Not very far from where we live here in London you can find this cool 1860s house. It is in Hammersmith which is very close to the Thames, not far from the city centre, and very green.
Interior designer Beata Heuman lives here with her husband and two daughters and appreciates the same values as I do in our hood: ‘I feel removed from the frantic bustle of the city, but excellent tube connections mean I can be in central London in no time at all – it really is the best of both worlds.’
Beata is originally from Sweden however her interior style is far away from the typical, clean, and minimal Scandi stuff. It is best described as eclectic and marriage of elegance and fun. As well as a good dose of surprise and so charmingly, quintessentially English!
Let’s have a look into her own home that represents her motto: Living comfortably, and easily.
But let’s talk about Beata a little too because she is quite a name here in London and the design scene. House & Garden magazine named her “designer of the year” for 2018 for starters. And her first big solo project was a pink townhouse that was features in numerous magazines around the globe. She also designed the Farm Girl Cafe, off Portobello Road, as well as the Feeding House cafe in Notting Hill.
But the best part is, yay, the children’s room! Her girls are playing and sleeping in this magical Bemelmans-inspired room. Bemelmans is the artist behind the Madeline books and the iconic Bemelmans Bar in New York. And it is the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel in New York that inspired her the wonderful mural.
Delightful!
Would you like to see more London family interiors? How about this place that looks like right out of a fairy tale or this Edwardian family home.
We are starting the week with fashion again. Wearable, chic, and cool clothing that is presented through a very happy and jolly lookbook.
Wander n Wonder is a beautiful brand founded by Hilda Yim and based in Hong Kong. Established in 2017, and inspired by a love of travel as a family. Hilda realised that curious minds love adventure and learning about other cultures through food, music, art and street life.
‘Whether it’s Africa, Japan or Mexico, we pay homage to their traditions and embrace their language and lifestyles. By interpreting it through a child-like perspective. Wander always, wonder often.’
Therefore, each collection is made for adventurous and curious children, inspired by the lifestyle and tradition of one country. Have a look through the new collection and I am sure these colourful garments and graphic prints will appeal to you:
‘On our journey to discovering the next adventure, we are continually inspired to design quirky and comfortable pieces that will be loved by kids.’
Hilda is not concerned about trends, as this fuels consumerism and fast fashion. That is why she creates whatever pulls on her heart strings. And by manufacturing in small batches, sustainability is always on her mind.
And the most obvious way in achieving this goal is by creating collections to cater for both hemispheres. Collections that are indented to order, and once they’re gone – they’re gone.
The brand also works with Plan International and donates 2% of their profits to programs that support children within the local community.
But now I want to share my favourites, because you often ask what my stand out pieces are. For this collection I do love the pink overalls (great for boys too!) because they are super cute and so versatile.
And then, this cats prints dress* with the peter pan collar. Loving the very traditional collar with the comic inspired print. Very cool! And the shape is super comfortable as well.
Hej! Have you been waiting for this month’s Friday list? The wait is over and 23 fun things are waiting just for you…
There are some cool interiors, even cooler lamps, fashion for small people of course, and lots of sweet gift ideas and things that make your life a little more bright.
I hope February treated you well. There have been lots of grey and rainy days everywhere, so lets eat our soup and hope for lots of sunshine in March!
Have fun:
Not only a sweet night light* but also a great decoration for every children’s room.
Wish I could justify the price tag but I will swoon about it anyway…
Australia meets Scandinavia in London! Love this place.
Perfect Easter gift – the name of your choice on the belly is sewn by hand with attention to the smallest details. It will become your child’s best friend. Sweet bunny doll!
I do not use a lot of make up and found products that work for me but once in a while I do enjoy hearing about other people’s favourites and their routines. And I do love Laura Dern!
Ethical Magic Sliders*! Upcycled uber-comfortable sandals made from recycled materials. By changing the upper part you have countless possibilities!
The article is about the best plant based milk option for your perfect latte. Well, I do not drink coffee but there are many good and important facts about plant based options vs meat and so on. To read!
Such a bright and well designed place. Love that door…
We are not really using AirBnb anymore. Too many stories when all you want is enjoying a holiday. Here is another reason why it might be worth looking for alternatives…
Such a fun and colourful collection from Morley this season.
The World of Whales is beautifully illustrated and we explore many interesting facts about these fantastic animals. Looking at the habits and characteristics that make the many species of this family so special.
OMG! Loving these African baskets* and I want them all. On table, on the wall, little storage, fruit basket, bread basket… anything…
And they are great for adding a pop of colour!
Talking about lamps earlier. Look at these!
Cool colours and unusual shapes will make your space original, unique and friendly with these lamps*. They are made from paper mache. Obtained from the recycling of old newspapers and ecological, certified water based glue. Very environmentally friendly and ecological.
Children’s fashion is going through a demanding process of which we are all aware. This means that things are a bit slow, some markets are suffering, and overall we are missing diversity. The situation is not new and when going to a fair I am especially looking forward to seeing how everyone is dealing with it.
Therefore it was great to see, again, a very strong international attendance on both sides of the market – exhibitors and buyers. An attendance that values the efforts Pitti Bimbo makes in terms of research, collaborations, shows, innovation, and creativity. The general look of the fair, for example, was my favourite to date. I absolutely loved the colourful and very inspiring installation you can see in the first photo.
A great resume is something Christina Rohde said: “It is a really unique opportunity for visibility. And the atmosphere was very pleasant, very friendly, a bit like a festival. This is the first time I felt that the children’s wear industry was being taken seriously. The visitors were true members of the trade, well-prepared, and this is an aspect that is often missing at other fairs. The brands and the event itself make the rendezvous interesting for clients: as soon as you go in, you understand the great effort that has been put into making the atmosphere so incredible, from the colours to the design to the energy, it’s all really exciting.”
Over 550 brands exhibited but with the different pavilions that each follow a topic like sport, street, or elegant it is very easy to get around and to stay inspired. And the number of buyers almost reached 5,900, from almost 80 foreign countries. With an overall number of visitors of 10,000.
And yes, the atmosphere was excellent, very positive and uplifting. Which I found so important because it is easy to look at all the difficulties and to focus on everything that is not going well right now. Together with the catwalk shows, the pop-ups, and the presentations, that were all very upbeat, we were thrown into a fun mood for the whole season. Filled with colour and energy!
Trends
1970s Hippie and retro inspiration with more deep colours and especially purple and green combinations! (a little too much for my taste especially it was around a lot). All over, and again, there was and is a lot of things we have seen already. And not just stuff that was cool 30 years back and is here again. No, things that keep hanging around season to season.
Basically – it is difficult to talk trends. Brands are playing safe and even the stronger ones with good fashion collections are missing a bit the special detail. The piece that makes your fashion heart beat a bit faster or that you absolutely want to work within a shoot for example. This is what is missing for me right now.
So what else did I see a lot and that stood out a little? Tartan fabrics, jacquard knitwear, and athleisure is still big and going nowhere. Everyone is doing sneakers, suits are more sporty than tailored, and accessories are beanies instead of glam scarves.
So basically, if you have a couple of children (like I do) – they wear older siblings stuff and look like out of an S/S 2020 lookbook… which leads me to my next topic…
Sustainability
Mentioned as a trend by many but personally, I think eco-sustainability is no longer that but an actual reality. And rightfully so! However, it was a big topic during Pitti Bimbo 90 and incorporated into shows, exhibits, and presentations. And of course, the brands are more and more sensitive towards protecting the planet. From the materials used to the graphics, and the communication.
Now, what I found surprising was that I thought we are well passed the moment of awareness. And I wondered why I am seeing, again, so many pieces that just lacked a sense of fashion. Pieces that were foremost sustainable and yet very plain, simple, and ‘pure’. Should we not show the world, the parents, and our children that sustainable can be chic, fun, and cool? Are we not steps ahead of beige, brown, and hemp fabrics?
Nonetheless, it is very encouraging to see how brands approach sustainable practices. Now we need to communicate to the consumers. Because they have the power to change things through their purchases and to be a role model for their children.
Personally, I find the whole progress very interesting and inspiring. All the possibilities, research, and progress is fantastic. There are so many ideas on how to be more kind to our planet. Shame we did not start earlier but at least we are on it now…
Would you be interested in an article to highlight fashion brands that are really at the forefront of sustainability? Let me know!
The older our children get, the more they want to be involved in how their bedrooms look. Totally normal because our little people are growing up making their own opinions, decisions, and choices. A teen should hang out in a room that reflects them.
And teens have different priorities than little kids. They do not need a lot of floor space for Lego and blocks, but love a little couch or big floor pillow for reading, listening to music, or having friends over. , even if it means going for a laptop desk for homework over a free-standing one.
What are the essentials you are asking? A single, full sized bed is definitely one. And a good chest of drawers or wardrobe in a classic and subtle colour so it can withstand any changes of favourite colours around the room. Also keep in mind, a transformation does not have to mean that you need to toss everything. Bedside tables can be painted, a lamp can easily be updated with a new fabric shade. Yesterday article about prints in children’s rooms works for teen rooms very well too.
Get your child involved by letting them create a moodboard, a colour palette, and pick things they find interesting. Set a budget together and see how to make most out of it. It is fun and they can learn something out of it too.
To help you with some inspiration and to take away some ideas I have gathered 5 amazing rooms for teens here today, for you:
Talking about rooms, did you see that I am busy designing two children’s rooms at the moment? They will be shown during two design festivals in Germany in April and of course I will share them on here afterwards too. So excited, one of my favourite things to do.
