A Glimpse of Samantha Varvel McKinley
Samantha Varvel McKinley is one of those tastemakers that we just adore interviewing. I have known Samantha for many years after we attended the same elementary school in Greenwich, Connecticut. Although I was a few years behind, I always admired her effortless style and incredible taste.
Samantha grew up all over the world. She spent most of her childhood in Asia before moving to Greenwich, and then to London. Samantha moved back to the states for college and has since spent the past few years in New York & Greenwich. Clearly travel has always been a significant part of her life. She has so many fond memories of exploring new places with her family and she can not wait to share those memories with her son Peter and daughter on the way.
Below, Samantha shares a few of her adventures with us, as well as her travel and lifestyle favorites.
Bali with my family
At our home in Singapore with all of my siblings
Growing up you lived all over the world. Can you tell us more about what that was like?
I grew up primarily in Singapore, though I was born in Tokyo and lived a couple of years in Jakarta in-between. When I was about thirteen, we moved to Connecticut, then to London shortly after, where I graduated high school. I loved each place for different reasons; they shaped the stages of my childhood in unique ways. Singapore was idyllic for a young family with five children. We spent most of our years there living in a traditional colonial black-and-white home, with a large tropical backyard. The island is so safe and such a wonderful melting pot of cultures. London was fantastic for my last two years of high school. It remains my favorite city in the world -- so liveable with its gorgeous parks and more tolerable pace (compared to Manhattan). While the move to Connecticut was a bit of a shock to the system at the age of 13, having never lived in the U.S. prior, it now feels like home as I’ve returned many years later and will have welcomed my own two children to the world here. I love the close proximity to everything New York City has to offer while still being able to feel as if I’m far away from the nonstop hustle and bustle.
Relocating so frequently brought my family very close as we always had to rely on each other when we found ourselves in a new place where we didn’t know a soul. It’s made me gravitate to others with international backgrounds -- my husband and I met as babies in Tokyo and reconnected in college, years later, to find we related so deeply due to our shared experiences as “third culture kids.”
I envy your wardrobe! How do you think travel has inspired your style?
What a kind compliment. Some of my greatest fashion treasures have been found during travels, from market dresses in Provence to raffia sandals in Marrakech. I also really enjoy thinking about how I can take inspiration from the place I’m going and incorporate it into my wardrobe as I’m packing for a trip.
Your family loves to travel together. Can you share some of your most memorable experiences and what you hope to share with Peter and your new little girl on the way?
While family travels during the first half of my life took us throughout Asia, we have spent almost all our family vacations in more recent years in Europe. Our many summers spent together in Provence are the dearest to my heart. It was a dream of mine to bring my children there, which has been so special to see realized. Outside of France, Capri is one of our favorite destinations as a family. We brought Peter with us when he was only three months old, which was very brave of us, but absolutely worth it.
With my husband and our growing nuclear family, we’ve always loved planning one trip to somewhere completely new each year. From Fiji to Morocco, we enjoy seeking out well-designed boutique hotels for a winter escape and squeezed in one last trip to the Dominican Republic in February 2020 right before the world shut down.
We absolutely love Le Mas Des Poiriers, can you tell us more about how it came to be?
My family started spending our summers in Provence more than a decade ago, renting a different villa each year. The first time we rented a small, crumbly but charming cottage atop a vineyard in the Luberon for a month and fell in love. It became a dream of my mom’s for our family to have a place of our own in the region someday. We ended up discovering that the final home we rented was available for sale. It was a unique property in that it was set on a large piece of flat land (rare for Provence) and with enough bedrooms to accommodate our big family. It was a traditional “mas” or farmhouse, with oxblood red shutters and a pear orchard, and my mom was up to the task of restoring it to its full potential. It ended up becoming much grander and more magical than any of us imagined and is now a very special place for us to escape from the world.
Can you tell us more about the Provence Poiriers shop? Are there any new arrivals we should keep our eye out for this spring?
My mom, sister and I started the Provence Poiriers boutique together to bring some of our favorite products from Provence to market in the U.S. and as an opportunity to design some specialty pieces (like dresses!) out of the beloved Pierre Frey fabrics that are used throughout Le Mas des Poiriers. Of course, we did not expect that our launch would take place at the height of the pandemic, but we were delighted at the enthusiastic reaction our first collection received. Our patterned dresses, in particular, sold out very quickly, so we are excited to have a beautiful new collection in the works for this coming spring/summer season! We are constantly thinking of ideas for products we would like to bring to life and how we can share bits and pieces of what we love about Provence with the rest of the world. Much more to come.
I love following along with your new home renovation. Where do you get most of your interior inspiration from?
Thank you! After years of apartment living and then moving in with family for a while after our baby was born, which extended for longer than intended as the pandemic hit and dragged on, we are now really enjoying having a space of our own with room to grow. I gravitate toward a fresh take on a traditional design, plenty of colors, mixing in both antiques and modern pieces for a layered feel. I’m inspired by bold patterns like those used at Le Mas des Poiriers and the La Mirande hotel in Avignon. I also love the community of designers I follow on Instagram that give me daily inspiration! Decorating a home for a young family I’ve tried to keep the feel bright and playful but never veering too far from tried and true classic New England and European design.
FAVORITE PLACES
City? London
Country? France
Hotel? La Mirande, Avignon; El Fenn, Marrakech; The Dunmore, Harbour Island; Kensington Hotel by Kit Kemp, London
Resort? Capri Palace, Capri; Amanera, Dominican Republic
Destination with Family? Provence
Destination with a husband? Côte d’Azur
Solo destination? Paris…or even better with a girlfriend!
Restaurant with family? Ralph’s, Paris
Restaurant with husband? Splendido, Portofino
Do you prefer the city or country? City to visit, country to live
The mountains or beach? Beach
Beach club? Club 55, St. Tropez
Bakery? B. Patisserie, San Francisco
Spa? Dying to try the Mayflower Inn’s spa
Bar or nightlife spot? Not my thing!
Boutique? John Derian, NYC
Home decor store? Serena & Lily for upholstery; Paloma & Co. and Amy Berry Home for accessories
Jewelry store? Nicola Bathie for statement earrings
Skincare store? Can’t live without La Mer moisturizer
Childrens store? La Coqueta; Pepa & Co; Luca & Luca
Capri Palace
Amanera
Club 55
TRAVEL STYLE
Uniform? Mother jeans and a cashmere sweater
Accessories? These days, my Koodeker mask
Skincare on board? La Mer moisturizer
Luggage? Tumi
Travel bag for kids? Always using my Goyard tote hooked onto the back of the stroller!
Handbag for sightseeing? If I’m without the baby, I’m all about a tiny cross-body bag
Packing tips? I’m a serial over-packer! I just need my options because I never know how I’ll be feeling each day!
EN ROUTE
Favorite airline? Delta / AirFrance
Must-haves for your carry-on? I always carry my camera with me because I’d feel like I lost an arm if it didn’t make it
Must-haves for your child’s carry-on? His teddy bear he can’t sleep without
Favorite travel gadget? Yo-yo zen stroller that can fold for overhead plane storage
Wellness tips? Don’t forget compression socks while traveling pregnant!
Airplane activity for kids? Unlimited screen time… oops
On your playlist? Be There in Five’s Podcast
Recommended reading? Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Tips for combating jet lag? Melatonin at bedtime and strong caffeine in the morning!
LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD
Best travel memory? A stay at Villa Cetinale in Tuscany
Most memorable meal? The view is unforgettable at Caesar Augustus for dinner in Anacapri
On your bucket list? A stay at Villa Treville, Positano
Travel mantra? I’m known for jam-packing in as many hotels as possible for one trip! I just want to try them all!
When this is all over, where will travel first? Bermuda or St. Barth’s!