German Impressions VIII

Welcome to what is probably the longest Impressions... post ever! The overall theme was meant to be water, however, I did sneak in a couplephotos of interior shops I discovered.

First, a couple photos of the Hamburg port, the 2nd largest port in Europe. We took a boat trip and I saw the former 'retirement' homes of captains along the Elbe and the city beach.

Below one of the cool new buildings that form part of the new Hafen City. I like the organic shape of the building.

Here are a couple interior design stores I checked out.

 

The next two photos below show a shop that is straight out of a fairy tale. The former factory is crammed with the most beautiful props. Apparently, their clientel are mainly prop stylists.

Does anybody happen to know the name óf this shop?

Nice contrast between the elegant building and the run down theatre. Everybody bikes in Germany.

One of the many beautiful city parks with an observatory and a lake where you can swim. They were filming at the lake when we went there.

This is random but I found this 'skeleton house' interesting.

And then we went to the beach (45 min from Hamburg). We were lucky because they were pretty empty. We rented one of these cute things below - a Strandkorb. Do I now want to have my own Strandkorb, too? Yes, I do.

The dunes protect from the floods.

All photos: European Chic

So, I hope you enjoyed this trip!

Blissful Italian living

Did I mention that I like converted monastries and churches*? They give so much design freedom (plus a couple design challenges). Here is a beautifully converted monastry in Liguria, Italy, with a view to Corsica and the montains of Portofino in the distance. What a bliss to live here!

Imagine you wake up to this view everyday! And the garden is georgeous! I've spotted not one but several perfect breakfast places.

*Check out this place, and this one.

All photos: AT Casa Italia

Simple flower arangements

These simple flower arrangements make me happy. Enough said.

All photos: Living at Home Magazine

Icelandic Impressions I

My friends H. and F. are always game for unusual trips. This summer they cycled around Iceland for three weeks. I've begged them to share some photos with you, dear readers. The Iclandic landscape is fascinating, isn't it? I think it can be very inspirational for someone keen on decorating and design.