Untitled

Welkom – Stichting Adinda Surabaya PartyMarktplaats – Marktplaats.nl5,00 Gmail – Postvak IN (5) – maria.venderbos@gmail.comDacia modellen: Duster – Ontdek: Thuis in het terreinGmailSpiritueel uit in AmsterdamGoogle

SWITCH by CEA

At the Salone I was really impressed by the minimal design of bathroom fittings and kitchen taps manufacturer CEA.
I think the SWITCH collection is their most interesting design, I’ve never seen a light switch-design being used in bathroom taps before! I tested them myself in Milan and these fittings are very user friendly.

What I find great about the company is that it strives for making more efficient fittings (limiting capacity to 5 lit/min opposed to the standard of 12 lit/min). Furthermore CEA has developed a system that supports the installation work of the wall fittings, getting rid of the built-in parts and constitutes a universal joint for all the wall fittings, deviator taps and thermostats.

More wonderfully sleek design by CEA here

Colourful India-Green

Nanimarquina

Spanish rug manufacturer Nanimarquina‘s colourful booth attracted a lot of attention at the Salone. I spoke to the people behind the brand and they explained that Nanimarquina is a Care&Fair member (all rugs are manufactured without using child labour), which made me appreciate their products even more!
The rugs are available in rich, exotic colours, although neutral colours are also available. I especially liked the contemporary take on ethnic patterns.

www.nanimarquina.com

for more info on the Care & Fair programmes click here

Pavé by Kreoo

So I just got back from Salone del Mobile 2010 in Milan and loved it! I spotted a couple of trends such as combining organic and synthetic materials, psychedelic flowers, and rough, tribal, natural shapes and materials.

I really liked Pavé by Kreoo (owned by Italian marble processing company Decormarmi). These stools look like giant pebbles with driftwood and they can turn around a built-in axis.

www.kreoo.com

 

parlAmore

A couple of weeks ago I met the lovely Marian van Essen, a talented artist based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She invited me to her wonderful studio to show me what she had been working on…we had a very interesting chat about life, death and mourning and she told me about traditional and forgotten mourning rites.
Apparently people used to wear mourning buttons as a sign of grief. These were usually intricately carved or faceted black buttons, with a symbolism of their own, such as the rope, which stands for the thread of life and inlaid pearls, which stand for tears. I was quite impressed by Marian’s collection of beautiful mourning buttons.

Marian has been looking for a contemporary mourning token, so she developed the parlAmore, a disc made of Onyx (for releasing the past, protection and transformation of negative energies) or red Jasper (which is said to have a soothing and healing effect on body and mind). The little mother-of-pearl button attached to the parlAmore can easily be replaced by a button of your choice (of a dearly departed) to create a mourning button with a specific character, a new way to carry with you a tangible memento of your loved one.

The parlAmore comes in a gorgeously handmade Alder wood box, wrapped in a white linen cloth (furoshiki style).

More info on parlAmore or interesting facts on mourning: www.parlamore.com

Feline Art

DrFranken sent me his latest wonderfully detailed airbrush illustration of a leopard, which inspired me to look for more feline art. 

Either feared or revered, different species of felines have continued to intrigue us throughout history. We have attributed them with different aspects, which in particular,
are connected to authority, warfare, power and protection: King of the animal kingdom, Lord of the Jungle, sacred to the Egyptian goddess Bast, trickster, symbol of bravery, etc.

Hope you enjoy these kitties!

Retro-futurism

Ok..as you might know I’m a big Goldfrapp fan. They’re about to release their latest album titled “Head First” and the website has been restyled to fit the new theme which is a modern take on eighties retro-futurism. I’ve seen this trend popping up here and there and even though it’s really over the top, I sort of like it. (I’m usually more into organic, natural styles)

Retro-futurism is characterized by streamlined shapes, the fantasy of a utopian society, exaggerated sci-fi buildings and vehicles, geometry (especially triangles), a cool palette (purple, fuschia, electric blue) and of course lots of metal.

Check out these images for some retro-futurist inspiration! 

retro illustrations via http://creativenerds.co.uk/inspiration/25-beautiful-retro-futurism-designs/

Trivets

Although I’m a total tea fanatic, I never pay much attention to how I serve it. Then I saw these trivets….

Colourful India-Blue