What the Hamptons are to us here in New York, Palm Springs is to Los Angelinos seeking a weekend getaway. And the most colorful desert retreat of them all is hands down The Saguaro.
It’s named after the iconic cactus of the Sonoran desert (it’s pronounced ‘sah-war-oh’), and that technicolor palette is inspired by the vibrant shades of native desert wildflowers. At first I didn’t believe there could be so many bright colors in the desert, but then I came across this fantastic palette from the architecture firm that designed the hotel:
Such gorgeous colors, flowers, and foliage! Makes me want to strap on some boots for a desert hike right now! And while guests usually do take advantage of the beautiful natural surroundings, with a view like this by the pool, I think it would be hard to leave my deck chair:
image credits:1, 2 & 4, The Saguaro; 3, Houzz; 5, TheUltraBright
Paris- it’s truly one of the world’s most beautiful cities. I didn’t really understand what the fuss was all about, until I visited, and now I never get tired of seeing it. The whole team has some serious Paris crushes- from the tried-and-true to insider’s-pics. Our loves, below:
Chris:
The Mariage Frères - Maison de Thé- wonderful fragrant blends in the most beautiful hand-knotted tea bags. Everyone on the trip stocks up!
La Droguerie- the most well stocked notions and yarn shop we have ever seen. We usually visit to get color inspiration for the season we’re working on. They don’t allow photography (that’s their postcard pic on the right) but I was able to sneak the photo on the left- dozens of jars of little milliner’s flowers and butterflies line the shelves.
Bonnie:
Musee Rodin- Auguste Rodin donated his collected works to the Hotel Biron upon his death. Many of his greatest works, including The Thinker, are part of this collection.
Versailles- technically outside of Paris, but well worth a trip. The over-the-top interiors are great eye candy, and the gardens are simply beautiful.
Sharon:
Frédéric Malle Perfumerie- The famed french perfumer’s boutique on Rue du Mont Thabor was once his studio, and features gorgeous yellow glass “smelling-columns.”
Brasserie Lipp- located on the left bank, Sharon emphasizes that “salads as entrees are stricktly forbidden!”
My picks:
Beurre Echire- the best butter in the world! (Don’t believe me? Click through to a great NYT article about the most heavenly of dairy products.)
The Clignancourt Flea Markets- one of the best flea markets I’ve ever been to. It’s simply amazing- antique toys, clothes, housewares, decorative arts- if you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist.
Diane:
Gabrielle Geppert- the renowned vintage dealer, has a retail store off the Palais Royale, but a few streets over, is her vintage archive. In the photo above, designer Laura checks out the shoe-room.
L’Eclaireur- On my first visit to Paris, Diane gave me the business card for this shop and said : “GO.” I wandered up and down rue Hérold totally lost until an old man yelled down from the garret across the street and pointed me to the right door. To my credit though, the store is completely hidden behind an unmarked door in the horse stables of an 18th-century mansion. And it’s truly a cabinet of curiosities- selling taxidermy and other artifacts alongside avant-garde designers like Dries and Junya.
Photo credits: 1,2&3, 4&5, 6&7, 8&9 (flickr photographer Em has other great pics of the flea market here too!), 10&11.
