Mediterranean Modern in Austin: A Masterclass in Effortless Luxury

Some homes don’t just exist; they command. They don’t whisper for attention, they take it. This Spanish-inspired sanctuary in Austin does exactly that, blending old-world Mediterranean romance with a modernity so seamless, it feels like it was always meant to be.

Designed with an acute understanding of space, light, and restraint, this home is a rare feat, a structure that respects tradition without being trapped by it. The arched doorways, the warm, textural plaster walls, the hand-hewn wood beams, they all pay homage to the classic Spanish aesthetic, but the interpretation is sharper, cleaner, undeniably contemporary. This isn’t a replica of...

Weekend Reading 1.26.25

Cold January greetings! We’ve had a week of blue skies but it’s been oh so cold here in Northern California! I saw pictures this week showing snowfall in Florida, woah! My brother and his family in Savannah had snow as well, so they tied a huge inflatable tube to the back of the minivan and went tubing down the street, the photos were so funny. The forecast shows rain this weekend, and being the pluviophile that I am I can’t wait to crack the window and fall asleep to the sound.

I’m excited to start traveling again in a few months....

Weekend Reading 1.19.25

Hello friends, happy weekend to you. It’s been a few weeks…. what a somber start to the year reading about all the fires near LA, we have friends and family down there and the stories are tragic. We had our own catastrophic wildfires in Northern California back in 2017 and now watching these recent fires in the Pacific Palisades is heartbreaking.

My son left for college this week, so I’m adjusting to his absence. He’s the baby. He took the fall semester off to get some work experience and postponed his college admission because he didn’t feel ready. I’m proud of...

Multibasket in Teshima: Where rules don’t matter

1 Llobet & Pons – Multibasket – No one wins, 2013, silicone resin, wood, metal, 403 × 433 × 92 cm, installation view, Teshima, Japan, photo 2 by Jing Liao 廖品淨 3

Can basketball 1 be more than a game? On the small island of Teshima 2 in Japan’s 3 Seto Inland Sea, Multibasket – No One Wins invites visitors to reconsider competition, collaboration 4, and the intersection of art and play.

Created by conceptual artists Jasmina Llobet & Luis Pons for the Setouchi Triennale art festival, this playful installation experiments with sculptural form while encouraging human interaction 5 and creates a...

The iconic Astor Place Cube – Tony Rosenthal’s Alamo

https://invidious.privacyredirect.com/watch?v=cOE7U2wrgcI

1 Tony Rosenthal – Alamo (Astor Place Cube), 1967, painted Cor-Ten steel, 4.6 m × 4.6 m × 4.6 m (15 ft × 15 ft × 15 ft), installation view, Astor Place, Manhattan, New York, photo 2 by ajay_suresh 3

What is it about a simple geometric shape that can evoke strong emotions and ideas? In the heart of New York City’s 1 East Village, one such structure commands attention: The Alamo.

Crafted by renowned artist Tony Rosenthal 2 in 1967, this towering monument was designed from Cor-Ten steel 3, measuring 15 feet in height.

Originally created for a temporary public display in...

Weekend Reading 12.29.24

Happy almost 2025! I’ve already switched gears and I’m looking toward the future. I’m working hard at my law firm taking on more responsibility and a lot of interesting cases, but still spending my non work hours admiring inspiring design content, pinning images for the Mediterranean house I want to build in another year or two, and planning a trip to Morocco in the late spring. 2025 holds so much promise for growth and expansion but I’m also committed to maintaining a healthy life balance.

This time of year is so interesting, so many design articles doing recaps of 2024, declaring...

Merry Christmas !

We’ve settled in for a few days rest and celebration here in our home in California. This year I decorated with a flocked tree like I used to do many years ago. I wanted to create a cozy winter wonderland feeling in our living room so I used clippings from the base of the tree on the mantel and layered the space in shades of green and gold.

I decorate the tree very simply before Christmas, then on Christmas Eve (tonight!) next to a crackling fire with music playing we hang the traditional family ornaments, the ones that...

Dog Pack Puzzle + new mini puzzles

https://player.vimeo.com/video/1028955733?dnt=1

It’s been 4 years since we released the Herding Cats Puzzle, the first puzzle we ever released from our new studio in the Catskills. At the time, we promised the release of a dog version was already in the works. A lot has happened since: having 2 children, making our first public art works, ongoing pandemic, etc. It took a little longer than expected but it’s finally here: the Dog Pack Puzzle! We’re hoping this the perfect puzzle to share with your family this holiday season. When you order from us your supporting a small US based manufacturing company (there aren’t...

Fluke — Live @ VIVA Nite Club

https://vk.com/video_ext.php?oid=-22405636

Сегодня в рубрике Концертный зал — получасовое выступление группы Fluke на площадке немецкого канала Viva в ‘97, куда ребята заехали для продвижения своего биг битового альбома Risotto.

Где еще посмотреть: Ютюб • Рутюб

Mirco de Govia / Best 2001—2006

https://vk.com/video_ext.php?oid=-22405636

Мирко де Говиа влился в танцевальное движение еще с начала девяностых, когда в Германии появились первые техно и трансовые лейблы. Стремясь узнать, как эта музыка создается, в 20 лет он изучает первые трекерные программы, потихоньку копит на оборудование и меняется с ближним кругом кассетами с собственными сочинениями. Так он знакомится с Ральфом Киау (будущими Kyau & Albert), который поддерживают начинания Мирко и выпустят его первые пластинки: в ‘94-м и в 2000-м. Большой перерыв между релизам автор объясняет прилежной учебой на программиста — музыке он отдавал немногочисленное свободное время.

После того, как его трек Epic Monolith в 2001 году выстрелил на клубной арене, на Мирко посыпались заказы: синглы от родного лейбла euphonic, ремиксы от других музыкантов, лицензии на его треки от других издательств; всё вплоть до выпуска собственного альбома. Мирко, вроде бы, непротив, но его...