GÅSÖ IN SUNSHINE AND WITH A SEAVIEW ETC

The view from our house, part of it! At the moment the trees have that translucent green colour that will turn deeper green as the summer progresses.

I planted some white Geraniums (more about that later) in an old sugar wooden box. And look at the beautiful beatles that visited this morning.

My green and black still life on the dining table. Napkin holder in cast iron that I bought up in Dalarna (part of Sweden) earlier this year. Jug by Alice Sheppard (thegallery@theguild, Chipping Campden) and pot from Indiska (Sweden) made from recycled cans!

Geraniums outside in our outdoor livingroom. Pot from www.Granit.se, table from www.Åhléns.se last year, and chairs from www.Ikea.com!

A close up on the white Geranium.

I love limes and lemon and use them i my cooking every day! Recipies will follow later this summer.

Planted lots of Nasturtions and cannot wait for them to grow. Hopefully you will be able to see lots of them in bloom later. Found this nearly black variety that will match my house etc perfectly.

Our large diningtable, vintage from Provence that we bought @ www.conran.com when we moved in about five years ago! Chairs from www.ikea.com. More later on and tomorrow! Have an nice Friday evening!

LIVING AT GÅSÖ PART 2 - GARDENING

Create an outdoor room in your garden or on your decking. This picture is from last year when the potatoes (in the buckets on the left) and the herbs etc had grown a bit and settled in! Chairs from Ikea, table from the french company Fermob (in Sweden you can get it from Svenssons i Lammhults).

Cornflower is together with Daisys are the "Swedish Summer Flowers no 1!" They are like the Christmas Tree for Midsummer and graduation celebrations here. A lovely combination wherever you are. Here in a vase by Gunnel Sahlin from www.Ikea.com on my fantastic vintage table from Provence that we got at Conrans (www.conran.com)

Grey and black flower pots from www.granit.se. Mix flowers with herbs in your outdoor livingroom.

Herbs in a big plastic container. I made some wholes in the bottom for proper draining. I buy the little potted herbs from the food shop and they normally take really well.

The view of my outdoor diningarea taken from inside the house. A lovely outlook towards the forest.

Finally, we had a green friend who liked the iPad. He or she matched the interior perfectly! More tomorrow!

THE START OF SUMMER 2013 @ GÅSÖ

Welcome to my house on Gåsö, or I should say, our house since I share it with my husband Bruce and son Hugo! And all other friends and family who comes to stay. This summer I am gonna spend a lot of time here and will post nearly every day. Interior, gardening, fashion, food etc. I promise that you will will not be disappointed. More about the house and the interior later. This i a bit of a teaser. This time I am staying until 2 June but will be back 17 June for more...

The lounge is facing two ways, onto the sea and onto to forest. Again, a teaser of it. Greens are at the moment the accent colour along with yellow and a bit of red!

It is still more like late spring than early summer and the cow slips are flowering on our island. Picked these today on our daily walk.

The latest addition to my collection of jugs it this little sweetie that I picked up in March when I was skiing up in the north of Sweden and we took a little trip over to Norway and the lovely little town of Röros (part of the World Heritage).

Last year I got some planting potatoes from my friend Lars and I was quite successful in growing them in buckets. So inspired by this that I am now preparing these little beauties to be planted shortly. Almond potatoes we call this variety that has its origin from the very north of Sweden.

Last but not least. Petunias "Black Velvet" and "Snowflake" Bacopia on the steps outside the house. Planted today to last the whole summer. The pots I bought in Nyköping two years ago in a lovely shop on the High Street there called Signe & Göta.

BLACK AND WHITE GRAPHICS FOR INTERIORS IN STOCKHOLM TODAY

I am in my beautiful hometown of Stockholm today and walked passed the view of the lovely City Hall this morning!

The wellknown and famous fabric- and graphic designer Sven Fristedt posing with his popular designs from the 60ies that has been chosen to be reinstated by Hemtex (www.hemtex.se)interior design chain of shops in Sweden) to celebrate their 40ied birthday! The whole collection will be on sale in early autumn.

Fabrics with names like Pärit and Pompe shown here as bedlinen, cushioncovers etc...

Goody bags for the press!

The pattern Pärit here as coasters and trays.

Mugs in Pärit!

Large coaster in Pärit!

Bedlinen i Pompe!

I also went and had a look at the department store Åhléns showroom and found these lovely Gustavian furniture due for sale this autumn. Back with more tomorrow!

TOPSHOP SUMMER FESTIVAL

I loooove Topshop. I am 57 years of age and love the quirkiness of their fashion and how they mix and match their garments in the store. And of course, their Flagship Store in Oxford Circus tick all the boxes. Fashionable, quirky, trendy, comfortable, wellpriced etc.  Just last Thursday the whole store was dedicated to the Summer Festivals which are so popular and videly spread around the UK. Above, go to this summers festivals in crochet dresses and washed out denim jackets.

Dressed for the hot weather or the beach in neon colours and jungle prints. You might even meet a Flamingo or two.

The monochromes are one of the summers big hits. Mix with red. Notice the "just over the knee" length of the skirt and the tummy showing tops (not for me).

Pastels and "easter" colours. Yellow with lilac and purple and pinks. Again, a total mix of patterns with the kaleidoscope varieties taking the price!

Grungy girls in dungarees and loose flowery throusers. And of course, some flower in your hair....

For the more tough and chic girls this summer, black with citric yellow and white. Fresh and punky at the same time. Right down my street.

Next door to Topshop @ Oxford Circus is Miss Selfridges. More girly and at the moment more or less totally devoted to Gatsby! Lovely dresses for all the summer parties...

In Topshops boutique this week - underwear, nightwear or daywear? I guess you choose.

More festivals in Topshops flagship store window with a theme of hippies in denim and feathers and grungy girls in pink and Missoni inspired patterns.

Mens fashion in indigo with splashes of neons. Fresh and clean.

When I was in my teens it was very "in" to wear chiffong scarves in all colours. Then they were very cheap so I could afford to have them in all colours. Just found them again, now bigger and in these neon colours. Not too pricy but not cheap. Topshop again.

Holiday wear..with short shorts and bustiers. And of course, washed out denim...

Dressed for the city in pink and animal prints. Notice the hats and the sneakers.

Dressed as a proper fashionblogger in a quirky mix of colours, patterns and colourful shoes and handbags. Notice the "blingy" necklaces and girly socks.

I loooove these bodycon dresses, suits any occasion and any age! It is down to how you assesorize them. Nearly bought this one but realized I have at least three very similar ones in my wardrobe! Add denim and a sunhat for this summers BBQ:s.

A more girly look with neon coral and flowers. Perhaps pink hair this summer or a wig?

Finally, found this lovely fabric at the Interior Fair in Excel last week (East London). It had the same effect on me as the bodycon dress from Topshop above.  It is by www.timourousbeasties.com that I have admired since they started. Unexpected kaleidoscope patterns were new this spring. More fashion and interior design inspiration tomorrow from Stockholm. Watch this space!

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK REVISITED

Clerkenwell Design Week is celebrating its 4th year with more exhibitors and showrooms open than ever before. The whole area was filled with pop up installations and several "Hubs", from The Farmiloe Building to the House of Detention. Showrooms were open with talks and special happenings. This area of London is more and more turning into the Interior Design centre of London.  

A modern maze in St Johns Square during the "show". Decorative and exciting.

"Village of Huts". This year Architecture for Humanity is designing and building a micro village of Huts for Clerkenwell Presents - each with a different name reflecting the spirit and ethos of Architecture for Humanity: Green Hut (above in ) (clad with edible plants). Water Hut (pipes and bottles, Textile Hut (exploration of soft materials) and Remakery Hut (using objects from the Brixton Remakery Centre.

The Remakery Hut, made from recycled doors and window frames etc. See above!

A landscape of 200 elegant, low coast chairs was placed in the St James´s Church Garden. Designed and built and arranged by Assemble, their configurations would have promoted social interaction, making spaces to rest, play, eat, perform and observe. Throughout the festival they were continually changed and moved to form an amphitheatre to a banquet hall, to speed dating, to conference room....

On the more commercial side, Pop Up stores were invited throughout the fair. These happy cushions could be found in the Farmiloe Building (www.dykeanddean.com)

Bolon with their worldwide very successful flooring, the showroom was celebrating their first anniversary in Clerkenwell (www.bolon.com).

Sofas should either be inspired by the 60ies or with buttons! Cleverly designed sofa with built in "cushions". www.numique.com

...or with high backs and crosstichings...

Fritz Hansens lates import is the Spanish designer Jaime Hayón that will administer the design heritage for the future. He started off as a sculptor and that can be seen in this design. Just look at the shape of the legs and how the armchair  views  amazingly from all angels.

Sofas will often have a familiar and "seen before" look even though newly designed. Look at this lemon coloured fresh sofa in velvet and buttoned. Cute! www.jamesuk.com

Tacchini had teamed up with Swedish Trio Claesson, Koivisto & Rune. Sculptoral and elegant design in light metal frames.

Soft furnishing building blocks at Farmiloe Building by Swedish Mitab!

Cappelini mixed fragments of childhood and traditionell design very cleverly!

Worldwide known lamp producer Foscarinis beautiful big glass lamps suited the entrance at Farmiloe Building perfectly.

Cut hay. Why not, softlooking lamps was found in the Detention House.

Wonderfully crafted lamps in plywood by Holloways of Ludlow @ the Farmiloe building.

Chairs in any colour, www.kusch.com.

Have some odd dessert bowls in glass at home, why not turn them into lamps! www.vitaminliving.com.

Cleverly designed table- and hanging lamps that made me think of fashion and sheer materiels. Toby House.

Sofas that can build rooms and create your own private place are the future. Neon colours with grey, just like the fashion trends just now! www.viccarbe.com

Glass from the laboratorie turned into lamps! www.vitaminliving.com

Soft funishing with highth! Armchair in warm yellow, just like it should look like just now!. www.deadgood.co.uk

And finally, auditorium in Farmiloe Building, chairs by Zuco! Of course all here is just a taster of what was going on....more to come next week both from Clerkenwell, fashion in London etc etc. Have a nice weekend. I am off to Sweden for the midterm week here in England but will still be blogging away!