White Monday

When everything seem to go black, i always try to act white!

Have a lovely new week

Love, K.

images via tumblr.com/blog/cocoandsilk

A Peaceful Place

Well, it's been so long since i wrote a post about interiors, seems like fashion has taken all of my energy, yes? Today as i was running to catch my meetings, i had a small gap between two of them and boy i spent all of my time reading in a cosy coffee shop a beautiful interior magazine, so here i am now all inspired to share with you!

The more i tend to read international press - and by international i mean European, American, Australian, sure is international -  the more i realize that the way we used to dress our homes has trully changed. Think of it, it's only ten years ago and we used to spend thousands of euros to create over-stuffed places with anything we could afford. Somehow everything had to be a lot. Today people try to let their homes breath, small empty spaces that create a peaceful corner are super desirable and if i am allowed to say we not only have started to dress low key, but live low key / which brings me to a total joy! It is so obvious that what really counts is not the quantity but the quality and this goes to everything really. It is about time to get rid of everything 'cheap' and ugly we do not need and we still carry with us, metaphorically this could affect even a relationship but here i speak of the way we dress our homes and ourselves. So, next time you are ready to pick something, wait a minute and ask yourself: does this product really worth the price? Does this company respect the consumer? Or am i buying it cause it's one cheap bullshit? Just saying...

Enjoy you day,

Love, K.

images via here

Make My Friday - The Low Key Aesthetic

Every time i visit Scandinavia i come back home having that awkward feeling like...getting reed of almost half my possessing, bad ha?

It is not that i own so much stuff, actually it is that particular low key aesthetic Scandic people have in their lives and everything that hugs it which creates an enviable calmness. Soft colors and clean lines are good for the eye and for the soul, at least my soul! Every day i am bombed from hundreds of pictures and my brain has to consume a lot of information pretty fast, so when i go back home, or when i get to work, i really need a clear and calm place, with no distractions and no fuss, an environment that will help me to put my thoughts in order and my work in place.

I am not the most tidy person on earth when it comes to my work area, so the more low key i get the better it is.

The days i spent in Gothenburg were a bliss, i could not have enough of their shops and cafes and restaurants and hotels and museums, you name it  - i loved everything about this city. I even loved their bright midnight sky, for many people this might be a problem, for me it was a sweet white light that was never leaving the horizon and made me feel secure and calm. Do not ask me about Scandinavian winter and how i could survive it, odds are i couldn't.

But, i can certainly carry a small part of a northern heart with me... here in Greece, the part that i love the most, their famous, amazing, wonderful way of approaching design and color and this for me is enough!

Have a wonderful weekend

Love, K.

images via Elle Denmark

Living With Neutrals

I often ask myself what is really the need that drives some people to live, dress and decorate their places with strong and vibrant colors while others go with a more calm and neutral choice...If i could, i would change a lot of stuff at home, replacing them with neutrals.

The neutral home seem to be a restful and calm place while color distracts me from being focused and relaxed. But of course we are all different...thank god!

For you my neutral color lovers i have a list of objects that are so beautiful and cutting edge, they could make the biggest color groupie say....i do! 

Enjoy your day

Love, K.

sofa / chairs / table and stool

concrete container /  copper cup / table lamp

Make My Friday - Paper Beauty

 

Hello there!

A few days ago i had the first visit  from a potential customer. It was then i realized that something had to change in my work space. I really love this place as it was always and still is my sanctuary, i literally designed and built this place with my own hands! For many years it was an architect's office (ups! that's me again), a lot of paper stuff, urban houses plans and projects around...but, this place has to change cause it is where i work for the cocoandsilk.com new project. Now it is all about fashion and people coming and visiting the place, make appointments and even try new clothes so i want it to be more sophisticated and female, yet still minimal! Anyway, as i was looking for something new to add to my walls i accidentally fell upon the paper empire, and oh! i do love paper!

Strong colors is not an option for me but this lovely illustrations are so beautiful and irresistible...even the birds!

Sometimes i have the feeling i live an eternal transition, changing colors at home - not completed  yet, my job is at the very beginning and now i am planning to redesign my office...Ok!

I suppose it's not some kind of mental disorder but i feel at my best when things are changing, change does not upset me, it gives me power to be creative. So, these days i work on changing colors and fabrics at home, organizing a small event to celebrate the cocoandsilk opening in a few days, work on my winter collection ...and redesigning the office, plus a dozen of new ideas! Do you ever feel this way? Somewhere between chaos and joy?

Have a beautiful weekend!

Love, K.

picks via paperempire.com.au

Love Made Of Concrete

Concrete is a decent material. It is easy to work with and it can be used outside or inside a building as well. I always believed  i could use concrete to make a house work with no additional furniture, use it to create a table, a bed or a couch, i love the simple, clean and minimal lines you can construct with it and the grey-white to blue-grey shades one can achieve, depending the mixture. Of course due to its gravity it is not advisable to do this if you live in an apartment, but you can still use it in small surfaces like a kitchen worktop or in the bathroom, to create a sleek and glossy finish.

The ideas are countless and personally I'm having a hard time to decide cause i like so many of them. Looks like, it may be the fashion field where i stand right now, but architecture and interiors are my all time lovers.

Have a wonderful new week!

Love, K.

images via .insideout.com.au  

Storage Issues...Again

Hello there, how was your weekend? Has is been a restful one or not?

Lately i have a huuuge problem with my office - space as i keep on collecting stuff for my work and i don't know where to store it anymore...Looking for a nice, well priced and high quality designed solution made me stop on formabilio . It is an Italian company that designs and manufactures interior design products with an eco friendly philosophy. I'm telling you i fell in love with their products and i liked their 'manifesto'. It is always a nice feeling to support a company who works with small and independent local manufacturers, so close to the cocoandsilk philosophy.

Have a lovely Monday!

Love, K.

images via formabilio.com

Make My Friday - Scandi Love

 

Scandinavian design is like a love stroke, once you fall in love with it you can never go away! Maybe it is the clear lines and calming colors, maybe the simple forms or maybe the famous designers of the previous decades that created a tradition of a wonderful work....truth is, design coming from north equals to clear beauty.

My house is not so much about this Scandi feeling, i wish i could create this feeling but it is probably too difficult to achieve it when you live in a packed apartment of 80 sq m with a teenager who loves to keep all her toys and books from the earlier years, not to mention the incredible collection of cds and stuff of her favorite boy band (we will talk about this later as we are traveling to Gothenburg for a concert)! But when it comes to small objects, i love to own as many as i can afford, cause they really make me happy and i love to use them. 

Is Scandinavian design your thing too? Do you have any particular brands that you love and why?

I wish you a striking weekend!

Love, K.

images via bolia.com

Dressing A Home....This Time...

No matter how hard i work on my new fashion project, i always find time for styling a home or a place, it is my passion!

Over the years i find myself in a more simple and minimalistic sense of styling and no matter how much i love colors, my choices are getting more soothing, quieter, more organic. Wood, is my all time preferable  element to work with, no matter the shade. My biggest problem when i work in such a project, is to find a balance so the final result will reflect the client's style and not my personal choices. I can suggest, show some sketches but always encourage the other person to visualize and decide. This makes the whole thing much more interesting and creative, at least this is how i like to see it.

I believe fashion and interior styling can very well work together, it is about dressing after all, either dress a person or a place....remember this post?

I like to transform my place during warmer months the same way i transform my wardrobe , the darker shades that i prefer during winter are looking a bit depressive under the strong light of the Greek summer so a make over is always welcome. Speaking of it, i finally managed to paint C's bedroom - and mine - so we will be ready and fresh for spring. Pics to come soon.

Have you all a lovely day!

Love, K.

images created by cocoandsilk via polyvore

Paper Bag Solution

Limited space is one of the biggest challenges city people usually have.Our apartments are under a limited size and it is usually a headache to find clever solutions for hiding things so our homes won't look like the local flea market.

Lately, i am having a serious space problems at the office. Till now, the office was a free, calm, uncluttered place in which i would only store my architectural or interior design projects.

These days i have to store dozens of fabrics, paper stuff, samples and experimental designs. Add to this a rich number of old C's books - books she is not reading any more (who is reading Sarah Kay during the teens?) but also she doesn't want to give away.

This beautiful paper bag from Tellkido was the perfect solution for me. Actually, it was designed for a kid's room but it suited perfectly at my place! It's black and white, scandi style, low cost and made of paper, in other words...perfect! It really works well with everything i already have and i used two of my recycled boxes to  create some more storing place. What do you think?

Have a beautiful day!

Love, K.

photos by cocoandsilk

Color And Pattern

Hellooo, i wish you a happy new week.

One of the most interesting things when working with fabrics is playing with pattern and color. For me color is one of the biggest love affairs, whether in interior design, clothing or whatever, color plays a major part in my life.

 In cocoandsilk.com we are working mostly with neutrals, we want our clothes to be long lasting cause we do not believe in fast fashion. Neutrals, quality fabrics and the best small independent manufacturers are the secrets to what we are doing. Lucky ladies who live in Greece will also have the opportunity for a tailor made piece if they wish so and we hope soon to be able to provide this to an international level.

For me, the simplest the pattern, the better. I love the clean lines and low profile femininity and this is what i tried to express with my designs.

During the next weeks i will have so many new things to share with you and i am so happy and excited to be able to close this huge amount of work - i literally destroyed the first collection and started from scratch -  and i deeply wish you will love the style and each piece of cocoandsilk.com and support it.

Do have a lovely day!

Love, K.

photos by cocoandsilk

My Muji

The first time i visited Muji was during a trip to the United Kingdom, many years ago. I think i loved everything about this store and its philosophy, right away.  Muji is a temple of design, everyday use products become small pieces of art. There is nothing not to love about this brand, they keep a pure and simple line in everything they produce, the quality is excellent and i like the fact they keep some of their products on production for many years now. Most of the times i prefer to buy stuff for my job, like stationery or pens, but their women accessories are also a smash, not to mention their unique linens for the bedroom. If i could, i would be more than happy to have their wonderful sofas in my place, of course.... i find it a bit complicated to try order a sofa....

I wonder if we share the same passion for well designed everyday stuff that make our lives not only easier but also prettier.

Love, K.

photos by cocoandsilk

Design I Love

The moment i came back from my trip i started thinking about my long awaited home refreshment. During my days in Paris i visited some very interesting design shops and i had a million ideas dancing into my head. I know it is not easy to make radical changes, i could not afford it anyway, so i decided to walk step by step and start first with C's room that looks a bit tired and it definitely needs that teenage aura, then i will have to work with my room which is not that easy. The space is occupied by a huge wooden closet and no matter how much i tried to make  this place look better i came to no solution - lack of imagination? - i can't  think of anything different. This means i will have to play with color and pattern to make the room feel more spacious and airy. Anyway, the products of this  Australian company are nothing but adorable and i can put them just anywhere. I love everything about them, the shape, the colors, the price and the fact they ship all over the world.

Bride and Wolfe has a small but super attractive range of products that can really transform a place.
Since the colors i chose  have already been delivered, it is up to me to get the brushes and start working. I am dying to show you the 'before and after' photos ...i know you will fall in love with the after ones.

Have a beautiful day

Love, K.

photos via brideandwolfe.com.au