Quaint & Rustic in Italy

I am preparing for a ten day's art class in Umbria, Italy this fall. (More on that when we return). Here is another place - Albergo Diffuso in Sextantio S. Stefano, I've been contemplating for another art course in Italy. It's VERY rustic, and reading the visitors comments on TripAdvisor, many of the beautiful rooms have very small windows and are poorly lit, so they may very well be too dark to work in, should the weather be bad. What do you think? Would you stay in a quaint Italian village & hotel like this? 

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Rethink your table settings

Bringing nature to your table via wooden plates and cutlery may not be the most practical, perhaps? But it is very trendy. Very right now. At flee markets you may still find beautiful wooden items for almost nothing. Prefer new ones? Check out british designer Gary Allson's wooden plates, bowls and cutlery below. More at Gary Allson Design

Below: plates of wood and clay from Mollys Cafe Istanbul in Istanbul:

DIY: Ice Lantern Tutorial

Do you have winter where you are? 

Why not try this welcoming lantern?

All you need is two (different size) containers/buckets

and some decorations like branches, leaves, spices, slices of fruit etc.  

1. Put the smaller bucket inside the big one. 

2.  Place something heavy in the small bucket to keep it down.

3. Add water up to the brim in the space between the two buckets. 

4. Place your decorations in the water, 

using some of it to fix the small bucket in the center of the big one. 

5. Place the buckets outside to freeze.

6. If you've greased the outside of the small bucket and the inside of the big one, 

it is easier to remove the two buckets from your new ice lantern.

7. Place a candle inside and you're in business.

(Photo: Studio Dreyer Hensley)

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Des

DIY Beautiful Christmas Felt Ornament Tutorial

 These beautiful, felt ornaments are made by The Purlbee. Looks like snowballs, right? 

You'll find the detailed tutorial here. Happy sewing! 

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design

DIY Trendy Polygons ideas for your Christmas Decorations or Gift Wrapping

If you're into polygons, the web is full of sites and blogs with great instructions on how to make your own. I've collected some great gift packaging ideas here. Click on the links for details and how-to instructions. 

Jag letade efter idéer till att göra egna paket till lite smågrejer jag skall sälja. Till min glädje hittade jag en hel rad finfina websidor och bloggar med utförliga beskrivningar på allt annat än fyrkantiga paket. Precis vad jag behöver. Nu är det bara att införskaffa lagom tjocka papper och börja experimentera. Gillar du geometriska former, finns det utmärkta beskrivningar online som detaljerat visar hur du kan göra egna pappersprismor att hänga i granen eller i fönstret. Kanske behöver du en ny liten väska för småsaker? Då finns det beskrivningar till det också. Lycka till! Idé & bild ovan t.v från save-on-crafts. 

Bild ovan till höger och nedan: vik din egen pyramid i valfritt material och storlek. Bara att följa de enkla handledningarna från nicholeheady. 

Praktiskt paket med mallar och beskrivningar på hur du kan göra egna pyramider och andra polygoner kan du köpa av etsysäljaren Field Guide Design. Nedan: vintage metallpyramider från Etsy. 

Ovan: julpaket från polkadotprintsstudio. 

WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design
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Old Disused Stoneware Factory come to life again - Wallåkra

I recently visited Wallåkra, a small village in the south of Sweden. I came to see an textile/embroidery exhibition, and found an 150 year old, disused Stoneware Industry turned into a Cultural Center. I instantly fell in love with the old brick buildings, and the beautiful surroundings. What was once an old Industry, using the clay and coal in the ground, is today the studio for four ceramic designers.
The area also include a small restaurant, a shop and coffee bar, a "stage" for concerts in the summer, and much more. Here are a few of photos of what you can find at this must-see place, just outside Helsingborg in Skåne. More info at their Facebook page and website.

Some info in Swedish, based on an article in the Swedish newspaperHelsingborgs Dagblad 13 juni 2014:
Ugnen går fortfarande varm på en av Sveriges sista stenkärlsfabriker, Wallåkra Stenkärlsfabrik i Helsingborg. Med 150 år av traditioner i ryggen har keramikern Åsa Orrmell (se videon nedan) skapat en inspirerande mötesplats för både turister och lokalbefolkning. För några år sedan fick hon Svenskt kulturarvs eldsjälspris. Och när fabriken behövde renovera den gamla, uttjänta ugnen fick hon engagerade människor att ställa upp och bidra.
Verksamheten på Wallåkra består idag av keramikverkstad, butik, restaurang och en livaktig eventverksamhet med bland annat ljusstöpning och drejning. Varje sommar har man även uppskattade grillkvällar med levande musik. Läs hela artikeln här.



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How to Celebrate Swedish Midsummer + a DIY flower garland

Friday, June 20, we celebrate Midsummer here in Sweden. I know it's the wrong night (the Summer Solstice is June 21 this year) but the authorities have decided that the official celebrations of Midsummer in Sweden is a Friday, so.... Happy Midsummer!
As usual we celebrate with lots of food, singing and dancing. Old and young, men and women - everyone sport a flower garland as they dance 'round the decorated Maypole. Want to get in the spirit? Check out this video Swedish Midsummer for Dummies:

Our Midsummer is all about flowers.

Wild flowers in the Maypole and the wreaths.

Garden beauties decorate the dinner tables.

Hope you'll have a great weekend too!

Below is a description (in Swedish - hope Google can help out) on how to make your own Midsummer Wreath. (It's a repost from last year, but well worth repeating.)

1. Mät huvudets omkrets

2. Gör en stomme av hyfsat tjock ståltråd med samma omkrets som huvudet

3. Vira grön floratejp eller ett grönt band runt tråden

4. Plocka rikligt med blommor, vackra gräs & ax och gröna blad, som ger stadga åt kransen. (Undvik maskrosor som ger fläckar och kan klia.)

5. Klipp blomstjälkarna ganska korta

6. Bestäm hur "spretig" kransen skall vara och fäst blommor, blad med mera runt stommen med en tunn myrtentråd (finns i blomsteraffären. Bättre än garn som ofta går av. Bättre än ståltråd, som kan vara svår att hantera).

7. Håll kransen fräsch länge genom att duscha den med blomsprutan och lägg i en plastpåse i kylskåpet över natten.

Glad Midsommar!

Rustic and raw living Wabi Sabi Style

I love visiting my friend's old farm in Östersund, in the north of Sweden. There are all together eight houses on the land - three of them are homes, dating back to 1710. The big house (above left) was built 1816. As you can see from my photographs I can't get enough of all the naturally aged materials. Wabi Sabi living, if ever there was one! I will show you more images from this wonderful farm in coming days. Until then - enjoy the holiday season wherever you are.  

Above: love the way someone has practiced his signature on a piece of paper found in the house. Below: the view from the train of the passing Swedish countryside

WABI SABI interior design art photography

Swedish Design in the Front line

One of many favorite design firms, are the (many times over) award winning Swedish design team Front. I have blogged about their work before, and they keep coming up with new unique designs. With a twist.... 

Remember the Blow Away vase? Here are a few examples of what they'd done since. 

First, the Axor shower system for Hansgrohe. In their own words: We were inspired by water pathways in their most original form. We wanted to draw attention to the hidden aesthetics of technology in a particularly elegant way, turning pipes, joints, valves and funnels into a new shower set.  

The chair Collage (above and below) is part of a series of furniture, that has its origins in the archives of this 150 year old Swedish firm Gemla. Throughout the design process, tools and shapes from the past have been re-used, enhanced and complemented. 

The Elle Deco Winner chair (above) is in the shape of two joined arches and made of wood and upholstered leather. 

The Mikado Cupboard (below) for Porro, is an a transparent structure made of olive ash. The result is a piece of furniture somewhere between a vitrine and a cupboard... 

This year the London Design Museum nominated the Surface Tension Lamp (above) for the Designs of the Year 2013.  

The striped mattress (below) is made for the Italian firm Morfeus 

WABI SABI interior design art photography