Tag Archives: fashion

Classic touch: zebra print rugs


Last week I placed a bid on a zebra print rug on Marktplaats, the Dutch equivalent of eBay. In fact; eBay owns Marktplaats. I bought heaps of stuff from there already and always advice clients to check the many many ads for great finds and pieces.

The seller of the rug only had a slightly odd picture up, but after he accepted my 30 euro bid I decided to go for it. I now obviously hope it’s the gorgeous classy rug I envision. A few images to get your creative juices flowing.

I love how the rug brings the whole room together in this picture.

In this picture the zebra print proves to be a great alternative for a kelim, almost bringing an African flair to a classic room.

Here the graphic pattern of the zebra stripes accentuates the timeless design pieces in this room.

I absolutely love the vintage and bohemian feel of this room. In this case the (fake!) zebras rug is shaped like the hide would be. That’s a great sofa too. Oh, and that chair…. wow… great room!

Check out my zebra moodboard on Pinterest.

Oh, and if you want to go crafty on your home, here’s a wonderfully simple trick to create your own zebra print rug!

 

Another daybed


Loyal reader Arjan commented on my previous post with the suggestion to check out the PK80 by Danish designer Poul Kjaerholm. I found this image that I just had to share as it would’ve surely been included in the post if I had found it. I love the grey faded woods with the credenza combined with the cognac leather upholstered PK80. A true gem this….

PK80 by Poul Kjærholm

The hunt for the affordable buttoned sofa


We are in dire need of a new sofa. Our Ektorp is now almost 7 years old, and is showing signs of unrepairable fatigue. I changed the covers a few times, even dyed white covers in the denim-esque grey they are now. But the time is here to say our farewells. Each time one of us sits down, tiny feathers fly through the air. And with a tie for the sloppiest user between our dog and my significant other, there are stains that are not going anywhere anymore either.

Our sitting room. I have since added an antique chair and a dark green/black glass designer's coffee table where the ottoman is in the picture.

Our sitting room. I have since added an antique chair and a dark green/black glass designer’s coffee table where the ottoman is in the picture. Also, the rug has been replaced with a checkered white/black/grey/beige one. I prefer the one in the picture I think…..

I always like to see what we can find for as little money as possible. The entire sitting area of our living room is now decorated with hand-me-downs, Ikea, thrift store finds and family heirlooms. The combined worth probably exceeds the $1000 max spent on it, even if it might be just in emotional value. But in my humble opinion it also looks as if we spent more than that.  For our new sofa we are looking for something a bit more sophisticated and a bit more mature. But we do like a classic look, so are considering a buttoned design. And as we like the Hollywood Regency style, as well as Palm Springs inspired interiors, we are looking for something a bit retro. Here are a few pictures I collected to inspire us in our hunt.

cool sofa classic tip cheap affordable

Jonathan Adler Lampert Sofa

sofa design tips affordable decorating

Calligaris Manhattan Grace sofa by S. Cavazzana

Chesterfield affordable sofa thrift store

A Chesterfield Inspired sofa. I don’t like the yellow leather (is it leather?) but love the style and how it fits in with, in this case, a thrift store setting. It would look good in our house.

A classic Chesterfield sofa in distressed leather. Love it, but it’s a bit too obvious somehow. I do love how it fits almost every style. And I wouldn’t have to worry about my sloppy house mates.

retro sofa design decorating tips amsterdam

To the one who designed this: For shame! Photographing this lovely sofa in such a dull setting with fake birch laminate floors. Birch laminate… really? This needs to be on a glossy painted black wooded floor, a herringbone parquet floor or a plush carpet. Not on birch laminate!

I guess it’s clear what sort of style we are going for. Classic, but with a retro twist maybe. Buttoned if possible. So let’s say we are again limiting ourselves to $1000 for a new sofa. If we were to buy a Chesterfield it would be through an online auction site like eBay or Marktplaats, so let’s focus on something else for now. I checked Ikea but didn’t find any that I liked. A google search led me to a conspicuous looking and website with the equally conspicuous name fashionforhome.nl.  And guess what? They have tons of sofa’s in a variety of styles suitable to our self-inflicted limited budget! Check out these for instance:

Three seat sofa Chelsea, € 899,00

Three seater Buckingham, € 799,00

 

Three seater Kenley II, € 779,00

I Think the first one is my favourite. Dave likes the second one… Which one do you think we should pick?

 

Masculine Pinks? Valentine inspired interiors


I was going to call this post just ‘masculine pinks’. But I must admit that it is pretty hard if not impossible to find pink interiors that are not feminine. Alas, it’s Valentine’s Day and I must be able to ride the waves of commercialism too so here we go; 5 Valentine inspired interiors. Happy inspirations!