NO PARKING... BUT YOU CAN SMILE

NE PAS STATIONNER... MAIS SOURIRE.

Street art as anti-ism.

The ubiquitous anti-parking posts lining almost all of the streets of Paris and surrounding towns have been a great source of "blank canvases", so to speak, for irreverent artists. Some have just painted them over in bright colors, but a lot have embellished them with all kinds of fun and quirky patterns. 

The one who adds those large eyes signs his work le Cyklop

Very cheeky, very Parisian...

au revoir.

REALITY or MAKE BELIEVE?

REALITE ou FICTION?

These images look like 2 illustrations. They are not. One, a photograph of a bedroom in Morocco, the other, a painting of a street in New York City. Both were guided by a human hand and envisioned by the human eye. One was created and enhanced through technology alone.

What a great era we live in.

au revoir.

FRENCH EYE VIEW

COUP D'OEIL

Just something that caught my eye

The celadon hue, the contrasting floor, the metal details, the clean sharp lines, the clinical minimalism, the 20's mood.

TAROUDANT MOROCCO THE COLORS OF A FRENCH DESIGNER'S HOUSE

TAROUDANT 

LES COULEURS D'UNE MAISON AU MAROC 

Bright colors spice up the softly hued architecture 

The colors of Tamgrout pottery accent rooms inside and large spaces outside

Moroccan arches leading to restful rooms

Baroque mirrors break the simple lines of the bathrooms

and the fabulous pool with its orange wall and lush greenery.

FROM NORMANDY WITH RAIN… sometimes

LA NORMANDIE SANS LA PLUIE…parfois.

2 of our very best friends, adorable sisters, bought 2 houses on the same piece of land. The properties are only separated by a low hedge and a cute gate with a rose harbor on top.  Even though they live 2 blocks from each other in Neuilly, on the edge of Paris, that's where the "duo act" stops. They never know until the last minute if they will both be in the country unless they really plan for it on a special occasion. 

This was the case this long May week-end; much to our benefit.

It rained, the wind blew like crazy on the Houlgate beach, sleet came down at the train station on the way home (we avoided a car ride back on Sunday at all cost: it was the end of the April school break and of a 4 day week-end. And we all know what that means in France: BIG, HUGE traffic jams.

In spite of very capricious weather, a fabulous time was had by all. Great food, fun get-togethers, gorgeous houses, roaring fires, green, very green, postcard-perfect scenery and even a fun game of Scrabble in the train back to Paris.

Can't wait to be re-invited!

au revoir.

TAROUDANT, MOROCCO DAR ZAHIA

DAR ZAHIA: LE RIAD PARADISIAC

Our March trip to the south of Morocco started in Taroudant, near Agadir. We had opted to stay in Dar Zahia and what a great decision that was!

A low-ceilinged entrance way with spectacular beam work. I love the guard-of-honor row of leafy pots.

Curvy lines everywhere, proof that most of the work was done by hand.

One of many cosy corners for a quiet moment between excursions

The riad was drenched in the earthy shades of "pisé", the local adobe-like mud, with a few bright shots of color here and there.

The weather did not quite permit a dip in the zellige covered mini pool.

As we took over  the whole riad, the living area was turned into an elegant bedroom.

Simplicity throughout.

Our hosts Zahia and Marc could not have been more extraordinarily pleasant, helping us in everyday possible, guiding us endlessly all over Taroudant. 

Well above and beyond the call of duty.

au revoir.

THE COLORS OF TAROUDANT

LES COULEURS DE TAROUDANT

This is the Sunday market in Taroudant, southwest of Marrakesh, Morocco. We found a lot of plastic and a lot of Chinese made items. 

Mixed in were a few truly Moroccan ..displays. 

The fresh-squeezed orange juice vendor.

Tomorrow, back to Tanger to check on orders and to work on the next few additions to our line. 

Pompoms, neutrals and texture. Big pieces.

Oh, and will I ever find decent cotton labels? 

I did find great looking hang tags. That's the way to go. 

But labels are compulsory and they stay on the item. You can never have enough exposure...

au revoir.

THE BIRDS OF MARRAKESH

LES OISEAUX DE MARRAKECH

I just came back from Taroudant, Marrakesh and Tangier, Morocco. Half leisure, half work, all great!

Tomorrow I will share some photos of our accommodations and our delightfully helpful hosts as well as an exceptional house owned by our friend London-based French designer François Gilles, all in Taroudant.

For the time being here is a quirky look at the avian offerings on display in Marrakesh. The downside: we were asked- rather aggressively- to pay for taking pictures (even when the subject was a vendor's street stall and in the case of the shot above, a "showman" amusing everyone with his white bird "pièce montée" ("stack", translated loosely).

I love the minimal, clock-like stork motif on the door above!

FYI, Taroudant is a "mini Marrakesh" with no peddling, no pretense and wonderful architecture in "pisé", the adobe-like material typical of the south of the country.

au revoir.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

L'IMPORTANCE DES DETAILS

Our customer L'Adresse has chosen our Berna foutas for their corporate gifts.

(They are one of the best "Art Buyers" in Paris, winners of 3 Lion D'Or in Cannes in 2013!) 

We provided them with abanjá promotional cards and they went with a simple jute twine to keep it in place on our ethnic-chic turkish fouta. We love the result! 

We know their clients will enjoy this wonderful cotton towel as it gets softer and softer with each passing season. Beach season, that is...

au revoir.

THE abanjá PRIVATE COLLECTION

TANGER: LA PETITE COLLECTION PRIVE

I have designed a small 4 piece "abanjá for Las Chicas" collection for the quirky, trendy, happy Tangier concept store Las Chicas. Here is part of it in situ: hand towels and foutas in day-glow orange, yellow, and pink on white with gray. Today s smaller hand towel and a table runner is being delivered.
Las Chicas sold the first piece to a very, very good friend who had not guessed they were mine...
Pathetic PR or too much humble pie?
One last sunny day in Tangier and home tomorrow. Too bad I'll be spending most of it with a weaver at a loom in the weaver compound (called a funduk) But seeing samples coming out in front of your eyes, that's the fun part!!

au revoir.

TANGIER, MOROCCO: WHAT IS NEW?

TANGER:Y A-T-IL DU NOUVEAU?

The wonderful Berber cheese is still sold on a Palm leaf with a "belt" of braided grass around it.

The Pavlova is still beautiful and delicious at Las Chicas

But the neighbor has pulled all the stops in the curb appeal department!

au revoir.

OFF TO HUNT IN MOROCCO

JE PARS A LA CHASSE AU MAROC...

not THAT kind of hunt... I would NEVER, EVER hunt an animal!- 

No, I am headed there to possibly find/design/buy the most attractive pieces for our new line. 

We promise authenticity, sophistication, fun and comfort. That's our brief for the winter line, here at abanjá. 

And if it takes a 7:00 AM flight to find "la perle rare", so be it! 

au revoir.

Valentine's day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

il etait une faim

Have a lot of love today. 

Wait! 

let's just keep that same feeling going until next year...

au revoir.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bonne Année!

I wish you all who read me today and any other day of the year a very happy, serene and fulfilling New Year.
I hope it will be challenging, fun, and satisfying; May the challenges be manageable, the fun authentic and the satisfactions long lasting.

au revoir.

MERRY XMAS!

JOYEUX NOËL!!!

To all of you who read my blog -or rather those posts that I manage to publish between life's obligations- I thank you ever so very much for being so kind, understanding and patient.
To everyone, including those of you who may happen to find my blog once in a while, those of you who generously leave encouraging and always  interesting comments, those of you who on those occasions literally make my day, I hereby extend my sincere apologies for being that blogger who is constantly MIA.  
To everyone without exception, reader of The French Eye of Design or not,  
I have this to say today:

END 2013 MAGNIFIQUEMENT!