All posts tagged: Design

Inspiration from Formex

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The main trend seminar at this season’s Formex, was held by one of our times greatest trend analyst Lilly Berelovich from the New York-based trend agency FS Creative. I was so excited to find that many of the influences and tendencies she shared with us, show up in the homes of my book Home Life Around the World. The slow living trend is something that many of us yearn for in the busy and fast paced life of today. The chapter Wabi Sabi in Brooklyn highlight the love of handmade craft and embrace the idea of the imperfect. Healing Spaces celebrate the patina and aged beauty of furniture that have had an earlier life. In pursuit of happiness we seek to reconnect and live a life in harmony with nature as in Living Off-the-Grid. Realising the importance of silence in the chapter A peaceful Haven and creating an equilibrium in life in Visual Quietness, both show us ways to keep us connected with ourselves. The chapters Consciously Minimal and Industrial living are perfect examples of how work and home life are interconnected in the …

Snapshots from Formex design fair

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I visited the 108th edition of Formex spring fair. The theme of this season’s exhibitions was “A World of Shapes“. The designer and exhibition architect Synnöve Mork was in charge of “Layout“, the exhibition at the main entrance. Specially invited to interpret the theme and to put together the actual content were interior design stylist Saša Antić, stylist Tina Hellberg and artist Cilla Ramnek. I wanted to keep abreast with the latest trends, but what especially drew me to the fair was the opportunity to listen to one of the world’s most famous trend forecasters, Li Edelkoort. I was not disappointed. She held a really inspirational talk about future lifestyles and trends. The essence of the lecture was that an antithesis to the digitised world is emerging, where a strong desire to return to tactile values is prominent. Handicraft and crafts in all shapes and execution are on the horizon, and evidence of this is here already. Take a peak at some of the goodies I found at the fair. Coarse textiles, crafts, wooden objects, organic shapes, rattan, …

Guatemala I – Antigua

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I arrive in Guatemala on a propeller plane and head straight to Antigua. It is love at first sight with this beautiful town, with it’s cobbled stone streets, ruins and amazing colours and textiles of the Maya population. The women here wear the traditional and colourful clothing. The square-cut blouse is called huipil or güipil, the long skirts are called corte, and this is held up by a woven belt called faja. Every region has it’s own distinctive pattern and colour combinations. As a designer I go totally bonkers of delight. The vibrant colours and the intricate patterns of the textiles are so inspiring and I enjoy people watching more than ever here. I like the whole feeling of this old town with it’s beautiful buildings in Spanish baroque style, which used to be Spain’s colonial capital before it was severely destroyed by earthquakes in 1773 and the new capital was moved to a safer place, which is where Guatemala City is situated now. The town is dotted with ruins that remain from the earthquakes. …

Buenos Aires IV – Interior design gems

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As an interior designer I of course want to dip in to the scene and see what is on offering. There is a lot of nice interior design. Here is a pick of some of the stores I found in Palermo.  One of the coolest stores that just opened when I was living in Palermo Hollywood was Editor Market on Av. Dorrego. It’s the new hip place on the fashion and design scene. Set on three levels it houses interior design, clothing and a cafe. The interior design have in parts a distinct Scandinavian feel. The bench here is from Net. By chance I came upon the wonderful little store Enseres Bazar on El Salvador where I started talking to Barbara here in this photo, who is the sweetest of persons. Enseres is the place to go for a nice selection of cookware and accessories. I then met the owner of the store, photographer Cecilia, who kindly invited me up to the rooftop, as she was in the middle of a photo shoot in her studio there. And it …

Cape Town VII –Cool & colourful Bo Kaap

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My final week I moved to Bo Kaap that has it’s own flavour and feel. It’s known for it’s brightly coloured houses situated at the foot of Signal Hill. Many of the residents are descendants of slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia and other African country that were imported to the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries. The slaves were known as Cape Malays, and Bo Kaap is known as The Cape Malay Quarter. It’s the home of the Cape’s Muslim community and have several mosques here. First I stayed with fashion designer Olivia with her own brand Lalesso and her husband Wesley, a confirmed surfer, production manager for photo shoots and film production, and now co-owner of the new barista company Frothing. They have a lovely house in Bo Kaap and I spent a coupe of days in their home, with them and their Rhodesian Ridgeback Chesa. Olivia is from Kenya and Wes is from Cape Town. Here is Wes with his barista truck stationed at the corner of Buitensingle and …

Cape Town V –Design & delight in Gardens

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I moved to Gardens next, to the wonderful family home of Doreen and Meyer. I loved staying here! Doreen is fantastic and interesting woman. She has worked as an editor and stylist at Elle Decoration amongst other interesting jobs, and now she now runs her hospitality business InAweStays.  Their house is the old vicarage that belonged to the next-door church and it’s absolutely beautiful. As are all the charming and tasteful cottages that are on the premises, all done up with Doreen’s skilful eye for design. I loved my new home, an L-shaped loft with magnificent views through the glassed facade towards the Table Mountain. It was not only the stylish design. Or the beautiful setting of this home. The attention to detail here was amazing. A blackboard with a welcoming message. Handmade toiletries on the bathroom shelves in InAweStays own brand. Masses of thick and fluffy towels changed on a daily basis. Wonderful treats in the shape of trays with all kinds of delicious nibbles and goodies, appeared like magic when I needed them the …