Interior with a different feeling

I’m not the only one in the family having a weakness for interiors. I think I received the microbe from my parents. Although our style is different on the first sight, there are still a lot of things we have in common. We both love contemporary design in combination with vintage. Also I have the love for design classics in my veins because of them.

The biggest difference is that the living room is a dark and cozy cave. But the design classics give the space that extra touch. Every time when I look at those, I discover a new detail. That makes this living room a real inspiration for me.

* Chair: Hans J. Wegner, coffee table: Eames

Bright blue day

While walking through the city, I accidentally came across this new place. The building is used as a museum but it was closed, since it was Sunday. That means a perfect time to shoot a new outfit, especially my new jacket.

Since I saw the jacket in the COS stores, I doubted whether I should buy it or not. After a lot of overthinking, I finally decided to get my hands on it. From the minute I bought it, I didn’t have any regret and it’s still one of my favorite pieces.

The jacket looks timeless, static and symmetrical. Plus not to forget, it’s also really functional. On one hand because it has a lot of pockets, on the other hand it’s perfect for every occasion and you can wear it with or without a sweater. The best part is that it fits everything in my closet.

* Top: COS, Lacoste, middle: H&M, bottom: Vintage Nike
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Upcycling

First of all, my excuses for the lack of posting lately. With the beginning of my last year in college, a lot of things had to be done. And throughout those busy moments my mind didn’t come up with ideas anymore. But finally I’m back in my old routine. Again with a lot of ideas and interesting features. So stay tuned!

For a school project, I was able to sniff around in the warehouse of a recycle store. The deal was that everything I took with me, I had to give a new life. Instead of taking something broke, what would make the challenge easier, I took a vintage item.

My eyes almost directly fell on a lamp and a bit later I found the exact same lamp again but unused and still in a box. After coming home I realized that it was an infrared light. It has a function that is not

contemporary anymore so I could completely strip the technical inside. The only thing left was the beautiful shape where I fell for the first time I saw them.

The shape made me think of new ‘sound’ items. But the best idea came later. The metal lampshade was perfect to create echo. That would be perfect for a wireless iPhone speaker. But still, I wanted the beautiful object still be beautiful after giving it a new function. Considering every little piece I took away or added could make or break the speaker. I think it became a very beautiful and contemporary object to have on your shelf.

* Special thanks to Kringwinkel Mechelen

Taking a break

Just in time before college starts again, taking a week off to go on holiday is the perfect way to end summer. But it’s also hard, knowing lots of work is coming in the next weeks. It will also be the last time that I take all my shorts, summer Tees and slides with me: packing was never so easy.

The sun here, in Valencia, is always shining and especially burning your skin. So you can’t avoid going to beach for some cooling. For this trip to the sea, I just took my new vintage Adidas shorts, a white Tee and slides. Plus, I also got my backpack with me to carry some other stuff.

* Top: COS, Religion backpack, middle: vintage Adidas, bottom: Teva

Outfit upgrade

Normally, I prefer an outfit that is effortless and comfortable. However, this time is different because going a wedding needs a little extra. No skinny black jeans with trainers for me, but a more thoughtful outfit. I replaced the jeans by dark blue suit pants, which come a little bit above my ankle. Underneath, I matched it with my white Acne shoes.

Also no classic white shirt for me, but a little bit oversized T-shirt. I’m not the person that goes to a wedding in a full costume, but I like a funny twist in my outfit.

* Top: COS, middle: H&M, bottom: Acne
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Talking with Ken Thaodee

Rooms dedicated to work are most of the time a mess. But I think the mess makes it cozy. That moment when you move your stuff from your bed to the desk and the morning after you move everything back to the bed just brings a productive feeling. I think a lot of us recognize this.

This time I brought my camera with me to Ken’s studio in the center of Antwerp. I already dedicated a post to Ken’s work. He studies Fashion and you could also just read that from the pictures. I love the white space with the beautiful wooden floor that ensures that the personal

touches grab your attention. And again you see the humorous things just like in Ken’s collections.

But after talking about his designing skills in fashion and interior, his personal styling is not to forget. Playing with colors and proportions also pops up again. I always admitted people who create their own world with their styling.

* Ken's personal blog is launching soon

Early season change

As you know or not, the sun has disappeared in Belgium. It’s over with the shorts, T-shirts and open shoes. Even that cold, I had to take my winter boots and jeans out. But you don’t hear me complaining about that. For my outfits, I prefer winter dressing instead of summer dressing. I can finally go into old habits: layering.

I’m using my basic bottoms here. As every winter a pair of Original Clarks shoes are a key piece for me. They fit perfect on a skinny Levi’s jeans. And everything just fits on a jeans and Clark boots, like this grey tee and jeans jacket from Scotch & Soda.

* Top: COS, Scotch & Soda (more info: Alchemy Blues jacket), middle: Levi's, bottom: Clarks

Wander day

There is nothing better than walking through galleries on a lazy and hot day. Not far away but in your hometown. Being a tourist in your hometown always brings you surprising things like good expositions. The last free, lazy and hot day I went to the local centrum for actual art, Z33.

Paper-Scissors-Stone is the first big solo exhibition of Leon Vranken. In his work we see a game (Stone beats scissors, scissors beats paper and

paper beats stone) with materials. He cuts through buildings, objects and two-dimensional elements. Sculptures are out of balance. At the end, there is only the essence, the line, just like the outcome of the game, unpredictable.

* Top: COS, middle: Levi's, bottom: Nike vintage

The joy of unpacking

Coming back home and finding a package in the mail, is the best way to come home. The first thing to do, besides putting away that ton of luggage, is opening it. Documenting this is new for me but after seeing al those 'unpacking' videos on YouTube, did me want to do the same.

Scotch & Soda is a brand that definitely creates their own world. When you walk in a store of them, you become part of their world and feel the atmosphere. Amsterdam Blauw is the denim collection of Scotch &

Soda. The Alchemy Blues Project is about 4 graphic designers with a passion for denim. They designed a Japanese selvedge trucker jacket with keeping in mind the four basic elements air, earth, wind and fire. They made a true collectors item from their most authentic selvedge jacket!

* Limited to 250 pieces in selected Scotch & Soda stores
more info here

The process keeps going

As I told you in my previous post about my room, it keeps changing constantly. It's now a month ago I captured my room and here is the proof! Till then, a lot of new pieces came in and a few old ones went out. My philosophy is 'you can't take something in if you don’t put something out'. If I wouldn't follow this rule, or another design gatherer wouldn't, rooms would be overloaded.

The concept of my room is 'bright & fresh'. And a concept wouldn't be a concept if I wouldn't be stuck on it. Just as the old furniture, the new ones strength the concept. Again, Ikea dominates. But after Ikea, also a

main vintage piece is added. I was able to put my fingers on a vintage Thonet. I was looking for a design classic as that for a long time. And after a long search I found one in a local and small vintage store. Already painted white and for only 50 cent. This chair isn't only a decoration piece, but now I finally have a chair for me desk instead of a rocking chair. And as the desk became a desk, I bought a desktop so I can finally function from a fully desk instead of a bed.

* Chair: Thonet No. 18 vintage, candleholder: DIY, plant stand: IKEA PS 2014

Snuf operator

Never thought a collection with multiple prints would make so much sense for me. Ken Thaodee is a student from the not infamous Fashion Academy of Antwerp. Ken is that kind of person that sees the fun in everything. This is also the reason why he has an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

The collection is based on how people pretend they are online and how they really are. Presenting the ugly things in a good way is where the

collection is about. He strengths this by using graphic elements from the 80's and 90's. But besides an actual and good concept, the silhouettes are theatrical. When wearing one of his pieces, I would definitely feel like an interior piece of Memphis.

* Clothing by: Ken Thaodee

Giveaway: candleholders

Because it was my birthday a few days ago, I decided to do a giveaway. I’ll give a set of my candleholders to one of you. On Monday, we will reveal the winner.

Good luck, guys!

To win, you only need to do this:
1. Like our Facebook page
2. Share the latest post on this Facebook page

Talking with Isabelle Dierckx

Isabelle Dierckx, a girl from art school, known by her beautiful and simple pictures. I didn’t know her personally but we got in touch on Facebook. Our styles have lots of things in common, although we were both studying something different. Our basic principles correspond: fresh, clear, composition and a subtle touch of green nature. Because I’ve always been a big fan of her work, I asked her if she wanted to make some pictures for Hardwearing.

She always searches for a kind of structure in her pictures. She loves to make compositions, so she creates her own world where peace and quiet rules. That’s also the reason why her pictures are mainly white. She likes it clear and fresh. Besides using a lot of white, she also likes playing with colour. The way the colours play together fascinates her.

Isabelle is now in her master degree photography. This doesn’t mean she takes the term photography too serious. She experiments with it. She inserts graphic elements that aren’t too dominant. She uses the tools that photoshop offers a lot, but although she want to keep reality in her pictures.

Still, even when we are not on the same school anymore, we still talk with each other and show our work to each other. We both like to hear opinions from another perspective. If you’re curious to see more work from Isabelle, you can take a look at her website.

* Photography: Isabelle Dierckx, more on: isabelledierckx

Old and new together

I already told you about my outfits that come straight out of my closet without any thinking. This summer outfit is just one of them: suitable for a hot summer day. I'm wearing a vintage short from Levi's. I bought them for a few euros, cut and folded them. This is a really cheap and durable way if you want a contemporary short.

Just as my outfit, the place where we shoot this is a combination of old and new. An old mine building that recent got renovated by 51N4E. I love how they work it out and make the best combination out of the old building and the new architecture.

* Top: Ray-Ban, COS, middle: Levi's Vintage, bottom: Birkenstocks

Ribs and curls of Calatrava

Although I'm a sensational architecture spotter, I've never visited the only building of Calatrava in Belgium. I always see this building in pictures of others. It looks like it was just a building where he just wields his style. So I was actually never interested in it.

But after all, I always aimed the specific style of Calatrava, those white ribs that make a roof. I decided to give it a shot and took my camera with me. When I arrived and saw the station from far, I still wasn't impressed.

But after wandering for half an hour, the details began to penetrate through my eyes. Although, I still didn’t like the typical train station hall, the function and circulation was the same as any other station. But those details were to die for! The curves and curls were that sensational where I always look for in architecture. Not to forget to mention that the white steal floats together with the white concrete. And after all, I have to admit: visiting the building was sensational enough for me.

DIY: Concrete candleholder

I decided this week to make an end of a long search for the perfect candleholder. I didn't find any concrete one that had enough body. So I started to think how I could make it by myself on an easy way. After a lot of trying, I decided to share it with you. It's actually very easy and very fast.

I only show you a few ones, but there are thousand of options. You can for example put a few candles in one body, making them high or just very low, scrubbing the upside to make it as smooth as the sides, ... The only thing I know for sure is that they look better if you put a few of them together.

1. Cut a bottle, from which you like the bottom part (I took 2l bottles for small candles and 0.5l bottles for big candles).
2. Mix cement, white sand and water in a bucket to make the concrete. (I didn't use any proportions, just follow your instinct or ask your dad)
3. Fill the bottle with the concrete. You can play with the height of the candleholder by adding less or more concrete.
4. Put something as thick as the candle in the concrete. Don't forget to tape it, otherwise it won't be easy to take it out.
5. Let it dry for at least 24 hours. When you want to take it out, check if it's really dry.
6. Cut the bottle and take out the shape of the candle. Now you're finished!

A bright look at my room

Because I get a lot of questions about my room on my Instagram, I decided to make a post about it. It was a reveal to actually make photos with a camera from my room instead of an iPhone with less quality.

My room has his own life. I have this room for 8 years now, and my closest friends know it changes a lot of times. In every corner of my room have been my bed, desk and closet and every wall has had at least 4 different colors. How my room looks now, was an 8 years during process. I think a good interior is not something you design but is something that grows.

People ask a lot about where I buy my furniture. It’s just a mix of Ikea and vintage. Promoting Ikea as an interior design student is maybe not a

good thing. But as student, my budget isn’t that big. Ikea just offers a lot of good interior basics where you can work around. I just buy functional, white furniture and mix it with a little bit of vintage. And that’s what I like the most about a white interior, that the details make it.

But living in a room such as this also has disadvantages. Because everything is white and electronic products are most of the time black, they catch your eye at first sight. Also eating chocolate ice cream in bed isn’t always a good idea. But beside that, I’m actually very happy with the atmosphere I became in this small room.

* Chair: Eames by Vitra, side tables: vintage

Cereal magazine

What I like so much about reading magazines is that you can get inspiration from it. Besides that, you get to know new stuff and it kills some time when you got nothing to do. One of the magazines I often read is Cereal magazine. Cereal is a travel and lifestyle magazine that just started last year and updates quarterly.

Last week, I bought the new sixth issue. I like the fact that this is not just a travel magazine where they will explain all the touristic places. They look for some specific places and go deeper into it. In this issue, they visit Singapore, Wales and Vancouver.

Next to the travel parts, there are the interludes. Where they’ll show you stuff like sunglasses, bags, watches and even succulents that you can use at home.

Everything is explained very clearly assisted by bright pictures, all wrapped up in a minimalistic layout. Definitely a must read for those who love to discover new places.

* Magazine: Cereal Magazine, more on: readcereal

A standard summer outfit

My favorite piece to wear in the summer is a white T-shirt with an edge. It is easy to choose every morning and fits for every occasion. Just put a short or a jeans and a pair of trainers on it and you're ready. It feels and looks fresh every morning when you put a new one on.

I love this T-shirt because the simple, yet obvious, chest pocket. For me it doesn't need a print or something else.

* Top: Ray-Ban, COS, middle: Filippa K

My mood is always Yves Klein

First of all, I want to say sorry for the lack of posting lately. I was a little bit stuck into exams and deadlines. After that, inspiration was gone for a while. But some chill time, I'm totally ready for sharing my summer on Hardwearing.

The first thing I felt like doing was experimenting with paper again. A thing I do a lot in my sketchbooks but didn't do yet for Hardwearing.

Blue has always been my favorite color. That also means it's my favorite color working with on every aspect. When I was younger I was really into sky blue. After that came the navy blue. Now I feel for a blue with more character.