Annie!! To say I’m excited for the Mark D. Sikes x Annie Selke Collection is an understatement. Please give us all of the blue and white stripes forever and ever! 

You know I am huge fan of yours so I am thrilled to have you take part in my new Tastemakers Series!! I know many of my readers already know and love you, but for those who are just tuning in, let’s bring them up to speed! 

Tastemaker

Annie Selke

Hometown

Stockbridge, MA and now live next door in Lenox, MA

Companies

Pine Cone Hill, Dash & Albert, The Annie Selke Companies

What inspired your collaboration with Mark and what can we expect to see from this collection?

We love Mark’s work and feel his attention to detail and emphasis on quality are compatible with our brand. The entire line is sophisticated but accessible. I think designers, retailers, and consumers will find it incredibly easy to love and live with.

What piece of advice would you give someone who is decorating their home and on the hunt for the perfect rug? 

It’s important to take into account what will be going on in a space when deciding on what type of rug will be best suited for the job. Think about your color scheme and what your intent is for the space and find something you love that meets those needs. And definitely don’t be afraid of a little color!

Given how successful you’ve been throughout your career, are there specific people, places or things that have inspired you along the way? Have these been consistent over time or how have they evolved? 

I was extremely fortunate to have found great mentors who understood my talents better than I did! They taught and pushed me to learn, experiment and take ownership: Bea Maloney at Ferragamo and Pat at Conran’s. Two lovely, smart women who had forged careers when it wasn’t as easy to do so. Big love for them recognizing something in me.

How has instagram influenced the design industry or your company specifically? 

Social media has enhanced business for The Annie Selke Companies. Through social media, we are able to more easily connect with likeminded individuals who share our passion for design. On Instagram, we are able to form symbiotic, organic relationships with influencers and designers who share our vision and whose presence on social media enhances our business. We started gathering UGC 2 years ago and have found that it is an extremely effective marketing tool. It’s continued to grow over time- we receive submissions daily of truly beautiful spaces.

The best trip you’ve ever taken: 

That’s a tough one… there’s “best” and “most memorable”. I am fortunate to have traveled a great deal. The trips in the memorable category that stand out are: a rustic, on the cheap safari in Kenya in 1989 when I visited Isak Dinesen’s house on the outskirts of Nairobi and slept in a tiny tent surrounded by noisy zebras and staying in a beach hut in Thailand.

Travelling to Paris as a high school exchange student and seeing this amazing city for the first time at an impressionable age created a need to revisit on a regular basis. Then there was Lake Como, Italy and a Tiger Safari in Rajasthan, India… Okay – almost all travel is life enhancing!

Favorite hotel in the world:

The Imperial – Delhi, India

The Relais Christine, Paris

The Knightsbridge, London

The Whitby, NYC

Le Sereno, St. Barth’s

Speaking of hotels, I had the pleasure of staying at 33 Main and absolutely loved the experience. From the warm chocolate chip cookies to the fluffy robe waiting for me after my shower, the inn felt like a home away from home!

What inspired you to create 33 Main and what would you like guests to take away? 

I specifically refer to 33 Main as a luxury lodging experience and not a B&B because of the reputation that many B&Bs have. I wanted to add design and graciousness to the traditional B&B mix, incorporating what I have enjoyed in country house hotels in England and in luxury boutique hotels from France to Park City to Laguna Beach and Martha’s Vineyard.   I wanted to create an environment where people feel relaxed, comfortable, pampered, well fed and well taken care of.  

From a brand marketing stand point, I think the inn/33 Main underscores our core mission which is to bring happy home by filling our customers’ lives with beautiful, life-enhancing quality products.   The inn is a way to introduce our products to our guests with a sublimely soft sell approach, bringing happy home when you are away from home, so to speak.

Go-to flea markets or antique stores:

Brimfield, Massachusetts

Round Top – Texas

The Marche aux Puces – Paris

Top 3 tried and true entertaining tips and tricks:

Cook fabulous, simple, crowd pleasing dishes – don’t get too fancy. Create a welcoming environment that makes people feel instantly at home. Make time for parties and friends! Put together small and large groups of people. Cross pollination of fiends makes for a fun and interesting party! 

Favorite design or style hack.

I can’t think of a go-to hack except that I love shopping in vintage and antique shops to find pieces that add some age, depth and context to an interior. I recommend adding something unexpected and, in my case, something that brings a smile to your face every time you see it. 

What’s on the horizon for Annie Selke?

We’re adding a pet line for Holiday 2019. I’m looking to expand our hospitality business into other locales. We hope to continue to grow our Annie Selke licensing collaborations and look forward to finding fun, new brand enhancing collaborations to bring to our customers. Never a dull moment.

Images via Annie Selke & Mark D. Sikes