Furniture Hunting
Although moving to a new flat can be a pain in the bum indeed, I kinda like the feeling of starting with a clean slate. The fact that I currently have nearly 15 square meters less living space than before forces me to think carefully how to furnish my new flat in the most functional and aesthetic way.
Investing in high quality 1950’s Scandinavian design has been my long-term dream. Those 50’s touches such as splayed legs and simplicity of design really make me tick, and I’m willing to go to great pains when searching perfect piece of furniture that oozes fifties charm and grace.
I recycled the bookshelf I had in my previous flat so at this present moment I have all my books, cds, dvds and other nick-nacks laying on a floor or windowsills since I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. However, I want to be prepared in case a mouth-watering piece of furniture shows up. I have taken the most important measurements from my flat and I carry this information with me when I go furniture hunting. I also carry a measure tape with me since it might be a struggle to find it from flea markets. Just now I’m checking out vintage sideboards that are on the market. Scoring a long and low sideboard made of light wood such as teak or rosewood would be a dream come true.
I have learned that hunting vintage furniture requires a lot of patience and a little bit of luck. Finding that perfect piece of furniture can take some time but the zing it brings to your home is definitely worth waiting for.
Share your tips for finding vintage furniture in the comments!
Image via Galt Museum.
Sanna 7. October 2008 | Home Style | Comment [4]
Role Models
The ever so witty and lovely Sugar Kane of (swim)suit issues mentioned the other day that you should pay attention to your own individual features when choosing your style role models. At first I thought I don’t have particular role models at all and I was whining about this at Sugar Kane’s comment box. But on reflection I think my style is highly influenced by a certain style type.
There are a bunch of women I consider extremely interesting style-wise. These intriguing women are all fictional, they’re slightly uncanny characters and they have outstandingly strong features. They all dress in black, they have an attitude to die for and some of them even look magnificent when kicking ass and running on heels.
I might as well call these characters my style role models. May I present: Catwoman, Marla Singer, Renee Madison and Irma Vep.
Before you draw any equals between me and my style role models I must warn you that my personal style is hardly as interesting as the look of these gorgeous characters. There are some similarities, yes, but perhaps I wouldn’t be able to pull off such a full-blown edgy look. Sure it would be fantastic to be an action heroine or femme fatale but as it turns out I have a loads of work ahead of me if I ever want to get my act together.
Do you have any role models?
Sanna 5. June 2008 | Style Inspiration | Comment [2]
Simple Underwear
As I have gotten older, I have started to pay more and more attention to the quality and style of the underwear I’m buying. I’m not a fan of frilled lace dreams, and I do find high-end lingerie too elaborate for my taste. That is why it has been rather difficult for me to find underwear that is both simple and sensual.
For some reason I find thoughtful references to 1950s and 1960s styles very attractive. For example, a high-waisted brief or a bra that comfortably corsets the torso are definite must-haves for me. Therefore you can’t imagine my delight when I finally bumped into these elegant designs by Wundervoll. Wundervoll offers luxurious underwear with clear design and fine details. Their underwear looks exclusive and comfortable, and at the same time very feminine and sexy. The greatest thing is that you can buy their collection online at Styleserver.de!
Link tip via constant source of inspiration, NotCouture.
Sanna 26. February 2008 | Style | Comment [3]
I Want To Dress Better! (vol. 3)
So you thought I’m going to talk about different body types, e.g. pears, apples, lollipops and cornets this time, right? WRONG!
Now don’t get me wrong here, I truly believe that you should actually get to know yourself in order to dress better, but in my opinion it is more important to admit your size and learn to love your figure.
It took me almost three decades to understand that one of the key things to make my clothing look good on me is loving the figure I’m in. To be honest, I have gone through some major changes over the past few years. In the beginning of the millennium I was all skin and bones with ballet honed legs but I wasn’t anyhow more happy or satisfied with my looks back then than I am today. Yes, I shopped skinny t’s from kids department and I was extremely petite but I was also a light-headed, shivering human wreck who was afraid of passing out in public. After moving abroad, getting to know Middle European pub culture and giving up my dancing lessons I experienced a total body transformation. I gained weight and lost my athletic figure. At some point I had hard time to accept my new lumps and bumps and I did the indefensible: I slowly slid into self-loathing. Trust me, there’s nothing fascinating and sexy in a gal who doesn’t like herself.
Let’s face it: Some of us look like Twiggy while others more closely resemble Marilyn Monroe. Variety a good thing so embrace it! No matter how wide hips or how small chest you have, there’s a style out there that will make the most of what [insert desired higher power here] gave you. Have you ever wondered why some people look so great, and some look terrible? It’s because the ones who look great have admitted their size, and are wearing clothes that fit them.
I’m not going to give you any tips or pointers on how to downplay certain undesirable features because I believe that a genuine smile and a healthy self-esteem are the greatest accessories a gal can ever have. Mark my words, the secret of looking amazing is to have an open mind and a wee bit of self-confidence.
Sanna 17. January 2008 | Style Inspiration | Comment [4]
I Want To Dress Better! (vol. 2)
When I decided I wanted to dress better I thought it would be a good idea to become more conscious of the fashion and style around me. I wanted to develop a critical eye and a better sense of what looks fabulous. There are plenty of ways to increase style awareness. If you want to pick up some tried and tested fashion ideas, you should try one or more of the four following ways.
It’s pretty easy to pick a truly disastrous look out of a crowd, isn’t it? Therefore people-watching is an easy and interesting way of eyeing the myriad of real looks that are out there. When I’m out and about I try spot some people I consider stylish and well dressed and then I try to figure out why they come across this way. I’m asking myself, what is it about their outfits and personal style that appeal to me. I pay attention to the details, e.g. fabrication, colours and patterns. Sometimes I have even asked my subjects where they bought a particular garment that grabbed my attention.
Every now and then I flip through some fashion magazines. I believe they give me a better sense of which colours, patterns, styles and silhouettes are hip and happening at the moment. I have to admit I don’t bother with glossy mags such as Vogue or Elle because I believe they are more appropriate for fashionistas which I’m not. I better scan through some down-to-earth mags that feature attainable clothing and accessories.
I have gotten a lot of style inspiration by watching telly and movies. Also, surfing the web has taught me to dress better. The web offers numerous of fashion sites that can help you brush up your style. I’m scanning through sites that offer runway fashion but I find style blogs such as Stylesightings, Only shallow, Reykjavik Looks and The Suburban Queen among others the most inspiring because they offer “real life” style and fashion ideas.
Besides being creative and style aware, you should know what actually looks good on you. Read more about different body types soon.
Sanna 13. January 2008 | Style Inspiration | Comment [6]
