The Fabulous Stockholm Home of Lovisa Häger

Hello there! Kind of tricky business this hump day, don't you think? It's when you realise there's only a few days left until the weekend and yet you've got about a week's worth of stuff to do - bah! In my lagom book I wrote that no matter how busy you are - breaks are essential and will actually make you more efficient - and who am I to ignore this?! So, let's down our tools, put our feet up and take some guilt-free minutes to admire Lovisa Häger's beautiful Stockholm apartment! Lovisa is a Swedish interior designer, blogger, artist and economist! The contrast between creation and structure in Lovisa's daily life is reflected in her interior and art where she looks to combine classic design furniture with unexpected details to create an artistic and personal home.

//affiliated links marked with *//

Lovisa's home is made of off neutrals and a dark grey accent. I LOVE the way Lovisa has used the accent shade to create a dramatic, yet cocoon like feel in the bedroom and cleverly carried it through to the main living area in the form of skirting boards and window frames for a truly striking effect! 

Intrusion print, mantis wall lamp*, the Härmanö bed in Zaragoza Eggshell and washed white linen bedding* are similar. 

 "The (interior) style that I'm going for is classical and Scandinavian with an edge! I love soft colours and tone-in-tone, and I try to compliment it with natural materials and a few favorite designer pieces. I love things that you spontaneously want to look twice at, perhaps to understand the construction or origin, and that's one of the main reasons why my focus over the years has become DIY. When people enter our home they always have to go on an 'exploration' to see my latest projects, as our home is in constant change they are always very curious to see what has happened since last time they visited!"

Floatation print, Lovisa made the table herself, Wishbone chairs*

Serge Mouille wall lamp, Atollo table lamp, Abstraction print

Lovisa made the coffee table herself, source a similar beige waffle throw here.

Lovisa has recently joint forces with Wall of Art to convert her beautiful artwork into large scale, limited edition prints.

"The idea behind my art was really to create something that would compliment the interior in my own home, where the focal point is colour and structure - a feeling - rather than a motif. I have been craving large paintings for a while now, I want artwork that isn't afraid to be noticed but that still isn't overpowering, so I've been working a lot with trying to find that balance through size and soft tones. When working with interior design, I'd say that artwork is the best way to transform a space and add new dimensions, and that's why I was so excited to take on this project!"

I was so busy admiring Lovisa's artwork that it took me several moments to notice the cane radiator covering  - I mean, how beautiful is that?! Trying to think where I can incoporate the same idea into my own home. Hmmm! 

Flos Snoopy table lamp*

 Source a similar vintage credenza here*, Perception print

In the last picture you can also see a close-up of the beautiful parquet floor which looks like it's been sanded down and white washed, it looks especially great next to the dark grey skirting boards.

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I must say I've got a serious case of home envy over this one - anyone else feeling the same? So much so, that I might just have to hop over to Lovisa's 'An Interior Affair' instagram and blog (I need to find out more about the DIY tables!) - see you there?!

And for more Stockholm apartments like this I'd recommend these tours: Karolina Modig's creative home, a striking Swedish home with a wall of books and the beautiful Stockholm home of Amelia Widell.

Happy hump day!

(is it just me or is this term a little awkward among Brits?!).

Niki


Photography: Jesper Florbrant / Lovisa Häger 

FYI - some if these pictures have been taken from Lovisa's instagram which have been taken over time. This is why you might see the same item appear more than once (The Kinfolk Home*, I'm looking at you!). 

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5

Karolina Modig's Beautifully Creative Stockholm Home

For those of you wondering if the week is ever going to end - it's FRIDAY friends - and that aperol spritz is inches away! But before we all reach for the Prosecco, I've got one final home tour to share with you, and it's a real goodie! Welcome to the Swedish home of Karolina Modig - a journalist, editor and author of two art books Värdet av konst (The Value of Art) - 2013 and Häng konsten lågt (Hang the Art Low) - 2015, her husband Erik and children Elliot and Mio. The family live in a three bedroom turn-of-the-century apartment in Södermalm (affectionately known as 'Söder'), an area of Stockholm known for it's relaxed, creative vibe. The 85 metre square (915 square foot) space is adorned with art, a ton of plants (check-out the greenhouse!), books and interesting artifacts set against a backdrop of pale pink, white and grey. I caught up with Karolina to find out more.


The shelves have been placed higher up to create space for the art underneath. The large portrait is by Jesper Waldersten. A Ferm Living wire basket and top doubles up as a table (note how the pink wall colour has been replicated in cushions and the basket to create balance).

How would you describe your style?
Our interior style is a mixture of my arty/airy taste and Erik’s arty/crazy taste. Erik is fond of experimenting with building projects, rare objects etc, I love rare objects but love a bit of light and air as well.

Your home is beautiful and full of fascinating items! Would you say it differs from the usual Scandinavian style? 
Thank you! Yes, I blame Erik for all the stuff haha. And our kids:) I guess it has a bit more ”cosyness" to it than most Scandinavian homes, it’s not very simplistic/minimalistic. We have a lot of books, can’t get rid of a single one. They take up a lot of space:)


A classic Swedish Orust chair by Staland is made a little more comfy with the help of a sheepskin cushion (source similar here). And I spy original Nagel candleholders! Erik has collected them at auction over several years.  Originally designed by Werner Stoff for Hans Nagel in the 1960's, the STOFF candleholder has recently been re-launched by Danish firm Just Right and you can buy it piece by piece to create your own sculptural masterpiece! See my guide to indoor climbers here!

The pair also love to paint. A portrait of Elliot by Erik can be seen here.


An antique Sputnik light (this one is similar) adds a glimmer of gold to the dining area. The chairs are from Stalunds (as before). 

I noticed you also have a lot of plants, including an indoor greenhouse! Can you tell us more about it? 
Erik loves plants, I think he would rather live in some kind of orangery than in an apartment. The greenhouse is his third baby, he fell in love with it just before we moved in to the apartment. It weighs 50000000 kg and everything we plant there dies, but it’s lovely - isn’t it? :)


It sure is! I also appreciate the use of colour - how did you choose the tones?
We actually painted everything white in the beginning, but realised we needed color to keep the rooms together. The bedroom wasn’t really a room before we painted it, just a bunch of stuff placed in a square space. The color made everything "melt together". I believe there was a home in Danish interior design magazine ”Rum” that inspired us to pick the colors for the living room. It changed the room completely, making it the most cosy room in the apartment. The tiles in the kitchen are old  English school-tiles (from The Winchester Tile Company).



IKEA units have been fitted with pale blue Superfront doors and brass handles (Norse Interiors sell similar in the US). Art by Alexander Tovborg. 

You have so many fantastic works of art! Where did your passion for collecting come from?

I’ve always been interested in art, but I started buying when I wrote my second book Häng konsten lågt (Hang the Art Low). I wanted to investigate how much you could buy for a certain amount of money and where you could buy it, as a guide for interested people without experience. It is a book on how to ”approach” the art world in your own conditions.

Do you have any tips on how to choose art and display it in your home?
Try not to match too much, give the art some room and let it stand out. Don’t put it too high on the walls and select your art with your heart and stomach rather than with your brain.


Where do you buy art? 
I’ve bought it at galleries, over the Internet (selected digital art shops) and directly from artists.


Vintage storage has been given a new lease of life using Superfront doors (see previous).  There are some beautiful old botanical school posters available here (ships worlwide).

And finally, what do you love most about your home?
That it is very ”livable”. It doesn’t matter if there are nicks in the tables or the floor, or if the furniture has flaws and faults. I think the ambience is welcoming. At least that is what we want it to be.




The children's room is decorated with Coud wallpaper by Ferm Living and a wonderful bespoke playhouse (I wish I had one of these when I was growing up, how about you?!).

Photography: Nadja Endler for Houzz

Karolina's world in 30 seconds:

If you could own any artwork, what would it be?

A Rothko or something by Louise Bourgeois. 

What music are you listening to right now?

Hanna Järver, James Taylor, Mura Masa and The Secret Sisters. 

What is Stockholm's best kept secret?

Not very secret maybe, but Carl Eldh’s ateljémuseum is a little piece of wonder. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home and telling us a little more about your passion for art Karolina!

You can read more about Karolina's home over on Houzz. 

If you'd like to see more arty spaces today I'd totally recommend taking a peek around the lovely home of a Danish artist,  a Copenhagen home in a converted artist's studio and a Swedish artist's home in a fomer school house. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Niki

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12

New Gallery Wall in The Window Nook (Plus 25% off!)

Collaboration: There are many elements which help to make a home personal. One of my favourites is art. And despite being so happy with our window nook at home, I realised this was exactly what was missing! I gathered the My Scandinavian Home team for this one since there was paint, prints and one very heavy vintage lamp at stake (and my husband does get jittery when it comes to drilling holes in the wall!). Here's what we did with a little help from prints and frames from Desenio: 

1. Red Bubblegum 2. Let The Light In 3. Legs 4. Dandelion 5. Birds

I'm a big fan of art photography (probably because I love taking photographs!) which is why the selection is made up of this genre. I was also looking for something that reflected my love of light (hey, it's pretty dark in Sweden half of the year - it's hard not to become obsessed!) and nature - but also wanted to add a playful /strong element (hence the Red Bubblegum portrait). I was actually slightly nervous about this piece but it has become my favourite print (and that's saying something as I have many and love them all!).

It's easy to think changes in my home are a spontaneous, quick fix affair. This is sometimes the case, but more often than not there's so much that goes on behind the scenes! For the gallery wall Gen put together a 3D drawing to scale in SketchUp so we could see exactly how the prints might look across the two walls (I love a gallery wall that goes around a corner!). 

Don't worry, you don't need to be a pro at this kind of stuff (I'm certainly not!) - Desenio has a great create your gallery wall tool which is really easy to use and perfect for figuring out which prints and frames go with which and the sizes you'll need to order.

Another great move (which I can recommend!) was to tape paper templates of the prints to the wall to see how they'd look and play around with gaps etc. The beauty of this, is that once you're happy with the layout you can hammer the nails through the paper and then tear it away - and then you're ready to go! Happy wall, happy husband!

So pleased we mixed and matched the Desenio frames (two oak and three black). The wood adds a lot of warmth which is important when the majority of the prints are black and white.

I hope you like the results as much as I do!

If you're looking for art for your walls, the code “myscandinavianhome” gives 25% off posters* at Desenio between Tuesday 13th and Thursday 15th of March, 2018 (bargain!).

*Except on the handpicked / collaboration poster category and frames.

Now all that's left is for me to go and chill in my window nook for a few hours (now, wouldn't that be nice?! Bah! Not going to happen!).

Have a happy day!

Photography: Niki Brantmark / Interior designer: Genevieve Jorn

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The lovely home of a Danish artist

Why, hello there! It's miserable outside today and probably never really going to get light, but I don't mind because it's my biiiiiiiiiiirthday! Now, I know you're not really meant to make a song and dance about these things, but you know, life's short and I actually really do like to sing (not very well) and dance (even worse) each year on this day!! It kicked off beautifully with a surprise 'full english breakfast' (no easy feat in Sweden, and the man and my girls nailed it!!) so things are going exceedingly well..... Anyway, I digress, I've prepared a post featuring the most fabulous Danish apartment for you today. Owner, Anne Aarsland is exactly the same age as me (that young? I hear you say!). The only difference is that she lives and works in Copenhagen and is "an astronomer with a liberating legendary approach to painting." Anne's work is characterised by stripes, dots and triangles in all angles and constellations, using repetition and abstract pattern formations to develop and change the shapes and can be seen throughout the living space. On with the tour!

Aaaaah, what a great home! Anne's art totally makes the space, don't you think?! - and rightly so!

The high ceilings, spacious rooms and general style reminds me a little of the home of Karen Maj Kornum who's home I posted about here and here  (and also featured on the front cover of  my book The Scandinavian Home). What do you think?

Get the look: Anne's artwork and limited edition paintings, saucer pendant, AJ floor lamp, wishbone chair, Artek chair, Ligne Roset Togo sofa.

You can follow Anne's latest projects and see more shots of her home and studio over on Instagram. 

If you'd like to see more artist's homes today you'll love this relaxed, vintage style home,  an artist's studio and home in Stockholm and a former artist's studio converted into a beautiful home - makes me wish I was a little better at painting!!

Have a lovely day!!

PS - I received the best birthday surprise  - My Scandinavian Home won Best International Design Blog in the first ever Domino Design Blog Awards - weeeeeeee! Thank you so much to everyone who voted, it really means the world to me. A feature about My Scandinavian Home is now live on Domino here if you fancy a read!

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12

The Hepworth Limited Print Collection by Atelier by Mintstudio

The fab Danish 'Atelier by Mintstudio' designs two annual collections of limited edition prints. Led by head designer Cecilie Svanberg, the latest collection pays homage to British artist and sculptor, Barbara Hepworth, a pioneer who broke into the artistic scene when only a few women had made an impression. Barbara was famous for her organic and simple use of shapes, textures and colors. Each (rather lovely) signed and numbered print is made from an original painting with watercolor, gouache and acrylic paint, then printed on Munken Rough 170 gr paper. The question is, which one to choose? Look out for the prints (and frames) at The Poster Club!

GET THE LOOK


Clockwise from top left: 05, 02, 04, 01

Have a great weekend! 

About The Author

Ana Degenaar → My Scandinavian Home Contributor

Author, Graphic and Web Designer.
Mindfulness is at the heart of everything Ana does—from work to life and everything in between.
For over five years she's focused on creating honest, intelligent and refreshing projects—believing that the best way to accomplish this is to dedicate herself to the essential and making things speak of their intrinsic beauty and purpose.


This post includes affiliated links - which means if you click on the links and make a purchase, the My Scandinavian Home team would receive a few pennies - perhaps enough to enjoy a little cup of coffee by the sea! However, all words are our own and we only ever work with brands we absolutely love and think you will too! - And this collection is rather fabulous isn't it?!

     

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8

Exclusive 20% discount at Absolut Art!

Exciting news guys! Absolut Art, a subsidiary of Absolut Vodka (selling fabulous limited edition artwork made by some of the art world's most prominent and promising artists) is offering you 20% off beautiful limited edition photo art by Ruvan Wijesooriva. Ruvan has collaborated with Absolut Art for the passed year with fabulous prints such as Girl and Window and Blue Water Dots (note: only four left of the latter!) and has recently launched three new photo art works: Palm Trees (seen in my home here), Shadows Above and Swimming Pool (available in two sizes: 50 x 40 cm or 130 x 95 cm) soon. And, here's the exciting part, right now you can receive 20% off any of Ruvan's prints exclusively through My Scandinavian Home - hurrah! Find out how to claim your discount below. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak of some my favourites:

Prints in order of appearance:  

Palm Trees 50 x 40 cm (available in XL here) 
Shadows Above 50 x 40 cm (available in XL here)
Swimming Pool 50 x 40 cm (available in XL here)
Blue Water Dots XL (only four left!)
Girl and Window

To claim your 20% discount off photo art by Ruvan Wijesooriva: simply enter the code MSH20 at check out. This exclusive offer ends 19th April, 2017. 

Absolut Art ships worldwide and sells many, many beautiful limited edition prints. If you're having a hard time deciding, the lovely team provide some very helpful tools including an advisory service which invites you to e-mail a picture of your wall and they'll help you find the perfect piece! How brilliant is that?! Or if you fancy getting creative, you can use their online tool to design your own gallery wall.

You can also get lots of inspiration and keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to the Absolut Art newsletter! 

Happy shopping!

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Absolut Art. All words are my own - and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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