Blockbau cabinets as seen at imm cologne 2020

Hope you are enjoying the sneak peek at imm cologne 2020 I am giving you this week. In my stories I already mentioned there was a huge increase in brands bringing out cabinets with metal legs. Taking inspiration from other brands and making the cupboard your own seems what is happening and I saw a lot of brands doing a really good job. I can't remember who was first and maybe it is not really important either, as long some new innovations are made.

3 Ferm Living favourites as seen at imm 2020

I loved Ferm Living's approach to Low living, a laid back style in earthy colours and a sofa to never get out... while being surrounded by earthy tones and the countless new design objects at imm this year! It was a real fest for the eyes old design in new colours and many new additions to the ever expanding Ferm Living collection. I can't wait to see it all again in the new space during 3 days of design.

Most catalogs are really heavy and I took home only two of them. The Ferm living catalogue is one of them, the other I picked up from the fab brand I pointed out in my first imm blog story of this week! As photographing on fairs is really difficult I am glad to show you some images out of the catalog of the SS20 collection of Ferm living and some favourites. On Instagram you can find some images I made at the stand. 

Space to feel comfortably you 

 "In this SS20 collection, earthy tones and organic shapes meet sculptural lines; solid, robust forms are merged with soft, natural fittings while we continue to focus on honest materials that are no more, and no less, than what they appear to be. We’ve embraced the concept of ‘low living’ – many of our designs bring you closer to the ground, inviting you to lean back, rest and connect to your surroundings on a new and deeper level"

Oblique Bench
Fusing Japanese woodworking techniques with Scandinavian design sensibilities, Oblique bench is made with Low living in mind. A true multifunctional bench that can be used throughout the home and my favourite from the new collection. 

Kona Bed
Inspired by traditional Japanese furniture and Low living, Kona bed is used as a daybed or single bed for overnight guests.With a name derived from the Japanese word for corner, the bed is made  from sturdy oak veneer an features perfect for resting against.a low headbord and raised back panel. Made   to complement the bed, the Kona side table peeks out from under the bed as a 'bedside' table. 

Vuelta lamp

You might have seen my picture of this lamp standing in the bookcase at the stand already, definitely one of my other favourites, made out of ripped opal glass

3 MENU favourites as seen at imm 2020 | Connected spaces

If you just as me already fell in love with the Androgyne Side table designed by Danielle Siggerud for Menu you will certainly like the latest additions to the Androgyne collection I spotted during imm Cologne among some other favourites. As always the Menu stand was one of the highlights of imm and this year we could wander through a small home, inspired by The Audo, menu's creative space in Copenhagen. 

A space that breathed the feeling you have when you are at home. Different rooms painted in the beautiful St. Leo colours offered the perfect backdrop for some old and new favourites of the Menu collection. I already got a sneak peek in the pictures when creating my stories for my imm cologne highlight and I couldn't wait to see some of the new collection with my own eyes. I selected three of my favourite items from the 2020 collection... or maybe four! By the way the new brandbook reads as a book this year and I think it is an excellent example of storytelling, something brands all really should embrace more.

When walking on fairs and seeing hundreds of brands, there is always something that stays in mind when thinking back at the fair. Stone and marble were materials I really saw frequently among some other things I will write and show something more about soon.



For now I'd love to show you some favourites from the new Menu collection that really stood out for me. The opening picture you must have seen already if you followed me on Insta- stories as I used it both on my own as on the @immcologne instagram account I had the pleasure to took over for a day. There is still a selection saved under the #interiormoments highlight, have a look! 

Androgyne table collection
On the left the earlier released Androgyne side table, new is the Androgyne lounge table in Kunis Breccia stone with characteristic veins and mineral fragments in warm hues. A colour I spotted often. The Andro Dining table comes with a natural or dark stained solid oak base with a matching tabletop or one in kunis breccia stone. 

Reverse table lamp
This small lamp I could easily see on my new Cosentino countertop and I am already saving up to lay my hands on it as soon we start decorating! Reverse Table Lamp is designed by Aleksandar Lazic and I love the conical travertine base and bronzed anodised aluminium shade. A dimmer switch fixed on top of the lamp controls the dim to warm LED light. I so love more brands adding dimmers as it is the perfect tool to give every space the right atmosphere don't you think.

Below you see it in the Menu stand on one the Rail Desk in dark Stained Oak, by Keiji Ashizawa, a small desk that you could use everywhere at home. The travertine stone used for the lamp was one of the stones I saw a lot in different ways on imm. I think it perfectly fits black and the bronze colour of its shade - Available from Spring 2020

Hashira Collection 

The Hashira Collection is a modern, Nordic take on the traditional Japanese rice paper lantern. Taking its name from the Japanese word for column or pillar, the textile lamps fill a space with cosy, ambient light and, true to the nature of the lantern that inspired the collection’s creation, the slender structure is visible through the shade, lending the glowing column a graphic expression. 

Visits to traditional Japanese Washi papermakers inspired Norm Architects to create the Hashira Collection. A fusion of East and West, tradition and modernity, and a perfect balance of aesthetics and proportion and simplicity and character. The lamp is offered in table, floor and pendant iterations, and the subdued silhouette and versatile nature of its design make it ideal in a private home —placed on the floor, atop a console or suspended from the ceiling — as well as in a professional setting, alone or in clusters.

Epic table by GamFratesi for GUBI

Continuing the long-standing relationship with award-winning duo GamFratesi, GUBI recently launched the Epic Table collection. Named after the epic poems of ancient times, the Epic Table is a sculptural piece of furniture inspired by Greek columns and Roman architecture. 

The Epic table is made in Italy and a celebration of Italian travertine stone, in response to the growing desire for the honesty and authenticity of natural materials. The monolithic form emphasizes the materiality of the stone, the natural beauty of its veins, and the vibrant texture of its unique patina – in which a new detail can be discovered with every use.

Inspired by historical examples of travertine constructions such as the Colosseum and Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the 1970s revival of the material in Southern Europe, the table combines two simple geometric shapes, the circle and the hexagon, with references to the classical Greek column. This new expression showcases and enhances the material, while maintaining a formal simplicity. The hexagonal column is an intelligent solution that enables a substantial expression to be efficiently constructed from minimal materials.

pictures GUBI

IV Residence by Studio Brent Lee

It is no secret I am a huge fan of Studio Brent Lee, an architectural & interior design studio based out of Sydney, Australia as I have been showing several of their work on the blog. The studio’s approach to an interior space or building is refined, leaving only the necessary structure and furnishings while applying finishes that seamlessly flow throughout the building or space.

The materials Studio Brent Lee appreciates to work with are natural and timeless, materials that have been used for centuries both for their aesthetic and functional qualities. The result of this material appreciation is a neutral and naturalistic palette that’s further enhanced by natural light and shadows. Today's project is inspired by century old buildings that nature has slowly reclaimed,

French limestone and oak timber adorn the flooring throughout while lime plastered walls, columns and ceilings allow the building to breathe naturally. A stone pool has stairs that lead from the garden to the water within enclosed green hedges. Tadelakt finished pots and mature plant life are throughout the residence, purifying the air and giving a sense of privacy parallel to the tall glass and patinated iron French doors that open to the lush hinterland. Some buildings need no further explanation... just look how the sun gently shines into the kitchen.

Design Studio Brent Lee // pictures klaudia Adamiak via Studio Brent Lee

Ceramics by Evi Radoes

During a 5y ceramic course at the Academie of Haspengouw Evi Radoes fell in love with ceramics. Since 2018 she has a little studio in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. Her background as an architect has contributed to her view on design.

I first came across her work through Amsterdam based Restored a few years ago and love to finally show her work on the blog. In her work she is always looking for serenity. Clean shapes, lines and soft colours that bring her peace. Smooth or rough surfaces of bare clay combined with a subtle glaze. No two pieces are exactly the same and every item is thrown on the wheel and carefully finished by Evi.

imm Cologne and new lighting by New Works

Next week I will be back at imm Cologne, my favourite fair of the year! I will join a tour together with the VDM I have been working with over the last months. And I am really happy to work with the imm on an Instagram takeover again. I really cherish my relationship with the imm fair and feel honoured to work with them for the last four years. Keep an eye on my Instagram to see my impression and the interior moments of tomorrow!

Something I really love as well is the focus on lighting at the fair and I am curious to see what brands will present their new design collections this year. Today on the blog an impression of the Karl-Johan series by New Works 

They will show their collection at imm! 

The Table Lamp is inspired by excursions into nature, a search for wild mushrooms and the tones of an autumn forest. The lamp combines the soft curves of glass with the stability of black Marquina, or smoked oak, a combination of tone and texture, dark and light. The collection consists of different lamps, both for table and wall, can't wait to go back to Copenhagen in a few months and visit the New Works showroom again.

 pictures courtesy New Works

LC Project by Belgian designer Nils van der Celen

Wooden slats seem to grow as a trend in interiors and I especially noticed the use in our bedrooms lately where we see beautiful headboards. I think they look really sophisticated and seeing your reactions on my former post about the use of wooden slats at home, you love them too! Here is a previous post if you like to have a look  An amazing headboard and more ideas on how to use wood at home 

I came across a picture of a wooden headboard from a project by Nils van der Celen and thought the apartment was to good to only show you the headboards. Throughout the home light oak wood veneer is used giving the apartment a minimal and Scandinavian style. Wood is combined with ceramic an terrazzo stone.

The kitchen is conceived as one large furniture block with integrated sofa and kitchen island. The eye-catcher in this room is the rear wall made of vertical wooden slats that add extra dynamism to an otherwise neutral wall. This concept extends into both bedrooms, with a focus on the master bedroom in which the bed is integrated into a solid wood furniture that extends into the master bathroom.

A unique and customized pivot door made of natural steel with a brass coating contains a framework with different types of glass. This gives the apartment a unique and classy look that is extended to the other brass accents such as faucet, sink and blind-mounted shelf in the kitchen's splash wall.

In the children's bathroom, a walk-in shower with a micro topping in a natural look has been chosen in combination with a terrazzo washbasin with different coloured flakes that refer to the versatility of shells and stones on the beach of Knokke where the home is located

Photography Cafeine // Design Nils van de Celen

A new blog year and visiting RAW Studio and Showroom at Mallorca

March 2020 Vosgesparis will be online for 12 years and over the last few weeks I have been thinking about how 2019 has been a bit of a quiet year on the blog. It was a good year filled with some amazing work and press trips that gave me the opportunity to travel around, our work for w/ Style all next to a part job a few days a week. Vosgesparis is a personal blog, there is no team behind and I found it hard to concentrate and focus on the blog last year, something I also really missed and... I blame social media! 

Instagram is a wonderful source to find new design and inspiration but it can also be a bit overwhelming sometimes, and as we all know time consuming. Next to the amount of inspiration and a mailbox that never stops filling up, it is hard to choose what to work on first. For 2020 I decided be more focused, and use a content calendar with a few of my favourite topics to be able to convert the amount of information and inspiration that comes to me into actual blog posts.

Over the years we have been using, seen coming and going different social media but I still believe in my blog as the base of all I do. It is also a my own huge archive for everything I did and loved over the last years. One of the topics I choose to cover is ceramics as it is something I really love to show and work with. I started last week with the amazing work of Laurie Poast from Norway and today I love to take you to Mallorca, Spain. 

ceramic wall hangings

It was the ceramic wall hanging and the beautiful entrance I discovered that made me curious to find out more about the space and the people working at RAW Studio and Showroom at the island of Mallorca.

Talking with Jaume Roig, one of the owners, I discovered he works in different disciplines, such as painting as well as on different sculptures and ceramics. At the showroom and studio he paints and both his work and that of co-owner AdrianA MeuniÉ is exposed with a new exhibition coming up next month. Jaume kindly sent me some pictures of his work of which I selected a few for the blog.

Don't hesitate to sent me your work for my round up of well know and new Ceramic artists on the blog! Visit RAW Studio and Showroom Carrer Mar 26, 07200 Felanitx [Open from 11 to 14h Friday to Sunday] On half an hour drive they have their studio in Ses Salinas.

More info can be found at Jaume Roig, and AdrianA MeuniÉ

painting & ceramics by Jaime Roig

 exhibition of the work of Adriana Meunie and the studio in Ses Salinas below