DesignClaire's Profile

Unless you buy a bar of gold, precious metals are not an investment. Jewelry loses a lot of value... So, invest in a decent piece of furniture that you like and would like to keep for many years. It's like a Louis Vuitton handbag. 600€ when you buy it. But 10 years later it still looks better than the 10 bags you would have bought at 60€ each!

Scandinavian is a great look. But African would do too. African designs in black & white, for your curtains, carpets, furniture, ... And a few bright color touches here & there if you want to spice it up. Eg cushions, a painting, a picture, one piece of furniture in a bright color, flowers. But not too much of it!

Can't live without a dishwasher. I love cooking. I hate doing dishes. 20 years ago, when I started living with my ex, he had no dishwasher but a maid who came every second day. So the dishes waited until she came. Unless my ex wanted to do them. Then when I divorced with two young kids, after years of having 2 dishwashers, I was a few months without in a temporary rental. I bought cardboard plates and plastic cups... So I only had to wash the cutlery, pots & pans. Yep, that bad. Of course I have a dishwasher again.

People who have food allergies should always tell this to the hostess, in advance! No one wants to kill their guest. But having someone sitting at my table, telling me they can't eat shrimp, is not fun! Is it too much to mention that when you accept the reservation? Must I really mother my guests and enquire about their food allergies/intolerances/dislikes? You have a problem, you mention it. I am happy to cater to anyone's needs. When I have time to plan for it.
I'm getting coconut oil. It sounds great.

I'm Belgian. We only have unpasteurized eggs here. And we have lots of recipes with raw eggs. Adding a raw egg yolk to mashed potatoes or rice pudding is typical and is even given to small children. My mother always made mayonnaise. We have never had food poisoning. Vinegar is a natural preservative. Use very fresh eggs. Keep the mayo refrigerated, only take out what you need. It should keep for about a week or 2 at least. Color change or change of smell indicate the mayo is off. Anyway, I prefer a quality commercial mayo (no preservatives, no additives, just the basic ingredients). But if I am out, I know how to make it :)

I'm not for fur, but having lived in Canada, I understand how cold it can get. And fur makes a difference. A secondhand fur coat should be acceptable. I have a fox fur hat that I bought whilst living in Canada 25 years ago (it was still quite acceptable then to wear fur). It still looks new. And if it is minus 10 or colder and need to go on a long walk, I would not hesitate to wear it. Now wearing a fur coat in Monte Carlo is absolutely ridiculous, and is definitely cruelty against animals. There is no excuse to wear fur when the climate does not justify it.

I bought a silver one for my then 12 year old daughter Xmas 2009. She loves it! Her first design piece. My son got the Dark Spacewalker lamp for his desk.

My 17 year old son is going to boarding school, he'll have his own room with bed, wardrobe, desk & sink, communal showers & toilets. They have a lounge area with a kitchen. Thanks for the great tips here, like showering with flip flops. I never had that problem in my student years, but I guess times have changed.

Coming from chocolate spread (Nutella & other) country Belgium, we never put this in the fridge. How would you spread it on bread? Jam also does not have to go in the fridge, unless it is low sugar. And if it grows mold, just scoop it off. Same with cheeses: if they grow mold: just cut it off. You can eat cheese weeks after the sell by date without any worries! (not talking about processed cheese which I know nothing about, I'm talking about real cheese). Cheese like Camembert, Brie, Roquefort should ideally be kept in a cool place like a cellar, that has no odors (like fuel) which could contaminate the cheese. If I know the cheese will be eaten within a week, I will store it in the cellar. And yes, this goes for RAW milk cheeses! We never get sick. It is safe. The flavour is so much better. If I have lots of left over pieces of cheese or hardened pieces of cheese, I use it to make a quiche. And any other leftovers (meat, veggies) can go in that too :)

I sold my semi-professional 5 stove gas cooker with double electrical oven, because I have no gas at my new house. And I really miss this cooker. It all depends on where your passion lies. And cooking is one of my biggest ones. I still dream of a Kitchen Aid robot, which I know I will use a lot (for baking, etc). But there are certainly kitchen gadgets that are a total waste. I think my biggest problem lies in the rest of the house. The pressure of having nice things to show off. I spent so much money on nice china, silver dishes, glasses, silver cutlery,... Even though I do a lot of entertaining, my friends really don't care if I have mismatched plates and dishes. They just love the food that is on it! They also do not care about my collection of antique furniture. And for me, to move it around (7 times in the past 10 years) is just a hassle! I donate or sell books, because a big library is not a necessity, more of a show off. I sold most of my gold jewelry - the price is high!- to start traveling again. In the end, you have to think about where your passion lies, and put your money in there. Not to impress other people. Just for yourself, and your loved ones.