An Interior Designer's Beautiful, Calm Open-Plan Living Space

How about something calm to complete the week? No one does soothing colours and materials like Holly Marder, an interior designer and co-founder of Avenue Design Studio. I once had the pleasure of meeting Holly when she came to photograph my home in Malmö many moons ago - and I've been following her work ever since. In 2019, Holly and her husband completely gutted the ground floor of their 1920s house in Delft, and set about renovating it with an aim to add "light, flow and functionality". The pair opted for a minimalistic palette inspired by nature in order to convey "a sense of calm and cohesiveness" throughout the down stairs living area. An eclectic yet muted array of furniture, mid-century art and ceramics collections complete the lovely space. Welcome to Holly's world - as with all her projects, you're in for a treat! 

Beautiful!

I always find muted colour schemes like this so calming and the wood adds so much warmth, don't you think?

I've shared so many of Holly's fab projects in the past - curious to take a look? Here are some of my favourites:

Holly's beautiful sitting room make-over
Take a tour of a calm, natural kitchen

Holly's former studio in the attic (and how she transformed it into a lovely guest room)

The crazies FINALLY go back to school on Monday and I'm looking forward to writing my daily posts again. Next week I've got a few exciting things lined up including some BEAUTIFUL home tours and also the final reveal of my new wood floor!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend - I hope the sun shines for you!

Niki

Photographs: Holly Marder / Avenue Design Studio

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Take a Tour of a Danish Family's Inviting Log Cabin

Oh, have I got a lovely Danish home to share with you today. Digital creator and communications consultant Marie Eigen lives in a charming 1930s log cabin with her husband Thomas (a dentist) and young family - Ludiv (3) and Ingrid (ten months). Located in Birkerød, North Zealand, the family moved in a little over a year ago and have been busy renovating it to reflect their personal style. I caught up with Marie to find out more. Keep a look out for the family's furry friend Molly!

Tell us a little more about your lovely house? 

We live in a log house dating back to the 1930s. We totally fell in love it with the first time we saw it, even though we were looking for something completely different. It's measures around 104 m2 (1120 f2) and has three bedrooms. 

It's all about the details - and I love this Mabel Terrazzo stool from Small revolution - an independent Danish company that specialises in pieces made from 100% recycled PE-Plastic.  

How would you describe the way you have furnished your home?

Our home is a mix of old and new, vintage finds and contemporary pieces. 

If you're looking for storage inspiration, Marie's home is on the money! Look closely and you'll spot shelving from Elfa (in the corner of the dining room) and Skagerak (in the living room), a bespoke bookshelf as well as vintage chest-of-drawers and wardrobes in the bedrooms. 

How do you select furniture for your home? 

When I decorate, I choose things that somehow speak to me and I often find older pieces which I like to make my own with a lick of paint. I don't follow a particular style or trend, and that to me, is how you make a home that is truly your own. 

How would you describe your style?

I think my style is somewhat calm, feminine and fairly minimalistic - and I hope our home seems warm and embraces that special vibe of 'hygge'.

In Ludvig's bedroom, Marie has combined a Sebra bed in forest lake blue with a cute pineapple Ferm Living rug. The lift crane was sourced from Hape toys. Cute Melville wallpaper from Cole & Son adorns the back wall. 

What is the most important thing to you when it comes to decorating?

We live with small children and it's very important to us that our home reflects that. 

Ingrid's nursery has been decorated using Klöveräng wallpaper from Sandberg and furnished with a wooden edition Sebra cot. A Collage Collection 04 print by Emile Luna can be seen on the wall. 

Well, I think Marie has achieved everything she set out to do with her home and MORE, don't you?! It has the most wonderful feel and I love all the details. 

Would you like to see an example of how Marie updates her furniture? Check out this vintage wall mounted cabinet:

A flea market find, Marie first painted the cabinet in a salmon pink (paint code: S 3040-Y90R) and then later updated it with a pastel blue shade (there's no code available, since she mixed the paint herself). 

Such a great, sustainable way to update furniture if you find yourself growing a little of tired of it!  I'm going to be looking at the pieces in my home with new eyes today! Is there anything in your home that could use a make-over? 

Oh, and how many times did you spot their darling little Molly?! 

See more of Marie's beautiful home on her instagram @marieigen. 

Fancy taking a peek inside a few more Danish homes today? It would almost be rude not to, now we're on a roll!

I love this Danish cabin by the sea, a tiny Danish cabin on the beach and a photographer's inviting home on the island of Bornholm. 

Happy 'lille lørdag' friends (which translates to 'little Saturday' - giving the Danes the perfect excuse to hit the bars for a mid-week refresher - while social distancing of course!).

Niki

Photography: Marie Eigen

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Step Inside Dave's Light and Airy Munich Home

Is anyone else sweltering today?! I'm back at my desk at home and it's over 30 degrees (86 F) outside - kind of crazy for Sweden! We're soooo not used to this! I love it, of course - but it's so distracting as all I want to do is head down to the sea every five minutes and dive in. It's times like this, that carefully edited, minimalist homes really come into their own, don't you think? Take Dave's home in Munich, Germany. The living space, which Dave shares with his boyfriend Enrico and their golden retriever Bruno, has been carefully edited to include only pieces they truly treasure. There's nothing superfluous to need. No frills. Just simple, beautiful pieces of furniture, each of which are like a work of art. The result is a light and airy home in the heart of the city that oozes cool. I wonder if he'd mind if I pulled up a chair and stayed for a while. Anyone care to join me?

I'm feeling cooler just looking at these pictures, how about you? Although a nice cool drink (did you see the summer herb infused lemonade recipe I shared last week?) on the rattan chair in his garden wouldn't go amiss too!

I particularly love the sitting room with the mid-century credenza (source a similar one here*), jungle wall chart and snoopy lamp* etc. Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Here a few other light and airy homes to keep you cool today: 

A beautiful, simple white Danish cabin

The wonderful playful loft of a furniture designer

Angelina's breezy Munich home (look out for the snoozing pup!)

On that note, I'm off to grab my towel (actually my bath robe - here by the sea where I live in Malmö, us locals wonder down to the waters edge in a robe over our swim gear and no-one bats an eyelid!). 

Have a wonderful start to the week friends, stay well, stay cool! 

Niki

Photography: @daves_home

PS I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was having computer problems (thank you for your commiserations, it really is infuriating!). The good news is that Apple managed to fix my laptop, the bad news is they had to wipe EVERYTHING - baaah! If you spot a few typos in the post it's because I haven't downloaded the Microsoft office (where I spell check my posts). It's on my to do list though, I promise!

PPS I'll be back with a new home tour on Wednesday! The crazies start school next week so I'll finally be back to posting daily again. Thanks so much for bearing with this mamma of two! 

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The Relaxed, Boho Copenhagen Home of a Plant Enthusiast

Have you got that Friday feeling? I'm feeling it friends - woohooo! I've been in sunny Denmark for the night - and I can't tell you how happy I am to return to this wonderful country! One of my favourite past times is people watching and there's so much to love about the relaxed, boho Danish style. This filters all the way down to their homes. Are you ready to take a peek behind the facade of a relaxed Copenhagen home? Louise Olofsson lives with her boyfriend Jonathan in a one bedroom flat in the heart of the capital. The self confessed 'Little Botonist', has a passion for greenery and filled her home with over 100 plants which nestle beside flea market finds and Scandinavian design classics. Welcome to Louise's urban jungle! 

"My passion for plants started around five years ago. My Dad gave me a mini orange tree that he owned but was dying. Somehow I managed to keep it alive and make it thrive again. It made me so happy that I had the power to nurture a plant. From that moment on, my love and passion for plants grew" - Louise

"We have over 100 plants in our two room apartment and I cannot imagine a home without them. They make our home feel alive and bring me peace" 

"I love to learn about biology and nature and spend a lot of time reading about and studying my plants. At the beginning I watered them every Sunday. Now I am somehow synchronized with them all and water them whenever I feel it's needed"

Thank you so much for inviting us into your urban jungle Louise!

Has this inspired you to introduce more plants to your home? I'd love to have more! I'm feeling a growing confidence having kept both a lemon and fig tree alive this year - miracles of miracles! Could this be my own 'urban jungle' year? 

See more green inspiration: 

A relaxed artists home full of plants

The cosy small flat of a Copenhagen creative and plant lover

A beautiful home in shades of moss green, white and brown

Right friends, there are two little ladies waiting for me - sun hats on, beach towels draped over their shoulders. Time to enjoy our last day in Denmark (if you haven't been to Hornbæk, it's a must! So many beautiful interior design shops!).

I'll be blogging three days next week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and then the crazies go back to school so it'll all be back to normal with the five posts again. Thank you for bearing with me! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Photography: Louise Olofsson

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Beautiful Danish Glassware and My Favourite Summer Drink!

After a tour of the Swedish West coast (travel guide to follow soon!), it's been wonderful to be back at our summer cottage for a few days. I spent a lovely afternoon with my friend Tove, catching up over a glass of herb infused lemonade. It was one of those afternoons which turned into evening... which turned into night (and may have eventually involved some Prosecco!). I'd invited Tove to come over and help me shoot a set of beautiful mouth blown glassware for Pernille Bülow (the glass workshop on the Danish island of Bornholm where the stunning SKY lamps are also made). And we decided to put the pretty setting and smokey ODIN glassware to good use in the process! Here are a few snapshots - and more details about the glassware, the lemonade and a few other pieces! 

I picked up the chairs at a nearby 'loppis' (flea market) - such a find! The questions is, do I re-paint them or leave them in their naturally dilapidated state? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

On the table you can catch a glimpse of the handmade ODIN jug and drinking glass in grey, which have been designed in the Pernille Bülow atelier and handmade abroad. As with all their designs, I love how the ODIN glassware has a simple yet strong expression, and perfect for everyday use as well as special events (like catching up with friends!).  

My daughter Allie and I made the mint, dill and basil infused lemonade in the morning. The syrup is super simple to make, tastes really refreshing, and if you make a big batch can last all summer long! Oh and it's perfect for pepping up 'stronger' drinks - just sayin'! Here's the recipe: 

Mint, Dill and Basil Infused Lemonade Squash

Ingredients:

2.5 dl water

300 g sugar

2 tbsp fresh dill  

5 g fresh basil

5 g fresh mint

3.75 dl lemon juice

Method

Combine the sugar and water in a pan, place on medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Rip up the mint and basil leaves and add to the pan. Add the dill stems. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in a container in the fridge for 60 minutes. Sieve the mixture to remove herbs. 

To serve: combine the syrup and lemon juice with 18 dl of water and serve on ice with a sprig of mint. 

Tove and I found the jug works perfectly as a vase too! The thistles and ferns are from our cottage garden.

As the sun sank lower in the sky we brought out an ODIN pillar candleholder and tea light holder in grey. There are also two lovely bowls in the range - the small bowl in grey which we used for crabapples and a large bowl. 

Such a memorable afternoon. I love it when a plan comes together!

You can find out more information about Pernille Bülow ODIN glassware here - and also take a peek at the SKY lamps which I've featured in my home here, here and here.

Thank you to Tove for a great afternoon, and also to my wonderful neighbors for the pretty setting!

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Pernille Bülow. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too! 

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