Weekend

Happy weekend! Hope it's a lovely one. It's going to be a busy one for us here, but we'll be making time to go do something fun, too — a movie at the local rep theatre. How about you?

(photo by magnus anesund)

Northern Cosy

Cosy Swedish style for you today that's perfect for a chilly late November. Love the warm wood and textiles against the white walls — just lovely.

(photography lina östling. via sanctuary by way of plaza)

Smile

Architecture for Dogs is the latest project of Kenya Hara, graphic designer for Muji. It gathers together top architects and industrial designers, who have created blueprints for a series of playful homes tailored to the specific breed of dog it's for. More photos here.

(via design bureau)

Good Cheer

I'm very excited to introduce you to Good Cheer, a special guest blogger series running throughout the month of December. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for some lovely special guests who'll be sharing their favourite things to make and do while entertaining over the holidays. And to get you in a festive mood — Cider Rum Punch from the gorgeous verses from my kitchen blog. Enjoy!

(photo by michael of verses from my kitchen)

Sweetness and Light

A beautifully simple still life, to add a little colour to your day.

(via chest)

Buffet

This week's links. Enjoy.

Amazing Grace
Great interview with Grace Coddington, US Vogue's creative director, about her recently published memoirs. A must for anyone with an interest in fashion.

Thirteen Albums for Winter
Peter over at the beautiful absinthemindedswede blog has put together another great playlist — this time a selection of albums for winter listening. Check out Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson, Kate Bush, Sigur Rós, Mazzy Star and John Coltrane among others.

Sketching at IKEA
I love the Urban Sketchers site — and recently the sketching group in Stockholm decided to go sketching at the IKEA just south of Stockholm, which also happens to be the biggest IKEA in the world. The link takes you to their drawings and what they thought about it, too.

Books of the Year for 2012
Recently The Guardian asked some excellent authors to choose their books of the year. Their picks are intriguing, interesting, fascinating — and a great way to get ideas for holiday giving, too.

Why Design?
Inspiring video produced by Herman Miller, featuring the design duo behind hundreds of Muji’s no-brand products, discussing why and how they work — and how imperfection breeds good design.

Thank You 30 Ways
Jenn over at the lovely Bits of Beauty blog recently participated in a fun project with a friend of hers — a video of people saying thank you in 30 different languages (that's Jenn at the end, saying it in Arabic). Conceived of and produced in just one day, it's a great tribute to the power of the internet, with people sending in their contributions from all over the world. They're now collecting clips for an expanded version of at least 100 languages, too — now's your chance to become a contributor!

Top of the Bill
From festivals to charity gigs, the multi-act pop concert has a long history. But what was the greatest line-up of all? David Sinclair presents 17 contenders ...

Comic Relief — Daniel Craig and Catherine Tate
An oldie but goodie — Daniel Craig and Catherine Tate fall in love for Comic Relief 2007. Hilarious.

Bright and Lively Beet Borscht
A perfect winter lunch or light supper — warming, healthy and a stunning ruby colour, too.


(photo by kristofer johnsson)

Smitten

Smitten again by the hauntingly lovely song Svefn-G-Englar by Sigur Rós — and the award winning video for it, too. Have a look here.

Moments of Beauty

Mysterious and wintry loveliness for you today — model Shalom Harlow disappears into Comme des Garçons. Fashion as performance art.

(photo by daniele duella and iango henzi for i-D, spring 2012. via anca gray)

Simple Beautiful

Love this — the former home of photographer Kristin Perers, a converted furniture factory in London's Columbia Road market. So much to love here — she has an amazing eye. See more on her website, too.

(photography by kristin perers. via pacha design by way of stil inspiration)

Bookshelf: Voltaire's Calligrapher

Just finished this and loved it. Voltaire's Calligrapher by Pablo De Santis is an extraordinary mix of thriller, mystery, historical novel and the fantastic — all written in elegant (and slightly sinister) prose. Definitely recommended.

Simple Pleasures

The first snowfall. It transforms the world outside into a place of softness, quiet and austere beauty.

(photo via stil inspiration by way of anca gray)

A Brief Pause

I'm dealing with a rather nasty migraine at the moment so today's posts will be delayed — but rest assured I'll have something up for you as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience.

xo

(photo by martin morrell)

Monday

A groovy corner to start your week on a cheerful note. Hope your Monday is a good one.

(photo by trevor tondro)

Old and New

A small 100 year old house in Yokohama has been modernized while keeping its original appearance — architect Takuya Tsuchida carefully preserved the masonry to both retain the home's soft atmosphere and stay on budget. Now the bricks of the main wall form a textured background to the vintage modern decor, and contrast with the beamed ceilings and parquet floor. Love the gentle ambience of this space. More here on AT Casa.

(photography by koichi torimura)

Weekend

Happy weekend! Hope it's a lovely one. We'll probably curled up indoors for much of it, catching up on movies and books while avoiding the chilly mix of rain and snow outside. How about you?

P.S. Love that huge photo of Brigitte Bardot on the wall!

(photo by björn wallander)

Beautiful Symmetry

Smitten by the striking wall of butterflies in the Philippe Starck-designed Papillon restaurant bar in Shanghai, the businessman owner of this Norwegian apartment asked interior designer Camilla Tangen to recreate the effect in his own home. Now it's the focal point of the entire space, adding colour and impact to the predominantly white interior. More here on Klikk.

(photography by yvonne wilhelmsen)

Smile

An illustration by the brilliant Quentin Blake for Roald Dahl's lovely children's story Matilda. Love.

(via another)

Sweetness and Light

A cosy sofa that reminds me of the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. Perfect for weekend lounging.

(via pinterest — still tracking down a photo credit)

Buffet

This week's links. Enjoy.

The Forgotten Line
From Design Observer: "For years photographer Thomas Jorion has been documenting la petite ceinture — the 19th-century railway that circles Paris and was decommissioned decades ago." Follow the link for Jorion's reflections on his work as well as a slide show of his photos.

Newly Discovered Hitchcock Film
This is exciting. Discovered languishing in the New Zealand Film Archive under the title (Twin Sisters) with Betty Compson, the 1924 film The White Shadow is Alfred Hitchcock's earliest known surviving film. Available for streaming (keeping in mind that only 3 of the original 6 reels have been found so far) on the National Film Preservation Foundation website until January 15th, 2013.

Beyond the Fields We Know
Via Arts and Letters Daily: "Ghost stories make metaphysicians of us all. 'Let us honor the marvelous as well as the matter of fact!' writes Michael Dirda." Interesting essay on how the fantastic has always been a part of the world’s literature.

Yohji Yamamoto on Sustainability
The great Japanese clothing designer talks about his love for the beauty of well worn fabrics and the need to live in a much more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Foreign Bodies
Listen in online to BBC4's Foreign Bodies, a history of modern Europe through literary detectives presented by Mark Lawson. Perfect Sunday afternoon entertainment.

Mugged By Sound, Rescued by a Waitress
Lovely animated short by Los Angeles animator Miguel Jiron, showing what it's like to experience sensory overload — something those with autism struggle with every day.

Top Ten Books of the Forest
Author Sara Maitland chooses her favourite ten books with forest settings, ranging from the Brothers Grimm, Maurice Sendak, Henry Thoreau to the work of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy among others.

Warm Apple Pie Pots
A lovely and simple recipe from Roost — perfect for rounding off  supper on a chilly late autumn evening.


(photo by heidi lerkenfeldt)

Smitten

I'm smitten with the elegant Claudia cashmere cowl neck sweater from Souchi — warmth without bulk.

Moments of Beauty

Shimmering gold tones to counteract grey November skies.

(photo by mario testino via pinterest)

Work Space

Photographer Likainen Parketti has an utterly stunning home, but today I'm focused on her workspace, which is just as gorgeous. Love her warm industrial look — and the sweet dog, too. More here on Plaza.

(photography by likainen parketti)

Sponsor Spotlight

Just love these wonderful cushions designed by Chloe Croft, available from Black Rooster Decor. Measuring 18"x18" and screen printed on silk from original animal portraits, each image is painstakingly created from hundreds of hand cut strips of paper. Amazing. I'm utterly smitten with this sweet Bulldog! Black Rooster Decor is also giving thanks this weekend with 20% off everything, including furniture, until November 24 2012 — a great time to get decorating your home.

One of the latest prints from Bates Mercantile Co. is this wonderful Dream Within a Dream collage by Pamela Bates — and right now automatism readers can enjoy 20% off from Black Friday (11/23) through to Cyber Monday (11/26) on wall art prints, photographs, desk calendars and stationery. All you need to do is use coupon code AutoBF20 at checkout. A great time to add a little brightness to your walls!

Simple Pleasures

A pretty still life enlivening a quiet corner of a room.

(photo via brydiebrown)

Atelier: Shop Fog Linen

I've loved the beautiful clothing and kitchen, table, and bath linens of Japanese designer Yumiko Sekine’s Fog Linen Work for ages, so I'm really happy to hear that these lovely designs will continue to be available internationally, thanks to the brand new Shop Fog Linen, an online store that's a collaboration between Yumiko, Julie the shop-keeper/product developer and Julie's husband Michael, the book designer/print-and-web go-to. Eventually they will carry the full range of products from the Fog Linen Work site — and as a welcome they're offering their first 75 customers a free copy of Around Fog Linen, a wonderful 132-page look book featuring Fog products as used by designers and artists from around the world. Have a look here.