I am not very fond of using too much color in interiors but I have to admit that these interiors look fabulous. I especially love the image above: the colorful sofa looks stunning with the white floor and walls.

The colors in the images above and below are a bit too strong for my taste. I would never use them in my own home but I can see that the colors work in these spaces.

(images from Marie Claire Maison)

This bench by Jo Nagasaka of Tokyo-based Schemata Architecture Office is made of six chairs and a plank of wood. Gorgeous!

(via dezeen)

This is great for small spaces! No wonder this compact dining area is designed by a Japanese furniture designer.

Unfortunately this genius design is only available in Japan..

While searching for a small handbag I found these beautiful clutch purses on Etsy. The purses are from Red Ruby Rose, an illustrator/photographer based in the UK.

I bought the purse with the peacock feather print (left image). When receiving the package a few days ago I was happy to see that the purse is beautifully made! Click here to see more gorgeous bags of this Etsy store.

Re-babe is a cradle from Berlin based designers collective e-27. It can be combined with their rocking chair re-tire to form the re-set. The cradle is attached to the chair with leather straps and enables rocking together with your baby this way. This is such a great idea!

And it gets even better: the cradle is still use-able after the little one gets too big for it. With the supplied saddle it changes into a stylish rocking horse and the cradle itself becomes a handy basket. Available here in various colors.

In Dutch interior magazine ELLE Wonen I found this ‘Pantone stairs’. The gorgeous stairs is part of the studio of Tamotsu Yagi Design in San Fransisco.

More fashion trends for 2008 so you know what to wear this summer:). Silhouette trend: Fluid (images above).

Accessory trend: Skinny belt (above)

Print trend: Mismatch.

(images from catwalking)

Some beautiful ceramics from Etsy store ‘up in the air somewhere’! The owner of this shop is “a Chicago based maker-of-things”. Over the last year she begun creating a line of housewares inspired by the beautiful forms found in industrial architecture. Although she works in different mediums (paper mache, ceramic, fiber, etc.), her work has always been primarily focused on volume and form rather then ornamentation and surface. The simplicity and utility of the industrial landscape is a constant influence. Click here to see all gorgeous items available in this Etsy store.

Something different today: a post about fashion! Above and below you can see the differents trends in fashion for 2008. More trends will follow tomorrow in the second part of this post. Color trend: Acid bright combinations (above).

Style trend: Retro - 1970s (above)

Fabric trend: Parachute Silk (above).

(images from catwalking)

These ‘ABC buttons’ have nine holes which make it possible to create letters. This fun product is designed by design label e27 from Germany. Click here to see where you can buy the button. It is also possible to download the ABC letter font (for free).

I love the Something Old, Something New bags from Tineke Beunders, and I am very happy to have them in my shop Le Souk. The Dutch designer is fascinated by woolen blankets, especially those with beautiful patterns. She transforms these re-used blankets into gorgeous new handbags. The only new part is the birch wood handle. The beautiful patterns combined with a colorful cotton lining make every bag unique.

The bag is now also available with a handle that can be carried around the arm (€82.95). The basic handbag (€74.95) has a handle that can be carried in the hand.

A few months ago I featured some photos of a Parisian loft. As many of you enjoyed this post I was happy to find more photos of this gorgeous apartment.

The use of white combined with natural materials such as wood is simply beautiful.

Although white is the main ‘color’ here, which some find boring and cold, the apartment has a warm and inviting atmosphere. Very mediterrenean, the interior reminds me of the Greek Islands.

(images from Cote Maison / photographer F. Vasseur)

These beautiful coasters are hand crocheted with 100% Mercerized Cotton thread and Japanese glass beads. They are available from Pui’s Etsy shop Studio Wonjun. Pui, now living in New York, is originally from Thailand. She is inspired by the stunning colors and vibes of the Andaman Sea, a beautiful, South East Asia, tropical open sea in her home country.

The coasters are available in various colours ($40 for a set of four).

Topoware china is now for sale on Etsy. Topoware, a collaboration between Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino from Canada and Karola Torkos from Germany, was recently featured in the New York Times. The tableware collection questions the landscape of dining. Taking inspiration from the recent popularity of geography as a media of communication (with Google maps) and more specifically with topographic maps, which define heights of a landscape two dimensionally, Topoware in turn, “outlines” the dining experience.

Made up of cups, plates, bowls, placemats and a tablecloth, the collection explores the visual and social landscape of dining by using outlines and descriptions to describe, question and push our eating experience, making it really feel like a journey. Clicke here to visit their Etsy store. For more information you can visit their website.

I love this heart, made up from polaroids, in a Parisian bedroom that was featured on Cookie. This is a great idea!

(via Cup of Jo)

This chair has been featured on several other blogs some time ago but I couldn’t resist showing it here as well. The Eames Shell Chair has been painted by interior designers/artists Wary Meyer. The result is a gorgeous and highly original furniture piece!

(via Apartment Therapy)

For Italian brand Emu Patricia Urquiola designed the gorgeous garden furniture line RE-TROUVÉ. Patricia was inspired by the iron chairs from the fifties. The line consists of chairs, tables and plant containers.

Browsing on Flickr I found these gorgeous images of ceramics designed by Monique Goossens. Monique is a designer based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

I can not find any information about her on her work but if you are interested in her work you can find her email address here.

I always like to try out some new recipes in the weekend (when I have more time). This weekend I will try: Endive Boats filled with tuna and hummus (top left), Burmese Chicken Curry (top right), frittata (below left), vanilla, honey and saffron pears with mascarpone cream (below right). Bon appetit!

(found on tastespotting)

As soon I saw these gorgeous images on Desire to Inspire I knew I had to show them here on the style files as well. This garden is a great example that you don’t have to live in the tropics to create an exotic atmosphere: this garden is located in the UK!

So you can create the same atmosphere form your garden or balcony. Take for example some rotan ottomans, silver leather poofs, a kelim rug and a Maroccan tray/table and voila: you have your own exotic place!