inspire*inspire

Storm in a teacup

This little treasure has been on my 'to-blog-about' list for quite some time now. So today I decided to bunk it up straight to the top (and it goes right onto my wishlist too), just because it really makes me chuckle and I'm sure it will make you smile too! :)

Storm in a teacup is a literal rendition that plays homage to the popular idiom.  John Lumbus's kinetic design is a feast to the eyes and soul. Available at Laikingland, in collaboration with Royal Delft and The New English.

Have a great weekend!

MOR

Nothing makes a product more appealing than great packaging. Don't you agree?! I often find that while a lot of cosmetic products deliver in terms of quality and performance, most of them lack in terms of good packaging which troubles me to no end. I mean, someone was actually paid to design the package yet the package serve no more than it's functional purpose, having no (or very little) aesthetic value. Which makes me wonder- is dull design cheaper than pretty design? Or is it just a question of taste? And wouldn't you rather pay a bit extra just to have beautiful packaging that brighten up your life and can be used again?

Well, one thing is certain- since I discovered MOR cosmetics, I have been head over heels in love with their stunning products and I would like nothing more than having them gracing my space.

Clockwise from the top: 1. Lip Delight green tea/ honeysuckle /sorbet lip balm 2. Nordica- FREIA body scrub 3. Nordica FREIA hand & body lotion 4. Nordica FREIA lip balm 5. Nordica FREIA  bath essence.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Nordica- DALA hand & body lotion 2. Nordica- DALA triple milled soap 3. Nordica- DALA body oil 4. My Sweet Napolitan- soapette gift set 5. Emporium- white hydrangea body butter.

Have a wonderful weekend! xo

Shop envelop!

Hello lovelies! The weather has been so kind to us lately and I couldn't be happier right now. Ah! glorious spring! Every year I am amazed at the transformation of London and its people around this time of year. The trees are bursting with brilliant blossom and all of a sudden heads are raise high, eyes brighten up and smiles are spread all around. The bars are full of chatty crowds spilling onto the pavements and even the cab drivers seem to be more relaxed (and dare I say even courteous on the road). I truly LOVE London in springtime!

Spring is also the time to brighten and freshen up your home and I just love these unique illustrated cushions from online shop envelop for a quick, easy and affordable way to instantly spruce up any space.

1. Carnival 2. Strawberry Swirl 3. Fly Away Peter 4. Three Boats 5. Abstract Owl 

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1. Little Blue Day 2. City View 3. Woolly Bear 4. Hatch 5. Bear Hugs

Visit envelope.eu for dozens more cushion designs, as well as tote bags, place mats, aprons and more.

Enjoy!

Pastel goodness

More on the subject of pastels (Perhaps it will help bring spring a little sooner)... Here are a few sorbet-colour goodies that I covet right now:

1. Mosaic rug by bernabeifreeman for Designer Rugs, 2. Silver pencils at Paperchase, 3-4. Cushions at Habitat, 5. Limited Edition ECAL Birdcage at Vivre, 6. Bowl at Anthropologie, 7. Wise guys paper owls by Mibo studio.

Enjoy!

Origami teabags

Here's something that would make your daily cup of tea, a cause for celebration!

Designed by Nathalia Ponomareva, these origami birds teabags are already making waves in the design world and blogsphere. Not surprising, considering their massive appeal to tea drinkers, birds lovers, origami and papercraft fans, product and graphic designers and those who just enjoy the simple things in life.

Personally, I am going to be counting the days until these lovelies are picked up by a manufacturer and brought from the prototype stage right onto the shelves of my local shops.

nendo design

Ever so often a remarkable design comes my way that makes me gasp with total surprise and delight!

This stunning ornate birdcage design, by nendo, made it to the top of my wish list before I even bothered to check what its functional purpose was. 

And the last thing I expected it to be is precisely what it is!

This beautifully designed wireless speaker is the antithesis of all electro-acoustic transducers, as far as I can tell.
It reaches beyond the definition of gender by breaking through the masculine tendencies of even the most androgynous audio equipment.

Aptly named Music Cage, it can be hang from the ceiling or mounted onto the original floor / table stand.
And the idea is for the user to enjoy the emerging sound, much like the sound of songbirds.

And there is more!

As if the sheer joy of a birdcage shaped speaker wasn't enough to make my day, I went on to discover these brilliant chocolate pencils, also by nendo!

 

I reckon that the description and details of this product are completely redundant, as the images speak for themselves:

 

 

via Dezeen

I promise not to judge you, if it turns out you tried to lick the screen a little bit or  salivated all over your keyboard :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Delicious Dish

I am going a bit ga-ga for these gorgeous serving sets by British design duo, Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, aka Industrial Facility  for Jersey Pottery.

The sweet and simple design has completely won me over! and that's before I've even mentioned the quality and practicality of these lovelies.

Each dish features a fantastic food illustration, suggesting some of the nibbles you might want to serve in them; and they can go anywhere from the freezer to the oven, including the microwave and dishwasher. Very practical indeed!

Wouldn't they make a brilliant house warming (or just heart warming) gift?

Check out Retail Facility, Industrial Facility's webstore, for details and to discover more of the duo's great products.

*images via the Retail Facility website.

Wishlist: redecorating

We are in the process of redecorating our house and it is proving to be an interesting challenge. First and foremost, because redecorating always is a bit of a challenge, but also because we have our hearts set on buying a new house in a year or two so we are saving our money, time and energy to invest in that, when the time comes. As a result, we decided to avoid any major projects and only give the place a bit of a 'face lift'.

Having decide to keep the existing Navy Blue fitted carpets, we were faced with the challenge of working a scheme around this feature. We were pretty lost to begin with, but bit by bit started finding more and more inspiration and options that seem to work with that dominant element.

The scheme I have put together was inspired by the lovely rug I found at Laure Ashley, which will go in the lounge, on top of the existing carpet. I then saw this gorgeous 'Love' chair in Elle decoration, and fell head over heals in love with it right there and then! (Hmm... Perhaps that is why they called it the 'Love' chair...!) All the other items, I have had my eye on for some time and I love the fact that they fit so well into the overall scheme!

1. Karin Eriksson's ceramics (Flickr photo) 2. Dorit candle holders (Jean Pelle's Etsy shop) 3. Vase (Habitat) 4. Lamp (Heal's) 5. Rug (Laure Ashley) 6. 'Love' chair by Deadgood 7. Frames - Wall stickers (IKEA) 8. Aqua bamboo bowls

Be*inspired!

Tord Boontje designs for Artecnica

Nothing short of a grand lottery draw, could have made me happier when I discovered the new and exquisite jewellery and lighting collections designed by Studio Tord Boontje for Artecnica.

It just so happens that Boontje has been one of my most greatly admired designers since the unveil of his Wednesday collection in 2001; and even more so since the adapted version 'Garland' was launched by Habitat. (I will secretly reveal that I bought mine in 2002 and it remains perfectly untouched and preserved, only to be adored in its original transparent packaging).

The new, and aptly named,  Charming collection is available in 24K gold plated and silver plated finishes. These charms/pedants are wearable versions of Boontje's signature flora and fauna motifs.

And as if that wasn't enough to make me walk on air, The Future Flora collection is a series of three precision-etched metal sheets that transform into three exotic bloom-shaped, silver pendant lamps. Delivering, once again, the mastery of light and shadow found in Boontje's previous innovations.

These, and three other collections: 'Bright Times' pop-out etched steel candle holders, 'Candle Clamp' laser cut steel candle sticks and the latest addition to the tranSglass collection 'Champagne Dish' were all introduced at the Maison&Objet show in Paris and the New York Gift Fair as part of Artecnica's new 2009 collection.

I will post an update on where to buy them, as soon as that information becomes available!


Be*inspired!

WishList

1. Tableware image from idealhome magazine, all items by Debenhams,
2. Bird No.30 by Geninne on Etsy, 3. KRAMFORS chaise longue by IKEA,
4. Ceramic Daisy cup by Helen Beard.