A Danish townhouse in Frederiksstaden

“I like to buy pieces that become part of my everyday, and stick with me for a long time. Not only classic furniture and great designs of high quality, but things with a little story that is dear to me. (...) My house allows a life to be lived in it. I want it always to be comfortable and to make people feel comfortable, never stiff. Everything in it brings warmth into my everyday life.”

I loved reading the interview to Marie Worsaae - partner of the Danish lifestyle brand Aiayu - on Cereal (read it here). I share her hygge attitude!

SOURCE: Cereal | WORDS: Lucy Brook | PHOTOS: Peter Kragballe | STYLING: Camilla Tange Peylecke

Hygge | what does it mean?

I'm used to connect the word “hygge” to the sense of intimacy and well-being that I first noticed in many north Europe interiors and that I love to create in my spaces but I must say that the meaning of this Danish word is wider. So, I looked on the web and I wrote this list with my faves links:

01 - The Lonely Planet Quote :

The Danes are obsessed with cosiness. All of them. Even the toughest leather-clad biker will recommend a bar based on its ‘hygge‘ factor. In Danish, however, ‘hygge’ means more than just cocoa and tea lights. It’s about a feeling – a sense of warmth and companionship. So, as another long winter waits in the wings, it’s time to get that hygge feeling.
Via Study in Denmark

02 - a little bit of HISTORY of the word:

Hygge didn't originate in the Danish language but in Norwegian, where it meant something like "well-being." It first appeared in Danish writing around the end of the 18th Century and the Danes have embraced it ever since. One good thing about hygge is that you can apply it anywhere.

Via VisitDenmark 

03 - the SHORTer definition I found is :
'illuminating the soul'

Via VisitDenmark

04- the ARCHITECTure  magazine's definition: 
A home's sense of hygge—that is, the spare but very cozy minimalism epitomized by Danish houses.

Hygge (roughly pronounced hoog-eh) describes the warm, cozy feeling that develops when friends gather in a room with some open flames (candlelight, fireplace), alcohol, and plenty of time to enjoy the experience. There’s an aesthetic component, too—worn wood and strewn (faux) sheepskins help. So do “small things, and blankets” . Though it’s somewhat difficult to define, Danes know it when they see it.

Via Dwell here and here.

05 - To end, take a little time to watch at this two nice VIDEOs:

WHAT IS DANSK HYGGE ? Television serie "Capitain" for DR2 (YouTube)

SO WHAT IS DANISH HYGGE? Via VisitDenmark (YouTube)

Do you know other good links about HYGGE? Suggest them in the comments, I'll be happy to look at them!

Marres, Winter Anti Depression Show

Marres, Centre for Contemporary Culture in Maastricht is hosting a Winter Anti Depression Show (the interactive event is

White Tulips on my table

Some sneak peeks inside my home. I got these beautiful white tulips for my birthday (some day ago). They make me think that days are getting longer. I love Winter - it's my cosy season - but this year I'm looking forward to more daylight (only a little).
PS: Illustrations on the wall are from Gaelle Boissonnard and Lola Duval.

Winter Must-Do: Wild Bird Food

Winter is the perfect season for helping wild birds with food. If you have a quiet outdoor space, you can hang or plant a 'little seeds bar'. Surely you can buy wild bird food, but there are hundreds of homemade recipes you can easily find on the web and make on your own. These are 4 between my favs websites talking about bird food:
- 4 ways to Feed Wild Birds from wikiHow
- Winter Bird Food Recipes from Mother Earth News
- Make a speedy bird cake from RSPB
- Make Your Own Pine Cone feeder from Make Your Own Bird Food

You can contribute to Make Your Own Bird Food library: if you have an old family favorite bird food recipe, and you do not see it already listed, read here.

A Cosy Winter

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Sources of inspirational images:
01 decorate with wool | 02 invest in a pair of irresistable home socks | 03 | 04 personalize your stuff with colors | 05 learn to knitt

Read this cute list '30 how to survive winter!' from Frolic! I love it!

Christmas - Inspiration and DIY - 5: To do immediately...

Three ideas you can do immediately to bring in the Holiday spirit:

01 : Download the free Holiday desktop wallpaper from Ampersand design studio

02 : Build your gingerbread house to partecipate to the Isak's challenge for the best gingerbread house  (open until the 20th December)

03 : Start to bake reading 12 days of holiday baking with Fishly News

Nonstop Chopin

Lang Lang & Marquese "Nonstop" Scott. Photograph: Daniel Shaked

I want to wish you a nice weekend linking the energetic video featuring the famous pianist Lang Lang  performing Chopin's "Ocean" Etude Op 25 No 12 alongside an interpretation of the music by Dubstep dancer Marquese Scott.
The video was filmed in the Anker-Expedithalle at Loftcity in Vienna, Austria and forthcomes Lang Lang's  Chopin Album released on 29 October 2012.
Watch the video here (2min 54sec).

Wool and the Gang - Moodboard 21

Sources:

01 - 02 - 03

04 - 05 - 06 - 07

08 - 09 

Wool and the Gang is a DIY fashion brand - ethical, traditional, inspirational, recreational - and more, it is  a gang of knitters, guys and girls from 7 to 77 years old, all tied together by a piece of yarn!

'Ever since Swiss-brand Wool and the Gang was founded by a pioneer of DIY fashion, Lisa Sabrier and Carolyn Main, in December 2008, their exquisite Peruvian yarns are enveloping an ever-expanding ‘gang’ of knitwear enthusiasts and knitters across the globe. Whether you choose a ready-to-wear piece that has been hand-made in the mountainous regions of Peru, or opt for one of the Ready-to-Knit kits – the result will be a treasured piece of craftsmanship infused with the wisdom of countless generations. Both timeless and timely – WATG embodies the caring face of fashion and re-connection to our creative selves.

The Designers – Hand-picked because of their dedication to all things hand-made, Gang-Leaders Aurelie Popper and Jade Harwood both graduated in Textile Design at London’s Central St. Martins College. After working for established names such as Alexander McQueen and Balmain, these ‘sisters of sustainability’ brought their expertise to New York where they have woven their passion into chic and individual alternatives to disposable fashion, and created easy-to-follow kits for new ‘gang-members’.'

Join The Gang – Wool And The Gang will teach you how to knit - with online video tutorials, tips and ideas on their blog. COOL!

Do more of what makes you happy

I wish you a creative weekend and I leave you this inspiring words from today I love: Stilleben. I'll be back on monday!

Islands Brygge + some higgelig windows

Kulturhuset Café, Islands Brygge 18

Kulturhuset Café, Islands Brygge 18

If you don't have a bike, you can arrive to Islands Brygge with boat 901 (same ticket than for the metro/bus), it's a really amazing trip with wonderful views. Than, walking long the canal, before Harbour Pool, you'll find KulturHuset where you can have coffee, brunch, lunch, newspapers +
After, some higgelig windows:-)

Islands brygge

ShopWindow in StoreStrandStraede

Se non potete usare una bici, il miglior modo per arrivare a Islands Brygge è con il battello 901 (stesso biglietto di metro/bus), che fa un bel percorso nel canale permettendo vedute particolari. Poi, risalendo lungo la riva, prima della piscina del porto - Harbour Pool -, troverete la Casa della Cultura - KulturHuset - dove bere un caffè, mangiare e leggere i giornali ++

Millions bicycles in Kob

To do in Copenhagen: Sit on a bench of Dronning Louises Bro, maybe with a cup of warm coffee, and you'll see millions bicycles passing by!

Da fare a Copenhagen: sedersi su una panchina sul Dronning Louises Bro, magari con una tazza di caffè caldo, e vedere passare milioni di bici!

Cocooning stuff I love...

 

Indigo hyacinths

I cannot post the heady fragrance of these deep indigo hyacinths but I've tried to capt their intense color, wonders of Nature!

Non posso trasmettervi il profumo intenso di questi giacinti indaco ma ho provato a catturare il loro colore intenso, le meraviglie della natura!

Terraced House - L: 1st part, the bedroom

I began restoring this home one year ago. It's a Florentine terrace house, with two level and with a little court on the back at the grond floor. It's not finished but I will share some photos and I will keep you informed about the progresses.

Ho iniziato a ristrutturare questa abitazione circa un anno fa. E' un terratetto fiorentino, su due piani con una piccola corte interna. Non è ancora finito ma voglio iniziare a pubblicare qualche foto; vi terrò via via informati sui progressi.

Pompon in Copenhagen

Knit-fitti/pom-bombing in Copenhagen, a diy urban project from Brittany Watson Jepsen blog. Waiting for spring, you can do it in your garden if you have the possibility. Smile :-)

Ponpon di lana che decorano un albero nel centro di Copenhagen, dal blog di Brittany Watson Jepsen. Aspettando la primavera, potete decorare così il vostro giardino, se lo avete. Poi, un bel sorriso :-)

http://thehousethatlarsbuilt.blogspot.com/2012/02/happy-weekend.html