A Minimalist Yet Pretty Holiday Vibe In a San Francisco Home

I remember my eldest daughter's first Christmas. The day felt extra special and I couldn't wait to share all our family traditions with her, and create new ones too. The memories came flooding back when I read Si's blog French By Design last week. Si has been busy preparing her home for an extra special Christmas: her first born daughter, Inès will shortly return home from college for the first time to spend the holidays with them. Here are some snapshots from her beautiful home where Si plans to enjoy a "slower pace, PJ days, Netflix binging, laughing and holding random cake baking sessions" with her tribe. Sounds perfect to me!

Si's home is lovely at the best of times (see more pics here) - but I really love the additional festive touches, how about you?

Does it make anyone else feel like staining your floors black? I love the contrast with the white walls and how the floor makes everything 'pop' - very tempting indeed!

Take a peek at Si's blog French By Design and her book How The French Live for lots more inspiration!

You might also like: California dreaming in a monochrome home.

Do you recall an extra special holiday / Christmas too?

Vi ses imorgen! 

Niki

Photography: Siham Mazouz / French By Design, shared with kind permission.

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Our Home - All Set For Christmas!

I might not have bought any Christmas presents yet (aaaaagh!), but I have decked the halls with boughs of holly (fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!). Actually, that's not strictly true, there's none of the prickly bush in sight. Instead a king spruce (which we chopped down at a local sustainable tree farm last weekend) stands proudly in the corner (I think she's a beauty - but that might be because of all the effort we went to sawing away in the rain!!) and I threaded my new hanging brass candle wreath with fresh eucalyptus. I only noticed afterwards that I've gone all out gold (mainly thanks to wonderful Danish brand Nordal!)! But it's not all bling, I like to think the pure linen tablecloth and sheepskins  give our open plan room a touch of cosiness too. Here are a few snapshots, I hope you like our Christmassy home (and holiday table) as much as we do!

It all feels especially cosy at night when all the candles are lit and the Christmas tree is twinkling (I love the dark evenings in the run up to the holidays, how about you?!). If only it could all quickly change back to summer time on Boxing Day, and then everything would be perfect!

I have to say, I'm especially happy with my new hanging candle ring! It was so easy to wire the eucalyptus to it (I used two branches which I placed opposite each other and bounded them to the ring using a thin wire). I then hung the ring a safe distance from the wall (around 30 cm) which seems to have done the trick. It's the first thing I light each day!

Could you imagine having one of these in your home too?

In case you're curious about some of the other items, here's the low down:

Get the look

1. Xmas deco tree
2. Hurricane glass
3. Circle candle hold (hanging)
4. Christmas hanger tree
5. Silver glass hanger
6. Brass trolley
7. Circle candle holder (on trolley)
8. Stoneware cake plate
9. Stoneware dinner plate
10. Clear cocktail glass with gold pattern
11. Clear glass with gold pattern
12. Cement candle holder
13. Tulip candleholder
14. Pure linen table cloth

I've mainly linked to the Nordal online Danish store, however they do have retailers throughout Europe - you can find your nearest one here.

Give me a shout in the comment section below if you're wondering about anything else. I'd be happy to point you in the right direction!

Right. I think its time to go and pour myself a nice glass of glögg and put some Christmas music on, what do you think? Oh no. Hang on. I've got a mountain of holiday shopping to do. Eeeeek! 

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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Candles and Stars in A Cosy Swedish Home at Christmas

There are some homes which I find I come back to time and time again, simply because they are unique and utterly inspiring! This lovely one in Bagarmossen, Sweden is one of them! I have featured Janniche Kristoffersen's beautiful green and home before, but I couldn't resist sharing a few more with all the cosiness that December brings.  Janniche's 'barely-there' festive touches perfectly blend with the green, caramel, rust and off-white backdrop and there are plenty of non-christmassy ideas to steal too!

IVAR cupboards from IKEA. RAR rocker. Cushion in Water Lilies fabric by Fine Little Day.

"I actually don't decorate every room, but there are some things I always use. The paper stars are important, adding some light to the dark Nordic days, other than that I use a string of fairy lights to add some more light to shelves and around windows. I also love to decorate with flowers, mainly amaryllis but also branches with red berries etc. I also dry orange slices in the oven and make garlands. Nice and a very easy thing to do!" 
 - Janniche Kristoffersen. 

Woodburning stove from Morso, Snöblomma light from Watt & Veke.

Bedroom wall painted in Caramel by Alcro  Crinkle Throw* by Hay. Natural linen curtains*. Bistro chair*, paper star and lights from Granit. 

5 Festive Traditions In Janniche's Home

Baking - We bake a lot of things: Lussebullar (Saint Lucia saffron buns), ginger bread, saffron biscotti and different types of fudge. The kids love it!

Adventsfika - Our weekends are fully booked up until Christmas eating our home-baked goodies with friends at home.

Decorating the Christmas tree - With the children

Visiting the Christmas market at Skansen - It's such a lovely place to get in the Christmas spirit. I just wish for some more snow to add a little more magic!

Celebrating Christmas Eve - We visit our family in Norway or Piteå, Sweden to celebrate Christmas Eve, so this is our main chance to enjoy a white Christmas :).

I love the sound of all of these traditions, it almost makes me want too go home and start baking!

If you'd like to see more of Janniche's home, check out her fantastic blog bloggaibagis and instagram @bloggaibagis.

What traditions do you enjoy?

Other Swedish homes to brighten up the start of the week: peach and rust tones in an elegant Norwegian home, a free-spirited Swedish family home on an island and a charming German home with three mischievous cats!

Great if you can help me out a little - is there anything you'd like to see more or less of in the run up to Christmas? Looking for any particular round-ups? If so, give me a shout below and I'll see what I can do!

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography: all pictures by Janniche Kristoffersen except number 8 by David Jerner and Emma Wallmén for Granit. 

Affiliate links marked with *

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Understated (Yet Super Pretty) Christmas Decorations In a Swedish Home

I'm a little distracted this morning. There's a loads of Russian sweets in our kitchen and I keep going back for more. I could just bring the whole box over to my desk but then I'll have lost (obviously each time I go in is the last). This is exactly why I don't have treats in my home (not even a packet of Hobnobs!). How are you with things like this?! Another home that's full of treats - is this one in Norrtälje just outside Stockholm. Built in 1890, the house belongs to the talented Emily Slotte, her husband Christian, children Vinnie (1), Blake (4), Engla (13) and dog Franka. I'm talking a feast for the eyes, rather than sweet treats (although I'm pretty sure there are some hiding in Blake and Engla's advent calendars!). Not only is Emily a dab hand at interiors - decorating her home with beautiful furniture and accessories in a soft, muted colour palette she's also an amazing lifestyle photographer. Little wonder her subtle pared-back Christmas touches caught my eye. It's time to get festive friends...

Two candlelit wreaths replace an electric light to bring warmth and cosiness to the setting. 

The family Christmas table is set with Ittala Essence Plus wine glasses, brass cutlery, a grey linen tablecloth* and dark grey napkins*. And of course schnapps glasses (altogether now: "helan går...!"). Simple branches of pine run along the centre and are dotted with white hyacinths.

I love the grey-blue of a eucalyptus leaf - it looks so pretty wrapped around a brass wreath, don't you think?

Sometimes simple brown wrapping paper and string is all you need for presents (see more rustic gift wrapping ideas here and here). It helps that Emily has an absolutely beautiful rustic table too!

Simple hyacinth vases like these (available here) are popular at Christmas time in Sweden - and look beautiful dotted around the house. I love how they fill a living space with a delicious scent too! 

In Blake's room, an In the woods Christmas advent calendar from Danish brand Fabelab hangs over the bed - ready to be opened each morning!

This pretty star advent calendar has been reinvented by Emily so that it hangs from a branch. 

What a lovely home- and such simple, yet pretty festive touches! I'm feeling inspired to get cracking on my own now, how about you?

See more of Emily's beautiful home on her instagram feed @emsloo and blog Emsloo. 

And for more Swedish Christmas inspiration, you might also like to step inside a mysigt Swedish family home at Christmas, subtle festive touches in a Swedish home and a cosy swedish home ready for Christmas. 

I'm curious to know, what are your Christmas decorating musts each year? 

Have a lovely, cosy day!

Niki

Photography: Emily Slotte, shared with kind permission. 

Affiliate links marked with *

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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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