Celebrate your family in Antwerp!

15th May is the International Day of Families, an initiative of the United Nations that wants to emphasize the importance of family. We believe as a family it's important to spend (quality) time together. And what's a better way to bond than visiting a great city, where every member can find something he or she likes? We chose to give you a small virtual guided tour through Antwerp, the city we know best!

This first picture was taken at FelixPakhuis (translation: Warehouse of Felix). It's a trendy eating and drinking place near the wharfs in the north of the city, that has different concepts in different rooms. Everyone can easily find something that he or she likes, which makes this warehouse very family friendly :)   

After a quick refreshment or a full lunch it's worth the effort to pay a visit to 'Museum aan de Stroom' or just MAS. Not only a beautiful building, but also a place where you can learn more about untold stories of Antwerp, its river and its port.

If you have small children, you should definitely take them to Park Spoor Noord. Water fountains bring them refreshment on hot summer days and a playground keeps your toddlers busy at all times, so that you can have a drink in the supercool Cargo Bar. Highly recommended!

Apart from the places we discussed here, there are of course tons of other must-see spots in the Harbour City: Het Steen, Het Modemuseum (the Fashion Museum), the Cathedral and many more. For more tourist information, visit the Visit Antwerp website.

If you ever make it to our Home City: enjoy your stay! If you don't: enjoy the pictures ;)

See you next week!

Getting to know Alain Monnens

They've been available in our store for quite some time now, but we never officially introduced them to you on our blog: the Cork Bowls.

These iconic full cork bowls come in 4 sizes: small, medium, large and extra large. But today we want to show you the man who is behind this brilliant design. Allow us to introduce to you Belgian Wunderkind Alain Monnens!

Welcome Alain! Tell us, what do you like to do in your free time?

Alain Monnens: In my free time - as well as in my professional life - I enjoy being creative. Photography is, for example, one of my hobbies. I also really enjoy cooking. Apart from that, discovering new things with my children is something that I also really treasure. They make me see things from a whole new perspective.

Summer holidays are approaching. What is your favourite holiday destination?

Alain Monnens: When on holiday, I want to discover new things. So I prefer a city that has a lot to offer. When it’s too calm, I get bored. A city like New York for example, really makes me feel like new.

How do you hope to make a difference with your work? What do you strive for?

Alain Monnens: As a designer I hope my creations outlive me. I try to design products that are timeless. In other words, products that people can cherish and that are life lasting.

What product of the XLBoom collection do you like and why?

Alain Monnens: I’m a big fan of Finn Stone’s Ball Chair, as it’s the perfect example of a timeless product. There’s no other shape that fits this particular product. It’s so self-evident that it seems as if it’s always been there, that it always existed.

What advice would you like to give to young designers?

Alain Monnens: Try to gain as much experience as you can in order to discover where you want to go to as a designer. Don’t assume it will all work out by itself. Designing is a verb, so it implies a lot of ‘doing’ and ‘making'. 

We will keep it in mind :) Thank you very much for this interview.

We also want to know what our readers think, so bring it on: what is your favourite holiday destination?

If you want to know more about Alain Monnens and his work, visit his website! 

See you next week!

May = Mommy's Month @ Smart Living Objects

If there's something we should all agree with it's this: Moms rock and they deserve more than just one day of celebration per year. So basically, everyday should be Mother's Day :) And in a way it is, because not every country celebrates it on the same day or in the same month even. Most countries celebrate it in May, though, which is why Smart Living Objects dedicates the Spring Month to all Mommies out there. And we do that with a special promotion:

Visit the online store to read more about it!

We're very proud of our Palm Trays and we're sure many moms will like them, but we also want to give you some more gift ideas for one of your most favourite people in the world!

1. We cannot emphasize it enough (and hope for it, to be honest): it's gonna be summer real soon and what do you need for that the most, except for sunscreen? Right, sunglasses! This pair of Ray Ban's are so stylish and timeless your mom is even gonna wear them on rainy 
days :)

2. Every woman loves accessories and we're pretty sure your mom will love this scarf. And if you think she doesn't, have a look on the Etsy website. Loads of items that can make her 
happy :)

3. We really don't want to cause a stir by suggesting the following gift for a mother (yes, in terms of gender thinking), it's just that we really like this Shelby Apron, a very nice item of Anthropologie :)

Ok, so, do your best. Pick a great gift and make sure your mom has the most wonderful day so far!

See you next time.

Are you a fan of Andaman?

Sometimes ideas for a new collection arise without much further ado. The creators know exactly what they want, designs are drawn and executed. And that's that. If only life were always that simple :)
The Andaman collection that was first launched in September 2012 is a result of this smooth way of working.

The lids of the boxes were first made of mango wood, but due to too much production waste the designers opted for the more environmental friendly rubber wood. This type of wood doesn't have that problem and the natural look of the lid with the coated box is kept, which was the initial goal.

The New Andaman Collection is an assortment of small and medium decor boxes that can be used for storage. However, since they're not food safe, don't try putting sugar, jelly or cream in there :)

So what can you store in there? Well, have a look:

New Andaman Ronda

The New Andaman Ronda is the perfect hiding place for Nespresso cups. Or jewellery. Or tissues. Or keyrings. Or business cards. Or...Since the possibilities are endless, we're quite convinced you can find at least one yourself, too!    

New Andaman Capri, Landa and Pilo

One never has enough boxes for stationary, so why not choose for the stylish and timeless kind? Whether you want to store paperclips, staplers or adhesive tape, it all fits perfectly in the New Andaman boxes!

Have a great week and see you next time! 


    

9 facts you didn't know about Smart Living Objects

Have you ever played Trivial Pursuit and not gotten at least a tad frustrated about the difficulty level? Well, then don't worry, because we just listed up some interesting facts. No need to guess the frustration out of yourself ;)


The internet is full of fun facts about, well, everything. Trivia that are in no way life saving but are just interesting to know. Things such as:

• Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning!
• There is no word that rhymes with orange.
• Tomatoes are really fruits, not vegetables.

Smart Living Objects created its own Triviamania:

For example, did you know that…

• All the products in the online store are partly or entirely handmade?
• All picture frames that can be hung horizontally automatically can be hung vertically as well?
• The Palm Trays are the first coloured accessories that XLBoom has ever created?
• XLBoom is environmentally friendly in creating its products? For example the Ball Chair is made of recycled ABS and the wood of many frames is untreated. But Smart Living Objects also contributes by opting for recycled packaging.
• The specialty of XLBoom is the design of big picture frames? The Horizon Frame, the Image Frame or the Prado Frame are only a few examples. And thanks to Smart Living Objects you can have them delivered at home. Nice and easy! 
• The pictures in the frames are real family pictures of XLBoom's employees? 
• The Extra Large products are the first products XLBoom has created and are therefore also the basis of the web shop?
• All chairs and tables (except for the ones that are made of untreated wood or cork) can be used both indoors and outdoors?
• The Ball Chair is made out of 2 halfs and that the lower half also serves as the basis for the Slice?

So now that we have enlarged your knowledge a bit, we wonder if there's anything you would like to share with us. Don't be afraid to leave a comment ;)

See you next week!

Summer lovin' objects!

Here in Belgium we'll probably have to wait a tad longer than usual for warmer temperatures, but we never lose our positive attitude :) Spring and summer WILL come! 

How's that in your country? Are temperatures rising already or does it basically still feel like winter?

We associate spring and summer with bright colours, which is why a lot of items in our new collection are very colourful:  the new Ball Chairs, the Blush Frames and the Palm Trays are perfect examples.
According to House Beautiful bright colours are a trend for 2013 which doesn't limit itself to interior design. In fashion it's also flashy colours that set the tone:

Green/Turquoise

Yellow

Blue

We absolutely love these joyful and happy colours that breathe our favourite seasons. It can't be there fast enough, which is why we have a Ball Chair promotion in April. If you order a Ball Chair in white, breeze, sky blue, sunflower or sunrise between 8^th and 22^nd April, you get a matching small Blush Frame worth € 17.50 for free!

Order now and let that summer feeling begin!

See you next week!

Co worker in the picture: Kaatje!

A company isn't all about products and how to sell them. Well, in a way it is :) But still, you need great people to do that. So why not introduce them to our dear readers?

We're gonna start with the most creative of them all: our photographer and DTP-star, Kaatje Verschoren.
Since she was a little girl, Kaatje has been passionate about photography. These pictures are an obvious proof :)

She literally grew up between cameras and flash lights as her father was (and still is) a professional photographer. So to study Photography for her was a logical step. She obtained her Master's degree at Sint-Lukas in Brussels and almost immediately started working for XLBoom.

Kaatje! In the 3 years that you've been working for XLBoom you've gained loads of experience. Could you tell me what projects you're most proud of?
Kaatje: When it comes to my professional life, I'm most proud of the annual XLBoom catalogue. Working with tight deadlines forces you to get the best out of yourself and I like that. When taking pictures in my free time I prefer creating the right atmosphere to applying the right technique. I really believe anyone can take beautiful pictures, as long as the atmosphere is right.

Pictures for the XLBoom catalogue

What type of camera do you work with?
Kaatje: Here at XLBoom and Smart Living Objects I work with a digital camera, which felt rather weird in the beginning. I was only used to shooting with an analogue or a Polaroid camera. Taking digital pictures is something I really learned here.

You're not only a photographer, but also a desktop publisher. Can you describe a typical day in the working life of Kaatje Verschoren?
Kaatje: My work is very various, which is a positive thing. For Smart Living Objects I design flyers, ads, banners. I take pictures and prepare them for the web shop, the newsletter and the blog. And right now I'm working on a brand new zoom function, so that customers can see the products even better. For XLBoom my work is more limited to photography and the follow up of productions.

Are there products that are difficult to photograph? 
Kaatje: Oh my...YES. The Ball Chair is quite a nasty one. It's a shiny product, so there's a lot of reflection. So you always see yourself when you're taking pictures. Thank God there's Photoshop (laughs) 

Before - After

On the other hand, Extra Large products are very easy. So in the end, it all cancels each other.

What's your favourite photography spot?
Kaatje:  A city - any city - by night. It's then that I can capture the perfect atmosphere, the anonimity, the colours, the reflections. 

'City Shots' by Kaatje Verschoren

What is important to you when taking pictures? What moves you?
Kaatje: Simplicity. Day-to-day situations. Pictures that tell a story and leave you wondering.

'Simplicities' by Kaatje Verschoren

Who inspires you?
Kaatje: There are couple of photographers that I refer to as my examples: Sivan Askayo, Saul Leiter and Bruce Davidson. Their city style and the colours they use really appeal to me. For the same reasons I admire film directors such as Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar Wai and Wim Wenders.

What do you like to do in your free time apart from photographing?
Kaatje: Well, the usual I guess (laughs). I like to meet up with friends, discover new things, whether that's music, series or places in the city I live. And I really love it when I can share that knowledge with someone. But my biggest passion apart from photography is music. Almost any kind of music. I'd love to travel around the world and take pictures at big concerts and festivals. I'm trying that out already, but on a tiny tiny scale (laughs).

'Concert pics' by Kaatje Verschoren

And our very last question: what is your biggest dream?
Kaatje: At some point in my life I want to move to a very big city, like New York or Tokyo. A city where I can be entirely anonymous and where I can take my career as a photographer to another level. Something else I'd like to do there is open my own gallery and give new talented photographers the chance to show their work and what they're capable of.


You can follow Kaatje on Instagram.