PARIS, JE T'AIME

I couldn't agree more with Ms. Hepburn. When in doubt, Paris is always one great destination to visit. My all time favorite city after New York, Paris steals my heart every time I go. There's something so magical and mystical about it that makes me want to discover more and more of the many hidden treasures the City of Lights has to offer. As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine is leaving later today for a week long trip to the French capital. So let's wish her a bon voyage and may she fall in love with Paris as I already have.

Inspiration via Sarah Smile

HYPNOTIC TIMES

One of the many finds that caught my attention at ICFF this year, were these fun eco-friendly, handcrafted cardboard and paper wall clocks made by Tendo Studio. The Amarillo Clocks´ colorful hands break up the concentric rings and angles that look almost hypnotic, creating a fabulous design ideal for homes and offices. The hands are totally customizable. You get to choose from orange, green, blue, white, red or yellow so they can match perfectly with your decor. Aren't they fun?

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BREWING IN STYLE

I'm in the middle of decking my kitchen with new Silestone countertops. And of course, as it always happens when you embark in any kind of home improvement project, other unexpected things started to happen. I'm telling you, it never fails. This time, my adored Morrison Coffee Maker broke and my heart with it too (double sigh). So I knew my hunt for another stylish one was not going to be easy. But to my surprise, I came across the new Krups Silver Art Collection and I immediately fell in love with its sleek look. It was everything I was looking for: modern, compact and chic. The line also includes an espresso machine, a tea kettle, a toaster and a juicer—all in shiny stainless steel, chrome and wood detailing. I'm beyond excited with this new addition to my kitchen. It's going to look fab on the new white countertopd which should be installed next week. Thumb up to Krups for giving us this fantastic treat.

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NORDIC LIGHTS

Here's a tale of a small and great idea that gets a chance to be part of the Scandinavian design tradition. Bright Sprout is a wooden fixture designed by Danish Jonas Hoejgaard for Nordic Tales to hide the light bulb sockets on energy saving bulbs. With its clean Nordic design it turns an important everyday object into an aesthetic experience. Like with every other Nordic Tales product, Bright Sprout tells a story. And you're part of the story-telling as you get to choose from seven bright cord colors and the wood finish (soap finished or smoked oak). Besides its coo and minimalist design, the fixture arrives in a special designed packaging, inspired by a nutshell, that can be reused as a vase, pen holder or a fun decorative accessory. These are very cool, especially if hung as cluster.

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RELAX...

I'm always looking for inspiration in everything around me, one being special and meaningful quotes and thought-provoking phrases from others. So and idea came to mind: why not share this source of inspiration with you on a new Sunday feature called quote / unquote. I hope you enjoy it.

Inspiration via Ylva Skarp

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

What do you get when you leave a stack of cardboard sheets alone in a room with some of Europe’s brightest engineers? How about this amazing line of furniture made completely, you guessed it, of cardboard. Australian company Karton is all about keeping things simple and easy. By following their basic fold and tab system (without the need of any tools or glue), you can put together a whole bedroom essemble, a complete office, funky storage units and even a dining room table that will give your guests plenty to talk about. Besides being an impossibly strong, exceptionally handsome and conveniently cheap way to sleep, sit, store or live, these designs are also 100% recyclable. BTW, if you're digging this fun and unique decor concept, you will also love these other cool versions here and here.

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GIVEAWAY: HOME PRIVET AT TARGET

••• Sorry, but this giveaway is already closed •••

I love when a brand that has been a long-time staple in the market, looks for ways of reinventing itself to keep up with demands of new generations. Target, or “Tarjay” how I like to call it, is a wonderful example of such innovation that has kept its brand alive by making great design accessible to all through creative retail partnerships. With their latest design program, The Shops at Target, they're partnering directly with specialty shops and boutiques to co-create affordable, limited-edition collections for its guests. For the shelter niche, they're partnering with Privet House in Connecticut to create a signature line of decor and accessories for the home, garden and table reminiscent of the shop’s charming aesthetic. So, to introduce the collection to TheDesignerPad readers, Target is graciously sponsoring this exciting giveaway and giving FIVE of you the chance to own pieces of the collection before its May 6th launch. That's right, five readers will be winning a sweet package from the Privet House at Target line containing the following:

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FAB PADS FOR OUR PETS

It's not often that we come across furniture for our pets with such flair and beautiful details as this stunning collection by French company Bloom Room. Designed by Marc Ange, the Chimère line was just presented at Milan Design Week 2012 as part of exhibition Design France.Beyond comfort and functionality, each piece of furniture is a decorative element made with soft and sturdy materials combined with high quality manufacturing. The collection includes a dog niche, an aquarium, a rocking bird cage, a cat bed and a rodent cage. For sure, my Oliver would go mad for that cushy and über chic gray bed—plus it would look fabulous with our living room decor. Have a super duper weekend!!

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