The Viennese Studio That Set the Standard for Glassware
Inside the 200-year-old atelier where J. & L. Lobmeyr crafts pure magic out of crystal.
ALFREDO PAREDES DOESN’T like the word “Americana,” but there is an undeniable Yankee elan to his work. As the longtime chief creative officer for Ralph Lauren and now the founder of the studio bearing his name, he’s drawn to the touchstones of American style: country clubs, cowboys, and Ivy League colleges. Take his Gilded Age luxury designs for Ralph Lauren’s Fifth Avenue mansion boutique and The Polo Bar, the brand’s clubby, equestrian-inspired basement bistro that has become one of the hardest places to get reservations in New York City.
Now, Alfredo Paredes Studio is a natural extension of his more than three decades of design work, with a line of furniture in partnership with EJ Victor. Other projects, which span residential, retail, and hospitality design in Colorado, Miami, Palm Springs, and Maine, rely on rugged textures and are inspired by the color palette of each landscape — all feeling distinctly American.
Paredes comes to the notion of Americana with an outsider’s curiosity — not unlike Ralph Lauren’s own exoticizing of genteel preppy life though he was raised Jewish in the Bronx — and credits his upbringing in Miami for his skill in creating such nostalgic, nourishing spaces. “I grew up Cuban-American in Coconut Grove in the ’60s and ’70s,” he says. “My family lost everything when they left Cuba — there was no reference of anything. There were no old things. So I was able to fantasize and dream.”
These days, Paredes has found his own version of the American dream in Provincetown, Massachusetts, affectionately called P-town by locals. The place is defined by a New England scruffy sea-air style, though it arrives there by an unexpected avenue. The tip of Cape Cod has been a sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ community since at least the 1920s, with its nightclubs, drag bars, and gay-owned mom-and-pop shops. Playwright Tennessee Williams, visited P-town in the 1940s, writing parts of “The Glass Menagerie” there.
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According to some accounts, Williams and fellow playwright Eugene O’Neill even stayed at the exact house that is now Paredes’ home on Captain Jack’s Wharf, a historic fishing dock constructed at the turn of the twentieth century. Paredes bought the house in 2011, and in many ways, it represents the apex of his creativity. It’s near a smattering of bungalows at the very end of the wharf, which isn’t so much by the sea as it is in the sea, built right onto the boardwalk. Paredes first discovered the home by accident, pulled to the place by animal instinct — literally. “I was taking the dogs down to the beach,” he recalls. “And instead of going to the beach, they ran down that way. I followed them, and I saw into this space. There was just an old wicker chair. But it was perfect to me.”
Paredes aesthetic is especially felt in the giant stars-and-stripes flag above the primary bed, the lived-in leather club chairs and rattan furniture, and the blue-and-white vintage textiles. The space is glamorous but never intimidating, antique but not old-fashioned, a place to be lived in more than just admired. There are plenty of cracks in the floorboards, and that seems to be the point; this is a home, not a house — somewhere to lie around in a wet bathing suit. “The sun fades the fabrics on everything,” he says. “I wanted a salty dog, patina-ed thing,” Paredes says. “How could it be precious? It’s like living in a tree house, for God’s sake.”
There’s something in Paredes’ respectful, rugged design that seems to relish in and even assert the role of Provincetown — of gay life itself — as just as foundational to the American story as those country clubs and western ranches.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Shop in Provincetown
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Sal’s Place
Sal’s is the kind of twinkling, candlelit Italian trattoria where you’ll run into everyone you know in P-town. The lobster fra diavolo is heavenly, but it’s the service and ambiance that really melt your heart. One evening, a friend and I forgot about the restaurant’s “cash only” policy and told the owner we’d need to run to an ATM to be able to pay. Without flinching, she told us not to worry — just come back tomorrow, so we wouldn’t have to interrupt the fun of our evening.
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Canteen
There are lots of places that promise the best lobster roll in town, but Canteen has those other places beat. Just pick whether you want your sandwich hot or cold and head to the back by the beach with a frozen drink and the ideal iteration of this New England staple.
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Porch Bar
Located in the historic Gifford House, Porch Bar is the perfect gay watering hole for an after-beach drink. You can lounge on a Victorian deck in comfy chairs and chat with friends and strangers alike. A word to the wise: The bar gets a bit wild as the night goes on, so proceed with caution if that’s not what you’re looking for. But in the sunset hours, it’s perfectly genteel.
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Relish
The key to the perfect egg-and-cheese bagel sandwich is something more than just the right kind of cheddar — it’s a dash of magic, as evidenced by Relish’s wonderfully gooey versions that are the ideal morning cure after a night of red wine and skinny margaritas. You can also stock up on pastries and potato salad, onion dip, and pimento cheese to keep in the fridge for afternoon nibbles or to take to the beach.
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John Derian
This long-running P-town boutique is the epitome of homey New England design. The owner has an obsession with decoupage, which he uses to cover handblown glass to create charming plates with sea scenes, butterflies, starfish, and beach roses. He also has a selection of antique furniture, so you can bring a little Yankee heritage back to your own home.
-
Sal’s Place
Sal’s is the kind of twinkling, candlelit Italian trattoria where you’ll run into everyone you know in P-town. The lobster fra diavolo is heavenly, but it’s the service and ambiance that really melt your heart. One evening, a friend and I forgot about the restaurant’s “cash only” policy and told the owner we’d need to run to an ATM to be able to pay. Without flinching, she told us not to worry — just come back tomorrow, so we wouldn’t have to interrupt the fun of our evening.
-
Relish
The key to the perfect egg-and-cheese bagel sandwich is something more than just the right kind of cheddar — it’s a dash of magic, as evidenced by Relish’s wonderfully gooey versions that are the ideal morning cure after a night of red wine and skinny margaritas. You can also stock up on pastries and potato salad, onion dip, and pimento cheese to keep in the fridge for afternoon nibbles or to take to the beach.
-
Canteen
There are lots of places that promise the best lobster roll in town, but Canteen has those other places beat. Just pick whether you want your sandwich hot or cold and head to the back by the beach with a frozen drink and the ideal iteration of this New England staple.
-
John Derian
This long-running P-town boutique is the epitome of homey New England design. The owner has an obsession with decoupage, which he uses to cover handblown glass to create charming plates with sea scenes, butterflies, starfish, and beach roses. He also has a selection of antique furniture, so you can bring a little Yankee heritage back to your own home.
-
Porch Bar
Located in the historic Gifford House, Porch Bar is the perfect gay watering hole for an after-beach drink. You can lounge on a Victorian deck in comfy chairs and chat with friends and strangers alike. A word to the wise: The bar gets a bit wild as the night goes on, so proceed with caution if that’s not what you’re looking for. But in the sunset hours, it’s perfectly genteel.
Our Contributors
Alex Frank Writer
Alex Frank is a contributing editor at Departures. Based in Manhattan, Frank previously worked at Vogue.com as deputy culture editor. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, Pitchfork, New York Magazine, Fantastic Man, and the Village Voice.
Angela Hau Photographer
Angela Hau took up photography after originally starting her career as a fashion and textile print designer, developing a keen interest in architecture for its composition, balance, and sculptural quality. Currently residing in New York City, Hau enthusiastically travels around the world to fuel her passion for capturing architecture and interiors. Her hope is to evoke the viewer’s interest into experiencing the space not just visually but physically and emotionally.
