STOCKHOLM | Part Two


Here it is the second part of the Stockholm Series! So let's take a walk in Södermalm, from Götgatan into the heart of SoFo in Stockholm. As you may remember from what I wrote last week, the district is packed with cool shops and places and you can breath creativity everywhere. My first stop was at the local Hope store, the Swedish clothing brand: the place was visually stunning. I liked the industrial touch of the structures combined with the white tiled walls and the pieces of art used to reinforce the colour scheme of this year collection.

Second stop was Granit where I actually stopped more than once during my short staying after the Blogger Tour, and I never left "alone". hat can I say about this place? I just love it. It was so hard to not buy all the items, like the new light strings (I wish I would have bought the white ones, silly me). The staff was very friendly so I dare to ask if they plan to open internationally delivery soon because I am sure I am not the only one looking forward to it. I have  sweet and bitter news: they will open it to the all the Northern countries this year but nothing is planned before next year fro the rest of us. That means, we will have to go to visit Stockholm to get something: bitter-sweet, isn't it?


As I said, the area has a great number of creative offices and I loved to walk around taking pictures of unexpected scenarios like the one down. And I almost rang the bell when I saw the Skull poster in the window shop in the other one.


One of the places I really wanted to visit in SoFo was Dusty Deco, a shop specialized in industrial pieces with patina and great classics they collect during their travel. Unfortunately it was closed. So I walked to visit GrandPa, a store next door to the cafè and Fabrique bakery I showed last week. Grandpa was founded in 2003 with the idea of offering a different sort of shopping  that could merge interesting products with their special atmosphere. selection Since the founding of Grandpa in 2003 we have offered a different type of shopping. We have always had service, atmosphere and inspiration as our top priority. We often decline strong brands that we don’t feel are up to our standards from a quality, environmental or image perspective. For us, the brands are never more important than the product itself.  Their famous Cyclisten poster can be found here.
The second part stops here but there are two special issues coming soon and one is dedicated entirely to my fellow Urban Jungle Bloggers
 
 
 

Pictures facing north with gracia

MONDAY CRUSH | White skin


Today is the last day of March when we are supposed to live winter behind and starting enjoying the frizzy air of spring. The problem this year it is winter hasn't really left Barcelona yet! I cannot believe I'm still wearing my jumper... We spent most of last Sunday at home and it was not bad: I did some experiments with watercolours and dedicated some hours to tidy up a bit my Pinterest account (still lot to do, though!).
And I had time to surf some of my favourite brands website, like Cos where I found the marvellous white suede backpack that inspired today's Monday Crush. I hope you enjoy it! Have a lovely kick-start of the week!


Ps: Later today the second part of the Stockholm series with some amazing shops like Grandpa and Hope. 

Openhouse Magazine


Today, I want to share with you the new project by Andrew Trotter and Mari Luz Vidal from Open House Project. I already talked about them in this post and I had the chance to meet last year during the beautiful Kinfolk dinner they organized here in Barcelona.
Andrew and Mari Luz, respectively designer/art director and photographer, have just released some images from the first issue of their magazine, Openhouse. I am very excited because it looks fab and it has a great atmosphere. Also, I was delighted to see one of the articles will be about The Gnam Box - that I love.
The magazine just need to be published in paper now and we all can help with that (well, I already did it). Check the video here and just ask yourself: wouldn't have you loved to be there at the beginning of those magazines we all heart? Because, guys,  this is going to be great.


All images via Open house, with thanks and best wishes.

Temporary storage system at home


We needed some temporary extra storage in the bedroom and so we moved the shelving system we made last year. The piece of furniture is actually supposed to lay on the longer side (poor thing!) but it wouldn't fit in the room in that way, so we simply put it the other way around.  The quality is not very good but I like to see some wooden pieces in the room. I think it'll be ok for now.
  

Some Beautiful Items


Some of you may remember last year post about Miniatures, the collection for children for this Spring / Summer 2014, by Italian brand SO.BE.IT.  I'm always a season ahead in presenting Some Beautiful Items products because I simply cannot resist. And here it is, their collection for next winter for women, men and children, with a special soul. 
This is a story about family and life. It's a story about the poetry of nature, which we belong to as parts of an old tree: strong roots that hold us tight and firmly; long branches that surround and protect us; little buds that will grow with time.
Marino Orbolato's designs are made to wear and carry with us through all our days, like a treasure.

Please, visit Some Beautiful Items to see the complete collection.
 

New flat in Barcelona


I love this bedroom: a simple, beautiful space with a Japanese flavour. It is part of a top floor flat in my neighbourhood, Gracia, designed by dataAE studio of Barcelona. 
I published it the other day on my FB page to announce officially that we have started a flat hunting. Don't get me wrong, we love our place but our imagination is quite constrained because of the "home rules". We would love a place with lots of natural light and a beautiful terrace, quiet and nice with great character: daydreaming doesn't cost a thing, does it?


STOCKHOLM | Part One


I have been wanting to share with you some of the pictures of the trip to Stockholm from last month. As you know, I have been travelling a lot recently and I have managed to download the photos now. This won't be a chronological report: I prefer to arrange everything in minor threads with a "special issue" at the end.

I spent the first days of my staying  with the beautiful people from the Blogger Tour, sharing  an amazing eclectic apartment that Emma and Allan found for us in the very Mariatorget, in Södermalm. After the tour, I moved to a Airbnb apartment not far from there: it was almost a decade since my last visit and I really want to breath and feel Stockholm as much as I could.

Södermalm is an amazing district, full of life and cool shops and cafès. One of the places I spent a long time in was Drop Coffee [above], home of the Swedish champion of Latte Art. The place is very nice: a relaxed atmosphere where lots of cool freelancers and bloggers go to work. In general, I have to admit coffee is very good in Stockholm (and you know how picky I am about this, don't you?) but the milky foam of Drop Coffee beat all the other - Italian manias of mine. 
Another place I strongly suggest to visit is called Il Caffè:  minimal and funky, the coffee shop shares its space with the local branch of the famous bakery Fabrique ( those Cinnamon buns..) and to Cristoffer Blommor, one of the most famous flower shops in town and a delight for my eyes.

The Stockholm Series continues next week.


Drop Coffe image courtesy of Linda Elmin.  

URBAN JUNGLE BLOGGERS | Visual Box


I am very excited with today's post as this is the very first I publish within the Urban Jungle Group. The idea of this gang was born in the master minds of Igor from Happy Interior Blog and Judith from JOELIX.com: they wanted to share their green love with the blogging community and they managed to engage a lots of amazing bloggers in this adventure: I feel very honoured to be part of it.
This month task was to create something inspired by the upcoming Easter. Easter is one of my favourite family moments: it's a lovely gathering, especially now that the house is full of children. I love to see the light in their eyes when the huge chocolate eggs arrives, their happiness for the small surprises. It takes me back to my childhood and the time we spent in the afternoon making kites out of the chocolate egg paper. And the green fields, the canals full of running water, the softness of everything.
So I created a "visual box", where myself as child meets myself today surrounded by the spring atmosphere. I hope you will enjoy it.

Greenery | strawberries | Props | Wooden Egg | Cos Chinese scissors | Serax Dome | Inspiration from Muuto Catalogue | Hay Clip | Merci Paper Bag | Woman in black from magazine |


Check here to know more about the Urban Jungle Bloggers.

SELECTED| Sempé w103


The Sempé w103 lamps were presented at Milan Design Week last year. Designed by French Inge Sempé, they are manufactured by Swedish Wästberg. Available in  7 very different tones – bright, soft, clear, dark -, they are easy to be combined together. My favourite are the clamp version and the desk one.



Via Wästberg.

DECO TIPS | Ikea PS 2014


The Ikea PS 2014 collection was released few days ago. The "boldest" of all - as the  Swedish brand described-, this collection focus on a different target of customers: urban young people that needs flexible solutions for a constantly changing home. 
I selected some pieces I'd love to have in our place. My absolutely favourite one is the powder-coated steel wardrobe designed by Matali Crasset: the simple industrial look is so cool. Also, I'd love to have the storage table in ABS plastic designed by trio Richardson/ Brill/Williams to use either next to the sofa or in the studio. The other two favourite pieces are the folding table and bench by Mathias Hahn ( I'd love to have the bench in my bedroom - we really need something there) and the secretary by Kowalski/ Ganszyniec/ Jasiewicz for the hall.
I have to say all these products could easily fit more than a corner in our home and I like the idea I can play with them to find new, unconventional solutions.

To see the whole collection, visit here.

MONDAY CRUSH | Freshness of Spring






We came back yesterday and found spring waiting for us, so this Monday Crush is all about freshness and delicacy.

| 1 | Kaschkasch Mirror for  Menu
| 2 | Silence by Joseph Tarigan
| 3 | Back Transparent shirt via
| 4 | Recycled denim throw off white by Mölle
| 5 | Vase by Norm on Wall table by Kenyon Yeh for Menu

Emptiness


Minimal emptiness for this Tuesday. Have a lovely day.

 | Architects: ARX Portugal + Stefano Riva | Photography: FG+SG |