my walls are screaming

…for help.  I’ve been trying really hard to get some personality into our apartment.  I’ve hesitated more than usual because we don’t know how much longer we’ll be living here.  Thus, no painting the walls.  Which is devastating to me.  In NYC, my living room was a desert rose color (yes, that’s a deep pink!), my hallway was an even deeper shade of pink and my bedroom was “Hawaiian Blue”.  Oh, those were the days.

So, instead of getting out my paint brush, I’ve been out scouring the markets of Europe (surprise, surprise) for goodies to put on the walls.

Over the last six months or so, I’ve developed an obsession with mirrors.  I’ve never been particularly taken with mirrors before, so the only explanation I can offer is that there are much cooler mirrors here in Europe.  Here’s what I’ve uncovered lately:

“soleil” mirror, in large

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220 euros for that tiny mirror – yikes!

As if one needed more proof that these mirrors were cool, note the stunner in one of this season’s LANVIN ads:

Lanvin F/W 2011-12 ad

The prices of the soleil mirrors at the Paris flea market (above) were a bit rich for me, but I was able to find some great pieces (for a lot less money) in Belgium:

my “porthole” mirror

dusty, but gorgeous

dusty, still has a sticker on it, but wait ’til I get it cleaned up!

While looking for (obsessing over) mirrors, I also came across a couple of paintings, which I bought:

lacking vibrant colors, this is definitely not my ‘normal’ style, but I decided a more dignified piece couldn’t hurt the look of the room

again, subtle, but a calm reminder of my scavenging in Belgium

Meanwhile, I’ve been exploring a few interior design mags and found some inspiration:

Molteni & C ad in Casa Vogue Italia, Oct 2011.

Notice in the photo above not one, but I believe TWO of my beloved soleil (sun) mirrors (back wall and right-hand side wall). Obviously I’m not the only one with an obsession!  But in general, I like that the pic is a mélange of art and mirrors and what-not on the walls – LOVE IT!

Well, I’m off to hang my findings….

À bientôt,

k.