Global Design: East Inspires West in Santa Fe
A great example of Santa Fe historical architecture.
Summer Travel Soliloquy
The occasional warm day is reminding me summer is on its way, and I’ve found myself thinking back to September when the “traveling designer” (me) got to travel again–pop the champagne!
In August 2021, with our dreams of a Scotland trip delayed for another year, Ernie and I began to brainstorm a list of ‘must-haves’ for places we could go in the United States: it had to have wonderful food, art, history, and no humidity (if you’ve been to Virginia in August you know why!). Top of our list was wanting to experience a part of the country that felt as though we needed our passports to visit.
I know it sounds like a tall order, but Santa Fe turned out to tick all the boxes! And also some boxes we didn’t even know we wanted!
We had no idea how our views of the beautiful Santa Fe mountains would change over our vacation.
Escape to the Desert–and the world!
Ernie as our travel agent did a spectacular job with finding The Inn of The Five Graces. It’s been featured in Travel and Leisure (it was ranked second in the United States for Top City Hotels!) and it’s immediately obvious why: as you drive up, you’re greeted by authentic pueblo-style architecture, once rundown but since lovingly restored and brought to life with gorgeous Afghanistan and Tibetan-inspired decor.
If you just did a double-take, let me assure you you read that correctly! In the heart of cowboy country, you’ll find this lush oasis positively brimming with gorgeous artwork and craftsmanship from around the world.
The first glimpse of The Inn of The Five Graces gives you a sense of what’s to come with its pueblo-style facade and the unexpected twist of two almost life-sized baby elephants Check out their photo gallery!
The owners, Ira and Sylvia Seret, spent years refurbishing and building the Inn into what it is today. Sourcing textiles, furniture, and salvaging architectural elements from Afghanistan and Tibet they created a world of their own (but more on them in a moment!).
The Inn made us feel like we had gone on a vacation within our vacation. We started each day having breakfast in the central open air courtyard listening to the bright sounds of water trickling through the antique fountain surrounded by mosaics from actual Roman ruins!
An ancient Roman farmer, his donkey, and his dog–a sight that wouldn’t be uncommon two thousand years later in Santa Fe!
We spent our days in and around Santa Fe shopping, soaking in scenic views and dining on authentic Southwestern fare (do you like your tamales with Christmas salsa?). In the evenings, we passed through the doors of the Inn and were immediately transported to Central Asia, and Tibet.
Our hotel room had so much eye candy for this Maximalist!
What really caught my eye (and interest) was the layering of Asian textiles, art, and architecture. I love how it blended so harmoniously with the local Santa Fe craft culture. Suzanis and other patterned fabrics created texture in our room, pairing beautifully with the furnishings and the restored salvaged cabinetry and woodwork. It made our room oh-so-cozy and comfortable.
The room made me feel like I was Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie!
The Artists Behind the Art
As a designer and traveler, I know that every space with personality has strong artistic personalities behind its creation, which is where the fabulous Serets come in! Ira and Sylvia first met in New York in the 1960s, and after meeting again on a different continent and working with some big name clientele as textile designers, these two hippies found their way to Santa Fe.
I love this image of Ira in his NYC apartment from Sylvia Seret’s book “Weaving Destiny”.
They opened The Inn of The Five Graces and a furniture emporium to rival Aladdin’s Cave: Seret & Sons.
You can buy your own elephant at Seret & Sons!
The fantastic and fascinating world of the Serets
As much as I wanted to load up this post with photos, photography wasn’t allowed in the store. The above is from the store’s website, and I recommend checking out more there!
Seret and Sons is home to architectural salvaged pieces, rugs, textiles, and in-house custom upholstery. I was lucky enough to meet Ira here, and it was like meeting a rock star!
I snagged a picture with Ira Seret and he and Sylvia graciously gifted me a copy of their book, Weaving Destiny, and both signed it! One blog post couldn’t possibly do their story justice, so I highly recommend reading more about their time in Afghanistan!
Ira literally built the store himself largely out of the salvaged pieces saved from landfills from around the world. It was obviously a labor of love, and well worth it: you could spend hours (or, if you’re like me, days) exploring and stumbling on new things to inspire and delight. Some of my favorite things included inlaid mosaics on tables and mirrors and gorgeous painted Tibetan panels and chests and of course: suzanis! Stacks and stacks of brightly colored embroidered fabrics, pillow cases and linens – both antique and contemporary.I had what is one of my most favorite “designer experiences” creating a furniture set from a gorgeous multi-colored suzani and a beautiful green silk rug. I selected the suzani and rug from their vast assortment and Seret’s craftsmen worked their magic.
I love the plushiness the silk adds to the armchairs; doesn’t it just make you want to curl up for hours with a good book?
The ottoman was fabricated from an upcycled chakki table traditionally used for grinding wheat. With the pandemic’s supply chain issues and a renewed focus on sustainability in general, repurposing this chakki table was a perfect pandemic purchase! Although it was the first time I created seating from a silk carpet, it wasn’t the first time I created furniture for a client from a suzani.
Suzanis on the Sofa
A favorite client and friend had been carrying this inspiration photo for years.
She knew she wanted a suzani sofa but had never found “the one”. I am always on the lookout for a client’s wish list items and I finally scored when …
I found this suzani at High Point Market from one of our favorite rug dealers, Patrick Charles! I was drawn in by the rich colors and the hallmark circular motifs suzanis are known for. A large part of the fun of interior design is connecting with great vendors and craftspeople who customize everything and anything making each project special and unique. French Heritage is one of those vendors. Jacques had the perfect rosewood settee frame and we collaborated on the upholstery design to show off the suzani’s best features.
The skills of the upholsterer are seen here in the way the suzani’s pattern was applied to the back and apron front of the rosewood settee.
Tips to Bring the World Home
You may be reading this and getting a serious case of wanderlust but can’t go jet setting right this second. And maybe you’re eyeing your own plain sofa, wondering if you should reupholster it with a suzani (my answer is and always will be: DO IT!).
Why not bring the world home by including in your space some global inspiration?! Global design never goes out of style and is only more popular now that our world travels are somewhat curtailed. As a proud Maximalist, (which deserves its own blog post-stay tuned!), I love playing colors and patterns off of one another to create detail everywhere. Why not take an extended “stay”-cation with some of these ideas:
You can always have a custom chair and chakki table/ottoman made by Seret and Sons!
Start simply by adding internationally-inspired throws or pillows from online galleries like The Shop Floor, run by mother-daughter duo, Denise Allan and Samantha Allan.
A classic international addition to any space is a Persian rug, and don’t feel like you only can use it as a rug–Pierre Le Tan certainly didn’t!
Or try a more subtly patterned rug! Also, note how the different paints on the woods and the Zelliege backsplash brings warm texture and a worldly panache to the kitchen!
Take small steps to incorporate global influences and you’ll soon fall in love with the life it breathes into your space, I promise! And when you’re ready to take globalizing your home one step further, try…
Texture and proportion!
Layers, Scale, and Proportions: this serene sitting area is right outside the gym at the Inn of the Five Graces. I love the vibrant reds in the chaise lounges, the over-sized turquoise pots and the bright bling in the gold tassels on the patio umbrellas.
When you’re pairing pieces together to create layers and interest, consider that:
In this photo by Francois Halard, the massive Spanish-style farmhouse doors (it reminds me of something you might find in Seret & Sons) creates marvelous contrast with the rough brick walls and plush velvet banquette.
An easy (and comfy!) way of beginning to play with proportion is with oversized statement pieces. To create those sought-after layers, look for furnishings and accent items that add to the “oversized” theme and also pieces that offer pint-sized contrast.
Our hotel room was the perfect mix of large scale (that mirror!) mixed with pattern play (chair, ottoman and drapery fabric, oh my!) and texture (the salvaged nailhead door and carved wood support columns). It’s not a big leap to imagine that you are in Casablanca, Istanbul, or Dubai.
I adore the rug and tablecloth in this barn house dining room. It might not be actual suzanis, but the patterns are globally inspired! Notice how Mieke ten Have uses a photo gallery wall (which you can read more on how to do here) to create multiple “scenes” of interest in her space.
Mastering the mix of textures and materials we turn to the incomparable Lenny Kravitz. In his Los Angeles home, he plays with animal patterns and textiles to bring in the world. The mink pillows, fur blanket, and mink throws add softness compared to the impressively large tusks–let’s hope they’re all faux!
Seeing the elephant symbolism here reminds me of Seret & Sons, and how both places use elephant symbolism to welcome guests, the design setting the tone for the stylishness of the space. However, I don’t think Mr. Kravtiz takes his design work too seriously: check out that lightning bolt surfboard in the back corner!
A Final Thought
I was surprised to find new insights into the many cultures on our shared Earth without even leaving the United States! It reminded me that so much beauty can be found by combining, including, and connecting divergent art, textiles, and crafts. I guess you can think of it as a suzani: every individual thread connects, collaborating together to create a richly intricate pattern.
And, since I managed to run into Mr. Twain while in Santa Fe, let this quote be a final nudge to inspire you:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
Well said Mr. Twain!
If you’re wanting to expand your corner of the earth by bringing travel home, let me know and I’ll help you create a space that will feel like a vacation–no passport required!
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