Book Review & Giveaway: Bohemian Modern

It's Valentine's Day friends and because I love you all, my dear readers, I've organized a little Valentine's gift for one chose among you: the brand new interiors book 'Bohemian Modern' by interior designer Emily Henson. I adore boho interiors and this book was just perfect to satisfy my inspiration seeking eye and spark some boho modern ideas for my own home.

In her book 'Bohemian Modern', Emily Henson explores the elements that come together to create an eclectic and contemporary look - the showcased interiors brim with colours, patterns, textures. In the first part, Emily takes us through the details of a bohemian modern style - she explores the use of patterns and colours, textiles, contrast, plants (no need to mention that I love it), collections, styling.

The book's second part features great boho homes - and boho is not simply boho. Those homes are retro bohemian, urban bohemian, rustic, handmade, bright barns, bohemian grandeur or technicolor homes - the range is big and proofs that boho is not only for hippie hipsters.

I love to believe that my own home is a little bit urban bohemian. It has a toned down colour range but holds lots of plants, vintage ceramics, decor items from my travels - in a nutshell: lots of personality. And after I've finished the book I felt like everyone should be a little bit boho.

Join the giveaway!
If you want to be inspired and add a bit more of boho style to your home, win one copy of the book by leaving a comment under this blogpost until Saturday, February 21st. The giveaway is open worldwide and a winner will be drawn randomly. Good luck & happy Valentine's Day!

Bohemian Modern by Emily Henson, photography by Katya de Grunwald, published by Ryland Peters & Small in 2015.

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Happy Interior Blog Recommends: Smood

Today's blog post comes with a few excuses and apologies as a preface. First of all, apology for inviting you unintentionally into my messy bed (ooops), excuse me for the chaos and ignore the fact that I have no sheet on my mattress. It all has a meaning. A good one. A very good one. Because the mattress is the leading cast today. Let me introduce you to Smood, my latest revelation to enhance my (too short) sleep hours!

To be honest with you guys: I have never paid attention to my mattress. Frankly, I bought my old one when I moved into my apartment seven years ago and all I did was flip it from one side to the other after a few years in use. So when I was approached by the Home24 team announcing the introduction of a brand new mattress called 'Smood', my passion level was lukewarm. A mattress? What's so special about a mattress? It was not until I watched their fun promotional video (see it below) that my interest was piqued. I wanted to know more!

I will spare you the adventurous story of receiving a huge mattress by mail, but once it was here and up on my bed, a new love story has unfolded. No worries though, this bed story is not risqué at all! By now, I've slept for two weeks on my new Smood mattress and the effect is amazing - believe me or not, I am not saying this because I got the mattress for a test! If it was terrible I would have not mentioned it on my blog at all. But this pretty thing called Smood is doing me good!

The mattress has a foam and gel body and a removable and washable cover and is higher than other mattresses - at least here in Germany. No need to mention that I've slept really well on Smood. But it also keeps me in bed on weekends. Spending late mornings in bed with a nice book (lately that is 'In Detail' by Swedish stylist Hans Blomquist) is a sort of ritual during rainy winter weekends for me.

What's the essence of today's story? Maybe just a little reminder that we should think about our mattress a bit more and put it in focus. After all it's where we lay our tired bodies for a good night's sleep. I won't give away my Smood anymore. No, no, no! It's here to stay!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

This blog post has been brought to you in collaboration with Home24

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Holiday At Home: Book Review & Interview With Mr. Jason Grant

Social media have a magic power - not only do I get loads of inspiration from the social web, I also happen to meet the most creative and cool people from literally all around the world, even from the completely other side of our spinning planet. That is how I virtually met Mr. Jason Grant, one of Australia's most renowned interior stylist, colour expert and author. I have eagerly followed his career on social media and loved his first book 'A Place Called Home' and it was my interior design blogger duty to get my claws on his second book 'Holiday At Home'. Mission accomplished, I have that colourful and super inspiring book on my coffee table!

This book is something like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Its title reveals what's packed on almost 300 pages - a beacon of colours, holiday inspiration and relaxed decorating ideas. With Sydney-based Mr. Jason Grant you can be sure to get a big dose of sunshine and relaxed Aussie feeling into your own home - just grab this book, trust me, you will love it! His impeccable style and taste is the red thread through this visual masterpiece - beautifully shot by photographer Lauren Bamford and published by Hardie Grant Books.

I used the opportunity to reach out to Jason on social media and asked him a few questions as I was majorly inspired by his latest book and I wanted to know his secret. Let's see what he told us:

Jason, congrats to your second book 'Holiday at Home'. Do we need to live in Australia with lots of sunshine and a pool in the backyard to experience holiday at home?

Jason: Definitely not. You can create this feeling anywhere, perhaps let me know where, I might come visit, I have the travel bug! I'm lucky to call Bondi home and that's my inspiration.

What can the reader expect from your new book?

Jason: Uplifting decorating inspiration.

What inspired you to write a book about a holiday feel at home?

Jason: The home and holidays are my two favourite things, what better than combining the two! Holidays are all about relaxing and I am a big fan of a relaxed style of decorating for the home. Your home should be your very own sanctuary.

Give us one quick tip how to create a relaxed holiday feeling at home.

Jason: Relaxed style means decorating with things you love with no need to over style it.

How important is the home for the dweller's happiness?

Jason: Your home should make you happy - decorating is fun or should be and your home should reflect your personality, it should be filled with things that make you smile. Your very own happy place if you want so.

Last but not least: What's your favorite corner in your home?

Jason: Hm, so many corners to choose from! We have a little spot in our lounge room that probably has a little too many things in it but it's filled with things we love, a little collection of objects and usually fresh flowers.

Thanks for the interview, Jason!

If you love to travel and bring back inspiration from your holidays and if you love decorating, this book will make you very happy! You can order it HERE or HERE and create your own 'Holiday at Home' feeling! Happy weekend!

Photography by Lauren Bamford courtesy of Hardie Grant Books

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New Interior Book + Giveaway

My friend and fellow blogger Stefanie Luxat comes with many talents. As a journalist, as an interior stylist, as a wedding expert and businesswoman. Yes, I think she's quite a woman. So it was just a question of time when she'll publish an interior book (after her successful wedding book) and - drumroll - here it is! The German title reads 'Wie eine Wohnung ein Zuhause wird', literally translated as 'How an Apartment turns into a Home'. So let's have a little peek into the book of homes.

What I like about interiors is the story of its owners. I try to 'read' the interiors and imagine the dwellers, their character and lifestyle. Stefanie's book tells this stories by portraying the home owners and introducing us to their abodes. 

In her new book she not only presents inspiring interiors and personalities, she also shares decoration and styling tips for your home, shopping addresses for home accessories and DIY ideas. As a book focusing on the visual aesthetic of interiors, it is dominated by beautiful, full page photographies. Oh and last but not least: I like the book because it is a slice of real life. Admittedly, beautiful and stylish real life, but real. Not overly decorated and styled. Just as beautiful as life gets in our everyday adventures.

If you read/understand German, get a copy of 'Wie eine Wohnung ein Zuhause wird', published by Callwey, HERE. And no matter what language you understand, if you like to win one copy of this interior book just leave a comment under this blogpost and tell me what makes your apartment a real home? Join in - the giveaway is open for a week and the winner will be chosen randomly.

Happy reading & good luck!

Photography by Brita Sönnichsen via Callwey

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Book Review: 'Home For Now' By Joanna Thornhill

I've been living in a rented apartment for seven years now and that includes all restraints of a rented space - double-checking before painting the walls, reconsidering every nail hammered into the wall, no major changes regarding layout or buying customized furniture. Because it's a home for now. Not forever. And that's exactly where interior stylist and writer Joanna Thornhill has stepped in with her new book - 'Home for Now' published by Cico Books.

With this book, Joanna is filling a gap in the exuberant interiors books market with many interchangeable titles. Her book offers a blend of inspiration and practical advice for renters as well as first-time buyers with limited funds for decoration or renovation. The book guides the reader through five consecutive chapters covering all major rooms of a home-for-now: living spaces, kitchens and dining, bedrooms and bathrooms, creative workspaces and plants and outdoor living. Of course I was totally smitten that houseplants got their own chapter (with outdoor spaces)!

The book offers a plethora of real-life interiors and practical step-by-step projects for anyone - even the DIY-phobic dwellers like myself. What I really liked while going through the book is its great variety in styles and ideas - it showcases that even a home-for-now has the full potential to be a beautiful home. No matter whether you have poor floors or walls, limited daylight influx or a disadvantageous layout - a few tweaks and you'll create a home to be happy and comfy in it. And the book 'Home for Now' is an excellent guide and inspiration source to help you along the way of decorating or renovating your home.

As a home-for-now dweller I love having this book in my shelf - and I am pretty sure I will reread it over again when I feel the need to change my temporary home.

You can buy the book HERE.

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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