A Cosy Little Oasis To Call Your Own

A one room bedsit conjures up all kinds of images - not always positive. For example, I spent my first year in London after uni in a dismal bedsit where the windows would rattle every time a double decker bus thundered passed! If only I'd seen this cosy oasis - I could have actually made something of it! This teeny Manhattan apartment belongs to Chloé Crane-Leroux, a food, interiors and lifestyle photographer from Montreal, Canada. In the photography world, Chloé's is known for her minimalist touch and carefully curated eye, and this transcends into her bedsit. Opting for an off-white tone throughout, Chloé has artfully balanced clean and minimalist with a cosy touch - no easy feat in such a small space! The result is a calm escape and a place to call her own in the heart of the buzzing metropolis! 

So cosy, don't you think?

I can just imagine how wonderful it would be to walk through the door and feel the hustle and bustle of the city fall away.

For a tiny space, this sure does work. I took a closer look to see why. Chloé has used three key styling tricks:

1. She's stuck to one colour theme throughout: a warm off-white

2. An array of different textures add interest and depth

3. A large mirror over the mantel piece helps to make the room feel larger and bounce the light around 

Somethings to think about if you live in a small space or looking to decorate a small room in your home. 

Fancy seeing a little more? Chloe's inspiring feed features snapshots of her life which she divides between Paris, Montreal and New York City (when the current situation allows!). 

Oh, and if you like the filters she's used on her photography, you'll be happy to hear Chloé also sells Lightroom presets. 

Other small spaces to feel inspired by today: 

10 small space tricks to learn from a Swedish apartment

A clever small space solution for a bedroom or home office

Cosy small space living in a Gothenburg apartment

Happy Tuesday friends!

Niki

Photographer: Chloé Crane-Leroux, shared with kind permission

READ MORE...

5

A Pretty Home With Touches of Peach - And a Snoozing Dog!

Good morning friends. I'm stopping by to share snapshots of the the prettiest of homes. Laura shares daily snaps of the 'tidy version of her home' - an apartment in Osnabrück in Lower Saxony, Germany - on her Instagram feed @anotherflat_ - and it always brightens up my day. Think tones of peach, soft blue and lavender, Scandinavian design pieces and a gorgeous snoozing dog! Enjoy the tour! 

I love to combine different styles. I feel it's important to make it individual, but I can identify most with Scandinavian styles. I also like it when a space isn't too uniform and contains lots of unique pieces"

- Laura

So lovely! 

I especially enjoyed the touches of pastel, it makes me want to add more colour to my home, how about you? 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week friends! 

Niki

PS Thank you SO much for all your well wishes on Friday it meant so much. It's a tough time. I'm so grateful for my blog, it always brings a little comfort and escape and everyone is so positive! I am still with my parents and still hoping for the best. If I don't post at times this week, bear with me! 

Photography: Laura / @anotherflat_

READ MORE...

7

Old Meets New in an 18th Century Basketry Workshop

Shall we shake things up a little today? I spotted these stunning images of Atelier Vime over on Desire to Inspire this morning and thought it would be rude not to share them with you! The French vintage shop and design studio occupies a 18th century property in Vallabrèges - a small village on the banks of the Rhone in Provence known for basketry. Set-up in 1878 as a basket-making workshop, Atelier Vime has expanded into wicker and rattan furniture, as well as vintage mirrors, lighting and other beautiful pieces. Formerly built for a noble family in 1758, the house provides an incredible backdrop for their furniture. I particularly love how old and new come together in a striking way. Ready to transport yourself to Provence? 

So beautiful, don't you think? 

Did you see the floors? If not, it's worth going back through the pictures and just focusing on the floors alone!  

These pics have me pining for a trip to France! As a child, we used to go to France several times a year via the channel ferry. I've just realised how much I miss this beautiful country. 

Shall we indulge our inner Francophile with other beautiful French inspiration today? 

Old meets new in a charming Paris home

A Swedish-run B&B in the south of France

A relaxed family home in the heart of the Beaujolais wine region

A beautiful bohemian retreat in Marseille

Oh la la! 

I feel like I've just spent the morning in France - all that's missing are the croissants!

Have a lovely day friends. 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Atelier Vime, found via Desire to Inspire with thanks

READ MORE...

5

An Inspiring Family Home Which Combines Old and New - Inside and Out!

Hej raringar! How was your weekend? Per and I are feeling revived after a night in Copenhagen. I was so overly excited to be back in the Danish capital (while being very careful, of course) - what a beautiful city. I can't wait to share some pics soon. Slightly further afield, Jessica Haas has created her own inspiring oasis at home.  Jessica lives in a beautiful house from the 1930's in Hamburg, Germany which she shares with her husband Christoph, their five-year-old daughter Greta (such a pretty name!) and two cats. The home is filled with some fabulous Scandinavian design pieces and calming pastel tones as well as warm wood, cane and rattan. Keep a look out for the before and after of the house exterior too. The perfect tour with which to kick of a shiny new week!

Spotted in the kitchen: eco and allergy-friendly hand wash and other items from Danish brand Humdakin. I use their cleaning products and LOVE them.

I spy a Skagerak side table and HK living stool in the sitting room. I'm not sure which exact shade of pink has been applied to the wall (I promise to update this post if I find out) - but Deco Pink from Jotun Lady is similar. 

Note the pink colour blocking above - with the lamp in a darker shade of pink against a lighter shade on the wall - a clever styling trick which never fails. 

"One of the most important things (to me) is the mix of old and new. During the renovation, we preserved a lot of the original elements. I love to combine vintage and handmade furniture with some newer pieces"  - Jessica

String shelves help provide a place to store items. The JWDA lamp* is from Danish brand Menu and the Slåtterblomma print is from Fine Little Day. The Eiffel coffee table* is from Hay. 

"Our home is clean, minimalist bit still cosy. I prefer soft and earthy tones. I like to take home decorating inspiration from interior magazines, Instagram and Pinterest." 

- Jessica

A Formakami JH4 lamp hangs over the bed, which has been covered in a beautiful waffle Anadia bed spread from Urbanara. 

I LOVE the family bathroom! Jessica has managed to turn fairly awkward angles into a design feature - and the wooden casing around the bath gives the room a warm, spa like feel. Beautiful!

The family have also done a lot of work with the exterior of the house, including revamping the original facade, creating a modern entranceway and adding a contemporary extension. This is what it looked like before: 

 And this is how it looks today:  

Incredible transformation! I love a good 'before and after', how about you?

We're thinking about building an outhouse / guesthouse in the garden of our summer cottage and this might just give me the confidence to go modern. Are you a fan of combining modern and old architecture? I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. 

Head over to Jessica's lovely Instagram @dekorationswut for more inspiring pictures of her home. 

Big news from the Brantmark: we have a birthday in the house - Allie is ten today! We had a birthday breakfast this morning, which involved her favourite 'kaiserschmarrn' (Austrian pancakes) - which her big sister made. And soon it's time for some after-school fun! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Jessica Haas, shared with kind permission.

READ MORE...

5

A Rustic House that Embraces Nature - Inside and Out!

It's been at least 10 days since I featured a home from somewhere Down Under (actually, the most recent from that part of the world was in Tasmania which is Down Under the land Down Under!) but still... it's been too long! So today, while keeping with the cosy theme as yesterday, I'm stopping by to share this cosy cabin with you. Designed by Taliah and Sein Lowry, founders of Byron Beach Abodes and the talent behind this dreamy cottage as well as a bevy of other beautiful holiday homes, The Perch is a rustic cabin high above Possum Creek Valley (great name!) in Byron's Hinterland. The interior is designed to embrace the lush green surroundings and made up of nature-inspired textures and colours, from the terracotta wash on the mud brick exterior to the mottled white on the interior walls and the timber slated cathedral ceilings and raw timber columns. I could quite happily wake up here and snuggle up by the fire each day, how about you?! But for those of us that live on the other side of the world, there's plenty of inspiration to be taken from this hyggeligt home too! 

I particularly love all the raw materials - including the original brick floor in the bathroom. I can imagine it gets really hot here in the summertime and the floor would be so lovely and cool! 

I also really liked the warm, rust and amber tones on the beds. This 'clay' linen bed set is similar (love it!). 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

If you'd like to archive this for future travel - or lucky enough to live nearby, bookings can be made here. 

How about enjoying a few other cosy spaces today? Some of my favourites include: 

A cosy Scandinavian boho family home

A cosy rural home in rural North Sweden

A get-away at a cosy lake-side cottage

How's life with you guys? Tough times don't you think? I love this to be a positive bubble for everyone to come to each day and feel inspired but felt I wanted to write a little note to acknowledge that life is far from easy right now - hang on in there friends! This too shall pass. 

Niki

Photography courtesy of The Perch / Byron Bay Abodes, found via Planete Deco with thanks.

*affiliate links

READ MORE...

6