Interior happiness

I am not handy. Nonetheless, handwork can ease my mind. The repetition brings peace.

Sometimes nice, simple tablecloths are hard to find, but a basic one is simple to make, just sew the border with the sewing machine. But I had an idea to do something a little more creative  I had done some crochet when I was little, but couldn’t remember how to do it at all. So my friend and I watched some Youtube videos and we started with a Granny Square. I bought all colors, and it is going to be beautiful, once finished. The thing is, it takes so much time. (I hope to write a post on my finally finished Granny Square in the Summer.)  But in the meantime I started with a single long chain, the length of the outline of the piece of fabric I bought. I added two rows so it became a small curly board. First I stitched a rim to the fabric, and afterwards I stitched the crochet border to the fabric, with a loose stitch since it is a bit stretchy.

I got a simple but pretty result, and it wasn’t expensive. But it took me more time than expected. One important advice: use cotton thread because it is easier to put in the washing machine. And one more thing, I washed the crochet border separately before I sewed it to the fabric.
It is fun though, to just try – just mingle different patterns – and be creative. As to ideas, you can find a lot on Youtube or in books and magazines on crochet.

Good luck!

Maybe I should change the title to Wallpaper Worries. And maybe the category “interior happiness” doesn’t apply perfectly. Interior nightmare would be more honest. But after a long trek through the jungle mess, I am finally happy with my banana leaf wall, and this is what counts.

The wallpaper addiction came from many magazines, one of them Vogue Living, and I got infected by tropical vibes as I walked through our lovely yard in Puglia. There was one wall in our living room that seemed perfectly fit for a new look. I took my time, comparing, checking prices and colors … Through an interior designer I got a few samples and I finally decided to go for a chic–expensive yes–but marvelous well known French brand. Our own painter would hang the paper, as he had done so before. The thick and not so flexible (but beautiful!) wallpaper arrived with many instructions.
And then, after it was attached to the wall it looked beautiful–but only from afar.  Close up, many, many wrinkles were disturbing the vision. They will fade slowly, our dear painter promised, wait till tomorrow morning. With high hopes, I entered the living room the next morning.  All wrinkles were laughing in my face. Continue Reading

A few weeks ago we – three friends and I – hopped on a train to Brussels. It was an exceptional (for Belgium) clear blue day. We had tons of time to catch up on the train, thanks to the perfectly organized railroad system in our tiny country. It gives you so much more time than you need to go from A to B.

More than ready for our first coffee after arriving at Central Station. My friend knew the perfect spot: the instrument museum at the Kunstberg. The beautifully restored Art Nouveau building is a masterpiece by itself.

We took the old elevator to the top floor.  While nibbling our carrot cake (I admit, first goal was coffee, but we couldn’t resist the cake), we enjoyed the view over our capital.

Then off to the exhibition, only a few blocks further, in the buildings of ING bank: Guggenheim, Full Abstraction. It shows the evolution of the art scene from surrealism to abstract art on both sides of the ocean, with pieces Solomon R. Guggenheim and Peggy Guggenheim collected. Unfortunately, this is a temporary exhibition, it ends this weekend (February 12th). So rush, or if you get a chance to see this collection elsewhere, or can visit one of the Guggenheim museums (Bilbao, Venice and of course New-York), don’t hesitate.

The painting you see here is one of my favorites: “Summer” by A. Gorky. A few other artists of this exhibition: Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Alexander Calder. Continue Reading

I first wanted to call this category interior design, but that seemed too common. And yet, in my opinion, “design” sounded too chic. I just want to inspire you by showing how some changes can create a totally different look.  I am an addict of interior magazines, but I feel a house should never be just a copy of that magazine. It is so much fun to just mix and match and find out your personal style. Mixing different styles in a way that all seems to match is not easy. I love it though, the eclectic style. But what is most important in the end is that you and your family feel at ease, comfortable and happy! That’s how I finally came up with this title.

Plus, interior happiness also refers to me being an introvert. I am very grateful I have a warm, big family and a lot of sweet friends, with whom I love to spend time. But, I also need quiet time, me-time to be in balance and truly happy. So I will also share good books I have read, movies I’ve seen, and exhibitions that I found worth visiting.