman, were the products of decades of work. They hit stores within months of each other and since, the couple has been on a whirlwind book tour throughout the US and abroad. Both books have landed atop best seller lists nationwide and are receiving critical acclaim throughout the publishing world. They called me as they were finishing up their books to shoot lifestyle images and portraits to be included within their books, and also for use for press and social media promotion. We spent the day capturing their home, their craft, and taking a handful of portraits which included two wild Sandhill Cranes who have claimed their backyard in Minnesota as their lifelong nesting place.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien

Before my client, turned dear friend, sold her beloved summer cabin, we took one last trip north to document the place so she can keep the memories forever.

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Interior Design & Styling by Deidre Webster of Studio Day Design

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling by Hudson Moore
Words by Kaila Strang

With its semicircular bay window, original segmented window moldings and multiple fireplaces—including a one-of-a-kind brass dining room hearth—the home had long captured the family’s heart, but required careful restoration to honor its history while supporting modern family life. “The client’s priority was a family home with functional spaces,” explains Goldbach. “That said, they also fell in love with it for a reason and wanted to amplify and protect those aspects that attracted them. It is architecturally an anomaly on the block with its limestone facade and proportions. The new work had to play to both aspects.” For Staszak, the goal was to ensure the home balanced sophistication with livability. “I wanted to keep it as elevated as possible, while still easy to live in for a family with young children,” she says. “I love the idea that if you walk in you could easily be in New York or Paris: metropolitan, chic, understated yet still youthful and fun. Those were all elements we were working towards.”

Read the full story here.

Cabana Magazine - Poor Farm with a Bright Future

Photos & Words by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner

Taylor Hall O'Brien shares a highly personal coming of age story, in which a central character is a once-derelict, reputedly haunted 'farm' in Wisconsin. The property has an intriguing, storied history and, it turns out, a bright future thanks to a pair of visionary artists. Taylor revisits the Poor Farm and discovers that, despite sitting deep in a "relatively poor county in middle-of-nowhere America", it is challenging the assumed politics of the contemporary art world. Read the full story here.

The Rand Tower Hotel for Marriott Bonvoy 

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien

Creative Direction & Styling by Liz Gardner

Seize the Clay

Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Words by Ariadne Fletcher

Ceramicist Ginny Sims’s joyful Minnesota home is a well-loved space, stuffed to the rafters with colour and craft. She first set her heart on it as a lodger before later coming back to make it her home and studio. Read the full story here.

Taylor Hall O'Brien visits a 3000 square-foot warehouse bursting with creativity and atmosphere, filled with thousands of books and endless collections of objects: the Minneapolis studio of writer and artist, David Coggins Senior. Read the full story here.

Words & Images by Taylor Hall O’Brien
Styling by Amy Quinlivan