HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm a Bohemian Casual

HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm a Bohemian Casual

Frau Mayer, you are a Bohemian Casual




You are interested in creating a place where people feel relaxed. You have a variety of interests and influences and so appreciate different styles, cultures, and objects. Your home is cozy, with comfy chairs, throw pillows and places to set a drink or a book. But it also feels creative and visually intriguing, because you have an artist's eye that allows you to find objects that appeal to you in a unique and personal way—whether from your travels or from a local shop. This gives your home a feeling of being laid-back, and maybe even a bit quirky with its mix of pieces—some of which are classic, some handmade, some ethnic, and some just rich in meaning to you.


You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.


Putting Your Style to Work!




With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.


1. Your Design Challenge: MAXIMIZE


Design is all about tricks, and with small spaces, the game is to literally trick the eye. Mirrors obviously expand a sense of space, and if possible, place them across from windows so they pick up the light and the outdoors. Leggy furniture gives the illusion of more space, as you can see under it. And, a mix of upholstered and non-upholstered pieces also makes a room feel less dense. Also, consider multi-tasking furniture, like a dining table pushed against the wall—it can be a desk by day and gets pulled out for dinner parties. Or a bedside table big enough to accommodate a chair and function as a desk.



2. Your Happy Place


You can make your bath like your own private spa, an escape from the world—even if you share it! Consider making every useful thing beautiful—from the soap dish and toothbrush cup to a pretty jar for cotton balls and a plush, new set of matching towels (white is the most calming and spa-like). You deserve this! Using trays for corralling perfumes and bowls or cups for makeup will make things look organized and attractive. A really lovely idea, if you have space, is to include some real furniture like a little lamp or a stool for setting towels or even a comfy chair by the tub!

3. Be Party-Ready All the Time!


Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, keep some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.
Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.
Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!


Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.

Chaos Vs Feng Shui

Together with the growing amount of work, chaos has made itself at home in my little apartment.

Last night I realized I wasn't really able to think clearly so the first thing I did this morning were the dishes ( I HATE living without a dishwasher, have I mentioned that?)

There's obviously a connection between the state of one's flat and his/her thoughts, don't you think?

I'm off to fight the chaos and leave you with a little peek into the lion's lair!

Longing for mushrooms....

It's already fall, isn't it? I guess this is why this little voice in my head keeps telling me "All you need is a mushroom!"

Just look at these beauties!

And there are more of them - this time in real people's places!

This one decided to move in at Holly Becker's place

And this one belongs to Nadine at the wonderful  Herz-allerliebst blog.

Needless to say, I filled my working breaks with mushroom search. Nothing. The only possibility is to order all six of them from Denmark which is still a bit too pricey.

Well, this is one of the moments where I'd really need all those non-existenst readers with their helpful hints.
Will report more on the mushroom hunt later this month. Take care, no matter if you have your mushroom or not.

Images: Decor8, Herzallerliebst, Maileg

Magazine Junkie

that's pretty much how I could describe myself right now. As I don't have enough energy to get really creative and actually do something with my hands, I certainly tend to buy too many mags. And yes, although I now own a Real Living subscription (Yay!), there are still so many yummy back copies out there down under I'd LUVE to be able to lay my hands on...
Just got a mail from an Austrlian ebayer who  - for absolutely no reason whatsoever - refused to send her lot to Germany. She must be thinking I'm a really bad German who must be punished by not looking at the gorgeous mags. All right, let's see if there's some help out there.
The magshop site is pretty strange as well, as the only vital sign I got from them after having paid a bunch of money for the subscription was the tax invoice. Australian service? Well...
Let's just wait and see...

Autumn is almost there...

I guess this is the reason my beloved GUESS sunglasses broke today. Right, who needs sunglasses in autumn? Apart from Miss Mayer who once managed to drive on red after she had left her sunglasses on a rather turbulent London trip (yes, she was immediately *blitzed* but the letter never arrived, he he) and who tends to get partly blind in direct sunlight? Right, absolutely noone!

Well, I was rewarded for that loss with two l-o-v-e-l-y things in the mail today.

N 1, Der Impressionen Katalog.

As usual, it's full of inspiration  - and it makes me all giggly that I got this gorgeous shelf 40 euros cheaper than the list price (minus shipping, too, thx to my HH-connection!)

As there's not that much space in my bathroom right now, I'm going to use this lovely item as a book/folder shelf in my one and only room (have I mentioned there was just enough space here to fit one stressed Miss Mayer and one relaxed Miss Müller The Cat?)

Where's number two, my non-existent readers will ask... Well, I can't hold it any longer - I finally possess an INCREDIBLE Canon Eos 1000D. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be able to take acceptable pictures? Post them here? Get famous? Let's wait and see and make getting a memory card for my new toy the first step.

Images: Impressionen

The places to surf to...

Frau Mayer certainly does have her daily routines!
As soon as she gets home from school, she sits down at her comfy kitchen table, flips her pretty white laptop open and refreshes her igoogle page to check if there are any updates on her favorite blogs.

Which are here for you to enjoy.

In the first place I always feel totally inspired by Holly Becker - both her lovely official blog, Decor8 and her 'private' one, HausMaus are absolutely wonderful although I personally prefer the latter as it feels so homey :)

Swedish designer Benita Larsson makes me feel ashamed every time I see her über-clean place at Chez Larsson She's also the queen of DIY. 

My latest favorite comes from that place down under where they produce great interior magazines *wink* and tend to live in places as fancy as a Beach Cottage
If you like all things white, that's definitely the place to surf to!


Well, last but not least, the place I don't visit too often in order not to die of envy is Apartment Therapy

It's jam packed with yummy house tours from both costs and between - not all of them are NYC-loft-goodness, though so there's always something I can hide in my inpsiration box.

IKEA - flop of the year?

The new IKEA catalog arrived yesterday.

My first thought as I flicked through the pages was: "Tja..." (those of my non-existent readers who speak German will understand).
The second one was: "I'm pretty much over it".
Most of the rooms shown were dark, cluttered and didn't really speak to me. Black furniture? Huge, chunky sofas? I don't know...
I will, of course, buy from IKEA in future (see the lovely trestles) but the way they served their furniture definitely hasn't blown me away. It just didn't make me want to fetch the car keys and set off to the next store.

What do you, my dearest non-existent readers, think?