September 28–October 1, 2023
The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens will celebrate the 17th Annual Antiques at the Gardens (AATG) this fall. Presented by O’Neal Industries and featuring design sponsor de Gournay and textile sponsor Cowtan & Tout, Birmingham’s premier antiques show welcomes a lineup of nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers, interior designers, landscape architects, and experts on gracious entertaining.
Weekend festivities begin Thursday, September 28, with the Gala in the Gardens—outdoors and under the stars—sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. James E. Ard and honoring former board chair Mr. B. Hanson Slaughter. Guests will arrive through the Garden entry. Created by Zachary J. Westall, the entry will available to be admired and enjoyed through the entirety of the event.
Proceeds benefit the mission of the nonprofit Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which seeks to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of the Gardens.
Tickets for the show and special events are on sale now. For tickets, show schedule, speaker bios, and dealer information, visit bbgardens.org/antiques. Follow show announcements and reveals on Facebook and Instagram @antiquesgardensbham.
We look forward to seeing you at Antiques at the Gardens!
Friday, September 29
Red Diamond Lecture Series – Sponsored by Red Diamond, Inc.
Hosted by Richard Keith Langham, 2023 Show Ambassador
Moderator: Mitchell Owens, American Editor, THE WORLD OF INTERIORS
Martin Brudnizki
Martin Brudnizki is founder and principal of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS), an internationally acclaimed interior architecture and design practice. Hailing from Stockholm, Martin held positions at a number of firms before establishing his studios in London and New York. He has been described as “one of the best restaurant and hotel designers of his generation.” Notable clients include: Four Seasons, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, Six Senses Luxury Resorts, and The Surf Club. In 2015, Martin established And Objects, a luxury furniture, lighting, and accessories design studio. Martin is listed within AD 100, House & Garden Top 100 Leading Interior Designers, the Elle Décor A-List, and more.
Friday, September 29
The Art of Tradition Panel
Hannah Cecil Gurney, Celerie Kemble, Sarah Wetenhall
Moderator: Steele Marcoux, Editor in Chief, VERANDA
Hannah Cecil Gurney
Hannah is the daughter of Claud Cecil Gurney, who founded the English bespoke wallpaper company de Gournay in 1986. She is now the director of the company, renowned for its elegant wallpapers and textiles. Celebrated for its hand-painted chinoiserie wallpapers, patterns of colorful flora, and varied birdlife, de Gournay produces collections that explore historical themes. The company also crafts abstract designs that fit well with modern interiors. With showrooms in London, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Moscow, de Gournay also has representatives worldwide.
Celerie Kemble
Celerie Kemble is a principal in Kemble Interiors, a design firm founded in Palm Beach by her mother, Mimi McMakin. Over the past 22 years, her work has included homes and commercial spaces across the United States and the Caribbean, many of which have been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Veranda, Elle Décor, Traditional Home, Luxe, and more. Celerie is the author of several books: Island Whimsy, To Your Taste, and Black & White (and a Bit in Between). She has been included in Architectural Digest’s AD100, House & Garden’s 50 New Tastemakers, House Beautiful’s Top Designers, Elle Décor’s A-List Designers, Luxe’s Gold List, and more. She currently boasts licensed product lines with Schumacher, Arteriors, Lane Venture, Maitland-Smith, and others. Celerie also has an ongoing partnership with Chairish where she offers exclusive product designs and sells most of her lines in one spot.
Sarah Wetenhall
Sarah Wetenhall is the owner and CEO of The Colony Hotel, the visionary behind this historic “Pink Paradise” in Palm Beach. Sarah began her career in New York, spearheading public relations and marketing efforts for major fashion houses. After acquiring The Colony Hotel in 2016 from a previous generation of ownership including her father-in-law, Wetenhall commenced a restoration and relaunch, evolving The Colony into an internationally recognized, and design-forward hotel. Among her industry-defining projects are the resurgence of the iconic Manhattan boîte, Swifty’s, the lobby transformation featuring bespoke de Gournay wallpaper, the Villa redesigns by Kemble, Aerin Lauder, and Mark D. Sikes, along with fashion partnerships with Bergdorf Goodman, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, and Dolce & Gabbana—to name a few. In 2021, she was named one of HOTELS magazine’s Top Ten Independent Hoteliers.
Saturday, September 30
Love it or Hate it Panel
Aldous Bertram, Paloma Contreras, Peter Dunham, Michael Diaz-Griffith
Moderator: Anna Brockway, Co-Founder and President, Chairish
Sponsored by Visual Comfort & Co.
Aldous Bertram
Aldous Bertram is an artist, art historian, and interior designer who lives in Charleston, South Carolina. His designs and interiors have been featured in House Beautiful and other top design publications. Aldous grew up in England and received his Ph.D. from Trinity College, Cambridge University, specializing in the historical influence of China on English garden design and architecture. He recently published his first book, Dragons & Pagodas: A Celebration of Chinoiserie.
Paloma Contreras
Houston-based designer Paloma Contreras has repeatedly been named to the Elle Décor A-List and has been recognized in House Beautiful’s “Next Wave” designer list and Luxe Magazine’s “Gold List.” She has been recognized as a top social media influencer in home and interior design by Forbes and Elle Décor and her work has been featured in many magazines including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Domino, Traditional Home, Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, and more. Paloma debuted a lighting collection with Visual Comfort & Co. She is author of Dream Design Live and The New Classic Home (October 2024). Her retail shop, Paloma & Co sources antiques, objects from across the globe, and emerging artists.
Peter Dunham
After a childhood in France and college in England, Peter Dunham spent time in New York real estate before moving to Los Angeles in 1998 where he started his design firm followed by the launch of his fabric and wallpaper collection in 2003, now sold worldwide. In 2007, he opened Hollywood at Home, featuring handcrafted furniture, textiles, and vintage finds. His design work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Veranda, Domino, and more. Peter is on Elle Décor’s A-List and included in Vendome Press’s new book, Inspired Design: The 100 Most Important Designers of the Past 100 Years.
Michael Diaz-Griffith
Michael Diaz-Griffith is an art historian, designer, and executive director and COO of the Design Leadership Network. Previously, he served as executive director of Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation, and associate executive director of The Winter Show. As a consultant, he has advised fairs, auction houses, galleries, and museums, and he was recently named to House Beautiful’s list of “Visionaries” for his advocacy of antiques, historic art, and preservation. The New Antiquarians: At Home with Young Collectors, released in June 2023, is his first book.
Saturday, September 30
The Art of Hospitality Panel
Zoë de Givenchy, Alex Hitz, G. Blake Sams, Sybil Sylvester
Moderator: Margot Shaw, Editor in Chief, FLOWER
Sponsored by LICOA
Zoë de Givenchy
Zoë de Givenchy is founder and creative director of luxury brand Z.d.G. Z.d.G. celebrates European craftsmanship and ancient artisanal techniques to create beautiful objects for the home and table. This approach is the result of her life rooted in Europe, her childhood in Australia, and now in the US. Zoë’s entire supply chain is focused on supporting regional artisans and the communities in which they work to ensure longevity of these arts.
Alex Hitz
Alex Hitz is an award-winning celebrity chef, event designer, and tastemaker. His most recent book, “Occasions to Celebrate: Cooking and Entertaining with Style” features more than 100 recipes inspired by Southern fare and French flair. He is author of My Beverly Hills Kitchen and The Art of the Host. A contributing editor for Town & Country, he writes regularly for C Magazine, Quest, and Southern Living, and was a former food editor for House Beautiful. He splits his time between Atlanta, New York City, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach.
G. Blake Sams
G. Blake Sams is an innovator in the special events industry. His passion for design and hospitality allows him to create a memorable experience for clients. His interpretation of timeless design, combined with attention to detail, understanding of event logistics, and focus on residential design, has made him an award-winning event producer. His work has been featured in Vogue, Brides, Veranda, Elle Décor, Garden & Gun, and more. He splits his time between New York City and Charleston, South Carolina.
Sybil Sylvester
Sybil Sylvester is the owner of Birmingham-based Wildflower Designs. She is known for creating stunning flower arrangements and orchestrating take-your-breath-away events. Always culling greenery and flowers from the abundance growing in the gardens and forests of her surroundings, Sybil embraces the philosophy of local and natural. Her “Flower School” was a popular column in Southern Accents magazine, and her work has been featured in many other publications, including Flower magazine. Through Sylvester’s Wildflower School, she travels around the country, designing and demonstrating. She is the author of Fresh, published in 2017.
Sunday, October 1
Sunday with Richard Keith Langham, 2023 Show Ambassador
Sponsored by Cobbs Allen and PURE Insurance
Richard Keith Langham
Alabama-born and Manhattan-based Richard Keith Langham has been a force in the decorating world for more than 30 years. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and attending the Center for the History of Fine and Decorative Arts in London, Keith apprenticed with design legend Mark Hampton. He then spent 10 years with Irvine & Fleming before founding his own firm in 1990. Keith’s keen eye and ebullient talent serve him well in assembling his signature rooms—those that speak to the past in a fresh way and are brimming with luscious color, pattern, and couture detailing.
Sunday, October 1
The Art of the Home Panel
Bill Brockschmidt, Courtney Coleman, Stan Dixon, Keith Robinson
Moderator: Hadley Keller, Director of Editorial, Design Leadership Network
Sponsored by Christopher Collection and Christopher Architecture and Interiors
Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman
Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman focus on traditional detailing, proportion, materials, and craftsmanship in both architectural elements and in furnishings. They launched their interior design studio, Brockschmidt & Coleman, in NYC in 2001, followed by a studio on Magazine Street in New Orleans in 2019. Their work has been featured in Frederic, Veranda, Architectural Digest, Departures, Garden & Gun, and more. The duo has been included on Elle Décor’s A-List annually since 2012.
Stan Dixon
Architect Stan Dixon was named one of “The New Faces of Southern Style” by Garden & Gun. He is a three-time winner of the Southeast Architect of the Year by Veranda and ADAC. He is an 11-time winner of the Philip Trammell Shutze Award presented by the Southeast Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. He was awarded the Addison Mizner Medal for his work in Palm Beach. Rizzoli will publish his first book, HOME: The Residential Architecture of D. Stanley Dixon this fall.
Keith Robinson
Keith G. Robinson is the former creative director/owner of the event company Gloriosa. He is known for his restoration of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia’s 19th-century Hutcheson-Redwine Plantation, where he developed exhibition gardens that have been featured in Garden & Gun, Garden Design, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Veranda and the book, American Roots. He is now on the executive team of a resort under development at Dunaway Gardens, where he is focusing on restoring 22 acres of historic gardens and starting a five-star culinary program.
Some talks will be followed by book signings. Books available for purchase at Leaf & Petal prior to and during the show.
Special Weekend Events
Shop the Show with Michael Diaz-Griffith
Friday, Sept. 29 at 9:30 a.m.
Sponsored by MK Quinlan
Join Michael for a special tour of the dealer booths, share recommendations, and talk about pieces that catch his eye during this intimate walk-through.
Floral Workshop with Keith Robinson
Saturday, Sept 30 at 3:30 p.m.
Sponsored by SHOPPE
Keith will lead participants through his creative process and inspirations as he crafts a signature arrangement for the audience.
The Antiques Dealers
Antiques Cupboard • Beau Matthews Jewels • Black Sheep Antiques • Dana Kelly Oriental Rugs • Edwin C. Skinner Antiques • Hedgerow Antiques • Justin Westbrook Antiques • Linda Ketterling Antiques • Madison James • Maison de France Antiques • McDonough Fine Art • Piggy Kitchen • Recreo Jewelry • Relic Interiors Limited • Right Proper • Roger D. Winter Ltd • Thomas M. Fortner Antiques • Victoriana • Well + Wonder Artist Collective • Whitehall Antiques
