Step Inside Janniche's Delightful Swedish Home

Janniche Kristoffersen's home is one of those you can visit time and time again and never tire of. It's simply beautiful, in a relaxed, homely way. I nipped over to her blog yesterday to see what she was up to this Christmas and was excited to find she'd made some lovely colour changes (the 'melun' in the children's bedroom being my favourite) and added some cosy festive touches. Think stars, orange garlands, simple wreaths and candles. Ready for a return visit to Bagarmossan, Sweden? Let's dive in!  

What a cosy dining space! Look closely and you'll see the decorations are very simple - an orange garland, branches of pine in a vase and a wreath made from eucalyptus. Love the mix and match mid-century chairs too! 

Can you spot the TV? This setting would have fitted in perfectly in my 'stylish ways to display a TV' feature a few weeks back!

Janniche's Ikea Söderhamn sofa has been covered in a Simply Linen cover in Absolute white* from Bemz. 

The wall of books and magazines is one of my favourite things in this home. I love the idea of using books as art - plus you can really see all of the titles! 

Janniche's daughter's room has been painted in a beautiful combination of shiny melun and modest white from Nordsjö. 

Rug from Oyoy Living, 'hello' - playwood studio, print from Fine Little Day.

Oh, how I love this home!

Have you seen this before on MSH or is this the first time you've toured her home?!

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this space as much as I do!

You can see more pics of Janniche's home over at @bloggaibagis and her blog and also check out a load more Swedish homes (as always) in the archives here. 

For tomorrow's post I've gone down a slightly different track - and sharing an interview with Per about our Swedish Christmas and all the traditions he loves (along with pics of course!). I even learned a few new things! I've also got an exciting discount code to share which is perfect for very Scandi gifts! Hope to see you then! 

Vi ses imorgen! 

Niki

Photography Janniche Kristoffersen / Bloggaibagis

*Affiliate partner links

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10 Simple DIY Christmas Decorations Made From Nature!

FRIDAY friends, FRIDAY! And this weekend is going to be a cosy one - I can feel it! Not only did we have our first little flurry of snow in Malmö today (it didn't settle, but still...), the first Sunday of Advent is a hop, skip and a jump away which means we can start to decorate our homes for Christmas - OK, we all know I've already started but now it's official! This year I'm planning on making my own decorations. But there's a catch. I'm time poor and well.... I'm not super great at DIY. Also, it's still early in the game and I kind of like to start with subtle decorations - and then gradually build up to the big day. Sound familiar but on board? I've scoured the web for the prettiest, most simple Scandinavian DIY Christmas decorations I could find. Here are ten of my favourites - and they're all made from nature and super quick and easy to make! Ready to deck the halls with boughs of.... pinecones, fir tree branches and dried orange garlands?! Let's dive in!

1. These pretty fir tree stars / snowflakes look so pretty in the window. Use a little thread or thin wire to bind them together to form a star, add a little ribbon and they're ready to hang!

Beth Kirby

2. Sometimes it needn't be more complicated than a few sprigs from a fir tree and an old rope (beautiful rustic barn door optional!).

Bjørn Johan Stenersen

3. Little fir tree branches tied together with gardening twine - hang vertically or across wall to bring a wintery feel and a sweet smell of pine to your home!

4. I have pinecones all around my home at this time of the year - but I don't have any strung together as Christmas decorations. Time to get on the case, don't you think?

Weekday Carnival

5. A branch in a vase - why complicate things? (OK, you could throw in a candle and an ornament or two too).

Kelly Brown

6. Orang garlands are surprisingly easy to make, smell divine and if they look as pretty as the one in this picture, I'm all in! There's a great tutorial here. 

7. Got a few dried orange slices left over? Use them for pretty Christmas tree ornaments like A Clean Bee.

Louise Roe Copenhagen

8. I think I might have shared this one before, but hey, it's so pretty and so timely with the first Sunday of advent coming up that I couldn't resist including. A tray, 4 block candles and a load of cinnamon sticks, mini pinecones and eucalyptus branches is all that's needed!

Pomponetti

9. Moving one step on from number 2 - this fir tree branch has been spruced (sorry!) up with a garland of wooden stars (source similar here*) for a subtle, festive display.

The Merry Thought

10. This one is kind of like number 3 (OK, very alike!) - but slightly more formal arrangement and I like the way it's been hung. Pine needles at the ready... here's the tutorial.

I hope you found some of these ideas inspiring and it's given you a little inspiration for the weekend!

There's load more Christmas DIY, decorating and home tour inspiration in this archive! And here's the link to the Swedish Christmas snöblomma DIY again (in case you missed it!).

I'm so looking forward to a toasty few days here in Southern Sweden and rumour has it that the sun might come out for the first time in weeks.

Have a cosy weekend friends!

Niki

*This post contains one or two affiliate links which means if you click on an item and buy it, I might earn a very small amount of money - perhaps enough for a pepparkaka ginger snap biscuit with my tea!

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Cosy Christmas Touches in The Swedish Home of Anna Kubel

Every cloud has a silver lining - and that's definitely the case in Sweden right now. It's been so grey, that everyone has felt compelled to decorate their homes for Christmas early and I'm all for it!  In my mind nothing says jul  like amaryllis, ginger snaps, simple wreaths, paper stars and candles - and you'll spot every single one of these in the magical home of Anna Kubel. I had the pleasure of meeting Anna at an event earlier this year and have been following her on Instagram ever since (if you don't already follow her, it's a must!). Based in Stockholm, Anna is a photographer and visual storyteller as well as Mother to two little girls. Her home is full of vintage finds, warm, earthy tones and very cosy seasonal touches - many of which are handmade. Time to pour yourself a coffee and get cosy - her home is full of inspiring ideas! 

In our house we usually make simple pepparkaka biscuits with cookie cutters, but I love the idea of making snowflakes. I might just have to give this a try, how about you? 

I'm excited to see Anna's hanging stars / flowers - made from Sandberg wallpaper - so pretty! I shared a simple DIY tutorial for these here last week (just incase you missed it!). 

Anna's fabulous bed frame is by danish firm Sika Design. Source similar grey linen bedding here*. 

The pretty wallpaper is by Daniel Långelid and Emma Von Brömssen and the powder pink canopy is from Numero74. 

So lovely! I want to climb into the pictures and enjoy a pepparkaka baking session with the family (might just bring my girls along too!), it all looks so idyllic - unlike my mad house! 

Do you also feel inspired by the Jul touches in Anna's home? 

If you're starting to get into the Christmas spirit, there's a load of inspiration in this archive and on my Pinterest board. 

Have a cosy day!

Niki

Photography: Anna Kubel shared with kind permission

*this post contains a few affiliated links which means I might make a minute amount of money if you click and buy something. 

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Sweden's Big Christmas Decoration Trend (And You Can Make It Yourself!)

There's only one week to go before the first Sunday of advent and Christmas decorations are starting to pop across Sweden. Don't get me wrong, they haven't gone the whole hog - Christmas trees and dried orange garlands can wait. But nothing cuts through the darkness and lights your way home like the soft, white glow from 'adventstake' (7 candles arranged in a triangle), fairy lights and lanterns. Paper star lanterns have been one of the favourites for many years in Sweden, but this year there's a newcomer on the block: the 'snöblomma'. Made from tracing paper, card or even brown paper bags, these beautiful 'snow flowers' look equally beautiful hung in the window as they do strung up around the house. Last year they sold like wildfire so I wanted to give you a heads up - and spread a little snow flower love! 

Arte Interior Inspo

Rosies Bubble

By Nordic Collective

Viktoria Holmgren

Hjerter Dame

Matilda Stillvaro

Josefin Netz

Möbelmästarna Trollhättan

Nic

Viktoria Holmgren

Aren't they beautiful?! There's a whole array available online - here are a few of my favourites:

GET THE LOOK

1. Paper star
2. Paper lamp shade lantern
3. Watt & Veke Julia Pappstjärna Blush
4. Snöblomma adventsstjärna
5. Watt & Veke Julius Pappstjärna Vit
6. Kathmandu paper star
7. Watt & Veke Oslo Pappstjärna
8. Paper flake
9. Watt & Veke Juliette Pappstjärna Rosa
10. Hanging paper stars

Not available in your country, or prefer to make your own? The good news is that some of these varieties are so easy to make. My girls and I followed Viktoria Holmgren's step by step DIY tutorial below and within an hour we'd created an entire garland!

Simple snow flowers

Frida Ramstedt of Trendenser recently shared this lovely DIY tutorial on how to make brown paper stars / flowers. It's relatively simple, and if you re-use brown paper bags /recycled paper - it's eco-friendly too!

Brown Paper Snow Flowers

Alternatively, if you're a bit of a dab hand at origami (I'm not!), you might like to create your own multi-tiered snow flower. Linnéa has shared a great tutorial (it's in Swedish but accompanied by plenty of pictures to guide you through the process) below:

Masterclass for the origami gifted!

What do you think? Could you imagine hanging these in your home this Christmas?

I think they're so beautiful!

Hop over to this archive to see more Scandi Christmas decorating inspiration this weekend (if this pops up first just scroll over!).

Have a fabulous couple of days friends and see you Monday!

Niki

PS I promise I'm not going to flood the blog with daily Christmas inspiration between now and the 24th December (although there'll certainly be a few!), I just thought I'd better get this out there in case you wanted to hop on the snow flower train! I've got a great home tour to share with you on Monday - not a decoration in sight!

Credits: top picture Fanny Blinden

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5 Mini Christmas Tree Ideas For Small Spaces

Who says you need to have a 12 foot Christmas tree to create a festive feel? These pretty mini tree are ideas are living (some are potted!) proof that you can still have a christmas tree in the smallest of spaces, and it can look as festive as can be. Oh and they make perfect Christmas pressies / holiday gifts too!

1. Mini Spruce in a vase (above): Not only is this tree in the home of Anna Kvarnström small enough to use as a table top decoration, you can enjoy your turkey / julbord around it and avoid all the faff of a tree foot too!! God rest ye merry gentlemen! Use real candles for an extra mysig feel (but never leave unattended!). See more subtle festive touches in Anna's lovely home here.

2. The tabletop Christmas tree:  little trees are perfect perched on side tables, stools and benches in places like the hallway. The clever guys over at The Merry Thought made the wooden decorations on this tree too - and have shared all the know-how in this film.

3. The Windowsill Forest: Create a forest right there on the windowsill with fake trees in simple bark containers from Danish brand House Doctor - or create your own with simple cuts from outside (you can also try your local florist / nursery) - there's a great DIY guide here.

4. Mini Christmas tree presents: Heading to a dinner party? Why not give the host one of these little fellas instead of the standard amaryllis (although a salmon-apricot amaryllis is always a good idea!)? Simply wrap them in wax paper with a bow and you're all set. Plus the host can plant it and use it again next year -bonus! You might even like to add a few care instructions (read about how to care for a potted tree here). I wish I knew the credit for this lovely setting - please give me a shout in the comment section below if you are able to help!

5. Mini Christmas tree gift wrapping: Now, I pride myself on my present wrapping (I might even go as far as saying it's my favourite part of the pre-Christmas prep!) - but I've never seen this idea before. You just need brown wrapping paper, a christmas tree shaped cutting from a conifer tree like cypress or juniper and some glue! Get all the know-how over at A Piece of Rainbow.

Such simple, pretty ideas, don't you think?

Are there any that caught your eye?

For more inspiration you might like to take a little peek in the Christmas and Christmas decoration archives (if this pops up first, just scroll passed!).

I'll be back tomorrow with a beautiful home tour.

Look forward to seeing you then!

Niki

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A Cosy, Rural Swedish Country Home At Christmas

Fanny Lindén's IG @hostedbynature profile reads "mother of three, collecting dust & memories". But there's so much more to her wonderful Falu red home by the sea in rural Västerbotten, Sweden. As one half of the creative design duo BYN Collective and blogger behind The Waves We Make, Fanny documents their sustainable daily life on the former farm, surrounded by antiques, vintage finds, handmade items and pretty festive touches. Pour yourself a steaming cup of coffee, it's time to get cosy!

Scandinavian homes are often synonymous with a minimalist look and feel, but this is living proof that you can find cosy homes with surfaces bursting with ceramics, utensils, trays and other items!

Those curls - so adorable! 

A week doesn't go by without baking in the Lindén household - and the pantry is brimming with ingredients! 

A vent on the Swedish masonry oven is used to hang Christmas stars, wreaths and other items depending on the time of year.

I was going to talk about the decor and then I spotted the kittens...

(source a similar round jute rug here*).  

How pretty are these hand-dipped candles?!  

I found similar on Etsy here*.  Lovely! 

Cats always find the cosiest spot in the house, don't they? These felines have made themselves at home on pretty striped linen bedding* while the snow falls silently outside.

Oh so beautiful! This home has left me with a warm fuzzy glow.

Hands up if you could also spend the entire Christmas holiday here...

Check out Fanny's blog The Waves We Make and Instagram @hostedbynature for more snapshots - and BYN Collective to learn more about her creative services.

Here's a little more inspiration I think you might love today:

A Swedish country-style Christmas
Rustic Scandinavian Christmas inspiration
Ylva Skarp's Christmassy Home

I'm starting to feel a move to the Swedish countryside is in order, how about you?!

Have a great start to the week - we're nearly there friends, five days to go and counting!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Niki

Photography by Fanny Lindén
Affiliate links marked with *

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