scandinavian design fair: Formex

hello sweet girls and boys! this weekend has been such a happy one, since it was finally the big fair weekend! formex, the largest scandinavian design and craft fair and i was there! yeah! the theme this fall was vintage travel, and don't we just love both vintage and travel? here's my pics... enjoy!

some golden frames and bed covers for you maybe? or the scandinavian designed and south african produced cow leather bags? or maybe you like some arm candy and ecological soap bars?

the pink and blue cushion are from a new up'n'coming design company called la-la label (no website...). the black and white textiles with some lovely yellows and blues are from mairo. the arm candy from åska. bags from kamelo.

don't you just love the swedish brand boob? (and love my red nails too!) they make beautiful maternity fashion. and they are so pink too!

these two companies i loved a bit extra. frosta design creates hand knitted baskets, pillows, wall deco, you name it! they also have representatives in the usa and australia! fidelin is a newly started company that produces high quality french linen interior textiles, where the linen is produced by one of the oldest linen producing families in france. all made in sweden.

and some more i-just-cannot-stop-wanting... bliss (1) is a new started company with a beautiful range of life style produts for a mother, a father and a baby. the products come in sweet shades of white, purple and pink. love them! elsie d (2) has a beautiful colorful range of indian textiles, just as fabric copenhagen (4), go and check them out! shyness (3) is a new absolutely beautiful collection of high quality bed linen and cushion covers, along with their own line of bath textiles. it was such a pleasure talking to all these lovely creative ladies! go girls i say!!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

the lovelies package ever

i joined the lovely package exchange and just received the loveliest package in the whole lovely packaging history! these sweet things came from my friend anna of casa di falcone in germany. how happy i am! now i've got my very own rubber stamp too. aaah. i'll show you what i sent to anna as soon as she receives the package...

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

swedish design week { part 2 }

this uppsala based design company { i used to live in this little town, it's wonderful! the oldest university in scandinavia is located here, as it also is the town of Carl von Linné and i just might have to make a little citybreak don't you think? } is really divine. emosa believes in fair trade and all their suppliers are producing environmental friendly products. their mission is to create job opportunities in developing countries, specially for women. they also make sure that most of of the suppliers are members of WFTO. i think their products are beautiful and it always makes my heart go extra warm when something good comes out of shopping lovely products.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

swedish design week { part 1 }

let's have a real swedish design week! why? because the swedes do great stuff! and also at the end of this week is the biggest design fair in scandinavia, formex. i've been looking for this week for a looooong loong time now... the fair is only for trade, but since i must get there in order to create my own ideas and ofcourse, to tell you about the newest scandi designs, i asked some lovely designers to send me an invitiation... not only did i get a couple of invitations but a free entrance ticket too! i love it when people are helpful!!!

here, a swedish designer, jenny frank from designStudioForm, who creates fantastic linen pillows, candle holders and alike. you must go and have look at this super creative lady's work!

another swedish design company that makes my stockings spin is edblad&co. this lovely company creates jewellery and interiors with materials like silver, plastic, pearls, silk and porcelain, and all with green values. have a look at these fab products!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

talented swede: Design by E

hi all and happy new week! today i'm overjoyed about this lovely lady's work. elizabetth is a very talented swedish furniture and textile designer, and her products just make me melt. i love them! elizabetth designs and sells beautiful vintage furniture and custom makes chairs and other fab lovelies for dramatic and stylish homes. she is also a fellow blogger, so thumbs up for this talented lady!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

cool light work

oh you new yorkers know your design! i came across this cool company through eternamente flaneur. look, it's really cool stuff { allthough the website is a design nightmare }! this design company is based in NY and they create all sorts of illuminated and non-illuminated displays and art installations. have a look!

{ lite brite neon }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

let's go Down Under

hello my lovely friends! how are you? i'm quite busy this week since i just started at a new job yesterday, and there is so much to learn. but i'm loving it ofcourse! fortunately i have my sweetest friends around the globe who kindly help me with postings... this week we have a new guest here, lovely and talented elizabeth from chichi & luxe! elizabeth is a very stylish young woman who runs her own interior design company in brisbane. here she wants to welcome you all to her hoods! oooh, let's go travelling shall we?

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My backyard... Greetings from Brisbane, Australia!

Firstly I wish to thank Tiina for asking me to write a guest post for her beautiful blog! What a privilege! Back at my blog, Chichi & Luxe, I always post about what inspires me as an interior designer, but in this post I thought I would share my favourite places in Brisbane with you...I do hope you enjoy learning about my hometown!

We are situated along the banks of the Brisbane River and every year we celebrate our river-based lifestyle with a special event called River Fire (pictured). It’s a pyrotechnic extravaganza as fireworks light up the river and the Story Bridge - it’s a beautiful sight...kind of like a mini New Year’s Eve!

I live in the heart of the city and one of my favourite buildings is City Hall because of its classical architecture. Although, not far up the block there is my new favourite landmark, the refurbished (and very red) Jacob’s Ladder steps. The city council also commissioned some beautiful bronze sculptures and other artworks to complement King Edward Park, which I think are fantastic.

But let’s get down to business. A typical weekend for me involves SHOPPING. And as an interior designer this means a trip to the New Farm and Paddington Antique Centres. I love browsing at the antique furniture and bric-a-brac, hoping to steal a bargain! Both these suburbs also have wonderful little shops and boutiques hidden amongst houses and cafes (or like Boudoir Chic they ARE houses!). Then there are the more conspicuous boutiques like Sass and Bide in the hub of James St. Stunning jewellery store Chelsea De Luca is less than a block up and has some gorgeous vintage inspired jewellery and an interior to adore! In the CBD I never miss an opportunity to pop in to Queens Plaza or the Brisbane Arcade, and this includes a stop at the Alannah Hill boutique, if only to admire the interior! (centre pic)

But after so much shopping a girl needs a coffee and a snack. So if you ever find yourself in Brisbane and in the throes of a shopping frenzy, look out for these must-see cafés and eateries: The Cupcake Parlour in West End has the most wickedly delicious cupcakes that look like works of art in their own right, and they make the perfect birthday cake alternative! Nearby, there’s also The Gunshop Café which has a chilled out vibe and fresh food (warning: they are FLAT OUT on weekends); as well as The Cross Town Eating House which I like to describe as ‘rustic Australian’, especially in its decor...very cool. Oh and I can’t talk about food and drink without mentioning the James St Markets – with such beautiful fresh produce including a fish market and fresh sushi, this is a regular stop of mine on weekends!

And then, when it’s time to touch up the hair and slip into a LBD for the evening, I often slink over to the uber-trendy Emporium Hotel bar which is a sophisticated little watering hole in the Fortitude Valley, complete with laser-cut screens and zebra-print chairs. I also love The Shelter Bar underneath the Story Bridge and The Lab in the Conrad Treasury Hotel because they are both modern settings shaped within their old world backdrops – it’s a lovely contrast.

And then it’s time to go back to work at Raptis Creative and wait for the weekend so I can do it all over again! I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour of my backyard. If you’re ever Down Under there are plenty of other fabulous places to visit, so feel free to drop me a line if you require any advice!

~

i have a serious need for going to australia! why, oh WHY does it have to be so far away...

thank you sweet elizabeth!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

there's something about shoes

i was surfing around the web and found this lovely store in Montréal... i love the french playful name too! delicious shop and shoes don't you think?

{ mona moore }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

oh hello house

this house is featured in sköna hem at the moment, and the headline says 'very british in särö'. i would say 'very much loving it'.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

giveaway

don't forget my giveaway!! just become my follower and you can win 2 photoes of your choice from this amazing photographer!

you'll have time until sunday!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

barcelona shoppings

oh i'm so happy, my little beloved ixus came back from barcelona! i was so amazed by my friend's balcony that i left my camera there... but now, a friend of my friend was very kind and brought it to me. yeah!

so girls, now i can show you some of my views in the beautiful barcelona. but first the shopping. ok, the bag. OH NO, don't be jealous... let me tell you something first. it's balenciaga. and it was really cheap. El Corte Inglés had really really nice rebajas. so, NOW be jealous! and i also found a new i ♥ mug to my little collection. sweet :)

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

finnish design by pentik

you know i am finnish, right? i also have a crush on finnish design. like this one here, pentik. the design house is located in finland, and have stores in over 80 locations across the nordic countries. pentik is mostly known for the ceramics that are produced in the factory in posio in the finnish lapland.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

visit the beautiful Hague with me

you know i love travelling and visiting new places right? and i also love promoting my home city, capito? well, i also love having guests over... so, today, meet lovely natascha from mocca&me, who is joining us here on LC and writing about her beloved city. fasten your seatbelts, we are going to the hague!

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I was asked by the lovely Tiina to write an item for her CITYBREAK segment on her LiviaConcept blog. And of course I said yes! Not only because it’s an honor to be asked by her but also because I live in a wonderful city that I love with all my heart and that I can now share with all of you.

The Hague is a wonderful city that has a rich culture and a diverse population that consist of many nationalities. In The Hague you will find a lot of modern architecture which is a strong contrast with the many beautiful historical buildings. The Hague is situated by the sea and has a big and popular beach: Scheveningen. This great city is also fantastic for shopping, it has many great restaurants and plenty of cultural activities. Here are a few of my favorite places in The Hague.

I live in the fabulous neighborhood called Duinoord. Near my house, right in the heart of this wonderful neighborhood there is a very special boutique hotel called Residenz. The rooms are charming and elegant. Want to know more? Visit the website at residenz.nl

Close to my house is also wonderful shop called Heinde & Van Verre. Here they sell the most beautiful fabrics and linens from all over the world. They also sell accessories like slippers, cushions and bathrobes to name a few things.

My favorite place to have coffee is café and restaurant De Luca located in the famous Passage shopping area, in the heart of the city.

Another great area is the street called Denneweg where you’ll find fantastic restaurants and many great shops. I love to eat at restaurants Dekxels.

I also love to snoop around interior deco shops Stoop and Loft.

I don’t go out dancing much, but when I do go out this is where I go. To the hot and hip Square located at one of the most popular squares in The Hague, Plein 19.

The Hague of course has many many more wonderful places and hotspots that I would like to share with you. But then you’ll be reading for hours :) So this was a little peek at The Hague and my favorite places. This was fun! Thank you Tiina for giving me this opportunity and who knows, we might see each other in The Hague!

thank you natascha!!!
♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

beatiful home decor by trina turk

we don't have trina turk here in europe...{ please correct me if i'm wrong! } but i'd love to visit her shops some day. her designs are so delightful and the stores are designed no-one else but the lady absolutely famous for her talents, kelly wearstler!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

soft danish design

you know i'm always looking for new lovely interior products and other designs, right? this time i love these alpaca throws by the danish company called elvang. i haven't been able to touch and feel the softness of these lovelities yet, but i just found out that they do have atleast two retailers in my city { and probably some in your city too! } so why don't you just have a look?

you feel me longing for autumn? yes, i love autumn.

ps. madonna's show was unbelievable!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

i salute you madonna

tomorrow is THE day i've been waiting for since i was 5 years old and got my first album. madonna. in gothenburg. everybody's there. stockholm will be empty. this is big. i will do the Vogue. i will do the Prayers. i will Jump. i will Push it. i will Cry Baby. i am Material Girl. i dream of La Isla Bonita. i will Express myself. i will Cherish. you will Give It 2 Me. this will be Something To Remember. gosh, i salute you.

♥ Dance, Love&Decorate, Tiina

my dream escapade right now

this is where my thoughts are at the very moment... this is where i should be now.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

picture tag

ha, lovely federica tagged me last week, and this is really a fun tag. i had to post the 6th picture from my 6th folder under my pictures. here we go!

yes, this is a funny picture. i must explain some of the swedish traditions now... midsummer is a big party here, and as i told you earlier, we spent the weekend at a friend's cottage out in stockholm archipelago. the tradition is to eat herring and potato lunch, and then dance around the midsummer pole { we didn't have it here } like small frogs. yes, like small frogs. this is the type of thing you always thought was SOOO embarassing when your parent's did that, but now... it's the most fun there is! { well, after all that amount of beer and vodka everything is fun... }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

jade jagger home

while in spain last weekend i envied all the people who live there, permanently or not. here is one quite enviable lady... miss jade, who is a socialite, designer, DJ, rock star kiddo, model, you name it. also an owner of a one { well, quite a few actually } fab home.

{ elle }

and LOOK, i'm here! lovely natascha from mocca&me interviewed me. i'm so honored, a rock star myself :)

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

back in business

hello friends! how are you? i'm back from barcelona, and feeling rested { no, not really, the trip was not for resting but shopping, partying, eating, touring... } and so happy. i got to meet my lovely friend who lives in this fantastic city, and we managed to see alot of beautiful things { thank you my spanish friends for tips! } i also forgot my camera in barcelona so you'll need to wait a while for the pics! ah barcelona, i will be back, and next time my spanish will be perfect { promise! }

{sewlovefabrics} {fabricsbythesea} {fabriclane}

now to business... what do you think about paisley? i'm sold! let me come for visit to your blogs now my friends, so hasta luego!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina