Ethan Barber Interview
United States
Best known for his fascinating architecture photos, Ethan Barber is one of those talented must-follow content wizards. Ethan is more of a multidisciplinary creative; he's a graphic designer, photographer, and content creator - currently based in New York City. He graduated as valedictorian of his class with a Bachelors of Science in Digital Art and Design. As a full-time graphic designer for three years, coupled with nearly a decade of experience in photography, and three years of social media management; he is focused on having a diverse creative career that is never singularly-focused. We sat down to dig deeper in his career as well as travel habits. Ethan is a happy MY MAPS user and a conscious traveller who now shares his insights in three of his beloved destinations such as New York, LA and Palm Springs. Follow his journey via his MY MAPS.
Eny Lee Parker
United States
Praised by AD, Vogue or Sight Unseen, Eny Lee Parker is no stranger to the design world. Her wheel-thrown terra-cotta vessels and shapes form the bases of coffee tables and Oo lamps made it to all the design-savvy folks' hearts at Sight Unseen Offsite. Eny Lee Parker is a spatial designer emphasizing in objects, furniture and lighting, using clay as her main medium. Parker reclaims the essence of making used in traditional craft from our past – the slowness, the intention, the respect for natural resources, creating contemporary objects that brings awareness to our presence as well as to non-living things. We've got lucky to sit down with Eny and exchange ideas over a delish brunch in New York. She's a true global citizen who embraces a conscious lifestyle and way of traveling too. If you want to follow her journey, you may catch her in Paris or Sydney soon!
Eleven Madison Park
Looking for an exceptional dining experience in a lush surrounding during Labor Day Weekend in New York? We might have found one! How about an upscale American tasting menu from chef Daniel Humm served in a high-ceilinged Art Deco space? If it’s a special occasion, why not seize it? It’ll be a total indulgence of flavors, service and atmosphere, indeed. No surprise that the ever-so-famed Eleven Madison Park ranked third among The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2016, and topped the list in 2017.
Dining in Soho: Le Coucou
United States
The vibrant Soho district’s famed culinary gem, Le Coucou has been on our list for a long time, apparently even before our stay at 11 Howard last year. And so good it was; both the level of excitement and expectations were sky-high. Speaking of experience, the restaurant has quickly become one of the hardest tables to get in the city, but we’ve got lucky. Coincidence or destiny? You decide. In a lavish and enthusiastic manner, we’ve finally visited Le Coucou the other week, craving classic French cuisine the restaurant is renown for. The menu reflects the chef, Daniel Rose’s personal vision of classic French cuisine aimed at bringing great food and conviviality to the table. An exceptional menu, the lush list of wines and cocktails, paired with the utmost of hospitality, takes dining at Le Coucou to the next level.
PUBLIC HOTELS - LUXURY FOR ALL
United States
Opened in June on the Lower East Side, Public Hotels aims to make luxury available to all thanks to Ian Schrager. The hotel is - as it says - "refined, sophisticated, smart and simple, yet flamboyant and provocative, all at the same time." The universally appealing guest rooms are thoughtfully designed, down to every last finish and detail, with distinct zones for sleeping, relaxing, working and entertaining. There has been seamless, frictionless technology integrated so everything one needs is within arm’s reach. The building was designed by Swiss architecture studio Herzog & De Meuron, that certainly implies luxury. The neon-lit escalators quickly became the new treasures of Instagram and the tangerine-feel lights the obsession of many Instagrammers. Will it become yours?
Scandinavian Hotel in NYC: 11 Howard
United States
Wondering where to stay in New York while enjoying a chic Scandinavian surrounding and supporting a good cause? We might have the ultimate choice for you. Nordic minimalism, comfort, laidback elegance are the words that well describe one of our favourite “temporary homes” in New York. The most striking thing about the hotel is though their consciousness in every aspect of their business. 11 Howard lives up to its motto “conscious hospitality”. The hotel donates a portion of its revenue from each stay to the Global Poverty Project: a non-profit aimed at reducing extreme poverty. Other than the design-focus, being conscious in terms of traveling is the point where Local’s Lore and 11 Howard’s vision met.
Our homes matter: the ICFF impressions
We’ve just returned from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), taking place at Manhattan's Jacob Javits Center. The three days was spent in the name of hunting trends and the feeling of being over-inspired. According to what we saw, the trend for brass fixtures continued and so did the heyday of innovative mirrors. This year's ICFF was exceptional both in quality and range. Here are some of our very favorites:
home union: NEW STOREFRONT OPENING
Home Union announces it’s grand opening to the public in its new permanent home at 369 Hooper Street in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The 1000 square foot storefront will be opening on Friday June 2nd, and is set up to feel like your dream living room. The new store was catapulted by a successful year since Home Union’s conception, curated by Meghan Lavery and Daniel King. The store will showcase unique statement pieces of furniture and home goods spanning from mid-century to later 20th century designs. Home Union has also teamed up with a number of local companies to bring lovely accent pieces into your home. For this occasion we have interviewed the power-couple Meghan Lavery and Daniel King.
Mother's Day lore: Henry Street Studio
United States
As handmade ceramics are having their moment, we brought you a very special story about Loren and Aliza Simons, the mother-daughter duo behind Henry Street Studio. Like mother like daughter - they say, which especially applies when they share both their passion and profession. Aliza and Loren function as a collaborative team; each piece is the work of two pairs of hands. On the occasion of Mother’s Day, we wanted to celebrate by sharing the lore behind their creative family initiative.
Counter Culture
Other than the flavor of a cup of great coffee, the Counter Culture Coffee may sound familiar due to its sustainable and educational commitment. Probably there are a couple of places in New York where you feel like you’ve just had your number one coffee-experience on Earth: you either just had your ‘usual’ brewed with the most magical aftertaste, your long-awaited nutty-feel double espresso that fuelled you the whole day, or your cortado with the yummies steamed milk on top. Counter Culture is though a whole different level. It’s not a café, nor it is a retailer or a training center. It’s the ideal blend of all.
The Lore of New York: Meet Melis
United States
Few months after spotting Melis Lin’s Instagram page we’ve found ourselves sitting in the Oficina NYC, soho New York, talking about: traveling, cosmopolitan lifestyle, New York, coffee, and tales about Melis’ international life. Turned out that Melis has a lore to tell and quite a list of recommendations to share when it comes to hang out in New York.