This is turning into a bit of a European week, isn't it? We kicked off with a Swedish home in earthy blues (loved reading all your comments!), swiftly followed by a pretty family home in Brussels on Tuesday and then we headed to Norway for a soothing bedroom tour, and yesterday we toured the 'slow living' home of Nina Plummer. Meanwhile I've been touring Scandinavia on a cruise ship, where I've been holding talks on Scandinavian design. I arrived home at 1.30am this morning. It's been one very crazy, whirlwind of a week, and I have to say - I'm exhausted, but I have felt so inspired all the same. I hope you've felt the same! I thought we'd round off the week with a tour of the delightfully calm, scandi-inspired home of Interior Stylist Donna Howell in Birmingham, England. Donna loves simplicity and light colours which she balances with personal details to add warmth. I caught up with Donna to find out a little more about her soothing oasis.

Portrait H*, Hay CPH Deux Table, sofa from Florrie + Bill, Ceramics by Catcooe

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Who do you share your home with?
I live in the property with my husband Craig and our little boy Jonnie B, aged 8.







What first attracted you to the house?
We bought the property because of its high ceilings, big windows and a wealth of original features such as fireplaces in every room, deep skirting boards and coving.

Can you tell us about the layout? The layout consists of an entrance hall, a living room, separate dining room, kitchen, pantry, 3 bedrooms one of which is an office and a family bathroom. We are lucky enough to have a large garden too which living in the city isn’t always available.

Kartell Masters Chair*

Thank you so much Donna - your home is really inspiring and I feel a whole lot calmer now.

If you're a little sad the tour is over and would love to see more - take a peek at Donna's wonderful Instagram feed @dhowelldesigns for plenty more pics!

I hope this post has brought a breath of fresh air to your day too - and that you're feeling all ready for the weekend!

Have a fabulous couple of days and see you Monday!

Niki

PS If you're in need of luxury bedding (err, hello!), I'm holding a give-away with House Babylon over on Instagram until tomorrow! Hope on over here to enter!

Do you sometimes find that you walk (or click) into a shop and love absolutely everything you lay your eyes on? That's how I feel about INGREDIENTS LDN. Owned by Nina and Craig Plummer, the boutique interior and lifestyle store celebrates a slower pace of living. "It's about taking time to do things with care and intention," Nina says. "It’s a recognition of the importance that time and attention play in enabling us to savour the small moments that give everyday life meaning and value." The duo's incredible Georgian apartment in Edinburgh shares the same simple, calm and organic feel. I asked Nina to describe the renovation and décor in her own words.

"Last year we moved into an old Georgian apartment with beautiful proportions and large windows but with little else going for it. Pretty much every corner was in need of complete renovation. Several spaces had been subdivided during the 1960s which disrupted the carefully considered Georgian proportions."

"What is now the kitchen had actually been divided into three separate cramped, dark spaces. We set about renovating and restoring the entire apartment, including removing walls and moving bathrooms. We are only just approaching the end of the long renovation phase with some work still going on and much of the furniture and décor still to be added."

"Our home was renovated and decorated in line with the ethos of our store INGREDIENTS LDN. We used natural materials such as linen, wool, ceramics and bare wood. We also used materials that acquire a patina over time such as brass or copper and a neutral, calming colour palette."




"Our home is still very much a work in progress but we want to let it evolve slowly and naturally with time and use. Our home is where we rest and recharge, but it also serves as my place of work and the backdrop for our business. The fact that we can fulfill the various needs of our business and our personal lives in one space is what I love most about it."

"All of the products we offer in our store pass through our hands, many of them are used by us on a daily basis so that we can truly understand their merits and unique qualities. As we continue to discover, test and add new unique products and artisan made goods to our range, I am sure our home too will continue to evolve in interesting ways."


Thank you so much for inviting us into your breathtaking Edinburgh home Nina!

Looking through the pictures I was immediately transported back to my days at  The University of Edinburgh - my flatmates and I lived in a few different Georgian apartments, but they didn't look quite like this (there were traffic cones in the hallway for starters....). If you've never been to this Scottish city it's definitely one for the travel list!

For more inspiration you can also read their online journal and follow along on instagram (I'm an avid follower of both!). And of course get the look by shopping away at INGREDIENTS LDN!

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular? 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

I've finished my design talks on the Scandinavian cruise and we're now Dover bound! So looking forward to giving my family a stor kram (big hug) back in Sweden!


Photography courtesy of INGREDIENTS LDN.

It's easy to spend months, even years scratching your head over a space - and the answer is often just to keep it simple! This beautiful bedroom in the attic of Katerina Dima's Norwegian summer cabin is a great example of this! The walls have been painted in a soft grey (Sommersne pure colour supermat from Jotun) creating a gentle contrast with the white wood panelling and the subtle black and brass accents add just enough detail to give the room a lived in touch. And of course, there's that linen!

White* and pale grey linen bedding* are designed to match the walls and ceiling behind. Also seen: Frama stool,  Pholc table lamp*, Aesop hand balm*. 


Katarina picked up the brass hooks from Lagerhaus. They are perfect since they don't require any drilling - and massively practical for hanging robes, bags and even a mirror!




Scandinavian simplicity at it's finest!

I hope this may have helped solved an interior conundrum you're facing or inspired you in some way!

Katerina is the master of grey and white bedrooms - this is her former boudoir in Oslo (also painted in Sommersne).

I seriously wouldn't mind a duvet day in either of these spaces right now, how about you?!

Tour more beautiful bedrooms here! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Katerina Dima shared with kind permission.

Welcome to the Brussels home of Isabel - 'teacher by day, blogger by night', wife of Walter and Mother to two adorable children, seven year old Jules and five year old Jeanne. Despite a "dizzying pace of life" (we all know that that feels like!), Isabel takes the time to slow down and dabble in fashion (both for her and her children), travel and interiors - decorating their home in a simple, authentic, lovely way. Let's dive in!  

IKEA kitchen with Superfront doors, brass tap from Tapwell, table from Opsmuk

Marble and wood feature throughout the ground floor which feels both cool and warm in equal measure. Although I think we all agree the warmth triumphs in the end!