Blogsalon Tour At The Design Fair

This week is full of design and interior inspiration. I am back from Cologne, I unpacked and now I am packing my suitcase for the next interior design show - this time I will be off to Paris to visit the Maison & Objet show. But before I head over to my favorite city, let me get back with inspiration from Cologne to you.

As part of the new German lifestyle blogger network Blogsalon I was invited to visit a few companies and discover their design news. Let me give you a little tour:

For the cool city boy: Fatboy

The iconic Dutch producer of bean bags, Fatboy, showcased its new colourful range with hues like yellow, grass green and petrol. Moreover, I was surprised to discover a whole range of products beyond bean bags - rugs, indoor cushions with ethnic patterns, lamps, pendants - all with the unique sense of quirkiness and fun. My favorite were the indoor cushions in vibrant reds and kilim inspired patterns.

For the nature loving boy: Team 7

Yesterday I already wrote about this Austrian company that impressed me pretty much. Being a born Austrian myself, I was absolutely smitten by the refined wooden furniture of Team 7. Solid wood is the key material in their collection, sometimes paired with glass and leather for a sophisticated twist. My favorite was the smart and extendable dining table Flaye with a patent-registered extension mechanism. You can literally extend the table with one hand!

For the playful individual boy: Lago

The Italian home brand Lago was a real revelation to me. They are just about to enter the German market with a interesting and holistic concept offering highly modular elements for a stylish home. They offer furniture, wallpaper, rugs, bathroom sinks, kitchens. I was stunned to see the wide yet super smart range. I was particularly drawn to the floating Wildwood bed and the romantic wallpaper Luci e Ombre - it creates a faux window shadow on your wall. Dreamy!

For the dapper boy: Grohe & Kaldewei

To round things up, I headed over to the mutual stand of German bathroom brands Grohe and Kaldewei. They presented a lush spa area with big tubs by Kaldewei, amazing rain showers and sleek faucets by Grohe. Their concept envisaged a new, private spa area for the home. Well, I kept dreaming of such a luxurious treat for my shoebox apartment, but one day, one day I must go for the full spa experience. And then I will definitely get back to these two brands!

Happy Friday, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic. This post is kindly sponsored by the named companies.

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BlogTour Sponsor: Amtico

I can imagine some of you asking when I will finally call it quits with my London adventures. Well, I promise, soon it'll be over and coming week I will take you to a very sunny island to balance the content a bit. However, I want to share one more great BlogTour sponsor with you: Amtico. 

Amtico is a flooring design and manufacturing company know for high quality vinyl flooring products. Now someone like me who lives in an apartment with wooden parquet and who is in love with wooden flooring, it was more than interesting to follow our sponsor's invitation to their booth at this year's 100% Design show and see if they can convince me with vinyl flooring.

I was enthralled by their designer's passion for flooring and all the thought and creativity that goes into their products. And they caught me with surprising, colourful highlights in their new Signature Collection. Moreover, I was interviewed by a TV crew at their stand and after some pondering I've decided to share the little video here so you can see me in action and blabbering my way through the interview! Hope you like it though! Happy Friday!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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BlogTour Sponsor: And So To Bed

And so we went to bed. Literally. In London. But not before having a great high tea with a vintage spin. What I'm blabbering about? The fabulous visit to yet another BlogTour London sponsor showroom: And So To Bed. 

Visiting the showroom on London's Kings Road was a true highlight: We were welcomed by a fancy vintage tea party including freshly baked scones and a good glass of champagne. After a few welcoming words we had the pleasure to tour the showroom full of luxury beds and - decent as we are - jumped into every bed to test it right at the spot. And boy can I tell you: These were some of the most comfortable beds I have ever rested my knackered blogger body in! But alas, they were to big to squeeze into my bag so all I brought back were sweet memories and these pics to share with you! Happy Friday, friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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BlogTour Sponsor: Lapicida

One minute after I stepped into the festive halls of the Lapicida showroom in London, I had already learned something: Lapicida is Latin and mean stone cutter. Makes sense in a showroom full of amazing stones. Lapicida is the stone specialist for amazing interior and exterior solutions. And moreover: One of our cool BlogTour London sponsors.

Up to my Lapicida visit I have never given too much thought to stone in interiors. I have always loved a nice antique stone floor in country style kitchens. But the assortment at Lapicida stunned me: reclaimed stone from Italy, France, even 1000 years old stones from Bethlehem. At certain points I felt like I should float and not step on those precious antiques. But I was reassured: these stones are made for walking!

Thank you Lapicida for being a great sponsor and host in London. If you want to know more, find them on Facebook and Twitter. 

What do you think of antique stones in interiors?

Photography by Igor Josifovic; my serious 'visage' shot by Tina Bernstein.

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BlogTour Sponsor: Du Verre Hardware

My series of the fabulous BlogTour London sponsors continues! Let me kick-start this with a little question: What is very tactile, tangible, touchy-feely, design conscious and traveled the world? Ah no, it ain't me. I am speaking of one little but noteworthy detail in interior design: cabinet hardware. To be precise - Du Verre hardware. 

Du Verre not only is a leader in quality and original design for cabinet hardware, they also pay due respect to our environment. The die cast designs are made of eco-friendly recycled aluminum and add a green connotation to every kitchen design. While going through the information on Du Verre, I was amazed by the great deal of design consciousness. Du Verre collaborates with numerous award-winning designers and artists to create unique styles for every taste. The product palette is extraordinary and meets all kind of tastes - from traditional to modern hardware designs.

I have never paid attention to my cabinet hardware. But then again I realized that these bits are the ones we touch, tear, push and pull day in, day out. Have you ever paid attention to the tactile feel and the form that you grip while pulling your cabinet hardware? It is something I consider the unconscious sphere of design in every day life. And companies like Du Verre make it oh so noteworthy to consciously use and appreciate our cabinet hardware. 

Follow Du Verre on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

Photography: Kitchen via Remodelista; hardware via Du Verre

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BlogTour Sponsor: Blanco

Today I am starting a weekly blog series specially dedicated to the wonderful sponsors of BlogTour London 2012. These companies are forward-thinking, open minded brands that reach out to bloggers by sponsoring a unique blogger event such as BlogTour. Modenus has done a wonderful job in finding these partners - and it is now my pleasure to give back a bit of love and blogger happiness!

Today I would like to draw your attention to Blanco, a German big player with international acclaim in the field of luxurious faucets and sinks for the kitchen. Now you might think this is not so interesting - but think twice! Unlike cushions, throws, vases or lampshades a sink or a faucet is not something you'd like to change on a seasonal basis. It is a design decision to last. And one that requires a good deal of consideration. After all, you will decide on long lasting design. And also for an area of your home that will be frequently in use - daily to be precise. 

I've lived for such a long period of time in rented apartments with poor sinks, ugly standard faucets and totally unhappy kitchen appliances. Now imagine the power of a beautiful faucet and sink such as my favorite here, the Cerana sink made of fireclay that matches modern and traditional tastes. Combined with one of the new water-saving faucets by Blanco it would not only make my home happy but the environment, too. Now here's to a happy kitchen! 

If you like to stay up-to-date with sleek design for your kitchen, follow Blanco America on Twitter and Facebook.

Photography via Blanco

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