Olivia Chantecaille, creative director of Chantecaille Beauté, shares her perfect day in the city.
The first thing that wakes me up in the morning is the sound of my one-year-old daughter, Delphina, cooing in her crib. It’s such a happy way to start the day. My husband [Ren Grady] and I grab her bottle and our cappuccinos, and then we snuggle together in bed.
Our cosy morning continues with breakfast at home, so we stay in our pyjamas and robes. We’ve been learning to cook, which is a new exciting adventure for us, so I stock up on fresh eggs and fruit from the Union Square Farmers’ Market.
After eventually changing out of our PJs—I typically throw on an easy dress from Peter Pilotto or Giambattista Valli with Lanvin flats, that way I can walk everywhere—we head out for coffee at Ground Support Cafe. It’s the absolute best cup of coffee in Manhattan and it’s one of those places that takes it very seriously.
There’s nothing better than New York in spring, so we spend the morning walking around when it’s warm out. Flowers are a huge obsession for me and my daughter, so if I can swing it, we go to the flower market on 28th Street and pick out an arrangement for our house. We also love to take her to ABC Carpet & Home. It has a wonderful children’s section with tons of stuffed animals and the whole place feels like one massive playroom. The main floor is reminiscent of a souk in Morocco with hanging lanterns and lights, making it very stimulating and visually exciting for Delphina.
We then make our way over to the High Line, an old railroad track that’s been transformed into an elevated park running from Gansevoort Street up to 34th Street. Along the way we pop into a few galleries in Chelsea—Paul Kasmin, Mary Boone and Gagosian are a few of our favourites.
If we don’t end up lunching at The Standard Grill, which borders the High Line, we grab a bite with Delphina at Ladurée Soho. It’s so charming and kid-friendly; you feel as though you could be in Paris. But it’s dangerous because the boutique Bonpoint is right next door.
While I don’t have a ton of time to shop for myself, I do love browsing Kirna Zabete whenever I’m nearby. Two friends opened it 15 years ago and they sell this really curated collection of clothing, accessories and bags. They have such a great eye.
After strolling around the city, we head home to give Delphina her bath and tuck her into her crib. Then my husband and I sneak in a date night, so we can chat about something other than babies, diapers and bottles.
One of my favourite restaurants is All’onda on 13th Street. Before we had the baby, we spent time in Rome and Capri, so whenever I can find good branzino locally, I jump on that. Sometimes I have my husband order pasta—cacio e pepe—so I can eat half. If I’m in the mood for Japanese, we go to Blue Ribbon Sushi or BondSt.
Before bed, we curl up and watch TV or a movie, ending the day very much the same way we started it—cuddled together.
Olivia’s picks: Ground Support Cafe, 399 W Broadway, groundsupportcafe.com; All’onda, 22 E 13th St, allondanyc.com; Kirna Zabete, 477 Broome St, kirnazabete.com; BondSt, 6 Bond St, bondstrestaurant.com.
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