The enchanting Maison Champs-Elysées hotel

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black, burnt wood, curiosities, French paneling, Hotel, limestone, Maison Champs Elysées, Maison Martin Margiela, molding, surrealism, trompe l'oeil, White

The hotel ’Maison Champs-Elysées’ in Paris commissioned Maison Martin Margiela to redesign its interior – or big part of it. This is the very first hotel project for the fashion house, who redecorated seventeen rooms and suites, a restaurant, a smoking room, a bar and the reception area. The result is an atypical atmosphere and spaces that offer touches of whimsy and surrealism. It starts at the reception area, shaped like a mirrored prism, which gives a sense of infinite. The limestone flagstone floor has random black slate insets ’as if scattered by the wind’. On the walls, the many picture lights illuminate non-existent paintings.

Christmas stripes

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black & white, christmas, christmas balls, IKEA, Jean Paul Gaultier, kitchenware, nordic, red, stripe, Swedish, textile

Has the French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier applied his touch on the IKEA 2012 Christmas decorations? So it seems looking at the sailor stripes on the Christmas balls, textile and kitchenware of the Swedish brand. A fresh pattern to add a festive feel to our homes. Even the tape to close your presents comes in  graphical striped pattern! Mix Christmarish red and white color scheme with black and white stripes, for a chic and stylish look.

Eclectic Home Made Delicate restaurant in Milan

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50s style, antique, eclectic, Home-Made Delicate, Le Corbusier, Luca Rossire, Milan, minimalist, Napoleon III, patio, Patricia Urquiola, restaurant, Riccardo Salvi, wallpaper

The Home Made Delicate restaurant in Milan is an exquisite place which offers clients a home-like atmosphere. Designed by Milanese architects Luca Rossire and Riccardo Salvi, the space is divided into various ’rooms’ as in any home, from the dining area to the ’living room’, and in the rear, a garden and patio welcome visitors to relax. The interior design is an eclectic mixture of styles – 50s spirit, with colors such as green, black and white, is combined with minimalist furniture, a black Napoleon III sideboard and antique objects. In the patio, a dining table Le Corbusier is complemented by Patricia Urquiola’s green Re-Trouvé wire chairs. All this creates a surprising and unique environment. 

Comfy Coat armchair by Sebastian Herkner

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armchair, chair, Coat, cover, Moroso, non-slip, removable, Sebastian Herkner, silicone

Coat is a cozy and lightweight armchair by German-based designer Sebastian Herkner, for italian furniture company Moroso. Although it does not have feet, the armchair rests firmly on the floor thanks to the non-slip gradient pattern printed on the fabric. The idea comes cleverly from children’s non-slip socks with silicone used on the bottom. The enveloping and very soft top cover is removable. But why would anyone take it away when it is like such a welcoming blanket thrown over the seat?

Fermob outdoor lounge furniture

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bar, chair, color, Fermob, foldable, French, functional, garden, high stool, Luxembourg garden, outdoor, Paris, stackable, summer, sunlounger, table, terrace

It’s that time of the year again when we head to our gardens and terraces to enjoy the long summer days! Fermob continues to liven up our exteriors with its joyful and functional outdoor furniture, inspired by classic history of garden products. The French company, located just outside of Lyon, has over a dozen collections in various shapes and a multitude of colors that embody the French ‘joie de vivre’.  Fermob’s pieces can be seen all around the world in such famous places as the Luxembourg Garden, Times Square or Google headquarters. Several of the garden chairs and tables are foldable or stackable, which comes handy for storage and to keep extra pieces for large dinner parties. While Fermob furnishing is designed for use outdoors with an anti-corrosive finish, why not using a few pieces inside as well? The fun part is to pick up colors among the 23 eye-popping shades, and to mix and match them for a unique look. I personally have a thing for the vivid and fresh Verbena green!

Slim collection

Flat Tables covered with epoxy resin by Jo Nagasaka

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antique, epoxy resin, Flat table, Flat table peeled, japanese, Jo Nagasaka, neon, option!, smooth, table

Tokyo-based architect Jo Nagasaka designed ‘Flat tables’ series for dutch comtemporary store Options!. Nagasaka began working on ‘flat tables’ in 2009, whereby he poured epoxy resin on table surfaces to fill the irregularities. Last year at Milan Design Week, he presented the ‘flat table peeled’ series, a contemporary version of the traditional Japanese “Hassoku Dai”, a table with 8 legs: Nagasaka used bright neon colored resin to smooth the uneven cedar plank surface, for a stunning effect. For Options! this year, the designer takes antique tables and desks and top them off with a thick ‘icing’ of vibrant turquoise, yellow, green and purple resin. I like!

Jo Nagasaka – Flat Tables

Palais Namaskar: the latest top-notch escape in Marrakesh

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contemporary, damask fabrics, feng shui principles, Imaad Rahmouni, Marrakesh, moorish, murano chandeliers, oriental, palace, Palais Namaskar, suite, travel, villa

Still wondering where to go for the summer holidays? I wasn’t, but this 5-star Morrocan palace, that just opened last April in the Palmeraie of Marrakesh, makes me reconsider. Located almost next door to the Taj, the luxury Palais Namaskar is boasting 41 suites, villas and palaces. Renowned French-Algerian designer, and former associate of Philippe Stark, Imaad Rahmouni is behind the exquisite architecture, which follows Feng Shui principles. The hotel blends Oriental look and contemporary interior design, enhanced by subtle Moorish and Andalusian touches. Soothing taupe-toned rooms, deep carpets, heavy damask fabrics and bespoke Murano chandeliers, everything contributes to the sense of peace and exclusivity. Eighty percent of the furnishing was in fact custom-made for the palace, down to tea glasses served by the pool. Prepare to feast your eyes!

Soap bubble lamp (Surface Tension Lamp) by Front Design

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Booo!, bubble, bulb, Front Design, innovative, LED, light, Milan 2012, soap, Surface Tension Lamp

When Swedish design group Front was asked by Dutch Booo! Studio to create a pendant light for Milan Design week 2012, they came up with this amazing bubble blowing lamp. The Surface Tension lamp, as it is called, has no bulb in the traditional sense, but instead it spews a chain of bubbles that catches the light and reflects the room before bursting. Replacing a bulb with bubbles, that’s definitely innovative. ‘We wanted to create a constantly changing lamp that combines the most ephemeral of lampshades with a LED light source that will last for 50,000 hours. By the time the LED burns out, the lamp will have had 3 million different ‘shades’, say the designers.

Magisso tilting Teacup

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Laura Bougdanos, Magisso, Red Dot award, tea, teacup, Vesa Jääsö

The Magisso Teacup changes the way tea aficionados brew and drink tea. The bottom of this ingenious cup is angled so it can sit in one of two positions. Simply put loose tea in the strainer, pour hot water and let it steep until your tea is just right. Then tilt the cup the other way and voilà, ready to enjoy straight from the cup. No hassle of removing tea leaves and no need for a separate dish to dump used teabag, so simple and effective! Designed in Finland by Laura Bougdanos and Vesa Jääsö, the Magisso Teacup was recognized at the 2011 Red Dot design awards. The strainer is removable for easy cleaning, and the Magisso teacup is available in 2 color versions, black or white.

Origami Inspired Flux Chairs

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chair, Douwe Jacobs, Flux chair, Flux junior, foldable, origami, polypropylene, sculptural, Tom Schouten, weather-proof

The Flux chair looks like a giant envelope that can be folded out in just 10 seconds into a sculptural chair. Designed by Douwe Jacobs and Tom Schouten, the chair is made from a single sheet of thin (only 3mm) but surprisingly sturdy polypropylene which supports up to 160kg! The material is weather-proof so you can use the chair wherever you like, in your apartment or in the park. The Flux chair weights only 4,3 kg and folds up into a neat flat shape, making it ideal for event planning companies which can transport a large volume of chairs at low cost and with less CO2 emissions. Available in 8 candy colors, you can accessorize your Flux chair with an optional cushion to make it even more comfortable.

LC Shutters pendant light by Louise Campbell

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aluminium, diffuser, geometrical, LC Shutters, light, Louis Poulsen, Louise Campbell, pendant, perforated, White

The LC Shutters pendant light is the latest creation of Louise Campbell for UK-based lighting company Louis Poulsen. The starting point of this beautiful piece is a flat sheet of aluminium which is worked into the bell-shaped shade. The shade geometrical pattern is cut and pressed to form two interactive layers, through which the light is softly emitted. “By perforating the shade itself we achieve a lamp that in itself glows as if lit up by many small soft light sources” Louise says. LC Shutters is 100% glare free as the bulb is protected by a diffuser which shields from direct viewing. The pendant is available in two different versions – a completely white pendant lamp and a version with a pattern of various colours inspired by Japanese spring.

So chic 1 Place Vendôme restaurant

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bar, boutique hotel, chic, couture, elegant, grey, houndstooth, italian, luxury, Michele Bönan, Nicolas Rucheton, Paris, restaurant, satin, silk, sophisticated, Vendôme

The stylish 1 Place Vendôme restaurant is located on the 1^st floor of the Hôtel de Vendôme, a 29-room luxury boutique hotel at the heart of Paris. Italian architect Michele Bönan created an elegant couture-style interior décor, with a quietly refined ‘Dior grey’ setting, dominated by the black-and-white houndstooth armchairs motif. Perl gray velvet sofas and silver satin curtains provide an sophisticated backdrop, against which the pink silk cushions bring a touch of whimsy. While savoring a gourmet menu by chef Nicolas Rucheton, guests enjoy a magnificent view of the famous Place Vendôme and its jewellery window displays!

Grand Tour bathtub sculptural lines

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acrylic, bathtub, Carlo Dal Bianco, Grand Tour, modling, Rapsel, sculptural, White

Designed by Carlo Dal Bianco for Rapsel, the Grand Tour bath tub sinuous silhouette is reminiscent of a cornice molding. The design takes inspiration from the architectural fragments and the antique ruins that were considered precious souvenirs for the upper class youngsters during the ‘grand tour’, an educational journey, in the 18th and 19th centuries. Fabricated in natural acrylic resin, this creative bathtub is apparently coveted by many, as it was stolen right off its stand at a recent trade show in Italy!

Come to Finland vintage posters

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book, calendar, collector, Come to Finland, Finland, Finnish, glamorous, Magnus Londen, postcards, poster, travel, vintage

I recently came across these beautiful Come to Finland vintage travel posters and fell in love with their visuals. ‘It all started with the Come to Finland book which was illustrated with Finnish travel posters from the 20s to the 60s. People loved the pictures and wanted them in their homes’ says Magnus Londen, Poster Hunter in the project. With his team he dug from dusty archives, museums and from other posters collectors all around the world. See how these posters created a glamorous and trendy image of Finland!

Bluelounge CableBox hides your cable clutter away

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black, Bluelounge, Cable Box Mini, cable management, CableBox, color minimalistic, fire-retardant, organizer, plastic, power strip, White, wire

Ever got tired of the cable mess under your desk or behind the TV that ruins the view? Well, I did, so two weeks ago I ordered online a CableBox to finally hide those unruly cables out of sight. BlueLounge created this minimalistic yet clever box that holds neatly your power strip and the surplus cable lengths. Just place them all inside CableBox and close the lid, no need to unplug your devices.