Don & Dandy: Funky interior objects made fun

Do you want to make your life more colorful?

We definitely do. And we are always looking for inspiration to breathe more of it into our apartments - and this blog.

This is why we were delighted to interview the duo behind Don & Dandy!

Freshly created in 2022 by sister duo Liša and Cira, Don & Dandy is an intersection of the fun and functional curating a vibrant selection of funky interior objects.

From showcasing up-cycled and handcrafted projects, curating vintage findings and inspiring their community with interior imagination, Don & Dandy is a space of charming creativity and girl power.

Lischa and Cira - we love your Instagram feed, especially all the colorful rugs. How to choose the right rug for your apartment? Any insider tips? :-)

“Thank you! We really appreciate positive feedback and do hope we inspire people with what we do and create. The rugs have been a passion project of Cira in Berlin, escaping from a stressful daily life into a world full of colors, expression and craft.

So we usually experiment and pick up colors we can already find in the room. We make sure that in the rug design we give these colors the dedicated space in order to create the right balance with the overall aesthetic. Also, we are always looking to create atypical shapes to really make each piece stand out.

Then again, you know we love colors, and the more the better. The rugs we make are quite “eye-catching” both, in color and shape, so in the end it’s just about your own taste, how much you love colors and how bold your interior style is.

Below you can find some of our favorite projects so far.”

Where do you start when you go about decorating your living room?

“That’s a tricky question, as we approached both spaces, Berlin and Milan, quite differently.

In Berlin it was all about replacing or up-cycling existing furniture with funkier key pieces we found on eBay or flea markets. We have gone with the flow, so whenever an object inspired us, we took it home and consequently found the perfect spot for it. Some examples would be the vintage chrome ETAGAIR shelves or the now blue wooden sideboard, which we up-cycled to a super cool interior piece.

For our Milan home, which is still a WIP, we did quite some brainstorming and put together a mood board that shows the color palette, key designer pieces, as well as up-cycled projects and where to place our own handcrafted objects, such as cubes and rugs.

Overall, we are advocates of colors and objects, a colorful and filled room has so much more stories to tell. Our home is a form of self-expression, you enter the room and you can tell who we are and what we manifest: freedom, energy and lots of fun.”

What is a cool “funky home object” that every interior lover should have at home?

“We would definitely go for Gustaf Westman’s Chunky Cups. We really identify with his aesthetics. Wherever you place his cup it just elevates the table setting.

If we think of a big bigger item, then we would probably go for the Roly Poly Armchair by DRIADE. We love the linear shape and the pastel pink. It just has the funky and cool vibe, we like.

Then again, we love going thrifting both, online and in the city. That said, we believe everyone should have at least one beloved vintage piece at home. One of our faves is the space age Fagerhult lamp from the 70ies, we hunted down this beauty for a very good deal.”

Where to shop interior accessories online?

“Our go-to destination is eBay Kleinanzeigen for any vintage finds or up-cycling projects. Then, we really enjoy finding and supporting local small business and brands. For print works, we love the designs of Natalia Lisinicchia (@natalialisinicchia) , a wonderful human being, we met her on Formentera. Her point of view on feminism and the female body is really inspiring.

Lola Mayeras (@lolamayeras) is a wonderful destination to scroll through when looking for extra-ordinary interior accessories. The colorful and playful ceramics from South of France really elevate every space.

We recently hosted a dinner in the lands of Uckermarck, which is a beautiful piece of nature outside of Berlin. Our table setting was flawless and mainly decorated with designs by small businesses. We can deeply recommend to check out Joyful Tables (@joyful_tables), Mare Maakt (@maremaakt) and Stences (@stencesdesign), their tableware is just wonderful.”

Can you tell us your favorite inspo Instagram accounts?

“We take inspiration from many platforms not just Instagram, but these are some of the accounts that we find most inspiring.”

@adenwang - we like the mix and match of different interior styles in one space.
@sussiefrank - very elegant aesthetic with a touch of pastel colors.
@livingbylo - we love how she gets playful with linear and organic shapes.
@daniklaric - good vibes, colors and a lot fun.
@gustafwestman - we are absolute fans of Gustaf Westman objects - bold and funky, yet very chic.

Your top 3 tips when it comes to upcycle secondhand furniture?

“First, be patient. You are not going to find cool stuff each time you open the app or go thrifting. The beauty of it is when you get really excited once you found the perfect piece. Here some keywords to start with:

Space age - Mid century - 70s - 60s - Kartell - Bauhaus - Panton - Retro - Chrome

Second, stay inspired. Go out, meet friends, read, do research, create mood boards, go to exhibitions and art galleries, share your ideas, open up. The more you share the more ideas will return to you and you will see things from a different perspective. Now, we see potential in objects, which we would have never noted months ago.

Third, enjoy the process. Don’t rush to finish, but enjoy the WIP phase. Make sure you get all the right tools and materials and create your dedicated working space. If it will take one or two days longer, it doesn’t matter - important is you enjoy the making of it and end up with a piece you’ll love.“