Staycation Day: Empire State of Mind

Today's my day out in the city. No destination in mind. We'll see what happens. 

high style on the brooklyn bridge

Source: Anne & Stiil magazine
Photo: Stine Kase

Color Texture Pattern: My Fantasy Made Real

So, I was flipping through a magazine called Living, which I think is published in Uruguay, when I discovered that my dream home already exists. In fact, someone else built it and has been living in it, beautifully, for some time now. This is what happens when you don't open the mail every day. 

The homeowner's name is Nuria Cobeaga and she designs wonderful South American blouses and bags like these. Her (my) home is a crystal-clear translation of that same style. It combines a mix of rich colors, folksy patterns, handmade textiles, and aged surfaces into a showstopping family home. Were I the boss of this casa, no one would ever cross the threshold. Probably wouldn't even let you sit in any of the wonderful outdoor rooms either. Sorry.

Let the pictures speak for themselves...

color play: reds, oranges, blues, aged wood and patchwork pillow

Far-Flung Fashion: Dressing for Distant Shores

It has been a few years since my last vacation and I'm starting to yearn from some place else again. (To be fair, Paris did hit the spot in a big way.) Sadly, circumstances leave me taking this week off from work and remaining quite local. Thank goodness New York City is one place where a 'staycation' can really count for something! My to-do list includes some of those 'roundtuit items that are so easy to put off, plus a few dashes of fun that life just seems too exhausting for in a normal week. Even sadder? Most of these activities will be attended in assorted denim-and-cotton ensembles.

Of course, glamming it up seems like the ultimate day off. But that's only for people who can afford lots of taxi rides to ease their stillettoed feet, and frankly, for people who don't venture outside the better-heeled parts of town where they're somewhat less likely to run into trouble. (Remember: Carrie Bradshaw's pink tutu was all good 'til the bus splashed mud on it. Reality, folks. Reality.)

So, while my jeans, sneakers and airy tank tops are doing their job keeping me on the go, I'll fantasize about high style in exotic ports of call.

sizzling hot pink against an earthy backdrop of orange and grey

Rooms on Film: Diario de Una Ninfomana

If you follow my Flickr stream, you know I developed a minor obsession with the sets in this film last year. In particular, the leading lady's apartment in the beginning of the film, where her pursuit of pleasure is firmly established.

Based on the book (bio) by Valerie Tasso, the film is set in Barcelona where we follow Valerie through the ups and downs of finding the right man to match her appetites, maintaining steady employment and taking advice from her elderly French grandmother. Later, things gets dizzily better and then tragically worse. 

This movie is so frank and randy that people find it rather scandalous. But I broke down and ordered the dvd and I have to say... it ain't so bad. She's just a woman with a very strong libido who really does want the fantasy of a prince to sweep her off her feet and give her a family. Val goes down some taboo paths to find her way, but she comes to understand the dark side of some her fantasies.

But, oh, that apartment...

the eclectic hallway of val's barcelona apartment

Single-Girl Style: Bohemian Bourgeois

In the suburbs of Johannesburg lurks the nifty apartment of Ariane Besson. Her style is heavily Art Deco and heavily thrifted. Her walls are an airy sky blue that sets off the salon wall of old frames, as well as all the display cabinets chock full of ceramic kitsch. The most envious detail are those bookshelves with the rolling ladder. Wouldn't say 'no' to that. The eclectic bedroom proves Besson is a woman after my own heart. Colorful bedding, mixed patterns, and those quatrefoil window shutters. 

Bet her cocktail parties are jam-packed!

well-curated livingroom: all sorts of kitsch on display

All Summer in a Room

Now this is what I'm talkin' about. A cozy space to relax, enjoy music, get some Vitamin D and, perhaps manage to look "effortlessly chic" at the same time.

Source: Cosmopolitan  Photo: Diego Uchitel

Color Texture Pattern: Soothing Blues

So, apparently it is now mid-August and a lot of us are wondering where the summer went. Consensus is that the various heatwaves drove us all indoors seeking air-conditioned relief. While we were burrowing, June and July slipped away. All I know is that I want my 39th summer back! 

Since it is unlikely summers will get milder in the years to come, here's to homes that are built for this sort of thing. Where you can linger indoors and enjoy the feel of cool tiles, in soothing shades of green and blue, arranged in orderly patterns of squares and rectangles. Calm, soothing relief...

timeless kitchen in brussels: high ceilings, shimmering tile, sconces that fade into the walls, rustic wood floors and the slate blue ceiling and chimney wall
source: maison francaise  photo: francis amiand