My stay at the beautiful Hotel Henriette, Paris

Hello! I hope you had a wonderful weekend? I'm still reeling from a magical weekend in Paris where HarperCollins France organised a tour to celebrate the launch of my Lagom book in French. My days included an inspiring meet-up with bloggers and journalists at La Trésorerie, a book signing at Galeries Lafayette and a soirée at Nordik Market  - I have to say, it all feels like a dream now! The weekend was made to feel even more special by Hotel Henriette - a small boutique hotel with a chic pied-à-terre feel tucked away in a quiet cobbled street in the 13th arrondissement. Designed by former fashion editor Vanessa Scoffier, the entire space is decorated with second hand pieces, mid-century finds, and fabulous art deco light fittings set against a back drop of deep, rich hues, soft greys and pretty florals (oh la la!). It's somewhere I've been wanting to stay ever since this post - and I have to say it was even lovelier in real life! Of course, I had to snap every detail so that I could take ideas home with me, and share the space with you! Here's a sneak peek...

Copyright / photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home.  

Isn't it just the most beautiful place?

Vanessa spent over 15 months trawling Paris flea markets to find pieces for each room and the communal areas. The good news is, that this means if you look hard enough, you could achieve the same look in your own home on a budget - hurrah! Here's a quick guide:

Bedroom - Gubi Grasshopper Pendant in grey,  source pretty handmade floral pillow cases here, this is a great place to pick up vintage school chairs and antique mirrors. This gold flower wall sconce is similar. Conservatory: source a similar seagrass basket here, vintage tripod table. Sitting room / reception: mid-century credenza, Togo ottoman in yellow alcantara by Ligne Roset, pick up a set of vintage cranes here.

You can see more of the rooms (all of which have been decorated in their own unique way) here.  

Thank you so much to HarperCollins France for believing in my book and organising the trip (what a fantastic, genuine, kind group of people you are!), La Trésorerie, Nordik Market and Galeries Lafayette for being so accommodating, to all the wonderful people I met over my time there, of whom, sadly, there are too many to mention by name, and Hotel Henriette for a memorable stay!

Have a great start to the week!

N.B. This is not a sponsored post - I just wanted to share this little gem of a hotel with you in case you're ever in Paris!

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Fabulous loft living in Arnhem!

Helloooo! We've woken up to a beautiful, sunny day here in Malmö. Shame I've a bit of a sore head (if you've been following on Insta stories you'll know this is totally self-induced!) - perhaps a morning dip in the sea will sort me out?! It's said to do wonders for your mind, body and soul (once you get over the initial shock!)?! Hmmm, I'll see. In the meantime, on with today's tour. And we're over to Holland! Do you remember the fabulous The Loft concept store I shared a while back? Well as of a few days ago, you can now stay overnight too - yup! A former dance academy in the charming centre of Arnhem, has been transformed into two magnificent apartments to form The Loft Hotel.  Loving the sound of that, how about you?! Let's take a peek!

I'm feeling like a trip to The Netherlands is in order - how about you?! 

Many of the items you see are available in the loft stores - and you can also buy online. More info here.

Other lofts I love include Carlson Young's charasmatic LA loft, a relaxed, family loft in Oakland and a truly inspiring, creative loft in Paris.

Ooooh to own a loft - is this your dream space to work with too?!

Well folks, it's Friday - woohooo! Any fun plans?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, see you Monday! 

PS - a little book news: Thank you so much to the lovely Si from French By Design for the tip for today's post - and also for her lovely review of The Scandinavian Home: Interiors inspired by light yesterday - a true compliment (I love Si's style - take a tour of her San Francisco home here!).

And UK friends - Emerald Street are giving away a bundle of coffee table books including my very own Lagom book to 25 lucky winners, it's super quick to enter too!

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Dream stay: The Bower, Byron Bay

I seem to be suffering from a real case of wanderlust right now - and the more I travel, the more I realise there's just so much out there I haven't seen. Do you feel this way too?!  One country high up on my list is Australia. Over the past few years, this country has been taunting me from afar with beautiful design, awe-inspiring nature and fabulous places to stay. I mean, take this new hotel for instance! The Bower in Byron Bay, New South Wales was recently converted from a motel into a luxury boutique hotel by eight creatives - all of whom shared a desire to combine urban style with a laid-back beach-side vibe. Made up of 14 suites, a barn, cottage and family house, the calm and laid-back hotel opened it's doors last month - and it's waiting for us to come along and hang-out for a few days. Race you there?!

The cottage

The barn

Photography: Jessie Prince

Soooo. Tempted?! 

Just in case it'll be a while before any one of us make it out there - here's a little guide on where things are from (hey, who's to say we can't re-create that minimalist, Byron Bay beach-side vibe in our own homes?). 

The cottage: dining area - white bentwood chairs, rattan pendant. Sitting room - Moroccan pouf, the Bemz Loose Fit Urban sofa covers are similar to this (see mine here!), this mudcloth cushion is lovely! Bedroom - I like this light grey pillow cover (the ruffles!) and this plain one. Outdoor dining - pick up a similar stool from Lovely & Co (used as bedside tables in my home!).

The barn: buy similar made-to-measure white linen curtains here, try Bemz for chair covers like these. Source vintage school posters here. I like this linen duvet cover (select 'charcoal' for similar).

Oh, and you can make a reservation at The Bower here - on the condition that you make us all jealous by sharing lots of snaps on Instagram - we want to see more! 

Have a lovely day!

PS if you're planning a wedding you might like to read my piece in Ultimate Wedding (sometimes I wish I had another wedding to plan - same guy of course!).

PPS Nest.co.uk are offering the chance to win a copy of my new book Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life together with a fab handmade Giannina Capitani Tic-Tac cushion (just add coffee and you're all set for a very cosy Autumn day!). Find out how to enter here!

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