I'm a fan, like everyone else, of Berlin-based online publication Freunde von freunden and of course, their two very cool books are prominently displayed on my bookshelf. I particularly love this newish profile they have up on their site sharing Rhode Islander Brian Paquette who is now Seattle-based and working as an interior designer. His home is so cozy and warm, a mood I'm really into at the moment and not so much light, bright spaces with bright colors... More moody, deeper hues, very tactile, lush plants and definitely a smell of wood burning in a nearby fire complete with crackling timber. The crocus may be popping up here in Germany, and yes we are quite lucky as it's nearly 50, my bones still feel very much like it's the dead of winter and though spring is in sight, I crave the warmth and seclusion of a warm winter interior with masculine touches.

As a New Englander myself, I could tell right away that Brian was from the northeast before reading his FvonF interview. Something about his home feels very familiar to me. My mother is from Rhode Island and I went to school and lived in Boston for ages though I was raised in South Carolina. But still, I can sense a definite New England flair to his Seattle abode and I love it. He's mixed the best of both worlds and has done it quite beautifully.

Thanks to this profile, I found Brian's blog and I love it. He writes so well and shares so deep. I particularly found his post about love quite touching. He also shared a most beautiful thought on his blog about what we can each add to the creative conversation that touched me too, I'll quote it below:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open… No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” – Martha Graham 

(Photography: Dorothée Brand / Belathée Photography via FvonF)