Lene Bjerre Design

Today I want to introduce you to Lene Bjerre Design. Founded in 1975, the company is now one of Denmark's leading home furnishing and lifestyle businesses.

Their range include beautiful cushions, tablecloths, tableware, cutlery, lamps, candles, candlesticks and tea lights, bath room accessories, towels, cosmetic bags, flower pots, rugs, Christmas decorations and lots more.

Scandinavian simplicity meets romantic Parisian charm in their 2011 Spring/ Summer collection. LBD's catalogue is a visual delight and feels more like an interior design magazine (it even has some cooking recipes). You will no doubt find inspiration to bring a little romance into your home.

Tschüss...

(images: Lene Bjerre Design)

Handmade Paua Shell Cards

Do you know the feeling when you have a birthday or event coming up and you are about to dash out the door only to realise you have no card? In an ideal world I would have a nice little stash of cards for all occasions ready to go - well I'm not that organised and so I am forever forced to improvise last minute - usually when my husband is already waiting in the car all ready to go.  

This week was no exception. I scrambled around the house trying to figure out how to get a birthday card together and I came across my little jar of broken Paua Shells in the bathroom . I glued some onto heavy paper - and voila, 5 minutes later it was done. (I did snap a quick photo on my phone before I gave it away - hence the not so great quality.)

I had a little more time to make the second one. I used some lavender from my balcony and a paua shell piece as a "vase". I gave it to our lovely neighbour along with some flowers - as a get well gift.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! It's my husbands birthday tomorrow and I will attempt my very first Pavlova (New Zealand desert), he's been missing it since we moved to Germany and away from his mother who makes the best Pavlova in the world - No pressure :-)

Tschüss...

(images: Nina Lamb)

Pink in my home

Thanks for stopping by today - it's nice to have you here. 

Spring has come into my home and with it I feel my spirits lifted and my energy levels back to normal. 

I love how the seasons are so clearly defined here in Germany. New Zealand has great weather but it can be very changeable.

I re-decorate my home often and a change of season is the perfect excuse.

My spring colour inspiration came from this abstract painting I purchased on our recent holiday. It's by artist Svetlana Sherbina. 

I made some pink cushions last night once the boys were in bed. Looking at them makes me feel calm and relaxed. And believe me, I do need some calm in a house with two young boys with loads of energy :-)

The bird cushion is from the latest H&M home collection. Spot Holly Becker's Decorate book on my coffee table? I've been looking at it every opportunity I get. Here is a link to a recent review I did. 

Tschüss...

(images: Nina Lamb)

More black & white in my home

Hello my dear readers,
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. What happened to Monday? Must have just flown by.
This beautiful spring weather is lifting my spirits. While I am typing this I am listening to this beautiful song called Snowflakes by White Apple Tree - have you ever heard of it? It's on the Kokowääh (German movie) soundtrack which I bought last week and absolutely adore.

Sorry, getting side tracked here. Today I wanted to share some recent purchases I made for our home.
It's in keeping with my little black and white obsession - the IKEA Stockholm Rand rug and a pretty little set of bowls. I'm hopeless at keeping to my "shopping list" when visiting my swedish friend. Do you have the same problem?

I found the wooden flower (inside the bowl) in a small home accessories shop during our recent holiday to Majorca. I love it.

(images: Nina Lamb)

I am working on some light pink cushions at the moment - hopefully I can share the result with you tomorrow. Have a great afternoon.

Tschüss...

Book Review: Decorate by Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

Today I want to share with you my most recent book purchase: Decorate by Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick. I am very excited to finally own this long awaited gem of a decorating book.

I reviewed the book on Amazon UK (I had it on pre-order but they are shipping now)) this morning and here are my thoughts:

My first impression was that this is a book of substance; at 288 pages it is not one that can be looked through in one afternoon. The quality of the cover and pages is high and I was particularly impressed by the many beautiful quoted by leading designers and stylists that run though the book. Photographer Debi Treloar has once again captured beautiful spaces in an effortless way – she understands how to maximise light and bring out the essence of interiors.

The book is perfect for people who are starting off with a blank canvas or those simply wanting to update their space. It is a reference book and you simply won’t be able to read through it without coming away with lots of ideas, big or small to execute in your own home.

Decorate is filled with advice from leading design experts around the world yet it has a very approachable tone thanks to the wonderful writing style of writers Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick.

The book is broken down into four sections:

1. Space Matters – a planning section that encourages you to take stock of what you have and what you assess your design needs to be. It has useful tips and illustrates points clearly through case studies. Floor plans are used throughout the book to illustrate furniture placements.
2. Setting your Style - this section helps you define your unique style. It talks about where to find inspiration. I particularly love the section on creating mood boards. It is not only visually beautiful but very helpful to anyone wanting to create their own. This section then goes into various design styles (simple, natural, modern, flea market, colourful, floral, eclectic, modern glamour). Each style is illustrated by a home that represents that style as well as 10 guidelines/tips to achieve that look and feel.
3. Room by Room – this is a very practical section in that it has lots of very useful tips in planning each room of the house. Kitchen design, furniture selection and placement, storage solutions and creating functional work spaces are only a few of the topics covered in great detail.
4. Attention to Detail – this final section talks about the finishing touches and home accessories that make all the difference.

What makes this book stand out from so many of the interior books I own is that it doesn’t simply show beautiful interiors that seem unachievable to many, but guides you through the process of creating your own space that reflects who you are.  It is filled to the brim with ideas and inspirations and doesn’t follow just one particular style or design aesthetic. 

This book will be one that I know I will refer to for years to come as it doesn’t follow current trends but encourages an individual approach to decorating a home that is timeless and unique to you.

For release dates in your country please visit Holly Becker's blog here and here.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

Tschüss...


(image: Nina Lamb)

Lovely Interiors

Thank you very much for visiting me today. It is such a great feeling to know that this little blog project of mine is growing and I now have people who actually read my posts :-) I started writing this blog simply because I wanted to have something that was just mine when so much of my life evolves around being a wife and mother. Today I feel a bit overwhelmed by everything that is going on right now - globally and personally so I wanted to take you on a little tour through some beautiful homes... my way of zoning out for a while.

I hope you enjoy the spaces - I certainly take lots of inspiration from them. I think every room -although obviously styled for the shoot is perfectly accessible even on a smaller budget.

Tschüss...

(images: Stadhem Fastighetsmäkleri)

Majorca holiday

No, I have not changed sides from the Scandinavian to the Mediterranean team. Below are a couple of shots I took on our short holiday to Majorca. It was a rather spontaneous trip and we only just got back this afternoon. I thought I would quickly sign in to say hello as I haven't been online all week.

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how pretty the Island is. When thinking of Majorca I had the perception of crowded beaches with drunken teenagers on one side and hordes of retirees on the other. 

There certainly is that aspect, but you can find some really beautiful spots off the beaten track. 

I love spending time as a family when on holiday and particularly seeing my husband wind down from his job to really enjoy the boys' company.

We purchased some beautiful art prints in a remote little village - I will share those with you as soon as I have them framed. 

Tschüss...

(images: Nina Lamb)

Sewing Area

I have been really busy these last couple of days with my blogging course, carnival and preparations for our holiday. That's all very exciting and fun though so I am not complaining.

Since our little one moved out of our bedroom about 6 months ago we've had this empty space that's not really used for anything other than collecting clutter. It's a little nook under the ceiling - almost perfect for a walk in wardrobe but don't get me started on that ;-). Anyway, I am planning to make this my sewing corner. My current desk out on our landing is barely big enough for my laptop and I have been missing an area where I can set up my machines and really spread out.

Do you have a specific sewing/crafting area in your house?

Below are some images that inspire me.

Tschüss...

image sources: 

sewing corner inspiration

1. me and alice via decor8 

2. Hus o Hem

3. sorry, I don't have the source for this

shopping list:

IKEA

Mood board

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. We are celebrating Fastnacht (Carnival) here in Germany and although I don't get too involved myself I've greatly enjoyed organising costumes for my boys. Tomorrow we will all go to a street parade and they will wear their little lamb outfits.

I have been greatly enjoying Holly Becker's Blogging Your Way course and today I worked on a little assignment we were given. She asked everyone to create a mood board that represents the look and feel of our blog.  Initially I found it a little difficult cutting into my interior magazines but I think it was worth it in the end. I had great fun. This is what I came up with.

Tschüss...

(image: Nina Lamb)

Welcoming Spring

I know I am jumping the gun a bit but spring is almost here and what better way to welcoming the new season than to put some fresh flowers into the home and squeeeeeze into those white jeans that have been hiding in the back of the wardrobe for months.

So as you see, white isn't only my favourite colour for interiors. One note of caution if you are new to white jeans - make sure you don't wear all white or else you'll be mistaken for a dental nurse and always wear non visible underwear :-)

The images below are from BON'A PARTE's spring collection.  Originally a Danish fashion retailer, they now have stores in Sweden, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. Their style is simple with clean lines and a muted colour palette.

(images: BON'A PARTE)

Tschüss...