Successful Design is Attributed to the Entire Experience – Rancher’s Club, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Seasonal trends…seasonal cocktails, seasonal venues…I am a big proponent of seasonal things…I like context – have you heard that from me in the past? So in keeping with that embrace…I like dining indoors in a cozy setting in the wintertime and in the freshest of outdoors in the warmer scenes.

Tonight we visited a local favorite that for some reason does not stay on our radar – and for that reason, tonight was a special treat, a welcome change which made us feel as though we had traveled outside our norm to experience such a wonderful dining experience.

I almost ordered a Manhattan – exclusively a wintertime beverage for me, warm, rich in color and flavor…but opted instead for a Hendricks’s martini – extra dry with a twist, as we began our evening in the lounge of The Ranchers’ Club in Albuquerque. It has a most cozy interior, where the low-lit lounge offers several groupings of over-stuffed leather sofas and chairs with cow hide accents, zoned into seating areas around a live piano with vocal accompaniment and a handsome bar area. The classic ranch décor punctuated with taxidermy paired with Victorian touches, crisp table linens and full china presentation is quite welcoming. It is a manly, yet refined old fashioned dining venue that appeals to the most discriminating of etiquette practitioners.

The rooms are nicely lit – dim, warm golden glow, ample for reading the menu which is printed with a generous font size, but soft and sexy, intimate and comfortable.  And the menu has offerings of domestic game such as bison and fresh catches as tonight’s special, striped sea bass with a curry cream drizzle. Other shellfish and fresh fish filets are offered as well as slow-cooked oso bucco and hearty stews.

When the entrees are presented beneath gleaming silver domes, the stage is set to anticipate the dishes that have been suggested all evening with the wonderful aromas wafting through the dining rooms since we first were escorted to our seats. The unveiling done in unison is a “ta da!”

The service is attentive yet not over-powering. The wine list has a wide range. The deserts are delightful as we experienced in the chocolate pyramid. And the dessert wines were well chosen.

The success of the design is attributed to the entire experience. An attractive dining interior without the proper service, quality of food and smart presentation is flat. A successful interior design has to have life. It has to breathe all of the elements that make the space function as intended.

Cheers to all who make a date a Rancher’s!  Patti’s pick!

Kissing in Public – Designed for Spring!

Valentine’s Day is behind us…but the love continues…chilly February days making way for warming trends bringing new growth and springtime romance…the birds and the bees…reproduction and the cycle of life…Designed to heal, strengthen and move forward. Spring into Spring!!!
With that, look to the new hot pink design trends and perk up your palette with accent colors, fabrics, pillow splashes, accents or painted walls.
Don’t be afraid – take the leap and try something new. Be bold and daring.
Today’s photo – “kissing in public.” Some call pigeons flying rats…I prefer to look at each with their singular personality, color scheme, iridescent feathers, unique identity and their togetherness – mates so apparent. Beautiful if taken individually…but I would like to know how to safely remove them from my office roof as they do tend to gather and splat on my windshield in balmy weather…hmmm…the bitter and the sweet.
Spring is in the air!!! Think design and how to punch-up your interiors!!!

Multi-media Entertainment Extravaganza Designed Around Fantastic Music, and Fabulous Fashion

Wow Sir Paul – in that simple white unbuttoned shirt with the killer double-breasted jacket…such casual elegance!  The Grammy’s tonight were a fabulous mix of ages and styles, genres and generations! The contrasts were well distributed throughout the night making it a fascinatingly entertaining stream of the best from the past and present.

Acknowledging the recent passing of Whitney Houston and her indelible mark on the music industry and the world was beautifully interspersed throughout the evening.

The choreography was astonishing and the big production aspect of the show was unparalleled. For the most part it was powerfully tasteful and uplifting – an explosive celebration hosted masterfully by the dashing LL Cool J.

Adele graciously overwhelmed at the “lot” in her so now polka dots…Bruno Mars’ dazzling retro show…Katie Perry’s athletic dance and blue hair…Taylor Swift was sweet and strong in her diaphanous floral little country dress…Lady Gaga partially concealed behind her veil…Diana Ross the big black ball gown and big hair – a regal queen…Glen Campbell carried his part off remarkably well – who would know? And Adam Levine singing with the Beach Boys – was classic!

Loved the creatively colorful Alouette, gentille Alouette ad for Target…

I loved it right down to the Cosmopolitan ad for the hotel in Las Vegas!

The “boys” on stage for the grand finale – what a jam band! “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

It truly was a star-studded night – designed around fantastic music, fabulous fashion, and multi-media entertainment extravaganza.

The Fine Art of the Towel Sculpture

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It might be too much for YOUR bathroom…but these towel art sculptures are amazing! Here, as we approach Valentine’s Day I have seen so many lovey dovey things lately and these smooching swans bedecked with floribunda were the bomb!

The art of folding bath towels, hand and face cloths into whimsical animals has been a tropical tradition for many years. The novelty of finding one of these remarkable creations on your bed when you return to your room or perched on the vanity counter always brings a smile.

Where do they give these classes? Can they even be found outside the housekeeping departments of fine hotels? I’m convinced that it’s a secret club that has mastered the art of the origami of terrycloth. We mere mortals can only dream of creating something so magnificent from something so mundane. Who was the first and what did they create? It is now a contest for who can fashion the most outstanding example of the art form.

I think that its best left to those professional hospitality towel manipulators rather than the rest of us attempting such feats and frustrating ourselves while wrestling with the bath linens to no avail.

Intimate Love Treasures Had Me Arrested in My Tracks

I love the surprise and adventure of finding artistic treasures on my travels. Bringing a select few back to share is part of the fun!
I stood facing the marina surrounded by lush mangroves, soft jazz and bacon wafting through the air. The atmosphere was particularly fresh, the sky was oh so blue, and the water was like glass reflecting the boat hulls tethered at the slips and along the dock. It was a perfect temperature, not too hot – just right. The artists gathered in Front of Estudio Café in Nuevo Vallarta www.estudiocafe.net for their ritual Saturday morning art fair and breakfast gathering. Fresh slow food is prepared at a delightful exhibition kitchen where all the action is unfolding right before your eyes. The freshest ingredients, fresh squeezed orange juice, bountiful beverages with spinach, carrot and other fruits and veggies appear in tall spotless glasses of green refreshment and rejuvenation – the perfect antidote to the tequila of the previous night’s indulgences.
I met a charming and incredibly talented glass artist there. Estela Herrera creates architectural pieces – to incorporate into the structure, powerful free-standing sculptures and these fabulously whimsical, sentimental hearts. The manageable scale of these intimate love treasures had me arrested in my tracks. What looked raw and almost tribal adornments – became fun and refined upon closer inspection. The lovely leather with glass hearts – screamed celebration of love and joy!
Dangling from generous lengths of soft, pliable leather, these glass pendants speak volumes. Further adorned with crystal, brass and silver beads the stands of leather of Estela’s heart-throb necklaces have an elegantly bohemian quality that transition from the most formal to the easy jeans and cut-off beach garb. Whether relaxed or decked to the nines, these translucent gems will bring peace, love and joy to all who wear them and everyone who sees them passionately wrapped around the privileged neck of a select few.
Unveiled today – I only brought 10 back from this last escapade into tropics south of our border. I hope to select more in the future – but as Valentine’s Day approaches – these will be sure to make a singular statement – no two are alike – for your special Valentine. Call us at 505 242-7646 or email shop@patriciandesign.com for more information and individual photos of available pieces.

Peace, Love and Valentine’s Day – Comfort and a Smile

It’s funny how a theme gets into your head and you seem to see it everywhere. This is what’s happening to me as Valentine’s Day approaches and I think about it from many different angles. Because of my shop, I focus on the merchandising standpoint as I see opportunities to spread the joy of marking the day with wonderful mementos in the form of art pieces and unique decorative accessories. But then again other things just happen spontaneously and through the window of a bus the other day while toodling about in Mexico I spotted this very animated VW bug adorned with curling graphics ala the 60s with the universal peace symbol and its bilingual version of love and amor.
Like Austin Powers’ spoof on psychedelia, what goes around comes around and if you wait… you’ll see the design trends repeated in the reactionary realm of art and fashion. With our world today getting smaller ,with the increased access of high-speed transportation and cyber communications, instant gratification and homogenizing of cultures, people tend to want to slow down, relax, return to an earlier time – it’s all relative. For some that might mean surrounding themselves with organic materials, and/or slow food, to others it might mean listening to music from a past era or immersing themselves in historical research. Some jump off the grid and really get back to basics. But regardless of the manner in which one reverts to the past or reminisces about the bygone days – one common denominator is true – comfort, wherever one finds it, is a human need. What’s funny is how different those definitions of comfort can be.
As simple as something that makes you smile like this whimsically artistic little love bug did for me the other day, I hope this coming Valentine’s Day brings a smile to your face and that you can, in turn, bring a smile to someone too!