apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

No more "testing the waters!" Please make AT:Paris a regular feature!

I'd love to see an AT Europe, but picking a city will be HARD! But, please, let's broaden the design circle...half (or more) of the designers and products come from over the pond.

i'm not a fan of silk flowers either, but the window presentation, but the window presentation at herve gambs is sophisticated and fresh.

Half of me is thinking, "Only the French could get away with this!"

(The other half is eyeing the less appalling bits of Michael's faux flower supply with the cockeyed optimism of the DIY-er.)

I'm not convinced about the fake plants; however, I'd love to see an AT:EU (ou Europe de l’Ouest).

I would love an AT:EU.

a good choice for the first eu blog (because there will be more, yes?). his work is even more beautiful in person.

Oui, Apartment Therapy Europe si vous plat!

I'd love to start seeing some apartment interiors from Paris at this point. The French are very well versed at making small spaces efficient and elegant - they also have many more innovative small appliances and kitchen ideas, which might be interesting for Americans to see.

Artificial doesn't replace live, but can be useful eg near or above electronic gear, or in a dark or draughty spot where nothing will live. Fake flowers and large plants look awful, but you can get away with branches & greens.

Fakes can be amusing eg a lidded glass jar filled with fake lemons, limes & figs (yellow, green purple). Over time the lemons actually darkened and now look 'off'. I am going to paint them some non lemon colour, or maybe patterned like those Russian Easter eggs.

Just don't have more than one on display at a time.

However all these things need dusting or washing. The silkies can be swished through cold water & a drop of detergent, shaken and hung to dry.

Here are my succulents flickr.com/photos/59481749@N00/456121518/

I agree, the waters have been tested and I'm clinking my virtual champagne glass with Robin and the others, Kristen STAYS. :)

Oh and the AT:EU idea - YES YES YES. Or shall I say JA JA JA or OUI OUI OUI? This would be the most helpful website in the world for expats to come together that need advice and even for friendship I'm serious, this would be huge. There are so many Americans living abroad these days, or at least bi-country, and having an AT:EU would help expats so much.

We currently sublet a 2-room flat in Germany 2-3 months out of the year, and this year, we've finally saved enough money to invest in property and will soon spend more time there going forward.

Fortunately for me, my husband and family are German, and he is from the city that we're moving to, and we already have an agent, BUT I've spent the past 5 years researching everything for this move. And I have the German connection. I can't imagine how long it would have taken WITHOUT a German husband.

Point is, AT:EU would be important to expats because most Americans I know living abroad had to make the move quickly after their company told them they needed to move to say, Paris for two years to launch a branch, for instance. With little time to research, most people are put in touch with the company relocation expert and the movers come in and pack them, ship everything over, and viola! the move is complete. But then there's the whole "How do I work a toaster?" and "How do I get my iMac to work?" and "How do I find someone to install my wallpaper?". These questions aren't always easy to answer.

So I say YES to Kristen, Yes to AT:EU!

Holly

DEFINATELY and AT:EU please!!! I say this selfishly, as we are now based in Europe, albeit Switzerland.

Just picking up on what Holly wrote, some changes were expected over here, and others not. For example, we had a heck of a time trying to find paint over here in Geneva, but then I remembered an AT post which mentioned that problem... Pretty amazing that AT had already covered that territory!

Would LOVE to have insider Paris picks, and especially, guides to all the amazing flea markets.

The Hervé Gambs flowers are amazingly lifelike, they're not the run-of-the-mill silk flowers, they are in a league of their own. I actually ordered a catalog from them when I was choosing options for our store decorations. They are not cheap alternatives to real blooms since they are quite trés cher but in my opinion worth it. I'd have to import them to Switzerland if I want to use them and the only thing that's preventing me are the minimum orders needed. There is a florist in Switzerland carrying them but I'm not (yet) keen on paying retail.

Silk Flowers / fausse fleurs are made so lifelike nowadays that when I decorated the shop with the real thing (a giant vase with 2 meter high long stem roses), people assumed they were fake and commented that silk flowers are so lifelike they could not tell the difference anymore.

I absolutely also want an AT:EU as well, if only because half the time the things i like don't get shipped internationally. it would be so nice tolook at things i could actually get.

Kristin has an eye for design!

Andreas I agree with you - it would be great to see things one can actually get in his home and shipping anything bigger than a normal vase (not to mention fragile) from US is not an option.

we're heading to paris at the end of this month- can you tell us where exactly this store is? I can't seem to find the address on the website. Thnx

traipsed by one of these Hervé Gambs shops last month, really didnt do much for me... How large of a chain is it? I saw several locations around town...
I have to admit the shops are well set up and I was drawn to admire how enticing a shop full of stuff I do not want can be...

Julia,
The Hervé Gambs showroom is at 9 bis rue des Blancs Manteaux in the Marais, just off rue Vieille du Temple (tel: 01 44 59 88 88). While a small selection of his flowers are sold at Le Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette, there are only two stores in Paris. The other one is in St. Germain, but this is one's better.

just want to show my support for AT:EU !!

Hurray for AT:EU!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is an alternative to fake flowers at that price - real ones that are injected wit hsome kind of plastic t omake them last 6 months! I saw them in a floral shop in the Cologne Central Station and they look amazing. Iwas told that shop is part of a chain all over Germany.

Just want to point out that not everything at Herve Gambs is expensive -- you can find single stems starting at one euro and potted arrangements starting at around 29 euros.