jean nouvel

While I was in Paris last week I revisited the Institut du Monde Arabe built in the mid 80s. It was built in partnership with Architecture Studio a group of seven architects founded in 1973.
Although Jean Nouvel has built other impressive buildings in Paris (notably the Foundation Cartier and more recently the Musée du Quai Branly) I think the Institut du Monde Arabe is still his best structure.
The facade is a huge wall of Islamic patterned mechanised metal irises which can be closed to prevent light coming in.
Inside on the ground floor is a very stylish café where you can get a pricey but very good mint tea and choose from an array of arabic cakes.
My selection came with what was actually a layer of uncooked meringue, sprinkled with chopped pistachio nuts!

la poissonnerie de carrefour

One of the best things about our local supermarket is the fish counter. There is an impressive range of fresh fish all beautifully displayed on beds of crushed ice. I suspect it's as extensive as it is because we're in the south, but maybe every large Carrefour is the same throughout France?
Each time I try a new variety.. this week it was fresh mackerel which I was assured was 'sauvage' (wild) and not farmed.

nordic bakery

Over the last few months since moving to France I've been coming back to London every 6 weeks or so. I've gotten into a little routine of places I visit when I'm back..
On the list of places I always go to is the Nordic Bakery on Golden Square.
Food wise the specialties are open sandwiches on dark rye bread and cinnamon buns. If you're lucky you'll arrive just as a hot batch of buns have been brought up from the kitchen. The smell is pretty impossible to resist!
Design wise it's very Scandinavian in its simplicity and bold use of colour. The walls are nordic pine panelling and behind the counter, a beautiful deep blue. Tables and chairs are black Aalva Aalto and the china is Kaj Franck teema. I suspect the owner is Finnish!
There's also a selection of Scandinavian products including Marimekko bags.
You can see more images here.

industrial facility

As a huge fan of Muji I've been keen to find out about some of their designers. Industrial Facility have been responsible for designing many of Muji's signature pieces and have also designed some of their quirkier products. For example the 'Puzzle Cookie Cutter' is a brilliantly fun idea and the 'City in a Bag' is simple and witty.
I remember as a child my godmother bringing back to New Zealand a huge bag of goodies for me after one of her European trips. Included in the parcel were a set of wooden buildings very similar to these Muji ones. The only difference is that Industrial Facility have cleverly taken the iconic buildings of Tokyo, Paris, London and New York, and minaturised them in wood.

kaj franck

Finnish design is sometimes slightly overlooked as it perhaps doesn't fit neatly into the Scandinavian design box.
However, the tradition of creating beautifully designed objects for everyday use is very Scandinavian and is what is so appealing about Finnish design. It's not necessary to spend a fortune. Everyday furniture and household items which are robust and sturdy, yet beautiful to look at and functional to use, this is what's impressive about design from Finland.
Kaj Franck is a great example. These glasses were designed for littala and can be found in Finnish department stores and even in many supermarkets. You can collect one colour or collect them all!