A Warm, Earthy, Vintage-inspired Swedish Home

Forgive me for my slight obsession with Swede Elin Jensdotter right now. Not only do I love her former home (which I featured a few weeks back) and vintage shop (Bodil vintage) - I've also fallen for her new home on the island of Ekerö, West Stockholm. Elin and her husband recently swapped their apartment in the city for this beautiful 17th century house, a rental in a detached wing of a castle. I especially love that it's steeped in history. The ground floor used to serve as a library which housed the love letters between Marie Antoinette and Axel Von Fersen before they were moved to the national archive. And the upstairs served as an art studio. Today, the lovely, warm, earthy house is filled with vintage finds, arranged around a vast fireplace. When the sun comes out, life moves outside to enjoy the rays surrounded by parkland. Welcome to Elin's vintage-inspired world! 

The former art studio still serves as a creative space for Elin and her husband. 

The shelves were built by Elin's husband and were inspired by the beautiful ones in the Topanga Canyon home of Serena Mitnik-Miller. There's a matching set on the other side of the room. I love how shelves like these provide plenty of storage and yet still allow the light to flow through. They also work perfectly in an awkward space. 

The cosy feel in the home is all thanks to the layers of natural textures - such as wood, leather, jute and rattan. Vintage pieces often have a lovely patina too - which adds to the warm vibe. 

 

I feel so charmed by this. I thought the home was beautiful just by looking at the pictures, and then I read that it was in the detached wing of a castle and I was utterly sold! I'm even wondering if my family and I should exchange our home for a rental somewhere special! Are you tempted too? 

Looking for vintage pieces for your home after seeing this? Check out Elin's store Bodil Vintage. If you can't find what you're looking for, I also find Etsy* a great worldwide source!

Oh, and you can also follow Elin's home updates and see her latest vintage finds over at @longingforlennon.

Other earthy, vintage inspired homes: 

A relaxed bohemian family home in South Korea

Books, art and earthy tones in a Copenhagen home

A relaxed Tucson home with sun-kissed, earthy tones

Wishing you a wonderful mid-week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Elin Jensdotter / @longingforlennon

*affiliated links

READ MORE...

3

A Photographer's Inviting Home On The Danish island of Bornholm

Many years ago, Per and I sailed to the beautiful Danish island of Bornholm, in the Baltic Sea. We explored the picturesque villages, vast open spaces and rugged coastline by bike, stopping every now and again to pop into a gallery or atelier and buy vegetables and fruit from an honesty stall. The one thing we didn't get to do was peek behind one of the pretty facades. That is, until today - as I have just discovered the portfolio of Danish photographer and visual content creator Sofie Hammer. Originally from Copenhagen, Sofie and her family reside on Bornholm - enjoying "the everyday gift of nature, the sea and tranquillity". The granddaughter of a sculptor and daughter of a musician, Sofie's creativity shines through in her photography, styling and the way she has decorated her home. Think earthy tones, an eclectic blend of furniture and art by local craftspeople. Welcome to Sofie's hyggeligt world! 

Vase by local ceramicist Mette Duedahl. Pick up a vintage map of Bornholm here*. 

The window seat mattress was custom made by Mother and daughter company ABA Design & Living

Stacked chairs from TAKT, vase by Mette Duedahl

Bedding from Tiny Tiny, wall hanging from Hagelens and art by Katerina*

Pieces from The Simple Folk Co, MarMar Copenhagen, Grech & Co and Monsieur Mini

How lovely! 

I'm particularly drawn to the way Sofie has sourced furniture and accessories from small businesses - some of which are handmade - it makes her home feel so personal. The brown tones also add a warm and inviting touch!

Is there anything that caught your eye?

Find out more about Sofie's photography over on her home page and see more beautiful snapshots of her home on @by_sofiehammer. 

I'm so looking forward to revisiting this wonderful island again one day. In the meantime, I'll be dreaming about it every time I turn on my mouth blown glass pendant lights which were made on the island! I hope you will also get the opportunity one day too, it's a must if you visit Scandinavia! 

Other homes you might like to take a look at today include a beautiful Danish ceramicist's home by the sea, a charming danish summer cottage on the island of Fejø and a family home in the danish fishing village of Dragør. Ooooh so inspiring! 

Ha en dejlig dag! 

Niki

Photography: Sofie Hammer - shared with kind permission

*affiliate link

READ MORE...

0

Step Inside Anita's Earthy Family home In Switzerland (Wait Till You See The View!)

Men, tjena! How was your weekend? I hope you had a great one. Ours was a little uneventful but I did manage to squeeze in a trip to the cinema to see 1917 - what an incredible film! So moving! Well worth seeing. Anyhooo, I know you're here to get a little interior inspiration and I promise we're all in for a major treat today. This serene home in Gelterkinden, a town in the countryside near Basel, Switzerland belongs to Anita, her husband, three children, two cats and 7 tortoises (I was desperately looking out for a reptile in the pictures but sadly didn't spot any!). The house was built in 1949 and Anita and her husband have spent three years renovating it ("it's still an ongoing / never ending project!" - don't I know that feeling!). Just like the lovely family concept store Wundernest, which Anita runs with her friend Claudia, the family home is full of earthy, natural and ethically made items giving the entire space an element of calm and a lovely warm feel.

It's quite unusual to see light wood kitchen cabinets - and I absolutely love them, especially when combined with white walls and a concrete floor. 

A gallery behind the sofa is made up of a subtle yet eclectic array of items including shelving, a print and skateboard (from Indiana Skateboards & SUP). 

This set-up reminds me very much of my own vintage mid-century trolley (these pictures of it were taken 8 years ago - I can't tell you how much has changed since then!) - pick up a similar one here*. I love the way Anita has used it to display books, plants and a Marshall speaker*. 

Imagine how nice it would it be to throw open the shutters to this view of the Swiss countryside every morning? Talk about taking that first coffee to another level! 

Monday mornings tend to be a little fraught (don't you think?) but this lovely home makes me feel instantly calm and like I can achieve anything! It's simply beautiful! 

I love the earthy tones. And the view over the Swiss countryside from the bedroom is wonderful! How nice would it be to throw open the shutters to that every morning?

You can see more of Anita's home over on her instagram @wundernest. In two week's time, Wundernest will open its doors in Liestal - if you're in the area,  do stop by!  

Looking back through the archives I found this to be my first ever feature of a Swiss home - hopefully the first of many! But if you're looking for more 'earthy' inspiration I love Danila's Finnish home in a rental, the fabulous Sydney home of an interior stylist and a Gothenburg home full of treasures. 

Have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Anita / @wundernest

*This post contains a few affiliate links marked with an asterisk

READ MORE...

0

Books, Art and Golden Tones in a Beautiful Copenhagen Home

Why, hello there! I'm heading over the bridge to Copenhagen this afternoon and feeling so excited.  It's been a while since I've been, and the Danish capital city is my saving grace when Malmö starts to feel a little small for this former Londoner! In honour of my trip, I thought we could peek behind the facade of one of the beautiful buildings in Frederiksberg - a leafy yet buzzing part of town. This incredible home belongs to Simone Polk Dahl, a Danish interior stylist, visual storyteller and artist. Simone's creativity shines through in the use of mix and match furniture where no two items are the same, her art which adorns the walls, her use of subtle earthy colours (loving the golden tones!) and all the other fabulous details that help to transform her apartment into a home.  Ready to take a peek? 

"I'm very drawn to the lighter scale of colours right now from beige and light earthy tones to the more brown and golden touch." - Simone 

Simone's art hangs on a wall painted in 4481 from Flügger. The armchair is from The Sofa Company and the sofa has been covered in a large natural linen fabric (source rough linen by the yard here*). 

This corner of the sitting room has everything I love in a home - books, art, ceramics and vintage furniture! "I love ceramics in special shapes," Simone tells me. 

Simone picked up the rug at a local Copenhagen store called By Fribert (this Beni Ourain* is similar).

"I seldom buy furniture, but when I do, I am not influenced by trends, but whether the piece will add value to our home. I am always inspired by well-known designers that I can't afford, and I try to find something that can give the same ambience or special wow factor." - Simone 

The dark chocolate wall adds a really cosy touch to the bedroom while a Velux skylight helps to give the room a light and airy feel. One of Simone's own art pieces fills the space on the back wall.  Beautiful! 

Art by Simone, this bench* is similar (I have a similar one in my sitting room!), Bouclé throw*. 

Aaaah, what a stunning home! 

I also couldn't resist asking Simone for a few tips ahead of my trip to the Danish capital this afternoon - perhaps you might find them useful next time you're in Copenhagen!

"I live right next to a little Parisian inspired street called Vænedamsvej, where the cafe Les Trois Cochons and Granola are the cosiest! I also love Ipsen & Co on Gammel Kongevej - the main street in Frederiksberg."

Thank you, Simone, I'll be sure to check these out! 

....a prize for anyone who can pronounce 'Vænedamsvej'!

You can see more of Simone's lovely home and make an enquiry about her art at @polkenstudio.

Other beautiful Danish homes in the capital city (can you tell I'm on a roll....):

A cosy Danish loft full off plants and vintage treasures

The timeless home of a jewellery designer

A charming Copenhagen loft with mid-century classics 

Feeling the love for Danish style today, how about you?

Copenhagen, I'm coming for you! 

Niki

Photography: Simone Polk dahl

*Affiliate links

READ MORE...

4

Before & After: A Dated LA House Becomes A Light & Airy Family Home

Why, hello there! I'm in Landskrona today filming and its BAKING (by Sweden standards at least) - but since the film is about natural light, it's all good! I can't wait to share the result with you soon. In the meantime, I thought I'd stop by to share the beautiful home of Molly Madfis. A perfect blend of amber, caramel, cream and white, Molly's style appears completely effortless. But just one glance at the before pictures and you'll see how much effort has gone into making this beautiful home.  Originally from Massachusetts, Molly is a work-at-home Mum and lives in LA with her husband Gideon, son Arlo and their three cats Bodhi, Lucy and Rocky. Molly frequently shares pictures of their home on instagram and her blog Almost Makes Perfect, so called because she feels she's never been able to do anything perfectly. When you see her home though, I'm sure you'll beg to differ! Enjoy the tour!

Sitting Room BEFORE

I couldn't find all the 'before' pictures for this house, but the ones I did find are proof that this home has been given one major refresh! Here's what the sitting room and entrance looked like before the renovation: 

Sitting room AFTER

Check out how deep that sofa from Interior Define is! I'd climb on, curl up and stay there all week if I could, fancy joining me?! 

Also seen: round cushion*, coffee table from cb2

Molly created the artwork over the dining table, and sells a similar print in her shop. 

Playroom BEFORE

This before picture shows how much they had to strip back in order to turn the house into the lovely family home it is today.

Playroom AFTER

Look at Arlo's cheeky grin - *heart melts*.

Someone's very proud of his room (and for good reason, too!).

Ikea cot,  mobile by electric sun creatives.

There are so many lovely things in Molly and Gideon's bedroom - but that Moroccan flatweave rug by Sarah Sherman Samuel (there's also a cushion* to match) and Odara throw have to be my favourites! 

I also spot a Sunset Vibes* print by Loulou Avenue. 

Bathroom BEFORE

Kind of dated, right?! 

Bathroom AFTER

Look closely and you'll see the new waaaay fresher bathroom has the same bones / layout as the original bathroom, but boy does it look different. And so pretty too with the lighter wood and hints of pink, don't you think?

Wall sconce from Triple Seven Home, handmade taps from Watermark Designs, sinks from Nood

I couldn't resist sharing a few pictures of the garden too, mainly because of the children's playhouse. I've never seen one like this before, have you? DIY idea perhaps? 

It's unbelievable how much inspiration can be taken from one home!

I hope you've got some ideas for your own home from this tour. 

Right, better get on with the filming (I need to concentrate, it's in Swedish - gulp!). 

Ha det fint! 

Niki

Photography: Molly Madfis / Almost Makes Perfect shared with kind permission

*affiliate links

READ MORE...

8