LauraKirsten is on the move, having spent the last three months on holiday in sunny Cebu island.  We’re continuously searching for the next collection and the next destination to feature great accents and furniture that goes into the making of a beautiful interior.

And while we are scouring furniture shows, Manila’s recently concluded and two are ongoing in Cebu and Kuala Lumpur as we speak — or write, we stumble on a lot of fascinating and cheerful sights along the way.  So let us start by chronicling this journey where it all began: Schipol Airport in Amsterdam.

Love it when an international airport departs from looking just like one of the many sleek and modern airports, which if you travel often enough, you won’t be able to tell one from the other.  We haven’t seen any airport embracing it’s national identity  and showcasing it in such a playful and accessible way as Schipol does.

Hollandia

Avenue Culinaire

Schipol goes Delft Blue

Coffee anyone?

40% OFF ON ALL FURNITURE PIECES

It’s late autumn now and the winter cold is slowly setting in; time spent indoors and upgrading tired furniture;

out with the old and in with the new; warm woodsy earth colors for your home,

rattan, abaca and mahogany – we have beautiful collections for you.

Mahogany Dining Room Chair with Rattan Back Rest €199

Visit us at LEEFTrends, Unit 86, Binckhorstlaan 120, 2516 BE Den Haag

THIS WEEK’S PROMOTIONAL OFFER : OCTOBER 17 – 24, 2010

35% EXTRA DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT ON THE MAHOGANY SUNSET COLLECTION

Bar Stool High Back Rest €275

Sunset Collection Set; please refer to furniture page for prices

Visit us at LEEFTrends Store, Binckhorstlaan 120, 2516 BE Den Haag

(Offer valid for items with bar code starting with 6814) 

Eyes at the back of your head … or between.

This chair has caught my eye for quite some time now as I pass by it everyday, right at the corner of my house.  I finally walked into the shop today and asked its owner all about it.  Here is the information I gleaned.

This arm chair reportedly debuted at Salon del Mobile in Milan 2010.  It is designed by Italian architect Fabio Novembre who is known for his “anthropomorphic” designs, among others.  It is made of polyethylene (a very hard kind of plastic).

It is available in white, red and black for EUR 1,045.00 and is possible for both indoor or outdoor placements.

This chair reminds me that just because it’s not exactly something that one would personally choose or buy doesn’t mean that it’s not interesting … or beautiful.

Irises is one of the most recognized pieces by the Dutch Post-Impressionist artist, Vincent Willem Van Gogh (1853-1890), regarded as one of the most profoundly influential artists of the 19th century. Tormented by mental illness most of his life, he committed himself on May 8, 1889 to an asylum located in Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Remy in the southern part of France.

His masterpieces, among these the Irises and the famous Starry Night, were created while he was institutionalized. He sourced his inspiration from the surrounding gardens of the asylum and began working on Irises in the first week of his stay. While working on Irises, he wrote:

“The other violet bunch (ranging from carmine to pure Prussian blue) stands out against a startling citron background, with other yellow tones in the vase and the stand on which it rests, so it is an effect of tremendously disparate complementary, which strengthen each other by their juxtaposition.”

Like many artists of his time Van Gogh was influenced by the Japanese woodblock prints produced in the beginning of the 17th century. The use of black contours in Irises is a typical element of Japanese woodblock prints, helping to reinforce the expressive power of the painting.

Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime.

The original oil on canvass work of Irises on a Vase with the following dimensions 92 x 73.5 cm is on display at the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Irises on the Vase, oil on canvass reproduction is available at LauraKirsten at LeefTrends, Unit 86, Binckhorstlaan 120, 2516 BE Den Haag.

Dimensions: 80x110cm
Sale Price (20%off) : €295 to €236, includes modified antique frame and BTW (VAT)
On stock:  2 pieces

There are afternoons I go browsing around home decor stores… and see some lovely finds,

like this dusty wooden wheel bench begging to be taken home.

three little white chickens that would look good in anyone’s garden;

lovely decors for the foyer, credenza, or bedside lamps, take your pick;

candle lanterns to light up those cool summer nights sitting outside…

and then I find myself yearning for home after these meanderings… where an indulgence awaits…

a precious, small summer black truffle straight from the soils of Northern Italy

and the rest of the ingredients, De Cecco pasta + anchovies & dinner is whipped

Black truffle linguine served with slices of salmon terrine + an accompanying glass or two of your favorite vino rosso.

Ah, the sweet memories of a simple, lazy summer afternoon at home…

Your home needs that one centerpiece furniture

for the conversation of your dinner guests  to swirl around it…

Abaca furniture is created from the fibre of banana trees. The outer layer of the tree is stripped, and left in the sun to dry. Once dried, the fibre becomes the ideal material for producing furniture.

The fibre is a popular choice for furniture manufacturing because it’s natural golden or dark brown tones is beautiful and tough. Once twisted into ropes, it can take any shape and is very difficult to damage the fibre. The ropes, which can assume any shape, are intertwined around aluminum frames to produce an exquisite form. This explains why furniture pieces made from abaca are so interesting in design and usually becomes an attractive centerpiece in any home.

Abaca furniture looks best in a laid back and relaxed setting that is meant for lounging or entertainment. The material evokes a holiday feel to its setting.

The abaca design love seat above goes on Summer Sale next week for the entire month of August from €1095 to €999. Visit us at our showroom at Unit 86, LeefTrends at the Binckhorstlaan in The Hague.  Limited stocks available, offer is valid until supply last.

Mahogany is a wood from the native American tree more popularly known as West Indian mahogany.  It has a generally straight grain and is usually free of voids and pockets. It has a reddish-brown color, which darkens over time, and displays a reddish sheen when polished.

The mahogany wood has excellent workability, and is very durable. Historically, the tree’s girth allowed for wide boards from traditional mahogany species. This gives the wood a smooth, even grain pattern, making it an excellent property for crafting fine furnishings and woodcraft.

Mahogany Credenza in its final polishing stages

Mahogany is also popular in boat construction as it resists wood rotting.  It is also often used for musical instruments, particularly the backs of acoustic guitars and drums shells because of its ability to produce a very deep, warm tone compared to other commonly used woods like Maple or Birch. - from Wikipedia