A space in New Zealand with a warm, boho summer vibe

Now I'd love to say that I find these dark, grey, cold January days here in Southern Sweden cosy. But sometimes they really can get the better of me and I'm starting to wonder if the sun actually still exists?!! On days like today I find escaping (virtually) to warmer, far off place helps to lift the spirits - how about you? Somewhere like this wonderful space in New Zealand, home to concept store Indie Home Collective. Think woven rattan, rustic wood, and layers of warm, natural materials against a dramatic backdrop of white, black and concrete. Roll on boho summer vibes!

Credits: photos from Indie Home Collective. Found via The Design Chaser with thanks. 

Ah so lovely. I can practically feel the warm breeze through the window, how about you?

Many of the items you see are available at Indie Home Collective (what a beautiful store?!).

I also love the boho-Scandi style seen in this Norwegian home of Vintage Piken. And if you're now in the mood, you can find 28 more beautiful boho home tours from all over the world in this archive. Oh yes! Is this your kind of style?

Have a wonderful day! Oh and fellow Northern 'hemispherers' (is there an official name for people who live in the Northern hemisphere?!) - stay warm!

PS This is not a sponsored post, I just found the pictures truly inspiring and hope you did too!

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A beautiful, rustic mill on the shores of lake Rinnen, Sweden

I absolutely love this time of year (don't get me wrong - I do get a bit of a winter slump round about January / february time, I promise!) - but as the days get shorter and the leaves turn from yellow to deep red things start to get super cosy. Dark mornings and evenings are transformed under the glow of candlelight. Autumnul pictures of people gathering around a table for a hearty stew or caramelized white chocolate tart start to pop up on my Pinterest feed. And I start to feel hugely inspired by rustic spaces (and hungry!). That's why this beautiful converted mill caught my eye.  After an extensive renovation, the Erlandsson family are embracing their new life in the former flour mill on the shore of lake Rinnen deep in the forest of Värmland, Sweden which includes a beautiful space for year round gatherings. Let's take a peek inside...

Credits: Photography - Carina Olander (shared with kind permission). Styling Anna Truelsen. See the full feature in Hus & Hem 12/201. 

Aaaaaa, just so cosy, don't you think? 

What a perfect room to gather for birthdays, thanksgiving (for you americans and canadians!) and Christmas (in fact I'm pretty sure I could come up with something to celebrate every week of the year, if this were my home, how about you?!). 

We can still create a lovely rustic style at home though - here are a few items I love from the mill : Linen table cloth (or stonewashed linen by the metre), long haired sheepskin throw, chunky knit blanket. I love classic Swedish Skultuna brass candleholders - and have a couple myself - beautiful! Although not featured, this one is lovely too. 

I can imagine the upstairs bedroom looks something like this - can you?! 

Have a cosy day! 

PS  We photographed a few beautiful, rustic homes for my book Modern Pastoral last year and I've been dreaming of a owning a lovely retreat ever since.....one day?!  

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Celebrating calm, rustic space living

Whenever I go shopping here in Malmö the list of places I visit is loooong (so lucky to have so many design shops here!). And H&M Home has recently become a must. You only have to see their latest lifestyle images (shot by Pia Ulin and styled by Glen Proebstel) -to see why, so beautiful! The home reminds me very much of this Gotland one (the colours, the materials...). And I love the overall rustic and organic nature of the space.

Oh so lovely! Calm, natural and relaxed.

What do you think of the rustic vibe?

Get the look: Sitting room - linen cushions,  throw, large cotton rug, wooden tea light holder, this table lamp is very similar (this one off vintage industrial table lamp is a-ma-zing!). Keep an eye out for similar here. Bathroom - linen dressing gown / robe, bath mat, towel, rustic bench, market bag. Bedroom - linen duvet cover set (I also love all the linen bedding from here - beautiful!).

I'm feeling a little link love coming on....

Proof a small kitchen can be bright and beautiful.

She danced all night...and all the way home is one inspiring tumblr!

Throwing shapes: hexagonal tiles and a round window.

Biggest trend this Autumn - the 'she shed' (remember Jeska's?), have you created your own one yet?).

Last day to enter the Instagram give-away to win this vintage beni ourain rug in assoc with Maroc Tribal (check out these beauties here too)! I know!

Have a great start to the week!

PS this post isn't sponsored, I simply love the look and feel of the space and thought you might too!

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Beautiful rustic inspiration from Finland

One of the things I love most about coming back from holiday is being able to see your home with fresh eyes (that and my bed!). I always start re-arranging all the furniture, do you?! This time round I've discovered we're missing a lovely armchair and my mind immediately went back to that Finnish shop I linked to earlier on in the week. Casuarina's ethos is 'timeless' interior design - where ethnic meets modern and old meets new and the owners pride themselves on helping you to pick out appropriate products and to design a space that invites you to 'linger and enjoy'.  Needless to say, the inspiration on their website is absolutely beautiful too!

Beautiful, don't you think? And just the type of help I could use right now.

I spy the Z1 cotton lamp and safari daybed - two of my favourite pieces! Source stone washed linen in rose by the metre here. 

A little mid week link love:

Imagine spending your summer at this Danish cabin in Skagen?

The perfect beach towel.

This dark green and brass side cabinet. 

23 wild homes that will make you want to escape civilisation!

A few of my favourite houses (which I snapped in Copenhagen yesterday). 

The perfect Children's room update (with a little tip from me!) - don't forget to use your 15% discount by using the code MSH15 at checkout. 

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Friday! 

And remember.

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A dreamy cottage (to rent!) in South East England

Do you have any plans for Easter? We've just booked to go to London for the weekend to visit my parents and sister, so excited! This time last year we were in t-shirts (yes, I know this is perfectly normal for some of you (lucky people!), but for us that was kind of a big deal!). But when the sun shines there's no place I'd rather be. If you're tempted to try your luck with the British weather, how about staying at The White Cabin in the ancient village of Winchelsea in East Sussex, South East England? I'm loving the bright, open A-frame ceiling and rustic / industrial touches. Such a perfect base for long walks, pub lunches and paddles at Winchelsea beach? And if the rain comes down, you've the perfect excuse to stay indoors too!

The White Cabin, Big Cottage Company. Found via Style Files with thanks.

Lovely! I think my favourite touch is the reclaimed kitchen cabinet doors. The look reminds me of one of the Hudson Farmhouse in my book. The interior decorator had bought a disused barn and used some of the wood to create cladding and handmade furniture for the house. So fab!

How about you?

Get the look: source industrial pendant lights here, Black scissor wall light. Try your local flee market for a decorator's ladder. Buy linen by the yard.

I've featured several homes like this in the past. If this is your kind of style you might just want to take a tour of a white home packed with antiques and a beautiful cottage by the sea (also available for rent). Or to make a morning of it - how about my 'summer cottage' and 'swedish cottage' archives?!

I've got a bit of a busy day ahead, but before I rush off  I wanted to leave you with this short video clip - *smile*.

Have a lovely day! 

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The rustic Norwegian cabin hide-away

It's the weekend! Yay! Any great plans? We'll be at home this weekend but what I'd really like to be doing is escaping to this rustic cabin high up on the cliffs of Western Norway.  Imagine taking a walk in the blustery north wind followed by a hot drink next to the roaring fire? That's a part of every day life for Norwegian couple Elin and Rune. As lovers of the great outdoors, the duo are firm believers in the saying 'there's no bad weather, only bad clothing' and wanted to live somewhere they could enjoy Storfjorden and the surrounding mountain range. The cabin developed stage by stage, and although basic, it has everything they need  to observe the changing weather and delight in the uninterrupted views of the nature that surrounds them.

 Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission 

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Could you spend your weekend here?!

There's something so romantic about this retreat, don't you think?

I've spoken before about my dreams of walking one of the 'hytte to hytte' trails in Western Norway. I even asked my Mum for hiking boots for Christmas. Yes, really! But seriously, couldn't you walk 20 km just to spend a night in a 'hytte' like this?!

For more rustic log cabin inspiration (it's got to be done right?!) I love this Norwegian cabin by the sea, a Norwegian hide-away, and a pared-back Finnish retreat. Why do I do this to myself?!!

Have a truly fab weekend!

PS images found via House of C with thanks. 

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The rustic Norwegian log cabin hide-away

How much would you love to head off to this rustic Norwegian log cabin for the holidays? If I could spend just five days at this retreat, belonging to founders and owners of Bolina,  I'd camp out by the  roaring log fire with a cup of tea, my book by Swedish novelist Jonas Jonasson- the one hundred year old man who climbed out of a window and disappeared (which I've been meaning to read all year), play board games with my family, take long walks in the snow, and generally feel relaxed and very merry. How about you?!

Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer, Sisters Agency with kind permission.

Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer, Sisters Agency with kind permission.

Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer, Sisters Agency with kind permission.

Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer, Sisters Agency with kind permission.

Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer, Sisters Agency with kind permission. 

I have to say the owners have been ingenious in their decorating. At first glance it looks like a classic log cabin, but look closely and you'll notice a modern blend of textures  (concrete, wood, sheepskin, velvet, rattan) and styles (industrial, rustic, contemporary). Combine this with unique fittings such as the kitchen units crafted using reclaimed wood from a derelict barn and the result is an incredibly warm, cosy, personal retreat.

Oh how I dream to own a place like this. What about you?

More dreamy log cabin's I could pad around in this holiday include a Norwegian one by the sea (the sauna!), a black and white Finnish retreat, or a cottage in the snow that looks like this (toasty)!

If a rural retreat feels a million miles away right now and you have a christmas shopping list as long as your arm (it is the weekend before Christmas after all) you might want to take inspiration from these two fab gift guides: for children, for just about everyone. And my fail safe last minute man gift. Good luck!

Wishing you a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

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Shelly Street's fabulous Cape Town home

Last year I visited Cape Town for the first time for a friend's wedding. I immediately fell in love with the hip style of the restaurants, cafes and shops. Some of the most fabulous homes I've seen are also located in the South African city. This home featured in the August edition of Elle Decoration UK, belongs to interior stylist Shelly Street who has done a fantastic job decorating. I particularly love the rustic touches and neutral tones, just my kind of style...

Photography Greg Cox. Elle Decoration. Via SF Girl By Bay with thanks.

What did you like the most about this home?

I've now arrived in the chateau in the Dordogne where my sister's getting married this weekend. So unbelievably exciting!  I'm definitely going to have to do a post about our time in the Dordogne when I'm back, we've seen some stunning places. In the meantime, unfortunately the wifi at our accommodation's not working at all so creating blog posts is going to be too tricky over the next few days. I really hope you don't mind if I take a writing check and come back with more fabulous home tours next week?

Have a wonderful week and see you Monday.

PS I'll be on Instagram until then (I've just posted a picture of where I'm writing this post right now - don't look if it's raining where you are.....!

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A Norwegian space with a boho / rustic touch

Morning! I hope you had a great weekend?! Southern Sweden is basking in sunshine right now, it's been so wonderful to be outside from dawn to dusk! I thought I'd kick off the week with the lovely rustic home of interior stylist / photographer Line from Vintagepiken. I have shown a few pics of this beautiful Norwegian boho space before and now it's been updated with a set of the oh so fab Schooley lights over the dining table and textiles (on table and floor) from Private 0204. I had to write to Line and ask her if those peaches were as soft and succulent as they look and she confirmed that they were indeed!

Vintagepiken

So lovely don't you think?

I love the way the table has been decorated don't you? Perfect for lunch inside on a rainy summer's day.

You might recognise the rustic workman's stool as I have a set I use as bedside tables in my bedroom. There are two for sale here and actually if you search for 'stools' on LiveAuctioneers a whole host of really beautiful vintage industrial stools come up.

For more bohemian inspiration this morning check out more lovely home tours here and spaces with rustic charm here (scroll passed this one above which will come out top).

Have a wonderful day!! 

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