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!

Urban Outfitters Holiday Catalog 2009 was released today. In view of this, I have selected some UO fav’s!

On the chair there’s a Fracture Geo Faux Fur Throw Blanket – cosy, stylish and seemingly very soft with a fuzzy faux fur at the front and a woven cotton back with a contrasting geometric pattern and broken-in feel. It provides several options….Next to that, the best owl-piece I’ve seen lately! An Own Lantern – will undoubtely brighten the days ahead with its strong colour and wise face…I also like the rug that looks like a fancy wallpaper – the Vibrant Wallpaper Printed Rug. The sculpture right surely is special! It’s a Dollhouse Chairs Jewelry Stand – multiple seated facets and petite chair legs takes care of all your pretty little things..

Santa? you there? You took notes on this, right?

French-style bedrooms are romantic and sophisticated as well as seriously trendey. To create a French look, stick to one colour theme (for example pale blue, green, gold or pink) and team with distressed or whitewashed furniture. A sumptuous chandelier, soft floor-length curtains with tassle tiebacks and some antique items to give a shabby chic feel will further add to the look. And most importantly, allow a fab French style bed to take centre-stage in the room! I love the dramatic carved headboards of Louis XIV-style beds – if it’s good enough for royalty it’s good enough for me I reckon! :)

Take a look at these examples (both from the Living etc gallery)