Classic & Curious

What does it mean to live wholeheartedly—and create a life that feels like your own?

In this episode, Classic & Curious turns inward. So often, we explore what we choose to bring into a considered life. Today, we pause to consider what comes from within.

Anne is joined by Holly Ruth Finigan, author of Wholeheartedly: The One You Want to Find Is You and Beyond the Map, featured on her Substack, Wholeheartedly. Her journey from brand building to personal transformation offers a thoughtful lens on identity, purpose, and living with intention.

With Nantucket woven into her story, Holly reflects on self-discovery, the courage to evolve, and the experiences that have shaped her work—including her podcast, Wholeheartedly.

Connect with Holly: @Hollyruthfinegan and listen to her podcast Wholeheartedly.
Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

What does it mean to live wholeheartedly—and create a life that feels like your own?

In this episode, Classic & Curious turns inward. So often, we explore what we choose to bring into a considered life. Today, we pause to consider what comes from within.

Anne is joined by Holly Ruth Finigan, author of Wholeheartedly: The One You Want to Find Is You and Beyond the Map, featured on her Substack, Wholeheartedly. Her journey from brand building to personal transformation offers a thoughtful lens on identity, purpose, and living with intention.

With Nantucket woven into her story, Holly reflects on self-discovery, the courage to evolve, and the experiences that have shaped her work—including her podcast, Wholeheartedly.

A conversation to inspire reflection, invite possibility, and imagine what might come next.

Follow Holly @Hollyruthfinegan and listen to her podcast Wholeheartedly.
Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

How do you create a layered home that feels personal, collected, and comfortable?

Benjamin Raynaert joins Anne Kokoskie on Classic & Curious to explore the art of decorating with personality. An editor, stylist, and creative director, Benjamin has honed his discerning eye at some of design’s most influential publications, including Martha Stewart Living, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Veranda, and Domino. Today, he serves as the US editor for House & Garden UK, alongside leading his own creative studio.

Drawing on that editorial experience and his debut book, The Layered Home: Inspiration for Crafting Cozy, Collected Rooms, Benjamin shares why the most compelling interiors evolve over time—and why perfection is overrated.

From grouping objects in threes to photographing a room for a fresh perspective, he offers approachable ways to develop your eye. Anne and Benjamin discuss mixing antiques, embracing unexpected finds, and allowing meaningful objects to tell your story.

They also explore The Ticking Tent, the antiques, vintage, and artisan market Benjamin co-founded, where discovery and community go hand in hand.

A conversation for anyone who loves interior design, collecting, and creating a home that feels unmistakably their own.

Connect with Benjamin:  @aspoonfullofbenjamin
Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

Click here to view the episode transcript.

What happens when fashion and interiors share a creative vision?

For designer Marla Mullen, the answer takes shape in the Nantucket Rose—a floral brooch created in collaboration with Helena Simon, whose handmade brooches were commissioned for the Met Gala. Blending beautiful fabrics, a tassel inspired by interiors, and a personal connection to Nantucket, their collaboration celebrates how a small detail can carry a meaningful story.

On Classic & Curious, Anne Kokoskie welcomes the Boston and Nantucket-based interior designer and contributing editor for Boston Home, whose work has been featured in New England Living, Modern Luxury, and The Boston Globe. Raised among antiques, fabrics, and her father’s upholstery craftsmanship, Marla brings a lifelong appreciation for artistry to the spaces and objects she creates.

Together, they explore the relationship between fashion and interior design, the power of creative collaboration, and Marla’s invitation to give yourself “permission to embellish.” From accessorizing a room to navigating AI in design, this conversation celebrates personal style, things made by hand, and the courage to stay true to your creative voice.

Connect with Marla @marlamullendesigns and marlamullendesigngroup.com

Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

What if the secret to a beautiful life is collecting small moments of joy?

Alexander Widener, founder of Widener Company in Wiscasset, Maine, joins Anne Kokoskie on Classic & Curious for a conversation about design, craftsmanship, curiosity, and starting over. Recently seen alongside Meredith Hayden on Netflix’s Wishbone Kitchen, the decorator, collector, and storyteller shares how leaving New York led him to create a shop and guest cottage rooted in beauty and personal discovery.

From handmade pottery and Maine-made glass to handwoven baskets and vintage finds, Alexander celebrates objects with a story—and the craftspeople who bring them to life. He shares how he chooses pieces for his shop, why beauty belongs at every price point, and how letting go of perfection helped him find the confidence to build something of his own.

Whether you’re decorating your home, discovering American craftsmanship, planning a coastal Maine visit, or imagining your next chapter, this episode invites you to trust your instincts, stay curious, and notice what brings you joy.

Explore Widener & Company at widenercompany.com, Follow Alexander @alexander_widener and @widenercompany

Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

What happens when a love of mahjong meets a lifelong devotion to Halloween? Anne welcomes writer and actress Jill Kargman and Center & Spring co-founder Sandi Drucker-Wright to talk about their delightfully spooky mahjong tile collaboration.

Jill and Sandi share how a vacation game sparked the idea, and how artist Kelly Lillian brought it to life with skulls, snakes, fanged lips, and jokers designed to make players smile. Sandy also tells the story behind Center & Spring’s beautiful game tables and reflects on the friendships and connections that form around mahjong.

Then the conversation turns to Halloween: favorite candy, memorable costumes, beloved movies, and the guests they’d invite to the ultimate spooky party. It’s a playful celebration of creativity, gathering, and making room for a little mischief at the table.

Explore the Halloween tiles at centerandspring.com, and follow @centerandspring

Follow Jill @jillkargman

Follow Anne @classicandcuriouslife 

As summer draws to a close and we reflect on America’s 250th anniversary, Americana is having a moment—and no one has defined it more beautifully or enduringly than Ralph Lauren.

My guest today, interior designer Javier Burkle, knows that world firsthand. After working with Ralph Lauren, he founded the Dallas-based firm Burkle Creative. A two-time featured designer at the prestigious Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas, Javier has also been recognized by Architectural Digest, Veranda, ELLE Decor, Vogue and Homeworthy. His interiors are timeless, collected and deeply personal.

After working with Ralph Lauren, he founded the Dallas-based firm Burkle Creative, known for interiors that feel timeless, collected and deeply personal.

Together, we explore what gives Ralph Lauren style its unmistakable feeling—not one particular period or palette, but the layering of old and new, polished and timeworn, personal history and beautiful craftsmanship.

Javier shares how we can bring that sensibility into our own homes through inherited pieces, patina, unexpected modern touches, lighting and fabric. And because this style is as much about living as decorating, we also talk about gracious hospitality and creating a welcoming home bar.

This is a conversation about bringing layered American style to life—and making it distinctively your own.

Connect with Javier Burkle @burkle creative and burklecreative.com

Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

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What makes a Nancy Meyers interior feel so timeless—and how can we bring that same warmth into our own homes?

Annie Meyers-Shyer, the creator and discerning eye behind This Oak House, joins Classic & Curious for a conversation about it all began, her new book and upcoming collaborations. The daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Nancy Meyers, Annie grew up on film sets where beautifully layered interiors became an essential part of the storytelling.

Drawing on that influence—and her own fashion career at Harper’s Bazaar and Chanel—Annie shares how she developed an aesthetic that feels both classic and deeply personal.  She shares with us 

Listen for an inspiring look at decorating with character, designing rooms for real life and creating a home with a story uniquely its own.

Connect with Annie:  @thisoakhouse, this-oak-house.com

Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

What if quiet luxury has less to do with what you own—and everything to do with how you make people feel?

In this episode, Anne welcomes interior designer Benjamin Deaton, founder and principal of Benjamin Deaton Interior Design and Benjamin Deaton Home, for a thoughtful and delightfully practical conversation about timeless interiors, effortless entertaining, personal style, and the true meaning of quiet luxury.

With projects spanning New York, Palm Beach, California, Kentucky, and beyond—including the historic Far Niente Winery in Napa Valley—Benjamin shares how he built his interior design firm by trusting his instincts, tuning out the noise, and staying true to his creative vision.

Together, Anne and Benjamin explore how to create a home that feels collected, quiet and eager to be discovered.  They also share their secrets for effortless entertaining—from family-style dinners and silver bowls filled with unexpected nibbles to the enduring appeal of pigs in a blanket.

Plus, Benjamin reveals his quiet-luxury essentials, the value of buying pieces with a story, why Ralph Lauren’s timeless point of view continues to resonate, and the hotel he returns to again and again.

A warm, inspiring conversation about interior design, entertaining at home, personal style, and creating a considered life—one intentional detail at a time.

You can follow Benjamin Deaton @benjamindeatoninteriors and benjamindeatoninteriors.com

Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie

What makes a wedding truly meaningful—and how do you plan one without losing sight of why you are getting married?

Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and co-president of the Emily Post Institute, returns to Classic & Curious for a warm, insightful conversation about modern wedding etiquette, meaningful celebrations, and the traditions today’s couples are choosing to keep—or make entirely their own.

An accomplished author, speaker, and nationally recognized etiquette expert, Lizzie has shared her thoughtful, modern perspective on the Today show, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, and countless other nationally syndicated programs. She is also co-host of the weekly Awesome Etiquette podcast, where she helps listeners navigate contemporary life with consideration, respect, and honesty.

In this episode, Lizzie introduces Emily Post Wedding Stories, her joyful new podcast featuring real couples reflecting on the planning decisions, unexpected mishaps, heartfelt moments, and lessons that shaped their wedding days. She also offers a first look at the completely reimagined Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette, arriving in February 2027.

At the heart of the conversation is one beautifully simple piece of advice: “Do what will make you feel married.” Lizzie shares practical guidance for navigating wedding budgets, family expectations, guest lists, inclusivity, changing traditions, and the pressure to create a “perfect” day. Her wisdom is refreshingly grounded: avoid unnecessary debt, take breaks from planning, consider how the experience affects those around you, and never underestimate the importance of gratitude.

Whether you are planning a wedding, helping someone you love prepare for theirs, or simply fascinated by how our traditions continue to evolve, this episode is a thoughtful reminder that etiquette is not about rigid rules. It is about how we make one another feel.

Listen for modern wedding-planning advice, timeless Emily Post wisdom, and a celebration of weddings filled with meaning rather than perfection.
 
For more, visit emilypost.com or emilypost.substack.com.

Connect with Anne: @classicandcuriouslife, classicandcurious.com and on Substack: Curiosities by Anne Kokoskie