ALVARO Retana, head of telecommunicationsfor the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE),resigned on Tuesday as the two ICE board memberswho were fired two weeks ago by President AbelPacheco were reinstated under court order.“You have to know how to go home with dignity,”Retana wrote in his resignation letter. “Everything inlife is a lesson and this experience has not been anexception.”Retana and the two board members — JoséAntonio Lobo and Hernando Pantigoso — have beenat the center of a controversy that started last Octoberwhen they traveled to the Czech capital of Praguewith Ricardo Taylor, the top Costa Rican representativefor Swedish telecom firm Ericsson, for four dayswhen they were scheduled to attend a global telecommunicationsconference in Switzerland.The details of the trip were made public in February by Libertarian Movement Party legislators,who filed a complaint before the Prosecutor’sOffice, alleging the ICE representativeshad misused government funds.Soon after, the Executive Branch, ICEand the Legislative Assembly all begantheir own investigations into the matter.ICE was expected to conclude its investigationthis week.AT a press conference Tuesday, Retanainsisted his resignation was not related tothe trip to Prague. The official, whoworked for ICE for 18 years, said hisdeparture is the result of governmentspending restrictions that have nearly paralyzedthe state telecommunicationsmonopoly and are making it increasinglydifficult for the institution to continue tomeet the country’s telecommunicationneeds (see sidebar).His retirement will not be a suddenbreak from his duties at ICE. Retana took apaid leave of absence shortly after theinstitution began its investigation. By thetime he announced his resignation thisweek, Retana had extended his leave threetimes for a total vacation of three monthsand five days.During the press conference, Retanamaintained his innocence and denied anyinappropriate behavior on his part by travelingto Prague.However, he dodged questions aboutthe details of the controversial trip, andsaid he would wait until the Prosecutor’sOffice and ICE to finish their investigations.He did say the trip was a private matterand was paid for with personal funds.“It’s been an honest job and my retirementdoes not mean that I have violatedthe ethical, moral and legal values that apublic employee must have,” he said.“However, it has been a job in which Ihave had to think about my well-being, myfamily, my health and my emotional stability.”RETANA accused members of thepress and certain legislators of having“judged and sentenced” him before listeningto his side of the story. He attributedthis partly to the actions of “enemies ofICE,” although he did not name them.“I feel I have been falsely accused ofbreaking the law and have had my reputationdamaged,” Retana wrote. “… I knowmy conscience is at peace and know that Inever violated the trust of the people whoworked alongside me and supported me.”In addition to having served as head oftelecommunications for the past fouryears, Retana also served as director ofPublic Telephony and Mobile Services.Retana said he is grateful to ICE for all ithas given him.He said he plans to continue to work inthe telecommunications industry, andplans to meet with private telecom firmsoperating here to discuss possible employmentopportunities. He did not mentionany names, however.THREE hours before Retana resignedTuesday, President Abel Pacheco reinstatedboard members Lobo and Pantigosounder court order.Pacheco fired the board members July20 upon the conclusion of the ExecutiveBranch’s probe of the Prague trip (TT, July23).The final report accused Lobo andPantigoso of using public funds to pay fora private trip. It also revealed the boardmembers had traveled to Paris after theirstay in Prague to meet with representativesof French telecom firm Alcatel withoutrequesting permission from Pablo Cob,ICE’s executive president.Arguing the firing violated their rightto due process, Lobo and Pantigoso filedan appeal before the President’s Cabinet,which is still pending, and an injunctionbefore the Constitutional Chamber of theSupreme Court (Sala IV).The Sala IV agreed to study the case,thereby suspending the decision to fire theboard members until it issues a final ruling.Until then, Lobo and Pantigoso willremain on ICE’s board of directors.“Until the Sala issues a ruling, theboard members who were named last weekto replace them will be suspended,” JusticeMinister Patricia Vega explained duringTuesday’s weekly Cabinet meeting.“Under orders from the Sala IV, we arereinstating board members Lobo andPantigoso.”The Sala IV has no time limit to rule oninjunctions.IN the injunction, the board membersargued the Cabinet lacks the authority toinvestigate members of the boards ofautonomous state institutions with the intentof firing them. It can only conduct this typeof investigation if it has information fromthe Comptroller General’s Office that statesthere is a valid reason to dismiss a boardmember, the two board members claim.Pacheco said he would abide by thecourt’s order, but called it one of the manyreasons why it’s “complicated” to governCosta Rica.“We’re about to lose Costa Ricabecause of a series of obstacles that exist inevery area,” Pacheco said. “This is anotherexample of the everyday nightmares welive here in Zapote (where CasaPresidencial is located).” Landline Access Among World’s WorstAS one of his reasons for resigning ashead of telecommunications of the CostaRican Electricity Institute (ICE) this week,Alvaro Retana mentioned governmentrestrictions on the institution’s spending.Retana said he would have succeededin improving the quality and availability ofland phone lines, cell phone lines andhigh-speed (broadband) Internet had thegovernment not imposed such strict budgetcontrols on the institution and insteadallowed it to reinvest its revenues in newtechnology.“It’s like buying a house or a car andbeing told you have to pay it in cash,” heexplained. “It’s not possible to move forwardthat way.”Costa Rica is the 10th most difficultcountry in the world for citizens to obtain aland phone line, according to the mostrecent Global Technology Report of theWorld Economic Forum.Costa Rica ranked 92nd among 102countries in capability of acquiring a landlinein the 2003-2004 report, the daily LaRepública reported. Worse-ranking countriesinclude Haiti, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe,Chad, Kenya and Honduras, which ranked102nd.ICE attributes part of the problem todevelopers that build new homes andapartment complexes without installingphone lines. A new regulation that wentinto effect last week attempts to reversethis trend by requiring all new urban developmentsto install phone lines before presentingprojects to municipal governmentsfor approval, La República reported.Availability of new cell phone lines mayalso continue to be an issue. Two weeksago, the Comptroller General’s Officefailed to approve the sale of 600,000 newsecond-generation GSM cell phone linesto ICE by Ericsson, citing 28 objections tothe contract (TT, July 30).Originally, ICE planned to have thelines up and running by next March.Although Comptroller Alex Solís said thedecision to reject the contract was notdirectly influenced by the controversy surroundingthe trip to Prague, it was mentionedin the Comptroller’s report.The Controversial TripALVARO Retana and board membersJosé Antonio Lobo and HernandoPantigoso traveled to Geneva,Switzerland, to represent ICE in theInternational Telecommunication Union’sWorld Conference, scheduled for Oct. 12-18.However, Oct. 15-18, the ICE representativeswere in Prague, accompaniedby Ricardo Taylor, the top Costa Rican representativefor Swedish telecom firmEricsson (TT, April 23). The daily La Naciónlater reported Taylor had paid the hotelmini-bar expenses of the representatives.It is unclear who paid for the rest of thetrip, organized through a U.S. travelagency.At the time, Ericsson was involved in,and two months later won, a $130 millionbid to supply ICE with 600,000 new cellphone lines. Ericsson and ICE signed thecontract for the purchase in June. TheComptroller General’s Office recentlyrejected the contract, citing 28 differentobjections to it (although the trip was notone of them).Pacheco fired board members Loboand Pantigoso on July 20 because ofalleged irregularities connected to the trip(TT, July 23).A week later, on July 27, he namedengineers Jorge Gutiérrez and FranciscoLay to ICE’s board of directors.On Tuesday, Lobo and Pantigoso werereinstated. Gutiérrez and Lay were suspended,although they will be reinstated ifthe Sala IV rules against the original boardmembers.

Major reforms in the country’s press lawsand changes in the judicial process may be theresults of a long-awaited ruling from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which thisweek culminated a nine-year legal battle overpress freedom.The ruling, announced Wednesday, declares thatthe government of Costa Rica violated two articlesof the Inter-American Convention on HumanRights – which Costa Rica signed in 1974 – in convictingLa Nación reporter Mauricio Herrera in1999 on libel and defamation of character chargesand later rejecting his appeal on the decision.It is the first time the human rights court has condemnedCosta Rica since the country recognized thecourt’s decisions as legally binding in 1980.“THIS is not only a personal triumph, but a triumphfor the responsible practice of journalism,” Herrera toldThe Tico Times. “The judges are saying that publicfunctionaries are subject to a greater examination by thecitizens of the country. . . they must accept greater criticismthan other citizens.”He said the ruling is a major step toward “jurisprudencewith a healthy respect for human rights” and is avictory for all Costa Rican citizens who are now afraid to speak out against authority.“It protects citizens’ right to expressthemselves, to report against people inpower,” he said.The ruling of the San José-based court,a tribunal of the Organization of AmericanStates (OAS), orders Costa Rican legislatorsto adopt reforms to the country’s pressfreedom laws in “a reasonable amount oftime.” Both Herrera and La Nación Editor inChief Alejandro Urbina said that at firstglance, the ruling appears to give journalistsgreater freedom to criticize politicianswithout fear of legal repercussions.Urbina said this fear has caused significantself-censorship in the country’snewsrooms for years.HERRERA was convicted for chargesstemming from a series of stories he wrotethat were published in the daily La Naciónnewspaper in 1995 about the questionablepractices of then Costa Rican diplomatFélix Przedborski. Herrera had used informationhe obtained from European newspapers– supported by his own interviews –to link Przedborski to illegal arms dealsand tax evasion.The reporter’s conviction, according tothe human rights court’s ruling, put CostaRica in violation of Article 13 of the convention,a section that governs “Liberty ofThought and Expression.”The ruling also completely overturnssentences handed down to Herrera, 34, andthe newspaper in 1999, and orders the stateto pay Herrera $20,000 in immaterial damagesand $10,000 to cover legal fees thereporter accrued during the struggle.After the conviction, La Nación wasfined ¢60 million (about $200,000 at thetime), and was ordered to remove all linksto the stories from its Web site. The newspaperalso had to publish the court’s sentence,which occupied 12 full pages.Herrera was ordered to pay ¢200,000, orface jail time, and to register himself as acriminal (TT, Nov. 19, 1999).URBINA is optimistic the governmentwill have to repay the fine money, andHerrera, married and the father of threechildren, said his name will be removedfrom the criminal registry.The Appellate Chamber of theSupreme Court (Sala III) rejected Herreraand La Nación’s appeal in 2001, promptingthe appeal to the Inter-American Courtof Human Rights through the WashingtonD.C.-based Inter-American Human RightsCommission. It was the decision to denythat appeal, according to the recent ruling,that put Costa Rica in violation of Article 8of the Human Rights Convention, which isentitled, “Judicial Guarantees.”The article guarantees due process forcitizens of signatory nations, which Herrerasaid the state violated by declining to admitevidence he said would have clearly refutedsome of the arguments for his conviction.THE case gained international attention.Seven journalism associations from aroundthe world submitted arguments on Herrera’sbehalf. In February, the U.S.-based Committeeto Protect Journalists (CPJ), in anamicus curiae brief submitted to the court insupport of Herrera, stated, “laws that permitjournalists to be prosecuted criminally forthe content of their reporting are a hazard tofreedom of the press and the right of citizensto be informed.”“Overall, (the ruling) will help us fulfillour primary obligation to provide thenecessary information to citizens in a freeand democratic society,” Urbina told TheTico Times. “I believe that self-censorship,which is quite prevalent, will in the immediatefuture diminish and that will lea tomore bold, yet responsible, publications.”A 2002 survey of reporters from 18Costa Rican media, conducted by LaNación, supports Urbina’s assertionsregarding self-censorship. According tothe survey, 62% of respondents said theyhad omitted information for fear of legalaction, and 99% said they believed thenation’s current, 102-year-old press lawsare in dire need of reform.At the time of the convictions, EduardoUlibarri was editor of the newspaper. Hestepped down in April 2002 after 20 yearswith La Nación.COSTA Rican Journalists’ Associationpresident Raul Silesky said he is “very satisfied”with the ruling.“This confirms that we were not confused,”Silesky told The Tico Times. “Thisgoes in line with what we have sought forthe last few years.”Silesky said the ruling will force thecountry to “adapt its national legislation tomake it correspond with internationalnorms and standards.” He said he is confidentthe ruling makes legal the practice ofreprinting references to material publishedin other newspapers or magazines, becausethat is what Herrera was initially convictedfor, but said he could not comment beyondthat on the exact implications of the ruling.Urbina said the ruling will require thecountry to change the judicial practicesthat led to the denial of Herrera’s appeal tothe Supreme Court. He pointed to Article175 of the ruling, which says, “the Courtconcludes that the magistrates of the (SalaIII), in resolving the appeal to theSupreme Court, interposed against thecondemning sentence, did not fulfill therequirement of impartiality.”THE victory is a huge leap ahead formany directors of Costa Rican media whohave been fighting for improved press lawssince the July 7, 2001, assassination ofradio journalist Parmenio Medina.Even before Medina’s killing, thedirectors of La Nación, Al Día, DiarioExtra, Canal 7, EcoNews, La Prensa Libre,Radio Monumental, El Financiero,Radioperiódicos Rolando Angulo and TheTico Times began work on a project torenew Costa Rica’s press law, and presentedit on July 23 of that year.Members of the Journalists’ Associationhad simultaneously drafted theirown version of a press freedom bill, but onSept. 12, 2002, according to Silesky, thetwo versions were combined into a progressivebill modeled primarily after presslaws in the United States and Spain.The bill was submitted to the floor ofthe Legislative Assembly earlier this year.Urbina said passing the bill into law isstill necessary.“THIS ruling helps, but it does notestablish, specifically, how press lawsshould change,” Urbina said.Though the bill, entitled “The Law ofPress and the Liberty of Expression,” wouldreform numerous aspects of current CostaRican legislation governing press activity ifpassed, Silesky pointed out a few aspects hesaid would make the most drastic difference.NOW, many infractions journalists canbe convicted of are dealt with in criminalcourts and can result in jail time. The proposedlaw would eliminate the criminalstatus of most of those and make them civilmatters, carrying only fines as punishment,much like in the United States.Herrera and Urbina said an annex tothe ruling, written by the court’s president,Sergio García, alludes to the idea that “thecivil route is the most adequate mechanismto resolve journalistic conflicts.”Herrera said he had no idea when hefirst wrote the story that it would end upbeing so controversial or have such a massiveimpact on the nation’s legislation.“I knew he was an influential andimportant character,” Herrera said ofPrzedborski. “But I didn’t think it wasgoing to have the relevance and importanceit will have.”

ASK foreign visitors what’s the firstthing that catches their attention when theyget to San José and they’ll likely mentionthe security or the perceived insecurity.Costa Ricans appear to be obsessed withsecurity.Go to a typical residential neighborhoodand you’ll likely see bars on all thewindows, maybe even a barbwire fencearound the yard. Go to a fancy neighborhoodand you probably won’t be able tosee the houses – they’re surrounded bythick concrete walls.Go to certain fast-food restaurants indowntown San José and you’ll see securityguards holding an imposing-looking shotgunaimed at deterring criminals fromstealing the hamburgers. Security guardswith shotguns are also stationed outsideprivate universities and many commercialestablishments.There may be reason for all these measures.Turn on the evening news and thefirst 20 minutes will recount all the latestviolent crimes that have taken place.No one seems to agree on the cause ofthis crime epidemic. Some people blamepoverty and the high cost of living. Othershave more xenophobic reasons, and blamethe immigrants.There’s no avoiding it, Costa Rica, likeany other place in the world, has crime.Fortunately, there are many ways toprotect your family and worldly possessions.Some people make sure to neverleave their house alone. Others get ferocious-looking guard dogs. Residents ofsome neighborhoods come together to hirea community security guard.IN recent years, alarm systems havedramatically increased in popularity inCosta Rica. Most home owners say alarmsgive them an added sense of security.ADT (www.adt.co.cr, 257-7374)claims to be a world leader in security. Thecompany offers a wide range of alarm servicesfor residential and commercial properties.Worldwide, ADT has 12 millionclients, including 4 million in the UnitedStates.In Latin America, ADT provides securityin Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica,Mexico and Uruguay. In Costa Rica, ADTprovides integral security solutions for29,000 homes and businesses. ADT hasinvested more than $25 million installingits high-tech alarm, monitoring and surveillanceequipment in Costa Rica.ADT’s services have two main components– monitoring and enforcement. ADTprovides its customers with a state-of-the artalarm system, which is electronicallyconnected to its offices and makes it possiblefor them to monitor your home.In the event of a break in, the alarmsends a message to ADT’s monitoringoffices. ADT then contacts police andsends its own private security force to thehome to attempt to stop the burglars.ADT offers alarm systems for customersthroughout the country. However, itcan only dispatch officers to homes in theCentral Valley, Ciudad Quesada in theNorthern Zone and the Caribbean-slopetown of Guápiles. In the rest of the countryit only contacts police.CAMILO Quintero, Sales andMarketing Manager for ADT, said hebelieves alarm systems are an importanttool that complements security.“The recommendation is to take preventivesteps,” Quintero explained. “We’re acompany that provides integral securitysolutions that complement people. Our servicesallow people to see and hear what ishappening in their homes when they’re notthere. It’s about protecting your loved ones.“People need to act preventively,” hesaid. “Regrettably, things now happen inCosta Rica that didn’t happen 20 years ago.Criminals have become more professional,they’re more organized, there are kidnappingsand bank robberies. Our business isto provide tools to complement people’spersonal security efforts.”

LOOK around your house. Metal is omnipresent.You’ll find it on door handles, lamps and light posts.You might have metal furniture, candelabras, chandeliersor balconies.And, this being Costa Rica, you likely have securitybars on your doors and windows.Iron is the metal of choice for decoration in CostaRica, according to the experts. It offers a durability anddependability that other metals don’t have.Look for the terms industrial (industrial-strength) orforjado (forged) to guarantee that durability,says María Félix Molina of Laccaferroin La Uruca, in the northwest district ofSan José, which specializes in decorativeiron products for the home.MOST of the iron products sold herethese days are rust-proofed, explainsGuillermo León of Herrera Mapache inGuachipelín, one of the private vendorsrepresented at the massive but user-friendlyConstruplaza complex on the highwayto Santa Ana, west of San José.Protective, non-corrosive paint is key to guardingagainst rust in Costa Rica’s humid climate. Leónexplains that the degree of protection he applies dependson where the client expects to use the product.More of a shield against oxidation in the rainyCentral Valley is needed than the same piece wouldrequire in dry northwest Guanacaste.Molina suggests keeping ironwork in a dry part ofthe house if possible. But there’s one simple point thatowners often ignore, she says.“Don’t bang it. Don’t chip the paint,” she cautions.Any permeation of the protective barrier is a rust problemwaiting to happen.RANDALL Rodríguez, who creates decorative ironworks as a side from the family blacksmith business,says that iron has increased in price here about 200 percentsince December. Worldwide demand, much of itfrom Japan, has fueled the price rise.Rodríguez, whose shop is located in Belén on theroad to Alajuela, has taken to stopping alongside theroad if he sees a piece of scrap metal there. But a sourceof heat, hammer and metal-cutting scissors in his handscan turn that roadside discard into an intricate, originalpiece of art.Laccaferro and Mapache have a goodmix of ready-made items, with furniture,candelabras, chandeliers and balcony railingsamong the product mix. Prices varywith the complexity of the design, Molinasays.Both can custom design any productas well.As an independent blacksmith,Rodríguez deals only in custom-madeitems, but the sky’s the proverbial limit.Decorative wall hangings and centerpieces,furniture and elaborate iron gardens are a few ofthe works he’s made for satisfied clients, includingmany in the expatriate community, around the CentralValley.Rodríguez can also add ornate touches to securitybars, that most utilitarian, but necessary, use of ironfound here.For more info, contact Laccaferro at 223-6116 orHerrera Mapache at 215-1112. Randall Rodríguez can becontacted at 443-2746.

HOURS spent tending the gardennever seem more worth it than when theopportunity arises to sit back, relax, andenjoy the view. But while people toil andsweat to produce beautiful flora, theyrarely give a second thought to the furniturethey place in the garden.White and plastic or wooden andcracking, garden furniture rarely rivals, oreven complements, the beauty of the garden.Richard Lacey, owner of SundanceFurniture, is trying to fill the gaps.“I started this company because I wasamazed that there’s such a wide selectionfor indoor furniture, but everybody has thesame horrible stuff foroutside,” he said. “Thereason I’m doing this isand the reason it’s beensuccessful is that thereisn’t too much competition.“The most importantthing is that it’sreally comfortable,because some of thedesigns in Costa Rica,it’s almost as if they’ve never sat in achair,” Lacey said.HE described the Sundance line as“all-weather furniture, of very good quality,”that is still aesthetically appealing.“We use a material called Prolen whichlooks and feels like real wicker or rattan,but the advantage is that unlike real rattan,it doesn’t crack,” Lacey said. “I’ve had atest set sitting outside for three years and itstill looks like new – it doesn’t lose itscolor.”Monnry Lighting and Home Accents ismarketing another alternative, furnitureconstructed from specially processed aluminium.“It’s called cold-drawn aluminium tubing,and it’s 40% stronger than regular aluminium,which can’t hold up to the weather,”said Ryan Harris, owner of Monnry.The key to outdoor-furniture buying,according to Harris, is finding a balancebetween price and quality.“You can spend a little and get nothingor spend a little more and get a 15-yearwarranty, which is a good warranty forsomething that’s going to be outdoors,”said Harris, who started stocking the aluminiumfurniture when he couldn’t findany high-quality outdoor pieces for himself.“I wanted something that was going tolast, at a good price,” Harris said.HARRIS sells pieces both off the floorand through custom manufacturing in theUnited States. He says there are more than70 designs of chairs, tables, umbrellas,sofas, and more. Customers choose thefabric, print and color.“It’s custom-made the way you wantit,” Harris said.The majority of Lacey’s customers areforeign residents, who have been snappingup the line since it wenton sale here in 2000.“People seem toreally like it,” he said.Harris concurs thatthere is a demand forhigh-quality gardenfurniture; he saidMonnry began stockingthe aluminium linein May and it sold outthat same month.“We’re really surprisedby how quick it sold,” he said.SUNDANCE Furniture is availableexclusively at the Green Turtle SouvenirShop behind the Hampton Inn in Alajuela,northwest of San José. The entire rangecan be viewed online at www.greenturtlesouvenirs.com. The more than 300 differentdesigns can be shipped all over thecountry.According to Lacey, a chair costs $40and upwards, and a table and four-chair setis $350 and up. Call Green TurtleSouvenirs at 430-0211, or visit the shop,open seven days a week.Monnry Lighting and Home Accents is300 meters north of the AMPM inGuachipelin, by the Multiplaza in Escazú,southwest of San José. According toHarris, a set with five chairs and a tablestarts at $499 and can be customized up to$10,000. It is open Monday-Saturday, 9:30a.m.-6 p.m. Call 288-2669 for more info.

LIVING at or near the beach can make a homeownerfeel extraordinary; after all, close proximity tothe ocean is a gift of immeasurable value. Yet, there arespecial considerations when designing and decoratinga beach house – regardless of whether the residence ismoderate or elaborate – because the elements of sun,sea and sand require more than just respect and admiration.“When investing in a beachfront home, our clientshave a different lifestyle,” said Nicolas Viale, owner ofCentury 21 Coastal Estates in Playa Tamarindo,Langosta and Caña Fistula. “They like living with openwindows, watching sunrises and sunsets with theirhuge open terraces, having dinnerunder the stars, relaxing in theirtropical gardens, etc. But beachhouses need to be conceived andfurnished in a different way thanother homes – the humid salt breezefrom the ocean is the enemy.”That salt will cause damage tothe structure of a beach home (especiallyif its structure is steel), airconditioning systems, electricalinstallation, paint and stucco, furniture,appliances, decoration and artwork.PRIOR to the Costa Rican real-estate boom, thiswas not of much concern, as beach houses were simplyweekend homes of minimal comfort level with notmuch inside. Now, people are investing in art and top qualityfurniture, as well as high-tech electricaldevices, and those houses have partial or total air conditioning.It’s important to protect these investments.“You need to budget some money before you buy abeach house to redecorate, reupholster and replacethings that erode or become damaged from the erosionand natural damage which occurs from living near thebeach,” Viale said. “This changeover is likely necessaryevery three years, and be aware that maintenance/repairs cost for such a home will be two to threetimes the costs of a regular home.“Essentially, do whatever you want; make a nicehome for yourself; enjoy it. When you need to, replacesomething. It’s a completely different lifestyle,” sheadded.Interior designers who specialize in beach-housedécor offer an expertise much needed for these kinds ofproperties. Two in Guanacaste include Celine Priceand Jean Guinot.HOME designer/project manager Price was bornand raised in Marseille, France, but has been applyingbasic guidelines to Tamarindoabodes at Sunset Hill, TamarindoDiriá Condominiums and privatehomes since she made a permanentmove to the area from LosAngeles, Calif. two years ago.Price’s primary focus these days isthe prestigious Los Altos de Pinillaproject, a luxury spa and hotelunder construction betweenTamarindo and Avellanas beaches.Tamarindo Pacific Interiors’Jean Guinot is an interior designerwhose San José company alsodesigns and imports furniture,ornaments, lighting fixtures, accessories, and more. Hestarted working here by accident. French and Italian,but born in Senegal, West Africa, he was manufacturingfurniture in Costa Rica for a company in Californiawhen he met Cala Luna Hotel and Villas’ Else Pilurzu.Guinot decorated the entire Langosta project, whichresulted in work at Los Sueños, Reserva Conchal andmore.Price and Guinot’s guidelines for the decoration and design of beach homes follow:1. FOCUS on the view and on being outside.“Make sure the main rooms face thebeach,” Price said. This provides the homeownerwith the option of creating an air flowfor the house with open doors and the oceanbreeze, or building beautiful, big windowsfacing the sea and then air conditioning theenclosed room. Or do both. Use ceiling fansfor natural airflow. It’s always best to aircondition bedrooms as well as offices wherecomputers are kept.Outside the mainroom, create a large areafor entertaining. Priceoffers a number ofoptions including a swimmingpool, a barbecue pit,a colorful garden, a naturalwood deck, dining areaor sunbathing section.“Always there is anoutside shower and bathwhich is necessary for the sand,” she emphasized.“And, an area for surfboards, ofcourse, preferably made in teak.”To combat the problems that arise fromthe ocean air, Guinot uses a special treatablefabric called “sunbrella,” a mildew-resistant,water-repellent material on both the insideand outside furniture.“It’s wonderful for me because I can doall kinds of things without it looking likecanvas,” she said about the material, whichwas originally designed for boats. “We do aslipcover for the upholstered pieces makingrevamping easier. Always use slipcovers onyour outside and general living room furnitureif possible, because they are easy tochange when they are in need of it. This is anextremely important issue.”2. BRING the outdoors indoors.“My tendency is to bring the outsideinside,” said Guinot about his projects at thebeach. “Definitely soft color, somethingfresh, definitely prints such as landscapes,palm trees on window treatments, coordinatedwith bed covers, using solids colors.Always use color and patterns that remindyou that you are in the tropics, like seashells,flowers.”Price concurred.“If there’s a gardenoutside, then put a drygarden inside, meaningplants inside by thestairs, for example, thatthe owners would waterthemselves. Or the drygarden could be madewith cactus,” she said.3. USE lots of naturaland available materials.Tamarindo Pacific Interiors specializesin mixing the natural earth materials and creatingfurniture and window treatments thatGuinot feels are appropriate for life at thebeach.“We like eclectic – using different materialssuch as wood with rattan, and bambooshades for window treatments, maybe thepanels in sea grass. We have a local factorywhere we bring coco from the Philippinesand integrate it into wood furniture to give itanother dimension. I want furniture to be aconversation piece,” Guinot said.While Price doesn’t advocate rattan, shedoes recommend the use of natural materialfor a beach home, especially the variouslocal woods. Teak is a favorite of hers,because it’s a hardwood, as well as bananaleaf.“It’s soft to the eye and more comfortablethan rattan,” she said.HOWEVER, both teak and banana leafneed to be sealed to foil beach erosion.“Bamboo is a natural, very resistantmaterial, and so is caña brava, another typeof wood. Bamboo blinds are good, especiallyfor use around 3 or 4 p.m. when the sunstarts to get into the house. And I like usingstones in the floor, and wall, too,” she added.Both Price and Guinot agree that whilethe above generalities can satisfy most, it’simportant to spend time with the clients andfind out about their specific needs.For example, Guinot always asks if thehome will have children or if the unit will berented. This kind of factor will refine thedecorating process and increase both theenjoyment of the home and the rental andresale value of the property.For more info, contact Celine HomeDesign/Project Management/InteriorDecoration at 839-9939 or 653-1247 or emailcelinitta28@yahoo.com.To contact Jean Guinot at TamarindoPacific Interiors, call 282-8653 or 282-8712or e-mail tamarpac@racsa.co.cr.

THERE is an edge to art in Costa Rica,both painting and sculpture, that has nothingto do with the jungle scenes and woodensalad bowls on the tourist beat. Collectorsand galeristas have already noticed the trueinnovations in contemporary LatinAmerican art here that puts it on par with artaround the world.“In the last seven years there has been anawakening in people’s taste for theirhomes,” art collector Fuad Farach said.“Previously the acquisition of art wasrestricted to one group (the rich). Now thereare lots of small and medium-sized collectorswho don’t fear buying things. And thereis a new generation of business people, professionals,who are acquiring art the same asbusinesses and financial institutions. Therehas been an increase in talented artistsbecause of that.”As the experienced collectors know, thenew and established artists of this countryare accessible even to the novice collector orthose with a little more than a passing interest.You only have to know where to go, whoto talk to, or what to read.Curators at the Museum of ContemporaryArt in San José (257-7202) stress the importanceof reading and studying copious amountof art history to understand the moderntrends. That advice is echoed, in part, bygallery owners and collectors, but only insofaras any purchase with a mind for investmentshould be investigated.“The main thing is to orient yourself.Obviously it depends on the goal, if you wantto invest or of you want to decorate, and youhave to research it for yourself,” said AlexisDumani, co-owner of the Galería GDS.“AT times people see a piece and don’tknow what it is about. They should ask theassistants at the gallery what it is about, whatis its theme, in what phase of his or hercareer is the artist, what does the artist’sresume look like, in what public collectionscan you find the artist’s work, in what privatecollections, (though, she adds, privatecollectors are not always forthcoming aboutwhat is on their walls).“It’s good that people learn becausenobody knows what a work is about withoutaccess to the artist (directly or through awritten synopsis) or a critic,” she said.Unless it is strictly for investment anddoes not even straddle the line between thepotential for value appreciation and your owngood taste, Dumani believes the gut-leveleffect a piece has is the most important factor.“I look at a work first with an eye forwhat it sends me according to my experiences.It doesn’t have to do with the artist’sintentions, rather, what it says it to me,”Dumani said. “The initial impact, whether aperson likes it, is something very personal.Later, upon analyzing it a little, you considerwhat the artist is trying to say by readinga synopsis of his or her work. The intentionis transmitted by the artist or an art critic.Sometimes it’s about nothing more than anew or interesting technique, sometimes itcould be a social commentary, for example.”THERE are people, she said, who buywhat moves them, which she encourages, butthere are others who want to invest in a piece.In that case, research is necessary. Luckily, inthis computer age resources abound.She recommends that investors talk togallery attendants, museum curators, theartists and critics themselves, if available,and that they read art magazines, articlesabout the artist in other media, discover whatawards he or she might have won, read theartist’s resume, and discover where the artistmight be headed in his or her career, andhow serious is his or her commitment to thecraft. All of which may give an idea ofwhether a particular artist’s work willincrease in value.Marbella de Farach, art collector withher husband, Fuad, said there are two kindsof art in which you can invest. Pieces thatare by known and established artists, whichcost more but may be safer investments, andpieces by young and new artists, which areriskier. In the case of buying from youngartists, she said, “go with your heart.”“We went with young artists because it’smore fun to see how they behave, where theygo. Sometimes when you buy a known artistthe price levels out (it does not increase).”THEY started collecting 20 years agofor fun, now they do it as an investment andto support up-and-coming artists, many ofwhich they get to know personally.“In Costa Rica there are many youngartists who come from above with strengthand good art,” Mr. Farach said. “We believeit’s important that the collectors and noncollectorssupport national artists, as muchin painting as in sculpture.”A number of magazines and Web sitesshed light on Costa Rican and other LatinAmerican artists. A few recommendationsare the magazines Art Nexus, which coversart all over Latin America, Lápiz, a Spanishpublication that covers Latin American art aswell as European and North American, and,for comparison, Art in America, which coverscontemporary U.S. art. An incrediblenumber of Web sites are available, includingArt Nexus’ site, www.artnexus.com, alsowww.flashart.com, and www.artnet.com.In September the Galería GDS will offerart appreciation courses once a week, taughtby a Cuban museum curator.The Farachs recommend three galleriesthat feature shifting private expositions inCosta Rica: Klaus Steinmetz, 289-5403,located in San Rafael de Escazú, 25 meterseast of the Plaza Rolex, artcontemporaneo@racsa.co.cr. Jacob Carpio 257-7963,located on the Ave. 7, 50 meters west of theLegislative Assembly in San José, andGalería GDS 380-4134, 386-8591,info@gdsgaleria.com, located inMulticentro Paco in Escazú, by appointment.Commercial galleries that are recommendedare the Kandinsky, 234-0478, 208-2674, located in San Pedro, east of San Jose,in the Calle Real shopping center, and Galería11-12, 280-8441, galearte@racsa.co.cr,www.galeria11-12.com, Barrio Escalante,from the farolito 200 meters east, 100 metersnorth.

INDONESIA, China, and India maybe on the other side of the world, butmany people in Costa Rica are bringingthe east into their homes with Asianimport furniture.“For three years its popularity hasbeen increasing,” said Jose PabloAlvarado, a salesman at Gado Gado inEscazú, southwest of San José.The chicken-or-the-egg nature oftrends makes it unclear whether the availabilityof Asian furniture has led to itspopularity or if demand has forced storesto increase stock, but either way, it’s clearthat buyers are snapping up exotic furnishings.“People are looking for things fromother parts of the world,” Alvarado said.“I think that it’s about design, becausethere’s good quality furniture in all countries.”ALEJANDRA Golcher, general managerof the high-end Artemarmol inEscazú, attributed the trend to the increasingavailability of high-quality furniture atgood prices.“You have a lot of choice, and theprices are really good. The quality is verygood for the price,” Golcher said.“The import furniture is more availablebecause it’s more popular,” saidMonique Harris of Monnry Lighting andHome Accents in Guachipelin, southwestof San José. “It’s a trend, like if you seeeveryone wearing black pants, thenthey’re in all the stores. When somethingtakes off everyone wants it.”Golcher noted the aesthetically pleasingcontrast of Asian style in Costa Rica’stropical setting, a contrast Harris commentedon as well.“It’s what’s in style right now; it fitsthe décor of the houses down here. It’s agood fit for homes being built in CostaRica right now,” Harris said.ASIAN furniture has a style that isrustic but not simple, according toAlvarado. “It’s elaborate, with a lot ofdetails.”The styles vary widely depending onthe country of origin, and different storesreported different trends.“Oriental style is very finished, withsimple, clean lines,” Golcher said. “TheBritish Colonial style is different, moreintricate. The Indian style is very decorated,with a lot of rivets.”She added that Indian furniture isinspired by Indian architecture, and istherefore quite ornate.The British colonial style, a meldingof Eastern and Western design created inBritain’s Asian colonies, “is very carved,with a certain classic style,” according toGolcher.Golcher said that Artemarmol’s mostpopular furniture comes from Indonesia.Javanese furniture is also increasing inpopularity, because it is “contemporary ormodern, furniture that has simple straightlines.”“EACH country has its own distinctstyle, but they are all lovely,” Golchersaid.Harris identifies furniture fromIndonesia, the Philippines and China asthe most in demand.“They use a lot of natural fibers, teakwood, rattan, coconut fiber,” she said.“The style is more decorative, more a traditionallook than modern, though youcan get away with some pieces in contemporarydécor because of the straightlines.”Prices vary widely and depend on thematerials used and the quality of workmanship.“The price depends on the materials,”Golcher said. “Some teak comes unfinishedand is finished here, and so it is verycheap.”But she added that teak is one of themost expensive woods. Handcrafted teakfurniture is “very beautiful, much morefine, and more expensive” than most furnitureon the market.HARRIS placed Monnry’s prices inbetween cheap manufactured furnitureand the very high end of the market. Mostof Monnry’s stock, Harris said, is handmade.“But they are not antiques which arereally expensive; handmade antiques arevery expensive.”Clientele, the stores reported, is a mixof resident foreigners and natives.“We have a lot of foreigners and CostaRicans,” said Harris. “It’s 50-50. They’reboth buying it.”Artemarmol is open Monday-Fridayfrom 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Saturday 10a.m.-5 p.m. Call 228-0443 for moreinfo.Call Monnry Lighting and HomeAccents at 288-2669. The store is openMonday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.Gado Gado, named after a city inIndonesia, is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m.Monday-Saturday. The phone number is228-2309.