Musings
Explore the various topics which serve as inspiration in creating interiors that are timeless yet memorable. There is a world of beauty to educate and encourage new design shaping Casa V’s work. Spanish architecture, Old Florida, Luis Barragán, Casa del Herrero, fashion, flowers, and hotel design are some of the many subjects explored on this page.
“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Laird Plumleigh: a worthy addition to one’s home
Laird Plumleigh makes beautiful tile perfect for historic arts and crafts or Spanish-styled homes but also perfect to add a touch of singularity to new homes. Laird Plumleigh is a talented artist choosing tile as his medium. There are numerous people with their own...
San Diego activities
San Diego has a host of special activities that my family looks forward to every year although many of them may be curtailed this summer. My family growing up would spend a month in San Diego every summer. My grandmother started this tradition and my mother continued....
California summer
California summer means surfing, sunsets, margaritas, tacos, skateboarding, rollerskating, hot sand, and the cold Pacific. At least to me. Many think lobster rolls, sea glass, ferries, and clam bakes. It would be much easier to drive up the East coast for...
Sweet dreaming in an ideal guest room
A guest room needs to be the perfect mix of comfort, interest, and excursion all rolled into one space that belongs to the visitor but also to the home where it resides. A longtime client recently called me to create a guest room out of his daughter's former bedroom....
Spanish style appeal
Spanish style reflects the relaxed attitude of its people, the beautiful landscape, the hot sun warming its water and countryside, and the colorful culture. I have always found foreign design more appealing than that of America. One reason is their furnishings....
Black artists in focus
Certain individuals, but focusing on black artists presently, were so talented that their work inspired for years even if their time was short. A usual post was not sufficient considering our country's current unrest. Instead, I am paying tribute to certain black...
A Grand Tour with Studio Peregalli
Studio Peregalli creates interiors that reflect the history and the location of the home conjuring feelings partly from the past and partly from dreams. One of the many things I love about Studio Peregalli's work is their research. Before beginning a project, they...
Reaped benefits of Corona
There are reaped benefits to be had from Corona from the excess time we have found which can be used to make new discoveries about a gamut of subjects. One of the best reaped benefits from these strange days is expanding the brain . Taking time off each week to...
Renzo, Marella, Lulu. In short: wicker
While wicker is a humble material, mixing it into an interior with high-design items or precious antiques creates an effect that is counterintuitively cosmopolitan. Do you want to second guess Marella? Marella Agnelli offers a lesson to us all. One of the wealthiest...
Reading in the time of Corona
My reading in the time of corona has taken inspiration from some leading designers' tried and true favorite books as well as their current bedside material. Many creative people are taking this time to get inspired through books. Live Instagram stories have profiled...
Instagram education
Isolation has created a new type of learning - one that comes to us through a screen as we cannot leave to explore museums or take classes or travel - Instagram education. Such was the case for me last week. Thank you Instagram. The first topic of my Instagram...
Covid favorite, rooms that is
Looking back at pictures of my favorite rooms through the years is a bit like reconnecting with old friends. Last week I posted my top ten favorite rooms on Instagram. Selecting just ten is extremely difficult. It was fun to think about the rooms that have impacted me...
Napa knows style and the wine is pretty good too
Napa is beloved for its food, wine, and scenic beauty but its small town charm and vintage farmhouses stole my heart. Despite being only four weeks ago, it seems like ages since I traveled to Napa to spend a fun weekend with my daughter. A pleasure trip seems surreal...
The beauty of quarantine
A resetting of priorities is beautiful to witness as our country and the world adapt to quarantine while facing the dangerous virus. A quarantine with power isn't the worst situation. Staying home is enjoyable to me as there is always something to do. Additionally, my...
“A look” of a place
A combination of furnishings, colors, and style sometimes becomes so prevalent that a location becomes known for having "a look". New Orleans' design in the 1990's brought to mind full silk curtains with dressmaker details, gilt antiques, Gerrie Bremermann, and Mario...