Berlin's Light Show

Berlin is currently celebrating its Festival of Lights and it looks incredible!  I can only imagine how surreal it must feel to walk around the city when it's lit up like this, with illuminations and projections lighting up more than 70 landmarks.  I thought I'd share a few of the most stunning shots from this spectacular event:

It ends October 21 so we have to hop on a plane NOW to get there in time.  

Anybody want to join me??  :)

Click here to see more!

Luxury In The Bath...

Here are a few bathrooms that I think are just lovely!  Enjoy!

I love the idea of a separated (ahem) toilet, but this one strikes the perfect balance in my book, letting in light and adding style.  

Don't miss that great (Hungarian?) sign above it, too.  I wonder if it's the real thing from their famous bath houses...  I didn't do that when we were in Hungary but I'm so glad I did in Munich and Istanbul!  Don't miss it if you get the chance.


Bringing onyx to the bath as a form of art - wow!

Modern lines, with great zen like detail in that lacquered table and the built in faucets.

I'm really digging those lights too.

http://kahndesigngroup.com

What a luxury to have enough privacy so that you can have a big window overlooking green space like that!

And do I spy, with my little eye, a petrified stool?????  Is everyone copying me??  :)


Unique, eh?

What a cool surprise for your guests to have this as the pedestal for that amazing sink!



Loving the clean, fresh feeling in this bath!


Let's not forget the original luxurious bath - in Bath, England - we have the Romans to thank for that "design".  It's a fantastic destination even without the actual bath!

Sources

New Items At Linen Haus

Hi Everybody!  It's Friday and I'm ready.  The weather is supposed to be great all weekend and we have plans to get out and enjoy it while we can!  We will be grilling both days, ignoring our huge to do list enjoying the sunshine and some new Seattle friends. 

I have added some things to the shop that I thought you all might like to see.  Here is a sampling of what's new:

The linens that inspired it all...rescued from an old castle in Bavaria, with a gorgeous sheen and lovely french ticking in a variety of colors (more coming soon).  These tablecloths are  ideal for everything from long, elegant dining tables to casual provence style outdoor settings.  Or, if you'd rather use them in a creative direction, they'd make beautiful fabric for pillows, throws and other decor.

Vintage books - in amazing condition!  Ideal for beautiful vignettes.

Vintage Botanicals on a large scale with vibrant colors.

Someone had better snap these up quick.  I am very tempted to frame them in a grouping above the bed in our master!

Monogrammed vintage tea towels with a lovely damask design.

A variety of Hungarian Seltzer Bottles - they add great character to a kitchen.

Stop by and take a look if you  have a minute. 

I'll be adding more in the next few weeks so there is more to come!

Have a great weekend!

Linen Haus Is Live!

Happy Monday Everyone!  Hope you all had a great weekend.  It was gorgeous weather in Seattle.  I went for a run this morning (long overdue) and enjoyed some beautiful views of Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains.  What a stunning view!   

I also did some prep work on setting up Linen Haus on etsy.  It was long overdue and I am so excited to finally make it a reality. 

I am pleased to announce that Linen Haus, my online boutique, is live! 

LinenHaus

I have more tweaking to do but I just couldn't wait any longer!  Many more products will be added in the next couple of weeks, but here is a sampling of what is already on the site:

Please stop by and take a look when you have a minute.  I'd love your feedback!

How Cool Are These?

Who doesn't love etsy?  The discoveries are endless!  I came across these totally fun custom made cutting boards from AHeirloom and wanted to share them with you.  They are beautifully made and would make an awesome gift.  

Here are a couple of examples that are meaningful to me.  You can specify where you want the heart to be - to identify a special location. I love that idea! And, they are made from rapidly renewable bamboo - very nice.  I ordered a few for my husband and family members for this past Christmas and they were a big hit!

Oregon, where I grew up, just a bit south of the heart!

Germany - I requested that the heart be on Munich, of course.  :)

They have one for every state (obviously, some work better than others) and a few key countries so far.  These would make a great gift for someone who loves a certain place in the world, or misses their home state, or as a housewarming gift...just a fun idea all the way around!

Guest Post: A European Christmas

Hi Everyone!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration yesterday if you are in the US.  Now that it's over, there's no denying that Christmas is right around the corner!
Today you can find me at Hyphen Interiors Blog, guest posting for a new blogging friend, Kristy.  I thought it would be fun to share a bit about what the holiday season is like in Germany.  Here are a few teasers:

Christmas in Germany is magical -- that makes it my favorite time of yeart to be here.
 

Munich gets lots of snow, which sets a very enchanting stage for the Christmas Markets:

 

I also love their emphasis on tradition and nature for the holiday season: 

As far as interiors, "gemutlichkeit" (coziness) is top of mind this time of year:

Head over to Kristy's blog to read more!

The Latest From Linen Haus

As you might have read earlier this week, we ended up coming back a day early from our trip to Slovenia.  That meant missing the market in Lubljana on Sunday, which was disappointing.  However, the upside was that I could visit some of my favorite contacts (and discover new ones) at our monthly local antiques market here in Munich.  I found a few things to round out the Linen Haus inventory:

A beautiful set of appetizer/dessert plates from Villeroy and Boch.

Set of six, each with a different fruit motif and french writing.

Almond colored, vintage damask tea towels with crimson monogramming.

Set of two, but will be sold separately. 

Crisp white set of eight napkins with a subtle art deco gemetric pattern. 

 Antique German leather bound book with gorgeous textured paper front and back

and beautiful illustrations throughout.

Vintage Tea Towel with Art Nouveau design, monogram and beautiful sheen.
These are quite long so they also make a beautiful table runner.

Two vintage German grain sacks with indigo striping.  

Ideal for pillows or upholstering seat covers!

Antique latin linguistics book from Vienna, 1844.

This book had a nice surprise inside:  I found an invitation addressed to the "Hochgeboren" - ie those of "high birth" - introducing the start of "the season"...I'm thinking probably for the debutante coming out season at that time.  I thought that was a pretty cool, and unexpected, piece of history.  I might have to frame it.

And, last but certainly not least, four more beautiful tablecloths. 

I sorted through many, many linens with stains, holes, etc. and brought home only those without flaws. 

More good news:  I have decided to go ahead and open up Linen Haus this month! 
I'm putting the finishing touches on the photos and descriptions.  An announcement is coming soon so stay tuned!

Linen Haus Update: Beautiful Antique Books

I was at one of our local antiques markets today, looking for some old books I had (regrettably) passed up last weekend that I hoped to find again.  I didn't find them so I was starting to get discouraged.  Then, I came across these antique books that I think are really special.   Fate is funny that way, isn't it?  

I am just thrilled to add these to my Linen Haus collection!  As you probably know already, I only buy things that I would love to have in my own home (it's part of my mental checklist when deciding to buy)...I'm going to have a hard time parting with these beauties!

These are all of the books combined and below is a breakdown:

French, 1924, cognac-colored leather binding with gorgeous marbling.

I love those gilt fleur de lys down the spine too... 

A set of German books from 1924. 

The leather binding is a beautiful espresso finish with the gold design. 

A very old German book in remarkable condition, from 1895.

I love the design that wraps all the way round - it looks even better in person! 

I also came across another beautiful dough bowl from Hungary.

It was in such good shape I knew it had to come home with me.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

I'll be back on Monday...