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Classic & Curious is a lifestyle podcast for those who value timeless style and the art of living a considered life.
Hosted by Anne Kokoskie, the show introduces you to those that inspire thoughtful living. Through thoughtful conversations with artisans, designers, brands and creative thinkers, we dive into the details that elevate the everyday.
Home & Craftsmanship: From interior design to the makers behind the objects we cherish.
Travel & Exploration: Discovering historic destinations and boutique travel experiences.
Entertaining & Hospitality: The art of hosting, tablescaping, and the well-lived kitchen.
Join us for a more intentional way of living, where beauty and substance meet.
The best rooms aren't decorated. They're really accumulated over time with things and objects that are really truly personal to who you are. I want people to remember that design and decorating is more than just that install moment. It's really layering your own story into your spaces. Your home should be autobiographical.
Anne:This is Classic and Curious. I'm Anne Kikoski, and each week I bring you conversations with the founders, tastemakers, and creatives who have mastered the art of living with curiosity and intention. The spaces we inhabit, the tables we gather around, the places we seek out, so you can develop a sharper eye and design a life that feels distinctively your own.
Anne:Welcome back to Classic and Curious, and today's guest is Benjamin Reynaert, editor, stylist, creative director, and one of the design world's most discerning eyes. Benjamin is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with degrees in fine arts and architecture, as well as additional studies at Brown University. Benjamin began his career at Martha Stewart Living and held influential roles at Architectural Digest, El Decor, House Beautiful Veranda and Domino. Today, he is US editor for Homes and Gardens UK, leads his own creative studio and serves as contributing editor to Frederick. He is also a founding board member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Design Association.
Anne:His beautiful debut book, The Inspiration for Crafting Cozy Collected Rooms, celebrates interior shaped over time through pattern colored treasured objects, imperfection, and personal meaning. I was fortunate to first meet Benjamin in New Preston, Connecticut at the Ticking Tent, the biannual antique luxury and vintage market he co founded, and today that good fortune continues as I welcome him to Classic and Curious. Welcome, Benjamin. So happy to have you here.
Benjamin:Thank you, Anne. I'm so delighted to be here. What a joy and a pleasure to be with you.
Anne:Oh, my pleasure as well. So let's begin with your story. How did your journey through the world of design and interiors lead you to where you are today?
Benjamin:Absolutely. And gosh, what a kind introduction I should also mention. I've always been interested in how things come together and whether that's architecture, objects, furniture, patterns. And after studying architecture at RISD, I ended up really building a career in design and editorial kind of by accident. A friend of mine was working, as you mentioned at Martha Stewart, and was looking for someone who could sew, use a hot glue gun, run errands.
Benjamin:And I was in my twenties in New York City, and really just up for anything. I was like a sponge and really just wanted to absorb as much as possible. And I just said yes to anything. So, I would felt wool, sew greeting cards, make Christmas ornaments. And it really opened my eye to the world of magazine storytelling, which really taught me how to look at photography, how to look at spaces.
Benjamin:And that kind of eventually pointed me back to my architecture and design roots, working in shelter, publications, and all of those experiences, plus my own personal just kind of obsession with collecting really brought me to where I am today.
Anne:Oh, I love that. So as you went on this journey, Benjamin, tell me a little bit about what did you start to learn about yourself along the way?
Benjamin:I really learned that it's not about following rules. It's really about giving yourself permission to follow your inclinations, to go down a path that might not be less traveled. I mean, god knows my parents were having heart palpitations the whole way. But I think it's really important to be super in touch with who you are, what's driving your passions, and really tap into that.
Anne:Yeah. I think sometimes our gut and our hearts speak to our mind, and we can't explain it. I mean, is a really hard thing to define and it's not tangible. It's felt. I can't tell you how many people in life that I've met that are very successful and artistic and creative and intelligent that their story most of the time starts with what their gut and their heart were speaking to them.
Anne:And I find that with you as well.
Benjamin:Thank you. And that philosophy is so spot on and really resonates with me. And when it came time to think about even putting together a book, which wasn't even really my idea to start with, it was really about not creating space for more stuff, but really creating more of a space for your own personality and for your own kind of style to shine through.
Anne:Oh, I love that. And I can't wait to talk about your book. But let's first talk a little bit about that editorial eye that you have because you're not just born with it. It's refined. I think there's a part of it that is natural talent.
Anne:But when you think about what it took for you to hone that eye, what was that? And now how does that lens influence the way that you see and collect and curate?
Benjamin:Well, you're right. It's a mixture of training and I think just kind of natural abilities too sprinkled in. I think looking at imagery with a critical eye, whether it's a holiday tabletop story or an interior of a home or a front of book feature about, like, a new artisan. I think being in rooms where editorial storytelling was really the minutiae, we got into such minutiae, the details were really ripped apart. There was a lot of critical thinking and a lot of criticism too, like the good, the bad, the ugly.
Benjamin:And I think really working with incredible editors and mentors has really fueled the way that I see the world. And I always try in the best case scenario to be really unrelenting and at the end of the day, like my passion really is about telling a good story.
Anne:Yeah. I think we all are enthusiasts. What might we overlook that you have learned along the way that you could give us a couple tips?
Benjamin:Absolutely. One of the biggest, and it sort of seems simple today, but the biggest thing I learned at Martha Stewart was to always look at things in threes and to always think about how three different, potentially different objects of either different size, shape, or texture kind of go together or not. And so that really applies to anything from styling a coffee table to like putting a whole room together with furniture. And I think that really informed early on like how I see things. And then from a storytelling perspective with interiors, one thing that I really took away from working with incredible editors at AD, at El Decor, is to sort of capture a feeling and to have like a thesis around what is the mood of a space or a home and to let that guide the angles, the photography, and how you experience a space.
Anne:So it's not so much about perfection sometimes, although I'm sure that's in the backdrop, but the perfection relates to feeling, not so much every specific detail. Like if there's a rumble in the pillow or the throw isn't perfectly placed, that's okay because the feeling is what you're trying to capture, not so much the essence of perfection.
Benjamin:Exactly. And I'm a firm believer in perfection being quite overrated. And I think today, the design savvy audience is clued into things being too perfect. And so I'm much more interested, as I know you are too, in seeing real spaces that are inhabited by interesting stylistic people who have really unique sensibilities and really seeing how people live.
Anne:Totally. Exactly. Because it it doesn't strike emotion. It's so funny. When I was listening to you, I was thinking back to my retail days and a floor set in a store is so much like interior design in so many ways.
Anne:We used to take pictures and really look at what was out of place and what felt forced. And I can't tell you how many times we would edit and say, oh my gosh, that shirt, we're wanting it to work. We're wanting it to be part of the story, but really it doesn't belong. And we used to laugh. And I think now that we're in homes, I think it's okay to do that.
Anne:And sometimes we want everything to be in that story when sometimes you can really see that it doesn't belong. Do you ever find that?
Benjamin:Oh, absolutely. I always recommend not being afraid to try things in your space and to, like, make mistakes and to step back. I also came of age in editorial with Polaroids. I mean, let's not date ourselves, but we used those to sort of map out a story. I still, to this day, will print out images so everyone on the team is kind of seeing, like, where we are in the process.
Benjamin:And I think it's a... As visual people, like, it's important to step back and to look at your work from a different perspective. And oftentimes, like, being further away from it physically is really helpful, I find.
Anne:Totally. So let's celebrate The Layered Home. It was released earlier in March. I think all the principles and the core and soul of the book will remain forever. And so let's talk a little bit about the essence of the book and bring the listeners along and what inspired you to write it as well.
Anne:We'd love to hear.
Benjamin:Yes. Well, I mean, from early childhood, I've always drawn and sketched homes. I've always been fascinated by the different typologies. And I grew up in Suburban Michigan where there'd be the Tudor revival next to the Georgian, next to the sort of like chalet style home. So I was always really curious to sort of see behind the door and to go behind the scenes.
Benjamin:And it's funny, Anne, because I was having dinner with a friend who I had worked with who was a writer and she had remarked that she would love to see my Instagram account as a book. And I thought, oh my gosh, how interesting and clever to kind of do the reverse and to take what is happening on social media and go back and make it into something tactile. And so from that night forward, and definitely lots of wine was involved.
Anne:I love that.
Benjamin:We ended up working together and came up with a really fun concept that we felt like was really hitting the mark in terms of what was resonating with people in the market with design. And again, I think it really was about not creating rules, but really just giving the audience and the reader permission and to really see that through these really amazing 17 creatives across the home and design industry and really seeing how they live, how they put things together, and they do it all in such, like, different inspiring ways. So I'm just so impressed by what I saw in creating the book.
Anne:Yeah. That's so funny because you said it, the book really brings it to life. There are no rules. Because if you page through the book and you see everyone's home, there is architectural plan that everyone followed. You can really see each person's soul and their style sensibility and how they create the mix.
Benjamin:And I think from that, it really kind of influences. I mean, pictures speak a million words, but I think pictures also provoke a million thoughts. And it's filled with things that I'm trying to weave in and out. I'm truly a retailer. All the props and everything are still, I still have that closet.
Anne:I went through your book. I was like, oh, I have to bring that out. Oh, I have that goat head. I should bring that It goat head back does have a story here.
Benjamin:I'd love to dig through your prop closet. That sounds fantastic.
Anne:Now that would be fun. So when you think of the book, and I talked about it being timeless, when somebody walks away from looking at it and reading it and taking it all in, what do you hope they say about it? What words and expressions would you want to come from the readers?
Benjamin:Well, my high hope truly would be that people walk away from the book feeling that the best rooms aren't decorated. They're really accumulated over time with things and objects that are really truly personal to who you are. I think one of my biggest pet peeves and something I'm kind of so tired of is seeing these, like, elaborate sort of installs, like, happening. Like, so over the course of seven hours, magic. Like, all of a sudden, your house is done.
Benjamin:And I think I want people to remember that design and decorating is more than just that install moment. It's really like layering your own story into your spaces. Your home should be autobiographical.
Anne:Yeah. So true. So when people kind of walk through a room, they're getting a sense and a feeling of who you are. There's a lot of times that I'll leave a pot on my stove from the night before, albeit it's cleaned. It's reminiscent of the meal that was from the night before.
Anne:I just think there's things that there doesn't have to be. There's staging. We all know the word staging, working in the fields that we did or do. But I feel like the best pictures come from when it's not staged, and that it's the authentic living space with the pasta in the pot and what's to the side. So those are the things that I really do enjoy.
Anne:And I was really delighted when I saw Butter Wakefield on the cover. She was a previous guest and I couldn't adore her more, although I adored all of the homes. I was a little tickled when I saw Butter on the front because her maximalist style is just
Benjamin:amazing. Butter, it's funny that you mentioned butter because my friend Matilda Goat actually in The UK, she introduced me to butter. And when I got a glimpse of her space, it just like immediately ignited this. Like, I wanted to know more, not only about her, but I literally... I think I opened every single cupboard.
Benjamin:I went through every single closet, every little nook and cranny. And I think it reminded me that the most impactful homes and rooms really kind of reveal themselves over time. And you really need to sit in a room and like take it in. I think there's so many with Instagram and with social media, there's so much out there that it's sort of like one and done. And I think you really need to experience these spaces and let them reveal who they are and notice the little picture frame or the sort of little box that is something to behold.
Benjamin:Like, you just kind of have to let objects and pieces kind of come forward.
Anne:Fully agree. I love to change chair positions in a room. I love to move around to see what I might see from a different point of view. I think every chair tells a different story, so I can't even imagine. The story would go on and on and on Butter's Home because it's so beautifully done.
Benjamin:I know she has a thousand chairs.
Anne:She does, and I would be having my wine and try not to spill in sitting on each one of them for Speaking of the layered home, you've created a destination for people to hunt and gather and really build those layers through the ticking tent, And I feel the ticking tent's a destination no matter where you live, whether it be the new Preston one in spring or the Bedford one in New York in fall. And this is airing right before the fall Ticking Tent, which I'm so excited. And I believe it's going to be on November 14 in Bedford, New York. So can you first bring to life for the listeners what the Ticking Tent is all about and what they might experience?
Benjamin:Absolutely. The ticking tent really started out as a COVID passion project with my dear friend, Christina. And we were really lamenting the fact that all of the great shops and dealers in New York City are gone. And part of that was due to the pandemic, but also New York's rents keep going higher and higher. So you just see less and less of those unique shops and dealers.
Benjamin:And over the course of my career, when I've learned so much about design and objects and collecting from these dealers, they're so knowledgeable. And so we really wanted to gather our favorite dealers and then also artisans and small boutique brands that didn't have a really strong brick and mortar presence, bring them under one tent. And a friend of ours was like, oh, a ticking tent. We love mattress ticking stripes. Who doesn't love a good stripe?
Benjamin:And so, it's really about collecting and discovery. And so, we want everyone who walks through that tent to really discover something unique and to really find something that resonates with them that they might not find anywhere else.
Anne:Yeah. I know experiencing it myself. The first time I came, I was probably the good student. Right? I had a
Benjamin:little list. You're a good shopper.
Anne:Well, it's my favorite pastime. But then when I got there, I realized, like, put the list down. Just let everything speak to you. When you're going from craftsman to craftsman, sometimes it's the story they told that brings you to that object and you buy it.
Benjamin:Good.
Anne:But it's all of those artisans that speak to you. And I love going there and I'd say to everybody listening, make it a weekend trip, make it a girlfriend trip or go with your husband or partner and bring a hulkin. Biggest thing I had to learn was my hulkin needed to be extra large and we needed to make a couple trips back to the car. There's nothing better with everything under one tent. There's fashion and it's not just items for the home, it's items for your lifestyle.
Anne:So I just, I think it's just a gorgeous idea. And every time I leave, I feel like my appetite's been filled. So, thank you.
Benjamin:Oh, that's fantastic to hear. I'm so thrilled to hear that and I'm glad that you've, you've filled the trunk. That's the goal. When I'm driving along, if I stop by a tag sale, like if the trunk is empty, I get anxious.
Anne:Me too. What I love about the holiday one is it really is a great gift destination for me. That's a beautiful, beautiful destination to kick off holiday shopping too. And if I see something, I give it a reason to buy. Oh, this is perfect for the holiday season.
Anne:I think I deserve this.
Benjamin:Exactly. One for one for you, one for me mentality. And people often ask me about how to find their style and like where good taste comes from. And to your point, Anne, I really believe that you learn through seeing and experiencing these things in person. And so I'm naturally very curious.
Benjamin:I know you are as well, hence the title of this podcast. The market really was kind of built around being professionally curious. And I think you you find your taste and you kind of refine your eye by, like, sifting through stuff that isn't always what you're looking for to your point and discovering something that you've never seen before. And I think that... Doing that really helps to develop your eye and sort of who you are.
Anne:I totally agree. And each editor's eye, to your point, is unique to themselves. So a lot of times I'll go with girlfriends and they'll say, what do you think of this? And I'll say, what does your heart say? Because it's unique to themselves and you can then tell them.
Anne:Yes. It works. Right? And that's the fun too of this whole thing too. When you go with girlfriends, you can share those stories.
Benjamin:Well, and one of the greatest things that we've learned about the ticking tent is seeing the community and seeing people run into friends and old colleagues. And just like, I think it's not only about finding really great pieces, but it's also kind of about just seeing people that you know. And, like, to your point, I always find it's more fun to shop with someone that you would love too.
Anne:I just think it's lovely. So let's pivot a little bit. We have this Classic and Curious segment at the end and people discover you through your books and your background and a spoonful of Benjamin. We love that Instagram account. So we've got these fun questions to ask just to expand the horizon of Benjamin just a little bit more.
Anne:So best piece of advice you've ever received?
Benjamin:I have to say that a colleague and mentor always told me that talk is cheap and to always have the conversation, and I do. You know? And so I always recommend to younger colleagues and friends, anyone who might listen to have the conversation, and you never know what's gonna happen.
Anne:I totally agree with that. Words are free, but conversations are investments. That's what I aim for and they build relationships, think. So I love that advice. It's just a meaningful conversation.
Benjamin:Exactly.
Anne:So what brand you're admiring lately?
Benjamin:Oh gosh, that's a really good question. I love Los Poblanos. It's the organic farm and resort in Albuquerque in New Mexico. I know you're familiar. They have the most incredible shop, and I always find really fun objects at, like, gift shops and hotels.
Benjamin:And I just think that their farm shop is... They're really onto something and they're doing a great job with their own product, but they also curate a really fun mix of pieces for the home. I just picked up a box full of really fun enamel wear from them. So, yeah, I just recently discovered them and I'm a huge fan now.
Anne:Yeah. It's interesting that it must be the year of that special place because I went earlier this year. My dear friend Liz Broder, who was our first episode on Classic and Curious, she had a inn in the Hamptons. She brought me there, a very unique place tucked away and that is a discovery. And then James Thomas out of Chicago who was on our podcast, it became their favorite place and now it's Oh wow.
Anne:Three people. That's like the trifecta this year
Benjamin:that have Oh my gosh, you're kidding.
Anne:So that really says something to all the listeners to mark it on their list because it's beautiful. This lavender scent, right?
Benjamin:The lavender.
Anne:Unbelievable. And the peacocks just walking through and it just cracks me up and it's something. Yeah.
Benjamin:It's truly rustic, but really is beautiful.
Anne:It is. It's beautiful. So it's funny, like speaking of beautiful, what a beautiful episode. This entire podcast is around considered loving and really sharing episodes that's almost like a menu for our listeners in terms of what they choose and want to bring into their life. And when I think of the Layered Home and I think of your beautiful work and I just think of your Instagram account, that really just as a breath of fresh air, you are the essence of considered living.
Anne:And so thank you, Benjamin, for being with us.
Benjamin:I appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. And I think it's a great reminder to sort of look for things that are slightly strange, little bit off, and oftentimes those are the things that I remember the most.
Anne:So true. And your book will help us do that, and the ticking tent will just add the icing on the cake. So thank you so much, and take care.
Benjamin:Thank you, and you too.
Anne:Thank you for listening to this episode of Classic and Curious. You can follow Benjamin on Instagram a spoonful of Benjamin, and be sure to get your tickets for the ticking tent
Anne:in Bedford, New York, which
Anne:is November thirteenth and fourteenth. It is a holiday must do. And speaking of holiday, we are two weeks away from our holiday series. We have
Anne:a beautiful lineup for you this year.
Anne:So make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don't miss an episode. Looking forward
Anne:to our next time together. Ta ta for now.