How To Decorate New Designs pattern For Pillow at Your room

Welsh designer Sian Elin Thomas will be launching a new collection of textiles and wallpaper at this year's London Design Festival. Tent London will be the official launch of her new range including cushions, tea towels and wallpaper. Surface pattern designer Sian Elin Thomas has created a new range of wallpaper and textiles to mirror her fascination for the built environment.

After Spending six months of the year , recent travels to India and throughout the Mediterranean are all reflected in her new collection. Influenced by the Islamic and Moorish architecture around her, Sian's designs feature bold hand-drawing and colourful detail. Sian is interested in how textiles and wallpaper can bring the outside world to the inside, and the way in which people interact with their interior and exterior environments.

This collection definitely has my 'happiness aproval'. Cheer up your home with Sian Elin Thomas!

Photography via Sian Elin Thomas

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BlogTour London: Designjunction 2012

After the BlogTour London and a week of holidays I am still sort of overwhelmed by the pictures and impressions I brought back from London. Not only have I met the funniest, coolest and most adorable crowd of bloggers, I also had a divine, swell and bombastic design injection. Today I would like to share some pics from designjunction, a show that boasted more than 100 international design brands in a fantastic industrial surrounds of a 1960s Sorting Office.

The most vivid memories I have from designjunction are some fabulous textile designs and lighting fixtures. While roaming the show I spotted four new-to-me brands that left me sobbing and longing for more. Let me quickly go through them. Maybe you'll share my passion, too.

Right at the start of the show I fell in love with Solid ID, a London based homewares company featuring an array of furniture, lighting, tableware and accessories, with a focus on hand-made, one-off pieces. That anchor lighting was a major visual anchor to me. If it were a bit smaller, it would have ended up in my bag. But alas, I brought back this great pic up there to share with you instead. Check their fabulous products here.

One aisle further I got hooked by colours, playfully printed on cushions and painted on plates. I found myself in front of the booth featuring Lindsey Lang designs. The London based textile designer and illustrator presented her latest collection boosting gleeful colours and patterns. What was not to be loved? See more here.

On the back of the fall I was brought to yet another pit stop by the quirky furniture designs of Lucy Turner. Her strong abilities as surface designer were ideally used to pimp and reinvent furniture pieces from the 50s and 60s. Those little side tables were a real winner to me. More of her designs can be seen here.

Finally, I walked through the upper floor and was immediately drawn to the stall of lighting design Atelier Areti. Not only did I love the name (knowing that it means 'virtue' in Greek), but I adored their lighting fixtures, especially the one shown here on my blog. The cool, urban design with a tad of industrial was a real highlight so to speak. I would absolutely love this piece in a lofty studio of mine. Moreover, I was so pleased to speak German to the smart designer Gwendolyn Kerschbaumer who told me that most of their products are actually being produced in Germany. Well hello! More on Atelier Areti here.

That's it for today, folks! More to come over the coming days. Stay tuned!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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From Place To Space: CitizenM Hotel, London

Hello my friends! I am back from a week of holidays and soon I will share with you my inspirations and findings from my latest vacations here in the series 'From Place To Space'. Today however, I want to take you to London. You know that I was part of this year's BlogTour London organised by Modenus (more to come over the coming days) and we were very lucky to be accommodated in one of London's latest design hotels - the CitizenM Hotel in Southwark. CitizenM Hotel was also one of our fab BlogTour sponsors and hosted us during the London Design Festival.

Design-savvy folks will enjoy every bit of the hotel. The CitizenM hotel is entirely equipped by Vitra so your eye will spot design classics in every single corner. The lobby is an inviting an open space and represents a great melange of a library and book store, lounge, bar and restaurant area. The restaurant itself is a combination of a deli store, bakery and local farmer market and boasts some yummy treats for the guests. 

And what about the rooms? Well, they are compact in size but perfectly designed to guarantee a comfy stay. A huge king size bed with a big window front feels like a homey nook whereas the glass covered shower is a highlight itself - the rain shower can be thoroughly enjoyed with a changing mood light atmosphere. And everything in the room is controlled by a tablet PC - one that welcomes every guest by his name after entering the room. Like!

One last word regarding the hotels location: It is located on London's south bank and just a stone's throw from the famous Borough Market. Well, if you happen to plan a trip to London and love design, this is the place to stay! Have a great week, folks!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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New Collection: Mariska Meijers

She's just back from the famous Maison & Objet design show in Paris where she presented a vivid colour injection for truly happy homes - I speak of Amsterdam based designer Mariska Meijers. Now since I couldn't make it to the Paris Maison & Objet and the London Design Festival in one month, I asked Mariska to send me some pics of her new collection that comprises textiles and tray tables.

The visual impact of the 'Jungle Fever' collection is striking - the design seems to mix ethnic patterns with spacey lines and ties it together with flashy colours. For those who love a more traditional approach, the Ikat line is just right. Whether it's the micro Ikat print or the arty painted Ikats with warm shades - happiness for the sofa or bed is guaranteed!

For more pieces and information check out Mariska's colourful website. And now go and get some colours to brighten up this Thursday!

Photography via Mariska Meijers

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Hello From London!

A quick and happy 'Hello' from London my friends where I am running from one amazing design show to another. I am in the middle of the fabulous BlogTour London organised by Modenus and enjoy a big deal of design and blogger networking in the British capital. I will keep it short and cheerful today - I wish you all a happy weekend and if you like to join me at the London Design Festival, follow me on Twitter and Instagram. I will see you back on Tuesday here on the blog. Big hugs!

Photography via The Alice Tait Shop

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BlogTour Sponsor: Mr. Steam

Last weekend I was reading an interesting article in one of Germany's biggest daily newspapers. The topic: The bathroom is advancing to a personal spa in a growing number of German households. Now I was very happy to see that the fab BlogTour sponsor Mr. Steam has great solutions for the design and wellbeing conscious consumer. And I do believe that this is a global trend. We are becoming more responsible consumers: we pay attention to our nutrition, to sustainability in design and to our health in general. So a private spa for the personal well-being is just another step to take. And Mr. Steam certainly has something to offer. 

The steam showers and towel warmers transform any bathroom into a modern hamam. If I had the opportunity to design my own home I would definitely pay due attention to the bathroom and create my very own spa.

Find Mr. Steam on Facebook and on Twitter. And they are available on the German market, too: Mr. Steam heats it up!

Photography via Mr. Steam 

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From Place To Space: Blogger Fun In Munich

First of all: I am sorry for not taking you to a new destination today but staying local. Yep, this time I am Munich bound. But I had a very good reason to stay in Munich: I was expecting one of my favorite fellow bloggers and good friend Will aka Mr. Bazaar from London for a visit. Moreover, we had a little but totally international blogger meet-up by welcoming our Canadian fellow blogger Tim from Designmaze on Sunday, too. 

You might remember Will's and my adventures through xmassy Munich last year. This time, we explored a more summery version of the city and discovered a few exciting places. Friday was the best time for an after work drink and chat at the stylish Aroma Kaffeebar in Munich's hip Glockenbach quarter, whereas Saturday was reserved for a more extensive shopping & shooting endeavour throughout the city. 

We started the day with a good brunch at the lovely Café Fräulein with its charming vintage décor and shabby chic feel. I love the fact that styles that do not necessarily reflect your personal taste (like in this case) can nonetheless enchant you when they're well executed. After the refreshment we headed to a few inspiring stores and snapped along the way. We foraged through the vintage furniture store Delikatessen and encountered some amazing retro light pendants and rustic industrial stools. 

To counteract the somewhat industrial and rustic feel of the first store, we headed over to Ladoug - a tiny boutique with a well chosen selection of beautiful furniture, textiles and decoration accessories, many of them with an artisan origin. The overall feel is more natural, ethnic and full of textures. A great place to satisfy all senses!

Walking through Munich downtown dragged us involuntarily to some of the high street stores, too. We hopped into Butlers to examine their colourful table settings and once again I fell in love with the Hamam inspired table cloths and picnic blankets. Saturday night was rounded up by a fantastic dinner in one of Munich's 'places to be' Theresa restaurant. I blogged about that restaurant here and believe me - if you ever come to Munich, you will want to go there and satisfy your palate and your design craving eye. 

Sunday was reserved for a meet-up with our blogger friend Tim and we took him for a drink and walk through Munich's several parks to enjoy the war sunrays and a leisurely Sunday. And in between all these undertakings, Will and I managed to style up my little abode, buy some extra props and shoot my apartment for an upcoming little home story. So stay tuned! Enough for now, happy Monday friends!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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Happily Ever After: Designer Ana Kras

Before I left for my family vacations to Serbia, I cheered you good bye with a picture of the 'Bonbon Lamps' by Serbian designer Ana Kras. Today, I want to use the opportunity to present this amazing (and beautiful) designer to you in more detail. 

Ana was born in Belgrade in 1984 and works on different personal and commissioned projects. Today, she lives and works as a designer, photographer and illustrator in Los Angeles. Ana creates pieces with a great deal of handwork. Probably a fact that reflects her Serbian roots. 

We all grew up with grandmothers and aunties that made pullovers, socks, cardigans by hand. We all had grandpas and uncles working with natural materials and creating pieces for the home. I sort of read this in her 'Bonbon' and 'Hive' lamps and the quirky, slightly retro 'Ksilofon' coatrack. Her colour codes speak of the abundance of nature and happiness - the Serbian countryside, summers on the Adriatic Sea in Montenegro, lush farmers' markets in the cities. Her urban upbringing in Belgrade seems to be mirrored in the sleek, sophisticated designs such as the 'Moon Table', the 'Noodle' sidetables, or the 'Hug Chair'.

Probably I am making up a lot of these, but sometimes this makes design and art so appealing to me. It's about what it speaks to me. It's about the story behind. Sometimes it's a story based on facts and the designer's actual background. Sometimes it's our interpretation, our vision of design and the way we reflect it. It's always a story that makes a design complete. And from what I've seen, Ana Kras has a lot to tell. 

If you want to know more about her, read a great interview with Ana here.

Photography by Ana Kras

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Time To Exhale: Vacations!

What's the best about summer? Sun, warm temperatures, the life outside, but above all: vacations! Yup, it is that time of the year. I am all packed and ready. The suitcase is full, the ticket is printed, the passport is ready. I am heading for a 10-days family retreat to Serbia. The majority of my family lives in southeast Europe and usually I get to see them once in a year. So I am dedicating my full time and attention to a huge bunch of family members which means I will be mostly offline. It is weird for someone who is daily online, but I think it is just the right thing to refuel my body and mind. 

And if you happen to wonder why I've chosen that pic above to announce my holidays: these beautiful lamps named 'Bonbons' are the work of the beautiful and talented Serbian designer Ana Kras. 

Enjoy your summer my friends & I will see you back here in ten days! Here's to summer!

Photography by Ana Kras

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Happily Ever After: 'Sarjaton' by Iittala

I have many times admitted that I love ceramics, tableware, glassware, anything designed and made thoughtfully, with love and passion for form, function and emotions. The Finnish brand Iittala has always managed to fulfill these criteria and make me happy with their fine products. Now I am eagerly waiting for their brand-new 'Sarjaton' collection which will be launched in September. If you haven't seen it yet, watch this little video to understand my delight and happiness.

I wish you all a very happy & sunny Friday!

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Happily Ever After: Makoto Kagoshima

Apart from my obsessions for cushions, I do suffer of another weakness: my abiding lust for beautiful, handmade ceramics. When I discovered the Japanese artist and ceramicist Makoto Kagoshima I was head over heels in love with his delightful and delicate pieces that transform everyday moments into art. Imagine eating out of one of his plates - this would certainly feed my stomach and eye!

I adore his careful dedication to his artwork - he works with interesting tools like lightbulbs. The lightness of his paintings is an ode to the artful Japanese letters, his shapes and figurines speak of a special Japanese approach to design and taste. And all this is so appealing to me! 

With the piles of mass produced and cheap ceramics in high street stores, these handmade pieces come as a sort of luxury. The kind of ceramics you buy and adore, cherish, take out carefully and treat with due respect, knowing about all the love, dedication, work and care given to it by the hands of an artist. Now I feel like this Friday I need to treat myself with a little piece of handmade ceramics. Happy Friday, friends!

Photography via Biotope

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Style Under The Sun

With this post I openly admit: I am ready for some sun spoilt vacations! So I was getting some inspiration on the web and while thinking of the upcoming summer holidays I couldn't help but reminisce about the time when I lived in Greece. The extremely clear sunlight, the white houses, the stark blue Aegean. And then I remembered that last year I wrote an article for a local German-Greek magazine and introduced its readers to the tiny Cycladic island of Folegandros. As I am a design lover and enjoy beautiful interiors, I picked the stunning Hotel Anemi as the place to stay on the island. So I decided to share the same hotel here on the blog today. 

I love how the hotel combines traditional architecture with a modern design. The typical Cycladic houses are filled with carefully chosen design classics and huge photographies of the island cover feature walls to set the tone. The colour theme remains neutral with the ever present white as a great backdrop and spiced up by mellow colour pops such as the blue Eames chairs. 

Wouldn't you just love to spend a week there? Or two? Or three? 

Photography via Hotel Anemi

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