one week ago

...we came home from Paris. Haven't had one spare moment to post about our little business trip. Here we go!

Metro Abesses, a couple of minutes from our apartment.


The streets - and the Sacré Coeur - around the corner. We were haunted by so called artists who wanted to draw a 'charicature' of us. My answer: no thanks, I am already a charicature of myself!
Are there actually people buying these horrible paintings and drawings from them?


The night we arrived we went straight on to the Eiffeltower. I have to admit, after 20 years, it was pretty impressing. All that steel, it looked like black lace, lit against the dark blue winter sky. It didn't feel cliché at all, it was just amazing. Hurray for tourist hot spots (hi,hi!).


On Saturday we visited some of the places you recommended. Like Tombées du Camion, which was just some minutes away from our apartment. It was great, but crowded and dark, couldn't take a proper picture. We went to Le Marais, rue des Rosiers, which had been changed so much since my last visit there - ehhhh...20 years ago!

One of the must sees was Merci on Beaumarchais (see photo's above). My children remarked: Mom, it feels like being in Eindhoven at the Dutch Design Week. Nice difference this time was that in Merci everything is for sale! Even for simple people like us: we bought some good old Duralex esprresso and wine glasses (not the picardie-type, but the round ones) and some other very handy kitchen utensils!

On Sunday we were at the Maison et Objet Trade Fair, or 'le Salon' as the French call it. Apart from several highlights - like my dear friends of &Klevering of course - I found it rather disappointing. But then again, we missed one of the best halls, number 8, full of great designers like Scholten & Baijings and the Bouroullec Brothers...Next time hall 8 will be the first to go to.
By the way: the reason I went to Paris was & Klevering and they did a wonderful job! It was an honour to have my paperwork in their stand. Thanks guys, you are great!

little tree

Here they are, as promissed: some snapshots of my brandnew paper design called Little Tree. Five different mini-tree-cards with matching envelopes.

The cards are still warm, they just came out the cutting-machine! The envelopes are not ready yet, what you see here is hand cut and glued together here at the dinner table...

I am happy with my new 'touch'. Less figurative, more abstract, maybe a bit more mature. But then again: I turned 47 today!

Little Tree is being presented on the Maison et Objet trade show in Paris at this moment (see previous post). And it will be available for retailers after the 15th of February.

Going to pack my things for tomorrow-morning, Paris here we come!

jurianne for &K

For international wholesaler &Klevering Amsterdam I designed these two coffee mugs in a giftbox. One is called Sun (but has rainy blue colours!), the other is called Rain (with little yellow clouds) and they 'live' together in a little weatherhouse, with cut out doors. If you have finished your coffee, you discover a boot (Rain) or a bare foot (Sun) on the bottom of your cup.
For me the mugs are rather abstract, just because I really felt like designing something less figurative. It is a blessing that I can work together with people like Harkon Klevering, who gave me the freedom to just follow my heart. Well, of course I had to make some commercial concessions for him (have you ever seen me using such bright colors?), but the result is still 'Jurianne', at least that's what I think!

The other news I cannot show to you yet, since it is not ready: my new paperdesign! I hope to take some pictures next Wednesday when it's ready.

& K will will take over the distribution of all of my paperwork as well! That is: for those countries in Europe (exept NL) that I don't have a distributor already. So I will be doing less business and more design in 2011! I am really, really happy with that!

Would you like to meet us? & Klevering will be on the Maison et Objet trade show in Paris next week. Their gorgeous and large stand will show the lovely own &K-collection (including 'my' mugs in their weatherhouse)and my Paperwork!
We would love to meet you in Hall 1, stand F94. I'll be there on Sunday.

san pops up in the north

Wish I lived up north and had a little time left - next to the pressure cooker designing I do at the moment. I would definately visit the living room concert and pop-up shop/gallery from Van San next week!
What a beautiful little event, good luck Sandra!

'paree' must see?

I am so happy to announce that my work will be presented on the international trade fair in Paris called Maison & Objet (jan 21 - jan 24)! I'll post some details later.

I'll be on the trade show at least one day, the others I'll spend with my three men, who are my 'assistents' on this business trip.
I would like to visit Merci Conceptstore on Beaumarchais and one of the Muji stores. But there must be a lot more worth visiting (apart from The Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo etc)!

Could you please give me some advice? What is the Parisian 'must see' according to you? And do you happen to know any great places to have a coffee, good food and/or a nice view? Are there any blogs with Paris tips and tricks that you can recommend?

In short: I would love you to be my indie tourist guide, please leave a comment or email me... Thanks in advance!

Map by Juliette Borda

best wishes

With these two fabulous, bright and pure pictures taken by photographer Johnny Miller (check out his still lifes and interiors - unbelievable!) I would like to wish you all A VERY GOOD 2011!
Let's inspire each other and have fun!