My favorite Macarons

Yesterday we celebrated Lucas' baptism and we had a great time. I decided to go with Madeleine Patisserie macarons because of their incredible taste. And in no way was I disappointed about their packaging, they came in very cute brown boxes with pink silky paper wrapping the gorgeous and delicious macarons. I'll post more pictures of the decorations next week.
I hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Thank you

I am sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been busy running around to organize my little one’s Baptism this coming Saturday. I'll be posting pictures this time, I promise. Not everything has been tiring and stressful however. Between running around I made sure to stop and smell the roses, well actually stop and try the macarons. Yummy!! I've been to two new places that I hadn't tried yet in NYC: MacarOn Cafe and Madeleine Patisserie. They were both good, but Medeleine macarons were superb and turned out to be my favorite. The only problem is that MacarOn Café adds a nice touch of detail where the macarons are served in a gorgeous presentation box (below). Not that I'm shallow, ladies, but I love everything with that kind of details. I'll let you know which one I chose next week.

 

In another note I want to thank Christina and Charlotta. These two lovely ladies have honored me by mentioning Belle Vivir in their fantastic blogs and for the generous gesture of the awards they have granted me. Thank you Christina and thank you Charlotte. You two are fantastic with great blogs and it’s an honor being awarded by you.

Picture from Christina.

Home Trends, Kitchens that don't feel like kitchens

Kitchens that look like anything but kitchens and I love idea.

You can't get a kitchen more dressy than with a silver-leaf Napoleon III mirror above the stove. Richard Norris and Mark Leslie's intention was to have a kitchen that looks more like a dining room. They accomplished it very well. I loved this kitchen.

In Olivier Gagnere's kitchen the cabinetry is covered in crocodile-embossed leather. Now that's fancy. Below is the kitchen in Rose Tarlow's house. A very interesting woman with impeccable style I discovered through Joni. If you, by any chance missed this post you should read it. Rose Tarlow's great style and intriguing personality will inspire you to continue to keep being yourself and to be different.

ADHDS

Yesterday morning I attended an early breakfast hosted by Architectural Digest before the show would open its doors to the public. It was a great opportunity to meet interesting people and also to get a private small tour of the show. The show was very well put together. Each booth was set to look like a real living space, which I personally think makes exhibitions far more interesting to designer eyes compared to booths with only free standing furniture with no relationship to each other. One of my favorite exhibitors and probably the one with the most beautiful booth was The New Traditionalists. Their furniture does honor to its name. It's American style meets European style in a very uptodate comfortable living way. I love all of their pieces. Later I had the pleasure of attending the seminar "Selling Design in a Changing Economy" given by Vicente Wolf, Dakota Jackson and Mitchell Gold. Beside the seminars interesting and informative part I enjoyed the charm of Vicente whom I had the honor of meeting afterward.
Of course the star of the show for me was Dining by Design so I made sure I paid a visit and absorbed as much as I could. I also took pictures of a few of my favorite tables for my lovely readers to have some table setting inspirations. Enjoy.

None of these pictures give enough credit to any of these gorgeous table settings but especially the table designed by David Beahm for Continental Airlines which was among my favorites. The table looked like an interior garden with climbing, twisted dry trees with real orchids, bulbs and leafs on them. The round banquette were upholstered in a green silk embroidery fabric with I think, removable wood seats on top of it. The table was entirely mirrored and each table top was different but in such a subtle way that you don't really notice it until a few minutes pass because all glasses were clear and the difference in plate color were very subtle.

A closer shot of the attached orchids. Below is a more organic table designed by Architectural Digest and Moore & Giles. I loved the detail of a different quote on each plate.

How cute is this Manhattan table setting designed by Marc Wilson designs and Marc Tamayo for Manhattan Magazine. Those yellow cabbies and the NYC hallmark buildings are so much fun.

The delicacy of this table and a movie by Audrey Hepburn as its background was such eye catching especially with that beautiful crystal cascade in the middle. Designed by David Rockwell from Rockwell Group.

morabito (2)

Today more pictures of Morabito's interiors. You must also check bodieandfou because there you can read how beautiful Karine wrote about her "Design Hero" and have opportunity to see many pictures of Morabito's works. Thanks Karine ;-)

Now - I will be absent for some time but be back in 2 weeks, so have a good time...

photo from polish interior's magazine Dobre Wnętrze (INSIDE/EAST NEWS)

Jacqueline Morabito

Today one of my favourite French designer - Jacqueline Morabito. With no doubt she's one of the most talented designer. Here's you've got some pictures of her amazing house in Provence (photo by Christoph Kicherer). Telling the truth her home was great inspiration for me - you can find similarities very quickly ;-) I admire her style, taste, simply - everything ;-) You can see more pictures of interiors made by her here and here.  By the way check this blog - it's great, I love the way Elodie and Karine Kong write.

Rose Anne de Pampelonne

Going through my files I came across Rose Anne de Pampelonne Parisian limestone mansion built in 1900's and redesigned by the designer who is also a baroness. The multi floor mansion that she shares with her bank-president and baron husband Bruno, was featured in Elle Decor a little while ago and has since been in my files because of its eclecticism and use of different hues. Asian antiques and porcelain, indigenous fabrics, sculptural antique fishing baskets hung as art, African mask, velvet and brocade fabric are gracefully combined in harmony layering this sumptuous home.

Above and below images of the gorgeous stunning dinning room

Rose Anne de Pampelonne placed an elegant 1940s relic bed with leafy silvered legs and a neo-Baroque headboard upholstered in silk velvet and brocade in her living room. I love it when designers think completely outside the box.

A table in the courtyard is dressed with an antique saris.

Rose Ann de Pompelonne photographed by Roger Davies.

Enjoy your weekend.

All images from Elle Decor.

head/tail/nun

I love my cats, they're so funny, all the time interested in any new thing...

head of Koko - tail "belongs" to Antek ;-)

tea with polar bear

The next part of my tea break with Mania's series. Today Polar Bear is a guest ;-).

Telling the truth I need tea break. I'm working on a new project and it still doesn't look good enough, I'm fed up with it. Mayby it's time to go to bed?

Cisco Brothers

A couple of months ago I walked into ABC home looking for a sofa or anything else that would catch my eye. I found the cutest sofa with perfect proportions that happened to be comfortable as well. When I inquired about it I was told it was manufactured by Cisco Brothers. I remembered reading about the company somewhere. At first I thought of re-upholstering it but after all the food, water, milk that have spilled on it and after cleaning it with a wet cloth without leaving a stain of course I changed my mind. It doesn't show clearly in this picture but the color is not that bad and I can make it work. The back of the sofa is curvy and it's the first thing you notice as you come up the entrance so I am planning to upholster it in a graphic fabric.
Cisco Brothers is a very respectable Furniture Company located in Los Angeles and its owner is from Jalisco, Mexico. He started working part-time for a small shop disassembling sofas while in High School and discovered his love for furniture making. In his twenties he and his wife were making custom furniture for neighbors out of his garage and Cisco Brothers was created. In not an easy business to succeed in Cisco Pinedo developed his furniture with superior craftsmanship, cutting-edge style, and unparalleled value. In 2006, The company moved exclusively to FSC Pure certified woods on upholstered furniture, using reclaimed hardwoods for a collection of stunning case goods and the use of water based glues and environmentally friendly detergents to wash all fabrics. Today, Cisco Home has six retail showrooms including a gallery at ABC Home Furnishings in NYC and the acclaimed LA Design Center in South Central Los Angeles.

morning

Today I had very lazy morning, I hope it'll be  wonderful day, it's smells like spring outside, maybe it's beginnig... It's time to do something ;-)

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Piekny dzień (mam nadzieje że taki będzie) nie tylko ten leniwy poranek, powietrze już pachnie wiosną, tęsknie za nią... Czas wracac do pracy

red

Red... i like it.

(there is something special on the first photo: it's my mam as a bjork - it's special edition of calendar made by foundation Rak'n'Roll [in polish rak means cancer] Magda - the founder - gathered wonderful people (photographer, stylists, graphic designer...) they took pictures of 16 women "fighting" with cancer, i'll write more about it later)

Design*Sponge

Today you can see my house on Design*Sponge. I'm very happy. Thanks for all nice comments ;-)
Here's you've got link. Don't forget to see other sneak peeks and all interesting things there. Have a good day

Everything goes

These two kitchens are completely different yet I love them both. The high ceiling and the cleanness of the black and white of the first image serves as the perfect background for the collection displayed on wood shelves. Whereas the bottom kitchen's layout and tall closed cabinets is a more traditional approach, the apple green cabinets keeps it fun and young. I also think it is a very cool and child-friendly detail to letter the doors.

Photographers Roger Davis & Deborah Whitlaw respectively through Coastal Living.

tea break

tea break with Mania/herbatka u Mani (1)