Tag Archives: Travel

March: San Francisco

/ November 14, 2012
The refined graphics and the signature blue give a hint that something special is inside.

The refined graphics and the signature blue give a hint that something special is inside.Slideshow

Table linens and bags on an old drying rack.
Sorry this photo is so dark, but I want to show the scale of the pendant lights and the food art. You can tell the shop is long and narrow, very white and fresh.
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Sam is always searching for art that relates to food. This rather amusing piece is made of stuffed socks hanging on a pot rack.
A view out in to the courtyard and office behind the shop.
March offers custom islands crafted in metal and hand selected wood. They are practical for cooking and open storage.
Beautifully handcrafted there-legged stools. The seat appears razor thin.
I sent home an assortment of spices in perfect cobalt jars.
A tempting assortment of tableware.
A view of March from the front door. The space is white, crisp and a visual delight.

It is so exciting to discover a shop that is both original and inspiring. MARCH located on Sacramento Street in San Francisco is just such a place. MARCH is the brain-child of Sam Hamilton, a graduate of the Ralph Lauren enterprise. It has been my must-see shop in SF for several years.  In its’ first incarnation, MARCH sold European antiques and contemporary furniture; but not just any furniture. There was always something special about the pieces whether it was the finish, the scale or or the uniqueness of the design.

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Muriel Grateau: A Favorite Paris Shop

/ August 29, 2012
The very subtle store front of Muriel Grateau at 37, rue de Beaune.

The very subtle store front of Muriel Grateau at 37, rue de Beaune.Slideshow

There is always a minimalist approach to her window displays.
A dizzying palette of napkins, all linen and large.
Just open the storage drawers and see what incredible surprises lie in waiting.
This is certainly one of her boldest place settings in bright yellow with artistic spatter decoration. Can you imagine the food that would look tempting on this dinner plate. The dark gray napkin adds subtlety to the arrangement.
I am more of a gray person myself, so this is probably the place setting I would select.
Subtle and soft, this gray is incredibly neutral, with just a hint of deep rose in the napkin.
Crisp and clean for this white setting. Notice that all of the plates in her entire assortment are the same design. I like the matte white glassware and white napkins here. This means that the food is really the star.
Three warm shades of taupe, from the dishes at mid tone to the light napkin and darker sanded glass ware. This is neutral to the extreme but very friendly.
For your next art party, this is the setting you might select. These dishes will be a topic of conversation. I love the yellow napkins and the black accents.
More beautiful glazes on an assortment of bowls.
Of course, there is proper Venetian glassware to accompany the dishes and flatware. You want one of everything that has been so thoughtfully designed and edited.

Several months ago I wrote about my favorite shop in Paris, Muriel Grateau. I, clearly, am not the only one to find her and her shop an inspiration. Last Saturday the WSJ Off Duty section did an interview: 20 Odd Questions with Muriel Grateau.  I have attaching a link to the article and reposted my own:

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Travel: The Octagon House

/ August 1, 2012
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Last week I accompanied Kathleen Brennan, a Waterworks sales consultant, to Dobbs Ferry, NY.  At the end of our visit to Steven Tilley Architects, she offered to show me a house that I would love and probably want to write about. It was the incredible Armour-Stiner House in Irvingington-on-Hudson, NY; an eight sided, domed, colonnaded house shaped like a Roman temple.  It has all of those architectural attributes and it is painted pink as well!

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Travels: Marrakech

/ July 17, 2012
An example of the different shapes and the light colored terra-cotta tile body.

An example of the different shapes and the light colored terra-cotta tile body.Slideshow

At the La Mamounia Hotel a beautiful and restrained installation of Zellig in two colors. It is sophisticated and very graphic.
An example of the countless small pieces of tile that make up a pattern. This mixing and matching of colors seems so right in the Moroccan environment.
Countless small hand carved ceramic tiles assembled into colorful pattern.
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This is not a particularly good image, but these are the graves of less nobles.
The tile used mostly for interiors to frame doorways, indoor pools or fountains.
This photograph of baskets of beads is an example of the role of color in the production of tile and other decorative arts in Marrakech.

I thought I would write this post as soon as I returned home. In retrospect, I am am happy to have had the time to think about my trip (certainly on my bucket list of places to go and things to see), the intensity of the place situated on the edge of the Sahara desert, the ancient medina with its snake charmers, the saturated colors and the architecture influenced by a complex history.

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