The beautiful (and inspiring) kitchen of an interior designer

You can guess that someone who works in the world of interiors is likely to have a pretty great home. And my friend interior stylist Genevieve Jorn's is a fine example of this! You probably recognise the name as we often work together on projects and I love visiting her apartment in Malmö (as you can imagine!). A few months ago I featured her work space, and this week I thought I'd share a tour of her fab kitchen. Despite being a rental space and a fairly narrow kitchen with some awkward angles, she's been able to do so much with a few small updates, great items and lots of imagination. For example, a large window at the end of the room floods the space with light and bounces of a wall which Gen has painted in mat black and used as a gallery wall. And I love the little bistro table with just enough space for an afternoon fika (that stool!), the way the hanging plant catches the light, the row of hooks used for tea towels, and an iron trolley for extra storage - so inspiring! Let's take a peek...

Photography: Me, Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home). Home-owner / styling: Genevieve Jorn

Such a lovely space don't you think?! The plants, wood and textiles bring just the right amount of warmth. And trust me, it's such a great place to sit and enjoy Gen's freshly baked pumpkin bread with her and her little girl, Olivia.

Get the look from Gen's kitchen: 

1. Wall rack and hooks 2. linen table cloth 3.  Iron shelf on wheels 4. Tea towels 5. AURA wall lamp 6. Cast iron pot 7. Cast iron pan 8. Olive kitchen brush, spoon and whisk  9. cast iron tea pot 10. Black wood stool. Although not featured in the montage - I also love this round chopping board and sign.

More kitchen inspiration for the weekend: two Swedish kitchens, a French kitchen with a modern twist (this space had you divided), and a Scandinavian inspired Bulgarian kitchen (great light fixture!).

I'm so excited that Halloween is just around the corner - did you spot the green pumpkin in Gen's kitchen? First one to find it and comment gets a surprise from Nordal in the post (don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you)! If you're thinking of making something pumpkin-based this weekend you might want to take inspiration from these pumpkin pancakes - and that setting?! - beeeeautiful! I like the look of this pumpkin cheesecake too yuuuum!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend -  the clocks going back here mean we get a whole extra hours lie-in - LOVE that! If I'm lucky I might even get this (here's hoping....)!

See you Monday!

PS Since I'm in London for the kids half term there'll be a few less posts next week but I will be dipping in and out so definitely stop by!

This post was created in collaboration with the fab Danish online store Nordal, selling unique furniture and decor. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and know you will too! Thank you for supporting the brands that enable me to create fresh content for you to enjoy.

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In Malmö, Gen's Inspiring Home Office / Guest Room Refresh

It's been a while since I visited Gen - and it's always fun as she's constantly updating her home! This time it was her home office that's been given the make-over treatment. For those of you who are new to My Scandinavian Home, Genevieve Jorn (@genevievejorn) is an ÜBER talented Canadian interior designer living in Malmö. I've been lucky enough to collaborate with Gen many times over the years.  I captured her home office a few years back. As beautiful as it was, it was fairly dark, and this room is quite narrow and doesn't get a whole lot of light. Recently, Gen replaced heavier dark details with soft, neutral textiles and touches of light wood and rattan and it has made a huge difference! A large white ergonomic desk stands in the centre of the room. The space also serves as a guest bedroom when friends and family are in town and when they're not, the bed becomes a perfect place for afternoon siestas or a quiet spot to read! I took my camera along to snap a few pictures...

Isn't it lovely? I seriously could have stayed all week (taking the occasional nap on the daybed!), it felt so serene!

If you're considering converting a room in your home into an office / guest bedroom I hope it's given you lots of inspiration! Here's the low down on where some of the items are from:

GET THE LOOK

1. Studio Paradissi Pebbleface 04*
2. George and Willy Studio Roller
3. Ikea Ivar Cabinet
4. Grupa Arigato Table Lamp
5. Ikea Skarsta Desk
6. Ikea Långfjåll Chair
7. Studio Paradissi Abstract 402
8. SandSnow Linen White Linen Curtains*
9. H&M Bamboo Mirror
10. Tell More off-white Linen
11. Ab Småland Crinkle Sand Sheets
12. Gurila Portrait M
13. Grupa Arigato Wall Lamp
14. Kummin Cushion Linen Cover
15. Pismo Rattan Side Table

Also seen (on floor): Malene Birger No 03 print and Rubin Studio Composition 03

The wall colour is Antique White 1016 from Jotun lady.

Gen's used the white Arigato wall lamp and table lamp from Grupa - I like the way this brings the different corners of the room together (and there's no denying that they're pretty amazing lamps too!).

Curtains are often tricky but Gen found her beige* and white* ones at SandSnowlinen* on Etsy. They make lovely custom-made linen curtains to order.

Just wondering if there is anything else important to mention. Ah yes! The drawers under the bed - did you spot them?! They were salvaged from a vintage chest of drawers that Gen was throwing out. Love this idea!

You can also take a peek at Gen's bedroom, living room, kitchen and daughter's bedroom.

Have a wonderful day!

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home Interior design: Genevieve Jorn

Thank you to SandSnowlinen*, George and Willy, Grupa and The Poster Club* for contributing to this post. 

*Affiliate links

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Olivia's Adorable Bedroom in Southern Sweden

As a mamma bear to three (two daughters and a bonus son!) I'm often on Pinterest looking for inspiration for children's bedrooms. That's why I was so excited to discover my friend, interior designer Genevieve Jorn was re-doing her daughter Olivia's bedroom (everything Gen does turns to gold so I knew it was going to be beautiful!). I've got to know Olivia through the various photoshoots we've had over at Gen's place and she is one of the cutest 4-year-old's I know - not to mention a great photo shoot assistant, offering us 'pancakes' from her makeshift kitchen whenever we're low on energy! She's so funny! These days, she's also one of the luckiest 4-year-olds I know, her new bedroom is sooooo lovely! I couldn't resist heading into the centre of Malmö with my camera and a notepad to grill Gen on the details!

Profile
Owner: Olivia
Age: turning 5
Room size: 25 m2 (269 f2)
Favourite pastimes: loves to read, draw and run her own restaurant

What was your over all aim with the bedroom?
I wanted to keep a similar style to the rest of the home but also wanted to give her a fun and inspiring room. I've been working on the children's section of the IKEA catalogue this year and was therefore really inspired when I decided to redo her room. I went for a soft pink wall color (code NCS S1005-Y70R) and picked a bolder dark red accent (code NCS S6030-T90R) to give a little punch to the room - which was greatly needed in such a big space! I also used a Kelim rug as a basis for the colour scheme.

What are the challenges when it comes to designing a large children's room? 
Admittedly, that is quite a luxury problem! Normally when I design a room I usually start with a colour or a product that I want to highlight. Something has to be the hero or focal point. In Olivia's room it was without doubt her loft bed (Wood Collection Mini+ low loft bed from Oliver Furniture), which turned out to be her favourite place to sit and read. So I started from there. I painted a rectangular shape behind it. Then came the challenge of the ceiling lamp. I think in such a big room, it makes sense to go for a large lamp to balance the proportions. So when I found the Big Dot lampshade from Afro Art I was really pleased!

"Olivia loves to go up into her bunk and wrap herself in her hand quilted blanket (from Camomile London) and act out her favourite characters from her books." 

What are the essentials to think about when designing a children's room?
I guess it's the same for all rooms: it has to be connected to it's inhabitant. I know that my daughter loves to move around. She can sit very still for a long time creating stories or she can move stuff around and be completely disorganised. So I wanted to create different areas that would support all her needs.

Children's Room Essentials
- A soft and comfy place to chill and cool down
- A place to play and be creative
- Good lighting to support all needs
- An ergonomic place to sit and create (with place for more to join the party)
- Plenty of storage options (drawers are a great way to store things away quickly).
- Tactile textures to soften up the space and help children feel cosy and comfortable.

Did you hand draw the kitchen?
Yes! I love drawing and sketching, it's an easy way to add personality to a room (for me at least!). It takes some time but it's definitely worth the hard work. Especially when it's for my little nugget!

Gen's 10 Step Guide to Creating a Wall Mural
1. Decide on the type of wall mural you would like to create
2. Search Pinterest and other sites for similar murals
3. Once you have an idea, sketch it onto A4 paper
4. Amend the sketch until you are happy with it
5. Draw it again to size on tracing paper using a pencil, make sure the proportions are correct
6. Trace over the lines on the other side of the tracing paper with a pencil
7. Tape the tracing paper to the wall in the exact position you would like the mural
8. Draw over the lines once again on the tracing paper with a pencil (this will leave lines on the wall)
9. Remove the tracing paper from the wall
10. Draw over the lines on the wall with a sharpie / marker pen

What has turned out to be Olivia's favourite corner?
I would have to say her bed! Whether it's the top bunk or the hidden space underneath. She loves to wrap herself in that cosy blanket too. She also loves the Upperlig bench. We often find her sitting on the edge of it drawing or making one of her famous lists!

Thank you so much Gen and Olivia for inviting me over, it was such a pleasure to visit you. And Olivia - the soup you made me was the best yet!

I put together a list of all the items below (gifted items have been marked with a *) - give me a shout in the comment section if I've missed anything, or you have any questions!

Get the look

1. Oliver Furniture Wood Collection Mini+ low loft bed* 2. Amayadeeme, Paulina poster* 3. Large House Cushion* 4. Ochre Single / Twin Hand Quilted Blanket / Camomile london* 5. Ink Fitted Sheet* / Camomile London 6. Mini Check Duvet Cover in Coral* 7. Rug by Gur, Cararina Carreiras 8. Afro Art Big Dot Lampshade (L) 9. Ikea upperlig bench 10. Ferm Living Kelim Rug (large) 11. Ikea Ingo table painted in Lady pure colour Industrial Blue 12. Ikea Flisat stool 13. Ferm Living clothes rack 14. Ikea Nordli chest-of-drawers

***

Aaaaaa, such a lovely children's room, don't you think?

Is there anything you love in particular? I love the antique wardrobe in the corner - I wish I had space for something like this in my children's bedrooms.

Just in case you're curious, you can see more pics for Gen's fabulous home here: kitchen, sitting room, bedroom and office.

... and more pretty children's bedrooms in this archive (if this pops up first, you know the drill - just scroll passed!).

Have a lovely day and see you Friday!

Niki

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A beautiful Swedish space with warm natural textures

Hej hej! The winter has finally arrived in Southern Sweden - by that I mean a mountain of snow - which made for a bit of a treacherous bike ride this morning. Biking in the snow is one of those things I've grown accustomed to since living here. Truth be told you're rarely knee deep (or even a few inches deep). When I left the house at 6am this morning a little pathway had already been cleared outside our door (such is the efficiency of the Swedes). Still, it unnerves me and I spent most of my cycle ride thinking about investing in one of these. Genius? Anyway. I suspect you're here to see a beautiful Scandinavian home? And I have one just for you! This space in Gothenburg strikes the perfect balance between cool minimalism and relaxed - and includes some lovely touches in the kitchen including a green marble worktop, patterned kitchen fronts with leather handles, and a beautiful rustic dining setting. Natural touches throughout add just the right amount of warmth. Feeling inspired! How about you?

Credits: for sale through Bosthlm. Found via Coco Lapine with thanks. 

What a lovely space?!


I have to say this kitchen is one of the nicest I've seen lately. The Harlequin cabinet fronts and handles are both from Superfront (I'm thinking of getting similar for my bathroom). Etsy is a great source for mix and match vintage chairs like these.

Elsewhere in the home: you can buy beautiful made to measure dark grey linen curtains here. The grey-turquoise BESTÅ by IKEA are similar to the cabinet in the bedroom.

If you're on the look out for kitchen inspiration right now you might want to also check out friend Gen's inspiring black and white space, a French kitchen with a modern twist, and a Finnish kitchen with vintage finds.

In a few stops time I'll be stepping out into the white abyss again...this time on foot....time to wrap up! BRRRRRR!

Have a lovely day and stay warm!

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Get the look: inspiring sitting room of an interior designer

Well hello there! I had a great start to the week yesterday with a photo shoot at my friend, interior designer Genevieve Jorn's home in the centre of Malmö. If you're an avid reader of My Scandinavian Home I'm sure you're already familiar with Gen's home - we've been following her fabulous renovation one room at a time over the past year (take a peek inside her kitchen, office and bedroom). And now, with a little help from beautiful danish brand Nordal, a selection of art and her tree, 'Benjamin'- her sitting room and dining area is now complete! Here are a few shots from the cosy living area where Gen, her husband Kasper and cutest little Olivia love to hang out!

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. Styling: Genevieve Jorn - interior designer.

What a great space? I secretly wanted to stay and hang out right there on the sofa all week!

I especially love how the space is filled with art, personal touches and a mix of old and new.

The wooden pharmacy sideboard, console, and dining table compliment the original herringbone floor and add a wonderful warmth to the room - and the plants truly bring it to life (Gen bought 'Benjamin' from an online second hand store for a song! It's so worth keeping an eye out for bigger plants online - businesses are often selling them off!

Is there anything you love in particular about this space?

Get the look from Gen's sitting room:

1. This wall decoration with beads is similar 2. Fur cushion 3. Console table 4. Pharmacy sideboard 5. Wooden stool 6. Garden pot grey 7. Garden pot, natural

If you're wondering about any of the other items give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help.

Have a great day!

PS Nordal ships throughout Europe.

The post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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