The Soothing Scandi-Inspired Home of An Interior Stylist

This is turning into a bit of a European week, isn't it? We kicked off with a Swedish home in earthy blues (loved reading all your comments!), swiftly followed by a pretty family home in Brussels on Tuesday and then we headed to Norway for a soothing bedroom tour, and yesterday we toured the 'slow living' home of Nina Plummer. Meanwhile I've been touring Scandinavia on a cruise ship, where I've been holding talks on Scandinavian design. I arrived home at 1.30am this morning. It's been one very crazy, whirlwind of a week, and I have to say - I'm exhausted, but I have felt so inspired all the same. I hope you've felt the same! I thought we'd round off the week with a tour of the delightfully calm, scandi-inspired home of Interior Stylist Donna Howell in Birmingham, England. Donna loves simplicity and light colours which she balances with personal details to add warmth. I caught up with Donna to find out a little more about her soothing oasis.

Portrait H*, Hay CPH Deux Table, sofa from Florrie + Bill, Ceramics by Catcooe

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Who do you share your home with?
I live in the property with my husband Craig and our little boy Jonnie B, aged 8.

Tell us a little more about the property
Our home is a 3-bedroom Victorian property based in Birmingham which is in the middle of the UK.

What first attracted you to the house?
We bought the property because of its high ceilings, big windows and a wealth of original features such as fireplaces in every room, deep skirting boards and coving.

 A Desk, Adoray print*,  balloon mirror

Adoray print*, Je t'aime Magique Art print, Hubsch lamp, houses from Peek and Pack

Can you tell us about the layout? The layout consists of an entrance hall, a living room, separate dining room, kitchen, pantry, 3 bedrooms one of which is an office and a family bathroom. We are lucky enough to have a large garden too which living in the city isn’t always available.

Have you carried out any major renovations?When we bought the house ten years ago it needed complete modernisation including a new kitchen and bathroom, re-wiring and of course the best bit re-decoration. It was never the plan to stay long term but along came our son 8 years ago and having a great school nearby it made sense to stay put until high school. As that is 3 years off we have decided to stay and kick on with some more renovations. We are currently planning a kitchen extension with side return with a friend whose an architect and we plan to knock the two reception rooms into one to make the downstairs living areas flow better.

Normann CPH Bell pendant* 

Sounds like a wonderful plan to me! How did you become an interior stylist?I have always been a ‘creative’ trapped in a corporate world and had a passion for all things interior, so I decided when my son was a baby I would re-train. I studied interior design at college and went on to become a freelance designer. During this time, we were asked to feature our home in a UK magazine called Ideal Home. It was here that I met a freelance interior stylist and realised my passion lay in ‘styling’ rather than ‘designing’. I have since worked as a stylist on editorial campaigns and content creation for many brands.

How would you describe your style?I would describe my style simple, uncluttered pared back design which is light and airy whilst providing the feel of comfort through the addition of personal touches. I like to add little personal touches that can’t necessarily be replicated. I don’t follow trends on mass but I find little elements of trends can easily be added to a simply designed room. I do like to mix in new, fresh modern design with some old pieces.

Your home has a lovely Scandinavian feel to it, have you always been into Nordic design?

I have always loved Scandinavian design. I love its simplicity and how things are made to last - it fits perfectly with my aesthetic. As a result, we like to visit Denmark and Sweden whenever possible.

Kartell Masters Chair*

Thank you so much Donna - your home is really inspiring and I feel a whole lot calmer now.

If you're a little sad the tour is over and would love to see more - take a peek at Donna's wonderful Instagram feed @dhowelldesigns for plenty more pics!

I hope this post has brought a breath of fresh air to your day too - and that you're feeling all ready for the weekend!

Have a fabulous couple of days and see you Monday!

Niki

PS If you're in need of luxury bedding (err, hello!), I'm holding a give-away with House Babylon over on Instagram until tomorrow! Hope on over here to enter!

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A Delightfully Simple Norwegian Attic Bedroom

It's easy to spend months, even years scratching your head over a space - and the answer is often just to keep it simple! This beautiful bedroom in the attic of Katerina Dima's Norwegian summer cabin is a great example of this! The walls have been painted in a soft grey (Sommersne pure colour supermat from Jotun) creating a gentle contrast with the white wood panelling and the subtle black and brass accents add just enough detail to give the room a lived in touch. And of course, there's that linen!

White* and pale grey linen bedding* are designed to match the walls and ceiling behind. Also seen: Frama stool,  Pholc table lamp*, Aesop hand balm*. 

Katarina picked up the brass hooks from Lagerhaus. They are perfect since they don't require any drilling - and massively practical for hanging robes, bags and even a mirror!

Scandinavian simplicity at it's finest!

I hope this may have helped solved an interior conundrum you're facing or inspired you in some way!

Katerina is the master of grey and white bedrooms - this is her former boudoir in Oslo (also painted in Sommersne).

I seriously wouldn't mind a duvet day in either of these spaces right now, how about you?!

Tour more beautiful bedrooms here! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Katerina Dima shared with kind permission.

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Cate St Hill's Scandinavian Inspired London Oasis

Good morning! I hope you had an underbart weekend?! Get up to anything fun? We went on a road trip to the Blekinge archipelago to visit friends - if you visit Sweden, these islands are a must, they are so magical! The problem is that it was such a relaxing weekend, monday morning has hit me like a sledgehammer (is anyone else feeling slightly disorientated this morning?!), and I'm in panic mode about a 'scandinavian design' presentation next week (I think there are going to be up to 100 people in the room, gulp!). A central theme will be about how the 'less is more' philosophy of Scandinavian design has influenced so many people around the world, and this lovely home in Herne Hill, South London is a fine example! The house belongs to Cate St Hill, interior writer and stylist extraordinaire (check out her instagram feed here), her partner Olivier and very cute miniature dachsund Francis. I chatted with Cate to find out more about the soothing colour pallette, nordic influence and creating a little oasis in the heart of London.

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 IKEA Kitchen cabinets, Hay J104 chair, Muuto platform tray

How did your passion for design begin?
I've always been interested in design and studied architecture at UCL in London before I became a design journalist.

Fired Earth tiles


Your style has a distinctly Scandinavian feel - do you have a long lost Nordic relative somewhere?
I really developed an interest in Scandinavian design when I travelled with a university friend for a month, spending a week in each country. We made little design pilgramages to as many Arne Jacobsen and Alvar Aalto buildings we could find.

Stelton coffee jug*, Teema mugs*

Sinnerlig pendant, Vento sofa

What inspires you about Scandinavian design?
I became inspired by the ways that Scandinavian interiors connect to nature and to people, and the respect for quality and craftsmanship. I like that a lot of Scandinavian design is built to last, they are pieces you can have in your home for a long time, the materials get better with age and the shapes and styles endure.

Have you carried out any extensive renovation work?

When we first found the house it was in need of a bit of work, the living room was painted bright purple for instance! So I wanted to strip things back, open the downstairs living room and kitchen up and transform two dark rooms into a light, open space.

Menu String lounge chair*

What is important to you when creating a home?

 I want to create a calm, tranquil retreat in which to escape the world. I wanted a space that would grow with us, the neutral walls, becoming a blank canvas for everyday life.

Mountain ABC print*, Samsung TV, loop candlestick

How do you add a cosy feel to your home?

I like to use plants, accessories and books to bring life and texture rather than lots of colour.

This pic of Cate's hallway was taken a while back when the space was a work in progress, even so I thought it was too pretty not to share (I hope you don't mind Cate!). 

Can you tell us about the subtle colour palette?

It's blackened by Farrow & Ball on the walls and plain white on the floor (I used Ronseal floor paint).  

And finally, your garden looks like a lovely oasis, do you sit out there a lot?
Yea! it's really sheltered and not overlooked so you don't really feel like you're in London. We've been using it a lot this summer as it's been so warm. It's north facing, I thought it would be really dark but it's a little sun trap during the day.

Thank you so much for telling us about your home Cate.

What a treat this home tour was on a Monday morning  - do you feel inspired too?! Perhaps we should all head out into the garden with our laptops! I'm thinking I'm going to need Francis in tow too - isn't he wonderful?!

Is there anything that stood out to you?

Just in case you're not quite ready to launch into the working week yet - you might just like to check out the grey and white home archive as well as these lovely London homes (makes me feel slightly home sick!). There's a chance Cate's might crop up first - if so, you know what to do (scroll on passed!)!

Have a fab start to the week!

Niki

Photography by Cate St Hill shared with thanks

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A Scandi-inspired Family Home in a 1950's Bungalow

Looking at this home (which I discovered over at The Design Chaser), you'd guess it was in Sweden or Finland - maybe Norway, but definitely not Australia! It's perhaps little surprise that homeowner Nat Wheller is co-founder of norsu interiors, a Melbourne based Scandinavian interior homeware store. Nat and her co-founder Kristy Sadlier renovated the 1920's Californian bungalow over the space of 6 months, transforming it from an 'ugly duckling home' into what they describe as a 'norsu home', characterised by light grey and white hues and subtle, warm textures. They shared the process on instagram to show that a renovation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Today, Nat and her husband Dan and their two children Annabel (7) and Harvey (4) enjoy life in the family home. So, pop the kettle on - and enjoy the tour!

Wood cladding adds character and warmth to a room - while helping to maintaining a clean, calm look and feel.   

Loving that big ole' Smeg* in the kitchen and the chevron tiles! Check out the Swedish Rubn light fixture too!

How's this for a hallway with a calm feel?!Plus it has everything: closed storage for coats, scarves etc, somewhere to sit down and put on your shoes, and a 'landing space' i.e. the console which is the perfect spot for small items like keys. Not a scooter in sight!

Sliding doors are great - they take up less space and allow for a wider door way so more light can enter the room. I'm a big fan of barn doors like this one as they add so much character to a space too.

The wood cladding has been extended into one of the children's rooms adding to the cosy feel - love this!

As bathrooms stroke utility rooms go this has to be up there with one of the prettiest - and it's all in the tiles and clothes rack. We have a utility room in our home (it's never appeared on MSH because it's a total disaster area!!) - I'm so pinning this space. Perhaps I've found a project for this autumn! Anyone else feeling inspired by this?

What a beautiful space! Anyone else feel truly inspired and come away with a thousand ideas? I think I might just have finally cracked my hallway puzzle... (that's two projects this autumn - don't tell the man!).

I often think of wood cladding as a summer cottage feature but seeing it in this homes makes me realise it can look just as great in a modern home too - yay!

Is there anything you love in particular about this house?

If you're keen to see more, you can view the complete renovation process on film here and get the look room by room here (many items have been sourced locally down under). Oh and the guys are also offering norsuHOME styling services now too. How tempting!

More Aussie homes (where do I begin, there are so many rocking the Scandi style in a beautiful way!): the inspiring Melbourne of two architects, a relaxed beach home in earthy tones (there are those african baskets again!), a super relaxed boho cottage down under.

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography Lisa Cohen Styling Beck Simon

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A Cool, Grey, Cream and White Swedish Space

It's the hottest day of the year here - it's absolutely baking! While it's bliss splashing about in the cool, blue waters of the Öresund, sadly the heat is causing devastating forest fires across the country and Sweden has had to draft in the help of neighbouring countries to help extinguish the blaze. In certain areas locals have been lining the roads to cheer on the convoys of firefighters as they arrive - it's really heartwarming! Rain is on the forecast for this weekend too - phew! Meanwhile,  I'd quite happily hang out in this shaded apartment, with it's cool, calm colours for a few hours today. The space belongs to Swedish interior designer and stylist extraordinaire Hanna Ahlin - and it's a wonderful combination of soft white, cream and striking dark grey. Look out for her cute dog licking his chops! 

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The gallery wall looks amazing against a dark grey wall. Hanna has stuck to a black, white and cream scheme for the gallery. I paticularly love the Nude 02 by Ekaterina Koroleva*.

I love this Elfa shelving / desk combination in the bedroom - it's such a great way to turn a wall in a narrow spot into a home office!

The linen curtains seen above in the bedroom have been chosen to match the wall colour and offer a perfect way to create storage and hide a lot of things! I've actually been thinking of doing this in our hallway since we always have so much clobber. It would be great to just pull a curtain across the whole lot and pretend none of it's there!!

I usually buy my linen curtains made to measure from this Etsy shop - and I see they sell dark grey linen drapes* just like these ones!

There's a lot to be said for cool greys when the mercury rises outside- don't you think?

Stay cool friends!

Niki

Photography Hanna Ahlin / Alen Cordic.

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