Home Decor Trend: Little Houses

To set things clear: I don't claim to be a trend scout. Most certainly I am not. But this post has evolved through my recent experiences at some home decor trade fairs and my own home. I am talking about houses, to be precise: little, decorative houses. I've been seeing them everywhere recently and I myself fell for them, so let me presume it is a home decor trend.

Those tiny little houses come in various shapes, colours, materials. Sometimes they have a practical function such as a shelf, sometimes (more often) they are merely decorative. Placed alone or grouped into little villages, this home decor elements seem to evoke some daydreaming in us. We imagine those little villages where life is quite and happy. We shuffle and reorganise them thus creating new vignettes and new imagery villages. 

As for me, I have a beautiful little white ceramic house with stenciled windows that serves as a tealight holder and glows from within like a warm and cosy home (see it HERE). And a little ceramic house hangs as a bell above my bed. I got this in Paris and it is made by the fabulous 'Le Petit Atelier de Paris'.

What do you think of those little decorative houses? Would you put one on your sidetable, windowsill, shelf?

Happy Thursday!

Photography via Bloomingville; Ferm Living; My Little Fabric; Say Yes To Hoboken; bell pic by Igor Josifovic

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5 Happy Inspirations: Neon & Fun

Last month I was basically drowning in inspiration when I visited the imm Cologne and Maison & Objet design fairs. Pastel hues were one of the major trends. But vibrant colours such as neons were trending, too. In order to brighten up this snowy hump day here in Munich and all over the world, I've picked five happy neon finds that would add fun and joy to any home, don't you agree? 

What is your stance on neon hues? Do you actually have something neon coloured at home? I bought the NUD pendant light in a flashy pink for my hallway. I will add a cool Plumen bulb and my hallway will hopefully be happily welcoming new guests. Now I only have to fix it to the ceiling. But that is another story...

Happy hump day, friends!

Photography: Throws with neon brims by Bloomingville; neon stool by Rat In My Kitchen; neon ornaments by Mini Eco; neon cushion by Ferm Living; neon pendant light by NUD Collection.

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Interior Trends 2013 from the imm Design Fair

This week is a real design marathon. I am just back from the imm Cologne where I spent two days full of blogger fun and design inspiration. However, two days were just not enough: the first day was reserved for a bloggers lunch that I organized for Siemens Home Germany, then I attended the blogger panel 'We are Social' (see round-up here) and later on I continued with a few of my fellow bloggers to the Future Living Award ceremony hosted by Siemens Home Germany and Architectural Digest.

It was not before the second day that I had the opportunity to roam the design fair on the search for trend indicators in interior design. Here is what I got out of it and took with me as trending at the imm Cologne:

1. Trend: Pastel Hues

Pastel hues have been a big trend in 2012 already. However, this trend seems to continue all the way into 2013 if it is to judge according to what I saw at the imm Cologne. Many stands showcased a plethora of pastely furniture, home accessories and home textiles. I particularly loved the smart furniture system ADD by Werner Aisslinger, designed for the German company Flötotto. It is a modular concept based around changing modern requirements. Highly individual and lovely pastely!

2. Trend: Wood

I was very pleased to see a growing importance of natural material in furniture design, notably wood. As an Austrian I was very happy to visit the stand of the Austrian furniture manufacturer Team 7 - their motto is: It's a tree story. I spoke to their designer Jacob Strobel (see above, the young and super creative mind who learnt to be a carpenter) who explained his inspiration and work ethics. He told me that he loves to showcase smart cuts, edges and surfaces of the wood and prefers to hide the super smart tech (e.g.  automatic extension mechanism for dining tables). I was very impressed with the great furniture range and the variations of wood.

3. Trend: Candy Colors

My color loving heart beat faster when I came across the stand of the home textiles producer Nya Nordiska. Candy colors galore - stripes, rhombus shapes, triangles, zigzags - the shapes were as varied as the colors. Even at other stands with dominating pastel hues, I could always spot a range in bright, bold colors such as at the Muuto stand. A trend I love and will cherish in 2013!

4. Trend: Geometric Shapes

On headboards, as lamps, as coffee table surfaces, on textiles, as decorative elements - geometric shapes continue their success story from 2012 into this year. This is yet another trend I love - I like to add a touch of geometric shapes on home textiles and illustrations in my home.

5. Trend: Copper

Towards the end of 2012 it was very evident - copper was trending. Especially with home decorations and lighting. The longevity of metal and the warm hue of copper, matt or shiny, has found its place in stylish homes. This time copper has also entered into furniture design as an element or dominating material for tables, chairs, sofa frames. Like!

Do you like one of these trends? Let me know in the comment section!

Photography by Igor Josifovic, Muuto chairs by Clara Kirchner

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Be Fearless With Your Interior Design!

With every new year's start we tend to go through a little catharsis - we think and rethink options and decisions, ponder over what we really want, sort things out. All this applies quite often to our homes, too. We clean up after the holiday festivities, we pack up the Christmas decoration, we refresh our interiors. We think of what could be next? Do I go all clean and white? Do I apply one certain colour like the trending emerald and carefully blend in a neutral or vice versa? Do I take off everything from the sideboard or mantle and leave just one, two selected pieces? Whatever you decide on, the important thing is that YOU like it. That YOU are happy with it. It has not to please someone else's eyes, it has not be up to the criteria of Elle Decoration. After all, it's your home. It's your choice. So let's be fearless with our interior design and decoration. Just like in the picture above where colours are blended in and mixed fearlessly. So let's lay off our fears and insecurities and let's get started into a fresh 2013 interior design!

P.S. Check out the winner of the Paris Gift Box giveaway on Twitter and Facebook!

Photography via Nuevo Estilo

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5 Happy Inspirations: Copper Love

To be honest, with this rather unspectacular summer in Germany I sort of am open-minded to think of the upcoming autumn and winter season. What will be hot for interiors? Any colour trends? New decoration ideas? Well, one thing that I really like and would love to see trending in the next season is copper. There've been quite some copper ideas around, but I think there might be more to come in A/W 2012/13. What do you think? Hot or not? Here are '5 Happy Inspirations' visualizing my idea:

1. You don't need real copper for the copper trend. Best proof: This DIY idea by A Merry Mishap.

2. Copper-like cutlery? I'd say yes for a spectacular dinner with friends. Seen on Anthropologie.

3. Copper pipes reinvented as a desk lamp as seen on Inreda Utreda Blogg.

4. Bring the copper trend to the streets, too - for example, with a flashy copper bike. Seen on Wit Industries.

5. This cute Lup candleholder by Hay has been for quite a while on my wish list. Seen on Finnish Design Shop.

Happy Wednesday!

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Trend: Paper In Interior Design

Considering wood, metal, glass, textiles in interiors is rather normal and evident. But when it comes to paper, we mostly think of paper goods, books, posters, stationery. At first glance, this material seems too soft and fragile for interior design. But it's all a question of tweaking the good old paper. Arty installations, wall coverings, rugs, lamp shades, decorative elements as well as furniture made of paper - the possibilities are boundless nowadays. The above shown dining room catches the beholder's eye with a huge paper installation/light. Paper yarn is not only practical but decorative, too. So is this lampshade made of old maps.

Be brave and cover a feature wall with old book pages or newspaper. Paper fringes add texture and highlights to a bedroom, too. Go for an easy DIY paper pendant. 

How about an inflatable sofa made of recycled paper? Quirky, right? Or these Asian inspired lamps by Arik Levy?

Sleek, stylish and eco-friendly: these Kami pots by Berlin based Ett la Benn studio are a decorative highlight for any home and made of cellulose. Or fancy a paper rug by Greetje van Tiem made of long lasting recycled paper thread?

Paper sign to shout it out! And craft paper is practical in many ways!

Paper lamps diffuse a mellow, warm light and are ideal for a cosy atmosphere, like these Arik Levy models. Don't be afraid to use paper in kitchens, too. And show off some beautiful book covers - they are déco gems, too!

Photography via Marie Claire Maison, Felt & Wire, Etsy, Apartment Therapy/Bodie and Fou, Busy Being Fabulous, The 3rs Blog, Inhabitat, Interiorzine, Ett la Benn, Dezeen, Maemae Paperie, English Muse.     

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Trend: Wood In Interior Design

With Christmas approaching and wintery temperatures outside, I am totally drawn to natural materials. Especially to wood to be precise. I love the cosy and homey look of wood in interior design. Moreover, not only it's a sustainable material but it's also very versatile and can add a rustic as well as a modern look to interiors. With this in mind I browsed the internet on the search for something that could translate this idea into a real space and I was lucky - I found two amazing examples that exhibit the power of wood in interiors and showcase the individual ways of using it. By coincidence, both homes that I'd like to tour with you today are Dutch. 

The first home is a stunning example of a barn-turned-home: Wood is the dominating material and demonstrates its power of linking traditional, rustic feels, with modern design approaches. Pay attention to the extraordinary little wooden stools and industrial style lamps that add a very modern and functional touch to this traditional home. Isn't it super cool?

The second example is an Amsterdam based home that has a very modern kind of design approach with modular solutions made of wood. Here again, wood dominates the rooms but it's partly painted in whites and blacks to add drama and structure to the space. The geometric notches are an amazing example of the wood's versatility for interior design. I love how they conveyed this idea throughout the home - perfectly executed in the kitchen, where even the kitchen shelves have the geometric shapes. Thumbs up!

Photography via Marie Claire Maison

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