A converted barn in Mobberley

Before I left England, I had the opportunity to take pictures of a beautiful house in Mobberley. The owner describes it as follows: Our barn is 300 years old and it was converted eight years ago. It used to be a cow shed previous to that. 

I love the entrance. The piano provides such elegance, telling us the mood of the house.

 Beautiful beams, doors and flooring welcome the visitor.

There is a combination of warmth and elegance in this home. Look at this lamp hanging from the first floor. You can see it from the corridors and from the floor below as well. 

 Amazing corridors

Lovely furniture

Never forget, a princess lives here. 

The rules of the house are: 1. a girl's bedroom must be pink!

2. a boy's bedroom must be red and blue!

I love the airplane lamp.

The second boy's bedroom, following the same colour scheme: red and blue

What do you prefer, an antique desk to philosophise about life?

Or a modern one to relax?

The sofa in front of the door surprises me! After all we don't have to be  obvious all the time!

A modern and white kitchen provides a clean look to the ambience

This corner is perfect for a cosy bench where the family can have its meals together. Lovely place to chat too!

 The guest room:any doubt that we are in England?

It is a pleasure to present this home, renovated and furnished with a lot with charm. When I visited this place I always had a good time there.  Thank you Vickie and family.

Bigas Luna in Zurich

An exhibition is happening in Zurich, showing  Bigas Luna films and, to contradict the erotism and hilarity of his work, a selection of films by the Berlim School. 

It is a great opportunity to discover or to see again some masterpieces of this great director who brought some much fun and life to the screens. 


29th August to 2nd October 2013 - Kino Xenix 
Kanzleistrasse56 8004 Zurich
0433221380

Body milk under the shower

I am back to the Swiss life although a Swiss life without my favourite women's magazine Annabelle, is not a Swiss life! And since its readers chose the Nivea Night Cream Acqua Effect as their favourite and I tried and enjoyed it as well, I have been paying more attention to this traditional label. 

Nivea has just launched a body milk to be used under the shower. It works like this: You have a shower as usual, use your normal product and rinse off. Then you apply Nivea in-Shower body milk while still in the shower. Rinse off. Dry yourself, get dressed and go. It might be a good idea for people like me, always too lazy or busy to use some cream after a shower. I think it is worth trying it.

The Butterfly Effect

I am very interested in what my children have read. In What Katy Did I've found an old and wise proverb: 

'For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,

For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,

For the want of a horse the rider was lost,

For the want of a the rider the battle was lost, 

For the want of the battle the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horse-shoe nail.'

Never forget, the tiny movement of a butterfly's wings can start a series of events that may cause something as huge as a tornado. Before the next term begins, repair the drawer which doesn't close properly or fix the door which is sagging on the cabinet. Let's avoid accidents. 

The Radio

I grew up in very difficult years in Brazil. The dictatorship tried to make our artists quiet and the American influence in those years was undeniable. In the eighties, when the dictatorship became weak, quite a few great Brazilian rock bands emerged singing   all the rage that we had been repressed for years.  Therefore I am not angry that we heard a lot of English songs because, in this way, we learnt the rebelliousness and the irreverence of rock music. And honestly, I love this style of music. Nevertheless MPB (*) will be always MPB.

When we moved to Cheshire, I realized that most of the music I used to listen to as a teenager came from this part of England. My new English friends used to listen to the same songs. And now when I am leaving they gave this present: a radio which looks like a woman’s bag! I love it! What a great idea from my chums, I will be able to listen to music at the same time as remembering them.  By the way, as I have just related to you, Rock also reminds me of Brazil and of hard but magic years.

* musica popular brasileira 

Souvenirs to take home from Great Britain

Few things that I would like to take with me, to remind me of the great time I’ve had in this country:

Farrow and Ball paint colours it is a must on my projects: amazing colours that emphasise the beauty of walls and furniture. 

Laura Ashley - The quality of its  furniture and accessories is not the best but I still love the cosy feeling they provide. 

The elegance of shutters - I am trying to find shutters in Switzerland as beautiful as the ones in England. Wish me luck! 

The country-chic style - I love red bricks, sash windows, chandeliers, long curtains, roman blinds, skirting, cornices, trinkets, beams, fireplaces. They make an ambience warm and cosy. 

The Lavender Tree

The Lavender Tree

Sophie Conran - A good friend of mine introduced me to Sophie Conran tableware. Very stylish.

Belstaff - There are women who are mad about shoes. Others about bags. My addiction is jackets. After buying my first Belstaff jacket, which I have worn almost every single day in England, I must say this is the best jacket I’ve ever had. 

Hunters - In Switzerland when autumn starts and the streets are full of leaves from the trees, people collect them immediately. Therefore I have felt a kind of rebel walking through the streets in Alderley, where nobody cares about the leaves. Nevertheless I needed some good wellies for this. Hunters will be my rebel boots forever.

Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I will miss you until we meet again. 

The trouble and the delight of being Brazilian

My dear readers 

I have been living in several countries and I am very well integrated where I live at the moment but my essence is still Brazilian. 

Everything that I learnt  and I am, I owe to my friends, teachers and family in Brazil. 

The best gift they gave me was, probably,  the ability to adapt to different situations and to improvise when facing a problem. 

Therefore, in this moment of revolution in Brazil, it would be insensible of me talking about interior design. 

I wish all Brazilians, a lot of wisdom and serenity. It is time to enter a dialog to create the country we deserve. Oh, yes, I know how hard we work and how long we have been waiting for this moment. 

I am with you Brazil! Estou com vocês, brava gente!

The delight of hiding a TV

Dear TV,

I know you try hard! In the last decades you have lost some weight, have become colourful and sophisticated. 

I am sorry to tell this but I still prefer you when you were younger. Nothing about your age but your appearance then was playful and cute. You had much more personality. You were a classic!

Now you are so thin and pale. Hence people have to find some solutions to hide you in cabinets, place you in a corner or even frame you: making your presence not so overwhelming.

Don't misunderstand me, I do appreciate the entertainment you provide. If I could afford it, I would have a room only for you, spoiling you as you deserve.

I wish some infant terrible designer could help you. Maybe Steve Jobs would have solved your problem. I am sure if he had lived longer he would bring his team to create something unique... Well, while we wait for some extraordinary creativity, let's enjoy ourselves. Hiding the TV should be a delight!

Nevertheless, be careful. There are beautiful ideas but some of them are not very practical. If you place your TV above eye-level, you can get a neck-ache. It is like sitting in the first row of a movie theatre. 

The TV above the fireplace looks great, the latter lending elegance to the goggle box. However, it only works if you are planning on watching TV  occasionally or never use the fireplace. What a shame! Here you can read more about it.

Picture below: natural materials, neutral colours, art pieces and flowers create a rustic ambience. The TV has only a supporting role. I like it. 

Make a surprise out of your cabinet!

In my opinion, the best TV units are made by the German company Hülsta.  You can choose the size of the furniture, combine TV cabinets, bookshelves and open compartments.  The sliding doors look very smart!

Magnolia Brussi

Magnolia Brussi

Thank you Dani and Evelyn for the idea. Image sources via my Pinterest board: Hiding the TV

My Chum's Castle

It is one of the sweetest homes I have ever entered, decorated with a lot of charm and grace. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

The welcoming entrance fills the guest with feelings of warmth and anticipation. It tells us something about the mood of the house. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

The style might be country-chic but as the owner (and my chum!)  said: "Hmm, not sure how I would describe the interior style of the house, I have never really thought about it. It's just me I suppose and what I like." 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

That is the secret: decorate your house with colours, furniture and accessories that appeal to you and then the interior design will tell your story to the visitor. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Look at the different colours and materials used in this kitchen. It emphasises equipment, furniture and walls, making them unique. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Eye-catching pictures like this blue one and, a few pictures below, another with a ballerina,  awake creativity and happiness. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Cute sofas, cushions, beams and long curtains create a cosy ambience. Trinkets, sculptures and Far-easten furniture lend the personal touch. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

After seeing this place, I realised how beautiful and harmonic the colour blue can look on walls and furniture. 

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Again this home evokes my creativity: this see-saw sculpture takes me wherever I want. Making a visit to this house is like having a wonderful dream!

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

This window, its long curtains and this verdant garden... it  is all so harmonic!

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Picture: Magnolia Brussi

Thank you chum, it was a privilege to have met you! Your elegance has been a great inspiration.