Swedish and danish vintage tins

Vintage tins are such a great way to add color in the kitchen! They're pretty, practical and most of them are quite cheap. In the picture above you can see a mix of danish and swedish tins, thanks to them if the kitchen doesn't look too messy! Tea bags, spice refills, coffee, cookies, it's all in there. And the most important thing: it's makes me happy to look at them. Waking up and looking at psychedelic flowers while preparing coffee can also help with morning grumpiness!

Photos: Nordiska Style

Scandinavian modernist jewelry

Photo: Nordiska Style

I found this pewter necklace a few days ago in a second-hand store. It's swedish, and it's signed Rune Tennesmed. Designed in the late 60's or 70's. I love the orange glass beads! It's always fun to find a piece that catches your eye, signed or not, without having any idea who the designer might be. Then you make some research and you end up going to bed at 2 am because you can't stop reading about your new interest!
I don't know why, but I never really took the time to read about scandinavian modernist jewelry. Those clean lines, geometric shapes and organic designs inspired by nature (melting icicles, volcanic lava, rocks, moss, etc.)... I just can't get enough!

First stop, Finland:

Photo via Purist Pro

Earrings, Pentti Sarpaneva

Photo: Ruby Lane

Moss flower pendant necklace, Hannu Ikonen

Photo: Didier Antiques

Silver Moon pendant necklace, Tapio Wirkkala

...Sweden:

Photo: Grasilver

Armring, Bengt Hallberg

Photo: Tradera

Bronze necklace, KE Palmberg Alton

Photo: M. Schon

Silver bracelet, Claes Giertta

... Denmark:

Photo: Grasilver

Armring, Astrid Fog for Georg Jensen

Photo: Grasilver

Silver necklace, Anton Michelsen

Photo: Grasilver

Silver neckring, Bent Gabrielsen

...And Norway:

Photo: Utopia

Silver necklace, Bjorn Sigurd Ostern for David-Andersen

Photo: Lush Life Antiques

Silver ring, Anna Greta Eker

Some of the pieces shown above are rare and expensive (but oh so gorgeous!). To start a collection, I'd suggest to go for bronze or pewter, Ebay, Etsy or Tradera are great places to find vintage scandinavian jewelry. And if you're ready to invest in a silver statement piece, you can visit this wonderful store. 

That one is also amazing, and both websites are fantastic sources of information if you want to know more about the designers.

The Teak Menagerie

I'm a sucker for anything teak. Chairs, tables, trays, sideboards, night stands and... animals! Is that true that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing? Good that I have some self discipline (ok, no space or big budget), or I'd become a teak hoarder, if such a thing exists. I love the grain of the wood, the warmth, the color, even the smell of it when it has just been oiled. But in a small apartment, it's difficult to collect sideboards, so small pieces, like these mid-century animal sculptures are perfect for me!

Photos: Nordiska Style

(Josef Frank wallpaper in the background!)

By Nord - Where Design Meets Nature

I'm stuck in the city and it's getting a little too hot for me... I'll need to wait another 3 weeks before I can take a dip in the Baltic Sea. I want to be in the picture above! And as I don't really like cold water, I'd definitely need that duvet to warm up after the dip!

This beautiful bed linen is made by the Danish brand 'By Nord', founded by Hanne Berzant in 2008. They design gorgeous home accessories, "inspired by the diversity of the raw yet beautiful Nordic Nature, where the rough and the gentle meet". The cushions are adorable and would look perfect in my summer house (because one day, I'll have a summer house)!

Photos: By Nord

Malene Birger: My summer list

My dream wardrobe for this summer would include these 3 pieces from Danish designer Malene Birger:

A lace mini dress. White (or off-white?). I've been looking for the perfect lace dress since a very long time... One that would not look like a victorian curtain. One that would not look cheap. But one that would be affordable. I would not really call this one affordable, but it sure does look very pretty, romantic and feminine!
The Illione lace dress is here!

For me, the ultimate summer bag is a straw bag. It can be the cheap one, bought at the souvenir shop in Cuba or the Salvatore Ferragamo crazy expensive one, I love them all these days. But Birger's Gaviana bag also have, ahhhhhhhhhh, black leather fringes!!! Yes, you can be in love with a straw bag.

Photos: By Malene Birger

Sequined sexy hotpants! You need to be pretty confident to wear something like that. Personally, I would never dare walking in the streets wearing such a tiny thing, but at a party, yes. And by party, I mean my boyfriend and I at home with a box wine. But I love the way they look on the model, paired with a crisp white shirt! Hot!

Arne Vodder Sideboards

Photo via: Tumblr

How I love sideboards! Especially those designed by Arne Vodder (1926-2009) and produced by Sibast Furniture. Most of them were made around 1958, and they are truly unique with their colourful panels. Vodder, a danish architect and designer was trained by the great Finn Juhl, and his beautiful sideboards made from teak or rosewood are really sought-after today and can reach high prices at auctions. But why not be inspired by Vodder and make your own from a cheaper sideboard bought at the flea market? It may be not the real thing, but it's a good way to give a new life to an old piece of furniture!

Photo via: Tumblr

Photo via: Mid-Centuria

Photo via: Mid-Centuria

Photo via: Lys Vintage

Jens Quistgaard's Dansk Pepper mills

Photo: Nordiska Style

I've been eyeing Dansk pepper mills for quite a long time, and I recently (finally) got one! Dansk re-released 5 of Jens Quistgaard pepper mills in 2009, and this one, the "Jane" was first seen in 1965. They're now made from acacia wood instead of teak, and the current production is no longer made in Denmark. Still, this one, with its wonderful curvy design really looks amazing in real life, and it works pretty well. It's a combined salt shaker and pepper mill, practical and sculptural!

Even though I'm really happy with it, I'd love to invest in some original Dansk mills from the 60's. There's a great book called Danish Pepper: Jens Quistgaard's Teak Pepper Mills by Mark Perlson, a must-have if you want to start a collection, or if you're just interested in Danish modern design in general. 

I also found on Teak Pepper this stunning collection (I'm just a little jealous)!

Sögreni of Copenhagen bicycles

Photo: Sögreni

I'm an urban cyclist. I go everywhere with my bicycle, even in January when I'm in Malmö. In Montreal (famous for its bike thieves...), it's a different story! It's faster than the bus (and more reliable), it's a great exercise, and when you're the lucky owner of such a beauty, you probably just want to ride all day and flaunt it!

This fantastic bicycle is made by Sögreni, a Danish bespoke bicycle shop in the heart of Copenhagen. All bicycles are assembled in Søren Sögreni and his team's workshop, and I love that when you place your order, you can customize your bicycle, you choose the size, the color, the color of the handles and the saddle, the number of gears, etc.

Prices start at 1599 euros. It is expensive. But less that a car. And you pay not only for great design, but also great quality. If you're not ready to spend that much, you can at least give your bicycle a little makeover with new leather handles, or a new set of lights. I really have a soft spot for their bells with their amazing industrial look, available in copper, zinc, brass and steel. It's a great "Made in Denmark" item to bring back from a trip to Copenhagen, and it doesn't take up much space in a suitcase!

Photo: Sögreni

Photo: Mjölk

Laurids Lønborg 70's Egg Warmers

As we had a huge family dinner yesterday, I decided to have a simple breakfast today: eggs and bread (no bacon, no patatoes)! That reminded me that I had these adorable egg warmers, designed in the 70's by Lena Eklund for Laurids Lønborg, Denmark. Bright and bold flowers, great vintage design, I thought they were perfect for my little Easter breakfast! It's not that I really needed egg warmers, but I had the chance to find them in a second hand store in Sweden for almost nothing... And  they look very cute on the table!

Happy Easter!

Photos: Nordiska Style

Verner Panton: Der Spiegel HQ and iconic canteen, Hamburg

Photo: Dennis Conrad via Stylepark

This picture is quite a sad one, as it was taken in October 2011 during the break down of the Spiegel Canteen. I can't believe I never took the time to go to Hamburg to have lunch (and a psychedelic experience) there...

Verner Panton designed what is probably his most famous interior in 1969 for the new buildings of the Spiegel Publishing Group in Hamburg. How could people work when they had access to the coolest swimming pool (destroyed early by a fire, unfortunately), a canteen that makes you feel like you're tripping on LSD, and a snack-bar featuring the best of Verner Panton's designs? I understand why the employees liked to keep their office doors open!

"Panton designed the entrance area with courtyard and lobby, the canteen and the bar areas, the swimming pool for the employees in the basement of the building, the rooms for the editorial conferences and the lounges, as well as the colour schemes for the hallways of the administration or editorial highrise buildings. All designs were his own - lamps, textiles and wall claddings, only the furniture had to be ordered from Knoll International according to his contracts." (Verner Panton)

In 42 years of existence, only the canteen and the snack-bar remained in the original version. When the German news magazine moved house last fall, some of Panton's work moved as well in the new canteen. But most of it has been donated to the Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg, so from Summer 2012, it will be possible to visit the canteen as a room installation. It's not like seeing Panton's designs in the original context, but I'm sure it's worth a visit if you like the work of this master of modern design!

Via Domus

photo: Noshe/Der Spiegel via Stylepark

Via Smow

Via Smow

The Troll Family by Lund & Paarmann

Quick, before Spring, I still have time to dream about this Troll chair! Could a chair look more comfortable? I'm afraid I would stay curled up on it forever if I had one. This fantastic collection, created by Danish designers Oluf Lund and Eva Paarmann, "was inspired by the Nordic troll tales and cold winter days". The seats are made of Icelandic sheepskin, full grain saddle leather and legs are in massive oak.
Unfortunately, I don't think it's a good idea for me to buy one of these. My cat would probably think that an evil beast is trying to intrude into her territory. That poor chair would be ruined in 3 minutes. I'll just keep dreaming about it, I guess!

Images from Lund & Paarman

A cold day in Copenhagen

This is what Copenhagen looked like last Friday. We are in the south of Sweden, so it takes about half and hour to get there by car, even less by train, and we decided to spend a few hours in the Danish capital to do important things (i.e. buy some some liquor for a birthday party). It's funny how when it's time to stock your bar, prices can be so different between Scandinavian countries. Norwegians buy their booze in Sweden, Swedes buy theirs in Denmark, and I guess Danes go to Germany to shop. And Germans go to.... Ok, I disgress, I'll stop before I start writing about my love for gin & tonics.

I just wanted to share a view of the city in the beautiful winter light. Look at the frozen canal, it was so cold, but with warm clothes (I looked very sexy with my long underwear under my jeans) and a few stops for a soup or a hot chocolate, it was actually great! But when is Spring coming again?

 Images from Nordiska Style