Last year we presented Maison Casagiu, made up of 4 different independant companies. Now we would like to introduce Giselle, an independent interior architect and founder of GEM Design Studio.
Originally from South Africa, she spent the first 30 years of her life living in close proximity to the Kruger National Park. She married a Swiss-Italian, but before settling in Switzerland they spent a few years in the United States.
She studied and worked in the field of industrial psychology, but always had a passion for finding the most functional layouts for spaces. After testing the water with a decorating course with KLC School of Design in London, she completed her certificate in interior architecture with the Swiss Design Center in Lausanne.
She is a firm believer the home should be a soothing and harmonious place, where her clients and their families can work, play and unwind. She particularly focuses on functional spaces, that are able to evolve with the changing needs of the client and the individual family members. Without being a slave to trends, her objective is to bring originality and richness to each project, not only with the choice of furnishings, lighting and art, but also with the use of a natural palette of materials and textures.
Genève et ses places, a recent book by Cyrille Wohlschlag, was published in December 2024. We asked 180º éditions about their latest publication and they have offered one copy to one of our readers in the competition below!
Not only is the book of 112 pages extremely picturesque, but you will find out about the historic value of each of these 57 places in Geneva!
Right away, let's set the scene! If you can't stand still, if you can't stand standing still, if you like to wander from square to square, then this book is for you.
As you can see, this book takes you on a voyage of discovery through Geneva's squares, spiralling from the center to the periphery, from the city to the countryside.
So, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats! Place du marché, place de la gare, place de l'église, it's the center of the neighborhood, the place to meet, to socialize, to live.
A square is wherever there's space, it's the place to be. Sometimes they're called rond-point, esplanade, square, courtyard and, in Geneva, there's even a plateau, a perron and above all a plaine, as well as a rondeau, which is in Carouge.
As soon as I saw Swiss Accent, I sent my congratulations about this jewelry with a Swiss touch to Mathilde! Not only will our English-speaking readers who live in the Lake Geneva area appreciate finding out more about this, but so will anyone who loves and supports Swiss images.
Between the Swiss flag or outline of Switzerland (SwissMap), you can also choose a key (representing Geneva) or go with an all-purpose cheese fondue symbol! These are very easy to send through the mail to your families overseas as well! Mathilde and Romain are offering a discount on any purchases made through Christmas, read below.
What has been the inspiration?
Swiss Accent was born out of a deep love for Switzerland and the beauty of its heritage. Romain, my partner, initially created the GenevaKey and SwissFlag bracelets as symbols of Swiss pride. Then, in early 2024, we decided to revive these iconic pieces together and add two new designs: SwissMap and SwissFondue. Our goal was to capture the essence of Switzerland in unique, stylish jewelry that people could carry with them every day.
Romain and I are both Swiss and currently live in Geneva. We also both have dual nationalities: Romain is Canadian, and I am French. Additionally, we are married, which makes this adventure even more special for us!
When we heard that Lindsey Williamson just published a new walking guide for the Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) area, we immediately asked her to give us some background. And she has offered a copy of the book in a competition (see below). In her book, Border to Border: A guide to walking the length of the Lac Léman, she has identified 18 different walks, easily accessed by public transport, with maps and highlights to take into account.
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
In 1989, my mother wrote a hiking book for the Geneva American Women’s Club called The Happy Wanderer, so you could say it runs in the family! And, as you know, I co-wrote the first Know-it-all passport in 1999 with Lisa!
We are so lucky to live in this incredibly beautiful place with the lake, mountains and vineyards! As I get older I definitely want to spend less time behind my screen and more time out in nature! So I love to write and I love to walk, it made sense to combine the two!
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
During the summer of 2020, when we were unable to socialize or travel because of the pandemic, I started going on longs walks. I love the lake and decided I wanted to find as many walks as I could along the lakeside or at least with a view of the lake, but while I could find a few, I would then get lost as the path moved away from the lake. I was frustrated. How could I get from A to B? If I follow this little yellow walking sign where do I end up? How do I avoid the main roads?
I am also in my 60s now... no excuse as I’m pretty fit, but I don’t like to walk uphill and I’m also not fond of driving so I decide to solve my own problem and design my own hiking trail from one end of the lake to the other, without too much uphill paths, and being accessible by public transport was obviously very important!
Lisa's flower mandala cushions will be on sale this weekend as well as other items
With all the holiday markets leading up to Christmas, it is hard to know which one to attend. You will surely find what you are looking for at any of them ranging from decorative items, handmade greeting cards, jams, cookies, clothing, knitted or crocheted items, stained glass, and candles. Have a look at our Events Calendar to see other markets.
Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman, author of Know-it-all passport®, and teacher of all creative things at Coffee and Creations, will be participating in only one market this year. It will be the Marché de Noël de Bellevue, just outside of Geneva.
