A Design-Filled Hamburg Apartment, with Fabulous Sky High Ceilings

Sometimes the world is smaller than we think. And since moving to Sweden, I am still amazed at just how near other European countries are. Hamburg in Germany, for example is a short 4 hour hop on the train. But there's no train ride needed today as we can look inside an interior from the city through the lens of freelance photographer Oezlem Oezsoy (working name Mia Takahara). 

Oezlem has a beautiful apartment that's full of fabulous designer pieces and funky touches. A neutral background ensures the magic of these items remain star of the show, although it's also hard to ignore the beautiful architecture and period features (some of which are painted gold!) which do wonders to take the apartment to a next level of fabulousness! Welcome to Oezlem's inspiring world! 

Stunning! 

I love the furniture and smaller accessories (every time I look through the pictures, I spot something new!). You can find the source of each item over at Oezlem's instagram - or please do ask below in the comments section and I'll do my best to help you. 

I also really like the tones and textures she has used on the walls and the tiling in the kitchen - very cool! 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

Would you like to peek inside a few other Hamburg apartments today? Here are a few tours I've shown in the past: 

Pamela's serene Hamburg home

San's relaxed Hamburg home with an industrial touch

Teal steals the show in a Hamburg apartment

Snapshots from Sina's Scandinavian inspired apartment in Hamburg

Have a great start to the week friends! 

Niki

PS After a weekend of not one but two big competitions for my girls (swimming for Liv and gymnastics for Allie) from 15.00 on Friday finishing 21.00 last night on opposite sides of Skåne - I am wiped. I wouldn't change it for the world, I'm so happy they have found their passion, but I think I age at least two years every competition from the nerves! To the unsung sports parents out there, ALL parents out there, I commend you! 

Photography: Oezlem Oezsoy / Mia Takahara

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Jane's Cosy yet Calm Home in Muted Tones

In my teens, I went out with a guy called Luke (these days, he's an award-winning illustrator - he always was always very talented and never without a sketchbook!), and we used to hang out in his family kitchen in London eating doughnuts. It was a small, two up, two down cottage and always felt so cosy. Scrolling through Instagram a few days ago, I came across @teawithruby and Jane Day's cottage in Northeast England and it took me straight back to my teens! 

Jane, Robert and Ruby's house was built in the 1980s and is located in the town of Billingham (which Jane describes as 'not the most glamorous of places, but once we close the door to our space, it's home!'). As with many of us, Jane's style has changed a lot over the years, but she always come back to 'calm and stillness'. Think muted tones, tactile textures such as wood, wool and linen and most importantly, Jane tells me, 'One thing our home has is lots of love!'

Ready to feel inspired? 

What a lovely, homely house! 

I can just imagine the three of them sitting at the table, sipping tea (Jane is making the most of her time left with Ruby at home before she heads off to university). 

For those of you wondering if vintage finds can be a good marriage with a relatively modern build - this is your answer. Absolutely! The muted yet contrasting paint colours do wonders to set the tone. 

For more pictures of Jane's lovely home, check out @teawithruby. 

Now that I'm on a roll going down memory lane, shall we take a peek inside a few other English homes today? 

Before and after: a Victorian house becomes a cosy home

A dreamy cottage to rent in southeast England

And... 

All living spaces in the home of Jessica Hearne! 

Happy Lillördag (little Saturday) friends! 

Niki

Photography: Jane Day / @teawithruby, shared with kind permission

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Pamela's Serene Hamburg Home In Earthy Tones

Tjena! Hur är läget? (AKA Wazzup?!). Thank you for all your lovely comments about our new woodburning stove up at the cabin, we've had a really cosy weekend sitting right there in the corner! Is it just me, or has Monday rolled around a little too quickly? Even so, I have a home tour up my sleeve which I think has some really inspiring touches. 

Pamela is based in Hamburg and has decorated her turn-of-the-century house in soft and serene off-white tones. The furniture is spartan, yet full of texture thanks to the natural materials which include wood, jute and linen - and a wonderful open-shelf cabinet takes centre stage in the kitchen. Ready to take a tour? 

As a sustainable mindset becomes increasingly important, we're seeing vintage and antique furniture creep into homes in new and inventive ways - often creating an interesting hybrid of old and new. Vintage cabinets such as the one seen here add a relaxed, nostalgic touch to a contemporary space. I've been on the look out for one for my home - and have discovered that many you see here on My Scandinavian Home have been repurposed out of something else such as old doors or given a big revamp.  

The dark wall helps to add contrast and make the shelves more of a feature. 

The dining room is potentially my favourite room in this house. I love all the texture. Notice how Pamela makes use of simple foraged branches from the garden - which include eucalyptus, autumn leaves and spring blossom. 

Doors painted the same tone as the kitchen help to carry the tone through to other rooms and create the famous 'red thread' for a cohesive look. 

Wait a minute, we've seen this guy before! Now, either he has an identical twin brother or it's the same guy. The real explanation? I took these pics from Pamela's instagram feed (with kind permission) and they were all taken at different times. Needless to say, Pamela likes to move furniture and pictures around as much as I do! 

The portrait actually brought back a childhood memory. When we were little my older sister and I would often sleep over at my grandmother's house. She used to have some dark portraits in her house - including one in the guest bedroom - and my sister and I were terrified of it. It was if his eyes were following us around the room! My granny would have to cover up it up with a towel before we'd go to sleep! It didn't help that she also had two swords hanging in the landing too! Do you have any similar experiences?

These days I love portraits in oil paintings such as these, especially when they hold a family value! 

I'm a big fan of a bench used as a coffee table (as seen in my autumn sitting room!). 

Etsy is a great source for rustic* and Nordic benches*. 

Benches make an ideal replacement for a bedside table in small bedrooms. We have one at the end of our bed too. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home this bright Monday morning Pamela! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour and picked up some ideas for your own home.

Did anything stand out in particular? 

A few other tours you might like from Hamburg: 

San's relaxed Hamburg home

Snapshots from Sina's Scandi-inspired apartment

An inspiring family home which combines old and new

A quick look on my google maps, and I see I could reach Hamburg in 4 hours 30 minutes by car from here - I could be there in time for afternoon tea with Pamela. Incredibly tempting!

Have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Pamela / @greyingreyingreen 

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Before and After: A Victorian House Becomes a Warm and Cosy Home

Autumn always makes me feel really nostalgic. I think it's the crispness in the air which reminds me of going back to school after the summer holidays, collecting conkers in the wood behind our house and kicking leaves on the way home. It also reminds me of running onto a frosty hockey pitch in my PE kit (shorts and and a very airy t-shirt - i.e. not designed for the weather). 

It was this mostly romantic train of thought which led me to today's home - Harnham House in Salisbury, Wiltshire UK. Dating back to 1880, Hannah and her partner Ollie moved into the Victorian property in spring 2018. Previously a rental, the house was in fairly good condition but still required a lot of work. Hannah and Ollie set about renovating the space, taking four years to transform it into a warm and cosy home. Ready to see the before and after pictures? 

Kitchen before 

The kitchen needed to be completely gutted.

Kitchen after

Hannah and Ollie installed a kitchen from DIY kitchens. Open shelving on the back wall helps to create a relaxed feel, while a rail from DeVOL makes space for utensils. 

The walls have been painted in Pure Brilliant White from Dulux. 

Dining area before

The Victorian features such as a brick fireplace had been covered up under layers of plaster. Hannah and Ollie peeled back the layers before painting the chimney breast white. 

Dining area after

The original wood floor was given a new lease of life, and an efficient woodburning stove was added to the fireplace.  The recessed walls on either side of the fire have made a great place for storing firewood and table linen as well as other pieces. 

The walls in the recess have been painted a subtle 'blanc de blanc' by Valspar paint.

Stairs and hall before

The hall floor and staircase were peeled back to the bare bones. 

Stairs and hall after

Beautiful wood panelling with a built-in shelf (painted in Lick green 01) was added to the hallway. Beneath, a bench and shelving make space for shoes, accessories and other items. 

The stairs were given a white lick of paint, leaving a central strip of exposed wood for the tread. Meanwhile, a snoozing dog guards the foot of the stairs, while Hannah and Ollie sleep. 

Meanwhile, the family cat has bagged the guest room (in true feline style!). I don't blame her, it does look like a lovely, calm place for some shut eye! The walls have been painted in Dulux 2510G90Y, which makes a great backdrop for vintage and antique furniture. 

What a beautiful transformation! 

Everything looks so warm and cosy. I can imagine it really comes into its own in Autumn time! 

Did you spot the cat? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts - do share below. And also, do you feel extra nostalgic in autumn? If so, what kind of memories does this season conjure up for you? 

See more Hannah's home over at @hanhamhouse (they still have some rooms left to renovate). 

Would you like to see a fee more British homes today? 

A dreamy cottage to rent in South East England

Jessica's autumnal bedroom

12 budget friendly ways to transform your sitting room into a cosy oasis this winter

This cabin isn't in England, but it popped up in my feed earlier and it's so worth re-visiting: 

The soot house 

On an entirely different note, and in view of 'candle season' being upon us, Per was at a seminar held by the Swedish fire brigade yesterday.  based on all they have witnessed and various studies, they advised having a smoke detector in every room in the house including all the bedrooms. In addition, they said a fire extinguisher in the kitchen is essential - do you have this in your home? Apparently, IKEA have inexpensive, yet good smoke detectors). I also have my eye on a nexa or solskiden fire extinguisher (hey, who said an extinguisher can't be beautiful?). Stay safe friends. 

I'll be back on Friday to share an autumn update in my sitting room - I hope you're going to like it!  

Niki

Photography: @hanhamhouse shared with kind permission. 

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