maple leaf square

united visual artists created two interesting art installations for the maple leaf square in toronto. that was back in 2010, and i had seen pictures, but i only just came across this video. i especially love the canopy - so beautiful. the bridge is an interactive play of light, which i think is an interesting way for people to literally engage with their city. i'd love for more of these installations to find their way into cityscapes.

tomboy style

here i was thinking i was alone in this world. silly me. i'd never describe myself as a tomboy, but judging from what this blog categorizes as such, at least a part of me definitely is. feels good to know there are others out there who are similarly attracted to men's stuff. says lizzie garrett of her tomboy style blog: "i jumped around in the lifestyle journalism world and felt there was something of a void for a girl like me—i was always more interested in what my husband was reading. i love nail polish and earrings, but i also love sports cars, classic cocktails and duck boots. i wanted to start something that struck that same kind of balance." she has a book coming out with rizzoli in the spring, and i'll be needing one of those thank you very much.

discovered via 770 behind the line, images via tomboy style

american wood

words cannot describe how badly i want to incorporate this wood into every interior i can get my hands on. i have a few projects running and i'm pretty sure i'll get it in somewhere. i can be very convincing. especially when it comes to century-old, authentic american recuperated barnwood. go on, read that sentence again. tell me it doesn't turn you on.
images by eeuwenhout

bicycle portraits

there's something about bikes, isn't there? it's not just the fixie hype, it's more universal than that. in any case, this bicycle portraits project shows another side to bikes as i knew them: somehow more human, more interesting than the bikes that are plastered against the walls of scandinavian homes like design objects.

via the ever amazing miss moss

taste the font

i love the idea behind taste the font: coupling the history of the world's most famous fonts to a taste or a dish. i wouldn't recommend any of the actual recipes, but i do love the way in which the typography is presented on the plate. it's giving me ideas for the table setting at dinner parties.

via @hannes_bhc

sous style

dear god i think i'm in love with a website. it has great photography, lots of food and gorgeous, interesting men on it, so how could i not be? this pippa person, well she's a freaking genius. a photo editor at elle and brooklyn inhabitant, she launched sous style as the digital safe haven for 'a new generation of home makers.' she's basically like a younger, cooler version of martha stewart, or a more refined, sophisticated version of cupcakes and cashmere (one of my fave guilty pleasures). i'll stop the raving now. if you need me, i'll be applying for a job chez pippa.

via wolfeyebrows

i love paper

 

part #583 of my neverending obsession with paper is the discovery of the makerie studio. they're geniuses. i especially love seeing artists like them getting interesting commercial assignments - it means brands are not underestimating their consumers and realize they appreciate cool, creative stuff like this.
via it's nice that

the blog works

i don't usually blog about anything work related, but i can't help myself right now. i'm incredibly proud of the way in which partner-in-crime marie lemaitre and i have shaped our idea for a blogger seminar/workshop into reality. we wanted a stamp, we have a stamp. we wanted cool speakers, we have cool speakers. we wanted intriguing and exciting workshops, well, you get the picture. go check it out, if you like. that's six months of hard thinking and creative work you're looking at.

found muji

so apparently muji is rebranding to 'found muji.' which is a good thing, because if you've ever visited one of their stores, you've seen them all, and the product offer hardly ever changes much. is this manoeuvre part of the trend for retail chains to try and appear more like personal, individual stores offering an experience? if so, i think i may fall in love with muji again, and i might welcome that belgian location after all.
via huhmagazine

a lot in a box

i love these beautifully designed grow boxes. might give them a try next spring - if my little urban 'garden' doesn't make it through winter.
via designworklife's incredibly rad holiday gift guide (check it out!)

thea

i really love these custom designed rose gold rings by belgian emilie duchene. i also like that, despite being heiress to a small fashion imperium, she set out to do her own thing. though i can imagine it helps having a bunch of luc duchene's boutiques to start selling her rings at. keep an eye out for the website, which launches on december 1st.

fly porter

imagine an airline with a sleek brand identity, stylish stewardess uniforms, free access - no matter what you paid for your ticket - to cool lounges decked with imacs, no middle seats (ever!), and snacks that almost look too nicely packaged to actually eat. seems like canadian company porter airlines is something of an online phenomenon, gathering more design-oriented bloggerfans every second, and i kinda see why. they basically offer the feeling of flying first class, at the cost of economy. check out the article design sponge did on the creative genius behind much of it: neal whittington. brussels airlines, are you reading this?

phoneography

not gonna lie, i was pretty proud when one of my snapshots was selected to be part of the first belgian phoneography exposition hosted by A&Gallery. i can't for the life of me figure out why they went for this particular one - i sent in others i thought were nicer - but i'm proud nonetheless. frigging stephan vanfleteren was part of the jury, ladies and gents.
and yes. those are my toes.

cabin porn

 

 

 

 

i'm such a big fan of design-dedicated porn. have you tried googling stair porn yet? it's awesome. as is cabin porn, apparently. never thought i'd see myself living in one, but the versions on this blog make me reconsider. and of course the one on the new york highline is my favorite. did you really have to ask?
(p.s.: the lovely styleabaad and absolutelymrsk drew my attention to bookshelf porn - can't believe i forgot to include that one!)
images via cabin porn

all about eames

i've got four words for you. james franco. eames. documentary.

so really, what's left to say but: hot damn. i need to see this film about my all-time favorite designer duo as if my life depends on it.

via huh magazine

keep it clean

i have a new addiction and it's called totokaelo. not that they carry brands i hadn't heard of before, but it's the way in which they present them. check out the blog for some uberclean styling.
images by totokaelo

dan tobin smith

more typographic arty goodness, this time from dan tobin smith. check out his other work here.
via thisiscolossal (a very cool art and design blog)

little dragon

i just love this. thanks for pointing me in its direction, pablo!

fall feeling

in my book, chicago based brand hound understands 

perfectly what fall should feel and look like.

via wolfeyebrows

beans

i think it's safe to say i have a bean problem. so needless to say, i need one of those coffeespot books the wonderful yves of nottooarty dreamed up. now if only he'll make one for chocolate, too.

typography awesomeness

combining a few of my favorite things - greens, typography, masking tape, cookies and art that is part of everyday life - anna garforth has stolen my heart. i love nearly everything she does - and she does plenty. check out her site to discover more. oh, and of course she has an amazingly inspiring tumblr, too. naturally.

things to do

i really want to check out the exhibition at graanmarkt 13, where three photographers approach their subject on a meta level.
gotta love it when they go meta.
image by aurélien mole

style notes

i'm not always in the mood for spotting style inspiration, but judging by my pinterest feed, now is not that time. i adore the color scheme of the first pic, the twisted scarves in the second, and the combination of greys in different textures of the third. i especially love that all three manage to look thoroughly casual and yet sophisticated at the same time.
images via 1 / 2 / 3

island menu

blogs like this one fill me with joy, until they don't anymore. tell me, is it just me, or is this whole 'getting inspired by a blog' actually pretty exhausting? thing is, i never really know what exactly it inspires me to do. should i get cooking more? should i move to tasmania - or at the very least travel there? there are so many things going through my head - it's almost paralyzing. in the end, i just reblog, pin pictures to my pinterest moodboards and end up buying pretty towels like the ones they use in their pictures. because bringing out the mastercard is just way easier than applying for a different nationality. in any case, be warned before you go check out the origin of these photos above. it's easily the best food and photography blog combined i've ever come across. it might inspire you to do stupid things. or, you know, nothing at all.

all images by island menu