5 Mysiga Autumn Ideas To Steal From a Mid-century Swedish Home

Tjena! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We've been enjoying an Indian summer here in southern Sweden - yesterday it was a balmy 23 degrees celsius! The girls and I headed off to play disc golf (AKA golf with a frisbee) in the sun (have you played it before?! We were rubbish and spend more time in the woods searching for our frisbees than actually playing but it was so much fun!). We also knew that we were on borrowed time, and that the temperature could plummet any day. I believe everyone has a season (mine is summer, what's yours?) - but by simply embracing the new season in your home, you can really enjoy each and every season to the full, what do you reckon? Fellow Malmö resident and landscape architect Magdalena has done exactly that in her Funkis (functionalist) apartment. Her beautiful, calm home is full of mid-century finds, Scandinavian design and beautiful warm Autumn tones. I spotted 5 simple ideas we can steal to turn our home into a mysigt (cosy) haven too! 

1. Bring out the blankets: Dig out all your blankets and drape them over the sofa and the backs of chairs, even if you have the best central heating system in the world, covering your feet with something soft and warm and softening up hard chairs makes a world of difference! This waffle one from Granit is now out of stock, but you can source a similar one here*. 

3. Fire and candlelight: One of the best things about the temperature falling is that you get to light a fire. Don't have a fireplace, or the one you have is out of action? Candles help to add a beautiful warm glow and a little warmth. 

3. Autumn blooms: Dahlias, Sunflowers and other autumn flowers add a wonderful burst of colour. Dried flowers are also ideal for this time of the year since they're low maintenance and embrace the tones of the season. But this autumn it's all about the vase - opt for a ceramic vase with a beautiful rough texture. I love Magdalena's Pillar vase from Swedish brand Cooee (seen below) and I've also been in love with Aura vases ever since I spotted them in this Berlin home! 

4. Invest in velvet cushions in golden tones: add a pair of ochre velvet pillows* to your bed, for a cosy autumn lie-in!

5. Get crafting: Why not set aside an afternoon or evening and make some 'Snöblomma' (snow flowers) in brown, grey and cream tones. 

I hope this has given you a few ideas for your home this Autumn (for those of you in the Southern hemisphere - a post to archive and come back to in six month's time!). 

There's something incredibly calm about Magdalena's home, don't you think? I can totally see myself plucking a book from her immense library and cosying up on the sofa under a blanket.

Can we magic ourselves to the weekend?! 

Also, let's take a moment to admire every single Scandinavian mid-century item. So many beautifully crafted pieces in one place. You can see more corners of Magdalena's home over at @mittfunkis. 

Looking for more Autumn ideas? How about: 

11 hyggeligt ideas to steal from a Danish home

12 budget friendly way to transform your living room into an autumn / winter haven 

Beautiful wall inspiration for Autumn

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Magdalena / @mittfunkis

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A Cosy Apartment With a Warm Autumnal Vibe

Has Autumn arrived where you are? In southern Sweden there's a crispness in the air and the leaves are slowly starting to furl, a tinge of gold creeping across their surface. Time to get cosy and embrace the season (or I might just cry at the impending long Swedish winter!). To me, this means bringing wonderful earthy tones into the home in the form of rust, burnt amber, chestnut and auburn and layering up with soft cushions, rugs, and blankets. This morning I was scrolling through the Autumn #30dayhomelove challenge on instagram and immediately paused at Sabina's beautiful Berlin home. The tones perfectly capture the feel of the season. Think art, ceramics, pottery, cosy shag pile rugs and layers of textiles in warm shades of brown. Beautiful! 

Kristina Dam coffee table, sofa from Bolia 

Kahler design candle holder, Hay candles 

Bouquet print by Fine Little day, Kahler Balustre lamp, Aura vase (with flowers) by Schneid Studio

Source similar linen bedding on Etsy here*, Le Klint lamp

Anyone else feeling the lovely, warm Autumn vibe from Sabina's home? 

I included the links to some of the furniture and accessories under the pictures - but I can't resist highlighting a few of my favourites here! Firstly - did you see that Kahler Balustre lamp in dusty rose? I can think of several places I could put that in my own home! And I also love her Aura vase. 

Another thing I'm keen to talk about is the colourful twirly candles. They're starting to pop up everywhere right now, particularly in Danish homes! I've tracked them back to Hay design who are launching spiral, conical and twisted variations. If you love them as much as the Danes (and Sabina!) you can find your nearest dealer here. 

See more pictures of Sabina's cosy home over at @67quadrat.

In case you're looking for more autumnal home inspiration today - check out: 

11 inspiring autumn updates to steal from a hyggeligt danish home

A Swedish home with a hint of Autumn

A charming Swedish home with pops of golden

Wishing you a wonderful, cosy start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Sabina / @67quadrat

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11 Inspiring Autumn Updates To Steal From A Hyggelige Danish Home

When everyone else zigs, zag. That is exactly what Sus of lifestyle blog Sus Living has done in her cosy,  eclectic home in Copenhagen. Sharing the house with husband Daniel and daughters Noelle and Noami, Sus tells me "my style has been influenced by everything and everywhere: outdoor terraces, old houses, people's outfits. I see things I like and try to put it together in a new way in my home." The white, blue or light grey tones we often see in Danish homes have been shunned in favour of cushions, blankets, curtains and candles in rusty red, maroon, burgundy and ochre. The look is cosy, rustic, and bohemian with a wonderful exotic touch. The home is beautiful all year round but comes into its own in the autumn when the leaves turn a fiery red outside. If you're looking for ways to update your home for the new season, here are a few ideas (big and small!). 

1. Dried flowers: fresh flowers may be fading along with the summer sun but hold onto them and they'll become golden displays which will last all winter long!

2.  Fill your home with the fragrances of the season: roll up your sleeves and enjoy an afternoon in the kitchen making scrummy comfort foods such as pumpkin soup and homemade Danish pastry (a little trivia for you - Danes call them 'Vienna pastries', I always think that's so funny, like no one wants to own up to them!)  - not only will they fill your home with a delicious fragrance, you get to stay out of the cold and tuck in! 

3. Curl up in a deep sofa in soft autumn colours: The Mr Big sofa from Bolia is amazingly deep (I know, my friend has one and I often get stuck there for hours - nothing to do with the wine, honest!). Sus has covered her Mr Big in a beautiful golden ochre velvet which is perfect for autumn! Now, I'm not suggesting you go out and buy a new sofa especially for autumn - but you can easily update the one you have with blankets and cushions in burgundy and ochre  - or if you'd like to go a step further and happen to have an IKEA sofa, try Bemz who do a similar cover in velvet which you can slip on over your existing one! 

4. Bring in autumn colours: obviously a wall in rich rust red or muted brown shades is nice to have, but again,  re-painting walls each season might not be very practical, even if these colours are bang on trend right now (and I have to say,  I do love my 'blushing peach' bedroom wall - it works well all year round!). But how about adding a load of accessories? "Darker shades can be included by using cushions, blankets, candles and ceramics," suggests Sus. 

5. Create a cosy nook that feels like you're outdoors: as the temperature drops outside it's natural to start to withdraw indoors (by the time it gets to January in Sweden I have to be pretty much dragged kicking and screaming to the front door!). Why not create a cosy nook in the window like this one in Sus's house where you can relax and soak up the autumn sunshine from the comfort of your home?!

6. Coloured candles: where would a Scandinavian home tour be without candles? And at this time of the year they really come into their own. Candles in rich autumn colours placed in vintage brass candleholders* are perfect for dialling up the hygge! 

7. Turn your bed into a cosy cocoon: With the days slowly getting shorter it's so nice to snuggle up in bed and feel all toasty under the covers, don't you think? Sus has updated her bed with brown linen bedding (source similar here*) and a canopy for a super cosy sleep! 

8. Create a 'bed den' for your kids! I love Sus's idea of stretching a canopy (this one is similar) over twin beds so little ones can natter away into the night feeling all snug! 

9. Get your bathroom autumn ready! It might be the British in me, but I do love a bath when it's cold outside, how about you? This wooden bath is the stuff of dreams! But I also like that Sus has stocked up on some lovely accessories to be able to fully indulge the season! 

10. Get gowned up! Linen dressing gowns are all well and good but when it gets a little colder, how nice is it to slip into a fluffy robe and even fluffier slippers? And when they're not in use they'll ramp up the hygge feel in your bathroom too! After sunset, I love placing a candle by the sink too! 

Speaking of which, how fab is that zinc bucket sink?

11. Update your backyard / balcony: The plants and flowers might be slowly fading but the leaves will reward us with a final display of fiery reds, orange and yellows. Don your favourite chunky knit sweater and head out into the autumn sunlight. Simple cushions in this season's tones and string lights will give your balcony / backyard a lovely, warm glow that will last until spring!

I hope Sus's wonderful house has given you a few ideas for your own home!

You can see more pics over on her fab instagram and lifestyle blog Sus Living.  

It would be rude not to share a few other autumn links for the weekend too, don't you think?

Layering up my bedroom for a super cosy Autumn

A Swedish home with a hint of Autumn

A dreamy home from home in Australia with lovely autumn touches

How do you like to update your home for Autumn? If you've got any simple tips, I'd love to hear about them in the comments below. 

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

Niki

Photography: Sus Living shared with kind permission

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My Autumn Sitting Room Makeover

I love this time of year. The yellow of the leaves, the darkness rolling in at 4pm, the chill in the air (trust me, this feeling only lasts until January!). So, when Bemz, who make design covers and legs for IKEA furniture, asked if I'd like to update my sitting room for the winter and make it extra cosy, I was already flicking through their fabric samples before we'd said hej då! As you know, I'm a big fan of Bemz (you only have to look at my bedroom and reading nook to see!) and it was a perfect opportunity to try something new and amp up the hygge! So, here it is, my new, updated sitting room with warm light wood, natural linen and touches of spice and sage brown. Oh and a candle or two!

I opted for the Bemz cover in Natural Brera Lino linen by Designers Guild for my Söderhamn sofa. Although I also love the Urban Loose Fit I had before - the regular fit gave the room an instant lift and the linen means the look still remains fairly relaxed, which I love.

I chose cushion covers in Spice Linara (this one is no longer available but this Cocoa linen one is very similar) Spice Linara by Romo, Sage Brown and Unbleached Rosendal linen as a nod to the rich colours of the season (I talked about 'brown' being the 'it' linen right now in Wednesday's home tour and the warm tones are so perfect for this time of the year, don't you think?). 

I also swapped the original metal legs which the sofa came with for these pretty pins (namely the Terence legs that were designed in collaboration with Apartment Therapy). Aren't they fabulous?! These are a fairly new addition to the Bemz collection - see the full range here. 

All that's left to do is light a few candles! If you're looking for me this weekend, you'll find me right here!

In case you're curious about any of the items I picked, I've created a little 'get the look below.

Get the look 

Brera Lino Natural linen from Designers Guild, in a regular fit cover for my Söderhamn three-seat sofa and chaise longues
Terence, Chunky Wooden Furniture Leg 18cm/ 7"
Spice Linara by Romo
Sage Brown
Unbleached Rosendal linen

Funnily enough, a friend popped in for a cup of tea yesterday and said "wow, I love your new sofa!" She was so surprised to hear it was the same lady underneath!

Don't own an IKEA piece? Try your local online second hand store, you could always pick one up for a song and give it a designer revamp!

More Bemz inspiration to be found in my bedroom and reading corner. I also still love the previous cover I had on my sofa which you can see here.

Do you have a favourite look?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - vi ses på Måndag!

Niki

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. Thank you for supporting the hand-picked businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Beautiful Wall Inspiration for Autumn!

Ever since I painted my bedroom in Blushing Peach, I've been crazy about the browns, rusts, chestnut, soft green and pinkish accents that are starting to seep into homes right now. And they're absolutely perfect for Autumn! If you're looking for colour palette inspiration for this season (or early 2019), I'm particularly loving the Calm and Raw series by Jotun Lady Pure Colour - so beautiful! Here's a peek (I couldn't resist including the hipster - this season's muse!!):

Calm

Soft neutral shades and warm, subtle contrasts

Raw

Warm earthy colours, shades of grey and burnt reddish tones which work together to create a relaxing yet refined style with a rustic touch. 

I think I need to get the paint brush out!

What do you think? Could you imagine having these tones in your home? Are you in the Calm or Raw camp?! I have a hard time deciding so perhaps a combination of the two would be beautiful!

You can find out more about these colours here and here.

If you'd like to take inspiration from real homes with beautiful Autumnal hues, I can highly recommend checking out: a dreamy home from home down under, the lovely, relaxed home of a DIY blogger in Berlin, and a beautiful Swedish space with Autumn tones.

Bring on the chill!

My sister's arriving today with my little niece (they're 10 months and 2 years!) - so excited! It's Allie's birthday tomorrow and my sister's two year old has been insisting on wearing a party hat all week in preparation for tomorrow! I hope I can get a few snapshots of them for tomorrow's post (I'll be sharing the full make-over of Allie's room). They're unbelievably cute and funny!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS This post is NOT sponsored, I just love the Jotun hues and lifestyle images and thought you might feel inspired by them too!

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