{Design} Marble light by Studiovit

Marble lights is a collection in marble and glass by Studiovit. It consists of glass spheres and cylindrical marble lamp holders in various sizes which can be freely combined.

It is simple yet refined. I love it!

{Design} Plumen 001 The designer energy saving lightbulb

Finally, a good looking energy saving lightbulb! Plumen 001.

The sculptured form looks great in comparison with the dull shapes of existing low energy bulbs. Plumen have also come up with a variety of colours and materials for the drop cap and pendant set.

The lightbulb and pendant set becomes a centrepiece and not an afterthought.

My favourite is definitely the copper drop cap

Fun and colourful pendant sets

VIA DESIGN MUSEUM SHOP

Plumen 001 Chandelier arrangement

{Architecture} A garage with a view

“Garagenatelier” is James Bond's garage in Herdern, Canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. It offers spaces for 8 cars, 4 of which get “a room with a view”. The volumes are embedded in the hillside and have natural daylight coming from above via lightwells. I love the juxtaposition of nature and the geometric concrete structures. Something to keep in mind when I will one day design our home in Switzerland.

VIA TODAY AND TOMORROW

Designed by Peter Kunz Architectur.

{Art} Paper cityscapes

I love maps in general. And the ones designed by Trinh and Buscher from Metropolitan Cityscapes are just gorgeous.

These delicate lattice like maps, are hand drawn on paper and then cut out, showing the chosen pattern in the built landscape for various cities. Try and recognise a place you know, or wander around a new place.

My favourite has to be London! How about yours?

VIA Apartment Therapy

{Interiors} Morocco meets Sweden: contemporary cement tiles

I am definitely partial to Moroccan cement tiles, and these ones by Swedish designer Claesson Koivisto Rune for Marrakech Design are gorgeous.

VIA Marrakech Design

{Design} Plates by Maxime Ansiau

Don't you just love these plates by Maxime Ansiau. I have an obsession with all kitchen related things as you can see...

VIA Artnau

{Interiors} Interesting piping solution

I just wanted to share this quirky detail from this Italian kitchen: a long metal hose pipe is used as a radiator on the kitchen wall. Interesting piping solution! In theory you could move the pipe around the room to have your source of heat in a different place. I would be curious to find out how well it works. 

The photos were shot by Fabrizio Cicconi and I found them on British Elle Decoration. Check it out for more photos from this house.

VIA Elle Decoration

{Design} iittala Collective tools serving spoon

We finally have one at home! I have been eyeing this serving spoon in Twentytwentyone for a long time. So my husband got one for his birthday last week!

I know! It is kind of cheeky to get him something I have wanted for a long time... But he will learn to love the spoon... It is made of steel and fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. We already used it for a great sunday lunch. Who knew it was the perfect tool to serve gratin dauphinois.

VIA SKANDIUM

{Design} Nestled wedding bands

My Lovely friend Simon Jones designed these beautiful wedding bands. They fit into one another perfectly without falling through and are a beautiful idea superbly executed.
Love them!

VIA SIMON JONES

{Happy Sunday} String pocket shelves

One of my all time favourites! String pocket shelves by String Sweden.
Enjoy and have a good week!

VIA String Sweden

{Design} Twiggy coat hooks

I love these plywood twiggy hooks by Studioliscious on Etsy!

{Travel} My 10 favourite things to do in Paris

Once upon a time, I lived in Paris for a year. A friend recently asked me for tips and I could not think of a single one on the spot. So this is for you J.

VIA ETSY

1. Rue Montorgeuil
This is a great place to spend the day. It is a pedestrian street where you can eat well, sit in a sunny café, shop for kitchenware, and buy phenomenal breads, chocolates, cheeses, and pastries... I can also recommend it as a great neighbourhood to stay in when in Paris. Very central and still reasonable. If you are planning a visit David Leibowitz has a lot of great recommendations.

2. Hit the market
Every day in Paris, except on Mondays, there’s an outdoor market somewhere taking place. The Marché d’Aligre is a daily market, and has a small flea market in the center. If you are like me, you will love looking around for that special something that you need for your place. You can find a market no matter where you are on the complete list of Paris Markets.

3. Jardin des plantes
This is the one that made my kids happiest last time I was there. A wonderful botanical garden with a small zoo. I particularly like the Evolution gallery: beautiful displays of animals, very inspiring and educational.

4. Mosquée de Paris
I love sipping a glass of mint tea and eat Moroccan cornes de gazelles in the courtyard. If I am feeling more indulgent, I would spend half a day at the hammam. It is a lovely building and I feel transported back home. There are specific days for men and women, so I always check online before I go.

5. Use a Velib
If I could choose anyway to get around Paris, I would most definitely choose the bicycle. It is the original Boris Bike! Self hire bicycles on docking stations dotted around the city. the first half hour is free and you pay for what you use. Choose your route and enjoy. Be careful though!

6. Montmartre
Not much of a discovery there... But I can't help but have it in my favourites. I like seeing the view and the getting lost in the streets at the south-west of the sacré coeur. I can also indulge my fabric buying impulses in the shops below the sacré coeur.

7. Picnic on the pont des arts
Du pain, du vin, du boursin! Beautiful views of Paris.

8. L'Ile Saint Louis
I love to have a Bertillon ice cream l'ile Saint Louis followed by a stroll around Notre Dame. Favourite flavour: pain d'épice.

9. Macarons La Durée
I can't resist them! My favourite treat: a box of 18 macarons au caramel salé.

10. Le Bon Marché
There is more to this grand department store than great fashion. La grande épicerie de Paris is just magical: I usually raid the cheese counter, the sweets aisle and the charcuterie counter.

So this is my Paris. I notice it mostly involves getting somewhere to eat something...

Share your favourite things to do in Paris?

{Art} Further Abstract by Alma Alloro

I love this series by Alma Alloro. The lines, the grid paper, the animation.

VIA I LIKE THIS ART

VIA I LIKE THIS ART

VIA I LIKE THIS ART

Becoming minimalist

Here are some wise words to share. One of my missions for this year is to have the mother of all declutters, followed by a giant carboot sale. Everything that leaves the house, stays out! I shall succeed!

VIA KOOL AND KREATIVE

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{Food} Recipe book: Rôtis by Stéphane Reynaud

My favourite recipe books these days! Pure and simple roasts! Perfect for winter... Find it here.

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{Design} Pixel table by Studio Intussen

This Pixel table is such a clever project by the Dutch Studio Intussen. It is a really clever and simple idea, where sliding bamboo battens leave storage space while also forming a cube table. The sticks can be formed into a cube again as they adjust to their content.

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{Design} Christmas tree sledge by Tom Hartfield

The much anticipated snow has finally arrived to London! Yesterday morning the 4 of us were on the slope all kitted out by 9.30 for our first sledge run of the year. 

My favourite spot for sledging, with kids in particular, has to be Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill, N8. It has amazing views of London, and although it can get quite busy at the top, there are shallower slopes towards the bottom that are more child friendly. If you park around the Redston Road area, off Priory Road, N8, you can even avoid getting snowed in, in the car park.

Another place we tried in our pre-kiddies era was Primrose Hill. Beautiful views of the city, and you can warm up with a mulled wine or hot chocolate at The Engineer or The Albert, in nearby Primrose village. 

By the way, my husband is threatening to take his snowboard out for a few runs down Primrose Hill if it keeps on snowing... I'll keep you posted.

On a more creative note, I love this idea by Tom Hartfield. His sledge is made from christmas trees found in on the streets of london. With roughly 1.7 million trees bought for the christmas period, it is a clever way to use the ressources around us. He uses the traditional woodworking skills called bodging, where the wood is worked "green", without drying first. Beautiful! I wish I had a workshop...

VIA TOM HATFIELD

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{Design} Hole measuring tape by Sunghoon Jung

As an architect and all round maker, my measuring tape is always handy.  I would love to get my hands on one of Hole Measuring Tapes designed by Sunghoon Jung for the IF talent award 2012.
It allows you to measure accurately and draw circles with precision. 
Innovative, simple, functional and beautiful. I’m sure you designers will love it!
Read more at Yanko Design.

VIA YANKO DESIGN

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Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill

As a lover of natural textures, I can't help but admire these woodcut prints by Bryan Nash Gill. He makes relief prints of tree-trunk cross sections and blocks, which he harvests from felled trees, cedar telephone poles and discarded fence posts in his native Connecticut.
I love his method of cutting the blocks with a chain saw, sanding them down, burning them and sealing them with a lacquer before imprinting the result on a piece of washi paper. It seems to amplifies the patterns and tells the story of the life of the tree.

VIA BRYAN NASH GILL

VIA BRYAN NASH GILL

Unfortunately these gorgeous prints are a bit out of reach for me, but the book that will do just the trick.

{Private collection} Unpackaged

At the end of each day, I am shocked at the amount of waste we produce as a family of 4. It’s mostly all food packaging: wrappers, containers, packets and useless plastic. On saturday I went to my friend A's new Kickashna Gym Club (more to come on that when I can get some decent photographs together). Across the road from her place, near Hackney's London Fields, I came across Unpackaged. 

Unpackaged, is a zero packaging grocery store, hipster style. It used to be in Islington and has now moved to a more spacious home, complete with a café and bar.

The concept is simple: you reduce your waste and only buy what you use. Bring your own containers and get refills for everything: liquids (olive oil, wine, juices), cupboard essentials (flour, rice, pasta...), pulses,  household products (washing up liquid, soaps), home made jams, cheese, toiletries... 

I couldn't help but think that it is a modern version of the traditional "hanout" from my native Morocco. Imagine a man standing in a 4 square metres space, and somehow he has anything you might need to cook from scratch. You can swap your own containers or get his for a deposit.

Although it is difficult for Unpackaged to compete on price with larger distributors, it is cheaper than buying packaged products in your standard corner shop. Next time I go to the gym I will take 5 containers for refills, and maybe grab a coffee. I must remember to get a travel mug. Although I could just have a nice coffee at a table! All by myself...

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House keys

While looking for an image of a house key, I came across this. Clever.
Which one do you prefer?

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2.

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{Design} Rex the peeler

I have something about kitchen tools. This peeler is one of the best and most useful tools I have come across for any kitchen. It is a classic design dating from 1947 and has been virtually unchanged since. It is manufactured by Zena in Switzerland. I will peel any vegetable with a vengeance and has a small side knife for removing potato eyes. It is so cheap, it is definitely a must have.

{Design} Wheely fun

I know this toy has been around for a while, but my 18 month old just got this wonderful wheelybug from Hippychick for Christmas. They go backwards, forwards, sideways, round and round. Hours of fun for little ones with this a beautifully designed toy. Even his big sister (7) enjoys it...

{Design} Foundry coffee table

This beautiful foundry coffee table from CB2 is heavy duty but light on its feet. It is made of silver powder coated iron and has a matt finish for an industrial look.

{Art} All the bicycles in Berlin

I need more wall space at home. This illustration by James Gulliver Hancock is going on my wishlist.