A Charming Swedish Home Full of Pattern and Plants!

Fancy a trip to the North of Sweden today? Actually, the East coast city of Sundsvall is only halfway up the country (it's one EXTREMELY long land mass!) - but living in the South, it feels a long way North - so wrap up, we're in for a long ride! Johanna and Aron used to live in an apartment, but when their dream house came on the market, they jumped at the chance to move in with their children Elsi and Jack and poodle Louie (look out for him in the snapshots below, he's so handsome!). The previous owners had done a wonderful job of renovating the property, which allowed Johanna and Aron to focus on the fun part - like "choosing wallpaper and adding colour, pattern and plants!" The pair are extremely passionate about furnishing their home with secondhand pieces "that have a history" - which, in my experience, is key to creating a beautiful, interesting and personal home! Välkommen in! 

I can't believe it's September already! Eeek! This is just the type of climbing plant I was talking about in yesterday's home tour. Plants like these, combined with fresh flowers and cushions with botanical motifs (like this William Morris one) will help to feel the transition into Autumn and winter less severe (especially if you're a summer babe like I am!).

Johanna and Aron have created a BEAUTIFUL conservatory using rattan furniture and an abundance of cushions and plants -  giving a feeling of being outdoors! Imagine how cosy this space is on a sunny Autumn day, or all lit by candles in the evening?! 

This leather pouf* and jute rug* are similar. 

Johanna has chosen two different William Morris wallpapers for her bedroom and the guest room.  

I'm a big fan of the glass cabinet - look out for my post over the next couple of days and you'll see why! The one in this bedroom (could it be from IKEA?) serves as a great place to store creative kit which is way to pretty to hide away.

What a lovely, relaxed home!

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

I think all the plants add such a great feel! Some say you can never have too many plants  - just look at the home of Caroline Reichel, Hilton Carter, and the Arctic Gardener!

Are you a big fan of greenery too?

See more of Johanna and Aron's home over at her inspiring instagram feed @kvarteret_krukan.

Thank you for joining me on our armchair trip to Sundsvall today - I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I hope one day, we can all visit in person, I think I'd feel right at home here. 

Niki

Photography: @kvarteret_krukan

*affiliate links

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A Lovely, Relaxed Artist's Home Full of Plants

Tjena! We've had a great week on Sweden's West coast - despite a few howling gales. Now, we're starting to wind our way back to Malmö across the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Öresund seas (it's a loooong sail!). I'm already dreaming about home and my warm, cosy bed - so it feels apt to start blogging about beautiful interiors again today! And what better way to kick off the week than an artists home full of plants, books and inspiring DIY ideas! Denise is a freelance illustrator and art therapist, who's watercolour box is her constant companion. Her light-filled home in Berlin has been furnished with an eclectic blend of pieces, and although pared-back, it's full of character and serves as a wonderful, relaxed space to live and paint. Welcome to Denise's world! 

What a great home! 

I love her DIY headboard against the textured bedroom wall. The futon style bed also emphasizes the tremendous ceiling height. 

Did you spot her amazing rubber plant? I'm not sure ours will ever be that tall!

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Denise sells her beautiful watercolors through her Etsy shop KunstZimmerBerlin and is also a part of The Conscious Club, a studio and store in Berlin for mindfully designed and crafted products (one to visit if you're ever in town!). I also love her instagram @kunstzimmer - it's full of inspiration! 

How I love a Berlin home, do you feel the same? Here are a few others I've featured: 

A small relaxed bohemian home, filled with plants

A serene family home in Berlin

A bohemian touch in a magnificent Berlin apartment

The wonderful loft of a furniture designer (OK, I cheated a little here, this is not in Berlin - but it's well worth a peek!)

Have a great start to the week! See you Wednesday (I'll be blogging three days a week until Monday as it can be a bit tricky on the high seas!). 

I hope you're having a relaxing summer, and keeping well out there! 

Niki

Photography: Denise / @kunstzimmer

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A Small Relaxed Bohemian Home Filled With Plants

"Your light will always be too bright for someone." I read this quote recently and it really resonated with me. It's definitely true for people - but also for interior design! That's why I love to shake things up a little and try to feature a variety of different Scandi-inspired styles - so there's something for everyone! While yesterday's white Danish summer cottage was about a simple, pared-back way of life with an interior designed to take a back stage to the great outdoors, today's home tour is about bringing nature indoors, and creating a wonderful, relaxed, oasis in the heart of the city!  

Lifestyle photographer Caroline Reichel lives in the greenest district of Berlin with her partner and two cats. Her apartment may be small but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for it in plants! 

As someone who wishes they had more plants, I couldn't resist catching up with Caroline for some green-fingered tips! 

How would you describe your home?

We have a small, two room apartment in an old building with over 100 plants - a small urban jungle! 

What do you love most about filling your home with greenery?

I love to surround myself with plants - they calm me down. Plants grow with me and it's like one big green family. Also, I love the jungle. When I travel, I always go where it is especially green. Now I have my personal little jungle at home and I love it. 

Do they require a lot of care? 

I look after my plants two to three times a week. It's part of my morning routine. I find it very relaxing and a bit like meditating.  

I love how this climber has been trained up and around a mirror! 

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to acquire more house plants?

There are some plants that are very easy to care for and grow quickly - like Devils Ivy. In general, I can say it's better to water plants too little than too much. 

That's so interesting! I've found that the plants I've given up on and just shove out in the back yard to fend for themselves, always seem to thrive ! It makes sense now. 

Do you have a favourite plant?

I love all of them, but my favourite ones are climbing plants (philodendron) and one of my most beautiful plants, I think, is the Anthurium Crystallinum. 

Finally, your cats seem very happy at home! How do you manage your plants to ensure they do not cause any harm? 

I pay a lot of attention to where I place my plants - and whether or not my cats show an interest in them (particularly if they are poisonous). With my cats, it works wonders to position the plants a little higher. 

I am especially careful with plants that have smaller leaves, for example some ficus plants. They arouse more interest in our cats than plants with larger leaves. The Dragon tree (palm-like) is out of the question for us because our cats confuse it with cat grass because of its narrow leaves - and it's poisonous. 

Thank you Caroline! 

I need to head straight out to a nursery this afternoon and pick out some new house plants. Seeing Caroline's home makes me realise just how much greenery is missing from my own. Do you feel the same?

Even though I don't have a pet (actually that's not strictly true - we do have a hamster named Dexter), I was really interested in what Caroline had to say about how to manage plants around cats. So important, don't you think?

If you'd love to look at more plant inspiration today, you might like to check out more pictures of Caroline's Berlin home here. And there's a ton more 'green' inspiration to be found in the plant archive!

For something a little more permanent - I can also recommend the coffee table books Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants by Igor Josif and Judith De Graaf and Wild At Home by Hilton Carter. 

Speaking of greenery, I spent the day photographing a brunch setting in my small back garden yesterday for Danish brand Georg Jensen. It was so much fun - but being more of an interior photographer I always forget the challenges of outdoor photography - from the changing light and insects to rain showers and pigeon pooh! Even so, I can't wait to share the results with you soon!

Niki

Photography: Caroline Reichel

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The Cosy, Small Flat of a Copenhagen Creative and Plant Lover

It was so fun to hear you all loved yesterday's home tour as much as I did. What's not to love about a beautifully restored Swedish country home (and Johanna renovated it to perfection too!). Today, I have something for all the city dwellers amongst us - a cosy, charismatic apartment in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. Dane Ann-Kristin Løye Hejl shares 'moments of motherhood, knitting and little corners of her home' through her inspiring instagram feed @annkristinlhejl (if you don't follow her already, it's a must!). A keen gardener, the flat is filled with plants and flowers - and on warm summer days, the balcony doors are thrown open so the family can enjoy a little outdoor oasis. Welcome to Ann-Kristin's world! 

 The pink crate-style storage boxes are everywhere right now in Scandinavian homes. You can pick up various colours at Lagerhaus. Now I've pointed them out, you won't be able to 'unsee' it!!! I think I'm going to refer to them as the IT crate from now on!

A vintage cabinet above the dining table adds charm to the dining area in the corner of the sitting room - while adding some extra storage (while leaving floor space free - perfect!).

Spot the IT crate? 

Ann-Kristin's creative projects are never far away. On the table you can catch a glimpse of one of her latest knitting projects (they have their own hashtag on instagram for good reason - I love everything she creates!). 

The pretty bedding is from JUNA Design - a Danish textile brand with strong a sustainable core. 

It's about 27 degrees celsius (80 Fahrenheit) here in Southern Scandinavia today, so I can imagine Ann-Kristine and her family are sitting out on this balcony enjoying a few rays surrounded by the divine scent of blooming summer flowers (I love this pic on her instagram - so cute!).

Here on the Swedish west coast, we're about to wander down to the water for a dip (it'll be the first of around five swims my children will take today!!). Last night, the final swim was at 9.45pm - and the sun was still up!). Swedish summertime at its finest (we need to make the most of it while it lasts!). Do you live near some cool water you can swim in too?

Before I head off with my towel, I'll leave you with some other  of my favourite Copenhagen home tours to feel inspired by:

A cosy Danish loft full of plants and vintage treasures
Johanne and Luka's beautiful Copenhagen townhouse
The timeless Danish home of a jewellery designer

Gotta love the cool, relaxed Danish style, right?

Have a lovely day! I hope the sun is shining where you are too!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Ann-Kristin Løye Hejl - shared with kind permission. 

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Plant Tribe: An Inspiring New Coffee Table Book

It's Friday! Woohoo! Not that I have any wild plans ahead - but it will still be nice to put my feet up this weekend, how about you?! One thing I'll definitely be doing is reading my friend Igor Josifovic's new book - PLANT TRIBE. Launched a few weeks ago, Igor co-wrote the book with Judith de Graaff. It's their second book after the best-selling debut Urban Jungle and the pair also run the popular community Urban Jungle Bloggers). If you love plants, you'll love PLANT TRIBE. Igor and Judith delve into the many ways that nurturing plants help nurture the soul and offer inspiring advice for using plants to increase energy, creativity and well-being - and even attract love and prosperity. Say, what?! I'd better pay close attention! The book is also beautifully illustrated with photography by Jules Villbrandt. Here's a sneak peek at Tim Labenda's Berlin home which features in the book - and a few words from Igor! 

What was the idea behind PLANT TRIBE?

We wanted to write a book that changes our perspective on plants from merely decorating our homes and caring for them. We wanted to highlight how plants actually take care of us - making us happier, more creative, more balanced and more at peace with ourselves. All by making our homes more natural and beautiful. 

It takes a huge amount of work to create a book, but the process can be really rewarding. Is there anything that stood out to you?

We travelled throughout the USA, Brazil and Europe to make this book and we visited some amazing creative people in their plant-filled homes. We wanted to hear their personal stories, their bonds to plants, and why plants improved their lives on so many levels. 

We heard stories that made us laugh out loud and moved us to tears. These personal plant stories make the heart and soul of PLANT TRIBE. We hope this will inspire people to look at houseplants in a new and different way. 

Holding your book in your hands for the first time is such a special moment.  What are you most proud of? 

For the book, we worked with our friend and photographer Jules Villbrandt from Berlin. She managed to capture the magic moments, the personal bonds and emotions through her photography. To me, this book is a compound of good energy and positive vibes - just what we need right now more than ever before. 

Igor Josifovic

If you'd like to treat yourself to a copy of PLANT TRIBE, it's available through Amazon, Book Depositary as well as many other online retailers. You can also ask your local bookstore to order a copy or send a request to your library to stock it! 

Having seen a peek inside Tom's Berlin home in the book, I have a really strong urge to fill my home with plants now - how about you?! In case you'd like a little more inspirationt: 

Igor's happy plant-filled home

At Home with the Arctic Gardener

A guide to indoor climbers

Oh, and how did I not talk about that sculptural light in the first picture? - It's incredible, don't you think?! 

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend friends - see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography credits: Jules Villbrandt for Urban Jungle Bloggers except for the final two which were by Igor Josifovic. 

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