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THE GREAT INDOORS: Hoarding can be beautiful, too!
Instead of creating meaningful design moments, a person's knack for collecting curiosities usually generates tackiness and disharmony. For Mexican folk-art enthusiast Mariann Schick, however, her collection is her design.
THE GREAT INDOORS: Hoarding can be beautiful, too!
Reporter Meg Augustin takes you inside some of Philly's most fab dwellings to showcase our city's unique grasp on design and architecture.
Instead of generating meaningful design moments, a person’s knack for collecting usually 
creates disharmony in the home. For Mariann Schick (pictured right), however, her collection is her design. Traveling across the globe, she’s collected a myriad of Mexican folk art. Her inspiration stems from the time she spent in her parents’ home in Ajijic, Mexico. The lovely, modern abode was a perfect launching ground for her love affair with the colorful and eclectic culture of the region.
During her time there, Schick formed relationships with the local craftsman who create splendid pottery, textiles, coppers, and sculpture. Her love for folk art began when she started collecting Tlaquepaque figurine folk pottery, a collection that soon expanded to Coke-bottle figurines, masks, and elaborate pineapple-themed pottery pieces from renowned artist Hilario Alejos Madrigal. In her more recent travels, Schick has expanded her collection to Turkish rugs and paintings from neighbors and fellow expatriates.
With such an eclectic collection, Schick’s home could have turned into a madhouse of kitsch, but with the help of designer and collection expert Gail Gross, Schick’s condo feels more like a livable art gallery than a storage space.
The kitchen was revamped with bright white and rust-colored walls and red cabinets — a color combo that 
makes Schick’s display of Mexican masks and ceramic hardware really pop. The rest of the home is punctuated with white walls, clean-lined furniture and mid-century wood tones to keep the focus on Schick’s folk art. “It was important to keep furniture and walls neutral,” Gross notes. “We wanted clean lines to offset the collection. That’s the important thing in this space; furniture does not take center-stage.”
The plan worked, too. Rather than clutter, Schick’s collection seems to serve a purpose — with each piece in a functional spot. For instance, she incorporates Madrigal’s massive green pottery to dress up entertaining spaces while using whimsical objects like Noah’s Ark figurines to keep her office from becoming too tech-oriented. And warm colors, handmade textiles and comfortable arrangements make the space feel entirely livable and friendly. Walking through the home, there’s a sense of awe in regards to the collection but its smartly integrated approach makes the space much more beautiful than busy. This seamless functionality is a refreshing reminder that, with a little ingenuity, we don’t necessarily have to give up our sometimes-obsessive need to collect.
Want to see your home featured in an upcoming Great Indoors? So do we! Email Meg at megan.augustin@citypaper.net.
Photos: William McEwan
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