NEW: FAUNA CUSHIONS

We ♥ our new cushions... Inspired by nature and so decorative, they come in two designs and mesure 45x30 cms (18 by 12 inches).

'Adelie', which features two Adélie penguins and a blooming heart on a dotty print, is available in beautiful colours such as grass green, black, hot pink, lime, peacock and pistachio, and 'Dachshund', featuring a wiener dog, plays up the most gorgeous earthy colours like ginger, rust, chocolate, latte, yellow and peach.

Both are shipped with stuffer.

Recently, the 'Dachshund' cushion has made an appearance - along with Ms Oink - on a lovely new blog called Miyo Wada Wants. Check it out here.

( Written by Lola, Photographed by Álvaro )

AGITATTO

Recently launched and based in Switzerland, Agitatto is an online gallery dedicated to bringing the best of the international creative scene to all lovers of fine art.
Showcasing the works of artists and delivering them worldwide, among others Agitatto represents Whitney McVeigh and Connie Noyes (painting), Daniel Weisser and André Wagner (photography), and Conor Wilson and Matt Chivers (sculpture).

Besides art, it also boasts a book store and a design one, where besides our soft toys, you can find other design objects such as Hulger's phones and Vitamin's modern plant pots.

( Written by Lola )

IN THE PRESS

I've been working lately on making a few changes to our website, adding some new lovely products (quite soon now!), and changing a few bits and bobs in the overall look, so although we've been having quite a few press articles, i haven't been able to write about it here or add it to our in the press pages.

So, as i daydream of having a little more time to keep everything updated, here's one of our latest features to hit the newsstands, in portuguese deco magazine Caras Decoração.

Shown alongside the lovely Wooden Dolls by Alexander Girard (we're big fans), our soft toys couldn't be in better company.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

GEORGE NELSON EXHIBITION

Last week, and for the second time, i visited the beautiful swiss city of Basel and the nearby Vitra architectural compound, located in the small german town of Weil am Rhein.

Like in so many other exhibitions that Vitra has shown in its amazing Design Museum, designed by Frank Gehry, the George Nelson one takes an in-depth look on the american designers' work. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Nelson's birth (1908), the exhibition is the first comprehensive retrospective of his career.

From the most renowned classics - the Marshmallow Sofa or the vast collection of wall clocks are just two examples - to the innovative office furniture that Nelson designed in the fifties and sixties, the exhibition also shows other areas where Nelson introduced his creativity, such as graphic design, photography, literature and exhibition design.

From all the projects and pieces featured in the presentation, i especially loved the Experimental House size model, a prefab home that never left the paper, the delicate Miniature Chests, and last but not least, the beautiful range of sofas that Nelson designed over his career.

Open until May 3rd, 2009.

( Written and Photographed by Álvaro )

THE ITALIAN JOB

We've been doing some redecorating, finding a place for a few favourite magazines, putting up some pictures, changing accessories from A to B.

It's an ever evolving process, as it's always improved by a new piece we find, or by giving a new purpose to an old one, so it's an ever changing canvas.

In the process of this overall change, i fell in love again with an old favourite of mine, Bassotto, a royal blue dachshund from Bitossi which sat sadly on the cofee table and now looks lovely next to some magazines and books.

The italian brand has a never ending variety of products to choose from, but i particularly love their Rimini Blue collection with its ceramic figurines and vases, which is quite eclectic and retro and has enough presence to look good on its own, or proudly displayed next to other prized possessions.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

ROOM EMBELLISHMENT

The Rug Company is known for making the most fantastic rugs, like the ones from Neisha Crossland, Vivienne Westwood, Diane von Furstenberg, and Paul Smith (as pictured above), but besides the newly released capsule collection by Alice Temperley, we're loving their wallhangings, which are the perfect solution to embellish one's walls in a truly fun and tactile way.

Besides the ironic and floral 'Jubilee' designed by Lucinda Chambers, for kids we love the zoologic 'Ark' by Paul Smith, in which Noah's Ark is portrayed in a colourful needlepoint wallhanging.

( Written by Álvaro, Photo courtesy of The Rug Company )

A SHOT OF COLOUR

I love notebooks... Apart from their obvious practicality, when beautifully made, they are a pleasure to own and flick through from time to time.
As the beginning of the year is the ideal time to renew one's stock, i love these by Orla Kiely, which having her signature colours and prints, are definitely smile inducing.

Containing 128 off-white ruled pages and being perfectly sized for a handbag, like a bunch of flowers in the home, or an uplifting scent, they're the perfect antidote for handbag depression.

Besides the bags, clothing line, stationery and homewares, the irish designer has teamed up with Target, so if you're in the US, an exclusive line of Kiely's homewares will be available at Target stores from the 15th February.

( Written by Lola, Stills courtesy of Orla Kiely )

DOMINO FOLDS

It's very sad news to all Domino readers, as the lovely magazine closes its doors due to the economic recession.

Its inspirational website is also shutting down, along with the galleries, videos and deco files.

First it was Blueprint, which i loved, and now my favourite, Domino, is also folding.

I was always looking forward to the next issue, as it never failed to bring a smile to my face.

The latest one arrived in the mail just a few days ago, and i was amazed by the lack of advertising in comparison with the previous ones... Around 60 something in October 2008, and a mere dozen in February 2009!

Well, it's the end of an era where publications are concerned, and by all means, there's a HUGE gap in the market for magazines of this genre, for those who enjoy style and quality, without wanting it to be sterile or overtly conceptual, so i do hope others will come along the way.

The last issue of Domino will be the March 2009 one.

It shall be missed.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

SARGADELOS CERAMICS

Founded in 1806 by Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez, spanish brand Sargadelos is well known for its wonderfully crafted porcelain ranges. 

Inspired by traditional forms of Galician culture, Sargadelos pieces are specially appealing for their original motifs and retro look. Of the whole collection, we're particularly fond of the 'F-73' range, inspired by the organic shape of leafs, and also the architectural 'Portomarínica' one, influenced by the geometric corbels in the church of San Juan de Portomarín.

( Written by Álvaro, Photo courtesy of Sargadelos )

INSIDER SCOOP

We love magazines, and one of our absolute favourites is Domino... Easy on the eye, full of decorating tips and truly unpretensious (inspirational instead of aspirational), it's such a fun and gorgeously edited publication it always cheers us up.

The good news is, besides the magazine, Domino has launched a book, Domino: The Book of Decorating, which is packed full with the most inspiring decorating ideas, interior designer tips, must-buys, and everything one needs to know when creating a space to live in, and most importantly, to be in love with.

We love it.

( Written by Lola, Images courtesy of Domino )

MILK + NÓMADA

Our latest creations, Ms Honeysuckle and Mr Moustachio I, have appeared on the lovely website of children's lifestyle magazine Milk.

You can read the full article here.

Also in the news is the opening of portuguese designer Alexandra Moura's guerrilla shop, 'Nómada', where besides her designs, you'll be able to find our soft toys, Boa Boca gourmet products, A Vida Portuguesa trad re-editions, and fellow fashion designers Ana Salazar and Dino Alves creations, among others.

This guerrilla shop, a first of many, is open from today until 17th August, on Av. 25 de Abril, loja D, Figueira da Foz, so if in the neighbourhood, don't forget to drop by.

( Written & Photographed by Lola )

VINTAGE GLAMOUR

In the old days glamour was a serious business... It was a definite no-no to go out without the proper attire, which included wardrobe, jewellery, handbag, shoes, perfect makeup, and a lot of poise.

A world away from mass-production, everything was handmade and cherished for years to come, and although most people didn't have much of everything, they had the proper items.

American Vogue was published twice a month (on the 1st and 15th), and amongst its contributors was the talented Cecil Beaton, who portrayed society women both through illustration and the photographic lens. House and Garden widely displayed the idea of the perfect home, and Vanity Fair dwelled on the international scene of the time and the faces who made it.

When WII came, women's lives, in Britain for example, transformed dramatically as they had to play their part in order to change the course of history. Even voteless, they worked as nurses, ambulance drivers, munition workers, tram conductors, and land girls.

In publications such as Vogue, women were told to support the country's morale by looking as lovely as ever, which with rationing meant modifying existing clothes, or making new ones from whatever fabrics were available using Vogue Pattern Book.

It's lovely to look at images from the past, and thankfully Condé Nast has an online store on which one can purchase, or simply browse, high quality prints from their magazines' archives, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, House & Garden, GQ, Goumet and Living.

Other great photographic archives are the ones from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London - V&A Prints (also available to purchase) and V&A Images, which are obviously rather complete and filled with beautiful images.

( Written by Lola )

FRUIT COLOURED

Our cross cushions have appeared in Sol, a weekly portuguese newspaper, in a lovely feature where you can read:

'Portuguese brand La Maison de Lola is best known for its toys, in which Ms Chimp is one of the main stars, but it has other products on offer such as these cushions inspired by the colours of peaches, prunes, pistachios and ginger. Handmade from 100% velvety cotton and filled with feathers, they retail for 70 euros.

La Maison de Lola products are available from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Tokyo, and of course, in Portugal.

They're also available online at www.lamaisondelola.com'.

You can read other press clippings here.

( Written by Lola )

PORCELAIN KNIT

We've long professed our undeniable love for beautifully handmade pieces... Nothing beats the attention to detail, the warmth of the finished result, the sheer uniqueness of each and every piece.

Because we're fans of old style craftsmanship - think Saville Row and Brooks saddles - we just adore Annette Bugansky's handmade porcelain vases with their beautiful knitting patterns, which make them really textural and tactile.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

HAMPTON'S RETREAT

Like most, we love to peep inside other people's houses.

To make sure we do it in the most tasteful manner ( of course ), we love magazines such as Elle Decoration, Dwell, Livingetc, Vogue Living and House and Garden, who kindly let us satisfy our curiosity without having to resort to binoculars ( just kidding! ).

The November issue of House and Garden features the Hampton's hideway of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay husband Chris Martin, a spacious and light retreat in East Hampton, set within walking distance of the ocean.

Working herself with builder and architectural designer Michael Minkoff, Paltrow went over fabric swatches and design resources while Minkoff transformed the skeleton of the house, adding a few bedrooms so all the close family could stay over.

A fan of minimalistic spaces and cool neutral colours, the whole house is a serene, clutter-free zone. Featuring some pieces of her art collection, the interiors are light and airy and decorated mostly in soft pastel colours, with the exception of daughter Apple's bright pink bedroom, the black powder room, and the spacious black cabinet kitchen.

Our favourites? Besides Tord Boontje's 'Blossom' chandelier and Tom Dixon's 'Mirror Ball' pendants, being nature and fitness fans, what we love best is the beautiful outdoor space, complete with apple orchard, canopied garden hammock, pool house and personal fitness studio for yoga and pilates, which Paltrow makes use of on a daily basis.

( Written by Lola, Photographed by Eric Cahan for House and Garden )

TABLE MANNERS

People Will Always Need Plates, in addition to their London architecture themed collection, has a lovely range for pets called For All You Little Animals.

The bone china petware, made and decorated in Stoke on Trent, features illustrations of animal homes and is available in two sizes: 18 cm for dogs and cats, and 12 cms for smaller cats and others creatures such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

The bowls look better when empty - when you can see the design - so make sure your pet cleans up his/her meals really well!

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

MUG SHOT

Design for kids is one of the fields of product design we love the most, but unfortunately so little explored. Because we start developing our aesthetic notions when we're small, it makes perfect sense to indulge kids with a few great things, instead of a lot of lesser ones.

One of our all-time favourites children's accessories, Domoor, a.k.a. Dombo Mug, was designed by Richard Hutten back in 2002.

Quite modern in appearance, its practical ear-shaped double handles are almost foolproof in terms of avoiding a mess - which is good news for parents, but its undeniable fun factor is what wins kids votes. Available in orange, blue, purple, and black.

( Written by Lola, Photo courtesy of Richard Hutten Studio )

NEAT DISPLAY

Having a bicycle and living in a city apartment is not always the easiest thing.
To solve any space problems, british designer Andrew Lang created an ingenious solution for storing bikes: Cycloc.
Wall-mounted, this smart accessory secures almost all models and is available in four colours (white, black, orange and green).
Perfect for storing or simply displaying your beloved two-wheeled vehicle, Cycloc is also great for outdoor use, be it in a garden wall or garage.

( Written by Álvaro, Photo courtesy of Cycloc )