Why This Room Caught My Eye

After all my travels I love to come back home. Especially to come back to my own bed. Don't get me wrong - I do get to sleep in very, very comfy beds in great hotels and homes, but there's always something that's not quite as at home, right? Well, with this in mind I am sharing a lovely bedroom inspiration with you today. And as usual on Tuesday, I want to show you why this room caught my eye:

• Statement Art Piece: Do you have a statement art piece above your bed? I do have one but on the wall to the side as my bed is perched under a roof pitch thus not ideal for hanging art. But if I had a regular wall behind my bed I'd go for a statement art piece like in this example. It draws the eye's attention instantly and it is a great starting point for stylings in the room as you can draw inspiration, colors and themes from the art piece.
• Matching Cushions: One pair of matching cushions with a print can be excellent to balance the bedroom styling. In this case, two throw cushions with a bold circle print do the trick - they mirror a color hue from the above hanging art piece and create a balanced look. Plus the mustard yellow pompom borders perfectly tie the image together with the bedthrow's color.
• Knitted Bedthrow: I love chunky knit throws - they not only create a comfy feeling but also add great texture to a bed or sofa. This mustard yellow hued throw is fabulously placed in the lower third of the bed and fulfills the styling by tying everything together color-wise: the art piece, the cushions and the bedthrow. Visual pleasure!

Is this bedroom styling catching your eye too?

Photography via Techne

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IMM Cologne 2014 Interior Design Highlights

Last Monday I shared some interior design trends from Copenhagen with you, today I am bringing back some design highlights from last week's imm 2014 international furniture fair in Cologne, Germany. My fellow blogger friend Ricarda and I organized the 'Blogst Lounge' at the imm fair and hosted almost 30 German lifestyle bloggers. Our day included a guided tour of selected exhibitors, a little blogger presentation held by Ricarda and me, and free time to roam and discover interior design gems at the fair.

As an 'Urban Jungle Blogger' I was very happy to see green on the rise! Many booths were decorated with potted plants, big ones, small ones and I feel confident to say: Green is on in the homes in 2014! Bring it on! I noticed also a growing number of marble furniture and brass elements. Warm, saturated colours were present too as well as great combinations of wood, marble and leather. Moreover, I spotted lots of modular furniture concepts - the trend towards individuality and co-designing by the customer. 

January and February will remain busy months concerning design and furniture fairs, so expect more interior design highlights from Paris and Stockholm over the coming weeks. Stay tunes my friends for interior design from all around Europe!

Thanks again to all the sponsors of the 'Blogst Lounge': Auping, Association of the German Wallpaper Industry, Grohe, Lago, Piure, Muuto, Stoll / Hay Showroom, Vapiano.

Photography by Igor Josifovic and Bridgee Melling, last shot by Muuto

This post has been brought to you in cooperation with the above mentioned sponsors

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From Place To Space: Hello Côte d'Azur!

A new week has dawned on us and like every Monday I am inviting you to join me to a happy new voyage. Ready? Buckled up? Here we, destination: The swanky Côte d'Azur! We've started our voyage through the Provence in the south of France last week with THIS post, and today I am taking you down to the cosmopolitan French riviera. 

I spent almost a week mid-May in the south of France and visited many towns in the Provence. Today I would like to take you to Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez. Nice or Nizza is the fifth most populous city in France and the home of almost one million inhabitants. To be honest, I was pretty surprised. I always imagined Nice to be way smaller. But, the beautiful port town combines the advantages of both: the vast amenities of a big city and the laid-back lifestyle of a Mediterranean town. Of course I pranced down the renown 'Promenade des Anglais', passed the famous Art Deco Hotel Negresco and ranged the winding streets of Old Nice. Oh, of course don't miss to have a break down on the beach and enjoy an original 'Salade Niçoise' with a glass of chilled local rosé. Bliss.

After Nice I headed to luxurious Cannes, the home town of the world famous Cannes Festival. Actually, I was there just a few days before the festival hit off and observed all the last preparations including red carpets, movie billboards and more. Cannes is a smaller coastal town with a cute old town tucked on a hill and the glamorous 'La Croisette' where the festival takes place and the most luxurious hotels are located. Oh yeah, don't forget your shades and a good deal of attitude when walking down the Croisette!

My third station was St. Tropez, the party capital on the French riviera. Every summer St. Tropez is the chichi town for celebrities and wanna-bes and being there during high season equals a VIP status. Hence, I chose May instead of the high summer season. And it was just fa-bu-lous! The town was not overcrowded and the prices were still fair, so I enjoyed a good lunch in the port, walked the narrow streets of St. Tropez and - inevitable - visited the old 'Gendarmerie', the original location were the famous Louis de Funès films were shot (hence my excitement and jumping). Avoid summer but come in spring to this quaint little town which is also a shopping hot spot!

I hope you feel inspired, refreshed and warmed up for a happy new week? Oh, and this is not the end - next Monday I will blog about the last part of my Provence trip. Stay tuned!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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5 Happy Inspirations: A Dash Of Spring For Your Happy Home

With spring in full swing I am thinking of new colours, textures and patterns for the home. Have you done your spring cleaning? Have you sorted out those deco items that have been like forever on the sideboard? How about the selection of home textiles in your home? Time for a revamp? With spring I feel the desire for an airy feeling at home, for fresh colours and blissful textures. In order to give you a more visual idea of what I think, here are this week's five happy inspirations. Oh, and simply scroll over the image to click and shop! As easy as that!

Happy spring day!

Photography: 1. Sophisticated Living; 2. Shade On Shape; 3. Lime Branch Studios; 

4. Milanari; 5. H&M Home

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

It's Tuesday and thus time for a new room that caught my eye. And this week I am more than happy to show you a fabulous bedroom styling from one of my fab classmates in the interior styling class by Justina Blakeney. My fellow styling classmate Valerie Mangum has restyled her bedroom in such an awesome way that I was absolutely smitten and couldn't help but share it here with you. If you want to have a 'before' peek into her bedroom  too, click HERE. But now let's talk 'styling':

• Various botanicals: One of the styling elements are 'botanicals'. And trust me, I was totally fascinated to see the impact of botanicals in room styling. Valeria has carried out this principle to perfection by adding various botanicals into her bedroom styling and thus adding lots of life and texture to her room.
• Hanging planters: Botanicals require an adequate container for display. Valeria has gone a step further and has added hanging planters that create a big deal of structure, interest and definitely caught my eye!
• Colourful & patterned cushions: An excellent selection of colours and patterns when it comes to cushions ties the whole styling concept together. The entire room tells one beautifully arranged styling story.

Well done, Valerie!! What do you think of this room styling?

Photography by Valerie Mangum

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5 Happy Inspirations: Cushion Happiness

Nothing is as easy as adding a fresh, new vibe to your interior design. If you start with the simple trick of adding one or a few new cushions to your sofa or your bed, you will feel invigorated and inspired to spin on and recreate your home decor. I love cushions and I admit, I have way too many. But on the other hand cushions are the best, quickest and quite often the cheapest way of redesigning your home. Swap the cushion covers, add them to your sofa, now think of another little item to tie in the colour, shape or pattern of your cushion, put it on the coffee table, the wall or sideboard and voilà - you've recreated your home with just a few tweaks! Here are five happy cushion ideas to get you started:

1. For colour loving hearts, this Fine Little Day cushion will hit it off and underline your style.

2. Sometimes we all need a little reminder to be happy. Easy peasy with this great happy cushion by Yellow Velvet.

3. Lindsey Lang plays with retro inspired shapes and vibrant colours in this cushion. Combine it with one-coloured cushions to highlight the design.

4. Personalize your sofa by boldly stating your zodiac with Jonathan Adler's Zodiac Pillow. 

5. If your heart skips a beat when you think of neon hues, then opt for the new Ferm Living cushions. Dotted, with lines or little triangles - the range is great with pattern and (neon) colour. 

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New Designs By Sian Elin Thomas

Welsh designer Sian Elin Thomas will be launching a new collection of textiles and wallpaper at this year's London Design Festival. Tent London will be the official launch of her new range including cushions, tea towels and wallpaper. Surface pattern designer Sian Elin Thomas has created a new range of wallpaper and textiles to mirror her fascination for the built environment.

Spending six months of the year in Israel, recent travels to India and throughout the Mediterranean are all reflected in her new collection. Influenced by the Islamic and Moorish architecture around her, Sian's designs feature bold hand-drawing and colourful detail. Sian is interested in how textiles and wallpaper can bring the outside world to the inside, and the way in which people interact with their interior and exterior environments.

This collection definitely has my 'happiness aproval'. Cheer up your home with Sian Elin Thomas!

Photography via Sian Elin Thomas

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Summer In The Kitchen

With the rising temperatures outside I am getting all into the summer mood. Now the best thing with interior design and decoration is that you can recreate your home according to your mood or season. So why not season up your kitchen with a few summer details - depending on the budget this can go from big to small. With a well-stocked wallet you can bring an all-year summer fell to your kitchen with this happy Smeg fridge. Yes, a long time wish on my list! Way more reasonable are the new kitchen stools from Ikea's PS collection. And for the smallest budgets just go with little details such as these lovely tumblers by Zara Home or the happy green linen tablecloth from H&M Home. And when we think of kitchen we should also think of the food we eat - so why not be creative and healthy by cooking fresh & easy as suggested in this cookbook as seen on Anthropologie? A happy cuisine summer!

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From Place To Space: Rhodes

Happy Monday, folks! I hope you all enjoyed a fabulous weekend and you are ready for a good and refreshed start into a new week (unless you are enjoying bank holidays and I envy you endlessly). To start the new week, let's have a little inspirational trip together. Shall we? How about the sunny island of Rhodes? Here we go!

The Greek island is located in the south-east Aegean and is considered to be one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations. In ancient times, it used to be home to one of the seven world wonders - the Colossus of Rhodes. Today the island is highly appreciated for its abundance of sunshine and beautiful beaches. However, the island bursts also with some great sights. The Palace of the Grand Master is a major spot in the capital's old town. The Acropolis of Lindos in the southeastern part of the island is magnificent and the old Ottoman architecture is remarkable. 

The old town of Rhodes city is a little gem. Narrow, cobbled streets are lined up with shops and restaurants, old town houses showcase a plethora of weathered Mediterranean colours and local artisans are the best addresses for a really nice souvenir. The food is delicious as well - try the excellent fish and seafood specialities. One of my favorite beaches is the so-called 'Anthony Quinn Bay' on the eastern coast. Framed by rocks, this sandy beach has incredibly clear waters and a tiny little beach taverna serves yummy Greek plain fare. 

So, are you invigorated and inspired with sunshine and Mediterranean colours? I am. And I am kind of ready for a new week. Have a great one!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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