Marrakesh by Design – Moroccan Design Inspiration

I just received my copy of Maryam Montague’s Marrakesh by Design book in the mail, and I’m ready to sell everything and move to Morocco (especially since Portland is so drizzly right now). I’ve been a huge fan of Maryam’s blog: My Marrakesh for several years and it’s a thrill to read her gorgeous new book.

Peacock Pavilions (photo from website)

Ms. Montague is a human rights specialist who recently built a gorgeous boutique hotel – Peacock Pavilions – in Marrakesh, with her architect husband.  The book features her hotel as well as other inspiring Moroccan interiors.

Marayam Montague & Chris Redecke (Image by Elle Decor.)

Image: Holly Becker for decor8

Stenciled stairs. Image: Holly Becker for decor8

The book is broken down into three sections – Discovering/Living/Sourcing Moroccan design. It has several informative DIY guides on how to bring a Moroccan aesthetic into your home. There are great instructions on stenciling (floors and ceilings), as well as pointers on where to find the kinds of items that will add North African glamor to your home.

Image: Elle Decor

Image: Elle Decor

Montague does a great job of combining traditional Moroccan elements with modern design, and then tosses in eclectic pieces from her travels to mix things up. From Ikea pieces to gorgeous Moroccan wedding blankets, her design is fun, fresh, exotic and now! Get a copy of the book and prepare to be inspired.

Image: Holly Becker for decor8.

Image: Holly Becker for decor8

Image: Holly Becker for decor8

Photo: Lonny Magazine

“Marrakesh by Design” by Maryam Montague, Artisan Books, $29.95 hardcover; 264 pages

MICHAEL KENNA “Hokkaido To Huangshan” – m97 Gallery

Michael Kenna – Reflected Tree – Hongcun, Anhui, China

m97 Gallery in Shanghai has a gorgeous new show up by photographer Michael Kenna titled “Hokkaido to Huangshan”. It runs 17 Mar – 20 May 2012. Here’s what m97′s website says: 

Michael Kenna – Skyline, Study 4 – Shanghai, China

Michael Kenna is widely known for his enigmatic and ethereal landscape photographs, and is regarded as a present-day master of the black and white genre. Often using minimal elements and compositions, Kenna creates works of extreme beauty that touch the pinnacle of the viewer’s imagination.

Michael Kenna – Torii, Study 2, Takaishima, Biwa Lake, Honshu, Japan

The timeless landscapes of China’s Huangshan Mountain and Hokkaido’s pristine natural world have been a source of inspiration for painters and poets throughout history.

Michael Kenna – Huangshan Mountains, Study 37 – Anhui, China

Uniquely-shaped granite peaks, statuesque pine trees, rock faces, zen-like winter snow scapes, and the fleeting elements – clouds, fog, mist – are in a constant state of flux between tension and resolution throughout Kenna’s work.

Michael Kenna – Huangshan Mountains, Study 42 – Anhui, China

Often using hour-long exposures at twilight or dawn, his poetic photographs seem to reduce the quintessence of a scene to it’s most primal and important components, resulting in a visual haiku-like style that borders on the other worldy.

Michael Kenna – Lijiang River, Study 7 – Guilin, China

Michael Kenna – Lake Bridge – Hongcun, Anhui, China

Michael Kenna – Skyline, Study 3 – Shanghai, China

“My works are like Haiku more than prose. I don’t describe what is there. Instead, I tend to employ one or two elements as the catalyst of my imagination,” says Kenna.

Michael Kenna – Pine Trees, Study 3, Wolcheon, Gangwondo, South Korea

Michael Kenna – Kussharo Lake Tree, Study 4, Kotan, Hokkaido, Japan

Michael Kenna – The Bund, Study 1 – Shanghai, China

Michael Kenna – Lijiang River, Study 8, Guilin, China

Michael Kenna – Skyline, Study 5 – Shanghai, China

Michael Kenna – Huangshan Mountains, Study 25, Anhui, China

Check it out!

m97 Gallery No. 97 Moganshan Road, 2^nd floor
Shanghai, China – 200060 (+8621) 6266.1597
Hours: Tues-Sat 10am – 6pm;
Sun 12 – 6pm. Monday by appointment only

Wanderloot’s Spring Sale – 40% Off All Hand Embroidered Hmong Purses

Our one-of-a-kind handbags are made from vintage Hmong fabric sourced from Vietnam. Each purse features handcrafted cross stitch embroidery designs that are unique to each Hill Tribe village.

What are Hill Tribes? There are over 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Hill Tribes are a nomadic people who have migrated from Southeast Asia to areas as far north as the mountains of Tibet. They live on wet-rice cultivation, fishing and handicrafts. They are known for the beautiful decorative patterns of their hand-sewn textiles.

Go directly to the Spring Sale.

 

Photo Diary – Vietnam March 2012

Dining on the Dong Nai River at dusk.

We just spent several days in Vietnam on a buying trip. The weather was warm and balmy. The food was delicious. It’s always hard to leave. Here are some pix from the trip.

Banh Xeo at Wrap & Roll - Saigon

Downtown Saigon (across from Binh Thanh Market)

Trio of coconuts - my favorite way to beat the heat.

Colorful architecture in Bien Hoa - a reference to Mid-Century Modern?

Lobster with salt and lime.

Bin Hoa - Highway 1 which leads to Saigon.

Quan An Ngon Restaurant - featuring street food from around Vietnam.

Seafood noodles.

Hotel Continental - Built by the French and site of the "5 O'Clock Follies" (daily US military press briefings) during the Vietnam war.

Chào Vietnam! Until next time.

Light Room – 17 Emerging Chinese Photographers

Luo Yang

Last December in Shanghai I picked up a beautiful photography book titled “Light Room”. The limited edition book features 17 emerging Chinese photographers who work with film.

Fenk Zhang

The book and exhibition was curated by Shanghai-based EDGE Creative Collective photographer Ka Xiaoxi, who explains:

Chen Zhe

Xiong Xiaomo

“Light Room is a tribute to the last of our generation who, in treacherous and grotesque times, haven’t been carried away with digital age. To those of us who have stayed true to traditional film cameras.

Ka Xiaoxi

To those of us who spend all their waking hours planning their next shoots and their last pennies on developing roll upon roll of film. To those of us whose cameras are a natural extension of our arms, constantly wrestling with the reality surrounding them.

Liu Nan

Their upbringing and life experiences have produced a generation full of emotions and sensitivities.

Fenk Zhang

Ka Xiaoxi

We are boastful, we are tender, aggressive; some of us are mild, calm; some of us are even rebellious. All of these traits are reflected in our work through different approaches.

Mou Hoo

In a broadened world, our voices hardly echo, and our youth is consumed. We doubt our self-awareness and express this subtly through our lenses. Everyday, we face the dilemma of being simultaneously isolated from, and addicted to, life.” (from EDGENeocha.com)

Fenk Zhang

Ren Hang

I’m really interested in this group of young photographers. As China continues to change at lightening speed, these artists represent the voice of a new generation. It’s cool to see where they point their cameras. It’s also great they’re working with film. Enjoy!

Sophie Chen

17 photographers are featured in the book: Chen Chiachieh / Chen Zhe / Fenk Zhang / Jia Rui / Ka Xiaoxi /Liu Nian / Luka Yang / Luo Yang (EDGE Creative Collective member) / Mou Hoo / Qiu Yang / Ren Hang (EDGE Creative Collective member) / Ricenz Liu (EDGE Creative Collective member) / Sophie Chen / Xiong Xiaomo / Xu Zhengdong / Yuan Xiaopeng (EDGE Creative Collective member) / Zhang Pingchuan

Mou Hoo

Xiong Xiaomo

Sophie Chen

Xu Zhengdong

Mou Hoo

Fenk Zhang

To buy the book Light Room go here.

Food Diary – Chinese Food Favorites

I’m getting ready to go on a buying trip, and one of the things I most look forward to is eating Chinese food. There are too many wonderful dishes to choose from, but I’ve narrowed it down to a few personal favorites.

Scallion Pancakes. Photo Credit: Ddsclub.com

Scallion Pancakes are a Shanghai tradition. We find them on the street behind our hotel in the French Concession. Served up piping hot in the morning, these savory pancakes pack a flavor punch. Made from flour, onions and oil, they are flaky and fall apart like croissants. Chinese legend has it that Marco Polo missed them so much, he had a chef recreate them in Italy. Improvising Napolese chefs took the recipe a step further and created pizza. At the very least, you get the idea Scallion Pancakes are something worth missing…

Din Tai Fung's Juicy Xiao Long Bao with Truffles. Photo Credit: Glamourpuss

Shanghai is also the home of Xiao Long Bao – steamed soup dumplings stuffed with pork, crab, and vegetables. There’s a lot of competition for “the best” Xiao Long Bao in Shanghai. Having stood in long sweaty lines pursuing such leads, only to end up with a rubbery, non-soupy dumplings, I cut the chase and go straight to Din Tai Fung for my dumpling fix.

Din Tai Fung Assembly Line

Din Tai Fung originated in Taipei where it was awarded one Michelin star. (Din Tai Fung can be also found Stateside in Bellevue, WA and Arcadia, CA.) Din Tai Fung in Shanghai has now upped the ante by serving pork dumplings with truffles. Oh man, I’m drooling just thinking about them.
http://www.dintaifung.com.cn

Hot Pot. Photo Credit: Cityweekend.com.cn

Nothing takes the chill out of a cold winter night faster than a bubbling Chinese Hot Pot. Hot pot originated over 1000 years ago, and spread all over China during the Qing Dynasty. The ingredients used, vary by region. Most hot pot restaurants in China offer both mild and spicy broths as well as thinly sliced meats, seafood, vegetables and tofu. There’s a place we found in Hangzhou that has tons of sauces to add to your pot, which was a lot of fun. I’m a big fan of chilis, sesame paste and garlic.

Sauce selection at Hot Pot Republic in Hangzhou

A great chain in Shanghai is Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot. They have locations in the US and Canada too.
http://www.littlesheephotpot.com/

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is another one of those dishes that make my mouth water. It is a Sichuan dish made with tofu in a spicy chili and bean curd sauce with minced pork and garlic. It is topped with mouth tingling Sichuan chili peppercorns.

Ma stands for “mazi” (Pinyin: mázi Traditional Chinese 麻子) which means a person disfigured by pockmarks. Po (Chinese 婆) translates as “old woman”. Hence, Ma Po is an old woman whose face was pockmarked. It is sometimes translated as “Pockmarked-Face Lady’s Tofu”. Legend says that the pock-marked old woman (má pó) was a widow who lived in the Chinese city of Chengdu. Due to her condition, her home was placed on the outskirts of the city. By coincidence, it was near a road where traders often passed and they stopped and ate Ma Po’s tofu. (Wikipedia)

Sichuan Citizen - Shanghai

Sichuan Citizen is an expat favorite in the French Concession that serves up an authentic version of this dish.
http://www.citizenshanghai.com/

Egg Custard Tart - Hong Kong

I thought I’d end this post with something sweet. You can’t visit Hong Kong without eating Egg Custard Tarts. Custard tarts were introduced in Hong Kong in the 1940s by tea houses. One theory suggests Hong Kong egg tarts are an adaptation of English custard tarts. Another theory suggests that egg tarts evolved from the very similar Portuguese egg tart pastries, known as pastel de nata, traveling to Hong Kong via the Portuguese colony of Macau (Wikipedia). Regardless, they’re present street side in Hong Kong, as well as a staple of Dim Sum dining. Yum!

Rock & Roll Pillows from Bangkok

Root Pillow - Granite

I was recently in Bangkok and found these cool pillows at the Chatuchak Market. Chatuchak Market is a sprawling indoor/outdoor market that sells everything from antique Buddhas to puppies.

Puppies for Sale

Wood Rings Pillow - Cream

There are a lot of really talented young Thai designers, and the Chatuchak Market is great place to find new styles.

Pebble Pillow - Rudy

Made from super soft recycled cotton (like from a well-worn sweatshirt), these pillows are great looking and feeling!  The pillows are filled with down inserts, and easily unzip.  Throw these pillows on chair or sofa to add a bit of rock and roll to your room.

To see all the pillow styles go here or Wanderloot.com.