Busy, busy, busy !

 

Hello my friends, oh yes I am so very busy! Besides working on clients projects, we are in the middle of our living room redo.

To my blog colleagues I would love to ask, if they please can forgive me for not finding much time to comment on all their latest blogposts! I promise to catch up with reading and commenting a lot of blogposts within a few weeks.

 

The redo of our living room was planned last year, but we didn’t make it ! So Jan and me deciced that it had to be ‘our beginning of the year 2013 project’.

Following my blog, you maybe will remember having seen pictures of how our living room looked like until a few days ago.

Redo Living room 2Living room as it looked.

 

On Monday morning we started to empty the room. And this is how it looks like today!

Redo Living room 1Living room this morning.

Yes, there are planned some changes. The room will be totally paneled, the parket floor should be given another finish, the window treatment fabric has to be chosen and we’d like to bring in some new furniture.

Of course, paneling will be manufactured in the workshop of our company Lefèvre Interiors, according our design sketches. The paneling will be executed in French oak and is inspired by French 18th century paneled rooms.

Redo living room sketchesSketches of the paneled living room. (copyright Lefèvre Interiors)

 

I just love 18th century French paneling as seen in this picture.

InspiringImage source here 

Floor boards

At this moment the painter-artist of our workshop is preparing a few samples of the patina the paneling wil be given. This is the most difficult part! We have to mix and brew until the perfect patina is found!

Patina choicesDifferent patina options.

 

When I discovered this beautiful aquarelle painting at the FB page of my French friend and renown aquarelle painter Céline Chollet, I was thrilled!! OMG! I do know that she has to paint an aquarelle of our living room too!

Céline Chollet AquarelleSource FB page Céline Chollet. Blog of Céline http://wwwboitedaquarelles.blogspot.be/

 

To be continued…

I promise to share the progress of our living room redo in later blogposts!

 

If you would like us to help designing and manufacturing your paneling, feel free to contact us at info@lefevre.be

For more Lefèvre Interiors realisations visit our website at www.lefevre.be

 

 

xx

Greet

You have read this article Lefèvre Interiors / My home with the title January 2013. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2013/01/busy-busy-busy.html. Thanks!

My new American friend Rela

 

Dear friends, today I do have to tell you about my new friend, the Napa Valley based interior designer RELA GLEASON.

1 Website Rela GleasonRela Gleason

If my husband would have known that I was going to write this post, he absolutely would have insist to write down : ‘We do have to tell you about OUR new friends Don and Rela’ !

And actually he is right, we met Rela and Don in Belgium, a few days before Christmas.

Jan and I, both have a weakness for the spontaneous way American people behave. We just love this ! A few moments after our meet and greet, it actually felt as we did know each other since a life time. We spent a wonderful evening together in a restaurant in Brussels. And while Rela and I were talking about interior design and all things related, Jan had a heartwarming conversation with Don.

1Rela and I

2Don and Jan

 

In earlier times we already met American designers and architects Natasha Esh (New York), Maryanne Flaherty (Texas) and Brooke & Steve Giannetti (Los Angeles). All such a wonderful people who became dear friends. We do cherish these friendships!

imageNatasha Esch and I - Jan and Natasha’s husband Matt  (Brussels, November 2009) 

2013-01-23_213509Maryanne Flaherty and I – Jan and Maryanne’s husband Peter  (Paris, January 2010)

2013-01-23_202352Brooke Giannetti and I – Jan and Brooke’s husband Steve  (Brakel, June 2011)

Blogging is a fantastic way to connect with people from all over the world.

 

Back to Rela now!

Stumbling on my blog a few months ago, Rela contacted me by email to ask me about some interesting places to visit in Belgium. She was planning a business trip to Belgium.

I realized that Rela knew a lot about Belgium! Not surprising, if you do know that she was raised in Brussels! She probably does know more about our capital than I do!

After Rela contacted me, I visited her website Rela Gleason Design and I was thrilled to read that Rela collaborated with one of my favorite American architects Bobby McAlpine of McAlpine Tankersley, to build her house named ‘CASA KULANU’, which means “all of us” in Hebrew. So ’Casa Kulanu’ is a warm and inviting family home.

Rela and Don told us that they both love to have their children and grandchildren around.

 

1 AD‘Casa Kulanu’, the Napa Valley home of Rela and her husband Don, which was the first California commission for  the Alabama based architect Bobby McAlpine.

It was Rela herself who made the first house sketches.

The house definitely has architectural influences of the Flemish farmhouses of Rela’s Belgian childhood, but Rela emphasizes that she loves authenticity and she absolutely didn’t want to create a faux-Tuscan villa. ‘Casa Kulanu’ is an honest house and the architecure of it possesses a Napa-style authenticity.’, Rela says.

 

3 ADThe salon, - with steel doors, wooden beams, linen upholstered seats and a Flemish chandelier -, reveals Rela’s Belgian childhood.

Rela knows exactly how to choose the right furniture for every particular room of the house and she even has her own furniture collection.

2 Website Rela GleasonThe cavendish daybed - Rela Gleason Design Collection  Source website Rela Gleason Design

 

4 ADThe sunroom of the house.

 

5 ADRed-cedar-paneled library.

 

6 ADGorgeous master bedroom! Rela combined a love seat and a wing chair of her own collection with an antique armchair.

 

7 ADBeautiful bathroom design! Notice the marble vanities with iron mirrors, designed by Rela herself.

 

9 ADA chalet-style box bed in a child’s guest room.

Rela travels across the United States and to Europe to find the most beautiful antique pieces for her clients. Her interiors are stylish and are composed of bespoke furniture and quality pieces.  “Invest in quality pieces that can follow you anywhere.” says Rela convincingly. And I couldn’t agree with her more!

 

If you are interested to see more of Rela’s work, please visit her website RELA GLEASON DESIGN http://www.relagleasondesign.com/

If you would love to ask Rela to help with the design of your interior, please contact Rela at info@relagleasondesign.com

Blog Rela’s Journal : http://relasjournal.blogspot.be/

 

For the wine lovers among you, I do have to mention that the Gleasons are settled in the Northern Californian’s wine country and that the family’s Summer Hill Vineyards produce Cabernet Sauvignon wine and olive oil.

www.gleasonwines.com

8 AD Vintner Don driving through the family’s Vineyard.

Source images : Architecutal Digest November 2011  – Photography by Roger Davies

 

Please tell me, do you love Rela’s house and her design work as much as I do?

 

XX

Greet

You have read this article American Design / Blogger meeting / Rela Gleason with the title January 2013. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-new-american-friend-rela.html. Thanks!

Hello from snowy Belgium

 

King Winter is ruling over Belgium these days! The frigid temperatures may chill the bones, but snow and ice lend a magical air to almost any landscape.

I took some pictures of our garden and wanted to share them with you today!

 

A few days ago it started to snow in the evening.

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The morning after.

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Today.

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Ralph and me having snow fun!2013-01-20_174041

 

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And for those who are visiting Maison & Objet in snowy Paris, don’t forget to visit the booths of our Belgian companies.

Here are 3 of several Belgian brands, present at M&O.

 

ST-PAUL HOME

Tables and furniture, home & outdoor collection

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                           Sneak peek into the St-Paul Home booth at Maison & Objet. Promising isn’t it?

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To see more of this gorgeous hand made Belgian furniture collection, please visit their website at

http://www.home-st-paul.com

Image sources :  St-Paul Home facebookpage here 

 

SCAPA HOME

Furniture, accessories and linen for the home

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Scapa Home booth at Maison & Objet.

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Discover what this Belgian label has to offer at

 http://www.scapahome.eu

Image sources : Scapa Home facebookpage here

 

LIBECO HOME

Libeco Home collection : pure linen sheets, duvet covers, linen tablecloths, linen fabric and much more...

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Libeco Home booth at Maison & Objet.

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Discover the world of Libeco Home at

http://www.libecohomestores.com/index_en.htm

Image sources : Libeco Home facebookpage here

 

To discover all Belgian companies at Maison &Objet, please click HERE.

 

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Ralph and me wish you all a lot of snow fun today!

xx

Greet

You have read this article Maison et Objet / My home with the title January 2013. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2013/01/hello-from-snowy-belgium.html. Thanks!

Belgian style sofas

 

Belgian styled sofas seem to be very popular. They are seen in a lot of projects by interior designers from Belgium and abroad.

A lot of the sofas are covered in Belgian linen.

 

2Interior design by John Minshaw (UK). Photo credit James McDonald. Sofa ‘Brian Junior’ by Axel Vervoordt covered in the Sylt Blamine fabric by Bruder.   Source The World of Interiors October 2012 

 

9Interior design by Axel Vervoordt (Belgium). Photo credit Jean-Pierre Gabriel   Source Architectural Digest

 

10Interior design by Alexandra Siebelink (Holland).   Source Alexandra Siebelink

 

3Interior design by Rose Uniacke (UK). ‘Studio’ sofa.   Source Rose Uniacke

 

16Interior design by James Michael Howard (US).   Source James Michael Howard

 

5Interior design by Cameron Kimber (Australia).   Source Cameron Kimber Design

 

6Interior design by Greet Lefèvre - Lefèvre Interiors (Belgium). Sofa ‘Ralph’ covered with Libeco linen.   Picture by me

 

12Interior design by Marc & Liesbeth Soudant (Belgium).   Source Marcus Soudant interior architecture & antiques

 

14Interior design by Home World of Interiors (Belgium).   Source Home World of Interiors blog

 

17Interior design by Rela Gleason (US). Sofa ‘Montgomery’ of the Rela Gleason collection.   Source Architectural Digest 

 

13Interior design by Mark Mertens (Belgium). Source Le Chalet Zannier Megève France

 

15Interior design by Brooke Giannetti (US). Sofa ‘Courtney’ of the Patina Style collection.   Source Giannetti Home Patina Style

 

19Interior design by Philipp Vogt (Germany). Sofa Home Collection Philipp Vogt Interiors.   Source Philipp Voght Interiors

 

In the middle of preparing this blogpost today, I received the latest blogpost of Joni, author of the blog Cote de Texas and I couldn’t resist to take over this picture of her interesting post about a brand new interior design Magazine MILIEU, that will be on the stands this fall.

7Home of Andrew & Annette Schatte (US) featured in the brand new Magazine Milieu. Photo credit Peter Vitale.  Source Cote de Texas

 

Do you like the Belgian styled sofas?

xx

Greet

You have read this article Belgian Design / Seats with the title January 2013. You can bookmark this page URL http://carteirodopoente.blogspot.com/2013/01/belgian-style-sofas.html. Thanks!