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_______________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY This is the lovely Nuruosmaniye Mosque in Istanbul. It fairly glows, it’s white marble walls punctuated with paned windows, allowing sunlight into the sanctuary. Nuruosmaniye means “the light of Osman”, named so after the sultan who completed the building in 1755. This 18th century mosque is considered a masterpiece of Baroque Ottoman Continue Reading

The post Be Jeweled! appeared first on Maison K Blog.

__________________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY I’m crazy for basketry, it’s a practical artistic tradition I love; all the more so with the jaunty tassels and tufts shown above! Considering African arts, I can’t help but think of the incredible inspiration the sculptural arts, in particular were, for many European artists early in the 20th century.  Matisse, Picasso, Continue Reading

The post Summer Styles… appeared first on Maison K Blog.

________________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY Cordoned off from the burgeoning crowds of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, is the octagonal Tribuna; a “treasure house” designed by Bernardo Buontalenti in1584 at the bequest of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco1de’Medici. Considered the first museum of Europe, it was created to house the precious jewels, paintings, furniturnishings and ancient sculptures Continue Reading

The post Baroque Pearls From Italy appeared first on Maison K Blog.

____________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY Located in the Engadine Valley, Pontresina is a charming mountain resort town in south eastern Switzerland,10 minutes from it’s better known neighbor St. Moritz. Many of the old village homes dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, are decorated with an incised decoration called “sgraffito” (the Italian term to scratch, and where Continue Reading

The post Snuggle Up appeared first on Maison K Blog.

__________________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY The image left, is a detail from Edward Hopper’s Le Bistro or The Wine Shop,  painted in Paris.  I love his enigmatic paintings and recently saw several great works at the <NEW> Renzo Piano designed Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. After breakfast at the Donut Plant on 23rd, (situated next to Continue Reading

The post Light and White Summer appeared first on Maison K Blog.

_______________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY I recently watched Mr. Turner – a fascinating film about the last 25 years of J.M.W. Turner’s life.  This cinematic portrayal paints the man as a brilliant artist with an incredibly unique perspective and expression of nature. He’s a complex amalgamation of opposites; he is loving and brutish, sensitive and rough, adventurous Continue Reading

The post Light And White Summer Dresses appeared first on Maison K Blog.

______________________________________ FROM KIMBERLY Like a sorbet serves as a palate cleanser between courses at a long feast, a trip to the serene and exquisite Chora Church in Istanbul was just what my senses needed after the heady and mind boggling assortment and sounds of a buying trip in Istanbul. Considered one of the most beautiful examples Continue Reading

The post Treasures of Byzantium in Montecito appeared first on Maison K Blog.

________________________ FROM KIMBERLY We have a great treasure in our midst – that of Casa del Herrero. It is one of only four National Historic Landmarks in Santa Barbara. Designed by George Washington Smith, and completed in 1925, it is a stunning example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Owner George Fox Steedman traveled abroad to purchase incredible Continue Reading

The post How To Decorate and Entertain … appeared first on Maison K Blog.

The post Please Join Us and Meet Cheryl Doty, Artist appeared first on Maison K Blog.

FROM KIMBERLY  Perhaps because I’m the daughter of an architect, I have always loved the art and discipline of architecture, across the multitudes of landscapes, cultures, times and expressions it inhabits.  Pictured above is a portal in a traditional Moroccan Riad, the exquisite Riad Camilia in Marrakech. I am a fervent fan of Le Corbusier with his Ronchamp Chapel high on Continue Reading

The post 2014 Resolution #1: Refresh your Environment appeared first on Maison K Blog.