A Charming German Home Full of Vintage Finds and 3 Very Mischievous Cats!

Hola! My family and I are currently spending a few days in Spain over half-term. Loving the change of scenery (apparently, it snowed in Malmö yesterday - eeeek!) and I can't get enough of the tapas! Even when I'm not travelling, I love how the blog takes us on virtual journeys to new places in the name of design. And today, we're off to Cuxhaven, a seaside town on Germany’s North Sea coast where brightly coloured shelters dot the sandy beach. The port is the gateway to the nearby tidal island of Neuwerk and the small Heligoland archipelago (sounds like we need to add it to our travel list!) - as well as home to creatives Sandra and Tom. The duo run online shops MiMaMeise, selling handmade jewellery and MiMaMeiseVintage, offering a treasure trove of vintage finds from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Their charming home is peppered with vintage finds, plants and interesting details - all of which are enjoyed by three very playful cats: Molle, Jenne and Bibi-Mischka. 

Solar System Globe*

Zappy Lighting by Schneid Studio

How's this for a 'winter garden'? I can practically feel the warm rays of sunlight on my skin! 

What a brilliant action shot! That cat!

I've seen this wonderful portrait before in a previous home tour. We're currently in a car driving up the Costa Brava coastline with the worst wifi connection, but when I get back to our apartment later I'll take a look through and come back with the details. If you can help, please do add them to the comment section - muchas gracias!

I loved this home tour - the relaxed, warm atmosphere really shines through in the pictures!

Those cats!

Is there anything that you love in particular about Sandra and Tom's home? 

See more pics from their home here and other fab German homes here. 

I'm taking it a little easier this week to enjoy some downtime with my family - but I've lined up two wonderful guest posts on Wednesday and Friday - so do pop back to take a peek! They're by two creative ladies I find super inspiring! 

Adios amigos!

Niki

Photography: Tom & Sandra / MiMaMeise

Affiliated links marked with *

This post might contain spelling mistakes (especially my attempts to write in Spanish!) - sorry in advance!

READ MORE...

14

A Striking Blue and White Swedish Home Full of Contrast

This beauty of a home oozes elegance. So, when I found out the owners, Felicia Alm and her partner Viktor are in their early to mid-twenties, I couldn't believe it! When I was 24, I lived with a flat mate (Beth) in a tiny flat in Earls Court. It was a massively fun time, but our accommodation was nowhere near as sophisticated and mature as this beautiful space (to put it into perspective, we were once burgled and didn't notice for days!!). Located just up the coast in Landskrona, this 72 m2 (775 foot square) apartment is in a building dating back to 1890 and blessed with 'spegeldörr' (traditional panel doors), a tiled masonry stove, herringbone floors and stucco ceilings. I chatted to Felicia to find out more about the renovation, her sustainable mindset and shopping for secondhand finds.

Galaxy ceiling light

 

The side cabinet was sourced at an antique shop in Rydebäck (a great tip for locals!)

Do you and Viktor work in the design world?
I have a bachelor degree in architecture and visual communication and at the moment dream about working with interior design full time. As a hobby, I also create posters and offer freelance graphic design. Viktor works for his family business in the healthcare sector - but we both have a great interest in architecture and real estate. 

 

 

Hay Polygon quilt, blue velvet cushion*

Is this the first time you have carried out a renovation project?
Over the past 3 years we have lived in three different apartments that we bought, renovated and then sold. Now it feels like we have found home, or at least for the moment haha! You can either call us two restless souls or real estate lovers.

 
Did the apartment need an extensive amount of work?
When we moved into our current apartment in April 2017, it was in need of a total renovation. So we spent the whole summer of 2017 renovating it. We tried to do as much as we could ourselves. We felt it was important to try to keep the different spatial features of the apartment while making it modern and personal.

 

What do you love most about your apartment?
Our blue bedroom is my favorite room in the apartment. In my opinion, the blue colour contributes to a calm, relaxing and harmonious vibe. The colour is Kvällshimmel (evening sky) from Jotun LADY. I really love to decorate with color and contrast.

Felicia picked up the fabulous chaise longue secondhand on Blocket.

 

How do you approach home decorating?
I have always had a great passion for architecture, interior design and graphic design. My interior style is quite varied and I like to mix old and new. I am someone who likes things to happen in my environment, therefore our home is constantly changing. When it comes to my home, I can be kind of impulsive. So, if I get a good idea I will probably execute it the next day, haha!

 

Where do you buy items for your home?
Because I like to change and refresh our home regularly, I think it's important to think sustainably. I therefore try to shop at Blocket (Sweden's version of Ebay) or antique stores - which are also cheaper. You can find really unique things out there. 

The sitting room / dining area is painted in Silverpil 10 by Alcro - and picture shelves from IKEA have been painted in the same tone.

 

What are your go-to interior shops?
Blocket, H&M Home and Ellos.

IKEA Sevedal kitchen cabinets with Eneryda handles.

Thank you so much for inviting us into your beautiful home Felicia!

Did you spy her cute dog Ester? She's kind of hard to spot but looks so at home!

See more of Felicia's elegant apartment over on her blog and instagram - or if you're now in the mood for blue - take a scroll through these fabulous spaces!

It's the Swedish half-term next week and we're heading off to Spain (you're so welcome to follow along on Instagram stories!). Since I'm the worse screen time offender in the family (I blame it on my job!) - I'm going to try to set a good example and step away my phone / computer as much as possible. This means a reduced number of posts. However, if you can always pop into my Home Viewing Exhibition over at the Swedish Design Museum where I'm constantly adding new Swedish homes - including a summer cottage on its very own island and a 'funkis' bungalow!

I hope you have a FABULOUS weekend!

Niki


Credits: Felicia Alm

Affiliate links marked with *

READ MORE...

6

A Swedish Home With The Loveliest Earthy Blue Walls

Why, hello there! I hope you had a trevlig helg ('nice weekend' - notice how I subtly drop in new swedish words every now and again - I promise you'll be fluent by the end of the year!). I arrived home on Saturday night from Norway and will be rejoining the cruise in Gothenburg later today for my second talk (*mops brow*). But before I shoot off, I wanted to sit back and enjoy a moment of calm with you! This 46 metre square (495 foot square) Swedish apartment is so soothing for the soul! It's been styled for sale so probably features less items than it ordinarily would, but I'm still feeling massively inspired by the blue walls (could they be painted in Deco Blue?), subtle autumn hues, the fab Gubi coffee table and Frama light and some very pretty rugs!

Gubi Pedrera coffee table*, Frama lamp form 1, Loulou Avenue One Soul poster*

One of the things I've always loved about turn-of-the-century Swedish apartments are the sweeping double doors between rooms. Aren't they wonderful?!

It's been a while since I've seen a bed canopy like this  - what are your thoughts? I am a little divided but I do appreciate the soft, cloud-like look of it! The colours are what really stand out to me though - the chestnut duvet cover and soft green walls (I  just painted my daughter's room in Minty breeze which looks similar).

Afteroom dining chair*,  Bentwood chair*

I love the little pendant light over the dining table, it looks like it's wearing a top hat (so cute!)- but no idea of the name! Perhaps you can help?

This is the kind of space that you need to look through several times to catch all the details. For example, I've only just noticed the subtle glass shelf high up on the window over the kitchen table. It's the perfect place for a plant!

Did you spot anything I haven't? Or perhaps there's something you absolutely loved about this home? Please share away, I love hearing your thoughts!

Oh and more blue home inspiration in the fabulous 'decorating with blue' archive. Remember to just scroll passed if this pops up first.

Happy Monday!

Niki

Photography Anders Berstedt / Styling Nouvel Interiors for Entrance

READ MORE...

16

A Striking Blue Wall and Art in a Hamburg Home

Hallo freunde! I seem to be on a little bit of a German roll right now. Could it be because my neighbours are waving at me from the opposite shore of the Baltic sea - or the mere fact that it's only a few hours drive / short ferry hop from here? Either way, I'm often stumbling across inspiring German homes with a Scandinavian influence - and this one is a fine example! Sarah describes her lovely apartment in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel as a mix of "Scandinavian minimalism with a touch of colour'. The Hague Blue wall in the sitting room is a total show stopper - but after scouring the pictures, there are many other details to enjoy. Let's dive in... 

North sofa by Bolia (I used to have exactly the same one - same fabric, legs everything!). Prints from left to right: Freisteller 17 / Tan Kadam, Print by Iris Lehnhardt, Blues print by Peytil, Print by Jilli Darling.

I've been looking for storage like this Would Töjbox for our guest room, I love the minimalist look and feel - as well as the warmth of the wood. It's ideal for tight spaces too.  

Hay Dot cushion*, Eames wire chair*

Sarah has created a mini breakfast bar using a wall mounted shelf (which also doubles up as extra storage along with the Swedish made 'Shelf 90') - she can also enjoy her morning coffee on the windowsill (made comfy with a couple of cushions!). Such a clever way to make the most of the space you have - no matter how small / narrow, don't you think?

Grasshopper lamp

'Although she is small, she is fierce!' (or simple super cosy and pretty!). This small bedroom is proof you can enjoy a double bed and still achieve a minimalist look and feel. It works because Sarah has used the window sill for a reading light and hung a Flower Pot suspension light on the other side - which frees up space on the nightstands (a pair of stackable stools). I also love the leather magazine hanger and hook for books and magazines - it's really practical too! 

 Flower Pot VP1 light,  Ferm Living triangles rug*, A 'Smile is the prettiest' poster*, magazine hanger and hook

What an inspiring home!

Did it give you any ideas for your own living space?

I love how the blue wall gives the entire space a focal point - for anyone considering going for a bold accent colour, I hope Sarah's apartment has given you the courage to go for it!

You can see more of Sarah's home on her wonderful blog and instagram feed.

And there's an entire MSH archive dedicated to 'decorating with blue' ("of course there is!" I hear you say)-  it's one of my favourites too! While scrolling through, don't miss Suvi's home on Finland's west coast, a striking small Stockholm space in dark blue and this amazing home featuring an array of colours!

Have a great start to the week! I've got a feeling this is going to be good one for us all!

Niki

READ MORE...

3

Free-Spirited Family Home on A Swedish Island

It's Friday afternoon friends - yaaaay! Any plans? Before I head off I wanted to share one final home tour to finish the week! I'm often being asked to recommend places in Sweden and one of my favourite tips (aside from my adoptive home town of Malmö, of course!) is the Gothenburg archipelagos. I recently discovered one talented creative who's lucky enough to live there all year round!  Catarina is a freelance photographer and stylist living on a car-free island with her husband and two daughters. Catarina is part of the relatively new Northern Sisters Collective - a delightful community of eight Swedish bloggers who share a free-spirited, slow, sustainable approach to interiors (it's so worth checking out all the blogs in the community - you could get lost there for a good few hours!). The relaxed family home is awash with earthy greens and blues, second hand finds and seasonal blooms. Enjoy the tour!

Photography: © Catarina / Annacate

What a perfect home tour to complete the week - don't you think?!

If you'd like to see more of her home (I can't blame you!) check-out Catarina's lovely blog and instagram feed.

I think I've also actually featured most of the homes of the Northern Sisters Collective at some point in the passed including Mari Strenghielm's stunning island home, Elin Lannsjö's idyllic cottage and Tuva Minna Linn's vintage inspired house. So inspiring!

If you're thinking of visiting Sweden this summer - my guide of places to stay might just be helpful (it includes a couple of places on the West Coast too!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Vi ses på måndag!

READ MORE...

5