Jeg har hatt en laaaaaang bloggpause. Siste blogginnlegg var faktisk 10. juli 2015, altså for nesten tre år siden. På omtrent den tiden gikk jeg fra frilanstilværelse i tre år over i fast stilling igjen som redaksjonssjef i interiørmagasinet Maison Interiør. Der er jeg fremdeles. Men nå er jeg altså også tilbake i cyberspace.

Denne gang på norsk.

Og med ekstra utvidede fullmakter fra meg selv til å skrive om andre ting som interesserer meg i tillegg til design og interiør. Det kan være musikk. Mote. Litteratur. Film. Hage. Samfunn. Bil (!). Fotball (!), you name it. Men alt jeg skriver om vil være ting jeg garantert liker, går god for eller er personlig interessert i. Skulle jeg mot formodning noen gang inngå et samarbeid med en sponsor eller annonsør vil det være behørig merket slik det sømmer seg.

Men jeg begynner sakte og forsiktig. Med å dele noen bilder og lenker til ting som har fanget enten øyet mitt eller interessen min i det siste. Ting jeg gleder meg til. Ting jeg drømmer om. Filmer jeg har lyst til å se. Blomster jeg har lyst til å plukke.

Håper du vil like det du leser. Blir også veldig glad hvis du vil dele inspirerende ting med meg!

Lupiner. Hvem hadde trodd at disse blomstene som er svartelistet i Norge skulle bli årets store trendblomst på RHS Chelsea Flower Show i London i slutten av mai? “Alle” utstillingshager med respekt for seg selv var fylt med dem, bildet over er fra LG Eco-City Garden designet av Hay Joung-Hwang. Utrolig vakkert.

Jeg er stor fan av forfatteren Ian McEwan, og i juni har filmen av boken On Chesil Beach premiere i Norge. McEwan har selv skrevet manus, og de første anmeldelsene jeg har sett har ikke vært overveldende gode. Men jeg kommer til å se den likevel. For jeg elsker McEwan. Og jeg elsker Saoirse Ronan som spiller hovedrollen, og som hadde sitt store gjennombrudd i Atonement, også den etter en roman av McEwan.

Andreas Engesvik er en av Norges dyktigste designere, og i anledning av at Arven (tidligere Theodor Olsens Sølvvareverkssted) fyller 150 har Andreas designet lysestaken Liv, oppkalt etter hans datter. Staken er 20 cm høy, laget for hånd, er nett og utrolig vakker i all sin enkelhet. Den er laget i et begrenset opplag, kun 150 stk, og den koster 7990 kroner. Den er et kunstverk.

Har bestilt meg denne kjolen fordi den fikk meg til å tenke på Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell og hele Bloomsbury Group.

Denne uken ble klesdesigneren Kate Spade funnet død. Det gjorde meg trist. Helt siden jeg oppdaget hennes design for mange år siden har jeg latt meg fascinere av hennes stil, farger og herlige sitater. Så det passer kanskje bra å hylle henne med nettopp et av hennes egne sitater: She who leaves a trail of glitter is not ever forgotten … Du kan lese en fin hyllest til henne her. Og så kan du gå inn på Amazon Prime og se serien The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, der niesen til Kate, Rachel Brosnahan spiller hovedrollen. Jeg slukte denne serien i vinter, og uten at jeg visste om familesammenhengen, slo det meg at seriens farger og tidskoloritt hadde mye til felles med Kate Spade-estetikken. Sabla underholdende serie er det og. Anbefales!

Og siden det snart er helg. Hva passer vel bedre enn et soundtrack med sanger av Burt Bacharach, satt sammen av Erik Valebrokk, mannen bak bloggen Mitt liv som Erik. Han er min go to-mann når det gjelder bra spillelister, som han linker til Spotify.

Dett var dett for denne gang. Jeg lover at det ikke går tre år til neste gang jeg poster … Watch this space!

Vifa is a Danish company who makes wireless speakers with Bluetooth connection, batteries and handles, so that you can bring your music with you anywhere you want to go. Great design, great colors!
Meet Helsinki, both petite and powerful. I love this green color called Willow Green, but you can also get it in Dusty Rose, Misty Blue and Sandstone Grey.
This is the Dusty Rose-version – easy to become carried away …
Copenhagen is a little bit larger than Helsinki, both are covered in textiles by Kvadrat.
Understated in Sandstone Grey … All textiles are by Kvadrat.

When it comes to bedding I would definitely describe myself as the quite classic type. I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect white bedding set, and if I choose color at all I invaribly end up with blue or beige details. So of course the new autumn collection from the Norwegian bedding company Høie was right up my alley. New this year was also a delicate collection of throws and blankets. Here is a sneak peek of the collection, styled by Kirsten Visdal, and photographed by Margaret M de Lange:

If you are not afraid of heights, this is a challenge for you! You can now spend a night at the top of the Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo, if you dare. This is a collaboration between Airbnb and Skiforeningen, and you will be sleeping surrounded only by Norwegian design, selected by Melissa Hegge, who herself is a seasoned Airbnb-host in Oslo, and styled by her and Nina Holst from Stylizimo. Airbnb is a community marketplace where you can book spaces directly from hosts; it can be just a room for the night or a flat or a house for a longer stay.
This is a one-off experience, so it is free, but in order to become one of the chosen few who will get this opportunity, you need to pick a date, and write 100 words about why you deserve the stay. You can find the website and all information regarding the concept here.
There are some house rules though; you cannot try the jump itself, unless you are a professional ski jumper. You can however invite your closest 30 000 friends to join you in the surroundings, but you need to warn your neighbors … and you can only bring one guest to the tower itself. Read more about it here.
So much great Norwegian design to enjoy as well!
E njoy the stunning panoramic view over Oslo ..

All images: Airbnb

Today I had the great pleasure of meeting Shauna Dennison, who is creative director at Cole & Son – and she gave me and a colleague a tour through the company´s latest collection, which is called Whimsical, a most appropriate name for a collection that is both nostalgic and enchanting, with references to classic childhood stories and fairy tales. The collection also pays homage to some vintage Cole & Son designs. Take a look!
I have to start with the exubarent Cabaret, which is inspired by an old print that Shauna and her team found. So many stories happening here which will be wonderful for a child – or a grown up – to lose oneself in. Not for the faint-hearted of course, but still; there are so many ways to use this wallpaper – you could mount it on a large piece of cardboard if you don´t dare to use it right on the wall. It is a fantastic piece of artistry, which allows the imagination to run wild.
Stars is quite subdued compared to Cabaret, and is taken from Cole & Son´s block archives. It stems from the late 1800s, and has just been tweaked slightly to feel more contemporary, it comes in six color ways, above is Powder Blue, below is Midnight Blue.
Imagine going to sleep surrounded by this amount of heavenly stars? Cole & Son is one of the oldest wallpaper companies in England, and was founded in 1875.

Punchinello is named after the well know character from the Commedia dell´Arte, and is one of the collection´s signature designs. The beautiful harlequin pattern is a little off centre, thus softening the print. Below is the Coral & Green version, there are six different colors.
I love the way a design can change dramatically and feel completely different in other color combinations.
Melville takes its name (of course) from the author of Moby Dick, and this is a new design, which was drawn out with a pencil. The effect is soft and appealing.
Teal? Check. Yellow? Check. The pairing of two of my favorite colors was bound to catch my eye. Nautilus is also a new and quite enigmatic design, is it really under water? Or is it a forest? Shauna told me that this particular color pairing was inspired by the Dutch masters, and some prints of them that she has in her own home. But it also comes in a soft green and a neutral version, as well as a dark green.
The Woods has become such a classic. It was actually first designed in the 1950s, but enjoyed a huge renaissance some years back, and is still very popular all over the world. This collection features three new colorings.
Woods & Stars is a combination of two classics, and is quite the fairy tale. Comes in seven colors.
Butterflies & Dragonflies – this is one from the archives, actually from the sixties, and believe me, the original print was a bit more psychedelic! The new version is quite elegant.
Shauna described this pattern – Secret Garden (if you have not read Frances Hodgson Burnetts book, you should!) – as the marmite of the collection, you either love it or you hate it. It is a companion to Nautilus, and one wonders if it might just be an underwater jungle. I love it.
I´ll finish off with Cabaret again – accompanied by pillows and mattresses clad in the other patterns from Whimsical – and no, Cole & Son does not do textiles – this is all wallpaper … See the rest of the collection at Cole & Son.

Read an interview with Shauna Dennison here.

For Norwegian retailers click here.

All images: Cole & Son.

I feel an urge to paint my walls …
Jotun LADY just released their Spring Summer Collection for 2015, styled by the inimitable styling duo Kråkvik &
D´Orazio, and photographed by Siren Lauvdal. I really like the crisp white bed linen against this powdery pinkish hue. The head board is painted with Jotun LADY Supreme Finish 2024 Senses, while the wall is painted the same colour, but with Jotun LADY Balance.
Say hello to LADY Balance 10246 Velvet.
I really love this kitchen. The same color has been used on both the kitchen cabinets and the walls; LADY 7163 Minty Breeze – but the paint used on the cabinets is Supreme Finish, while the wall is covered with LADY Balance. The simple shelves to the left in the picture are by Frama, and you can find them at Kråkvik & D´Orazio´s store in Rathkes gate 4 in Oslo; Kollekted By.

All photos courtesy of LADY/Jotun.

My love for my Skaugum cutlery is a lasting affair, and I am not planning on changing it anytime soon, however I might consider mixing it up a bit with Broste Copenhagens new cutlery in Rose Gold, Black, Full Mirror and Full Satin. Have a look:

Beautiful contrast between the easy elegance of the Rose Gold and the more rustic plates and the soft linen napkin. 
Black and white …
Are we seeing a return of stainless steel and silver? Watch this space …

Helsinki is one of my favorite cities, and if you have never been there you have something to look forward to. Lots of design history of course – just think of Alvar Aalto and his legacy, but also an exciting design district which showcases lots of great fashion, interior and product design. I am a big fan of Joanna Laajisto, who is an interior architect and designer behind a number of exciting projects. One of her latest projects is Finlandia Caviar,  a mecca for caviar and oyster lovers by the waterfront market square in Helsinki.

I love the simplicity and the freshness of the look of this shop and restaurant concept – just look at the pop of bright blue against the subdued color scheme.
You can either choose to sit down and enjoy the caviar and/or oysters on the spot accompanied by champagne or vodka, or purchase some to take home.
Finlandia Caviar is located at Eteläranta 20 in Helsinki.

The Norwegian lighting company Northern Lighting has just launched an entirely new series called Unplugged, providing mood-enhancing alternative to electric lighting. A great little series which will be officially launched at Stockholm Furniture Fair next week. Enjoy!

I love the simplicity of Iris, designed by Studio Dreimann. The material is cast iron.
Flame moves in an entirely different direction; a glossy and warm exterior seem to embrace the candle, Flame is made of cast iron and steel. Choose between gold or rose gold finish. Design by Gridy.
The extremely talented duo Domaas Høgh are the designers behind Brick, which is made of steel. Love the mint, powder pink and white finish.
Vibeke Skar´s Fyr made of blown glass is simple and sculptural. Choose between Smoked Grey and Burnt Orange – or choose both. They are really good together.
Rudi Wulff is the designer behind Oblique, a both playful and colorful tealight holder made of silicone and aluminium.

All images are styled by Per Olav Sølvberg and photographed by Kristofer Johnsson.

Danske Please Wait To Be Seated lanserer nå sin første lampe, The Planet Lamp, som du ifølge designeren Mette Schelde kan samhandle med fordi du kan flytte rundt på platene for å skape et helt eget uttrykk. Lyset er indirekte og gir et mykt lys mot veggen. Det sier kanskje seg selv at dette ikke akkurat er en leselampe, dette dreier seg om stemningsbelysning – nesten som et lite kunstverk på veggen. Lampen er tilgjengelig i fargene indian red, green og plum, prisen er DKK 4979.
Ved å flytte på platene endrer lampens uttrykk seg.