Sources of inspiration: Recharge // Getting back to nature

April has been a good month, travel wise. Just before moving the studio we decided to take a little break and travel. We visit Spain and Italy and came back recharged and full of inspiration.

As a designer I need to create my own bubble in order to make new work. But too much solitude also blocks creativity. Spring time is an amazing time of the year to get out more, see the leaves grow, trees turn green, flowers blossom. Such an inspirational time of the year. As you can imagine lot’s of nature inspired surface patterns will be in the making.

This year I booked two short trips to Spain, Siurana: a lush area, popular for climbing and hiking. I had a little peek into the world of rock climbing there. And I already signed up for a bouldering introduction course back home. Being outside all day, under the trees, watching the landscapes change, the dramatic mountains, the soft warm breeze. Living in a city is pretty challenging sometimes, the chaotic streets, so many people, cars, noise. So a 5 day all day green experience was an amazing way to recharge, absorb some sunlight to return home with some refreshed energy.



After Spain I travelled to the Amalfi coast. Nature has so much to offer. I love the dramatic rocks, the contrasting bright color of the water. The Amalfi coast is truly mesmerizing. But of course traveling to Italy means awesome food! I love being in the woods and enjoy being outside but I do love a little culture too. Italy will always be one of my fave European countries to visit.

Now we’re all back in the studio and also renovating the new studio space where we will be moving into within the next two weeks. Curious about the space and how we are turning it around into a new creative business office? Check @littlesmilemakers stories on Insta to get a little peek into what we are doing.

Sources of inspiration // Vienna: grandeur, cafe culture and art // Top 5 things to do and fun places to visit for creative souls

Vienna has been top of my list of European cities to visit for a long time. I have only crossed the city a couple of times in transit, just passing through while traveling east or south. But I never got around to actually explore this beautiful city up until this fall, when my friend Monika, author of a book I was featured in, invited me to join her.

The first thing you will notice about this city is it’s elegance. It’s respect for history and it’s grandeur. There are so many places to see and explore, whether you visit this city as a shopaholic, an architectural geek, foodie, or as a creative like me, there is something to see and do for everyone. This city is diverse and surprising. With a raw city edge like most European cities have but also the contrasting wealth, the grand architecture is a reminder of Vienna’s rich yesterdays. One of Europe’s hidden gem’s definitely.

Vienna has a rich history of performing arts, musicians, composers, dancers, and was Europe’s breading soil for mid-century painters. The city is buzzing with creation. I was lucky to visit this place during Vienna’s Design Week. And during my stay I also found out I was visiting during their annual Museum Night. So there could not be a better time to visit and explore Vienna’s cafe’s, museums, galleries, botanical gardens and wonderful architectural sights. Here is my personal top 5 of places to visit.

1 // Polaroid & Letter Press at Supersense
If you interested in photography and typography this cafe and store is heaven! Supersense located in a beautiful corner building on the Praterstraße. It pretty much is super for my senses, so the name is pretty accurate, at least to me it is. This beautiful coffee house used to be a thrift store. It now houses a great place to have a drink; grab a coffee, eat some Viennese cake but it also houses a shop that is just one big designer heaven. Typography books, custom letter press printing, a smell bar, toy camera’s and design and photography gifts. All things I just looove to get my hands on as a former typography student and photo freak. This cafe is run by the man who saved Polaroid. So you can see a great selection of old Polaroid camera’s, books and prints but you can also stock up on new stuff if you want to expand your collection In the back you can find the music section with some instruments and music gear. Just yes!

2 // Botanical Lovers
The Viennese Palmenhaus is a definite must see. One of Vienna’s most beautiful places to have a bite. Located within the museum quarter, this place is an oases. The original late 19th century structure is such a delight to visit, with it’s glass walls and roof, it’s enormous palm trees stretching out from the front to the back, this is a great location to have a decent dinner and look out over the Burggarten. I am a sucker for plants and just love to enjoy these kind of places. If you are a true botanical fan like me you can also take the subway to Schönbrunn that houses an authentic botanical garden. The place is truly magical. Do not forget to also take some time to visit the park and it’s surroundings and hop into the palace. You have to visit at least one palace in Vienna!



3 // Viennese cafe life
Vienna must be one of the most convenient places to work as a freelancer. Cafe’s can be found all around the city and Vienna has a strong coffee house culture. It is serious business. The waiters are dressed in suits, and those interiors! Oh! Whether you want to meet up with friends, have a productive day with your laptop or just want to read the newspaper, the cafe’s are buzzing and going out for a drink and a torte, a cake, is part of the Viennese culture. People meet up in coffee houses rather than at home and this is why so many cafe’s are still in business. If you have some time it is definitely worth stopping by the most authentic and fun Viennese cafes. My favorites so far were Café Prückel with it’s amazing pastels and retro furniture. Loved the interior! NENI a little place on the Naschmarkt. From their heated terrace you can enjoy the crowded market life. Café Savoy, for all my gay friends. A classic place with a mostly gay clientele and very kind staff. Justizcafé, located in the beautiful Palace of Justice, this cafe on the 5th floor has an amazing view over the city and as you might already know: I love a little top view. Have a peek into the mail hall, (it is gorgeous!) and take the elevator to the 5th and stare over the city.

4 // Museum Night & Design Week
I was lucky enough to actually visit Vienna during Design Week. During this week art and design students and design graduates are invited to show their works in galleries all over the city and talk about their philosophy and goals. Functional industrial design, porcelain, installations. Oh how I love art! On Saturday night I was also able to enjoy the city’s annual Museum Night. During this night Vienna’s museums open their doors and for only €15 you can visit all mayor museums. But there is so much to see. get the most our of your night and plan a route, with over 130 museums it is a must. Instead of visiting my usual art museums, alright I did visit some: Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Museum, with a wonderful expo about water life, the building it’s self is worth a little peek too though. Palace Liechtenstein with it’s crazy murals and ceilings. But I mostly tried some more out-of-the-box ones that are unique to Vienna. The Contraception and Abortion museum, very popular and crowded during Museum night. It is such an insightful place for young peeps that are discovering their own sexuality. It has tons of information about the female reproductive system. We paid a visit to the Schnaps Museum with an endless chat about alcohol, all in German, I had absolutely no idea what that was all about but the old brewery, tanks, bottles, the interior was wonderful. And of course we tasted some of the brews.

5 // Architecture
Vienna has a rich history and the old architecture is a great reflection of it’s wealthy past. Even though I haven’t seen too many modern structures I did enjoy the city hall, old mansions, villa’s, palaces and botanical houses. I was also amazed by the beauty of their public transport buildings. The patterned tiled floors, metal framework, the green color. Very classy. I loved the hidden Jugendstil places near the Naschmarkt. But the most beautiful old buildings must have been around the museum quarter. If you can appreciate these old gems just wander around these Viennese streets and hop in every building you get a chance to enter. I personally love the library with it’s flamboyant interior. Painted ceilings, golden details and books stretching from the floor to the roof. Breathtaking!



Whatever you decide to do in Vienna, you will notice the mix of old and new. With room for traditional culture and for new and modern. have yourself a great stay and be inspired by all great artists who once were roaming those cafe’s and streets of Vienna. You can still feel that creative buzz. I left this city with a whole bunch of new ideas and a new fresh creative energy. And I am sure it will do the same for you! So do boost this city on your "Places To Visit" list. Curious about all places I visit? Check the Little Smilemakers FourSquare list for a links and locations.

Sources of inspiration: Budapest // Where old meets new // Classical Music and Ruin Pubs // Top 5 travel tips

Budapest, Hungary’s capital, always has been a city I wanted to visit. Cities that breathe history always have a certain attraction to me, there are stories to tell. Budapest is one of those cities where you can wonder around the streets and get surprised on each and every corner. The city has a fascinating heritage. It was about time for a visit!

The city is decided into two parts. Buda and Pest that are both worth a visit. Pest is the place where you are likely to spend most of your time while visiting the city. This is where you can find astonishing pieces of architecture. If you are a fan of Jugendstil and Art Nouveau brace yourself! Those beautiful details, painted glass, metal work... OMG it is breathtaking especially for a visual nerd like me. You can find remains of Budapests rich history everywhere, like the Old Jewish Neighborhood which housed the Jewish ghetto during the second world war, the old synagogue with live performances of great Jewish composers. But you can also see new trends like modern designer pop up shops and coffee places appear. Wonder the streets for a day and kick back in one of the ruin bars, where people get together for a drink, a musical performance and long nights with friends. Buda is located on the other side of the Danube river and offers a romantic view of Pest by night so if you'd like to impress your loved one, cross one of the bridges during and spend your magic hour on this side of the city.

Each and every European city has it's grandeur. But Budapest is still very affordable. I stayed in a little airBNB apartment right in the Jewish district, a great location to start exploring this magnificent city. Here are my personal favorites. A shortlist for a long weekend in Budapest. This is my personal top 5.

1 // Ruin Bars - Jelly fish and cocktails
What I really like about Budapest is the fact that you don't really see overly crowded shopping streets. Most of the crowd hangs out in little pubs, restaurants and typical Hungarian ruin bars where you can enjoy art, music, films, workshops and relax after a busy day in the city. Most inhabitants of Budapest don't have a balcony or garden, the ruin bars are the place to sit outside on a hot summer night and meet up with friends. These ruin bars are located in small alleys, basements and courtyards and they have one thing in common: they are all a little hard to find but you are very likely to stumble upon these little gems while roaming the streets.

There are two places I highly recommend. I visit the Anker't, a whimsical place with a huge bar, Hungarian menus for alcohol are massive, from German weisse beer to Cuban cocktails, they serve it all. While listening to a live string quartet I attended a painting workshop at the other end of the courtyard. The place is packed at night, as is Kuplung, another ruin bar close to my apartment. I particularly like this bar because of the vibe and decoration. Who doesn't want to see jellyfish lightning and a giant under water painting? Go visit a ruin bar and you will meet a whole bunch of interesting people when you travel alone this is a good place to meet with locals, drinks are good and the cocktails cheap. What else do you need?

2 // Designer shops - Where old meets new
As a designer I always try to research trends in each city and country i visit. I go look for small shops with local fashion and home decor design and try to understand the local art movements. With a communist history the country does not have a massive amount of shops (I hate shopping so that is a big plus) and maybe that is why fashion, home decor and design are very different and unique. It does not have a main trend, there is still room for difference and authenticity. I love it! And yeah, of course you can see some Scandinavian design influences and small designer shops like Mono that are a little more on 'our' trend, but it all has a little more honesty to it. There are several vintage shops such as Retrock, that are great places to get an impression of what once was. Designers are actually designing in their little shops and you can touch and smell the materials while they are sewing, cutting and gluing when you visit the Paloma designers collective. It never has been a mass production. Is it communist souvenir? I don't know, but it is definitely surprisingly different, that's is what I love about creation.



3 // Musical heritage
When you visit Budapest you are very likely to stumble upon some live music while looking for a place to have dinner or a drink. There are lot's of restaurants with live music, from classical harp to string quartets, jazz and DJ's, Budapest is a great place for music lovers. The city has an amazing musical heritage and I loved how there are so many people passing me on the streets carrying an instrument. So do take your time to enjoy some music. You can also buy some tickets to the Opera if you're in for a little drama or to a concert in the synagogue. Music is everywhere.

4 // Thermal Baths
Hungary is a country of thermal springs with healing water. The bathing tradition dates back to 16th and 17th centuries and during a trip you can experience a traditional Turkish bath. After a day of walking around town it is a great way to relax or visit one in the early morning before the tourist rush. Budapest's largest medicinal bath, Szechenyi is a great place to visit in the morning. It is one of the largest bathing houses in Europe and it's old exterior makes you feel like royalty. The interior however could use a little renovation, but the old details, tiles, pools and changing rooms are still authentic and really add a certain romance to the experience. The bathing routine can be a little daunting though, make sure you have a bathing suit, hair net and a towel when you visit a thermal bath. And acquaint yourself with the regulations since they differ in each pool.

5 // Architecture
Budapest is a true paradise if you love architecture. Arabic elements, Art Nouveau, Baroque, it's all there. Every corner of the city seems to have an architectural gem and there are lot's of buildings open for the public if you also want a little peek on the inside. Seriously, the architecture! The Gellért Hotel for instance, this elegant hotel also houses the Gellért Spa with colorful tiles, jugendstil ornaments and stained glass windows. The Parisiana Club, with it's interesting facade. The Paris department store, that is home to a bookstore but also has an ice rink during the colder season and has a crazy beautiful restaurant with neo-Rennaissance elements. The synagogue, the parliament building…. There is so much to see! But my favorite must be the Hungarian State Opera House that was partially funded by Emperor Franz Joseph, so there was some money there. It is nothing like I have every seen. The roof, the golden detailing, the marble, this must be one of the world's most breathtaking theaters in the world, do take a look inside if you have the chance.