House therapy

Just to set up the practise and keep the ball rolling. Here it is - or rather - here we are - in our newly (that's such a shame not entirely ours) rented flat which is full of nothing but neatly painted walls and floors. There are also an armchair in the living room that makes a suit with cool, leather sofa - and some kitchen appliances that I've taken from previous flat. That's good - empty space works well for my (hopefully?) vivid imagination... :)

lovenordic

Come dine with me

What I've been up to this weekend - apart from shopping, hoovering, cooking and helping our friend with moving out (it was supposed to be a lazy weekend) - was finally finding an ideal flat. This one was the fifth we'd seen and we took it straightaway. We're moving in next week and I'm thrilled to hunt for new nice pieces of furniture. I'd want it to be a kind of classic and industrial design with bits of homey soft furnishing that will make it more 'people friendly'. There's no better place than the Internet to find everything what you'll need to fill your space. What I spotted and was amazed by its design is a range of modern dining chairs by Kartell. Though my husband to be thinks having them it's not exactly what he'll like in a dining/living room... I absolutely love them.  

kartell

Welcome to the weekend

behance.net

Let's get the most of this weekend. This time I'm not going to spend it in the bed. The weather is fantastic and today is the hottest day since the summer started. So I'm off to the beach and then maybe some dining out. And then - hunting for some nice little pieces of furniture for our future little lovely flat. Just found a beautiful white modern desk with glass top and I'm giving it the second place in my "I want to have list". The first place is taken by a bed.... Well - the washing machine maybe...

husligheter.se

Bike comeback

Once we get flat hunting over I'll be trying to figure out where to keep my bike. I've been searching today and juding from pictures of mounted bikes, the idea of hanging it on the wall seems to be quite possible. Living downtown and what's more - near the sea - in that small apartment will be cool yet without a backyard. Do I really have to be so fussy... I've found a quite few nicely designed bike racks and I frankly think some of them could be even consiered as works of art. 

hiconsumption.com

Come on summer!

Having realized that I've only had one chance to catch some rays this year - as the weather is being awful and ruthless at times (especially for people who, like me, think they should've been born in some other, rather hotter than their hometown, place). The other reason of that is I'm being lazy and one thing I can consider during the weekend is sleeping to midday. As this Saturday should be, at least in terms of the weather, nicer to us again, I'm going to spend it on the beach. No hoovering, cooking, shopping - just the beach and me. And maybe a good book too. Can't wait! 

Autumn De Wilde

Mind your head

We've been looking for a flat to rent since last week. Though it's not a very long time, my positive attitude has been gradually stepping back. There are not many offers on the market in this area and I am being fussy. We happened to spot a kind of divergent ways of thinking in terms of what we need and want. The flat we saw today is on the very top floor of the building so as it's easy to imagine it has sloped ceilings. It's tiny but - has a potential.

 And it seems that sloped walls are quite decorative themselves. 

Hopefully by the end of the week we'll have let agreed therefore I'll have more time to think about what is to buy to make this place ours. Searching for bargains and stuff for your home seems so exciting that I've already investigated the topic. Regarding the apartment's slanted walls and not very much of space I'm going to narrow the scope of large furniture hunting. That will be our first apartment that we won't have to share so the idea of decorating it is even more appealing. Unfortunately, I won't have a walk-in closet for now, but there's still some space left for creation. 

Home Adore

I miss sunny days

... and sunny Sundays. It's been another miserable weekend in eastern part of England and if not the fact that Germans are playing with Argenitina tonight, I would probably be wasting my time and money in some vicious shopping centre. I can't say I'm chilling in my garden instead, yet another chance of caching up with footbal rules opens up...

Oh well, it's still nice to get to know (again) what offside means... hearing the voices of mad football fans coming from the inside think I'd rather stay outside... Pictured here, some ideas of Cane Lane inspired me to take up some hobbies preferably outside

Cane Lane

A Glass with Class

As it's Saturday and most of you, young and beautiful, are heading to pubs and clubs so as to please yourselves with a couple of shots or pints, perform wild dance on the table and eat fast food in the middle of the night. That's at least what I'd prefer to be up to tonight if not my, lasted since yesterday hangover. And that's what happens when you start drinking in the middle of the day. As the company I work for has an incredibly motivational system of taking care of emploee's good mood a couple of my colleagues and I poped down to the nearest local brewery to give this Friday a good start. That said, I finished quite early, if you know what I mean... But hey - even the nicest, classy girls crave for playing Cyndi Laupher at times. We've all been there... 

So, there was a binge and the way back home is slightly interrupted by the wind (or my legs rebelled). Your handbag's dodgy pockets seem to have eaten the keys, as you somehow happened to spot in front of the door and on the way up the stairs your body is getting fed up. Yeah... big deal.

homedit.com

Luckily the weekend's just started and there's still a nice bottle of wine in a fridge which you will not hesitate to use. Two solutions sound sensible to put in this place. You can either go to bed or maybe drink some more wine and then go to bed. 

Tribute to Edison

Simple and original. A modest bulb can, together with gentle craft, create a charming light decoration.

emmas designblogg

Most desirable cupcakes in New York

Most desirable cupcakes in New York

'Sex and the city' cupcakes from 'Magnolia Bakery' - basic recipe

I urge you to try this recipe if you like cupcakes. If you've ever thought of making some by yourselves this one is great to try at the beginning. It's even easy to modify and let you make your best special lovely little cakes.

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour

2 tsps baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

115 g soft butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Buttercream frosting:

115 g soft butter

3-4 cups caster sugar

1/4 cup of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Put muffin cups into a pan.

Mix  butter, gradually adding sugar and eggs until fluffy. Stepwise (in three stages), alternating with dry ingredients add milk and vanilla extract, mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

It should not take you long until the mixture is ready. Put it into cup forms, filling each hole no more than 3/4 volume. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Leave baked cupcakes for about 5 minutes in a form until they get colder. Then remove from the mold and allow them to cool completely.

Blend butter into a smooth, creamy mixture adding 4 cups of sugar and milk  Use as much sugar as needed to form a thick cream. Leave it in a fridge for an hour. Once cooled, decorate cupcakes just the way you like... Mmmm... Yummy...

New Folk Design

Folk decorations capture the memories of my childhood. My grandmother had a lot of beautifully decorated plates and cutlery stored in a displayed cabinet. Here and there she covered the furniture with colourful blankets and pillows above which effigy of baby Jesus looked at me with his sweet-tempered eyes. As a little girl, for the day of Corpus Christi, I had to wear a white blouse, embroidered and beaded on front and back vest, red flowery skirt and wreath. My mother would put flower petals of varied colours and scents into a basket and let me throw them away at the foot of the church. Abandoned on pavements confetti after solemn procession made an ideal decoration for bitumastic kerbs. 

Polish folklore has its different, depends on the region, manifestations. It includes music, art, symbols, superstitions, customs and beliefs. Today it's also a means of communication between tradition and modernity. And it reminds me home. 

I love the way of how it can be used for contemporary interiors and fill the empty space which some might call... longing. 

  

I like it white

I like the atmosphere of hectic cities, fast-paced life, places full of people. Intoxicating air wafting into the pub when you're just about to back home but decide to stay longer cause bunch of your friends is just to start having fun. Equally I like colourful jewelerry, crazy shoes and retro-like kitchen appliances.



Still, minimalism also have a honored place at the table. I like, even the modern house, clean and white. White doesn't leave the space without colours. It quietens emotions, fades loud thoughts yet it awakens imagination.

source: http://myscandinavianhome.blogspot.co.uk/

Small apartments with huge potential

October 2011, Cracow, Poland 

Hardly had we come through the door when we stumbled across the kitchen area (that’s too much to say) as it was only 18 quarter meters studio having literally one room with kitchenette, little bathroom and a balcony (as if it was supposed to make it bigger). That wasn’t the very spacious flat and what’s more you had to make a bit of an effort to get to the 5^th floor… However the lady who I (as an estate agent at that time) was showing it to was amazed. She promptly called me back at the same evening saying she loved the property and wanted to sign a contract for the sale . ‘Really?’ – I though. But she bought it! The future owner was her eight year old son – cute little kid by the way - so as he could live in it during his studies at The Music Academy. ‘Hopefully he’s playing the flute not the piano…’ – the ironic thought crossed my mind…And still there was a basic probability rule that the boy may be a bit taller in his mid twenties…

And that is a part of a story of how I sold my first apartment. The idea of it’s potential inspired me to investigate the topic. Is there a way to make a small apartment spacious? Apparently, there is.

Light colors, mirrors or inlaying a floor diagonally can all make the room look bigger. Avoiding large-seized furniture pieces will allow you to save the space and keep it practical at the same time.

Dream bigger!

Inside M.T. Carney's SoHo Loft

Giving you a sneak peak of M.T. Canrey's Loft I've just found on Vogue's website. So modern, funny and romantic, I just could't resist sharing it with you.

Here's the whole article and gallery:

http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/mt-carney-soho-apartment/?mbid=culture_20140706_27335196#

Feel invited

When my beloved husband-to-be (or fiancé to be if we want to be strict about it) and I came up with an idea to find a new apartment I was over the moon. It’s got to have ‘something’ that makes you fall in love at the first sight. The worse is the weather on the day you’re wandering and viewing different properties to let or buy), the better. If it’s raining but the empty flat still has ‘it’ – character, specific pleasant ambiance that make you feel you’d like to stay and make some tea before you go (it’s raining for heaven’s sake!) that must be a good sign.

And the view is outstanding. Never in my life have I thought I might live in an apartment near the seaside – and here we go – pop your head out of the window and feel the breeze. And my sweet yet grumpy groom-some-day-to-be seems to be happy as well. As long as he can put his thoughts into decorating his study I can feel free to worry about the rest. And I’m more than happy to do so!

I’ve been always interested in art, architecture, interior design and beautiful, classy decorations which all can make places fascinating and ‘moreish’. New flat opens the way to a new life that’s about to reveal original, inspirational ideas. Some of them you might have never found too cool… like… turning things around you to black… Having said that, black is my favourite one.

...Stay tuned