From Old World baroque to neoclassical elegant, Lili Alessandra sets the bar for luxurious bedding and linens. Plush velvet, smooth silk and soft cotton linen are detailed with embroidery, appliqué and beading accents that add texture and beautiful artistry to the home. From the bedroom to the dining room, ultra soft, romantic duvet covers, headboards, table linens and more create this coveted collection of artisan-crafted designs.Alessandra Ferri’s return to Romeo and Juliet nine years after her supposed retirement from American Ballet Theatre was a triumph. She displayed the exquisite lines, gorgeous feet and dramatic flair we know and love her for. But more than that, her portrayal cut to the quick of human emotion. At the end, the whole audience rose for an immediate standing ovation. Her onstage chemistry with Herman Cornejo was ignited in 2013 when they premiered Martha Clarke’s dance-theater work Chéri, about a passionate, ill-fated love affair. In this performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, just seeing the way their eyes met could melt one’s heart.

Ferri’s success seemed to prove that a woman dancer can still have charisma and chops at 53. Some posts on social media declared her performance a victory for all women dancers. But I felt it was also a victory for an artist’s freedom onstage. Ferri has always been impulsive—that was part of her appeal—but this night glistened with an added frisson of risk-taking. At one point in the ballroom scene, way before the much anticipated first kiss of the balcony scene, she suddenly took Cornejo’s face in her hands and gave him a quick kiss—as though she couldn’t help herself. (I wonder if MacMillan would have approved.) In our November 2014 cover story, Ferri told Gia Kourlas “It’s like I never stopped.” When Ferri returned from retirement, her momentum picked up where it left off in 2007. She danced and choreographed a work called The Piano Upstairs in the summer of 2013, teamed up with Cornejo for Chéri, created the lead role in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works at The Royal Ballet and last December danced the premiere of John Neumeier’s ballet, Duse, based on the legendary actress Eleanora Duse.

In between these starring roles she’s been touring a small repertory show, TRIO ConcertDance, consisting of herself, Cornejo and pianist Bruce Levingston. And now, the reprisal of Juliet. Sure, her technique wasn’t as sparkling as before. But perfect technique was never her thing. In our November 2013 issue, she told me, “As my career progressed, I was trying to break the barrier between dance and acting and to really meld the two. It was a particular path I was following; it wasn’t just casual. It was a real search and experiment.” That melding was visible last week in Romeo and Juliet. Her dancing and acting were seamlessly, gloriously entwined. We believed every minute of her portrayal of a love-torn teenager; her moments of stillness barely veiled the turmoil underneath. In the last scene when Romeo tries to dance with her limp body, the looseness of her balletic limbs was spectacular. We left the theater feeling emotionally sated. Here’s to a possible annual visit from Ferri to ABT.

Alessandra Ferri returns to Juliet _ at 53 This May 7, 2016 photo released by the American Ballet Theatre shows Alessandra Ferri, right, and her partner Herman Cornejo during a rehearsal in New York. White Swiss Shepherd Puppies For Sale Cape TownFerri, who retired from American Ballet Theatre in 2007, is returning to ABT on Thursday to dance the role of Juliet. Kittens For Sale In Chelmsford Essex Uk(Lucas Chilczuk/ABT via AP)Asm Auto Upholstery T Shirts Discuss this story on Twitter or Facebook Your browser does not support the audio element.In her Designer Visions apartment, Alessandra Branca is all about contrasting combinations – of old and new, of elegance and comfort and of color and pattern.

What was originally planned as the dining room was repurposed as a warm and cozy library/sitting room. Trompe l’oeil abounds with her fabulous faux bois cotton sateen on the walls and one of my favorite Candida Höfer photos of the Trinity College Library in Dublin, seeming to extend the room with its incredible perspective. Creative connections come alive as the view into this historic library containing thousands of valuable volumes overlooks a room where reading may now mean merely an iPad. Alessandra’s signature red is throughout in her fabrics for Schumacher on the upholstery and curtains, her new accessories, such as the Tartan throw above and marbleized tray below, and the Ponti hand-knotted rug from the Rug Company. Mixed with warm woods and metallics, the room is a welcoming environment for work or family time. The dining area now adjoins the kitchen, surrounded by the incredible views and tented all around to create an intimate atmosphere and cordon off the working area for more formal evenings.

It is a room again where history is brought forward and classic 19th century meets contemporary interpretations of timeless forms. Antique Jansen dining chairs with the patina of their original leather surround a custom white arched lacquer dining table, designed by Alessandra and produced by Two Worlds Art.  Keeping lost arts alive is a mission for the designer. Her custom light fixture is a clean modern shape, fabricated from her Marmo hand marbleized leather, produced by a book binder she found and commissioned. The elegant tabletop mixes Alessandra’s new collections of china, linens and crystal with Christofle silver plate and fabulous candlesticks from one of my favorite contemporary artists (Roman of course), Achille Salvagni, represented at Maison Gerard In front of the dramatic dining views, a bar cart and barware from Arteriors is handy for serving without intruding on the visual or physical space. As we exited the public spaces, even the hallways and stairwells were thoughtfully furnished.