More faux bois at San Antonio River Walk and Witte Museum

More faux bois at San Antonio River Walk and Witte Museum

June 14, 2024 I went on a faux bois safari in San Antonio in April, hunting down all the faux bois — locally known as trabajo rústico — that I could find in one day. And I found a LOT. Check out my faux bois post here. But there’s far ...
Deborah Hornickel's modern-formal garden invites outdoor lounging

Deborah Hornickel’s modern-formal garden invites outdoor lounging

May 28, 2024 Deborah Hornickel credits her garden’s timeless good looks and livability to her good friend James David, a hugely influential designer formerly of Austin with a showpiece personal garden and a revered boutique/nursery called Gardens. (He and partner Gary Peese now call Santa Fe home.) Thanks to James’s ...
Fantastical rockwork and koi pond at Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio

Fantastical rockwork and koi pond at Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio

May 07, 2024 While hunting for faux bois works throughout San Antonio last month, I couldn’t miss the chance to visit the Japanese Tea Garden in Brackenridge Park. I was last there 11 years ago, and I was eager to see its distinctive rock architecture again. A torii gate of ...
A tradition of faux bois, or trabajo rustico, in San Antonio

A tradition of faux bois, or trabajo rustico, in San Antonio

April 22, 2024 Faux bois palapa at Landa Library Last week I roadtripped to San Antonio to explore the city’s faux bois tradition, or trabajo rústico as it’s known locally. These functional works of art — mostly garden furniture but also planters, shade structures, bridges, and even bus stops — ...