What is it like to write a book – in two hours or less
‘Procrastination has always been my weakness,’ I confessed to my new friend Ron earlier tonight. ‘Oh, who cares? It’s charming!’ His reply was just what I needed. The time had come to sit down, overcome an insane bout of writer’s block and finally tell you what it’s like to publish a…
TEFAF, I love you but you’re bringing me down
I was at TEFAF Maastricht the day before yesterday. And I could easily write a quicky blogpost saying what a totally unique exhibition it is. I would challenge you to come up with an even finer fine art show that so effortlessly combines art from different eras in one single building….
Thanks to Maarten Spruyt, there is NOTHING NEW in Milan this year
There are two things that all the very best creatives I’ve met have in common – and take it from me, I met a lot of them the past few years. First, they are always down to earth. Tom Dixon, one of the world’s most famous designers, once told me that…
Como Audio – Tried, tested and found true
When it comes to audio, you can definitely say I’ve been upping my game lately. Late last year, I bought a high-end Bluetooth headset. It’s not just great for the road, but it also comes in quite useful whenever I want to listen to my music at home – which I…
Vitra Schaudepot – THE SCHAU MUST GO ON
You would not believe how tired I was after two days running up and down the Vitra Campus along with some of Europe’s most influential interior designer influencers that ever influenced. In spite of my humongous vintage Umbro benchcoat, I was cold, wet and desperate for my second wind to kick in….
Nope. I am not writing about the Carnaval dos Caretos today.
Nothing to see here today, folks. Just move along! Because today, I am not sharing with you where you can celebrate the best carnival in all of Europe. I would never, ever reveal that all you have to do is fly to Porto and then drive a few hours to Portugal’s far northeastern…
Object Rotterdam 2018 – the morning after
Do you know what I like best about design exhibitions like Object Rotterdam? The morning after! I go through all the photos I’ve taken and as I drink at least five cups of coffee, I read all the websites of the designers whose work I’ve seen. For me, it’s the only…
My first time on a Geberit AquaClean shower toilet – this is how it went down
I’m a morning person – in more than one sense. I get up at 5:30 in the morning, make a cup of coffee and walk through the websites that are on my browser’s bookmarks bar until I get The Urge. I’m a bit of a political junkie and enjoy catching up…
I went color hunting in Afurada and all I got was ignored
Ah yes, Afurada! With your soft pastels and bright than bright colors! And your intimidating looking fisherman’s wives! You enticed me when I was in Portugal last spring and someone I met suggested I go an visit your shores. You were supposed to be beautiful and exotic and I couldn’t wait to…
Hotelnacht Amsterdam – PARTY HARDY and then catch some zzz’s
Amsterdammers! Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a tourist in your own city? Sure you do! Like it or not, Amsterdam is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations – and not without reason. As many tourists can tell you, you can PARTY HARDY and…
Joana Schneider’s overwhelming rugs for overwhelming times
If you’ve ever been to Dutch Design Week, you know it’s a bombardment of ideas wherever you go. Walk ten feet and I’ll guarantee you’ll miss at least concepts that…tsk, tsk…you really should have seen. With their ultra-fluorescent colors, however, the textile hangings by Joana Schneider were pretty hard to walk…
Surer after Tal R that this dreamer should be a doer
If there is one thing nagging at the back of my mind about writing an interior design and art blog, is that it’s never about me. Wait, let me rephrase that. It is about me, of course – I am fortunate enough to do see beautiful things, go to inspiring places…
Stacii Samidin doesn’t move for anybody
Once, he was a street boy. Now, Stacii Samidin works on his ultimate goal: to become the second-ever photographer to be signed by Magnum in New York. And you know what? He’s going to succeed. To celebrate the comeback of Interiorator after an off year, I meet up with an amazing…
A ten-minute peek at the one and only Piet Hein Eek
“Did you just say we have to be back in ten minutes?” the Italian journalist next to me asked. “You should have brought your running shoes!” our guide snapped back in jest. It was one of those typical Dutch Design Week international press tour moments that I have not only learned to appreciate,…
Hästens – I’ll sleep on it!
Thanks to Hästens, I had the worst night of sleep in ages. I tossed and I turned, woke up at least once an hour wondering if it was time to get up yet and dreamt at least twice I slept through the alarm clock. I don’t know about you, but after…
Big Art. Great Evening. Minor Mistake.
What happens if you ask your mother to be your ‘plus one’ for the opening party of a major art exhibition? Well, you have a great evening for starters. Because if your mother is anything like mine, you’ll first spend an hour driving to Amsterdam together and catching up on everything that’s…
Svinging by Svenskt Tenn in ten minutes tops
What if you only have one and a half hour of free time in Stockholm? Well, you sving by Svenskt Tenn before you do anything else! At least, that’s what I decided to do after an exciting press trip to the Hästens factory and flagship store had come to an end….
Tales of the Unexpected
If you had told me before I drove to Arnhem that I would end up in a total stranger’s living room admiring a skeleton dressed in a velvet cape, I would have laughed in your face. But there I was, and I was in total awe. So why don’t you sit…
Moooi! An exclusive interview with stylist Martine de Schipper
It is the biggest interior design in the world – Milan Design Week. Needless to say, I was there. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the Via Savona showroom of Moooi, where I met up for an exclusive interview with stylist Martine de Schipper of Stories of Sense…
C-More Concept Store…it’s all happening for my friend Iris!
Did I ever tell you about my good friend Iris Havekes? This woman is going places! To be honest, I don’t even remember when or where I first met Iris. A couple of years ago, she was just there. At least that’s what it felt like. Iris is not only a kick-ass interior…
Sintra – three Portuguese palaces full of mind-blowing interior inspo
As our plans for next summer slowly but surely become concrete, I thought I’d get in the mood and revisit the trip my husband Patrick and I took to Sintra in Portugal last year. We both get a kick out of visiting European palaces and castles – for us, they are…
Jan des Bouvrie: “Things have to keep moving!”
“What magazine is this for?” Jan des Bouvrie asks as I enter his office at Het Arsenaal in the Dutch town of Naarden. “It’s for the internet!” his assistent replies as she closes the door behind me. I sit down at a pristine white table, introduce myself and give a brief…
Monique des Bouvrie will throw her own party, thank you very much
The sun carefully peeks through the clouds when I get off the bus in the Dutch town of Naarden on a chilly November morning. I briskly cross the street, enter Het Arsenaal and report myself to the receptionist. “I’m here to interview Monique des Bouvrie. And then Jan.” I know I…
FRUSTRATED ;-) at the Gevonden op Marktplaats Wintersalon
Time to share a little bit more about myself than I do normally. For many, many reasons I’ve been practicing this year with frustrating myself. That may sound weird, but it has brought me a lot. Or rather, it has brought me nothing. Which is a good thing. Let me explain….
Michelin stars shine at the Timothy Oulton instore dinner party
Dinner tonight will be served by Erik van Loo from Parkheuvel in Rotterdam,” my host for the night says – and I nearly fall off my chair. A chef from a restaurant with two Michelin stars who will be cooking for me at at the Timothy Oulton flagship store in Amsterdam…
Ink Hotel Amsterdam – Style written in Ink
Give me a new boutique hotel with an interesting history and I’m a happy man. It’s as simple as that. As you may have seen on my Instagram feed, I’m taking a much-needed break in Cascais, Portugal. But did you know my trip started out in style last week at the…
TEFAF 2015 – This stuff belongs in a museum!
It’s Sunday afternoon. March 15, 2015. And my head is still reeling. Yes, I went to TEFAF 2015 yesterday and I’m suffering from Stendhal Syndrome so badly even Mr. Stendhal himself would feel extremely sorry for me and say, there there Interiorator – just take a chill pil and calm the…
Khotinsky makes sparks fly at Energiehuis
Taking pictures for Interiorator was the last thing on my mind when I was in the Dutch town of Dordrecht earlier this month. In fact, all I could think about was how excited (and nervous) I was to see my husband star in a play at a local theater festival held…
Gevonden op Marktplaats Salon – part 2
Like shooting fish in a barrel – that’s what it felt like when I was taking pictures last Saturday at the Gevonden op Marktplaats Salon in Amsterdam. Everywhere I looked, there were unique vintage design pieces – all styled to absolute perfection by Julien Rademaker and his team. In case you’re…
Gevonden op Marktplaats Salon – part 1
Mosterd na de maaltijd – mustard after the meal. It’s a Dutch saying that is just perfect for today’s blogpost about last weekend’s Gevonden op Marktplaats Salon in Amsterdam. I had planned on going to the opening last Wednesday but alas, something suddenly came up and I couldn’t make it. For…