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May Editor's Letter

by Rick Anderson

“Location, location, location!” —attributed to Lord Harold Samuel, British real estate tycoon.

Comporta, Ibiza, Palm Beach, Catalonia, Jaipur: a bucket list of dream destinations where the living is easy and sheer natural beauty defines the allure of the land. In this, AD’s annual Travel issue, we visit exceptionally blissful holiday homes in each of these locales. Jacques Grange takes cover honors with the circa-1930 Spanish-style villa in Palm Beach he decorated for an internationally based longtime client.

A Palm Beach Pool.

The house is a little bit Hollywood (the “Sinatra bar” has a Palm Springs Rat Pack vibe) and a little bit continental (the chic, lush pool cabana reminds the homeowner of Antibes’ Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc), but ultimately it is very Grange, who describes its spirit as “happy and comfortable, not traditional”—and that, I think, is an apt summary of the enduring allure of Monsieur himself.

Tablescape in Comporta, Portugal.

Farther afield, Parisian antiquaire Patrick Perrin shares his idyllic family retreat in Comporta, Portugal, a rugged place he says “I fell madly in love with.” In Ibiza, AD lands a rare glimpse into a house renovated to precision both inside and out by British designer du jour Faye Toogood.

Whitewashed Catalan country house.

There is one notable exception in our escapist lineup: The London townhouse of British supermodel Cara Delevingne is technically the jet-setting Brit’s primary residence. But since she practically lives on airplanes and in hotels, returning to her new home base must feel like a getaway.

Cara Delevingne’s cloud–painted bathroom.

Delevingne’s designer, Tom Bartlett, tells AD of her transporting master bath, covered in a custom-painted cloudscape: “She really liked the idea of lying in a bath after coming back from traveling, and having it feel romantic and dreamy.” Sometimes a staycation is all you need.

—AMY ASTLEY, Editor in Chief

Instagram: @amytastley

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