Ever feel like everyone else's home is 'insta-perfect' while yours is a constant battle to keep tidy? Allow me to let you in on a secret, you're definitely not alone. Not even the homes you see on instagram are picture perfect all of the time. I know, because I recently asked around on a recent blogger tour and was secretly thrilled to learn most of my contemporaries' homes were a little messy - just like mine. It's called life - and it should be celebrated once in a while, don't you think? So, friends if you left the house littered with Lego and half-drunk mugs of coffee this morning, Sarah's Copenhagen home will feel wonderfully refreshing! The Dane owns a small shop called 'The General Store' and lives with her six-year-old son Sylvester in an apartment in Østerbro. Together, they've filled the space with bold colours, harlequin patterns, Scandinavian design pieces, art, books, candles and toys. And best of all, she's captured the space just the way it is. Welcome to Sarah's relaxed world!
One of my favourite captions from Sarah's instagram:
"What I say: 'I am just going to the bathroom', What they hear: 'family meeting."
So funny - sounds very familiar, I must say!
Harlequin floors like the one in Sarah's hallway are surprisingly easy to create. All you need is measuring tape, string, a pencil to mark the floor and paint. For a more subtle and classic Scandinavian approach, you might prefer a light grey and white version as seen in this Swedish kitchen.
The pink wall provides a perfect backdrop for Sylvester's delightful paintings.
What a great collection of Lego! I guess it is Danish after all.
My sister and her husband call tidying up the house after a day of their 3 and 5 year old playing 'square oneing' i.e. "time to square one the house" - I love that! For the more OCD among us, I thought I'd share a pic of the same corner after Sarah has 'square-oned' it!
What a feast for the eyes!
You can see more snapshots of her Copenhagen home over at @look_good_in_blue (don't miss the ones of her summer cottage too!).
Fancy taking a peek inside a few other family homes today? I love these:
Before we all shoot off, I'd love to know: are you a bit of a neatnik or is your home of the more messy variety? Or perhaps you fall somewhere in between?
Have a wonderful, relaxed start to the week!
Niki
Photography: Sarah / @look_good_in_blue - shared with kind permission
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! It's so refreshing to see our real lives once in awhile, along with the messes. And, there's such beauty in it! This home looks comfortable and welcoming and ... real. I love all your posts, but this one spurred me to comment for the first time. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm SO happy this lovely home prompted you to comment for the first time. First time of many I hope :) It is indeed so refreshing!
Delete"Good moms have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles, dirty ovens and happy kids."
ReplyDeleteYay! So true! Thank you.
DeleteFinally!
ReplyDeleteA home that actually looks fun to live in if you're a kid (or an adult!)
It does, doesn't it? I want to throw myself down on the floor and get going with the lego!
DeleteI love all your posts, both neat as a pin and gloriously lived-in. :) Thank you for the inspiration! And thanks to all who share on this site. It's nice to visit with you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Sarah! :)
DeleteOMG that pink and yellow walls!! I definitely love it!
ReplyDeleteYES! Loving the pink wall in the hallway especially!
DeleteYeah......I am so happy.......
ReplyDeleteThank You
Bernadette
Yay! I love that this home spread so much happiness :)
DeleteA lived-in home has a beauty that can be more captivating than the "neat" ones I think.
ReplyDeleteAfter all homes are meant for "living". :)
Thank you for this post--it is one of my favorites.
So true! Happy this home is one of your favourites, I love it too!
DeleteThank you thank you thank you for doing a 'real' family home post!! Your posts are always stunning, but this one really cheered me up and helped me to feel better about my messy imperfect home! Keep up the amazing work - love from the UK X
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words about the homes I share - I'm so happy you like them.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean about this particular home - ours is often a losing battle and it made me think that it's actually OK. It's just part of life and living (especially with kids!).
The innate beautiful design of this home shines and is evident through and with the lived in elements. It is heartening to see a shift in not only accepting but embracing authentic life in our homes. This year of living/working/learning (and everything else) differently due to the Pandemic may be contributing to this alternative viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteAs for our home, it’s just my husband and myself and our two small terriers. I try to limit clutter and keep the kitchen clean but have grown lax with finessing and fluffing. Right now, the lining under the sofa is drooping and needs to be tacked in place. I’ve had the upholstery tacks for three weeks, but they are still waiting to be used! The cushions and throws are not picture ready, but they are ready for cozy naps, reading and relaxing.
I love the sound of your home Pamela, it sounds perfect just the way it is :)
DeleteBest post in a long time!!
ReplyDeleteYay! This makes me so happy!
DeleteI can't believe the response to this post. I'll be researching home tours with fresh eyes from now on. I can't promise they'll all be like this, but I'll do my best to show more like this :)
Yes, agreeing with all the comments. Most all the spaces shown on this blog are beautiful, but some are hard to see as someone's "home." This is great!!
ReplyDeleteI can agree with this and will do my best to show more homes like this. I hope that even the neater ones (particularly for example, if they are a project by an architect or interior designer) can still offer ideas and inspiration all the same.
DeleteI love this post and would really love to see more of these kinds of homes - I find them far more inspiring than perfect homes, and that they spark my own creativity.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input, I'll do my best! :)
DeleteIt's kind of shocking to see this much of primary colours in your post. :-)
ReplyDeleteI prefer the restrained colour palette (but I realize this is a place with kids).
Isn't it just! I love to surprise my readers every now and again, and it seems this tour has done wonders! Don't worry though, I'm sure muted Scandinavian palettes will continue to prevail!
DeleteThank you for real home with real kid's room - fun and messy :) Not tidy and minimalistically boring :)
ReplyDeleteHappy you loved this tour (and kids room) as much as I did!
DeleteSo lovely to see a home with soul and colour... life! This post makes me feel happy. I love it. Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteI love that this home has spread so much happiness! Thank you for taking the time to comment x
DeleteLove the "square oneing", we call it "Time to Reset the house!"
ReplyDelete