Who we are
Acanthus: A timeless symbol of classical design, the acanthus leaf has adorned architecture and decorative arts since ancient Greece, representing enduring beauty, growth, and refinement.
Crest: Traditionally a mark of identity and heritage, the crest evokes legacy, structure, and noble taste.
Acanthus and Crest embodies the artistic and philosophical interests of a pair of NYC transplants, who currently occupy what we call our “mini-manor” in the American Midwest. Having spent our formative years in Gotham and then traveling extensively in Europe and Great Britain, we have developed an eclectic cosmopolitan style shaped by the aesthetics of the British country house and our shared backgrounds in academia and the fine arts. Acanthus and Crest seeks to share this vision of timeless neoclassical-inspired living with you.
While the purpose of the British manor house was traditionally to show off wealth and impress guests, as a couple who work primarily from home, our aim is simply to surround ourselves with timeless beauty, cultivating a sense of comfort and serenity at a time when ugliness and impermanence are the order of the day.
We like to awe ourselves, finding joy as morning sun alights on a marble sculpture or being surprised anew when we return home to a collection of architectural plasters hung high on an entrance wall. Nothing relieves stress like staring at a painted landscape after a tense Zoom meeting.
The Acanthus and Crest house is the one we’ve lived in the longest (more than a decade) after having moved eight times (!) during our years together. It is not small (at over 4000 square feet) but nor is it a mansion. It is old but not old enough to have historic character. It’s also marked by a thousand imperfections and remains a work in progress, but it has provided us with the best opportunity to play with art and design. It also lets us indulge our joint interests in photography, videography, and writing as we put our experiences on digital paper. The result—this blog—will be something different than other home blogs in that it will encompass intellectually focused posts and philosophical musings on art and design. We hope you enjoy.