SWEETS Hotel Amsterdam – I slept in a bridge-controller house and am dying to tell you all about it
It is a fantasy that every Dutchman must have had at one point in their lives. I know I’ve had it and I’m sure you have it, too. And if you’ve never been to the Netherlands, hang in there…it will all become clear to you in a few sentences. The hypothetical…
Boris van Berkum’s Divine Winti Inspiration
In Winti, there are no coincidences. And that is exactly why Dutch artist Boris van Berkum became inspired with this Surinamese religion. Winti, you see, takes elements from African and European cultures and mixes them together into an outlook on life that deserves more attention than it does now. It definitely…
Pestana Amsterdam Riverside – Glamour! History! Interior Design!
Can I just come out and say that I love luxury hotels? As far as I’m concerned, they are the pinnacle of glamour. I don’t care about money or being rich, but give me a night at five-star hotel with all the trimmings and I am a happy man. The latest…
Farrow & Ball’s Colour Consultancy Manager Patrick O’Donnell: ‘In the end, your home is about you.’
If there is one thing I like best about being an interior design writer, it’s meeting new people who share my passion for creating wonderful homes. Patrick O’Donnell was no exception. As manager of Farrow & Ball’s colour consultancy service, he understands like no one else how colour can make –…
Via Antica – The Brussels vintage design store that made me go —> HOT DAMN!
For years and years and years, I used to go to Brussels and come back disillusioned. Where was the nice part of town? How come I didn’t find any cool vintage shops? I’m lucky to report that those years are OVAH because on a recent trip to the capital of Belgium…
I was at the Design Academy Eindhoven 2018 Masters’ Graduation Exhibition – and you were not
If you want to avoid the long lines for the Design Academy Graduation Show in October, then I have juuuust the thing for you. Because this prestigious Dutch school – alma mater of some of the best designers in the world – also happens to organize a Masters’ Graduation Exhibition in…
Is this burning an Eterne flame?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: your home should have an eclectic mix with accessories you’ve collected during trips to faraway countries. But what if it turns out the hand-crafted occasional table you’ve *just* bought at that souk in Marrakesh doesn’t fit in the overhead luggage…
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…