Guest Speakers
« Antiques at the GardensAntiques at the Gardens is pleased to welcome these nationally and internationally acclaimed interior designers, floral designers, architects, and furniture designers to our 2026 show in Birmingham, Alabama.
Veere Grenney
In Conversation: Veere Grenney and Amy Astley
Friday, October 2 | 11 a.m
Followed by book signing
Red Diamond Lecture Series
Considered one of the foremost interior designers of his generation, Veere Grenney has spent thirty years building a portfolio of outstanding houses around the world. Born in New Zealand, he trained under Mary Fox Linton and served as a director at Colefax and Fowler before founding Veere Grenney Associates in 1996, and was inducted into the AD100 Hall of Fame in 2023. The author of On Decorating and Seeking Beauty, he recently launched a course with Create Academy sharing the principles of timeless design and the study of beauty, in both material and spiritual forms, that has shaped his life’s work.
IG: @veere_grenney
Sponsored by Red Diamond Coffee & Tea and Gracie
Amy Astley
In Conversation: Veere Greeney and Amy Astley
Friday, October 2 | 11 a.m
Followed by book signing
Red Diamond Lecture Series
Amy Astley is the global editorial director and U.S. editor in chief of Architectural Digest, where she has redefined the magazine’s editorial vision by spotlighting the personal, lived-in homes of the world’s leading creatives across design, fashion, art, music, and film. Before joining AD in 2016, she founded and long served as editor in chief of Teen Vogue, establishing it as one of the most influential media brands for a new generation. She is also the editor of the newly released AD at Home (Rizzoli), a curated collection of the magazine’s most iconic homes of the past decade, featuring never-before-published images and behind-the-scenes stories.
IG: @amyastley | @archdigest
Sponsored by Red Diamond Coffee & Tea and Gracie
David Netto
Dialogue in Design
Friday, October 2 | 2 p.m.
Followed by book signing
Red Diamond Lecture Series
David Netto is a Los Angeles-based interior designer and writer whose interiors have appeared in Vogue, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Town & Country, and VERANDA. He has written on architecture and design for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Cabana, currently pens the “Case Studies” column for Town & Country, and has authored monographs on François Catroux, Stephen Sills, and architect Rosario Candela. In 2023, Vendome published a self-titled book representing 20 years of his own designs.
IG: @davidnettosays
Sponsored by Red Diamond Coffee & Tea
Richard Bories and James Shearron
Dialogue in Design
Friday, October 2 | 2 p.m.
Red Diamond Lecture Series
Good proportion, suitability, and a sense of invention” is the credo of architect Dick Bories and James Shearron, partners in their award-winning, 15-person AD100 architectural firm, Bories & Shearron Architecture, founded in 2005. Their passion is translating the principles of the best classical and modern architecture into inspiring spaces for today, with memorable projects ranging from Grey Gardens in East Hampton to Montecito and Palm Beach. The firm collaborates with top interior designers including Mark Sikes, David Netto, Markham Roberts, and the late Suzanne Rheinstein, and their work is regularly featured in major design publications and books.
Sponsored by Red Diamond Coffee & Tea
Robert Rufino
Street Theater Documentary Screening
Friday, October 2 | 3:30 p.m.
The Urban Electric Company’s documentary, Street Theater, explores legendary design editor Robert Rufino’s career and the origins of their collaboration, tracing the creative dialogue that led to the project, culminating in his transformation of The Current, Vol. 6 into a striking series of window installations on 10th Street in New York City. Rufino revisits his early career designing windows for iconic New York institutions—from Henri Bendel to Tiffany & Co.—helping pioneer the evocative display style known as “street theater.” Captured in a short film by Joshua Charow, the result is both an ode to a lost art form and a portrait of a creative force still shaping culture nearly 50 years on.
Robert Rufino is a celebrated design editor, stylist, and visual storyteller whose eye has shaped the pages of House Beautiful, VERANDA, and Elle Decor.
IG: @therobertrufino
Sponsored by McCorquodale Transfer
and The Urban Electric Co.
Mish Tworkowski
Street Theater Documentary Screening
Friday, October 2 | 3:30 p.m.
Mish Tworkowski is a Palm Beach-based jewelry designer whose handcrafted floral and botanical collections have earned a devoted following among collectors. An avid gardener, he serves in leadership roles with the New York Botanical Garden and the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. He appears in Street Theater, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborations behind extraordinary design.
IG: @mishfinejewelry
Sponsored by McCorquodale Transfer
and The Urban Electric Co.
Alexander Widener
The Making of a Collection
Saturday, October 3 | 9 a.m.
A collector since childhood, Alexander Widener built a career in the textile world working with Matouk, Sister Parish, and Samuel & Sons. He now owns Widener Company, an interiors shop and guest cottage in coastal Maine, where his collector’s eye makes him a natural voice on living with the things you love.
Sponsored by Paige Albright Orientals
and Visual Comfort & Co.
Rudy Saunders
The Making of a Collection
Saturday, October 3 | 9 a.m.
Sponsored by Paige Albright Orientals
and Visual Comfort & Co.
Stitch with Rudy: Needlepoint with Friends
Sunday, October 4 | 9 a.m. | Includes needlepoint kit and refreshments
Sponsored by Leah Mackin Taylor
Rudy Saunders is the design director of Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc., overseeing interiors across the U.S. and internationally, including hospitality projects at The Greenbrier and Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel. A prolific needlepointer, he launched his exclusive R! by Rudy collection in 2020.
Max Sinsteden
The Making of a Collection
Saturday, October 3 | 9 a.m.
Max Sinsteden is a New York-based interior designer celebrated for his fresh take on traditional American decorating, layering antiques and fine art into rooms that feel both elegant and livable. His work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, and VERANDA.
IG: @maxsinsteden
Sponsored by Paige Albright Orientals
and Visual Comfort & Co.
Hudson Moore
Moderator—The Making of a Collection
Saturday, October 3 | 9 a.m.
Followed by book signing
Hudson Moore is the senior design editor at FREDERIC magazine. Previously working as the brand manager of Schumacher, he produced photo shoots and led branding projects for the venerable house.
IG: @hudsonmoore
Sponsored by Paige Albright Orientals
and Visual Comfort & Co.
Matthew Carter
Designing a Forever Home
Saturday, October 3 | 11 a.m
Matthew Carter is an award-winning, Lexington, Kentucky-based interior designer known for his thoughtful use of antiques, heirlooms, and architectural detail. Named one of Veranda’s Next Legends, his projects span Palm Beach, Napa Valley, and Charleston. He is celebrated for interiors that are elegant, inviting, and rooted in a sense of place.
Sponsored by Cobbs Allen, PURE Insurance, and VERANDA
Annie Meyers-Shyer
Designing a Forever Home
Saturday, October 3 | 11 a.m.
Followed by book signing
Daughter of filmmaker Nancy Meyers, Annie Meyers-Shyer is the voice behind @thisoakhouse, the widely followed Instagram account documenting the restoration of her 1940s Gerard Colcord home in Los Angeles. Drawing on an editorial background at Harper’s Bazaar and CHANEL, she champions the belief that a home should feel as good as it looks. Her debut book, This Oak House, arrives from Chronicle Books in 2026.
IG: @thisoakhouse
Sponsored by Cobbs Allen, PURE Insurance, and VERANDA
Nathan Turner
Designing a Forever Home
Saturday, October 3 | 11 a.m.
Followed by book signing
A fourth-generation Californian, Nathan Turner merged his passions for design, travel, and food into his namesake shop, now on La Cienega in West Hollywood and a destination for leading designers. He is the author of three best-selling books, including Nathan Turner’s American Style, and has appeared on the Today Show and Good Day LA/NY.
IG: @nturnerdesign
Sponsored by Cobbs Allen, PURE Insurance, and VERANDA
Steele Marcoux
Moderator—Designing a Forever Home
Saturday, October 3 | 11 a.m
Followed by book signing
Steele Thomas Marcoux is the editor-in-chief of VERANDA, overseeing brand strategy and writing on architecture, design, travel, jewelry, and gardening. She joined the magazine in 2018 after more than a decade in editorial leadership at national design and lifestyle brands.
IG: @steelemarcoux | @verandamag
Sponsored by Cobbs Allen, PURE Insurance, and VERANDA
McKenzie Dove
Legacy in Action: Wealth, Family, Purpose
Saturday, October 3 | 12:30 p.m
McKenzie Dove is a multidisciplinary design studio, atelier, and gallery based in Birmingham, Alabama, operating at the intersection of interiors, art, collectible design, and curation. Originally from West Texas, McKenzie’s early exposure to renovation and construction shaped her understanding of materials and form. With a refined and deeply personal point of view, the practice encompasses full service interior design, sculptural and painted works, custom furniture and lighting, and a curated selection of antiques and objects. Alongside the studio, the Mountain Brook shop brings the work into a collective, curated, gallery like setting. McKenzie Dove’s work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Southern Living, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and FREDERIC.
IG: @mckenziedove
Sponsored by 1919 Investment Counsel and Fidelity Brokerage Services
Kaitlyn Sheehy
Legacy in Action: Wealth, Family, Purpose
Saturday, October 3 | 12:30 p.m
Kaitlyn Sheehy is Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager at Fidelity Investments, serving Fidelity’s largest institutional clients in the wealth management business. With more than 19 years of experience in the financial services industry, Kaitlyn focuses on driving growth and developing business strategy with Fidelity’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms. Kaitlyn is passionate about women’s leadership and is the Co-Founder of the Women’s Leadership Forum which is a platform for Fidelity Institutional’s C-Suite female clients to intentionally connect and leverage Fidelity’s thought leadership. Kaitlyn also holds a leadership position on the national board of Fidelity’s Women’s Leadership Group, which is the largest employee resource group with over 8,800 members. Kaitlyn is a graduate of Babson College and holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 55 licenses. She currently resides in Andover, MA with her husband, her two sons and their two rescue dogs.
Sponsored by 1919 Investment Counsel and Fidelity Brokerage Services
Amanda Adams
Moderator—Legacy in Action: Wealth, Family, Purpose
Saturday, October 3 | 12:30 p.m
Amanda S. Adams brings a wealth of knowledge and a lifetime of experience to appraising art, antiques, and silver. As the granddaughter of an antiques dealer and the daughter of an estate silver dealer, Amanda’s understanding of these areas began in childhood. She received a bachelor’s degree in art history from Harvard University, as well as a master’s and doctorate in art history from Bryn Mawr College. She has also completed New York University’s intensive program in appraisal studies. Over her career, she has operated an art gallery, taught art history at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and worked as a research fellow at the Birmingham Museum of Art. As an accredited member of the Appraisers Association of America, she routinely prepares appraisals for tax purposes, as well as for insurance and estate planning.
Sponsored by 1919 Investment Counsel and Fidelity Brokerage Services
Jennifer Gracie
Designing Women
Saturday, October 3 | 2 p.m.
Followed by book signing
Jennifer Gracie is the creative director of Gracie, the family-owned decorative arts firm founded in 1898 and this year’s 20th Anniversary Design Sponsor. Representing the fifth generation of the Gracie family, she co-authored The Art of Gracie (Rizzoli, 2024) and is a sought-after speaker on craftsmanship and artisanal interiors.
Gracie carries an impressive selection of Chinese and Japanese antiques, as well as lacquer furniture, but they are still best known for their signature product–exquisite custom handpainted wallpapers. Today, each panel is still hand crafted in China, by same studio that the Gracie family has worked with for over 50 years. Each newly created paper still carries with it the same motifs, craftsmanship, and air of grandeur that have defined the Gracie brand for the last century.
IG: @jennifergracieart | @graciestudio
Sponsored by FLOWER & Synovus + Pinnacle Financial Partners
Elizabeth Locke
Designing Women
Saturday, October 3 | 2 p.m.
Elizabeth Locke draws on a lifelong fascination with antique Etruscan, Greek, and Roman jewelry in her neo-classical handmade 19k gold designs, selecting every stone and piece herself. A former Town & Country editor turned gemologist, she founded Elizabeth Locke Jewels in 1988 and scours the globe on a “continual treasure hunt” for antiquities to transform into wearable art.
Sponsored by FLOWER & Synovus + Pinnacle Financial Partners
Ann Mashburn
Designing Women
Saturday, October 3 | 2 p.m.
Ann Mashburn is a renowned American womenswear designer, former fashion editor, and co-founder of the eponymous lifestyle brand she built with her husband, Sid Mashburn. Their cult-favorite retail empire is known for timeless classics and hospitality-driven shopping.
IG: @annmashburn
Sponsored by FLOWER & Synovus + Pinnacle Financial Partners
Frances Schultz
Designing Women
Saturday, October 3 | 2 p.m.
Followed by book signing
Author, speaker, and artist Frances Schultz has built a career from her love of houses, gardens, and travel, writing or co-writing ten books, including The Bee Cottage Story, now in its eighth printing. She is editor-at-large for VERANDA and a contributing editor for FLOWER magazine.
IG: @francesshultz
Sponsored by FLOWER & Synovus + Pinnacle Financial Partners
Karen Carroll
Moderator—Designing Women
Saturday, October 3 | 2 p.m.
Karen Carroll is the editorial director of FLOWER and previously served as Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of Southern Accents, and Editor-in-Chief of Entrée. She was a founding contributing editor for Coastal Living, and has written features for numerous other magazines and websites. Karen is the author of the book Entertaining with Southern Style (Bulfinch Press) and has been a contributing writer for other books, including Living Floral (Rizzoli).
IG: @karenmcarroll
Sponsored by FLOWER & Synovus + Pinnacle Financial Partners
Shean Strong
Sip and Clip: A Lesson in Floral Design
Saturday, October 3 in the Hill Garden | 3:30 p.m. | Includes materials and take-home arrangement
Shean Strong is an internationally recognized event and floral designer based in Atlanta, known for refined color palettes and architectural installations. His work has been featured in BRIDES, VERANDA, Architectural Digest, and Martha Stewart Weddings, with events produced across destinations worldwide.
IG: @sheanstrong
Sponsored by Anna Cooper
Bunny Williams & Elizabeth Lawrence
Enduring Decoration
Sunday, October 4 | 11 a.m.
Followed by book signing
Considered one of the most talented names in design, Bunny Williams is an accomplished businesswoman and philanthropist known for balancing refined beauty, welcoming livable appeal, and attention to detail. An AD100 Hall of Fame member and fixture of Elle Decor’s A-List, she has received the New York School of Interior Design’s Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award and the ICAA’s Arthur Ross Award. She is the author of eight design books, and her businesses include Williams Lawrence, Bunny Williams Home, and licensed collections with Ballard Designs, Lee Jofa, Dash & Albert, and Currey & Company. She and her husband, antiques dealer John Rosselli, split their time between New York City and their iconic Connecticut country house.
Elizabeth Lawrence has spent her career designing projects across the country, from Manhattan to Palm Beach to California. Named Bunny Williams’ business partner in 2017, a partnership that led to the firm’s renaming as Williams Lawrence in 2023, she now runs the Bunny Williams umbrella of brands alongside her mentor. Honored by the New York School of Interior Design in 2020, her widely published work has appeared in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, VERANDA, and House Beautiful, and her current projects range from a new country estate to a Palm Beach getaway.
IG: @williams_lawrence_interiors | @bunnys_eye
@bunnywilliamshome | @elizabeth_m_lawrence
Sponsored by Regions Bank
Anne Hardy
Moderator—Enduring Decoration
Sunday, October 4 | 2 p.m.
Journalist and strategist Anne Hardy is a contributing editor for House & Garden and Urban Electric’s The Current. She story-tells across print, digital, brand and visual content, in America and abroad. Her work has been featured in House & Garden, The Current, Neptune Papers, Town & Country, AD, MILIEU and CTCG.
IG: @hardylon
Sponsored by Regions Bank
Charlotte Moss
In Pursuit of Beauty
Sunday, October 4 | 2 p.m.
Followed by book signing
With a career spanning more than four decades, Charlotte Moss is one of the most celebrated and respected interior designers in the industry, her name synonymous with Southern warmth and hospitality since founding her firm in 1985. Deeply influenced by travel and her love of history, she has designed residences across the United States and abroad and created licensed collections with Century Furniture, Fabricut, Stark Carpet, and more. Her work fills twelve volumes, with the newest, Charlotte Moss: At Home in Virginia, arriving in September 2026, and her accolades include the New York School of Interior Design’s Centennial Medal and Elle Décor’s Grand Masters list.
IG: @charmossny
Sponsored by Christopher Collection
and Life Insurance Company of Alabama
Margot Shaw
In Pursuit of Beauty
Saturday, October 3 | 2 p.m.
Followed by book signing
Margot Shaw is the founder and editor-in-chief of FLOWER magazine, which inspires, educates, and entertains readers with a point of view that sees the world through a botanical lens. A 2026 honoree whose involvement with the show stretches back to its earliest days, she is the author of Flowering Outdoors and Living Floral: Entertaining and Decorating with Flowers. Her Sunday conversation with Charlotte Moss, “In Pursuit of Beauty,” promises a fitting finale to the anniversary weekend.
IG: @margotrshaw | @flowermagazine
Sponsored by Christopher Collection
and Life Insurance Company of Alabama
