A Small(ish) Relaxed Boho Swedish Home Full of Soul

'Lived in', 'homely', 'real' - these are just some of the words used to describe the homes I am getting  requests for via e-mail. Well friends, I've got good news - this one fits the bill perfectly! Located in Gamla Enskede in Greater Stockholm,  this cosy Swedish home measures a rather small 58 m2  / 624 sq ft, but rather than whittling away possessions, the owners have made really clever use of space to ensure everything has a place! 

Laid out over two floors which are connected by a magnificent Packhus spiral staircase, every spare inch of the maisonette has been put to use. Keep an eye out for bespoke custom-built furniture and open and closed storage - which provides a home for books, LPs, clothing and as well as other items, while a fine art collection fills every inch of wall. I also love the use of colour - including muted, earthy tones and a dramatic black floor ensuring a relaxed, warm and inviting home that's full of soul. 

Ready to take a look? 

Jøtul fireplace, source a similar vintage scissor lamp here*. 

This corner reminds me a lot of the artists home in Oslo, Norway from my book The Scandinavian Home. So many lovely works of art! 

Jugendros wallpaper, Lim & Handtryck

The staircase doubles up as a library - which is ideal as it makes the most of a large wall space while keeping all the books in reach. 

A home workspace has been carved out in a small spot on the landing. 

Chrysanthemum Toile wallpaper by William Morris

A recess under the sloped ceiling serves as a bedside table, while bespoke storage on the opposite side of the room creates space for clothes. 

Note that while 58 m2 sounds small, in Sweden they do not count any floor space that has a ceiling height of less than 190 cm / 6ft2 or any areas that can't be accessed from inside. It's a little more complicated than this, but this is the basic gist! 

Why shouldn't you be able to have a bath in a small bathroom? I love that there's a little place to soak with a glass of wine under candlelight, at the end of a long day!

Such a cosy space! I'm sure there will be some of you who'll think this lovely space is spot on. And others who prefer a more minimalist aesthetic. Either way, I'm sure we can all agree it has a wonderful lived-in vibe! 

Would you like to see a few more relaxed homes today? Put your feet up and have a scroll through these beauties: 

A vintage inspired Swedish home full of soul

A charming Copenhagen home full of vintage finds

Your very own garden retreat on a budget

Har det så bra! 

Niki

Photography: Boukari

Styling: Copparstad

For: Historiska Hem

Found via Nordroom with thanks

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A Danish Artist's Home in Copenhagen - With Lots of Angles and Oodles of Charm!

It takes a lot of imagination, vision and patience to take on an apartment with quirky angles. But fortune favours the bold, and Danish pair Mikala and Mark Brunsvig (an artist) were willing to take on the challenge! Located in the hip Copenhagen neighbourhood of Nørrebro the apartment is located on the fourth floor of a block dating back to the 1800s. Mikala and Mark were keen to create a personal, cosy and relaxed home which is also highly practical. Measuring 76 sqm (818 fsq), the creative couple have ensured no space has gone to waste - creating a series of zones and using every nook and cranny for storage. The result is a warm and inviting home filled with books, art, vintage finds and splashes of colour. 

It's not often I start with a floor plan, but today, I thought it might be helpful to understand the layout and angles before you take the tour. 

Quick Danish glossary; køkken - kitchen, stue - living room, værelse - room, altan - balcony. 

Now that you've had time to study the lay out , it's time to enjoy the tour! 

There are just SO many ideas to steal from this lovely apartment. I've been through it several times and always spot something new! 

Above all else, I love the feeling you get from the pictures - the home oozes charm and a wonderful sense of ease.

Is there anything that stood out to you? Perhaps something that has given you an idea for your own home? 

See more pictures of Mikala and Mark's home here and Mark's art here. 

I've got an exciting long weekend ahead with a trip to Kullaberg, Helsingør and Helsingborg on the itinerary (do follow along on my Instagram stories if you'd like to see one of my favourite corners of south Sweden and Denmark!). But before I shoot off, here are a few other homes of Scandinavian artists: 

The cosy vintage-inspired home of a Swedish artist 

A danish artist's beautiful and inspiring Copenhagen home

The relaxed home of a Norwegian artist 

Beautiful! 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Photography: Mikala Brunsvig

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Peek Inside Curate - A Beautiful New Coffee Table Book

In the past I've shared many boutique hotels styled by Lynda Gardener - including The White Room, The Apartment St Kilda and The Estate Trentham - and it's safe to say, I'm a huge fan of the Australian interior designer's work. As soon as I caught wind of a book, I knew it was going to be a good one! The beautiful new tome Curate is the result of a lockdown collaborative project between Lynda and photographer extraordinaire Marnie Hawson in Australia as well as talented stylist and writer Ali Heath in the UK. Read on to find out more and take a peek inside! 

Ali and Lynda share a mutual love of monochrome interiors and take great joy from natural imperfections and treasured finds - concepts that pour from every page. 

The opening chapter starts you off on an inspiring journey to curate a meaningful home, covering eight core elements: palette, nature, textiles, lighting, the blend of old and new, storage, collections and art.

You're then gently led through through a series of drool-worthy interiors which include a converted warehouse, bijoux apartment, historic cottage, country estate, a new-build barn, period townhouse and rural retreat. 

Each interior is peppered with breakout ideas, encouraging you to ignore trends and start to curate a timeless home full of pieces you love. 

All in all, a wonderful Autumn read, and a great pressie for friends who share a passion for timeless interiors! 

Curate is available online and local book stores (even if your local book store doesn't stock it, they're usually happy to order a copy - the same goes for local libraries!). 

Congratulations to Lynda, Ali and Marnie on a beautiful book. 

If anyone's looking for me today, I'll be on the sofa, leafing through the pages!

Niki

 

Credits; 

Pictures 2, 3, 4, 5:

Concept, text, creative direction, image layout: Ali Heath

Styling and creative direction: Lynda Gardener

Photography: Marnie Hawson

First published by Octopus Books, June 2021

Pictures 1 & 6:

My Scandinavian Home

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On-Trend Ceilings, Art and Books Galore In A Delightful Danish Home

The biggest micro trend in Denmark right now: accented ceilings. And I have to say, I absolutely love the idea. One caveat though, I've yet to see a statement ceiling painted in a trendy hue that's not 3.5 metres high with intricate cornicing - needless to say, I won't be painting mine just yet. But can we all take a moment this sunny Wednesday, to appreciate the blue ceiling in the Danish home of interior stylist Helene Katrine? In her Aalborg sitting room, Helene has painted the area overhead in a Dusky Blue hue which works beautifully with the Space shade on the walls, giving the entire look a modern twist. In true Danish style, Helene has also created some fab gallery walls, killer wall-to-wall bookshelves and dotted the space with some of my favourite iconic design pieces. Ready for the tour? You're in for a treat! 

Another on-trend item: the deep pile rug! This one is from Jotex. The sofa is by Hay, and beside it is an Akari lamp by Isamu Noguchi. 

A Bertoia diamond chair* sits beside bookshelves filled with books, porcelain and glassware. Hang on a minute. I also spot my very own The Scandinavian Home book - I have to say, I feel honoured beyond belief! 

The shelves behind the dining table are from IKEA (I think, but I'll double check with Helene in case I'm wrong!). Thonet Era chairs* have been arranged around the table and a Flos lamp* hangs overhead. 

Can we just take a moment to admire that coat?! It's like a work of art! It's from Stand Studio - the brainchild of Nellie Kamras whose designs are inspired by feminine effortless chic, with an iconic Scandinavian simplicity. I couldn't find the coat on the website, but I did see an entire collection of other fabulous ones!

The Pond mirror is by Ferm Living and the Tribeca Chambers light* is from Menu. 

What a beautiful home. I love how Helene has created a style that embodies calm and elegance with a modern twist. 

Are there any elements that stood out to you? I love asking this question as often someone points out something I haven't spotted (or written about). 

You can see more of Helene's Aalborg home over on her inspiring Instagram feed @helenehoue.

I guess you know what's coming, right? Yep, a few other beautiful Danish homes to drool over today. I'm plumping for these delights, come and join me! 

Welcome inside the home of a Daish interior consultant

A Danish summer cottage on North Zealand

A Dreamy Copenhagen home full of books

Happy Lillördag!

Niki

Photography: Helene / @helenehoue

*Affiliate links

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Book Update News: Meet Relaxed Rustic

I've got some exciting news to share with you today! My first book Modern Pastoral has had a make-over! My publisher in London (CICO Books) decided to give it a new name - changing it to 'Relaxed Rustic' and they've also changed the cover to this shot from a stunning Skånegård near our cottage (the full tour is in the book) - the content inside remains the same. 

I wrote this book in 2014 and it was released in 2015 (remember the sneak peek? I was crazily excited!). Having opened it for the first time in ages this morning, I was happy to find that the nature-inspired interiors are still just as relevant today - they have a beautiful, timeless appeal. 

If you didn't pick up a copy of Modern Pastoral - perhaps you might like to treat yourself to a copy of Relaxed Rustic this summer? It's available on all the usual sites such as Amazon, but you can also go closer to home and ask your local book shop or library to order a copy. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it / styling the pictures! 

Niki

PS My publisher is giving away a copy of Relaxed Rustic along with a selection of other interior books on instagram this weekend - keep an eye on @myscandinavianhome to enter! 

PPS I'm looking forward to sharing one of my favourite home tours from the book on Monday! 

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Plant Tribe: An Inspiring New Coffee Table Book

It's Friday! Woohoo! Not that I have any wild plans ahead - but it will still be nice to put my feet up this weekend, how about you?! One thing I'll definitely be doing is reading my friend Igor Josifovic's new book - PLANT TRIBE. Launched a few weeks ago, Igor co-wrote the book with Judith de Graaff. It's their second book after the best-selling debut Urban Jungle and the pair also run the popular community Urban Jungle Bloggers). If you love plants, you'll love PLANT TRIBE. Igor and Judith delve into the many ways that nurturing plants help nurture the soul and offer inspiring advice for using plants to increase energy, creativity and well-being - and even attract love and prosperity. Say, what?! I'd better pay close attention! The book is also beautifully illustrated with photography by Jules Villbrandt. Here's a sneak peek at Tim Labenda's Berlin home which features in the book - and a few words from Igor! 

What was the idea behind PLANT TRIBE?

We wanted to write a book that changes our perspective on plants from merely decorating our homes and caring for them. We wanted to highlight how plants actually take care of us - making us happier, more creative, more balanced and more at peace with ourselves. All by making our homes more natural and beautiful. 

It takes a huge amount of work to create a book, but the process can be really rewarding. Is there anything that stood out to you?

We travelled throughout the USA, Brazil and Europe to make this book and we visited some amazing creative people in their plant-filled homes. We wanted to hear their personal stories, their bonds to plants, and why plants improved their lives on so many levels. 

We heard stories that made us laugh out loud and moved us to tears. These personal plant stories make the heart and soul of PLANT TRIBE. We hope this will inspire people to look at houseplants in a new and different way. 

Holding your book in your hands for the first time is such a special moment.  What are you most proud of? 

For the book, we worked with our friend and photographer Jules Villbrandt from Berlin. She managed to capture the magic moments, the personal bonds and emotions through her photography. To me, this book is a compound of good energy and positive vibes - just what we need right now more than ever before. 

Igor Josifovic

If you'd like to treat yourself to a copy of PLANT TRIBE, it's available through Amazon, Book Depositary as well as many other online retailers. You can also ask your local bookstore to order a copy or send a request to your library to stock it! 

Having seen a peek inside Tom's Berlin home in the book, I have a really strong urge to fill my home with plants now - how about you?! In case you'd like a little more inspirationt: 

Igor's happy plant-filled home

At Home with the Arctic Gardener

A guide to indoor climbers

Oh, and how did I not talk about that sculptural light in the first picture? - It's incredible, don't you think?! 

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend friends - see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography credits: Jules Villbrandt for Urban Jungle Bloggers except for the final two which were by Igor Josifovic. 

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