A Lovely, Hyggligt Home In Jutland, Denmark

Newlyweds Katrine and Jacob Laoru know how to create a hyggligt home that's full of charm. The creative pair (Katrine is an interior decorator and visual merchandiser and Jacob is studying Psychology at Aarhus University while making beautiful clay masks in his spare time), live in Mårslet, a village in Eastern Jutland, Denmark with their 12-year-old cairn terrier Nemo. Their cosy home is furnished with a beautiful collection of vintage finds, Danish classics and plenty of art against a soft, muted backdrop. Hints of warm brown and terracotta add just the right amount of warmth, while natural materials give the space a wonderful lived-in vibe. Enjoy!

Grand Prix chair*

Panthella lamp* (found secondhand), LÖNHOLT rug from IKEA.

"We found the Wegner armchair secondhand. It's the comfiest thing ever! The seat is so wide, my dog and I can easily sit there together."

Kizu lamp

TIP! Creating a naturally aesthetically pleasing interior is about balance - in the corner of the living room, the terracotta linen curtains pick out similar shades in the oil painting for a perfectly balanced look. I have found that pairing items in terms of colour helps a space to come together and creates a sense of harmony (it's a tool I also used in this styling work in my own home a few weeks back).

Grönadal rocking chair, source a similar sheepskin here* 

Clay masks by Jacob Laoru, Flos 265 light* 

What a lovely home! It all feels so natural!

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

I've been thinking about making a trip to Eastern Jutland for a while (I've been to Skagen but keen to visit other parts too!). In case you feel the same, I asked Katrine for a few tips:

Katrine's East Jutland must-sees /dos: 

1. Visit Moesgaard Museum - the architect is amazing!

2. Go for a hike in Mols Bjerge National Park in summer time

3. Take a walk at Kalø Slotsruin

4. Enjoy the best ice cream ever at Social Foodies in M P Bruuns Gade, Aarhus

You can see more of Katrine and Jacob's lovely home here. 

I've shown a fair few homes from the Danish mainland in the past. Some of my absolute favourites include a rural retreat in Jutland, hygge and pops of colour in a Danish family home and a relaxed mid-century inspired Danish home. Guh! Did I tell you just how much I love Danish style?! 

Have a hyggligt day! 

Niki

Photography: Katrine Laoru shared with kind permission

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Rustic Meets Refined In An Inspiring Californian Ranch

Boy oh boy, have I got a beautiful home tour to share with you today. I couldn't resist throwing in a couple of 'before' shots too - just so that we can all fully appreciate the amount of work that has gone into it! Located just 40 minutes north of Los Angeles, this 1959 post and beam Californian ranch house reflects owner Jennifer Maxcy's appreciation for timeless yet unique style. The rustic yet refined open-plan living space combines reclaimed, well-crafted and vintage pieces with new selections and clean contemporary lines for a relaxed yet lovely, fresh feel. Little wonder that the ranch serves as a family home (could you imagine?!) but also as a gallery space for Jennifer's marketplace collection of thoughtfully curated goods and a film and photo shoot location. Ready to take a peek?! 

Do you want to see a sneak peek of how the kitchen looked before the renovation?! It's kind of crazy, and so inspiring to see how a space can be transformed. Here goes...

Quite the transformation!

I can't resist sharing one more 'before' with you. We all know how difficult it is to find beautiful pieces like the table seen in the centre of the room (you can see the other side of it with drawers further up the blog. I've been looking for something similar for years and when I do come across something similar they're often eye-wateringly expensive! But Jennifer had the vision to upcycle the piece below and transform it into what she describes today as 'the workhorse' off the house.

They took off the backboard and then added it as overhang for proper seating. The top has four side boards which were sanded back to the natural wood and sealed with a matte polyurethane. 

The house is also leased for film and photoshoots (kind of makes sense - it's a perfect set-up and full of natural light). The picture above is an example of client styling in the ranch.

Contemporary touches like the Eames dowel-leg chairs* and Gubi semi-pendant have been combined with a vintage table and rustic bowls - a signature combination seen throughout the living space! The window nook looks so cosy - don't you think?! 

In a ranch where items are constantly moved around, you're bound to see different set-ups. In the above picture, the Eames chairs have been replaced by an antique / vintage stool and knitted pouf. 

I wish I knew the artist behind this painting. I've put the question to Jennifer (who's on L.A time and no doubt still asleep !) - I'll hopefully be able to pop back and update the post once I know more! 

In the bathroom a cabinet made by a carpenter from old scraps and a backsplash fashioned out of reclaimed planks adds a distinct rustic touch! There's a load of beautiful woven wall baskets like the one seen above available here*.  Just saying! 

Oj oj oj (as they say in Sweden!) - just how inspiring is this home? I love the vintage and handmade touches.

Is there anything that caught your eye?

See more pictures and find out more about Jennifer's interior design services, shop and the lease of her home for a film or photo shoot over at The Ranch Uncommon - and feel inspired by more snapshots of the interior on instagram.

It's raining so hard in southern sweden today, mind if we stay in sunny California for more inspiration?! I'm dreaming of rocking about in this serene home in Napa valley, kicking-back in this Spanish style house and hanging out on the terrace of this eclectic home.  Fancy joining me?!

There's also a load of homes with rustic touches in this archive!

Vi ses imorgon! 

Niki

PS It's the man's birthday today and I've made a cardinal error - I've got three hours to panic buy him a present. Eeeeek! Wish me luck!

Photography: Jennifer Maxcy / The Ranch Uncommon shared with kind permission.

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Duvet Day In This Cosy 'Forever Autumn' Bedroom?

The walls in my bedroom were white for years (take a peek here) and it always felt so fresh and light. But it's only when I painted the back wall in a 'blushing peach' hue that I realised the power of colour - and how much more cosy a room feels with slightly darker, warm tones (I'm sure you've seen it, but just in case, there's a tour of it here). It's funny how that can happen don't you think? Yesterday I came across a tour of this beautiful bedroom belonging to Jeska Herne of Lobster & Swan and it reminds me so much of the colour in my bedroom - except she's gone all out. All four walls and the radiator have been painted in Warm Mud Brown by Cassandra Ellis. The result is a bedroom with a calm yet inviting 'forever autumn' feel and a warm, relaxed vibe.

Oh my word - while searching this picture for details to write about I spotted my very own book 'The Scandinavian Home' - what an honour! Thank you Jeska!

The pair are a big fan of antiques and many of the pieces have been collected on their travels to places like India. They also like to shop for fair-trade antiques at Ian Snow.

When it comes to DIY, Jeska and Dean are on a whole other level (their garden retreat which they created on a shoe-string budget is a fine example of this!). Dean made the bedside shelves in this room and Jeska pieced the lights together with various items collected over time. You can find similar pretty vintage lights like this on Etsy* (I particularly love this hand cut glass lamp*  and art deco vintage lamp* but you'd need to be super quick, there's only one of each!).

Sheer lace curtains (source similar here*) slip in a soft pool of filtered light giving a calm feel to the space and glass cabinets provide a place to store magazines and bed linen while keeping them dust free. 

Layers of linen complete the relaxed feel of the space (I love the look of this linen bedding*!). The picture above the bed is vintage. 

It seems like Jeska and Dean's cat Marlo looks totally at home in their new bedroom - and who can blame him?

Is it me or have feline friends been stealing the show in home tours lately? Just look at yesterday's home and Audrey Rivet's lovely apartment!

Are you a cat person? I grew up with rescue cats and my husband and I used to have a cat called Fredrik-Bo. He was a real character - he used to go to the local cafe and eat muffins. He was really charming when he wanted to be (namely when he wanted a muffin!) but was also massively vicious, to the extent that we had to run passed him when he wasn't looking for fear of being attacked!! Needless to say, my husband has vetoed ever getting a cat again. Bah! I miss them purring away while curled up on my lap and climbing over my keyboard as I type!

Back to this bedroom though - could you imagine spending a duvet day here? There's something so calm about it and it makes me feel really nostalgic - it reminds me a little of my grandmother's home on the South Coast of England, which was really lovely!

Oh and if you love the look of the Cassandra Ellis paint - Jeska's holding a very exciting give-away to win 10 litres of it on her blog here! Hurrah!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS Only three days to go before the launch of my online interior design service - scary Mary! There's only a couple of spaces left for the big discount - thank you so much to everyone who has signed up so far! If you'd like to be one of the first twenty to get help re-designing a room in your home from the My Scandinavian Home Studio team just send me a mail and I'll add you to the list and notify you as soon as it launches!

Photography: Dean Hearne for Lobster & Swan
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A Creative, Warm and Inviting Family Home In Natural Tones

When I search for beautiful spaces to share I often end up down a rabbit hole leading to a warren of new places  - and yesterday (during my hunt for ten beautiful hallways) - I stumbled across Yasmine's wonderful home. I discovered that when Yasmine isn't working as a freelance community manager for Instagram, she's sharing her passion for decor, fashion, and travel as well as special moments in life on her blog Bonjour la Smala.  Her house in Toulouse, France is a fine example of her unique creative streak and love of the arts. The family home is full of books, toys and art and earthy brown and caramel tones can be seen throughout - making it a truly warm and inviting space, and somewhere the entire family, including children Aymar and Jules, can relax and let their imaginations roam free.

Cane furniture is set to be a big trend in 2019. I've loved it ever since I was a child - my Grandmother lived in India in her thirties and brought back a lot of the cane furniture with when she returned to the UK. I have never seen an incredible unit like this one by Celine Herve though, have you? I love how  the guy in the picture looks like he's spinning some tunes!

"A house without books, is like a room without windows." So said Horace Mann, and when you see this space you can really see how much soul they add to a room. 

The open-plan floor nature of the space means the whole family can hang out and yet still be doing their own things - whether playing some records, reading or speeding around on a trike!  

Green armchair from Honoré Decor

The addition of a little children's chair is perfect for helping the coffee table to double up as a desk!

Yasmine's bedroom is usually relaxed with open storage for items she wears regularly (I love her style- she regularly posts picture of her clothes on IG - I'll be following closely from now on!).

Ikornnes mirror, dusty pink duvet cover*, mustard gold pillowcases*, larger artwork by Femke Colaris, smaller art to the right: Sisters Illustration by Depreapa (love this one!!). 

 How pretty is the baby deer reversible quilt in this little bedroom? It adds so much to the space. I went for a snoop and found the online shop does a whole load of pretty thing prints!

Be still my beating heart! Isn't this such a charming, warm and inviting home?! It really feels like it's been created from the heart.

You can see more pics of Yasmine's home, fashion and travel - as well as special moments in her life over on instagram @bonjourlasmala (such an inspiring account!) and blog Bonjour la Smala.

I really didn't intend for this to be a French phase on the blog (this is the third space in seven days!), but when the places are this beautiful who can blame me?!

By the way, I'm always open to requests, so if there is anything you'd love to see or want to know more about let me know and I'll do my best to create a post around it!

In the meantime, I'll love you and leave you with this archive full of bohemian homes (if this home crops up first, just scroll on past!). Enjoy!

Happy hump day! (Yup, still not used to that phrase... just doesn't ring right when you're from England! Anyone else feel the same?!).

Niki

// Photography: Yasmine / Bonjour La Smala shared with kind permission

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My Dream Home: Serena and Mason's Topanga Canyon Cabin

New year, new start - and I'm wondering if Serena Mitnik-Miller, Mason St Peter and their adorable children would be up for a life swap? I've always fancied Topanga Canyon and I'm sure they'd be very happy in Malmö. I'd promise to take great care of their beautiful, relaxed, light-filled home - without changing a single thing! I might even muck in at their shop: General Store (selling items by local Californian artisans, many of which can be seen throughout their home) - although I'd need to leave my wallet at home, otherwise it's be a little dangerous. Feeling curious? Here's a snapshot...

 

I'm actually a little lost for words. Isn't it beautiful?

See you in Topanga Canyon?!

Just a little side note - I love the open wooden book shelf used to carve out a separate zone for the dining space - a clever idea for a large open space.

Back to planet earth... do you have any plans for the week?

I've just arrived at IMM Cologne, Germany for a couple of days - it's my first visit and I'm so excited! If you live nearby, it's definitely worth popping along on the public days 18th - 20th January to discover the latest interior news. Hopefully see you here!

Have a great start to the week friends!

Niki

This home is a photographer's dream and often captured for publications around the world. The photos in this post have been taken by:

Serena Mitnick-Miller, Mason St Peter, Nicki Sebastian and Jason Rothenberg.

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