From Place To Space: Totokaelo In Seattle

As an avid traveler I have lots of things on my itineraries when visiting new countries and cities. One of the must-visits are local design shops with inspiring and unique home accessories and design pieces. During my last trip to Seattle one of those design stores on my itinerary was 'Totokaelo'. This cool store with its peculiar name holds a fantastic range of special and unique homewares and an extended range of fashion. 

Japanese textiles, locally made ceramics, vintage rugs, design books - the range of products is very inspiring and makes it very difficult to leave the store empty-handed. If you like to pair your interior decor shopping with some fashion shopping, you just have to enter the rear part or the basement of the store - various design labels and cool pieces will satisfy your fashion loving heart too.

Even though I was in a bit of a rush while visiting 'Totokaelo' (I was on my way to Mount Rainier), I couldn't help but snap a few pictures for you my dear readers. And if you ever happen to visit the fantastic emerald city of Seattle, don't miss a stop over at 'Totokaelo' - you will not regret it!

Totokaelo, 1523 10th Avenue, Seattle

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Cute Airbnb Garden Cabin In Seattle

Sometimes you need friends to remind you of great moments in your life. Like today: My friend Bradford, who I met in Seattle last year, tweeted and asked me to share my Seattle airbnb apartment with another mutual friend, Erin. I did so and I was instantly reminded that I wanted to share that super cute garden cabin with all of you too. You know, maybe the one or the other will go to Seattle one day or you will be inspired to transform your garden hut into a stylish cabin. Up to you! So here we roll!

I always wanted to travel to Seattle and last year in September the time has come to discover the 'Emerald City' (I blogged about it HERE). And since I love to feel at home wherever I am, I preferred to stay in an airbnb apartment. After a short research I stumbled over this fabulous garden cabin in the lovely Capitol Hill district of Seattle. And it was a great decision to book it!

First of all you have the full privacy to yourself. The cabin was fully equipped with a kitchen, bathroom/toilet, washing room and living/sleeping space with a comfy bed nook. Trust me, I was not sleepless in Seattle. It was carefully styled and placed in the middle of the garden of beautiful building in the leafy Capitol Hill quarter. In walking distance I found myself in the bustling heart of Capitol Hill with trendy restaurants, cafés, shops. 

Seattle left a wonderful impression on me. It was such a fresh, invigorating city with a great, outdoorsy lifestyle and easy-going people. You can grab a coffee wherever you are, you can breathe in the fresh air of the Pacific Northwest and enjoy water views all around. Fingers crossed that I'll get back there one day!

P.S. I've shared yet another inspiring home story on Roombeez - it's the home of a friend and interior stylist & blogger. Check it out!

Happy weekend, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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From Place To Space: Sleepless In Seattle

A tad belated but still on a beautiful autumnal Monday, I am inviting you to a new travel adventure in my weekly 'From Place To Space' blog series. Today's destination: Seattle in Washington, the Evergreen State. And if you think 'Sleepless in Seattle' is a mere reference to the most famous movie playing in the the Pacific Northwest metropolis, then think twice: I hardly slept there indeed. There's just too much to see!

Seattle Views
First and foremost, there is one big advantage in Seattle: You get to see the city from a bird's eye perspective quite easily. Either you rocket up the famous Space Needle and enjoy a 360 degrees view from its top platform, or you enter the Columbia Center, the tallest building in Seattle and Washington State, whizz up to the observation deck and marvel at the city from the highest top possible. Oh and since we're in Seattle, you'll find a Starbucks in either tower. After all, this is the birthplace of the world famous coffee.

Pike Place Market
If you had enough of vertigo triggering high flights, you might be in the mood for something more stable, something more grounded. What's better than hitting the renown Pike Place Market with fresh fish and seafood in abundance, fruit, veggies, delicatessen and flowers galore. Look out for local, organic produce such as excellent honey or preserves, handcrafted souvenirs and some delicious treats for the little hunger in between. If you've seen the acclaimed movie as suggested in the headline, then you might recognize the 'Athenian Inn' restaurant. But if you're in the mood for really good food, I'd suggest you go a few steps further and turn into one of the little alleys in the market hall and climb up to the 'Place Pigalle' restaurant for excellent French food, fresh local seafood, impeccable service and astonishing views of the Puget Sound without packs of tourists all around.

Nature and Design
Speaking of the Puget Sound one can not ignore the multiple waterfronts. Take a trip on Puget Sound or set over to nearby Bainbridge Island or sail on the Lake Union. A walk along the waterfront is pretty entertaining, too. You will encounter many restaurants and shops, but also rather quiet corners such as the artsy Olympic Sculpture Park with great artworks of local and international artists. If you are into architecture don't miss the fantastic Seattle Central Library designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus - the entrance is free and the visit is really worth your time!

Trendy Capitol Hill
Another highlight is Seattle's Capitol Hill district with great shops for design lovers, amazing restaurants regarding food and interior design, as well as a very liberal and cool community with lots of students and creative folks. One of my favorite restaurant finds was 'Poppy' with a crazy new twist on thalis and a cool interior design concept. Thumbs up!

Blogger Friends
My special highlight was a cool blogger dinner with two cool friends - local blogger hero Uncle Beefy aka Bradford Cowder and the inspiring design connoisseur and blogger Jonathan Lo of Happy Mundane, who is LA based but happened to be in Seattle for a visit, too. Bradford proposed a great downtown restaurant called 'Local 360', offering locally grown food within a 360 mile radius of Seattle. And our dessert came right from nearby Bainbridge Island - homemade cupcakes by the master of patisserie disaster Bradford. Thank you my friend! 

Oh, and we stayed in a wonderful airbnb place in Seattle. I will blog about that in more detail soon! Happy new week!

Photography by Igor Josifovic 

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From Place To Space: Go West - Seattle

Last Monday I revealed my big US & Canada trip and where I will be based in San Francisco. Today I want to tell you a bit about the cool abode where I am going to be staying in Seattle. I booked a stylish garden cottage in the vibrant Capitol Hill district in central Seattle through airbnb and I can't wait to discover this cute cottage and the city of Seattle. 

I am sharing a few shots of the cute cottage that is owned and rented by a nice couple of natives from the Pacific Northwest who work as an environmental attorney and freelance photographer. The cottage is beautifully decorated with vibrant colour pops and eye-catching details plus it has a wonderful garden just in front of it - what's more to wish for?

I am absolutely impatient to discover Seattle. I've always wanted to go to the bustling city in Washington and discover its vibrant life and spectacular surroundings. I will cruise the Puget Sound, visit the Mt. Rainier national park, meet a local blogger friend, take in the views from the famous Space Needle and have lots of good coffee. And I am not afraid of rain - so I guess I am ready for Seattle! Just two more weeks!

Happy new week, friends!

Photography: Seattle by Eugeniu Cozac via Flickr; cottage pics via airbnb

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