There’s something to be said for big city markets all over the world, in them, you will find some of the original sources for new world design, and it’s a great learning place for the observant designer.

When I was a little girl, we used to go to Guadalajara, Mexico every so often as my aunt has a vacation getaway there. I remember strolling sunny, cobblestone streets in a district called Tlaquepaque where there were quaint shops strewn with very colorful handblown glass, hand-carved clay items, and wool blankets. Looking back, I suppose this was my first experience with foreign goods in marketplaces; I’ve always found this part of travel the most fascinating.

This year I traveled with my husband and 4-year-old son to Spain, England, Thailand, and Mexico over three months.   I went to markets when I could, and stayed in some resorts where the commercial design was all-time amazing. It was a trip of a lifetime, I never woke up without a big thanks to the sky.

♦♦ SPAIN

The first place we stayed in was a tiny village of 50 residents in the Spainish mountains of Spain, 2 hours from Barcelona. Here – my husband was working on trying to climb the hardest route of his life – and the village itself was full of amazing old handcrafted DOORS. Our apartment was bought for peanuts and renovated into this beautiful modern space. The owner worked between the original roof beams and rendered the brick ceilings with white then finished it off with modern touches. Gorgeous.

VINTAGE MARKET AND HOTEL IN BARCELONA

Barcelona is my favorite city on earth. Full of mad and crazy design (Gaudi!) and gorgeous design (Patricia Urquiola chairs everywhere!) I just melt every time I visit.

This year I made a quick stop to a vintage market.  This was a pleasure tour and was a lot of fun to see what the Spanish are up to in the flea world, which was a lot of upcycling and mixing old wares with new trends. Super fun!

OLIVIA PLAZA HOTEL

The hotel we stayed at in BCN was in my favorite square, Plaça Catalunya.  The Olivia Plaza Hotel is the best place to stay hands down in this stunning city – especially if you get a balcony room.

♦♦ THAILAND

JJ Market. Here is a plethora of vintage, handcrafted goods, jewelry, furniture, and decor. I thought I would come across a few things that I’d never seen before, but with the globalization of trade, most things I’ve seen for purchase in Canada or through online.  I purchased some floor cushions for a client who is swapping her North American-style-couch-life for Asian-floor-cushion-life.

♦♦ THAILAND RESORTS

My top choice for a radical design was The Slate – done in a steampunk theme, I was wondering sometimes if I was at Burning Man. We didn’t stay here, but we went for dinner – and we were able to check the grounds out for fun. We didn’t have a good camera for our visit here, but I was able to grab a couple of shots in the dark.

Then Pullman Arcadia Phuket was superb in melding in with the environment,and the location of this resort was perfectly secluded.

Cape Kudu on Koh Yoi Noi was a cute, very white hotel. The nicest part was the pool at sunset.

Topping the list for perfect Thailand beach resort was Paradise Resort on Koh Yoi Noi. Dear me, this place was heaven.

Here are some shots in no particular order.

The room with the view!

♦♦ MEXICO

Vidanta Resort, Nuevo Vallarta

Just when I thought my socks were blown off, we flew to Mexico and checked-in to the Vidanta Resort to meet my family and friends for my Father’s 70th birthday. I’ve been here before 10 years ago, however, the expansions that have gone on here – are INCREDIBLE, and the design was eccentric, vast and luxurious all in one.

This year I will be starting my journey to become an Interior Designer. After I graduated from high school 20 years ago, I wanted to do 2 things, Theatre and Film, and Interior Design. I chose the first, and made several short films, ending on a high note, selling one to The CBC 2 years ago. I decided that the hours involved in filmmaking weren’t suited to me anymore and that I wanted to change. So this spring I will be starting a program at BCIT College in Vancouver to do the second thing that I wanted to do. I hope to work in commercial and residential bringing my skills and idea’s to the world. ø

“Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain