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Friday Five with Mara Silber

Cleveland-born Mara Silber now calls Manhattan home where she launched her eponymous interior design firm in 2015 specializing in residential and hospitality projects. She initially worked as a stylist and design consultant after studying interior design and art history at George Washington University in D.C., all prior to landing at Mark Cunningham Inc., where she honed her skills on high-end residential projects, some of which have been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Interior Design, Living in Style, and others. In this Friday Five, Silber shares a well-rounded selection of favorites and sources of inspiration, from quirky locales to delicious beverages. Take a look.

Judd Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

1. Marfa, TX
It is so much more than just “the town closest to that empty Prada store”. Located in a remote corner of Texas, Marfa is a modern art outpost featuring Donald Judd’s Block residence, the Chinati Foundation, and a collection of charming galleries and storefronts like Exhibitions 2D and Mirth Marfa. When in town, ask for Ranch Water.

2. Red Wine
A perfect day (and not-so-perfect day) for me ends with red wine. My husband and I love wine tasting. We are not sophisticated at all and basically just look for a view, an interesting host and a bottle of red to wind down. My favorite is Rocket Science from Caldwell Vineyard in Napa.

3. Cleveland Museum of Art
I’m based in New York, but home will always be near my family in the Midwest, and as a native Clevelander I cannot make a trip home without visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art. It’s particularly special to me since I got married there! The architecture alone is beautiful, and the collection is so impressive.

4. Mark Cunningham
He’s such an inspiration to me as a former boss, a mentor, friend, and designer. While working for Mark, I watched him be considerate of clients, kind to his employees, thoughtful as a friend, and undeniably talented as a designer. And so humble that he’ll probably be embarrassed by this praise!

5. @wearewilderness
For travel addicts like me, Africa is one of the most beautiful and thrilling places on earth. Wilderness Safaris, who coordinates directly with US-based travel agency Discover Africa, is one of the continent’s premier safari camp operators. No photo can fully do it justice, but the @wearewilderness Instagram account comes close. Their posts remind me how big a place the world is. They keep me grounded when so-called “design emergencies” happen like a fabric delay.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.