Sandra‘s Closet

Honestly, I would have never imagined that I would ever write a post about toilet paper until I tried those luxury bottom wipes which became Gwyneth Paltrow‘s favorites as well as she called it ‘the gold standard of toilet paper’ on her lifestyle blog «Goop».

JOSEPH’s Toiletries is a Swiss brand that is challenging the ways we cleanse and re-hydrate our skin where it is most delicate. The philosophy behind? Why not treating the bottom the same way one would treat any other part of the body?

Developed with the help of leading dermatologists and beauty care experts, this toilet paper, which comes packed in a very tasteful white box tied with a slate grey silk ribbon, is accompanied by a gentle cleansing as well as a balancing care product, both made with Swiss glacial water to protect and strengthen the skin’s protective barrier.

All JOSEPH’S Toiletries products are hypoallergenic, matching the skin’s pH value and are both paraben and alcohol-free. All materials are certified to ensure the products are as sustainable as they are desirable.

I love those beautiful dispensers. JOSEPH’S Toiletries mounting system has been handcrafted by award winning interior designer Bagno Sasso to complement the most elegant and modern bathrooms of homes and hotels.

TO SHOP JOSEPH TOILETRIES, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of JOSEPH Toiletries and © Sandra Bauknecht

Jaguars, macaws, panthers and impalas frolic through lush natural settings under the watchful eye of late naturalist and painter Robert Dallet. He created this iconic design in 1988 presenting his vision on a grand scale of equatorial flora and fauna. Now brings HERMES with its new porcelain collection new life into the full range of the artist’s work, from spontaneous sketches to hyperrealist gouache paintings, all can be found on this beautiful china. I am so in love.

Dessert Plate Lions 21cm

Tall Cup Birds 42cl

Change Tray 21 x 17 cm

Very Large Vase 35cm

Soup Spoon 14 cm

Soup Plate 22.5 cm

Small Bowl 40 cl

Wallpaper EQUATEUR col. M03

This amazing design is also available as wallpaper in different color options, click here for more details. And stay tuned, a post will be coming up shortly where you can see the china “in action“…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès

The first ever designer colouring book, perfect for fashion and colouring fans alike. From inspiration to reality, Matthew has selected from his collection of iconic prints and shares the inspiration, research sketches, and behind-the-scenes creation. Follow the journey of his idea, and then colour and create your own version with exclusive versions of Matthew Williamson prints for you to colour yourself.

Prints include the Butterfly Wheel, Peacock Heart and Pineapple Paisley. Matthew is signing the first 100 copies of the book for customers of our online boutique.

Matthew Williamson with me

If you get a chance, check out also Matthew’s first range of gift cards, notebooks and journals using prints from the brand’s 20-year history. To shop, click here please.

Such beautiful notebooks.

I love the wrapping papers. Pictured here the Peacock Heart print.

With Matthew Williamson in his London shop that has the most beautiful interior design.

You can shop the brand’s wallpapers that transform every room into something magical.

From wallpapers to dresses – discover the new fashion collections from Matthew Williamson by clicking HERE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Matthew Williamson and © Sandra Bauknecht

Candles are beautiful and fragrant to burn, but if you don’t trim the candle wick to the right length your candle purchase is going up in smoke. You know, that nasty soot that turns your jar black….

Scented candles by Diptyque.

As this can be quite annoying, I have finally found the perfect tool to make the trimming easy and that I can leave right next to my favorite candles: Diptyque’s steel trimmer. Engraved with the label’s flagship address, it helps the wax burn more evenly, ensuring a steady stream of beautiful scent. Use the accompanying snuffer to extinguish the flame with ease.

TO SHOP DIPTYQUE’S wick trimmer and candle snuffer set, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Diptyque

Wallpaper has been out-of-style for decades, but with all the focus on unique styles and fun decor, its slowly creeping back into the interior designs. I have always been a huge fan of the vibrant wall decorations. Unfortunately, as I am living in a historic house with uneven wall surfaces, I have always restrained from using wallpapers. Only in my former vacation home, I went for them and it looked amazing! Therefore I would like to introduce you to ‘Archive Trails’, a new collection from LITTLE GREENE: an archive-inspired anthology of English and French trailing wallpaper motifs.

Trailing florals have been the subject of decorative pattern since long before the mechanisation of wallpaper production and the ensuing fashion for repeating pattern. Traditionally, the scenes depicted in early 18th Century interiors were painted by hand; in effect, bespoke murals. This artisan form of decoration was the precursor to the tighter, more structured designs we have come to understand and appreciate as conventional wallpaper over the last two Centuries.

PARADISE Feather
Paradise (c1940) celebrates a truly rich mix of styles. The English Heritage-owned document from which this paper is drawn is actually a 20th Century piece, but the subject – exotic flora and the familiar oriental ho-ho birds – is classic ancient Chinoiserie, whilst the colouration in the original is very much in the style of a 19th Century French paper. This design retains the original’s oversized repeat and has been reproduced in six stunning colourways (see below).

Mixing two wallpapers looks so beautiful: PARADISE – Aquamarine, PARADISE – Nightshade.

A closer view on PARADISE – Nightstand, one of my favorites.

GUSTAV – Trophy
Gustav (c1875) was found in poor condition, making it somewhat difficult to date accurately, but English Heritage archivists estimate it as mid-late 18th Century. Found in Eagle House, a Jacobean manor in Wimbledon, it bears the hallmarks of a classic block print, but in fact some of the flowers on the original were painted by hand and applied over the pre-printed trail as part of a decorative border. The scale of the pattern is reminiscent of a large damask design, but the muted colourways adapted for ‘Archive Trails’ mean this paper can be used all-over, without overpowering a room.

 STITCH – Highland
Stitch (c1940) is inspired by embroidered chintz cottons. The use of stippling (dot-work) was popular in embroidery and printing, particularly at a time when block printing was seen as an indication of status. In the late 19th and well into the 20th Century, ornate patterns in the home were a conspicuous symbol of wealth and associated with prosperity. The use of two print colours makes this paper especially easy to coordinate with paint colours and other elements in the room.

VINE – Bleu
Vine (c1932), taken from the archive at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, offers an unmistakeable nod to William Morris, the father of the late 19th Century Arts & Crafts movement. An authentic surface print technique has been employed to reproduce this contemporary version, with the blue colourway being very close to the original in colour – despite the poor condition of the background colour on the surviving fragment.

Looking so beautifully in a kitchen: VINE Bleu.

DARWIN – Serein
Darwin (c1760) represents one of the Whitworth Art Gallery’s most important recent acquisitions and, with a twist in its story, this exemplary English piece was actually found intact in a house in Aix-en- Provence, France. The exotic scene accurately imitates a typical 18th Century hand-painted Chinese paper, but the tax stamp, still visible on the back of the original rag paper, categorically identifies it as English in origin. The colours interpreted in the ‘Serein’ colourway are very true to the original – a surprisingly (and wonderfully) well-preserved archive document.

Aren’t those rooms so beautiful due to the wallpapers?!
To see the complete range, click HERE please.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Little Greene 2015

One beautiful sunny day last fall, I flew to London to follow Lalique‘s very exclusive invitation to have tea time at Elton John’s gorgeous home. The reason for this once in a lifetime experience was the launch of the ELTON JOHN MUSIC IS LOVE FOR LALIQUE collection that includes four exceptional crystal sculptures. As you can imagine, the estate is breathtaking and Sir Elton John is absolutely lovely to talk to.

Inside Sir Elton John’s beautiful home

«The ultimate goal of this project is to raise money to support urgently needed projects that address the continuing challenges of the AIDS epidemic across the globe. In doing so, we also want to create beautiful and meaningful pieces for people to purchase that speak to the high standards of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Lalique. Through purchasing one of these crystal pieces, people are also learning something about EJAF’s work and helping to make a real difference in the lives of people in need.»
– Sir Elton John

Inside the house’s art gallery where Sir Elton John and David Furnish officially tied the knot in 2014.

David Furnish and Lalique designer Marc Larminaux listen to Sir Elton John’s speech.

Four Special Editions (the unique Angel Cire Perdue, the Heart in platinum enamelled red crystal, the Heart in gold enamelled clear crystal and the Angel in gold-stamped clear crystal) each signed by Sir Elton John, will be auctioned during this weekend’s 2016 Academy Awards, in partnership with Paddle8, to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The unique Angel Cire Perdue.

«I don’t think that I have ever seen a more beautiful piece of glass than the big Angel. It is breathtaking!»
– Sir Elton John

The standing Angel in clear crystal and the Heart in clear or red crystal are available at Lalique boutiques and their select retailers. Lalique will contribute 10% of sales to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The socle of the statue engraved by Sir Elton John.

Sir Elton John, the theme of the pieces is ‘Music is Love’. Why do you think music and love have always been so intricately entwined?

Love is one of the primary forces that can unite us and bring us together despite our differences. Indeed, love shows us that the differences dividing us from each other are ultimately very superficial, that we have so much more in common than not. Music is a powerful medium for expressing all the many faces of love, and it is a participatory medium. Music draws us together. It is a universal language. We come together to make music, to listen to music, to share music. This is why I believe that music and love are synonymous, that music IS love.

Music is your passion and your most widely-known medium of expression. How have you found working in sculpture, particularly in crystal?

The process of artistic creation – whether for music or dance or visual art – arises from the same impetus, the same need to express thoughts, feelings, ideas. I found the entire design process for this project – from theorising, to working and revising with drawings, to realising the concept as a three-dimensional object – to be absolutely exhilarating. Working in crystal is fascinating, and Lalique crystal has an amazing way of constantly changing with light and shadow, the time of day… Such a beautiful, magical medium!
The finished piece is even more exciting and beautiful than I ever could have imagined. I’m completely thrilled with it and really looking forward to the auction in February 2016.

You’re a collector of glass and crystal, and have a number of Lalique pieces in your collection. What is it that you appreciate about crystal and Lalique in particular?

For me, Lalique stands for craftsmanship, luxury and a strong tradition of devotion to the art of producing the highest quality, most beautiful objects using these materials. Lalique sets a standard of craftsmanship that is simply unparalleled in the world. I think glass is a much underappreciated art form. That is why I collect it and I love it very much and Lalique to me represents the Rolls-Royce of glass.
As an oral artist who makes music, the visual arts of glass inspire me when I write a song or when I play the piano, because every day I get up and I am surrounded by glass and a lot of Lalique. Subconsciously, it inspires me to do better things, I think.

MUSIC IS LOVE Heart Red Crystal (limited edition of 499 pieces) and Heart Clear Crystal (limited edition of 999 pieces).

«The heart is a universal symbol of love.»
– Sir Elton John

You have also been working with the Lalique design team to create three other sculptures – a smaller angel and two heart sculptures, with part of the proceeds going to the Foundation. What do these symbolise for you?

The heart is a universal symbol of love, as well as the Angel. Love is ultimately what guides and inspires the work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and love is what we need to end this epidemic. Science has made amazing advances in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. But unless we love each other enough to make sure that everyone – no matter who they love, what they do, how they look or what they believe – has the resources to stay healthy and prevent further transmission of the disease, then all the science in the world will be for naught. LOVE is the ultimate solution to AIDS.

Thank you, Sir Elton John, for this amazing invitation!

To visit the Lalique website where you can shop the limited edition pieces or bid for the collector’s items, click HERE please.

LoL, Sandra

The beautiful library.

The estate is truly breathtaking.

Sir Elton John in front of the three other sculptures that are available in stores.

Sir Elton John is a dedicated art collector.

Art plays a very important role in the life of the famous singer.

I loved this statue inside the guest bathroom.

With Lalique owner Silvio Denz in front of the unique Angel Cire Perdue.

Being at Sir Elton John’s home was a truly special experience that I will treasure forever. I am wishing Lalique and him good luck this weekend to achieve the best result possible in the auction.

Stay tuned for more coming up from Los Angeles where I will be from Thursday on…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: Courtesy of Lalique

Yesterday was Chinese New Year and from now we are in the Year of the Monkey, which will be ending on January 27, 2017 (Chinese New Year’s Eve).

What is the Year of the Monkey? The monkey is ninth of the 12 animals in the recurring 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle that means every 12 years there is a Monkey year.

2016 is a Fire Monkey Year — What does ”Fire Monkey” means? In Chinese astrology, each year is associated with a Chinese zodiac animal sign and one the five elements: gold (metal), water, wood, fire, or earth. Both the sign and element of your birth year are said to affect your personality and destiny. Element-sign combinations recur every 60 years:

Fire Monkey … 2016, 1956, … Ambitious and adventurous, but irritable
Wood Monkey … 2004, 1944, … Always ready to help others; compassionate, with strong self-esteem, but stubborn
Water Monkey … 1992, 1932, … Smart, quick-witted, fond of being in the limelight, but haughty
Gold Monkey … 1980, 1920, … Smart, quick-witted, and confident, but also irritable and stubborn
Earth Monkey … 1968, 1908, … Frank, optimistic, and fearless.

As China is still an important market for the luxury goods industry, many designers have come up with some special editions dedicated to the Year of the Monkey.

Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani is joining the celebrations, launching an exclusive and limited-edition Year of Monkey Face Palette for 2016.

To celebrate Chinese New Year, Gucci presents a monkey key chain with glass pearls.

Prada launches a capsule collection of accessories for a prosperous Lunar New Year with a primate key rings, luggage tags, gold trinkets, and furry charms.

Givenchy makes a bold statement with this monkey print sweatshirt.

Lucky charm at your finger: Amedeo‘s three monkey ring.

Bring the good vibes of 2016’s Monkey Year to your house with Seletti‘s monkey lamp shade.

To a prosperous and wonderful Chinese Year! If you like to find out more about your own Chinese sign,  click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Brands

For all hopeless romantics among you, I have great news. Swiss bed linen manufacturer SCHLOSSBERG will bring you the stars from the sky to your bedroom with the launch of the first illuminating bedding ever with the heavenly name CELESTE.

LED elements are embroidered onto the satin fabric (100% cotton) that due to a delicate process doesn’t loose any of its softness or comfort. The bedding is even washable at 60°C.

And have no fear! The flow of electricity is minor because the illuminating diodes work with low tension. The battery can last up to 12 hours. Its USB plug is woven into the closure and can be charged at a computer/laptop or the outlet.

The new CELESTE line will be in stores for Christmas time.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Schlossberg Switzerland

With the fall season right around the corner, it is the perfect time of the year for entertaining. I love throwing a theme soiree in an intimate gathering. I am not the most dedicated chef, but I absolutely adore table settings and decorations. For this photo shoot (for SI Style Magazine), I went for an Asian inspired theme (most pieces available at Jelmoli).

How to get started? First, of course, with your invites. Having an accurate guest count is essential for a dinner party, especially if you are planning on having some special surprises like personalized napkins for your friends to take home (available for order at Kids and the City). I like to tie ribbons around them to match the color theme of the night.

Personally speaking, a beautiful table setting is like the canvas for a perfect meal. On the morning before the event, I love going to the flower market and getting fresh blooms. I usually place them in the center as well as in small pots and vases everywhere in the room. My rule is to keep all flowers and candle low enough that guests can have great conversations over them. Very important is that you stay with non-scented candles since you don’t want to interfere with the tastes and smells of your food.

Once your guests have arrived, relax and enjoy the good company, delightful ambiance, and delicious food you put so much work into. It’s time for the hostess to enjoy, too!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Agi Simoes for SI Style Magazine

Piero Fornasetti was an illustrious sculptor, interior designer, graphic artist and painter, immortalizing muse Lina Cavalieri in his work. Continuing the tradition, his son Barnaba and perfumer Olivier Polge have created evocative home fragrances, beautifully housed in handcrafted ceramic vessels.

Perfect to have on your parlor coffee table! Those scented candles smell truly amazingly, my favourites! Keep the ceramic vessels as they make a beautiful ornament for your home even after the 60-hours burn time has elapsed.

LoL, Sandra

La Femme Aux Moustaches Thyme, Lavender and Cedarwood scented candle

Sardine Thyme, Lavender and Cedarwood scented candle

Burlesque Thyme, Lavender and Cedarwood scented candle

L’Ape Thyme, Cedarwood and Lavender scented candle

Sun and Moon Thyme, Lavender and Cedarwood scented candle

Ortensia Rose, Iris and Orange Blossom scented candle

Scimmie Thyme, Lavender and Cedarwood scented candle
Stills: Courtesy of Fornasetti, Photo: © Sandra Bauknecht