Clever small space style in Stockholm

Hello Monday! I hope you had a great weekend? I read recently that people's living spaces are getting smaller. People around the world are downsizing to save money, live greener and well....because they've realised that small can be beautiful too. And this home in Stockholm's Södermalm district is a prime example. Measuring a mere 29 metres square (312 square foot) it's comfortable and practical (double bed - check! Sitting room - check! reading corner, dining room, balcony for two - check, check, check! And, decorated throughout in grey-scale with the fainstest touch of pastels - and an eclectic mix of mid-century, new nordic and designer pieces - it looks beautiful too. 

Styling: Minna Engelmark / Ida Agemo at Wida design Photography: Johan Spinnell / Historiska Hem

Could you live here? I think it looks so calm and cosy - a little oasis in the heart of Sweden's capital city.But more importantly, could you sleep high up in that double bed?!

Get the look: seagrass basket, Hay tray table, Copenhague coffee table, I love this mid-century style sofa, dark grey bed linen, Berlin print, Thonet chairs (15% discount with code MYSCAN), white sheepskin throw.

If you're looking for more small space ideas I've got a week's worth of coffee break inspiration squirrelled away here!

Do you live in a small space - or perhaps looking to downsize?

Have a great start to the week! 

PS My family and I are going on holiday to Sri Lanka next month ( I can't wait! We didn't go anywhere last year since I was working on my book so we've been so looking forward to it!). I was wondering if you have any great tips on places to stay (we love small, relaxed, personal places as oppose to big hotels) and things to do? Thank you so much for any tips you may have!

READ MORE...

18

The fab home of a French photographer and stylist

Hello Friday! So we got through the first working week of the year  - how did it go? From my side let's just say I'm looking forward to one of these tonight! Fancy joining me?! I thought I'd end the week with the wonderful French home of freelance stylist and photographer Aurélie Lécuyer and her family. The space was captured by Melanie Rodriguez a few years back but it still looks bang up to date - note the pink and drak grey hues, lovely vintage furniture and creative personal touches.... perfect inspiration for the weekend! 

Homeowner: Aurélie Lécuyer. Photographer: Melanie Rodriguez. The Socialite Family.

What a perfect home to celebrate the weekend, don't you think?! It's so personal and relaxed.

Get the look: kitchen - Tolix chairs,  yellow linen tablecloth, Donna Wilson plates, Source vintage industrial wall lights here and rattan chairs like the one shown here. White sheepskin. Etsy sells all kinds of different colour and sized pompoms. Toadstool night light (so cute!).

Try these dark colours and pinks for a similar paint colour match. 

For some reason this home made me think of Malin Persson's fabulous Malmö home (perhaps it was the colour in the children's room and the pompoms? (more fab children's rooms here).  And this charming and relaxed family home in Biarritz (the corridor?).

The images were taken for 'The Socialite Family' - which is so worth creating a fresh pot of coffee for (great site packed with inspiration!). And you can also see stunning images of Aurelie's new home on instagram here.

Before I shoot off for the weekend (there's a blizzard outside so I'm in no rush!), here are a few links from around the web I thought you might like:

Loved yesterday's dark green and grey colour scheme - but this dark blue / green combo in the bedroom is also pretty striking. 

This paint outside the box post is fascinating and inspiring!

Colour of the year rose quartz has even made it into the kitchen, I think it looks kind of great don't you?

How pretty are all these kilim rugs in this room? 

Loving this Dutch hair braid tutorial.

Lovers of architect (and in fact just about everyone) will love this 'hut on sleds' - imagine?

How to keep a clean home (note to self and man...).

So much fun seeing the free downloadable and printable My Scandinavian Home calendar 2016 out there on social media - like this instagram pic! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - and stay warm (or cool for those of you lucky enough to be in milder climes!).

READ MORE...

10

A sophisticated Swedish home in dark shades

This lovely Swedish home captures the essence of 'dark broody' interiors perfectly. It's been artfully decorated in shades of dark grey and a spectrum of greens from olive to emerald. The result is a truly sophisticated and elegant space captured by one of my favourite Swedish photographers - Kristofer Johnsson. Let's take a look around....

Photography: Kristofer Johnsson. Stylist: Alexandra Ogonowski. Featured in Residence magazine. Found via Coco Lapine with thanks.

So beautiful don't you think?

Get the look: tolix chairs,  sheepskin rug, Kånken children's rucksack, dark grey linen bedding. I can just see one of my favourite lamps - the Flos Copycat peeping into the corner of the picture in the bedroom too! For similar paint colours try Farrow & Ball darks.

Jennfier Hagler's fab wishlist captures these tones perfectly!

I also love this dark grey, blue and green Swedish home, the dramatic stairwell in Marie Olsson Nylander's home, and an elegant black and navy home also captured by Kristofer.

It's enough to make me want to dabble in a few dark walls and pieces! - do you have any in your home?

Other links I love today include:

My eldest daughter is moving into her own bedroom and we're having loads of fun picking out a moodboard. This colour scheme is spot on! So pretty don't you think?

Love the idea of bringing rainy days indoors.

Colour block navy with crisp white in the bedroom.

Take me away to this pretty red cabin in the snow.

Have a lovely day!

READ MORE...

5

The fabulous studio of an interior designer

Are you back at work this week? Or perhaps you've been working right the way through Christmas (guh!)? Either way, how often do you look around and think - this place seriously needs a make-over?! Today, I'm taking work space inspiration (and in fact, kitchen, dining and sitting room inspiration) from the design studio of Christien Starkenburg - the driving force behind Dutch interior design consultancy firm Interieur + and handmade furniture company SlowWood. Christien follows the philosophy "an interior is the natural projection of the soul'' - Coco Chanel, aspiring to design spaces for her clients using head, heart and a heavy dose of handmade - a philosophy which is projected in her (fab) personal studio too. Let's take a peek inside and prepare to feel inspired....

Interieur Plus

Could you work here? I most definitely could!

Looking at this studio takes me back to my days in the corporate world where I used to sit in a giant  open-plan office by a window (on luckier days) overlooking a car park and a motorway - it was my wonderful colleagues which kept me going! Today I'm master of my own work space (which also features on the front cover of this book!) and it makes such a difference to my working day. Is your office environment important to you?

I spy - Jill Wood chair in natural oak and Lounge chair and Ottoman (15% discount with code MYSCAN), Z1 cotton light, source round jute rugs here (love this one!) try here for a selection of lovely poufs (I like this Burlap one!), Lampe Gras wall lights. The beautifully crafted table can be purchased through Christien's handmade wood furniture company SlowWood.

Could Railings be a similar match to that wonderful colour seen in the kitchen and dining room?

For a real work space inspiration bonanza today you might want to check out this archive or this board - I know you're meant to be working, but hey, a stitch in time saves nine and all that...

I'd love to hear about your work space in the comment section below!

Have a wonderful day! 

READ MORE...

4

A light and airy Danish home inspiration with natural touches

Hello! My girls were so excited to wake up to a fresh layer of snow this morning. They were outside with their toboggans before I was even dressed! And the sun's shining too - yay! Before I head out to join them and their little rosy cheeks I wanted to share these lovely images by Danish brand Hübsch. The different spaces show off elements of the collection. Think natural materials such as rattan, sea grass and bamboo, soft cotton and pretty ceramics. Oh to have high ceilings and bay windows. Plus I've got my eye on that daybed....

Photos:Hübsch Found via House of C with thanks.

So pretty! The throws and cushions look so lovely and soft don't you think?

Nearly all of the items you see here can be found through Hübsch stockists. However, I'm also loving this fabulous peacock chair (it's really similar to the one in my bedroom) these bamboo folding chairs and a soft grey herringbone throw.

I'm really not joking about the daybed. I've been toying with the idea of exchanging my bubble chair (seen behind my vintage drinks trolley in these pics) for a relaxed daybed (inspired by Elisabeth Heier's window nook here) - what do you think? Would I ever leave it?

Other Danish homes I love include the Copenhagen home of a typographer and a Danish home with a warm soul.

And what do you think of this fabulous cabin?! How I could see myself there right now, how about you?

Oh and exciting news! The pre-order system for my book Modern Pastoral is now live - so exciting! If you are interested in pre-ordering a copy through the My Scandinavian Home Bookshop please click the 'pre-order now' button in the top left of this blog page and follow the instructions. If you'd like a signed copy please send a mail to myscandinavianhome@gmail.com along with your order confirmation, I'd love to hear from you!

Right, off to enjoy the snow with my girls...have a lovely day! 

READ MORE...

4

A small Swedish space in winter whites

Happy new year! I have a feeling 2016 will be a great year for us all...how exciting! It's suddenly got cold here in Southern Sweden (- 4 degrees C brrrrrr!) and yesterday we received a light dusting of snow so I thought I'd kick off the year with this fresh 'winter' home. The small apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden has been decorated in whites throughout and softened with cosy sheepskin throws and cotton blankets. I love the touches of black too. Perfect for a room which combines both sitting room and bedroom - don't you think?

Stadshem, Photos: Jonas Berg.

Lovely! Despite the trend towards darks and brights I still love a calm white space.

But really - my eyes are on those croissants - Mmmm! Late breakfast anyone?

Get the look: Karlstad sofa, rattan chair, fluffy white sheepskin throw, this industrial stool is similar as is this grey linen throw and these vintage mirrors (and just how pretty is this vintage art deco mirror?). Can anyone tell us where the black floor lamp and coffee tables are from, I'd love to know?

More small space inspiration here and here (and remember the world's smallest luxury home?!). In case it's monochrome inspiration you're after - this is one of my favourite black and white home tours of all time.

This morning I've really enjoyed catching up on all the posts I've missed from some of my favourite blogs. Here's a round-up of my favourites: Stil Inspiration's winter table setting, a DIY hall wall with a strip of black and how to bring Pantone's colours of 2016 into your home.

It's great to be back! 

Have a lovely day!

READ MORE...

6