Norway

Mad Men Apartment

Now, I´m more of a bourgeois person, but I love Mad Men and the 60s! And this apartment could be Don Draper´s bachelor pad for all I know, it´s just too cool to be true! The 60s down to every single detail. The George Nelson lamp (we have it, too!), the oak kitchen, Ilmari Tapiovara´s Mademoiselle chair (we have that, too), the String shelves (oh, yeah!), the Eames rocking chairs, and so on. Nice touch on the bathroom, nothing to say against up-to-date facilities in an otherwise so great replica of another era. What´s your opinion?

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Our Christmas

A quick glimpse of our Christmas. We opened presents on the 25th, the French way. Forgot to take pictures on the 24th. Oops! Here are some Christmas moments. I hope you had a wonderful celebration! Happy boxing day!;-)

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Tallinn in Christmas clothes

We started this tradition last year, we got away from the city for a weekend to get some Christmas spirit. Our destination was Røros, a fairy tale-like small town in Middle Norway, 5 hours away by train, but miles and miles away from the city stress and everyday routine. To make it a tradition, we had to do the same this year, so we chose Tallinn, Estonia. And my God were we lucky to visit such a pretty town in winter! We were totally swept away by the colorful houses, the  Christmas market in the middle  of the old town, the churches and thick city walls and, last but not least- the cold! I´ve never been so cold in my life as I was for those three days, and I live in Norway! Good thing there´s such thing as mulled wine, caramelized almonds, elk soup à la middle ages (meaning without a spoon), sauerkraut, sausages and pork steak! In addition to that, we had a sauna and a jacuzzi at the hotel, as well as the possibility to book various treatments- I chose a facial, a massage, manicure and pedicure! 😉 There are a couple of stores with nice Estonian design, arts and crafts and delicatessen, so gifts were not difficult to find, either. And even though either of us is particularly fond of winter, we both love Christmas! So it was delightful to just walk around, check out the antique shops, pop in for a cocoa, update our instagram, walk a little more, take some pictures, have some lunch, take a nap, take a sauna, dinner, drinks and then more sleep. It´s so rejuvenating, we´ve already chosen next year´s destination-Viena! I hope you enjoy this ride with us!

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Christmas is around the corner

Today I´m home with a cold and feeling sorry for myself. Don´t really feel like doing anything, think I´ll just drag myself on the couch for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, Nina Simone, a pot of green tea and some books keep me company. The cat is purring beside me and I threw a couple of wooden twigs in the fire. Dreaming of Røros, where we spent a weekend last year, it´s such a beautiful winter destination! Lots of snow, good food, jolly people and friendly Norwegian forrest cats. A mine community in the 16th century established this town with colorful wooden houses and today it´s on Unesco´s World Heritage List. It´s like going back in time to when we still believed in Santa Claus. Take a look!

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Amazing loft in Oslo

Not really what I´m looking for since I prefer a one-storey house, this apartment is nevertheless an architectural pearl! I love the lines, the styling, the light, the boldness of the transparent bathroom and the way they made use of every inch and corner. Not to mention the naked beams and the wooden staircase! Tell me what you think!

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Oslo house

What a charming house! Only half the house is for sale, but I wouldn´t mind ending up here! Tåsen Hageby is a residential area in Oslo where usually people from the academia find a refuge. It´s close enough to the city and just a stone cast away from the woods. You´ll find cute wooden villas with apple gardens and the whole picture. Love it!

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Apartment in Oslo

Frogner is one of the most beautiful and fashionable boroughs in Oslo. It´s the place where elder ladies wear silk scarves and manicure and where elderly gentlemen have an impeccable posture and nice camel hair coats. I loved Frogner from the minute I saw it. For me it has some Paris in it, without being able to define what exactly. People say it´s not necessarily a nice place to live because of the slightly arrogant attitude some of its posh residents have, but I love the atmosphere, the lack of heavy traffic and the architecture. I´d probably never get my east-side husband to move in there, but I can dream of it, can´t I?  I found this apartment that has the right frame for a high-end living, the down side is that it costs as much as an entire house elsewhere. It has spacious rooms with lots of light, a killer terrace and a walk-in closet! Good bye clutter! Take a look!

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Dreaming of a little cabin of our own

I went into the woods again today with Sam and came home so happy, so tired and so relaxed! We were in the Ekeberg Woods, where they have all those new statues and art installations. I didn´t mind the statues, nor did I like them. The pond I didn´t really get, but Sam was ecstatic, he run right into it and bathed and barked and invited every other dog to play with him. So I guess it serves its point, though probably not the one intended.

Now I´m barely alive on my couch (obviously in a very bad physical shape) and dreaming of a little cottage of our own. I found this one and it could be our dream come true! I can see it all painted white on the inside, both walls and floors, I can see ourselves drinking wine outside while enjoying the sunset and Sam running happily into the woods and down to the water. What do you think? It´s in need of a serious make-over, but on the other hand it´s very affordable. And I kind of love its imperfect charm!

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Walk in the woods

Today was a perfect fall day- sunshine, crisp air and not a gust of wind. I was home early and what better to do than take my Sammy to the woods. We Oslo people are very lucky to have nature just outside the city center, the only thing you need to do is  get on a subway and in half an hour you´ll be in the forrest.  So we went to Frogneseteren today, where we had a fabulous time bonding and breathing in fresh air. Sammy was besides himself with joy, he bathed and grazed and barked at the trees out of joy. For my part, the best of it all was the sour cream porridge and the muffin I could get in the café. And the bonus was to be able to enjoy it outside in the sun.

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Gorgeous house in Oslo

This house blew me away! It´s located in a residential area in Oslo, in the “right part of the town” as they say. I like the way the beams and all the white complements the modern details like the concrete bathroom shelves. I can see myself picking apples from the garden, making an apple pie in the beautiful kitchen and then eating it in front of the fire place. Enjoy!

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