A PLAYFUL TOUCH: TEXTURES WE LOVE
Summer charms us with its rich tapestry of textures, from lush layers of foliage and flowers to the blues of our lakes, rivers, and skies. The tactile beauty we seek out in the season can bring our interiors to life, too, with depth, character, and oftentimes layers of color. Our favorite textures, in fact, are the ones that are unexpected and even a bit edgy. Light fixtures, rugs, wall coverings, upholstery, and works of art come to mind as natural examples. But what about something with a textural pattern that is otherwise flat and hard, like tile? Absolutely.
One of my favorite instances of this idea comes from a project of ours, where handmade glazed-clay tile in denim blue covers the backsplash of the beautiful butler’s pantry (above) in a lakeside home. Paired with the blue cabinetry, the overall look is seamless and almost monochromatic. But the tile has a subtle texture you almost want to touch—character that enlivens the space without attracting too much attention. Here, the choice works perfectly, but in other cases, bolder and more pronounced textures could work just as well. See what I mean with these picks from the MDD team.
Design Moment: More than 125 colors make up Kyle Bunting’s collection of hides, and while the neutral options absolutely have their place, we are partial to the brilliant hues (with all kinds of yellows like daffodil, mustard, and pineapple, just as examples). The depth and dimension they bring to rugs, walls, upholstery, and pillows is about as luscious as it gets.
Local Artisan: Minneapolis artist Kim Heidkamp creates delicate paper sculptures in all kinds of fascinating forms, but we’re are particularly captivated by the calm, meditative quality of her Navy Drip painting. Many of her works reference elements of nature but with an edgy elegance that can easily hold its own in an art gallery.
Seasonal Extra: My team loves tracking down colorful takes on classic sporting goods, like vintage croquet balls and mallets you can find on Etsy and pretty monogrammed totes from sources like Mark & Graham. But our favorite at the moment is the bocce set with eight painted wooden balls (and one jack), shown, from Fredericks & Mae. With all that green grass (one of the upsides of so much rain!), it’s the perfect summer for lawn games.
Seasonal Drink: The aforementioned lawn games are best enjoyed with a cold drink, and my team has taken a liking to the citrus basil smash mocktail. It’s about as summery as it gets and a nice balance of sweet and tart. Start by adding ½ tbsp. of monk fruit sweetener (or your preferred sweetener) and 1 tbsp. of hot water to a cocktail glass, stirring until dissolved. Add 10 basil leaves and gently muddle. Then add juice from one mandarin (or orange, clementine, or grapefruit, depending on what you have on hand), juice from ½ a lime, and ice. Top with your favorite citrus sparkling water and stir. Garnish with a little extra basil and a slice of mandarin—and enjoy.
Statement Piece: Wow, talk about texture! Berlin-based Llot Llov reinterprets traditional arts and crafts as stunning contemporary design pieces, sometimes with upcycled materials, other times with natural materials like raffia. It’s the latter (raffia fringe specifically) that has us swooning, in three different shapes and sizes of Fran pendants, all available in coral or beige. Lights on or off, they’re exquisite.
Current crush: How can anyone not absolutely love Javier Sanchez Medina’s “ecological trophies” of bamboo, wicker, and natural fiber, all handmade in the Spanish tradition? My favorite is the bull—a nod to one of Spain’s biggest icons. Susan Sarandon visited Javier’s Madrid shop in early June, and I can’t wait to myself one of these days.