Rock the Casbah with Ethnic Interiors!

Mirabelle has a thing for modern interiors that incorporate cleaned-up pared-down period features, with ethnic touches to add interest and relate history. Those bring a tamed version of the world's natural habitats and cultural heritage in the form of statement wooden artefacts, stone sculptures, complimented by the use of other organic materials like rope, jute, sisal or hemp. These are the kind of interiors we feel at home in. Welcome in!

Sources: Ethnic touches from Portugal, Greece and Spain: (1) 'A Beautiful Home in the South of Portugal' (the holiday retreat of French designer Jacques Grange), via The Style Files, originally from Marie Claire Italia. We note the statement azulejos (tiles) that typify Portugal, Spain, and Central and South America. (2) 'A Renovated Greek Fisherman's House', via The Style Files, photography credit: Lefteris Miaoulis. We note the whitewashed walls contrasting with the wooden ceilings. Check out more ethnic interiors from Baobab Interiors (+ Pinterest). (3) 'Loft em Barcelona', via Casa Très Chic, originally from Micasa. We note the scalloped terracotta ceilings, a trademark of southern Europe, also found in the sought-after 17th- and 18th-century palazzi of Bastia, Corsica. (4) Aghia Sophia House by Aiólou Architects. We note the monumental wooden ceiling, and the traditional Greek touches (whitewashed surfaces and blue-painted doors and window-frames). Be sure to visit Aghia Sophia's dedicated blog to follow the fascinating step-by-step construction project. Besides this, Aiólou Architects have been involved in other interesting projects like the Mani house project (Greece), as reported by My Paradissi.

Calling the Shots!

It's not difficult to understand why Spring is our favourite season: nature wakes up, temperatures warm up, daylight stretches up and, wahey, Summer's the next best thing around! So what better way to celebrate such an upbeat time of year than with our selection of colourful aromatic drinks and appetisers that make up a wonderful excuse for impromptu alfresco entertaining!

Sources: Forget those savoury herby appetisers, and pop garden herbs in your drinks instead! Wow your friends and get the party started! (1) The 'Blackberry Sage Cooler' from Scaling Back Blog is cool, refreshing, alcohol-free and child-friendly although you could always add a splosh of sloe gin within reason to make it an adult's drink, should the occasion lend itself to it. (2) You've heard of (and maybe even sampled) the standard Mojito: fresh mint added to Cuban rhum, cane sugar, lime juice and soda. Now how about the 'Basil Raspberry Mojito' from A Spicy Perspective? This is a case, ladies, of bringing sexy back to your glasses with the perfect colour combination of passionate pinks and deep greens, tchin tchin! (3) Meanwhile thyme kicks off a winner in this 'Iced Tea with Plums and Thyme' by Real Simple. Peaches are not in season right now but when they are, remember us! (4) Meanwhile anything more refreshing than this 'Lemon Verbena and Orange Blossom Fizz' by The Kitchn will be hard to come by! (5) If you are fortunate enough to live in Mediterranean climates, elderflowers are now right for the picking! 'Elderflower Cordial' is with Pimm's Cocktails what British Summers are meant to taste like: sweet, light and floral, almost like orange blossoms. The cordial is so easy to make, there is no need to bother with the shop-bought varieties. Just follow the foolproof recipe from Delicooks, surprise your friends in the process and get ready for the encores! (6) If the herbs in your drink are not enough, munch your way through a plate of those appetising Swiss Chard Tarlets with Aniseed ('Tartelettes de Blettes à l'Anis, en Croûte de Millet') from (French) Marie Claire.

In the Mood for White Interiors

Those of us with an inclination to believe that white home interiors are bland, clinical, urban, austere, impersonal, unpractical, high maintenance, modernist or simply a figment of design fantasy, might be in for a surprise with this small selection of cosy, warm, stylish, period country homes that also happen to be family-orientated and easy-care; those of us who are white converts can simply rejoice in further inspiration (with the promise from Mirabelle of more interiors features in the pipeline!).

Sources: (1) Marie Claire Maison, 'Visites Privées : Un ancient couvent transformé en maison-atelier' (A former convent converted into a house & workshop). This is the spacious character home of German furniture designer Katrin Arens, located in the Lombardy region of Italy, by the River Adda, and only a short drive away from Milan. There is an interesting balance going on between the pared down, sober and timeless lines of the monastery interiors, white painted walls, concrete flooring and worktop, set against the warmth of the mid-brown textured, grainy, slightly rustic, naturally old or aged wood, with touches of mid-century modern design (Arne Jacobsen chairs) that don't look out of place. In passing, we'll note the clever repurpose of a wooden pallet into a china display shelving unit. (2) Dreamy Whites blog, 'A Favorite Flower and My Tin Ceiling' (22/05/10). A fresh bouquet of old-fashioned peonies or roses takes Spring home and enhances a white theme by adding a romantic accent to a tabletop. (3) Marie Claire Maison, 'Visites Privées : Une ferme hollandaise où le style champêtre et le design cohabitent' (A Dutch farmhouse with a successful mix of country style and  design). From outside, the actual fabric of the farmhouse has remained untouched, while indoors designer Thomas Eyck has cleverly incorporated elements of modern design to the more vintage pieces, brought together to the eye by the white canvas of the walls, in order to create a modern homely home. In passing, we'll note the Delft-style fireplace that so beautifully typifies The Netherlands. (4) Coastal Living, 'Homes: Soothing Beachy Bedrooms/ Take a Second Nook' (photo by Jonny Valiant). The colour white makes a room luminous and shouldn't be limited to walls, ceilings and/ or furniture and soft furnishings. Woodwork, from skirting boards and staircases to a boat galley and nook like here, with a white satin finish will give a room a soft yet sophisticated appeal. (5) Ceramic badges and pendants by Austrian design pair Mischer' Traxler, available to purchase from Designboom. These are quirky one-off pieces carefully cut out from vintage crockery using a diamond drill. Although these are made to be worn, why not purchase a handful of them to scatter on a coffee table or bedside cabinet to create the unexpected? (6) Muse Interiors, 'Portfolio: Interiors - Mudroom'. Tongue-and-groove panelling, cornicing, vaulted ceilings give white its depth of character. A natural wooden floor sets it off. So then, who said that white had to be flat, bland and boring? It wasn't Mirabelle.

L'Heure du Thé à Paris

Eye candy on a plate, small and perfectly formed bite-sized pastries to delight the senses half-way through the afternoon, an accompaniment to tea-time as part and parcel of life's little pleasures and treasures, either solo or shared, and where calories are not given much more than a second glance and a sigh of enjoyment...

Source: Pict 1-12: All pastries featured on Marie Claire Maison (each with its own detailed recipe), as part of an article on party puddings:

1. Financiers au Thé Matcha, by Anaïs Olmer, founder of Bogato      
2. Petits Choux à la Pistache, by pastry chef Philippe Andrieu c/o Ladurée
3. Pandoro Gourmand, by Laura Zavan, Italian cookery writer and food stylist 
4. Petits Pots de Crème à la Rose, by pastry chef Philippe Andrieu c/o Ladurée
5. Salade d'Oranges aux Epices, by Gontran Cherrier
6. Pavlova aux Marrons, et Meringue Façon Mont-Blanc, by Tartes Kluger
7. Fondants Pommes Caramel, by Philippe Conticini c/o La Pâtisserie des Rêves
8. Cupcake à la Pistache, by Cupcakes Berko
9. Cantine d'Hiver, by Anaïs Olmer, founder of Bogato
10. Chocolat Chaud au Caramel, by pastry chef Sébastien Gaudard
11. Affogato à la Crème, Sauce au Chocolat, by ice-cream chef Romuald Herbaux c/o Amorino
12. Cupcake à la Framboise et Cupcake à la Myrtille, by Cupcakes Berko.