Frown

One of my favorite stores in Berlin is closed. I visited last week and learned that after three years in business, they decided to close shop. I know there's a bright edge to the economic squeeze. I'm convinced that collaboration and creative thinking can ease the struggle.

Here's a link to über. They have a few things on their website still on offer. Saludos to such a beautifully curated store. 

Paper Light My Fire

I worked on a project about six years ago and I was so excited to work for the first time with a lighting consultant. Lighting is a special aspect of design and creating a mood. These handmade lights by Anna Hössle reflect her background as a professional bookbinder. The detail and quality comes only from this kind of handmade craftsmanship.

Peace Out - Beatnik Family by Jonas Lindvall

Clean, strong, simple tables by Jonas Lindvall for deNord. Key element of famous Japanese restaurant in Malmö - Izakaya Koi. Tables and chairs can often be so stuffy and over-thought in cafes and restaurant. It is a pleasure to sit and enjoy wonderful food atop quality-made furniture like this. Via Midsommar.

Uniforms

These would be fabulous for cafe uniforms. From DECOPUR - Belgium

At Home in This

Venus et Jules make lovely clothing that is in their own words, "cosy at home but also sensual and seductive." I would love to have these kinds of things to lounge in.

Perfect Ceramics

I saw this pottery from Atelier Belart Creation sometime ago in Elle Decor and ran into it again at Masion et Object in January. I was at their booth and was looking around and realized I knew their work already! Their light fixtures they had in their area (thin gauze over wire with a naked blub) were so interesting; all so perfectly displayed. The gentleman there as the rep was fetching - in an chartreuse caftan, dark skin and fashionably short salt & pepper hair. They were doing some kind of interview and photo shoot while I was there so I got to watch the performance.

I would love to see hotels have their products in these kinds of vessels. 

Can you imagine using some fantastic bath foam or private label sun lotion out of a bottle from Belart? 

Spring Is Coming

Makes me want to plant a garden!

Completely love how orange the carrots look.

Miss and kiss to my sweet Oma! What a beautiful face this woman has.

Frieda Maria - Belgium

Cocoon Time

Can decide if I love this or not. It's interesting nonetheless.

By Jo Pond

Pretty White in Paris

One of my favorite places I visited in Paris was Le Petit Atelier de Paris in the Marais. The store has lots of things in white and the mood of the store is homey and a warm, yummy kind of simple. There is a workshop in the store and adds to the general creative feel of the atmosphere. They have ceramic electrical hardware pieces and a to-die-for ceramic tool box.

New Wave Woolen

Claudy Jongstra keeps a flock of 200 sheep. She keeps this herd for land management and as a resource for her wool. She uses the wool as raw material for her art. These days, felt seems to be everywhere. These pieces are created by hand and result in a product that is unique, warm and true to tradition. This felt does not rest on uniformity but rather relishes in the imperfections and irregularities of the material. 

"Made with the Very Best of Everything..."

How simple and perfect. Love the lace and the finery of these 'inner wear' pieces. Made with love from Norway by Vera & William. I'm so excited about the return to classic pieces with style. How 50's and solid.

Thick and Thin

Hut UP Berlin line of clothing combines select pieces of felt with delicate materials to create garments with subtle power. Yellow is so yummy!

Get Your Wish

Fun or frivolous? Flying Wish Paper is a kit that comes with beautiful paper, pencil and matches. Nice to think about everyone making wishes instead and sending them off into the sky.

Funny Necklace - Golden Saltine!

This made me laugh! Available at Chocosho

Spartan in this month's Lucky Magazine

Check out dear friend and client, Currie Person/Spartan, feature in this month's Lucky!
Better yet - go check out the goods at Spartan yourself!

Hermes Beauty

Am a bit in love with this journal from Hermes

Girl Effect

One more reason to be excited about girls and global change

Juicer by Assaf Israel

Hat tip to Assaf Israel. Place over any normal container and viola! juice!

Dutch Bikes!

Bringing Bikes to Austin soon!
Check out these beautiful rides

Beautiful Reuse

A lovely creation from Johanna Keimeyer

Smart People Will Pay Attention to This.

The Airago is the brainchild of Studio HiMom founded by designers Krijn Christiaansen & Jeroen Bruls. They aim to design products 'dedicated to public space phenomena'. You can lock your bike to the rack and/or pump your tyres with the shiny pump.

The goal with the Airago was to 'stimulate an interaction between neighbours while pumping up the tyres of their bicycles'. It was concieved as an art project in a newly-built neighbourhood in the Netherlands, Ypenburg.

We'd love to see these in front of stores, grocery, Whole Foods - are you listening???

Via Cycleiliciousness

Greener Gadgets Talks

These talks are incredible. Check out this short talk from Chris Jordan.

Giving the Trailer Kiosk a Stylish Run for Its Money

An alternative to the popular trailer coffee / taco / cupcake trailer.
Cool layout and interesting color. Berlin - Mitte

Someone after my Heart

Here's a person who is in the search of the perfect breakfast.

Calling all hideous furniture!

Cool project to promote better design. Get out your cameras!

How many of these do you want?

Confused Direction's designs focus on mutability. All are created to travel, store, move....
This chair is one of my favorites.

Holy Smartness

I love it when design is so simple, useful and serves a true need.
Nice work from Gemeinsam sind wir Stark - Together we are strong

Summer's Coming

How smart is this?

If I were a Ring

More beautiful jewelry from Erie Basin.

Pasqualina Azzarello

This is some street art that I caught on a recent work/scouting trip in New York. This is a piece by Pasqualina Azzarello on East 12th Street in front of an old church that is being torn down to make room for a 26-story NYU dorm. I was lucky enough to catch the website in one of my photos and highly recommend checking it out. The artwork is beautiful. Seeing this work was one of the most exciting things during my whole trip. There are loads of images on the website.




Also included on the contact page is a quote from John Steinbeck, East of Eden. Somehow the quote seems particularly meaningful right now.

"And this I believe: that the free, individual mind of the exploring human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual."