The Golden, Vintage-Inspired Home of Sarah Shabacon

I feel like I totally lucked out on Instagram yesterday. I struck upon the account of Sarah Shabacon. Not only does Sarah totally rock all her outfits, she also has a gorgeous family (including husband Ryan and sons Isaac and Ziggy) and the most beautiful home just outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Her personal style and home is testimony to her heritage - her grandfather was a collector, her grandmother is "the most glamorous woman I know" - and she spent her childhood exploring vintage shops with her Mother. Sarah's shop BOHÈME - selling unique vintage items and ethically made pieces "with stories and lives lived far beyond your walls"  - was a natural evolvement. Welcome to a world filled with warm, golden tones and one-off treasures.

The Raffia Mirror is from Moroccan based online shop LRNC - warning: I just got stuck there for the best part of 30 minutes - they sell the most beautiful things! The cream pom pom cushion is available here*. 

Ikea svalnäs shelves are filled with vintage items and interesting curiosities.  

The kitchen / dining area is made up of almost entirely natural materials including wood, rattan and fluffy sheepskin.

I love how her son is sitting on his heels - no way I could sit like that even for a few seconds!

Print from vintage shop Counter Space (check out their current stock here).

Wooden sideboard from pib

How fab is this headboard? It's an IKEA hack made up of two Mandal headboards which Sarah picked up on Craigs List.

Source a wooden clothes rack here*. The fan is from Bohème.

The pieces hanging in Sarah's wardrobe represent the colour palette used throughout her home: rust, brown, cream and rose.

Ahhh, I so enjoyed this home tour. The warm tones, the one-off pieces, the natural materials, everything! How about you?

Could you imagine have a colour palette like this in your living space?

For more inspiration it's totally worth hopping over to Sarah's IG account.

Oh and look out for a mini tour of Ziggy and Isaac's room later (it was way too pretty just to throw in at the end of this tour!).

For more sepia-inspired inspiration, you might like to check out: Audrey Rivet's beige-tinted apartment (I never tire of her cat, he's amazing!), Chestnut tones in a delightful Swedish family home and a lovely Stockholm home inspired by imperfection.

Vi ses senare! 

Niki

Photography: Sarah Shabacon shared with kind permission

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A Cosy Scandinavian-boho Family Home

Do you ever suffer from an interior style crisis? I love so many different looks that my home feels like a complete mishmash - each room a mirror of the style I love that week. Bah! I know I'm not alone, as one of my oldest friends says her home decorating has come to a complete standstill as she simply can't decide which direction to go! If you're anything like me, you'll see a home like yesterday's serene light coloured Danish home and have a light bulb moment, and then suddenly a cosy boho-style home like this one in Vendelsö, Sweden will crop up and you'll be like "oooooh, but this is pretty!"  The cosy home in question belongs to freelance interior stylist Elin Wallin of Studio Elwa (who I had the pleasure of meeting at an event a few weeks back), her partner Jonas and daughters Indra (9) and Edda (5). Elin describes her style as "a bit bohemian Scandinavian style and I'm kind of a more is more person - I just buy everything I like and this is how it has turned out!" As we move into Autumn, I can't help falling in love with the deep earthy greens, rust and light brown tones and the romantic wallpaper. Time to pour a coffee and get cosy....

The sitting room walls have been painted in Jotun Lady Minerals Varmgrå  which gives a cosy, textured feel.

Also seen: String shelving system   Rattan armchair   icelandic sheepskin*

I've got a total weakness for vintage drinks trolleys (and it helps that Friday night cocktails are on the radar too!) -  this rattan one is so pretty, don't you think? I found a few similar vintage ones here*. The wall has been painted in D2.15.55 from Nordsjö (apparently the shade looks slightly different from the picture which has a filter on it).

Yay - a 'real' kitchen. If you wake up on a Saturday and it looks like this, you know you've has a great night!

Love the use of a carpenter's bench as a breakfast bar, how about you? - Wonderful!

The kitchen cabinets have been painted in Intense le Havre from Nordsjö which looks perfect with the William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper.

Elin and Jonas' bedroom is painted in Anemon 656 from Beckers. The rattan headboard is from Teretta Living.

What a lovely bedroom for a sporty girl- this wall bar is similar. I also spy: a Dusty pink bed canopy, bunting and Minnen junior bed.

How's this for an idea if you have some left over wallpaper but not enough to cover an entire wall?! This one is the Ava from Sandberg & Friends.

The bunny wallpaper is from Photowall with a matching rabbit lamp. The vintage children's bed has been painted in D2.15.55 from Nordsjö. Check out the scalloped ceiling too - so pretty! And that mirrored cabinet - wow!

I must say, I'm feeling massively inspired by all the unique details in this home - how about you?!

Is there anything that stands out to you in particular or that you can imagine doing in your own home?

Check out more beautiful pictures from Elin's home here.

It's definitely got me in the mood for a cosy weekend - and I've got some blogger friends arriving soon in the shape of Trend Stefan, Agata Dimmich of Passion Shake, Elisabetta Rizzato of Italian Bark, Igor Josif (Happy Interior Blog) and Mette of Monster Circus - it's going to be a fun weekend in Malmö!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend ahead too!

Vi ses på Måndag!

Niki

PS Back to the 'interior style' crisis. One of the beauties of interior design is that you can do whatever you like - and tapping into the various styles you love will make it 'yours' - this is what I try to tell myself. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this too!

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The Cosy Stockholm Home of a Macramé Artist

Anyone else feeling like they want to head back to bed today? Or perhaps wrap yourself in cotton wool and curl up on the sofa?! Fanny Zedenius might have the answer. Except we're not talking cotton wool, but rope - and yards, and yards of it! Fanny is a Swedish macramé artist based in Stockholm.  Despite exploring many different crafts, she found her passion in rope and knots in 2014 and started selling handmade macramé art to homes all around the world through her online shop Createaholic soon after.  Last year, Fanny publisher her first book Macramé - the craft of creative knotting for your home.  There's not an inch of Fanny's home without a macramé weave in some shape or form - from poufs and weaved curtains to wall decor and plant hangers. But most strikingly of all, is a studio, where she keeps all her yarn - now that's where I could spend my Monday!

How incredible is the wall hanging above the sofa? Fanny takes custom orders for pieces like this in her shop - I'm pretty tempted!

Fanny's other big love is plants - which can be found in every corner, on every ledge and hanging in every window of her Stockholm apartment!

For those of you sitting in a corporate open-plan office right now and weeping, I hope you'll feel inspired to hear that Fanny's business was born out of a hobby back in 2014. Today she runs a shop and holds creative workshops to spread the 'macramé love'! It just goes to show what you can achieve with a little passion, dedication and determination! Your dream job is waiting for you friends!

Other bohemian style homes to feel inspired by: a relaxed boho home on the edge of a desert,  7 boho ideas for outdoor spaces (big and small), and the wonderful Topanga Canyon home of Malia Grace Mau.

Have a cosy start to the week!

Niki

Photography: Fanny Zedenius shared with kind permission

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A Relaxed, Boho Family Home on the Edge of A Desert

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? We were at a couple of parties in a row and I'm such a light weight these days, I've got a feeling it won't be before Wednesday before I've totally recovered! Mind you it could be the nights in the VW Camper van catching up with us too - it was well worth it though - now I'm totally feeling the retro vibe! Perhaps that's why I was drawn to the wonderful boho home of Matt and Tish, their twin girls, little boy and dog Lemon in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The town is located on the northern tip of the Chihuahuan desert - and it's the 'brown on brown beauty' of the landscape that inspires their beautiful brick and mortar shop, photography and private home, the latter of which is packed with vintage finds, rich textures and a load of 'plant babies'! 

Isn't it great to see a TV in a home tour?! I like the way it's been wall mounted over a lovely vintage chest of drawers that Tish picked up in a local second hand shop. 

Beni ourain rug, vintage rattan stool

In the blog survey earlier on in the year I asked what you wanted to see more of and many responded 'real homes'. Seeing this space it's easy to see why.  Tish's instagram feed No Longer Wander is awash with little peeks into their everyday life at home - and the one above is a great example of this!

IKEA PS bench (I'm not sure is this is still available, if not it's worth checking Ebay for second hand ones), seagrass belly basket, Alseda pouff

Project 62 globe floor light, cushion from Anthropologie (sadly no longer available but perhaps they'll get something similar in this autumn), bed from West Elm

Though she be but little, she is fierce - and I put it down to the striking black grouting and plants!

I love the laid back style of Tish and Matt's home, it feels so personal and lived in - just as a family home should be! 

And how gorgeous is Lemon? She looks so content on that bed! 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

You can check out more pics and get more inspiration from Tish's 'No Longer Wander' blog (which covers health, interiors, fashion and beauty) and instagram feed - and if you're in Albuquerque I'm reckoning it's totally worth nipping into her shop! 

More boho homes today: a family home where Nordic meets boho, a cosy modern bohemian home and a bohemian-style abode in Berlin. 

We're heading back to Sweden this evening - we've had an amazing time but it is going to be so nice to be home (I miss my bed!) - does it sound strange to say I'm kind of looking forward to a little routine and eating and drinking in a marginally healthy way again (at least until the weekend)?! 

I hope you have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: No Longer Wander with kind permission. 

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Theo's Charming, Bohemian-style Abode in Berlin

We've had quite a few pared-back homes on the blog this week so it's definitely time to shake things up a little, don't you think? Plus it's Friday - woohoo! So, today I'm bringing you the charming, boho home of Theo Melnik. Theo lives in Berlin with her boyfriend, herd of cats, countless plants and some very fine second-hand finds. Here's Theo to tell you a little more about her delightful abode in her own words...

Where is your apartment? 
It's in Berlin, in Neukölln actually :)

What do you do work-wise?
I am a copywriter / content creator. Essentially, I really love writing and taking pictures, and basically that is what I do for a hobby and also for my job #bestlife

You do indeed! Can you describe the layout of your apartment a little?
We have one bedroom, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, balcony, and a pantry.

What's your decorating philosophy?
I always look at materials. I like 'real' materials like wood, brass, marble and things like that. However, that doesn't mean it always needs to be expensive. For example, we've just built a kitchen surface using OSB and I totally love it. I just don't like it when materials pretend to be something they're not (like plastic veneers for example). Other than that I love mixing old and new (with probably more old stuff). I also love design classics, but ideally used ones, from their original time period. "

How do you select pieces for your home?
Honestly, sometimes I think items pick me. I often just spend hours on ebay searching for materials (or particular finishings) I like at the moment and then see what comes my way. I've found many of my favourite pieces that way.

Do you have a favourite room? 
That's a hard one. I love them all. I guess whichever is the tidiest at any given moment? Right now I probably like the kitchen best but I am planning a semi-major bedroom update soon (which my boyfriend doesn't know about yet....) which I hope to share soon. So my favourite room might change in the near future ;) 

And do you have a favourite piece?
Oh wow, that's even harder! It's probably very silly but I absolutely love my cutlery - I got two vintage brass sets and adore both (though one of them is still my absolute favourite). We also just got a dishwasher and it's a game changer. Oh and the mirror in the bedroom and the kitchen table (which I bought respectively for 1€ and 1,50€ on ebay, which is incredible).

Ha! That's four pieces - but we'll forgive you, as your home is full of beautiful treasures so we'd find it hard to pick one too!

Thank you so much for the tour and telling us a little more about your home!

Theo shares daily snapshots of her home over on instagram.

And if you're looking for more beautiful, relaxed boho home tours this sunny weekend why not take a peek at a relaxed boho family home in Florida, the wonderfully relaxed, bohemian home of Carley Summers and the boho home of Paloma Lanna.

Have a fabulous weekend all!

PS 5 ways to add the Swedish love of balance into your life.


Photography: Theodore Melnik shared with kind permission. 

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