the bargain book shop

when a friend told me he was going to open a pop-up store in december, and it was going to be a shop for discounted illustrated books, i thought: oh that's going to be dangerous --- for me!

and it is indeed. i could spend hours browsing the architecture, art, design and photography books, leafing through their thick pages, mulling over which ones to get. i'm really quite partial to some steidl books i have seen, and some architecture tomes, and a book on japanese art, and... most of them are half price, which makes it very difficult to stay reasonable. you may well set out to get a xmas present and end up sneaking in an extra book (or two) for yourself into the shopping bag.

good to know: the books are from all over the world, a big proportion of them in english.

the shop is open one month only (until dec 31, 2011). don't miss it!

find it here: the bargain book shop, immanuelkirchstr. 33, 10405 berlin (prenzlauer berg), open mon-sat 12-20h (sun closed), closest station: tram M2, knaackstrasse, the shop's website, on facebook

++++ UPDATE ++++

the bargain book shop will now permanently reside at this address!

++++ UPDATE ++++

kolor berlin

berlin has seen a veritable flood of design shops in the past years, but less than a handful, it seems to me, are original. kolor is different. true, it's small, and you will have to walk five minutes from schoenhauser allee station, but it's so worth it.

kolor berlin is a design studio with a little shop in the front room, which doubles as showroom for the duo's interior design practice. every month, a product is featured, the stock is growing by and by. but give me a small hand-picked selection over swamps of pointless tat anytime.

my faves are without doubt their light features - coloured light cords with simple bulbs, hanging from the ceiling like an art installation. simple table lamps with black, white or copper bases, or lights you can stick between the books on your shelves. i'm also partial to the neon colour theme currently running through various objects, from paper clips to necklaces and luxuriously upcycled desks.

while kolor doesn't run a fully fledged online store yet, you can email them at order(at)kolor.de to enquire about availability, price and shipping of anything you see here or on their site. english spoken.

if in berlin, you should absolutely come to take a look. this is the kind of place where you'll find something to take home for your friends, but most likely something for yourself.

find them here: kolor berlin, kopenhagener str. 64, 10437 berlin / prenzlauer berg. nearest s-bahn/u-bahn/tram stop: schoenhauser allee. phone +49 (0) 30 - 231 801 46, currently open mon-fri 12-19 h. closed sat and sun. enquiries about price, availability and shipping under order(at)kolor.de

save the date (and some euros)

soon i will be on holiday, but before i quickly wanted to let you know about two things:

the summer fest at LCB (literary colloquium berlin) in wannsee is coming up fast. sadly, i won't be in town this year, but i have the most wonderful memories about it. the building itself, less than a 5-min walk from the s-bahn station in wannsee, is a rather grand castle'esque villa on a sloped site on the lake. walk around the villa and enjoy the view, the stands where (often small indie) publishers present their books, the atmosphere. food and drinks will be available too. walk down the steepish slope to stand by the water and watch the boats sail by.

readings and books in german, but even if you don't speak german, it's lovely to go.

sommerfest at LCB (literary colloquium)
saturday, 20 august 2011, from 15.30 Uhr
this year's guest of honour: klett-cotta verlag and authors
more info here.

the second thing is for all gardeners and plant lovers:

if you've ever been to the mauerpark fleamarket, you'll be familiar with the garden outlet just by the entrance to the fleamarket site (entrance at bernauer strasse). until the end of august, they are clearing all stock for their summer break. all plants are 50% off. when i was there, i got some herbs and was eyeing some big hydrangeas (which will flower year after year, even if they are past their bloom for this). hurry!

summer sale at blumen und pflanzen wunder
bernauer strasse 52, 13355 berlin, open daily - don't know the exact times, but go between 12.00 and 17.00 and you should be on the safe side!

p.s.: if you go and buy plants, do take a picture and post a link in the comments, i'd love that!

richard long: berlin circle

there's still a chance to see it:

richard long: berlin circle, at hamburger bahnhof, museum of contemporary art, until july 31, 2011, open tues-fri 10-18h, sat 11-20h, sun 11-18h, mon closed.

if you go, don't forget to stop by the bookshop. you know: pledge to read the printed word and all that.

konk (revisited)

konk always seems to me like a peaceful island in the middle of the bustle of mitte. the entire shop is a gesamtkunstwerk, the colours, textures and cuts of the clothes are truly something else, the jewellery is fragile and unusual, sometimes chunky and a statement piece, and the accessories, namely their bags and scarves, are something i'd have a hard time choosing from.

what makes this boutique even more interesting, is the fact that it specialises in berlin fashion labels (check out their website for a list of represented designers) and that owner ettina berrios-negrón is a designer herself and currently working on her own line.

most beautiful are the mobiles floating under the high ceiling and the black chalk drawing of a little wood, covering the walls of the changing room.

find it on: kleine hamburger str. 15, 10117 berlin (mitte), phone 030-28 09 78 39, open mon-fri 12.00-20.00 h, sat 12.00-18.00h, sun closed

save the date: victoria met albert

if you're like me and don't know how to possibly get all those gifts together in time (as annoyingly there's also some work to do), you might want to note victoria met albert's special sunday opening times: on sunday 5 dec and sunday 19 dec, the shop will be open from 13-19 h, and since it's most certainly winter here (you should see the snow!), tea and coffee will be served.

save the date: special opening times at victoria met albert, dunckerstr. 81, 10437 berlin (prenzlauer berg / on helmholtzplatz), sun 5 dec & sun 19 dec, 13-19 h.

victoria met albert

you know how rare it is to find a shop that could be your one-stop place, don't you? i think this one could be it. victoria met albert is run by a brit/german couple and sells not only super nice gift items and decorative things, but also carries brands like sessún, french connection, lee jeans - you get the idea. a huge bonus is that they offer both women's and men's clothes and shoes. i really fell for some of the knitted jumpers, some shoes, the scrabble mugs and their most precious selection of jewellery. santa, will you bring me a victoria met albert voucher, please?

go, go, go.

find it here: victoria met albert, dunckerstr. 81, 10437 berlin (prenzlauer berg/on helmholtzplatz), phone:+49 30 4467 4772, open mo-sat 11-20 h.

farmers' market seelower strasse

to whoever had the idea of having a farmers' market on seelower strasse: thank you! that certainly was an inspired move and a real alternative to the crowded market on kollwitzplatz.

i love strolling down the - still tiny - market, buying organic heirloom tomatoes, red chard, apples, jam and flowers. have a chat with the stall holders and round it all up with an armful of beautiful flowers and a coffee at sgaminegg, right next to the stalls, marvelling at my finds.

if you happen to live in the neighbourhood or visit prenzlauer berg: do come here. every customer is appreciated and we need markets like this!

oh, and before i forget - there are also stalls selling fresh fish, others for meat or for cheese. at sgaminegg, you can also have lunch, and buy fresh bread and wine.

famers' market on seelower strasse, sat 10.00-16.00 h

find it here: seelower strasse (between daenenstrasse and schivelbeiner strasse), prenzlauer berg, 10439 berlin. public transport: schoenhauser allee, walk into daenenstrasse, take the first street to the right and you're there. less than 5 mins walk from the station.

möbelkombinat berlin

i found möbelkombinat by chance, just riding my bike, on my way to mitte. it's basically located between mauerpark and arkona platz fleamarkets, however not open on market days (sundays). 

what struck me most were the big statement lights - some real beauties that would easily make a whole room. a bit like a perfect pair of shoes that instantly transforms some jeans and a t-shirt into something very special indeed. there were some lovely teak chairs and side tables, and a most dramatic, sculptural light installation in brass that somehow reminded me of the big wall ornament in the writer's living room in das leben der anderen (the live of others). the only downside: if you fall for something that's bigger than your average bike basket or cabin trolley, you'll have to arrange transport yourself, they don't deliver. but you know, if you really want that sofa - where there's a will...

+++ PLEASE NOTE: MÖBELKOMBINAT IS CLOSED. THE SHOP DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. +++

find it here: möbelkombinat, wolliner straße 18-19, 10435 berlin (prenzlauer berg/mitte), phone: +40 (0) 30 51051 1234, open mon-sat 9.00-21.00 h

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pro qm bookshop

have you ever been to a bookshop specialising in urbanism, politics, pop, architecture, design, art and theory? or ever wondered if such a place exists? well, it does. a whole bookshop, shelf after shelf filled with mind-blowing interesting, challenging reads. it's situated in mitte, not far from hackescher markt, and even closer to rosa-luxemburg-platz, but a little hidden. you may want to take a look at the map on their website to help you find it. it's worth the trip! oh, due to the profile of the shop, lots of their stock is in english, by the way. and of course they will help you find books and/or order them for you.

they also host events like book launches, panel discussions and the like. just sign up for their newsletter (which comes in german and english, even though the website is exclusively in german).

find it here: pro qm bookshop, almstadtstr. 48-50, 10110 berlin (mitte), phone: +49 (0)30 247 285 20, email: info(at)pro-qm.de, open mon-sat 11.00-20.00 h

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anna chron

for a small, handpicked selection of vintage furniture, lamps, glass, porcelain and soft furnishings, head for anna chron. the tiny shop in prenzlauer berg, tucked away in a side street off schönhauser allee, is only open on selected days. that being said, you can also call for an interior design consultation or to have curtains made to measure from new or vintage material. don't miss this little gem.

find it here: anna chron möbelsalon, kopenhagener str. 64, 10437 berlin (prenzlauer berg), phone 0178 1661468, open tues + thurs 14.00-19.00 h. for appointments and consultations, call 0178 1661468