Of all the delightful details packed inside Corazón, a recently opened Mexican restaurant in Portland, my favorite is the abundance of succulent and tropical planted plants potted in an eclectic mix of containers. It’s my favorite because it’s the detail that reminds the the most of the times I’ve been to Mexico; something that, although ubiquitous, I haven’t though much of since. But I also like the detail because it is tedious and breaks down the visual experience of the restaurant into something small enough to hold in you hand, making it tactile and more personal. The space is the brainchild of a team of folks at Jessica Helgerson Interior Design, who describe what “drove much of our design” saying, “a densely packed Mexican market with dozens of baskets hanging above a walkway. We wanted to recreate that warm organic feeling.”

Photos are by Lincoln Barbour