minimalist or not?

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You remember my Biedemeier table cleaning session? I just had to take a picture now from the same angle. I'm not a minimalist-I like to be a minimalist but I'm not. My apartement could never show up in elle decoration, because it's just too full, even a little bit messy. And I like to staple things on my tables, and I like to write lists but I always forget them at home when I go out. I have lists for wishes, dreams, cities, music, work to do, shopping food and shopping clothes, websites... And I'm also working with at least 6 sketch/ idea books. So enough really personal stuff now.

And I went to see an apartment today. The best was the staircase. I tried to lift up the vase, but it's marble and part of the banisters. Found it a pitty that the lavender was fake, later I reallized that you could never get out the water anymore, because it's fixed!

fabric treasures

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I was sad about the knoll chairs but I spotted this skirt and it's a treasure as well. It fits me perfectly and the pattern is fantastic. It's made out of one piece of fabric, coton I think, with only one seem in the back-the rest are pleats and darts.
The pink top I found in Brussels. I really like the back with the bow and it's roughly edges and there are two cones sewn in on both sides of the bow to let the top hang straight!

wooden treasures and spices

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I found this uge wooden cuttingboard in Brussels. It's from the south of France. The butterknife is from Zurich, the two spoons from Corsica from my best friend A.-all are olive wood. The salt is blue, a rarity from Semnan/Iran which you find in the good old Migros in Switzerland-I miss it so much and the fishspice, which is as well blue, and smells delicious is a bio thing "from" Hildegard von Bingen. The glass gugelhupf form is from Schott, it came in the original box with the date in it from 10. Dez. 1959!
I really need a big family soon otherwise I don't know what to do with all my kitchenstuff.



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I nearly spent 4 month to think about buying his cutting board and now I did it. The form, the eye marple, the thickness is perfect. It's an object to hang on the wall. But I said to myself, if I buy it, I have to use it and it will stay my whole life. It's from Wohl. Und das Holz, die Feinheit, die Maserung, ein wohliger Schauer, wenn man darüber streicht.

oldfashioned cleaning

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Have this 3 m long old Biedermeier table. It was definitely time to clean it again. Did it in the real old fashioned way with Schmierseife-soft soap in english. But like the german word says-it's not only about cleaning, it's about nourishing the wood and give it a protection. The result is fantastic: the wood is again like a baby skin. Dropped some lemongrass oil in he liquid and my living room smells nice as well.
By the way-I'm a bit sad that I was too late today to get 4 original Saarinen conference chairs from Knoll for a Spottpreis. But I found something else-will show you tomorrow.

vitra office space

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Did a styling assistance for a shooting for vitra. Office space-inspired by David Lynch and Mad Men.
The shooting took place in Weil am Rhein in their real offices. More laboratorium then a work space where every corner is designed. Clean but inspiring.

vases and roses

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These are my recent finds of vases in thrift stores in Zurich. I was looking for some time for a really tall vase, not easy to find and when I saw this one I had to buy it. It's just perfect. Greyish white porcellain, with a structured surface, a bit like roughly hard plaster. It's from Metzler & Ortloff Thüringen, former DDR, late sixties I think. The little glaced one is from Arzberg, the two ceramic ones from Germany as well and the petrol glass one from Finland.
What to say about the little roses? A colour I haven't seen before-something between grey and lilac. They are so oldfashioned that they look modern the same way. I asked the flowergirl for the species, She told me something about Marie Jeanne but on the internet they look different. And honestly in reality is the colour much more special-dusty and shady in a way, I can't explain it just fascinating!

Wedges and Bettelarmband

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I'm not a fan from wedges. Normally they look like you have a piece of wood on your ankle-Klumpfuss in German. But since I had to design and develop shoes, I know that elegance on shoes is really about milimeters. And this ones are perfectly made. The suede is fine, the cuttings are on the perfect spot and the heel is just amazing. Quite high but you walk like on a cloud.
And I start to like wearing jewels, like this Bettelarmband. I especially like the camel!

is the summer allready over?

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Think the summer is gone. I jumped only 2 times in water-once in the river Limmat and once in the Zürichsee.
Rainy days are perfect to go to the zoo. Masoala rainforest in the Zürich Zoo.

domke

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Stepped in this beautiful little shop on saturday. Stuffed animals to move around in your apartement. Very, very beautiful.

z'morge

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Finished work in the bar and I am happy to enjoy my favorite breakfast at home. The plate, eggcup and coffeecup is from Arzberg Form 2000 Bast design from Heinrich Löffelhardt from the fifties.

fish & chips Rössli

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Zürich hat sich die letzten 15 Jahre unglaublich verändert-das habe ich eigentlich schon zu Genüge erzählt. Das Industriequartier-kreis 5-hat sich vom ehemaligen Fabrikenareal zu einem der hippsten Stadtteilen entwickelt, mit massiv gestiegenen Wohnungsmieten, Lofts und Bürokomplexen, wo die meisten alten Gebäude abgerissen wurden oder umfunktioniert werden.
Zur Zeit herrscht eine der grössten Baustellen am Escher-Wyss Platz und auf der Hauptverkehrsaxe Hardbrücke.
Beim Bahnhof Hardbrücke gibts auch ein Fish und Chips. Habe mich eigentlich seit ich in Antwerpen wohne schon manchmal gefragt, warum es im Ausgangsviertel keine Frittenbude gibt-das perfekte Essen für Nachtschwärmer. In Zürich kommen die Fritten natürlich in durchgestylter Vintageverpackung an, der Preis ist auch den Schweizern angepasst aber das Handwerk beherrschen sie nicht wie die Belgier. Nichts geht über belgische fritjes. Wie auch die Schokolade in Belgien eigentlich besser ist, was man einem Schweizer aber kaum erzählen darf, ist schliesslich sein Nationalstolz.
Zürich ist hip, durchgestylt, vintagepoliert und in all seiner Arroganz manchmal einfach langweilig-es fehlt je länger je mehr an Natürlichkeit und Leichtigkeit. Schade finde ich das.

Stadtgärtnerei und Sukkulentensammlung

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I took a quick trip to the rainforest and the dessert yesterday and today. Both the Stadtgärtnerei and the Sukkulentensammlung have free entrance.

guerilla gardening: kalkbreite zurich

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The temporary garden in Zurich is nice and wild. But they don't really care about it which is absolutly not typical for swiss people-maybe they are on summerholidays!

Profiträff

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Went out on monday night after work. Again a place in Zurich which I know already since 14 years and it is so nice to come there. Next to the river, good music, simple but cheap drinks, a lot of laughter and dance and no arrogance. Sometimes I can't stand the Zurich attitude anymore. On the Bar I need an elephant skin.
It's good to come to places like this then.

Heile, heile säge

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I cut me deeply in my fingertip yesterday. To work on a bar can be dangerous.
At home, I nearly opened the old nice packages I found in the thrift store. I don't know actually, if they would be still steril after 50 years. The grey package is from 1940, from the swiss Army.