MEXICO
Over the holiday I was lucky enough to travel far from home to a warm place I had never been. Doing what I do, I find traveling and every trip I take to be an experience, and hopefully inspiring in ways that I can weave into my life and design. With January already building and client projects ramping up again, the amazing experience we had in Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido is still very fresh in my memory. So much so, I decided to dedicate my first blog of 2023 to it…
PART 1: OAXACA
Oaxaca is the capital city of the Mexican state Oaxaca and is famous for the skill of its artisans and the amazing food. I travelled with one of my best friends and her family who is also an interior designer based in NYC.
Over the last few years, we had heard some buzz about Oaxaca and wanted to see what it was all about. Because we love going to the source of where things are made we wanted to see the beautiful black and clay pottery we have heard about, and woven goods.
Arriving in Oaxaca, I was taken aback by the beautiful old cobbled streets and the bold simplicity of the street furniture.
At night there was a glorious festive vibe with lots of twinkly lights and people out and about.
We stayed at a boutique hotel called Casa Antonieta. The hotel used to be an old Monastery. I could feel the history yet loved how they were able to revive and modernize it in a way that feels so relevant to today. There are so many plant filled corridors….the abundance and variety of greenery made you feel immersed in nature, and the textures of the old building and lighting were a highlight. Great food, and cozy in all the right places with an adorable cafe I could have sat for hours.
Our first day in Oaxaca we had a really soulful experience hiring a local chef, Vicki, to spend a day with her. We accompanied her to one of the largest markets in the city where we picked out local produce, fish and meat from the market and went to her house in the hills after to do the cooking.
Vicki uses traditional cooking methods, dating back hundreds of years, and showed us how to make tortillas using the ancient yet still effective way. It was a fun adventure and a humbling experience I will never forget. Here is Vicki’s kitchen.
Shopping locally in Oaxaca we discovered a gorgeous little store, MexChic, selling locally hand-made clothes, bedding, rugs and pillows. The store itself had a beautiful boho, beach vibe which I really gravitated to. The green and white encaustic tiles on the floor tied the whole space together.
An important part of our trip to Oaxaca was finding unique pottery pieces that I could bring back to to California for my clients. After research, and some trial and error experiences, we landed in a village called Atzompa, a 45 minute drive from Oaxaca and famous for its pottery making. We learned this village to be a place where generations of potters existed. It was an interesting experience as we had to seek out what we were looking for. Traditional storefronts do not exist….rather we found ourselves knocking on someone’s home who’s family make the pottery. Just out of a movie, our last stop, we discovered the most amazing earthy pottery that was just what we were looking for. Four generations of women were inside running this small operation, handcrafting beautiful lived-in-colored plates, bowls, vases and jugs….it was so impressive to watch.
Oaxaca has an awesome food scene with lots of chefs from Mexico City moving here. A highlight of our trip was an old world, private dining experience at a restaurant called La Cocina de Humo.
A cozy restaurant that seats only twelve people, La Cocina de Humo delivers an experience of a traditional kitchen from the Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca, using comales (a traditional Mexican flat pan) and wood stoves. There is no menu at the restaurant. We simply advised the friendly staff of our dietary requirements and waited for the most delicious, locally grown and produced food to be brought to us. We enjoyed beautiful home made tortillas, a green mole sauce, beans, corn wrapped in its husk, yummy tamales and a gorgeous hearty soup. I really enjoyed the rustic, moody vibe at La Cocina de Humo, simple and all you need.
Local ingredients laid out and ready to be used. There was a room dedicated to the locally grown tomatoes, which tasted our of this world
The locally handmade pottery on display at La Cocina de Humo was so pretty
Oaxaca was different than any other place I have visited in Mexico. A deep rooted place filled with culture and love for food and the history that surrounds the town. I loved its relaxed vibe, the deep Mexican culture, the amazing food and without doubt the most beautiful handicrafts crafted from such talented people.
PART 2: PUERTO ESCONDIDO
After feeling the city vibe, we planned the trip with a beach in mind to really unwind. Welcome Puerto Escondido.
Puerto Escondido is a beautiful port town with lots of beaches, swimming coves and is famous for its surfing. The natural beauty here was truly inspiring. A tropical vibe with a textured make up of rugged rocks, cacti, palm trees, bright pink trailing Bougainville, sand and clear blue water. Just a puddle jumper (25 min flight away) brings you to this tropical Mexican paradise.
My boys enjoying playing in the surf
The local architecture here felt super relaxed with a mixture of Palapa roofs and traditional brick structures. Palapa is a traditional Mexican shelter that uses palm leaves for its roof. The leaves are dried and then woven into a roof-like structure that can be used to provide shade from the sun or shelter from the rain. It surprised me that this ancient building method is so simple yet many of the roofs on the inside looked incredibly intricate and complex.
An area of Puerto Escondido we loved was the beach town of La Punta. I loved walking this street full of tiny shops ranging from the bikini surf shop, to the ceviche lunch spot, Chicama, to the organic tiny market near the beach.
The prettiest ceviche at Chicama
Organic, laid back vibe at Chicama
While in La Punta, we stumbled upon a small home goods store called Areca, that was filled with beautiful handmade treasures for the home, furniture, lighting + tiles.
Beautiful handwoven seagrass wall art from Areca
Forty-five minutes from Puerto Escondido we visited the art centre and boutique beach house Casa Wabi, designed by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The art installations here were incredible and it had a very special, spiritual feeling. The name Casa Wabi references the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which embraces imperfection and ephemerality. The stretch of land where it is located, between the beach and the mountains and nothing around, gives it a special aura that is not like any other place I have visited. Resident artists display their works, mainly working off of the land, with resources and the people who make it. It is truly extraordinary what Casa Wabi is doing and I cannot wait to go back.
Solid clay spheres cut from the local land and shaped by hand
Bosco Sodi's gridded 'atlantes' installation
Looking up to the sky from inside a tunnel-like installation
Artist lodgings and clay sculptures
Another culinary highlight of our trip was dinner at the Kakuerga Omakase restaurant, located in the middle of the Oaxaca state jungle on a nature reserve.
The sushi here was a work of art and possibly the best sushi I’ve ever had. The simple, elegant design of the restaurant felt very organic…..I loved the bathroom with its open brick walls, stone basins, and handmade wooden framed mirrors.
2023 + AMD
Home in Mill Valley I feel blessed for the rich, cultural experience we had on our travels. I truly loved immersing myself into a side of Mexico that I haven’t ventured before. Seeing local people using materials from the land for both architecture and handmade goods was incredibly inspiring and makes me really appreciate what I have.
While I loved Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido moved me in such a different way. Feeling very untapped and close to nature, the words that come to mind are “organic” and “simplicity”, two ways in which I love designing. Living in San Diego as a child, I grew up next to the beach and have a natural connection with the ocean. Puerto Escondido has re-energized me and made me ready for an exciting year ahead. With January well underway, at AMD we are juggling a multitude of projects at the same time..…. either in the design phase or in construction. We also have new facets of our business we are expanding upon and can’t wait to share more news over the next few months.
CURRENT FAVS…
I wanted to share my latest obsessions this winter. In the world of beauty I’m loving this facial scrub from Goop. I use it three times a week and it makes my skin feel softer and smoother and like I have had a mini facial. I’ve also started to use a new face oil from Living Libations that is an all-in-one cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer that leaves your skin with a beautiful radiant glow…..yummy.
Right now I have Sza’s new album, SOS, on constant repeat in the studio. The album feels like a fresh R&B masterpiece with her laid back yet very powerful vibe. It feels like one big song.
In the world of design, I love this boutique store, Sunday Shop, based in New Orleans, LA. Nothing feels too serious and the relaxed European-old-world-meets-new-world vibe they have is pristine. Fun pieces of furniture like the Betty Sofa: why not add fringe?
Writing my first blog of 2023 and reflecting on my travels I realise my trip has brought me back down to earth and in a way centered me. I’m jumping into 2023 with a sense of calm and gratitude in my heart for getting to do what I love daily, and having great clients and projects. Cheers to 2023 and all it has in store for us. Signing off…….
ABOUT THE AUTOR
Anja Michals is an award-winning interior designer who prioritizes lived-in comfort and streamlined spaces infused with eclectic and thoughtful personalization. Her creative inspiration comes from her Scandanavian roots, traveling, nature, and the relaxed vibe of Southern California.
