Boucherouite makes its way to home decor II

Right, not quality pictures but still inspiring. Loving this one. It makes this living room so arty. Wish I had this sofa to...































via design sponge




A less elaborate sample but that works great to separate ambiances with charm.























image via vedum

Is it an impression or leather rag rugs are back? Have seen some reeeeally soft ones from artisans in north Africa. Haven't included them in my portfolio yet but kind of reconsidering... Usually a piece has, let's say, three or four shades of the same color, which makes it so rich. Maybe a surprise for this autumn :)




















via bodie and fou

Such a great, great, great idea to harmonize that little corner where we place the chairs. The disposition of the objects is perfect and the rug sort of unified the purple and yellow ambiance.
Guess I have a crush on white floors as well. Oh, well, there is not much one can do with a rented apartment in Geneva. If I paint a wall I might get in trouble, let alone the floor :-)






























via gitteandersen

Beni Ouarain, silver tray in a gorgeous flat in Lyon

Didn't know exactly what my dream house would look like until I saw pictures of this apartment in neighbor Lyon designed by Hand, a French interior design firm run by Pierre Emmanuel Martin and Stéphane Garotin.

Two beautiful Beni Ouarain rugs displayed with modern/iconic chairs and wall art in the living and dinning room. In the dark kitchen, moroccan vintage tray and bucket side by side with Fornasetti plates. A flawless marriage between contemporary and ethnic. The best of two worlds...

Linen, linho!

Yaaay, winter is almost over. With the sun and warm temperatures, handmade vintage linen makes its come back to flea markets in Europe. Being directly exposed to humidity can harm linen, a rustic natural material, so sellers keep them well protected during the rainy months.
As linen softens with time and use, I tend to search for vintage ones, that have been hand-loomed and hand-embroidered in french farms about 100 years ago. Raw, unbleached and undyed are my favorite ones. Completely organic.
Usually they are sewn together in the middle due to looms' limited width. I am really fond of its casual, laid-back look. Wrinkles? Charming!
We've seen the term "linen" in upholstering projects, pillows, bed linen, tablecloth, napkins etc but what is the true linen made of? Flax plant, mostly grown in Western Europe, especially Belgium, Ireland and Italy. France and Switzerland are also producers. People have used the fibers of the plant to weave textiles for thousand of years.
Resistant, durable, absorbent and soft to the touch. Also more eco-friendly since flax plant requires less water and pesticides compared to cotton.
Here are some cool images, some undyed and some dyed in a sort of "no-colour" palette. Easygoing and elegant.

1 and 2 - by Tricia Rose via Apartment Therapy
3 via Heather Bullard
4 by Finish designer Tuuni via Apartment Therapy
via Skonahen

Eba, o inverno está quase acabando. Com o sol e temperatura elevada, o linho vintage faz a sua volta aos mercados de pulga na Europa. Exposicao direta à umidade pode danificar o linho, um material rústico natural, por isso os vendedores o mantem bem protegido durante os meses chuvosos.
O linho amacia com tempo e uso, com sucessivas lavagens, portanto tendo a buscar os antigos, que foram tecidos e bordados à mão nas fazendas francesas ha cerca de 100 anos. Natural, sem clareamento ou tintura são meus favoritos. Orgânico.
Geralmente as pecas antigas são costuradas ao meio devido aos teares de largura limitada. Adoro esse toque casual e descontraído do linho. Amassado? Sem problemas!
Recentemente temos visto o "linho"em projectos de moveis, travesseiros, roupas de cama, toalha de mesa, guardanapos, etc, mas de que eh feito o verdadeiro linho? Da fibra da planta "flax", cultivada principalmente na Europa Ocidental, especialmente na Bélgica, Irlanda e Itália. Franca e Suica tambem o produzem. Essa planta tem sido usada por milhares de anos na fabricacao textil.
Resistente, durável, absorventes e macios ao toque, o linho eh também mais eco-friendly, pois requer menos água e pesticidas que o algodão.
Abaixo algumas imagens de linho virgem e tingido em cores pasteis, o que chamo de "não-cor", pois nao interfere na decoracao mas "adoca" a rusticidade da cor natural.
Descontraído e elegante!

Stripped kilim rugs

Inspired by the simplicity and elegance of scandinavian design, Batuu studio will soon feature a collection of vintage handwoven rugs made of unbleachead and undyed wool.
Most pieces are from the 70's or 80's. All handwoven by Amazigh (berber) women in the Atlas region. Here's some inspiration for a simple yet chic decor.
Via Anna Malin

Inspirado pela simplicidade e elegancia do design escandinavo, Batuu studio lancara em breve uma colecao de vintage kilims feitos em la natural, sem tintura ou clareamento.
A maioria das pecas sao dos anos 70 e 80. Todos tecidos a mao pelas mulheres "Amazigh" (berber) nas montanhas Atlas no Marrocos. Abaixo algumas fotos inspiradoras para uma decoracao simples mas chic.

Boucherouite makes its way to home decor

Home decor takes an approach that is unique and personal.
Blogs and interior design magazines are flooded with DYI projects. Emauss, the haven for second-hand addicts, is now fashionable. The fair "Puces du Design", in its 24th edition, takes place from 6 to 8 of may in Paris and expect a record number of visitors. Love design from the 50's until the 80's or 90's? See you there!
This generation doesn't want a house that looks like a catalogue... Take one piece here, another one there... Use things in a way it was not initially conceived for... In resume, create your style, just like you do with your clothes.
That said, I was not surprised to see Boucherouites, a sort of artistic rag rug made by Amazigh women in Morocco (not two are alike), in the past two editions of Elle Decor France. Scandinavians, with its straight-line-furniture style, lots of white, open spaces, play with colorful accessories to bring warmth to their homes.
Take a look at these beautiful images from Nathalie Krag, via Taverne-Agency, for a danish house. So playful! Any doubt a happy family lives there?

Boucherouite ganha espaco no munda da decoracao.

A decoracao se torna mais pessoal, unica.
Blogs e revistas dedicadas ao genero estao repletos de projetos "faca voce mesmo". Emauss, paraiso dos aficionados por objetos de segunda mao, esta na moda. A feira "Puces do Design", em sua 24 edicao, que vai de 6 a 8 de maio em Paris, espera receber publico recorde. Interessado em design dos anos 60 aos 80/90? Nos vemos la entao.
Essa geracao nao quer uma casa com cara de catalogo. Escolhe uma peca aqui, outra ali... Usa os objetos de um jeito diferente... Toalha de mesa vira colcha de cama. Em resumo, cria um estilo, exatamente como faz com o visual.
Isso dito, nao me surpreende ver Boucherouites, um tipo de tapete reciclado feito a mao por mulheres tribais - Amazigh - no Marrocos, nas duas ultimas edicoes de Elle Decor France.
Escandinavos, com seus moveis de linhas puras, monocromatico e abertos ambientes, jogam com acessorios coloridos para trazer calor a sua decoracao.
Veja essas fotos de Nathalie Krag, via Taverne-Agency, para uma casa dinamarquesa. Ambientes alegres! Alguma duvida que essa casa abriga uma familia feliz?

Designer Maria Calderara's home - white punctuated with colors

Jewellery and fashion designer, Maria Calderara renovated a fifteenth-century house in the Lake Garda region, half way between Brescia, where she lives with her family, and Milan, where she works.

What strikes the most is the harmony of the place. So soothing, calm, that one just feels like relaxing in those gigantic pillows throughout the house. White and light grey walls, luminosity, color punctuation, art wall, some vintage furniture and that's it.

Maria chose a colorful shaggy rug for her office and a stunning tribal moroccan rug (Azilal) for the hall that leads to her bedroom.

A perfect dosage of personality and elegance. I were to choose an old farm in the La Dordogne region, I would be inspired by her project...

Via Marie Claire Italia - photo Gianni Basso

Upcycling churches! - Part II

Even more daring than converting a church into a retail space is converting a church into a... residence! Not the first time someone does it, but it seems that Zecc Architecten got it right with this project. Minimalist, white on white paint with its classic ceilling, stained-glasses, windows, crosses. What a holy loft!
The project is a day living space, but I would consider it as an residential option provided heating, hot water and other utilities are available. But, here it comes real life: heating this massive building is both costly and not compatible with conscious living...

Via trendhunter

Upcycling churches! Part I

Would you shop in a former house of worship, let's say a church? Dine? Live?

Maybe you've already heard of Church of the Hole Communion - a 19th century building - in Chelsea, NY, where Limelight nightclub was once established.
Limelight, said to have caused so much suffering for the neighbors for its drug-suffused reputation, close in 2001, leaving place for other clubs that alternate in the space until 2007.
Upstairs runs a modern cafe with Philippe Starck chairs and wine list if you need a break from your diggings. Shops are cool and original.
After major investment, the church has being now turned into a stylish retail complex, with retro floor and lots of black, with, pink, silver.
Pics from Librado Romero for NYTimes; also some of my own attempts to capture its atmosphere. The pics are not great, but give a flavor...