Ode to a cat

This has nothing to do with anything. I just stumbled upon these people's homage to their cat. Right here.

Now if this doesn't make you laugh out loud or at least bring a smile to your face, you are one hell of sour puss...

Black is beautiful

Finally ! The living room is starting to look presentable from all angles.


I have been contemplating giving this wall a bit of colour for a while now. But nothing really stuck. I don't like grey (and if you lived in Belgium, where the weather is grey 300 days per year, I am sure you wouldn't either). And after living with bright yellow walls for a few years, I have already experienced how fast you can get tired of anything too colourful.

So this weekend, motivated by the imminent arrival of my latest ebay 'folie' and some leftover paint from the bedroom still at hand - I went black. Again.

And you know what they say. Once you go black...

And yes. Nothing makes a black wall pop more than vintage teak (or vice versa).

Here it is, my latest ebay find: a Nathan blond teak sideboard from their 'Corinthian' line, a proud beast at over 2 m long.

Nathan was a UK furniture manufacturer, who like many of his competitors went Scandinavian during the 60's. Inspired by the then widely popular Danish designs, they produced several ranges of teak furniture. (You can find out more about Nathan at this lovely site dedicated to British mid-century design).

It also makes a wonderful display area for some my West German ceramic finds.

And it's the ideal spot for my 70's WGP table lamp. Although I am seriously doubting my decision of adding the lime green lamp shade. Suggestions anyone ?

And of course, the detail that makes me swoon. Rosewood handles.

Pure luxury.

Now I still need to sort out a few kinks. Most importantly, outlets and light switches need to be spray painted black. Mum, hope you don't mind if I squat your garage this weekend ?

And then I am fantasizing about prints, posters and paintings all the way up to the ceiling. One day. Maybe.

Bedroom landslide

What happend over the weekend isn't totally my fault.

See, I only intended to move the desk from the living room back into the bedroom, in the hopes of :

a- making better use of all that empty space in the bedroom.

b- decluttering the overflowing living room.

But you know how it is with the best-laid plans...

Turns out that fitting the desk in here required more than just a good push and some annoying cable fiddling. A whole rethinking of the space was in order...

Before, when coming through the door.

After.

First off, moving the bed around - funnily enough it's now back to its initial position from when I first moved in 5 years ago. Which is actually a good thing, as all the electrical outlets had been planned around that area...

Then, dragging my beloved highboard across the room. It looks even more beautiful against the black wall than it did before.

Definitely worth a few bruises and a sore back - that thing weighs like a ton and I did all the moving myself...

Even the plants look nicer against the dark background.

So now, instead of sleeping here...

I get to enjoy reading, filing papers and more generally dumping clothes & bedspreads in that corner.

But I think the change certainly agrees with my roommates...


The kitties exhausted from all the hard work I did...

And finally, a little close-up of the new desk decor - more plants, what else ?

And I get to show off my first ever Arabia find - a blue planter found at my favourite thrift shop for a very reasonable 14 eur.

Thrifty update

Now before this is turning into a total music blog, allow me to show off some of my latest thrift finds - West German of course.

It wouldn't have been much of a UK holiday if I hadn't roamed through various antiques centres. Here's some of my loot.

My second floor vase, after this one - paid the usual 30 GBP ! Unfortunately it's still residing at my brother's, didn't want to take any chances on the train trip home... but it's making the move (by car) soon enough.

A little Scheurich vase - bought for 16 GBP. I know the price seems a bit disproportionate compared to the floor vase that is about 3 times as tall. But I find the red stripes irresistible.

This Bay Keramik vase I purchased on ebay this weekend for 5 eur. Nobody else was interested, so now it's mine :-)


Now this is my best WGP find so far - and by far ! Another ebay score - at 29 eur. I really need to find this beauty a place of choice.

Which brings me to the most tedious part. Trying to make an appealing display. Pfffff, what a pain!

And the above is DEFINITELY NOT the way to go. Let's hope the upcoming weekend finds me more inspired.

Blast from the past

Oh man, I am housecleaning and chucking out old stuff... and what do I stumble upon ?



Yep, New Order's True Faith on audio tape, from 1987. Shit, I am ancient...

Enjoy kids ;-)