5.6.17

Magnetic Latvia


















I was not very familiar with the Baltic area and in particular Latvia,  
but I am really pleasantly surprised after our visit last week! If you follow me on
 instagram you might have noticed that I have visited Riga where I was invited to join a
 design tour with Dutch journalists, editors and bloggers and it was amazing!

 In a four-day press trip we explored the Latvian design culture under the name 
Magnetic Latvia and it was so inspiring to visit and discover the various Latvian 
designers and locations in Riga and Latvia's West coast. The kindness,  
the nice people who enthusiastically told us all about their country,
their designs, their handmade products and their history really made it very special!

Besides well-known design styles of Latvia to discover, including Art Nouveau and 
Jugendstil,  Latvian designs are characterized by the minimalist and functional style of 
Scandinavian design.  The designers make use of neutral tones and natural materials  
Just beautiful and simple as I love it so much!  

One of the stunning locations that we've visited was the University of Latvia
 (Academic center of natural sciences) The modern interior which sees use of untreated 
concrete is brought to life through the use of wood,  the curved lines of railings,
 the use of lot's of greens (loved the compositions), wall paintings (by artist Luīze Avotiņa)
 and enormous glass walls as well as beautiful minimalistic furniture. 

Each floor of the building has its space assigned to student relaxation or independent work and I was attracted immediately by the used MAFFAM FREEFORM basalt fiber hanging
 chairs ( made from volcanic basalt fiber and natural resin) created by Raimonds Cīrulis.
  Basalt is a rock that can lie happily at unbearable temperatures as well in the cool depths of our oceans, where it comprises majority of the Earth’s crust. The basalt lace seashell is specifically made in a way that makes it perfect for meditation, self-exploration, and 
energy rejuvenation and felt so comfortable. It also made me and my fellow bloggers,
 dream of having a huge garden where we could hang the chair in a big high tree and 
enjoy the sunny moments in a very relaxed way!
Fortunately for us there are different sizes of the hanging chair but there are also 
several other designs available...  Chairs, tables... 
you will find all the information here!
                                                       
                                                                                                            photos: elv's