La Fotosintesi, Naples & Paris
It’s not every day I add a designer to my favorites list but it’s one of those days with La Fotosintesi. Architect duo Julie Nebout and Giuseppe Punzo, a couple both in work and life, meld the modern with the local and ancient in bold primary colors. They dig through the layers of the walls and floors to resurface what was once there, and they have made me completely rethink the half-painted wall.
Paradisiello:
Quartieri:
Cavour:
Other designers I find especially exciting: Beata Heuman, Masquespacio, and Nook Architects.
Photographer Jamie Beck
If you’re looking to escape to the south of France but don’t have the time or budget, visit photographer Jamie Beck’s Instagram to take a virtual trip. After a planned year sabbatical in Provence, the Manhattanite liked it so much she stayed. She’s been sharing otherworldly photos of the area ever since, in the most Provence-y aesthetic you’ll ever see.
Korean Countryside Living
Once in a while I zone out to Korean YouTuber Hamimommy, a 30-something housewife who shares scenes from her home and daily life with 2 million subscribers. She cooks, cleans, organizes, and gardens against the backdrop of her various homes, all of which have been a take on white and wood. She peppers her videos with little clichés like, “Small happinesses add up to create happy life,” and “Life is beautiful anyway!” which, thanks to her meditative style, feel more warm and fuzzy than trite. She recently gave a tour of her newest house in the countryside. I love the five simple bulb pendants in the kitchen and the crisp plant in the bedroom.
Her previous home was also charming. I can never get enough of the plaid curtains (as I’ve mentioned here before).
Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert’s Outfits
I first came across Giovanna Battaglia in The Sartorialist’s street style blog a decade and a half ago, before she married Swedish entrepreneur Oscar Engelbert and took his name and had two kids. I’ve been following her outfits ever since. When it comes to fashion, she has the most glamorous take on fun.
Dusen Dusen’s Patterns
Designer Ellen Van Dusen launched her bold-print womenswear line Dusen Dusen in 2010, and in 2015 she expanded into textile and home goods. She pairs vibrant colors and patterns like no other and has been hailed by Domino as having “reinvented the stripe.” Her trick for combining colors is to select two that are on opposite ends of the color wheel, but then shift them slightly. Some of her towels, robes, bedding, and throws ship to Israel, so have a look around if you’re game to splurge on customs fees.
Mexico City Airbnb in Tacubaya
I still think about this Airbnb I stayed in when I visited Mexico City in 2012 (……a decade ago). The archways, the plants, the windows, the white-washed walls and pops of color…... Run by Gaby, an architect who splits her time between Mexico City and Brooklyn, it was the perfect landing pad from which to explore the city. Located in Tacubaya, it’s a block from the metro and walking distance to the beautiful neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma as well as Chapultepec Park.
AMOO Studio, Barcelona
I always come back to Spain for inspiration. Barcelona architect duo Aureli Mora and Omar Ornaque of AMOO Studio do amazing things with color, angles, and mirrors.
BORRELL:
CALÀBRIA:
OMG BCN 2:
PROVIDÈNCIA:
THE VILLA (vermouth bar):
Photographer Alice Gao
At some point before I knew who Alice Gao was, her Instagram went viral and she approached 1M followers. Her still life and interior photography, composed and lit to perfection, are as hypnotizing as her documentary-style Instastories of the New York high life. Enjoy the ride.
Sarah Sherman Samuel’s Michigan Home
I’ve been following Sarah Sherman Samuel for nearly a decade as she designed her own homes in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Now based in Michigan with high-profile clients across the US, she calls her style “artful modern” and has made her family this woodland retreat to call home.
