It has been many years since I have visited Merida, a city I remember fondly for its ochre reds, bouganvilea bowers and delicious food. We stayed in a wonderful old colonial house with tiled floors and high beamed ceilings. I am looking for that again in Rosas y Xocolate, where I am staying on Paseo Montejo, but find instead a highly designed hotel with charming staff and spa but, for me, lacking in the aesthetics I want Merida to have. On the prowl I come across Casa Lecanda, a recently reconstructed colonial house with simple airy loveliness. My picks for a stay in Merida are this or Casa Azul, with at least one delicious dinner and spa treatment at Rosas y Xocolate!
John Derian is a treasure. It's not that there aren't many with talent and vision because there are, the world over. But Derian has other attributes that make him so beloved. His eye is unerring, his sense of scale is perfect, he layers cultures and eras seamlessly in a room. And he is accessible in brick and mortar. His two shops on East Second Street have been haunts for years. One carries the decoupage he designs and constructs locally (and that make the best gifts ever) along with the coveted ceramics of Astier de Villatte. The second Dry Goods store next door showcases quirky antiques, an assortment of vintage furniture, stacks of heavy french linen, Moroccan rugs and soft cotton Indian clothing. Both are small, but intriguing and interesting enough to seduce you on a journey of the senses.
And now, Derian has opened on Christopher Street in a double-windowed storefront of a two-story 18th century house. It's like walking in to another world. Traditional Astier, and the later Derian/Astier collaborative pieces, line the walls from roof to floor of the front room. The back room, wallpapered in his new cabbage rose design and lit by beautiful Balthus-designed standing lamps with parchment shades, offers a living room in which to settle in, thumb through books and albums, and rest the soul.
So, go to shop, or simply go to travel in spirit to another place and time.
https://www.johnderian.com/pages/our-locations"
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