Ideas For A Happy Weekend

Hey my dear readers - you might say now: he's traveling again?! And well, yes I am. You know after all I have to source new inspiration for my blog series 'From Place To Space', right? This time I am off to enjoy sun, sea and beaches - with a few good books, some inspiring magazines and a lot of off-time to refuel my energy. I will be back in a week but in the meantime I have prepared five amazing surprises for you. 

Five of my favorite fellow bloggers and friends will be entertaining you over the coming week with colour, interiors, decoration, inspiration, oh there is so much bliss up for you. Please show them all your love and enjoy a happy feast while I will happily jump from beach to beach! Big hugs to all of you - I will miss you big time!

P.S. The pic above was taken where I am going to...

Photography by Adán Ramírez

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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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From Place To Space: Chalkidiki

That I am a huge Greece lover is no secret here. I used to live and study in Greece and my love for the country and its people has grown even bigger during that period. And I was lucky enough to travel almost the entire country. One destination I would like to highlight today, is the northern Greek peninsula of Chalkidiki. 

The three fingers of Chalkidiki - Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos - are a popular holiday destination for the Greeks and many foreigners. However, sometimes this region is a tad neglected due to the high popularity of the Greek Aegean islands. So, apart from Santorini and Mykonos, there is more to see in this beautiful country. And Chalkidiki will most certainly not disappoint.

Especially when it comes to nature, the peninsula has a lot to offer. It has vast green spaces, untouched forests and dream-like bays and beaches. The shades of blue are immense - some beaches on the Sithonia finger resemble their Caribbean kinfolk. Even though the region is popular for camping tourism, you will find a good number of simple yet cosy hotels and apartments to enjoy the full Greek experience - just as I like to put it here: from place to space. Happy new week, folks!

Photography: Old man via Pinterest; Interiors via Marie Claire Maison; all others by Igor Josifovic

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Hotel Of My Dreams: San Giorgio, Mykonos

Don't blame me. It's the high temperatures that shape my blog content these days. With summer outside I am totally drawn to the south, holidays, voyages. And I am considering my summer vacations too, so I am browsing the net for inspiration. This is how it happened: I've found the hotel of my dreams - the San Giorgio on the Greek island of Mykonos. This is exactly what I have in mind when thinking of perfect holidays: a sun-spoilt island in the Aegean and a hotel that is so beautifully designed that it is hard to leave the room!

Even though I went twice to Mykonos, this hotel make a third time inevitable. Many years ago I went for the first time to Mykonos - it was a get-to-know-each-other Erasmus student week, so I partied a lot and slept little. A few years later I visited the island again with one of my friends from Paris and we partied a lot and slept little. Now that I got older and wiser, it is probably time to spend perfect, more quiet holidays on Mykonos. And the San Giorgio hotel is the perfect place to do that.

The relaxed 'rustic charm meets sophisticated interior design' just nails it for me. The abundance of whites and natural hues are juxtaposed by vibrant colour pops, wooden furniture and a refined selection of decoration. This well-thought design  underlines the subtle mix of Mediterranean and Eastern influences. The hammock on the terrace and the stark blue Aegean sea ahead - only one question remains: Why am I not there right now?

Photography via San Giorgio Hotel

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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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From Place To Space: Lago Di Garda

Traveling inspires the mind and the heart. However it requires enough time and money. Though not here on Happy Interior Blog. Every Monday it is my big pleasure to take you on a little inspiring voyage 'From Place To Space'. Today we are heading to the Lago di Garda and nearby Verona in northern Italy. Lean back, grab a glass of good Italian red wine and enjoy!

The scenic shores of Lake Garda are just a stone's throw from Munich so I decided to spend a little birthday weekend in this corner of northern Italy. The lake stretches from north to south and bursts with small beaches, picturesque little towns and an abundance of Mediterranean flora. The western coast is called the 'lemon coast' whereas the eastern side is named the 'olive coast'. Some of the cutest little towns are Sirmione, Garda, Salò, Limone sul Garda, Malcesine. I was staying in a little family-run hotel in the southern town of Sirmione. Renting a car is a good idea in this region since you are more flexible to discover the approximately 160 coastal kilometers of Italy's largest lake. 

Lake Garda is an ideal place to spend a relaxed time with extensive walks, bike rides, sunbathing and savouring the delicious Italian cuisine. Don't forge to bring home some lovely little souvenir: local, handmade ceramics are traditional in this corner of Italy and rich in colour and designs.

Moreover, the Italian city of Verona is close by. And don't miss a day visit to this Italian gem! The spectacular Arena resembles Rome's Colosseum, the shopping opportunities are abundant, the restaurants are great, the architecture so typical Italian and charming. But the majority of tourists travels to Verona to experience the magic of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare set his world famous tragedy in this city and the assumed balcony of Juliet can be visited in downtown Verona. The sight includes some quirky phones where you can listen to snippets of the story, walls covered in love graffiti and hundreds of locks that seal the love of so many couples.

So if you have a spare weekend and need some good, relaxing times, jump over to Lago di Garda and enjoy the Italian 'far niente' with one or two glasses of good Spritz. Happy week!

Photography by Igor Josifovic

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