2019-09-30_Hello!_Magazine_UK

T

heirfirst stabat romance was

thwartedbya Texantornado,butit

wasa properwhirlwindsecondtime

roundforJamesBloomingdale– ofthe

famousUSdepartmentstoredynasty–

andfeistyDallasbelleNatalieBond.

A mutualfriendhadsuggestedJames

lookupPRprofessionalNataliewhileon

a businesstriptoherhometown,but

inclementweatherputthekiboshonthe

blinddate.ButwhenNataliemovedto

LosAngelesfora newjob,shewaitedjust

threedaysbeforemeeting himfor

dinnerat theSunsetTowerHotel.

They’vebeentogethereversinceand

marriedthreeyearsago,withNatalie,

whocomesfroma wealthyfarming

family,graduallyadjustingtotherhythms

ofCalifornialiving.

FromherMediterranean-stylehome

inPacificPalisades,a celebrityenclave

tuckedinbetweentheoceanandthe

SantaMonica Mountains, Natalie

overseeshergrowingbusiness,a buzzy

e-commercefashionsitecalledTheSIL

(StuffI Love),whereshecuratesone-of-

a-kind,hard-to-findpieces created

almostexclusivelybyfemaledesigners.

James’sformidablegrandmother,the

late,greatBetsyBloomingdale,would

haveapproved.Eternallysmiling,always

swathedincoutureanddrippingin

HarryWinstonjewels,legendary

socialiteandphilanthropistBetsy

The dining room boasts sweeping

views as well as 18th-century

candlesticks by London-based

silversmith Paul de Lamerie. The

period-style kitchen is watched

over by the Virgin of Guadalupe

(below) while the breakfast room,

decorated with hand-painted

wallpaper, has a cool 1950s

Hollywood groove (below right)

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