The sky over Bali had not yet surrendered to daylight. The air was thick with the hush of pre-dawn, and the landscape was bathed in deep hues of indigo and violet. I stood at Pura Luhur Lempuyang—the “Gates of Heaven”—where the towering stone gateway framed Mount Agung in the distance. The temple’s silhouette stood in quiet reverence, the perfect threshold between night and day.
The world exhaled as the first breath of gold broke over the horizon. The light shifted, slow but deliberate, illuminating the ornately carved entrance. The famed gate—standing as it had for centuries—was suddenly aglow, a portal between the waking world and something eternal. The soft murmur of birds in the trees swelled into a crescendo, the call of nature greeting the sun’s arrival. A whisper of mist curled at the temple’s edges, kissed by the light.
I was not alone.
Near the base of the temple steps stood a figure in saffron robes, his presence both grounded and weightless. This was Tenzing Norbu (as I would later get to know him). A former monk of the famed Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan, now a traveler, much like me. He loved to move, to experience, to connect with the unseen rhythms of the world. We were kindred spirits, though we had spoken little over the years.
We stood in silence, drinking in the moment. There was nothing to say. The scene before us was too much to describe, too sacred for words. It was a visual and sensory overload—the way the gold framed the gate, the scent of damp stone, the slow retreat of the night. It was enough to simply be there, two wanderers sharing space at the intersection of beauty and time.
Then, he turned to me, gesturing at my iPhone. “May I?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. He framed the shot, capturing not just my form but the light, the weight of the morning, the stillness that surrounded us. When he handed the camera back, I felt a quiet acknowledgment between us—one traveler recognizing another. I offered to take his photo, but like most monks, he was always reluctant to have me capture his soul.
I thanked him in the only way I could. “Well… at least please join me for breakfast.” He hesitated, his large frame rocked back and forth analyzing the offer. But then an enormous smile broke out, and he nodded with enthusiasm.
A MORNING OF SIMPLE ABUNDANCE
We dined gloriously on a simple yet decadent spread—purple dragon fruit and Balinese mango, their colors mirroring his purple and saffron robes and the golden dawn. The contrast struck me even then, though I didn’t yet realize its significance. The meal was topped with freshly squeezed Javanese plum juice, thick with the taste of the land, before we savored the warmth of simple farm Balinese eggs over rice, accompanied by the depth of Javanese coffee and a chorus of cage-free cockerels dominating nature’s masterpiece.
At the time, it felt like nothing more than a fleeting moment. But in hindsight, that morning was the quiet beginning of something profound.
Years of connections—missed and made—would eventually take shape in the simplicity of many dawns and shared breakfasts.
THE GIFT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
From the folds of his robe, Tenzing retrieved a small green silk bundle. He unwrapped it carefully, revealing a piece of aged teak, smooth as river stone, fitting perfectly in my palm. The grain ran deep, etched with time, and at its center, a faint engraving—almost imperceptible, yet undeniably deliberate.
“It’s from Bhutan,” he said. “From a temple that no longer stands.”
A relic of what once was—reshaped, repurposed, yet carrying the spirit of its past. I didn’t know its exact age, nor did it matter. It was the gift, the unique connection that would (one day) unknowingly shape my path with Seasonal Living.
Tenzing saw meaning not in what was new, but in what endured—the spirit embedded in material, the energy it carried through time. His perspective lingered in my thoughts long after we parted ways, slowly reshaping my understanding of this connection between the beauty of the natural world and a curation of design. It wasn’t just about craftsmanship; it was about honoring a material’s journey, its history, and the hands that had touched it before. This revelation, subtle at first, would quietly take root—eventually becoming a defining principle in how we reimagined Seasonal Living.
Over time, it became a stone in my shoe, a persistent reminder of our conversations. And the more I viewed my little talisman, the more I started to understand. We had been struggling to differentiate ourselves, recognizing that we had to offer our customers more—a deeper and more intentional product selection that had meaning. It was at this time I started to realize that we were curating something deeper—a connection between craft, nature, and philosophy.
THE EVOLUTION OF SEASONAL LIVING
Over the years, as the talisman traveled with me, so too did the idea of a different kind of design. The way it fit so perfectly in my palm, the way its grain told a story of endurance—it became a foundation stone for what was to come. It began shaping the way I saw Seasonal Living, moving beyond furniture and into something more intentional, more refined.
This shift was crystallized when I met Laura Muller of Four Point Design Build. We had connected through the world’s first digital designer show house—the Seasonal Living Designer Show House. What began as a collaboration grew into something deeper—a platform, a philosophy, a realization of what was missing in the design world.
Laura provided support, encouragement, and understanding. She helped me refine what I already knew: that design was not just about pieces in a space—it was about the stories they told, the ways they shaped the lives they touched. This became not just a relationship of mutual respect, but a shared pursuit of something greater.
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE: THE POETRY OF PATINERO
But philosophy means nothing without application. Inspiration must take form, and ideas must be shaped by human hands (as I had been reminded many times by my friend Tenzing Norbu).
The first expression of this new way of thinking found its home in one of our key NEW Signature Collections—Patinero. Our Spirit words for this stunning new collection could not be more fitting for our Journal Chapter: Heirloom | Eclectic | Generational | Soulful.
Where the teak talisman spoke of time and transformation, Patinero is an embodiment of the concept of heirloom design—pieces that do not demand attention but command presence. It is a collection built for those who understand that true luxury is not pristine but lived-in, softened by memory, burnished by time, and enveloped in memorable connections.
Patinero is where the conversation continues.
Where craftsmanship and imperfection create a language of their own.
Where the wisdom of materials speaks louder than ornamentation.
In our next journal entry, we step into the world of Patinero—an heirloom collection built for the modern world, steeped in the spirit of timeless design.
Follow the adventure. Click the box below to read our next Journal Entry in our celebration story of Patinero…
Patinero is more than a collection; it’s a philosophy of effortless, boundary-free living that harmonizes global farmhouse aesthetics with modern luxury. This introduction sets the foundation for how Patinero blends structure and softness, modernity and heritage, and indoor-outdoor versatility to redefine contemporary living.
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
We are not just reimagining furniture. We are reimagining the way we experience space, time, and meaning.
Join us as we explore the art of creating spaces that evoke peace, wonder, and a sense of belonging. SUBSCRIBE TODAY and follow the journey.