Pomegranate scent

I have had some real stress moments this week. My birthday is coming up and there has been a lot of baking et cetera ongoing. I had my friends over yesterday and got, among other things, this from my dear soul mate (thank you)! Of course she knows (and reads my blog). Candle with pomegranate scent! And I like the typography of it!

Today I take a break from the flour bags (one baking round left, phew...recipes anyone?) and go out and enjoy the autumn sun!

 

Autumn mood

The trees are still green and I am enjoying the post-summer feeling, but could not resist showing you this gorgeous autumn picture that I found in a photo magazine. Beautiful autumn mood by ABBA.

The vase is my latest flea market find. I forgot to pick the rowanberries on my way home today...Would have fitted the autumn feeling and colours in this photo so good!

 

 

Afteroom for Menu

Menu launches a new collection at the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris 5-9 September. The collection includes this interesting coat hanger, designed by the Stockholm-based design agency Afteroom. The design is so simple, yet so perfect. It is available in black or white. I like!

 

I spotted the Afteroom chair last year (here) and made a mood board (here), and new versions of this are now also available in Menu's collection.

Pictures via My unfinished home and Dezeen

Wishes

 

 

I collected some of my new and old favourites.

Coffee table book about the designer Josef Frank  | City Hall clock by Arne Jacobsen | New jug by Marimekko  | Hooks from Muuto of ash or oak | Candle with the scent pomegranate | Clothes hangers from Hay | New stool by Artek in the colour "honey"

 

The duck and duckling

 

 

My new favourites from ARCHITECTMADE!

So cute! I adore them!

The duck is really big in size so it looks really majestic on my shelf.

 

If you still want to win an own wooden figure from ARCHITECTMADE, there is still a few hours time until the competition is closed! Hurry guys, I would definitely not miss it! All wooden figures in the collection are really worht collecting and make you smile...!

 

See how to win the wooden owl, here!

 

Have a great Sunday!

  

Autumn news from H&M Home

I picked my favourites from H&M Home's autumn news.

Some nice things for dark autumn evenings.

Sofa, TV, snacks, candlelight and the decorations on the coffee table.

 

 

 

Also new marble items are coming.

 

 

Picture from H&M Home | Pinterest

Collage by me with items from H&M Home

 

And hey... remember to fill in the design competition here before it is too late!

...and to...

here!

 

Giveaway | Architectmade

 

Dear readers, I am so happy to announce that in cooperation with ARCHITECTMADE I will now organize a lovely blog giveaway for you! I am sure that one of you wants to win the latest newcomer in ARCHITECTMADE's wooden collection, the cute owl? One owl is included in the competition and its value is approx. 75 €!

 

The owl is a genuine piece of Danish design that you can place anywhere in your home to gild your everyday life! The funny thing is, that the head is attached to the body with a magnet, which gives you the opportunity to rotate the head and change the owl's expression to reflect a certain mood or emotion. 

 

Paul Anker designed the owl in 1960. It is handmade of oak wood and the eyes inserted are of wenge wood.

 

To participate, all you have to do is:

 

1. Like ARCHITECTMADE on Facebook.

2. Write a greeting to me in the comment field below and tell me why YOU want to win the owl.

The competition ends at Sunday 24th August at 11:59 p.m. EET. When the decision has been made, the winner will be announced on my blog. The decision cannot be appealed against. If any possible gift taxes occur, these are paid by the winner.

 

 

Good luck!

“The land of childhood is a land forever.” | Paul Anker
 

 All pictures by ARCHITECTMADE | Collage created of these by me

 

The competition has ended. Congratulations Franziska (who wrote 15.8.14 at 4:52 p.m.)!
You are the lucky winner of the cute owl and this will be sent to you shortly!


 

Summerhouse on Gotland

 

I have waited for electronic pictures from this beautiful house on Gotland, but as they cannot be found I photographed one myself from the Plaza Interiör magazine. A bit on the slant but it is too dark now to take a new one. What I wanted to show was the nice summerhouse with the untreated front which will turn grey in course of time, the huge windows, the beautiful, grey limestones and in fact, the smallest detail, which inspired me equally much, if not the most... the terracotta pot with the yellow flower. All this in such a nice combination.

 

 

The whole story can be read in issue 8/2014 of Plaza Interiör.

 

House designed by Skälsö Arkitekter

 

 

In Copenhagen

You remember this stunning home?
I found a few more photos from other angles via Yellows'.

It seems that I cannot get enough of the combination design, vintage, art, graphical impression and colours in a happy mix.

To follow the inhabitant of this inspiring home, check out Handcraftedcph!

 

Photographer Pia Winther | Stylist Gitte Christensen

 

 

Terrace and garden inspiration

Not spending much time inside right now. The weather is for once so hot that you hardly have time to do the dishes inside... Out, out, hurry, because we Scandinvians know that all at once it starts snowing again...So I just enjoy the summer months now and the free time. And of course, I am also dreaming of that perfect terrace and garden. Because the balcony is not very popular right now. Too hot! My pink flower is not feeling very well. Too much or too little water?

Above my best picks of terrace and garden inspiration. Which part do you like most?

1 Terrace of cedarwood

2 Rows of lilac lavender

3-4 Wooden surfaces, terrace, pots and dining table in a cold greyish hue
as well as steel- and butterfly chairs

5 Black wooden sun chairs, lanterns and fine stones

5 Pyrus salicifolias | Weeping pears (silverpäron). Also called the olive trees of Scandinavia.

6 Eero Aarnio-inspired Bubble chair and reading corner (also when it rains!)

Happy July

 

My vacation started yesterday!  Five weeks, wow, and the sunny and warm weather started on the very exact first day of it after a chilly June. I knew it!

Happy July!

Pictures | Pinterest
1-2-3-4-5

 

Aalto stool

 

I found this old beautiful bedroom photo when going through my inspiration folders. I am weak for all kinds of Artek stools and it seems that there are too many colours and different kinds of wood combinations nowadays for me being even able to choose one single favourite. I appreciate these traditional stools as they give that extra natural traditional feeling to the rooms.

The stool has many lookalikes on the market. How can you distinguish the copy from the real one? I guess you can try to test it by throwing it into the wall? A funny legend says that Aalto tested the stools' durability by throwing the prototypes along the floors in the factory. And I guess he was not satisfied until they did not break.

Picture Hemnet

Story Artek

 

Flea market find

 

My latest flea market find. A ceramic vase that keeps my small pink flower alive.

  

Have a nice week!

 

 

Painting

 

I found a painting that I made four years ago. The bright colours make me a lot happier and in fact it feels a little special to have a piece of your own mixed with the rest of your interior. I think I will leave it there now, on the sideboard. The mix and contrast of original and framed posters makes it more real and interesting.

 

Perhaps I would need to make more paintings soon. It is fun. But time-consuming.

 

 

Enjoy the Sunday!

 

 

Aalto vase | Iittala

See more usage possibilities here and here,

for the days without flowers.

 

 

Alvar Aalto collection

It was so fun to come up with new usage purposes for the classic and iconic Aalto vase, produced by Iittala, that once set going I could not stop. This time I filled it with fruit, balcony flowers and candies. Once you start thinking outside the box there are so many possibilities to take the vase into use in your everyday life, also without flowers.

 

There are always funny anecdotes if you dig into the history of design items. Did you know that this vase was originally designed for a competition and named as “Eskimåkvinnans skinnbyxa” (the leather trousers of an Eskimo woman), meaning that the design is inspired by the dress of a Sami woman?

 

And apart from that, it is also called the Savoy vase as it was part of the furnishing in the luxurious restaurant Savoy, which opened in Helsinki in 1937.

 

We have many names for the things we like!

 

 

Timeless design

I got a really nice styling challenge from Iittala to find out new ways to use the classic Aalto vase. We all know that the vases look gorgeous with flowers in them, but what if we want to take them into use in our everyday life, too, when the flowers have faded and we do not have any new ones? I eagerly took this into consideration as I love these iconic, beautiful vases!

The new colour for this year is called Rain (Sade in Finnish), and the colour is just as dark deep blue as the sky a rainy day. I think this vase and size is very suitable for your pencils and small items on your desk, keeping your make-up in order in the bathroom or serving blueberries or something else for breakfast or lunch. Hope you like the ideas! More pictures with a few other vases are coming soon, so stay tuned...!

Did you know that for making one single Aalto vase, seven glass professionals, twelve working phases and thirty working hours are needed?

 

Flowers

 

Weekend is here and I have visited the flower shop. Seems that I cannot get enough there, so much nice stuff that I do not know what to choose. I want it all!  This time I was about to buy boxwood but the right size for my balcony was sold out. I have to wait...So this pot and flower and some other flowers and branches, too, followed me home. And the more I went out on the balcony, the more I started to picture one flower pot  here and one there and one boxwood here and one tree there, vegetables and herbs and yes, finally a complete garden in there...! Green everywhere! Oh... I have to get some sleep and calm down. I do not know where this interest in flowers and garden has come. It is new!

 

 

Have a nice weekend all!

 

 

Hello June

 

Today's Pinterest inspiration.

 

Welcome summer!

 

 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Summer is here

 

 

Breathing in the summer...

 

All images in the mood board | Pinterest

 

 

Sweet Saturday

You see. At my place cats and birds are best friends. I love my new poster from Aprill Aprill! It is made by talented Johanna who always inspires with her originality and creativity. I like her style!

On the balcony Eero Aarnio's Puppy is still waiting for some company. At least for some flowers...?

This sweet Saturday I have been to a spring concert with my mother. A choir was singing everything from Cohen to Mozart. And we enjoyed it!