I quite love carnations/preview

here's some left overs from the party from yesterday, more later (next week!)

some inspiration for the house

While I'm at it, here's some of the images that I'm using as inspiration, which I found on Danielle de Lange's blog Style Files. The combination of dark wood, cement, concrete and natural colours was exactly what I had in mind for the house. The look boards that I put together a few months ago show the same athmosphere.

quick update

What with all the preparations and the finishing touches of some interiors, and the start up of a big renovation of a house, I hardly have time to post new things. And there's so much to tell! I will try to snap some images of the PR office I redecorated recently. But I have to show you this fantastic stove that I saw on Designboom, a very inspiring website about architecture, design and art. The stove is designed by Wuehl Yanes and was first shown during the interior biennale in Kortrijk. The stove would fit perfectly in the house that will be renovated the few coming months.

off to Buenos Aires (in a few months)

Normally I'm not a big fan of the days after New Years' day, but now I can't wait. Last week we booked our tickets, it's definite: we're going to live in Buenos Aires for a few months. I'll be posting blogs from there, I look forward to the inspiration I'll be getting there! That means our beautiful loft will be for rent. Anybody interested? Send me an e-mail or check Amsterdam Beautiful for more information.

to satisfy your eyes

there are always plenty of nice things to look at if the men from Weltevree set up their shop somewhere. Weltevree is a Dutch designcompany, well known from their Dutchtub and their beautiful, sturdy iron heater. It is designed for use outside, but could also work inside if you make sure the surface of your floor is fireproof.

and some more

One room was decorated with all sorts of eco-friendly products and designs, also known as sustainable luxury, brought together by blogger Annouk Post, creator of the blog Hiphonest.

some (late) news from Lloyd Hotel

Because I'm a bit late with my news from the InsideDesign fair, I'll make it short. The rooms of Lloyd Hotel (my favourite office away from my house), were decorated by different brands, designers and artists. In these images you can see the many possibilities of the cabinet units of Montana . Like a bench with space for books and magazines under the seat, and a slim lined kitchen work counter.

more at Ijm

Ijm is created by Frank Visser, but he always shares is work, ideas and his studio with a lot of other creative people. During InsideDesign you could also have a look at the drawings of Charlotte Koopman and Veronik Willems (below) and visit Mieke Willems  a shop that is set up by Mieke Verbijlen and Veronik Willems. Lovely work that puts a smile on your face.

Marlein at Ijm

People that visit or work with Frank Visser's studio Ijm, are always spoiled with Marlein Overakker's food. This weekend, during InsideDesign, she cooked in the evenings, that was served inside Frank's studio. So you could feast your eyes as well as your stomach. I still dream about the dessert: whipped cream with crushed raspberries, dark dark chocolate and cookies. Served from a big jar...

If you ever visit Ijm, don't forget to sneek a peek at Marlein's kitchen, a dream for every food and style lover.

a weekend at Ijm

Busy times again! I haven't even posted all my Paris-inspirations yet, but now that's all blown away by the things that I saw this weekend. On friday InsideDesign opened, a three day-design fair organised by (the Dutch version of ) Elle (Decor). Frank Visser, color king and creative brain of IJm, always partakes in this fair and shows his magic in his studio. The good news is that they have developed their own brand of paints: IJm Colourspots. Finally! It's not in the stores yet, byt the story behind is is beautiful, very logical and very Frank. Send an email to paint@ijmcolour.com if you want to know more about it.

Also check wongema.nl, a story behind a story.

an office away from the office

Working from the home can be nice (for instance, if your own coffee and sandwiches taste best), but also a bit lonely and not so time effective if you are as easily distracted as I am. I was always thinking of maybe setting up a place where all free lancers can meet and work, with nice coffee and food. The Cool Hunter, the website for the cool, collected and amazing projects, showed a place that has set the perfect example:  Urban Station in Buenos Aires. A big office space, beautifully decorated, where you can work for a day, plan meetings or meet with fellow free lancers if you're doing a project together.  Now it only has to open an office in Amsterdam. Or maybe I should move to Buenos Aires...

that English feel

Although some of these images mightn't even be taken in Great Britain, photographer Debi Treloar has put the typical English feel in it that I love so much. A touch of romance, nobility and old, sometimes faded, glory. I've had the pleasure to meet her a few weeks ago, and she is very kind and gentle, and very very focused. Inspiring!

Sweet Paul...

... thank you for softening the blow from the fact that is autumn again! I don't care, as long as I get to make this lovely food, or a funky pumpkin and these beautiful decorations for Haloween, or just get to look at the beautiful images and styling. I read first about Sweet Paul, a fantastic online magazine on Bloesem, a blog that I follow with great pleasure. Thanks for the tip!

Maison & Objet for children

At the fair Maison & Objet I also found some wonderful companies to realise the decorating plan that I made for a childrens' room for a 2,5 year old boy. As you can see on my mood board, I chose lot of different shades of blue, with a little bit of black for a cheecky touch. At Mimi Lou I found the best wall stickers, like a collection of cool old timers or moon walkers, Donna Wilson had beautiful blankets and pillows for a softer and dreamy feel, and at Fred the Dog I saw funny duvet covers and was bags, with dinosaurs, robots or cranes.

news from Maison & Objet: escapism or optivism?

Against a lot of beautiful and tender designs in muted colors, ecofriendly fabrics, and natural materials, there were a lot of cheerfull, over the top and sometimes almost hysterical (but always cheerfull) stands.

With wild designs, all the colors that you can think in one design. And lots and lots of accessories crammed in one room, that remind you of holidays far, far away (and a long time ago) or fairy tales and magical realistic novels. You can call it escapism, to get away from the sometimes grey and harsh reality, but I call it optivism and the celebration of the imagination (running wild!).

pictures show the designer of the bags from Trinity Knot, presse papiers and postcards from Astier Villages, life sized animals made of vintages tapestry and the furniture collections designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for Roche Bobois.

news from Maison & Objet: eco - deco - grey

It is good to see that so many designers try to be as eco friendly in their designs as possible. And I'm happy to see that eco has long left behind her gritty, dusty feel. You can even say that eco has become a style of it's own. And that designers are inspired by it's authentic, pure, unbleached look. With colors like the soft greys of pure cotton and linen, maybe sometimes colored with herbal and mineral colorings, accessories made of pure clay and stone, combined with black and white. Some add a feminine, more decorative touch with lace or padding and even sequins. It is soft and tender, and easy on the eye, but still interesting, exciting look.

pictures show work from Poterie des Guimards, pillows by Margarete Häusler, pillows by Nicolette Brunklaus, curtains by Beatrice Laval and a chair upholstered with linen from Leitner.