Seismecaces: January 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Morocco Series: The intricate, breathtaking Ali Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakesh

I'm not exaggerating - the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa was unbelievable. Every surface, nook, and cranny was adorned with meticulous stucco, or wood detailing. See for yourself.

*please be patient during photo upload - I've specially uploaded higher-res images so you guys get extra detail! :)

Amazing detail!

This is a shot looking out of an upper level window - the detail extends all the way up to the roofs.

Beautiful views out the dormitory windows. The dorm rooms themselves are actually very modest rooms.

A hall within the Medersa.

*All photos taken by my boyfriend, Chris

** I am by no means an expert and after 7 days of running around Morocco please feel free to correct me if any information I give in the Morocco Series is incorrect!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Amy Adams's beautiful shoot in an Georgian Dublin mansion

If you didn't catch the Amy Adams feature in Allure's August 2009 issue, I have some shots for you right here. Other than the couture gorgeousness she was wearing, it's impossible to ignore the Georgian mansion backdrop, which is in Dublin.

I tried to find more info/photos of the mansion for you, but all I could find was this - "In flipping through the pages of this month's Allure, I was intrigued to read that the cover story on Amy Adams was shot in a "bone-cold 289-year-old Georgian mansion in Dublin". This sounded very familiar, as we had been in just such a place back in March of 2002, while shooting our Autumn catalog.

We left Kansas on a warm spring day and traveled all the way to Ireland. We soon found that we had not packed adequate clothes for the cold and damp conditions. In an old Georgian mansion that had gone though periods of elegance and grandeur, and times as a bullet-ridden tenement, we were chilled to the bone, building fires of peat bricks in an attempt to keep warm. Our French model, dressed in a tweed wool turtleneck and leather skirt, looks quite cozy as she stands next to the fireplace. Note the woodwork on the mantel and the frame of the mirror - same as the mantel and woodwork next to Amy Adams in the September issue of Allure, even cozier next to a roaring fire. " via Common Threads

Their photo below:

Create a little escape when you need one – glamorous and bohemian bathrooms

The world has seen better days. Tragedies, war, economic crisis, and everyday stress leave even the toughest of us in need of sanctuary. Somewhere one can go for warmth, solitude, and to literally and figuratively shed a new skin is vital to go out and face the world able to help shoulder it’s burdens and care for oneself.

I know that for me, a beautiful bathroom is a must, and it doesn’t necessarily take a whole lot to create a save haven where you can go in a little rough for wear and come out refreshed. I thought I’d share some photos that inspire me.

Via Flickr

I love the “homey” feeling of this bathroom. The plants against the aqua blue is beautiful
Via Bohemian Hellhole

A minimalist retreat
Via Nikreations.co.uk/

You can’t get much better than this tub
Via RoomEnvy

Sweet and serene
Via Elle Decor

This is from a Spanish decor magazine, I just don't remember which one.

Morocco Series: Marrakesh by Night

Marrakesh becomes an even busier, more stimulating place by night. The food vendors fill Djemaa el-Fna and the souqs are lit with lanterns and the reflections of all the metal work, ceramics, leather goods, jewelry, wood crafts, and so much more.

*please be patient during photo upload - I've specially uploaded higher-res images so you guys get extra detail! :)

A beautiful street in the Medina adorned with Moroccan lanterns

I tend to find beauty in older things with a bit of patina and wear.

It was a treat to watch this young guy making wares and other wooden objects using what he called "Moroccan black and decker;" his feet, a chisel, and a bow and rod.

An upscale restaurant entrance

The square at night from a rooftop cafe - quite different by night right?

Back down in the square entering the food stalls - everyone asks you to eat at their stall, and you can get so many delicious foods - vegetables, meats, fish, soup, fresh squeezed juice...the list goes on.

Reader question - Help source a paint color

Kimberly took a liking to this photo below, which I posted awhile back. She wanted to know the cabinet color.

After checking at the original source - this gallery in House and Home, I believe the cabinets are custom, so I thought I'd find some close options, and open up the question for you guys incase someone had some better ideas, or is even able to source the color!

Benjamin Moore had a lot of lovely options close to the cabinets - sweet daphne is fairly close.

2 chips above found on Benjamin Moore's virtual paint deck

Glidden's "Celery Sticks" is also close.
via Glidden

The below from Sherwin Williams are also good matches. Sherwin Williams, by the way, has a really great "virtual room" section on their website which lets you test colors on their photos or yours. I found their virtual room site better than many other paint company's.