An Architect's Delightfully Calm Copenhagen Home (And It's On Airbnb Too!)

When you go on holiday do your prefer an airbnb or a hotel? - Or perhaps something in between? When travelling with the crazies I prefer an airbnb but when it's just Per and I - I'd more likely opt for a hotel (or a romantic B&B!) - mainly because I love a good breakfast buffet! But then I discover Airbnb apartments like this one in Copenhagen. Owned by an architect, the three-bedroom apartment is situated on one of the capital's most sought after streets and features beautiful sky-blue walls, light wood features and a blend of antique and new nordic design pieces. Who's to say you can't nip to the local bakery and pick up a fantastic wienerbrød (Danish pastry) and freshly brewed coffee to go in the morning?! The next time I'm in Denmark's capital city, I'm totally checking in here - and I might just never leave! Could you imagine staying here too? 

Mayor Aj5 sofa, Formakami pendant*

"Both architects, we transformed this historic apartment into a comfortable and calm home. With a focus on natural and luxurious materials, we have allowed the history of the place to inspire the design."

Circle pendant shade, Georg Jensen pitcher*

I love the backsplash. I spotted something similar in this magical Norwegian mountain cabin. You can create a similar one by treating a sheet of copper with acid for an aged look.  

"The apartments finished with a mixture of mid-century Scandinavian furniture, contemporary furniture, auction finds, and pieces from Justine's home in South Africa."

Copper clothes hanger* (similar)

Isn't it beautiful? I love the sky blue and copper touches in particular. 

If you're visiting Copenhagen and would like to hang out here for a while, the apartment is available through Airbnb right here.

Fancy exploring some other Airbnb options in Scandi-land? Here are a few I've got my eye on:

Two idyllic Danish cabins
A beautiful apartment in Bergen (love this!)
A hygge Danish log cabin near the sea
An off-the-grid getaway on an island in the Helsinki archipelagos
A romantic lakeside schoolhouse in Sweden

Quite a varied list, I must say! Which would you choose?

I've got to hurry home from there studio now as a local Malmö paper is coming to my house for a home story - so fun! God knows how the kids left it this morning but I'm pretty sure there's a lot of tidying up to be done. Gah! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Airbnb found via Nordic Design with thanks

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Take a tour of a lovely traditional Swedish Skånelänge

I live in Skåne (or 'Scania' in English), Sweden's southernmost county. Once a seabed, the land is made up of flat farmland thanks to the rich, fertile soil. The countryside is knotted with Skånelänge - traditional farmhouses built in a U-shaped or four sides around an inner courtyard - which are sheltered from the wind whipping across the fields. I had the pleasure of visiting one for my book and today I thought I'd share this lovely home dating back to the 1850's, currently for sale (hurry!). Located near Ystad (aka Wallander country!), the home has been beautifully renovated in soft whites and greys and decorated with simple, traditional furniture. The ceilings have been removed to reveal an A-frame roof and the stairs wrap around a magnificent fireplace. In the distance you can just make out the baltic coast. I think it's about time we took a tour don't you?!

Fastighetsbyrån

Oh so lovely. It makes me wonder if I could move to the countryside - how about you?! It would be rude to not go to the viewing....at least?!

I love a copper bath - and we're seeing more and more of them in homes right now (like the one in Malin's relaxed boho home !). For similar try these vintage copper bathtubs or check out this french antique copper bath currently for sale on Etsy - wow, just wow!

A few other items from this home I love - vintage terracotta plant pots,  long rustic bench, traditional swedish farmhouse table, dark grey linen curtains. IKEA pendant lamps. Keep an eye out for Swedish antique / Gustavian style dining tables on Ebay.

You can see more of this lovely home here. 

I've featured a few lovely Skånelänge's here before including this pared-back home. And although not a Skånelänge, I also love the A-frame ceilings in this stunning Skåne home!

Have a lovely day!

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Guest post: 2013 interior trends

Hi I'm Mette from Make Living blog...New year and new energy. Do you feel the same? As always this time of year I like to look at what interior designers think will be the trend for the year. Even if I don´t follow it all the way, but a lot of inspiration for a new fresh year. Therefore I “took a walk” in the cyberspace and found some interior designers that has shared what they think will be the hot stuff year 2013.

One of the sources for interior trends is Swedish Formex and the Milan furniture fair. Camilla Julner at “Vi i Villa” has met with some experts and have summarized some trends below.

• Use the colour grey as a base colour and complement with “dirty” or washed out pastels
• Lamps with an industrial feeling is still a trend
• Change silver to brass, copper and bronze
• Dare to mix brave patterns or don´t use patterns to get an elegant look.
• Use textiles such as curtains to get a soft feeling in your home
• Dare to use black with black

Washed out pastels

Copper lamp

Grey colour as a base

Black with black

Pictures from 1: Via Items by Designbird, 2&3: vtwonen, 4:Tumblr

Louise Karlsten from Colour House, a company that works a lot with trends also emphasize that our homes will more and more be influenced by the trips we have made to other countries. To reuse and combine old with new interior is still a trend as well as washed out colours.

Lotta Ahlvar, VD at Svenska Moderådet summarize the coming years with that more and more people question the behaviour buying and then throwing away their belongings. The simplicity and the nature influences us a lot, and that we will see with more natural colours together with white and material such as concrete. Transparent glass, rough wood together with colours such as white, grey and beige is also a trend for 2013. Lotta also mention that brass is very popular in general in interior design and industrial lamps.

So much inspiration for 2013!  What plans do you have for 2013 and have you seen any special trends so far that you will bring in to your home? I just feel like start changing already. How about you? At home we have starting to plan for our new guest room. That and other journeys I will share with you at Make-Living and as always...some DIY. Some DIY projects that I made during 2012 you can find at the blog such as the outdoor sofa, the cloth stand and the magazine shelf.

Have a lovely day all!

/Mette

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A new find for my home!

I made an exciting discovery this week. I've been planning a new nook in my sitting room and looking for something fab to break up the white walls. My search led me to these beautiful handmade mobiles. Sold through Lappalainen, each mobile is handmade to order in the couple's studio in an old warehouse building in Hanau near Frankfurt, Germany. The designs include brass dot, black brass, copper copper and mobile brass (my favourite) as well as plenty of other versions. What a find?! Oh and they ship worldwide too - perfect!

Picture credits: 1. Aurelie Lecuyer (take a peek inside her wonderful home here).  2 and 3. Saar Manche (who's beautiful home I once featured here) 4. wij zijn kees 

I can't wait to receive it in the post!

Could you imagine having one of these in your home?

You can see more inspiration / mobiles in action over on Instagram and in their wonderful Etsy shop.

Happy weekend!

PS this Pinterest board has been my main source of inspiration - I knew all that 'nook' and 'daybed' pinning would come in handy one day!

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A Swedish city pad in monochrome and copper

On Friday I was dreaming about spending the weekend in this rustic Norwegian cabin, weren't you?! And now, it's back to the city just in time for the start of a new week. This one bedroom monochrome and copper themed space in Gothenburg is a feast for the eyes, there's just so much to look at! I love the variety of light fixtures, the kakelugn (tiled oven) and touch of spring in the hallway.  Thank you 55 Kvadrat, you've brightened up the start of my week.

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

55 Kvadrat

Is there anything you love in particular about this Swedish space?

I love the white floor. I must have shown over 200 homes on here with white floors and never had one of my own. So I thought it was about time! I'm in the process of painting my top floor (and bedroom) white (you can see the work in progress here). I promise to create a post once it's finished. I must say, it's been such a tiring couple of the days - who needs the gym when you have a floor to sand, wash and paint?! Have you got a white floor in your home?

See more pictures and a plan of this lovely black and white apartment over at Kvadrat55.

More wonderful black and white homes here, here and here.

Have a great day!

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A Breathtaking Home That Celebrates Slow Living

Do you sometimes find that you walk (or click) into a shop and love absolutely everything you lay your eyes on? That's how I feel about INGREDIENTS LDN. Owned by Nina and Craig Plummer, the boutique interior and lifestyle store celebrates a slower pace of living. "It's about taking time to do things with care and intention," Nina says. "It’s a recognition of the importance that time and attention play in enabling us to savour the small moments that give everyday life meaning and value." The duo's incredible Georgian apartment in Edinburgh shares the same simple, calm and organic feel. I asked Nina to describe the renovation and décor in her own words.

"Last year we moved into an old Georgian apartment with beautiful proportions and large windows but with little else going for it. Pretty much every corner was in need of complete renovation. Several spaces had been subdivided during the 1960s which disrupted the carefully considered Georgian proportions."

"What is now the kitchen had actually been divided into three separate cramped, dark spaces. We set about renovating and restoring the entire apartment, including removing walls and moving bathrooms. We are only just approaching the end of the long renovation phase with some work still going on and much of the furniture and décor still to be added."

"Our home was renovated and decorated in line with the ethos of our store INGREDIENTS LDN. We used natural materials such as linen, wool, ceramics and bare wood. We also used materials that acquire a patina over time such as brass or copper and a neutral, calming colour palette."

"Our kitchen was made using sustainably harvested wood and natural marble that ages beautifully, with brass and copper finishes. Most of our furniture is vintage and the details and finishing touches are a combination of vintage items and the artisan-made items we offer in our store."

"The use of natural rather than synthetic materials is the central aspect that binds both the visual aesthetic of our store and our home together. Using this value as a guiding light helped us to achieve the calming space we were after, that could serve both as my studio and as a peaceful place for my husband and myself to retreat to."  

 

"Our home is still very much a work in progress but we want to let it evolve slowly and naturally with time and use. Our home is where we rest and recharge, but it also serves as my place of work and the backdrop for our business. The fact that we can fulfill the various needs of our business and our personal lives in one space is what I love most about it."

"All of the products we offer in our store pass through our hands, many of them are used by us on a daily basis so that we can truly understand their merits and unique qualities. As we continue to discover, test and add new unique products and artisan made goods to our range, I am sure our home too will continue to evolve in interesting ways."

Thank you so much for inviting us into your breathtaking Edinburgh home Nina!

Looking through the pictures I was immediately transported back to my days at  The University of Edinburgh - my flatmates and I lived in a few different Georgian apartments, but they didn't look quite like this (there were traffic cones in the hallway for starters....). If you've never been to this Scottish city it's definitely one for the travel list!

For more inspiration you can also read their online journal and follow along on instagram (I'm an avid follower of both!). And of course get the look by shopping away at INGREDIENTS LDN!

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular? 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

I've finished my design talks on the Scandinavian cruise and we're now Dover bound! So looking forward to giving my family a stor kram (big hug) back in Sweden!


Photography courtesy of INGREDIENTS LDN.

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My Dream Bed (In The Making!)

Post updated:

A psychologist friend of mine told me recently that one of the keys to success in life is self-care. I'm not just brushing your teeth in the morning - really looking after yourself. Taking breaks, putting aside time for the things you love and generally pampering the soul! Do you do enough of this? Having ended 2017 feeling a little run down, I decided to make this the year I am kinder to myself - and the first item on my list was getting a better night's sleep! Thanks to the Swedish luxury brand Carpe Diem Beds - and an instagram stories poll last month (so grateful for all your input!) I have finally decided on a new bed: Sandö.

Sandö is a continental bed named after an island in the beautiful Gothenburg archipelago.  What makes Sandö so comfortable are its three unique interacting spring systems that raise your sleep and ensure you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud. It also includes the patented Carpe Diem Beds Contour System, which looks after the body's contours and its protruding parts, such as shoulders, hips and buttocks. Combined with the depth of the spring system, this gives a feeling of weightlessness that must be experience (read more about the Contour Pocket System here). We're talking Princess and The Pea style comfort here! The question is, will I ever be able to get out of bed in the morning?!

The next step was to build it (each bed is handcrafted which means you get to choose all the details including mattress firmness, fabric, headboard and legs).  As someone into design, I couldn't be happier about this!

Getting Cosy!

According to The Sleep Help Institute, choosing the right firmness plays a huge role in getting a good night's sleep and reducing aches and pains.  

When choosing the firmness, there are several factors to consider including your own personal perception of comfort, your weight (the heavier you are, generally the firmer the mattress and vice versa) and your sleep position (whether you sleep on your back, side or front can have an impact on the firmness you choose - who knew?!). Since mattresses can vary between brands it's best to discuss this at the point of sale / directly with the brand.

Deciding On Fabric

I've never owned a continental bed before and love the idea of being able to choose a fabric that feels good and matches my room! Being a Brit I couldn't resist the fabric designed in collaboration with Designers Guild! I opted for the non-allergic Zaragoza eggshell, a soft chenille that I think will go well with the chestnut and blushing peach tones in my bedroom and adjoining home office.

But what about the headboard? Well, I can't tell you how much I'd LOVE an upholstered headboard (do you have one?) - they always look so comfortable! Alas, with our low bedroom window it just wasn't possible, so I opted for two plump headboard cushions made from the same fabric as the bed (available in store soon!).

And finally the legs - being a nature-lover, this was the easiest choice of all (despite a variety of styles and finishes such as copper and black aluminium) I went for the 13 cm OAK legs.

Something tells me I'm going to be a new person once this one arrives!

Have a cosy day,

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Carpe Diem Beds, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. You can find out more information about Carpe Diem Beds and their dealers here.

Photography courtesy of Carpe Diem Beds.

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