Getaway from it all: A Light and Airy Airbnb Garden Hideway

 It's one of those days where I've got a big photoshoot, the house is a mess, one of my girls has forgotten her cross country trainers.... and I've got a zoom call in half an hour. What I really feel like doing is emigrating to Australia. In fact, this studio will do!

You might recall the a very beautiful workspace belonging to Kawa Heart Studio. Dee also runs a light and airy Airbnb - accessed by a secret path. 'A space less ordinary', the studio is located in a former glass studio in their lush garden on the fringes of old Fremantle town, Western Australia. 

Built from recycled materials and powered by solar energy, Dee Kawai Tang has worked her magic with the interior, kitting it out with classic mid-century and vintage pieces which are bathed in sunlight from the Cathedral-style windows. All in all, a perfect garden hideaway in which to retreat, create and simply relax. 

I'd fly over right away if I could!

Could you imagine staying here too? 

There's a lot more colour entering the interior world right now, but I think this studio is a perfect example of how white is always right (see what I did there?). It looks so fresh, light and airy in this studio and everything within it really pops as a result. 

More info and pics of this lovely studio on airbnb.

Check out all my other favourite homes in Australia right here. 

Right folks, dreaming over for the day... I need to hurry across town with these trainers! 

Happy Wednesday friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Airbnb, with thanks. 

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Sara Silm's Fairy-tale Chateau in Southwest France

Is there such a thing as the perfect place to live? If there is, I think this could be it! At least, I'm sure Sara Silm - author of the book How To Country French Country would say so. 

Sara describes herself as an Aussie girl, with a pinch of the Middle East, a spoonful of Africa and marinaded in Russia - now simmering in Southwest France! As you might have guessed, Sara is passionate about cooking, and her journal contains droolworthy recipes from every corner of the world.

Naturally, a lady into cooking, needs a beautiful kitchen - and Chateau Montford - her home in France which she shares with her husband and children certainly has this in spades!

But there's more to this wonderful home too. Hundreds of years ago, a French general scoured the Bearnaise countryside in search of the perfect place to build a chateau. He settled on Montfort, a charming village nestled amid the foothills of the Pyrenees. 

Sara and her husband bought the chateau in April 2015 and have gradually been reawakening the property, after years of dormancy. Today, room after room reveals a story of vintage and antique finds, lovely Farrow & Ball hues and nature themed wallpaper (much of which is from the Swedish brand Sandberg).  

Ready to fall in love? Here are a few snapshots of Sara's French dream! 

Wow! It's like something out of a fairy-tale. 

I will be dreaming about owning a chateau in the south of France all week how about you? 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular? 

You can read all about Chateau Montford, Sara's book and her recipes here. If you're curious about particular wallpaper, colours and items - Sara is great at listing them on her instagram feed. You are also welcome to ask away in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help! 

Would you like to take a look around a few other French homes today? Mes oui! 

A relaxed, vintage inspired home in the French countryside

Kristin's current rustic French home and her former home in the south of france. 

Old meets new in a Paris apartment

An 18th century former basketry workshop

A Swedish photographer and hat-maker's home in France

Alexandra's vintage inspired home in the French countryside

I hope this has filled you with inspiration for the start of the week! 

Bisous! 

Niki

Photography by Sara Silm, shared with kind permission

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Old Meets New in an Eclectic London Townhouse

I was initially drawn to the pink in this sitting room. And then when I delved deeper, I was so excited to discover an entire house with impeccable style. The London terrace features room after room of beautiful design. And crucially, it also feels wonderfully personal! 

The property combines beautiful late-Victorian architecture with contemporary interventions - and this blend of old and new is continued in the eclectic array of furniture. Think mix and match one-off pieces embodying different styles, eras and cultures as well as a blend of shapes, pattern and texture. 

Even so, the space emits a wonderful sense of calm thanks to the use of blank space between the elements, and the light that floods in through the windows and doors. 

Ready to feel inspired? 

There are so many things to love about this house - and the more I look through the pictures, the more I see! I particular love the bookshelves in the stairwell, the art and all the one-off pieces no doubt collected over time. 

I'm also dreaming about the pink - and wondering where it can go in my house. Maybe the landing or our bedroom. Not sure if Per will agree though. Can you imagine having a shade like this in your home? 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this house? 

See more of this fabulous property over at Inigo where it is currently for sale. 

Looking at homes in London makes me feel so nostalgic, and I can't wait to head 'home' in late September to catch up with family and friends (and hang out at the pub!). 

Here are a few other houses I've featured from the capital in the past: 

A creative London home full of art, greenery and sunlight

London calling - could this be your next home? 

A charming rustic London townhouse

Have a great Wednesday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Inigo, with thanks.

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A Swede's Lovely Vintage-Inspired Home in the South of France

On Monday we took a peek inside the home of a Norwegian living in Portugal, today I thought I'd continue the 'scandi abroad' theme! 

Kristin Lagerqvist and her family divide their time between Varberg and Languedoc-Roussillon, South of France. You might recognise this already as I recently featured Kristin's French home. However, they have now moved to an even more beautiful home (if that was possible!). 

The story goes that Kristin was tasked with finding an Airbnb for one of her clients and stumbled across this townhouse. She instantly fell in love with it - telling her husband "if it ever comes on the market, we need to buy it". Sure enough, some time later, the property became available - and true to her word, they exchanged one week later. 

Remnants of the houses former life as a vineyard farmhouse are still evident from the barrels in the basement and the decorative floor tiles remain intact. Kristin and her husband have been careful to preserve the integrity of the house while making their own personal mark using vintage finds from nearby markets. Ready to take the tour? 

Bienvenue chez Lagerqvist! 

Kristin used what she could from the existing kitchen while giving it a lift with an IKEA worktop and units. 

The pair built this magnificent wall-mounted plate rack by hand before painting it in Kristin's signature blue. Get the know-how here. 

Perhaps my favourite room in the house - the sitting room is flooded with light from two directions and filled with lovely local finds. 

An accent wall with bare plaster adds a relaxed touch to the space. 

The house came with an orangery just off the kitchen - which will serve both as a sunroom and also a garden for herbs etc. 

Be still my beating heart! What a find! I can see why Kristin snapped it up, can you? 

Many swedes dream of having a winter home somewhere warmer and lighter in the winter - personally, I'd be happy to escape the cold and dark months of January, February and March and often mulling of where I'd rather be! Perhaps Mallorca? Or after seeing this, South of France could also be on the cards. Do you have a time of year in your country you'd be happy to escape from? 

You can see more pictures of Kristin's homes in Varberg (once featured on My Scandinavian Home here) and France over at @kricklin. 

Kristin also runs an online shop as well as workshops and is a real dab hand at gardening (I bought a copy of her book Livskraft Från Trädgård och Hav last Autumn and it's full of lovely ideas). 

Right folks, I'd better get going - I'm meeting my Australian friend to go and watch England V Australia in the women's world cup football (they're showing it on outdoor screens here in Malmö!). I've loved watching this world cup - have you been following too? 

Niki

Photographs: Kristin Lagerqvist, shared with kind permission.

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