Beautiful Illusion

 "My houses are more than homes— they are temples.  Wherever I go, I create them.  I live in my own temple within my own time, my own music, my own art, my own loved ones. Each element that I select has an aesthetic power or spiritual significance that elevates me.  I don’t think in terms of design, but rather in a layering of my life experiences.  Spaces have their own energies, and each layer that is added changes and influences the energy of a place. "

I was reading an article about Argentine hotelier and real estate developer Alan Faenarecently in Elle Decor and everything this man said struck me.  As I get ready to head south for the winter visiting the famous Faena hotel is on my "to do" list.  If you don't know him, you may  know his over the top properties.  He created an entire FAENA district in Miami, encompassing a hotel, event spaces, retail and restaurants making an immersive experience the goal.

Mr Faena's own Spanish style Miami home, designed with the help of Diego Pereira Luchetta, expresses his desire to arrive at what he calls, his beautiful illusion.  Alan says over the top interiors energize and delight him!

Each piece of furniture whether it be Regency, Louis XIV, Spanish, English, Italian Rococo or a custom Faena design gives energy to another, influencing one another, and the addition of bold art intricately fills in the pieces of a puzzle of a life fueled by authenticity, curiosity and creativity.

Alan Faena's thoughts, values, art, perceptions, religion, spirituality, and desires merge together into some kind of beautifully chaotic harmony.   The deep colors and rich layers are like a tapestry evolving over a lifetime.

Nourishing a childhood dream, a desire to be transparent and magical thinking have given Alan the push to be creative and create.  When thinking about his own home, creating a temple where one is renewed, is a sort of a layering process.  Each piece, each experience, family and friends bring a richness, another layer to the whole.  Every space has energy.  Alan feeds off of the energy he creates.  Spiritual deities and crystals are seen in many of the rooms.  They really speak to energy and not religion.

There are so many great quotes in the Elle Decor article, but I will leave you with this last one.

 "I am who I am because of the spaces I create - they allow me to live in absolute peace with myself and the exterior world."         

OK, one more, " What matters most is not the end goal but rather my daily transformations along the way"

I like this man's energy!!  


   #Amen 



photos:Douglas Freidman 

Our Imprinted Past

It is hard to find the time to publish blog posts while trying to write a book.  This shit is hard!

I was so moved by Wendy Goodman's story in Elle Decor that I wanted you to see it.  Click here
so you can read the story in its entirety.  It is about Wendy's beautiful memories of her friend's and neighbor's home in Sands Point on Long Island Sound, NY, where she spent summers as a child.  The reason why I am so enamored with the story is that at this very moment I happen to be at the point in my book where I am discussing how our childhood memories of home are imprinted on us.  We carry many of those memories forward as we design our own homes.  The happiness and safety found in those early experiences influence us, envelop us in the warmth of our recollections of how we felt.  We often  recreate spaces from our past or take a cue from them ~ a color, a specific design aestetic and make it our own.

Wendy's vivd memories, as illustrated because there are no photos, tell a tale of mystery and adventure.  We sense the joy Wendy felt as she remebers the kitchen and the backyard with the smells and feelings it evoked.  Mrs. Harriman's bedroom was mysterious and left the impression it was a place of seclusion with its blue and white decor   ~  It's pretty powerful stuff!

Think about your own childhood environments:  your grandparents' or parents' home, or as in Wendy's case, the next door neighbor's home, that may have influenced you.  Can you trace back how you might have carried forth or been influenced by a beloved environment from your past?





illustration by Maira Kalman