My Advent decor

Nature - the greatest inspiration for most of us creative souls. My idea was to use mostly natural materials for this Christmas story - paper, walnuts, pomegranate, pine cones, deer antlers, hedge branches, cinnamon sticks, orange, moss, rope and cork. The main theme was forest. There's something magical about the woods and Christmas, and they go so well together... Well, I guess fairy tales and fantasy books have influenced me a lot... These kirigami trees are really easy to make, you can find tons of tutorials on the web. The newspapers I used for the gift wrapping are 20 years old. I was lucky to dig them up because it's hard to find a clean, black and white page in the newspapers today.  Also, music sheets always make an elegant decor. Besides, what kind of Christmas would it be without music? So, here it is! My enchanted forest.

Don't think I forgot about the contest! I was looking through your Cozy and Cold Pinterest boards while listening to Dean Martin's Christmas album, and they were all so beautiful and wintery. I have to say, it was a tough decision to make, but the winner is... *drumroll* ...Tea Icheva! Congratulations! Please, leave your address in the contact email.

The Standard

Well, isn't this the perfect dining spot? It seems like Copenhagen is brimming with places well worth visiting. The idea behind The Standard was to transform this former custom house into a new cultural and gastronomic landmark with three restaurants and a jazz club. The interior of The Standard is a mix of modern, understated Nordic design with subtle details and international touches. An eclectic mix of soft lines, natural light, exclusive materials and brand new furniture icons create a unique ambience. The designers from GamFratesi studio have successfully managed to preserve the building’s Art Deco history. Also, the way they incorporated greenery to the interior is sublime. 

With kind permission from Yellowtrace.  Photography: Enok Holsegaard

Bookworm's paradise

Public spaces are very important for the health of society, and university library is one of those spaces.  It seems like people in general don't care much about libraries nowadays, but I believe they still are a great resource for all sorts of information and research work, and they simply can't be replaced by digital media. The name behind Tama Art University Library (Tokyo, Japan) is Toyo Ito.  This architectural masterpiece has "exterior glass walls and large arches that allow the contours of the natural environment surrounding the campus to extend into the interior creating an exhilaratingly open space." Oh, how nice it must be to gather knowledge in a place like this...

Source: ArchDaily   Photography: Iwan Baan

Winter's bite

They say this is going to be the coldest winter in the last 100 years. Well, I certainly hope they're wrong.

 

Create your own engagement ring with Modern Design Inc. - 5 star service, great prices. It's like having your own personal jeweler.

The very first Bells and Feathers contest

What better way to start December (and Advent Sunday) than with a creative contest and the possibility of winning a lovely prize? 

Let's start with the rules:

1. Follow Bells and Feathers on Pinterest.

2. Create a board and name it Cozy and Cold.

3. Pin everything that inspires you and is somehow connected to the theme of the contest (which is winter, in case someone missed that from the board title).

4. Write the link to your board in the comment section below this post.

 

Contest is open to residents of all European countries until December 15, 2013.
The winner will be chosen based on originality and creativity of the board.

I will announce the winner here on the blog and on Bells and Feathers Facebook page on December 17, 2013.

The prize?

Giraffe notebook (A5), Eco cotton tote bag (Frank Zappa quote) and Use While Trendy coasters - all from the amazing Lega-lega design store. Lega-lega is an award-winning brand from my hometown (Osijek, Croatia). The meaning of the local slang word "lega" is somewhat similar to the words "bro", "dude" or "mate". It's always love at first sight with Lega-lega, so I'm sure that all of you who've never heard of the brand before won't be able to resist the charm of Lega-lega products.

Good luck!

Pond | Home and Fashion store

Welcome to Pond, home and fashion stores located in Sydney, Australia. I must say this beautifully styled furniture from Danish design brand HAY is already on my wish list.

Source: Est Magazine  Styling: Marsha Golemac  Photography: Brooke Holm

Design with Neybers

I recently discovered Neybers, a fun website (still in Beta) where you can easily design rooms and share them with the community. The website is regularly updated with new designer pieces and info about the products. From Art Deco to Scandinavian minimalism, there is something for everyone. Neybers definitely has a lot of potential, and I expect to find more interesting stuff there in the future. If you like to play with interior design, but don't know how to use professional design softwares, Neybers might be right for you. Below are the rooms I created. My preferred lifestyle involves a house with garden, but loft living is the next best thing: exposed brick walls, light wooden or concrete floors, industrial lighting, mix of contemporary and mid-century modern furniture, a few plants, unexpected details and there you go! As my last picture of a wedding hall shows, the spaces you create there can be whatever your imagination wishes them to be. Feel free to drop a line and let me know about your experience with Neybers.

Click on the links for the full view:

1. Loft living
2. Bedroom
3. Home studio
4. Lounge room
5. Modern country kitchen
6. Contemporary wedding hall