Interior Design Algebra: Pattern + Colour + Plant

Algebra is not as boring as it seems. It just depends on what kind of arithmetic items you choose. In my case I like to add, substract, multiply or divide with interior design and decoration elements. Today's equation is a very simple yet effective one: Add one unit of patterns to a nice unit of colour and add another item from the plant section and the result will be visual splendor. 

As simple as it gets, right? What is your personal interior design and decoration formula?

Photography via The Citizenry

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Happy Interior Blog Recommends...

Good music for my ears and beautiful furniture and home accessories for my eyes - sometimes it doesn't take more for a chilled day at home. While I was in Stockholm, my blogger friends and I threw a party during the Stockholm Design Week in our so-called 'Bloggers Apartment'. The apartment was created in the headquarters of the famous real estate agency Fantastic Frank and we equipped the entire apartment with furniture and accessories from our generous sponsors. But I will tell you more about our 'Bloggers Apartment' tomorrow!

One of our cool sponsors was Bang & Olufsen who was generous enough to offer to everyone of us a pair of personalized BeoPlay H6 headphones - thank you so much. These cuties actually inspired today's product recommendations and I hope you'll like what you see and enjoy some of your favorite music in your stylish homes!

1. BeoPlay H6 headphones by B&O PLAY

2. Nelson Sepuvelda lamp via Body & Fou

3. Jaeda rug via Lulu & Georgia

4. Sticks coat hanger via milanari.com

5. Glass bottles by House Doctor

6. Bitossi ceramic 'Blue Sun' by Aldo Londi via Markanto

7. Why Wood coffee table via John Lewis

Happy hump day!

Photography at top by Igor Josifovic

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Home Update: A New Rug Adding Pattern

With every new year I feel invigorated to add a new accent to my home. Many of you know that I am living in a tiny rooftop apartment with 32 square meters. Last weekend my food blogger Sophie friend told me this fun thing: Being an interior design blogger and living on 32 square meters, that must feel like being a food blogger who is constantly on a diet. Fun fact, right? 

I thought about it and maybe there is some truth to it - the constant challenge not to clutter the small space (vs. the constant challenge of not eating certain things as a foodie on diet), inventing new things within the given constraints, opting for the light alternatives. Well, speaking of light alternatives: I have replaced my colorful Moroccan Boucherouite vintage rug with a very light, graphic rug by Bloomingville. 

I have found the cute rug on Tujuh.de and thought it would be a good idea to repeat some given patterns in my home - some black and white strips and graphic patterns. My pendant in the living room, the zigzag rug, the grey and white walls and now - this little rug, too.

What do you think of my new little rug? I really like it in my home. 

Photography by Igor Josifovic

This post has been brought to you in cooperation with Tujuh.de

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5 Happy Inspirations: Mid-Week Cravings

Let me start today's blogpost with this little real life and real-time story: I was about to throw my Macbook out of the window. After two years of intense blogging and loads of pictures, Photoshop files etc., it is slowly giving up. I admit, it's almost seven years old now, but I am still furious. But I will have to buy a new and stronger one very soon. 

If only I were that reluctant with shopping when it comes to home accessories and furniture. With these goodies I seem to be more at ease when it comes to spending money. And to visualize my words here, I've compiled my mid-week cravings. If only I could, I'd say: I'll take all of these to go, please!

1. Dhurrie rug, handwoven in India, via Oyyo. 2. Round Dorm shelving via Ferm Living. 3. Round cushion with Kvadrat fabric via Place de Bleu. 4. Floor lamp gone coatrack via Plusfunction. 4. Merci special edition bin by Vipp.

Happy hump day, my friends (and please tell me you have a soft spot for shopping, too - just to make me feel better).

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Why This Room Caught My Eye

Do we share the same weird experience? I refer to that feeling when we enter a home or a single room for the first time and we get hooked by a few salient interior design details and can't help but admire them repeatedly (and sometimes ask the host or owner about the origins, the inspiration, the source etc.). Well, this happens quite often to me. Sometimes it is something very general like a special wall paint or flooring, other times it is a tiny little detail, like a decorative element or an art piece. This was actually the idea behind my Tuesday series 'Why This Room Caught My Eye'. So here is another web finding that caught my eye and these are the three reasons why I got hooked by this room:

• Open fireplace: I have never lived in an apartment with a fireplace so I get instantly exciting when I spot a fireplace. Especially such a stylish open one like here.
• Soft colour palette: I really like the soft colour palette in this room. Dusky pink, bright beige, grey and brown hues create a harmonious entity in this romantic room.
• Tactile surfaces: The use of various fabrics and tactile surfaces makes the interior styling perfect. The soft rug, the furry pouf, the velvety cushions and sofa - who wouldn't love to cuddle up in this room?

Is this room catching your eye too?

Photography by Anne de Leeuw, styling by Marianne Luning, via vtwonen

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5 Happy Inspirations: Kilim Mania

I am suffering - of that interior decoration frenzy called 'kilim mania'. I feel like buying a vintage kilim rug and adding some more kilim cushions to the cutie I already own - see it here. So I was browsing some of my favorite sources for kilim goodies and here are five hotties I am flirting with these days.

1. I am in love with the colours of this striped kilim cushion.

2. Vibrant and truly vintage - a great statement rug by Orientina.

3. This Turkish kilim rug from the Antalya region was almost mine. I lost by a hair's breadth. 

4. and 5. These cheerful cushions are on top of my wish list. Is it long till Xmas?

Happy hump day!

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5 Happy Inspirations: Little Treasures

Reinterpreting our homes is a sort of catharsis. Some kind of rebirth. Yes, a 'decor renaissance'. We change, accentuate, de-clutter, add details - and all of this is a visualization of our inner feelings. Ok, you might roll your eyes now and think 'why this psycho-crap'? I am just trying to decode the enigmatic force that ignites that restless drive to decorate our dwellings. After all, we are no superficial shopaholics remotely controlled by a vicious consume machinery, are we?

Think of your last decoration endeavour at home. What did you do? And what was the real driver of this undertaking? And trust me: it's never the first answer that comes to your mind! But enough said here, I could go this week with the following five treasures for a bit of home happiness:

1. The amazing vintage rug would be a real eye-catcher on a wooden floor. Seen on Artilleriet.

2. This fruit calendar from Anthropologie has to be mine. Love, love, love!

3. Pair a colourful lampshade with a differently coloured cord. Result: Visual happiness. On Coloured By you can customize your own design.

4. How about a handmade and fair trade Ghana basket? Seen on Baskets of Africa.

5. The happiest packaging tape ever - seen on Impressionen.

Happy hump day, friends!

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Rug-tastic!

Do you have rugs? I assume you do. I only have one rug in my living room - it's a black and white zigzag rug that I bought from Urban Outfitters. But, I do have some smaller rugs to change the look of my room from time to time or according to the season. I got some nice colourful rugs from Zara Home and local rug stores. Whenever I change the rug in my apartment, I am absolutely stunned how this element changes the whole look and feel of a room. Rugs not only add texture and a haptic experience to our interiors, they also act as focal points, colour accents, or pattern highlights. What kind of rug type are you? Ethnic? Urban? Geometric? Monochrome? Shags? Well, the options are manifold and can add some more interior happiness to your home styling. Isn't that rug-tastic?

Photography: Bike pic via Apartment Therapy; Ethnic rug via Anthropologie; white rug via Ikea; zigzag rug via Dwell Studio; striped rug via The Rug Company; hallway via Emmas Blogg; kitchen via My First Little Place; living room via Flickr; bedroom via Pinterest. 

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