The Ideal Christmas Present for Big and Little Travellers!

Know anyone (big or small) who loves to travel? If so, you'll be as happy as my family to discover interactive maps and posters by Bold Tuesday. Not only does the minimalist look and feel look fab on the wall (let's face it, this is important, right?!) they're also designed to 'incite curiosity and travel' (love this). So far we've accumulated the List of Countries poster (seen here in my younger daughter's room) and more recently the Colour World poster (a black and white world map waiting to be coloured in as you visit new places) in my elder daughter's room (below!).  I also love the idea of Find It -  a list of all 196 countries in a word search (seek, find, and highlight the countries you’ve visited or use it to choose your next destination) and Go World (a world map sticker poster that serves as a visual reminder of your travels). Simply peel away each visited country to slowly turn the map white. You can even save the countries you've visited in a journal. So fun! If you know someone with itchy feet who'd appreciate these this Christmas, you'll be pleased to hear the team at Bold Tuesday are offering 15% off any item in the shop with the code MSH2017 until 12th December, 2017! Yay!

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. Styling: Sarah Brooks-Wilson. 

What I ordered:

Color World poster 

Wooden Poster Rails (Natural) 70 cm / 28"




And just how cute is the packaging it came in?!

The guys below have been to all kinds of interesting places! It kind of makes me feel inspired to visit a few new countries in 2018 - any tips? I'd love to hear what's on your travel hit list next year!

Pssst.... a little birdie tells me country and state prints  are also now available in the shop ('Sverige' and the 'UK' being my favourites - but that might me being a little biased!!).

Happy travels (and shopping)!


This post was created in collaboration with Bold Tuesday. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the sponsors which make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Warm and Inviting Danish home with Beautiful Textiles

Hej hej! I'm always inspired by makers spaces. There's always something unique and personal about them, don't you find? The Danish home of Eline Engen is a fine example! Eline lives in a beautiful 200 year old house on the North coast of Funen, Denmark with her husband Brian and children Gustav (14) and Clara (12). Eline works part time in an interior shop and spends the rest of her working hours creating and selling beautiful cushions and clutches made from vintage fabric and textile remnants. Eline describes her home as "very relaxed with lots of textiles, plants and treasures which have been collected over time." She has a passion for all things vintage, soft colours, and beautiful patterns which she combines with modern pieces in her home. Enjoy the tour!

Photography Eline Engen

What a charming, warm and inviting home, don't you think? There are so many treasures, but Elin tells me her favourite is the old cabinet where she stores all her vintage textiles before turning them into cushions and clutches.

When it comes to decorating, Elin advises to "stay true to yourself. It's a cliché but true. Surround yourself with items that mean something to you. Do not buy just to buy. A home is a real home when it reflects the people that live there and when everything is not perfect." Wise words indeed!

You can pick up Elin's pretty cushions and clutches over on instagram. 

If you're looking for other items seen in Elin's home, here's a quick guide:

Sitting room area: poster to the left from Stilleben and to the right Retro Villa (pretty shop alert!), cushions handmade by Eline, Klong halo candle holder (love this), Scarlet Kimono from Lulu's Drawer (another 'love' from me!), Lampe Gras.

Dining room: Era armchair with cane seat, cushion on chair handmade by Eline.  Office: William Morris wallpaper, Sinnerlig desk from IKEA.

Thank you so much for the kind permission to show the pictures of your home Eline!

On a completely seperate note, I'm having so much fun in Paris for the launch of my Lagom Book in French. Last night HaperCollins France planned a wonderful cocktail party and I met the  English to French translator and Aude, the designer behind the pretty front cover, among lots of other inspiring people, what a great evening! Merci beaucoup! The man is arriving this evening and we're going to spend the weekend here - yaaaaay! Hopefully see you tomorrow at Galeries Lafayette for the book signing and DIY session if you're in town (4 - 6 pm)! 

I hope you've got some nice plans?

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Monday!

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Trend: Greige Walls

White walls are almost becoming extinct. As the year wears on, more and more of my friends seem to be getting weary of their walls and trying to find a middle ground between the straightforward trend of whites and the color palettes of late, which are filled with pinks, indigos and desaturated (and gorgeous, I might add) greens.

Greige is the perfect example of an in-between. It is not grey but it’s also not beige. That’s why it’s become increasingly popular–and it deserves to be for its diversity and subtleness. Greige is the color that says “I’m grounded, reliable, wholesome but also unexpectedly classy.”. To me, it’s one of the best colors of the year; it matches perfectly with light woods... and let’s be honest, it’s quiet a needed break from whites.

If you, like me, are not quite ready for the bold-color movement, consider this for your end-of-year home refresh.

Niki is in Paris for the launch of the French version of her book Lagom (Le juste équilibre) - if you're passing Galeries Lafayette between 4 - 6 pm this Saturday,  pop in for a signed copy and join in with a fun DIY session! I believe she's sharing the adventure over on instagram stories too!

Beautiful images by: Evalotta Sundling and Elin Kickén, with thanks!

About The Author

Ana Degenaar → My Scandinavian Home Contributor

Author, Graphic and Web Designer.
Mindfulness is at the heart of everything Ana does—from work to life and everything in between.
For over five years she's focused on creating honest, intelligent and refreshing projects—believing that the best way to accomplish this is to dedicate herself to the essential and making things speak of their intrinsic beauty and purpose.

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This magnificent Malmö flat could be yours (or mine?!)

Oj oj oj (as they say in Sweden) are we in for a treat today. This fabulous turn-of-the-century home here in the centre of Malmö has just come on the market - and it's massively swoon-worthy! I'm not going to say another word - suffice to say, I'm seriously considering a move across town (I only need to convince the man now....hmmmm). Enjoy the tour...

Photos courtesy of Bolaget. 

Could you imagine living here?! If you're tempted there's more info and pics here (oh and a Malmö city guide here - I love Jeska's one here too .... just saying!).

Just in case a move isn't imminent (shame) - here's a quick guide to where a few of the items are from: this leather deck chair is similar, Flos 265 light, Diamond lounge chair, I like this dusty rose linen cushion, grey gotland sheepskins.

Fancy looking at a few more Malmö homes today? I love the relaxed, family home of Malin Persson (who I was lucky enough to meet recently at a blogger event - and feel so inspired by her Norway surf trip! - would you consider it?),  a beautiful home in dark hues and the lovely Helen Sturesson's striking, family home.

I'm proud of living in a city with so much talent!

Have a lovely day

PS - an update on the Domino Design Blog Awards - they've just announced that the winner from each category will receive a feature profiles in Domino magazine and the winners will be flown to New York for an awards event in December! Oh, and they will also receive a trip for two to a Tribute property in the US or Canada. Holy guacamole!!! For this reason they've extended the voting period, and you can now vote daily for your favourite blog until Sunday 12th November (eeeeeee, the suspense continues!). Just in case you feel like stopping by and casting a vote the My Scandinavian Home way, it's happening here (category: 'Best International Design Blog')- Sorry to be so annoying in asking you again, if I win, I promise to bring you on the trip by way of Instagram stories!

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Grey and Greige in a Magnificent Berlin Home

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? Kind of whizzed by, like mine?! Don't worry, this is going to be a great week for us all, I can feel it in ma' bones! I'm back home in London today enjoying a little snuggle time with my one year old niece (she's adorable - I might just have to pack her into my case and take her back with me!). I did manage to tear myself away for just enough time to create today's post though. I thought, being a hectic Monday and all, I should opt for a home tour with an element of calm, what do you reckon? This beautiful home belongs to interior stylist Selina Lauck, her boyfriend Olli, a cutler (AKA knife maker - yes, I had to look that up!) and four year old dog Gordin (look closely and you might just spot him!) in Berlin Mitte. Selina studied fashion design before realising that this wasn't her passion, and after a year in Oslo, returned to Berlin to work for Danish brand Hay. Her love for Nordic design shines through every corner of her home, which she describes as 'minimalist with a Scandinavian influence'. Enjoy!

Photography: Selina Lauck

Wow! What an incredible home - don't you think?! Selina's minimalist style and subtle colour scheme allows the magnificent structure and period features of the space to shine through - so perfect!

Here's a little guide to where things are from:

Bedroom: Mantis table lamp (I've got the same in my office!), House of Baltic sells similar linen bedding. Wall colour by Farrow & Ball.

Kitchen: lamp from Kai Linke, Alessi kettle (love this!) faceless portrait from faroe island artist Gurilla Artstudio, wall colour by Farrow & Ball.

Hallway: this round mirror is similar, print from The Poster Club.

Sitting room: Knoll diamond chair, Begonia Maculata print by Coco Lapine, Menu dining chairs. Hay sofa.

If you don't already follow Selina on Instagram, it's an absolute must (she's so good at tagging too - something I need to be better at!!). A little birdie tells me she's also launching an interior blog any time soon - stay tuned! Oh and, the word on the street is that the wonderful Jules from Herz Und Blut paid Selina a visit recently and snapped a beautiful home tour (check it out here!).

More beautiful Berlin homes here too!

Have a fab start to the week!

PS Tonight I'm heading to Regent Street to celebrate the launch of the new limited edition Nespresso Variations Confetto collection in collaboration with artists Craig and Karl (candy inspired coffee blends - fika galore! Yay! More on Instagram stories later!

PPS The voting for the Domino Design Blog Awards finishes tomorrow - I'd be soooo grateful if you can take a mo to stop in and cast a vote one last time here (My Scandinavian Home can be found in the category 'Best International Design Blogs'). Thank you so much!

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7 Design Things To Do in Helsikini + Habitare

A few weeks back (OK slightly more than that, this post is long overdue *red face*!) I was invited to Helsinki to attend the interior, design and furniture fair Habitare. I totally fell in love with the Finnish capital all over again. It really is one of my absolute favorite European cities (and I'm not just saying that because I have a penchant for all things Scandinavian - honest!). If you're into design and looking for a weekend break - this is your bag. For those of you further afield, make a week or two of it and visit the Finnish archipelagos as well as the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (it's on my wishlist!).

Helsinki Marketing - photo by Jussi Hellsten

Our chaperone was Annika Suomi, who knew just about everything there is to know about the best design spots in Helsinki! Over the space of three days, bloggers Holly Becker, Mette Jakobsen, Katariina Kalda, Stefan Nilsson and I enjoyed a design-packed schedule which included supper out on the island of Lonna,  holding a panel discussion at the Habitare fair and a tour of some of the most incredible stores, museums and galleries around the city (oh and we ate some delicious cuisine too!!). It was a whirlwind tour of some of the best design spots in town. If you're visiting any time soon, here are my tips:


7 Things to Do in Helsinki for design lovers

1. Take a tour of the Helsinki Design District and shop for books, design and craft at independent concept stores and galleries like Lokal and TRE!

Image courtesy of Lokal.

2. Take a guided tour of Alvar Aalto's House

2. Enjoy a morning at the Design Museum

Image by: Patrik Lindell/Vandalorum

3. Relax in a sauna at Löyly (beating yourself with branches optional!).

Helsinki Marketing by Pekka Keränen

5. Wile away a few hours at Iittala & Arabia Design Centre (check out this post by Holly Becker over at Decor8 to feel inspired).

Photo by Holly Becker / Decor8

6. Visit the island of Lonna for lunch.

Image - Salla Kantokorpi

7. Eat supper at Grön

Image courtesy of Grön

Where to stay: I loved my stay at Hotel Haven (I have to say, I kind of lucked out with this one!). And sister residence Hotel Fabian is also very central.

For more tips, the book Helsinki: People make the City offers some great advice from the locals and has been my bible both times I've visited (it captures the atmosphere of the city beautifully!).

Habitare design and furniture fair

While we were there, we also spent a few days at Habitare design and furniture fair. Suffice to say, it was hands down the prettiest fair I've ever attended (and I've been to a few!). It helps of course, that the Finns have an innate sense of style and this shone through across the stands! Here is my round-up of 2017 highlights.

1. To celebrate 50 years in the industry, Finnish interior design magazine Avotakka  collaborated with interior designer Maija Rasila (take a tour of her home here) to create a beautiful stand showcasing some of Finland's finest design pieces!

2. Scandinavian design is often about keeping things minimal and working with subtle colour changes. Pentik demonstrated this beautifully on their stand which was decorated in subtle shades of grey and dusty pink with the help of their ceramics.

3. A pile of design books including works by the famous architect Alvar Aalto (who's home we visited!) and Finnish design brand Artek were part of the Asun magazine stand. 

4. I kind of wanted to curl up on the Anno stand and get cosy among all their sumptuous textiles (and enjoy a fika at this table too!).

5. Toimittajien Tusina (The association of interiors journalists) selected their favourite 12 Finnish interior design products 2017 - which were showcased on this beautiful stand near the entrance.  

6. Having worked on a collaboration with Be&Liv in my own home earlier this spring I was so happy to finally meet the team in person and check out some of their new products - like the Peony Lamp.

8. And something for the children - the multi-purpose Nuppu sustainable ceramic children's tableware collection by Maija Puoskari caught my eye - in fact, I awarded it my design choice from the fair! Isn't it beautiful?

Kittos Annika and the Habitare team for inviting me to visit. I hope this post has inspired you to visit Finland some day soon too!

If you'd like to add any tips of great things to see and do in this wonderful city please add them to the comment section below!

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