retro-style furniture by 'leolux'

'akka' (design:: stefan heiliger, 2004)

'helical basic' (design:: axel enthoven, 2001)

'gazetta' (design:: gerard vollenbrock, 2005)

'formi phase II' (design:: frans schrofer, 2005)

i like this modern furniture by 'leolux'. simple design, a kind of retro look, not too bulky, but it still looks comfortable. nice!
and there is a 'leolux-design-center' right here near eindhoven, nl
by:: 'leolux' (nl)

outdoor fireplaces by 'zenoproducts'

i like those outdoor fireplaces by 'zenoproducts' (nl) ... simple form, raw material, but still functional... and most of all:: beautiful
unfortunately it's still missing in my backyard ;-(

orb vase

:: fabulous organic form! this creamy ceramic vase has perfect lines that work in any decor. display a small cactus as we have shown here, or one gorgeous bloom and a little seagrass... use your imagination. it's foolproof in this 'panton'-inspired orb vase. a perfect gift for design addicts! ::
seen @ 'realm dekor'

i'm thinking about making one myself... i'm not sure about the choice of material, yet.

retro-style kitchens

i would love to have retro-style kitchen with very modern appliances. i already found some design inspirations...

found @ 'retrorenovation'

enjoy a burger in 'arne jacobsen' furniture

my hubby works now every other week in copenhagen, denmark. i just figured out where he could go out for a stylish fast-food dinner...

:: mcdonald’s in denmark ... is in the process replacing all interior in its restaurants. the traditional fast food restaurant interior known today is about to be replaced with café and lounge interior. mcdonald’s wishes to create an interior that caters to the modern consumer to whom design, quality and pampering have become a must not just at home and at work but now also when people need a burger in a hurry. this experience they can get at for example the newly renovated McDonald’s at 'nørrebros runddel' (copenhagen, dk) where the 'big mac' may be consumed in arne jacobsen’s “the egg”, “the swan” or “the seven”... ::

not that i like 'fast-food' that much, but ... i would probably enjoy some of the side-dishes in style.

via:: 'copcap'

bag the bag

:: paper or plastic? edward norton describes a simple, easy step everyone can take to help clean up the environment ::
please watch the video on the 'national geographic' website.

i totally agree... i always use the cool bag i got from 'method'.

'interior weeds'

this would probably be the only place in my home where 'weeds' would be very welcome... really cool idea!

:: ... 'interior weeds' is a project about nature. the way that weeds emerge and grow in the streets, are ... a beautiful thing. it shows the power of plants in our human environment. with the center piece you can create an interior plantation from street weeds, or other personal selection of plants. ... ::

design:: arwin caljouw (nl)
via:: 'labour of heart'

diy:: oversized wall artwork

nice idea... (was in the cb2 spring '07 catalog) ... will try to do the same ...
by:: 'apartmenttherapy'

eames ... thank you

found on 'youtube'

furniture ... made out of slate

black slate tiles are really great. we used them to tile the place in front of our fireplace ... and also other parts of the house.
now, i found even furniture that is made out of this very 'cool' material. nice!
by:: 'lutz kommallein' (germany)

vacuum in style...

a treat for me ... the cool handheld vacuum by 'dyson'. we used our air miles to get one for home + car.
you could have one, too. check mod*mom's giveaway :: 1 'dyson' vacuum + meet mr. dyson in nyc

an other kind of ugly doll

i like 'pooki' and his friends ... reminds me of the 'ugly dolls' ...

:: the first 'pooki' was hand stitched in 2001 by marie joxe-colllins, a french designer/illustrator. her inspiration being the birth of her first son... over time, and numerous hours of work, other characters appeared; creating the funny gang of 'pookiland'. after the success of the plushes, made from soft fleece, the 'pooki' collection was expanded to include bags and room decor. every season brings something new to the collection. ::

little concrete*tot would probably love one of the bags!
by:: 'pooki and co' (france)

'the great sunflower project' (sfsu)

we plant sunflowers every year ... and this weekend we will do it again. i simply love them.

here is a really nice idea, and a project (s.f. state university) you could do with the little ones::
help the bees! plant a sunflower in your garden!
by watching and recording the bees at sunflowers in your garden ... free sunflower seeds for planting inclusive ...

via:: 'fresh dirt'

retro tunes ...

50's ...

60's ...
by 'roadstar' (alba plc.)

reclaimed / reused hardwood + concrete

'flat' (pdf) + 'swilken' (pdf) bench

'acronym designs' benches are crafted with reclaimed or reused hardwood + concrete legs ... concrete and hardwood = nice mix of raw + industrial and refined material that exhibits the beauty of nature (indoors or outdoors)

happy mod easter!

via:: 'baldiness' @ flickr

textile made out of concrete

concrete textile, a curtain made out of concrete ("betonvorhang" in german) ... a really nice idea that just has been awarded in the red dot awards competition in 2008.
as you can imagine, i like the look of exposed concrete ... and this textile will be very long-lasting ... in that sense, very eco-friendly.

design:: memux (thomas mennel, reinhard muxel)
producer:: oberhauser & schedler bau gmbh, hermann rudolph baustoffwerk gmbh
via:: 'dezeen'

finally, my favorite chandelier 'lights up' my life

i admire this chandelier for ages ... i really want it so badly above my dark wooden dinning table that is surrounded by white 'panton' s-chairs ... if it wouldn't be that expensive ($2,600)::
the cellula chandelier @ design within reach

now, i found a similar one that is really affordable::
the vitoria @ eglo leuchten (austria)
i was lucky. we live now in nl ... and a local home improvement store had it on sale for only €99!!!! it is not quite as detailed as the original, but it is close enough ... and i can have further shopping fun with the saved money ;-)

mod high school in copenhagen, dk

'fatboy' in the lounch area of a high school? wow ... i definitely went to the wrong one ...
what a cool school ... the 'ørestad college' (high school) in copenhagen, ørestad (denmark)
design:: '3xn' (copenhagen, denmark) ... see flash animations on their website!!! definitely worth a click!

via:: 'coolhunter'

retro fridges ...

... are so cool ... especially in a mod home ... by:: 'big chill' + 'smeg' + 'elmira' + 'bosch'

i love the contrast of mod and retro ... but it has to be a new, energy efficient one ...

reverse graffiti:: clean green street art

ossario : art less pollution
urban intervention:: alexandre orion
music:: instituto
video:: big bonsai
www.ossario.net

via:: 'inhabitat'

lights ... by eero aarnio

'double bubble' lamp (2001)

bright light 'origo' (2007)

and new 'the swan' (2008) ...

in addition to his classic designs, eero aarnio designed two new lamps in 2007, 'the swan' for 'melaja ltd.' and the bright light 'origo' for 'innojok ltd.' ...

:: swan is clearly related to the double bubble. it has a rotationally moulded plastic body that scatters light beautifully. it is also lighted with an energy saving compact fluorescent bulb like the larger double bubbles. Unlike the double bubble, however, swans come in three colors: black, yellow and opaque white. the swan will be available from selected retailers starting april 2008 ::

design:: 'eero aarnio' (finland)

i like 'hanging' fireplaces

'drop' by 'an-trax' (italy)
design:: 'massimo iosa ghini' (italy, 2003)

'fireorb'
design:: 'douglas garofalo' (chicago, il, 1999)

recubed low stool ... reclaimed wood + concrete

design:: 'acronym designs'

:: this indoor/outdoor recubed low stool is made with a reclaimed walnut hardwood top + concrete base. the reclaimed top uses the cutoff from the manufacturing of reclaimed flooring, extending the life of this quality material even further. ::

via:: 'vivavi'

... new life in NL ...

happy new year!

sorry for the long break ... we had to 'relocate' ... and finally made it to our new 'home' in eindhoven, nl (you know:: the dutch design city).
we just found a home (townhouse - typical dutch with large windows), but we are still waiting for our container with the household goods ...

dirt(y) floors

eco-friendly 'dirt floors' (here in el cerrito, ca) are at the forefront of the movement towards 'natural building' - using materials that have had the least amount of processing:: ... dirt is mixed with lime and sand to harden and after two weeks is sealed with linseed oil and beeswax ... (via 'nyt')

retro bread box

we have a very vintage bread box ... a white enamel metal one - a nice find years ago at the antique fair in alameda, ca.

but if i would have to buy a new one this would be my first choice:: 'grandy' - very cool 40's style retro-classic bread box.

i like the 'breadboy' too ...

design:: 'wesco' (germany)

diy:: refurbish an old commode

before ...

and after ...

this was one of my first diy projects after our move from the bay area to the east coast::
old white chest of drawers. but i saw the potential. the form is simple. and it is real wood + it was a great bargain, we paid $20.- at a garage sale...
so, after grinding, sanding, staining (ebony), ... a lot of tlc, and some new stylish hardware from 'ikea' ... it looks pretty good ... especially next to my lovely bookcases ... i'm still a little bit proud of myself ;-)

... and now it even joins us on our way to good old europe ... we will find a nice place for it! - i'm sure...