To Our Readers,
After a tumultuous 2024 I was really hoping that 2025 would be a lot easier. In many ways it was, but in many others it’s clear to me- there was still a lot more to learn. Writing about all these themes would take FOREVER, so I’ve chosen one to share below and expand on.
STAYING CONNECTED TO ANCIENT INDIGENOUS WAYS OF LIVING
I recently returned from a week in Oaxaca, Mexico, and found myself once again moved by the power of ancient Indigenous ways of living. It was a profound reminder of what truly matters in both our spaces and our daily lives. For me, this can be distilled down to three things:
- Staying connected to Nature
- The beauty of keeping things simple
- The raw power of natural materials
CONNECTING WITH NATURE
Oaxaca is a bustling city nestled in the mountains, bathed in vibrant vegetation. You don’t have to drive far to find yourself lost in open fields and rolling countryside.
What struck me the most about my time there was how happy I felt in a city where the buildings are low, colorful, and where there’s more greenery than steel and cement. It reminded me that even in an urban environment, staying connected to Nature is vital for our well-being.
We also visited Monte Albán, a Mesoamerican archaeological site where the Zapotec people lived in 500 B.C. Standing on that mountaintop, surrounded by thin gras and breathtaking views where the clouds literally kiss the peaks, I couldn’t help but envision life there. The fresh air and total integration with the Earth made me feel alive and energized in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
It is a good reminder that regardless of the urban life we inhabit, we must continue to bring Nature inside through biophilic design and make a conscious effort to get outside daily—even when it’s cold!
KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE
My time in Oaxaca felt incredibly analogue. I wasn’t surrounded by flickering screens, TVs, or the “shiny” synthetic materials that dominate so much of modern life. Instead, the architecture and interiors were stripped back—simple, yet incredibly beautiful and perfect.
My approach to interior design follows this same idea. One of the core tenets of our Beyond Spaces™ Methodology is “Less is More.”
There is a beauty and pureness that comes from keeping things simple in all aspects of life- including interior design. We win back more time, we have more clarity, we manage less things and by using and consuming only what we need and what truly sparks joy- we live more aligned.
KEEP INCORPORATING NATURAL MATERIALS AND INGREDIENTS
This realization deepened over the course of many soulful dining experiences at Levadura de Olla, La Cocina de Humo and Casa Oaxaca, as well as through visits to local art galleries.
Every meal and drink was served in handmade clay pottery. There is something transformative about that—it made the food feel more intentional and taste even better. It felt as though I was nourishing my body not just with the meal, but with the Earth itself.
The ingredients at these restaurants were exquisite in their simplicity: clean, natural, and honest. There were no preservatives and nothing was “drenched” to mask the flavor. The beverages were just as pure, and I left every table feeling vibrant, as if I had fed my body medicine.
I realized I hadn’t felt that level of vitality in a long time. Even when I dine at wonderful restaurants in New York City, I rarely encounter that specific sense of peace and wholeness.
This same reverence for the organic extended to the way natural materials were used in spaces, art, jewelry, and crafts. In an entire week, I came into contact with almost no synthetic or plastic materials—and the effect on my well-being was profound.
For me, this trip was an important reminder to continue prioritizing raw, natural materials in my design projects. I want my clients to benefit from that same “medicine”—the feeling of being grounded, healthy, and truly at home in their spaces.
