It was during a tour of the boldly color-blocked Gilardi House in Mexico City—designed by Luis Barragán for ad exec Francisco Gilardi—that today’s homeowners, a pair of former Brooklynites, knew they’d found the inspiration for their own place. They knew they wanted to capture something of the bright swaths of color covering walls and ceilings and the “sense of serenity”, even in the city. Back in their new home city of Portland, Oregon, the couple enlisted Casey Keasler of design firm Casework to transform the kitchen and bath of their grand 1884 Italianate Victorian home with a Barragán colo ..read more

At Hotel Terrestre in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, the architecture is stripped to basic elements: local brick, pools of water for plunging, bedrooms open to the air, and verandas situated to face the sun. In fact, the hotel is 100 percent solar powered—and guests, too, are encouraged to unplug: to “disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature, synchronizing their day with the cycle of the sun,” as the site says. Designed by architect Alberto Kalach and Taller de Arquitectura X (TAX), with interiors by Fernanda Romandia and Diana Backal, each structure is designed to further connection wi ..read more

We like the unexpected quality of a stone light fixture. A bulb housed in marble, alabaster, or travertine offers an element of permanence while channeling historic architecture. Here we profile our favorite wall sconces with shades cut from stone. Above: From L’aviva Home, the Piedra Sconce is carved in the Mexican city of Tacali from various marbles or black onyx and are available with the option of aged or brush brass or nickel hardware; $2,375 each. Above: The Hudson Valley Lighting Loris Flushmount Wall Light is available in alabaster (shown), white marble, or black marble for $358. Ab ..read more

With Mother’s Day ahead, here are our editors’ picks for gifts to delight the parent, mother figure, or, really, anyone deserving of self-care, celebration, or just a little something: Above: A pick from Margot: “Love these glossy black sculptural vases,” she writes. “They’re by Belgian artist/designer Marie Michielssen, whose work we’ve also admired from Serax (here).” The Héléna Marie Deep Black Vase is $33 from Wms and Co. Above: Annie would like to gift a pair of Assiettes Legumes Placemats from Ouevres Sensibles—asparagus and artichoke in particular. They’re currently onl sale for €136 ..read more

Laura Aviva collaborates with artisan workshops in Latin America to create L’Aviva Home’s lighting, textiles, and furniture. She approaches traditional craft as a springboard for sophisticated, entirely new designs, and loves getting her collaborators to apply their skills in undreamed of ways. Her pieces land in impressive settings that are featured on the company website. But what kind of setting does Laura herself envision them in? Based in NYC, she recently bought an apartment in Mexico City to officially declare CDMX her home away from home. And she transformed her new flat into both livi ..read more

Above: Photograph by Pablo Zamora. Pablo López and Iñigo Aragón first met as art history students, then moved together to Madrid, where Pablo worked as an art guide and Iñigo as a fashion designer before discovering their shared knack for interiors while working away on their own place. Today they’re better known as Casa Josephine Studio, where they infuse everything they touch—interiors, furniture—with saturated color and a fresh point of view. They’re also the proprietors of two of the most design-forward bed and breakfasts we’ve seen in Spain (or anywhere, for that matter). We’ve shared th ..read more

Ahead this weekend: two sales to shop, a very green spring market, a design book on our wishlist, and more… Above: On view at Twenty One Tonnes in LA: a raw materials installation celebrating the natural plant materials used in woven goods—in partnership with Sophia Moreno-Bunge of Isa Isa Floral. Stop in. Attention: The Heath Ceramics Springtime Sale is going on this weekend. Head to Instagram for all the info.. Mark your calendars: NYCxDesign starts May 16. Have a look at the full schedule of events. Going on May 5 in Altadena, CA: Plant Material Spring Market, with locally made ceramics ..read more

The stars align: In Private: Vincent Van Duysen (Rizzoli), with images by legendary interiors photographer François Halard, the architect/designer invites us to take a closer look into his two residences: his now-iconic home in Antwerp, located in a centuries-old former notary office, and his newer personal project, his ground-up vacation house Casa M in Portugal. We first reported on the Belgian architect/designer back in 2011 (see Architect Visit: Vincent Van Duysen Kitchens) and since then we’ve followed his every move (see all our posts in our Lookbook). And in 20 Questions: Julianne Moore ..read more

I suspect, for architects, a house with an ineffective layout is like fingernails on chalkboard. When Anaïs Bléhaut, director of Daab Design, was brought onboard to make sense of a client’s gracious but wonky London Victorian, it was indeed the main issue she needed to get right, before all else. The good bones were there—high ceilings, characterful architectural details, ample light—but the layout was simply all wrong and largely the reason why Zoe, the client, couldn’t get a handle on the domestic chaos that comes from raising two young children. “The house was beautiful and full of heritage ..read more

Recently in our inbox, from Nigerian designer Samiat Salami of ready-to-wear fashion and homewares line Oya Abeó: a collection of hand-drawn, sustainably printed textiles for the table. About the collection: “Inspired by her childhood in Lagos, Oya Abeo draws from centuries-old Nigerian textile traditions to create modern whimsical and artful handprinted textiles that celebrate the colors, textures, and landscape of Nigeria. Our prints are created digitally in our studio in Lagos, Nigeria before they are hand-drawn and hand-dyed by Batik artists. Our culture is a never-ending source of inspira ..read more