When in Rome...

Go to Ninfa.

Christmas greens

 

Ah, the 70's inspired glass...

Mr Marx

Burle Marx, Brazilian landscape architect.

A different kind of simplicity

In my mid-teens I discovered the Shaker movement. Not the religious part of it (I can at best be seen as an agnostic) but the aesthetic of the Shaker movement was very interesting.

In 1987 a book called Shaker: life, work and art written by David Larkin hit the book stands. It’s a beautiful coffee table book and the aestheticism struck a cord in me and it has stayed with me ever since.

I realised that there is a certain beauty in simplicity. I never really wanted my home to look like a Shaker home but many ideas appealed to me. They still do.

The pictures above are from a Shaker community called Pleasant Hill in Kentucky. The link takes you to the Shaker's Pleasant Hill home page where you among other things can book a room at their inn. Want their style? You can of course order from the net from the US or you can find Shaker inspired design at Fired Earth. They have showrooms in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands and Hong Kong.

Narva

One of the most interesting trips I've made went to Narva in Estonia. I didn't go there to soak up the Swedish glory days and the Swedish lion mooning Russia across the river didn't sit well with me.

The one thing which struck me the most was the derelict state Narva is in. It's not as bad as Sillamäe that you pass on your way from Tallinn to Narva, but still. It's not just the houses that are falling apart, but the green spaces aren't dealt with and the streets are in a sorry state. Bring a flash light if you're moving outside after dark.

More than 90% of the population are Russians. In many ways it shows; the massive vodka bottles, the cheap second class fruits in the supermarkets and the stalls with fresh flowers open at impossible hours are things you see in Russia too. And there's a conflict between Russians and Estonians. I'm going to let this 5 Krooni banknote illustrate this issue; note the darkness coming out of Mordor Russia.

The very first entry...

... of this blog.

Who ever find their way here, enjoy!