Scandinavian Design Is The Perfect Base For Style Blends That Work Effortlessly

Scandinavian Design Is The Perfect Base For Style Blends That Work Effortlessly

Two years ago, just after buying her first apartment, my sister said "I want to decorate my new place, but I have no idea where to start". Buying an apartment was a major milestone for her and she wanted to get it right. All she knew at this point, is that she wanted to create a beautiful interior she would be proud of...

Parisian Interior Design Style Holds No Secrets With My Eight-Step Guideline!

Parisian Interior Design Style Holds No Secrets With My Eight-Step Guideline!

How many of us would wish to achieve the unique Parisian style in urban interiors? We might long for that deliberate imperfection and artistic flair so specific to Parisian homes. The style is often eclectic, seems effortless and creative expression is at the heart of it. It is both nostalgic and contemporary and is unshakable when challenged by changing, fleeting trends...

(Part 1) Don’t Let Small Spaces Intimidate You. A Small Space Can Still Be Your Dream Place!

(Part 1) Don’t Let Small Spaces Intimidate You. A Small Space Can Still Be Your Dream Place!

I remember when I moved into a relatively small apartment and was faced with the challenge of making it feel like home. I wanted to make the place seem bigger and brighter without making any structural transformations...

Part Two: Hôtel De La Païva – The Intriguing Story Of The Woman Behind The Most Sumptuous “Hôtel Particulier” On The Champs-Elysées

Part Two: Hôtel De La Païva – The Intriguing Story Of The Woman Behind The Most Sumptuous “Hôtel Particulier” On The Champs-Elysées

While La Païva was often described as an overly ambitious upstart, excessive in her need for material goods and uncouth in her way of showing her fortune and possessions, I’d rather explore the reasons that might have led her to adopt certain behavior and what really fueled that determined ambition and drove her to build her extravagant Hôtel Particulier. She was, after all, a courtesan...

Does “Art Nouveau” Have a Place in Contemporary Interiors?

Does “Art Nouveau” Have a Place in Contemporary Interiors?

I recently (almost by chance) came across some beautiful Art Nouveau ad posters, real masterpieces produced between 1890 and 1910. I worked in advertising for many years so you can understand my enthusiasm after seeing these posters. Talented artists like Alphonse Mucha, Jules Chéret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - to name but a few - created a new art style that is forward looking, aesthetically beautiful and detailed, including soft contours, rich embellishments and vivid colors with nature as the main source of inspiration...