Journal

Villa La Banane

I have a dream of filling the nine rooms of Villa la Banane with friends and relaxing on the furnishings of some of my favorite designers- Charlotte Perriand, Jean Royere and Pierre Jeanneret. The interiors and furnishings are exquisite and hold a long history of glamorous international parties and getaways. The design is timeless and a perfect []…

India Mahdavi

We all have our favorites. India Mahdavi is mine. Or at least one of my most favorite favorites. She was born in Iran and spent her first one and a half years there, before traveling with her family and living in the United States, Germany and France. Her worldly influences are evident in her interiors and furnishings. []…

Villa Mairea

The concept of designing a house to meet the individual needs of the owner or oneself is a fascinating and luxurious idea. Designing how you want to live at home to the tiniest detail is a rare opportunity. Whenever I have the opportunity to peel back the layers of this in process it is an []…

Ann-Margret

It’s hard to compare anyone to Ann Margret. She’s in a league of her own. It’s nearly impossible to take your eyes off of her — even when she is co-starring alongside Elvis. It isn’t simply her beauty that shines. Nor is it her acting or dancing talent. I think what shines brightest is her []…

Collaboration with Kat Manock

Collaborating with other artists and designers is a rewarding exercise. The suprises that happen can make for a magical combination of different approaches to the same challenges. I really enjoyed collaborating with Kat Manock, a talented jewelry artist that lives on the island where I grew up. She was so full of fun ideas and []…

Designers Ossie Clark + Celia Birtwell

“Celia Birtwell is the textile designer whose floral prints on gossamer chiffons, silks and satins, tailored and cut into romantic dresses and shirts by her late ex-husband, Ossie Clark, defined the ethereal look of the late 1960s and 1970s. Talitha Getty, Marianne Faithfull, Pattie Boyd and Bianca Jagger all wore them. Even Brian Jones and []…

Snow Drawings

The rain in Maine won’t let up. It should be snowing. So this week we are willing it with our snow minded posts. Sonja Hinrichsen’s snow paintings are fantastical wintery doodles, albeit with a short lifespan. Looking at them, you almost get the impression that small creatures made these tracks while scurrying about their daily lives. A []…

Luis Barragan

It’s impossible to live in Maine and not be inspired by the colors of fall. The trees are blasting out reds, oranges, yellow and greens. The ocean is a deep dark blue. The fields are golden, the ocean floor is ripe and textural and the woods are rich and rusty. While considering which architect would []…

Dualchas Building Design : Isle of Skye

Dualchas Building Design knows exactly what to do with pristine, rugged coastal property. They celebrate the spectacular landscape of coastal Scotland with massive windows highlighting the panoramic views of rocks, ocean, mossy fields and mountains. Their buildings would feel right at home here in Maine, possibly inhabited by those of us that hail from that area several generations []…

Beechcraft Bonanza

Remember being a kid and drawing airplanes? I think the Beech Bonanzas all look exactly like the drawings we did as kids. It’s airplane perfection in many ways. Beautiful fliers and iconic design that still today is an airplane that makes you smile every time you see it. Pilots look at bonanzas in the same []…

Greta Magnusson Grossman

We all have our favorite modern architects. There are so many California modernists that come to mind when thinking about a modern house full of modern art and design. Swedish born Greta Magnusson Grossman is one of my favorites. She immigrated to Los Angeles in 1940, where she continued her Architectural work, which was already []…