In case you missed it, I wrote about Erin Flett recently over at Real Simple and since, she’s sent over some new colorful photos of her work that really caught my eye on this gray and snowy Wednesday.
Erin is a graphic + textile designer in Maine who just launched a line of hand silk screened pillows that she hopes will speak, “to the stylist soul”. I don’t know about you, but that squirrel is totally speaking to me. He is saying something like, “buy me, dude”. He’d be perfect for my friend’s new baby boy!
More about Erin and her work can be found here.
(images: erin flett)
Swedish ceramicist Gustaf Nordenskiöld in Stockholm has some serious style going on! Up until now Gustaf’s work has been purely conceptual but now there are a very limited number of unique one-of-a-kind pieces sold in his web shop. Want to see? I know, I had you at Swedish and Ceramicist. Sure you want to see!
R.p.m candlestick in porcelain
Mallrik, candleholder in porcelain
Quake, hand thrown and shaken (not stirred he he) mug in porcelain
Fable, butter knife holder in colored porcelain
Grab (mini hook) porcelain.
About his work Gustaf says that he is trying to, “counter conventional ideas of beauty by making intriguing and sometimes grotesque works with naturalistic power and personality.” He further relates, “This aesthetic and philosophical idea differs from the accepted parameters of Swedish studio ceramics and the result questions the Scandinavian minimalism.”
These are all a delight to look upon, the candle holder really caught my eye. What about you?
(images: Karin Björkquist – check out her online portfolio by the way.)
Oh I have so many things to share with you but first I must give a big apology to the world wide web for a boo boo that I made. I totally, 100%, absolutely positively forgot to post Etsy Take Five Tuesdays yesterday for a simply fact – I forgot that it was Tuesday. Seriously people, who forgets weekdays? I mean, it’s not like I don’t have outside appointments and daily to-do lists and daily tasks around the home — so where the heck did Tuesday go? I’m still shaking my head, it seems like this week has been Monday and Wednesday so far for me.
Am I really getting old? Am I stuck in a total freelancer bubble? Why yes. Obviously. So there, I’ve admitted losing Tuesday (is it under the sofa? In the closet? I feel this post taking a strange Cat In The Hat turn) and I’ve admitted to forgetting to post Take 5 Tues. and with that I’ll simply say that next Tuesday I promise to not only remember it’s there but I’ll post my etsy finds and get back on schedule! Hurrah!
xo
(image: the amazing corid)
I just heard about the newly-founded German design studio VIAL namely because of NOOK, their new stool made from a single piece of an innovative material called VarioLine. This material is an extremely sturdy and weatherproof plastic designed by Patrick Frey of Patrick Frey Industrial Design.
Winner of the iF product design award 2010 just a few weeks ago, it is an attractive piece indoors or outside in the garden, perfect for all seasons. I’m counting eight colors on their website, though there could be more. I’m a big fan of the white, beige and gray stools and can see them fitting in perfectly in a living or dining room area, but also in a child’s room or on the patio.
About VIAL, “VIAL is a family-run company headquartered in Aachen, Germany. Its founders, Wolf, Julia and Bernd Hoesch-Vial, were inspired by the idea of designing beautiful products by harnessing the technological benefits of innovative materials and the novel creative opportunities they present.”
What do YOU think of the Nook stool?
(images: VIAL)
I need to take a break from reading and approving contest comments to sink into a lovely little home tour for some inspiration. Are you with me? Good. So let’s visit the home of Katrin who is known online as Lillian’s Diary — she has a Flickr page where you can follow her as she shares her home and inspirations. I found her via Flickr recently so I contacted Katrin to see if she’d like to share her home on decor8 because it’s a small space and so very charming. I’m happy that she has given me permission to share her warm nest with you — it’s too cute!
I took a moment to have a rather informal interview with her as well and it really helped me to understand her style a little better once I learned more about how she approaches decorating. Are you ready to visit a sweet spot in Vienna, Austria today? Let’s go!
Katrin is a PR spokesperson who, like most Europeans, speaks more than one language — she knows German, English, and basic French. She has lived in Austria for 4 years now with her fiancé Moritz (they are both German) and has rented the 1950s apartment shown here for 3 years and it is 60 qm (which translates to approximately 650 square feet). It has 3 rooms if you count them the German way (a kitchen and bathroom do not count as a room). Together with 2 cats Marlene and Lulu, they have a kitchen, living room, small office, one bedroom and a garden.
What do you love about your city? Everything in Vienna is old/historic. When we first moved here we used to say that Vienna is an open air museum. I still love that about Vienna.
Favorite vacation spots in Europe? The Northern part of Portugal. It’s beautiful, incredibly inexpensive and more or less undiscovered by tourists.
Please tell us about your decorating style: So hard to answer! I just pick what I like! :)
What inspires your decor? Design blogs (like decor8!), Magazines (love Living Etc.), people and their spaces on Flickr.
How would you define your style in 3 words? Colourful, clean lines, cheerful.
Where do you shop for your home items? IKEA, Habitat, eBay… and Etsy mostly for art. I love Etsy.
What are 5 decorating tips that you’d like to share with decor8 readers?
- If you can’t afford something, try a DIY version. Buy a sewing machine. Try stencils on a wall. Spray paint lamps. Don’t be afraid.
- Paint is a cheap but very effective way to transform spaces. In my opinion you don’t need outstanding furniture if you have the right paint color on your walls.
- Don’t be afraid of big furniture pieces in small rooms. Our huge gray chair is working well in our small office. You don’t necessarily need tiny furniture for tiny spaces. (Restrain to one big piece though).
- Pare down. Everyone who visits our house asks me where our “stuff” is. Seriously, you don’t need “stuff”.
- Keep everything organized. This is key especially when living in a small space. All our storage spaces are neatly organized and everything has its place.
Thank you so much Katrin for sharing your decorating tips and your pretty home with us today!
So tell me friends, after careful inspection of her little nest, what did you find personally inspiring? Did you notice the kitchen wallpaper? It’s not wallpaper! It’s stenciled by Katrin. And did you see that she also painted her heat radiator in her kitchen navy blue? I love that touch. Her kitchen is so charming, I like how it is very functional and everything is out in the open yet it looks so neat – really, really great.
(images: lillian’s diary)
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