Sunday Reading (on a Monday)

As promised.... & a little late, I have been digging in to this brand new third edition of Niels & Iben Ahlberg's NEW STYLE GENERATION, Nordic Interior Decorating. The Danish version has been out for a while, but here comes the English version for all the rest of the world to enjoy! I am sure you will want to dive right in, once you see these these amazing images...

For those of you who are NSG followers, you might recognize the Luxury Style of Anders Krakau, first featured in GEN.ONE, in this new version. His style is impeccable, his love of Luxury Fabrics is evident, and Anders' eye for display and merchandising is very clear.

I always love a behind-the-scenes-look of how creative people live!

In the new GEN.THREE book for iPad there are super cool features, that allow you to zoom in, enlarge already cropped images for more visual yummy-ness :) ! For example... the image above, in the book, is a tall and slim image, but by working the tech magic, you can enlarge and really take in all the details.. Super cool!! Text is limited - or so it seems - but don't be fooled, you can scroll to get all the info you want...

I have always been a lover of a good vignette, and can find new things I didn't previously notice in almost any image.... and then when you have cool tech options that allow you to get a really amazing closer glimpse... even better!! An other reason you should download this book!!

As in the previous STYLE GENERATION books, there is a large variety of Nordic Interiors to choose from! Dark, masculine and very downtown, to light filled rooms with amazing art and pops of color & design classics...

... to "Simple Vintage" , classic Nordic Style that we have all come to love! Mostly White interiors, punctuated with black, old painted wood furniture and tons of ambiance!!

I am convinced that you will not only appreciate the beautifully photographed homes, all the different styles of interiors, but also the super cool tech features the iBook has to offer! One thing is to have a book in your hands, but when this much attention has been given to technology and how it can enhance the experience for the reader, it's really a win / win situation!!

The MOST exciting part you ask....? You have the opportunity to WIN THIS BOOK, just by commenting below (one chance), follow along on the Northern Light Design FB page (one chance), follow along NSG on FB (one chance).... Just leave me a comment below, and three winners for a free book will be drawn at random, by Monday, August 26, 2013.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!!

Natasha

All images curtesy of Niels & Iben Ahlberg.

Thank you for your patience and willingness to supply amazing images for this post! Natasha 

Sunday Reading...(on a Monday)

SO... there is a new & fantastic e-book out there, just waiting for you to discover...

I have been drooling over the images for a few weeks, read the book, been back to revisit the images and inspiration a few more times, and I'm almost ready to share with all of you!

ALSO, I will be holding a little contest here on the Northern Light Blog, 

you could WIN THIS BOOK!!  ... actually THREE of you can win this book, so help me spread the word! Leave me a comment that you are on it, and come back to check out the full review in a day or so... 

Let the excitement begin!

Natasha

Image courtesy Iben & Niels Ahlberg

Sunday Reading...

So, granted... I have been sitting on this post for a little while... well, actually truth be told; It's been a super busy holiday season, and I just have not had the time to actually read anything, but I did browse through this FAB e-book at the end of December. Only this weekend did I sit down and actually study the beautiful images and read about all the cool Danish homes...

If you were the lucky recipient of a new iPad this Christmas, this is the perfect e-book! Chock full of inspiring Scandinavian decor, photographed to perfection, you want to reach out and touch every detail... LOL!

While there is much to look at, three homes stood out to me. The many layers of texture in this all white interior home, I can only dream about!

Design classics are mixed with tribal feathers, fresh flowers and hide accessories. Travel trinkets from far away lands mixed in for interest, and personal art... does not get much better than this, love how personal this home is!!

... and a fresh pop of yellow and turquoise in the bathroom, mixing an old "weathered" Asian chest with sleek glass and stainless steel shower fixture, so cool! Exotic Harmony for sure.

This predominately black & white home is equally amazing, a home with much more "structure" but also full with personal style, travel moments and gigantic hunting trophies...

I am really liking the blond wood floors, reminds me of the apartment I lived in, in Copenhagen, and the restrained color pallet is so Scandinavian! Lots of art and beautifully designed electronics by B&O mix and mingle with Marcel Wanders dining chairs and table.

And the last spotlight is on Tine K, of Tine K Home. Tine & I "go way back" as I remember visiting her very first retail shop, north of Copenhagen, many, many years ago... What was then a small shop that enjoyed great publicity in the Danish design magazines, has now evolved to a huge - to the trade - accessory company, with showrooms around Europe, Facebook pages for different showrooms (Holland, Germany, Finland etc) along with Pinterest boards and a well oiled marketing department. One quick look around all the Scandinavian blogs, and may feature Tine K Home products...

Fun fact: The Tine K Home team follow the Northern Light Blog on Pinterest, shouldn't you?

I am sure some of you have seen this living room before, but I am still in love with the light, the white, the textures and the all around cozy, lived-in, feeling of Tine's home. To me, proof that a white home does not necessarily equal stark and cold...

Lots and lots of texture in this little image... patina, peeling paint, wood, ceramic, woven straw, glass, books and a few branches from the garden. LOVE it :)

A wonderful light filled bathroom, complete with exotic shells and star fish. If you have the room, why not make this room in your home more inviting?

This kitchen is huge and totally open to the living room and dining room, again... great textures ranging from the leather handles on the cabinets (Tine K Design), to the light fixture (Shade by Tine K Home, comes in different sizes and fabrics) etc, etc, etc... This girl "lives what she preaches"; clean lines, lots of white and many non-Danish accessories and accents. Tine Kjeldsen certainly has a wonderful eye for bringing the interesting everyday objects from the far east and mixing them in with the typical Scandinavian strict design and muted colors, warming up the feel and creating wonderful contrast and interest...

While there are homes and images you might recognize in this GEN.TWO New Style Generation book, there are plenty (!) of new images to drool over & great stories from the homeowners.

I say go for it! Download your copy here, but hurry.... GEN.THREE is already in the works :)

Happy reading!! Also, Style Generation has it's own FB page and website.

Natasha

All images curtesy of Iben & Niels Ahlberg, Thank you!

PS. 
Look what I found in the last pages of the book.... a little quote from moi!

How cool is that!! ... so if you missed my comments on GEN.ONE you can read them here.

New on the Virtual Bookshelf...

It's been a while since I have come across a beautiful Interior Design Book, so when a little teaser landed in my in-box, I just had to investigate! 

What I found was a virtual book - for your iPad - full of amazing photography and interesting, different and very textural Scandinavian Interiors.

The new book New Style Generation GEN.ONE from Danish photography couple Niels & Iben Ahlberg showcase five super interesting and very different homes. 

One thing I have come to appreciate as a blogger is photography. While Interior Design is my chosen path, photographing interiors is a whole new world. It takes a very skilled person to understand the lighting, the placement of objects and how to successfully photograph the space, so to convey the "proper" atmosphere... 

In this new Interior Design Book you will be treated to light and airy Scandinavain Decor at it's best, BUT, gone are the days where everything is white, on white, on white...

Meet Danish fashion designer Naja Munthe... a few images of her home were first featured here on the Northern Light Blog, when I introduced Visit Visit, the second book by the Ahlberg duo. Naja is - in my opinion - a master of mixing textures, cultures, design classics and making it all work in such an amazing way, that your eye just keeps moving. Love her style :)

My favorite home featured in this book is that of Anders Krakau! It is the classiest bachelor pad I have seen in a very long time!! Masculine, yet no posters in sight. Decorated, yet no overly feminine items displayed. Curated, stylish, urban and with a great eye for design, proportion and for mixing the unexpected with design classics. Take a look for your self below.

The owner in his posh pad in Copenhagen, high ceilings and plenty of natural light, balanced with darker colors and tons of texture.

When visiting Copenhagen my favorite MUST SEE shop is Rue Verte. I did a little write-up on the shop here on the blog, if you happen to find yourself in downtown Copenhagen, you must go!!

Turns out Anders is the one behind the displays at Rue Verte... who knew?
No wonder his apartment looks amazing :) it is in his blood....

So, if these images don't make you drool, I don't know what would! I do not want to spoil it all for you, so head on over here for your own copy of the New Style Generation GEN.ONE! 

Remember to come back to thank me later... I know you will be amazed by the photography and equally inspired by the interiors!

Natasha

PS...  GEN.TWO is coming soon!!

All images curtesy of Niels & Iben Ahlberg

A is for Art &...Charisma

 

WOW, right??

This huge work of art by Lars Thygesen, certainly makes a statement, don't you think... and then to know that on the opposite wall, you find the artwork below, gutsy and not for everyone!! But, isn't that the point of art? On top of that, the building housing all this color and excitement, is an old rail road station from 1865!! The couple living here are behind the Danish auction house Lauritz.com.

Color, art and interesting collections are what they are all about, can you tell?

Just before Christmas I received the second Visit Visit book, Kunst & Karisma, by Iben & Niels Ahlberg. I have been through the book several times, and each time my eye gravitates to a different interior, all in all eight VERY different homes, filled to the brim with art and self expression!

In writing this book review, I have been given access to never before published images (web), furnished by the authors of the book, for which I am grateful, Thank You!

The basis for this house is an all white and black interior, (I am sure, as a reader of Northern Light, you are well aware I have a fondness of this combo) but with Pops of Neon color, scattered throughout... All starting with the LED light behind the hood in the kitchen... it changes color, and dictates the rest of the color scheme in the house!

While the owners of this house have impeccable taste when it comes to fashion (they own their own stores) they have worked with a design duo (Design By Us), to pull the interior together! Feminine floral, Neon, Pop art and classic furniture melt together in a very interesting mix!!

Not my first choice.... but why not have a little fun in the bedroom? Hmmm..... ;)

Living with what you like and what speaks to you, really is essential and that's what this book is all about; Personal Art Collections!!

All featured homeowners are in some way or another "in the arts", be it furniture, fashion or floral... all very exciting and it is such a treat to be able to see "how the other side lives"!


































Meet Signe Boegelund-Jensen, a Haute Couture designer. Africa is where she grew up, Copenhagen is where she lives and John Galliano is where she honed her skills!
Signe's story is very interesting and her home is a studio in white and light spaces... keeping the focus on her creations! Actually, not only does she create couture, she also created this "Cup of Cream" hanging chair....

With an eye for detail, it's no surprise that the dark, glossy, coffee colored floors are authentic to the building (of 1908) as is the tall white paneling. Signe's fashion even makes it into the kitchen, I guess it's difficult to only be creative in one room ;)!
How fun would it be to explore in this apartment??

A few posts back (here) I shared with you a house filled with Multi Cultural accessories, owned by the design duo behind Day Birger et Mikkelsen / DAY Home... and I am sure some of the inspiration for the decor in this house (owned by Lars & Camilla Wiberg) came from DAY, as Lars used to work at DAY, as Sales Manager.

Above a glimpse of the kitchen, filled with art and artifacts, this is no longer "just" a kitchen, but a gathering space! (Aren't all kitchens at some point??)

Imagine this room with light colored walls, now renovated and painted a beautiful dark grey, showing off all the different travel goodies, mixing all sorts of periods, making it all work! LOVE this room!!

I spy a Sea fan! ... I know, I know, you are probably sick of these by now ;)
A collection of perfume bottles and other curiosities are kept close together on a glass tray, a powerful statement, a small piece of art in itself, great impact as a group!!
There is strength in numbers.

Love of interesting materials and objects carry over to Camilla's store Pour Quoi, making the shopping experience even more unique.

Contemporary Bungalow; probably my favorite home  featured in this new book...

Meet Chresten Rud, owner of "Couch by C", Furniture and Interior. With a trained eye for style and quality, his house is filled with perfectly scaled furniture, calm colors, an interesting mix of objects. An impressive collection of Black and White photographs by Joergen Angel, Bent Rej ("Rolling Stones In Concert", below) and others are displayed through out the house.

Perhaps my favorite image from the Kunst & Karisma book, this nook from Chresten's home! Love the light (great photography), love the over sized lamp, love the color of the silk shade, love the white chaise, love the kelim pillow and the Missoni throw as well as the B/W photography!

In the other end of the large living room, one huge piece of furniture dominates, without overpowering the room!! Colors are keep neutral and warm, art is not just hung on the wall, but also on display on the Italian coffee table, in the window sills and in the rest of the home. It's clear that Chresten is a frequent traveler, and brings with him artifacts from other cultures. The colors in the home are kept to a minimum, playing up texture instead, making for a calm space! I would love to be a guest here, learning the story behind some of the pieces...


































Last but not least, one image from a really cool home, which I will let you explore in the book, on your own....
My thought was this: Why does art have to hang on the wall or be propped on a shelf? Why not do it like this? Perfect for a casual summer house, or any other relaxed space for that matter.
Great idea, great use of color, great use of antique objects!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, the photographs are wonderful, and the differences in all these homes makes it interesting! There is something for everyone, the common thread is Art, all different kinds of art, keeping you engaged till the last page!

















Of course I can't show you all the homes, so I encourage you to check out the book! The cover of the book, along with the image above, is by Contemporary Thai artist Attasit Pokpong, you can read more about him and his artwork here, a post I did a little while back.

Visit Visit Kunst & Karisma (Art & Charisma) can be purchased here in Danish, and an English insert is available though the Visit Visit website. If you spot an item in the book, you would like for yourself, access to an address list can be found here. Very cool, I must say, making art and artifacts available to all of us! The team behind the book, Iben & Niels Ahlberg, have a website, check that out here. And for all of you FB people, you can follow along here. Why not "Like" Northern Light Blog on FB, while you are there??

Still not satisfied? Check out the Visit Visit Nordisk Eksotisk post I wrote here!
(The first book in the series) Now I am left wondering what the next book in the series will be about, any guesses?

Natasha

All image by Iben & Niels Ahlberg.
Open book image by NHH for Northern Light Blog.