Ferm Living - Easter Feast

It's Holy Week... I love that term. It's not one I grew up with, I think it's probably Catholic, but it perfectly describes this week between Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday. When I left Norway to go and live in France, and later England, I lost that sense of peace and relaxation that Easter is to Scandinavians. OK, so a lot of people cross-country ski like mad for the whole week, but it's away from the daily life, stressful work environments and humdrum routines. I think Scandis tend to take Easter Week off en masse, whereas the French and Brits soldier through until Good Friday. Living in London Easter was a huge party weekend every year, great fun but not very restful.

I want to bring back the restful, the meandering, the reading of 'påskekrim' (Easter crime novels), crossword puzzles, slow cooking and general retro relaxation. Which brings me to Ferm Living's rather gorgeous Easter Feast online magazine, which contains inspiring recipes by food blogger Katrín Björk. And then there's the homeware...

 

London Design Week - Easter Inspiration

I had high hopes for my visit to London Design Week at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour a few weeks ago, and it certainly was an impressive collection of interior design shops, but not really an exhibition as I had expected (do your homework better next time Anne...). I struggled to take photos as virtually all the beautiful displays were window displays, and as such behind glass full of light reflections. Tricky, as there were a lot of colours and details that I wanted to capture.

One of the first displays that caught my eye was this one from a shop selling tableware, and I think it illustrates beautifully that plain white china is the ultimate choice, as you can accessorise and style it for any season or event.

The mood throughout was elegant and very highly polished, it felt like wandering through a hotel with lots of beautiful compartments. So this 'casual' display of felt, burlap and damask together in the Elitis window was cute in a 'we don't take ourselves too seriously, mais ne touchez pas' kind of way

Easter Inspiration

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, leading us into Holy Week and then Easter proper. I'm planning to decorate with soft pastel still-lifes hither and thither, and while I have lofty intentions of painting eggs by hand (eggs which were collected two years ago, no less, and have awaited my gentle brush strokes ever since...) I am very tempted to order some of these everlasting ones as well

 Photo: Royal Copenhagen

I love this still life by Royal Copenhagen, where they have used pendant egg ornaments and egg bonbonnières teamed with simple green recycled glass. Fill a bonbonnière with Anton Berg or Waitrose marzipan eggs and watch them disappear in a twinkle...

Photo: Royal Copenhagen

Photo: Royal Copenhagen

Fill the bonbonnière with a posy of spring flowers such as anemonies and ranunculus from the garden

 

Photo: Royal Copenhagen

Photo: Georg Jensen

Georg Jensen's feather-light 'Daisy' ornaments appeal to those of us who like the golden warmth of brass...

Photo: Lene Bjerre

While Lene Bjerre has lovely earthy ornaments in soft grey

Photo: Royal Copenhagen

A little arrangement of pearl hyacinths and miniature narcissi in a pretty cup, like here, would make a beautiful decoration without spelling out Easter in capital letters..

 

Photo: Royal Copenhagen

And then there are these pretty Hydrangea vases from Royal Copenhagen, which aren't actually Easter ornaments and would therefore be infinitely useable throughout spring and summer

The thing about Yellow

is that it leaves me cold... generally. But then I found myself completely seduced by this beautifully simple little handbag in & Other Stories on Regent Street recently. Perhaps it had something to do with the beautifully creative styling of the shop, with a large display of mannequins standing in a field of glass bud-vases filled with anemones. I was enchanted and ever since I've started noticing yellow in a different way...

D-Ring Crossbody Bag £65. Photo: & Other Stories

 

Photo: Bonytt

Vintage kitchen units painted in yellow gloss and matte grey. One of the most striking kitchen photos I have seen - hats off to Synne Skjulstad for the bold choice. Click here to read the full Bonytt article.

 Photo: H&M Home

Pretty little trays and bud vases from one of my favourites: H&M Home, where you'll get 25% off online orders until the 15th March

Photo: Bemz
Fresh new fabric covers for IKEA Henriksdal dining chairs by Bemz, an ingenious firm that supplies covers in all kinds of wonderful fabrics for those chairs, sofas or beds that could do with updating instead of being thrown out

 Photo: H&M Home

Velvet, linen and cotton cushion covers by H&M Home

Photo: Isidore Montag

Floor-length dress from Giambattista Valli's SS2015 collection

Photo: IKEA Livet Hemma

This cute little 'Knopparp' sofa by IKEA

...which is of course inspired by Ligne Roset's 'Ruché' sofa below

Spring has sprung!