Thoughtful sense of beauty

Totokaelo, pronounced 'toh-toh-kye-oh, is a charmingly modern store situated in Seattle. The forward-thinking boutique first opened its doors back in 2003, bringing the likes of Yohji Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester, and Mary Katrantzou to the city's fashion world... and hasn't stopped attracting demand ever since. The store's neo-natural style is oh-so cool, and the light-flooded spaces hum with warmth and funk. The store's articles are so very simply arranged, and are like delectable lollies that the soul cannot say no to. Propped against a minimal and neutral-coloured setting, the articles speak and hold their own like colorfully timid gems whispering soft invitations to the viewer. The textures want nothing less then to be caressed and taken care of...

On the back of its success, Totokaelo has recently opened a new sister store, Totokaelo Art-Object, featuring art, objects, furniture, lighting, tabletop and textiles... and, needless to say, the work featured is just as exuisite as their fashion lines. More info, great images and modern style inspiration can also be found via the brand's own blog.

Source - totokaelo via wmagazine
Images courtesy of - totokaelo & pinterest

The female curve in a brush-stroke...

Sara Woodrow is a fabulously creative Swedish Art Director and Illustrator who also has one amazingly killer blog! I recently discovered her work through an article via another absolutely cult 'must-know' blog for any aesthetically aroused addict like myself, that of Emma Fexeus. 

Sara's work has such a lightness of brush-stroke and a tang of rebelliousness that I just love. The fact that she often explores the curves of the female form in her illustrations sees these strokes come alive with even more flare and life. I'm personally a straight line addict, one who feels it's very difficult to mark a beautiful curve, and yet Sara's work intrigues me. Her curves are seductive, fun and her style quite unique from other prints I've seen in recent times. I had some trouble culling back on the images to share with you below so do delve in and enjoy. If, like  me, you just have to have more, her work is available via her blog Smäm.

Source - smäm via emma's designblogg  

Nomadic & transparent Tokyo living...

This incredible project by Japanese architectural group Sou Fujimoto dates back to 2010 and made quite a wave of blog appearances earlier this year, but I'm picking it back up here again because it's very simply just so much fun and inspires creativity, and that very simply, is all that matters! So just take a look at this baby. WOW! Someone out there is thinking! This is not your 'safe' and typical house design, this is design born from a curious and fearless client merged with an architect who knows how to hit the brief's nail on the head and embody the pure essentials through simplicity.

The inspiration of this multi-storey, split-level abode is that of wanting to live like 'nomads', and do so in modern-day Tokyo. The volume and space exploration of this Transparent Tokyo House is based on the natural form of a tree, whereby every occupant has their own respective branch, however is at the same time in a position to see and communicate with other tree occupants. I find the house design has an amazing flow. There is a harmonious order in what at first appears to be quite haphazard and highly multifaceted. Occupants are showered with light and great vibes, and have the choice to occupy small private nooks of the house, while at the same time having the option of being completely visible and communicating freely with other occupants as well as their surrounding environment.

Would I walk around in this house in my favourite g-string? Personally, probably not? Is this house great thinking and fresh design? Hell yes!  What an inspiration towards thinking creatively, simply and with a big dollop of fun!  

Source - archdaily

Photography by - iwan baan

Inspiration heaven

One way to collect blog information, keep up with the trends and simply be inspired out of your Sunday slippers is to check out other cool and funky bloggers. I absolutely lose myself in the blogs or Tumblr pages of fellow bloggers and when I come across one that particularly makes my heart's aesthetic strings smile, so much so that I can't scroll down their images fast enough, giving myself a little finger cramp, I just have got to share it!

One of those sharable, delectable blogs is Take Over Time, by industrial designer James Bennet. The image collection is so robust. He invites the viewer to lose themselves in a world of interiors, photography and immaculate product design, and all so smartly displayed in an array that just works together so harmoniously. Moreover, you can check-out the latest and coolest projects that the designer is working on. I love to peruse this blog and fill-up on motivation and inspiration for the week to come.  Enjoy and Happy Sunday!!   

Images courtesy of - take over time

Shameless adult fun!

Who said that colourful and playful mobiles are for kids only? I came across these bubbly beauties while hungrily researching blog material via Pinterest where they simply jumped out at me so excitedly that I just had to know more! To my sheer joy I discovered that these vivacious and delectable beauties are handmade in Australia by designer Nina Still, creator of her own online shop Puka Puka, a quirky and catchy name coming from the Japanese expression meaning 'something floating gently in space'. Below is just a little taste of Nina Still's work, more about her work and online shop can be found on her site. 

I find that the mobiles' little building blocks of fun embody a sense of playfulness while at the same time exuding an air of timidness. The colours are bold, fresh and bright, but despite this, when poised in a furnished interior, the designs work in soft harmony with the other tones and accents in the room. The gentleness of their scale and the softness of form allow for these pieces to have a definite presence while humbly shying away from the foreground.

Images courtesy of - puka puka