I had arranged for a long time to visit Bergen the previous week, and I thought it would be a good idea to create a small Bergen guide with hotels, restaurants and cafes to go. Today , separately from the guide I sharing some photos I took from the hotel I stayed at, the Bergen Børs. Quite new in Bergen as it barely has more than a year under its belt, Bergen Børs is one of the most beautiful hotels to stay at , not just in Bergen.  Located by Torgalmenningen , the hotel is occupying the upper floors of the old stock exchange dating back to 1862,designed by Franz Willhelm Schiertz, right next to Bryggen ( my room had Bryggen views and it was a delight to sit by the window and sip my morning coffee). On the third floor you will also find Bare Restaurant, one of Bergens best modern Nordic restaurants (also with views towards Bryggen) that serves only the best organic produce from the regions farms. Insidentaly, not only Bare has one of the most delicious menus I have ever tasted (in my opinion you must try it at least once when in Bergen) , but it is where breakfast is served as well. Such a unique experience to have your morning meal right at Bare, with the delightfully gigantic windows and the warm atmosphere.

Norway in general is missing boutique hotels of high design standard. There are many hotels that have high accomodation standard but unfortunately not many that fit in the category of design hotels. While there are some details amiss ( probably something only me and a handful of others would notice), Bergen Børs is one of the hotels that deserves more attention and I am hoping that it gets it. De Bergenske that has Bergen Børs under its umbrella also has Villa Terminus and Zander K hotel in the area, two completely different hotels since Villa Terminus is a small boutique hotel and Zander K a very modern hotel, however both fill a gap into the hotel category I mentioned above. So glad to see De Bergenske bringing such quality in Bergen!

// Photography and Editing by Katerina Dima

I have been in Stockholm for the whole week, yet this time around it was even more hectic than before so I didn’t have time to update the blog at all. You see I decided that maybe I should do a cool sort of vlog type video, instead of neverending stories on instagram, so I will take you to the backstage of the experience this time around. However jokes on me, first of all this meant I had even more work to do plus it took so much more of my time, and second and even worse, as you might know if you are following me on instagram, somewhere between a cancelled flight back home yesterday and rebooking the next one, my luggage didn’t make it home with me. I am still waiting for it , all my cameras and equipment is inside, but I did have some of the material on cloud (not the videos) so I could edit some of the photos on an old pc at home and start sharing the week with you. (While scrolling down, right click and open in a new window the photos that are horizontal like the one below to see them in bigger size!)

I will start with where I stayed during the week, at the hotel Mornington located in Nybrogatan 53 Stockholm city. I seem to always stay in this cozy hotel during the February Furniture and Light fair, and if you have read my instagram post about it here then you will know why. It is one of my favorite hotels regardless in Stockholm so I am beyond grateful I am able to stay here every year so far, it is warm and cozy, with great breakfast and facilities, while it is in the heart of the city right next to the metro station and Alma (and all bathrooms are filled with LA Bruket toiletries). And if this wasn’t enough , I just discovered a great sushi place next to it that is budget friendly (generally there are great restaurants around for an elevated food experience plus the hotels own restaurant). If you decide to visit Stockholm there are many hotels to choose from, but Mornington for me is definitely one of the best (plus it is listed as one of the 10 top hotels so it is not only me).

Ask for a room on the second floor so you can get a similar to the one I am showing today ( I stayed in the room 212 and Elisabeth  stayed in 210 so we were right next to each other with mirrored rooms!) , and enjoy a cosy stay! Every room is slightly different however, here is some highlights for this room for me :

1. Extended almost walk in wardrobe : It was covered with a curtain so everything in my room was neat while I could just pull the curtain and leave the mess inside (safe, fridge, closet, iron board, iron,soft bathrobe, hair drier were all in there).
2. Big working area with big windows : This is somewhat of a standard but I really liked how mine stretched so far from wall to wall.
3. The bathroom was right next to the exit door in its own hallway, I felt like I was in a suite!

// Photography and Editing by Katerina Dima

Monday I will be flying to Stockholm for this years Furniture and Light fair and a propos I thought I would share a few of my travel essentials. I own some of the items above, some are in my wishlist (I own something similar but I would love to upgrade). This is not everything I take with me when I travel, beauty essentials have their own category in my mind as do clothes and I am not including things that are self explanatory like passport, keys, credit cards etc

Shall we?

1 :: Organic Tote bag | A perfect tote for everyday shopping. I usually carry a small shoulder bag for essentials, then have a cotton tote on my shoulder if I know I will need it, or I am already carrying things. This one from the Korean brand Depound is my absolute favorite because of its design it is so comfortable and sizable and it comes in the best colors, of course they do ship internationally. The store carries all sorts of organic accessories, do give it a look!

2 :: Wireless Headphones | Noise cancellation too if possible. I own exactly this pair of H9i from Bang Olufsen and I recommend then heartily.

3 :: Card holder | I got tipped about this slim cardholder from Supr. from a friend and I am about to get one for myself, small but very versatile it seems perfect for carrying business cards or credit cards.

4 :: Check in Luggage | For years Rimowa dominated the market when it came to aluminum luggages, so when Away released their very popular model in aluminum too I immediately put it on top of my wishlist. Considering it costs more than half the price of an equivalent Rimowa it is a no brainer if you are on a budget. While I have never seen Rimowa having any discounts, Away does release some codes so next time I am finally getting one.

5 :: Packing cubes | Speaking of luggages, while you can always Marie Konto your clothes directly in the luggage, I find that putting them in packing cubes is even better. Coincidentally the ones from Away are or me the best, with many color options and packs of 4 or 6. My favorite color is Sand.

6 :: Travel Perfume | This one is on you, from solid perfumes to liquid perfumes or even roll on, the choices are too many to go into detail. I usually bring with me a small Byredo bottle and a solid perfume from Diptyque.Click on the links for my scents.

7 :: Shoulder bag | Oslo based Cala Jade makes amazing shoulder bags, Ibis in camel is one of my favorites .(right now 50% off plus if you register another 10% off for a total of 60% off!)

8 :: Pillow Spray | Sometimes hotel pillows have a weird detergent scent for me, maybe I am too sensitive but this Ren Pillow spray always does the trick.

9 :: Aesop travelling essentials | Speaking of Rimowa, they recently had a great collaboration with Aesop that resulted in a super beautiful travel case and few of the best Aesop small sized products. Even with its pricey tag ( 350euro ) it sold out almost immediately. Dont worry though, my favorite travel kit Vienna is still available and it carries all the essentials you need precisely plus it comes in its own little reusable bag.

10 :: Wireless Speaker | Regardless if you are taking with you any kind of earphones, I recommend packing a wireless small speaker as well ( I own the Bang Olufsen P2 but the A1 while it sounds similar has almost triple its battery). Listening to music when in the hotel room is my go to entertainment,I really dont know why hotels bother having TVs on the wall anymore, I honestly dont remember the last time I even turned one on. Between iphones, ipads,macbooks, kindle, I have all the entertainment I need. I usually either listen to music, or put make up on or fall asleep to Netflix. If I am on vacation and not on a work trip I will definitely get a lot of use from my Kindle as well.

11 :: Travel Pillow | Of all the travel pillows, this is the one you will ever need. I discovered them through their kickstarter but now the Huzi infinity pillow is available and you should get it.

12 :: Camera | I never go anywhere almost without my trusty Pen F Olympus camera, and I wish I was getting some sort of commission because the amount of people that have bought it after my recommendation is staggering. I think its the best small camera out there however so if you can afford it you will never regret it.

13 :: Camera strap | While walking in the streets of Zürich almost two years ago I run into a small camera shop to hide from the rain. I noticed the most beautiful handmade silk camera straps and I bought one in black on impulse. While pricey it turned out to be one of the best decisions as it is the sturdiest yet softest strap that exists. Made from an artisan japanese team called Artisan and Artist, you can find some of their products on amazon, along with my silk black strap. Incidentally I have been using it for two years relentlessly and it looks like new.

14 :: Phone charger cable | I cannot count the times that for some reason plugs are in very inconvenient place in hotel rooms. I solve this problem with a charger cable of 3 meters, and this one from Native Union not only comes in beautiful colors but also with a small weight so it stays in place.

15 :: Mini Candles | Especially when I travel for work, I always bring with me a mini candle with a relaxing scent to fill the room when I am trying to rest after a full day, try it, it works wonders!

Oslo Design fair opened its doors again, and this time around in my opinion the trend exhibitions and the talks at the center stage were one of the best till date. Unfortunately I was sick and couldn’t attend the opening day ( with guests such as Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen from Norm Architects and Stockholm based stylist and designer Annaleena Leino) but I did make it yesterday just in time to hear Rosa Park being interviewed in the main stage. The co founder and editor in chief of Cereal Magazine and Cereal guides ( her husband being the other half) , was not only very inspiring talking about identity in social media but also very humble about Cereal and its enormous success. Cereal is one of my favorite publications and I know there is so much the future is holding for this talented duo, I can’t wait to see it realized.

Speaking of talented individuals, one of the things I was really excited to see at the fair was the Identity stand by Annaleena Leino ( photo on the top of the post and above). Annaleena is known for her minimalistic style, and here, inspired by the fairs theme she illustrated how she works with identity and personality in interior. There are so many details I loved, however one of my favorite pieces where the sculptures by artist Kristiina.  

//Photography and editing by Katerina Dima

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The post :   Oslo Design Fair Autumn 2018 – Trends and Identity , appeared first on Only Deco Love

Styling and photography by Katerina Dima unless otherwise stated.