20 Ways To Add Warmth To Your Home With Wood - Sanne Hop Style

What would a home be without wood? It adds instant warmth, texture and, when beautifully crafted - a wonderful timeless appeal. The grain means every piece is unique, and solid wood always ages gracefully, while telling the story of its past. This is why I'm so excited to see wood being celebrated in homes in increasingly new and wonderful ways. 

Take the Hop family home in Holland as a fine example. Sanne Hop is the founder of the maker collective 'Atelier Hop' which celebrates the beauty and craftsmanship of handmade pieces. When she's not selling  tableware, art, textiles, lighting and self-care items, she's relaxing with her husband and their five children in their stunning home. The living space is shaped by natural materials such as stone, wood and rattan as well as vintage finds and artisanal pieces. But above all else, the presiding material is wood - which makes the space unique and truly inspiring! 

Here are 20 ways to incorporate wood into the home, Sanne Hop style: 

1. Wooden kitchen cabinets - one of the biggest trends this year - and a lovely way to bring warmth to the kitchen, particularly if you have a tiled or concrete floor. These beautiful ones are made by the Norwegian company Ask og Eng. You might prefer to make your own, like the DIY fronts in Jacqueline and Klemens' apartment. Or keep it sustainable by opting for recycled wood. I'm still dreaming about the kitchen units in the Norwegian mountain cabin, fashioned out of upcycled barn wood!  

2. Kitchen shelves - whether simple units or more sophisticated hand-built wall structures like this one by Woodchuck, wood shelving is a perfect, quick and easy way to add the material to an existing kitchen. 

3. Drawer inlays - I'm guilty of having plastic cutlery inlays in my kitchen drawers - but I'd much rather have a smart wooden solution like the one above (which I believe, was handcrafted by Ask go Äng)! 

4. Chopping boards and utensils - I remember when my Mother finished her kitchen renovation and was really worried by the lack of soul (and echo) in her white and stone kitchen. I told her not to worry: simply placing wood chopping boards*, wooden spoons and other lovely utensils on display rather than hiding them away in drawers helps to add instant character. 

4 & 5: Tables and chairs -  the simplest way to update a space and add warmth. I love the way Sanne has mixed and matched her chairs. Solid wood is a material that ages gracefully, which means vintage and antique pieces can really add to a space and become a valued member of the family. The high chair, for example, will no doubt be used for the next generation of Hops! 

6. Lamps - there is a huge variety of wooden lighting available. The golden colour helps to add a warm glow while designs with pattern cast beautiful shadows on the wall after dark.

7. Bookshelves and cabinets: the dark wood seen in the shelves above help to add contrast to a simple, monochrome space. I also love mid-century teak side cabinets* (see below) - which are widely available on the second-hand market.

Tip: don't be afraid to mix light and dark, old and new wood. It will all add character and charm to a space. 

8. Sofas: Wood might be considered a rather hard material and not synonymous with comfort - but throw on some plump cushions and you'll quickly have somewhere cosy to sit.

Tip: For a simple update, swap out metal sofa legs for wooden ones 

9. Book / Magazine stands: keep good reads to hand with a lovely wooden book stand. I love that the one in Sanne's sitting room is made from lighter wood which adds a contemporary touch to the space. 

10. Pegs and hooks: A current favourite in homes right now (including my own) - wooden peg rails* are pretty, practical and add a lovely touch to a room. 

11 & 12. Little stools and benches: Wooden stools* are so versatile and can be used as bedside tables (as seen above), for somewhere to sit while reading a bedtime story, or for extra seating at
round the table. I'm also a huge fan of wooden benches (not seen here but speaking from personal experience). I use my workman's bench* as a coffee table, extra seating at the dining table and at the end of the bed

13 & 14. Bedroom wardrobes and chest-of-drawers: I'm such a big fan of vintage wardrobes - especially ones that are painted in pretty pastel shades for children's bedrooms. In my childhood bedroom I had an antique chest-of-drawers. I have to admit, the drawers can be a little stiff at times (cue: a fight just to get my socks out!) but nothing that a little sanding can't fix. It's worth the effort as, IMHO bedrooms look a whole lot more personal and relaxed when you add some old-school charm!

15. Toy storage: the key to a neat and tidy children's room (although I do wonder at times...) is great storage. Buckets, boxes and cabinets all help a child to keep their rooms clean, and they look lovely too! 

16. Toys: I've always been slightly allergic to big, bright plastic, all singing all dancing toys (although, naturally, children love them!). There's something beautiful about simple wooden toys (like this eco-friendly Victorian Dollhouse), plus I think they last way longer (my children used to play with their grandparent's toys!), don't you think? Thankfully, there are more and more online stores selling lovely, functional toys made from sustainable wood which children love - and there are always plenty on the second-hand market! Hurrah (as they say in Sweden)

17. Wood picture frames: Five or so years ago, it was all about the black and white frames, but these days people are embracing natural wood picture frames which add to the earthy vibe of a home. 


18. Bathroom storage: Another wonderful handmade piece by Woodchuck with a built-in rail provides storage for bath and shower items. Combine with rattan and leather accessories to add a warm touch to a pared down room. 


19. Clothes rail: there's something beautiful about a simple wooden clothes rail*, plus they're a really handy place to temporarily hang clothes in the bathroom and bedroom. 

20. Wooden accessories: There's no quicker way to add warm wood to your home than opting for wooden accessories. Think brooms and brushes (see below), fly swatters, shoehorns, toothbrushes... they'll add an immediate organic touch to your living space and, if nicely crafted, they'll stand the test of time. Except of course, a toothbrush, you might want to swap that one out from time to time!  


I'm sure I've missed countless other ways to bring wood into the home - please do add your own tips and tricks in the comment section below, I'd love to hear them! 

Sanne's home was such a fine example of how much warmth this material can add. I noticed the family have recently moved home. If you'd like to follow their new journey, check out Sanne's instagram here. Her online store Atelier Hop also has a beautiful selection of items.

I've always been a big fan of Dutch style. I particularly love Delft-based interior designer Holly Marder's work, she always incorporates plenty of wood into her spaces: 


So lovely, don't you think? 

I hope you're celebrating Lillördag (little Saturday) in style today. My Mother-in-law is coming down to see us from Helsingborg. She's had both of her vaccinations now, which means we all get a hug! :)

Niki

Photography: 1,6,7,8,9,10, 14 - Holly Marder. Remaining images: Sanne Hop

This post contains affiliate links marked with * - which means I make a tiny little bit of money if you click on the link and buy an item, at no extra cost to you. 

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A dream Danish house by the sea

Hej, hvad så? Do you have a dream house out there? One that you drive pass every now and again and think 'oh, how I'd love to live there one day'?! Sometimes these dreams do come true. And today's home tour is proof! Åsa Olofsson (owner of Smuk beauty salon in Copenhagen) and husband Peter (a partner at Bech-Bruun) returned from holiday to find their dream house, a mere 300 metres from their own, had gone on the market. And despite being completely derelict with no bathroom or kitchen and a waterlogged basement, they snapped it up in an instant. It's easy to see why. Not only is the house full of character, with old beams and large, light-filled rooms, it's also right on the beach. The pair drafted in the help of an architect and slowly but surely restored the house into a fantastic family home, which they enjoy today with their two children Maja and Carl.













 Photography / copyright: Jesper Ray  - found via Style Files and Bolig magasinet with thanks. 

I think I might just have found my dream house too! I've always dreamed of living on the beach like this - and the house itself is just beeeautiful! Could you imagine living here?!

Get the look:


Ground floor flooring: Epoxy 

dining area - wishbone chairs, Eames DSW chair, Hemnes glass cabinet from IKEA, fluffy grey sheepskin, a selection of Marble lights by & Tradition hang over the table.

sitting room - FLY chair by & Tradition, RANARP Floor/reading lamp, I like this wall hanging.

Landing: a cluster of MASS light in dark marble by & Tradition hang above the stairs, wooden stag head.

Bedroom: Muuto pendant light, soft green linen throw, E27 pendant light.

***

Thank you so much for the kind permission to share these lovely pictures Jesper Ray - if you have the time, do check out Jesper's beautiful photography / prints!

If it's Danish home tours you're after, you're in luck - there's tonnnes of beautiful ones in the Danish apartments and Danish home archives! *siiiigh* there goes an entire afternoon / evening.... ah well, who needs to work anyway...?!

Have a lovely day!

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A beautifully simple, graphical home in Finland

I came across this striking Finnish home on IG the other day and was completely blown away. The space belongs to Maja, an art director and blogger behind Musta Ovi ('black door') - where she shares beautiful interior inspiration (much of which is from her own home) and DIY ideas.  The oh so fabulous, light-filled monochrome space which shares with her partner and baby combines Scandinavian simplicity with loft-style. Soft rugs and touches of light wood add warmth and softness to the otherwise graphical concrete and white canvas.  Be still my beating heart!












Photography: Maja / Musta Ovi shared with kind permission.


This home has certainly blown away any mid-week cobwebs, it's just so fresh don't you think?

In terms of items I know and love...I'm not sure where to start, there are so many! Here goes: sitting room - Tom Dixon Beat lights, Hay lounge chairs, coffee table. Rug. My deer bat dog print. Dining: Artek stools. Kitchen: B print, Flos 265 light, Tivoli radio. Bedroom: white linen bedding, Dreamer print. Office: Alex drawers, Uten.Silo storage unit, wood bead wardrobe snake. Outdoors: black rattan chairs.

Sauna's make up a huge part of Finnish culture, so much so that in a country of five million inhabitants there are over three million saunas!  Maja is no exception, you can check our her lovely sauna here.

I'm such a huge fan of Finnish homes and have showed so many here over the years. They're all squirreled away in an archive here (scroll passed the first one as it will likely be this one), one of my all time favourites being this lovely one.

Have a lovely day!

A unique and fabulous German home

I feel inspired. Not just because it's a beautiful morning here in southern sweden (although that certainly helps) but because of the unique design of this home in Germany.  The images dropped into my inbox last week from design company STUDIO OINK who not only designed the interior but also chose the art and design products for the home. The soft fabrics (sheer curtains, sheepskin rugs) and wooden furniture work really well in warming up the more austere combination of concrete and marble (who would have thought these two materials could work so well together?). And then there's that touch of mid-century and brass. What a fabulous home don't you think?!














STUDIO OINK
I think this is one very cool home, how aboout you?

To me, the artwork really stands out. I'm a big fan of  'ocean' photography / art and even have a board dedicated to it on Pinterest! I'm waiting to hear where the piece in the dining space is from but in the meantime other ocean art pieces I love include Tulum, by Max Wanger as seen in this home and the limited edition seascape print  by Kara Rosenlund (her incredible home can be seen here). Take me to the ocean!!

STUDIO OINK also designed the fabulous Asbau apartment. If I lived in Germany I know who I'd get to help design my home...!

Have a lovely day! 

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