Imm Cologne 2016

This Saturday I got up early to meet up with a small group of fellow bloggers to travel to Cologne & visit the fair "Imm Cologne". We were invited by Thonet to visit their stand & hear all about the history of this iconic brand. A range of new designs were also presented at the Thonet stand like the "Bentwood Table 1060", their in and outdoor collection "Thonet All Seasons" and the "Lounge Programme 860". The collections show that Thonet is a classic design brand that will never get out of style!

I had a great and inspiring day, thanks Thonet for inviting us!

After our tour on the Thonet stand we took a little walk to Design Post which was very close to the fair. Design Post is a showroom open for design fanatics and professionals (like architects and retailers), with international interior design brands who show their latest collections. As you can see we were surrounded by beautiful designs, shapes and colours...

Back to the fair we payed a visit to String (what's not to like?!) and again it was very nice to learn more about the story of this brand. The stand was beautiful with a lot of black and white. As you know I'm a big fan of colour but I can certainly appreciate a dose of black and white from time to time! I was also very impressed by the "String Works" collection with an adjustable desk which is perfect for a flexible work environment!

After admiring the String collection, we had some time to wander around the fair on our own. I made a selection of my favourite images so take a look!

Beautiful, deep & soft tones at Menu:

Loved these shades of red, rust brown and orange together at Muuto:

Cutest clock ever by the Japanese brand Karimoku New Standard:

"Das Haus" designed by Sebastian Herkner:

"Guest of Honour Sebastian Herkner is designing a round, transparent version of "Das Haus" for the international interiors show imm cologne that is open on all sides. It is circular, more or less transparent and has almost no solid wall elements. Nonetheless, Sebastian Herkner's house promises to be a sensual experience – a house that is soft and aromatic, colourful and communicative, and which is able to change its form like a chameleon."

Artek for Vitra:

This brand I wasn't yet familiar with but I was pleasantly surprised by the collection of the Danish brand "Woud":

How amazing are these marbled tables by Snedker Studio?! After years of experimenting, Pernille  Snedker Hansen has developed a technique to create these beautiful marbled patterns on wood and paper. Here you can read more about the process: http://www.snedkerstudio.dk/process

Again dark, deep tones and rusty shades at &Tradition:

Something different at Petite Friture! Cool styling, materials, colours and prints at this original brand from France.

Fresh colours and shapes at Harto from Paris:

Pictures by Marij Hessel

Elle Decoration Live

Almost two weeks ago I visited the Elle Decoration Live event in Amsterdam. This relatively small event was held at the beautiful and impressive Posthoornkerk. With such an intimate event, a location like this could be overwhelming but this was not the case at all. There was a great vibe and just enough design & inspiration one can handle on a Saturday! At the entrance there was a little Etsy exhibition and when I walked a bit further there was a range of stylerooms decorated with beautiful design pieces to drool over. A lot of interesting readings were held at this event but I chose to just wander around a bit and just enjoy the live music, drinks, bites and creative brands and people!

I didn't know what to expect from the Elle Decoration Live event but I'm glad I took the time to visit because I had a great & inspiring afternoon!

Pictures by Marij Hessel

Gevonden op Marktplaats Wintersalon

Last Friday I payed a visit to the pop up store "Gevonden op Marktplaats Wintersalon" in Amsterdam. The first edition of this original concept took place in June 2014 which I wrote about here. Immediately I was a fan of this idea and again founder Julien Rademaker made beautiful and inspiring compositions. Julien has been a collector for years and decided to share his favourite finds on his blog. As you can see, he has a great eye for design and styling. 

For the next couple of months (untill the end of January) everything at the shop / exhibition is for sale, I especially loved the collection of graphic art! I must say this temporary shop is definitely worth a visit! You can find the Wintersalon on the KNSM-Laan 301 in Amsterdam.

Pictures by Marij Hessel

Designday Maastricht

This Saturday I visited Designday in Maastricht which was a pretty long drive but totally worth it! It was the 10th edition of this design event including young and/or new designers that are very approachable to talk to about their brand & products. A lot of designers were new for me so it was great to talk to some of them and hear about the story behind their designs. I would like to share with you some of my favourites!

Pou-Belle Design stands for innovating products made from disposable materials. This vase is still a prototype and is made out of concrete and recycled (and now powder coated) PET bottles found on the street! Who knew waste could look this good?!

"Wanderlust", a design created by students of Fontys, an academy for creative industries. A piece of art that you can share with your friends and take with you on your journeys and trips to make you feel at home wherever you are!

A very strong presentation by V3RS, an Eindhoven based design duo committed to hightech craft and innovative design. The "Shades Pendant" is a dimmable pedant lamp where the transparency of the 3D printed material creates a colour gradient.

Ikruitfabriek: Ingrid Kruit designed an impressive collection of lamps made with different kinds of wood, built up layer by layer. Especially for Designday, Ingrid made a new design inspired by an old miners lamp from Limburg.

The Belgian Studio Sergeant, consisting of three young designers, stands for honesty, functionality & happiness. The playful "Jeanne" stools are made of oak and climbing rope. The "Daniel" table is a design inspired by quasicrystals. You can create a big table by combining smaller tables with each other. I love the colours!

This big and impressive industrial "Wecklamp" is a design by Chris Ruhe, a traditionally trained joiner. It comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes so every design is a unique piece. 

Francoise Oostwegel shows a collection of graphic & modern lamps. Designing the "Lamp Zuid" collection, Francoise was inspired by the Limburg province in the South of The Netherlands. For the wood she selected a Limburg style type of oak wood because of the beautiful wood grain and the fact that oak trees grow in her hometown. I love the combination with copper!

These organic shaped side tables are designed and made by It's Latta. The patterns and combination of wood with ceramics were very surprising!

Pictures by Marij Hessel