Another peek at my space - Dutch television (SBS6)

It can be quite nerve wrecking when you are featured on tv without having seen the end result of the shoot. But the team of SBS6 Huizenjacht did a fantastic job on my feature. What can I say, yes this is the space I live in with my kids and it is totally representative for who I am. Eclectic, bohemian, warm, colorful, slightly chaotic (as you can guess when there are no camera's around it is more than slightly chaotic).
In terms of size it is less than one third of the house I used to live in but one of the things I say in the interview is that size is not important to be happy in your home. What really matters is what you do with the space you live in! If you can bare to listen to Dutch for 5 minutes you can see the feature by clicking here. Be patient as you have to wait for the commercial to finish first. After that you can drag the arrow/forward button to 4.50 mn where my house tour starts. Enjoy!

About last week..

 

 

 New collection of designer pillows in progress

 

  My boxed notecards @ Books and Books, Miami

and my greeting cards (middle row)

Pierre Vandel 70s coffee table

Pfew, where did last week go? Not unusual for me that so many things were going on again, but I guess for most of you it is the same. It just goes with the territory. So here are 4 highlights from last week before I am stepping into this week's roller coaster ride!
1. My new fabrics arrived and were send off to the atelier to be turned into pillows.
2. Books and books in Miami became the first US retailer of my stationery. Pictures courtesy of my US distributor Interdecorations.
3. New arrival in my house: a 70s coffee table designed by Pierre Vandel (Paris). Perfect for displaying books & magazines! Have you ever come across his designs?
4. Someone has been redesigning my blog. I will reveal the identity of this wonderful creative person later this week once the last bits and pieces have been tweeked. To give you a hint: she is a fellow blogger and quite a few of you follow her....

If You Obey All The Rules You Miss All The Fun

detail of my mood board

"If you obey all of the rules you miss all of the fun"

This wonderful quote from Kathrine Hepburn is on my mood board. It is one of these "typical" things I need to be reminded of especially on a day like today when I am trying to beat myself up (again), telling myself that I am not working hard enough...Whose rules? Aren't those rules MY rules? So I have taken a break to blog and I feel much better now. To conclude with another KH quote:

"If you always do what interests you at least one person is pleased."

Monday at the Studio

Here is work in progress. This painting will be one of the works that will grace the wall of my booth at the upcoming interior design fair "Woonbeurs" here in Amsterdam!

THANK YOU NOTES!

1. TO ALL OF YOU:

thank you for baring with me! At the moment I live in the land of FAIR FEVER. Almost every single thing I am doing involves the WOONBEURS (The Dutch Maison et Objet) which is coming fearfully close (starting on 25th of September). My brain is aking as a result of the steep learning curve, what the hell was I thinking having my own booth :))!

In Holland we have a saying "ZEG HET MET BLOEMEN", freely translated as "to express oneself with flowers". So with the above "flower" shot of my living room I thank you all for your patience and support!

2. TO HOME & DECOR SINGAPORE:

and editor Ruth Chan for featuring me as Blogger of the Month in the September issue. I apologize that the text of the feature is not legible, but this is to respect the magazine's copyright policies.

3. TO LEAH AND KERRY:

to Leah of The Way We Are blog for doing such a lovely post on my paintings and to Kerry of a Tranquil Townhouse who ranked my Studio picture in her top 10 of the week. Do check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs if you don't know them already!


4. TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE GIVE AWAY!

thank you all for participating and promoting the giveway! And the winner of Pia Jane Bijkerk's book Made By Hand Amsterdam is: Dagny@Scandinavian Chic. Congratulations Dagny and kindly mail me your postal address!

Spotted: Vermeer, Meijers & Van Gogh

 

My calendar 2011 has arrived! Published by Museum Cards - Bekking&Blitz. This bold & sassy calendar, including 12 different images of original oils, measures 30x30cm (approx 12x12inch). Price €12,95. The calendar is available in museum and bookstores in The Netherlands and Belgium but also through my webstore. Followers & fans receive a free set of 3 bookmarks with their purchase.

Click here to go the the webstore.

From my bookshelves: Le Best of ELLE DECO (1997)

(Living room detail on the front - Designer Anthony Collett)

(Designer Francois-Joseph Graf)

 (Bedroom detail - Gilles Dufour)

 (Designer Pierre Le-Tan)

 

Living room of an auctioneer

David Gill

When I was still a corporate girl, secretly dreaming of a creative carreer I would often dive into a book store during my lunch break. One of my favourite store's in Singapore is Page One. It has the most amazing selection of Interior Design and Art books. I bought this French ELLE Deco book already back in 1998. My books are an important source of inspiration even if they are "dated". Good style never fades!
(Le Best of ELLE Deco, 1997 - ISBN 981-00-9078-1)

Southern Delights

 

Kruisherenhotel

Chateau St Gerlach

Winselerhof

Chateau Neercanne

Well I made my publisher's deadline. Yesterday I handed in 5 illustrations for  a new series of boxed culinary notecards. The illustrations will be teamed with recipes of the chefs of Camille Oostwegel Chateau Hotels & Restaurants: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, Chateau Neercanne, Chateau St Gerlach and Winselerhof. Camille Oostwegel is a renowned Dutch hotelier with a passion for restoring monumental buildings. All his hotels and restaurants are situated in the South of Holland. His latest project the Kruisherenhotel is in the centre of Maastricht, a former Crosier cloister, dating from the fifteenth century. Together with the monumental gothic church, this complex has been transformed into a spectacular designer hotel. The interior has been created by internationally renowned interior designer Henk Vos. Throughout the complex designs classics by Le Corbusier and Rietveld and modern designsers such Philippe Starck and Roderick Vos contrast beautifully with the original stained glass windows, walls and ceiling paintings.

note: each illustration contains ingredients from its corresponding recipe. pieces of Maastricht's aardewerk (ceramics) serve as the Southern Dutch heritage"ingredient". 

Sneak Peak - "Woonbeurs" (Dutch "Maison et Objet" sept 25-oct 3)

 Artifort Model 553 (Piere Paulin) - Blue Bird Pillow (Mariska Meijers)

 Artifort Model 553 before restoration

 Playing around with objects & art

 To be or not to be part of the booth interior

Editing, editing, editing..........

Part II of the Majorca Files will come I promise, but today I have been busy in my studio playing with my new arrival which I just needed to share with you immediately! Newcomer is an Artifort swivel-lounge chair, model 553 designed by Pierre Paulin (1927-2009) in the 60s. I bought it second hand and had it completely restored. The chair will be one of the key pieces of the interior I am creating for my booth at the "Woonbeurs". It is the perfect backdrop for my satin silk pillows, teams up beautifully with my art and sits like a dream!

The Majorca Files - Part I

 Loewe window display (Palma de Majorca)

 Loewe Boutique (Palma de Majorca)

Coffee @ Cappuccino (Palma)

View on our way to the Lluc Monestary 

Lluc Monestary

View on our way back from Lluc Monestary

I know you must be wondering what I have been up to. One week on a Spanish Island with one of my best friends. No kids, no blogging, no nothing...... Here is a first taste of my definition "no nothing"!

ps there is still plenty of time to enter the give away of Pia Jane Bijkerk's book "Amsterdam Made By Hand"!