Over the weekend, I took a trip with my boyfriend, his younger sister and his aunt down to Alexandria, Virginia. We had the pleasure of staying with a long time friend of his aunt's, Matthew Johnston, who is an artist there. The trip was everything I needed it to be and more. Staying for four days in the home of an artist is quite an inspiring experience. Being a designer, my love for architecture and interiors is infinite. However, nothing excites me more than the homes which belong to fellow creatives. The way in which they surround themselves with everyday items is often most unique to each individual. Matthew's space was no exception. I feel it may be rather invasive to completely divulge such an intimate space as someone's home, but I couldn't resist capturing the beautiful windows that enveloped the living room. Too captivating not to share, as you can see and surely agree.
Matthew is well known for the bright color choices he makes in his work. Being someone who embraces the beauty of monochrome, I couldn't quite say if I could see myself incorporating the majority of his work into my personal space. However, I am greatly admiring the pieces he did below, for obvious reasons.
Our second day in Alexandria, we walked through the quaint and shop-lined streets of Old Town, to the Torpedo Factory. Matthew has a studio there as well, so we figured we would check it out, as well as the other artists that work there. My boyfriend purchased his first piece there by another artist friend, David Cochran. That night we dined with a fantastic group of people at Jaleo, a Spanish tapas restaurant. It was an incredible experience! The energy was high, the food was phenomenal and the service was through the roof. We were joined many times by the head chef, Ramon Martinez and the warmth around us grew as we laughed and drank seemingly never-ending pitchers of sangria. Yes, for a moment, I thought I was in Spain. Shortly after retreating home, we were joined by some of the staff for drinks and great conversation till the early morning hours. It was so enlightening being surrounded by such wonderful people. People who are genuine, determined and see the beauty around us that we often allow ourselves to become oblivious to.
The weather was just perfect the entirety of our stay. Even on our last day, the rain seemed fitting. It's calm washed us away, but not for too long I hope.
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