A blog on decorating the city of Lisbon would be remiss in ignoring the transformation of the city during the festas dos santos populares. In the older more traditional neighborhoods tables are moved into the streets, stages are erected, restaurants set up temporary street stalls and the city parties for 2 weeks. It all culminates … Continue reading Festas Dos Santos Populares Lisbon 2017
Some of the overflowing verandas in Santos do not need a terrace at all. Plants are hanging precariously from the window creating a vertical cascading garden. I have also included in this post some street gardens from the same neighborhood. The street plants with the star calcada are from the back streets of Graca. The villas … Continue reading Two in one!
There seems to be no end to the tile facades of buildings, but sometimes something new catches my eye. A new tile design that seems out of place, or an inventive shape constructed out of necessity. And whenever I see a sign from a past era I document it before it disappears forever. Continue reading Tiles and signs
Wednesday, International Women’s day I gave myself the day off to look for street gardens in Alfama. One of the older neighbourhoods that predates the Lisbon earthquake, it has plenty of narrow alleys, stairs, steps, patios and irregular shaped squares or rather spaces that open out in the densely built street patterns. It is in … Continue reading The potted street gardens of Alfama
Most of these tiles were taken in my own neighbourhood of Estrela/Lapa. You can walk through most of the older neighbourhoods in Lisbon and find the same diversity of tiles decorating the buildings. Continue reading Azulejos
Small gardens of potted plants placed outdoors, on the streets, on patios and terraces, are ubiquitous in the inner city of Lisbon where apartments usually don’t come with outdoor space. Placing plants outside your door claims a small part of the public street as your own and extends your house to the outside. It functions … Continue reading Creating gardens on the streets of Lisbon
In Lisbon, as in many european cities the terrace is an outdoor room and proxy garden. Plants on the terrace of a crumbling facade are often the only indication that the building is still occupied. Sometimes spartan, sometimes lush, the greening effect on the streetscape is dramatic. Continue reading The terrace as a garden
I have been collecting images of storefronts and older signage for some years. Some of the storefronts in my images no longer exist, especially in the baixa area. Continue reading Storefronts and signage of Lisbon
Mude Museum have an exhibition in Lisbon of retired signage entitled: ” Graphic City”. In this exhibition “MUDE looks at Lisbon from the advertising, communication, and urban culture perspectives. It, therefore, contributes to the preservation of a gathered graphics heritage.” The exhibition is worth a visit to see these oversized industrial signs up close and lacks … Continue reading Cidade Gráfica
Decorating Lisbon 