Meg Ryan's beach house

My dear friends, as you might have noticed I do not blogpost about celebs on Urban Style Vibes* but today I need to make an exeption to this rule. The June issue of Elle Decor is featuring the lovely Meg Ryan and her latest beach house. I just love her as an actress (think about You've got mail, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry met Sally...) and I must admit her deco style inspires me.

true simplicity..

a room with a view

What a pretty girl!

Q. What do you think of her deco style?

images via Elle Decor

Happy weekend!

Finally the weekend is here! For all my readers in de US I wish you a wonderful, long Memorial Day Weekend! I had a tough time this week getting back into the normal work rhythm. I still 'suffer' from my jetlag after my trip to the Far East. However it's getting better day by day:-). This weekend my parents will come and see us here in Rotterdam to celebrate my belate birthday. So I will be in the kitchen today to prepare a Rhubarb Upside Down cake. I found this recipe in Martha Stewarts' magazine Living. Click here to see the full recipe and more Rhubarb delights.


Q. What are your plans for the weekend?

image via Martha Stewart

Back home!

Hello everyone! I'm back home from my trip to the far east and so glad to be back and blogging again because I've missed you very much. I was completely without connection to the western world in Japan since my Blackberry was not working (although the mobile operator told me it would...) I really dislike being unplugged for a long time. Especially on my birthday it was strange not to have those lovely phone calls from friends and family. The only one that I called myself was my mom off course:-) Anyway I hope you have enjoyed a few of the guests that have posted while I was traveling. Here is a short trip in pics from Tokyo, Yokohama and Guam to give you an impression of my trip. The image above is the Shibuya crossing, if you know Times Square in NYC, this is the Tokyo version of it. So many people, so much buzz around..

Omote Sando, it's hip and happening here. This is where Tokyoites come to be spendy and trendy.

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Other shrine in Kagurazaka

A room (read our hotel room Pan Pacific) with a view in Yokohama

Pristine beaches @ Guam

Honeymoon island Guam. Many Japanes couples get married here since it is very cheap in comparison with Japan.

                            My champaign birthday diner with my loved one @ Guam


Images by Lise M. for Urban Style Vibes* (Please do not take images without permission)

Guest post: Dine in richness

Hello everyone! As you all know Lise is globetrotting around Far East Asia and I am thrilled to fill in as today's guest poster. My name is Charlotta and I blog over at 'Space for Inspiration' -a blog that spans across my Swedish origin and my Sydney home, and everything in-between.

It is over 10 years since I moved to Sydney from London and I am in awe of the amazing island continent of Australia. From the tropical North to the rugged & mountainous South, to the dry & cured middle and the sweeping coast line & wide open planes of the West, there are enough things to see and experience to fill a life-time. As Australia sinks deeper into Autumn (on the brink of Winter) I thought I'd serve up a tasty little 'smörgåsbord' from one of my favourite Sydney restaurant - 'The Victoria Room' in Darlinghurst.

Once a warehouse, this opulent gem of a restaurant is a true experience and a must (!) for when you are in Sydney! I absolutely love this place!(ok, that may have been quite a few exclamation marks there, but I do really adore the VR!.. :)

Think rich colonial colours, lush textures and elegant eccentricity executed in an urban version of British-Raj style. Hand painted light bulbs (!!) and vintage lamp shades, large potted palm trees, gorgeous wood-bead drapes and superb carved panels work together to create a soft, intimate yet very modern & elegant experience. Though a breath of luscious BoHo comes through strongly there is nothing old or dusty about this place. All this rich fabulousness is balanced by top notch service, amazing food and stylish presentation... and don't even get me started on their cocktails & nibbles..

There is a lot of quirk and uniqueness about this place, and you might find yourself having a mind-blowing astrology reading with your desert whist sitting next to some of the local celebrities that regularly come in, I think a few even treat the Victoria Room as their 'dining room away from home'..!

If you don't fancy dinner, they also do fantastic 'High Tea' and recently launched a fab high tea book that I will post about over at my blog soon. I am off to have dinner at the 'V.R' next weekend - actually I am having a reading as well and I can't wait! OK lovelies, that is it from me today. I hope you enjoyed this little tour and that you have a chance to experience it for real next time you are in Sydney! Thanks Lise - I hope you are well and that you & your loved one are having a ball in Guam!  Can't wait to hear your stories when you get back!!

x Charlotta

Guest Post: Global influences

Hello again, its Carole here of Dear Designer’s Blog. Lise has asked me to do another guest post for her while she is away on her holidays and of course how could I say no! It’s always a pleasure and I’m so flattered to be asked. Then the tricky bit – what to post. Lise said ‘some design inspiration’. Easy I thought. How hard can that be? Very hard, as it happens. Harder than writing a post for Dear Designer’s Blog! Then I started thinking of Lise in Japan and about how easy it is these days to get on a plane and fly to the other side of the earth. We can travel to all four corners and see for ourselves the differences in our cultures, our cuisines, our dress and customs. It’s very easy to bring back some of that ‘difference’ and infuse our own homes with touches of the exotic. Even if we can’t travel as much as we’d like ourselves, we can absorb all that richness via modern media and we can buy all the goodies the world has to offer via the internet or quite often on our own high street. So here’s some eye candy of interiors that owe more than a little to global influence…

(images via: Stuart Mcinstry, Elle Decor India, Kara Mann, Dogma Studio, Alidad, Kelly Hoppen, Suzy Hoodless.)

Guest Post from Sydney

When Lise asked if I would like to guest post on her fabulous blog with an angle on design with an Australian perspective, I wasn't sure where to start. There are so many great designers, interior designers, stylists, furniture makers etc doing such wonderful things in this country that you could blog for years about them and their work.

So then I thought I could try and provide a snapshot of quintessential Australian design. But is there such a thing? How do you define your country's design style? Or should you not try? I don't even know what myown design style is! (Although I'm hoping this will become clear once my house is built which is due to start soon and which I am blogging about here)

Then I remembered the recent 2010 Australian Interior Design Awards, which showcase and award the best in interior design around the country,k and thought they might be able to provide a glimpse at Australian design style.

Firstly, an overriding element would have to be light. We have an abundance of sun and love to bring it inside.

Winner of the Residential Award: Coastal Retreat by Hare + Klein Interior Design

We love natural materials and earthy tones and referencing the beach

Winner of the Residential Award: Coastal Retreat by Hare + Klein Interior Design

You can see why this house was a winner! It looks so effortlessly designed and a place in which you could easily move in and put your feet up.

Where can I put mine ...?

Oh yes, here ...

In bringing the outside in, we love to make outdoor rooms as functional and beautiful as those inside. Doesn't this place pop?!

Shortlist for Colour in Residential Design: Hawthorn house by Richard & Roger Design

Here, the indoors blends seamlessly with the outdoors and light fills the room; it has an industrial feel with the concrete floors and grey walls and features a fun mix of furniture. Plus, it boasts being eco-friendly!

Shortlist for Environmentally Sustainable Design: Anthony/Danta residence by mac-interactive architects

This one's got the earthy vibe going on ... and there's the good old outdoors again.

Shortlist for Colour in Residential Design: Mary Residence by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

While we love white and neutral tones, some of us can't do without colour.

Commendation for Colour in Residential Design: Prahran House by SJB Interiors

Or a bit of glamour ...

Shortlist for Colour in Residential Design: Mary Residence by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

nor some quirkiness and eclectism ...

Shortlist for Residential Decoration: Philadelphia Penthouse by David Hicks

mixed with cultural references ...

Shortlist Residential Decoration: Stuart St by Robert Mills Architecture

Here, there's lots of light, neutral tones, natural materials, eclectism and colour all in one.

Shortlist for Residential Decoration: Stuart St by Robert Mills Architecture

I guess the thing is, we Aussies love to mix things up a bit and blend a bit of everything whether it's coastal sophistication, laid-back industrial, or just plain eclectic shabby chic (I think I made that up but I bet it does exist!).

Here, I detect a hint of Scandinavian ... what do you think?

Winner of the Residential Award: Coastal Retreat by Hare + Klein Interior Design

Q. What do you love and what do you think best sums up your country's design style?

Thanks for popping by!

Jane (aka the girl in the brick house)

Birthday @ Guam

My dear readers! How are you? It's been a while since I have posted but I'm so happy that I do not have to leave you without a daily read thanks to my lovely blogfriends/guest editors. Today it's my birthday. I'm turning 30 something;-) and I'm such a lucky girl to be on the lovely island of Guam in Micronesia. This will be my longest birthday ever since the 21st of May will be tomorrow in Europe. The weather is beautiful and I'm here with my loved one so what else do you need?
XO Lise

Guest post from Stockholm

Hi all my dutch and international friends! I'm Tiina, a friend of Lise's from Stockholm, and today very honored to be a guest here at Urban Style Vibes*!

As you know Lise knows good design, and today she has asked me to contribute with a Scandinavian style piece... My roots being in Finland I immediately thought of the beloved Marimekko designs. It's summer now, and Marimekko always puts me on summer cottage mode. But mostly these designs remind me of my childhood in the 70's with all the colorful retro patterns.

Beautiful setup with Unikko patterned plate { my favorite! } and other designs. I love this mix of colors. Isn't ceramics and roses in random vases just a divine thing? The ceramic mug with pretty dots is from a collection called Fokus. Pretty. The table cloth from collection Frekvenssi.

This is my most favorite at the moment. I love the fabric Keisarinna. I really love the bright pink flower pattern.

So very pretty chair. This fabric is called Kirsikka and was designed 2007.

Did you know that Unikko, one of the most { if not THE most } well known Marimekko designs was born in 1964? The founder's wife had announced that Marimekko will not make any flower prints, an announcement that didn't really appeal to Maija Isola who's the designer behind most of the best known patterns in the company's history. So she decided to create this beautiful design called Unikko. We salute her for that!

Kanteleen kutsu by Sanna Annukka in 2008. You know that Shanghai is hosting the World Expo this year, and Finland is represented by Marimekko among others? I think this pattern is very representative when it comes to Scandinavian style and design. It puts my mind to Kalevala, the Finnish and Karelian folklore from the 19th century. I used to live in Shanghai and would do just about anything to get there this summer...

More beautiful mugs from collections Unikko and Hetkiä. Sweet morning coffee moments.



Design called Ruutukaava by Louekari from 2008. How do youy feel about the upholstered chair? I'm loving it!







Wallpaper Joonas by Maija Isola from 1961 and the head board called Juhla-raita by Fujiwo Ishimoto. This particular stripe design inspired me to fix our dining room chairs last weekend!

How about open fireplace next to the dining room table? This coziness is very Scandinavian since it gets so damned cold during the winters!

Talking about winter, how about this beautiful design called Lumimarja? I find it very calming, a little Asian inspired don't you think?

The patterns Dadel and Nonparelli. Colorful little clicks into any room right?

So, I hope you got a bit bitten by Finnish classics! Thank you Lise for having me, it's been an honor to guest post here!

Love&decorate, Tiina