Here are some images from a beautiful villa located on the island of Ibiza, Spain. I love that rustic, concrete kitchen.
Another gorgeous feature of the house are the wooden ceiling beams.
After the success of Familjen wallpaper Swedish designer Lisa Bengtsson has created another gorgeous design: Svärmor. This new wallpaper is a contribution to all shoe lovers out in the world! The graphic pattern is made out of singular shoes coming from different periods in the designer’s life.
There is something special about a pair of shoes. It’s an accessory we always need to wear, which changes its appearance depending on where we go. Each shoe breaths a history of our life – some of them stay forever, others leave only a footprint behind.
This wallpaper would be great to decorate a walk-in closet. A roll of wallpaper measures 52cm x 10 meter. Both Svärmor and Familjen are available at Le Souk, and until 28th February you get a €10 discount per roll.
German company bulthaup is known for their gorgeous kitchen systems. As they say themselves ‘they offer holistic solutions for living spaces’. Sitting, eating, enjoying together and talking to each other. That’s what makes the kitchen the heart of the home, and the focus of communication.
bulthaup has therefore also developed tables and seating in addition to their kitchen systems. Their tables and seating are pared down to the minimum and have perfect ergonomic proportions. Some of the chairs included in this range are from Danish designer Hans J. Wegner (see images above and below). For instance Wegner’s bar stool has now been re-issued exclusively for bulthaup. On the bulthaup website you can find a retailer in your country.
In response to our world of dwindling greenery and densely-packed metropolises, Dutch visual artist Simon Heijdens turns technology to aesthetic ends, creating subtle ornamental works existing and evolving in response to their natural surroundings. Simon studied experimental film and product and media design at the Design Academy Eindhoven in The Netherlands and now works from his studio in London. Rising Slowly is a chandelier that he designed for the Austrian company Swarovski.
Rising slowly is no ordinary chandelier although it is built up like a traditional chandelier – a structure of threaded crystals that gets its character by subtly dangling crystals. Though the thread used here is of a smart material that slightly contracts when activated. Wind gusts are measured outside and translated to the chandelier inside. Each thread is separately reactive to the sensor, and together they make a subtle ripple travel through its crystals with a varying direction and intensity depending on the character of the windgust. So the chandelier makes an exact copy of the wind that passes outside, moving sometimes subtle, sometimes intense, sometimes not at all. An object with a character that is defined by its locations, changing along throughout the day and year and restoring the natural time line of an artificial space. It becomes a living object, one that is constantly changing. You can visit Simon’s website to find more information and to see all of his work.
The work of Dutch designer Wendy Plomp has been featured in Dutch magazines but recently I also saw her cardboard carpets ‘message in a box’ in ELLE Decoration UK. Cardboard is probably the cheapest industrial packaging material available on the market. Any image that is printed onto this typically throwaway material can turn into a streetwise design object; something that can have a glorious second life if left to the street where it can be spontaneously employed in new applications.
The carpets, available in various patterns, where recently used to decorate an Arabic themed dinner hosted by a restaurant in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (images above). You can visit Wendy’s website if you are interested in her work.
Ever since I saw this large copper teapot/kettle in a magazine years ago I have been looking for it. Unfortunately no information about the teapot was found in the magazine as it was used as a prop. Last week when I was shopping for Le Souk I found the teapot! I am very happy with it as it looks gorgeous in my home. I also bought some for Le Souk. Unfortunately there are only two of these hand-made kettles available but I am trying to get some more!
(Update: the teapot was sold out but I am getting two more later this week!)
One of the blogs that I visit regularly is Sweet Paul. Paul Lowe, a food and interior stylist living in New York, shows the most gorgeous photo on this blog. Above and below you can find some of the images styled by Paul.
But there are plenty more to be found on his blog and on his agent’s website. Be warned: don’t visit Sweet Paul if you are hungry…
I stumbled on these beautiful ceramic pieces a while ago but I waited to post about them until valentines day which is today. Artist Stephanie DeArmond from the US has created these stunning, delicate pieces. More work can be admired on her website.
Happy Valentine’s day!
A while ago I received an email from Idenity5 to introduce their graphic prints. I like to show you some of the posters posters today as these are perfect for Valentine’s day. Visit their website to see more of their prints.
Some more cute Valentine’s gifts: eigth Love Theme pencils ($9.95), Heart Warmer Hot Water Bottle ($16.00), heart-shaped paper clips ($9.50) – all from The Spoon Sisters.
This gorgeous loft is located in the 20th ‘arrondissement’ in Paris. There are a lot of elements in this house that I love. For example the mixture of various chairs around the rustic wooden table. The designs that have been used here are from left to right: Jean Prouvé’s standard chair, a repainted second-hand chair, Panton chair by Verner Panton, Striped Chair by Bouroullec and at the other side of the table is the 1006 Navy Side Chair.
Also the sober style of the kitchen is beautiful. Concrete has been used for the floor as well as for the free standing kitchen. The bathroom (image below) has the same beautiful sober atmosphere.
(images from Marie Claire Maison)
