Mr.StrictlyIntimate
the Life, the Love and the Sex of Vienna.Archive for Apartment
One Step Closer to Reflecting Myself [Part IV]
Autumn is slowly coming and gently asking us to enter our hearts and closets and homes. Though being gentle in announcing oneself it rather intrudes us in a way we actually don’t want it to for we crave summer, sun and heat. But still, autumn is coming and so I think, ‘Embrace change. Embrace the chance to get yourself all dressed up in a new wardrobe, a new mood, a new interpretation of who you are. AND, embrace the wake up call to finally get your apartment done and ready for a colder season to follow, winter.’
Elle Decoration UK – October 2012 Cover
So after three phases and a short break I finally arrived in number IV: One Step Closer to Reflecting Myself
Phase I: On the Hunt (for the Perfect Apartment) [Part I]
Phase II: Designing a Happy Home [Part II]
Phase III: Bit by Bit [Part III]
To me, a home is where the heart is! Ergo: where my heart is there am I. Further ergo: Where I am there should be the real me; my own reflection; my own interpretation of who I am and who I want to be. Not just to myself but to anybody who comes into my private walls as a guest. Therefore, my personal space should be an addition to what I represent. When I enter the room I should feel as if it underlines my personality rather than projecting something that isn’t there, or presenting myself in a light that doesn’t fit the part. It would feel like someone trying to fit into an Alexander McQueen Couture gown though one knows one is completely Atelier Versace; meaning less feathers more sparkle. (Don’t get me wrong here: Alexander McQueen IS a part of my religious belief. Trust me, I worship him and now Sarah Burton for what they’ve created!)
Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2013
Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2013 Detail
Decorating and furnishing come together to be a process – a long lasting one. Not just a rush of emotions and motions that overwhelm your senses to tell you to simply get it done as soon as you can to get it over with. NO, if you want your apartment to reflect your innermost, your character, your ambitions, your motivations, your style, your fashion, your love and your passion for life; it takes some time to evolve.
That is what I did – I gave myself time to evolve within my new environment. For three months I have my own place now and it feels more like a home to me than anything has ever done. Every single day it comes closer to where I can say my heart is… but it isn’t perfect yet. To be honest, I don’t think it can ever be but at least it can be close to what I want it to be – a place where I can relax once I have entered the double doors; a place I can call home; a place where I can be myself without compromising, without having to apologize, without the necessity of defending flaws. Here I am perfect, if I want to be. If I feel like it.
Autumn calls for action – it calls for inspiration! And so I took my best friend ELLE Decoration out for some last walks in the sun trying to get inspired by what is around me; colors, shapes, shades, street signs, maps, people. I felt like a child in a candy store being surrounded by all those fabulous colors, spirits and voices. With a little help of VOGUE and GQ I always feel perfectly safe when it comes to my fashion choices but with my apartment I still feel like I do not have the grip on what is my style yet. At least not completely. BUT, every time I open ELLE Decoration I feel like I have IT, the one thing that makes me visualize fabrics and shapes, color schemes and patterns in a way I have never imagined before. Fashion isn’t just who or what you wear; it is how you live, how you furnish and how you decorate too!
So, for my bedroom I always felt white, completely – a white bed, a white big open closet, a white standing mirror and a white dresser. I always added color with just my clothes, the bedding and my big purple Prada box. But now I feel like those white walls finally need something new – I feel shapes, well, more like pattern. A mathematical pattern of triangles on two walls in an L-shaped constellation to surround my bed and my door while on the opposite wall only the closet with my beautiful clothes sets the tone. This, to me, sounds like a perfect equilibrium of fast moving, ever changing fashion versus unwinding, calming body and mind.
For the bedroom my eyes is on this triangle patterned wallpaper in Charcoal Grey/Off White called ‘Goldsmith’ by Custhom, £170 per 4m roll, Green and Fay:
ELLE Decoration UK Pattern Book S/S 2012
(picture: ELLE Decoration iPad APP)
For the bedroom as well as my living room I still have to find the perfect fabrics to decorate the windows but I am sure that these ideas will come up in no matter of time since I find myself to be in a very creative mood and a very inspired place right now. So, stay tuned for more and get yourself a little bit inspired by the last summer days until autumn conquers our hearts, wardrobes and homes.
XOXO
P.S.: Inspirational Song of the Day
JEM – Amazing
(as featured on the Motion Picture ‘Sex and the City: the Movie)
LADY GAGA – The Born This Way Ball
I know, I am guilty. I am sorry. And I could (maybe even should) apologize a thousand times for not writing quite recently but you must know, my real life was getting the best of me and I found myself in a zone where I had mixed feelings towards the person I was becoming in the last couple of months. I was at a crossroads drifting right into moments of doubt when I finally found myself all shiny and new again believing in myself like I have never before. So I will save you the apology shit and just try to make it up to you.
You know, life gives you moments to decide whether you take the self-pitying road down to nowhere or the doubt-forgetting road up to where you belong – The STARS! I’ve decided for myself to be a star! And so should you.
It is time to stop thinking about doing something but really doing it. Like writing this blog here. Or, more recently I thought about getting an MA degree. I thought about that for over a year and finally I said to myself, ‘fucking do it NOW!’ and so I applied for a Master’s degree in Journalism and New Media and I was invited to the first round of entry exams. I had to wait about two months to get the next invite to the second and third round of entrance examination and you know what? About a month ago I got the news. I am in. I got one of the rare 35 spots. And I had to fight against over 250 others. So, if I can do it – so do you!
My new flat finally feels like a place I can call home. I have all my VOGUE and ELLE and all my books and clothes here. The furniture looks exquisite and I just feel great every time I enter my apartment through the double door entrance. Thank GaGa the dream of my own apartment came true.
And, when we talk GaGa we should talk ‘LADY GAGA – The Born This Way Ball’ which I attended last night. One word: EPIC!
It was the perfect mixture of all the words I love – Fashion, Music, Magic, Extravaganza, Spectacularity, Divinity and Love. (Okay, the last one is a word I only use in combination with things I love to do and never connected to people. You know my issues about this topic and because of a recent, quite painful event I have decided to keep this box of topics hidden from my life now.)
Let me tell you – Lady GaGa was amazing! I was so close to her that I almost cried because of a sudden rush of happiness to be this close to someone I would consider a) a real natural talent b) a style icon and c) someone the younger generation can look up to for inspiration, strength and love for something one does to get ahead in life! She truly is an inspiration to me. And her music a source of strength. When she played my two most favorite songs ‘Bad Kids’ and ‘Marry the Night’ I just lost it. My Monster claws have constantly been up in the air to support her and I knew she felt the support of all of us. It was simply divine. The best concert of my life and while I might still be talking in a rush of emotions here, I have to say that there have also been quite a few negative things about the organization of yesterday’s event. I just think you need to know both sides, the good and the bad. It is just the honest thing to write down. And you know me – I am all about honesty and straight forwardness. The 250 bucks for my VIP Ticket definitely weren’t worth it. And let me tell you – a lot of people were angry and have been crying. (The GaGa gift was a poster of the tour… could have guessed that. No one communicated that there would be just monster pit and no area for those in possession of a VIP ticket – what the hell where the 250 bucks for? Dinner and drinks? Sorry, but I could have had dinner before the event and bought my drinks at the main bar saving myself about 150 bucks. What a fail by the Organizers! I only got so close to her because I fought my way through all the gays and straights.).
But what was worth it was waiting for Lady GaGa – she just delivered an ecstatic, authentic, perfect show full of music, fashion and love! Thank you for that. It was divine. And she even performed a new song of her Album Project ‘ARTPOP’ – Princess Die.
LADY GAGA – The Born This Way Ball Setlist:
Act I
Space (intro)
“Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)”
Operation: Kill the Bitch (interlude)
“Government Hooker”
Birth (interlude)
“Born This Way”
“Black Jesus † Amen Fashion”
Emerging (interlude)
“Bloody Mary”
Mother G.O.A.T. Manifesto I (interlude)
“Bad Romance”
G.O.A.T Briefing (interlude)
“Judas”
Act II
“Fashion of His Love”
“Just Dance”
“LoveGame”
“Telephone”
Act III
Mother G.O.A.T. Manifesto II (interlude)
“Heavy Metal Lover”
Speech
“Bad Kids”
“Princess Die”
“Yoü and I” (acoustic)
“Electric Chapel”
Act IV
Interlude
“Americano” / “Poker Face” (medley)
“Alejandro”
“Paparazzi”
Act V
“Scheiße”
Encore
“The Edge of Glory” (acoustic + album)
“Marry the Night”
Conclusion: If you have the chance to see her because she is in your city or close to your city, or if you do not mind traveling to see her, just fucking do it! And do it now! SHE IS A GODDESS!
XOXO
P.S.: For those of you who think by G.O.A.T. Lady GaGa refers to the animal I have to put the true meaning out there:
G.O.A.T. = Government Owned Alien Territory in Space which is also the whole theme of the ‘LADY GAGA – The Born This Way Ball’ Tour!
Bit by Bit [Part III]
Update of:
On the Hunt (for the Perfect Apartment) [Part I]
Designing a Happy Home [Part II]
Friday, June 8th
I used to think that once I have an inspiring thought everything will just start from there like a bomb – bamm you’ve got the couch them bamm you’ve got the bookshelves and bamm the dining area finishes itself completely. Well, it is not like that. Not at all. But, to be honest – I kind of enjoy it. The whole process of visiting furniture stores checking for a great sofa and matching fauteuils; or a bed where you feel safe and sound; or an open wardrobe to complement your clothes and bags and shoes.
All the looking at stuff and matching of colors and flipping through decor magazines is a part of a process that helps me to get to know myself better and to work on the relationship with myself for I decorate the environment I am building for myself. The person I’ll have to be in a relationship in until the end. Well, sure, if one commits suicide this isn’t that much of a lifetime but since I am not planning on jumping out of a window or in front of a bus I am quite positive that I will live a long life. So you will not get rid of me and my intellectual outpourings.
Saturday, June 9th
I am sitting in my new Apartment. On the floor waiting for a part of my furniture to arrive. I am tired as fuck and I should mention that it is 6.00 am and that I am awake since 5.20 am. My MacBook is on and I am watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [Part I]. Eventually I must have been fallen asleep during the first half an hour being woken up by a heavy doorbell ringing. I gasp and know – it is here. Thank God, it is here and I can start building it up (by myself).
At 10.30 am I am getting thirsty (but I already built up one and a half IKEA armchairs. All by myself. Fantastic isn’t it?) so I go down to the bakery picking up a sandwich and some water.
IKEA Armchair Karlstad
10.45 am what the fuck?! I can’t get inside my apartment because the door lock broke. So I call the locksmith. 140 fucking Euros for 5 minutes of his time. Well what a great start into the day. Nonetheless, I am still cheered up by the fact that the walls I am standing in are really mine. My own four walls of blissful fashionability. This will be there place where people come to feel great about themselves. This is going to be the place where I can feel great about myself.
At 11.05 am and 12.15 pm Tomasz and B show up to help me build up the other stuff. So after T and I have finished the Sofa B arrives to help us with the rest of the stuff. Being occupied with the open closet I am building for myself. Like I am my own Mr. Big. After some time thinking I have decided that this Carrie Bradshaw addicted guy better get himself a great closet without waiting for the perfect man to show up building him one. And in the end, I stand in front of the amazing closet knowing that there are no perfect men out there (and I am definitely one of them) but there most certainly is THE perfect wardrobe. And I have it now.
IKEA Sofa Karlstad
Sunday, June 10th
This is kind of a relaxing Sunday. I haven’t had a day like this in a long time. Full of writing; flipping through the pages of ELLE, ELLE Decoration and VOGUE; watching ‘Sex and the City’ and packing my books, magazines and fashion Look Books into hundreds of boxes. Right now I have 8 boxes so far. In there? All my issues of VOGUE. Well, not all of them to be honest. There are still a lot more to pack. And then there comes the issues of ELLE and Harpers Bazaar and so on. I am afraid I will never get finished with it.
ELLE Decoration UK June 2012
Right now here I sit in front of my MacBook with the windows open, drinking tea and watching the second season of ‘Sex and the City’ (right now: Season 2; Episode 9: Old Dogs, New Dicks) while thinking about the myths of love and relationships and about the fact that there is something true to what Miranda Hobbes said in an episode of that season earlier on, ‘All we talk about anymore is Big or balls or small dicks. How does it happen that four smart women have nothing to talk about but boyfriends? It’s like seventh grade but with bank accounts. What about us? What we think, we feel, we know, Christ!’
I have to agree. (Well, except for the ‘Christ!’ thing – I would have changed that with ‘Gucci!’ or ‘Burberry!’) At some days I really wonder how every relevant topic of discussion always seems to end up with talking about guys. I am fed up with this topic. Maybe it is because I feel like being at a change now that I am moving on with my life by moving out and by being independent and all by myself for the very first time in my life. This is a change I do not want to share with a boyfriend because it is the first thing I have to myself in years.
And I most certainly will cherish that and enjoy it. The whole ride – with all its ups and downs. It doesn’t mean I am lonely just because I am alone. And, to be honest, I am not alone. I am single. Single and Fabulous! (- Exclamation Point!)
XOXO
Designing a Happy Home [Part II]
Update of: On the Hunt (for the Perfect Apartment) [Part I]
Life doesn’t prepare us for most of the things we have to face throughout growing up and becoming an educated, distinguished, stylish, self-confident, reliable and independent adult. Not just to fit into this society where we have to find our special place but also to satisfy a feeling deep inside of us. The feeling of searching for who you really are and developing this special character and of course, relationship to oneself as well as proving to ourselves that we can stand alone, make it all by ourselves and be great at everything we do. Because if you live this life with grace, class and attitude you can rock it! And that is what I tend to do – keep on rocking this life and living it with all my heart and love and dedication.
So I sit here with my dinner, a glass of red wine (haven’t had a glass of wine in three months!), Sex and the City: The Movie 2 being deeply occupied with thoughts of furniture and decorating. I am moving next week – well not moving but starting to by decorating the apartment I am renting starting Monday. I am getting the vibe of a lot of different emotions right now – there is a part of great excitement and curiosity as well as a bit of a weird feeling for knowing that starting on Monday it will be just me wherever I look. BUT the deepest and most frightening thought is related to my furniture if I can speak honestly. And let’s face it – this is my blog and here I fucking do what I want. That is why you love me, don’t you?
Today I went furniture pre-shopping hunting for the perfect couch to be the center space of my living room and the perfect bed which is going to be the heart piece of my bedroom. So there I was at Leiner GmbH looking all over the place for something architectural, classy, sophisticated, pure and highly geometrical. I read in a very good book (Designs for a Happy Home by Matthew Reynolds) that ‘a sofa can be a bit like a boat. […] You can curl up in it and drift away: reading, or talking to someone who is also curled up in it, or simply dozing off to sleep.’ Throughout my phases of growing up trying to find my place (which I still haven’t quite figured out to be purely sincere with you) I have always been moving around but this time it will be the very first time to have a place just for myself where I have the say in all the furniture, where I pay the rent and the gas bills, where I do the grocery shopping (okay – I will try to trade Burberry shopping for grocery shopping. That is all I can do. Try.) and where I can come home and somedays just do not have to talk to someone and be quietly listening to music, or sitting down keeping on working, or enjoying a glass of Bombay Sapphire Gin with ice and a slice of lemon.
At least that is what I am looking for but from signing the rental contract on Monday to pre-purchasing (the sequel) on Wednesday and purchasing furniture on Friday and/or Saturday and moving in are entire Gucci collections. So all I have to do is work myself through leather pants and Gucci blouses until I finally have the perfect couch and perfect bed to work around the decoration act.
Wish me luck. And you should know, there is definitely a part III to come upon you. Be prepared.
XOXO
On the Hunt (for the Perfect Apartment) [Part I]
‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ was the first thought coming to my mind when I entered the bedroom of the apartment I was taking a look at today. Okay, let us be clear – the 12th district is definitely not my paradise district but I thought compromising might not just make me a better person but might pay its tribute to my sudden positive attitude. Which, by the way turned back negative the immediate second I saw the living room furniture.
Inspiration #1: Charlotte York’s Apartment
It wouldn’t have been any kind of problem if I would have been allowed to kill all the furniture kicking it out of the apartment and decorating it the way it should have been. I loved the stucco on the ceilings but the table and the sofa and those hideous glass plates in the shelves – how could someone possibly say ‘YES’ to living there without feeling the urgent necessity of throwing everything out. Which I made clear by saying so. The owner obviously didn’t like the idea of me hiring people to throw out all the hideous stuff or, the owner’s wife didn’t like it, is more like it. It was like a storage space for all her hideosities.
Inspiration #2: Charlotte York’s Apartment
The bedroom walls were completely covered in made to measure lockers and one wasn’t even able to see a single centimeter of the walls. I felt a bit claustrophobic to be honest though I usually never have problems with small rooms but this wasn’t just right – it was like living in a cupboard with all the storage possibilities all around and seriously, who, except for Chip the talking teacup from Beauty and the Beast would want that? The kitchen was a ‘made in 1960’ disaster – with the ugliest tapestry I have ever seen in my life. Let me make it clear – a gay guy living in a kitchen with full flower tapestry isn’t a gay guy anymore. It’s a gay guy imploded by his own gayness. Honestly, I would love to keep myself at least a little bit of masculinity.
Inspiration #3: Carrie Bradshaw’s Dressing Room (Sex and the City: the Movie 2)
The moment of realizing that this apartment definitely wasn’t going to be mine was quite hard since I thought that there was a tiny bit of a chance to be moving out of my parents house in early June but well, one can’t always get what one wants the immediate second one wants it. So it is okay with me – another situation that made me grow as an adult a little bit. Now the searching and hunting for a decent apartment goes on and then, once I have found one I can envision myself living in, there will be an ‘On the Hunt’ sequel where everything circles around finding the perfect signature to underline my personality and personal style – classy, elegant, elitist and new age smugness.
If you know a place do not dare to hesitate hooking me up with more details.
XOXO
Inspiration #4: Carrie Bradshaw’s Dining Area (Sex and the City: the Movie 2)
Inspiration #5: Carrie Bradshaw’s Living Area (Sex and the City: the Movie 2)
Mr.StrictlyIntimate 