A Soothing Swedish family Home With the World's Cutest Kitten!

How are you all doing? Ups and downs? I hear you. But hopefully I have something that can really lift all our spirits! Pull up a chair, put your feet up and stay for a while, this Swedish home will have you dreaming about calm spaces and fairy-tale children's bedrooms. Oh, and it even includes a cute dog and fluffy kitten for good measure! Welcome to the home of Anna-Maria Blomqvist. Anna-Maria lives in the pretty town of Sigtuna, just North of Stockholm. It's a lively little place known for its traditional wooden houses and having the oldest main street in Sweden. Anna-Maria, her partner and their children live in an old croft house which they've lovingly restored into a family home. The house is a sea of earthy greys, deep blues and forest greens, reflecting the lake and forests of the surroundings. Look out for the pretty wallpaper too! 

Since moving to Sweden, a blanket on the sofa has become an essential item (we actual have several these days otherwise there are actual fights!). This chunky knit* one sold online is similar. 

The family hound has found a perfect spot to snooze beside a Josef Davidssons wood burning stove. Oh, to be him today! 

Love this dining setting. But, gaaah, I've seen this star pendant light so many times and can't for the life of me remember the name - can anyone help? It would be great to provide the details.  Also, can I get a slice of that cake, please?

This seems to be the week for vintage glass cabinets (did you see the one in yesterday's Finnish home tour?) - beautiful! I love this one in the children's bedroom too, how about you?

The wall has been finished with Kalkitir chalk paint from Iceland. We painted one of our kitchen walls with this recently. It arrives in powder form and you mix it with water. It's surprisingly easy to apply, organic and gives a beautiful texture. Home DIY project perhaps? If there's enough interest, I might be able to organise a discount. Give me a shout if you're interested!

The wonderful Graylag goose mobile is designed in Sweden by Wonderforest Co. 

What a cosy bed, made even prettier by the Boråstapeter Nocturne wallpaper and bed canopy. And the best news of all for parents - with a bed like this, the children will have no need to turn the sofa into a den! Hallelujah!  

 And finally.....

Because who doesn't feel joy from a picture of the world's fluffiest kitten? Isn't she a Darling? Wonder what she thinks of the flying goose mobile?! 

I spotted this last picture in Anna-Maria's Instagram feed. Not only does it show a glimpse of Sigtuna's pretty Main Street, it also gave me a chance to tell you about a Swedish easter tradition you might not know about! 

On Skärtorsdagan (Maundy Thursday) children across Sweden dress up as påskkäringor (Easter hags) wearing brightly coloured head scarves and faces painted with rosy cheeks and freckles - as seen above! They then wander from door to door asking for sweets. I was so taken aback when I opened the door my first Easter in sweden. They look as cute as a button, but still, being British I was a bit baffled and not terribly well stocked up on godis (sweets)! It's one of the main signs that Swedish Påsk (easter) predates Christianity. It was said that on Maundy Thursday, witches flew to consort with the devil at Mount Blåkulla (a tiny island off Sweden's east coast), some swedes (particularly in the western part of the country) light bonfires to ward off the evil spirits - although these days more so on April 30th (Walpurgis Night). 

Do you have unusual Easter / spring holiday traditions in your country? If so, I'd love to hear about them! 

Back to the home tour. Is there anything in particular that stood out to you? I love the wood burning stove! It's a really beautiful one and adds so much warmth to the home. 

Check out more snapshots from Anna-Maria's home over on her instagram @annamaria.blomqvist.  

Other homes I love with a similar vibe include Anna Kubel's beautiful abode, the soothing Swedish home of Frida Andersson and a charming home on Sweden's West coast.  

I hope this lovely tour (and sharing the unusual Swedish Easter traditions!) has given you a little respite today! Do share your thoughts in the comment section below, I'd love to hear from you!

Niki

Photography: Anna-Maria Blomqvist

Affiliate links marked with *

READ MORE...

13

A Wonderful, Relaxed Family Home In the Heart Of the Beaujolais Wine Country

Sometimes I'm going about my business in Malmö as happy as Larry and then a home tour pops up that knocks me for six and has me dreaming about a total life change! This is one of those days! And once you see the pictures, I have a feeling you might just feel the same. Lysiane Marcel lives in a beautiful 18th century house in the wine-producing region of Beaujolais, France, with her husband Laurent, three children Léonce, Bertil and Colette and their cats and dog. Their home is an inspiring blend of vintage, antique and high street finds (I even spy some IKEA pieces!), giving the space a truly relaxed and personal touch. I briefly caught up with Lysiane, who runs a concept store in Villefranche, to find out a little more about her 'golden' house in the heart of the Pierres Dorées. 

Your house looks magnificent! How old is it and when did you move in?

It is an old vineyard house built in 1752 from pierres dorées, which is the golden stone of our region. We moved in when I was pregnant with Colette three years ago. 

What inspires your interior style?

I follow my heart and allow the house to guide me. 

I can imagine feeling very inspired by a house like this! Was it love at first sight? 

Yes, but we were afraid about all of the space because the house is very large, and we were living in an apartment in Lyon at the time!

Do you plan to decorate the entire house, or will you leave some of the rooms empty?

We plan to create a lot of guest bedrooms for our friends. They are empty during the week, but we often have friends to stay at the weekend. 

What do you love most about your house?

I love the space, the light, the floor and all the little details that come with an old house. 

And finally, do you have any tips for anyone who dreams of owning a similar property? 

It takes a lot of time to find a house like this. We visited 30 properties before we found it! it's all about following your heart, a home must make you feel good. 

What do you reckon, are you ready to enjoy croissants and a café au lit by the pool?! Or perhaps a glass of Beaujolais would be more apt?! 

Check out more of Lysiane's beautiful home over at @une_idee_entete. Lysiane also sells her family's lovely clothes second hand on instagram here. 

I've shown a few other wonderful French country homes (which I still dream about), including:

A relaxed family home in the French countryside

A charming family home in Normandy, France

Before and after: a vintage-inspired family home in Metz, France

Is anyone else feeling truly inspired now for a Monday?!

Have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @une_idee_entete, shared with kind permission

READ MORE...

8

A Charming and Eclectic Family Home in Paris

Tjena! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'm feeling all revived after a few days in Le Cinque Terre, Italy with Per (our wedding anniversary gave us the perfect opportunity to go somewhere lovely, sans kids!). And it definitely didn't disappoint - what a beautiful part of the world! Have you been? If not, I can highly recommend it! Anyhow, I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to hear about my mini break and I've got such a charming home tour to share with you today, so let's crack on! This wonderful, relaxed family home in Paris belongs to Eve, who runs the online shop Sweet Party Day,  her husband and their three young children. Eve documents daily life on her delightful instagram feed @Minireyve using a witty and inspiring array of images. The family home represents Eve's passion for DIY, retro decor, and graphics but also provides a haven in which her children can relax and be themselves - in every room! Bienvenue chez Eve!

Sea grass belly basket*, vertigo pendant lamp*, Jungle wall chart / HK Living

A mix of vintage finds, plants and designer pieces add to the lovely, relaxed feel of the home. 

Sofa from Made.com, Cam cam star cushion

Blue cotton throw

Mixer*, Reform kitchen (as before)

Reform kitchen, tiles from Mosaic Factory

Wall decor from Wallmy.com, Rocking sheep

Vintage school desk*

Rainbow rug

Such a charming home! I love all the children's bedrooms and also how the playful touches extend into the living room, it really put a smile on my face. 

Did this home make you feel warm and fuzzy inside too?

If you can spare a moment this morning you must take a peek at Eve's instagram, there are so many quirky touches! You can also browse Eve's blog here. 

Other delightful family homes to enjoy today: 

12 child-friendly ideas to learn from a happy family home in Berlin

Chestnut tones in a family friendly Swedish home

A simple, relaxed family home with Scandinavian touches

Have a wonderful start to the week! See you Wednesday (over the summer holidays I'll be blogging Monday, Wednesday and Fridays to spend a little more time with my family). 

Niki

Photography: Eve / Minireyve shared with kind permission

*affiliate links

READ MORE...

3

The Genius App Every Parent & Grandparent Needs (25% off!)

Paid partnership with Doodlespot:

Are you a parent / aunt / uncle/ grandparent / someone who just happens to know a child who loves to draw?! My daughters have always loved to paint. In fact, not a day goes by without some kind of creativity. At one point, when Liv was at nursery, she was so prolific, she'd run through the door clasping 10 "masterpieces". As lovely as it is to see, le't face it, it can be hard to know what on earth to do with them all, don't you think?! At worst there might be one line per page but even the beautiful ones are on poor quality paper that's become a little scrunched and ripped in their school bag! 

And then I discovered the app Doodlespot. I'm the first to admit that I'm terrified of anything techy (seriously!) - but this app is GENIUS and sooooo simple! Available (almost) worldwide on Google Play and iTunes, Doodlespot allows you to capture your child's artwork on your phone. You can then have a play around with the design tools and templates before ordering the framed print straight to your door. I asked the crazies to choose their favourite paintings so we could put the app to the test!

LIV

My ten year old daughter chose 'Lazy River' (seen above and below) which she painted in art class a few weeks ago. She went for a classic portrait template with her name and age underneath so it would look super pro (just like her wonderful piece!). I think she's proudly shown the print to every single person who's walked through the door! 

ALLIE

My younger daughter chose a painting she did of our house and was as pleased as punch when it arrived. Even though the painting was drawn in landscape, she chose the 'portrait' format and had a little play around with the colours - and since she's the artist, who am I to disagree?! 

Doodlespot co-founder Stefan Persson tells me: "Our driving force is child creativity. It is all about helping children to explore and experiment, then we enable you to transform their creations into art you can display on your walls. Filling your home with your own child's art is such a beautiful thing."

The girls and I are so pleased, we've already started thinking about which artwork to get done next! It would make such a great present too, don't you think? 

Oh, and another thing - part of the proceeds are donated to 'War Child', a non-profit organisation helping children traumatised by war. Such a worthwhile cause. 

If you'd love to give Doodlespot a try*, make the most of a 25% discount with the code follow25 until 10th June, 2019! 

Niki

PS I think the last time I showed my crazies together in a post was in their room reveal back in 2014 - with the risk of sounding like a great aunt.... haven't they grown?!! 

*This post is a paid partnership with Doodlespot. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. 

READ MORE...

6

Get The Look: A Bohemian Children's Room In Sepia Tones

I was so excited to share the *golden* home of Sarah Shabacon earlier today. But there was one room I held back as it was just to good to throw in all at once! Isaac and Ziggy's den! The shared boy's room is made up of a few carefully selected pieces all of which are fabulous! I mean, who wouldn't love an palm tree lamp?! And it's all in keeping with the muted, golden colour scheme of the home too. Enjoy the tour!

Get the look

Oeuf Perch Bunk Bed*
Ocean Palm Tree Lamp
Midnatt Pebble bed set
Round Pintuck Pillow
Hanging Wall Basket
Braided Water Hyacinth Storage Cube
Rattan Sunburst Mirror

My eye is still on that palm tree lamp, I feel like I need one of these in my life. Maybe in Allie's room, what do you think? I love the warm, natural tones too.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

If you're looking for a little more inspiration, you can always head over to this archive for more   children's room ideas and Sarah's fab instagram account (word of warning - you could be stuck there for a while!). You might also like to check out her shop BOHÈME to hunt for vintage finds for adults, children and the home too. Just saying!

Trevlig kväll! 

Niki

Photography: Sarah Shabacon
Affiliate links marked with *

READ MORE...

4