Valentines Day...how about adding some red to your life?

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037518052/

I'm not big on Valentines Day myself, but I do love a bit of red! I have gathered some inspirational images of interiors with red furniture, red artwork, red fridges, red walls, red doors and red anything else.

Hope you like it. Spread the LOVE.

http://pinterest.com/pin/68719846607/

http://pinterest.com/pin/20266267042644029/

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037848142/

http://img4.coastalliving.com/i/2009/06/redwhiteblue-9-l.jpg

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037848140/

http://spookyhome.tumblr.com/post/4108147260

http://designismine.blogspot.com/2010/05/interior-inspiration-random-rooms.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88092887/patchwork-cushion-cover-red-apples-and

http://pinterest.com/pin/259027416037848153/

Copenhagen day 2: design, explosions of colour and a stuffed polar bear

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Day two in Copenhagen and I am all shopped out! (No, I'm not!) Tomorrow's another day and another neighbourhood to explore. I must say: if you love good design and have never been in Copenhagen, put it on your to-go-list. People say it's expensive, but apart from some restaurants and hotels I find prices very similar to the UK. Best of all, I have been totally inspired by everything I've seen so far. And the people are very friendly too!

I started off this morning at the Danish Design Center with wonderful exhibitions of furniture by the grand Danes Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjaerholm, Hans Wegner and others, as well as everyday Danish design products such as coffee pots and bicycles. Functionally made with the user in mind, but beauty not forgotten. Superb place.

Then, walking via the impressing 'Black Diamond' library on the waterfront, I strolled back into the city for lots of shopping. Popped into some weird and wonderful places including an auction house with the most beautiful art and antiques (and a stuffed polar bear!). I suddenly remembered again why I decided to get that degree in History of Art, long time ago (because of art, that was, not because of polar bears). Couldn't afford any of it though, so swiftly moved on...

I ended up finding some wonderful items in more affordable shops such as Notre Dame, Gronlykke, Tiger and Sostrene Grene: cushions, colourful rugs, felt coasters, ceramic door knobs and Japanese cups and plates. Last but not least I went to the Marimekko store and bought a meter of black and white fabric for that £12 chair I got at the auction the other day. In the sale! You can imagine, I am a very happy bunny.

My feet are sore now, so maybe I will rent a bike tomorrow for my next adventure. But first... time for the sauna & spa, complimentary of my hotel. Yay! I am having such a great time - can you tell? ;-)

Here are some pictures of my day. They may be a little fuzzy due to taking them on my iphone. Oh yeah, I didn't shoot the polar bear (pardon the pun!) - so please take my word on that one...

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Painted portraits are forever

Ever seen 'artworks' in department stores? Mass produced prints and ornaments, without any personality and emotion? I guess some people just want something to match their curtains, but there's so much beautiful, affordable art available so why not give your home a little bit more personality?

I just received this portrait of me and my husband tonight:



I've been fortunate to have a talented painter as a colleague, who offered me to paint a portrait of me and my hubby - as a wedding present to us. It's based on one of our wedding photos and I absolutely LOVE it. I am so pleased with it that I will do a bit of word-of-mouth promotion for her in return for this amazing gift: go and visit fionajack.viewbook.com. Fiona is happy to work from photographs and ship overseas - and she's got a special Christmas offer on just now! Prices start from £95 ($150) for A4 size. Go on, treat yourself and your walls ;-)

Gypsy style home decor

I have always been strangely attracted by the gypsy lifestyle. The old-style caravans, the women with their long skirts, black hair, big earrings, the mysterious eyes. And the music. Whenever I hear a violin or accordeon playing gypsy music, I am touched by it. Even in the middle of a busy shopping street I will stop and listen. I don't know what it is, but it feels familiar, as if I'm somehow connected. Who knows... Maybe I'm just a romantic with a love for history and traveling.

Anyway, back to interiors & junk! ;-) As I'm traveling myself this weekend, not in a caravan but by plane and high-speed train to the Netherlands (I know, VERY gypsy-like, eh?), I thought I share some travel-themed ideas with you. I came across a nice blog (interiordivine.blogspot.com) and found some inspiring images around the 'gyspy' theme.

interiordivine.blogspot.com

Jeanne Bayol

I love folkloric, bazaar-like interiors and the work of French designer Jeanne Bayol just makes me smile. Jeanne shares my fascination with the gypsy lifestyle and passionately restores and sells all kinds of gypsy caravans in The Provence. You can order your own one on www.les-verdines.com

For some great 'gyspy'-like music that makes you instantly happy, go and download some tunes from 17Hippies or Orkestra del Sol.

from blog.mydeco.com

I am an art collector!

'Speicher', oil on canvas, Eberhard Ross

I never thought I could feel so overwhelmed by a piece of art that I couldn't stop myself from digging deep in my purse and spending all my money on it. But I did...and here it is. I can't believe I did it! But I just love the Rothko-like feel to it and the warmth of the orange and red. It is by a German artist called Eberhard Ross and I am glad I discovered his work, because he just makes the most wonderful, almost meditative paintings. And I now own one of them!

Lovely art with multi-flowered sheep

This is to get you in the mood for Easter! I love these limited edition silk screen prints, they're so cute. They are by a Scottish artist called David Blyth and the prints have been produced in Peacock Visual Arts' workshops in Aberdeen. He's made ten different, very colourful prints with sheep on it and they're also available on ceramic plates (so you can eat your lamb off a lamb ;-). The prints are around £400 each (dimensions 100mm wide x 700mm tall), the plates £50. If you want to see the rest of the prints, have a look here...

Bureau Makeover

I posted this picture some time ago, of an old flaky dark brown bureau that I found on Freecycle and was giving a fresh lick of blue paint. Well, I'm glad to say it's finished! I'm still planning to line the drawers with some nice vintage wall paper but I can always do that later. The bureau is now proudly sitting in our study and matches my favourite blue print (by Glasgow artist Kenny Hunter).

Art by Seripop

At Peacock Visual Arts we've got a show on by Canadian artists' duo Seripop. They've wallpapered the whole gallery with hundreds of their prolific posters which looks stunning. And guess what...they are for sale too! They're really cheap - around £20 for an original Seripop. And they might become very famous soon...they've got a show coming up at the Baltic art centre in Newcastle! (Sorry, am I wearing my marketing hat here?)

These are the ones I bought:

My Louis XV chair from the local junk shop

Our living room. I found this Louis XV chair in a junk shop near my village, for the grand sum of £20. I will recover it some day as the fabric on it is too beige for my liking, but for the time being I'll just funk it up with some loose fabric or cushions.

The lamp shade is from DOT (Amsterdam and The Hague). The artwork is a limited edition print from Scottish artist Francis Boag.