Plant It

This is no new news, but last year the brilliant New York based landscape designer and former fashion editor, Grace Fuller Marroquín, collaborated with The Row and launched exquisite glazed planters, exclusively sold at The Row’s stateside stores. I came across this collaboration once again a few days ago and simply wanted to share. I love a project that so well executed and the pieces are so well selected. Simple as that.

What Grace has said about the collaboration:

“Landscape designer Grace Fuller Marroquín developed a unique collection of limited edition ceramic pottery for The Row drawing inspiration from her admiration of Mexico’s masterful traditions and handicrafts.

Through artisanal techniques, skilled potters in Tangancícuaro, Michoacan (a state in western Mexico known for its rich history of handcrafted ceramics) transformed earth into clay to create one-of-a-kind decorative planters.

These artifacts are a translation of the region’s ancestral techniques and a representation of the generational community behind Mexican pottery, ultimately symbolizing a long history of embrace and ritual.”

Image courtesy of The Row and Grace Fuller Marroquín.

Ash Roberts

I want to introduce you to Ash Roberts. She is a highly talented painter from Los Angeles and I have kept my eyes on her for quite some time now. And, if I remember correctly, Ash has a background in fashion (please Ash, correct me if I am wrong), but her most recent paintings have a strong nature motif. Her works are truly mesmerizing, in my opinion, without trying too hard. Anyhow, she is represented by Placemeant in NYC, in case you got curious.

Image courtesy of Ash Roberts.

Galerie

Hey hey!

Or as long as that does not sound as bad as they make it sound in Succession (what kind of sentence is that?). At least my management skills are equally incompetent as it comes to the running of this platform. But it is nice to back in this space. I have been quite taken up with balancing work and university. But I got tested positive for covid the other day (I am feeling ok so far (double vaccinated)), so that did the job of emptying my schedule. So here we are.

Lets start with some nice inspiration as a courtesy of the Galerie by The Row. By no means have I decorated my apartment ( I am a student again) so I am still dreaming on, friends.

Image courtesy of The Row.

A.S.Helsingö Sideboard

Commercial collaboration with A.S.Helsingö.

I moved into my apartment six months ago and it has been obvious from the beginning that I would need more storage space. My vision was to either invest in minimalistic sideboard or have it custom-made. Ideally, the sideboard would fit into the vibe and character of the apartment seamlessly. Like it had always been there.

For this project I have teamed up with A.S.Helsingö, a Finnish brand that specializes in unique, tailor-made kitchens, wardrobes and sideboards. It is a brilliant concept; their product offering is highly customizable and the selection of colours, handles and worktops look modern and beautiful. The A.S.Helsingö sideboards are built on top of IKEA metod cabinets, which are bought separately. This combination enables a lower price whilst maintaining a high level of quality.

I settled on a 180 cm width x 80cm height sized INGARÖ sideboard in the frame style. From the outset, I also knew I would opt for the push-open doors instead of handles to maintain that minimalistic vibe. However, choosing the right colour proved difficult; probably because their selection of colors is superb. I was given a colour sample box to take home with me. I think that is quite vital in order to ensure the wanted result.

I reckon I would have been happy with almost any choice, but I eventually I went with Feather Grey - my first pick. I was pondering between Feather Grey and Thermal Grey, but somehow Feather Grey felt more fresh and right for the space. The room has an original 20th century wallpaper, which features a green floral pattern, on one of the walls. Hence, adding more greenish tones could have been too much.

Even though my vision was to design a simple storage solution, I always gravitate towards something edgy or quirky. Adding a worktop is another way to customize you sideboard; they come in classic marble, clay and quartz for instance. I wanted a worktop from the get-go. Here I had two options again, which were linked to my colour options. Had I picked Thermal Grey, I would have combined it with a marble worktop, but that felt too cliche. And when I visited the A.S.Helsingö showroom, I fell in love with the Coral Clay.

The selection of worktops. Some only available for kitchens.

Using the sideboard design tool that you can find on the brand’s webpage, I finalized my order and went with the Feather Grey and Coral Clay combination. I think one of my reference points was the decor in Céline stores during the Phoebe Philo era; mixing up unexpected surfaces. But not everything goes as planned. Once my order arrived, in about 4-6 weeks after the order had been placed, I quickly realized that the combination does not go well together in my apartment.

I want to share this story because these things happen. I have never renovated or decorated any of my previous apartments, so this has been a good learning curve. I think it is good share what goes on behind the scenes, because people tend to think I always get it right when it comes style and aesthetics. Well, that obviously is not true. I just try my best. Anyway, I love my Feather Grey sideboard, even without the worktop. It works well in the space. I have also decided to keep the worktop, as you never know what the future holds.

A.S.Helsingö have just opened their first overseas showroom in Stockholm located on Birger Jarlsgatan 71. If you are able to visit, definitely do! My experience with A.S.Helsingö has been such a smooth ride.

Wall Lamp By FOS

FOS is a Danish artist (born Thomas Poulsen) whose work might me familiar to you, if you ever visited a Céline store during the Phoebe Philo era - like many of us did, and often. No regrets! Anyway, I really loved these lamps by FOS, which added that tiny bit of edge to the decor. I sometimes browse through 1stdibs hoping to find his amazing work.

Image courtesy of etage projects.

Decor Mood

If anything I have realised it takes time to create your dream space. But I have managed to decide on a few things: I am getting a sideboard, which has been a priority - more about that later - and some other decor items are on their way too. I will also need a table of some kind soonish. But I am quite proud of myself, because I have not made any hurried decisions.

I already posted this image on Instagram, but why not to share it here too. It is one of my fave reference images (from the legendary Apartment by The Line, obviously). I love the chair, vases and the rug… maybe, one day.

Image courtesy of The Line.

Marble.Partners

Let me introduce you to Marble.Partners. The trio identify themselves as a collaborative studio and they work primarily with offcuts and salvaged marble. Their work is exquisite to say at least - just take a look at the dining table above which brings in mind the patchwork marble floors at Céline stores during the Philo era. They do produce other things as well but the tables have caught my eye.

This image above was taken by Camille Charriere and it is her dining table coming together. I got to know about this incredible studio through her. You get to choose each piece of marble which is so satisfying to someone like me. I am rarely jealous but she is a beaut!

Image courtesy of Marble.Partners and Camille Charriere.

Flower Inspiration

I have always been into flowers. But I suppose more so recently, as I have been trying to find a good flower shop in Helsinki. I would like to have some in my new apartment, but it seems to be difficult to find what I am after. I love the vibe in these images by Sophie Bille Brahe (Apollo Bar in Copenhagen) and Linn Hägglund. Any tips?

Image courtesies of Sophie Bille Brahe and Linn Hägglund.

1stdibs List

Here comes another selection of extraordinary interior items from 1stdibs. One day, maybe? Anyway, this is the vibe I like and I have been dreaming of a side table by Andrianna Shamaris forever. It is one of the first things I am getting.

Vintage Persian Rug, Dutch Mantle Jars circa 1820, Finn Juhl Chieftain Sofa, Andrianna Shamaris St. Barts Resin Side Table, Giuseppe Ostuni Floor Lamp circa 1950, Ukiyo Side Tables, Oxbend Bench, Italian Glass Drink Table, Andrianna Shamaris Wall Hanging all via 1stdibs

Interior Mood

Hi all, long time no see and it is 2021. Cheers!

My life was pretty packed leading up to Christmas, as I was working on a couple of (not fashion related) projects and took up a day job for a while. And whenever I have had time off, I have spent every minute eyes glued to the screen of my Mac only to realize how little I know about interior design - but also to understand how much I know about fashion, in contrast. My understanding of the real world out there might be slightly skewed, because I tend to think everyone knows as much about fashion as I do but, obviously, that is not the case.

The thing is, however, that I don’t own any furniture. And given that this new flat I just moved into is so nice, I think it is about time I should start making some long-lasting interior investments. But trust me it takes forever to see every singe table or chair out there before one can settle on the final choice. Got the point?

So, in the perfect world where finances don’t stand in my way, I would get a Pierre Jeanneret chair like the one in these images (you can find it here). Another favourite is the Public Bench.

Image courtesy of Laffanour Galerie Downtown.

Galerie Arrivals

Galerie by The Row is one of my top sources of inspiration. You can click home such a brilliant, highly edited selection of art, furniture and jewelry that maybe 1stDibs can compete. Here’s some of my favorites: Bulgari gold necklace, Pierre Jeanneret High Court “Armchair” and Jean Prouvé Sideboard.

Image courtesy of The Row.

The Row Los Angeles Store

The entrance.

I am super interest in today’s customer experience, because I think it is quite sad how so many brands haven’t stepped up their offline game. The Row surely isn’t one of those brands, as their LA store pushes all the right buttons.

It may as be my all-time favourite store, I mean I just kept on adding new pieces of decor to my wish list along with the clothes. I also think the store showcases the clothes in a context, which makes everything more tempting. That’s what good branding is all about.

Visit the store on 8440 Melrose Place, Los Angeles.