Subtle Christmas Touches in A Swedish Country Home

Twinkling lights are starting to appear up and down the country in preparation for the first of advent. Ever since moving to Sweden, I have had a weakness for subtle white and green displays - a simple wreath here, a mini Christmas tree there. Located just outside Gothenburg, the country home of Caroline Bodehed (founder of shop Lily and Honey) and her husband, three children, three cats and a dog is a fine example of this. Every room in the 1970's house features a subtle nod to the festive season. "I like to bring natural and organic elements into my decoration," Caroline tells me. And this, she does with style! Välkommen in!

Walk past Swedish homes at Christmas time and you'll see one of two things in the window: paper star lanterns* or advent candlebras (available here) - or perhaps both! 

Paper star

Pimpernel wallpaper, Small paper star

Anyone else a big fan of simple wreaths? I think this is the first time I've spotted one nailed to a book shelf, not a bad idea if you're short of wall space (like I am!). 

"I prefer to use a more neutral and subtle colour palette. Although my Christmas tree has a lot of colourful decoration that my children have created," Caroline tells me.

Well, I think their family Christmas tree (taken last year) is so pretty, don't you? I bet it smells divine too!

3D star lantern*

This image almost requires a caption competion - what is that curious cat thinking?! My guess is: 'will anyone notice if I cosy up on that sheepskin and bat those wreaths all afternoon?!'

The half wreaths look so pretty in the window and thankfully, are well out of reach of mischievous cats! I love the small paper star resting on the windowsill too.

Potted mini Christmas trees are always a good idea! I've been a fan ever since this Norwegian home tour (they make a great pressie too). You could also go for mini trees up the stairs, like in this home. 

I bet doing the dishes wouldn't feel half as bad looking out over the snowy landscape, that's if you can get the crafty cat out of the way! She's looking pretty comfy, don't you think?!

Candle wreath ring, L:A bruket hand soap*

This home has definitely got me in the mood for decorating, how about you? I have promised myself not to put anything up until 2nd December (except for the advent calendar), but I'll be already to rock when the time comes!

Do you have a date when you start to decorate your home?

There is something extra special about the snow too - we had a white Christmas in the south of Sweden a few years back and it was magical! Have you ever enjoyed a white Christmas?

If you live in Sweden and looking for some pretty Christmas decorations, you'll love Caroline's shop - if not, there's always her lovely instagram feed for more inspiration.

And while we're on a roll, don't miss this Swedish country home all decked out for Christmas too!

Happy thanksgiving to all my American friends out there!

And have a great weekend all!

Niki

Photography: Caroline Bodehed with kind permission

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DIY Christmas Advent Calendar

I got a little creative yesterday and made an advent calendar. I think this is first one I've ever completed before 1st December, let alone ten days in advance! It's certainly going to keep them enticed! The idea all started when I spotted the super cute white and gold Christmas Advent Calendar Bags from Danish brand Nordal. I wanted to create something modern, but with a rustic touch.  I loaded each bag with sweets for every member of the family. I have to confess I was one set short so one bag has potatoes in it - I can't tell you how much I laughed at the thought of them opening it. Finally I get to prank back. I do have a set of back-up sweets up my sleeve though! Just in case you'd like to create something similar - here's the low down.

What you need

- Nordal Advent Calendar Bags* (the 24 stickers are included)

- A long, sturdy branch (this one is 110 cm)

- 120 cm white rope (for hanging)

- Tack / nail (for hanging)

- Brown string

- Presents / sweets (make sure they are not too heavy!)

- A few sprigs of fir

*The Nordal advent calendar kit is available in online shops across Europe (find your nearest retailer / online store here - I spotted some in Denmark here and the UK here). If you live outside Europe you could try 24 white or brown paper bags and use postage tags or stencils for the numbers). 

What to do

I wanted the advent calendar to have a rustic touch - and the answer came in the form of a stick which Allie brought back from the woods a few weeks ago (any stick will do as long as it's relatively long (this one is 110 cm) and strong enough to hold 24 bags).

I tied a length of nylon rope (you can pick up similar in all good hardware stores) to each end of the stick and then hung it from a tack in the wall - forming a triangle.

After filling each bag with goodies, I added the number stickers and then used simple brown string to hang each one from the stick. Instead of creating holes, I threaded the string under the fold of the bag before sealing it.

Rather than preparing them all in advance I found it easier to to cut the string as I went along so that I could check how low I wanted to hang each bag. They were then tied to the stick using a really simple knot (let's hope they hold - my sailor husband would be less than impressed if they're all on the floor tomorrow!).

And finally - I found a few sprigs of fir (which I picked up in a flower shop in town) and tied them to the centre of the branch for a festive touch!

And now, all we need to do is wait until 1st December!

If you've got any questions about the DIY just give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll be happy to help!

Do you make / buy an advent calendar each year? If so, I'd love to hear about it. One of husband's mates gets one from his wife each year with an IPA for each day (how's that for a great idea?!).

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. All words and creations are my own. Thank you for supporting the hand-picked brands that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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Subtle Seasonal Touches in a Beautiful Swedish Space

Tjohoooo! With the days getting slowly darker, I've noticed little twinkling lights starting to appear in my neighbourhood. Nothing 'Christmassy' - just subtle, cosy touches to mark the cusp of winter, which the Scandinavians do oh so well! You may remember that I featured the beautiful home of Swedish photographer and stylist Anna Kvarnström in before in 2016, but so much has happened since then - and Anna does cosy so well. Definitely time to revisit, don't you think?! Anna shares her house in Örebro with her husband, two children and furry friend, and has decorated it in a simple white and brown palette - but look closely and you'll see the real beauty lies in the carefully curated details. Välkommen in!

There's no simpler way to amp up the hygge around a dining table than throwing sheepskins* over the backs of chairs and lighting a candle or ten!

Leading image: Ikea Stockholm PS cabinet 

Above image: Z1 pendant, Menu WM String chair*, sheepskin throw*

...OK - and maybe a fire and the cutest dog ever too! 

Botanical displays have been kept strictly to whatever happens to be available outside  - a wonderful way of drawing attention to the season - just add fika! 

When I show a wall of open shelving, I often get comments asking about the dust. And to be honest it can be a bit of a nightmare. That's where one of these beauties come in. A glass cabinet (try IKEA) is ideal for showing off pretty items but keeping them dust-free at the same time. Note the candle storage - a vital element in any Swedish home! 

So. back to my comment about subtle 'seasonal' touches! How pretty are these fir sprig stars? So simple too! Admittedly - I found this image in Anna's Christmas 2017 archive - but I think you could almost get away with these in November, right?

Granit ash hooks

Placing candles or lamps in the window is another clever trick Swedes use to make their homes look warm and inviting. It helps that curtains are often left open at night, off course. But also, I recently heard that in some countries the window sills are on the outside, so this isn't a possibility at all. The good news is, everyone can take inspiration from the candlestick holder base - which has been used for leftover candle stubs - kind of cosy, right?!

I love the simplicity of this whole set-up - from the linen cushions and sheepskin in off whites to the candlelight and eucalyptus wreath. So simple yet so pretty! 

Grey sheepskin*, natural linen cushions*, hanging wreath ring*

Flos Gatto Table Lamp*

Brown linen has to be the 'it' bedding of Autumn 2018 - and I love the warmth it radiates. It's kind of begging you to get in for a read and not climb back out again until spring 2019!

Dromedary double duvet and pillow case by Midnatt

Hemtex bamboo mirror, Bla Bla print by Lisa Wirenfelt 

Wow! Anna's home has left me with SO many ideas - I love it when that happens. 

I'm totally going to make those little fir sprig stars!

Is there anything that caught your eye?

Check out Anna's instagram and blog to see all her latest work.  

And for more homes with a chestnut and white theme, I'm loving this archive! 

Ha dett så bra! 

Niki

Affiliate links marked with *

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Merry Christmas!

This beautiful picture was taken by Pernille Enoch / Femina DK

Have you got any fun plans?  I'm taking a little time off to visit, family and friends which will be so nice and maybe even go on a road trip to snowy Norway (we'll see).

If you feel like a little Scandinavian interior inspiration in the meantime, I love these archives (some of them have over 100 homes - how crazy is that?!):

Swedish homes
Norwegian homes
Danish homes
Finnish homes
Vintage inspired homes
Bohemian style homes

And just in case you missed it - the best of My Scandinavian Home 2017 is now up (thank you for a wonderful year).

Wishing you a very merry Christmas! I hope your holidays are full of love and laughter.

See you January 8th!

Kram!

Niki x

PS This beautiful picture was taken by Pernille Enoch. See the DIY for this and other candle decorations here. So pretty!

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A Mysig Swedish Family Home at Christmas

How pretty is this beautiful house in the suburbs of Stockholm, all decked out for Christmas? The beautiful home belongs to interior designer, photographer, storyteller and founder of Wiho Design, Jasmina Bylund who lives with her 'sambo' (live in partner) and their children - Winston (3.5) and Belle (6 months). Jasmina has decorated the house in shades of grey, white and midnight blue and a beautiful blend of old and new. "I don't follow a particular style, I simply follow my heart," Bylund explains.  Jasmina is a big fan of Christmas and loves to "gather family and friends, eat good food, bake, decorate and wrap presents." Evidence of this can be seen throughout their home - which is peppered with subtle festive touches  - including a Kungsgran tree, pretty wreaths, sprigs of pine  and paper star lanterns. No doubt there's snow outside the window too. Åh va mysigt!

Photography: Jasmina Bylund, shared with kind permission.

Oh so pretty, don't you think?

Get the look from Jasmina's home: living room - wall hanging from FROSTA design, Menu Turning Table, Hay table, seagrass belly basket. kitchen - wine glass rack. bedroom - on the wall 'Jotun Lady Happy Homes'. This natural bed linen is beautiful. sitting room - Bemz sell lovely linen slipcovers for sofas (see mine here!). The wrapping paper was sourced on Etsy.

For similar paint colours check-out the Jotun Lady range - they have so many beautiful colours (I used Blushing Peach for my bedroom). To achieve a similar textured surface seen on Jasmina's bedroom wall try adding Roll-A-Tex Sand Texture Additive to the paint (I used this in my dining room make-over and it worked wonders!)

If you'd like to see more of Jasmina's home and latest projects you must check out her lovely instagram feed and blog.

And if you're looking for more Scandinavian home tours with a festive touch - these will definitely get you in the Yuletide mood:

A Swedish country home at Christmas
A Danish home at Christmas 
A Norwegian home on Christmas eve
 Dreaming of a white Christmas in a Swedish home
A cosy Scandinavian home ready for Christmas 

If these have inspired you to rush home and decorate your own home I can recommend these beautifully simply DIY ideas:

Lovely, easy Danish Chrismtas DIY ideas
5 beautifully simple Scandinavian Christmas DIY ideas

Have a lovely day!

PS Are you still Christmas shopping (I am!)? If so this list of last minute Christmas presents for Scandinavian design lovers (and their children!) might come in handy. 

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Subtle Festive Touches in a Norwegian Home

Morning! I'm a little bleary eyed after a red eye flight from New York, which landed at 7 a.m. this morning at Copenhagen (1am USA time) GUH!!! I think I'm on my third coffee and it's not working - help! Jet lag tips welcome! Despite my cloudy mind, I wanted to stop by and share some beautifully subtle Christmas decorations in the Norwegian home of photographer Elisabeth Heier (you might recall this inspiring post of her Christmassy home a few years back!). Elisabeth has gone for a 'less is more' approach this year since she is moving shortly. Even so, I absolutely love the festive touches, calm tones (with a hint of wine-red) and the combination of the grey with brass. Enjoy!

Photography: Elisabeth Heier / shared with kind permission. 

Oh so lovely! Everything looks so calm and organised! I could quite happily sleep off my jet lag here!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look: Pick up pretty brass Christmas ornaments at Ferm Living (incidentally - I also spotted a brass Christmass tree stand in the webshop too - love that!), I love this elegant candlestick holder by SKULTUNA, small brass tree.

I'm going to do my best to pop back in before the weekend kicks off but since I'm fading fast I'd better say 'have a wonderful' weekend now (just in case!).

See you Monday!

PS I was happy to see a write-up in the New York Times about Scandinavian-themed books this week (even more so, because it includes my Lagom Book - yay!). It's worth taking a peek if you fancy taking it easy this holiday with a nice (Scandi-inspired) book or two!

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