New post on the blog http://fromplacetospace.com/on-how-design-can-improve-our-personality/
On how design can improve our personality
25 Saturday Jul 2015
Posted in design
A FRENCH-CHIC BRUNCH IN BIRMINGHAM
02 Tuesday Jun 2015
Posted in design
New post about French chic style and a perfect place to brunch
http://fromplacetospace.com/a-french-chic-brunch-in-birmingham/
In love with Valencia
23 Thursday Apr 2015
Posted in travel
Check the new post here http://fromplacetospace.com/in-love-with-valencia/
It was Valentine’s Day when I was in Valencia at the beginning of this year but one needs not such a special occasion to fall in love with this stunning city. From the moment I checked in to my hotel in the streets of Barrio del Carmen I could breathe the life and scents of the place and say ‘Ay, mi querida España!’.
There’s a lot to say about Valencia and it’s incredible heritage but I’ll let the pictures do the talking. One thing that photos cannot express is the kindness of Valencian people. Their openness, their joy of life despite having been through difficult times in the past years – those are gems that make a tourist appreciate an experience there better than the baroque buildings, the great food and the possibilities of entertainment.
Palm trees, palm trees everywhere! What a beautiful contrast between the baroque buildings and the exotic feel of palm trees
Boticelli in interior design
10 Friday Apr 2015
Posted in design
500 years later and we still hold a deep fascination with the Renaissance and what it represented for the social awakening of Europe. From the sumptuous lines in architecture to the candid representations of people in paintings, the Renaissance has taught us that it’s ok to dream and fantasy can come to reality with colors and shapes.
This year you will notice that both fashion and interior design have taken their inspiration from the Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli, known for his allegorical paintings, mythological characters and references to antiquity.
Primavera, c. 1482
The Birth of Venus
So what is so attractive about Botticelli’s work that we keep re-inventing up to this date? I believe that aside from the skillful technique and allegorical meaning it’s this world of fantasy that he created through naturalistic details, the ethereal colors and elegance of figures – a general poetry in images.
Designers love to play with patterns and in a previous post I showed you they chose this year to create a vibrant scenery, using mostly floral and nature inspired motifs. As a way of creating our own world of dreams in our homes, this trend is easy to adapt to interiors by choosing the right items and blending in the rich patterns in mild shades.
Wallpapers are great to give structure and opulence to a simple interior.
source – http://www.digsdig.com
source – Living etc magazine
source – House and Garden
source – Living etc magazine
source – Living etc magazine
Because it’s all about ‘revival’, this interior goes best with retro chairs or shabby-chic furniture inspired by the Early Renaissance.
Urban outfitters
The easiest way to give the Botticelli feeling to a space is using textiles: change the bed sheets, throw in a cushion and put on new curtains. Also, small decorations and tabletop items can create the land of mythology with cost-effective results.
source – Sew a little love blog
source – Pottery Barn
source – Pinterest
source – Pinterest
source – Anthropologie
Joss and Main vase
Joss and Main statuettes
Joss and Main Evergreen wreath
One Kings Lane oyster plates
Joss and Main coral
Joss and Main Wings decorations
Williams Sonoma dinnerware
source – One Kings Lane
New design and new post on From Place to Space
09 Thursday Apr 2015
Tags
http://fromplacetospace.com/paris/
Guys, I’ve been working on my new website and finally it’s up and with a new design and a brand new post on my last trip to Paris! Hope you like it, feedback is more than welcome! Check it out here: http://fromplacetospace.com/paris/
Don’t forget to subscribe because I won’t be using the WordPress platform anymore. New posts will come soon on Valencia, Art Nouveau, design of little apartments and many others.
Hope you enjoy it!
Love,
Ana
Paris when it sizzles
07 Tuesday Apr 2015
Posted in travel
Oh what a feeling when in Paris! No matter how many postcards, films or songs you see and hear there’s no way you can understand the fascination with this city until you get to see it.
Many have been said and many iconic images have been seen from this stunning city so there’s little I can add to it. And yes, this time I’ve been a proper tourist checking all the cliches attached to a visit in Paris: pictures on Pont Neuf, climbing up the hill at Sacre Coeur, having brunch in Saint Germain neighbourhood and of course – crowding in with tourists at Tour Eiffel.
The Library of Birmingham – a hip place for the mainstream readers
13 Friday Mar 2015
Tags
archive, Birmingham, Birmingham library, books, cultural destination, England, information, learning, library
When we think of a place to hang out and relax on a rainy Sunday afternoon the library never really comes to mind. In fact most of us connect the image of a library with student-hood, with papers, preparing a thesis, exams and all the hard working part of being in university. I personally haven’t set foot in a library since I graduated and honestly didn’t think I’d do it again. Until I visited the Birmingham earlier this year and had a different perspective on what a library should mean for city and its community.
Opened in 2013 in the center of Birmingham, the new construction looks like a pile of large gift boxes one on top of the other. The outside design can be mistaken for a new shopping mall like the Bull Ring or another business center but in fact the interior is an enchanting paradise of calm.
Let the people of El Born sleep
07 Saturday Mar 2015
Posted in travel
When visiting a city such as Barcelona a tourist cannot help but marvel at the beauty and scale of architectural jewels and enjoy to the fullest the attractions and nightlife it has to offer.
El Born barrio is no exception. It’s now one of the most fashionable places in Barcelona. The cafes and restaurants are packed with people, the streets filled with music. It’s a good destination for shopping from small private boutiques selling quirky stuff like hair wigs to old photo cameras. And of course let’s not forget the cultural satisfaction one can get by visiting the ruins of the medieval center of Born, the textile museum or the beautiful cathedral Santa Maria del Mar.
Thoughts from Costa Brava
16 Monday Feb 2015
Posted in travel
Tags
I wasn’t very into the idea of visiting these particular business partners and it kind of bothered me that they weren’t located in Barcelona and I had to take the train to reach them in this small ‘pueblo’ of Sils, Girona. So with a heavy heart and runny nose I went to see them today and to my surprise their location is right where the beautiful resorts of Costa Brava begin.
There is little to say to describe the beauty of this place. It’s Spain. And the sea. The sea and Spain so that should be enough. The people are not just nice, but warm and kind and laugh straight from the heart. Crack a joke, say something in Spanish, ask them about their Catalan culture and they become your best friends. So I can’t help at wondering: does this beautiful scenery they live in influence their easiness on life? Or is it just the upbringing?
Living in a city like Bucharest, having to deal with traffic, pollution, noisy neighbours and a rainy dirty winter makes me think that maybe the reason we are somehow colder, always in a hurry, a bit angry with life is because we were not blessed with such an environment. Maybe the reason people can be open and kind is because the weather and landscape is kind to them in the first place. Maybe the troubles and obstacles are easier to bear just because there’s the option of taking a walk to the beach and feel the warmth of the sun.
I’ve always tried to find that connection with the world surrounding and it seems so much easier to do it in a place like this. There is little effort in shutting down the mind, there is peace in the present moment so there is kindness, compassion, laughter and happiness.
So perhaps we should be more understanding with ourselves, those living in the hectic and maybe not-so-pretty cities of the world. The real challenge of connection with our source is here – waiting in traffic, walking down a crowded street, shopping or taking phone calls every 10 minutes. And find cherish the moment’s peace whenever we get to be in a blissful landscape like the one below.
All German and neat
10 Tuesday Feb 2015
Posted in travel
Frankfurt is not really a tourist destination. For most of us foreigners is the place to be with business since it hosts some of the largest trade shows in Europe in the great halls of Messe. So even tough you’d rather be in a sunnier Madrid or a more bubbly London, you are stuck here hoping to do something else than walk from the fair back to the hotel and go out to eat.
Shopping is an option but not if you’re working long hours as everything closes by 8 PM. Some restaurants are still open and truth be told, I haven’t checked the clubs to pass judgement. But I cannot be unimpressed by the beautiful modern architecture blending with the old German style and Gothic churches in the middle of contemporary looking neighborhoods.
I’ve gathered below some photos taken one day of strolling around downtown. The Bahaus influence is visible on most buildings and I love this 80s look in metro stations and along the streets. Feels as you we are again in a wave of culture and change, making a difference and standing out from the cliche corporate lives of today.
From Place to Space 