Lost and Found in Lisbon

Ahh, a refreshing non-working Monday. Hopefully you’re holding off on emails until tomorrow—but if not, welcome back to the web. I hope you capped off summer doing something that left you feeling restored.

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Mine carried me across the Atlantic to Lisbon, a city where sunlight clings to tiles and the ocean is always within reach. I arrived with the sense that this season has opened me a little deeper than I anticipated.

(We’re all friends here, right? Because what follows might wander into tender territory.)

Here in Portugal, I learned from a local that there’s a word for that kind of feeling: saudade.

It’s often translated as longing, but it’s sweeter than that—an ache braided with memory, the trace of something loved that still lingers. Maybe that’s what gives Lisbon its depth. Every corner feels touched by both presence and absence: the sound of fado, twelve-string guitar rising through a narrow street; indigo tiles catching the sun; hand-carved details worn smooth by time; mosaic sidewalks shifting like waves; cafés carrying decades of conversation.

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The Richness of Depth

Lisbon reminds me that true luxury isn’t about abundance—it’s about richness. Details done so well they feel inevitable. History and care layered into something that resonates.

Depth shows up when design is rooted in meaning, when a space feels inseparable from its place and its people. And with that depth often comes a touch of saudade: the recognition that beauty always carries memory, and memory always holds both holding on and letting go.

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Designing with Richness in Mind

So how do we bring this sense of richness into the spaces we create?

• Choose saturated materials. Deep colors, aged woods, textured stone—elements that feel like they carry a story.

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• Layer history into the present. Preserve original details or echo local traditions so design feels timeless, not temporary

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• Tailor to place. Commissioning art or objects specifically for a site ensures resonance that can’t be replicated elsewhere

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• Focus on detail. Luxury lives in the way small gestures—lighting, finish, proportion—are executed with care.

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Richness doesn’t require excess. It asks for intention.

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A Gentle Meditation

As designers—and as humans—maybe this is the invitation: to create with depth in mind. To honor not just what we hold, but also what we release. To let story, history, and detail infuse our work.

Because depth is what makes something unforgettable. It’s what makes luxury feel alive. Saudade reminds us that even in longing there is beauty—and in what we let go, room for brilliance to arrive.

💌 Elle

P.S. Inspire me in the comments—what’s a time when life surprised you by swapping out what you thought you wanted for something even better?

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