5 Happy Inspirations: Playful Fellows

Happiness is a state of mind. But sometimes, we can boost that feeling with a few goodies for our homes that make us happy. As simple as that. And I belong to the 'colourful crowd' - so anything colourful makes my heart beat a tad happier. To give you an idea of what I mean, check these '5 Happy Inspirations' or as I call them today 'playful fellow' for a happy home:

1. The Hester dining chair by Habitat would be an ideal replacement for my old Ikea chairs. In green, please!

2. The new Normann Copenhagen 'Watch Me Wall Clock' is a colour statement for every home. It comes in pink, blue, green and multicolored.

3. This silkscreen print would be a great embellishment to a working space. It features one of my favorites sayings: easy peasy. Seen on 'What I always wanted'.

4. Sometimes I am still a little boy. So even with 30-something I would add these Japanese paper balloons to my happy home. Seen on 'Sunday in Color'.

5. The Jelly Desk Lamp by Piers Saxby Candy Studio combines wood with a colourful cord for a subtle statement. Now available at Folklore.

Happy hump day, folks!

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Hello to my new Tuesday blog series 'Why This Room Caught My Eye'. I started last week and hope you will enjoy my little observations on interior design every Tuesday. It so happens that my eye got caught once again by a remarkable example of kitchen design. Actually, it is a little corner of a kitchen. But this corner is so exquisitely styled, that I've picked this example to tell you what caught my eye.

Three factors got me hooked on this kitchen:

Green Colour Coding: The green colour code is a fabulous example how one statement colour can draw the eye's attention to a certain room. A playful yet moderate use of decorative green decorative elements adds a great flavour to this kitchen.

Simple, white tiles: The simple, old white tiles make the perfect backdrop to make the colour coding and the vintage oven pop. Use white to add visual highlights that catch the beholder's eye!

Vintage Oven: This tiled vintage oven with a weathered top and fronts - no words needed to say why it caught my eye!

I hope you liked this room as much as I did. Is there anything that you liked or disliked in particular here? Let me know!

Photography via Scandinavian Deko

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From Place To Space: Fuerteventura - Part One

Just in time with the first snow here in Munich (and we had plenty of it the past weekend), I am bringing back the sunshine and balmy memories of ravishing holidays on the Canary island Fuerteventura. It was my very fist time on the Canary Islands and Fuerteventura proved to be a great choice. 

Fuerteventura marks the Eastern edge of the Canaries and is very close to the African coast. It is the oldest island of the archipelago and the driest, too. The latter fact can easily be noticed by the dominance of earthy hues and a striking absence of vegetation. However, the island leaves its visitors breathless with amazing sand beaches. The dunes of Corralejo, the sandy lagoons of El Cotillo, the wide beaches of Sotavento and the endless strand of Morro Jable - these beaches combined with the crystal clear sea make the recipe for perfect seaside holidays. And enough to make me go frenzy as you can see!

But Fuerteventura is not all about beaches. The island's rough landscape is scarcely inhabited by people but vastly occupied by goats. These set the basis for two of the island's culinary delicacies: excellent local goat cheese marked 'majorero' and the local traditional dish, goat roast. Try both, you will be astonished by the exquisite taste! And local fish is a must - accompany it by local 'papas arrugadas con mojo' - baked potatoes with a spicy pepper sauce. And finish your meals with a good 'cortado', a Spanish espresso topped with creamy milk foam. Sigh.

If you ever plan on visiting the island, I strongly recommend you rent a car to be flexible and discover the island's multifaceted spaces and places. And don't save on accommodation - pick a good address to fully enjoy your holidays. I was staying at the fabulous Sheraton Beach, Golf & Spa Resort - I will blog about that later. And the island is more than what I've posted here today. Stay tuned for part two next Monday!

Have a great new week, my friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Ideas For A Happy Weekend

Weekends are there to boost our creativity. Among other things. Sometimes I love a quite and relaxed weekend without any plans. Cause then I can get things sorted, reboot and probably do a little and super simple DIY. I am not too crafty, I must admit, but this little DIY is so simple yet so cute, I just had to try it.

Grab some cheerful Washi tape, a few simple tea lights and ta-dah - the happiest little tea light candles ever. Right? With this little idea I am wishing you a super happy & creative weekend!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Friday's Favorite Snapshots

Well my blog turned one last week so I've decided to tweak my content and keep you all entertained and happy. So from now on I will change Friday's structure: Once a month I will continue to present an interior stylist, photographer, designer or another creative person that caught my attention in the series 'Happily Ever After'. And the other Fridays will be dedicated to my favorite snapshots. Today's the premiere of this new series.

Ever since I've got myself a proper DSLR camera, I can't help but snap around and sometimes I really like the pictures so I thought I'll share those snapshots with you. Today I've added two snaps - both of them taken this week in my home.

I tend to redecorate my home from time to time. So my little prints, vases, plants etc. keep traveling from one corner to the other. Currently, my yellow side table serves as a bright and happy stage for my Scandinavian candlesticks, my little globe, my beloved succulent and some fresh blooms. And this little vignette is carefully observed by a great Andy Warhol quote.

On my bedroom sideboard I've grouped some of my favorite vases into a visual prolongation of the big Olaf Hajek art print, that serves as a backdrop and colour inspiration. The pink, yellow, red, amber and turquoise hues are the main colours of the art print and mirrored in my little vase collection, among them the little pink, handmade vase from Fuerteventura, the yellow-turquoise cutie from Anthropologie, the turquoise crackled vase from a local store in Munich, the amber one from Nordic Bliss and the midcentury yellow-red vase from a local antiques store.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into my home and you like my snapshots as much as I do. Have a great Friday, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic 

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Comfy Interior Design: Snuggle Up!

It has gotten so cold here, my friends. And believe it or not: this weekend the first snowflakes are predicted here. Well, I think winter's just around the corner. This makes me long for quality time at home, cocooning all day long with a hot cup of tea and a pile of books and magazines.

 

When it comes to winter and snuggly times at home, I think of chunky knit blankets, soft cushions, furry rugs, layers of warm and structured fabrics, muted colours, scented candles, and a nice and cracking fireplace. Sounds feasible - except the fireplace though. The new autumn/winter catalogue of the Danish interiors brand By Nord purveys perfectly what I have in mind.

What is your tip for a comfy and cosy home during the cold season? Snuggle up, friends!

Photography via By Nord

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5 Happy Inspirations: Kilim Mania

I am suffering - of that interior decoration frenzy called 'kilim mania'. I feel like buying a vintage kilim rug and adding some more kilim cushions to the cutie I already own - see it here. So I was browsing some of my favorite sources for kilim goodies and here are five hotties I am flirting with these days.

1. I am in love with the colours of this striped kilim cushion.

2. Vibrant and truly vintage - a great statement rug by Orientina.

3. This Turkish kilim rug from the Antalya region was almost mine. I lost by a hair's breadth. 

4. and 5. These cheerful cushions are on top of my wish list. Is it long till Xmas?

Happy hump day!

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

I bet you are a big Pinterest fan just as I am. Well, sometimes I get lost in the visual spheres of Pinterest and browse through dozens (hundreds?) of inspiring pictures. And it always happens that my eye gets caught by certain rooms. Now, I've decided to share these rooms on a regular basis here and give you a very brief explanation why that room caught my eye. I hope you will like it!

I am starting this new little blog series with this amazing kitchen picture. So what caught my eye? It's basically three main reasons:

• Wooden Planks & Beams: The wooden planks on the ceiling and floor as well as the beams add a rustic, country style feel to this little kitchen.
• Stainless Steel Surfaces: The stainless steel fronts and countertops act as a contrasting juxtaposition to the rustic feel of the wood. This triggers visual interest in such a small space.
• Colourful Display: The happy displaying of colourful kitchen accessories spices up the whole kitchen by adding a very individual style and focal point for the eye of the beholder.

This kitchen could be a happy kitchen of mine! Anything that catches your eye?

Photography via Residence Magazine

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First Bloggerversary - And A Little Idea...

Exactly one year ago, I wrote the first words here on Happy Interior Blog. It's been an incredible year, my dears! A year full of happiness, colourful ideas, home visits, design shows, guest posts. My idea was to create a blog with the mission of bringing happiness to our homes and our daily lives. I hope I've succeeded at least a bit and made you all a tad happier when visiting here.

However, today I've decided not to celebrate my blog with balloons or happy cushions. I would like to set a little reminder: as much as I try here, our big world is still not an entirely happy place. At least not for everyone. There are many less fortunate people who have bigger worries than decorating their homes. Sometimes it's the plain worry of having a home at all.

So I've decided to do my little bit here and raise the awareness for those regions and people who lack a decent home, children who have no proper schools, no hospitals or other necessary infrastructures for a dignified life.

I've done a little research and found a non-profit organization called 'Building Trust International'. They are essentially a charity that offers design assistance to communities and individuals in need. I've contacted them and learned about their current projects that are partly funded through donations, such as the project 'Moving Schools', a community project at the Thai/Burmese border. 

So for the first bloggerversary of Happy Interior Blog I've decided to make a little 'community donation project' here. And these are the simple rules: I will start with a unpretentious minimum donation of 20 Euros. And then I need YOUR help: Leave a comment under this blog post to support the 'Building Trust International' projects until coming Sunday, October 28th. Each comment will equal 1 EURO of extra donation to the 20 Euros. At the end I will count all your comments and donate the total sum in Euros. My treat!

So, all you have to do is leave one comment and together we will contribute - and let's be pretentious now - to a happier world!

Thank you my friends for one year of support & happiness!

Yours, Igor

Photography by Building Trust International

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Ideas For A Happy Weekend

Here's a quick & happy post to celebrate my favorite day in the week - Saturday! It's the day when I boost with energy: I want to get up early and prepare a good breakfast, I want to stroll down the market and buy fresh blooms, veggies and fruits, I want to do some shopping, cook something nice, meet friends for a coffee and - if there is any time left in this fantasy - do something new in my home. How about this happy idea: painting a piece of furniture at home? I love the idea of painting some shelves or a pair of cabinet doors. Do you like some little weekend DIY in your home? Tell me all about it!

Photography by Sanna Lindberg

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BlogTour Sponsor: Amtico

I can imagine some of you asking when I will finally call it quits with my London adventures. Well, I promise, soon it'll be over and coming week I will take you to a very sunny island to balance the content a bit. However, I want to share one more great BlogTour sponsor with you: Amtico. 

Amtico is a flooring design and manufacturing company know for high quality vinyl flooring products. Now someone like me who lives in an apartment with wooden parquet and who is in love with wooden flooring, it was more than interesting to follow our sponsor's invitation to their booth at this year's 100% Design show and see if they can convince me with vinyl flooring.

I was enthralled by their designer's passion for flooring and all the thought and creativity that goes into their products. And they caught me with surprising, colourful highlights in their new Signature Collection. Moreover, I was interviewed by a TV crew at their stand and after some pondering I've decided to share the little video here so you can see me in action and blabbering my way through the interview! Hope you like it though! Happy Friday!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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BlogTour London: Decorex 2012

After taking you to the various London Design Festival shows such as designjunction and Tent/Superbrands, today it's time to hit the last in a fabulous row: Decorex. I admit I was rather reluctant regarding Decorex since I was told it is the show for more traditional and luxurious brands. Can you imagine my sheer happiness when I discovered the following gems and brands? Let me take you along!

A great discovery were the Deborah Bowness wallpapers. Their unique designs and the hand painted technique were arguments strong enough to make me long for more. 

A few stands further I got hooked by the Scandinavian looking yet French furniture by Refuge. The dominance of natural materials and textures, whites and pastels was right up my alley.

A true highlight and something to remember for a long time were the 19th century vintage cushions at the Penny Morrison fabrics stand. They were sourced from the Balkans, actually from the region where my parents come from. I remember my grandma had very similar ones. Now they cost a fortune!

Pinch Design was yet another amazing discovery. The British furniture makers convinced with a witty combination of simple forms, clear lines and wood with a maximum of functionality. The foldable stools, the desk, the flashy red cabinet - I could literally buy everything there!

And to round things up: I found the biggest sofa ever, sat down and would be still sitting there if Raina hadn't rushed me to the next aisle. Sweet memories!

Anything you fancy here in particular?

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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5 Happy Inspirations: Autumn Hues

I love the change of seasons. And I love the beginning of autumn. Most certainly when it's a golden and warm autumn with crisp nights. Then the nature prinks itself up with the most charming colours - I think of yellow, red, orange, purple, brown, forest green. I took this as a starting point for today's '5 Happy Inspirations' that have one thing in common - autumn hues.

1. You love tiles and you love plaids? How about a combination - these tiles come in plaid or gingham patterns and wonderful colours. Seen on New Ravenna.

2. Love this XL glass bottles in warm autumn hues. Found them on the fab and super cute webshop Pierrot & Coco.

3. Two weeks ago Zara Home opened its first store in Munich. And this chunky knit and happily coloured throw will make its way into my apartment soon!

4. The best treat for your next DIY project - the environmentally responsible paint range by Mini Moderns!

5. My friend and illustrator Tanja added a super happy autumn idea to her home by transforming hazelnuts into cute little bears. So adorable!

Any favorite here?

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Giveaway: Win A Pair Of Nordic Candlesticks

With this post I want to congratulate my dear blogger friend Marianne of Nordic Bliss to her first bloggerversary! Her blog is an inspiring  source for nordic ideas and her webshop a great address for Scandinavian home goodies. Such as these beautiful wooden candlesticks.

When I spotted them almost half a year ago I ordered them right away - ever since they are a cute embellishment to my living room, perfectly matching my little globe and succulent on my flashy yellow side table. I love the weathered look of the wood and the simple, Scandinavian shape. If you want these beauties for your home too, all you have to do is leave a little comment here and tell me what other product in the Nordic Bliss webshop you like. The giveaway is open for readers across the EU till Saturday midnight and the winner will be announced in the comment section here, on Twitter and on Facebook. Good luck!

Photography by Igor Josifovic and via Nordic Bliss

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From Place To Space: BlogTour London

When it comes to world metropolises, the good thing is you can go back there over and over again and find new inspiration. Well that rule certainly applies to London. I've been many times to London but ever new time is over again a revelation. So I was pretty sure I will get back with loads of ideas and new tips for you after the fabulous BlogTour. Ok, I promise we will round things up this week with my ongoing BlogTour coverage. But there is just so much to share with you. A sunset cruise on the Thames, loads of design, inviting shops and yummy markets. Here we go.

Despite of our tough BlogTour schedule we had some free time to use to discover some corners of London by ourselves. Well, a great invitation to the Conran Shop Party was reason enough to head over to the fab flagship store and enjoy  yummy cocktails and great furniture design - moreover, we all celebrated the famous Conran red with our dear hosts. The next morning we surely needed a good brunch - luckily our dear sponsor Mr. Steam took us to Bill's, a great venue for feasty brunches.

In between great design shows such as 100% Design we used the little gaps for shopping marathons. I prepped up properly by asking my London blogger friend Will to take me to some great stores and we visited Summerill & Bishop and Ben Pentreath Ltd. Both stores great addresses for amazing homewares and utilities in simple yet striking designs. 

After that we headed to the Dock to visit the Tom Dixon store and the London pop-up store of Paris based super brand Merci. There were too many temptations so the way back was way more difficult - after all, we were loaded with shopping bags. 

But it is not only design and homewares that make me go all weak and inspire me. It is food markets, too. Luckily, our hotel was just around the corner of the famous Borough Market and believe me, a sunny Saturday morning at the market is just the right thing to do - just make sure to come hungry! 

That's it for today, friends. Let us start a great week with these images and inspiration. 

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Ideas For A Happy Weekend

One of my various problems with homeware, home accessories, decoration etc. are cups and mugs. I have too many and I keep on buying new ones. I can't help it - guilty as charged! I love my coffee in the morning and during the day, and I adore my tea in the evening. And these gourmet pleasures are elevated when beautiful mugs and cups come into action. So there is my perfect excuse for new cups and mugs. I bought this mug just a few weeks ago and I love it insanely. Now I only need to find such a fab mug holder and I could present my little beauties accordingly! Don't you like it? Have a great weekend, my friends!

Photography via My 2nd Hand Life

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BlogTour Sponsor: And So To Bed

And so we went to bed. Literally. In London. But not before having a great high tea with a vintage spin. What I'm blabbering about? The fabulous visit to yet another BlogTour London sponsor showroom: And So To Bed. 

Visiting the showroom on London's Kings Road was a true highlight: We were welcomed by a fancy vintage tea party including freshly baked scones and a good glass of champagne. After a few welcoming words we had the pleasure to tour the showroom full of luxury beds and - decent as we are - jumped into every bed to test it right at the spot. And boy can I tell you: These were some of the most comfortable beds I have ever rested my knackered blogger body in! But alas, they were to big to squeeze into my bag so all I brought back were sweet memories and these pics to share with you! Happy Friday, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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