5 simple ways to create a cosy corner

Sponsored post:

It's a little cold and grey here in Sweden right now, is it the same where you are? If so, no fear! I've got a tried and tested round-up of five simple ways to max up the mysig and create the cosiest of cosy corners! Prepare to feel toasty...

 1. Add natural textures: think raw or handcrafted materials. Here, the imperfections and patina in the raw wood stool and clay plant pot add interest and instant warmth. 

2. Books and magazines: So simple yet oh so cosy. I'm thinking chunky knit socks, a cup of tea and a good read. Plus switching off your screen and going analogue is said to be perfect for R&R! Who's with me on this?

3. Layer on the textiles: where would a cosy corner be without linen throws, a load of cushions and a soft rug? Loving the fringes and warm, muted tones too!

 4. Go green (or brown!): As Christina said yesterday - plants breath life into a home. Whether you prefer to go for a big and bushy climber, a delicate and small potted friend or an entire urban jungle  - plants will bring soul to your space!

5. Get a glow on: It's getting dark so early in Sweden (and some days the sun barely comes out at all) so good lighting is essential (especially if I want to read those magos!). I'm so pleased with this  library table lamp it looks lovely by day and brightens up the darkest of corners (which in our case is under the stairs) by night - yay!

I hope you like my latest sitting room update and it's given you a few ideas for keeping toasty this winter! Feel free to add your own tips in the comment section below, I'd love to hear them!

Oh and in case you're curious, here are some of the items I used:

1. Bed cover with fringes
2. LIBRARY table lamp
3. ESSENCE carpet
4. RAW stool

You can find webshops that stock Nordal in your area here.

Right, I might just have to go and curl up in this corner right now...

Have a cosy evening!


Photography & Styling: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home.  

Thank you so much to Nordal for making this post possible - I'm proud to have this Danish homeware brand as a sponsor. As always, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands that I love and think you will too. 

READ MORE...

1

My daybed update

Sponsored post:

I love how small updates can make a big impact. Recently I've grown a little tired of the original IKEA cover in pale grey on our Söderhamn chaise longue (in the window nook), plus it was starting to look, well, a bit manky (think foot marks, splashes of hot chocolate, you name it!). So earlier this week I swapped it for a new Bemz Loose Fit Urban slipcover in Rosendal Pure washed Linen - Medium Grey and I'm soooo happy with the result! Not only does it feel extra cosy (I love the darker colour!) it also matches the rest of my sitting room - perfect! 

I already had the Söderhamn chaise longue with a cover, but if you're ordering a new one from IKEA you can buy one without the cover for less and then add the Bemz cover at home (it's so easy to put on!). A quick side-note: I bought the baby's breath wreath at a flower shop in town back in December - it's been in the hall for ages but I think I might just have found a new spot for it, what do you think?

You may remember the touch of chestnut from my bedroom make-over. I think the 40 x 60 cushion in Malmen velvet chestnut adds a lovely warm touch to the window nook too. I love the exposed seams and relaxed look of the Loose Fit Urban - it's what drew me to this style. 

In this last pic you can catch a glimpse of my Chinese Money plant (I love the shape of the leaves!) and my book The Scandinavian Home (not that I sit and read my own book....but I do like to dip and out for inspiration, press interviews etc). After all - there's no such thing as a cosy corner without plants and books, don't you agree?! 

Photography: ©Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Aaaaah, so pleased with it! If anyone's looking for me I'll be cosying up here for the rest of the day!

Have a cosy day!


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bemz, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

READ MORE...

6

Rug (and neturals) heaven at DOMOTEX

Hej hej! How's your January? I've been a little too busy to let the gloomy weather get to me (Malmö - where's the snow, though?!), I hope you have too?! I kicked off the working year with an inspiring trip to Hannover for DOMOTEX - the leading B2B trade fair for floor coverings. I've got a real weakness for rugs and wood flooring so I was in absolute heaven and so happy to team up with some of my favourite bloggers including Holly from Decor8, Igor from Happy Interiors blog and Urban Jungle Bloggers, Agata from Passion Shake, Stefan from Trend Stefan, Desiree from Vogesparis and Mette from Monsterscircus to tour the fair and take part in two panel discussions (more to follow later this week). There were so many incredible brands at the fair. One of the highlights for me, was the TISCA stand. TISCA produce unique hand-woven rugs, and teamed up with Lotta Agaton Interiors from Sweden (it was so great to meet Lotta and Pella Hedeby in person - look out for links to these lovely ladies' homes below - they're totally worth a peek!). The stand was designed using milky tones and furniture from Team 7, Vitra and Artek - and of course some of TISCA's beautiful rugs! I took a few snaps to share with you...

Photography: © Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home.

One of the key rug trends this year is adorning walls with rugs (as art or simply to give the room a soft, cosy feel) and the TISCA stand demonstrated this beautifully. Love, love, loved it!

And how soothing are those neutral tones? 

Look out for a full report on DOMOTEX later this week.

Oh, and I promised to share the links to Lotta Agaton's home (Lotta was the founder of one my favourite magazines Residence) and Pella Hedeby's home.

Have a lovely day!

PS Another of my favourite magazines Condé Nast Traveler, featured my Lagom Book yesterday (I did an actual body roll when I saw the piece - thank you!).

READ MORE...

4

My sitting room - in detail!

Do you find that you suddenly get really tired of a room (or area) in your home? I'd been thinking about changing my sitting room for over 6 months as it just didn't feel cosy enough (see the before pictures here), and isn't that what this part of the home is all about?! You might recall from a post a few weeks back that I finally got around to shaking it up (with a little help from my friend Gen). The first thing I did was sell my old sofa and replace it with a Söderhamn three-seat sofa with chaise-longues with a Bemz urban loose fit cover in Rosendal pure washed linen in silver grey. We also felt that to turn this little corner of my home into a true Autumn haven it would need a few other changes too - some old, some new. By popular demand (feeling the love friends, feeling the love!), here is a guide to where everything is from...

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. Design / Styling - Genevieve Jorn.

Where to buy:

Söderhamn three-seat sofa with chaise longues with Bemz urban loose fit cover in Rosendal pure washed linen in silver grey / light and grey cushions / purple-grey cushion / rug / Z1 pendant lamp / Prints:  Blue Waters by Trine Holbaek / Paris 01 by Hilde Mork / Adoray by Nicoline A. Milton / Portofino by Peytil / The lady in the bathroom by Francois Fontaine / picture frames / vintage scissor lamp / grey gradvis vase / bench / Sinnerlig jar with lid / test tube and stand from Hamburg chemistry lab -1930s (find similar here), linen curtains / Muuto side-table / Arv bowl.

If I've missed anything just give me a shout in the comment section below!

You can see more corners of my home (past and present) here (if this post comes up first, just scroll passed to reach others!).

I'd love to hear more about your home - is there anything you're dying to change?

Have a lovely day!

PS I'm feeling a little bleary eyed after four incredible days in the Arctic. It's such an amazing part of the world. At times you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in the Caribbean. It was also so far out into the wilderness that I almost felt like a an imposter - and we were occasinally joined by curious porpoises, sea otters, fish, and sea birds. Today I'm heading off for a photoshoot at Gen's - keep an eye on instagram stories for a peek behind the scenes! 

READ MORE...

13

Get the look: inspiring sitting room of an interior designer

Well hello there! I had a great start to the week yesterday with a photo shoot at my friend, interior designer Genevieve Jorn's home in the centre of Malmö. If you're an avid reader of My Scandinavian Home I'm sure you're already familiar with Gen's home - we've been following her fabulous renovation one room at a time over the past year (take a peek inside her kitchen, office and bedroom). And now, with a little help from beautiful danish brand Nordal, a selection of art and her tree, 'Benjamin'- her sitting room and dining area is now complete! Here are a few shots from the cosy living area where Gen, her husband Kasper and cutest little Olivia love to hang out!

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. Styling: Genevieve Jorn - interior designer.

What a great space? I secretly wanted to stay and hang out right there on the sofa all week!

I especially love how the space is filled with art, personal touches and a mix of old and new.

The wooden pharmacy sideboard, console, and dining table compliment the original herringbone floor and add a wonderful warmth to the room - and the plants truly bring it to life (Gen bought 'Benjamin' from an online second hand store for a song! It's so worth keeping an eye out for bigger plants online - businesses are often selling them off!

Is there anything you love in particular about this space?

Get the look from Gen's sitting room:

1. This wall decoration with beads is similar 2. Fur cushion 3. Console table 4. Pharmacy sideboard 5. Wooden stool 6. Garden pot grey 7. Garden pot, natural

If you're wondering about any of the other items give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help.

Have a great day!

PS Nordal ships throughout Europe.

The post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

READ MORE...

10

Holly's beautiful sitting room make-over

Hej hej! One of my favourite interior designers, Holly Marder, is doing up her house in Delft, Holland bit by bit and I'm glued to her blog Avenue Lifestyle, for updates! It's such a treat every time she completes a room (see Holly's beautiful kitchen, bedroom and studio and you'll know what I mean)! Today I'm excited to reveal Holly's lovely new sitting room where she has used white washed walls and sheer linen curtains (source similar, made to measure ones here) as a neutral backdrop for a beautiful blend of vintage, mid-century, and modern designer pieces as well as handmade ceramics and a selection of artowrk.  Enjoy!

Photography / interior design: Holly Marder - Avenue Lifestyle. 

Such a stunning room, don't you think? Relaxed, calm, interesting and above all else cosy!

Holly is a master at gallery walls (I also love the one she created in a client's bedroom in Amsterdam). Here she's combined oak, walnut and white frames with a mix of contemporary and traditional art including 'dragonfly' by Eile-Ethel Polli, 'nude painting of one minute pose' by Gretchen Kelly, and 'eye eye' by Fine Little Day. Such a lovely combination!

I also like how she has used a mid-century bar cart to fill the gap next to the chimney breast (I still love my bar cart but wondering where to put it right now since acquiring this brass one, I'm sure it'll find a home soon! Thoughts?!). You can source a similar vintage mid-century bar cart here.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look from Holly's sitting room: Flos pendant light, source a vintage Beni Ourain rug here, the sofa is from the SofaCompany.  These fab vintage mid-century trolleys / bar carts are similar. Flos parentesi light, African Bingan basket, hand turned plates on wall by Julie Alrichem.  Glass coffee table,  white plate from The Fine Store (on table).

The sun's shining here in Malmö so I've promised to take a walk along the beach before starting to write a chapter for my new book - Lagom (a Swedish philosophy meaning not too much, not too little - just right!). It feels apt in today's world where we're all rushing about and connected 24/7. The book is very much about slowing down and finding balance, the Swedish way - whether at home, or through activities like blackberry picking , kayaking, baking bread, swapping your car for a bike or even finding a beautiful old cottage by the sea in which to relax and unwind in the holidays! I hope you'll find it inspiring! 

Have a lovely day!

READ MORE...

4

My new window nook / reading corner!

We've got a window nook in our open plan sitting / dining room area and it's been home to everything from a drinks trolley, gallery wall and even our Christmas tree! But in the back of my mind I've always thought what a beautiful spot it would make for a daybed. Not only does this corner of our home get the most beautiful light, it's also really peaceful looking out over the garden and up at the moon at night.  And guess what?! I've finally got around to creating it thanks to a little help from Danish brand Nordal and their lovely wall lamp and cushions in grey, dusty rose and a soft cream throw as well as a few other bits and bobs (see below for more details!). It's turned out soooo cosy and already become the most popular spot in the house!

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. Styling: Genevieve Jorn. 

What do you think?

Although it's super sweet seeing a little row of children's feet sticking out from under a blanket while they giggle over something on the ipad... but just one evening this week, just one!...I'd love to light that oil lamp, pour myself a large glass of something and read a book in this very spot!

Get the look:

1. Wall lamp 2. Floor cushion dark grey 3. Rug 4. Cushion cover purple grey 5. Cushion cover with circle print 6. Cushion cover dusty rose 7. Round serving platter 8. Oil lamp 9. Cotton shawl off white/beige

The open book is the first sneak peek inside my very own The Scandinavian Home (which launches in three weeks - exciting!). And I found the mobile here.

Give me a shout in the comment section below if you're wondering about any of the other items you see!

Have a lovely day!

PS Oh and a big Happy Birthday to stylist extraordinaire Gen! - I love working with you :)

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the brands which help me bring fresh posts to your mail box. And thank you Nordal for helping me finally complete my window nook!

READ MORE...

13