FOR THE LOVE OF: POUL KJAERHOLM

kjærholm is one of my favorite danish designers. maybe one of my favorite designers. period. all of us have seen, lusted and lived with his beautiful design through our lifetimes and someday i will surprise myself with a birthday present and bring a piece of poul home.

kjærholm was a skilled carpenter and completed his education at the danish school of arts and crafts under the brilliant hans wegner. he worked at fritz hansen, another absolute favorite for about a year where he created some very well known chair prototypes. after three years of study wegner assigned kjærholm for a project in which he, among other things, developed a lounge chair. this chair was later exhibited and got attention from søren hansen, at that time director of Fritz Hansen. The director, on advice from wegner, hired kjærholm. however, kjaerholm left after less than a year due to a dispute over the production of his work. there is an anecdote connected to kjærholm leaving his work with fritz hansen. the anecdote says that kjærholm offered fritz hansen a plywood molded chair to which fritz hansen said that they already had a plywood chair, namely the ant chair by jacobsen. According to the story, kjærholm then said that they had to choose between the two chairs. fritz hansen replied to this with something in the line of: “your chair is nice, but we already made the mold for the other chair, therefore Goodbye and Good luck”- source

after fritz hansen, kjærholm joined the manufacturer ejvind kold christensen. the colab continued until kjærholm's death in 1980. 'In 1982, fritz hansen took over the production and sales of "The Kjærholm Collection", developed from 1951 to 1967, designs, which are logical to the minute detail with an aura of exclusivity. In 2007 fritz hansen added two new pieces to the kjærholm collection. Pieces that were never in production before, the pk8™ side chair and pk58™ dining table'. each of his furniture pieces are labeled with the initials pk followed by a number from a series. his work has often been described as 'modest in means, rich in expression. Unlike his Scandinavian contemporaries, who worked primarily in wood, Kjærholm revered the properties of steel and used it as his construction material of choice. His resulting works are undeniably understated and elegant, with an emphasis on clean lines and remarkable attention to detail.

i am forever obsessed by the absolute magic that happens with the perfect marriage between kjærholm's minimalistic frame structures and the clean blend of the materials. here i share with you some of my favorite works of art by dear ol' kjærholm. the pk9 has my name written all over it.

pk12 in hand braided brown leather, fritz hansen

pk9 (drool) in black Elegance leather, fritz hansen

swooning here. the gorgeous pk22, known as his breakthrough piece image courtesy

pk24 lounge, image courtesy

the gorgeous pk33, cushion in leather 

 
 pk 80

 yes, i am in love. drop, pk55, pk11

'steel’s constructive potentials are not the only thing that interest me; the refraction of light on its surface is an important part of my artistic work. i consider steel a material with the same artistic merit as wood and leather.' -poul kjærholm

i hope you all enjoyed this journey into the world of brilliance that is poul kjærholm. now to figure how and when i can get my hands on those dreamy pk9 chairs. here


happy dreaming!

xo

HM

DOT & CO

you know when you come across something, and you get the feeling you two were meant for each other. that is the feeling i got when i came across the beauty of the line of ceramics created by australian ceramist jane kelsey at dot&co.

yes, i can be over dramatic at times but i take black and white ceramics very seriously, especially when they are this simple, graphic and beautiful. all of the gorgeous ceramics are unique and made by hand using a range of processes and mediums to create unique pieces of art. her ceramics include a range of vases, planters, beautiful woodblock prints, dishes and the most gorgeous spoons known to mankind.

jane kelsey in her studio-where all the magic happens

i hope to find a local retailer that might be carrying these ceramics in the u.s but until then you can purchase her creations on her online store here.

have a wonderful rest of the week!

xo
HM

COLOR ON THE WALL

marsala 1814-38 is the pantone color of the year."marsala is a subtly seductive shade, one that draws us in to its embracing warmth. says leatrice eiseman, executive director pantone color institute.  "much like the fortified wine that gives marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. this hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors."

as of now kids, i dont know how i feel about this hue yet. i would personally not wear it in any shape or size. but its warmth and earthiness could create an enveloping feeling in the space it is used in. it would have to be brought into an interior with careful consideration. very very carefully. it borders between a rustic brown and the deep deep berry and i see it working well with gorgeous teals and deep blues. i did see some hilarious descriptions of what marsala 1814-38 makes people think of and most of them were not complimentary. but, lets keep an open mind because color is one of the most subjective associations and there is no accounting for taste.

the color does remind me of the beauty and deep hue of the black dahlia and i see the flower in high demand in 2015. here are some images i have gathered from around the web where marsala seems to be working its warm magic.

gorgeous space by Commune                                                                                                                                                         

Image courtesy Kelly Oshiro

Image Courtesy Maria Killam

Image Courtesy Hadley Court

Well, there you are guys. marsala 1814-38 promises to be more than your grandma's old ratty sweater.

have a fabulous weekend!

xo
H M

NOVEMBER MOVEMBER

where has the time gone? i know i have been missing in all the action but fall and halloween and freinds/family visiting with work, steaming hot chocolates, biking the city before sun rise and sun rise at the lake has taken over my days and nights. but here i am again. 

it's november. my fav time of the year for a lot many reasons. one of them being movember, which means men with facial hair show up all over. "movember is the global men’s health charity where men grow and women support the mustache during november and become part of the official movement to change the face of men’s health. movember is about bringing back the moustache (mo), having fun, creating conversations and awareness, and raising funds for men's health, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems." mo bros take action by changing their appearance by growing a mustache for the 30 days of movember, to spark conversation and raise funds. mo sistas commit to supporting the men in their lives while helping to promote men’s health. having said all that, i will say not all men can support a mo. i have woken up from nightmares where men with mos are chasing me down michigan avenue. but, how about supporting a beard for bovember. see what i did there? bo-vember. cheeky hena. the rules clearly state no beards or goatees for the movember movement so this may be my spin on movember because this girl has got a weak spot for hipster beards. here are the official rules for the movember, you can find all you need to before you start growing that facial hair.

talking of men's facial hair, here are some of my favorites. i will start with the beautiful paul newman in his bearded glory. and then there is ben dalhaus. why? because.

"knowledge is power. prevention is everything. early detection is key." learn about the health issues men face and how movember is having an impact on men’s health here.

have a great rest of the week.

xo

HM

HOSTEL OF DREAMS

architect and designer felipe hess dreamed up this little dream of a hostel with his long time friend guilherme perez, who he has known for 15 years. 'we' hostel in sao paulo, brazil carries the relaxed traditions of hostels from all over the world, but brings the comfort, refinement and attention to detail of boutique hotels. converted from a mansion of nearly 4000 sq feet from the early 1900s, most of the original architectural features were preserved and played an important part in the design development. hess has used a quirky mix of carefully curated collection of furniture found in flea markets in and around san paulo which were then restored and updated by the designer, adding a vintage character to the contemporary design. 

the design of the hostel has been kept simple with crisp white walls and black accents. the tv room has a chalkboard ceiling where travelers from all over the world leave messages. the bathrooms are colors blocked in fun blue, red, yellow or green and the bedrooms open to patio spaces which give guests a chance to socialize and unwind with drinks and delicious fare. graphics by the artist rodrigo marangoni are featured through the house and include neighborhood maps and mix tapes. there is a gorgeous lounging/reading room that comes fully stocked with books galore and cheerful furniture, inviting the weary traveler to put their feet up and loose themselves in a good book or the beautiful view.

it's definitely on my list for places to stay if we make it to that part of the world in the very near future. i hope saad opens this entry fast and gets the hint because we still have time to make it there for my birthday. meanwhile, you can look, book and enjoy the "we" hostel here.

xo
HM

IT'S A MAN'S WORLD

well, not really. but entering  into isle of man sure makes me want to grow a beard, chew on my bike tires and spit all over the place. do guys really do that anymore? moving on. isle of man is owned by arthur holstein who is also the creative director of this little gem of a place. i love the display of clothes and accessories which are all juxtaposed with vintage editions of the playboy magazine and some super cool mantiques- vintage trunks, trophies, bar ware and retro signage."When the word ‘man-tiques’ was thrown around, Arthur’s gears started grinding and IOM was born. A man of many talents and interests and adventures, he is the embodiment of the Isle of Man man. When he’s not racing motorcycles or hunting doves in Argentina, he spends his days curating the exact components that make Isle of Man so full of character. He is, to say the least, the purveyor of cool". 

i love the collection of lighting and accessories isle of man carries. they all have a very unique, industrial character and would fit perfectly in a bachelor pad. they would fit beautifully in any space, really. art director michael s. jones creates creative and inventive installations and also creates all the lighting fixtures and custom furnishings seen in the shop. pure love.

i did buy saad a gorgeous sweater from there beginning of year and he loved it. next, i have my eye on a gorgeous lamp which i might add to my "things to get hena on her birthday" list i have going for him. always being helpful here. they have luxurious custom lines of clothing and fragrances made for "men of character". so grab that george clooney in your life and head on over to man of isle and get your fix. there are some awesome vintage stores in the same block as well, full of little treasures. enjoy!

have an awesome week!

xo

HM

I DREAM OF POM POMS

i can never walk away from anything that comes with pom poms attached. ever. specially if the pompoms come with snug-ly black and white throws in stripes. how is a lady to say no? muima brings to you beautiful accessories for your home that include pompom wool blankets, thick crochet floor cushions and gorgeous Moroccan wool rugs in gorgeous black and white and beautiful saturated colors. the vintage pillow you see below is cut from an old handira and each piece is unique. drool much?

this will be no.27 on my birthday " gift options" i have going to help saad with shopping for his favorite wife. how nice am i? see these and more here.

have an awesome rest of the week!

xo
HM