Let Your Home Tell A Story: At {Mine}

Interior design, interior styling, decorating - the home has never been so much in focus as today. Pinterest is thriving with interior inspiration, interior design blogs are exceedingly successful and many new interior online platforms pop up. I've tested quite a few so far, but currently I am very smitten by a new, beautiful platform to share, discover and source real interiors. Please meet 'at {mine}'.

This London based platform is currently undergoing a beta test and I am one of the happy members to have the opportunity to experience and contribute to this new online community for home and design lovers. But what makes 'at {mine}' so special?

First of all, it has all the functionalities you would expect: You can set up your account, upload pictures, like pictures, tag products in the pictures and link to the source, follow other profiles, comment. But what really stood out for me as compared to other interior online communities: 'at {mine}' has understood the importance of a beautiful user interface - after all, if an online community addresses design loving people, it should be pretty designy itself, right? And this task has been beautifully accomplished by 'at {mine}', just look how wonderful my profile looks like:

If you like what you see, I have great news: I've teamed up with the creative folks of 'at {mine}' and I can offer 10 invite codes for the first 10 readers who sign up! The invite code is "HappyAtMine" and you can join here www.atmine.com. So join me and show me how it looks 'at {yours}'!

Happy weekend!

Photos/Screens by 'at {mine}'

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Welcoming Spring With Anemones

I can't believe myself that I am writing about welcoming spring on February 27th! But it's not my fault - it's the sunny and super mild weather that makes me think of spring. Trees are burgeoning, snowdrops and crocuses are popping up on every green patch and the markets are awash with colorful blooms. Plus it came in pretty handy that the famous #2flowergirls Elodie and Inga were back this month with a floral topic - anemones.

This said, I rushed to the local farmers market and bought a small bunch of anemones. I think they are so beautiful themselves that I didn't feel any need to do additional styling around them. I've just put them in my concrete vase from Bolia and voilà, spring has not only sprung but also moved into my apartment.

To see all the floral inspiration of the #2flowergirls check out their wonderful Pinterest board. And why not join them too?

Happy Thursday everyone!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Happy Interior Blog Recommends...

Food bloggers have gourmet kits, fashion bloggers have fashion boxes, beauty bloggers have glossy boxes - and what do we design bloggers have? Well of course, the 'Designer Box'! I have recently discovered the monthly subscription box called 'Designer Box', a Paris based project to promote creativity and young design talents by two French masterminds, Bénédicte Colpin and Tomas Erel, the faces behind the company Iconic Product Collection who offer the 'Designer Box'.

The concept is as simple as every subscription system: You can subscribe to receive the Designer Box for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months and collect unique and original design pieces that are not available anywhere else. It is up to you to decide whether you like to collect those pieces by yourself (it's a design collector's box) or whether you want to offer a design subscription to your beloved ones - this would definitely be a new and creative gift idea. Plus the surprise factor adds suspense and fun to this idea!

To set up a real design collection, the team of the 'Designer Box' works with international designers from France, Japan, Finland, the Netherlands, Israel, China and more. Once ordered, the collectible is delivered in a sleek numbered wooden box with a certificate of authenticity. 

I was happy enough to be able to test one edition and received the box no. 8 with a practical as well as beautiful black card holder and brass pen holder. The design by Pauline Deltour is inspired by standardized industrial technology and brought to a small scale with refined finishings for the contemporary workspace. I have kept one in my home and the other piece is in my office now.

If you like to test the Designer Box for yourself or as a unique gift for your family or friends, visit www.designerbox.com or check them out on Facebook.

Happy hump day!

Photography by Igor Josifovic, photo of team via Designer Box

This post comes to you in collaboration with Designer Box

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Yesterday was such a splendid and sunny day in Munich - spring was definitely in the air. I felt invigorated and had a smile on my face all day long although it was a dreary Monday. This sunny spring mood inspired me to pick a colorful room for my Tuesday blog series 'Why This Room Caught My Eye'. 

My eye got hooked on the colorful room of a very famous TV host and stylist - Emily Henderson. The corner of her living room is a stunning colour feast for the eye - vibrant, saturated hues blend into the white and wooden room and the use of ethnic elements and house plants complete the interior styling. But let's break it down in my three main eye-catchers:

• Eye-catcher on the wall: The wall hanging looks pretty much like a macramé and catches the beholder's eye with its ethnic motive and vibrant colours. I assume this wall hanging has been the key-piece to influence the room's styling seeing the colours repeated on the sofa.
• Vibrant Colours: The use of a saturated blue is a perfect backdrop for the vibrant oranges, reds, pinks, yellows. A fantastic use of color accents in one corner of the room.
• Plants: As an Urban Jungle Blogger I can't help but notice the adorable house plants in this room - the big paddle cactus is just a fantastic eye-catcher!

Does this room catch your eye, too?

Photography via Emily Henderson

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From Place To Space: More Paris Travel Tips

Whenever I travel to Paris I discover new, inspiring places. Recently I've started a photo series on Instagram called 'Paris Love Facts' (you can see all my pics on Instagram using the hashtag #happyparislovefacts) and I get often asked to share the tips and addresses. Well, I'm actually doing it all the time here which is why I've included a link in my navigation bar on the right called 'Paris Travel Tips' where you can find all my Paris related posts so far. And today I have one more post to add to this list!

Today I want to share seven Paris travel tips with you, all of which I have experienced and tested myself over the past few months. So let's go!

Paris Travel Tip 01: Holybelly Café
Holybelly Café is pretty new, pretty cool and pretty good! Plus it is located in the hip 'Grange aux Belles' quarter of the 10th arrondissement with many other Paris hotspots, just a stone's throw away of the picturesque Canal St. Martin. It is an excellent place for breakfasts. I went there on a Saturday morning to meet my friend Lindsey and enjoy a scrumptious breakfast with homemade granola, organic apple juice, great pour-over coffee and probably some of the best pancakes in Paris - the blackboard in front of the store was pretty right!

Paris Travel Tip 02: Liberté Bakery
This recently opened bakery is pretty much opposite of the aforementioned Holybelly café in the 10th arrondissement and enticing your eye not only with the delicious bread and French pastries by Benoît Castel, but also with its fantastic architecture. It is located in an old store and most of the interior has been torn down and the raw, industrial bone structure has been left over with traces of an old tiled floor. All this is juxtaposed with a huge marble countertop adorned by the most alluring pastries. Go, see, eat!

Paris Travel Tip 03: Davanh Zoo
This funky name is not a product of sheer fantasy, but the name of the tea salon's owner. But be aware: this is not a regular tea salon. It is a colorful and unique addition to the up and coming 20th arrondissement in Paris' east and combines an almost endless selection of refined organic and fair traded teas (plus homemade sweets) with comic strips. Now I am not a huge comic strip fan, but in France it is pretty hipster to read comics - many adults do in fact! And Davanh will not only offer the opportunity to smell every tea before ordering, but she will also bake you a cookie! What's better to your tea and comic strip than a warm, chewy cookie?

Paris Travel Tip 04: Scoop me a Cookie
If you happen to be a sweet tooth and love cookies, you must definitely head over to the 11th arrondissement to visit the new Scoop me a Cookie boutique. Run and owned by the charming Laura, this little boutique with only two tables offers a huge selection of the yummiest and chewiest cookies ever. Whether you like them with nuts, fruits, peanut butter, green tea or maybe Kinder chocolate - Laura has it for you. And if you have a very peculiar wish, just name it, I am sure you will be treated with your own cookie!

Paris Travel Tip 05: Artazart Design Bookstore
This is my favorite design bookstore in Paris. Located just along the Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement, you will easily recognize it by its fiery red facade and shop windows filled with cool design books. Whether you are interested in photography, advertising, typography, interiors, art or anything else design related - you'll definitely find a book you want and it'll be a tough task to leave empty-handed.

Paris Travel Tip 06: Du Pain et des Idées Bakery
Another must visit (and must taste) bakery in Paris. A mere five minutes walk from the République Square you will arrive at this very traditional looking boulangerie. Its name is actually very well chosen because only by looking at the facade you will instantly have a plethora of ideas (idées) what you will find in there apart from bread (pain) and I can tell you - there's a lot! Their signature product is the so called 'Pain des Amis' and it is incredibly delicious - it's a flatbread featuring a thick crust and a nutty taste. Also not to be missed is the delectable 'Escargot chocolat-pistache'.

Paris Travel Tip 07: Cité du Figuier
The Cité du Figuier is a small residential estate that is centered around a cul-de-sac road in the 11th arrondissement and recalls past times with its cobbled alley and charming old facades of creative offices, workshops and private houses. The entire alley is packed with greens creating a real urban jungle and the main role belongs to a big fig tree who is actually the name patron of the entire settlement. Go there just for a short stroll to get a completely different idea of Paris - especially when you enter the Cité from the rather busy Rue Oberkampf. The entrance to the Cité du Figuier is at Rue Oberkampf 104.

I hope you enjoyed today's little virtual stroll through Paris and hopefully some of these tips will come in handy for your next Paris trip. For the time being, enjoy a great Monday wherever you are!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Wallpaper Love: Carl Collection By Sandberg

Wallpaper is one of those elements in interior design that I really like but never had in any of my apartments so far. Probably because I never lived in a large space that could easily be used for wallpaper. However, the new Carl collection by Swedish manufacturer Sandberg is one of those that really makes me want to rethink my stance on wallpaper in small spaces.

The striped wallpaper collection was launched mid-January and is inspired by the changing seasons in Sweden. From the early morning sunrise with an abundance of nuances over frozen lakes surrounded by sparkling hoarfrost to the hues of endless wooded hills - this collection is deeply inspired by the cool Swedish nature and exemplifies the heritage of Sandberg's timeless patterns. 

The Carl collection contains seven striped patterns but I've chosen my favorite four for this blogpost. To achieve the large, magical views that nature exhibits, Sandberg has opted for digital technology in two of the patterns (my favorites by the way) to depict dawn and dusk. These two patterns look almost like painted with watercolors. I love them!

How do you like this dreamy wallpaper collection?

Happy weekend my friends!

Photography via Sandberg

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Urban Jungle Bloggers: One Plant - Three Styles

House plants not only create a more healthy and natural living environment, they add also to your personal interior styling. Recently we can see more and more green additions to stylish interiors - on blogs, in interior magazines, in shops. In order to show you the wide range of possibilities when it comes to green stylings, we have decided to dedicate this month's Urban Jungle Bloggers series to styling with plants. The challenge for all our participating bloggers was easy: Pick one plant and style it three ways!

Whether you prefer a monochromatic space, colorful interiors, ethnic accents or a modern home - plants perfectly fit into every style and inject the fresh vibe of nature into your home. 

But I need to admit one thing: Styling was pretty challenging for me this month. I was very often traveling and the rest of the time working in the office. The result was that I lacked time and natural light for my self-inflicted task. However, there was one single Sunday that gave me the opportunity to play around with my plants. And today you can see the result.

First challenge was to pick one of my house plants. After some pondering and trying, I've opted for my Sansevieria Cylindrica also known as Cylindrical Snake Plant or African Spear, a succulent plant native to Angola. I picked it for its sculptural look as I felt it might be the ideal shape to style around with a few props I found at home.

As for the three stylings I felt a bit desperate at the beginning - after so many design fairs in January I felt overexposed to stylings but I had to get a grip of myself, right? I looked around on my shelves, in my drawers, under my sideboards and I rounded-up a few props that I felt could work for my task. Now it was time to decide what goes with what and what's the theme? Here come my three plant stylings:

Styling 1: The Playful Gentleman

This styling was inspired by geometrical shapes and a very reduced colour scheme. I chose a black, cubic plant pot and kept the vignette rather clean and simple. A black and white portrait adds visual impact and the watch in the front implies that the playful gentleman has just arrived at home. This vignette has a playful yet adult look-and-feel with a slight Scandinavian touch.

Styling 2: The Savvy Traveler

Inspired by my busy period earlier this year, I wanted to visualize my love for traveling with this styling. The colour scheme is rather calm too with blue-grey nuances but it gets a more vibrant touch through the use of a natural clay plant pot. The book refers to the yummy food I discover on my trips, the illustration shows the streets of a foreign city, the little packed box symbolizes my luggage and the seal recalls border crossings. All this is topped with a candle saying 'Love' - cause after all I love traveling.

Styling 3: The Paris City Boy

Yup, that's me too - almost. Paris has become my second home and this styling is dedicated to my Paris life. A more colorful vignette with fresh greens and yellows, music for the ears, my favorite books in a treasury glass box and a candle for the cosiness in a Paris rooftop apartment - young and urban.

Now I am wondering: What do you think of my three plant stylings? And even more interesting: which one is your favorite? Please let me know in the comment section!

And thanks to all bloggers who participated this month in our Urban Jungle Bloggers series!

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 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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