Urban Jungle Bloggers: My Plant Gang & Airbnb Apartment In Bordeaux

This month's Urban Jungle Bloggers topic comes a bit earlier than usually. Which included a major challenge for me - I was on vacation until last Sunday in France. Consequently I had no time to style up and shoot my plant gang at home. But you know, challenges trigger creativity, right? So instead of making night pictures at my home, I simply decided to share my plant gang at home away from home - in the fantastic airbnb apartment where I was staying in Bordeaux, France. So today's Urban Jungle Bloggers post is about my Bordeaux-bound plant gang and a little home tour. On y va!

The idea to set my plant gang into the airbnb apartment in Bordeaux was triggered the very first moment when I entered the apartment. I loved its light flooded rooms, the minimal styling, the magnificent old wooden flooring and there was one large plant in the living room - a big and healthy Pachira tree. But one plant is not a gang, right? On the other hand, an Urban Jungle Blogger is not a simple tourist, but one that visits plant shops too, right? Thus one morning I found myself exploring a plant shop in the neighborhood and doing my way of 'souvenir shopping' - I got myself some nice plants.

I was beyond happy to find two plants that I had on my wish list for quite a while (I mentioned them in our interview on The Sill) - I bought a cute pink Sedum rubrotinctum and an Aeonium cyclops (both of which I brought back to Munich). I also bought a tiny Lithops plant, a Nerium oleander and what I think to be a Gilt Edge plant. Voilà my plant gang at home away from home!

The airbnb apartment in Bordeaux was a perfect choice for my city trip. It is located in the city's old town overlooking a lively square, the Place du Palais with magnificent building. The apartment features an airy living room with an integrated kitchen, a bright bedroom, a small corner room and a second mezzanine bedroom plus a bathroom and restroom. I loved all the old details in the apartment: the already mentioned wooden flooring with its outstanding pattern, the high ceilings and plastering, the beautiful windows, the old brass window handles - in one word, this will be my place of choice again if I return to Bordeaux one day. Soon I will share more about this beautiful city in the southwest of France. In the meantime I am off to see all your plant gangs!

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!

Tweet

From Place To Space: Château de Chantilly

A few weeks ago I traveled to Paris not to stay in town. From Paris I headed north to the Picardy and - more precisely - the Oise department. This region is just about 35 kilometers north of Paris but you will find yourself in the middle of a beautiful countryside, far away from the bustling city life in Paris. Wide and golden cornfields, little villages and towns scattered along the Oise river, sunny glades and a gem of the French nation and its history: the Château de Chantilly.

Many insiders claim that it is way better to go and visit the Château de Chantilly than the over-famed and tourist-drowned Versailles. Now since I have never been to Versailles (so far), I can not confirm or neglect that stance, but I can surely recommend a trip to the beautiful Chantilly castle. The château is not too big thus a pleasant sight to visit without being overwhelmed by endless rooms and exuberant decor. The Château de Chantilly is interesting in different aspects: first of all it is magnificent as a sight itself including its vast gardens and stables. It also hosts a rich collection of art, ceramics, decorative objects and it showcases many important moments of the French history. Plus the castle is located just at the outskirts of Chantilly town, a charming little town, somewhat sleepy but nonetheless quaint. 

After the visit to the Château de Chantilly I continued on a little road trip around the Oise department. Little villages like Ermenonville look so peaceful and give the impression as if time has stood still for a while. You can wander around and discover lots of beautiful nature, charming cafés, old abbeys and romantic churches. Who knew that the countryside is just a 40 minutes drive from buzzing Paris? Even though I am a city boy, I really love countryside escapes from time to time. And after this one I know I need more French countryside escapes in my life. Let's make it a mission and - as always - I will take you along. If you like of course. Happy Monday, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

Tweet

From Place To Space: Paris Love Facts On Instagram

If you happen to call two places your home, there is one inevitable tough side-effect: you keep on going back and forth and that takes up quite some time (and budget). With my two homes in Munich and Paris it's exactly that way - I keep on bouncing between these two cities and sometimes I do get back very late. This said, I had to improvise for today's blog post. And I had an idea: I wanted to point you to my little ongoing Paris travel guide on Instagram. Get ready for your next Paris trip with my #happyparislovefacts on Instagram!

This weekend was a very successful one speaking of travel tips on my Instagram Paris guide. The weather was tropical (read: it was too hot for my tastes) and I spent most of the day and evening out and about in the City of Lights. I've discovered a fantastic new interiors and decor shop (more to come on the blog soon), great cafés, restaurants, pastries, sights. All of these can be find under the hashtag #happyparislovefacts on Instagram with the geotag so that you can find the place during your own Paris trip if you wish to. 

Today I am sharing even a few shots more - so you are getting an exclusive sneak peek of some of the upcoming Instagram shots for my #happyparislovefacts series. So, are you ready for Paris?

Photography by Igor Josifovic with iPhone 5S on Instagram

Tweet

From Place To Space: Off To Paris, Again!

Monday blues is curable. Yes it is! And the best treatment against Monday blues is a little getaway and design discoveries - and I am treating myself this week. Yes, later today I will be sitting in the plane to Paris! I am heading to my second home on a design mission - I was invited by Habitat to attend the presentation of their new collection and speak with their designers in their Paris showroom. I am so curious to discover what Habitat has prepared for all of us and I will make sure to share everything with you on my Instagram account - so come and follow me along if you aren't already!

Today's travel blog post had to be a Paris post of course. I thought it would be nice to share a few simple, on-the-go snapshots from my last stay in Paris. Sometimes I just walk around without a plan or decided destination and just snap a picture here and there. All these pictures were taken during one day - and I was walking a lot that day. From my home base in the 20th arrondissement I descended the Ménilmontant hill to the 11th arrondissement, traversed to the 3rd and entered the 4th arrondissement. I like to walk long distances in Paris - it makes me feel more attached to the city, amidst its vibrant life on the streets, discovering new shops, beautiful buildings and Parisians of all sorts, taking in its scents and sounds. 

My love for Paris is unrivaled and every time I share a bit of my love and excitement for the French capital with you, I hope I can spark a little travel desire in you and once you head off to Paris, who knows, maybe we'll have a coffee in one of the many street side cafés? Oh, I heard daydreaming is a good cure for Monday blues, too. 

Bon début de semaine mes amis!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

 

Tweet