"...Standing in stocking feet in her cozy Manhattan apartment, Alessandra Branca tips a tomato-red Chinese teapot over cups as thin as eggshells, pouring out steaming Earl Grey along with her design philosophy. “Objects shouldn’t be an affectation,” says the decorator. “They should be in a room because you take pleasure each time you use them. A great lamp makes switching it on a richer experience. If you don’t love your things, it’s much better to live in a white box.”..."