Teen bedrooms

Designing a teenager bedroom can be very challenging as every teenager has its own style and firm ideas how her or his bedroom should look like. With some planing, teenagers should be allowed to express their tastes in their bedrooms. 

It is important to have in mind that teenagers have a different view of a bedroom than an adult. They want a bedroom to get lots of sleep, to hang out with their friends and relax. 

Before decorating you daughter or son's bedroom, ask them which colours and style they prefer and try to personalize the ambience according to her or his tastes. If possible, create some accessories (cushions, portraits, pictures, etc.) with them. 

Most girls love fairy lights in their bedrooms. Boys like to show their sport and music preferences. However, this is not a rule. It might be its opposite as well.  

Provide some room and furniture for  reading, studying and entertaining activities. Furniture and accessories must be practical and easy to care. 

Pictures from Pinterest

Autumn, the second spring

I must say that autumn is not my favorite season as summer is gone and we start feeling the chill of winter. However, there is some magic in this  transition season. The change colour in leaves creates beautiful landscapes and the shorter and cooler days tell us that is time to turn inward. 

What I most like in autumn is when the day starts foggy and then the sun rises at lunchtime and I can enjoy the warm in my balcony. As Albert Camus used to say: autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. 

Enjoy your autumn!

A Dining Room Project

When you try to inspire people, it is their hearts that you must capture. Creating an ambience involves  a lot of passion. Nothing more rewarding than the happiness of my clients when I finish a project.

The White Kitchen

A white kitchen is timeless and transcedent. It is a classic!

White is usually associated with purity, peace and with high quality. The use of white makes the kitchen look bigger and airier. However, white can make an ambience sterile.

To avoid it,  combine some natural materials and green hues that according to Feng Shui,  are essential in a kitchen. 

A Living Room Project

In this project I had the opportunity to recreate a living room. Dark furniture and floor created a sterile ambience.  Electrical cords could be seen and the antique furniture became to small for all the books, vases and accessories. The room has a beautiful ceiling with ornaments, which could hardly be noted. The lamp doesn't work properly anymore and should to be replaced. The family loves this couch  and the coffee table has been following this family for a long time. Both should stay. 

Therefore it was very important to choose elements which suit to couch and to coffee table. I went for neutral colours and furniture with a fine look. To achieve the contrast between walls and ceiling, I changed the colour of the walls . It emphasises the beauty of the ornamental ceiling.  Some shelves covering all the right wall were placed for  electrical appliances, books, vases and pictures.  A floor lamp was placed on the left side, creating a division between living and dining room.  The antique cabinet will be placed in another room. It would be a pity to get rid of it as it is a family treasure. I am very excited about the results as the room became charming and clean. 

Spring starts earlier in Zurich as the gardening event Giardina takes place until the 15th of March 2015. This year the exhibition is focused on balconies. 

Venue: Messe Zurich 

           Wallisellenstrasse 49 

           8050 Zurich

Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday from 9.00 to 18.00

I hope you can enjoy it!

2015 - The Year of the Sheep

2015 is the year of the sheep in the Chinese horoscope.  Looking for some ideas about the figure of sheep in interiors, I was surprised how often sheep patterns, sculptures and pictures are used to decorate homes. 

Should I really be surprised? The sheep is a gentle and calm animal. People love it. Observing the pictures, I realise that sheep images and patterns create a charming and welcoming ambience. I love the sheep pictures as they express the beauty of sheep and nature. 

The sheep is described as "The White Jade" because of its precious and delicate skin. Since ancient times it has been used to keep us warm. In interiors, it is not different, it brings warmth to the space.  

Cushions, blankets and rugs with sheep patterns give a cozy look to spaces as bedrooms or children's rooms. 

Nevertheless, there are also some eccentric ideas. The artist pair Claude and Francoise-Xavier Lalanne created in the 60's  "Moutons de Laine" which became one of the most recognisable icons from their work. Absurd or adorable?  

Home of Yves Saint Laurent with "Mountons de Lane"

Coco Chanel found it très chic and had  these wooly life sheep in her Parisian apartment. Marcos Jacobs and Valentino own them too. What about you? Would you have one of them at home? 

Pictures via Pinterest. 

Happy New Year! 2015 is the year of the sheep in the Chinese horoscope. The sheep is a lovely and gentle animal. Therefore I wish you a "kind" 2015 to you!

Verner Panton

Do you know that kind of furniture which is not only amazing but also makes you smile? Verner Panton created such pieces, like the Onion-shaped suspension light and the Shell  lamp.

However, Verner Panton never limited himself to one single object. He  designed lighting, furniture, wall panelling and textiles putting them in a context and incorporating the whole space into his creation. 

He was a kind of a gipsy, who once arranged his office in a VW van and travelled through Europe for three years. This experience definitely inspired him on his creations. 

I also like to the fact that he met the big love of his life in a small island in the Mediterranean sea (if you know me, you know the reason ;)

In the 70's he immersed himself into the world of colours and forms. For Verner Panton colour should resemble fireworks. 

Verner created the Panton chair (in white) in the 1960s, the world's first  moulded plastic chair  which is considered one of the masterpieces of Danish design. 

What an infant terrible he was! Nevertheless and above all, he was a businessman who learnt how to use his talent to make a life. It is great when somebody has a gift and knows how to use it! 

Pictures from Pinterest. 

Smooth... Smooth...

When I smell the taste of some exotic fruits as papaya, acerola and pineapple I do remember about my childhood: my lovely mum used to prepare smoothies very early in the morning for my day in a metropolis far away from home… At that time they were not called smoothies. For me they will be always "sucos" as we say in Portuguese for juices. 

Nevertheless I bought a book with some ideas to fortify the immune system and I loved the ideas of using superfood in smoothies. 

Nowadays you mix salads, vegetables and herbs that I don't think my mum would ever dare to put in the juices. I will try them with the kids and see how it works.