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      "body": "Unfortunately Luke has funded all of this by selling thousands of counterfeit shirts through dodgy side businesses that he runs. He has ripped off many football shirt collectors and completely trashed the name of his one legitimate business, AMS Clothing. It's at the point now where AMS has become near inactive as he concentrates on his counterfeit business. He has had several eBay accounts over the last few years and now has a website called global-jerseys.com on which he sells mostly fake shirts (with a few of his AMS shirts in the mix, which are the only legitimate jerseys on the whole site.).",
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      "parent_permlink": "aroundtown",
      "author": "lyfstyl",
      "permlink": "jaywhissisbringingtorontototheworld-uqk80b9e83",
      "title": "Jay Whiss is Bringing Toronto to the World",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Jay-Whiss.jpeg</center> <br/><h4>On the heels of his debut solo album Peace of Mind, Jay Whiss reflects on Toronto and the stories that have shaped him.</h4>\r\nIt’s been a long and winding road for Jay Whiss. For years, the “Dark Cloud” rapper has been a staple in the Toronto rap scene as part of the Prime Boys, while also carefully putting out a steady stream of his own projects. Jay and his fellow Prime Boys members, Jimmy Prime and Donnie, have always embodied Toronto to the core (Jimmy is even credited with coining the ‘6ix’) and you can’t really talk about the city’s hip-hop scene without mentioning them. But if you asked Jay at any point along the way, his goal always stretched far beyond the city’s limits. \r\n\r\nWhile Jay has always had his sights fixed on bigger things down the line, he prefers to live in the moment and appreciate what’s in front of him right now. “I don’t catch my chickens before they hatch,” he says firmly. “I’m kind of just along for the ride.” For Jay, that means not skipping any steps and enjoying the process on the way to realizing his dreams – and his debut solo album, <i>Peace of Mind</i>, does just that. \r\n\r\nWorking his way up from the bottom, Jay, who didn’t even write his first track until he was 16, is finally ready to introduce himself and the Esplanade rap scene to the world. “I’m painting a picture of who I am and what I stand for,” he says. “I owe it to any listener to offer a perspective of me. It gives them a rundown of who I am as a whole.” \r\n\r\nJay hails from the Esplanade neighbourhood in Toronto’s downtown core. The bustling area runs parallel to the city’s central waterfront and consists mostly of low-rise residential buildings. It was the Prime Boys that made ‘176’ well-known in Toronto, a moniker that refers to a subsidized housing unit in the area, putting the Esplanade firmly on the map. \r\n\r\nGrowing up in Toronto has given Jay a unique perspective on things. The diverse makeup of the city and the unique perspective of a Canadian in the hip-hop world have given him a different way of looking at things. He’s always had a unique approach that has separated him from the pack and given him an outsider’s perspective, but Jay isn’t the type to make any excuses. “In Toronto, we have all the avenues we need,” he adds.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003271\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Jay-Whiss-Prime-Boys.jpeg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss - LYFSTYL - Byseanbrown\" width=\"1545\" height=\"1024\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nHowever, it’s the sense of family that makes him proud to represent his roots. There are a few other big-time acts that call the Esplanade home, including SAFE and fellow Prime Boy member Donnie. Along with Jimmy Prime and a long list of collaborators, they are the faces defining the local scene, but they’ve always been a close-knit group even before they started making music together.\r\n\r\nOne of his first bonds was with Donnie, who was friends with Jay dating back many years now. “We were just chilling one day at 176 and he asked me to go to the studio,” he recalls. “I booked us a session at Wellesley Sounds and there were probably 20 of us who walked over there. We had the session and everything with Donnie just started from there.” \r\n\r\nJay exclusively creates music with people that he considers his family to this day. It’s important for him to surround himself with not only like-minded individuals but also people he really connects with the outside of music. It’s become a mantra for Jay when carefully selecting who to work with. \r\n\r\nAmong the other frequent collaborators including multi-platinum producer Murda Beatz. The two met through music years back and hooked up on their single ‘Brown Money’ and became really close. “We connected because we both have lots of aspirations,” he says. “The level of understanding is on a different level.” He’s a firm believer that it’s the relationship they share on a personal level that allows their music to flourish the way it does. “Sometimes you can be friends but walk on different paths,” he reflects. “It’s just natural with Murda though because we’re both making music and on the same path.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003270\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Jay-Whis-Bentley.jpeg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss - LYFSTYL - Byseanbrown\" width=\"1545\" height=\"1024\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nMusic has always been a vehicle that’s helped Jay to get through a lot in his life. His projects are a collection of feelings, lessons and stories, so it’s no surprise that his cerebral songwriting and lyrical prowess have become hallmarks of his sound. “It was always a way to express myself,” says Jay. “I don’t even know what drew me to it, to be honest. It was a way to get things off my chest.” It’s always been about giving listeners that same feeling that he had in creating the music. “Like capturing a feeling,” he says calmly. \r\n\r\nWhat Jay does especially well is taking his experiences – good and bad – and channelling those raw emotions into thoughtful lyrics and well-executed sounds. “That was always my intention,” he says. “Making music from somewhere rather than just making something that sounds cool, you know?” \r\n\r\nThis was on full display a couple of years ago when Jay lost two of his closest friends to gun violence. Leading up to the release of a Prime Boys project, tragedy struck and Jay’s life changed forever with the daylight murders of 21-year-old Regent Park rapper Smoke Dawg and 28-year-old Koba Prime. Smoke Dawg was a longtime collaborator and friend, and Koba was the Prime Boys’ assistant manager. In the weeks that followed, Jay would bury two of his closest friends in back-to-back ceremonies alongside a mourning Toronto hip-hop community. \r\n\r\nThe <i>Dark Cloud</i> EP served as a reflection of Jay’s state of mind during this time. Through this introspective and melancholic project, Jay displayed both his pain and self-growth with heavy imagery that features grey clouds and intense shadows. On his newest album, the track “Mind in a Maze” also garnered some attention to turn his emotions into well-crafted sounds after some time has passed. \r\n<blockquote><i>“I got roses in my hand and a heart full of pain / I can’t believe I’m losing friends / I’m still crying to this day.” </i>– Mind in a Maze\n</blockquote>\r\nNot only does Jay’s music show that he can overcome difficult times, but it also shows his progression as an artist and as a person. It was his resilience in his darkest hours that ignited their strength to keep going and craft something all his own. “When you write it down and record it, it helps put things in perspective and to dig deep into your own thoughts,” he says. “I’m trying to get my deepest thoughts out onto the song. It’s way more therapeutic when you can do it verbally.” \r\n\r\nJay is leading the Esplanade rap scene and spreading messages of positivity rather than hostility across the city. His music is for “anybody who’s going through anything” and sparks hope in a rapidly changing city. At the end of the day, Jay hopes that people can take something from his thoughts, emotions and stories – and hopefully learn from it. “It’s about bettering yourself and making the most out of your situation and the cards you’ve been dealt,” he says. “I wasn’t given the best hand or deck of cards, but I’m making the most out of what I have. Someone’s always going to have it harder than me, so I don’t really throw myself pity parties or anything like that.”\r\n\r\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Da7NqngFQ\r\n\r\nJay has learned a lot along his journey and among those lessons is to take nothing for granted. While he speaks about the world with a tone of hope and optimism, he’s blunt at the same time. It’s something that’s allowed him to be honest with himself and reach this point. “Don’t ever feel sorry for yourself,” he adds. “There’s always going to be someone who’s going through more than you. So take it on the chin and try to most the most of your life.” \r\n\r\nNo matter where his music takes him, Jay is learning to keep everything in perspective. “This is where I’m at my best,” he says. “I just love what I do so much. I’m fortunate in the sense that I can flourish doing something I love.” \r\n\r\n<i>Peace of Mind</i> gives us a timeless glimpse into exactly who Jay Whiss is. The 10-track album is a culmination of all his experiences and growth in Toronto – the stories that have shaped the person you see today. He’s eager to bring the Esplanade rap scene to the world and you get the feeling that Jay is just beginning to hit his stride.\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – Stream <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6flW5TSFgPg4ffDtzf2SxR?si=Umlcp4PoSbuQysvXSYtP7g\">Jay Whiss' debut LP now</a>. </em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/around-town-jay-whiss/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Jay Whiss is Bringing Toronto to the World",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Jay-Whiss.jpeg</center> <br/><h4>On the heels of his debut solo album Peace of Mind, Jay Whiss reflects on Toronto and the stories that have shaped him.</h4>\r\nIt’s been a long and winding road for Jay Whiss. For years, the “Dark Cloud” rapper has been a staple in the Toronto rap scene as part of the Prime Boys, while also carefully putting out a steady stream of his own projects. Jay and his fellow Prime Boys members, Jimmy Prime and Donnie, have always embodied Toronto to the core (Jimmy is even credited with coining the ‘6ix’) and you can’t really talk about the city’s hip-hop scene without mentioning them. But if you asked Jay at any point along the way, his goal always stretched far beyond the city’s limits. \r\n\r\nWhile Jay has always had his sights fixed on bigger things down the line, he prefers to live in the moment and appreciate what’s in front of him right now. “I don’t catch my chickens before they hatch,” he says firmly. “I’m kind of just along for the ride.” For Jay, that means not skipping any steps and enjoying the process on the way to realizing his dreams – and his debut solo album, <i>Peace of Mind</i>, does just that. \r\n\r\nWorking his way up from the bottom, Jay, who didn’t even write his first track until he was 16, is finally ready to introduce himself and the Esplanade rap scene to the world. “I’m painting a picture of who I am and what I stand for,” he says. “I owe it to any listener to offer a perspective of me. It gives them a rundown of who I am as a whole.” \r\n\r\nJay hails from the Esplanade neighbourhood in Toronto’s downtown core. The bustling area runs parallel to the city’s central waterfront and consists mostly of low-rise residential buildings. It was the Prime Boys that made ‘176’ well-known in Toronto, a moniker that refers to a subsidized housing unit in the area, putting the Esplanade firmly on the map. \r\n\r\nGrowing up in Toronto has given Jay a unique perspective on things. The diverse makeup of the city and the unique perspective of a Canadian in the hip-hop world have given him a different way of looking at things. He’s always had a unique approach that has separated him from the pack and given him an outsider’s perspective, but Jay isn’t the type to make any excuses. “In Toronto, we have all the avenues we need,” he adds.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10003265\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-3-HighRes-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss LYFSTYL Peace of Mind Album\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /><br/> Prime. Shot by Norman Wong.</center>\r\n\r\nHowever, it’s the sense of family that makes him proud to represent his roots. There are a few other big-time acts that call the Esplanade home, including SAFE and fellow Prime Boy member Donnie. Along with Jimmy Prime and a long list of collaborators, they are the faces defining the local scene, but they’ve always been a close-knit group even before they started making music together.\r\n\r\nOne of his first bonds was with Donnie, who was friends with Jay dating back many years now. “We were just chilling one day at 176 and he asked me to go to the studio,” he recalls. “I booked us a session at Wellesley Sounds and there were probably 20 of us who walked over there. We had the session and everything with Donnie just started from there.” \r\n\r\nJay exclusively creates music with people that he considers his family to this day. It’s important for him to surround himself with not only like-minded individuals but also people he really connects with the outside of music. It’s become a mantra for Jay when carefully selecting who to work with. \r\n\r\nAmong the other frequent collaborators including multi-platinum producer Murda Beatz. The two met through music years back and hooked up on their single ‘Brown Money’ and became really close. “We connected because we both have lots of aspirations,” he says. “The level of understanding is on a different level.” He’s a firm believer that it’s the relationship they share on a personal level that allows their music to flourish the way it does. “Sometimes you can be friends but walk on different paths,” he reflects. “It’s just natural with Murda though because we’re both making music and on the same path.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003266\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-2-HighRes-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss LYFSTYL Peace of Mind Album\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nMusic has always been a vehicle that’s helped Jay to get through a lot in his life. His projects are a collection of feelings, lessons and stories, so it’s no surprise that his cerebral songwriting and lyrical prowess have become hallmarks of his sound. “It was always a way to express myself,” says Jay. “I don’t even know what drew me to it, to be honest. It was a way to get things off my chest.” It’s always been about giving listeners that same feeling that he had in creating the music. “Like capturing a feeling,” he says calmly. \r\n\r\nWhat Jay does especially well is taking his experiences – good and bad – and channelling those raw emotions into thoughtful lyrics and well-executed sounds. “That was always my intention,” he says. “Making music from somewhere rather than just making something that sounds cool, you know?” \r\n\r\nThis was on full display a couple of years ago when Jay lost two of his closest friends to gun violence. Leading up to the release of a Prime Boys project, tragedy struck and Jay’s life changed forever with the daylight murders of 21-year-old Regent Park rapper Smoke Dawg and 28-year-old Koba Prime. Smoke Dawg was a longtime collaborator and friend, and Koba was the Prime Boys’ assistant manager. In the weeks that followed, Jay would bury two of his closest friends in back-to-back ceremonies alongside a mourning Toronto hip-hop community. \r\n\r\nThe <i>Dark Cloud</i> EP served as a reflection of Jay’s state of mind during this time. Through this introspective and melancholic project, Jay displayed both his pain and self-growth with heavy imagery that features grey clouds and intense shadows. On his newest album, the track “Mind in a Maze” also garnered some attention to turn his emotions into well-crafted sounds after some time has passed. \r\n<blockquote><i>“I got roses in my hand and a heart full of pain / I can’t believe I’m losing friends / I’m still crying to this day.” </i>– Mind in a Maze\n</blockquote>\r\nNot only does Jay’s music show that he can overcome difficult times, but it also shows his progression as an artist and as a person. It was his resilience in his darkest hours that ignited their strength to keep going and craft something all his own. “When you write it down and record it, it helps put things in perspective and to dig deep into your own thoughts,” he says. “I’m trying to get my deepest thoughts out onto the song. It’s way more therapeutic when you can do it verbally.” \r\n\r\nJay is leading the Esplanade rap scene and spreading messages of positivity rather than hostility across the city. His music is for “anybody who’s going through anything” and sparks hope in a rapidly changing city. At the end of the day, Jay hopes that people can take something from his thoughts, emotions and stories – and hopefully learn from it. “It’s about bettering yourself and making the most out of your situation and the cards you’ve been dealt,” he says. “I wasn’t given the best hand or deck of cards, but I’m making the most out of what I have. Someone’s always going to have it harder than me, so I don’t really throw myself pity parties or anything like that.”\r\n\r\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Da7NqngFQ\r\n\r\nJay has learned a lot along his journey and among those lessons is to take nothing for granted. While he speaks about the world with a tone of hope and optimism, he’s blunt at the same time. It’s something that’s allowed him to be honest with himself and reach this point. “Don’t ever feel sorry for yourself,” he adds. “There’s always going to be someone who’s going through more than you. So take it on the chin and try to most the most of your life.” \r\n\r\nNo matter where his music takes him, Jay is learning to keep everything in perspective. “This is where I’m at my best,” he says. “I just love what I do so much. I’m fortunate in the sense that I can flourish doing something I love.” \r\n\r\n<i>Peace of Mind</i> gives us a timeless glimpse into exactly who Jay Whiss is. The 10-track album is a culmination of all his experiences and growth in Toronto – the stories that have shaped the person you see today. He’s eager to bring the Esplanade rap scene to the world and you get the feeling that Jay is just beginning to hit his stride.\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – Stream <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6flW5TSFgPg4ffDtzf2SxR?si=Umlcp4PoSbuQysvXSYtP7g\">Jay Whiss' debut LP now</a>. </em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/around-town-jay-whiss/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Jay Whiss is Bringing Toronto to the World",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-Cover-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg</center> <br/><h4>On the heels of his debut solo album Peace of Mind, Jay Whiss reflects on Toronto and the stories that have shaped him.</h4>\r\nIt’s been a long and winding road for Jay Whiss. For years, the “Dark Cloud” rapper has been a staple in the Toronto rap scene as part of the Prime Boys, while also carefully putting out a steady stream of his own projects. Jay and his fellow Prime Boys members, Jimmy Prime and Donnie, have always embodied Toronto to the core (Jimmy is even credited with coining the ‘6ix’) and you can’t really talk about the city’s hip-hop scene without mentioning them. But if you asked Jay at any point along the way, his goal always stretched far beyond the city’s limits. \r\n\r\nWhile Jay has always had his sights fixed on bigger things down the line, he prefers to live in the moment and appreciate what’s in front of him right now. “I don’t catch my chickens before they hatch,” he says firmly. “I’m kind of just along for the ride.” For Jay, that means not skipping any steps and enjoying the process on the way to realizing his dreams – and his debut solo album, <i>Peace of Mind</i>, does just that. \r\n\r\nWorking his way up from the bottom, Jay, who didn’t even write his first track until he was 16, is finally ready to introduce himself and the Esplanade rap scene to the world. “I’m painting a picture of who I am and what I stand for,” he says. “I owe it to any listener to offer a perspective of me. It gives them a rundown of who I am as a whole.” \r\n\r\nJay hails from the Esplanade neighbourhood in Toronto’s downtown core. The bustling area runs parallel to the city’s central waterfront and consists mostly of low-rise residential buildings. It was the Prime Boys that made ‘176’ well-known in Toronto, a moniker that refers to a subsidized housing unit in the area, putting the Esplanade firmly on the map. \r\n\r\nGrowing up in Toronto has given Jay a unique perspective on things. The diverse makeup of the city and the unique perspective of a Canadian in the hip-hop world have given him a different way of looking at things. He’s always had a unique approach that has separated him from the pack and given him an outsider’s perspective, but Jay isn’t the type to make any excuses. “In Toronto, we have all the avenues we need,” he adds.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10003265\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-3-HighRes-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss LYFSTYL Peace of Mind Album\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /><br/> Prime. Shot by Norman Wong.</center>\r\n\r\nHowever, it’s the sense of family that makes him proud to represent his roots. There are a few other big-time acts that call the Esplanade home, including SAFE and fellow Prime Boy member Donnie. Along with Jimmy Prime and a long list of collaborators, they are the faces defining the local scene, but they’ve always been a close-knit group even before they started making music together.\r\n\r\nOne of his first bonds was with Donnie, who was friends with Jay dating back many years now. “We were just chilling one day at 176 and he asked me to go to the studio,” he recalls. “I booked us a session at Wellesley Sounds and there were probably 20 of us who walked over there. We had the session and everything with Donnie just started from there.” \r\n\r\nJay exclusively creates music with people that he considers his family to this day. It’s important for him to surround himself with not only like-minded individuals but also people he really connects with the outside of music. It’s become a mantra for Jay when carefully selecting who to work with. \r\n\r\nAmong the other frequent collaborators including multi-platinum producer Murda Beatz. The two met through music years back and hooked up on their single ‘Brown Money’ and became really close. “We connected because we both have lots of aspirations,” he says. “The level of understanding is on a different level.” He’s a firm believer that it’s the relationship they share on a personal level that allows their music to flourish the way it does. “Sometimes you can be friends but walk on different paths,” he reflects. “It’s just natural with Murda though because we’re both making music and on the same path.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003266\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-2-HighRes-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss LYFSTYL Peace of Mind Album\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nMusic has always been a vehicle that’s helped Jay to get through a lot in his life. His projects are a collection of feelings, lessons and stories, so it’s no surprise that his cerebral songwriting and lyrical prowess have become hallmarks of his sound. “It was always a way to express myself,” says Jay. “I don’t even know what drew me to it, to be honest. It was a way to get things off my chest.” It’s always been about giving listeners that same feeling that he had in creating the music. “Like capturing a feeling,” he says calmly. \r\n\r\nWhat Jay does especially well is taking his experiences – good and bad – and channelling those raw emotions into thoughtful lyrics and well-executed sounds. “That was always my intention,” he says. “Making music from somewhere rather than just making something that sounds cool, you know?” \r\n\r\nThis was on full display a couple of years ago when Jay lost two of his closest friends to gun violence. Leading up to the release of a Prime Boys project, tragedy struck and Jay’s life changed forever with the daylight murders of 21-year-old Regent Park rapper Smoke Dawg and 28-year-old Koba Prime. Smoke Dawg was a longtime collaborator and friend, and Koba was the Prime Boys’ assistant manager. In the weeks that followed, Jay would bury two of his closest friends in back-to-back ceremonies alongside a mourning Toronto hip-hop community. \r\n\r\nThe <i>Dark Cloud</i> EP served as a reflection of Jay’s state of mind during this time. Through this introspective and melancholic project, Jay displayed both his pain and self-growth with heavy imagery that features grey clouds and intense shadows. On his newest album, the track “Mind in a Maze” also garnered some attention to turn his emotions into well-crafted sounds after some time has passed. \r\n<blockquote><i>“I got roses in my hand and a heart full of pain / I can’t believe I’m losing friends / I’m still crying to this day.” </i>– Mind in a Maze\n</blockquote>\r\nNot only does Jay’s music show that he can overcome difficult times, but it also shows his progression as an artist and as a person. It was his resilience in his darkest hours that ignited their strength to keep going and craft something all his own. “When you write it down and record it, it helps put things in perspective and to dig deep into your own thoughts,” he says. “I’m trying to get my deepest thoughts out onto the song. It’s way more therapeutic when you can do it verbally.” \r\n\r\nJay is leading the Esplanade rap scene and spreading messages of positivity rather than hostility across the city. His music is for “anybody who’s going through anything” and sparks hope in a rapidly changing city. At the end of the day, Jay hopes that people can take something from his thoughts, emotions and stories – and hopefully learn from it. “It’s about bettering yourself and making the most out of your situation and the cards you’ve been dealt,” he says. “I wasn’t given the best hand or deck of cards, but I’m making the most out of what I have. Someone’s always going to have it harder than me, so I don’t really throw myself pity parties or anything like that.”\r\n\r\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Da7NqngFQ\r\n\r\nJay has learned a lot along his journey and among those lessons is to take nothing for granted. While he speaks about the world with a tone of hope and optimism, he’s blunt at the same time. It’s something that’s allowed him to be honest with himself and reach this point. “Don’t ever feel sorry for yourself,” he adds. “There’s always going to be someone who’s going through more than you. So take it on the chin and try to most the most of your life.” \r\n\r\nNo matter where his music takes him, Jay is learning to keep everything in perspective. “This is where I’m at my best,” he says. “I just love what I do so much. I’m fortunate in the sense that I can flourish doing something I love.” \r\n\r\n<i>Peace of Mind</i> gives us a timeless glimpse into exactly who Jay Whiss is. The 10-track album is a culmination of all his experiences and growth in Toronto – the stories that have shaped the person you see today. He’s eager to bring the Esplanade rap scene to the world and you get the feeling that Jay is just beginning to hit his stride.\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – Stream <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6flW5TSFgPg4ffDtzf2SxR?si=Umlcp4PoSbuQysvXSYtP7g\">Jay Whiss' debut LP now</a>. </em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/around-town-jay-whiss/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "parent_permlink": "aroundtown",
      "author": "lyfstyl",
      "permlink": "jaywhissisbringingtorontototheworld-uqk80b9e83",
      "title": "Jay Whiss is Bringing Toronto to the World",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-Cover-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg</center> <br/><h4>On the heels of his debut solo album Peace of Mind, Jay Whiss reflects on Toronto and the stories that have shaped him.</h4>\r\nIt’s been a long and winding road for Jay Whiss. For years, the “Dark Cloud” rapper has been a staple in the Toronto rap scene as part of the Prime Boys, while also carefully putting out a steady stream of his own projects. Jay and his fellow Prime Boys members, Jimmy Prime and Donnie, have always embodied Toronto to the core (Jimmy is even credited with coining the ‘6ix’) and you can’t really talk about the city’s hip-hop scene without mentioning them. But if you asked Jay at any point along the way, his goal always stretched far beyond the city’s limits. \r\n\r\nWhile Jay has always had his sights fixed on bigger things down the line, he prefers to live in the moment and appreciate what’s in front of him right now. “I don’t catch my chickens before they hatch,” he says firmly. “I’m kind of just along for the ride.” For Jay, that means not skipping any steps and enjoying the process on the way to realizing his dreams – and his debut solo album, <i>Peace of Mind</i>, does just that. \r\n\r\nWorking his way up from the bottom, Jay, who didn’t even write his first track until he was 16, is finally ready to introduce himself and the Esplanade rap scene to the world. “I’m painting a picture of who I am and what I stand for,” he says. “I owe it to any listener to offer a perspective of me. It gives them a rundown of who I am as a whole.” \r\n\r\nJay hails from the Esplanade neighbourhood in Toronto’s downtown core. The bustling area runs parallel to the city’s central waterfront and consists mostly of low-rise residential buildings. It was the Prime Boys that made ‘176’ well-known in Toronto, a moniker that refers to a subsidized housing unit in the area, putting the Esplanade firmly on the map. \r\n\r\nGrowing up in Toronto has given Jay a unique perspective on things. The diverse makeup of the city and the unique perspective of a Canadian in the hip-hop world have given him a different way of looking at things. He’s always had a unique approach that has separated him from the pack and given him an outsider’s perspective, but Jay isn’t the type to make any excuses. “In Toronto, we have all the avenues we need,” he adds.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10003265\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-3-HighRes-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss LYFSTYL Peace of Mind Album\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /><br/> Prime. Shot by Norman Wong.</center>\r\n\r\nHowever, it’s the sense of family that makes him proud to represent his roots. There are a few other big-time acts that call the Esplanade home, including SAFE and fellow Prime Boy member Donnie. Along with Jimmy Prime and a long list of collaborators, they’re the facing that are defining the local scene, but they’ve all been a close-knit group even before they started making music together.\r\n\r\nOne of his first bonds was with Donnie, who was friends with Jay dating back many years now. “We were just chilling one day at 176 and he asked me to go to the studio,” he recalls. “I booked us a session at Wellesley Sounds and there were probably 20 of us who walked over there. We had the session and everything with Donnie just started from there.” \r\n\r\nJay exclusively creates music with people that he considers his family to this day. It’s important for him to surround himself with not only like-minded individuals but also people he really connects with the outside of music. It’s become a mantra for Jay when carefully selecting who to work with. \r\n\r\nAmong the other frequent collaborators including multi-platinum producer Murda Beatz. The two met through music years back and hooked up on their single ‘Brown Money’ and became really close. “We connected because we both have lots of aspirations,” he says. “The level of understanding is on a different level.” He’s a firm believer that it’s the relationship they share on a personal level that allows their music to flourish the way it does. “Sometimes you can be friends but walk on different paths,” he reflects. “It’s just natural with Murda though because we’re both making music and on the same path.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003266\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/JayWhiss-2-HighRes-Photo-Credit_-Norman-Wong.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Whiss LYFSTYL Peace of Mind Album\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nMusic has always been a vehicle that’s helped Jay to get through a lot in his life. His projects are a collection of feelings, lessons and stories, so it’s no surprise that his cerebral songwriting and lyrical prowess have become hallmarks of his sound. “It was always a way to express myself,” says Jay. “I don’t even know what drew me to it, to be honest. It was a way to get things off my chest.” It’s always been about giving listeners that same feeling that he had in creating the music. “Like capturing a feeling,” he says calmly. \r\n\r\nWhat Jay does especially well is taking his experiences – good and bad – and channelling those raw emotions into thoughtful lyrics and well-executed sounds. “That was always my intention,” he says. “Making music from somewhere rather than just making something that sounds cool, you know?” \r\n\r\nThis was on full display a couple of years ago when Jay lost two of his closest friends to gun violence. Leading up to the release of a Prime Boys project, tragedy struck and Jay’s life changed forever with the daylight murders of 21-year-old Regent Park rapper Smoke Dawg and 28-year-old Koba Prime. Smoke Dawg was a longtime collaborator and friend, and Koba was the Prime Boys’ assistant manager. In the weeks that followed, Jay would bury two of his closest friends in back-to-back ceremonies alongside a mourning Toronto hip-hop community. \r\n\r\nThe <i>Dark Cloud</i> EP served as a reflection of Jay’s state of mind during this time. Through this introspective and melancholic project, Jay displayed both his pain and self-growth with heavy imagery that features grey clouds and intense shadows. On his newest album, the track “Mind in a Maze” also garnered some attention to turn his emotions into well-crafted sounds after some time has passed. \r\n<blockquote><i>“I got roses in my hand and a heart full of pain / I can’t believe I’m losing friends / I’m still crying to this day.” </i>– Mind in a Maze\n</blockquote>\r\nNot only does Jay’s music show that he can overcome difficult times, but it also shows his progression as an artist and as a person. It was his resilience in his darkest hours that ignited their strength to keep going and craft something all his own. “When you write it down and record it, it helps put things in perspective and to dig deep into your own thoughts,” he says. “I’m trying to get my deepest thoughts out onto the song. It’s way more therapeutic when you can do it verbally.” \r\n\r\nJay is leading the Esplanade rap scene and spreading messages of positivity rather than hostility across the city. His music is for “anybody who’s going through anything” and sparks hope in a rapidly changing city. At the end of the day, Jay hopes that people can take something from his thoughts, emotions and stories – and hopefully learn from it. “It’s about bettering yourself and making the most out of your situation and the cards you’ve been dealt,” he says. “I wasn’t given the best hand or deck of cards, but I’m making the most out of what I have. Someone’s always going to have it harder than me, so I don’t really throw myself pity parties or anything like that.”\r\n\r\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Da7NqngFQ\r\n\r\nJay has learned a lot along his journey and among those lessons is to take nothing for granted. While he speaks about the world with a tone of hope and optimism, he’s blunt at the same time. It’s something that’s allowed him to be honest with himself and reach this point. “Don’t ever feel sorry for yourself,” he adds. “There’s always going to be someone who’s going through more than you. So take it on the chin and try to most the most of your life.” \r\n\r\nNo matter where his music takes him, Jay is learning to keep everything in perspective. “This is where I’m at my best,” he says. “I just love what I do so much. I’m fortunate in the sense that I can flourish doing something I love.” \r\n\r\n<i>Peace of Mind</i> gives us a timeless glimpse into exactly who Jay Whiss is. The 10-track album is a culmination of all his experiences and growth in Toronto – the stories that have shaped the person you see today. He’s eager to bring the Esplanade rap scene to the world and you get the feeling that Jay is just beginning to hit his stride.\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – Stream <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6flW5TSFgPg4ffDtzf2SxR?si=Umlcp4PoSbuQysvXSYtP7g\">Jay Whiss' debut LP now</a>. </em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/around-town-jay-whiss/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Oh Wonder is Living the Dream",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/83947397_563125260949436_3198685758675270671_n.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht of London-based group Oh Wonder provide a momentary glimpse into their relationship as not only bandmates but also as a strong-willed couple.</h4>\r\nAnthony and Josephine, or Josie as Anthony calls her, of Oh Wonder really like each other. Atypical about their story is that their affection and desire to be both bandmates and a couple hasn’t changed in quite some time and it doesn’t seem like it will. That must be the product of, as Josephine puts it, “spending seven years and nearly every day together.” Unlike other bands of previous years, who perhaps contort their relationships to fit a band profile, Oh Wonder is the real deal.\r\n\r\nThe duo just embarked on an international tour in support of their newest album <i>No One Else Can Wear Your Crown</i> that will take them across Europe and North America. While it’s easy to think about touring as glamorous and exciting, it’s also something that comes with its share of difficulties and what it means for the band. “The commitment it takes to go on tour and sacrifices for your social life,” Josephine explains. That means no more birthday parties or weddings. RSVPing with the dreaded ‘no’ rarely leaves one without a sour taste in the mouth, even if it’s for a good cause – like doing a tour and living out your dreams. \r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10003223\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Oh-Wonder-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Oh Wonder by Ellen Offredy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" /><br/> Oh Wonder by Ellen Offredy.</center>\r\n\r\nStill, Josephine and Anthony understand that the music industry is as much a business as it is a creative art. Tour dates are scheduled and need to be upheld. Anthony is constantly reminding himself that he should be grateful for their position, even if it means distancing themselves for months from people and places they care about. “We’re living our dream,” he adds. The band knows that missing home is part of the job, but that’s what they signed up for. Normal people call that “professionalism in the workforce” and it’s often a trait that’s hard to come by for musicians and artists. Oh Wonder, though, exudes it.  \r\n\r\nThere’s also the upside of living out your musical dreams. Anthony means it when he describes music as something “we would never force ourselves to do.” There’s that professionalism again. What’s the old saying about loving work means never really working? With the release of their new album, the duo, who hasn’t performed live in over a year, is itching to play new music to a global audience. There’s just something about the face-to-face interactions and intimate moments that only come when you’re performing in front of thousands of concert-goers. In particular, Josephine loves “hearing people’s stories when they connect with the music,” but it’s much more than that. \r\n\r\nTravelling and touring is never a monotonous endeavour for Anthony and Josephine like it can be for other artists because they take the good from most places. Their ability to recollect a glimpse of a moment from a particular show is astounding and goes great lengths to prove that the duo actually cares about the people and places they see. In fact, Josephine holds a particularly fond memory of a concert the band did back in Berlin, where the people stood awestruck at their music. “It’s a very tangible acknowledgement,” she says. The thing about Oh Wonder is that memories like this are one of many that they can sit on and revisit when they sit and make more music, or as Anthony describes them as, \"songs we just write at home.\"\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10003224\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Oh-Wonder-by-Ellen-Offredy-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Oh Wonder by Ellen Offredy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1080\" height=\"648\" /><br/> Oh Wonder by Ellen Offredy.</center>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTouring also brings about another facet of the duo’s personality in their passion for exploration. “Josie is very much a city girl,” tells Anthony. “But she’s starting to appreciate the relaxed nature of the wilderness.” Living in London, the group speaks about the immense parks found across the sprawling urban cityscape and how the blend of metropolitan and rustic balances his expectation when he travels. “I think being in both terrains makes you appreciate them differently,” he explains. “We live in London but then being able to go out into the countryside, which is an hour away, is a breath of fresh air.”\r\n\r\nWhether it’s the vast acreage of the American National Parks or supercities like Manila and Bangkok, Oh Wonder always find what they're looking for. The band found the secret concoction for travel and the list doesn’t start with your toiletry kit and favourite socks. For the most part, that revolves with what Josephine describe as not worry about “what you should and shouldn’t be doing.” To coincide with that, she offers another pearl of advice, which is to “say yes to as many things as you can.” Anthony, ever the stoic, offers his driving ambition while on tour as presenting the fans a proper experience. “If I met my favourite singer and he’s a douchebag, I’d be livid.” \r\n\r\nThe duo also understands that contemporary modes of social media often leave artists with little or no room to hide when they’re in public. They aren’t concerned, though, and it’s because whether they’re walking through Bogotá or napping in London parks, they have nothing to hide. Long gone are the days of privacy for artists, especially on global tours, but Oh Wonder doesn’t care. If it’s possible to disregard Josephine and Anthony’s passions and exploits, it will be evident that they are transparent and honest people. You can hear it in their music and see it on their faces when they look at each other. \r\n\r\n<i>Stream Oh Wonder's newest album, <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0NcAD4K7i81MNMRWHCeJ5M?si=bTlv_yxXQiqpgWzESv1qBg\">No One Else Can Wear Your Crown</a> on Spotify and all major platforms.</i> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/oh-wonder-is-living-the-dream/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "parent_permlink": "dinokuznik",
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      "title": "Journey to the American West with Dino Kužnik",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_2019_08.jpg</center> <br/><h4>New York-based photographer Dino Kužnik organically finds his visual style through his frequent travels around the West Coast. </h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dinokuznik/\">Dino Kužnik</a> is no stranger to surprises. In fact, it’s how he describes the day he was born in 1986 when he decided to “show up early to the party” while his family was on holiday on the Croatian island of Mali Losinj. He grew up in the bordering state of Slovenia, which eventually won independence in 1991 when Dino was just a child. Like most new nations, Slovenia had a real lack of national identification at first, and the decade that followed is marked as an era of dramatic change and westernization. “I grew up watching all these Hollywood movies and cartoons, getting my music from MTV, learning about skateboarding and snowboarding,” Dino recalls. “So I can kind of attracted to the American aesthetic by default.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003142\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_sbtw_23.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1200\" height=\"959\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nBeyond the constant bombardment of images of Green Day, Britney Spears and Daft Punk, Dino was also exposed to photography from a very young age. He’s been capturing moments since he was a child on family vacations and flipping through his grandfather’s collection of National Geographic magazines that date back to the 60s. The Slovenian photographer looks back on these times alongside his grandfather with nostalgia, as moments that have stayed with him and really sparked his interest in photography. \r\n\r\nDino didn’t really get serious with photography, however, until his college days when he bought his first-ever DSLR. “I’ve always been a very visual person, so getting a camera felt like an extension of me,” he explains. “It felt natural and super exciting to me, although my roommate at the time hated me because I was photographing everything and everyone, all the time.” \r\n\r\nIt didn’t take long for Dino to begin working as a journalistic photographer and at first, he was heavily influenced by street photography. “The thrill of shooting something that scared me made me feel really alive and gave me so much satisfaction,” he explains. If you ask Dino, however, his evolution as an artist has simply been an organic progression based on time and place. He points to his time spent as a graphic designer, which made him rethink the way in which he captures his photographs. “I would describe it as ‘OCD compositing’,” says Dino. “I’m super aware of all the things in the photo and I’m really precise with how I position them, but I try not to get to the point of being sterile.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003143\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_ss_18.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1200\" height=\"722\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nWhether he’s documenting his personal road trips through the desert in his <i>Arizona Pastels</i> series or taking branded shots for Tesla, Dino likes to think of his photos as a way to immortalize scenes that are aesthetically unique. “I like to imagine that it’s similar to being a painter,” he adds. “It’s just that I position objects in my compositions by moving around, not by actually painting them within the frame.” \r\n\r\nOver time, Dino has carved out his own visual language, characterized by sparse composition and muted colours for a soft look and vibe. Coming and going with what life brings, the photographer decided to move to San Francisco. “That really was a stepping stone for my photography,” he recalls. Not only did it fulfill his influence of American culture, but he really fell head over heels in love with the West Coast. “When I moved to California, my friends and I would always go on weekend trips and I always carried a camera,” says Dino. “It started there and sort of progressed naturally.” \r\n\r\nLiving and travelling through California gave Dino a completely different perspective on life than in Slovenia. He’s always been drawn to the fleeting feeling of freedom that comes with the open road. Naturally, his time spent in San Francisco tremendously shaped his aesthetic vision and it began to seep unconsciously into his photographs. “I never think too much about it,” he explains. “I just do it by feeling.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003141\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_2019_21.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1536\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nHis work often feels like a peaceful documentation of the American landscape and feeling, something that greatly reflects his creative process. “I’ve fallen in love with the process,” explains Dino. Being immersed in your environment and alone with your thoughts can be very therapeutic, and Dino’s photos are ultimately a projection of his state of mind at the time. “I really like the feeling of solitude when I’m photographing in the desert or exploring a new place,” he explains. “I get into this weird mode where I see so much stuff that I usually miss. It’s almost like a meditative state.”\r\n\r\nWhile he’s now based out of New York, which has its own kind of beauty and inspiration, Dino finds himself often coming back to the American West, something that’s ingrained into his style forever. In direct contrast to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, Dino keeps his trips organic with a few markers on Google Maps and a great road trip playlist. “It usually helps if I’m inspired by something,” he adds. “Not necessarily always positive either. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but I try to shape those feelings and inspiration into something good.” \r\n\r\nWhile the solitude and immersion that comes with freely roaming around and photographing along the way is a tranquil and therapeutic process for Dino, it doesn’t mean he’s rigid. In fact, like his decision to move to California, he embraces change. “I don’t like to get stale in life, so I always like to experiment, try new techniques and photograph different things,” he says. “The process of evolving something I love and hold so dearly is something that really makes me feel alive.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dinokuznik/\">Discover Dino Kužnik work here.</a></em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/journey-to-the-american-west-with-dino-kuznik/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Journey to the American West with Dino Kužnik",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_2019_08.jpg</center> <br/><h4>New York-based photographer Dino Kužnik organically finds his visual style through his frequent travels around the West Coast. </h4>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dinokuznik/\">Dino Kužnik</a> is no stranger to surprises. In fact, it’s how he describes the day he was born in 1986 when he decided to “show up early to the party” while his family was on holiday on the Croatian island of Mali Losinj. He grew up in the bordering state of Slovenia, which eventually won independence in 1991. Like most new nations, Slovenia had a real lack of national identification at first, and the decade that followed is marked as an era of dramatic change and westernization. “I grew up watching all these Hollywood movies and cartoons, getting my music from MTV, learning about skateboarding and snowboarding,” Dino recalls. “So I can kind of attracted to the American aesthetic by default.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003142\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_sbtw_23.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1200\" height=\"959\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nBeyond the constant bombardment of images of Green Day, Britney Spears and Daft Punk, Dino was also exposed to photography from a very young age. He’s been capturing moments since he was a child on family vacations and flipping through his grandfather’s collection of National Geographic magazines that date back to the 60s. The Slovenian photographer looks back on these times alongside his grandfather with nostalgia, as moments that have stayed with him and really sparked his interest in photography. \r\n\r\nDino didn’t really get serious with photography, however, until his college days when he bought his first-ever DSLR. “I’ve always been a very visual person, so getting a camera felt like an extension of me,” he explains. “It felt natural and super exciting to me, although my roommate at the time hated me because I was photographing everything and everyone, all the time.” \r\n\r\nIt didn’t take long for Dino to begin working as a journalistic photographer and at first, he was heavily influenced by street photography. “The thrill of shooting something that scared me made me feel really alive and gave me so much satisfaction,” he explains. If you ask Dino, however, his evolution as an artist has simply been an organic progression based on time and place. He points to his time spent as a graphic designer, which made him rethink the way in which he captures his photographs. “I would describe it as ‘OCD compositing’,” says Dino. “I’m super aware of all the things in the photo and I’m really precise with how I position them, but I try not to get to the point of being sterile.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003143\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_ss_18.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1200\" height=\"722\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nWhether he’s documenting his personal road trips through the desert in his <i>Arizona Pastels</i> series or taking branded shots for Tesla, Dino likes to think of his photos as a way to immortalize scenes that are aesthetically unique. “I like to imagine that it’s similar to being a painter,” he adds. “It’s just that I position objects in my compositions by moving around, not by actually painting them within the frame.” \r\n\r\nOver time, Dino has carved out his own visual language, characterized by sparse composition and muted colours for a soft look and vibe. Coming and going with what life brings, the photographer decided to move to San Francisco. “That really was a stepping stone for my photography,” he recalls. Not only did it fulfill his influence of American culture, but he really fell head over heels in love with the West Coast. “When I moved to California, my friends and I would always go on weekend trips and I always carried a camera,” says Dino. “It started there and sort of progressed naturally.” \r\n\r\nLiving and travelling through California gave Dino a completely different perspective on life than in Slovenia. He’s always been drawn to the fleeting feeling of freedom that comes with the open road. Naturally, his time spent in San Francisco tremendously shaped his aesthetic vision and it began to seep unconsciously into his photographs. “I never think too much about it,” he explains. “I just do it by feeling.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003141\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_2019_21.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1536\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nHis work often feels like a peaceful documentation of the American landscape and feeling, something that greatly reflects his creative process. “I’ve fallen in love with the process,” explains Dino. Being immersed in your environment and alone with your thoughts can be very therapeutic, and Dino’s photos are ultimately a projection of his state of mind at the time. “I really like the feeling of solitude when I’m photographing in the desert or exploring a new place,” he explains. “I get into this weird mode where I see so much stuff that I usually miss. It’s almost like a meditative state.”\r\n\r\nWhile he’s now based out of New York, which has its own kind of beauty and inspiration, Dino finds himself often coming back to the American West, something that’s ingrained into his style forever. In direct contrast to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, Dino keeps his trips organic with a few markers on Google Maps and a great road trip playlist. “It usually helps if I’m inspired by something,” he adds. “Not necessarily always positive either. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but I try to shape those feelings and inspiration into something good.” \r\n\r\nWhile the solitude and immersion that comes with freely roaming around and photographing along the way is a tranquil and therapeutic process for Dino, it doesn’t mean he’s rigid. In fact, like his decision to move to California, he embraces change. “I don’t like to get stale in life, so I always like to experiment, try new techniques and photograph different things,” he says. “The process of evolving something I love and hold so dearly is something that really makes me feel alive.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dinokuznik/\">Discover Dino Kužnik work here.</a></em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/journey-to-the-american-west-with-dino-kuznik/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "permlink": "journeytotheamericanwestwithdinokunik-q0edj4hrrr",
      "title": "Journey to the American West with Dino Kužnik",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_2019_08.jpg</center> <br/><h4>New York-based photographer Dino Kužnik organically finds his visual style through his frequent travels around the West Coast. </h4>\r\nDino Kužnik is no stranger to surprises. In fact, it’s the word he uses to describe the day he was born in 1986 when he decided to “show up early to the party” while his family was on holiday on the Croatian island of Mali Losinj. He grew up in the bordering state of Slovenia, which eventually won independence in 1991. Like most new nations, Slovenia had a real lack of national identification at first, and the decade that followed is marked by dramatic change and westernization. “I grew up watching all these Hollywood movies and cartoons, getting my music from MTV, learning about skateboarding and snowboarding,” Dino recalls. “So I can kind of attracted to the American aesthetic by default.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003142\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_sbtw_23.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1200\" height=\"959\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nBeyond the constant bombardment of images of Green Day, Britney Spears and Daft Punk, Dino was also exposed to photography from a very young age. He’s been capturing moments since he was a child on family vacations and flipping through his grandfather’s collection of National Geographic magazines that date back to the 60s. The Slovenian photographer looks back on these times alongside his grandfather with nostalgia, as moments that have stayed with him and really sparked his interest in photography. \r\n\r\nDino didn’t really get serious with photography, however, until his college days when he bought his first-ever DSLR. “I’ve always been a very visual person, so getting a camera felt like an extension of me,” he explains. “It felt natural and super exciting to me, although my roommate at the time hated me because I was photographing everything and everyone, all the time.” \r\n\r\nIt didn’t take long for Dino to begin working as a journalistic photographer and at first, he was heavily influenced by street photography. “The thrill of shooting something that scared me made me feel really alive and gave me so much satisfaction,” he explains. If you ask Dino, however, his evolution as an artist has simply been an organic progression based on time and place. He points to his time spent as a graphic designer, which made him rethink the way in which he captures his photographs. “I would describe it as ‘OCD compositing’,” says Dino. “I’m super aware of all the things in the photo and I’m really precise with how I position them, but I try not to get to the point of being sterile.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003143\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_ss_18.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1200\" height=\"722\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nWhether he’s documenting his personal road trips through the desert in his <i>Arizona Pastels</i> series or taking branded shots for Tesla, Dino likes to think of his photos as a way to immortalize scenes that are aesthetically unique. “I like to imagine that it’s similar to being a painter,” he adds. “It’s just that I position objects in my compositions by moving around, not by actually painting them within the frame.” \r\n\r\nOver time, Dino has carved out his own visual language, characterized by sparse composition and muted colours for a soft look and vibe. Coming and going with what life brings, the photographer decided to move to San Francisco. “That really was a stepping stone for my photography,” he recalls. Not only did it fulfill his influence of American culture, but he really fell head over heels in love with the West Coast. “When I moved to California, my friends and I would always go on weekend trips and I always carried a camera,” says Dino. “It started there and sort of progressed naturally.” \r\n\r\nLiving and travelling through California gave Dino a completely different perspective on life than in Slovenia. He’s always been drawn to the fleeting feeling of freedom that comes with the open road. Naturally, his time spent in San Francisco tremendously shaped his aesthetic vision and it began to seep unconsciously into his photographs. “I never think too much about it,” he explains. “I just do it by feeling.” \r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003141\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/dino_kuznik_2019_21.jpg\" alt=\"Dino Kužnik - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1536\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nHis work often feels like a peaceful documentation of the American landscape and feeling, something that greatly reflects his creative process. “I’ve fallen in love with the process,” explains Dino. Being immersed in your environment and alone with your thoughts can be very therapeutic, and Dino’s photos are ultimately a projection of his state of mind at the time. “I really like the feeling of solitude when I’m photographing in the desert or exploring a new place,” he explains. “I get into this weird mode where I see so much stuff that I usually miss. It’s almost like a meditative state.”\r\n\r\nWhile he’s now based out of New York, which has its own kind of beauty and inspiration, Dino finds himself often coming back to the American West, something that’s ingrained into his style forever. In direct contrast to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, Dino keeps his trips organic with a few markers on Google Maps and a great road trip playlist. “It usually helps if I’m inspired by something,” he adds. “Not necessarily always positive either. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but I try to shape those feelings and inspiration into something good.” \r\n\r\nWhile the solitude and immersion that comes with freely roaming around and photographing along the way is a tranquil and therapeutic process for Dino, it doesn’t mean he’s rigid. In fact, like his decision to move to California, he embraces change. “I don’t like to get stale in life, so I always like to experiment, try new techniques and photograph different things,” he says. “The process of evolving something I love and hold so dearly is something that really makes me feel alive.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dinokuznik/\">Discover Dino Kužnik work here.</a></em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/journey-to-the-american-west-with-dino-kuznik/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Dermot Kennedy is Here to Stay",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL.jpg</center> <br/><h4>He’s paid his dues, received compliments from Travis Scott and been streamed over 300 million times across music platforms – yet Dermot Kennedy is as humble as they come.</h4>\r\nWhen Dermot Kennedy was a teenager, he used to head into Dublin from his rural hometown to busk on Grafton Street, one of the city centre's busiest promenades. While serenading shoppers and bar-hoppers isn't necessarily the most glitzy and glamorous start to a musical career, he looks back fondly on his time as a street performer. “It was quite freeing,” Kennedy explains. In his mind, busking was a very lucid experience, one that involved lots of experimentation, and sometimes humiliation, whereas now, Kennedy’s acclaim dictates that his performances, which are splayed across global arenas and amphitheaters, require more honesty and patience. “But it took a bit of time to realize I’m not playing a random bar or the street, and there are people here to hear these songs.”\r\n\r\nThe main shift between the two, besides the obvious lifestyle change that comes with being an internationally touring artist, is that he isn’t simply providing the background noise to a seamless walk down a city street or a crowded bar’s nightly entertainment. Rather, he <i>is</i> the entertainment. People came to see him. And while some artists break under the strain of relevance, Kennedy sees his talent and prominence as a humbled exploration through art and himself. “They’re on your side,” he reminds himself. Why would they pay otherwise?\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10003116 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dermot Kennedy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nDermot Kennedy is currently in the midst of a global tour to promote his debut album, <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/7jGNAMzrW5HMXdxl9XyBMG?si=lAjEVJAbSvKIZU_YsaNXwQ\"><i>Without Fear</i></a>, but still comes off as the giddy and fresh musician. His success is tantamount to most childhood daydreams, and still what’s most noticing in his Irish brogue is his ability to contribute to a point made or to add a heightened level of laughter to the conversation. He’s incredibly unique, both in a musical sense and a personal one. \r\n\r\nBeing from Ireland, Kennedy is not alone in setting down the standards of songwriting. “I’m inspired by anyone telling a story,” he says. Voices echoed before him include giants like Van the Man Morrison, the pivotal archetype of soul and class swilled into one voice, and Damien Rice, who conquered the folk rock scene with his first album <i>O</i> in 2002. He looks at all of them as expressive and motivating but also considers himself alongside them in the Irish canon. “To be able to look at a wealth of other artists and just want to be a part of that history is a lovely thing,” gleams Kennedy.\r\n<blockquote>“I’m inspired by anyone telling a story.” - Dermot Kennedy\n</blockquote>\r\nIt would be hard to grow up in Ireland’s landscape, a sprawling green pasture spotted with valleys, without it playing some kind of role in the back of your psyche. “Where I grew up was fields and forests, and even in that sense I was constantly inspired,” he adds. That sense of home still leaves a vacant hole in Kennedy when he is gone and it can be difficult for an artist to be “known for a body of work,” as he puts it, while still remaining attached to their home amongst the touring and other global work that enables artists to succeed on a higher level. The good part is that he knows that while he’s gone, Ireland’s greenness won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. “Do your best to remind yourself that you’ll be home before long,” he constantly tells himself. \r\n\r\nOne of his greatest influences and someone he cites often as instrumental to his growth is Justin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver. Vernon provides a necessary template for Kennedy in his blending of music and personal living. “Bon Iver still lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin,” says Kennedy. “That guy can really be anywhere in the whole world but that’s his place to be.” The sleepy hamlet of Eau Claire, and Justin Vernon’s studio, April Base, hold admirable truths that Kennedy recognizes. Mainly, that success and talent don’t have to correlate with a change in your person. Still, Kennedy has to remind himself that this is what he wanted all along and that more work needs to be done. “The nerves make way for excitement,” he adds. “It’s easy to get nervous. You have to remind yourself that people paid to come see you.”\r\n\r\nhttps://youtu.be/A48hOToMuRE\r\n\r\nKennedy also observes relevance on a global scale but also existing on a limited timeframe. The very act of being famous is a dying star to a lot of artists especially now due to the music being at a digital forefront for the first time ever. As streaming becomes more compatible with listeners than conventional technology, more artists rise up and fall down than ever before. “Even if someone comes out with a song that’s potentially timeless, it doesn’t necessarily mean that gets to become that,” he affirms. “Next week there’s going to be a bunch of new music and, I’m just saying, everything is happening so fast and everybody is bringing out stuff all the time because people are terrified of losing their relevance.” Not many people in the musical world speak with such candor, and Kennedy still seems like his decision is out on whether he’s comfortable with the modern push. \r\n\r\nOne this is for sure though, Apple Music and Spotify have taken the allure out of touring. “Back in the day if Thin Lizzy went on tour in America it would really be a case of like, alright, see you in a couple months, and no social media to keep up with where they are. It would just be playing brilliant shows,” he says. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore, but as long artists like Kennedy are performing, a man who is re-gluing the gap between honesty and talent that used to exist in older times, then audiences know they can trust him.\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Sam Farrell – Discover <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/artist/5KNNVgR6LBIABRIomyCwKJ?si=aZXeeU1ZTrGA4chm_p9lDA\">Dermot Kennedy's music on Spotify</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/dermot-kennedy-is-here-to-stay/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Dermot Kennedy is Here to Stay",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL.jpg</center> <br/><h4>He’s paid his dues, received compliments from Travis Scott and been streamed over 300 million times across music platforms – yet Dermot Kennedy is as humble as they come.</h4>\r\nWhen Dermot Kennedy was a teenager, he used to head into Dublin from his rural hometown to busk on Grafton Street, one of the city centre's busiest promenades. While serenading shoppers and bar-hoppers isn't necessarily the most glamorous or easy start to a musical career, he looks back fondly on his time as a street performer. “It was quite freeing,” Kennedy explains. In his mind, busking was a very lucid experience, one that involved lots of experimentation, and sometimes humiliation, whereas now, Kennedy’s acclaim dictates that his performances, which are splayed across global arenas and amphitheaters, require more honesty and patience. “But it took a bit of time to realize I’m not playing a random bar or the street, and there are people here to hear these songs.”\r\n\r\nThe main shift between the two, besides the obvious lifestyle change that comes with being an internationally touring artist, is that he isn’t simply providing the background noise to a seamless walk down a city street or a crowded bar’s nightly entertainment. Rather, he <i>is</i> the entertainment. People came to see him. And while some artists break under the strain of relevance, Kennedy sees his talent and prominence as a humbled exploration through art and himself. “They’re on your side,” he reminds himself. Why would they pay otherwise?\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10003116 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dermot Kennedy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nDermot Kennedy is currently in the midst of a global tour to promote his debut album, <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/7jGNAMzrW5HMXdxl9XyBMG?si=lAjEVJAbSvKIZU_YsaNXwQ\"><i>Without Fear</i></a>, but still comes off as the giddy and fresh musician. His success is tantamount to most childhood daydreams, and still what’s most noticing in his Irish brogue is his ability to contribute to a point made or to add a heightened level of laughter to the conversation. He’s incredibly unique, both in a musical sense and a personal one. \r\n\r\nBeing from Ireland, Kennedy is not alone in setting down the standards of songwriting. “I’m inspired by anyone telling a story,” he says. Voices echoed before him include giants like Van the Man Morrison, the pivotal archetype of soul and class swilled into one voice, and Damien Rice, who conquered the folk rock scene with his first album <i>O</i> in 2002. He looks at all of them as expressive and motivating but also considers himself alongside them in the Irish canon. “To be able to look at a wealth of other artists and just want to be a part of that history is a lovely thing,” gleams Kennedy.\r\n<blockquote>“I’m inspired by anyone telling a story.” - Dermot Kennedy\n</blockquote>\r\nIt would be hard to grow up in Ireland’s landscape, a sprawling green pasture spotted with valleys, without it playing some kind of role in the back of your psyche. “Where I grew up was fields and forests, and even in that sense I was constantly inspired,” he adds. That sense of home still leaves a vacant hole in Kennedy when he is gone and it can be difficult for an artist to be “known for a body of work,” as he puts it, while still remaining attached to their home amongst the touring and other global work that enables artists to succeed on a higher level. The good part is that he knows that while he’s gone, Ireland’s greenness won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. “Do your best to remind yourself that you’ll be home before long,” he constantly tells himself. \r\n\r\nOne of his greatest influences and someone he cites often as instrumental to his growth is Justin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver. Vernon provides a necessary template for Kennedy in his blending of music and personal living. “Bon Iver still lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin,” says Kennedy. “That guy can really be anywhere in the whole world but that’s his place to be.” The sleepy hamlet of Eau Claire, and Justin Vernon’s studio, April Base, hold admirable truths that Kennedy recognizes. Mainly, that success and talent don’t have to correlate with a change in your person. Still, Kennedy has to remind himself that this is what he wanted all along and that more work needs to be done. “The nerves make way for excitement,” he adds. “It’s easy to get nervous. You have to remind yourself that people paid to come see you.”\r\n\r\nhttps://youtu.be/A48hOToMuRE\r\n\r\nKennedy also observes relevance on a global scale but also existing on a limited timeframe. The very act of being famous is a dying star to a lot of artists especially now due to the music being at a digital forefront for the first time ever. As streaming becomes more compatible with listeners than conventional technology, more artists rise up and fall down than ever before. “Even if someone comes out with a song that’s potentially timeless, it doesn’t necessarily mean that gets to become that,” he affirms. “Next week there’s going to be a bunch of new music and, I’m just saying, everything is happening so fast and everybody is bringing out stuff all the time because people are terrified of losing their relevance.” Not many people in the musical world speak with such candor, and Kennedy still seems like his decision is out on whether he’s comfortable with the modern push. \r\n\r\nOne this is for sure though, Apple Music and Spotify have taken the allure out of touring. “Back in the day if Thin Lizzy went on tour in America it would really be a case of like, alright, see you in a couple months, and no social media to keep up with where they are. It would just be playing brilliant shows,” he says. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore, but as long artists like Kennedy are performing, a man who is re-gluing the gap between honesty and talent that used to exist in older times, then audiences know they can trust him.\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Sam Farrell – Discover <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/artist/5KNNVgR6LBIABRIomyCwKJ?si=aZXeeU1ZTrGA4chm_p9lDA\">Dermot Kennedy's music on Spotify</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/dermot-kennedy-is-here-to-stay/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Dermot Kennedy is Here to Stay",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL.jpg</center> <br/><h4>He’s paid his dues, received compliments from Travis Scott and been streamed over 300 million times across music platforms – yet Dermot Kennedy is as humble as they come.</h4>\r\nWhen Dermot Kennedy was a teenager, he used to head into Dublin from his rural hometown to busk on Grafton Street, one of the city centre's busiest promenades. He speaks on time serenading shoppers and bar-hoppers as it was pivotal to his earlier success in his career. “It was quite freeing,” Kennedy explains. In his mind, busking was a very lucid experience, one that involved lots of experimentation, and sometimes humiliation, whereas now, Kennedy’s acclaim dictates that his performances, which are splayed across global arenas and amphitheaters, require more honesty and patience. “But it took a bit of time to realize I’m not playing a random bar or the street, and there are people here to hear these songs.”\r\n\r\nThe main shift between the two, besides the obvious lifestyle change that comes with being an internationally touring artist, is that he isn’t simply providing the background noise to a seamless walk down a city street or a crowded bar’s nightly entertainment. Rather, he <i>is</i> the entertainment. People came to see him. And while some artists break under the strain of relevance, Kennedy sees his talent and prominence as a humbled exploration through art and himself. “They’re on your side,” he reminds himself. Why would they pay otherwise?\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10003116 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dermot Kennedy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nDermot Kennedy is currently in the midst of a global tour to promote his debut album, <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/7jGNAMzrW5HMXdxl9XyBMG?si=lAjEVJAbSvKIZU_YsaNXwQ\"><i>Without Fear</i></a>, but still comes off as the giddy and fresh musician. His success is tantamount to most childhood daydreams, and still what’s most noticing in his Irish brogue is his ability to contribute to a point made or to add a heightened level of laughter to the conversation. He’s incredibly unique, both in a musical sense and a personal one. \r\n\r\nBeing from Ireland, Kennedy is not alone in setting down the standards of songwriting. “I’m inspired by anyone telling a story,” he says. 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      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL.jpg</center> <br/><h4>He’s paid his dues, received compliments from Travis Scott and been streamed over 300 million times across music platforms – yet Dermot Kennedy is as humble as they come.</h4>\r\nWhen Dermot Kennedy was a teenager, he used to head into Dublin from his rural hometown to busk on the bustling Grafton Street. He speaks on time serenading shoppers and bar-hoppers as it was pivotal to his earlier success in his career. “It was quite freeing,” Kennedy explains. 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      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Dermot-Kennedy-LYFSTYL.jpg</center> <br/><h4>He’s paid his dues, received compliments from Travis Scott and been streamed over 300 million times across music platforms – yet Dermot Kennedy is still as humble as they come.</h4>\r\nWhen Dermot Kennedy was a teenager, he used to head into Dublin from his rural hometown to busk on the bustling Grafton Street. He speaks on time serenading shoppers and bar-hoppers as it was pivotal to his earlier success in his career. “It was quite freeing,” Kennedy explains. 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Vernon provides a necessary template for Kennedy in his blending of music and personal living. “Bon Iver still lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin,” says Kennedy. “That guy can really be anywhere in the whole world but that’s his place to be.” The sleepy hamlet of Eau Claire, and Justin Vernon’s studio, April Base, hold admirable truths that Kennedy recognizes. Mainly, that success and talent don’t have to correlate with a change in your person. Still, Kennedy has to remind himself that this is what he wanted all along and that more work needs to be done. “The nerves make way for excitement,” he adds. “It’s easy to get nervous. You have to remind yourself that people paid to come see you.”\r\n\r\nhttps://youtu.be/A48hOToMuRE\r\n\r\nKennedy also observes relevance on a global scale but also existing on a limited timeframe. The very act of being famous is a dying star to a lot of artists especially now due to the music being at a digital forefront for the first time ever. 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      "permlink": "traditionalmorrocansplendouratelfennriadhotel-4juuwxhmeh",
      "title": "Traditional Morrocan Splendour at El Fenn",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, El Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace hotel that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Howell James, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s Manager Partner Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who formerly owned an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection adorns the walls of El Fenn. There aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. At El Fenn, there are no rules.”\r\n\r\nTheir property contains an emerald-tiled courtyard that hosts a private splash pool and indoor-outdoor lounge. The verdant gardens of each courtyard offer privacy in abundance, where you’ll find travellers enjoying each other’s company or simply cozying up and reading a book. The rooftop has plush areas to relax, plunge pools and a locally-inspired restaurant, where you can dine over some of the best views in town – a panorama of the Atlas mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003086\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-110def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nTraditional beauty rituals are given a luxurious twist at the indulgent El Fenn Spa. The expert therapists offer an elegant list of body massages, as well as facials that use produces based on Argan oil. Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. Culture, history and art manifest here and allow you to feel at home with all the adventure and splendour of North Africa.\r\n\r\n“The atmosphere is either very calm with guests chilling around the property or absolutely vibrant with the most unexpected people turning up, ending in a wonderful night around a dinner table on the roof, with the call for prayers in the background,” says Smit. “That’s still very much what Marrakech is about, the most unexpected people brought together behind an anonymous front door surrounded by utter beauty.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – <a href=\"https://el-fenn.com/\">Discover El Fenn</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/traditional-morrocan-splendour-at-el-fenn-riad-hotel/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "permlink": "traditionalmorrocansplendouratelfennriadhotel-4juuwxhmeh",
      "title": "Traditional Morrocan Splendour at El Fenn",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, El Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace hotel that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Howell James, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s Manager Partner Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who formerly owned an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection adorns the walls of El Fenn. There aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. At El Fenn, there are no rules.”\r\n\r\nTheir property contains an emerald-tiled courtyard that hosts a private splash pool and indoor-outdoor lounge. The verdant gardens of each courtyard offer privacy in abundance, where you’ll find travellers enjoying each other’s company or simply cozying up and reading a book. The rooftop has plush areas to relax, plunge pools and a locally-inspired restaurant, where you can dine over some of the best views in town – a panorama of the Atlas mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003086\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-110def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nTraditional beauty rituals are given a luxurious twist at the indulgent El Fenn Spa. The expert therapists offer an elegant list of body massages, as well as facials that use produces based on Argan oil. Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. Culture, history and art manifest here and allow you to feel at home with all the adventure and splendour of North Africa.\r\n\r\n“The atmosphere is either very calm with guests chilling around the property or absolutely vibrant with the most unexpected people turning up, ending in a wonderful night around a dinner table on the roof, with the call for prayers in the background,” says Smit. “That’s still very much what Marrakech is about, the most unexpected people brought together behind an anonymous front door surrounded by utter beauty.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – <a href=\"https://el-fenn.com/\">Discover the El Fenn</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/traditional-morrocan-splendour-at-el-fenn-riad-hotel/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "author": "lyfstyl",
      "permlink": "traditionalmorrocansplendouratelfennriadhotel-4juuwxhmeh",
      "title": "Traditional Morrocan Splendour at El Fenn",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, El Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace hotel that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn riad hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Howell James, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s Manager Partner Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who formerly owned an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection adorns the walls of El Fenn. There aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. At El Fenn, there are no rules.”\r\n\r\nTheir property contains an emerald-tiled courtyard that hosts a private splash pool and indoor-outdoor lounge. The verdant gardens of each courtyard offer privacy in abundance, where you’ll find travellers enjoying each other’s company or simply cozying up and reading a book. The rooftop has plush areas to relax, plunge pools and a locally-inspired restaurant, where you can dine over some of the best views in town – a panorama of the Atlas mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003086\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-110def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nTraditional beauty rituals are given a luxurious twist at the indulgent El Fenn Spa. The expert therapists offer an elegant list of body massages, as well as facials that use produces based on Argan oil. Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. 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      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, El Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace hotel that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn Hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Howell James, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s Manager Partner Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who formerly owned an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection adorns the walls of El Fenn. There aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. At El Fenn, there are no rules.”\r\n\r\nTheir property contains an emerald-tiled courtyard that hosts a private splash pool and indoor-outdoor lounge. The verdant gardens of each courtyard offer privacy in abundance, where you’ll find travellers enjoying each other’s company or simply cozying up and reading a book. The rooftop has plush areas to relax, plunge pools and a locally-inspired restaurant, where you can dine over some of the best views in town – a panorama of the Atlas mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003086\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-110def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nTraditional beauty rituals are given a luxurious twist at the indulgent El Fenn Spa. The expert therapists offer an elegant list of body massages, as well as facials that use produces based on Argan oil. Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. 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      "title": "Traditional Morrocan Splendour at El Fenn Riad Hotel",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, El Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace hotel that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn Hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Howell James, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s Manager Partner Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who formerly owned an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection adorns the walls of El Fenn. There aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. 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Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. 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      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, the El Fenn Riad Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn Hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Justin Howell, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s general manager Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who owns an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection inhabits every wall in El Fenn.\r\n\r\nThere aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech. Tea and coffee are left outside your room each morning, followed by afternoon tea again in the main courtyard.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. At El Fenn, there are no rules.”\r\n\r\nTheir property contains an emerald-tiled courtyard that hosts a private splash pool and indoor-outdoor lounge. The verdant gardens of each courtyard offer privacy in abundance, where you’ll find travellers enjoying each other’s company or simply cozying up and reading a book. The rooftop has plush areas to relax, plunge pools and a locally-inspired restaurant, where you can dine over some of the best views in town – a panorama of the Atlas mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003086\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-110def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nTraditional beauty rituals are given a luxurious twist at the indulgent El Fenn Spa. The expert therapists offer an elegant list of body massages, as well as facials that use produces based on Argan oil. Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. Culture, history and art manifest here and allow you to feel at home with all the adventure and splendour of North Africa.\r\n\r\n“The atmosphere is either very calm with guests chilling around the property or absolutely vibrant with the most unexpected people turning up, ending in a wonderful night around a dinner table on the roof, with the call for prayers in the background,” says Smit. “That’s still very much what Marrakech is about, the most unexpected people brought together behind an anonymous front door surrounded by utter beauty.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – <a href=\"https://el-fenn.com/\">Discover the El Fenn Riad Hotel</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/traditional-morrocan-splendour-at-el-fenn-riad-hotel/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "permlink": "traditionalmorrocansplendouratelfennriadhotel-4juuwxhmeh",
      "title": "Traditional Morrocan Splendour at El Fenn Riad Hotel",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-2©-Kasia-Gatkowska-.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Mixing old and new, the El Fenn Riad Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco, is a private palace that delivers an enriching cultural, historical and luxurious experience like no other.</h4>\r\nFrom the Moroccan desert rises Marrakech, an oasis of beauty and serenity that’s sure to reward those in search of adventure, rejuvenation and the experience of a lifetime. Behind the ancient city walls of its medina lies a sensational labyrinth of bustling souks, ornate fountains, magnificent palaces and graceful mosques. The fast-paced medina is the beating pulse of Marrakech and it’s bound to enthrall, hypnotize and enchant your senses in ways you never imagined.\r\n\r\nJust a few steps away from the world-famous Djemaa el Fna, the medina’s vast main square, stands the majestic El Fenn Hotel. The plush jewel-toned entrance perfectly foreshadows the tranquillity that lies on the other side of the doors, a welcome change from the chaotic pace of the medina.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003085\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/El-Fenn-Riad-Hotel-David-Loftus-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - David Loftus - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nEl Fenn, the brainchild of Vanessa Branson (sister to Sir Richard Branson), combines the grandeur of historic architecture with hideaway nooks, terraces and gardens. The ornate boutique hotel is housed within a traditional Moroccan riad, estates centred around an open-air courtyard that once housed Marrakech’s wealthiest citizens. By their very nature, riads are extremely intimate and lavish, almost like a private palace for its guests. Staying within a converted riad within the old medina of Marrakech is a once-in-a-lifetime experience steeped in history, tradition and culture – and one that was previously off-limits.\r\n\r\n“I first visited Marrakech many years ago and everything about the city captivated my imagination,” Branson begins. “The light, the colour, the architecture were a feast for the eyes and the fresh fragrant food a feast for the body. I loved the inquisitive locals enthusiastically engaging in conversations of philosophy, customs and ideas in general. The gentle pace of living is a beautiful contrast to the lunacy of contemporary life in the West.”\r\n\r\nBranson adored Marrakech so much so that she decided to search for a holiday home alongside her business partner Justin Howell, where they stumbled upon the ruins of one of the medina’s formerly great private estates. “We had seen a number of properties that day that were all interesting in their own right, but none having the magic we were hoping for,” recalls Branson. “But El Fenn was oh so different. The walls were crumbling, the roofs gaping to the stars, but the elegance and sheer majestic of the beauty literally took our breath away.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003088\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Extra-Large-room-18-©-Kasia-Gatkowska-def.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe walled riad dates back to around 1815 and once upon a time belonged to a wealthy local merchant. Although the home was in poor condition when discovered by Branson, it retained many original features, including the doors, windows and colonnades opening onto secret courtyard gardens.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn started with a two-year-long restoration that produced six suites and they’ve been slowly adding to it ever since. Local craftsmen used traditional techniques to breathe a new life into the property. Polished lime plastering was used in a rainbow of colours to create walls, baths and bed frames, while original tiling was renovated and carved cedar ceilings restored. Retro furniture sourced from local flea markets were combined with one-off pieces to create a magnificent interior.\r\n\r\nAfter purchasing the neighbouring riads, El Fenn is now up to twenty-eight individually-styled suites and bedrooms, focused around five courtyard gardens studded with palm and citrus trees and hosting flitting birds and languid tortoises. There’s also a nearby 6-bedroom private house that can be booked exclusively for up to 12 guests. Three swimming pools, a library, restaurant, bar and spa have all been added with the expertise of renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj.\r\n\r\nWhile the property has been restored and decorated in full, it’s always going to be an ongoing process at El Fenn. Nowadays it’s general manager Willem Smit, who also has an eye for design, that’s responsible for keeping the boutique hotel fresh and current. He began with small work, such as restoring and reupholstering furniture, before he began adding more complex layers that include statement rugs, hand-stitched camel leather floors, fes tiling and vintage Capiz Chandeliers. “The vision has always been, and always will be as if you walk into someone’s home, who’s been a collector of beautiful things,” says Smit.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003087\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-120def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThe suites are complete with high ceilings, lounging areas and even open-plan bathrooms, as well as a striking mix of oriental and refurbished pieces from the 30s to 70s. Carved wooden doors, antique mirrors and traditional Moroccan rugs create an ambiance that’s cozy, intimate and comfortable. Branson, who owns an art gallery in London and also founded the Marrakech Biennale, naturally had an itch to decorate the bare walls, and today classic and contemporary artwork from her personal collection inhabits every wall in El Fenn.\r\n\r\nThere aren’t any phones or televisions in the rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s purpose as a tranquil home base that provides respite after action-packed days exploring the markets and palaces of Marrakech. Tea and coffee are left outside your room each morning, followed by afternoon tea again in the main courtyard.\r\n\r\nEl Fenn masterfully combines the spirit of the building’s past with a contemporary decorative twist. Through its mosaic of colours, one-off pieces and calming atmosphere, the enriching artisan heritage of Marrakech can be seen and felt throughout the hotel. “The spirit of El Fenn is independent free-thinking and hand-crafted, one-off cool,” exclaims Branson. “We mix old with new, block colour with print, painting with photography. At El Fenn, there are no rules.”\r\n\r\nTheir property contains an emerald-tiled courtyard that hosts a private splash pool and indoor-outdoor lounge. The verdant gardens of each courtyard offer privacy in abundance, where you’ll find travellers enjoying each other’s company or simply cozying up and reading a book. The rooftop has plush areas to relax, plunge pools and a locally-inspired restaurant, where you can dine over some of the best views in town – a panorama of the Atlas mountains and the Koutoubia mosque.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003086\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/ANNEX-110def-©Kasia-Gatkowska.jpg\" alt=\"El Fenn Riad Hotel - Kasia Gatkowska - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nTraditional beauty rituals are given a luxurious twist at the indulgent El Fenn Spa. The expert therapists offer an elegant list of body massages, as well as facials that use produces based on Argan oil. Native to Morocco, this oil is harvested exclusively by women in small co-operatives. It’s rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid and renowned for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. The products in the El Fenn spa have all been created by Les Sens de Marrakech and contain natural ingredients ranging from rose water to ghassoul clay. There’s also a choice of Argan-based massage oils including the essences of rose, amber, jasmine and verveine.\r\n\r\nThrough all of its evolution and renovations, the spirit of El Fenn remains the same. It’s a serene place to kick back and enjoy an abundance of hidden spaces, beautiful artwork and royal architecture before stepping back outside to soak up the dazzling atmosphere of Marrakech. Culture, history and art manifest here and allow you to feel at home with all the adventure and splendour of North Africa.\r\n\r\n“The atmosphere is either very calm with guests chilling around the property or absolutely vibrant with the most unexpected people turning up, ending in a wonderful night around a dinner table on the roof, with the call for prayers in the background,” says Smit. “That’s still very much what Marrakech is about, the most unexpected people brought together behind an anonymous front door surrounded by utter beauty.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – Discover the El Fenn Riad Hotel.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/traditional-morrocan-splendour-at-el-fenn-riad-hotel/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Studio Rick Joy Architecture Firm",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/14_RJA_Studio_011A.jpg</center> <br/><h3>Studio Rick Joy provides insight into the processes and history of the award-winning architecture firm.</h3>\r\nA sea of colour moves harmoniously in Princeton, New Jersey, forming a real-life time-lapse as hordes of students, academics and everyday New Jerseyans hurriedly try to reach the next destination in their respective days. The emergence of winter has been teased as of late, so the wave of colour is mostly comprised of thick wool pea coats of navy blue and musty green, or down parkas in bright hues like scarlet red—styles befitting of an Ivy League town. \r\n\r\nThe scene is unfolding at the Princeton Transit Hall, a shining example of modernity in the historic community. The station, which is made up of two buildings and a dividing plaza, has an angled, dark steel roof that slopes downwards towards the station’s train tracks. Concrete pillars tower above patrons and provide shelter over the building’s interior, where walnut benches and great glass windows invite outside light into the halls as its welcomed guest. Across the country, in Tucson, Arizona, resides the architecture firm responsible for this east coast triumph, <a href=\"https://studiorickjoy.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Studio Rick Joy</a>, which has come a long way from its rammed-earth roots that took hold 25 years ago.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000662\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Princeton-Transit-Hall-by-Jeff-GoldbergEsto-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Princeton Transit Hall by Jeff Goldberg/Esto.</center>\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000663\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Princeton-Transit-Hall-by-Jeff-GoldbergEsto-LYFSTYL-2.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Princeton Transit Hall by Jeff Goldberg/Esto.</center>\r\n<blockquote>“We are part of an evolution, we need to live with that in mind,” says Rick Joy, the founder of the legendary <a href=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/category/art-and-design/architecture/\">architecture</a> firm that he established in his name in 1993.\n</blockquote>\r\nJoy says that the Princeton Transit Hall is a project that stands out to him when he thinks about his career, partially because it represents the evolution his company has undergone. The studio now has projects all over the world, which means collaborating with organizations like the New Jersey Transit Authority and Princeton University, the types of governing bodies that were largely absent during the studio’s formative years as it built its reputation building desert homes for individuals in Arizona and its surrounding areas.\r\n\r\n“Starting out working in Tucson, many of the projects were rammed earth, weathered steel or galvanized steel, which are good materials for this type of place,” says Joy. “And then once I moved onto Vermont, for example, we used cedar shingles because in that type of environment there’s such extreme freeze-thaw and temperature swings and stuff that you need the ability for the material to expand and contract in individual pieces.”\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000665\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/TC-by-Joe-Fletcher-Photography-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Turks &amp; Caicos by Joe Fletcher Photography.</center>\r\n\r\nWhile Joy initially built his and his company’s reputation with the signature rammed-earth style, its output is now driven by climate, location and locally-sourced building materials, from white concrete in Turks &amp; Caicos to copper belvederes on Long Island.\r\n<blockquote>“I don’t have a signature style.” says Joy. “My style is derived from the location I’m building in.”\n</blockquote>\r\nBut still, many people in the know about architecture associate Studio Rick Joy with the earthy style that was the inspiration for his studio’s iconic first book, “Desert Works,” published in 2002. Rammed earth literally means taking materials from the ground like sand, clay, gravel, chalk or lime and “ramming” them together to form a building material. It’s the style that Joy and his team used to construct legendary homes like the Catalina House and the Palmer Rose House, both near the firm’s home base in Tucson. While the studio is far from reliant on the rammed earth style in their work today – as evidenced by projects like the Princeton Transit Hall – many of the most beautiful structures throughout the American landscapes most private desert enclaves wouldn’t exist without Rick Joy’s inquisitive mind.\r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000664\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Amangiri-by-Joe-Fletcher-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"798\" /><br/> Amangiri by Joe Fletcher Photography.\r\n\r\nIn Utah, Canyon slopes go on as far as the eye can see, curving every which way against the silhouette of the setting sun and clear sky. The pure, untouched desert earth underfoot is immense, forming a coffee-coloured ocean floor in the middle of state’s desolate plains, just northeast of the Coyote Trail. Tucked into the valley, the only manmade structure visible is one that fittingly blends seamlessly into the earthly landscape. Emerald green water sits still in the middle of Amangiri, the resort constructed in 2008 by Studio Rick Joy in conjunction with a team of other legendary architects including Marwan Al-Sayed and Wendell Burnette. \r\n\r\nThe resort defines relaxation and the fleeting idea of actually “getting away from it all.” The legendary retreat is one of Studio Rick Joy’s seminal works and with its 33 suites, outdoor hot tubs and pools and brightly-flickering fireplaces, it should be on the bucket list of every world traveller who values old world qualities like peace, quiet and isolation. It’s not a resort, its functional art surrounded by sweet and epic nothingness—600 acres of wilderness that expands as far as the eye can see.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000667\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Amangiri-by-Joe-Fletcher-Photography-LYFSTYL-2.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Amangiri by Joe Fletcher Photography.</center>\r\n\r\nIt’s the range, versatility and progression from works like 1998’s Catalina House to Amangiri near the turn of the century and the more recent Princeton Transit Hall that has cemented the Arizona firm’s spot as a defining leader of thoughtful and resourceful architectural work. Studio Rick Joy doesn’t repackage modern trends and call them its own, but rather it trots along at its own pace, ambivalent when it comes to meeting certain criteria imposed on it by the greater architectural community. While Rick Joy’s name might not carry the same celebrity as Bjarke Ingels or other media-darling architects, the former’s reputation is unquestionably well understood by his peers. \r\n\r\n“All serious architects in the U.S. know of his work,” says Mark Lee, the chair of the architecture department at Harvard University, where Joy himself has taught. “His dedication to material practice, his dedication to finishes of buildings are very unlike many American practices,” adds Lee, who says that Joy’s work has had a profound impact on the country’s architecture industry, even if the design guru chooses to fly somewhat under the radar.\r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000668\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Woodstock-by-Undine-Prohl-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"704\" /><br/> Woodstock by Undine Prohl.\r\n\r\n“I think he belongs to a group of perennial outsiders who are on a slow burn. They are very good, they’re very serious, not on a fast track, but pursuant to old architecture interests, with a certain tenacity, quirkiness and also confidence,” continues Lee. “He’s been producing quietly subversive work without keeping up with the latest trends and I think that’s something that’s his strength.”\r\n\r\nIn line with recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Studio Rick Joy released its second book, “Studio Joy Works,” in October to commemorate the occasion and celebrate its diverse offering of work over the last quarter century. Joy has assembled a thoughtful team of architects since his company’s inception, most of which are deeply reflective individuals, inspired by things like art, philosophy and literature written about the place they’re working in.\r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000669\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Woodstock-by-Undine-Prohl-LYFSTYL-2.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Woodstock by Undine Prohl.\r\n\r\n“When I graduated from Cornell with my master’s degree, Rick’s office was the only one I actually applied to work at,” says Matt Luck, a senior designer at the firm whose passion for architecture evolved out of a childhood talent for oil painting and a later appreciation for philosophers like Wendell Berry. “It was either that or teaching he says,” highlighting how he highly he valued working with Joy in particular. “Desert Works had been out for a few years,” says Luck of his thought process when considering leaving his east coast roots behind for Tucson around eight years ago. “The work was heavy, unapologetic and it sort of took a stand.”\r\n\r\nLuck, who was the project lead on the Princeton Transit Hall, says Studio Rick Joy stands out from its peers because of its unique formula and planning process. “We don’t really have a specific architectural style, we’re not going to drop a white house in the middle of nowhere,” says Luck. “What we’re trying to do is be very honest with ourselves and really respectful of the place, so we can come to some truth and work from there … that’s a fairly unique part of our work.”\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000658\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Rick-Joy-Architects-Studio-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Inside Studio Rick Joy.</center>\r\n\r\nThe respectful stance Joy has always espoused with his work extends from his clients’ properties to the inner sanctums of his own offices, where his employees are valued as cooperators rather than mere collaborators. “It’s a real equality-driven practice,” says Joy, adding that “two people with the same amount of experience — a man and a woman — get exactly the same thing.” Another example of Studio Rick Joy’s forward-thinking is its celebration of diversity, highlighted by its employ of more women than men, the dozens of foreign languages spoken by its wide range of internationally-born architects and its mental health-focused head office in Tucson that features seven kitchens, six bathrooms, six courtyards and, to the delight of Joy’s employees, a weekly massage program. \r\n\r\nThe genuine dedication to going beyond the ordinary is something practiced every day by Joy in his work and it’s reflected in how many of his most successful projects have come together. “The open sharing of ideas that he’s able to foster in our office is really amazing,” says Luck. “Rick doesn’t just come in and sketch buildings for us to make real, there’s a lot of offices that’s how it works. Our office is really much more about the open sharing of ideas, every single employee has a big piece of ownership on these projects and Rick’s the person who fosters that.” \r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000657\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/14_RJA_Studio_062C.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2200\" height=\"1468\" /><br/> Inside Studio Rick Joy.\r\n\r\nWorking with Joy and building defining structures like Princeton’s train station has been everything Luck hoped it would be, and so much more. “For me, seeing how he perceives the world, observes the world, takes and makes things from the world has been by far the best experience of my professional career,” says Luck. 25 years and counting and Joy and his namesake studio still can’t be narrowly defined. What started with a couple slabs of rammed earth in the desert has become one of the prized houses of modern architecture, somewhat quietly of course. And that’s just fine with Joy himself. \r\n\r\nThroughout a quarter century of architectural output, Joy’s way of life has calmly reflected our planetary evolution and given care and respect to the materials and very fibres that make up each and every community he’s worked in, without shouting as much for all to hear. Given this understanding, the fact that Joy defines success with a borrowed quote from the Pritzker Prize-winning Australian architect Glenn Murcutt comes as no surprise: “You do the best you can at what you do and you make sure nobody recognizes you at the beach.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Dan LeBaron – Discover <a href=\"https://studiorickjoy.com/\">Studio Rick Joy</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/a-look-inside-studio-rick-joy/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "title": "Studio Rick Joy Architecture Firm",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/14_RJA_Studio_011A.jpg</center> <br/><h3>Studio Rick Joy provides insight into the processes and history of the award-winning architecture firm.</h3>\r\nA sea of colour moves harmoniously in Princeton, New Jersey, forming a real-life time-lapse as hordes of students, academics and everyday New Jerseyans hurriedly try to reach the next destination in their respective days. The emergence of winter has been teased as of late, so the wave of colour is mostly comprised of thick wool pea coats of navy blue and musty green, or down parkas in bright hues like scarlet red—styles befitting of an Ivy League town. \r\n\r\nThe scene is unfolding at the Princeton Transit Hall, a shining example of modernity in the historic community. The station, which is made up of two buildings and a dividing plaza, has an angled, dark steel roof that slopes downwards towards the station’s train tracks. Concrete pillars tower above patrons and provide shelter over the building’s interior, where walnut benches and great glass windows invite outside light into the halls as its welcomed guest. Across the country, in Tucson, Arizona, resides the architecture firm responsible for this east coast triumph, <a href=\"https://studiorickjoy.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Studio Rick Joy</a>, which has come a long way from its rammed-earth roots that took hold 25 years ago.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000662\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Princeton-Transit-Hall-by-Jeff-GoldbergEsto-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Princeton Transit Hall by Jeff Goldberg/Esto.</center>\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000663\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Princeton-Transit-Hall-by-Jeff-GoldbergEsto-LYFSTYL-2.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Princeton Transit Hall by Jeff Goldberg/Esto.</center>\r\n<blockquote>“We are part of an evolution, we need to live with that in mind,” says Rick Joy, the founder of the legendary <a href=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/category/art-and-design/architecture/\">architecture</a> firm that he established in his name in 1993.\n</blockquote>\r\nJoy says that the Princeton Transit Hall is a project that stands out to him when he thinks about his career, partially because it represents the evolution his company has undergone. The studio now has projects all over the world, which means collaborating with organizations like the New Jersey Transit Authority and Princeton University, the types of governing bodies that were largely absent during the studio’s formative years as it built its reputation building desert homes for individuals in Arizona and its surrounding areas.\r\n\r\n“Starting out working in Tucson, many of the projects were rammed earth, weathered steel or galvanized steel, which are good materials for this type of place,” says Joy. “And then once I moved onto Vermont, for example, we used cedar shingles because in that type of environment there’s such extreme freeze-thaw and temperature swings and stuff that you need the ability for the material to expand and contract in individual pieces.”\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000665\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/TC-by-Joe-Fletcher-Photography-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Turks &amp; Caicos by Joe Fletcher Photography.</center>\r\n\r\nWhile Joy initially built his and his company’s reputation with the signature rammed-earth style, its output is now driven by climate, location and locally-sourced building materials, from white concrete in Turks &amp; Caicos to copper belvederes on Long Island.\r\n<blockquote>“I don’t have a signature style.” says Joy. “My style is derived from the location I’m building in.”\n</blockquote>\r\nBut still, many people in the know about architecture associate Studio Rick Joy with the earthy style that was the inspiration for his studio’s iconic first book, “Desert Works,” published in 2002. Rammed earth literally means taking materials from the ground like sand, clay, gravel, chalk or lime and “ramming” them together to form a building material. It’s the style that Joy and his team used to construct legendary homes like the Catalina House and the Palmer Rose House, both near the firm’s home base in Tucson. While the studio is far from reliant on the rammed earth style in their work today – as evidenced by projects like the Princeton Transit Hall – many of the most beautiful structures throughout the American landscapes most private desert enclaves wouldn’t exist without Rick Joy’s inquisitive mind.\r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000664\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Amangiri-by-Joe-Fletcher-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"798\" /><br/> Amangiri by Joe Fletcher Photography.\r\n\r\nIn Utah, Canyon slopes go on as far as the eye can see, curving every which way against the silhouette of the setting sun and clear sky. The pure, untouched desert earth underfoot is immense, forming a coffee-coloured ocean floor in the middle of state’s desolate plains, just northeast of the Coyote Trail. Tucked into the valley, the only manmade structure visible is one that fittingly blends seamlessly into the earthly landscape. Emerald green water sits still in the middle of Amangiri, the resort constructed in 2008 by Studio Rick Joy in conjunction with a team of other legendary architects including Marwan Al-Sayed and Wendell Burnette. \r\n\r\nThe resort defines relaxation and the fleeting idea of actually “getting away from it all.” The legendary retreat is one of Studio Rick Joy’s seminal works and with its 33 suites, outdoor hot tubs and pools and brightly-flickering fireplaces, it should be on the bucket list of every world traveller who values old world qualities like peace, quiet and isolation. It’s not a resort, its functional art surrounded by sweet and epic nothingness—600 acres of wilderness that expands as far as the eye can see.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000667\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Amangiri-by-Joe-Fletcher-Photography-LYFSTYL-2.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Amangiri by Joe Fletcher Photography.</center>\r\n\r\nIt’s the range, versatility and progression from works like 1998’s Catalina House to Amangiri near the turn of the century and the more recent Princeton Transit Hall that has cemented the Arizona firm’s spot as a defining leader of thoughtful and resourceful architectural work. Studio Rick Joy doesn’t repackage modern trends and call them its own, but rather it trots along at its own pace, ambivalent when it comes to meeting certain criteria imposed on it by the greater architectural community. While Rick Joy’s name might not carry the same celebrity as Bjarke Ingels or other media-darling architects, the former’s reputation is unquestionably well understood by his peers. \r\n\r\n“All serious architects in the U.S. know of his work,” says Mark Lee, the chair of the architecture department at Harvard University, where Joy himself has taught. “His dedication to material practice, his dedication to finishes of buildings are very unlike many American practices,” adds Lee, who says that Joy’s work has had a profound impact on the country’s architecture industry, even if the design guru chooses to fly somewhat under the radar.\r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000668\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Woodstock-by-Undine-Prohl-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"704\" /><br/> Woodstock by Undine Prohl.\r\n\r\n“I think he belongs to a group of perennial outsiders who are on a slow burn. They are very good, they’re very serious, not on a fast track, but pursuant to old architecture interests, with a certain tenacity, quirkiness and also confidence,” continues Lee. “He’s been producing quietly subversive work without keeping up with the latest trends and I think that’s something that’s his strength.”\r\n\r\nIn line with recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Studio Rick Joy released its second book, “Studio Joy Works,” in October to commemorate the occasion and celebrate its diverse offering of work over the last quarter century. Joy has assembled a thoughtful team of architects since his company’s inception, most of which are deeply reflective individuals, inspired by things like art, philosophy and literature written about the place they’re working in.\r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000669\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Woodstock-by-Undine-Prohl-LYFSTYL-2.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Woodstock by Undine Prohl.\r\n\r\n“When I graduated from Cornell with my master’s degree, Rick’s office was the only one I actually applied to work at,” says Matt Luck, a senior designer at the firm whose passion for architecture evolved out of a childhood talent for oil painting and a later appreciation for philosophers like Wendell Berry. “It was either that or teaching he says,” highlighting how he highly he valued working with Joy in particular. \r\n\r\n“Desert Works had been out for a few years,” says Luck of his thought process when considering leaving his east coast roots behind for Tucson around eight years ago. “The work was heavy, unapologetic and it sort of took a stand.”\r\n\r\nLuck, who was the project lead on the Princeton Transit Hall, says Studio Rick Joy stands out from its peers because of its unique formula and planning process. \r\n\r\n“We don’t really have a specific architectural style, we’re not going to drop a white house in the middle of nowhere,” says Luck. “What we’re trying to do is be very honest with ourselves and really respectful of the place, so we can come to some truth and work from there … that’s a fairly unique part of our work.”\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000658\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Rick-Joy-Architects-Studio-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Inside Studio Rick Joy.</center>\r\n\r\nThe respectful stance Joy has always espoused with his work extends from his clients’ properties to the inner sanctums of his own offices, where his employees are valued as cooperators rather than mere collaborators.\r\n\r\n“It’s a real equality-driven practice,” says Joy, adding that “two people with the same amount of experience — a man and a woman — get exactly the same thing.” Another example of Studio Rick Joy’s forward-thinking is its celebration of diversity, highlighted by its employ of more women than men, the dozens of foreign languages spoken by its wide range of internationally-born architects and its mental health-focused head office in Tucson that features seven kitchens, six bathrooms, six courtyards and, to the delight of Joy’s employees, a weekly massage program. \r\n\r\nThe genuine dedication to going beyond the ordinary is something practiced every day by Joy in his work and it’s reflected in how many of his most successful projects have come together.  \r\n\r\n“The open sharing of ideas that he’s able to foster in our office is really amazing,” says Luck. “Rick doesn’t just come in and sketch buildings for us to make real, there’s a lot of offices that’s how it works. Our office is really much more about the open sharing of ideas, every single employee has a big piece of ownership on these projects and Rick’s the person who fosters that.” \r\n\r <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10000657\" src=\"http://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/14_RJA_Studio_062C.jpg\" alt=\"Studio Rick Joy - LYFSTYL\" width=\"2200\" height=\"1468\" /><br/> Inside Studio Rick Joy.\r\n\r\nWorking with Joy and building defining structures like Princeton’s train station has been everything Luck hoped it would be, and so much more.\r\n\r\n“For me, seeing how he perceives the world, observes the world, takes and makes things from the world has been by far the best experience of my professional career,” says Luck.\r\n\r\n25 years and counting and Joy and his namesake studio still can’t be narrowly defined. What started with a couple slabs of rammed earth in the desert has become one of the prized houses of modern architecture, somewhat quietly of course. And that’s just fine with Joy himself. \r\n\r\nThroughout a quarter century of architectural output, Joy’s way of life has calmly reflected our planetary evolution and given care and respect to the materials and very fibres that make up each and every community he’s worked in, without shouting as much for all to hear. Given this understanding, the fact that Joy defines success with a borrowed quote from the Pritzker Prize-winning Australian architect Glenn Murcutt comes as no surprise: “You do the best you can at what you do and you make sure nobody recognizes you at the beach.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Dan LeBaron – Discover <a href=\"https://studiorickjoy.com/\">Studio Rick Joy</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/a-look-inside-studio-rick-joy/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "parent_permlink": "alookinside",
      "author": "lyfstyl",
      "permlink": "alookinsidegarciatamjidiarchitecturedesign-58kn7q87is",
      "title": "Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design Studio",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_LYFSTYL_Exclusice.jpg</center> <br/><h4>A deep dive into San Francisco-based architecture firm <a href=\"https://garciatamjidi.com/\">Garcia Tamjidi</a> and the professional journey of two of California's staple architects.</h4>\r\nIn the mid-1980s, long before Silicon Valley would become the world’s epicentre for tech and innovation, Michael Garcia and Farid Tamjidi were just two green architecture students with big plans. They gravitated towards one another during their time studying at UC Berkeley and often discussed going into business together, though only half-heartedly at the time. As it turned out, their vision would eventually be born out in the real world, but more on that later.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10001332\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_Kendo_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“We were twenty to thirty students working in a sea of desks,” recalls Tamjidi of the time the duo spent studying their craft together. The desks were always pushed together and became the aspiring architects’ work stations throughout each term. Once graduation rolled around, Garcia and Tamjidi’s ambitious plans of launching their own firm suffered the fate of so many undergraduate dreams gone by as the two anxiously ventured off into the workforce determined to get their feet into the doors of respected California design firms.\r\n\r\nAs it turned out, the pair both landed at Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz Architects, a gargantuan San Francisco-based firm founded in 1963 with ongoing projects around the globe. While the two architects were happy to have found respectable work, they felt stifled at times by the corporate environment and lack of opportunity to spread their creative wings. Eventually, Tamjidi moved on to work in Los Angeles and Garcia found work elsewhere in San Francisco, but the two never lost touch. \r\n\r\n“We would talk by phone a lot during those years,” says Garcia. “Farid would tell me what was happening in LA and I would do the same for San Francisco.”\r\n\r\nAs time went on and the two architects’ careers evolved, the gravitational pull that had them regularly seated side-by-side one another in that Berkeley sea of desks manifested itself professionally. In 1997, the two decided to follow through on their earlier plans and launch Garcia Tamjidi Architects. Today, the firm operates out of a robust San Francisco office, but it took time and patience to propel them to where they exist today within the ecosystem of modern design firms.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10001317 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GraciaTamjidi_PrivateResidence5_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“We started in a small garage space,” says Tamjidi of the firm’s modest beginning, drawing obvious comparisons to other humbly launched Silicon Valley companies like Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, which was launched during a similar time period out of a garage headquarters. “We started with our own resources and relied on the relationships we’d built with clients who followed us. The biggest leap for the company was hiring employee number one,” adds Tamjidi on the firm’s conceptual years. \r\n\r\nThrough a combination of fostering strong client relationships and leveraging those into new ones, Garcia Tamjidi soon found themselves out of the garage and straight into the highly competitive arena of California architecture. Shedding their restrictive corporate beginnings, the pair have produced some of the most thought-provoking and substantive modern works that San Francisco has seen over the two decades they have been in business together. The firm’s work maintains a simple aesthetic while simultaneously offering consistently bold and hyper-focused results.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10001342\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_Apple_Theatre_LYFSTYL_Exclusive.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"946\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“Problem-solving, that’s the exciting part of any design,” says Garcia of the firm’s thoughtful and purposeful approach to its projects. “We design with a sense of permanence in mind,” he adds. The duo's dedication to their craft shines through in their recent works, which range from residential San Francisco homes to large-scale projects such as the firm’s work on Apple’s Cupertino, California headquarters, Apple Park, or designing head offices for booming companies like multinational makeup brand, Kendo. Regardless of the project or scope, one thing has remained consistent through the company’s tenure—satisfied clients.\r\n\r\n“Michael and Farid took the time to help us understand and articulate our functional priorities, then masterfully designed a home to meet them,” said Erin Hunter, the owner of “Private Residence 1,” a San Francisco home the firm completed in January 2012. “Never could we have expected ‘storage and an open floor plan’ to be transformed into what is now our incredible jewel box in the sky. Their vision delivered beyond our wildest imaginations.” The firm’s glowing reviews extend to the highest echelons of the corporate world, too.\r\n\r\n“Working with Garcia Tamjidi, we received an attention to detail not normally found with other architecture firms,” said Dan Whisenhunt, the former Senior Director of Real Estate and Facilities with Apple, on the company’s work on tech company’s campus theatre which, until recently, wasn’t public knowledge. “I’ve worked with Garcia Tamjidi for many years,” he continued, “and find that their approach to projects results in high-quality results.”\r\n\r\nWhile all of Garcia Tamjidi’s projects wind up looking incredibly unique, there’s a rarified unity in their style that blankets all their work. A simple aesthetic unmistakably delivered from the inquisitive minds of the now-sought after architects. Whether it be the pair’s influential California roots or their architectural development now spanning three decades, their work remains deeply personal. And, in addition to their own influence on the end-product, the two architect’s demand that their employees take the work as seriously as they do. \r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10001316 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GraciaTamjidi_PrivateResidence4_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“Everyone that works at our firm becomes a solid generalist,” says Tamjidi, highlighting the fact that all of the company’s employees must hone their skills across many different channels in order to be successful. The firm employs six full-time employees, but has “10 chairs,” as additional workers are often required and are seamlessly integrated into projects that require them.\r\n\r\nAs the firm has steadily built its portfolio over the years, the two master architects have begun to put their unmistakable mark on not only the industry within The Golden State but within the domestic design community at large. However,  remaining consistent with the firm’s muted ethos, Garcia and Tamjidi are happy to celebrate their accomplishments in a reserved way.\r\n\r\nThe duo released the “Garcia Tamjidi Monograph” in late 2018, an aesthetically-charged, beautifully-yet-minimally written biopic of their work to date. The book, which is written by Eva Hagberg Fisher whose debut memoir was recently featured on the shortlist of the <i>New York Times Book Review, </i>is a picturesque examination of form and function highlighting the two decades that two Californians have been in business with one another. To say that it’s strictly a business relationship, though, would be missing the point. Tamjidi and Garcia are perfectly in sync, like ying and yang, counterbalancing one another in a seamless way on most projects. And the pair are always looking forward, preparing for the next problem they’ll solve together.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10001341\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_Profile_LYFSTYL_Exclusive.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Budd for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\nBuilding on that reality, Tamjidi says that the pair’s style isn’t solely defined by the minimalist umbrella so often typecast on modern architects. He says that the firm’s approach is “a very simple reductive, utilitarian approach to problem-solving.” Naturally, with every new project, there’s a new problem to solve. \r\n\r\nWhen asked if one project stands out amongst the 20 years of production together, Garcia doesn’t hesitate: “Our signature project is our next project,” he says.\r\n\r\nSo, with a bevy of exciting and thoughtful works surely on the horizon for the Californians, it goes without saying that Garcia Tamjidi will be a force majeure for the foreseeable future. Since leaving the relative safety net of corporate life behind over two decades ago, the pair have shown no indication that their decision was anything but destiny. When asked what advice they now have for those rosy-eyed young architects, the duo don’t have a difficult time coming up with an answer.\r\n\r\n“We would’ve started sooner,” they both agree about what they might’ve done differently, ending the interview with the same feeling of cohesion that is often omnipresent with the duo.  \r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10001331 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_PrivateResidence_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.       </center>\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Daniel LeBaron – Discover <a href=\"https://garciatamjidi.com/work\">Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/a-look-inside-garcia-tamjidi-architecture-design/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "parent_permlink": "alookinside",
      "author": "lyfstyl",
      "permlink": "alookinsidegarciatamjidiarchitecturedesign-58kn7q87is",
      "title": "Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design Studio",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_LYFSTYL_Exclusice.jpg</center> <br/><h4>A deep dive into San Francisco-based architecture firm <a href=\"https://garciatamjidi.com/\">Garcia Tamjidi</a> and the professional journey of two of California's staple architects.</h4>\r\nIn the mid-1980s, long before Silicon Valley would become the world’s epicentre for tech and innovation, Michael Garcia and Farid Tamjidi were just two green architecture students with big plans. They gravitated towards one another during their time studying at UC Berkeley and often discussed going into business together, though only half-heartedly at the time. As it turned out, their vision would eventually be born out in the real world, but more on that later.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10001332\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_Kendo_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“We were 20 to 30 students working in a sea of desks,” recalls Tamjidi of the time the duo spent studying their craft together. The desks were always pushed together and became the aspiring architects’ work stations throughout each term, he added. Once graduation rolled around, Garcia and Tamjidi’s ambitious plans of launching their own firm suffered the fate of so many undergraduate dreams gone by as the two anxiously ventured off into the workforce determined to get their feet into the doors of respected California design firms.\r\n\r\nAs it turned out, the pair both landed at Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz Architects, a gargantuan San Francisco-based firm founded in 1963 with ongoing projects around the globe. While the two architects were happy to have found respectable work, they felt stifled at times by the corporate environment and lack of opportunity to spread their creative wings. Eventually, Tamjidi moved on to work in Los Angeles and Garcia found work elsewhere in San Francisco, but the two never lost touch. \r\n\r\n“We would talk by phone a lot during those years,” said Garcia. “Farid would tell me what was happening in LA and I would do the same for San Francisco.”\r\n\r\nAs time went on and the two architects’ careers evolved, the gravitational pull that had them regularly seated side-by-side one another in that Berkeley sea of desks manifested itself professionally. In 1997, the two decided to follow through on their earlier plans and launch Garcia Tamjidi Architects. Today, the firm operates out of a robust San Francisco office, but it took time and patience to propel them to where they exist today within the ecosystem of modern design firms.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10001317 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GraciaTamjidi_PrivateResidence5_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“We started in a small garage space,” said Tamjidi of the firm’s modest beginning, drawing obvious comparisons to other humbly launched Silicon Valley companies like Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, which was launched during a similar time period out of a garage headquarters. “We started with our own resources and relied on the relationships we’d built with clients who followed us. The biggest leap for the company was hiring employee number one,” added Tamjidi on the firm’s conceptual years. \r\n\r\nThrough a combination of fostering strong client relationships and leveraging those into new ones, Garcia Tamjidi soon found themselves out of the garage and straight into the highly competitive arena of California architecture. Shedding their restrictive corporate beginnings, the pair have produced some of the most thought-provoking and substantive modern works that San Francisco has seen over the two decades they have been in business together. The firm’s work maintains a simple aesthetic while simultaneously offering consistently bold and hyper-focused results.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10001342\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_Apple_Theatre_LYFSTYL_Exclusive.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"946\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“Problem-solving, that’s the exciting part of any design,” said Garcia of the firm’s thoughtful and purposeful approach to its projects. “We design with a sense of permanence in mind,” he added. The duo's dedication to their craft shines through in their recent works, which range from residential San Francisco homes to large-scale projects such as the firm’s work on Apple’s Cupertino, California headquarters, Apple Park, or designing head offices for booming companies like multinational makeup brand, Kendo. Regardless of the project or scope, one thing has remained consistent through the company’s tenure—satisfied clients.\r\n\r\n“Michael and Farid took the time to help us understand and articulate our functional priorities, then masterfully designed a home to meet them,” said Erin Hunter, the owner of “Private Residence 1,” a San Francisco home the firm completed in January 2012. “Never could we have expected ‘storage and an open floor plan’ to be transformed into what is now our incredible jewel box in the sky. Their vision delivered beyond our wildest imaginations.”\r\n\r\nThe firm’s glowing reviews extend to the highest echelons of the corporate world, too.\r\n\r\n“Working with Garcia Tamjidi, we received an attention to detail not normally found with other architecture firms,” said Dan Whisenhunt, the former Senior Director of Real Estate and Facilities with Apple, on the company’s work on tech company’s campus theatre which, until recently, wasn’t public knowledge. “I’ve worked with Garcia Tamjidi for many years,” he continued, “and find that their approach to projects results in high-quality results.”\r\n\r\nWhile all of Garcia Tamjidi’s projects wind up looking incredibly unique, there’s a rarified unity in their style that blankets all their work. A simple aesthetic unmistakably delivered from the inquisitive minds of the now-sought after architects. Whether it be the pair’s influential California roots or their architectural development now spanning three decades, their work remains deeply personal. And, in addition to their own influence on the end-product, the two architect’s demand that their employees take the work as seriously as they do. \r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10001316 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GraciaTamjidi_PrivateResidence4_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\n“Everyone that works at our firm becomes a solid generalist,” said Tamjidi, highlighting the fact that all of the company’s employees must hone their skills across many different channels in order to be successful. The firm employs six full-time employees, but has “10 chairs,” as additional workers are often required and are seamlessly integrated into projects that require them.\r\n\r\nAs the firm has steadily built its portfolio over the years, the two master architects have begun to put their unmistakable mark on not only the industry within The Golden State but within the domestic design community at large. However,  remaining consistent with the firm’s muted ethos, Garcia and Tamjidi are happy to celebrate their accomplishments in a reserved way.\r\n\r\nThe duo released the “Garcia Tamjidi Monograph” in late 2018, an aesthetically-charged, beautifully-yet-minimally written biopic of their work to date. The book, which is written by Eva Hagberg Fisher whose debut memoir was recently featured on the shortlist of the <i>New York Times Book Review, </i>is a picturesque examination of form and function highlighting the two decades that two Californians have been in business with one another. To say that it’s strictly a business relationship, though, would be missing the point. Tamjidi and Garcia are perfectly in sync, like ying and yang, counterbalancing one another in a seamless way on most projects. And the pair are always looking forward, preparing for the next problem they’ll solve together.\r\n\r<center> <img class=\"size-full wp-image-10001341\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_Profile_LYFSTYL_Exclusive.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Budd for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.</center>\r\n\r\nBuilding on that reality, Tamjidi says that the pair’s style isn’t solely defined by the minimalist umbrella so often typecast on modern architects. He says that the firm’s approach is “a very simple reductive, utilitarian approach to problem-solving.” Naturally, with every new project, there’s a new problem to solve. \r\n\r\nWhen asked if one project stands out amongst the 20 years of production together, Garcia doesn’t hesitate: “Our signature project is our next project,” he says.\r\n\r\nSo, with a bevy of exciting and thoughtful works surely on the horizon for the Californians, it goes without saying that Garcia Tamjidi will be a force majeure for the foreseeable future. Since leaving the relative safety net of corporate life behind over two decades ago, the pair have shown no indication that their decision was anything but destiny. When asked what advice they now have for those rosy-eyed young architects, the duo don’t have a difficult time coming up with an answer.\r\n\r\n“We would’ve started sooner,” they both agree about what they might’ve done differently, ending the interview with the same feeling of cohesion that is often omnipresent with the duo.  \r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10001331 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/GarciaTamjidi_PrivateResidence_LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Photo by Joe Fletcher for Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design.       </center>\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Daniel LeBaron – Discover <a href=\"https://garciatamjidi.com/work\">Garcia Tamjidi Architecture Design</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/a-look-inside-garcia-tamjidi-architecture-design/ </em><hr/></center>",
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      "parent_permlink": "art",
      "author": "lyfstyl",
      "permlink": "thevibrantworldofricardocavolo-ahivx1b6vn",
      "title": "The Vibrant World of Ricardo Cavolo",
      "body": "<center>https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ricardo-Cavolo-LYFSTYL-Cover.jpg</center> <br/><h4>Barcelona-based artist Ricardo Cavolo brings his elaborate characters to life through intricate symbols, vivid colours and playful motifs.</h4>\r\nAcross cultures far and wide, the eyes are said to be a window into the soul. They communicate exactly what a person thinks or feels without the need for words. They’re also a recurring theme throughout the artwork of Ricardo Cavolo. Not only do they reflect the power and insight of his characters, but they also showcase the complex inner layers that lay beyond the surface level. The Spanish illustrator has risen to prominence for his vivid portraits and intricate subjects, with multiplying sets of eyes being one of his most recognizable motifs. \r\n\r\nIt’s easy to lose yourself in Ricardo’s world. His artwork is a mosaic of symbols, colours and characters that are simply waiting to be decoded. Equal parts artist and storyteller, he incorporates layered imagery derived from religion and folk culture that only adds to the surreal nature of his portraits. You’d be forgiven if you thought his characters were simply pulled from his imagination when, in fact, it’s actually the opposite. “Everything is based in our reality,” assures Ricardo. “Even fantasy is based on our lives and it’s simply taken to another dimension.”\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003052\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ricardo-Cavolo-Art-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Ricardo Cavolo - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nThese characters, real or not, are at the heart of the Barcelona-based artist’s collection of work. Ricardo superbly tells the stories, feelings and experiences of his subjects through detailed brush strokes and vibrant colour. If it’s not the eyes, there’s often some defining physical details that make his characters stand out from the ordinary. “I like to pay attention to people and things in my daily life so that I can use them for my work,” he explains. “Even if what I’m creating isn’t based in reality. Most of the time, I use my own fantasy to talk about reality.” \r\n\r\nAs the child of an art instructor, Ricardo was raised in the world of drawing and painting. He’s been a student his whole life, surrounded by brushes, canvases and colours. “It’s been a very fluid path,” he says. “Since I was able to handle markers, I haven’t stopped drawing. It’s been apart of my inner universe to this day.” He points to his father as the authoritative figure who enabled him to achieve his dream when he saw that Ricardo had the talent.  \r\n\r\nRicardo now boasts a brilliant portfolio that ranges from high-publicized wall murals to solo exhibitions across the globe. He’s collaborated with a long list of brands that includes the likes of Jose Cuervo, Bally, Alexander McQueen and Nike. Exploding onto the scene with his vibrant and eclectic style, his characters now grace all corners of the world. \r\n\r\nDespite all this, Ricardo will be the first to tell you that his success was more of a slow build than overnight stardom. While he’s been creating his entire life, his unique style didn’t stem from some sort of Hollywood ‘eureka’ moment. “It’s been a long, long way,” admits Ricardo. Instead, he points towards copying and imitating his favourite styles and artists for fun and without a purpose in his spare time. “I want to be able to recreate the styles that I’ve always loved and admired,” he adds.\r\n\r\n<center><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10003050\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ricardo-Cavolo-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Ricardo Cavolo - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1090\" height=\"726\" /></center><br/>\r\n\r\nPassion is a term that’s thrown around lightly in the art word, but with Ricardo, you can sense it the moment he begins speaking. And you can see it clearly in his artwork. Whether he’s working on a wall mural or covering canvas in acrylic, there’s something very pure and sincere about the way he goes about things. It’s part of the reason why he’s earned an international cult following over the years. His lifetime devotion to art is what led him to stumble upon his own style, taking bits and pieces of inspiration from far-reaching corners. “But in an unconscious way, just being guided by my guts,” he adds.\r\n\r\nEven during his time studying Fine Art at the University of Salamanca, he maintains that his most crucial bits of learning came in his studio when he was simply imitating his favourite styles. Before he even thought about taking the leap to become a full-time artist, he was an Art Director at a handful of magazines and agencies. “I never really decided to become a professional, I’m just developing the only action I know,” Ricardo says. “I guess I’m just lucky that it became my job.”\r\n\r\nRicardo’s main source of inspiration is people and their stories. This is something that he really uncovered as he gradually gained status in the art world. For Ricardo, each illustration is an opportunity to dive into the lives of his characters and his complex portraits include tons of details that may go unnoticed. \r\n\r\nWhile a trippy set of eyes may be his most recognizable motif, his artwork is often littered with flaming hearts, dripping candles, bouquets of roses, goblets and stars. He looks towards everything from outsider groups to traditional European imagery in order to communicate these stories. “Old-school tattoo culture is very interesting in terms of using symbology in a simple and direct way,” he explains. “Tribal art is another one, in terms of mixing visual arts and magic in a very simple way.” \r\n\r<center> <img class=\"wp-image-10003048 size-full\" src=\"https://lyfstyl.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ricardo-Cavolo-Book-LYFSTYL.jpg\" alt=\"Ricardo Cavolo - LYFSTYL\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" /><br/> Kanye West, 101 Artists to List to Before You Die.</center>\r\n\r\nBuilding on his eclectic blend of styles and cultures, Ricardo throws in a healthy dose of pop culture references to round out his one-of-a-kind artwork. Music, in particular, has always had a profound impact on his work. A few years ago, he designed his own musical diary entitled <i>101 Artists to List to Before You Die</i>. Featuring Kanye West, Chief Keef, J.S. Bach, Johnny Cash, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, the graphic novel depicts Ricardo’s favourite musicians and who he believes to have the ability to make a profound impact on an individual’s life. His relationship with the music industry doesn’t stop there. He also designed <a href=\"https://ricardocavolo.com/kaytranada/\">Kaytranada’s </a><i>99.9%</i> album artwork after connecting with the Canadian producer during his frequent trips to Montreal.\r\n\r\nThrough a frenetic mishmash of symbols, colours and characters, Ricardo weaves through intricate narratives in his artwork. He honours the oddity in our world, incorporating imagery from all corners of the world. As long as he has his music and instruments, he’s good to go, and the rest will take care of itself. “I’m just focused on expressing what I have on the inside,” says Ricardo. “I’m great at just isolating myself, wherever I am, and just getting lost in my own universe.”\r\n\r\n<em>Words by Braeden Alexander – Discover <a href=\"https://ricardocavolo.com/\">Ricardo Cavolo's work online here</a>.</em> <br /><center><hr/><em>Posted from my blog with <a href='https://wordpress.org/plugins/steempress/'>SteemPress</a> : https://lyfstyl.ca/the-vibrant-world-of-ricardo-cavolo/ </em><hr/></center>",
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