T H I S B R I G H T F L A S H

I thought I would share these pictures showcased on Dezeen the other day, of an apartment in the Singel in Amsterdam, by Laura Alverez Architects. I laugh because just last week I went to the Piet Hien Eek factory and showroom in Eindhoven, who is a Dutch furniture designer best know for his work with reclaimed wood and industrial materials... and whaddayaknow that's one of his tables in this apartment! The style is just so recognisable, and I love it as it has just the right balance of shabby to modern, and can look right at home in even the most minimal of spaces, case in point right here. The stairs look a bit lethal, but they are very typical of the Old Town style here and are probably pretty normal for a Dutch person! 

E X C U R S I E : I N S E L H O M B R I O C H

 Just some snaps from the Insel Hombrioch Museum near Dusseldorf which I visited in the name of 'research' last week.  The former NATO base was redeveloped as a sythesis of art and nature in 1994, allowing this so-called 'neglected corner of the earth' to become something quite beautiful. It's a totally different sort of art experience; there are no guards (and hardly any other people at all!) or signs to explain the artwork, and some of the buildings don't house anything at all. Paths, sculptures and gardens weave effortlessly together and there's no way of knowing where the art ends and nature begins. But I guess that's probably the point. Enjoy :)

T H E S E A T H E S E A

I  thought I would share some pictures of my trip back home to the Kingdom over Christmas.

After around 4 days of sofa surfing, and with cabin fever brewing, me and my sis decided to get out of the house for a few hours and take a wee donder to the Harbour and Ravenscraig Castle, where there are also some really brilliant pieces of land art on display. Designed to integrate with rather than oppose the landscape, each piece is site specific and reflects the coastal environment in a subtle, elegant fashion. Donald Urquhart's Sea Beams play homage to the vast colour spectrum of the sea (and seem to work whatever the weather), whilst the Portal and Sailor's Walk Window capture and frame specific views over to the Bass Rock and Edinburgh. The steps between park and Harbour are adorned with two stone inscriptions by the wonderful Thomas A. Clark, and allude to the changing light conditions as you travel between. Other works include Alec Finlay's bird boxes with crossword puzzles written on them (they're pretty tough though... and where are the blimmin' answers?) and the shaded wall also by Donald Urquhuart. The artwork, both individually and collectively, really make such a difference to the area and I'm so happy that Kirkcaldy (...ok, Dysart) is home to them. You can read more about the project here. 

NB - I've added in some other pictures of the artwork taken in Summertime which are a bit better quality. Nope it wasn't as sunny as that in December!     

L I K E C L O C K W O R K

Here I am, back again! I told you I was going to be a better blogger :) As a new resident of Amsterdam (!) I should hopefully have some interesting things to share over the next few months. Today I stumbled upon the most AMAZING design shop in the centre, called Droog. Choc a block with an inspired selection of lights, furniture, fabrics and loads of other knick knacks, ranging from fairly priced to the available-upon-request ridiculous, this is the Ikea of the designer. Naturally, I came away with a few ideas for my own home including the stick on the wall light and the invisible shelf. I also love those smooshed (I can't think of a better word , too much J-shore I think!) faux plastic ceramic cups, but I doubt they would survive the flight home. I hope you enjoy :) 

W H E R E I ' M A N Y M O R E

Source

So who's been crap at blogging lately? Ahem.

It seems like the longer you're away the harder is it to come back. Moral of the story, don't go AWOL in the first place!

In light of this, I've decided - in typical start of the year fashion - to dedicate more time and effort to my blog. I know I'm never going to be a one-post-a-day sorta girl, but I reckon I could aim for one a week at the very least. I'm the stupid thing is, I'm always looking at stuff, its the actual writing the entry and posting it part that I seem to fail at. Here are my lastest internet finds and inspirations. Unfortunately I'm still swooning over Elle Interiors and not thinking about budgets and the like, but oh well that's half the fun :)

 More to follow soon...

N O T E S O N A S C A N D O

Since my return from Gothenburg, I have become a little obsessed with Nordic style. Bright white interiors, exposed concrete and distressed, faded wood have all got me swooning. This ties in very nicely with the prospect of moving house (and when I say house I mean flat...) in the coming few months, and, for once, it’s a flat I can decorate, paint, and adorn to my heart’s content! I still don’t really have any fixed ideas yet, but it’s been fun to buy Elle Decoration and Living etc, and weep drool over all the lovely but ridiculously expensive sofas, rugs, kitchen utensils and candle holders (10 000 bucks for those btw! #crazytimes).

Luckily, the new abode has been done up to sell, so it has a brand spanking new bathroom and kitchen and doesn’t need any work whatsoever, which I am very grateful for :). Here are a few snapshots from my imaginatively named Inspiration folder, all found via my new favourite Swedish blogger, Emma. (Her blog is fantastic, and visually stunning - I had to stop myself from reading every single post!) I love the greys, the petrol blues and the charcoals coupled with the shabby chic palettes, and I’ve loved that woodland wallpaper since clocking it on Grand Designs a few years ago. Make sure you don’t miss the kitty – he’s hiding! (Pictures: Emma's Blog)

T O A H O U S E

 

 Since winning a colouring competition in his honour when I was ten, I’ve always had a bit of a thing for old Rabbie Burns, so I was delighted to finally visit the new Birthplace Museum with the volunteers from the Georgian House, on what turned out to be a real dreich October day! Replacing the 1906 visitor centre, the new museum was designed by Edinburgh’s Simpson & Brown for the National Trust for Scotland, and is home to the biggest Burns collection in the world. The new building - clad in Moray timber and crowned with a sweeping grass roof - forms the centrepiece to several other Alloway hotspots that include the Burns cottage, Auld Kirk and Brig O’ Doon, and represents a meeting of great design with sustainability. 

After arriving in the West Coast, we headed up to Burn’s cottage, a traditional thatched But and Ben where the poet was born in 1759. Comprising of just four rooms, it’s hard to believe that the tiny abode housed Robert, his parents and siblings, the family tutor John Murdoch as well as the family horse, cows and chickens! Inside the byrne, four screens give us a bird’s eye view of each room and what would’ve been going on, from his father rising early to work on the farm, to his mother making butter, or Robert himself having lessons in the evening. Replicas of the original furniture and cleverly placed sound recordings bring the house to life, whilst snippets of poetry on the walls and furniture remind us of the influence his home had on his work.

 

From here we walked down to the new museum, via the new Poet’s Path, a charming walkway that keeps us entertained with decorative wind vanes that tell the story of Tam O’ Shanter, as well as a sculptural ode to a mouse, and a curving footbridge that gives you a taste of the materials used throughout the masterplan. In spite of the rain, the museum building looks very impressive. Flanked by two curved dry stone walls marking the perimeter, the museum is built from head to toe in locally sourced, untreated timber. The T-shaped public zone of entrance court and cafe are bright and airy, and reveal the nature of the undulating roof that crowns the building, feeding light throughout.

  

After lunch we were taken through to the darkened main exhibition space, where the collection is split up into four sections explaining who Robert Burns was, what influenced him, his legacy and of course, the works themselves. Instead of being left to our own devices, our tour guide pointed out a few things of particular interest, such as the only surviving picture of his long suffering wife, Jean Armour as well as the miniature pencil and notebook set that Burns would carry around with him should inspiration strike. Other notable items include a painting illustrating the very first Burns Supper, which took place only a year after Robert died in 1796, and a small segment of the (black!) wedding dress Jean wore to marry her husband. Apparently, white dresses only came into fashion with the Victorians! 

Interestingly, all the wording surrounding the exhibits is in Scots, which is a nice touch and creates more of an affinity with the poet than straightforward English would. Our Charlotte Square neighbour Alex Salmond would be most impressed! Unfortunately, with the weather being so miserable and time being tight I wasn’t able to explore the Auld Kirk and the Brig O’ Doon which complete the Burns experience, but if anything, that gives me an excuse to go back another day and finish the job. All in all, it was a great day, it’s just a pity it was so goddamn cauld!