TILE ENVY

Our 21st century began it’s first decade with many lifestyles coming and going.  That’s what lifestyles do- come and go – thank goodness.

When I started digging about trying to find the roots of the Spanish Revival movement, I’d have to say I was a bit surprised to find them at the beginning of the 20th century. I suppose that’s because the various elements that comprise the Spanish Revival style are so historic and based on longstanding architectural traditions-

Baroque-

(world's most wonderful detail)

Moorish-

(more moorish)

and Gothic.

(very irresistible)

So take all of those historic classics and add them to a Spanish Colonial base-  for me, that’s a fairly irresistible design mix, in any time frame.  And since I’m of the opinion that we just can’t let go of last decade’s lifestyle giant – TUSCAN- it’s nice to see that our Mediterranean love affair is evolving into a resurgence of it’s more sophisticated, classically-oriented cousin- Spanish Revival.

So here’s a pictorial on some of it’s own evolutionary ramblings-

We’ll start at the beginning -

(traditional- but very Hearst Castle breathtaking)

(Hearst Castle is all about those ceilings!)

Tuscan meets Spanish Revival-

(takes on a touch of elegance)

(but still has that quirky sensibilty)

Ian Schrager’s Grammercy Park has a sort of Bohemian Spanish Revival thing going on-

(spanish revival glam)

(Julian Schnabel's pinks and greens*)

Which is different from the version by their NYC rival- the Bowery-

(men's club)

(antiqued mirror ceilings!)

And ending back on the West Coast where it all began-with Hollywood’s monument to Spanish Revival Chic- Chateau Marmont-

(hollywood's living room)

(more ceilings)

It’s clear some Spanish Revival never went away.

*thanks to a reader for noting that Gramercy Hotel interiors was a Julian Schnabel creation, not Philippe Starck.