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.

Hit the Road Mac!

When we all despair about engineering and manufacturing taking the easy route down China way, there are reasons to be cheerful right here right now with Mac Motorcycles taking us down the fast lane in a sleek, designer-led classic British fashion. Those bikes were born to be wild, man: Captain America and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club would do them justice, while Britannia can rightly claim to rule the roads once more, and that does us proud, yeah!

Sources: (1) to (4) All photography by Mac Motorcycles, via Carefully Considered. (5) The aforementioned Captain America (Peter Fonda) and Dennis Hopper revisit the American dream on Harley Davidson in Easy Rider (1969). Check out the 'Top 10 Memorable Movie Motorcycles' compiled by Time Entertainment. (6) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (the band that took its name from the Marlon Brando film).

Carl Kleiner's Sweet Sensations

Last year Swedish photographer Carl Kleiner cooked up a storm in the Ikea kitchen with his spiced-up revisit of the humble recipe book, where he gave free rein to his visually innovative destructured interpretation of the recipe concept, with photos alone doing the talking, bringing an end to the perplexity of words, unclear instructions and approximate translations, while proving once and for all that the proof of the pudding is not just in the baking!

Pict 1-7: Carl Kleiner for Ikea (styling by Evelina Bratell): Vaniljhorn, Mandelmussla, Kolakakor, Lussekatter, Lingonpeparkaka, Ruts Hästsko and Prinsesstårta.