Turnstyle Travels: Taking On A Lima-Based Project —

CIRCLING BACK

 Some time ago, I had the pleasure of visiting South America, most notably the area of Peru. Meeting the people of the Amazon and trekking the Inca trail was a varied and imaginative experience. Not to mention, when I arrived at Machu Picchu at the most spectacular moment imaginable – the break of dawn – it left me with an awe-inspired viewpoint of this gorgeous country. And the emphasis of ancient architecture versus later colonial styles, made it a great influence to a designer like me. I would have loved to continue further south and go on the patagonia tours they have in Argentina. The mountains of South America are so enthralling and I would love to visit them some day soon.

FAST FORWARD, AND HERE WE FIND THE TURNSTYLE TEAM ON A LIMA-BASED PROJECT FOR A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL SAN ISIDRO HOME.

TIME WELL SPENT

The Turnstylist recently headed to Peru to kick off said project, and kick off we did! With languorous creative brainstorms, supplier meetings, photographing and measuring – we packed a lot into our six day visit. It’s our job, at Turnstyle Design, to harmonize both the homeowner’s specific identity and our own artistic interior vision. One does not work without the other, so our time spent with this family of six was the most compelling.
We ate, drank and talked together at great length to see how they live, and more importantly, what they love. We soaked up local culture and surroundings through museums, markets and music. Had much laughter whenever the language barrier took us down a wrong turn. It’s now entirely clear to me that it’s time to learn Spanish. In spite of the many languages I speak, this last component was new territory for me!

ALL OF THIS GAVE US A GREAT TASTE OF THEIR LOCALE AND RE-INSPIRED ME. ONCE AGAIN, PUTTING MY HEAD BACK IN MY EARLIER VISITS TO THIS AREA.

ABSORBING INSPIRATION

Of course, Lima itself has grown so tremendously, with fantastic fashion and food and art and all sorts of wares. As we work with luxurious Alpaca wool and intricate crewel stitching in every color of the rainbow, finding roots in this culture will naturally intermix with our design. The layering typical in Andean culture will marry well with our approach. As will the deft mixing of pattern and texture.
Well known Peruvian, Mario Testino, will also play a role in our minds. We were so enamored with his museum in Barranco, MATE. His capturing of Andean ritual, tradition and garb in his current exhibit was a rich, colorful treat for our eyes.

SO WHAT DO WE PLAN TO TACKLE IN THIS LUSHLY SET HOME?

Well, with two little boys ready to share a room, custom bunk beds are in store. Some cool and inspired artistic spaces are needed with a teenage daughter and a world travelling, older daughter as a frequent visitor, to push them further on their way. Although this family hails from various parts of Europe, they long ago embraced the Latin way of lots of parties and an always-full calendar of entertaining. That gets us into the heart of the home. We will create several welcoming spaces, as well as more intimate ones. A world class wine cellar sets the tone for our selections around how this family experiences their home, and a love of art perfectly pairs them with Turnstyle’s greatest love and lens.
We are ready to get wholly creative with this gorgeous, centrally located, 6000 square foot home of our first Lima-based project… And we can’t wait to bring you along!

Catch a glimpse into our first trip out there – and what inspired us along the way – below! 🙂