Ylva Markstam from Scandinavian Design OnLine in Sweden contacted me today about their online store, which I’m guessing you’re going to enjoy because a) everything is from Scandinavian and I know you’ll love that b) the site is in english and c) they ship worldwide. Sure, that’s a triple threat to your wallet, but imagine how you can dress up your space. From laser cut Tord Boontje pillows to Hildurs Hus furniture and home accessories in solid oak and Karim Rashid orgo hangers (fun!), you’re likely to find oodles of items that you’ve never seen before that appeal to both your design sense and your wallet. Their site is also very easy to navigate with categories ranging from bathroom goodies to outdoor living finds.

Here’s some instant turn-ons… Looking for something lacey, not racey? Grace may add the right touch over your table. We know about the emperors new clothing, but get a load of the Emperors New Lamp? Maybe you can’t or maybe you Can dig this lamp? If lighting isn’t your thing, loopy designs by Karin Mannerstal (who also designs for IKEA Sweden) could have your circling back for more. DIY peeps can rejoice, Scandinavia Design Online sells fabric by the meter here (60 selections!). Those who want to be swept off their feet should consider their assortment of rugs, too.

Don’t miss the Barbara bowl… Extravagant and beautiful, available in NINE colors (black shown)!

Thank you Ylva for writing in.

(images from scandinavia design center online)

Orike Muth is a fabulous textile designer that you simply must meet. Based in my husband’s city of Hannover, Germany, her exotic Asian theme of blooms and vibrant patterns dance across paper lanterns and pillows, bringing happiness to your entire home. You can locate her textiles and lights at Wohnzimmer in Berlin, Frau Zimmer in Hannover, Craft2eu or Vergissmeinnicht in Hamburg, and Engel & Bengel in Munich (Innere Wiener Str. 61, Tel. 44 21 85 36). You can also contact Orike via her website if you are interesting in placing an order or carrying her line in your own store. Stunning!

(images from craft2eu)

What do you get when you take talented young artists like Birgit Amadori, Genevieve Gauckler, Boris Hoppek and 18 of their friends and assign them to create their very own rooms in one hotel? Amazing decor – that’s what! After seeing this place, you’ll want to book a flight to Copenhagen just to experience Hotel Fox. Wait until you look at their website, it’s splendid. Try to pause a moment and watch their video, too. It describes the entire Hotel Fox project, which I found quite interesting.

Each room is a piece of art. Comical styles, graffiti, manga, fantasy, fairy tales… All rooms tell their own very special story and give you the chance, as the guest, to live in these stories for as many nights as you desire. The hotel rates are quite reasonable and since they’re located in the city, you’re certain to be around Copenhagen’s hottest attractions.

Seeing international artists from all fields of design – graphic, urban art (graffiti artists) and illustrators create rooms in one single hotel, this is something that I hope a few hotels in America will consider in the future, especially with all the new hotels popping up in American cities and the rate of expansion some of our cities is experiencing. Surely there is room for something creative like this vs. another W Hotel or some swanky Ritz Carlton. I’d love to see a similar project in New Orleans, for instance, especially during this time of rebuilding their great city.

psst: Be sure to click on all of the individual room photos to view the artists’ bio and to see their websites. This is certain to take you at least an hour, so have fun! You’ll love all of the new artists you’ll walk away knowing about though, totally worth it. Foxy!

(images from hotel fox)

Birgit Amadori is a German illustrator who lives in California, but also seems to reside in a somewhat magical fairytale world, too. At least that’s the feeling I get when I look at her work. Birgit is influenced by many things, some of which include her love of Japanese mythology and history, Manga art, and 19th century Czech illustrator Alfons Mucha. You can learn more about Birgit on her website.

Happy Friday! What are your weekend plans?

(images from amadori)

I guess I’m feeling a little fragile today or something since I keep posting these delicate collections of porcelin wares from the UK and Germany. Timea Sido is a new favorite of mine, I love her tangled ceramics, they really speak to me. Her Tangled Web collection includes a delicate array of ornamental bowls, plates, vessels and wall hangings, each one telling a story of its own, each tangled, each beautiful, all of them one-of-a-kind. We trade in faceless mass-production for exquisite handmade treasures.

Timea speaks about her inspiration, “I was sitting in the garden admiring an amazingly structured spiders web, I couldn?t help but be overwhelmed by the delicate lines that structured it and the time it must have taken to create.” She continues, “Suddenly a leaf flew straight into it and the whole web just tangled. There was no more symmetry and well structured lines but a wonderful mess of random lines criss-crossing and interweaving into one another. This unusual new beauty I had found inspired me to create my most delicate collection to date.”

There is so much in nature that leads us to create. One of the reasons we were put on this earth was to create, and the ability we each have to put a plan into action is amazing. There is no end to the projects that we each have in our mind, is there? Endless.

(images from timea sido)