You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the design world who is not familiar with Alexa Hampton. The interior designer honed her skills working with her late father – the iconic American decorator Mark Hampton – and eventually took over his design firm, Mark Hampton LLC, which she currently runs. While she may have been born into the business, her talent as an interior designer has not gone unnoticed; Over the past decade, she has been named one of the top 100 interior designers and decorators by New York Magazine, House Beautiful and Architectural Digest, which has included Hampton on it’s list every year since 2002 – not to mention that many of her projects have been featured on the magazine’s cover.

She has also designed collections for Kravet Fabrics, Hickory Chair, and Stark Carpet, to name a few. Most recently, Hampton was selected to be the interior designer for the Trowbridge House, the new official guest house for former presidents of the United States in Washington, D.C. Here, Hampton tells us about her prized possessions – her books – and about how they inspire her brilliant design work everyday.

What is your heirloom?  Tell us how you came to own this precious object. Was it something you grew up with? If so, did you appreciate it then as you do now?

My heirlooms are my books. I love them dearly. I love to read them, reread them and refer back to them. All kinds of books make me happy, including digital books. I come from a thoroughly bookish family, so I have always loved books. I hope to keep the tradition going with my own kids.

How do you live with your heirloom?  Is it somewhere you can enjoy it every day?

My books surround me at home and at work. After I read them, I use them as reference material. They are also a big part of the decoration of my apartment. They bring color and personality.

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

Certainly, my family and my father, in particular. These days, my clients have a huge impact on me.

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at _________, I can’t help but smile.

My children. Yum!

What’s the best part of your day? What makes it so special?

I usually wake up in bed with three uninvited guests – my sons (both 5 years old) and my daughter (3 years old) sandwiched between my husband and me. So mornings are among the best time of the day. At night, it’s story time, and that’s pretty special too.

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

Whenever my kids have a birthday or it’s Christmas, I like to joke that I gave them the gift of life, so I’m off the hook, but it’s just a joke, of course.

My favorite gift that I received – that is a thing – would be my engagement ring because it’s beautiful and it’s from my beloved husband.

What was your last purchase that you believe (or hope) will mean something to you 10 years from now? What makes it significant?

I bought myself 3 pretty rings, each inscribed with my children’s name in them. As long as my fingers stop growing (I have astonishingly big man hands), I hope to be wearing them 10 years from now.

And on the book front, I just bought the new [Robert] Massie biography of Catherine the Great. I love all his books.

Rose Marie Bravo is a legend in the fashion industry. After serving as the president of Saks Fifth Avenue from 1992-1997, she became the Chief Executive Officer of Burberry, where she is best known for her radical transformation of the Burberry brand from its conservative British roots into one of the top luxury brands in the world. Her eight year reign at Burberry resulted in an increase of nearly 2 billion in sales, and – with her appointment of Christopher Bailey as Creative Director- cemented Burberry as the hip global brand it is today. As if that weren’t enough, she currently serves on the Board of Directors of Estee Lauder Companies, Tiffany & Co., and most recently William-Sonoma Inc.

We were thrilled when she sat down to share her heirloom with us: A beautiful blue and white pottery collection (which inspired Monica, who usually shoots in black and white, to shoot in color – a first for this column) that not only reflects her passion for collecting, but the flawless taste she is famous for.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

My Heirloom is my blue and white pottery collection consisting of everything from teacups to pots, bowls to pitchers and plates to serving pieces.

I came to own this collection from a few treasured pieces left to me by my mother-in-law, Mary Jackey. One in particular – a pitcher with a pastoral scene – gave me much pleasure, and the desire to begin collecting. Our almost 9 years living in England and visiting Scotland, home of my husband’s ancestors, facilitated greatly this search.

From visiting Bermondsey market in London, to trips to the Cotswolds and weekends in Dornoch, Scotland; I have vivid memories of each of “the finds.” I also treasure some of the fine pieces that were given to me by my husband Bill and the few friends and family that knew of my passion.

How do you live with your heirloom?

My collection primarily resides in a newly renovated kitchen that is – you guessed it – Blue and White. I take tea often using one of the several pots and heirloom teacups, especially with my 4 granddaughters Grace, Jade, Lily and Faith (This ceremony is another relic from merry old England).

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

I have had many people that influenced my particular style and taste, but in the career development years I have never forgotten the taste and style exhibited by Mrs. Estee Lauder.  I was always amazed at how every detail of her personal presentation was exquisite and by the graciousness she exhibited to one and all. The discipline and attention to detail that went into every public occasion was extraordinary. And I loved her Blue and White Collection exhibited in the reception hall of her office!

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at __________ I can’t help but smile.

Whenever I look at the teacups I smile. I think of the memories of “my girls” learning how to “pour tea.”

What’s the best part of your day?

The best part of the day for me is watching the sun go down. It makes me think of my Dad and how much he loved watching sunsets in his beloved Naples, Florida.

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

The most memorable gift I ever received was a diamond engagement ring that Bill gave me long after we were married, after years of me telling him I didn’t want one. Especially since he discovered the stone in an antique mans gold ring and had it specially mounted. Now it is never off my finger.

What family recipe do you look forward to making every holiday season?

The family recipe that I look forward to making every holiday season is a rendition of my mothers’s famous tomato and meatball sauce. The smells of the typical Italian ingredients bring back many fond memories of Mom cooking spaghetti sauce every Sunday morning after church.

What was your last purchase that you believe will mean something to you 10 years from now?

The most recent purchase that will hopefully mean something in 10 years is the new rose bushes that were recently added to the garden. As they grow they will serve as a reminder to “take time to smell the roses”.

1930′s Art Deco Bakelite & Chrome Large Link Bracelet. We love the color of this unique Bakelite piece. Red is timeless but bold.

Victorian 15kt Gold Onyx and Enameled Earrings, ca 1880. We happen to love onyx (as you can tell from our recent Black and White Collection) and were truly enamored with the elegant sophistication of these statement earrings.

Victorian 14kt Love Knot Stick Pin Bracelet with Stones, ca 1880. We’re always taken with pieces that are both sentimental and beautiful. Each love knot has a different motif, some of which include stones such as ruby and opal.

Victorian 14kt Hard Stone Cameo & Natural Pearl Bracelet, ca 1880. This statement bracelet is stunning – a real collectors items. The website has a wonderful description of the history behind cameo carvings, which gives you a good sense of the history behind the piece.

Victorian Shiebler for Tiffany Sterling Homeric Coin Bracelet, ca 1880. Nine Homeric medallion coins make up this unusual bracelet, created by craftsman George W. Shiebler for Tiffany & Co. This is a real conversation piece.

Edwardian 14kt Gold & Platinum Locket with Snake, ca 1910. As usual, we had to include a locket from Brandt’s impeccable selection. We love the way the snake is crafted as though it is weaved through the locket. There is also a hand engraving on the back, which is hard for us to resist.

Art Deco 14kt Gold Diamond Engagement Ring 1.68ct. We don’t typically feature engagement rings, but Brandt has such a gorgeous collection we couldn’t help ourselves. Something about a vintage engagement ring feels very special and sentimental. The European cut and the floral engraving on the band are absolutely beautiful.

Victorian mesh bracelet with foxtail fringe and decorative buckle. We love the little details on the buckle of this bracelet, including the seed pearls and tiny arrows.

1934 Worlds Fair Buckle Bracelet. There is nothing better than jewelry that tells a story (and this bracelet does so quite literally).

1895 Victorian Floral Locket in British Sterling. Of course we had to include a locket. The contrast between the decorative floral and the linear overlay makes for a very unique piece.

1930′s Art Deco Fringe Necklace with Glass Pearl Currents and Brass Leaf Caps. This necklace screams 1930′s silent film star and is a real statement piece.

Victorian Style Buckle Cuff (circa 1939). Another beautiful cuff with a personalized engraving on the buckle.

1880′s Victorian Onyx Men’s Ring. This engraving in the onyx on this signet ring is inspiring. And the fact that it is mens makes it that much more interesting.

To view Pinguim Vintages’ Etsy shop, click here.

We’ve discussed the importance of collecting objects that make you slow down around the house: these are conduits that help us savor time, not save time, and they will enrich your life. Today’s collector’s item is the hourglass. A product that serves both form and function with equal grace, the hourglass has a unique beauty.

Like many objects, hourglasses look good in multiples. You can pick up some old interesting-looking ones, the sorts with character, at a vintage shop or flea market and mix them with something all glass, sleek and modern, maybe with bright colored or white sand. Assemble them on your mantle, a bookcase, a night-stand, a desk or anywhere, really, where you’ll be sure to glance at them regularly.

Hourglasses also make thoughtful wedding, anniversary or sentimental-occasion gifts. Consider giving one with a handwritten note that speaks to the importance of enjoying the precious minutes and seconds that go by all too fast in life.

Photo: Haskell Harris, Gun and Garden

Every piece of jewelry has its own unique story and, when that jewelry happened to belong to the famous old time singer Lena Horne, its story is literally a part of history, both American and musical. This Wednesday, Horne’s estate will go up for auction at Doyle New York. Highlights of the sale include everything from fine art to furniture, gilt mirrors and silver serving sets. Most exciting, however, is the treasure trove of vintage clothing and jewels worn by the performer. Just some of the elegant relics from Horne’s closet: a reversible mink coat, designs by Giorgio de Sant’Angelo and ornate necklaces, bracelets and brooches.

The bold collar-style necklace, above, an original Chanel, is made of faux tortoise and set with cabochon stones, faux pearls and rhinestones. Another choker, also Chanel, below flaunts faux pearls, gold links and the signature double C logo—a perfect piece for classicists. If you can’t make the auction, you can bid online via the Internet catalogue—or just look at the pictures and get inspired to recreate Horne’s breed of iconic glamour with what’s in your own jewelry box.

Photographs: Courtesy of Doyle New York

Benz is obsessed with lush hues of turquoise and red, apparent in his richly glazed collection of 1950s Italian Bitossi and Raymor pottery, as well as a curious group of vintage Chinese birds, also in turquoise and green. None of Benz’s collections are hidden behind cabinet doors (he’s a fan of open-shelving and mantle displays) and he even incorporates the collections as serving pieces and platters when he entertains. “Unfortunately, the pieces are not dishwasher safe,” he says, sighing. Luckily, dinner parties are only an occasional, not nightly, occurrence for the busy young designer who admits, “I order in food from the deli a lot—so much easier!”

For more on Living with What You Love and to order Monica’s book, go here.

Photographer: Robert Cass

Although Hable Smith hasn’t lived in Corsicana in years, the Lone Star State runs deep—and not just in her Texas twang. The designer has a lifelong obsession with hats that probably rubbed off on her somewhere in the aisles of the her hometown’s Green’s Western Wear. The result is an ever-expanding collection. “I can’t return from a trip without buying a hat,” she admits. “I pick them up wherever I am.” A one-of-a-kind stand from an antique store in Bellport, NY, serves as an invitation to display the hats; unsurprisingly, it’s now a decorative element and focal point in Hable Smith’s sunny kitchen.

But don’t get the wrong idea: the designer does not believe in collecting for the sake of collecting. “These hats are worn and loved,” she says. “If it’s sunny out, everyone in the family grabs a hat. If I have to go out and I haven’t washed my hair, I grab a hat.” Some of the hats on the stand belong to her children, ages three and five. The collection includes everything from a ’60s vintage pom-pom style to a palm weave sombrero from Guatemala.

The best thing about having hats on prominent display in the home? “They’re conversation starters,” says Hable Smith. “People always want to talk about them.”

For more on Living with What You Love and to order Monica’s book, go here.

See Hable Construction’s designs at Garnet Hill and coming soon, Hickory Chair.

Photograph: Courtesy of Susan Hable Smith.

Working for Nightline, Jennings covered the regions of Africa, Europe and the Middle East, before she relocated to Atlanta to cover the American South and national social policy. Additionally, she has worked for 20/20, PJ Productions and, since 2006, The Documentary Group, where she is co-founder. Recently, she co-edited the oral biography, Peter Jennings: A Reporter’s Life and created the Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Here, the accomplished newswoman and humanitarian talks about how she came to possess her most cherished possession: a pair of classic pearl earrings.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

“The pearls belonged to my grandmother. She didn’t have much money or many things but she had impeccable taste so those few things she had— several French antiques, two cashmere sweaters, her pearls—were just perfect. She was also frugal. So, instead of the usual two earrings, she had three. That way, if she lost one, she’d still have a matching pair. She never lost one. I did, but I still have a matching pair. When I wear the earrings, I feel very connected to my grandmother and her values, which were as impeccable as her taste.”

How do you live with your heirloom?

“The earrings are in a box with my other pearls: beautiful earrings from my sister, and a necklace that my husband bought in Hong Kong when he was there reporting on the handover from Britain to China. I love them all, and they are all meaningful, but my grandmother’s earrings mean the most.”

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style?

“I’m not sure I have as much personal style as I’d like. Well, I am sure, actually, I don’t. Both my grandmother and my mother had terrific style, though my grandmother was more conservative and traditional. She believed in the perfection of the French antique  and, perhaps, she didn’t feel she could afford to make mistakes. My mother is more creative, takes more risks. She believes in mixing styles, especially when it comes to interior design. She’s always had great confidence in her own taste. As a child, I remember that she used to push my sister and me to be more daring—to shorten our skirts further. No matter how short, they were always too long for her! To wear more leather—or fake leather, anyway. To wear bolder and funkier jewelry. I’m still much more conservative in style than I, and my mother, would like me to be.”

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at________, I can’t help but smile.

“My Airedale, Harper Lee. She’s just so bloody adorable and comforting, even if she is often infuriatingly diffident.”

What’s the best part of your day?

“First thing in the morning, between 6 and 7, when I’m in Central Park with my dog. In the summertime, there’s that gorgeous early morning glow; in the winter, the dawn bounces off the snow and there’s a wonderful, enveloping hush. It’s very, very peaceful. It’s when I really notice the extraordinary beauty of the Park.”

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

“It was a gift I was never given. But it was an ingenious idea: shares in a Russian chocolate factory. I’m a very serious chocoholic. It’s a genetic condition and runs happily through my father’s side of the family. My husband didn’t really understand the addiction, but appreciated that it was real. So when the former Soviet Union started privatizing in earnest, and Peter heard that the State was selling off one of the big chocolate companies, he thought he’d found the perfect birthday present for me. He had, but he wasn’t able to make it happen in time. I think he gave me a digital camera instead. A consolation prize, but a pretty good one—even if it wasn’t chocolate!”

What was your last purchase that you believe will mean something to you 10 years from now?

“A piece of Inuit art. I have a very modest collection of Inuit art and I recently bought another sculpture by Barnabus, a carver whose work I particularly love. One of the reasons I love Inuit sculpture is that it is so tactile—you want to touch it and it’s often meant to be touched. With the exception of some pieces that depict a shaman or transformation, which I avoid, I find it extraordinarily soothing. The very first piece of art I ever bought myself was an Inuit print I found on the way back from a trip to the Arctic. I still have it. When I met my husband, who was Canadian, he already had quite a bit of Inuit art, so it was great fun to continue to collect it together.”

Rebecca Minkoff’s handbags have inspired many a collection (the supermodel Agyness Deyn reportedly owns 100 of them) but the designer doesn’t let success make her complacent—far from it. She launched clothing a few years ago, and recently introduced a men’s accessories label, Ben Minkoff, inspired by the heritage pieces carried by her grandfather, a WWII fighter pilot. A couple weeks ago she debuted a shoe line, which will retail next spring. The beautiful range comprises everything from mid-heels and animal print booties to the sort of strappy wedge sandals that conjure up instant summer in St. Tropez. Following her New York Fashion Week presentation, we asked Rebecca to share a few of her favorite things with us…

Item I own that gets better with age: My Morning After Bag in black.
Best souvenir I ever brought home: Turkish towels.
Fashion trend I hope becomes classic: Ankle boots. I designed mine in pony hair calf and buttery leathers in a variety of colors.
Music that always takes me back: Flashdance.
Smell that makes me most nostalgic: Hot chocolate.
What’s in my jewelry box: Vintage, vintage, vintage.
My good luck charm: My husband Gavin.
How I like to keep in touch: Letters.
Art I’d like to own: Modigliani and Francisco Clemente.
I couldn’t live without: My family.

Photograph: Courtesy of Rebecca Minkoff