Butera loves to incorporate heirlooms and beloved pieces his clients already own, which can present challenges as well as opportunities. "I had a client once that had a chandelier that was beyond description," says Butera. "While I love a cool one-of-a-kind antique piece, this could be classified as more of a relic! We cleaned it up, refinished the iron and added countless seashells, which brought it to life. It ended up being the most spectacular piece in the room."
As for one of his favorite own heirlooms/relics, "I have a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk that I found at a Paris flea market that serves as a coffee table for my Park City home. It’s the bomb," he says.