Artwork by artist Roy Thurston of Chimento Contemporary Gallery.

I recently visited the Houston Art Fair (and Houston for the first time!) where I had the opportunity to spend an entire weekend enjoying original fine art. I served as the Houston Art Fair’s VIP representative which meant that I attended the fair’s VIP private art tours, taking place at the homes of select art collectors across the city. After my exciting weekend I highly recommend attending the Houston Art Fair, and of course any local art fairs that you have the opportunity to visit. I am pleased to share with you the highlights from my recent Houston Art Fair experience, which I must say was fantastic.

Painting by James Michalopoulos.

This old house with the hazy purple sky was one of my favorite paintings of the weekend. The artist, James Michalopolous, is know for painting representations of historic New Orleans homes in vibrant color palettes.

Ornate bamboo sculptures from a range of Japanese artists, Tai Modern.

I was really impressed by the Japanese bamboo art, featuring highly detailed baskets and sculptures made of bamboo while attending the Houston Art Fair. The Tai Modern Art Gallery curated this collection of bamboo works from a range of highly trained Japanese artists. I’ve seen this style of bamboo art at other museums and it’s hard to believe that this intricate style of basket is created in much larger sizes, as well. 

Painting by Roseta Santiago of Blue Rain Gallery.

Another stunning work was this piece from artist Roseta Santiago who paints on Native American themes with photo-quality figurative work. The Blue Rain Gallery booth was filled with Native American artistic treasures from paintings like the one shown above to ceramic works and more. 

Lester showing us his collection of Andy Warhol paintings.

Walking through Lester’s home was quite the experience. Each room is filled with one-of-a-kind art installations transforming the home into a delightful creative habitat. Lester has been collecting artwork for over 20 years and continues to acquire more unique pieces like the ones shown here. 

Lester’s kitchen design was accented with a net made of Barbies hanging from the ceiling!

I rounded out my weekend with the Houston Art Fair by viewing the work of one of my favorite artists, Nick Cave, right in the middle of Lester’s living room! You can only imagine my surprise to round the corner of him home and see a full sized Nick Cave “Sound Suit”. If you haven’t heard about Nick Cave’s Sound Suits, they are quite spectacular and imaginative. Nick Cave’s Sound Suits can be worn and moved in as performance art or displayed as a sculptural piece. Getting a photo in front of one of Nick Cave’s Sound Suits was definitely a highlight for me. I must thank Lester for welcoming us into his home and inviting us into his amazing world of fine art. These are the kind of experiences that invigorate my passion for fine art.

Artist Nick Cave known for his “Sound Suits”.

Nick Cave was also just featured on PBS’ Art in the 21st Century series. The Chicago episode featuring Nick Cave is definitely worth watching. Any art lover will love this new PBS series!

The Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, via Ish & Chi

You may have seen this modern and eye catching chair across the interior design world lately and that’s because it’s pretty amazing. This is one of those stunning designs that have stood the test of time, and remains a flawless addition to a space. The Platner Chair is the design work of architect, interior designer, and furniture designer Warren Platner who released this unique chair design in 1966. This chair works well in mid-century modern interiors, contemporary interiors, and any interiors with a fun, eclectic feel and that’s why this chair is my eye-candy of the day. 

Designed by Jonathan Adler via Dwell

Modern French apartment via Vogue Living Austrilia

Home of designer Jayme Armour of Atlanta via myDomaine, Photography Sarah Dorio

Designers John Wooden and Dustin Dorr via Luxe.

What do you think of the Warren Planter Chair? I must say that I quite like it! This gorgeous chair was also in the recent home tour of model Marisa Howard, featured here on Interiors by Jacquin. Take a look at how Marisa styled this iconic chair in her dining room. (P.S. This home tour is filled with amazing artwork!) You can purchase your own Platner Armchair here or go for the wider Platner Lounge Chair for a space like the bedroom. You’ll love it! 

I’m pleased to present the elegant and stylish home of blogger Alicia Wood of The Lush List today. Alicias’ blog is home to the latest fashion and amazing home cooking and recipes. You’ll definitely want to learn more about this style blogger, mom, and home chef extraordinaire. Take a look at my recent chat with Alicia and her stunning home tour. 

Jacquin: Hi Alicia! What can people expect from your blog, the Lush List?

Alicia: Thanks for having me today Jacquin! The Lush List is a lifestyle blog focused on Style, Food & Entertaining, Clean Beauty, Travel and Design.  I am truly a “List Maker“ and I’m always being asked by others for my ideas and lists, so The Lush List blog is where I share them with everyone.

Jacquin: Being that you come from a long line of cooks, do you garner a lot of inspiration from the recipes you’ve grown up with when creating recipes to share on your blog?

Alicia: Some of my earliest memories are in the kitchen with my mom or one of my great-grandmothers. Every holiday we went to Arkansas to see family, and food was always the centerpiece – both preparing it and sharing it. One special recipe we make every holiday are these angel rolls. We’ve even adapted them to be gluten-free to be able to continue to enjoy them. My great-grandmother baked a lot and I think of her every time I make a pie. This rustic apple galette is my favorite recipe to make and I think she’d like it very much.

Jacquin: As a foodie, if you could only eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner food for the rest of your life––which meal type would you choose?

Alicia: This is so hard for me! Anyone who knows me very well, knows I love a good soup. I could truly have it for every meal. This Watermelon Gazpacho is a favorite. I have actually eaten it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It also makes a great appetizer. However, I do also love a great steak with Green Eggs and a glass of Cabernet.

Alicia Wood’s Watermelon Gazpacho. Get the recipe here!

Jacquin: What attracts you to certain types of fashion? Where is your favorite place to find fashion that matches your personal style?

Alicia: I realized a long time ago that I love classic style in both fashion and interiors. I’m only 5’2” tall and crazy trends seem to wear me, so I learned how to style my body best. Well-tailored pieces seem to prevent me from appearing so small. Friends are always surprised when talk moves around to height… great heels don’t hurt, either. Grace Kelly, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Kate Middleton, Amal Clooney and Olivia Palermo are women whose style resonates with me.  Because we are such a busy household, I do most of my shopping online, which allows me to find great deals on my favorite designers. Some of my favorite stores are Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, J.Crew, Saint Bernard, Veronica Beard, and Tory Burch. I love the style and vibe at these stores each season. One of the great things about The Lush List is that you’ll always find sale round ups and notices of sales on my blog, simply because I love a good deal!

Jacquin: How is your personal style reflected in your home’s decor?

Alicia: It would be a tie between my kitchen and my master suite. My kitchen is one of my favorite spaces in my home. We remodeled our home about 2 years ago. I was able to completely start over and create these rooms for the way we live. Every drawer and cabinet in the kitchen was designed for the way I cook. I have a huge refrigerator because with our food allergies, I don’t use much packaged or dry goods and it’s always full with fresh fruits and veggies. My favorite element is the huge white marble island that is always full of cooking prep and someone doing homework or eating a snack. The breakfast area features one of my great-grandmother’s dining tables that I had refinished. The Hermes scarf was a gift from my husband that I only wore a few times. After we remodeled, I was looking for art for this wall. I had always wanted a vintage Hermes scarf to frame. When I realized it was the exact color of my chair cushions, I wasted no time having it framed. It is such a happy room that really pops with my signature pink!

The master is calming and serene. A great escape from the world. I wanted lots of white and shimmering details. I’m so pleased with the way it turned out. The monogrammed chair at my dressing table and the fretwork on the built-in cabinets are my favorite details…and the two chandeliers!

Jacquin: You mentioned on your “About me” page that you go overboard for birthday parties. Share a story with me, please!

Alicia: I love birthday parties! There is nothing better than celebrating someone’s special day. A few years ago, my middle daughter requested a Nancy Drew Party for her 8th birthday. I created clue invitations that set the tone for a missing puppy mystery. The clues were hidden all over our home and yard. The girls each had a notebook to collect the clues that were written in crazy ways: backward to be read in a mirror, with invisible ink and in code. It was so fun to watch them work together to solve the mystery! Party favors were inspired by Nancy Drew mystery #8.

My youngest daughter loves the color blue so I created a Bluealicious (think Pinkalicious) party for her. I had special decorations designed to match the invitations, games with blue prizes and everyone wore blue, too! The candy buffet was her favorite because I found so many different nut free and gluten free candies and popcorn for her to choose from! That is a true dream come true for a food allergy kid!

I have always made my girls birthday cakes and love to create their vision. My favorite cake was a Frozen themed cake with white and blue rock-candy towers making Elsa’s castle. Baked Alaska is a tradition for my oldest daughter who wants to run the Iditarod one day!

Jacquin: Where is the most extraordinary place your wanderlust has taken you?

Alicia: My husband and I love to travel. For our 20th anniversary, we decided to go literally halfway around the world and spend time in the Maldives. He loves to surf and I love blue water and white sand, so this was the perfect spot for both of us. Because we have a busy household with three girls ranging in age from 15 to 8, I have used a pallet of calming colors of whites, grays and blues, similar to the ocean, throughout our home. I also love a bit of the unexpected, so I’ve used a pop of fuchsia throughout… from art, accessories to flowers, I like to keep it fun! My husband is ok with it though because he has “his” study in a darker, more masculine color palette of gray and blue.

Photo of blogger Alicia Wood vacationing in the Maldives. 

Jacquin: How has blogging and founding The Lush List influenced your life so far?

Alicia: I think the biggest influence the blog has had on me is to continue to push me to learn new techniques and recipes to share with others. My readers inspire me with their questions and suggestions. The Lush List has certainly enhanced my life and I hope it inspires others for many years to come.

Photos
by Mary Summers-Hafner and Aaron Doughtery

The key to achieving a non-traditional embroidery piece is the media you use. Being creative and imagining a canvas on almost any surface, like on a pair of sneakers, a gate or a piece of garment is the secret. The stitches and materials may be the same, but the object is transformed!

Jacquin: What inspires you creatively?

Lylo: Anything could inspire me, I’m very curious, and I’m walking in life with a lot of attention to anything that happens around me. A little detail of a scene could inspire an idea for a new project.

Jacquin: How are your introducing embroidery to the community in Barcelona?

Lylo: I also am part of the Barcelona based collective “La Guerilla DeGanxet”, where we knit and embroider wonderful creations out in the public by taking the yarn and thread bobbins out on the street of Barcelona. Through our creations/projects we expose and tell stories to protest or express messages that are important to the community. We usually knit or embroider on a large scale with an XXL cross stitch, using the urban outdoor furniture and fences or decorating an indoors staircase with geometric shapes made out of yarn for special community events or editorial commissions.

From great grandmother, to grandmother, to mother and to daughter…a generation of women laced together by passion to find a home and be happy in it. I really hope to someday exhibit this story in a gallery!

Alma’s collection “The Eureka Effect” is one of my favorites. The images above are from The Eureka Effect where Alma creates layers to the human face in unexpected ways. She layers plants, flowers, and abstract paint elements unto the human face, distorting the identity of the subject. Alma Haser’s work is truly vibrant yet mysterious at the same time, indeed the mark of a great artist.

“Cosmic Surgery” is another recent collection of Alma Haser in which she creates portraits with unique, origami overlays which become a central feature of the portrait. This is such a fun and interesting collection. I love Alma’s name for this collection too. “Cosmic Surgery” is one of those genius titles that explains what cannot be put into words. You simply have to see the photographs. 

Alma Haser has additional collections on display on her website that are definitely worth checking out. I am really looking forward to seeing what this artist creates next. Visit Haser.org for more information on this fine art photographer. 

Hi  loves! My name is Morgan Lillian and I do that whole blogging thing over at MorganLillian.com where my niche includes fashion trends, lifestyle, and travel. I’m based here in Seattle, Washington, a notoriously cloudy and misty place except during the summer, when it’s the most beautiful place in the country. Summers here truly make the rest of the year worth it. Less clothes, happy vibes, and being able to go downtown and sit on a patio somewhere sipping on a colorful drink are the reasons I live for summer (and live in Seattle!).

When it comes to fashion, summer dressing brings the fun, color and creativity back into your wardrobe, as go-to winter shades like blacks and greys get pushed to the back of the closet. Bold shades like yellows, pinks, and oranges emerge, making summer the perfect time for style creativity.

47 Park Avenue (UK) via Tobu Designer

Looking at this interior, I was drawn in by the cool tones mixed with the leather couch. While the couch is mostly a distressed brown, there are some yellow undertones that I love which is where this yellow mustard dress was inspired. In further inspiration of this great room, I added a statement necktie with the colors white, blue, and mustard to pull everything together. Not to mention that a necktie is a chic way to bring your silk scarves into your summer wardrobe. My necktie today is prominent but allows the dress to stand alone, just as the leather couch stands alone, but not in solidarity.

Learn more about Morgan over at her blog MorganLillian.com or visit her Instagram  page. Until next time… Ciao!

For a high impact, yet cost effective update to a special area in your home, try installing an ornamental ceiling medallion. A ceiling medallion can be the perfect accent for a unique chandelier and will work well with most light fixtures. I really love the romance and architectural feel that ornate medallions add to a room, so I’ve rounded up my favorite interiors showcasing this gorgeous ceiling feature to share with you here.

The Heathered Nest
London residence designed by Cochrane Designs.

This architectural feature is perfect for introducing instant luxury to your space!

1. Ekena Millwork Benson Classic Ceiling Medallion – $59.95 

2. Ekena Millwork Eryn Ceiling Medallion – $66.95 

3. Elk Lighting English Study Ceiling Medallion – $180.00 

4. Hickory Manor House Crown Molding Ceiling Medallion – $329.95 

5. Elegant Lighting Mirrored Medallion – $200.00 

6. Elk Lighting Laureldale White Ceiling Medallion – $84.00

Megan Feuille is a fashion and interior designer living in El Paso, Texas and the founder of Paloma El Paso. Fueled by the cultural influences of living in a border town where the sister city is Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, Megan’s designs have a distinctly light and airy Mexican essence. Rebecca Quinones, one of the fantastic interns for Interiors by Jacquin, recently connected with designer Megan Feuille and had the opportunity to learn more about Megan’s passion for design and her creative connection to Mexico. Check out this culturally inspired interor design and fashion brand – Paloma El Paso.

PHILOSOPHY:

Megan’s philosophy on design (for interiors as well as fashion) is the importance of keeping the design fun and accessible. She also tries to remember that nothing is ever THAT big of a deal, and that there is always room for improvement.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP:

As I asked Megan how she built her business from the ground as an entrepreneur, she said that before Paloma El Paso, she had never even thought of owning her own business.

Megan graduated with degrees in Religious Studies and Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin, but was always interested in design. After graduating from college, she taught preschool in Austin for 5 years, then started a design blog for her own enjoyment.

One day, Megan received an email from a friend asking if she owned her own design business, asking for her help. Instead of answering immediately, Megan sent in her paperwork to the state comptroller, claimed herself a business owner the very next day, and got to work. Megan and her husband hen made their move to El Paso, desiring a change of pace. She ran her blog for a year, took a break, did fashion styling and worked for a nonprofit organization called Ciudad Nueva. During this break, she asked herself… “What if I worked with women in Mexico to make traditional Mexican clothes for the American marketplace?” 

She envisioned something easy, feminine, and of course, accessible. Megan sent her lacey, airy, and casual designs to Southern Mexico to her old roommate and friend from college, Candice Leigh, the founder of Oh Fox Creative. Megan loved the results, but put everything on hold when her and her husband got the call for their adoption and started their beautiful family. Once she got back on track, she designed her own website, new ideas, and is even her own model.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS:

One of my biggest questions for Megan was “How does it all work?” Once Paloma El Paso started back up again, Megan sent more designs in, and what she received next were samples of her own designs. If something isn’t quite right, she makes the edits for the item to be re-woven and the process begins again.

Megan expressed just how grateful she is for the women in Mexico and the collaboration they’ve forged in addition to being appreciative of everyone who visits her site. Everything Megan designs for Paloma El Paso is hand woven with love and care on a traditional loom. Megan describes her designs as “handmade works of art”, which is completely accurate. She wants people to appreciate and enjoy how beautiful these hand creations are, all while protecting the makers’ integrity. 

CREATIVE INSPIRATION:

“I like to follow designers I admire, like Kelly Wearstler.”

Megan uses photos from other great artists to inspire her designs. She also loves to travel and to see pictures of where other people go. This is represented in the cultural influences of her designs as she admires Latin American textiles from Mexico, Peru and Guatemala. Megan also takes influences from Morocco, where she’s also had the opportunity to visit. 

INTERTWINING PASSIONS:

Working in two different industries, fashion and interior design simultaneously, has both varying and intersecting elements, but the foundation of both are style. Megan balances working in these industries by keeping a relaxed approach and remembering that it’s really all connected. Besides making her job fun, Megan’s number one piece of advice for young designers is having “good basics and crazy accessories”. She loves to mix high and low. The same applies to interiors. It makes sense to spend more money on items that last forever (like a sofa), and selecting these more expensive items in neutral tends to make sense. However, you can go crazy with a bold rug or throw that can easily be switched out and still create a colorful interior. It’s all about balance. 

Megan also loves to mix silhouettes in fashion and interiors and believes that confidence is key when pulling off any look. Megan’s take home point… “As far as fashion:anything goes. There aren’t as many rules as people think there are.” So have fun with it!