View from an indoor bedroom looking out through sheer curtains onto a balcony with outdoor furniture and a vast savannah landscape with a small hill in the distance.
View from an indoor bedroom looking out through sheer curtains onto a balcony with outdoor furniture and a vast savannah landscape with a small hill in the distance.

VOGUE

At Singita’s Newest Safari Lodge in Tanzania, High Design Meets True Adventure

It’s 6:30 a.m. on the Grumeti Game Reserve, and the sun is rising from behind the just-visible hills on the horizon. As far as the eye can see, pockets of scrub and golden grassland dot the savannah; above it, streaks of gray cloud begin to glow with the dusty pink and purple of the morning sun. 

Looking closer, I spot a cluster of trees rippling far in the distance; the telltale wobble meaning lions are on the prowl, making their final go-around after a long night of hunting. It is about as picture-postcard a view of the East African wilderness as you’re likely to get, and I’m taking it all in—this bigger-than-an-Imax-screen window onto nature at its most primal—under a cozy woolen blanket on the sofa of my own private terrace, a mug of freshly brewed coffee in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other.

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Interior view of a house with a staircase on the left, a decorative wallpapered wall, an arched doorway, and a room in the background with chairs, windows, and a fireplace.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

An Old-Fashioned Fixer-Upper

A designer and his husband fell in love with an alluring 1922 Colonial in Bronxville that they knew needed work — they just didn’t know how much.

It started, as real-estate adventures often do, with a pragmatic plan. Interior designer David Nastasi and his husband, Michael Stone, had outgrown their Brooklyn Heights apartment and had it with the commute to their East Hampton country house. So they started to look for something in between. “We were really only toying with the idea of moving to the ‘dreaded suburbs,’” the couple says. “We really wanted a fixer-upper,” Nastasi says. “Something I kept calling a ‘time-capsule house.’” They looked at around 20 contestants, but they were either too forlorn, too big, or both; then they spied a photo of the exterior of an impressive Colonial. After one step inside, they were sold. That was in 2014. In 2015, Nastasi and his business partner, Kate Vail, along with a contractor it took them some time to find, got to work. The delicate task at hand: Renovating while keeping the graceful character of the traditional architecture intact.

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Living room with white built-in bookshelves, a wooden cabinet, a framed landscape painting above a fireplace, and a potted plant on the floor.
Living room with white built-in bookshelves, a wooden cabinet, a framed landscape painting above a fireplace, and a potted plant on the floor.

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

28 Connecticut Interior Designers, Architects, and Landscape Pros to Know From the AD PRO Directory

The Connecticut interior designers, architects, and landscape designers on the AD PRO Directory are redefining classic New England style, blending past and present for a fresh take on tradition. 

David Nastasi of Swain Street & Co. knows his way around a historic design—and has the credentials to prove it: The Westport-based talent has an MS in historic preservation and is an alum of the prestigious GSAPP program. He has also spent more than two decades working in interior design, cutting his teeth at firms like Hilton-VanderHorn Architects and Ralph Harvard. With projects in Europe, North America, and Africa, Swain Street & Co. crafts interiors with an eye to the future as well as the past. That means details that will stand the test of time, and new programs for beloved historic structures—a party palace in a 19th-century farmhouse, anyone?

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Interior view of a house with patterned wallpaper, an archway leading to a sunlit room with large windows, and vintage furniture including armchairs and a rug.

HOUSE & GARDEN UK

Members’ favourites: a curated showcase of charming small rooms by members of The List

We've pulled together a selection of our favourite spaces lacking in size from members of The List by House & Garden.

Pierre Frey’s floral ‘Ispahan’ wallpaper adds interest to this windowless room's ceiling. David Nastasi, of Swain Street & Co, explains, "The slightly shiny finish makes the ceiling feel higher than it is."

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Living room with a stone fireplace, wood logs on either side, a fire burning inside, a round coffee table with decorative items, upholstered chairs, a large plant and vases on a side table, and a patio visible through a glass door with outdoor furniture.
Living room with a stone fireplace, wood logs on either side, a fire burning inside, a round coffee table with decorative items, upholstered chairs, a large plant and vases on a side table, and a patio visible through a glass door with outdoor furniture.

WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

Singita Milele Wins Africa’s Leading New Hotel 2025 – Gold Award

Singita Milele, the ultra-luxury private villa in Tanzania’s Grumeti Reserve, has been awarded the Gold Award for Africa’s Leading New Hotel 2025 by the World Travel Awards.

Perched atop Sasakwa Hill with sweeping views of the Serengeti, Singita Milele features five bespoke suites, a private game vehicle, cinema room, infinity pool and fully tailored guest experiences. The property was designed by David Nastasi of Swain Street & Company, whose contemporary-African design vision helped define the villa’s distinctive aesthetic and exceptional sense of place.

Singita CEO said, “This honour reflects our team’s dedication to creating unparalleled private-villa safari experiences, and we’re proud to see Singita Milele recognized among Africa’s finest new properties.”

See the award ranking here >>

A cozy interior space with wooden walls, a woven rug, and abstract landscape artwork. There is a small beige and brown armchair next to a round side table with a dark bowl. Part of a bar or kitchen area is visible on the left.

WALLPAPER

Step inside Tanzania’s new luxurious safari retreat

Step inside Tanzania’s new luxurious safari retreat

Singita Milele, set within the 350,000 acres that make up Tanzania’s Grumeti Reserve, redefines the safari bush aesthetic and sets a new precedent for modern African bush design. Two years in the making, the 1200 square foot buyout sanctuary sleeps ten and comes complete with five totally distinct suites and spaces inspired by the panoramas, shades and tones of the Singita Serengeti reserve and the iconic game – giraffe, lion, cheetah, zebra, and rhino – that call it home. The pinnacle of luxury safari, the South African-born brand has, thanks to its founder Luke Bailes, amassed a loyal swathe of eco-minded devotees hooked on its commitment to conservation and the 100-year purpose manifesto that guides the brand.

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