Paris home of fashion designer Eymele Burgaud

This is the majestic Paris home of fashion designer Eymele Burgaud. It is softly minimalist yet, at the same time, busy with moments of chaos and quirkiness. There are hints of craziness spicing up what is quite a classic foundation, and it's these hints that give us a look into the very unique character of the people that live here.

My favourite by far is the cosy armchair, pictured above, with layers of material, and holes in its arms, giving it a feel of something that has been used lovingly, and has been worn down over time through sheer enjoyment... like a great pair of jeans. And the chair leg jammed into the book, how clever!! How daring to intentionally break what is essentially a white, clean space with an injection of a little madness. Similarly the pillow on the armchair, squeezed by a beautiful leather belt, what detail...

Actually the more I look at these photos, the more I realise how evident it is that Burgaud uses her fashion design expertise to dress her furniture, and her home overall, as she would a mannequin, composing materials together to bring to life a world that is purely to her own style...       

Source - garancedore

Images - garancedore

Related Nest of Pearls post - Depth of Character in the 7th Arrondissement, Paris

Layers of paint and love define Kiki Slaughter's studio

Painter Kiki Slaughter builds her large-scale abstract artworks in the enchanted ruins of a 377-square-foot studio in Atlanta. The space is set within a 19th-century cotton gin factory converted to contemporary art studios and gallery venues, all sitting on 12 acres of land within the heart of the city. The bare, industrial bones of the artist’s studio space offer big windows, hardwood floors, exposed brick, and tall ceilings, of which many surfaces have become layered with pigment, in a similar fashion to her paintings. 

Amongst the surfaces covered with colour and pigment is a set of beautiful vintage French chairs that the artist had picked up at one of her favourite stores. Slaughter then had them covered in her fabric with a fun pop of pink piping.

The studio's paint-covered floors are juxtaposed by tall ceilings with exposed rafters. The colour hasn't quite splashed so far, and therefore we find that the ceiling is perhaps the only element of flat, natural colour. On the back of the main wall of the studio is a pair of large paintings titled 'Rebel Rebel' which measure an impressive 5x8 feet apiece (below image).

On another wall, a beautifully exposed brick surface, we find a large painting called 'Spring Cleaning'. It hangs above a collection of canvas strips which are soon to be made into a sculptural piece (below image).

Not far along, a beautifully humble and simple glass container sits quietly with one paint brush in it (below image). It is one of many that the artist uses to mix colors. "You can tell from its opaqueness that a lot of colors have been mixed!," Slaughter says.

There is such humanity and 'realness' in this studio. We take such care to keep our homes clean and pristine, but in reality we need to create and leave our mark. I find that Slaughter's studio is an amazing example of giving a presence and a voice to everyday objects. She hasn't just stuck to expressing herself on canvases, but also given colour and life to glass jars, the studio floor and walls, random rags, and beautiful French furniture.

Source - designsponge.com

Images - designsponge.com

Related Nest of Pearls post - Inspiration for a creative 2013

Depth of Character in the 7th Arrondissement, Paris

A couple of weeks ago I came back from 3 weeks in Europe, where we had spent most of that time in Paris. It was crazy to be back yet again in the city where I lived for almost six years. I no longer had any consideration for the hardships that created the daily grind, like the metro, the grumpy people, the queues, the dirty streets... Instead all I could see and feel were all the magnificent things that I initially fell in love with Paris for, and what had made me move my life there. It's a crazy thing the brain, how it remembers the wonderful things above all.

And just as well that it did. I absolutely loved being a tourist in Paris! I was filled with so much motivation and inspiration for the blog almost immediately, and I had so many ideas that I ran out of places to note them, my phone, napkins, pieces of paper, my husband's memory.... I think you get it! I was motivated.   

So, naturally, during this time I kind of migrated to material that centred around Paris and France, and so found myself quite often on a blog that I actually really quite like, that of French blogger Garance Doré. And her blog is where I came across this gem of an apartment.

The home belongs to friends of Garance's, is an apartment situated in the 7th arrondissement in Paris,  and is just very simply, exquisite!! It embodies everything I imagine the perfect Parisian apartment to be, cozy yet sheik, full of depth and character, lots of sophisticated use of colour, and, of course, a view of the ever so elegant Tour Eiffel.

Source - garancedore.fr

Images - garancedore.fr

Related Nest of Pearls post - Paris apartment dreaming, with Paola Navone

Spectacular Styling in Seville's D-Espacio Estudio

Ok, so this post has taken me days to put together! And the reason being, is that I came across this spectacular space on a Spanish design site, which of course I understood very little to none of. My French did not come in handy at all here. I then searched for links and clues within that original article, which finally led me to the D-Espacio Estudio website.

Founded by Jesús Regueira, D-Espacio Estudio offers the creative community in Seville two large studios, one 'white' one 'black'. The studios are perfect for filming, styling and photo shoots, running events, and holding presentations. The two interiors are styled to perfection, down to the subtle fold in the rug, the scratch in the parquet, and, I dare say, the creak in the stair. The interior is comprised of very carefully selected classics of the twentieth century, and offers a wide variety of vintage props. The photos in this post come from the D-Espacio Estudio website, and are styled by D-Espacio Estudio's dedicated team, comprising of a creative director and talented designers.

Of the two studios, the one I'm sharing with you here is the Espacio Blanco (white space). The 'black' space will have to wait for another day's blog post. There are just so many amazing photos of both spaces available on the D-Espacio Estudio website, that culling back and choosing was beyond the capabilities of my self-control.

So, here we are, in Espacio Blanco. What a space! What richness, what a depth of colour, texture, ruggedness and candid character. Every corner, surface and nook is so lovingly designed, and the detail in styling is just breathtaking. I think not much more needs to be said, because the photos themselves will transport you to another world.

Sources - despacioestudio.com, asesoramientosunicos.com

Images - despacioestudio.com

Related Nest of Pearls post - The Establishment Studios - Where Dreams Come True