Category Archives: General living and fun stuff

Sack the realtor


In keep with the Dutch blog Foutehuizen.nl, who were featured in an earlier post here, I thought it would be fun to post a few more pictures taken by realtors that need to be sacked; today.

Realtor rake in hefty bucks on the buying and selling of homes of others. For this they are supposed to advice you on how to best buy and sell a home. In my humble opinion, selling a home starts with an attractive presentation. Yet it is shocking to see how often realtors seem to be blindfolded when they take pictures of properties they are about to put on the market.

A recent example I stumbled upon.

Sack the realtor exhibit 1

A nice enough home in a leafy suburb of Amsterdam. Nice sized rooms, big kitchen, back yard bordering a park, it has a lot going for it. Yet this is the picture they decide to use as the main image to present it. A picture my dog could have taken! This is the first impression they want people to have? A weird angle of a cluttered kitchen with cloths hanging in clear view? Bizarre. Especially considering that the realtor in this example usually takes better care. Maybe a momentary lapse of sanity, let’s call it that.

Can you find other examples where the realtor needs to be sacked? Let me know!

Springplank


The Amsterdam shop slash gallery WonderWood commissioned several artists, designers, journalists and other creatives to do something with a wooden panel of the same size. Designer Woes (Woes van Haaften) created this piece. I think it is just superb! Not sure if he intended a deeper meaning, but it speaks of so much it’s hard not to accredit it a political statement.

Springplank by Woes van Haaften

Riviera Maison Spring Collection


Recently I visited the Riviera Maison showroom in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, for the presentation of their 2011 Spring Collection.

Sofa Je ne sais Quoi

The new collection is based on different themes such as Yacht Club and Fairfield Stables; without fail, all of them immediately bringing to mind images of the playgrounds of the well to do in either old or new England. Riviera Maison’s signature is writing on items what they are to be used for. From simple words like ‘books’ or ‘tea’ to more elaborate texts like “Martha’s Vineyard Recipe’s” or “Je ne Sais Quoi” in the back seat of a sofa. One might find it a bit annoying that the basket they bought for toys, has ‘bread’  or ‘laundry’ written on it in elegant and contrasting handwritten letters. However, over all, the collection succeeds in making you believe that with the right furniture and accessories, you too can live the dream. And I can only admire the brand for their sheer persistence and coherence in what they believe works. And it does. Most recently they opened a 700m2 flagship store in Düsseldorf.

Clinton Hill Cabinet

The brand is a hit with consumers willing to splash out a bit, and magazines and websites all over the world have long ago picked up on this.

Club 67 Lounge love seat linen

A little bit of history repeating


CPB 2101 fire screen

CPB 2101 fire screen

His royal hunkiness Swedish Prince Carl Philip had designer aspirations. To prove his abilities he designed a series of cutlery and more recently, this cast iron fire screen. The design has historical references: On May 7th 1697, a large fire broke out in Tre Kronor castle in Stockholm, burning most of it down to the ground. It has since been restored, but this screen works as a constant reminder of what fire can do. Set in the fireplace, it will be almost like a small theater stage, with the blazing fire behind the black iron.

Available exclusively through Svenskt Tenn, a Swedish high-end department store.