Monthly Archives: October 2013

GOTHIC OFFICE BY JESSICA HELGERSON INTERIOR DESIGN

22 October 2013

I’m in the mood for something different this week! So I’ve decided to have a MOODY WEEK here on Stylejuicer, matching the weather (not my mood) and leading up to SPOOKY HALLOWEEN next week. Be prepared for dark, sumptuous and tactile interiors, design and photography. It’s going to be a feast for the senses!

Regular readers will know that I’ve got a soft spot for Jessica Helgerson and her team of interior designers. I just LOVE their work and have featured their successful remodelling and interior design of a 100 year old family home in back in August.

Today I want to make your heart skip a beat by introducing the transformation of a private office space in a 1870s Gothic revival building in downtown Portland, USA.

Jessica and her team initially presented designs ranging from clean, modern and bright to dark, moody and luxurious. To their delight the client decided against the current trend and preferred the dark and luxurious route which was more in keeping with the historic building.

After gutting the space and removing angled walls that created small cramped rooms they divided the space into lobby, conference room, open-plan office with two private glass cube offices and a lounge area.

To break up the open-plan office space and to fulfill the client’s brief of a ‘feeling of separation’ they commissioned Portland based glass artist Andy Paiko who designed a glass sculpture that divides the space in an elegant and playful way without closing it off too much.

As with all her projects Jessica and her team are masters at adding interest and texture with bespoke coffered ceiling patterns, luxurious wall paper in rich abstracted botanical patterns and cabinetry that cleverly hides storage and a kitchenette. However, my favourite detail is the exposed brickwork which works as a juxtaposition to all the refinery and sumptuous fabrics.

You can tell how much fun they had when they managed to stage a photoshoot with antique telephones and typewriters to create a glamorous, dark and moody office where it’s ok to read novels and drink whiskey at work. A perfect backdrop for Don Draper and team and a way of ‘working’ which continued well into the 70s.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information | Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Photography | Lincoln Barbour

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SMALL SPACES: STUDENT APARTMENT IN PARIS

17 October 2013

This charming student apartment in Paris’s ninth arrondissement might only be 25m2 but it is packed with practical storage solutions and a cleverly zoned layout thanks to the addition of a centrally located kitchen that divides but doesn’t obstruct.

I found this little gem AGES ago on Architectural Digest Russia and knew it would be perfect for my PARIS week. As Anne Ditmeyer of Pret A Voyager will testify, apartments are teeny tiny in Paris and a lot of them share bathroom and laundry facilities. Anne refers to her first abode lovingly as a cupboard as it was only 12m2, and I’m sure will consider this student accommodation a palace. Well, it helps if your mother is an interior designer.

Robin, the lucky owner and student, gave his mother a clear brief: A contemporary space that combined period features with his modern needs as a student. It was important for his mother Marianne to differentiate the ‘work and play’ areas which she achieved by installing a kitchen in the centre of the apartment. I love it’s open plan breakfast bar to one side whilst large glass panels on either side contain the space but let light flood through the apartment.

The quirky antique touches like the stove, gilt mirror and old suitcases that double up as a coffee table act as a reminder of the building’s history and blend well with the old floorboards and coving. Marianne chose a sensitive colour scheme with a dominant French Gray (I’m referring to Farrow & Ball here) broken up by soft blue for the fireplace alcove and a dusty purple behind the mirror in the sitting area. The scheme is contemporary but classy and fits right into this period place. Every nook and cranny has got it’s use with lots of shelving and storage built in so it feels like a generous space – unless it’s exam time and I suspect most surfaces will be filled with papers.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information | AD Russia
Photography | Stephan Julliard

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PARIS BY ANNE DITMEYER

16 October 2013

Dear readers, today I’d like to inspire you with the wonderful universe that is Paris. After getting you excited with some juicy photography by Leela Cyd yesterday I’d like to introduce you to Anne Ditmeyer, the author of Pret A Voyager, contributing editor for Design*Sponge and the ultimate source for everything you need to know about Paris and France.

Anne loves to travel and is a swiss-army knife of a talent. She writes, blogs, designs, teaches, consults and gives guided tours around Paris. She started her blog on Bastille Day in 2007 as a creative outlet to explore the intersection of travel and design and you can read about her experiences from the mundane to the quirky, sometimes even extravagant.

As an American in Paris she has explored every corner of this city and I love the fact that she gives guided tours with a difference. If you’re a bit of a film buff you’ll be excited to hear that there’s an Amelie tour which explores key sites of the movie with lots of discussion of the film’s stylistic means. If you ask nicely Anne will even bring her gnome along. I’m sure to book a Design Tour with her next time I visit the city of love.

Her site is extensive but with Anne’s help I’ve picked some favourites for you below. Happy exploring and don’t forget to write me a postcard!

From frugal to fancy, a list of favourite places to sleep, all with great personality and a sense of style.

TIP: Anne recommends to rent an apartment to get a real sense of the city and to get to know the neighbourhood as well as how other nationalities live. I’ve done this myself and couldn’t agree more!

This is a budget friendly guide to Anne’s favourite places in Paris, handily divided by arrondissement. From sights, museums and gardens to markets, bakeries, shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.

TIP: Picnic on the Champs de Mars when the Eiffel Tower twinkles every hour at night.

With the help of some friends Anne has compiled a comprehensive guide to having a great time on a budget. Be it for city dwellers or visitors.

TIP: Go to your local outdoor market rather than the grocery store for fresh produce. Not only is it better, but it’s also cheaper.There are tons of markets around the city, so go explore.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

HUGE thanks to Anne for letting me share her fabulous work and I’ll see you in Paris. 😉

More information | Anne Stark Ditmeyer
Anne’s blog | Pret A Voyager
Featured photo | by Cartier Bresson

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CITY CRUSH: PARIS BY LEELA CYD

15 October 2013

Hands up who’s in love with Paris? Well, that’s nearly all of you which makes me think it’s about time Stylejuicer brought you some Paris love.

I have to confess that although I only live two and a bit Eurostar-hours away, I’ve not been for… phew, must be 10 years by now. Shameful, I know but I’ve found you just the right person to quench your thirst for Paris:
Leela Cyd! An American travel, food and lifestyle photographer who took a trip not too long ago perfectly capturing everybody’s favourite city.

In her own words Leela was raised around a table full of artists and writers, about a block from the Pacific Ocean. So far so dreamy but wait, it gets better. Her home is in Santa Barbara, AND she gets to travel around the world for her assignments! Now, that’s what a I call a great set-up.

Today’s photo series features a mix of quintessential Parisian interiors and exteriors, culinary delights and of course the Eiffel Tower. My personal favourite is the very cute and very French apartment with it’s girlie details, white-washed beams, soft colours and beautiful upholstery. Isn’t that a bed you’d never want to get out of!?

Leela is also an incredibly entertaining writer and her food and travel blog Tea Cup Tea is a favourite of mine as well as having been awarded Saveur’s ‘Sites We Love’ last year. As the blog name suggests she loves a good cup of tea and meets friends, artists and like minded people around the world to have a chat and share a cuppa. One of which is fellow American and Paris-resident Anne Ditmeyer of Pret A Voyager who will tell you all you need to know about Paris on the blog tomorrow with some more wanderlust-inducing images.

For now, dive in to Leela’s photo story and I dare you not to buy a croissant on the way home.

PS: Leela, you can pop in for a cuppa any day!

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information & photography | Leela Cyd
Leela’s blog | Tea Cup Tea

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TOTALLY BLOKEY PUMPKIN AND SAGE SOUP

10 October 2013

I’ve been looking for the right ‘manly’ recipe for my MEN’S WEEK here on Stylejuicer when I came across this gorgeous photo in my Tumblr archive of a proper bloke scooping out a pumpkin and making soup – and it’s not Jamie Oliver!

Pleased to avoid the manly burger clichés I found the perfect soup recipe to go with it on skinnytaste.com. It’s best to use sweet or sugar pumpkin for this but you could easily substitute with butternut squash. It’s super easy to make, healthy and filling and tastes just as nice when reheated. What’s a guy not to like?

I love scooping out pumpkins and can’t wait to feature some more orange giants in a couple of weeks for Stylejuicer’s SPOOKY WEEK. Stay tuned!

PUMPKIN AND SAGE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium (6 lbs total) sugar pumpkins (you can substitute with butternut squash)
1 tbsp butter (olive oil for dairy-free)
3/4 cup shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups (950ml) fat free, low sodium chicken broth (vegetarians can use vegetable stock)
1 tbsp fresh sage, plus more for garnish
salt and fresh pepper to taste
reduced fat sour cream for garnish, (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Using a heavy, sharp knife, cut the pumpkins in half. Scoop out seeds and place on a baking sheet; bake for 1 – 1-1/2 hours.

When the pumpkin is cooked and cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. This should make about 5 cups.

Add butter to a large pot or Dutch oven, on medium heat; add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add pumpkin and broth to the pot, along with sage, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes.

Blend in a blender or immersion blender and blend the soup until smooth.

(Optional) Garnish with light sour cream and sage. Makes 8 1/2 cups (roughly 2 litres).

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information | skinnytaste.com
Photography | I tried finding out who took these gorgeous shots but didn’t get anywhere. If you know who did please email me at annie [at] stylejuicer [dot] com and I’ll happily add the credit and link.

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