Would you like to see romantic and sweet corners of a German home today? This inspiring space belongs to blogger Yvonne Bauer (aka Frl.Klein on Flickr) who is married with two daughters living outside of Munich. She likes to combine things that she finds at flea markets with brand new items from some of her favorite stores. She also loves flowers and ethnic touches along with products from Danish brand Tine K Home.
Yvonne also has antique furniture that was handed down to her husband from his family that she loves very much. She feels that the eclectic mix of everything living together, cozy, in one space makes for the perfect home. She does not consider her look to be of a certain style, though as an American living in Germany I think it’s representative of the country style that is clean, very white with modern lines, a touch of the ornate, lots of texture and an attention to detail that is prevalent in Scandinavian country styles with a touch of German country combined. Here in Germany we have tons of magazines catering to this style of decoration so it’s no wonder that Yvonne is inspired by books, magazines and blogs for visual eye candy. I don’t know if you’ve ever given much thought to which room in your home is your favorite but Yvonne views her most inspiring room as her kitchen because its the hub of activity and, “I love to cook and chill out there,” she says. From the looks of this table setting below, it’s obvious that she puts a great deal of love and care into meal planning and presentation which is so inspiring to me because I only wish I had the time to lay a table like this on a regular basis… It’s something I aspire to though – what about you?
To view more of her photos, please take a moment to visit her blog and Flickr page – both are filled with lovely inspiration for decorating!
(images: yvonne bauer)
I love the new batch of fresh and modern Chocolate Creative products that are available! Shown below are peeks from her collection including some prints from the Decayed Glamour line that I think look just great (and are styled quite well, I must add!).
Margarita Lorenzo is the designer behind this company, she also authors a fantastic blog, and I had the pleasure of meeting her in January in London during a press event for my book and in addition to her great smile I took note of her adorable tote (I want one now!). It was such a pleasure to get to know the lady behind the brand in person and I’m inspired by what she does. Margarita has a love for vintage textiles, antiques and traditional craft so she infuses her line with her inspirations for a fresh, modern interpretation of these things. Her brand focuses on handmade, sustainable products for the home that combine the traditional skills like embroidery and cross stitch that she loves so much with silkscreen printing. The results are just lovely!
Margarita will be taking part in the Dulwich Festival artists open houses soon so please stay in touch with her via her newsletter to learn more. Nice work, Margarita! xo
(images: chocolate creative)
Ready to see a lovely industrial chic loft in Buenos Aires, Argentina? Karina Manghi is a photographer (with an etsy shop) and blogger who authors site Le Blog Secret. Her loft has lots of bohemian elements to it as you will soon see. It’s a happy mix. It’s a home with a creative soul.
Karina and her husband decorated the house around the idea of being industrial with a touch of chic that would accommodate their family and not be too fussy since they have kids and entertain their friends and family often. She said the hardest part, because her taste runs the gamut, was to edit as she decorated. I think that this is a issue many face, especially when you are mixing and matching and have a more eclectic sensibility.
Some of her favorite prints look fresh and modern against that gorgeous vintage tile on the floor.
Her son’s bedroom – love the giant batman!
Her lovely daughter in their entryway, a festive welcoming with the fantastic assortment of colorful balloons! Nice idea for a party.
A quiet afternoon with mate tea…
Karina’s bedroom – lovely quilt…
A simple way to display photos on a wall – tape! No frills! Let the images speak.
Her daughter’s bedroom, complete with adorable dog and vintage bed found at a flea market!
A curious assortment of things.
Her amazing closet. Drool. I love the polished concrete floors, they reflect so much light and illuminate the space beautifully, naturally.
Don’t you love seeing her photographs taped onto that old green folding door? Pretty. And the lighting here is gorgeous. It reminds me of an old film…
Karina admits to not liking clutter but she does love to display illustrations from independent artist, beloved objects, her own photographs and those of others, her kids artwork, and travel souvenirs. Since she cannot fall back on a big box store like IKEA (there isn’t one there), she said she has had to find ways to be more creative and had built many affordable things by hiring a carpenter. She also hits flea markets for one of a kind vintage items.
Karina thank you so much for sharing your home with all of us today!
(images: karina manghi)
Are you a fan of farmhouse style? I find that depending on where you live in the world, this style can change which has a lot to do with local culture and what is available among other things. For instance, farmhouse style in America vs. farmhouse style in France or Sweden is somewhat different but they still share a golden thread that links them together — the love of vintage! Other similarities include soft colors (grays, blues and greens are popular), mixing in antiques, making lots of things by hand, and fresh flowers are usually in the mix.
Heather Anderson’s farmhouse in Michigan is more the American idea of farmhouse style which is quite popular and most who follow this style tend to be very creative and love to make things themselves to personalize it a bit. Heather has a gorgeous stream of photos on Flickr where I discovered her and fell in love with some of her DIY projects that I discovered over on her blog like this frame and this bunting. She also has a vintage goods shop over at Etsy. I asked Heather to send me her personal favorite photos of her home to share with decor8 readers – I have to say, she selected some beautiful views that provide for some great Friday inspiration. I also asked her a few questions about her home that I think you’ll enjoy…
What is the inspiration behind your style and how do you define it? I am inspired by farmhouse living. I love the simplicity and the lived in, loved in look. My style is fresh farmhouse with a dash of romance. I love a collected-over-time feel. No rules, just useful and beautiful. I stick with non-breakable, fuss-less items that don’t break the bank or my heart if my baby bears, I mean boys, get a hold of them.
Where do you find ideas and inspiration? With a wealth of blogs and magazines to read, it is not hard to find inspiration! However, my favorites come late at night when the house is (finally) quiet and I have time to just sit and imagine.
What do you love about your home? I love that our home is in the country. I also love that it is open and airy (a must for long, dark Michigan winters). But my favorite part about our home is that we built it ourselves. It will probably never be “completely” finished, but what fun would that be? I love dreaming up our next project and renovating, decorating, re-decorating… It is humble, yet it is still the house of my dreams.
What makes a house feel like home to you? A house is a home when it is a reflection of you and filled with those you love. Decorating should be fun, not some standard that you have to live up to. It can happen very gradually over time. Layer upon layer, you find, collect, build, and it becomes a labor of love. That is what makes house a home.
Above: Bottles Heather spray painted in matte white paint to give them a chalky finish – I love these!
Heather’s home is filled with projects that she did herself. For instance, if you like the bunting in her kitchen shown (first image above), here is a terrific tutorial where she’ll show you how to make it! You can also learn how to make that terrific frame/message board that you see in the 2nd image above right here. Again, great ideas and a lovely lady who is being creative at home, keeping it real, and loving to decorate!
(images: heather anderson)
I recently came across the work of 27-year-old graphic designer and photography Julia Dávila in Madrid. Julia is so talented and I love how she finds inspiration everywhere – from her travels, on the streets where she lives and in the subtle way she uses flowers and other objects to tell a story in her home. Julia is a contact of mine on Flickr and I find her photographs quite transporting and so I asked her if I could share them with you today to inspire you.
I think it’s important to be on the look out for inspiration no matter where you are. The details are there, you just have to look for them and if you have a camera or even a camera phone, capture them somehow and see where those captures lead. Perhaps after seeing these photographs you will feel motivated to take more photos. I have to make a point of it more myself so today I plan to go out and grab a few bouquets from the farmers’ market for myself so that I can photograph them at home tomorrow. I’m dying to see what is selling at the market now that spring has sprung!
Julia told me that her source of inspiration comes from the changes in nature as the seasons unfold with new flowers and colors in the nature environment around her. She is also inspired by the many marvelous photographers out there who, “Capture the wonders of nature with great finesse,” and their work plays an important role in the progress of her own. Julia dreams to someday cover the walls of her home with her own photographs and also put flowers of all kinds on her walls (I must admit that sounds quite avant-garde and intriguing) as part of a beautiful installation to inspire her work further which instantly made me think of this photo showing tons of silk flowers in a dining area.
Beautiful!
(images: julia dávila)
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