Where's my kitchen gone?! and more about Milan

Boffi

Bulthaupt

Diesel and Scavolini

Miele, Eletrolux, Aeg,

Hood

Colourful chairs

Here are some lovely chairs I really want you to see! What colour would you choose for one of these Aluminium chairs by Italian producers Vitra?

Aluminium chairs by Charles and Ray Eames

And here are two animal inspired chairs produced by italian producers Kristalia, both by designer duo Neuland. I love the rocking version of the elephant chair!

Interview with Clarice Lopez, founder of Roost in Green

This month's interview is all about a busy artistic mum who's just started her own business. I started off asking Clarice about her art work then found out there was a lot more going on... Read on to find out more about this lady's approach to making art and how she has gone from studying Architecture in Brazil and Visual Arts in Venice to launching her first web-based company, Roost in Green! All this while being a military spouse and being the mother of a happy little girl! 

Artist and founder of Roost in Green, Clarice Lopez

You studied Architecture in Brazil and Visual Arts in Venice, Italy. How did your course of studies help shape your approach to the arts. Architects are tailored to think in a structured, organized way. There is a consequence to every line you put on paper. It could be something as uninteresting as the position of a toilet, to the actual impact of a building in a community. The complete opposite of abstract art. Architecture, when thought beyond the scope of profitability, is an art in itself. One that goes beyond the individual. It is the portrait of a civilization - the built form of how a society thinks and interacts with its own environment. 
My observations when transformed into artistic work are undeniably structured. However, you will always see some sort of confined movement to it. It’s like I am trying to break away from the confinement of the 90 degree angle. It’s a real struggle. I think it says a lot about me, really!

'RestoreGreenAction'
inspired by an Architectural mindset

You have lived in many different countries and speak many languages fluently. How does this affect your craft. I remember how much my head hurt through the first month at the Accademia. I knew very little Italian. Close to none. All of a sudden I am immersed in college level Italian, deliberating on philosophy and other things. That was extremely hard! But the ability to speak different languages is really liberating to me. I like to play with words a lot, and that was actually part of my first piece at school. Capolavoro in Portuguese is translated to Opera Prima. So it made a lot of sense to play with those words in my very first piece of art. It developed into deconstruction of painting and the importance of labeling things. It was fun. I took a lot of heat for that but that was expected!

How has becoming a mother changed your approach to art? Oh, my. Becoming a mother has changed my approach to life. Funny thing is that I was still finishing up my Laurea at the Accademia when I got pregnant. So, clearly, my work Untitled, 2011 was influenced by it. While pregnant, I struggled so much to write cohesive paragraphs, but everything else was on an optimized level. 

Somewhere to put your keys

Do you have trouble finding a good place to put your keys when you get home? Would you like to give your hallway a touch of colour and do some diy?
Here's something you can easily make in just a few hours. So the next time you have a free afternoon and it's raining outside, have a go at making your own arty key holder!

What you need:

wood panel (this one is 60x25cm, and 1cm thick)
acrylic paints (red, blue, yellow and white, or any other colour)
paint brush and a cup of water
some finishing varnish (either in a pot or in a spray can)
pencil and ruler
metal screw-in hooks
hammer and nails
two hooks for the back of the panel

Lovely textiles and comfy seats

Here are some comfortable looking chairs, stools and sofas.

Kenny and Sugar designed by London based designers Raw Edges for Italian furniture company Moroso.

Kenny by Raw Edges