Why This Room Caught My Eye

Sometimes the weather does shape our perception and forms our taste. Every season inherits this power. And autumn does has this immanent power too. My commuting between Munich and Paris has recently been padded in fog, leaden skies, low hanging clouds. And that outer staging frames my inner mood - even when it comes to interior design and styling. Saturated hues, deep greens evoking dew laden forests, grey hues bringing the calmness of crisp foggy days inside, balmy ambers, rusty hues and purples reflecting the fallen leaves - these autumnal feelings seem to be captured in today's room that caught my eye. But it's not only the colour scheme that made me linger on it:

• Vintage Portrait: Vintage paintings are a sort of 'coup de coeur' of interior stylists recently. Whether it's vintage landscape paintings or vintage portraits - those decorative pieces add a good deal of character to a room.
• Grey Sofa: This grey sofa looks like the perfect counterpart to the grey weather outside - just much comfier and nicer. Ready to snuggle and watch the grey weather outside through the window seated on such a sofa - perfect autumn idleness!
• Layered Home Textiles: Cold weather calls for layers and layers of home textiles. Now it's time to pile up your cushions and throws. Make it as comfortable and warm as possible for the maximum cocooning treatment at home!

How about you, does this room catch your eye too?

Photography by Nicole Franzen, styling by Kate Jordan

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Truth be told, if I looked back at all my Tuesday blog posts entitled 'Why This Room Caught My Eye', one could say put some blue in it and a plant and it is an eye-catcher for Igor. To be honest: That works! Blue is my all-time favorite colour and I don't know why I don't own a blue sofa. And a giant cactus. And, and, and. But if I had all of these, what would be left to dream about and blog about? So why did this room catch my eye? In a nutshell:

• Blue Sofa: This room's centerpiece and true star is this navy blue sofa. Its deep blue hue, its wooden legs, its comfy shape - this looks like a fantastic option for a relaxed living room. And it looks great combined with darker and brighter colours alike!
• Layered Rugs: For an instant cosy look, layer some rugs. Combine monochrome rugs with colourful and patterned rugs, new buys with vintage kilims and so on - the look adds a boho look to any room!
• Giant Cactus: Here's my story - just three days ago I went to a big garden center and I saw a giant cactus (not as large as this one on the pic but big enough) and I wasn't brave enough to buy it - even though it was affordable! I was afraid that my apartment is too tiny to host such a big specimen - but looking at this photo I really want a giant cactus now! Such an eye-catcher!

So, what catches your eye? The blue sofa? The cactus? Maybe the coffee table?

Photography by Sarah Natsumi via The Everygirl

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A Story About Flowers, Joy And Life

I love beautiful flowers. I love how they brighten up a space and make me smile. I buy them even though I know they are meant to wilt and go. In that point they remind me of life. They come, they bring joy and they go. But flowers will always remind me of one more thing: of the #2flowergirls. 

I have joined their bloomy and joyful blog series a few times and today I am sad to be joining it for the last time as one of the two flowers has left us for good. But remembering the moment when a 'flower' leaves us seems not to be the right thing to me. I remember the flower in its full bloom, thriving with life, enchanting the beholder, making people smile. Making people happy. I remember the beauty, goodness and happiness they bring. It is exactly that way how I will remember her: smiling, friendly and surrounded by her beloved flowers. You will be missed! These flowers are for you, Inga!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Let's face it: How many of us have drawn serious interior design inspiration from the internet? From the vast numbers of amazing interior design and decor blogs, from Pinterest and Instagram? I guess many! I am one of them! Frankly, I get massively inspired by some leading blogs like for example 'The Design Files'. It is there that I spotted this cosy yet small lounge room in an Australian home. It proves that style does not depend on size - it is the result of your creativity and personality. But what caught my eye in particular here?

• Plywood Ceiling: Lately I've seen lots of plywood inspiration on Pinterest. This simple yet sleek looking material seems to be trending. But I have hardly ever seen it as a solution for ceilings. Here, the plywood ceiling adds warmth to this room and brings everything together as a wooden framing.
• Mix & Match Textures: One of the easiest ways to decorate and restyle a room are various textures. Mix and match textiles like cushions, throws, rugs, lambskin and more to create a cosy and lived-in atmosphere.
• Boucherouite Rug: The ultimate addition for colour and pattern - a Moroccan Boucherouite rug. I have a similar one at home and whenever I feel the need for more colour and pattern, I add it! 

How do you like this lounge room? What catches your eye?

Photography by Eve Wilson, production by Lucy Feagins/The Design Files

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

There are two ways of making a visual statement in interiors. Either you create an eclectic interior with lots of visual cues to draw the beholder's attention or you set a focal point by choosing one outstanding piece. In the above shown living room it is the blue sofa that stands out from a rather neutral surrounding. It immediately catches the eye and makes a real highlight performance in this stylish home. But it's not just the sofa that caught my eye. Let's break it down:

• Blue Sofa: The most evident visual highlight is the comfy blue sofa with a touch of mid-century vibe.
• Nature Hues: With the help of the blue sofa, the nature inspired hues come out to the beholder's attention - earthy colours perfectly frame this room and make an excellent stage for the blue sofa.
• Natural Light: Nothing is more beautiful than the abundance of natural light in interiors. The large windows in this home make the entire living room light-flooded and welcoming.

What caught your eye? I bet it's the blue sofa above all, no?

Photography by Colin Price Photography, via The Everygirl 

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Today's room features some elements that I am easily attracted to - because I don't have them in my home at this scale. First above all: space. This living room is so spacious and leaves so much free room to breathe and roam - ideal in front of a home library as showcased above! But it's also the massive influx of natural light through ceiling-to-floor windows and houseplants for that natural vibe. In a nutshell, this room caught my eye for these reasons:

• Floating Shelves: I really love this kind of floating shelves. Predominately for books but also for ever-changing decor vignettes. One day, if I live in such a spacious home, I'd get myself a custom made shelving unit. 
• Houseplants: A safe eye-catcher for me! Adding some large plants in a spacious room is perfect to structure the room and lead the eye from corner to corner. Plus it adds a very homey and cosy feel to a room.
• Natural Light: The most crucial interior design factor - natural light makes everything appear better, trust me. And it makes life so much more positive and sets you in a good mood. Ok, it's also perfect for photographing your interiors. 

How do you feel about this living room?

Photography via The Design Files

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

I tell you one thing: When you catch a cold in the middle of summer while it's hot outside and you are knocked down on your sofa with terrible throat ache, you end up doing various unusual things: you drink liters of hot tea with honey, you finish the entire season of True Detectives and you long for the outside world, for the nature, for the life out there. Probably it was that reason that made me stop when I saw the picture of this living room - I was struck by the abundance of details yet I was surprised how calm and balanced it looked due to the focused colour scheme. And I knew instantly - this has to go into my 'Why This Room Caught My Eye' blog series. So here are the main three reasons:

• Horse Art: Lately I have spotted quite a few great, large scale art photographies with horse motives. Unlike any other animal the horse seems to incorporate the wild beauty of our nature, the impulse for freedom, the ongoing strength, the utter elegance. Framed and hung on the wall it also enlightens a room - best example seen above. P.S. You can buy the art print on the photographer's website HERE.
• Tulip Table: For me, the Tulip Table is emblematic for Finnish design. Eero Saarinen designed the Tulip Table in the mid 50s and introduced it for the first time in 1958. Ever since it has become an iconic furniture piece in the homes of design aficionados. 
• Earthy Hues: The colours scheme in this room seems to have drawn inspiration from the horse art. Inspired by the nature, the wild beauty of the prairie, it exemplifies the power of a colour focus - earthy hues in various shades of brown, grey, beige and white create visual consistency - even in a room full with details like in this case.

What do you think of this room? Could you imagine yourself in there?

Photography by Kara Rosenlund via Design Sponge

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

I often wonder what is the difference between those amazingly looking, perfectly styled and photographed rooms and the daily, mundane look of my home. In most cases it is a somewhat staged, deliberately styled rooms for shootings as opposed to the daily traces of real life when we look around us. 

But that doesn't mean that our homes are less stylish or glamorous. They are simply lived-in and seen live whereas the other rooms are a sole moment of styling and decorating. However, I love to look for inspiration in those styled rooms and then apply certain discoveries in my own home. 

One of those rooms that caught my eye is this living room. Here's what caught my eye in particular:

• Pink Accents: Since the entire room is a mellow and refined composition of neutral hues, the pink accents stood out immediately. I couldn't help but notice the pink accents on the cushions (even though it is not my favorite colour) - it definitely makes a statement in such a colour palette.
• Wonderful Sofa: This sofa is so beautiful, I literally kept my eye on it for a good while. It reminds me of similar sofas I have seen from &Tradition and Bolia. I love the puffy look in comparison to the wooden framing. Maybe someone knows the designer or brand of this sofa? If so, let me know!
• Grey Colour Coding: The grey palette is very evident and eye-catching in this living room. I get the idea that colour coding is key to those refined, sophisticated looks of interiors. So that is the easiest aspect to start redecorating projects at home. Look around and start colour coding in your home too!

What catches your eye in this living room?

Photography via The Design Files

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Happy Interior Blog Recommends...

I'll tell you a little TV Story today. Now as someone who likes interior design and styling and someone who also shoots his apartment, I always find it terribly difficult to photograph the corner  with my TV. Maybe I just don't have a fancy TV. Or maybe I just don't know how to properly style and photograph that corner. Anyways. Recently I was talking with one of my friend who works for a home entertainment brand about the fact that many people don't have TVs at home but rather watch their favorite movies and series on their laptops. Sounds good but still - I really appreciate my TV for a good movie night at home.

You cuddle up with your cushions (like the fun new ones by Berlin based label 'Bermuda') on your sofa (like the North sofa by Bolia), you prepare a few snacks and drinks (on happy tableware by Skandinavisk) and you switch on your TV - better yet, you activate your entertainment center like the brand new BeoVision Avant by Bang & Olufsen. I mean this is really like a little home cinema - super flat screen, sleek design, unfolding sound panel and more. Admittedly, the price tag is cinematic too - I think my entire furnishing at home won't come up to this TV's price but sometimes you just have to treat your cinemaniac soul, right? 

Are you a fan of movie nights at home?

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Here we are, back to my Tuesday series with a title I love because it is like a statement and question in one. So why did this room catch my eye? Probably because it looks so relaxed and expels a sort of quietude that I am looking for after action loaded days. Probably because it looks like a perfect place to unwind, distract your mind and let your thoughts flow freely? Might be. All of that. But here are just three immediate eye-catchers that made me linger over this room:

• Kilim Rug: A classic for my ethnic pattern loving eye. Show me a kilim and you got my attention. I like how it functions as a visual counterpart to the more classic room style and contemporary furniture.
• Clean Lines: The clean lines of this room are also juxtaposed by the kilim rug and lead the eye in a visually calming way. The lines of the fireplace, the settee, the book shelves, the window, the art - everything is clean and simple.
• Rocking Chair: I sort of feel like I could go for this rocking chair right now. With my favorite book and a cushion - you got me there! Grandpa style while I am still (sort of) young!

What catches your eye in this room? By the way, this is the home of London based designer, hotelier, D.J., artist and creative director Robert McKinley.

Oh and for more interior inspiration please check out my latest posts for my Roombeez column HERE (for green inspiration), HERE (for sideboard styling) and HERE (for cushion inspiration). 

Photography by Nicole Franzen via T Magazine

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Orange is a colour I always put on the side of more 'challenging' interior design and styling thoughts. Why? Because I am very suspicious of orange as a colour in interiors. It seems to be too flashy, too dominant and too individual in its first sight appearance. I found it always difficult to fit in my own interiors but then I was challenged to tackle the colour with a new vase (I blogged about it HERE) and after doing some Pinterest research I must admit that orange is an absolutely legitimate colour in interior design.

Orange should be carefully considered and used adequately. This example of a living room with orange elements is a great proof for that: Combined with similar warm hues from the same colour family and placed in a neutral background it comes to its full and beautiful force. But let me put it in three simple points:

• Orange & Warm Hues: The use of warm hues of the same colour family with a clear dominance of orange makes this room very bright and inviting. It looks cosy and uplifting - a place where you can see yourself unwind as well as have inspiring conversations with friends.
• Ethnic Patterns: Ethnic patterns seem to be a great friend of vibrant colours. The rug on the floor and wall as well as the pillows make for a perfect stage to showcase the colours in this room.
• Black Cabinet: The wooden black cabinet is a strong visual counterpart to the vibrant hues. It calms the entire room, sets a focal point and ties in with the remaining furniture - if it was another colour the room could quickly turn into a restless visual chaos.

What do you think of orange? Is it a colour you can handle in your interiors?

Photography via Norrgavel

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Traveling is not only good for my mind and soul, it is also good for my blog as I always bring back new inspiration. Last autumn I spent three weeks on the West Coast in the USA and in Canada. My San Francisco stay was very special (I blogged about it HERE and HERE), also because I was honored to be housesitting for one of my favorite bloggers and style icons, Victoria Smith of sfgirlbybay.com. 

While she was traveling in Europe, I was staying at her modern-bohemian garden house. Her home is an inexhaustible source of interior styling inspiration and even though Victoria has changed and restyled her home ever since, I wanted to share one shot of her living room with you today. Before I tell you what caught my eye in Victoria's living room, I would like to hint you to my first post on the new interior blog 'Roombeez' where I am a regular contributor - I am sharing some more shots of Victoria's home there. 

So what caught my eye here?

• Black Leather Sofa: Even though I am not a leather sofa fan in general, this one seems to be the one and only choice you can put in this setting. The fantastic black leather sofa is a sort of visual anchor in this room as it sets off itself with its black glossy surface and the button back.
• Shelving Unit: The other furniture piece I've been craving ever since I stayed at Victoria's place is her wooden shelving unit. It was custom-made for her garden home and is a perfect solution for maximum storage while serving as a styling stage as well. 
• Patterned Rug: The patterned shag rug adds a great dose of pattern and texture to the living room and ties the black and neutral colour scheme perfectly together. Plus it is super soft to walk on it - trust me, I tested it!

Is Victoria's living room catching your eye too?

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Ok, when I saw this room on Pinterest I had an instant smile on my face. I'd say this room immediately passed the interior happiness exam, right? Of course the lovely dog might have played a major role, but I will keep the cute dog out of my further examination as I don't want to consider him as a styling factor. 

Well where to start? The entire composition of this room is incredibly coherent, inviting and cosy. The colour scheme is calm and inspired by nature, the few pops of colour stand out vividly, a small selection of carefully curated décor objects enhances the entire styling. But let me break it down into three main eye-catching factors:

• Photography & Art: The first thing that caught my eye were the large scale photography hanging on the wall and the painted portrait of a man. Both strike with a calm and balanced colour range and seem to set the tone for the entire room as they perfectly tie in with the sand coloured sofa.
• Vibrant Cushions: The next eye-catcher are the vibrantly coloured and patterned throw cushions on the left side. They add a fabulous colour injection and seem to connect the hair colour of the man's portrait as well as the dip-dyed mug on the coffee table.
• Nature Inspiration: The combination of the large photography wall art, the sofa and its colour, the use of wood - all this creates the immediate imagination of nature and how it has inspired this home. I imagine that this home is somewhere on the coast. But maybe it is just an idea I got from the nature inspired interior styling of this beautiful living room.

Would this room catch your eye too? And if so, what is the most outstanding factor for you?

Photography via Pinterest / Design*Sponge

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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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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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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Today I was shuffling things around in my home. I moved books, stacked them differently, added a few books to my windowsill, changed the placement of vases. After all the commotion I finally sighed and said: oh, well. Everything felt ok but not perfect. But on the second glance I realized that the perfection lies in the imperfection. In that little aspect that makes our home look real. Lived in. Not like an over styled home tour in a glossy interiors magazine. Do you know what I mean?

Even today's eye-catching room seems to be in this category of a warm, lived-in home. What exactly caught my eye? Here we go:

• Grey & Blue Scheme: Oh yes, my kind of colour scheme here. I love grey and blue hues in combination. I mean, that is how my home looks like too - with a dash of yellow injected for visual happiness. Here the colour combination creates a perfectly comfy and serene atmosphere.
• Home Plants: Here he comes again, the 'Urban Jungle Blogger' in me - show me some home plants and I'm all smiling. The cacti/succulents on the windowsill and the fig tree in front - just the right addition to this lovely room.
• Various Patterns & Textures: The equation here is classic in interior design: calm and neutral walls, rug and sofa create the best stage for a plethora of patterns and textures to add interest to a room. Play with cushion sizes, shapes and patterns, throw in a variety of textures like the sheepskin in the front, and the visual impact is spot on. 

How do you like this living room?

Photography via Stadshem

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Dreaming Into The Weekend: Home Inspiration

Nothing is quite as refreshing as dreaming of new home ideas - my inspiration source number one is Pinterest. I always happen to be inspired to redo a corner in my home after seeing beautiful interiors from around the globe. To start off the weekend in style, I am sharing three favorite recent interior design inspirations: a living room, a kitchen and a bedroom. 

Do these rooms inspire you too? Happy weekend, friends!

Photography: Living room via Ohhh...Mhhh, kitchen via Hallonsemla, bedroom via Fantastic Frank

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Are you ready for some interior candy on this Tuesday? If so, this is the place to be! This week's room is the living room of the Swedish photographer Therese Winberg in Stockholm. No need to mention that she herself shot this great photos and more of her home for Plaza Interiör - see it here.

But why did this room catch my eye? Before I come to any details I am absolutely fascinated by the abundance of daylight in this airy, high room. The room's dominating white has been counteracted by various colorful accents:

• Blue Sofa: The indigo blue sofa is an anchor in this room's styling. It sets the tone and creates a focal point underneath the large window. The dark blue hue is accentuated by cushions in the same colour family and neutral shades. Moreover, the sofa seems very, very comfy if you ask me.
• Green Accents: A great partner for the blue colour is green. Here it's mainly plants and flowers that add a dash of green as well as various decorative objects such as green glass bottles and vases. Notice how fabulous coloured glass vases and containers look on a windowsill!
• Vintage Rug: The grey rug in a vintage optic is another visual highlight. Its distressed look perfectly matches the vintage table and chairs to the left and the grey colour ties the entire concept together - the sofa, its cushions, the grey chair.

Would this room catch your eye too? And if so, why?

Photography by Therese Winberg, styling Anna Malmgren, via Plaza Interiör

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Forget cold temperatures, wet weather, gloomy days - the winter has one very positive side, too: You get really cosy at home. Ok, there might be a few more positive aspects of winter, but hey, this is a blog about interior design, right? So when I set off to find another eye-catching room, I stopped at this living room styling. The cosiness is almost tangible and I kept looking at it and getting ideas for my own living room. Thus, I knew this is definitely a room that caught my eye. And why it that? Here are three main reasons why this room caught my eye:

• Layers of Textiles: I do have a few obsessions when it comes to home accessories. One of them is home textiles. I have way too many cushions, blankets and throws at home. But looking at this picture and considering the cold winter outside - can you ever have too many blankets and cushions? Nope. Layer them on your sofa or bed to create the ultimate cosiness of a warm home and please the eye with various textures and patterns.
• Serene Colour Palette: Winter always brings a desire for calming, soothing colours in my home. I like to tone it down during the colder season - bright colours are replaced by neutrals and more subtle, smooth hues. Grey is fabulous basis to work on your colour palette with serene hues like blues, greens, saturated ochres. 
• Cacti: As an avid urban jungle blogger I couldn't help but notice the two little cacti in this room. I love them and they are so simple to take care of plus they add visual interest with their various shapes and surfaces - opt for a few small ones or a bigger one to add that green vibe to your interiors.

How do you like today's room? Is it catching your eye?

Photography via The Design Chaser

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Tuesday evening and I am all into interior dreaming - as usual. Today I got caught up by a super cosy and lovely living room design. I will not stress out the grey colour scheme here as you will roll your eyes and say 'what's up with Igor and his grey obsession recently' - well, blame it on my grey walls. Blame it on my grey walls. Ah just blame me! However, there are three other interior design and styling facts that caught my eye in this lovely room:

• Personal Display: Nothing adds more character and personality than a selection of personal favorites displayed on a shelf in the living room. Here, the owner has displayed her favorite books, décor objects, the famous Kay Bojesen monkey. I love to interpret the owner's character by such a personal display of objects.
• Mixed Patterns: The playful mix of patterns, especially showcased with the cushions in this living room, is an instant eye-catcher. Big dots, tiny polka dots, zigzag lines - all please the eye because they remain in the same colour scheme and thus do not create a visual overload but rather visual interest.
• Retro Chic: I like how the owner managed to combine a retro vibe with modern elements. The round coffee table seems to be from some past decades while the sofa and the black shelf exemplify a modern style. However, to me the coffee table is so present that I have the overall feeling of 'retro chic' in this room.

Does this room catch your eye? And if so, what exactly?

Photography via Ellens Album

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