Friday Photos

Below are some stunning photos of interiors by Laure Joliet and Danish photographer Morten Holtum.





Images: Morten Holtum and Laure Joliet

Let's Just Imagine

Let's just imagine I were in Sweden right now (a thought that never strays too far) and it was snowing outside and it was morning. It would be a Saturday and I'd be on my way to Gertrude, coffee in hand and a big scarf wrapped around my neck.

Gertrude is a new store in Normalmstorg for home bed and bath. I absolutely love the visual merchandising and how the products are represented. You can see how considered it is without being contrived. It looks so warm and inviting and I will go there some day soon. I will. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy the images. Oh and yes, I've signed up for newsletters!
Images: Gertrude

Sex and the City

In the much anticiapted lead up to Sex and the City 2 movie, I found this home which was inspired by Carrie's apartment and I wanted to get your opinion. Sure, there are similarities, but I think this is much more Swedish than New York, not that I'm complaining. I know which I'd prefer and it starts with 'S'! I particularly love the balcony area. So inviting. I'm thinking, Fromage, Vino and girlfriends. Thoughts?
Images: Skona Hem

White, Blanc, Vit, Bianco et al...

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White is by far my most favourite colour for home interiors. Hands down. It doesn't date, always looks fresh and inviting, makes rooms appear larger and it evokes positive energy. A dark room has it's time and place, sure, but for me it's white white white. Always.

Enjoy these very white spaces.

Images: 1-3 Skona Hem 4| Flick 5|Design Sponge

Weekend

Just a few snaps from the weekend back at my parents place

Coffee Art

Not only do i just love coffee, but when you get a coffee with an amazing design like this it adds another dimension to drinking it! This coffee is from my local cafe down the road from me. Aren't I lucky?

Bargains in Japan

What I loved most about the Japanese was their impartiality. With the likes of Harijuku and Shibuya you won't be judge on what you are wearing. Everyone has their own sense of style and people resepct you because of that. Unlike here in Australia trends almost dictate your social status or at least awareness of the social norm, and if you stray then sorry, but a prejudice has been formed.

In Japan I felt free and individual. My friend and I lived in gumboots and revolting trackies, (ok, we were living in the snow..) we wore the same make up two days in a row, and layered stripes with chequers with army prints with faux fur and we were still cool. And by cool I mean accepted!


Japanese style op shops are like the Salvation Army op shops but on steroids. They have the most A.M.A.Z.I.N.G range of clothes, hats, shoes, skiis, furniture, linen, sporting equipment all under one roof. You could literally spend hours in there. I'm not really an op shopper myself. I simply don't have the patience to scurry through all the duds to find a treasure. But here, well, it's too easy to find treasures.
I was traveling light so I was really limited to what I could grab, but I couldn't go past this Top Gun style leather jacket. Ok, so I don't wear it much but it cost me AUD$10.00 and how cool is it? I love how old and worn it is. Someone has loved this jacket and I love wondering where it has been in its previous life. To me it's worth so much more than $10

You can imagine then, my jealousy of The Satorialist hanging out at a Tokyo Flea market. Why didn't I know about these?! The Japanese are so effortlessly cool.
Images: The Sartorialist

Celebrating my Mum

Tomorrow is my Mum's birthday. Combined with mother's day on the weekend, we are having a big celebration at our family home with my nearest and dearest. My parents are selling their place this year (they hope to) so they can move on to their new chapter, so I'll be nice to create a recent memory there as it's been so long since we have all been there together.

My sister and I have bought Mum a new makeup with all new applicators. Something she would never spend for herself. So it's got me thinking about gift wrapping.

Come Christmas time, I get more excited about decorations and wrapping gifts, than unwrapping gifts on the morning of the 25th! Am I the only one!? So I have been scouring for some inspiration.

My Mum loves raw, natural fibres, and gold. If it's gold, then she's sold!
Gift wrapping to me is a design in itself and is the beauty of it is so inspirational.

Here is a great posting about some lovely packaging
And here is a great site for lots of inspiration come gift wrapping time

Images: decor8,

Belgian Pearls: Living in white

Greet from Belgian Pearls (Belgian Pearls: Living in white) has a lovely glamorous style that screams Europe! It bellows across the continents to me in my humble little abode here in Melbourne, but her images are constantly evolving and shaping my dreams. Oh how I want everything in white.
Images: Belgian Pearls

Bed Side Tables

On my bed side table right now lies:
. a lamp
. tissue box (i had a cold)
. a book
So i think to myself, 'no I will not buy a mass produced, heavy, ugly wood stained bedside table for an arm and a leg' when I can have a beautiful peach crate or an industrial inspired cylinder. I love the texture they bring to a room, and it brings back something old to use again. Perfect.



Check out www.etsy.com for literally thousands of antiques from Louis Vuitton vintage luggage to old camera flash bulbs. I lost myself in the site for, well, let's just say, a while. You will no doubt find inspiration for bed side table ideas. These wood crates just need to stand up right, stack with some book inside the open front, decorate with a vase of flowers and voila!
Images:
etsy
vosgesparis

Back to the City

I went home to my parents house yesterday for a meek one night only. Upon my return to my place back in Melbourne I realised that 'Yes, I do have a place of my own'. Ok ok, so I'm renting, but it's still my space. This is the first time I have had a space I can call my own. And maybe it is as little as having this sense of ownership, albeit in a renting capacity, that's allowing me to feel inspired and creative in a domestic sense. I am yet to work on how I want my 'space' to look, and so, amongst my Swedish posting outbursts I will post pictures and updates of how my little apartment is coming along. In the meantime, here is an image taken of my dining area where I plan to host ample dinner parties where the main ingredient is laughter.

A Blog has been Born

I have arrived. Entered. Succumbed to the blogosphere. Until about 12 months ago, despite my Gen Y assumptions, I was a blogging virgin. It actually never occurred to me until about a week ago to create my own blog. But why? I mean, I love and am completely satisfied with my 100+ bookmarked blogs. So the question remains unanswered, and I hope that I will uncover they mystery of what 'To Blog' is all about.

Let me say now what my obsessions are: Anything Sweden/Swedish. Swedish design - be it interior, graphic or fashion. Perhaps, secretly I may concede, if I obsess over anything Swedish I may just become part Swedish. So no, don't be surprised that this blog will relate to Sweden in any way shape or form.

So until I bring you my first legitimate post let me pop this Swedish Blog cherry by posting a drool worthy bathroom. And no, my bathroom doesn't look like this. But if yours remotely resembles this image, please, please leave me a comment.