A really cool & creative Christmas present for everyone Young at Heart

Looking for a really cool and unique present? Here is one! My blog friend Jenny Brandt over at dosfamily.com has made a really cool coloring book, based on her photographs of her kids, and traced by her graphic designer husband Jens. To make it all happen she is using crowdfunding, and if you like her idea and want to support her project, then pop over to Indiegogo and order your copy of her El Coloring Book Ridiculoso (which will be delivered worldwide in time for Christmas). Prices range from $10 to $150. If you just want to support her book project, you can donate $3. If you want a unique coloring book, based on you own photographs (!) then you pay $1000. Check out all the different items and prices here. If you prefer to read about this project in Swedish, please go here. 

WABI SABI interior design art photography

Scandinavian Glass

Have I mentioned that I love glass? Glass sculptures, vases or the odd drinking glass placed on a windowsill. Love the way crystal glass reflects rays of light far into a room. Or a colored piece of glass making patterns on a wall. I guess I'm lucky then to live in a glassmaking country, with glass factories that dates way back. Unfortunately people are not ready to pay what it cost to make glass the way they did in the old days, (as seen in the pictures below from Orrefors Kosta Boda), and most glassworks are now closed. Who can compete with pressed or cast glass from the Far East? If you, like me, are passionate about handcrafted glass, you are still able to see how it's made, if you visit the Orrefors Kosta Boda glassworks in the south of Sweden. I've borrowed the images below, from inside the glassworks, from the Orrefors or Kosta Boda facebook pages, and the images of the amazing glass products are from the the Orrefors Kosta Boda website, which also has a webshop. My own favorite? Quite possibly the green globe with the golden house on top. Pure love. And the champagne glasses below, aren't half bad either! What kind of glass products do you like? (Nope, this post wasn't sponsored.)

For more than two and a half century, glass has been produced in Sweden. Up until recently the budding glass workers were trained by the masters in the midst of regular production. They were allowed to practise, fail and practise again, finally to succeed.

WABI SABI interior design art photography

Beautiful slow design by Andrea Brugi

I've written about Andrea Brugi's beautiful wooden craft before, 

and here some new images from his studio in Italy. 

Andrea Brugi: I never decide how a piece should look. 

It is the grain and the shape of the piece of wood that determines the final result. 

You may find his work at the SlowFashionHouse online. 

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design

Black And White Knitting Norwegian style

Have I mentioned that it's really, really cold in Sweden right now? Lots of snow (as in traffic chaos), fire burning in the iron stove inside. And I've got my beloved Lusekofta to keep me warm. It's such a clever design. The pattern isn't "just" decoration. Because you knit the whole cardigan with two threads, it becomes as warm as a jacket! I bought my yarn (grey and white wool) while touring Lofoten/Norway some years ago, and knitted my Lusekofta (using a circular needle) during that stay. 

If you feel like making your own, there are lots of traditional, and modern patterns to download online. I searched the word Seterdal (the name of the rural area in Norway, which has given its name to the traditional pattern in these pictures) and found among others Garnstudion. Just remember to chose one size too big - the double yarn tend to make the cardigan tight. Good luck knitting! 

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design

Slow Design...

source unknown

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design

Wooden tableware by Masaaki Saito

The other day I showed you a picture of some wooden spoons, made by the Japanese carpenter/designer/artist Masaaki Saito. 

Here are more examples of his beautiful, handmade tableware. His wooden plates bring me back to 17 century daily life in Sweden (and other places?) before china, metal and glassware was on every man's table. 

I found these images (which I've edited a bit to fit this format) here, 

where there are lots more images of his work and studio.  

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design
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An old barn comes to life

Yes, it's quite obvious, isn't it? I am trying to catch up, after a few busy weeks, with yet another update: Would you believe this is the interior of an old barn? 

Ruinelli Associati Architetti have redeveloped by an old, abandoned barn in Soglio, Switzerland, using much of the original features and materials such as stone and wood. 

All that beautiful wood! The building sits on a slope
and is now a three story building of 110 mq on each floor. 

On the top floor is the master bedroom + en suite bath and a loggia, with a stunning view of the historic village. Love the new materials: smooth concrete, raw solid oak and welded steel. Yes please, I would move in any day. Wouldn't you? 

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design
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Lundberg Design: Beautiful Work in Wood and Steel

When I saw the stunning table in Wolfgang Behnken's new Hamburg home (which I wrote about here yesterday) I was reminded of Olle Lundberg's beautiful designs in wood and metal, as seen in these pictures:

Olle Lundberg is a Californian based architect, but with such a name I suspect he is of Swedish origin.Lundberg primarily works with salvage wood and metal in his own studio, where he and his collegues create stunning objects for private and public spaces

I love the different designs for wood storage, that Lundberg has designed for his own cabin in Cazadero

Lundberg Design excel in metal designs of all sorts: stairs, railings, hangers, sliding cabinet doors, practical kitchen tables etc. Apart from his San Francisco home, a re-designed ferry boat (!), he and his wife love to escape to their cabin up north in Cazadero - a woody, simple, airy house, largely built of reused material

Images from New York Times and Lundberg Design. 

Trendspotting: 2012-2013 is all natural and slow design

The future is even more about natural materials and colors produced locally. Slow design in shades of grey, carrot-orange, beet-red etc. All according to trend forcaster Li Edelkoort and Swedish stylist, Lotta Agaton. Read Lottas full trend report here.

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Check out my other blog Creative Living here.

Translation (well, sort of...)

Softer then soft

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Snabblänkar till årets inredningsprogram på TV:

Bygglov | Room Service | Sommar med Ernst | Äntligen Hemma

Nyskapande inredning & arkitektur

Den norsk-amerikanske arkitekten Roald Gundersen skapar hus och inredningar av hela trästammar, som han böjer och formar för att passa olika behov. Han skapelser liknar inget annat, och är ett helt nytt sätt att se på material & formspråk:

I en intervju i norska Aftenposten beskriver han sin arkitekturfilosofi så här: Bygninger laget av hele trestammer er ikke bare vakre å se på, de er også sterke, trygge, miljøvennlige og økonomisk fornuftige.

Hele trestammer er 50 prosent sterkere enn vanlig, hugget tømmer, fordi årringene i treet holder trefibrene samlet. Dette gjør at vi kan bruke mindre trær, i stedet for å kutte ned trær fra gammel skog.

Resultatet er et byggemateriale som er mye lettere å få tak i, og som er mer fornybart.

Läs mer i New York Time eller norska Aftenposten.

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Snabblänkar till årets inredningsprogram på TV:

Bygglov | Room Service | Simon & Thomas | Sommar med Ernst | Äntligen Hemma

Råd & tips från din Mormor

Splitter ny handbok från Longacre Press downunder TIPS FROM YOUR NANA.

Från förlagets webbplats:

Tips from your Nana is designed to empower you, with a minimum of effort on your part. It will help you save the environment, it will help you save society and better yet — let’s face it, we’re children of our time — it will help you save money.

Hidden in pockets of our world are people who still know how to do stuff. Many of them have been brought together in this book to show you how to do a range of basic things in a straightforward way — without complicated equipment or ingredients. From growing organic veges, to turning them into preserves, to throwing the scraps to your happy backyard chickens — you can do it!

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Snabblänkar till årets inredningsprogram på TV:

Bygglov | Room Service | Simon & Thomas | Sommar med Ernst | Äntligen Hemma