Danica's Delightful Danish Home In Cotton Candy Shades

New York Fashion week 2020 was a sea of dreamy pastels - a trend quickly adopted by the Danes. Actually, who am I kidding, the Danes have been rocking pastels for years! If there's one thing I've learned living so near the danish border, it's that the Danes are the ones to watch! One of my latest Instagram follows is the lovely Danica Chloe. Danica lives in a 98 m2 (1054 f2) apartment in the Amager district of Copenhagen with her husband, a paramedic, and their two young children Sylvester and Nola. Danica loves to experiment with cotton candy shades including pistachio green, orange sorbet, baby blue and lavender - both in her home and her choice of clothes - giving a sense that spring is just around the corner. Keep an eye out for quirky, on-trend details too! 

Spot the TV? The Samsung Frame never fails to disappoint -  I love the art Danica has found for hers - found on Etsy*! I had no idea Etsy was such a great source for Samsung The Frame art*, did you? Also seen on the wall are pieces from Paper Collective, Sorte Negle, Little Detroit* and Arthus Studio. 

The Muuto stacked shelves system* have become a real classic - I've had a set in my own home for years, although I wish I'd also gone for the ix of white and wood! 

An array of colourful glasses from Karen's Bord and a Hay candle add a pop of pastel in the kitchen.

The handcrafted dining table is from DAYLY and the twirly candles are from HAY (you can easily make these yourself too - check out the simple twisted candle hack I shared last week!). 

A fan from Sakura Copenhagen has been displayed under Swedish string shelves, lined with pretty pastel ornaments. The bed is made with linen from Juna Design. 

Danica also shares a load of style and beauty inspiration on her instagram and blog - and even the occasional trip (not right now though, of course) as well as recipes. I love her style - it involves her signature pastels, over-sized pieces, quirky accessories and lots of layering! 

Sylvester and Nola sleep in a funky bunkbed by danish brand FLEXA. 

My friend Sarah's going to cry when she sees this picture - which includes not one but TWO rattan wardrobes from IKEA - now out of stock with a rapidly increasing secondhand value on eBay! Gaaah! 

Just as I was writing, the sun came out for the first time in days - and I suddenly feel like spring really is just around the corner. Hurray! 

Time to add a few pastels to the home? 

See more pics of Danica's wonderful home and her fab daily outfits over at @danicachloedk and on her blog. 

Shall we take a peek at a few other pastel-inspired homes today? Why not! 

Trend alert: how to rock the pastels

A delightful Swedish family home in a former schoolhouse

A pastel-infused Danish home

By the way - thank you so much for all your tips yesterday about buying / installing / tuning a piano - so helpful! Happy you loved the home tour as much as I did too! 

Wishing you all a lovely day!

Niki

Photography @danicachloedk - shared with kind permission

*affiliated links, which means I might make a tiny amount of money (at no cost to you) if you click on the link and buy something. 

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An Eclectic Home In The Heart Of Copenhagen

It's Friday friends! The weekend calls for something, don't you think? And today, I'm chatting to Ann Poulsen, a Dane who's passionate about DIY, sustainability and making her home feel as personal as possible. Velkommen to her beautiful Copenhagen apartment, decorated in a sea of colours, and adorned with art, vintage items and lovely, unique touches. 

Where do you live?

I live in an apartment in Copenhagen in an area called Island Brygge. 

Who do you share your home with? 

My boyfriend, Tim. He moved in a few months ago which explains why I haven't mentioned him in the renovating process on my instagram :)

What do you do for a living? 

I study Danish at Copenhagen University and also work in Langsamt, a store with a focus on sustainability. 

What is important to you when decorating your home? 

To design a space that feels like home and where I want to spend a lot of my time. Our home is our base. I feel best when things are tidy and I'm not surrounded by too much clutter. But it's also important to me that my home feels lived in. I also like my personality to shine through. I love to be creative and create a personal home where the decor is mainly made up of recycled and vintage finds. 

I love the tiles in your kitchen - where are they from? 

I bought them from a shop here in Copenhagen called Alverdens Fliser. I've always loved the herringbone pattern but there were so many colours to choose from! In the end I want for the beautiful blue and I've never regretted it! 

Your home is a wonderful, eclectic mix of colour and pieces - where do you find your inspiration from? 

I feel very inspired when I walk around secondhand shops. It always feels like I'm stepping back in time and it's fun to see the various trends from the past - I find the mix interesting. I also get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram. 

 

Can you tell us a little about the colours you've chosen? 

In my bedroom I've chosen a mineral paint called Dusty Rose from Jotun Lady. It gives the room a raw, beautiful look and changes depending fin how the light hits it. In my kitchen, I've used Modern Beige from Jotun Lady. And in my living room, I've applied the yellow Gullhår from Jotun Lady. The green is from Bech & Jørgensen (colour code: 2014-N048). 

You have a lot of art on your walls - where do you buy it from?  

I like to buy posters from the exhibitions I have been to - it gives them a little history and art galleries always sell the finest art! I also buy a lot online. 

Did you make the piece in your bedroom (to the left) yourself? 

Yes! I made it around a year ago. It's quite easy to make with PU-foam, a canvas and the colour of your choice! 

Finally, what do you love most about your home? 

I love that it feels like home to both Tim and I. It's liberating to know I can decorate it however I like, and completely in my style. I don't think I will ever finish renovating - it's a never-ending project! 

Now that Tim's moved in, do you think he'll want to have a say in the decorating? 

No, not at all actually - he couldn't care less! He's really great as he never complains about the mess I make when I'm renovating either - and it can go for on for weeks! 

Thank you so much for telling us about your home Ann! 

You can see more snapshots and follow Ann's latest home decorating projects here. 

I love all the tones Ann's picked for her home - especially the blue tiles in the kitchen - refreshingly unique!  

Is there anything that stood out to you?

How about a few other Danish homes to enjoy over the weekend? Here are some of my favourites: 

Welcome inside the home of a Danish interior design consultant

On trend ceilings, art and books galore in a Danish home

A dreamy Danish home full of arts, books and design

Well folks, that's it from me this week. I hope you've enjoyed all the inspiration! Thank you so much for all your comments, I love reading each and every one of them - they're part of what makes this space a great community of fellow Scandic-design lovers! 

Trevlig helg!

Niki

Photography: Ann Poulsen

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A Pretty Home With Touches of Peach - And a Snoozing Dog!

Good morning friends. I'm stopping by to share snapshots of the the prettiest of homes. Laura shares daily snaps of the 'tidy version of her home' - an apartment in Osnabrück in Lower Saxony, Germany - on her Instagram feed @anotherflat_ - and it always brightens up my day. Think tones of peach, soft blue and lavender, Scandinavian design pieces and a gorgeous snoozing dog! Enjoy the tour! 

I love to combine different styles. I feel it's important to make it individual, but I can identify most with Scandinavian styles. I also like it when a space isn't too uniform and contains lots of unique pieces"

- Laura

So lovely! 

I especially enjoyed the touches of pastel, it makes me want to add more colour to my home, how about you? 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week friends! 

Niki

PS Thank you SO much for all your well wishes on Friday it meant so much. It's a tough time. I'm so grateful for my blog, it always brings a little comfort and escape and everyone is so positive! I am still with my parents and still hoping for the best. If I don't post at times this week, bear with me! 

Photography: Laura / @anotherflat_

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The Wonderful, Playful Loft Of A Furniture Designer

Oj oj oj, do I have a treat for you today. And I love that it's so different from yesterday's rustic, farmhouse tour too! This stunning loft in Bielefeld, in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region of north-east Germany serves as a home and workspace for Lilli, her husband Sascha, a furniture designer, and their two daughters (16 and 6). The light and airy space has been sparingly furnished in a thoughtful way: selecting only pieces with exceptional design including many of the pair's own designs, IKEA hacks and a few design classics. I had a chat with Lilli to find out more about their wonderful, unique home. 

What do you do for a living? 

We live and work under one roof and love to openly connect all areas of our lives. Sascha is a freelance furniture and interior designer and I love working in the field of marketing and social media. 

Can you describe the layout of your home?

Our home is not very big - it has an open-plan kitchen and dining area and two bedrooms, and we have no living room and therefore no sofa. But is more important to us that it is beautiful, than it is practical! 

I'm so curious - how do your daughters find not having a sofa? Mine have been spending half their school summer holiday flat out on ours! 

Haha! She hangs out on her bed - it's her sofa!!

Where do you hang out as a family? At the wonderful dining table?

Yes, we love to play a lot of games as a family, and if we watch a movie, we'll do it together in our bed. 

That sounds so cosy!

The geometric light is from Schneid studio and the table is one Sascha's own designs. 

Can you tell us more about the furniture in your home?

We have many of our own designs and we also have exceptionally designed pieces by younger, designers, as well as a few IKEA hacks and some design classics. We attach great importance to high-quality, sustainably produced furniture and home accessories and therefore prefer to have fewer, but more special things. 

The chair in your dining room is so unique, where is it from? 

The chair is from Japanese sushi restaurant Nihombashi in Berlin. My husband fell in love with it and negotiated with the owner until we could take it home with us! 

I also love the kroko (crocodile) low table (designed by Sascha) in your dining area - and notice that many items in your home are playful, is this something you're drawn to?

We love design that is fun and doesn't take itself too seriously but is still aesthetically pleasing! 

The lips are from Italian brand Seletti - who I see, are currently selling some fabulous face masks too (with proceeds contributing to the Italian multiple sclerosis foundation), the clothes hanger is by designer Florian Saul and the side table is from German brand e15.

And finally, I love the use of colour in your home, have you always been a fan of bringing in bright hues?

In recent years, our loft has become more and more colourful. We love strong Bauhaus colours and earthy, soft nude and red tones. We also like plants, so it's getting greener by the day. 

The bed and smiley steps are one of Sascha's own designs.

Thank you so much for showing us around your home Lilli! It really made me smile in so many ways! 

You can see more pics on her fab instagram feed @kitschcanmakeyourich and check out all of Sascha's furniture designs over at Art can Break your Heart - as well as shop for fabulous pieces in their online shop. 

Is there anything that stood out to you the most about Lilli's home?

Leaving you with a few other playful homes today: 

A playful and relaxed home that will put a smile on your face

The vibrant sitting room of a Swedish photographer

The cheerful Brooklyn home of an artist

Sending lots of love from a rainy Sweden today! 

Niki

Photography Benjamin Janzen 

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Swantje's Beautiful, Quirky, Colourful and Unique Home

I thought I'd shake things up a little today with a move away from Scandinavian summer cottages to a fabulous house in Münster, North West Germany. Outside of Scandinavia it may be, but a quick search on google maps tells me the city is a mere 4-hour drive from the Danish border - which may explain the hint of Scandinavian design! I caught up with art director, graphic designer and illustrator Swantje Hinrichsen to find out more about her beautiful, quirky, colourful and unique home. 

Swantje has painted the Danish design Kristina Dam coffee table in NCS 4050 Y60R. A Hay Danish design sofa can be seen in the background. 

From what period is your house?

My boyfriend and I live in an old house built in 1928 in Münster, close to the canal. 

The bright yellow shelf by Dutch designer Mickey Philips is an example of the many quirky and unique touches in Swantje's home. Source similar abstract prints from The Poster Club*. 

Can you tell us a little more about the layout?

The house is 145 sqm (1560 square feet), laid out over three floors. When you walk through the door you are greeted with a colourful hallway with bikes on the wall. The stairs lead to the first floor which has an open-plan living space with a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom. The second floor is under the roof and contains the bedroom, a workspace and closet room (we call it 'the everything room', a second bathroom and a small balcony. 

How would you describe your style? 

Very graphic, colourful, warm, natural, conceptual and intuitive - with a touch of Scandinavian design. 

The freestanding kitchen units are from IKEA and the back wall has been painted in Kolorat K711-17-34-25/T. Ceramics from Studio Hear Hear, Studio Oyama, Mette Duedahl and TYBO Art and Craft line the shelves. 

The dining room wall has been painted in Kolorat K/0-0-15-54/T. 

There are some beautiful, fun details in your home, what do you look for when acquiring items?

I love craftsmanship, contrasts, materials and artisan ceramics. 

I love the road bikes, are you and your boyfriend keen cyclists? 

My boyfriend totally is. He is super passionate about it and also restores vintage road bikes from the 70s / 80s and 90s in his spare time using a workshop that he shares with others. 

Colourful racers like these are starting to be a big trend among the young and hip in Sweden right now (whether they are just used for peddling around town or into proper racing). I particularly love the ones with an eighty's vibe - they remind of the bikes my sister and I used to ride to school on! Have you ever owned a racer? 

Source similar bike wall brackets here*. 

Would you say your interior is a reflection of your personality?

My home, work and colours are kind of my way to express myself. They help me stay true to myself, help me change perspectives, charge my batteries and transfer emotions and thoughts. They are my visual language. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home for a virtual tour today Swantje! 

If you'd like to see some more snapshots of Swantje's house, check out her wonderful instagram @swantjeundfrieda or for more info about her work, hop over here: www.swantjehinrichsen.de. 

Other German homes to love today: a delightful, colourful farmhouse in Northern Germany,  a pared-back, yet warm family home with handcrafted pieces and a serene family home in Berlin.

On a completely separate note: my children are enjoying their fourth day of the Swedish school summer holidays. All I can say is, I have total respect for all parents around the world who have been juggling the children being at home AND home schooling while trying to work over the past few months. How on earth did you do it? It's only 11am, the house is a mess, I've been asked over 100 questions (by each child) and we've completely run out of food. Thank goodness the sun is shining! 

On that note, I'd better get to the supermarket! But I'll be back tomorrow with one final post before Midsummer's Eve on Friday (will you the celebrating it?) - see you tomorrow! 

Niki

Photography: Swantje Hinrichsen

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