Holiday At Home: Book Review & Interview With Mr. Jason Grant

Social media have a magic power - not only do I get loads of inspiration from the social web, I also happen to meet the most creative and cool people from literally all around the world, even from the completely other side of our spinning planet. That is how I virtually met Mr. Jason Grant, one of Australia's most renowned interior stylist, colour expert and author. I have eagerly followed his career on social media and loved his first book 'A Place Called Home' and it was my interior design blogger duty to get my claws on his second book 'Holiday At Home'. Mission accomplished, I have that colourful and super inspiring book on my coffee table!

This book is something like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Its title reveals what's packed on almost 300 pages - a beacon of colours, holiday inspiration and relaxed decorating ideas. With Sydney-based Mr. Jason Grant you can be sure to get a big dose of sunshine and relaxed Aussie feeling into your own home - just grab this book, trust me, you will love it! His impeccable style and taste is the red thread through this visual masterpiece - beautifully shot by photographer Lauren Bamford and published by Hardie Grant Books.

I used the opportunity to reach out to Jason on social media and asked him a few questions as I was majorly inspired by his latest book and I wanted to know his secret. Let's see what he told us:

Jason, congrats to your second book 'Holiday at Home'. Do we need to live in Australia with lots of sunshine and a pool in the backyard to experience holiday at home?

Jason: Definitely not. You can create this feeling anywhere, perhaps let me know where, I might come visit, I have the travel bug! I'm lucky to call Bondi home and that's my inspiration.

What can the reader expect from your new book?

Jason: Uplifting decorating inspiration.

What inspired you to write a book about a holiday feel at home?

Jason: The home and holidays are my two favourite things, what better than combining the two! Holidays are all about relaxing and I am a big fan of a relaxed style of decorating for the home. Your home should be your very own sanctuary.

Give us one quick tip how to create a relaxed holiday feeling at home.

Jason: Relaxed style means decorating with things you love with no need to over style it.

How important is the home for the dweller's happiness?

Jason: Your home should make you happy - decorating is fun or should be and your home should reflect your personality, it should be filled with things that make you smile. Your very own happy place if you want so.

Last but not least: What's your favorite corner in your home?

Jason: Hm, so many corners to choose from! We have a little spot in our lounge room that probably has a little too many things in it but it's filled with things we love, a little collection of objects and usually fresh flowers.

Thanks for the interview, Jason!

If you love to travel and bring back inspiration from your holidays and if you love decorating, this book will make you very happy! You can order it HERE or HERE and create your own 'Holiday at Home' feeling! Happy weekend!

Photography by Lauren Bamford courtesy of Hardie Grant Books

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Making Of: A Chair Goes Wild

One common thing of many design aficionados is a certain design chair crush. I blogged about my latest design chair crush in my blog post HERE - it was a little love story with my beloved 'Leya' chair from the German design label 'Freifrau Sitzmöbelmanufaktur'. This chair is a real charmer - edgy and soft, raw and comfy, it is sensuous, stylish, elegant and functional - all in one. It is my favorite chair to read and work and I was pretty smitten to see some 'making of' pictures of the 'Leya' chair in all kind of colours for the brand's lookbook.

Freifrau's art director Birgit Hoffmann interpreted the 'Leya' chair in soft pastel hues in a refreshing, summery way - on the waterfront the 'Leya' product family seems to be as much at home as in our apartments. This playful twist and the happy colours grasp a more cheery side of the pretty elegant 'Leya' collection. Next door to my own apartment is a very beautiful and upscale interior store and they are currently showcasing many 'Leya' chairs around a dining table in their shop window - an entirely different view but this proofs that this design chair is as individual as everyone of us.

Well, I will leave with those breezy 'making of' shots despite the pretty cold autumn weather here. But maybe it is warm and sunny where you are. And if you ever end up looking for a good chair - I warmly recommend 'Leya', you'll love her as much as I do!

Photography via 'Freifrau'

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Happy Interior Blog Recommends: Fatboy

For many years the Dutch brand Fatboy used to be synonymous for bold, huge beanbags to me. But lately I've noticed that they slowly expanded their product range with new products like stools, cushions, rugs. But it was this year's bloggers' tour to Amsterdam that made me change my perception entirely. Fatboy was one of our sponsors of our design bloggers' dinner and we were seated comfy on their new concrete seats and Baboesjka cushion seats, enjoyed a dimly lit atmosphere thanks to the Edison lamp and we had the opportunity to meet their brand new product launching in 2015 - 'The Klaid', an oversized and super soft blanket for a snuggly evening.

The large blanket was a tactile highlight - it feels super soft and you instantly want to wrap up yourself in it - which some of us did, like my friend Susanna:-) But we also used the opportunity to ask the Fatboy representatives one interesting question: why is the brand called Fatboy? Now take this: It was back in 1998 that a creative Finnish guy named Jukka Setälä, a designer from Golla in Finland, was listening to the edgy tunes of Fatboy Slim (ha, I knew it) and designed the first original beanbag. Now everything makes sense and Fatboy has a quite cool vibe to it, right? And their new products are pretty cool, too!

Happy hump day and let's listen to some Fatboy Slim now!

Photography by Linda Elmin and Susanna Vento

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

What makes a room outstanding? What difference can be achieved with a good interior styling? I think we all agree that interior styling has a great impact on the perception of a room. The art is to find the right balance, to make a room look lived-in and not over-styled. The best solution: To actually live in the space. Just like in today's example of a room that caught my eye. This is in fact the Barcelona home of two creatives, Mari-Luz and Andrew, the masterminds behind the new magazine and project 'Openhouse'. 

Not only do I love their project and magazine, I also absolutely love their home. It is first and foremost a real urban jungle - filled with fantastic plants that add a very special and living touch to this light flooded home. Plus their love for details, ceramics and a cosy, open and welcoming atmosphere has really caught my eye. Here why this single shot of one of their rooms has caught my eye in particular:

• Styled Shelves: This incredibly beautiful and peculiar shelving unit has been styled up without intention - random collections, plants, books, magazines, ceramics. The effect is eye-catching. Beautiful and it makes me want to start a shelf styling project at home over again!
• Tiled Floor: A great advantage of many Barcelona home are tiled floors. They add so much character and atmosphere to a room and are perfect for homes in warmer climates. I love the pattern and colour combination: grey, yellow, blue - hello, is it me or what?!
• Iconic Chair: This iconic hand chair really serves as an eye-catcher, no matter where you'd place it. Its vintage condition, its peculiar shape, the raw, worn leather - your eye can't escape it!

How do you like this room corner? Does it catch your eye too and if so, why? Let me know!

Photography by Salva López

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From Place To Space: WExAtMine Styling Event In London

Last week Judith and I were pretty happy and a tad proud of ourselves - as the founders of Urban Jungle Bloggers we had the honor to host a styling event in London. To be precise: We organized and hosted the styling event for the new interiors community {at mine}, a London based platform that is still in its beta phase but growing quickly. We both have been members for quite a while and we love sharing our interiors on {at mine} - if you like to join in too, just click on the {at mine} banner on the right side of my blog. We also were very happy to team up with the London team of West Elm and host the event in their great store. Here are a few 'behind the scenes' shots (excuse the poor quality as it was challenging with the artificial light).

12 local design blogger celebrities and friends were invited to join in and style up six areas in the West Elm store - teams of two or three bloggers had the fun job to style two living room areas, two bedroom corners, a home office and a dining area. And they felt like the little kid in a candy store - they were free to roam around and take props, furniture and accessories from wherever they wanted. In three hours they worked hard, styled and restyled, took photos of their final results and everything went up on Instagram for a final contest. Last weekend the votes were counted and the winner was chosen - the bedroom styling of Kate and Geraldine took the most votes and the girls can now shop till they drop at West Elm thanks to a great shopping voucher courtesy of West Elm London.

As Urban Jungle Bloggers (and most of the participating bloggers are Urban Jungle Bloggers, too) we were very happy to see lots of plants going into the stylings adding that lively, green touch to an interior. Judith was also such a fantastic host, she prepared 80 little succulent babies and brought them all the way from Paris as a little giveaway to everyone. 

The entire event was a hell lot of fun, laughing, styling and learning from each other. I was stunned to see how professional each team approached the task and the final results were amazing - they were kept in store as displays for an entire week. Moreover, it was a very nice way to mark the first anniversary of Urban Jungle Bloggers too. Here's to more amazing Urban Jungle Bloggers projects!

If you like to join our Urban Jungle Bloggers community, please sign up HERE. We'd love to have you along - check out the amazing results of the current October edition HERE.

Thanks to all participating bloggers: Carole, Karine, Caroline, Toni, Tiffany, Lucy, Annie, Mary-Ellen, Sarah-Louise, Geraldine, Kate, Yvonne and all the guests and organizers who made this day a fantastic success!

Happy new week, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Plant Of The Month: Chrysanthemum

Today I am sharing the third and last part of my bilingual mini-series 'Plant of the Month' in collaboration with Pflanzenfreude.de. The plant of the month October is a cheerful indoor and outdoor companion, a perfect matchmaker for lovers of green houseplants and colourful blooms: the Chrysanthemums. 

When I got my potted Chrysanthemums it made me smile instantly. Those happy little blooms, tightly snuggled together brought a touch of springtime into this autumn month. That is why the Chrysanthemums are so special: they are blooming now in all sorts of colours and bloom sizes. Thus, they are the perfect plant to cheer up the gloomy and colder autumn days. I had to make myself a fresh coffee and enjoy that moment with my new plant.

Even those doubting their so-called 'green thumb' can be completely reassured: Chrysanthemums require a minimum of care. A little bit of water and a sunny, not too hot place are all they want. But as usual I have prepared a little cheat sheet with care tips for Chrysanthemums at your home. Oh, and don't miss the charming and fun little video about the 'Plant of the Month'. And now it's your turn: add some blooming colour to your home too!

Heute möchte ich euch den dritten und letzten Teil meiner zweisprachigen Mini-Serie 'Pflanze des Monats' in Zusammenarbeit mit Pflanzenfreude.de vorstellen. Die Pflanze des Monats Oktober ist ein froher Indoor und Outdoor Begleiter, eine perfekte Kombination für Grünpflanzen- und Blumenfreunde: die Chrysantheme.

Als die gelb-weiße Topfchrysantheme bei mir Einzug hielt, musst ich im ersten Moment lächeln. Diese kleinen und fröhlichen, eng aneinander gedrängten Blüten wirken wie eine Frühlingsbrise mitten im Herbst. Das macht die Chrysantheme auch so besonders: sie blüht jetzt in einer Vielzahl an Farben und Formen. Somit sind die Chrysanthemen die perfekte Pflanze, um die grauen und trüben Herbsttage ein wenig aufzumuntern. Um den Moment mit meiner neuen Pflanzen voll und ganz zu genießen, musste ich mir auch einen frischen Kaffee aufbrühen - ein perfekter Oktobertag!

Auch all jene, die an ihrem sogenannten "grünen Daumen" zweifeln, können beruhigt werden: Chrysanthemen bedürfen eines Minimums an Pflege. Alles was sie benötigen ist ein wenig Wasser und ein sonniger, nicht zu warmer Standort. Aber ich habe euch wie auch bei den letzten zwei Teilen einen Pflege-Spickzettel für Chrysanthemen vorbereitet. Oh, und verpasst nicht das wundervoll amüsante Video zur 'Pflanze des Monats'. Und jetzt seid ihr an der Reihe: Bringt ein wenig blühende Farbe in eure eigenen vier Wände!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

This post was supported by Pflanzenfreude.de

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Urban Jungle Bloggers: My Plant Shelfie

Now how smart am I to suggest the topic 'My Plant Shelfie' for the October edition of Urban Jungle Bloggers without really good shelves at home to style up? Well, let's say it was a kind of challenge! My only bookshelves are tucked in a corner of my living room with a minimum of daylight and the are deep and a bit crooked (but I plan to buy a new bookshelf soon) - perfect for a styling, right? Anyway, at Urban Jungle Bloggers it is all about fun with greens and we do not imply any rules, so let's roll it with my plant shelfie!

Adding a plant or two on a shelf is a good idea, no it's an excellent idea! Whether it's a  prickly cactus, fleshy succulents or sculptural hanging plants - play around and see the magic unfold before your eyes. Since my shelf is a bit compact I've decided to dedicate a full shelf only for some decorative items and stuff all books on the other shelf. My current mood is very earthy, balanced, vintage. I chose my paddle plant and a cactus to add the green factor. I paired the plants with some vintage ceramics in earthy tones, a wooden candleholder and a few stones I'd collected during my visit to the volcano Vesuvius in Italy. 

The plant pots match the colour scheme too - the cactus is planted in a vintage terracotta pot and the paddle plant in a brass pot for a dash of bling. I feel that the plants perfectly match the vintage and earthy theme and it absolutely resonates with my current mood. In order to put 'my plant shelfie' into a better light, I have placed it on my sideboard too - the light is better and it is easier to take pictures of it - so please excuse my little trick!

But enough with my plant shelfie, now I am off to discover your plant shelfies as this edition is a special one - we will pick five winners with the best 'plant shelfies' and they will receive a little something from us! Join in if you haven't already - you've got almost an entire month to join the fun (until November 15th). We are looking forward to your plant shelfies!

Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series initiated by 2 bloggers: Igor (Happy Interior Blog) and Judith (JOELIX.com). Every month we share ideas to create an urban jungle through styling ideas, DIYs and green tips & tricks. You can find additional inspiration on our Urban Jungle Bloggers Pinterest board and keep up-to-date on our website and Facebook page. Want to join? Use #urbanjunglebloggers on Twitter and Instagram. Or let us know and we'll share the badge and upcoming topics with you. Let's bring some green into your homes and blogs!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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