An Inspiring Family Home Which Combines Old and New - Inside and Out!

Hej raringar! How was your weekend? Per and I are feeling revived after a night in Copenhagen. I was so overly excited to be back in the Danish capital (while being very careful, of course) - what a beautiful city. I can't wait to share some pics soon. Slightly further afield, Jessica Haas has created her own inspiring oasis at home.  Jessica lives in a beautiful house from the 1930's in Hamburg, Germany which she shares with her husband Christoph, their five-year-old daughter Greta (such a pretty name!) and two cats. The home is filled with some fabulous Scandinavian design pieces and calming pastel tones as well as warm wood, cane and rattan. Keep a look out for the before and after of the house exterior too. The perfect tour with which to kick of a shiny new week!

Spotted in the kitchen: eco and allergy-friendly hand wash and other items from Danish brand Humdakin. I use their cleaning products and LOVE them.

I spy a Skagerak side table and HK living stool in the sitting room. I'm not sure which exact shade of pink has been applied to the wall (I promise to update this post if I find out) - but Deco Pink from Jotun Lady is similar. 

Note the pink colour blocking above - with the lamp in a darker shade of pink against a lighter shade on the wall - a clever styling trick which never fails. 

"One of the most important things (to me) is the mix of old and new. During the renovation, we preserved a lot of the original elements. I love to combine vintage and handmade furniture with some newer pieces"  - Jessica

String shelves help provide a place to store items. The JWDA lamp* is from Danish brand Menu and the Slåtterblomma print is from Fine Little Day. The Eiffel coffee table* is from Hay. 

"Our home is clean, minimalist bit still cosy. I prefer soft and earthy tones. I like to take home decorating inspiration from interior magazines, Instagram and Pinterest." 

- Jessica

A Formakami JH4 lamp hangs over the bed, which has been covered in a beautiful waffle Anadia bed spread from Urbanara. 

I LOVE the family bathroom! Jessica has managed to turn fairly awkward angles into a design feature - and the wooden casing around the bath gives the room a warm, spa like feel. Beautiful!

The family have also done a lot of work with the exterior of the house, including revamping the original facade, creating a modern entranceway and adding a contemporary extension. This is what it looked like before: 

 And this is how it looks today:  

Incredible transformation! I love a good 'before and after', how about you?

We're thinking about building an outhouse / guesthouse in the garden of our summer cottage and this might just give me the confidence to go modern. Are you a fan of combining modern and old architecture? I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. 

Head over to Jessica's lovely Instagram @dekorationswut for more inspiring pictures of her home. 

Big news from the Brantmark: we have a birthday in the house - Allie is ten today! We had a birthday breakfast this morning, which involved her favourite 'kaiserschmarrn' (Austrian pancakes) - which her big sister made. And soon it's time for some after-school fun! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Jessica Haas, shared with kind permission.

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Trend Alert: How To Rock The Pastels

The skies might be slowly darkening here in Sweden, but summer looks set to continue thanks to one of this year's hottest interior trends: pastels. Powder pink, mint, lavender, clearwater blue, lemon yellow - it's all about that soft, sweet touch. Own the look by colour blocking with tone on tones or add simple, subtle touches in the form of a single item of furniture or accessory. Combine with clean lines and contemporary touches for a tougher, modern vibe. Here are three pastel shades I'm loving - and a guide on how to rock them in your home this autumn! 

Powder pink

1. Tom Fereday 2. Kelly Day 3. Mark Hadden 4. Surrounding Australia 5. Anna Pirkola 6. H&M Home
Powder pink has reigned supreme in the world of interiors for a while now. Often referred to as 'millennial pink', the earthy shade holds an element of retro (my Granny Ruth had a matching bathroom suite in this shade - and although I didn't appreciate it at the time - looking back it was pretty awesome!). The beauty of this shade is that it looks equally great as an entire room (try deco pink by Jotun Lady or Sweet Pastel by Valspar for the ultimate wall colour) or as an accent in the form of lamps, vases and bedding.

Get The Look

1. SP01 Jeanette Chair
2. Ferm Living Hexagon Vase*
3. Gubi Grasshopper Floor Lamp*
4. H&M Washed Cotton Duvet Set

Lavender

1. Ferm Living 2. Earthborn 3. Little Greene 4. Earthborn 5. Taubmans
I've got a confession to make. I was sceptical about this shade. But then I started to see it creep into interiors in the form of soft, earthy lavender-grey walls (try Lavender Lace by Behr) or a rug here or a sofa there and I quickly changed my mind. In order to avoid it looking fusty, combine with beige, gentle browns, grey and light blue, for a style that's bang up to date.

Get The Look

1. Dino Floor Lamp
2. Anthropologie Veru Dinner Plate
3. Parachute Sateen Sheet Set

Mint green

1. Carpet Right 2. Beth Kirby 3. Deiji Studios 4. Anthropology 5. Mindlike Studio
The least cutesy of the three, mint is cool, calm and contemporary. I'd lean towards the light green- pale blue of the spectrum (try Top sail by Sherwin Williams or even Soft Mint by Jotun Lady if you're looking for something slightly darker) and combine with other natural, earthy shades. I think it works particularly beautifully with rattan, light wood, dark greens and chocolate brown.

Get The Look

1. Ferm Living Tufted Wall Deco Rug*
2. Ferm Living Bau Plant Pot
3. Louis Poulsen AJ Table Lamp*
4. Cachae Tall Pendant*

Did any of these shades leap out at you? I have both powder pink and a darker shade of mint green in my own home. They're very soothing and easy to live with! I'd  absolutely love a pink bathroom just like Granny Ruth's too!

What are your thoughts on pastel? Are you a fan? Do you have any pastel shades in your home?

Niki

PS I've just arrived in Hamburg for the day to record a podcast with Holly Becker (Decor8) and Living At Home Holly magazine. Eeeek, wish me luck! I'll be sure to share snippets from the day on instagram stories so hop on over if you're curious to see how it's going!

*This post contains affiliate links which means I might receive a teeny amount of money (we're talking one coffee bean) if you purchase any of the items accompanied by an asterisk! 

Thank you so much to the wonderful Ana Degenaar for your help to compile this post. 

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Peek Behind The Facade of a Beautiful Red Danish house From The 1920s

FREEEEEDAG! (FRIIIIIDAY!) people, WOOP! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? I'm currently waiting to feel my mouth again after a visit to the dentist (don't you hate it when they give you an injection?!). I'm praying it'll wear off in time for tonight! Since I can't talk, I've been able to spend even more time than usual hunting for home tours and that's how I stumbled across this one (via Nordic Design). You can kind of guess that the owners of Danish brand Skagerak would have a beautiful home and a peek behind the facade of Jesper and Vibeke Panduro's red house in Aalborg is a real feast for the eyes! Think spacious rooms, walls painted in soft pastel hues, Danish design and beautiful original details from the 1920s. Let's go inside! 

The wishbone chairs around the dining table are over 50 years old and will continue to be a favourite for many generations to come. The terracotta bowls are from the Skagerak Edge collection. 

Swooning over that 1920s floor! Isn't it lovely?

The all-time classic Flag halyard armchair has been given a cosy touch with a simple brown sheepskin*. Check out the 1920s radiator and ceiling too! 

Loving the simplicity of the Massai bench - it was inspired by old stair handrails and industrial machinery. 

This giant cork board (made up of smaller cork boards) is awesome. I'd love something like this in my kitchen, how about you? (This cork board* is similar). The beautifully crafted Hven chair is from Skagerak. 

There's a load more about Jesper and Vibeke's home here. And look out for my post on pastels next week.... it'll sure to include some tips on the prettiest pastel paint shades. 

In the meantime, the Danish home archive is always worth a scroll (warning: you can get lost in that one for hours!). 

Right folks, it's time for the weekend. If only my mouth would feel like normal again (the drool is not a good look either!). 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Skagerak

*affiliate links

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Easter Touches in a Charming Swedish Home

The Easter school holidays have officially begun in Sweden, the spring flowers are finally in bloom and the sun is shining (if only it were a little warmer though - BRRRRR - up North they have three metres of snow, crazy!). The home of Ulrika Andåker - the fashion and interior blogger behind Colorelle has added some lovely Easter touches to her charming home in Norrköping - which perfectly captures the essence of spring time in Sweden.  Keep a look out for subtle pastel accents, feathers, eggs, lilacs and blossom! 

In Sweden it's customary to tie coloured feathers to branches - I love these subtle brown-pink hues, they're so pretty!

A simple bouquet of lilacs from the gardens make a pretty display in the window. 

Pretty daffodils and geraniums brighten up the stairway. 

Ulrika's dressing room occupies a small yet bright spot on the upper floor and a garden trellis has been used for shoe storage - such a clever hack!

William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper brings spring blooms to the master bedroom! And there's even an Easter touch in one of the children's rooms (below!)

I love these subtle ideas! In fact, there is so much inspiration to be taken from all the decor, don't you think?! 

See more pictures of Ulrika's home as well as get fashion and styling ideas over on her blog and instagram. 

For more DIY ideas check out My Big Easter Edit and Five Beautifully Simple Easter DIY ideas. We're heading to London for Easter this year but I might contribute with my DIY bunny ear napkins! 

Do you have any Easter / spring decorating traditions?

Niki

Photography: Ulrika Andåker shared with kind permission 

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Snapshots From A Family Home in The Swedish Countryside

Oj oj oj! I do believe it's Friday! Bring on the weekend! It's feeling decidedly Autumn around here so it's definitely going to be a cosy one. I thought this Swedish family home was the perfect way to get us all in the spirit! Built in 1980, the 250 metre square (2600 foot square) "big red" house just outside the small town of Gränna belongs to Linnéa Rolfsson, a physio therapist and student.When Linnéa, her husband Simon and their two children acquired the house, she was finally able to tap into her passion for interior design and create a lovely, warm family home. The pair have made many structural changes and today the space is made up of a kitchen, sitting room and playroom on the ground floor, and large second sitting room (with a teepee), the children's bedrooms and a master bedroom on the upper floor. I caught up with Linnéa to find out more.

Who lives in your home?

Me, my husband Simon and our kids Ebbe (nearly 5) and Elis who is 2 years old. 

String pocket shelves, KitchenAid*, 'Just my cup of tea' cup

Teepee*, Pirum Parum print

Where did your passion for interior design come from?
I’m a physical therapist but right now I’m also studying digital communication and marketing. I’ve always loved interior design and have always liked to surround myself with nice things. As a kid I would redecorate my room every time I cleaned it. My passion for interiors really took off when we moved to our current house. It's the first time we have owned somewhere and got the chance to really make it our own. Around the same time, I also discovered Instagram and my passion just grew and grew. Also I think for me, decorating is a kind of therapy. When it feels stormy on the inside, I find it helps to create a warm and beautiful space on the outside.

 Belly basket*

Would you say your home is typically Swedish?

Yes, I would say it’s pretty Scandinavian/Swedish. We like what we call in Sweden 'ljust och fräscht' - white walls, bright floors and furniture. We have a lot of furniture from Ikea but also a few Swedish and danish design classics like the Arne Jacobsen 'Sjuan' chair* and Bruno Mathsson Karin armchair. Maybe our home is a little more colourful than the typical Swedish home. 

How you would describe your style?

Oh, that’s a tough one! I’d say my style is colourful, Scandinavian with a touch of retro. I appreciate interesting objects/furniture that you don’t see in everyone's homes. I love buying stuff second hand and vintage, it often makes a home feel more personal and unique. 

Where do you buy things for your home?
I would say most of it is second hand. I look through 'Blocket' (a Swedish online second hand site) every night before going to bed. In our first apartment we bought everything from IKEA and when a friend came to visit she said "OMG, it’s like visiting the IKEA catalogue!" It was said as a compliment, but I didn´t take it that way! Maybe it was then I decided to try to go for a more personal expression. Vintage furniture often comes with a feeling that new things don’t. It’s hard to explain. I don’t just buy old pieces second hand, the other day I bought a two year old IKEA drawer set. It was in quite bad shape, so I renovated it and it turned out great! Second hand items are good for both the environment and your wallet.  I also try to look around and see what we already have in our home (or in the basement). Often you can make something new out of stuff that you already have.

What is important when it comes to decorating a home with young children?

The kids are allowed everywhere in our house, I can’t imagine having it any other way. So you have to think twice when you decorate. The things they play with are put in bags or baskets on the floor, and the things I don’t want them to play with are kept out of their reach. We have just bought a new couch, a white one (yes it’s OK to gasp!). So we’ll see how that goes and how often I will regret it! But hey, it’s just furniture. I’d rather have a white couch with stains but that I really love than a boring, practical one that I will want to throw out in a few years.

Linnéa painted the IKEA drawer set in 'Soft mint' by Jotun

Which swedish instagram / blog are your favourites?

I really love @leilabavcic @juliaspasteller and @bloggaibagis - they always give me so much inspiration!

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home and telling us all about it Linnéa!

Linnéa's home is very much a work in progress. If you'd like to see a few more pics and follow the progress, you can always follow along on Instagram here.

Other homes with touches of pastel to be found here.

I'm heading over THE bridge to Copenhagen shortly for a meeting with Skandinavisk (love that brand!) and then I'm holding a talk for a Danish company (eeeek, so nerve-racking!). I'll be so ready for a drink after that - luckily the Danes have the best beer in the world (probably!).

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Whatever you do, I hope you have a fabulous (and relaxing) couple of days.

Vi ses på Måndag! 

Niki

Photography Linnéa Rolfsson - shared with kind permission.

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