A beautiful, small Swedish apartment

Why hello there! My Scandinavian Home has spent a couple of days state-side both yesterday (did you see my greenhouse make-over?!) and Tuesday with the launch of my new book. So today, I'm bringing it home with this very charming Swedish space - yay! Interior stylist extraordinaire Emma Fischer has waved her magic wand over the itsy apartment (it measures 35 square metres / 377 square feet) to transform it into a calm haven using muted tones, warm natural materials and an abundance of plants. Look out for small, space saving tricks such as stackable stools, a windowsill doubling up as seating (love that!) and a wall mounted shoe rack too. Beautiful!

 Oj oj oj - what a perfect home?! That dining space! And what you don't see in these pictures is that it has a wine cellar too.

Is there anything you love about this home?

Get the look: dining area - Hoffman chair, source a similar basket pot here, Plus cushion cover (I also love the Arrow cushion cover - so cute!). three posters over bench: Leaf lines by Silke Bonde, Abstract Construction by Atelier CPH, Borge Bredenbekk, V by Paper Collective. Sitting room - Bold chair by Moustache, I love this peppercorn linen blanket. Hallway - seagrass belly basket, spotted fabric by the metre from Afroart (currently out of stock - this one is similar). Bedroom - Eyes Wide Shut by Mirjana Kovachevic, pick up beautiful linen throws like these here, Taccia lamp by Flos.

If you're designing / decorating a small space you might want to check out this archive - so many fabulous solutions!

On a slightly different note -  I was so happy to be invited to a press-preview at the new Slettvoll store in Malmö yesterday (check out Instagram Stories for a peek) - I was completely bowled over by the elegance and timeless beauty of the Slettvoll designs as well as the delightful Norwegian heritage. The doors open to the public today, if you're in town you must pop in for a visit! It was great to meet fellow Skåne bloggers Malin Persson (who's beautiful home I shared here) and Daniella Witte (who also has a fabulous home) at the event too!
 Have a lovely day!

Photography: Maria Sahlander, Styling: Emma Fischer. For sale through Bjurfors. 

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A Greenhouse Make-over With The Frame!

Back in August I was approached by Samsung about a very exciting project. To celebrate the launch of the beautiful The Frame - a TV when it's on, art when it's off (yup, every interior-lovers dream), they were looking to produce a film called 'Reframe This Space'. My task? To travel to beautiful Glynwood farm in Upstate New York and transform a disused greenhouse into a living space along with interior designer extraordinaire Emily Henderson (if you don't follow Emily's blog, you totally should, she's one talented lady!). What an exciting challenge!

Before

Once I got over the initial excitement (admittedly, I did do a little dance or two) I turned my mind to the practicalities. The idea of a greenhouse was an interesting one. As you know, Scandinavian style lends itself to drawing in as much natural light as possible, and here was a space that had it in abundance! I was slightly concerned that The Frame would be hard to see under the glare of the sun but was reassured that a Brightness Sensor detects ambient light and automatically adjusts the screen  - how brilliant is that?!

As beautiful as it was... it needed quite a lot of work!  
 

Another key factor was what a large role nature would play in the interior - (you only have to see the before shot above and in the video below - and the full video on Emily's blog - to see that there was nature outside and in - what you don't see is a disused wasp nest and plenty of creepy crawlies!). Thankfully the lush green surrounds of Glynwood farm provided the perfect backdrop. In fact, the setting reminded me a little of a Swedish Kolonistuga - an allotment with a fairly simple cabin in which people live throughout the summer months to enjoy the great outdoors and a back-to-basics lifestyle.

This idea would form the basis of the design. It would be basic, yet comfortable and house everything you might need for a relaxed summer, The Frame included! The Scandinavian theme would be enhanced by pale, muted tones, and a minimalist look to allow the surrounding nature to take centre-stage.

Emily and I discussed the idea and we set about drafting up moodboards for each zone (including a dining area, reading corner, a space for The Frame , daybed / sleep area and kitchen) (see the final moodboards here) these were developed into full-scale designs - with the addition of some wonderful suggestions from Emily thanks to her experience with make-overs - and extensive network of suppliers in New York.

We had a plan!

After several days of hard graft by the team, several licks of paint, many furniture deliveries, a trip to a local nursery and a little styling the transformation was finally complete! I hope you like the results!

After 

Being an interior design lover I'm weary of adding a TV to any room as they're usually a bit of a big black hole, do you find this too? The beauty of The Frame is that it's designed to blend with your home -Yay! Finally! Not only does it have a Customisable Frame - meaning you can easily change the black bezel to a white, beige wood or walnut option to fit the space, it also has an Invisible Connection to replace unsightly TV cables - double yay!

And finally - you can choose between hundreds of art from the Samsung Collection and Art Stores to turn The Frame into a work of art that fits your space (a Motion Sensor detects your presence and turns the screen on, so you can enjoy your art while you’re there. When you leave, it turns off to save energy!). All you have to do is decide whether to hang it flush to the wall  (so it looks like a real picture) or rest it on the Studio Stand. Due to the lack of walls, the latter was the perfect choice for this space. But I'm already wondering which option to go for in my own home....!

Photography - Kelly Merchant

I was soooo happy with with the outcome  -  it was exactly how I'd envisaged it and more! I could totally imagine hanging out here on long summer days with family and friends. It felt very much like living outdoors, but with the benefit of a little shelter for when the summer rain comes down!

You can view a short film about our Reframe This Space project below and enjoy the full version of our greenhouse make-over on Emily Henderson's wonderful blog HERE.

If you'd like to know where anything is from (and there are so many fabulous pieces!), Emily's shared a really helpful, and incredibly detailed 'get the look'.

Thank you so much to Samsung for inviting me on this amazing adventure - and to Emily Henderson and her team (I'm looking at you Brady Tolbert!) for four fabulous days in Upstate New York, it was such a pleasure to work with you!

I hope you like the end result? - could you imagine hanging out here all summer too?


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Samsung. 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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The US Version of my Lagom Book is Out!

Advert for my own book. 

I'm super excited to announce the USA version of my new book Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life has hit the shelves today! The content is exactly the same as the UK version (i.e. full of fun and inspiring tips and tricks graciously passed onto me by my Swedish family and friends over the thirteen years I've lived here   - but with a different cover. I hope the book inspires you to bring a little lagom into your daily life - whether hopping on your bike to the shops, taking morning dips, enjoying a fika (a coffee break with homemade cinnamon buns from my children's great grandmother's recipe!), going mushroom picking, or creating a calm and clutter-free home (I'm going to try my hand at creating that capsule wardrobe this Autumn too!).

If it sounds like a book you might enjoy, you can pick up a copy here.

Thank you so much to everyone who has got their hands on a copy of my book so far - and for all your kind words and wonderful feedback - it means so much to me! I hope the book inspires you as much as it inspired me to write!

Niki x

PS - Thank you for all your questions about availability -  The UK version is available in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India and other Commonwealth countries. Amazon is a good bet, or ask in your local book store - even if they don't have it in stock I'm sure they'd be more than happy to order you a copy.  The book will also be available in French, Portuguese, German, Czech and Russian soon (I'll keep you updated as there's a chance more languages might be added - so fun!).

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A charming, small Swedish flat with Autumn touches

This lovely Swedish home is one of those cosy, little apartments that has everything you need - somewhere to relax, sleep, cook, eat and store, despite measuring 38 square metres / 409 square feet. Loving the autumn hues too! I could totally imagine pottering about here this week - how about you?

For sale through Kvarteret Mäkleri

Love this space - it's so charming!

The two things that stand out the most to me are the beautiful original wood floor - and the throw on the bed (does anyone know where this is from? If so, I'd be so grateful if you can let us know in the comment section below and I can update the post!). 

How about you?

Get the look: sitting room - this cream chunky knit blanket is gorgeous! bedroom - pick up a black and white polka dot duvet cover here, SINNERLIG Pendant lamp, I like this and this brass wall sconce (pick up a budget version here). dining room - you can find vintage string shelves here.

If you fancy feeling inspired by other small spaces today you can always take a peek inside this archive. Enjoy!

Have a lovely day!

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The serene Bergen home of Gunn Kristin Monsen

Hej! I hope you had a wonderful weekend?! It's been pouring all day here in South Sweden, but I kinda don't mind a wet Monday, do you? I mean it's better than a wet Saturday, right?! I kicked off the day with a photo shoot in my bedroom (sounds dodgy, it's not! Check out instagram stories for more if you're curious!) supported by copious amounts of coffee and the dulcet tones of my friend, Kat Healy on Spotify (she has such a beautiful voice)! Another talented lady is Gunn Kristin Monsen - a visual storyteller and lifestyle photographer based in Bergen, Norway. You only have to look at Gunn's beautiful Instagram feed to get an idea of her work and innate sense of style (she also has a lovely blog). Gunn frequently shares snapshots of her home which has been decorated in soft blue and grey tones and white to reflect the lake it overlooks.  She kindly gave me permission to share a few of them on My Scandinavian Home today.  Enjoy!

All photography: Gunn Kristin Monsen

How lovely! There's something poetic about Gunn's photography. I love that there's flower theme throughout  (look closely and you'll spot one on the bed too...).

Is there anything that stands out to you?

If you'd like to see a little more Norwegian home inspiration today, don't miss this archive (as always, if this pops up first just scroll passed!).

Have a great start to the week!

PS I'm gearing up to several press interviews with US newspapers this afternoon which have been set up ahead of the launch of the US & Canadian version of my new book Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life tomorrow - so exciting! Better go and prepare (one's a podcast!).

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