I’ve been busy.
From a hotel inspired by lunar phases to a round hospital wing nestled in a forest, here’s some of my most recent work.
Lunar Phases Inspire Onion’s Design of Sala Samui Chaweng Beach Resort in Thailand
The pandemic may have shut down the world-famous Full Moon Party, a monthly beach rave on Thailand’s Ko Pha Ngan island. But the lunar phases still get celebrated—albeit in less a hedonistic, more luxurious style—on neighboring Ko Samui. A recently completed hotel there, the 137-room Sala Samui Chaweng Beach Resort by Onion, draws design inspiration from the waxing and waning of Earth’s nearest celestial companion, which can appear close enough to touch in the region’s limpid night sky. More in Interior Design magazine.
Waldkliniken Eisenberg Hospital by Matteo Thun
It’s safe to say architect Matteo Thun isn’t a fan of hospitals. “The food is horrible, the rooms are ugly, and your pajamas are terrible—you are just surrounded by things you don’t like,” he says. Seeing an industry ripe for revolution—and motivated to change its institutionalized unpleasantness—Thun, on a whim, submitted a proposal to an international competition calling for a new hospital wing at Germany’s largest orthopedic center to accommodate pre- and post-operative patients, as well as those requiring therapeutic treatments. More in Architectural Record.
Milan 2025 is a wrap!
Was there more people than ever this year? Sure felt like it. This year’s highlights included the decked out Milanese apartment L'Appartamento by Artemest, products made of mushrooms, 3D-printed vases, and oh so many gorgeous lights. Stay tuned for my coverage in Interior Design and Galerie Magazine!
On the copywriting front, I also wrote an entire magazine on product launches for one furniture manufacturer to pass out at the fair.
I had a baby!
In January, we met our baby girl and I am now back from maternity leave. However, 2024 is a different kind of year with a new kind of excitement and I am only accepting select projects. (Unlike in 2019, I will not travel to 22 different countries on 27 different trips!)
Milan 2023, once again a busy time!.
A week is never enough! As contributing editor for Interior Design magazine, I wrote five articles on the 2023 edition of the Milan Furniture Fair. The week of design kicked off with the fifth edition of the envelope-pushing contemporary design exhibition Alcova, where I visited the shiny new—or rather old and abandoned—venue, the sprawling Ex-Macello di Porta Vittoria.
It’s always a pleasure to spot the clever innovation at SaloneSatellite, Salone del Mobile’s platform for young designers. This year, the top prize found new life for tatami mats.
“What have you seen that’s really, really fabulous?” I am always asked this question during Milan Design Week! I also always ask this question! The answer changes by the day but often involves an installation—a temporary immersive experience that captures the senses and sends us into another realm of feeling: perhaps joy, perhaps excitement, or perhaps curiosity. Find my answer in my article highlighting 10 show-stopping installations.
There is a springtime following winter, and we are in it. Color can match our emotional state. Bold and bright, it seizes a room, lifts us up, and comforts us. For the first time since the global pandemic, Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week returned to their former April time slot – and we saw color, color, and more color.
Home to an immense diversity of tree species and a rich variety of natural stone, Brazil has a wealth of material for savvy product designers to bring to life. The sensitivity lies in achieving good design while preserving natural resources and preventing deforestation. At this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, Brazilian design with a sustainable focus shined. Arrivederci Milano!
Annnnnd Milan 2022 is a wrap!.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve attended Salone del Mobile. The 2022 Milan Furniture Fair felt almost normal, post-Pandemic. This year, I scoured the Italian city for products hailing from Brazil and show-stopping installations, and soaked up the grounds of an abandoned nunnery, with Alcova.
I also had the chance to promote rising stars and discover the hottest new Milan venue, with Baranzate Ateliers. The tumble-down Necchi Factory was worth the hike from the city. Maybe you saw me biking to a lot of the venues? That’s my secret weapon to seeing it all and eating more Italian food, ha!
