Pearls of Craftsmanship

 

Because I always try to introduce the world to our Belgian artisans or craftsmen, I really have to tell you something more about a new Quality Label, founded by one of our famous Belgian craftsmen.

'Pearls of Craftsmanship' is a Quality Label that promotes craftsmanship of the highest quality and consists of carefully selected members and crafts.

‘Pearls or Craftsmanship’ is founded by the Belgian ornamental woodcarver Patrick Damiaens. The company consists of seventeen Belgian and three Dutch craftsmen, who all wish to carry out the same high level of craftsmanship. Among them there is an arms engraver, another artisan restores paintings, and another member makes contemporary tailored suits.

Patrick Damiaens explains : “ Since a few years I have noticed that for highly skilled craftsman, even some of them who are unique in their specific sector, it is extremely difficult to convince our society of the need for the preservation and nourishing of this artisanal part of our colorful heritage.”

With this label Patrick wants to offer an alternative for the unsatisfying standard solutions you have to settle for (sometimes for no apparent reason) in our modern day consumer society.

This site brings together extremely gifted artisans with an exceptional knowledge of their trade and with historically grown traditional crafts, neatly balanced with contemporary originality.
This is a place where the visitors are confronted with their search for a personal touch and where they have an opportunity to get acquainted with skilled experts, who have turned durability and tradition into their passion.
True pearls among the crafts that manage to stimulate and inspire through their originality and broad perspective.

'Pearls of Craftsmanship' is for those who wish to surround themselves with the highest degree of perfection and taste.

Let me introduce you to the Members of 'Pearls of Craftsmanship' !

Angel Barrero

Master of Stuc-marbre and Scagliola

Website : www.angelbarrero.be

 

Aravinda Rodenburg Tailors

Tailors

Website : www.aravindarodenburg.be

 

Atelier Mestdagh

Handcrafted stained glass

Website : www.ateliermestdagh.be

 

Atelier Tratteggio

Restoration and conservation of Art

Website : www.kunstrestauratie.be

 

Dorothea Van De Winkel

Handwoven – Tapestry

Website : www.galerij-theaxus.com

 

Eddie Van Hoef

Faux Finish painting Techniques

Website : www.vanhoef.com

 

Els Robberechts

Hat Design

Website : www.acesoir.be

 

Emysfeer

Furniture Upholstery

Website : www.emysfeer.be

 

Franz Iliano

Stonemason

Website : www.franziliano.be

 

Gregor’s Framing

Manufacture of frames

Website : www.gregorslijsten.nl

 

Intarsio

Exclusive furniture – Urushi

Website : www.intarsio.nl

 

Jean-Paul Boucquet

Lighting

Website : http://johanclompen.be/

 

Kunstsmederij De Bruyn

Traditional ironwork

Website : www.smederijdebruyn.be

 

Lutson

Gilded Leather

Website : www.lutson.com

 

Mestrom Kroonluchters

Mestrom Kroonluchters / Chandeliers

Website : www.mestromkroonluchters.nl

 

Atelier Menchior

Plaster Ornaments

Website : www.menchior.be

 

Patrick Damiaens

Woodcarving - Liège style Furniture

Website : http://www.patrickdamiaens.be/eng/index.html

 

Pierre Création

Canes – Diamonds

Website : www.pierre-creation.be

 

Pieter Boudens

Sculptor of letters

Website : www.pieterboudens.be

 

Roland Baptiste

Master engraver

Website : rbaptiste.com

 

In future this group will still be extended with other sectors, but the new members will have to meet the same standards to guarantee the credibility of the label.The members are selected not only for their unique craftsmanship, but also because they are unique in their sector, in their metier (whether in Belgium, Europe or even in the world) or by their long existence (already many generations).They are passionate professionals, practicing their metier full-time and are prepared to demonstrate their craft to the public by regularly taking part in events or exhibitions.

 

To see more about the members of Pearls of Craftsmanship, please watch this video.

Pearls of Craftsmanship members

 

To know more about Pearls of Craftsmanship, please visit the website at http://www.pearlsofcraftsmanship.com/index.html

Contact : pearlsofcraftsmanship@hotmail.com

I do hope I have made you even more curious about our Belgian craftsmanship and I might hope that maybe one day you will appeal to the skills of these fantastic and gifted artisans.

 

xx

Greet

All images : http://www.pearlsofcraftsmanship.com & http://www.facebook.com/PanelsOfCraftsmanship

You have read this article Artisans / Belgian Artists / Craftsmen with the title September 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2012/09/pearls-of-craftsmanship.html. Thanks!

Is white the next big color trend in interior design?

 

According to the famous interior designer Timothy Corrigan, the color white will be the new color trend in interior design for the next coming months.

Visiting Maison & Objet, the big design trade fair in Paris this month, Timothy spotted new launches and new trends and concluded that the color white was seen at the booths of a lot of the world’s leading furniture and design manufacturers. Timothy tells us that the most significant trend he spotted was the bold move away from multi-colored, almost rainbow splash of the last couple of years to the ubiquitous use of white.

‘White is everywhere!’, he explains. ‘Furniture, accessories, carpets, lighting,….’

‘What’s interesting to note’, says Timothy, ‘is that you can do some pretty outrageous design concepts but they somehow seem more accessible when they are pitched up all in white.’

According to Timothy we can expect to see a lot of white in catalogues and home stores starting this winter and extending into spring.

With permission of Timothy I posted some of the pictures he took at Maison & Objet which all confirm his conclusion that the color white was indeed omnipresent.

Pictures by Timothy Corrigan at Maison & Objet September 2012

 

Pictures by Timothy Corrigan at Maison & Objet September 2012

 

Picture by Timothy Corrigan at Maison & Objet September 2012

 

Picture by Timothy Corrigan at Maison & Objet September 2012

 

I would love to thank Timothy Corrigan for sharing with us his thoughts about new trends he observed at Maison & Objet.

And a huge thank you to Timothy’s assistant Elaine Maltzman, who is always so kind to share with me the latest news about Timothy’s design work, as she did now by sending me usefull pictures and information.

I have always been a huge fan of Timothy’s work and for my readers who are not familiar with his design, please visit Timothy’s website at http://www.timothy-corrigan.com, you will not regret it.

 

White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection.

White is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.

White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm.

White is the color of new beginnings, it is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon.

 

 

Presumed one of my clients asks me to decorate their home in the new trend using white! What would I suggest?

I was curious about the use of white as new color trend and started browsing the web and tried to search for examples of using white in a future client’s project.

These are examples of how I would love to see bringing in the color white into a home.

 

Entry hall source hereWhite painted paneling.

 

Living room source hereWhite slipcovered sofas, white curtains and white carpet.

 

Dining room source hereI just love the way Anouska Hempel created this ambiance by using white in the restaurant at Dansfield House.

 

Kitchen source hereWhite painted beames, ceiling and walls. White floortiles. White slipcovers for the chairs.

 

Master bedroom source hereWhite paneled walls and mantelpiece. White seats, white bedlinen, lamps and even a bouquet of white flowers.

 

Bathroom source hereIn the bathroom I defintely would bring in carrara marble and would love to cover the bathtube with white paneling.

 

Children’s room source hereCompletely white.

 

What do you think about this white painted attic room? Ceiling, walls and floor painted in white! Even if you don’t want to follow color trends, this room will always be beautiful. White is a wonderful base.No matter which colors you want to bring in afterwards.

‘This room is as a blank canvas waiting to be written upon.’

 

Imagine you create this ambiance as Axel Vervoordt did in this white painted attic room!Source Magazine MoreThan Classic april-mei 2010

 

If you are not ready yet to make such a significant changes, you can always start with the purchase of some white decorative accessories as the ones I found here :

A beautiful and huge white chandelier for your entry hall.Source here

 

A Philippe Starck chandelier for your dining room.Source here

 

A work of art to decorate your bedroom.Source here

 

A white painted mirror for your entry hall.Source not known

 

A work of art by Lucio Fontana.Axel Vervoordt. Source not known

 

White tableware.Source here

 

Are you happy to see white as the new color trend? Let’s talk!

I wish you all a fresh start of this new week!

xx

Greet

You have read this article Interiors in white / Maison et Objet / Timothy Corrigan / White with the title September 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-white-next-big-color-trend-in.html. Thanks!

At Home with May and Axel Vervoordt

 

Dear readers,

I wasn’t planning to post today, but I really had to mention this!

May Vervoordt, the wife of the Belgian antiques dealer and decorator Axel Vervoordt, introduced her new book.

‘At Home with May and Axel Vervoordt: Recipes for Every Season’

May reveals her secrets to enjoy a simple and light cuisine at every season.

Almost all of the ingredients for the dishes grow in the private garden of the Vervoordt’s castle in ‘s Gravenwezel.

 

This morning I received my copy and I can’t get my eyes of it.

It is not just a cookbook but also a guide to be the perfect hostess!

The pictures, taken by the photographer Jean-Pierre Gabriel, are exquisite!

 

Cover of the book

To order the book, click here or here.

                            

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to cook and/or enjoys good and healthy food in a beautiful setting.

 

 

As an ‘appetizer’ please watch the following video’s !

Enjoy!

Video link : http://vtm.be/voor-de-show/gastvrouw-van-de-sterren

 

Video link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yuNVTPOevI

 

Congratulations to May with this fantastic book!

xx

Greet

You have read this article Axel Vervoordt / Books / Food / May Vervoordt with the title September 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2012/09/at-home-with-may-and-axel-vervoordt.html. Thanks!

Autumn colored hallways

 

Decorate your hall for the Fall season!

Be inspired!

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Talk to you soon my friends!

xx

Greet

You have read this article Fall / Hallways with the title September 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2012/09/autumn-colored-hallways.html. Thanks!