Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1218237
136 BAL HARBOUR Meet the Eye Inside the mind and aesthetic wonderland of tastemaker Athena Calderone, whose latest book examines the creative process behind the personal spaces of fellow arbiters of style. IT WOULD BE EASY, upon first glance, to write off Athena Calderone as yet another leggy influencer peddling perfection. But that would be too superficial. And Calderone, through her EyeSwoon (@eyeswoon) platform, has shown the world that lifestyle has meaning and depth. rough her love of food, design, fashion and all things aesthetic, including her own homes in Brooklyn and Amagansett, NY, Calderone has documented the journey for all to see—and actually learn a thing or two. "I'm a mega-sharer," says Calderone. "I'm not a hoarder of information." And it is the knowledge of living well that Calderone is sharing with the world. Come March, Calderone releases her second tome, "Live Beautiful," the obvious-for-her pairing to her successful "Cook Beautiful," which won a James Beard Award in 2018 for its sumptuous photography and clever focus on the art of food styling. Calderone, in fact, sold a two-book deal with interiors being her next target. But basic coffee table book this is not. Okay, sure, "Live Beautiful" features the fabulous homes of Calderone's friends: television personalities Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, fashion executive Jenna Lyons, creative director Giancarlo Valle, the design duo Roman and Williams and decorator Pamela Shamshiri, among others. "It was a really organic process, actually. Some people are really close to me; others have then become really close to me," says Calderone, whose last name might ring a bell—her husband is noted techno DJ Victor Calderone. "A few have been in my orbit for years and I really admire them; but then others, I just went out on a limb and reached out to say, 'Hey, I'm writing this book.'" Although, it's not hard to believe that Calderone collects people as she moves through the world. With her warm demeanor, she is instantly likable. Her tastes are at once sophisticated and unconventional, though neither quirky nor cookie-cutter—take fearlessly stripping and bleaching her Jacques Adnet cabinet to the horror of a few purists, which of course became whispers of envy. "Live Beautiful" is an invitation to join Calderone in her gorgeous, nuanced world—but central to the premise is how to pull it all off. "I love teaching and sharing tidbits," explains Calderone. "e thing that excites me about what I do is offering extractable, digestible tips." In every home featured in the book, Calderone has coursed through each vignette, analyzing the practical magic that makes the room work. BY JULIE BAUMGARDNER PORTRAIT BY SARAH ELLIOTT