trendey

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it right over again again again:.. the decor heros of our times are Granny and Grandpa! They knew how to do it :) Some of the most beloved items in our home were given or inherited from our grandparents. Here’s another tour at Mia’s! First up, the dining area rug – from Mike’s Grandpa. Grandpa Birger in his turn got it from his sister Elin, who was actually born and raised in the neighborhood we live in right now. In other words, this rug has been on a voyage and now, in its old days, come back home.

Next, below, my beloved pendulum clock I got from late Grandpa Sven. He got this clock when he quit his job as a private chauffeur in the 50s. I think it’s the most beautiful vintage clock there is. To the right, ceramic art signed Grandma Tora. She was a ceramic artist, who amongst other things had owls in her repertoire. This artistry is now contined through the trendey-mum (more about her works later)).

Above are details from some lovely rooms featured in Danish magazine RUM June 2010 issue. To the left, pillows made out of ponchos from Peru and rugs from Iran and Yemen create an inviting and homely ethnic/folk traditional look. To the right, a startlingly interesting space (a circus wagon in fact) is made even more interesting by the pretty and colourful folk art textiles. I’m warming up to this style, which is all about handcrafted textiles and furniture, patterns and multi- colours.

Some shopping inspiration below:

[Top left: Suzani bedspread from Yurdan, approx. 200-700 USD; Top right: Chair from Niki Jones 250 GBP; Bottom left: Plant pots from Graham & Green 39.50 GBP; Bottom right: Cushions from Niki Jones 38-60 GBP]

…and reindeer from Lapland on Louis Ghost.

It’s a bit of the metallic trend going on, but it’s also the clever fact that if you keep the floor subdued and neutral, furniture and other decor can sparkle. I’ve never seen a grey carpet being disturbing, quite the opposite: it gives a cozy and snug feeling and adds warmth to the floor. And it works well with almost any style. There are some really nice grey rugs on the market right now:

The warming manga rug series in wool I wrote about earlier (example top left on pic above) and the new Björk (‘Birch tree’) rug from Swedish Lena Bergström for Design House Stockholm (top right pics) are both cozy and desirable. In a sofa arrangement, I fancy round rugs. This 2 m dark grey-almost black one, silk shaggy, (bottom left) comes from TheHome. The company Pappelina is well known for their plastic rugs; bottom right is a metallic grey Svea.

To round off: some grey rug-inspiration in different interior styles.

|photos: HouseToHome|

As the winds blow colder outside and the winter darkness makes us want to curl up, these rugs look more desirable than ever! Patricia Urquiola has designed the rug series Mangas for Gan Rugs. The rugs come in quite unexpected forms -  almost reminiscent of a pair of large, knitted socks or leg warmers. They are designed to be assembled into longer creations. I would love to dress my floors in this!

It’s good to take, the green, green grass into your home…

Table lamp Rya by LampGustaf and moss green rug, Silk Shaggy from TheHome.se

-You’ve got that eco-feeling. -Return to nature. -Green is the colour. Totally trendey!

Eight years ago I bought my first Pappelina rug, his name is Bob (to the right). I’ve always loved this black and white award-winning plastic rug. Some years ago a light brown/vanilla -coloured dotty Vera entered my hallway as well. Now with the new acquaintances Jon & Alice, I feel time has come for a new Pappelina friend.

The company Pappelina was founded in 1998, when Lina Rickardsson returned to Sweden after a couple of years abroad. Plastic rugs were almost forgotten and so she renewed it and made them oh so popular! The rugs are made with a modernized traditional weaving technique from 1948. Although Pappelina now has a wide range of home interior products, the centre of gravity in their assortment is still the plastic rug. This autumn two new designs are born. Meet Jon and Alice, they are an elegant couple.

Jon is wearing a pinstriped suit. He comes in formal black, in red or in pale turqouise. His length can be choosen out of several intervals from 70x100cm up to 70x450cm. Price ranges from approx. £77-£215 (905-2 540 SEK).

Alice wears a classic white checked plaid pattern shirt. She comes in sex variations: coloured with cerise, blue, green, yellow, purple and black. She can be almost as tall as Jon with sizes from 70x100cm up to 70x400cm. Price tag between approx £49 and £175 (570-2 055 SEK)

Have I got a diffucult time now to choose with one to invite home..! Visit Pappelina for more pics and inspiration. I will get back later with a pic on how I integrated my choice of rug at home.

The patriotic trend in interior decorating is still going strong and many furniture and design stores are stocking lots of trendey items with Union Jack motifs at the moment (at least in the UK they are, not sure whether this trend has reached beyond the British borders! =)). Anyway, check out these lovely cushions and throw from Graham and Green, the stylish cake tins from John Lewis, the rather special chair from Jane Hornby and the pretty cushion from Cox and Cox. Aren’t they great!

My favourite Union Jack item is this rug below designed by Vivienne Westwood though (visit the Rug Company for details). However, since I’m not rich as a troll (as the Swedish saying goes) and since the Westwood rug costs around £2,000, I wonder if I could make the rug on the right from Cox and Cox (@ £135, kid not included) look like Westwood’s with a bit of abuse?