A Victorian townhouse in New York

PicMonkey Collage A Victorian townhouse in New York

A Victorian townhouse in NY living Eclectic Trends A Victorian townhouse in New York

Victorian townhouse NY kitchen A Victorian townhouse in New York

A Victorian townhouse in NY garden Eclectic Trends A Victorian townhouse in New York

Victorian townhouse NY bath A Victorian townhouse in New York

A Victorian townhouse in NY bedroom Eclectic Trends A Victorian townhouse in New York

This five- storey townhouse in New York City from the late 19th century is for me the house of the views.

It has been restored now after having been used for rental apartments, and at some point a clumsy renovation had converted the parlour and ground floors into a single flat with a ‘messy’ layout. It appears that Victorian mouldings still exist in buildings in Harlem and SoHo but this townhouse enjoys more detailed ornamentation than most and fortunately its elegant character has survived.

I live myself in an apartment from last century with heigh ceilings and pretty healthy mouldings. Once you have had a home like this, you can’t imagine living in a modern space again. We are trying to move still this year and have been seeing so far only badly restored apartments, new yes, but with no charme at all. This townhouse is kind of dreamy place (that garden), isn’t it?

Esta casa urbana de 5 plantas es para mi ‘la casa de las vistas’.

Se ha reformado después de haberse utilizado alquilando apartamentos. En un momento dado, sólo la planta baja se transformó en un solo piso y con una distribución algo desastre. Molduras tan especiales como aquí sólo existen alguna vez en Harlem y SoHo pero aquí se ha encontrado un estucado excepcional que por suerte ha sobrevivido.

Yo misma vivo en un piso del siglo pasado con techos altos y molduras bastante intactas y bonitas. Cuando has vivido en un sitio así, cuesta verte en casas modernas. Nos queremos mudar aún este año pero lo que hemos visto hasta ahora son casas reformadas (con mal gusto), todo nuevo eso sí pero sin ningún encanto, la verdad. Así que esta casa me parece de ensueño (que jardín, por favor!)…

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Travel treasures: Werner Aisslinger’s “Home of the Future” in Berlin

When attending The Hive last weekend, I spent some extra time in Berlin and visited the Werner Aisslinger exhibit Home of the Future. I knew him as a furniture designer, have admired his Loftcube (who doesn’t?), his last design for Moroso, the Bikini Island in Milan (min.1:05-08) later in April, but didn’t know his many facets in the field of industrial design and architecture.

Das Haus am Waldsee which is a place for art and culture and famous for its changing exhibitions, has devoted all its attention to Aisslinger being this his first exhibition ever in an institution. I have loved the house itself as much as Aisslinger’s work. The surroundings and the lake behind are so beautiful.

Werner Aisslinger Home of the Future Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

Aisslinger has fitted the house with a patchwork dress made of high-end furniture fabrics and parked his sports car right in front of it. He brings up the question of how we will live and work tomorrow.

Werner Aisslinger facade Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

Today’s patchwork families have different demands than communities of the past and this also affects their habitats. At the same time, new materials and trends have emerged and are being used in the car industry and the life sciences.

Werner Aisslinger Porsche Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

In this exhibition, he answers to questions of how we will cook, communicate, rest, work and think tomorrow.

Werner Aisslinger kitchen Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

This kitchen laboratory is designed as a site of food production or kitchen farming. Food is produced instead of processed, mushrooms are harvested from coffee grounds and fish excrement fertilizes a vegetable garden – all of it in a greenhouse-like shelf biotope.

Werner Aisslinger chair farm Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

After the removal of the metal corset, an unique chair that has been growing steadily inside, is been revealed at this chair farm. Looks a bit Sci Fi, right? But I’d love the idea of growing a chair myself. And a table. And a stool. How about a bench?

Werner Aisslinger bedding Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

And what about these honeycombs landscape as a place designed as a hide-away and mind reset? Most of the time, his objects emerge from a displacement or transfer of materials and worked out by hand, before it is eventually passed into serial production. He might do the honey comb spaces a little smaller though:-)

Werner Aisslinger bath room Eclectic Trends 1 Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

Water resistant textiles catch mist and convey a new sense of bathroom culture. I have never seen such an airy bathing space. You?

Werner Aisslinger bath Eclectic Trends1 Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

Biological structures, sustainability and practical aspects are key in his “Home of the Future”. I have been quite impressed, I thought it was beautiful and will leave you with some expressions from his loftcube, the park and beautiful lake at the back side (going back to the present:-)

Werner Aisslinger park Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Werner Aisslingers Home of the Future in Berlin

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A colorful retro and loft in California

daleet spector design living2 Eclectic Trends A colorful retro and loft in Californiadaleet spector design kitchen Eclectic Trends A colorful retro and loft in Californiadaleet spector design living Eclectic Trends A colorful retro and loft in Californiadaleet spector design bedroom Eclectic Trends A colorful retro and loft in Californiadaleet spector design library Eclectic Trends A colorful retro and loft in Californiadaleet spector design bathroom Eclectic Trends A colorful retro and loft in California

Daleet Spector Design has been in charge of the cool loft space in Marina Del Rey, California called the Glencoe Avenue Residence (here goes another great loft if you love huge spaces). With an eclectic, industrial, modern design style, the home features interesting details (great library!) with high ceilings and a nice color palette. They have basically worked with different blues and a touch of yellow and red. The flooring throughout the main living spaces is polished concrete giving this industrial look and feel. A little too colorful for me but I believe it is a great interior design and that’s why I am posting it:-) The open space is just nicely solved. What about you? Do you like lofts or do you prefer different rooms in your home?

Este loft tan cool llamado la Glencoe Avenue Residence (y si te gustan los lofts, aquí va otro fantástico en Barcelona) en Marina Del Rey, California ha sido diseñado por el estudio de Daleet Spector Design. Digamos que hay varios estilos aquí como sería un el ecléctico, industrial, moderno y de diseño. Hay unos cuantos detalles realmente interesantes como la librería, las paredes altas y también los colores llamativos.  Se ha trabajado básicamente con tonos azules salpicando con algún toque amarillo y rojo. Para mi gusto personal tiene mucho color pero reconozco que el interiorismo está muy bien hecho. Y por eso, lo publico aquí:-) El espacio tan abierto está muy bien resuelto. ¿Qué opinas? ¿Te gustan más así de abiertos los espacios o prefieres cada habitación en su lugar?

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Slow Shopping in Barcelona: Contributing to Llamas’ Valley’s summer issue

What emagazines are you reading? I have discovered German sisterMag last year, I like Lonny and the Australian issue of Est Magazine. But there are so many more.

Lithuanian Llamas’ Valley is one of my favorite digital magazines though. It is an interactive iPad magazine about perfect places and imperfect people. It’s about inspiration, creative ones, joy, coziness, delicious life.

I had been in contact with editor-in-chief Alge Ramanauskiene when she was looking for a photographer in Spain. One day, Indre Blauzdžiūnaitė who is a free lancing writer for Llamas’ living in Barcelona since last fall contacted me and we spent some time together having a nice coffee chatting about this and that. Since the new issue was in the pipeline, I thought an article about the Slow Shopping Tour in Barcelona could be a nice idea. We have this cool barrio in town called Gràcia where everything “slow” is getting so interesting now! In fact, we talk about a real trend.

We visited 5 shops, Indre did small interviews with the owners, Tim Adami took the pictures and here goes the result starting with the cover of Teresa Sapey, Italian architect and interior designer living in Madrid and who has been named one of the 10 most famous architects in the world. I guess that’s a good starting point to see her work, right?

Llamas valley summer issue cover Slow Shopping in Barcelona: Contributing to Llamas Valleys summer issue

There is a slow shop tour of 20 shops in Gràcia. The makers behind have printed a map where you can follow all kind of shops from flowers, to clothes, food and design.

Slow shopping 1 Slow Shopping in Barcelona: Contributing to Llamas Valleys summer issue

But this is just a sneak peak of giving you a feeling of the tour and article (and there is a little interview with me too)! It has been interesting to read what “Slow” means to different people from all sort of disciplines. But I’d say the common factor is that “slow” is about living a more conscious life and just (very obvious) slowing down. And that affects every single part of your life.

But you have so many other great interviews, according to Alge, it is their best issue so far and I couldn’t agree more. You’ll find articles and interviews of the Owner of getting famous “Sukha Amsterdam“, Fiora Gandolfi with colorful pictures from her Venetian palazzo, gorgeous pictures of ballet dancer and food blogger Marcello Arena from Mela e Cannella, and so much more.

And what a surprise when reading that Caroline Swift is living in Barcelona! You’ll know her by her bone china spoons. And I can relate a 100% when she explains why she is living here. And how she thinks about ceramics. I guess I have to meet this woman one day…

The best things about this issue? The mix! The really outstanding photography is nicely balanced with interesting texts. Congrats to Lllamas’ Valley and very happy to have contributed a tiny bit!

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Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

The blogger conference The Hive has been full of interesting keynotes and speakers but my absolute highlight of the past weekend was the workshop with German stylist Dietlind Wolf. I admire her work, she has a very unique signature in my opinión, and I was very curious to get to know her in person. What I found was a down to earth and very lovely woman eager to share her knowledge and help.

Dietlind is an amazingly creative person who emphasizes on working always with a concept. That is the first step in her work. She says: “No concept, no story! But you have to be very flexible during a shooting too and think out of the box. Stay open minded, end totally focussed.” Nice!

Dietlind Wolf spoons Eclectic Trends.jpg 640x246 Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind WolfDietlind Wolf bone Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

Today she produces her own props such as beautiful ceramics and backdrops from painted canvas and shaped linen fabrics which she finds in vintage shops.

Dietlind Wolf vases Eclectic Trends1 Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

For this styling session, she took different mostly white summery pieces (because summer is what we all need now, right?), bones, shells, stones and lots of other props with a common organic, kind of beach feeling.

Dietlind Wolf vases Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

And for the base she choose a Morocco theme she made out of plaster.

Dietlind Wolf stones Eclectic Trends 1 Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

Dietlind does the whole production on her own, meaning concept, styling, photography, editing (in Capture One) and texting . With other words: she delivers the finished photo story.

Dietlind Wolf life styling Eclectic Trends1 Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

Here you can see Dietlind styling, putting together a life vignette for us during the workshop…

Dietlind Wolf shooting Eclectic Trends2 Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

shooting…

Dietlind Wolf editing Eclectic Trends2 Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

…and finally explaining how to edit. And this is the finished picture (taken by my camera, not hers which probably would have been a different result):

Dietlind Wolf final result Eclectic Trends Travel treasures: Styling workshop at The Hive with Dietlind Wolf

And to finish, a last thought: “Creativity is. It’s like air. You just have to see and unveil it”.

He aquí va el texto en castellano: 

Lo que más me gustó el fin de semana pasado de The Hive, (la conferencia de blogueros de Berlin), fue el taller con Dietlind Wolf. Admiro su trabajo, creo que tiene un estilo muy único y tenía mucha curiosidad de conocerla en persona. Nos encontramos con una persona humilde y encantadora muy dispuesta a compartir sus conocimientos y ayudar.

 Dietlind es una persona muy creativa que tiene claro que hay que trabajar con un concepto. Es el punto de inicio de todo proceso de su trabajo. Ella comenta que “si no hay un concepto, no hay nada. Has de ser muy flexible durante la sesión de fotos y no poner demasiados límites. Manten la mente abierta al principio y acaba muy enfocada.” Me gusta.

 Su atrezzo lo produce ella hoy en día como son sus cerámicas o visuales que utiliza desde un lienzo pintado o tejidos de lino alterados que encuentra en tiendas vintage. Dietlind se encarga de toda la producción incluyendo el concepto, el estilismo, la fotografía, los retoques (en Capture One) y los textos. Con otras palabras: ella entrega el producto final.

Y para terminar: “La creatividad es. Es como el aire. Sólo la has de ver y develarla.”

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I am off to The Hive Conference

BLOGGER DINNER 633x480 I am off to The Hive Conference

I am off to Berlin to The Hive Conference and looking forward to meet friends and fellow bloggers again and attend a Dietlind Wolf styling workshop! We will have two days of networking, inspiration, sharing and lots of learnings with more than 20 speakers. Just great. Will be back to blogging next week. Have a wonderful weekend! xx

PS: Had a wonderful chat with Lena and Dörte next to me and Imke during dinner.

Me he ido a Berlin para asistir a la conferencia de blogueros The Hive y encontrarme con amigos y compañeros del mundo bloguero. También voy a participar en un taller de Dietlind Wolf de estilismo. ¡Qué ganas! Pasaremos dos días de networking, inspiraciones varias, compartir y mucho aprendizaje con más de 20 presentadores. Volveré la semana que viene y os deseo un buen fin de semana. Un abrazo.

PD: Y la cena fue estupenda con LenaDörte e Imke !

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