Frida Kahlo: I Will Never Forget You

Last weekend, Mark and I spent our anniversary in Dallas. (Kid free!!) My husband is so sweet, that while there; he willingly wandered through countless galleries and furniture stores with me. Thank you, Sweetie:) Anyway, I stumbled upon PDNB Gallery  and found an exhibition of Frida Kahlo portraits taken by various photographers. Wow, I was so excited! Frida has been such an inspiration to me since I was a teenager. Aside, from our shared heritage; I always aspire to be as unique and bold as she was. My motto is, WWFD. (What Would Frida Do? For those of you too young to know what I'm talking about). The sad thing is, I have never had the pleasure of seeing her paintings in person! That's why this exhibition was a must-see.

Some of Frida's most iconic photos are part of this collection and some photos I have never seen before. They are worth stopping by to see. The exhibition closes on January 1, so don't miss it! If you can't see it, many of these photos are included in a book called I Will Never Forget You: Frida Kahlo and Nikolas Muray. Check it out here,  in my brand new bookstore! I'm very excited about it, so I hope you enjoy looking through it this compilation of my favorite books.

P.S. Tomorrow, I will share some of new favorite Dallas shops. Ooh, I found some great stuff!!!

Vicente and Me

Confession time: I've been sitting on these photos for a couple of days now, because I wanted to come up with a clever introduction for them. I wrote and re-wrote, but all I ever came up with was...I MET VICENTE WOLF, I MET VICENTE WOLF!!!!!!!
Now you understand my dilemma. I mean what do you say about meeting someone you admire so much., who's creative genius inspires you to be better at your own profession, everyday?

(That's me palling around with Vicente. I won't show the photo of me unconsciously twirling my hair around my finger while he spoke to me)
So, sorry this is late; but here's what happened. Monday, the Houston Design Center hosted a book signing and lecture to promote Vicente's new book, Lifting the Curtain on Design. This was something I couldn't miss!

It was so exciting and I was pretty nervous. I imagined myself walking up to his table and drooling or passing out. Also, I wondered if I could tell him how much I love his work and how much of a genius he is. In reality, all I could get out was, "Hi Vicente I'm Carolina. I love your books, will you sign my copy of Learning to See, also? Oh, and may I take a photo with you?" Amazing, huh? Funny enough, he asked me if I spoke Spanish and I answered, "Si, claro". This seemed to make him relax a bit and we chatted a little bit more.
Next, Vicente spoke about his new book and about the ins-and-outs of running such a prominent design firm. I found this refreshingly honest. (Let's face it designers have a tendency to be a bit standoffish!) So, it was awesome.

Although by evening's end, Vicente wasn't overwhelmed by my charm to the point of insisting on being my new BFF; I still had an experience I will never forget:)

Better Words

I've been gone for a while, because I haven't been able to put words together. All the things that I begin to write down, have nothing to do with what I have been doing so I've been at a total standstill. I thought perhaps using someone else's eloquent words would be a smarter choice:)

Inspiration 8.3

via This is Glamorous

The World's Coolest Bookstores ( and some local faves)

While we're on the subject of literary inspiration, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite local places to hunt for vintage books or just get cozy with a new one and some coffee, as well as a few shops that are on my "must visit before I die" list.

There is something so special about independently-owned bookstores, and it feels like they are fading away. I'm as guilty as anyone of leaning on amazon.com to deliver some rare book a friend recommended, instead of venturing out to wander bookcases on my own.

When I do venture out to a bookstore two of my favorites are KramerBooks in Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill Books in Eastern Market.

KramerBooks is fun because it's half bookstore, half cafe. If you've ever had to kill 20 minutes waiting for your friend to meet you for lunch, you can imagine how clutch this is.
If you're the more adventurous type, check out Capitol Hill Books. I promise, it's not for the faint of heart. I'm pretty sure every nook and cranny in this place is filled with vintage books from ceiling to floor. It's not well-organized, and I usually have to take a break every ten minutes to breathe in fresh air. However, if you're the type of person who loves the hunt, it's worth a visit. Especially in the spring when fresh produce and open-air cafes are right around the corner at the market.

Now for the really good stuff. As an American, it seems like every other country in the world is just filled to the brim with old churches, theaters and even castles that are available to any potential business owner with a bag of Euros and a dream.

The first place I would visit on my imaginary world book (store) tour is Livraria Lello in Portugal. It's not the biggest or the most famous on the list, but something about that staircase makes it awe-inspiring.

Livraria Lello opened in 1906 and is housed in a neo-gothic building. An amazing curved stairway connects the two levels and there is a charming four-table coffee shop on the second floor.
Of course, I would have to visit Shakespeare and Co. in Paris. P.S. If you love Web design check out their site. I love how it looks like an old-school community bulletin board.

Then there's El Ateneo in Buenos Aires which is housed in a former opera house. SO cool.
Le Bal des Ardents in Lyon, France (for that awesome arched entrance alone)

Finally, I'd love to visit Selexyz bookstore in Holland, which is housed in a former church.

Vintage Reads: Romeo and Juliet

Do you all remember this gorgeous spread in Vogue? It was definitely one of my favorites from the past few years -- styled beautifully of course, but cliche as it is, Romeo and Juliet is also one of my favorite Shakespearean plays.

I think my "should know better" love for it is rooted in time spent as a walking test tube of tweenage hormones and emotions in 1996 when Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet hit movie screens nationwide. Obsessed with the lovely wardrobes, set design, and of course mid-nineties DiCaprio, I decided to read the original work. I remember feeling so clever and mature as I painstakingly pieced together the dialogue using the index in the back.

Flash forward to today when I'm more likely to be styling rooms using vintage classics than actually taking the time to read them. (I also have fewer DiCaprio posters on my wall).

If you've been reading a while you know that I love, love, love book cover art and enjoy hunting for really intriguing copies of iconic works. So I went on a little hunt for some vintage copies of Romeo and Juliet, and these were some of the coolest ones I found.

Left to Right 1. 1963 reprint edition, published by Modern Library 2. Tales from Shakespeare Designed for the Use of Young People, published by Blackie & Son 3. 1936 MGM Souvenir Program 4. 1914, A Village Romeo and Juliet by Gottfried Keller, published by Charles Scribner's Sons 5. 1899 Maud Adams Acting Edition, published by R.H. Russell 6. 1948 Collector's edition, published by Pocket Books 7. 1991 edition, published by Oxford University Press 8. 1959 edition, published by Washington Square Press 9. 1966, First paperpack edition, published by Clarke Irwin

By the way, if you love the 1996 movie as much as I do, you must check out this Design Sponge post.

Un Lion a Paris: Charming Illustrations from Beatrice Alemagna

From an outsider's perspective, it seems like children's book illustrators don't get as much respect in the art world as they deserve. Not only do they capture the forever-chased after imagination of childhood, they're also responsible for some of the most iconic images in our memories. There are few books that have developed my creativity the way some of my very first books did -- think about The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Where the Wild Things Are and The Little Prince (a great list is available here)

So even though I barely know anyone with kids, let alone kids themselves, I get super excited about really great work in this field. By way of some circuitous route through the "series of tubes" that is the World Wide Web, I discovered the work of Beatrice Alemagna, an Italian-born author and illustrator, who as a child herself, aspired to be a "painter of novels." In particular, I fell in love with her collage-style illustrations for Un Lion de Paris in which a very fierce (and very adorable) lion tours the sights of Paris. More of Beatrice's charming work below:

A Creative Hero: John Saladino

Via Saladino Style

As I was scrolling through the 1st Dibs' site this morning, I found a great article written about John Saladino's most recent book; Villa. In it he describes the arduous but heartfelt process of renovating an amazing Italinate villa. For all die-hard design lovers, this is a book that must be seen!
Saladino holds a very special place in my heart. He was the first designer I knew by name as a teenager, and his work awakened my true love of design. The photo above in particular stands out in my mind. Its been published many times over, I know; but its so timeless and beautiful. The color palette, mixture of textures, and use of antiques in an otherwise minimalist space influence the way I think about design almost every day. Ahhh, I could go on and on; but maybe the photos speak for themselves;)

Via 1st Dibs

The First Couple of Cool.

Sixx Design is a favorite among bloggers, and w/ good reason. Their style is daring (how many other designers would think of including photos of Tupac?) and fantastic. Personally, I'm intrigued by their gutsy approach of taking run-down spaces and turning them into design gems, while working together no-less! I love my husband to death, but I'm not sure we could collaborate on this scale.

In April, Sixx Design is releasing a book called Downtown Chic. It will be a great source of inspiration from a couple who are a wealth of information.

A Small Space Wonder

I ran across the home of Alison Brungart the other day and bookmarked it. Coincidently, I was reading the new Apartment Therapy book, and saw her home in it!
Alison is a furniture and interior designer from Miami. Her little jewel box apartment is only 396sq. ft. I just can't imagine. My husband and I lived in 850 sq, ft. apartment for a while, and I thought I was going to lose my mind!
I think Alison's apartment really works because of her well thought out storage and furniture layout. The center-piece is the large storage unit that sits at the foot of the bed. It has open storage on both sides, but has open spaces that the eye to see through it. In my experience, even a small space needs a visual barrier (like the large bookcase). A room is much more interesting when you can see "around" something, and not see the entire space all at once. It is sort of like wearing an outfit that is sexy because it's slightly revealing, but doesn't show too much.

I love the little pink touches, like the bicycle, flip-flops by the bed, and even the lining of the heels in the closet. It is a fun detail in a mostly neutral colored home.
I recommend the new Apartment Therapy book; it is a lot of fun. It also features a couple of bloggers in it, like Vanessa of Turquoise and Victoria of SFgirlbybay.

Maira Kalman

Don't miss an interview with Maira Kalman at Inspiration Boards!

If you are not familiar with Maira, you do not know what you are missing. She is an illustrator and artist among other things. I featured her book The Principles of Uncertainty (here). Besides her work, Maira is known as a personality. Her quirky and hilarious observations of every day life are truly unique. Her sense of humor is what I relate to the most. I absolutely love her outlook!

MODERN VANCOUVER - GASTOWN PART I

Photography by Jonathan Cruz Photography

Geothermal building with a green roof - environmental details in addition to re-using, rebuilding and recreating an amazing interior space, Inform Interiors is a destination retail space and experience that every modern design enthusiast must see when visiting Vancouver.

Gastown is a cool and hip neighborhood filled with great little boutiques, restaurants and shops. None of the expected main stream big box stores ... rather a collection of unique retailers and eateries that set the tone of bringing upscale design to a the less obvious street scape. This little pocket of historic Vancouver offers a cutting edge to building character for the city. The cobblestone roads now meet a new wave of modern transformations which encompass the best of loft living and the design studios of creative minds behind recent face-lift exterior facades. Inform Interiors re-opened their showroom and will re-launch in spring'08 a new flagship B&B Italia and Boffi showroom in their previous location. (stay tuned - the Inform family is cleverly building local pedestrians and design lovers like me into modern addicts anxiously waiting for the big opening)





Images provided by Obakki
Architecture & Interiors by Mcfarlane Green + Biggar4
Historic Gastown is now the home to an A-list of must sees from a cool hip shop for modern mom and pops, visit Modern Kid which offers kid-friendly "easy on the eye" design for the modern novelist while fashion fronts like Obakki (tops as my favorite fashion retail interior for Vancouver) or Hunt & Gather bring a unique collection of one of a kind pieces made right in the store by costume designer atelier.




Images of Obakki above are through my eyes. Some of my favorite details include exposed concrete walls meeting seamlessly with polished concrete floors. The extension of corian meeting reclaimed fir to reverse beveled drywall details lit from behind to give a diffused wash of light to highlight the exposed brick walls. Love, love the architectural detailing. The interior reflects the quality and craftsmanship of the Obakki label right down to each detail.