A great design has personality. Take a look at this simple and beautifully designed business card. They could have skipped the embossing, but the card wouldn’t have been the same. Such a small detail can do so much to the overall feel. Very nice.

The brown color gives me a fall feeling that matches the plain and tired trees. Text is kept to a minimum, showing only essential contact information. Just like I want it.

This excellent business card belongs to Australian designer Laura Camilleri. You can visit her website at www.elkha.com.au.

Here is another attractive sofa. It features the sharp edges that are so popular on this blog. The walnut goes very well with the black, creating a contrast that is comfortable to lay your eyes on. The sophisticated shapes makes one appreciate the total absence of fancy details.

This sofa is from the Hover Collection which features a variety of furniture, such as a daybed and a coffee table. All of which has the same look as this one. It has the sophisticated simplicity I look for.

Today I went looking for designer kitchens. I have to say, while there are quite a lot of them, many look too sterile and boring for my taste. It’s possible that this impression is partly based on the fact that there are no people in the photos. But still, a kitchen should not be a room dedicated merely to cooking. A kitchen should also be considered a place of socializing and relaxing; a place for debates and discussions over a drink or an expresso.

This Metropolis kitchen from Berloni personifies my vision very well. The view offers natural light that makes the whole kitchen come to life. It’s roomy, but also designed for social life. The brown wood, the chairs and the look of the floor further enhances the feeling of the room being alive, rather than boring.