Storyteller.

If I could name this shelving unit (maybe a bookcase? room divider?) I would definitely call it Storyteller. It takes me straight back to my childhood...

You can build the house of the dreams of your books and magazines.

The detail is the flowers little spaces

By the way, the product is called Street

Click here for more products by A2, a Swedish furniture brand owned and established by the design studio A2 designers.

Detail Detail Detail | Bus Stop.

A bus stop is a non-place, which is a place of transience that do not hold enough significance to be regarded as "places".

When I took this photo I could only visualize this concept but reversed. These wooden kitchen chairs, which I imagine locals brought in, give all the significance a place needs to be part of someone's routine.

I look at it and I see a shelter, a meeting point, a chatting room. The TWO chairs invite to a friendship.

I don't argue that a bus stop in London, New York or even Lisbon is a non-place, but in small villages I am sure it has a different soul, don't you think?

Please click on the picture to enlarge.

Marc Augé coined the phrase "non-place" | Introduction to an anthropology of supermodernity - A good essay to read over the weekend.

"A Soul To The Things We Call Inanimate".

Probably I've said before everything (and everyone) is linked to a story in my own story or rather history. It's a character in the physical world. Has a personality. A life.

The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

Piles Of Books.

Last week I posted about books as a decoration feature in our living and working spaces. Today I found a few more pictures on my archive that I'm using on my studio moodboard. Do you like them?

Books market in Paris by the river.

My friends pile of books. Love it!

Art installation at The V&A last summer.

My pile of books (magazines and newspapers) on a Sunday afternoon.

Little Side Note: I changed my Blog layout. Do you like it?

Books As A Decoration Statement.

Today I've started to plan my next little studio. Walls are already immaculate white waiting for my intervention.

Books display is an important feature in anywhere I live or work and these pictures I took early this month at Merci in Paris are a great source of inspiration. Always loved walls filled with books from top to bottom.


Next to a wall like this, specially if in your studio or living room, an armchair is a must have. What's better than seating comfortably with a cup of tea checking which books you need for your next project or what you're going to read next?

What's your most important feature where you work?

Related articles
Eclectic Space By Contemporary Friend
My Favourite Wall
Reading Is A Very Personal Thing

My Favourite Wall #2

One of the things I have lots of pleasure to do as a creative person are my walls of inspiration. Some of the things I see or read make some kind of impact on my thoughts, and the reaction is to cut and collage them on a wall in my living space.

Do you have a inspiration wall? Share with us.

This is the last one I've been building. Small yet thoughtful.

Exactly the perspective from my chair.

This one is not a wall of inspiration as the above, but it is indeed one of my favourite corners in the house. I like to seat on my armchair, look at the pile and pick either a book, a film or a magazine for the moment. It's is another source of inspiration, isn't it?

My Favourite Wall #1

An Eclectic Space by a Contemporary Friend.

To write about a space we know, it can be easy, but about the space of a best friend can be tough, especially if we want to be objective (and not telling funny stories we lived together).

Cláudia and I are friends since we’re 6 years-old. We went to primary school together and since then we’re best friends.
A very cosmopolitan girl with special love for music and films, she’s the Chief Content Officer at SubFilmes, a television production in the Capital.
Living in one of Lisbon's prime location called Graça, her flat is in a building which was once a Manor House. A few years ago it was converted into flats and original features like doors and wooden floor were kepted.

The space is quite small yet with lots of character and many beautiful touches I would like to share in here.

A space always reflects who uses it and this one is no exception, but what I really like about it are the objects with stories to tell you’re surrounded by, the key to style a home. From inherited possessions to purchases around other cosmopolitan world cities, she has it all.

For years I’ve been convincing Cláudia to leave this book wall as it is. She argues it’s not practical (which is not) and I argue it’s the main feature in the space. So far, I’ve won.
The floor lamp was inherited from her mum, which was acquired in the 1960’s in Germany.

Everything’s simple, in pure harmony.

Though white is the main color, textures and patterns are everywhere, which makes the space very balanced and cosy.
The 1960’s rug was as well inherited. Earthy colors and round shape brings pretty well all the surrounding objects.

Over scaled wallpaper pattern in the bedroom makes an interesting contrast with the wooden frame door, doesn’t it?

As you walk to the terrace, there’s this beautiful painting on the kitchen wall. Perfection.

Look at the view! A key element to live perfect lifestyle, isn't it?
Top of the hill you can see one of the most important churches in the city – Igreja da Graça (Graças’ Church).

So, what's your spatial key feature?

Reading Is A Very Personal Thing.

Last Tuesday I went to The School of Life in London to attend this course on “How To Read” by Cathy Haynes .

When I first read about the course’s content I thought “maybe I’ll find answers for my endless questions about ‘technicality of reading’ or ‘am I reading as I suppose to?’ or ‘how can I read faster?’ and another one that really bothers me ‘am I getting the message in here?’…

It was a three hour course where we discussed the benefits of reading, dangers of reading and what to read next. We’ve touched social anxiety, which I believe we all suffer from: the ‘classics’ you have to read otherwise you’re tagged “illiterate” and the books we discuss but never read (loved this one); and we did very interesting tasks like “map your own reading history – and you’ll find out you went through different joys and woes, sources of encouragement, obstacles to pleasure and aspirations for future”.

In the end of the day, what I actually learned was that everyone is different; there are no rules on how we should or not do things. If you want to read a story fragment, read; if you want to read the same book every summer, just do it; and if your conclusion is different from your gig friend; let it be – reading is a very personal thing. Let it grow on you. Enjoy the process.

Every time I buy a new book I write location and year followed by my expectations on that book (because we all judge a book by its cover). And when I finish it I write what I got from it – it’s amazing how different my comments are. And more interesting is when you flick through a couple of years later.
Mark books, underline little details that make a difference to you, write comments or thoughts, draw and add lose pages you grab from different medias – make your reading a hobby not a duty.


I’ve given away many things in my life: bags, shoes, jackets, coffee machines, furniture I’ve designed, jewellery but never books. I’ve boxes and boxes in Portugal waiting to be shipped, but I could never give them away. Why is that?

Wander About.

Marcel Wanders is probably one of my favorite designers. His spatial interventions, products and sketches make me really wonder. Everything is quite clean and poetic yet bold.

I truly admire the reality of arts and crafts hand in hand in his design: he gives that personal touch everyone looks for in contemporary design, whether in space or objects.

The Crochet Chair photographed at Design Art Fair, London - 2007

Interesting links:
“Marcel Wanders: Daydreams,” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Marcel Wanders: Behind The Ceiling - The book
“I hate camping… But I love lounging in style” Wanders & Puma

.
Related Articles
A White Knitted Christmas
Polka Dots Xmas

Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture

Quite often I get inspiration from fashion design and when I saw this book in the V&A Bookshop I thought “another fashion book, lets flick it through…”. But actually it’s not another one. It’s a fantastic compilation of projects Louis Vuitton did in collaboration with architects like Shiguro Ban, artists like James Turrell and product designers like Ron Arad.


“A symbol of elegance and the french art de vivre, Louis Vuitton has cultivated a close relationship with the world of art since its founding in 1854.
LV’s interest in the arts grew sure strength in the 1980’s when it began working with painters like César, Sol LeWitt and Olivier Debré.
Collaborations between LV and other artist have taken a variety of forms: shop window design, site-specific art installations for stores, exhibitions at the Espace Culturel on the top floor of the Champs-Élysées flagship store, and the acquisitions of new works for the house’s own collection.
Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture offers a critical selection of the creative exchanges between LV and an ever-growing list of artists, architects, photographers and designers.” – Edited Preface (published by Rizzoli New York).

Shop window design at Selfridges, November 2009 London (day time).

Shop window design at Sloane Street, November 2009 London (night time).





My favourite object/space from LV - The Travel Trunks (since 1854) and the Wardrobe created in 1875.

Zaha Hadid interpreting the bucket. (Exhibition in the Design Museum, London)




Interesting Links:
LVMH Group
LV Journeys Awards

I would love to see a collaboration between LV and Richard Serra, probably my #1 spatial artist.

Pavilion of Art Design London.

"A designer can never be original. Everything I use or apply comes from the existing world. I simply give it a personal touch but I don’t invent anything. A designer’s greatest achievement is to change the perspective of things a little" – Jurgen Bey


Carpenters Workshop Gallery London UK

Vincent Dubourg
Nouvelle Zélande
2009
Steel
Edition of 8 + 4AP

Recomended Books:
"Limited Edition - Prototypes, One-offs and Design Art Furniture" by Sophie Levell
"Design / Art - Limited Editions" published by Stichting Kunstboek


Todd Marrill Studio Contemporary New York City USA

Joseph Walsh
Formations Dining Table
2009
Burr Olive Ash and Olive Ash
Edition of 12 Unique Variations

Recomended Books:
"Modern Americana - Studio Furniture From High Craft to High Glam" edited by Todd Merrill & Julie V. Iovine

You can find all these books at the V&A Bookshop
.
Related Articles
Elegance Is Frigid

Eclectic Inspiration.

These spaces were styled between 2004 and 2009, both in London and Lisboa. Some of them still exist, others don’t.
I find in these photographs a fantastic source of colour, geometry, patterns and textures.


Vintage cabinet. Decorative paintings. Fashion, design and theory books.


Ikea coffee table and plant. French hat. Favourite handbag. Habitat candels. Design, photography and fashion magazines.


Bespoke bookshelves in wengé veneer. Habitat lamp. Bespoke red & purple cushions. Spanish chaise-long.

Purple velvet curtain. Personal objects.

.

Related Articles

AnEclecticBedroom

StripeIt

Stripe it again.

Simplest of patterns. Maximum impact. Extremely elegant. Impossible not to be noticed. Timeless. Stripes forever.

An home office I’ve designed a couple of years ago – Braga, Portugal.
The concept was pretty simple: a splash of colour, keeping the space balanced.
In one wall I’ve designed the stripes (bottle green & white), the other is totally green (where the window is) and the other 2 walls are pure white.

Bespoke painted stripes and white Ikea shelves.

“Communicating with patterns – Stripes (handy book on stripes @ V&A bookshop)

More stripes and green inspiration.

Fabrics – Designers Guild.

Stripes in perspective.

“All my life I have sought the simplicity of a single line” – Antoine Watteau.

.
Related ArticlesStripeIt