Monday - Puerto Vallarta

Happy New Year - I’m currently in Mexico with a group of friends bringing in 2008.

Thanks for making my website a huge success in 2007. This year I plan to add a few new features to my site which will allow you to post photos of your rooms and get advice. We will also add a new page that features photos of entire Homes I have done (in addition to individual rooms currently on the Rooms page).

2007 was also a record breaking year for my firm as we doubled in size and designed over 300,000 square feet of interiors. In the coming year, I will be launching a home accessory line available in the fall and will continue working on my book series, furniture line as well as other specialty home products. Thanks again for all of the support you have shown - I appreciate it.

The home we rented this week is a beautiful example of Spanish Architecture. The roof tiles were all done by hand and the shape of each tile is dictated by the shape of the artisan’s thigh. Did you know that before machines, each roof tile was molded over the upper portion of the artisan’s leg. If you look closely, you can see how the upper part of the tile is more narrow than the bottom portion of the tile. It makes for an easy overlapping installation. This shape mimics the narrow part of your leg closer to your knee and the wider part of your leg closer to your torso.

Other beautiful details are domes (seen above and below) and vaulted ceilings.

The dome over the Kitchen viewed from inside looking up. The dome’s design allows for heat to rise and escape while creating a natural breeze to flow through the kitchen, keeping it cool. Beautiful and functional.

Because of the warm climate year-round, the vaulted colonnade subsitutes the traditional interior hallway we see in America. It also provides shade for the bedrooms which line this exterior corridor.

An modern infinity pool blends the edge of the pool with the horizon line over the Pacific Ocean.

I’m on the fence over the stone dolphins - the seem to take away from the Architecture, although they add a sense of being near the beach. Thoughts?

Waking up to this view gives me many reasons to be grateful.