Thursday, December 29, 2011

My wishes for 2012




In an ideal world, I would find more time to blog ....but the last few weeks have been so busy...therefore I must apologize for not being around more....
But, on the other hand, we are very fortunate to have such loyal clients! We had the opportunity to work in some beautiful houses last year...Needles to say that we are very grateful...
Despite the fact that  I didn't find the time to take a lot of new pictures, I do want to share a few pictures of our last Christmases.
For us, this time of the year is all about gathering around the table to enjoy the prepared meals & snuggle in our sofa with lots of books...Love it...
I hope to see you around a lot more next year....

I wish you all a very happy and peaceful 2012,
filled with a wonderful interior
Lots of love
Sabine
XXX


Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011








christmas 2008

christmas 2009


christmas 2010

christmas 2010

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Autumn ambiance...

...just as summer seems to have taken so long, winter is at now peeking at our door...here are some quick snapshots of our current autumn atmosphere in the showroom. Hope you enjoy them...

See you soon !
Love
 Sabine
XXX


New curtains




Some nice french pots







Monday, October 10, 2011

'Changement de décor'



We have been very busy last weeks....and as we like to change the 'look' of the showroom, Peter has been moving around furniture and decoration from one corner of the showroom to the other....
We also purchased a lot of nice objects to complete the look..but as always some of these 'treasures' never stay long in our possession as our clients seem to have a sixth sens for these things....They always appear as soon as the decoration is set and buy them instantly as they see it....Do not get me wrong: we love to sell of course....but sometimes it is not so easy to find the right objects...retailers among you must  know what I mean.... We don't especially decorate by the seasons as our interiors have to stay 'timeless', so we change as we feel like it and as objects and furniture sells.
Undoubtedly I must admit that Peter has brought it to a good end (again!) : it looks very nice and inviting.
The best complement we get when people enter our shop is that 'they feel at home' ....what could we want more, besides the fact that they also love to buy ?
Here are some impressions of the showroom: judge for yourself and let me know what you think about it !
Sabine
XXX
















Friday, September 23, 2011

Weekend wishes


Dear readers....
Now autumn stands at our door, time has come for us to think about spending more time inside....
 I love to cook and spending time in my kitchen, Peter loves to set the table: a perfect match I would say ! Gathering around the dining table is very important for us !
It's the meeting point for our family.
I would like to share these wonderful pictures of dining rooms & kitchens with you today.I wish you all a very good weekend and hope you enjoy dining with the family.....

Sabine
XXX
our own dining room

love this kitchen
image source here
Lovely corner for diner for 2....
image source here
Could this be a glimpse into the dining room behind these wonderful panelled doors ? I like to think so.....
image source here

love this !
image source here






white & crisp dining
image source here
image source here



Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Remodeling series-Week 16

Our new blog is not getting along with google...and is not emailing to our subscribers. Here is our latest post. Visit the new blog here!


Last week Mrs S was on vacation. I wanted to mention this because my inbox was flooded with emails from concerned readers wanting to know what happened to the series! Afraid they had missed something. No need to worry, we are back on schedule!
For those of you following this remodel you know that our latest hiccup was the doors. As the story goes in my line of business:  ”it will be two weeks.” But then two weeks comes and goes and it suddenly becomes another “two weeks.” At any rate our two week turn around for doors turned into almost five. So all of us were thrilled when they got here!
Mrs S and Co. immediately poo-poo’d the idea of the stained doors, but I am not past begging and pleading if I know it is perfect for the design. Ritchie, accustomed to working with me silently raised an eyebrow and just couldn’t envision it. But he trusted my judgement and when they went in today, everyone was thrilled with the idea of staining them! Yay!

Stained walnut doors will be THE epitome of luxury and decadence in this refined bathroom. The perfect solution to grounding the space, warming it up and adding that touch of elegance……………..but then the grim reaper ALWAYS has to play the devils advocate and ruin everything. ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!! {Read More}

Monday, September 19, 2011

Entertaining-A guide to proper invitation etiquette with CoryAnne Ettiene

Hello everyone! It has been brought to my attention the google reader is NOT sending my posts to subscribers.
Here is the latest post, and be sure to hop over to the new blog here!



Housewife Bliss — The Finer Points Of Domesticity

Today I sit down with Corryanne Ettiene from Housewife Bliss, to discuss the proper do’s and don’ts of sending an invitation; a true art of entertaining. It is hard to imagine, but just a few short years ago entertaining was considered a socially routine practice, and people actually looked forward to, and made time for such events. GAASP! Entertaining was considered fun a host took pride in sending out invitations and holding a party in her home. (Oh domestic bliss and feminine power how far we have come)…..But now a days it seems that people spend more time crafting the perfect story why they just can’t make it…or worse they assume the host KNOWS that they won’t be coming.(aren’t we all telepathically connected to a USB port to know such things? …Oh wait we are, it’s called a computer)
In an oxymoronic age where people have a justified rationality for disposable everything, but somehow also want to have a green mentality, it’s hard to make sense of proper etiquette in a time with such convaluted rules. Being courteous and polite were once customary practices, however, it seems that in today’s reality driven, hyper-fame paradise we call America, all we know how to do is hide behind our emails, text messages and pessimistic nature. One of my favorite sayings that my grandmother always said is, “A woman’s beauty lasts only as long as her disposition stays sweet”. Although her dynasty was built entirely on class, sophistication and a 1950′s Continental Mark II Lincoln, grandma is the template of domestic perfection. While I don’t strive to be so organized, animated and pulled together, I do feel that every grandma in America could teach our youth a thing or two about manners. Especially when they can’t make up their mind whether to be activist hippies, or reality driven expendables that are dumber than a box of rocks! But I digress, once again.
In a society devoid of many social etiquette practices, I had some very specific questions from the domestic goddess herself, Coryanne Ettiene:


1) Decorative invites or save a tree
Amanda- Is is socially acceptable to send out decorative invites with so many tree-hugging, prius driving hippies that fantasize about a world without decorative tree killing
invitations?



CoryAnne-Ah yes, that old chestnut and a rather hard nut to crack, because you are not going to please everyone all the time.  But  if you are inviting me to a dinner party, please send me a nice pretty invitation that I can put on my mantle and enjoy while I am dusting the living room. Rest assured, I am going to love your invitation, and when I remove it from my mantle it will go in the recycling bin to please my inner eco-warrior.




2) To email or not

Amanda- Are there happy alternatives to invitations that are not tree murderers, but not trendy, non-personal shortcuts like email invites?






Coryanne-Eco-invitations on recycled paper are very popular and nearly every stationary shop has an eco option. Some invitations are made from 100% recycled paper and others are creative combinations of recycling cards to create a new product.  With anything, spending a little money will get you a fabulous product, after all, you get what you pay for.
Forgoing the formal invitation in an envelope, a second option is for a bespoke post card invitation, they require less postage, less paper and still send the  message that you are planning a fabulous evening.

3) Where to shop

Amanda-What are some of the best places to get invitations?

Coryanne-Etsy is full of budding stationary shops that embody the eco-chic image and philosophy.  Like all stationary, your taste and style will navigate you towards a particular company. {Continue reading here!}


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Weekend wishes




Dear readers...I wish I had more time to share all the impressions I've came along the past days. 
Unfortunately time is not always on my side as I am working the clock around for clients.
 Despite the shortage of time, I do want to wish you all a very good weekend ! 
As days get shorter and colder(as if our Belgian summer wasn't could enough....), time has arrived to get inside and snuggle....
 I could not wait to share some of these new wonderfull pictures I found  with you....
Hope you enjoy them?


Sabine
XXX
Barbara & René Stoeltie (via Sarah Klassen/Haute Design: Welcome, May)
Image source: stoeltie.com





I could not resist this picture !
I adore the atmosphere in this bathroom ....
image source here: a wonderfull blog 'The paper Mulberry'
Interior by John Saladino with a skirted dining room table






Image source: Elle Decor november 2010

Wish I had more time to read.....
image source here



Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Blue-grey shades....



I am working on some projects at the moment and I came along these beautiful pictures ... I really could not resist sharing them with you....
 I adore the blue-grey and pearly green shades of the fabrics and the canopies....


Sabine
XXX






Image source: unknown




I love the combination with the white crisp linnen & the printed fabric
Image source: unknown




Image: elle decor





Image: elle decor






Saturday, August 27, 2011

Weekend wishes

I would like to wish you all a very nice weekend. Here an impression of a  flower-arrangement in our showroom: We love these pink lelies and they smell like heaven !




LOVE
Sabine
XXX

Monday, August 22, 2011

Almost 1 Year....

I started blogging in september last year...not knowing what to expect. Sometimes I wish I had a little bit more time to share things with all of you but the days are really too short and I lack an extra pair of hands....
Today I would like to take the time to thank all of my followers and visitors from all over the world for all the nice compliments I received for my blog....It makes me very, very happy although I must not forget to mention that Greet of te lovely Belgian Pearls -blog introduced me to this world in the article where she refered to my blog....A whole new world opened for me. So great thanks to her ! She' s a lovely lady....

We even got the visit of a lovely lady with her mother from Italy-Como and a lovely couple from Dusseldorf....They came especially to our shop: isn't that incredible?? We also received many, many phonecalls & e-mails...unfortunately I must say that we didn't find the time yet to answer them all....
At the moment the work for our projects takes all our time and between 14 pm and 18 pm we have to be present in our showroom to receive  new clients.... So I would like to apologize for not answering all the mails....

Never the less it makes us very, very  humble and thankfull because we worked both so hard for several years....We always stayed true to our style and always believed that that is the best way to run a business....
THANKS 
XXX
Sabine





Monday, August 8, 2011

In Love With Venice......

Eindelijk kan ik jullie laten weten waar onze dromen ons deze zomer  heen gebracht hebben...:VENETIE...
Eigenlijk kan ik je niet veel 'vertellen' over Venetië....je moet het eigenlijk met je eigen ogen zien..Venetië overweldigt je, bedwelmt je, verleidt je en raakt je diep in je hart....het is een belevenis om de rest van je leven te koesteren en je doet beseffen dat de wereld toch een mooie plek is....





Wie zegt dat Venetië niets te bieden heeft buiten het San Marco plein, heeft duidelijk de stad niet goed verkend, want Venetië heeft zoveel meer te bieden....Er zijn prachtige musea en voor wie de drukte wil ontlopen heb je een prachtig park, waar trouwens de Biënnale om de 2 jaar plaatsvindt. Venetië kun je het best te voet verkennen, dan ervaar je het echte Venetië en kruipt de stad pas echt in je bloed....Je komt in de kleinste steegjes en straatjes, die dikwijls nog geen meter breed zijn.....en je loopt over de meest romantische brugjes waar de meeste toeristen nooit komen...Voor de langere afstanden is het leuk om de waterbus te nemen omdat deze langs het Canal Grande vaart en je zo dus een fantastisch uitzicht hebt op alle mooie palazzo's die het rijke verleden van Venetië tonen. Ik kan nog uren doorgaan...

....maar beelden zeggen veelal meer dan woorden, vandaar dat ik hierbij graag met jullie enkele van onze sfeerbeelden wil delen. Geniet en laat maar weten wat je ervan vindt....
Eens zien of Italië ook bij jullie in het bloed kan kruipen....




Onze eerste kennismaking met Venetië:......zonder woorden...De Canal Grande



Na onze aankomst in ons hotel aan de Canal Grande trekken we te voet naar 'Piazza San Marco' voor onze eerste kennismaking met de stad. We banen ons een weg tussen de massa's toeristen om ons onder te dompelen in de hectische vitaliteit van deze stad....We nemen plaats aan een tafeltje in het prachtige interieur van caffe Quadri  op  Piazza San Marco en worden meteen terug gekatapulteerd in de tijd. We ervaren geheel onverwacht een gevoel van 'sereniteit'....we zijn ontroerend gelukkig en genieten van de muziek op het plein en onze aperitivo......
Nu weten we het zeker: Venetië zit  nu al in ons bloed.....











Piazza & Piazetta San Marco



We bezoeken Palazzo Ducale(Dogenpaleis) en staan met open mond  als we de rijk gedecoreerde vertrekken binnenwandelen die de heersende macht van weleer ten toon spreiden. 
We zien werken van oa Tintoretto, Veronese & Bellini. We keken vol verwondering naar het grootste 
schilderij ter wereld: 'Paradijs' van Tintoretto en zijn zoon. 
Ondanks de helse drukte op het San Marco plein hebben we bijna het museum voor ons alleen....



De zuilengalerij onder het Dogenpaleis




Piazetta San Marco met de zijgevel van het Dogenpaleis





Binnenplaats van het Dogenpaleis met oa de prachtige 16de-eeuwse  bronzen waterputten,
die naar het schijnt de mooiste van Venetië zijn en de 'Scala dei Giganti' met bovenaan
de prachtige monumentale beelden van Neptunus & Mars.





'Porta della Carta': de 15de-eeuwse Gotische poort is de oorspronkelijke hoofdingang
 van het Dogenpaleis.
De hoeken van het Dogenpaleis zijn trouwens ook prachtig versierd.




'Scala d'Oro': het prachtige versierde trappenhuis in het Dogenpaleis




Basilica San Marco
We stappen in de lift van de 'Campanile' om 100 meter hoger een blik op deze prachtige stad 
te werpen...We lezen zopas dat er werken uitgevoerd worden aan de fundamenten 
 vanwege kleine scheurtjes in het gebouw.....Deze toren is al een keer ingestort in 1902...
Venetië is gebouwd op een moerassige lagune en omdat deze toren eigenlijk té hoog gebouwd 
werd hebben de fundamenten het toen begeven. dat is ook de reden dat meerdere torens overhellen...
fingers crossed....




De Campanile met onderaan de prachtige Logetta

Hieronder enkele beelden vanop de Campanille:








We lopen over de ponto della Paglia richting Castello...op de Ponto della Paglia kijken we naar de brug der zuchten die het dogenpaleis verbindt met de gevangenis.. de zijkanten van de brug der zuchten is momenteel ingepakt voor restauratiewerken, wat het beeld eigenlijk een beetje vervormd ...oordeel zelf:



Brug in normale situatie
bronvermelding:http://www.weekendplanner.nl/venetie.htm



zo is de brug nu....






























We lopen nog wat verder en op de tweede brug hebben we zicht op de scheve campanile van San Giorgio dei Greci: de toren lijkt elk moment om te vallen...



San Giorgio dei Greci




Tijd voor een pauze: we begeven ons terug naar de zuilengalerij rondom San Marco en laten onze voeten rusten bij caffè Florian. Dit wereldberoemde instituut was de favoriet bij verschillende 19de eeuwse schrijvers zoals Byron, Dickens & Proust. Een bezoek aan Venetië is niet compleet zonder hier langs te zijn geweest....Het is dan ook de volgende dagen onze vaste stek om even te pauzeren en op adem te komen.




De zuilengalerij rondom San Marco met prachtige details....



Caffè Florian



Caffè Florian: 100 % genieten 



Het prachtige interieur van Caffè Florian


We bezoeken Museo Correr  aan het San Marco, maar blijkbaar hebben wederom weinig toeristen hier de weg naartoe gevonden....We genieten van werken van Canova & Carpaccio en van de prachtige versierde vertrekken....





Museo Correr





Geen bezoek aan Venetië is compleet zonder een tocht met de gondel...
Gondelier Marco neemt ons mee in het onbekende Venetië.




De 'Santa Maria della Salute' kerk





We beslissen om eerst een aperitivo te nemen in waarschijnlijk 's werelds bekendste bar: Harry's bar.

Klik hier voor de geschiedenis van deze beroemde bar.
 We nemen uiteraard hun bekendste drankje: de Bellini.....voor het eerst gemaakt door Giuseppe Cipriani in 1948 en genoemd naar de bekende Venetiaanse schilder Giovanni Bellini.
Salute!
 Klik hier voor het originele recept.


Bellini


Vlak naast Harry's bar nemen we plaats op het prachtige terras van   Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal aan het  Canal Grande. Het is een prachtige avond en we dineren met zicht op de Santa Maria della Salute & Canal Grande...een prachtige locatie, superlekker eten....en een zeer mooi hotel....











Het valt ons op dat op bijna elke deur er een geweldig mooie deurklink prijkt....
het zijn gewoon kunstwerken!


We nemen een traghetto en steken het Canal Grande over...We bezoeken het Peggy Guggenheim museum, waar we moderne kunstwerken zien van oa Picasso, J.Pollock, Kadinsky, Miro, Magritte, Mondriaan....We bezoeken ook de Galerie dell' Academia met zijn grote verzameling Venitiaanse kunstenaars 





Het Peggy Guggenheim museum



Gallerie dell' Academia



Impressies van de Biënnale in Venetië



....natuurlijk is Venetië nog veel, veel  meer en ik heb nog uren nodig om al onze andere impressies te delen....maar dat is voor een andere keer....Hopelijk hebben jullie genoten?
Arrivederci,
Sabine
XXX