More is a must!

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Sunday inspiration; Joakim Bengtsson

In the latest number of the Swedish magazine "Antik & Auktion" there is a fantastic story about the Swedish antique expert Joakim Bengtsson, also head of Helsingborg's auction house. You might have seen him in the popular TV show "Antikrundan" on Swedish television as well. He lives in a 1000 square meter 1800th century house in Landskrona in the south of Sweden. He is a collector with big C and has been buying things on auctions for years. Every room in his house has it's own theme and different installations with unique items are everywhere. He says he has never cared about rules and fashion and mixes old and new things in a brave mix. I think his home is amazing and has that special mix of colors and fun objects that I love!

"The Chinese salon" with hand painted satin wallpapers from England
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

View into the "Wedgewood room"
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

Old bird cage from Helsingborg's auction house
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

Joakim collects enamel boxes from the 1800th century
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

The entrance to Joakim's house that was built 1750
Picture from "Antik & Auktion"

Joakim owns the whole house!
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

Rococo chest from 1760
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

Joakim's collection of portraits
Picture from "Antik & Auktion"

Special made striped wallpaper makes a nice contrast to the old paintings
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

"The oriental room"
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se
/hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

Amazing green wallpaper with gold bees
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

"The Wedgewood room"
Picture from "Antik & Auktion"

Close up on Joakim's small 1800th century chests and plastic pigs
Picture from "Antik & Auktion"

Special built kitchen with classic hand painted floor
Picture: http://www.antikvarlden.se/
hemma-hos-storsamlaren-joakim-bengtsson.aspx?article=18515

Friday, 8 November 2013

Abigail Borg's amazing wallpapers

A while back I found this amazing british designer who makes lovely wallpapers with floral motives with a retro touch. I'm dreaming of moving into this big old house with a big stairway with a high ceiling in the middle of the house. I believe wallpapers makes the most of themselves when you really use them to frame in an area like a stairway, a hallway or just around windows. To just put a wallpaper on one wall, like behind the bed is just not exciting enough. One of Abigail Borg's wallpapers would just be the perfect one in the stairway in my imaginary house. Another thing that is so good about wallpapers are that they make your furniture and especially paintings show in a different way. I think we should be more brave and use more wallpapers all around us, let's pick one below!

If you want to know more or shop visit https://www.abigailborg.com/ (all pictures from website)

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Old swedish china; Rörstrand and Gustavsberg

We love old swedish china, especially from Rörstrand and Gustavsberg. Our parents collected it and now we also collect it. It runs in our blood to collect things it seams...
I went to the big flee market in Gustavsberg this weekend and there was a lot of nice old china for sale. For example I bought 12 plates of the purple "Fasan" from Gustavsberg for only 200 sek. At the same time I've been doing a big cleanup amongst my porcelain and have decided to only collect these three series; "Svala" from Rörstrand, "Wexiö guld" from Gustavsberg and the purple "Fasan" from Gustavsberg. So let's begin the hoarding!

If you for any reason want to buy new products, visit their websites:
http://www.rorstrand.se/
http://www.gustavsbergsporslinsfabrik.se/

Or if you want to read more about the old Swedish series, here is a great article from "Antik Världen" (only in swedish):
http://www.antikvarlden.se/vart-mest-alskade-porslinservisernas-tioitopp.aspx?article=724

Here are some of the pieces I would like to add to my collections:

Flat plates from the series "Svala" from Rörstrand, 1897-1907

Soup tureen from "Svala" Rörstrand

very interesting cutting board from "Svala" Rörstrand

Salad bowl from the series "Fasan" from Gustavsberg, 1880-1923
also called "Asiatic Pheasants"

Fasan up close

Pitcher from "Fasan" Gustavsberg

Coffe cups from "Fasan" Gustavsberg

Sauce boat from "Fasan" Gustavsberg

Side plates from the series " Wexiö guld" from Gustavsberg, 1880-1925

Amazing coffe cup, hard to find, from "Wexiö guld" Gustavsberg

Pitcher from "Wexiö guld" Gustavsberg

Sauce boat from "Wexiö guld" Gustavsberg

Sunday, 3 November 2013

Sunday inspiration; Oberto Gili

I found a book that I want for Christmas; Oberto Gili's "Home Sweet Home"! It contains of a bohemian mix of more than 40 different houses and artist's studios over the world that the photographer Oberto Gili documented during his 40-year career. Oberto Gili is an Italian photographer that started his career in the 70s and has worked for interior magazines such as House & Garden, Architectural Digest and Vogue. The book is from 2011 but I haven't heard about it until now. Reed more about Oberto and his book here:
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/ad/books/2012/oberto-gili-home-sweet-home-book-article

If you live in Sweden you can easily buy the book from Bokus:
http://www.bokus.com/bok/9780847836604/home-sweet-home/

Here is a selection of photographs featured in the book:

Oberto Gilli: Home Sweet Home, Rizzoli, 2011
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Decorater Muriel Brandolini's apartment, new York
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Author Mary Randolph Carter's apartment, New York
Picture: http://www.architecturaldigest.com

Art dealer Gian Enzo Sperone's country house, Italy
Picture: http://www.architecturaldigest.com

Photographer Milton Gelden and artist Monica Incisa's apartment, Rome
Picture: http://www.architecturaldigest.com

Picture: http://www.47parkavenue.co.uk/

Obero Gili's home, Italy
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Oberto Gili's studio, Italy
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Isabella Rosselini's barn in Long Island
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Oberto Gili's home, Italy
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Laura di Collobiano and Moreno Petrini,s vineyard, Tuscany
Picture: http://www.architecturaldigest.com

Architect Paolo Pejrone's home, Italy
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Oberto Gili's home, Italy
Picture: http://stylecarrot.com

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Cabin in the woods

I don't know if it's because I just spent a hectic week in Shanghai or if it's the beautiful autumn weather outside, but I long more than ever for the woods! If I had the money I would do a project together with my architect friends and build a cabin in the woods. Usually both me and my sister are more in to old houses, but I think it would be fun to build something from scratch from my own imagination. I'm thinking it should look a bit like an old "kråkslott"( a crow's castle if you translate it from swedish) with uneven parts and weird extensions. It would be a house for us and our friends, where everyone can gather in front of a fireplace and cook food together. Or it would be an escape just for me where I could be in complete silence and just listen to the birds outside. If I could chose it would of course be situated in a slope with big trees overlooking the oscean or a lake...

It would also be interesting to use as much recycled materials as possible , for example old windows, doors etc. I found an article about an american couple that built a house completely out of old windows in order to capture the different light through out the day, so inspiring! I want to be them, I want Erik and me to build a similar house!! Read about them here and watch the beautiful video:

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/young-couple-quit-jobs-build-glass-house-500-204553074.html

I also found an amazing blog just about cabins, check it out:
http://cabinporn.com/

And here is some more inspiration: