For the love of beautiful craft and global influences…
I love the decorative arts; furniture, textiles, tableware and such. While some women wish for a giant closet to house their shoes (don’t get me wrong; I like shoes) I envision a special room dedicated to my collection of dishes, glassware, flatware, tureens, textiles, and on and on. I think I went into interior design because I love so many different styles of furniture and textiles that it would be impossible for me to own them all. And then you throw in the influence of other cultures and I would never be able to pare down the choices to just my humble abode. This way I can seek out these beautiful objects and fill other people’s spaces with them, too!
I am always in search for the next beautifully crafted object. It might be a child’s folk vest suspended by a metal stand and placed on a table or old rusty architectural elements transformed into drapery hardware. I love the creative opportunity to use these found objects as inspiration for the design of other furniture and art.
Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand was a wonderful experience! So much beautiful handicraft and vibrant color in the culture. Textiles, wood carvings, architecture, ceramics, and the food…oh my!
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik is a beautiful medieval walled city on the Adriatic Sea. It’s many churches, monasteries, and palaces are constructed of white stone that provide a striking contrast with the red clay tile roofs and the deep blue of the sea. It’s architecture features Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles some dating back to the 13th Century having survived an earthquake in 1667 and later the armed conflict in the 1990s.
Dubai, UAE
Records indicate Dubai was established as early as 1095. Today, it is a global city and the business center of the Middle East. The overwhelming amount of money in the region has attracted the world’s attention for its architecture and expensive lifestyles. My visit had me sourcing colorful textiles and metal goods, many of which I believed to be of Afghani origin. I had the occasion to meet a lovely Afghani couple and their five children living and working in Dubai. This experience impressed upon me that regardless of our nationality or political beliefs, we all simply want the best for those we love. The youngest was like any other four-year-old girl, peeking out from behind her father at the stranger in the living room. A bit afraid of the differences, but equally curious. It has been one of my most treasured travel memories.
