Making our Riyadh villa feel like home has been quite a process over the past few months. When Paul arrived here almost a year ago, the villa came furnished with all shades of peach and all the hardware was shiny brass. I wish we would have taken pictures. The space itself was dynamic but everything in it was from the 80s. The challenge was to update and make it feel like home without burning a hole in our pockets. We recently covered the peach colored walls and had them painted white. We also added some colors with pillows and the curtains that will be here soon. Here is the entertainment room today.

Living Room., originally uploaded by Carcura.

I took this photo from the corner of the room by the Entertainment Center. The really interesting thing about this space is that one section of it is elevated so even though it’s one space, it feels like two spaces. The woodwork in the ceilings also gives a nice effect especially when the recessed lights are lit.

Couch and Pillows.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

A little bit of orange and green to break the brown.

Entertainment Center.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Paul and I are glued to the T.V. from 7 to 12 as there is nothing else to do during the week.

Lladro Fairy.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

A reminder of a softer place.

Lladro and current TV series.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Sex in the City and Rome…totally hooked.

China Girl and Hummels.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Brought her back from Shanghai.

Incense Burner and silk tissue box.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Little accessories.

Red and Green Cushions.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Cushions to match the curtains coming soon.

View from the Couch.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Looking to the left.

The Upper Living Room.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Looking straight from the long couch.

The Upper Level looking down.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Looking down from the upper level.

Looking Outside.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Looking outside into the garden.

I spend most of my early mornings having coffee out in the garden. The chairs have a small ceiling over them that gives shade and I can usually sit out there for an hour or so before I start to warm up. We’ve been gone alot and very busy the past few months that we’ve neglected the plants and they were starting to look very frail. They are doing really well now as I’ve been water them daily. The bougainvillea is almost getting too big! Would be really nice to have some rose bushes along the walls.

Looking Out.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

This is what we see of the garden from the living room.

The Garden from the Outside Door.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

The two chairs that we sit on when we’re having coffee.

The Jasmin.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

The Jasmin went from twigs to being full of little buds. Smells amazing.

Tree Detail.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Love when the sun lights up the leaves of the tree.

The Garden.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Looking at the door.

The Jasmin.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

The Jasmin and the sky.

The Jasmin and The Bougainvillea.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

Blooming away…

The Tree.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

I’m still nursing the tree. It has the potential to provide alot of shade. I think in the summer beautiful white flowers bloom at the tips of the branches.

The Bougainvillea.”, originally uploaded by Carcura.

The bougainvillea is meant to look like elephant ears. The flowers are so delicate and the color is just full of energy and vitality.

The two landmarks that dominate the skyline are The Kingdom Tower which resembles a slingshot or the “eye of mordor”, depending on the day and the mood, and The Faisaliah Tower, which is a pointy structure holding a ball at the top, “the globe”. They also combine the attraction of unique architecture, with icon shopping.

Centria Mall, Riyadh., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Centria Mall is the most upscale mall in the city. It houses shops like Cartier, Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Van Cleef, Tangria, and a few others. It sits shaped like a majestic sail boat at the intersection of the two main streets Olaya and Tahlia. The inside is defined by sleek modern lines that are softened with warm lights and beautiful woodwork on the ceiling and throughout the space.

Kingdom Tower, Riyadh., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The Kingdom tower has a unique double structure that has a bridge at the top. The Mamlaka Mall in the Kingdom Tower complex has three levels of shopping with stores such as Marks and Spencers, Debenhams, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

A unique aspect of The Mamlaka is that there are two whole floors reserved entirely for women. These levels are managed and serviced entirely by women, allowing shoppers the freedom of shopping in complete, discreet comfort. There are coffeshops throughout those two levels where women can sit around and chat without their head covers.

Faisaliah Tower Riyadh., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Faisaliah Tower with its embedded glass dome combines traditional Arabian imagery with ultra modern international design. It has a large Harvey Nichol’s store with a large selection of top brand fashion and shoe shops. In the basement there is the Toy Center and there is a large food court on the second floor. Here there are also two levels reserved entirely for women.

The Globe, Riyadh., originally uploaded by Carcura.

There is a very nice lounge that serves non-alcoholic drinks and cigars just below the globe at The Faisaliah. The view from the top is spectacular. Beneath the lounge is five star restaurant that is sure to impress and is perfect for an anniversary.

There are alot of stray cats in Saudi. The weather is so dry that bacteria doesn’t thrive like it would in humid climates. So, it’s fairly clean, which works well for smart cats who know how to use their social skills and cuteness to seduce naive people like myself. Lil mama visits our kitchen window ledge regular. In exchange for her cuteness she expects a decent meal. So in the end, I have a friend that visits everyday and Lil mama has a full belly. I know, I’m pathetic to fall for it, but she’s very cute and as long as she stays outside, it’s a good relationship we have.

Lil Mama., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Give me my food NOW. please.

Lil Mama., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Here she is walking around like she owns the compound.

Lil Mama., originally uploaded by Carcura.

See how cute I am?

I was outside watering the plants when a I noticed there was a strange texture on the wall, then I realized there was an animal the same color of the wall. It was soooo interesting. The tips of its fingers have more little fingers!

Albino Gecko., originally uploaded by Carcura.

I’m always looking outside at the pool when I’m working. And boy is it tempting to just go out there and soak up some good old fashioned Vitamin D. Well today I did exactly that. Beautiful high eighties weather with just enough cooling breeze… had to take advantage!

Me at the pool., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Had me a delicious Greek salad with an ice cold yogurt drink, followed by a huge roast beef sandwhich…yum! A really nice Turkish lady came out to have a chat. She says that I should meet her daughter-in-law, that we’d really get along. Then she got really hot and went back to whatever she was cooking.

Lunch at the pool., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Here is our villa from the pool side. There’s a huge patio on the top that we never get to use because it’s always in direct sun. Would be really nice to set up a large umbrella or a canvas for some shade. The good thing about downstairs is that the glass is tinted so I get lots of shade and some privacy and I can see out without being seen.

The window from the outside., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Decided to visit the Riyadh Zoo on a beautiful Thursday last week. We parked the car on the street as there is no parking lot, and walked up to the counter to buy some tickets. Got yelled at by the Sudani teller, “Thursday the Zoo is open to women only!”, as if we should have know that. Fine then, the guys will have to wait outside for me as I go look at the animals. I walk up to the gate and give the guard my ticket stub. He asks to look in my bag and sitting there was my D200. It was a situation to say the least and after much negotiating, we came to an agreement where I can come back on Sunday before they open.

The Riyadh Zoo., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The weather on Sunday was absolutely beautiful. My brother picked me up in the morning and we headed for a drive to the zoo, which is not too far from the center. I got dropped off, went in the side entrance and was in safe and sound. The ostriches at the front looked a little hostile, but the rest of the animals were quite passive. There were many school kids running around and most of the women were without abayas. I was able to finally relax. I walked around looking at the beautiful animals and enjoyed a few moments of a beautiful day.

Animals at the Zoo., originally uploaded by Carcura.

These two guys were going at it!! Got pretty violent before a third one came in and broke them up. Their horns are gorjeous tough. They reminded me of deer.

Ostriches., originally uploaded by Carcura.

As soon as I walked up to the ostriches, they all dashed right at me, it was quite scary!

Arabian Camel., originally uploaded by Carcura.

This camel was pretty cool, although it really looked more like a dinosaur. Ate like one too.

Zebras., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The zebras were very sexy. They were all gathered in packs of twos…how romantic!

Living in Riyadh has been quite a unique experience. As a woman, I spend quite a bit of time at home as most women here do. My design and photography allow me to be mobile and work from pretty much anywhere. I’ve recently set up a work space where I can be creative and feel comfortable working for most of the day. The space is big with huge windows that let in alot of light and overlook a small swimming pool. It gets so bright some days that I have to wear sunglasses when I’m working. Got some bright colors coming soon that will bring some energy to the earth tones there right now.

Studio., originally uploaded by Carcura.

We have two shelving units that we were able to fit in next to each other. They almost look like they are one big shelving unit. This helped me quite a bit as I’m able to fit alot of my supplies, books, and little fun toys.

Shelves., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Below on the left is a silkscreened print by a design firm in The States called Aesthetic Apparatus along with two of my photographs, one taken in Houston and the other in Fredericksberg, in frames from Ikea.

Framed Prints., originally uploaded by Carcura.

On the left is a kidrobot toy that Paul lets me display (he’s way too cute, I had to snatch him!) and some design books. “Typography 22″is a great resource for current design trends, “Touch” is a compilation of books that have different surfaces, and “50s All American Ads” is a fun collection of Retro American Design.

Books and Toys., originally uploaded by Carcura.

I also like to collect vintage books. My favorite here is a three book series called “the Arabian Nights Entertainment”, which is a compilation of the old Arabic folk tales, Ali Baba, ect…

Books and Toys., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Finally one of my favorite little things, this antique Asian figurine with the beautiful smile that Paul bought me at an antique market in Shanghai. She really does bring good fortune.

Antique Asian Figurine., originally uploaded by Carcura.

So here is my work space. I spend most of my days on the computer or making cards on the round glass table. The goal was to make the space comfortable and uncluttered. Also wanted to incorporate little things that make me smile and inspire some creativity.

Shelves., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Over the past few weeks this room has become the day room. We chat, drink coffee, and have lunch on the round table. And when I’m not working we use the computer to download music, movies, and catch up on some surfing. The neighbors’ kids also offer some entertainment when they’re out after school. Every once in a while one of the women will come out and sit in the sun with a magazine. It’s become a nice place to spend the day.

Hardees: Arabic., originally uploaded by Carcura.

On the way back from the market today, this Hardees sign caught my eye. It’s very interesting to see American fast food signage in a different language.