A Beautiful Swedish Home As White As Its Snowy Surroundings!

We're seeing a load more colour seeping into Scandinavian homes right now. But who said we have to follow the trend? Anette's beautiful Swedish home is proof that white will always be right, too! Her tone on tone palette with subtle nuances of light grey and the odd touch of rustic is the epitome of calm and just like the blanket of snow, it's a picture of peace and tranquillity. Better still, the 'all white' look is super easy to achieve with a few clever tricks. Välkommen in! 

Anette has worked hard to break up the white in subtle ways. The nuanced texture in the tiles and marble worktop / back splash help to add interest and depth to the space, while a rustic wood stool* helps to add contrast and bring the space together.

A chrome toaster*, bin and sink carry the white and grey thread throughout the kitchen. 

The Gervasoni Ghost sofa is always a winner as the linen adds a lovely relaxed look. If you find the price a little out of your league, combining a Söderhamn sofa from IKEA with an absolute white loose fit linen cover from Bemz will give you a similar look for a fraction of the price (great hack!). 

 

White can appear cool - but Anette has used layers of texture to soften the look. Think soft rugs, linen and fluffy white sheepskins* galore! 

Playing with different shapes is also a great way to bring a white look to life. The Atollo lamp* is one of my favourites! Isn't it fab?

Is anyone else a fan of wide wood flooring? I have a sneaking suspicion this one is from Dinesen (one of my favourites!). 

The beauty of using white in the home, is that you can add pieces without really 'adding them'. Does that make sense? What I mean is, a bold colourful chair in the corner of this landing could make the area look cluttered, left empty and it could look, well... empty!! But a white eames chair* with a soft white sheepskin* adds something to the space, making it more homely without the visual clutter! Clever! I might just use this trick on my own landing!

This bathroom is divine, don't you think?! The wooden table is from Granit but sadly seems to be out of stock. Annoyingly. 

It's that white linen* and rustic bench* look I so love again. It reminds me a little of my old bedroom, a look I might return to one day. 

White string storage is perfect for hiding any clutter (and 'colourful' items!).

Surprise! All that white and the exterior is actually jet black. What a beautiful contrast. 

Let's take a moment to admire the breath-taking scenery too. 

Beautiful. Really beautiful. 

I love the simplicity. 

Does this all white look appeal to you? 

If in doubt, you can see more pictures of Anette's home over at @whitelivingetc and you might also like to check out the beautiful white home of Malin Nilsson. I can also recommend the book For the Love of White by Chrissie Rucker - it's one of my favourites. 

Oh, and there's an entire archive dedicated to white homes here - just saying! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography: Anette / @whitelivingetc shared with kind permission.

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Dreaming of a White Christmas in Sandra's Serene Home

Some people love to go all out at Christmas, while others prefer a more pared-back approach. If you fall into the latter camp, I think you're going to enjoy the festive touches in Sandra's minimalist apartment in Hanover, Germany (remember this tour?!). Think subtle bunches of eucalyptus, olive and amaryllis, candles, and white paper stars and Christmas ornaments against a serene white and light wood backdrop. I had a brief chat with Sandra to find out more! 

What is important to you when it comes to decorating for the season?

As you may recognise, I appreciate simplicity and clear structures around me - and, although I really love to follow the seasons with my home decor, the basic feel of the home remains constant.

When do you start adding festive touches to your home?

I see more and more people getting festive in November. But, for me it makes it even more special to wait until the First Sunday of Advent - when the countdown officially begins! 

What's your philosophy when it comes to Christmas decorating?

I think simplicity is key - 'less is more'. I have an overall focus on natural elements like wood, flowers and of course a lot of greenery like fir, eucalyptus and olive. The result is a minimalist, natural but also refined look. 

Do you have anything new in your home this season?

This Christmas, I found a huge Scandinavian paper star, (more info here!) that will spread some Christmas cheer in our living room. 

Thank you for inviting us inside your beautiful, festive home Sandra! 

I think Pauline and Jo, Sandra's dogs are enjoying their Christmassy home, don't you? 

Is there anything that stood out to you?

I guess you know what's coming (you know I can never resist!) - yes, links to more Scandinavian Christmas decoration inspiration of course!! Here goes: 

Our Swedish Christmas from Per's perspective (don't miss the 20% discount off Skandinavisk seasonal candles with code nikijul20 - valid until 16th December). 

10 simple DIY decorations made by nature

5 mini Christmas tree ideas for small spaces

A Rural Swedish country home at Christmas

A mysig family home at Christmas

Altogether now, "deck the halls with boughs of um, eucalyptus...!"

Incidentally, I have one whole week of blogging left before Christmas - is there anything you'd love to see? Give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to cover it! 

Niki

Photography: Sandra / @Karlas_view shared with kind permission

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A Dreamy Holiday Oasis In The Heart of The City

The clocks go backward in Sweden on Saturday (for the very last time if I recall right - phew!). If I'm entirely honest, it does fills me with a little dread, the evenings are dark enough already. Yes, I can wax lyrical about candles (see what I did there?!) and the cosiness that comes with hot chocolates and cosy blankets, and I do have many moments where I love to embrace the chill (wait until you see tomorrow's post!) - but today, can I just indulge my longing for sunshine and warmth with this fine specimen of a house? Situated in Bellevue Hill, Sydney (we might have guessed it's on the other side of the world!), this secluded home has been transformed into a magnificent 'holiday oasis within the city' by the talented team at CM Studio. Think furniture and accessories with a beach vibe - made from wood, bamboo, and rattan against a backdrop of fresh white, and windows that let in large, luscious bites of nature. Thank you for the tip The Style Files - you've brought an exotic touch to my day! I hope you enjoy the tour too!  

 

 

All that sunlight! Guh!

.... you'd feel like you were living in year-round paradise here, don't you think?!

I love the simplicity of the interior too. The minimalist vibe works because of all the subtle textures and surfaces at play which are just enough to add depth and interest to each and every room. 

Is there anything you love in particular?

Tomorrow, I'll be tapping into my inner hygge once again and sharing some pictures from our weekend at a friend's cosy Swedish log cabin in the woods. Hope to see you then! 

Niki

Design: CM Studio

Photography: Anson Smart

Styling: Alexandra Gordon

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The Inspiring Monochrome Home of An LA Interior Designer

Hej vänner, hur må ni idag? - Can you tell I'm feeling the Swedish after sharing my film yesterday?! Having said that, I'm about to whisk you to a home far, far, far away where the sun is shining and the weather is warm - yep, today we're going on a virtual trip to Los Angeles and the beautiful home of Anne Sage! Looking at her lovely abode you can probably guess she works in the interior world. And yes, Anne is indeed a full-time interior designer as well as the author of popular design book Sage Living - a business that started when she launched her blog almost 12 years ago (wow -  that makes her blog even older than My Scandinavian Home!). Anne is also a content creator and the co-owner of a creative studio and photography space in LA called LightLab (which looks amazing!). Yet, she's still found the time to do everything from refinishing the floors to renovating the kitchen in her wonderful 1954 LA rental which she shares with her husband Ivan, two cats and a baby on the way. The look is monochrome with warm touches of light wood and brass. Ready for the tour?

The kitchen has been built using cabinet doors from Semihandmade which are designed to fit IKEA units. It was kind of cool to discover that there's a washing machine and tumble dryer hidden behind the cabinets to the right - I'm all for keeping things clean (and I'm not talking about the clothes!!). The oven is from Kitchenaid and the lights are by Schoolhouse.

I do believe it's that Stockholm 2017 coffee table again (remember it appeared at the end of the bed in yesterday's home?). From the name I'm guessing IKEA intended it to be used as a coffee table (rocket scientist that I am!!) but I've yet to see anyone using it that way. It certainly makes a fine bench as seen here in a corner of Anne's kitchen. 

I absolutely love the spotted rug (from Jaipur Living) - it totally makes the space, don't you think? The sofa is from Thayer Coggin) and the wall light is Serge Mouille.

One of the things Anne loves the most about her home is the large windows which flood the living space with light. I like how California Closets have built the units around the window. 

On Instagram Anne declared that she loves the Hoffmann Armchair (seen here as a desk chair) almost  as. much as (if not more) than her husband. I can totally see why! It's a beauty!

Ever since photographing Gen's office a few weeks back, I'm convinced that every workspace needs a daybed. Are you with me on that? This fine specimen is from Blue Dot.

EDIT: I initially thought this nursery was in Anne's house ready for the BIG arrival (and I could be forgiven for thinking that, considering it fits in perfectly with her aesthetic, but actually Anne created this lovely nursery for a client.  The über soothing palette is perfect for lulling a baby to sleep (and that armchair is ideal for exhausted parents!). 

Cot from Babyletto, art from Minted and lighting by Mitzi.

I think I could curl up in that armchair and have a snooze right now.  Doesn't it look inviting? 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Anne's home? 

You can see more snapshots over on Anne's instagram @citysage and blog. 

Shall we take at a few more LA homes? After all, we have come all this way....

California meets Scandinavia in a Cosy LA Home

A Jewel In The Suburbs of LA

A Warm and inviting Boho-Style LA home

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

Photography: Monica Wang shared with kind permission

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