An Inviting Family Home With Warm Pools Of Sunlight

Last week I mentioned that it had been raining a lot lately in Malmö, and guess what? It's still raining! Bah! But fear not if you're in the same boat (pun intended) - I have a beautifully sunny home tour to share with you today. Niina (of @lillalivetandme) and her husband started to build their house in a small village in North Germany over ten years ago. Although still not quite finished ("somehow I am not sure it ever will be," she laughs), the house provides a warm and inviting environment for their two children and two cats - and allows the family to enjoy the quietness of the nearby forest, fields and lakes which drew them to the area.  Niina's delightful interior pictures regularly feature warm pools of sunlight which make you want to crawl in and savour the moment with a cup of tea and a biscuit! Enjoy the tour!

Stockholm 2017 cabinet, spotted vase by Elin Frodig

Ljungby vase*

"Our home is constantly evolving. We all spend a lot of time here, so I really want to ensure it's warm and welcoming for the whole family. It is important for me to include their wishes in terms of colour and material. I value their opinions and they influence the outcome of the interior."

Rustic stool*

Bird by Architectmade*

"It's difficult to describe my style in words. It is inspired by Scandinavia - my Mother is from Finland and my heart definitely beats northwards! Perhaps my style could be referred to as 'all the things I like!'"

 Eduard bag

"I like our home to feel calm, neutral and natural. Our home is more simple than flamboyant. I don't like complicated things, I like to keep things simple. A home doesn't need much to make you feel good. The most decorative things to me are daylight and music!"

"Eliisa's room has been decorated in 'Rosegarden' wallpaper from Rebel Walls. It was stunning to see how the feeling in the room transformed. Although it's a lot of wallpaper and the room isn't that big, it doesn't feel oppressive at all - it's a really snuggly space! We love to lay in the bed looking out of the window, pretending to nap in a garden of roses."

What a charming home! It looks so warm and inviting too, don't you think?

If you'd like to see more snapshots of Niina's pretty home, hop on over to her beautiful instagram account here!

Well, that's it for me this weekend. I hope you've got some fun plans for the weekend? We're starting a very exciting renovation project tomorrow (I can't wait to share it with you soon...)  - I'm in desperate need of a lie in too though, so I'll see which will win!

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Monday!

Niki

Photography: Niina @lillalivetandme
Affiliate links marked with * 

READ MORE...

7

The Lovely Home of a Swedish Photographer and Stylist

Swedish photographer and interior stylist Johanna Hagbard spends her days capturing beautiful homes around Sweden for magazines such as Plaza Interiör. It's the type of job which could insight serious home envy should your own abode fall short. But this is not something Johanna need worry about! Hagbard shares her home in Majorna, Gothenburg with her husband Mattias and young sons Valter (7) and Ruben (4). Think cocoon-like dark blue walls (Illuminated Paris by Nordsjö), Morris & Co wallpaper, pretty wreaths, stacks of magazines and plenty of candles to keep the Nordic darkness at bay.

Is it time to hibernate yet? If so, I might just ask Johanna if I can hang out here this winter!

Isn't her home lovely?

See more of Johanna's Gothenburg haven here - and check out her portfolio here. Oh and Johanna is always looking for tips on beautiful homes to shoot, so do get in contact with her if you have any ideas!

Other charming homes with dark blue walls include a striking, small Stockholm space, Igor's happy, plant-filled home and Suvi's beautiful, modern home on Finland's west coast.

I'm off to my daughters end of term Christmas event now at her school - as always I've left it a few minutes late to leave, so if you see someone flashing through Malmö on their bike - that would be me! Go, go, go!!!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography: Johanna Hagbard, shared with kind permission. 

READ MORE...

0

Old Meets New in a Charming Swedish Apartment

Why hello there, how are you this bright and sunny morning?! You might recognise this beautiful Swedish kitchen - it used to belong to Johanna Bradford and I featured it back in 2015.  This week the new owners put her former Gothenburg home on the market again (if you missed it last time, here's your chance to snap it up!). Some of the lovely touches Johanna added - such as the William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper and stainless steel kitchen cabinets remain - and it still has the entire apartment still has that wonderful 'old meets new' vibe. Enjoy the tour!

What do you reckon? Ready to move in?!!

Johanna has moved homes no less than 9 times since 2009! Needless to say I've been documenting her renovations along the way! Take a peek inside two of her previous homes here and here.

I love her use of bold patterned wallpaper. I remember having a lot of Laura Ashley wallpaper in my childhood home - how about you?! These days I don't have any, but seeing these spaces I feel now's the time to change that! 

What are your thoughts on wallpaper? Do you have any in your home? 

I'm on my way to Madrid (actually on the plane right now!) for a couple of days for a press event - very excited! I'm hoping to take my work poolside (don't tell the man - he thinks I've got a very full schedule). If you have any great tips for Madrid please send them my way, I'd love to hear them!

Have a lovely day!

Photography by Anders Bergstedt for Entrance. 

READ MORE...

13

A Pearl of a Home in Stockholm!

Can I just say, I've really loved writing my blog lately! I put this largely down to your input from the recent survey which has inspired me to push the boat out a little more and feature a greater variety of styles, the odd quirky (yet fabulous) home and a tad more colour and pattern- tack så mycket! I hope you've enjoyed all the recent tours too! Today's home, is another gem, and although unique, it's hard not to fall completely in love with it!  Situated on Mariatorg in Stockholm, Anna Lidman and Mattias' functionalism apartment has been decorated with an eclectic blend of furniture, unique design and bespoke, handmade items. Isabelle Pedersen of Lovely Life fame, recently paid a visit with her camera and snapped these delightful pics. Enjoy!

Anna bought the fabulous ceiling light from Stilnovo in Italy. The black and white drawings are by Anna's father Stefan Lidman who sells his work through Lidman ateljé, together with Anna's Mother Kicki, a jeweler.  

Bespoke shelves designed by Anna are used to store Mattias' large vinyl collection. I am really curious about the wallpaper, it looks fantastic! Does anyone recognise the design?

I love the combination of the Bertoia chairs with Hay J104 chairs around the kitchen table. And the sheepskin cushions add a lovely Scandi touch!

Anna made the sumptuous pink velvet headboard - and has combined it with a yellow Samba wool Klippan blanket and velvet cushion (this one is similar) to create a pretty focal point. The bench is from the IKEA PS Stockholm 2017 range (is it me, or does this seem to be popping up a lot in homes right now?) and the piano picture is by Anna's Father (yes, one very creative family!).

The lamp in the corner of the bedroom was also picked up at Stilnovo. Mattias inherited the armchair from his grandmother and the picture is By Stefan Lidman. A fiddle leaf fig also adds a vibrant touch (the arctic gardener would be proud!).

I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did! I read in Isabelle's post that Anna and Mattias' home is still a work in progress (the couple combined two apartments together to create a bigger living area) - I can't wait to see what they do next, how about you?!

See more pictures of the home here and a load of inspiring Swedish home tours in the archive here!

I'm sitting in a café in Stockholm wiling away my last few hours before I head back to Malmö this evening. It's been such an inspiring trip - but now, as it comes to a close I can't wait to see the crazies back home and give them a stor kram!

Have a great evening! 

Photography © Isabelle Pedersen / shared with kind permission.

READ MORE...

2

Pretty Wallpaper Inspired by Swedish Nature

What's your experience of patterned wallpaper? As a child in London I recall people covering lots of their home in a pattern of some kind (often DIY - which of course sometimes resulted in entire rooms of upside down roses!). I'm excited to see wallpaper steadily growing in popularity again (it makes me feel nostalgic, and done right it can look really pretty). So, imagine how happy I was when an invitation arrived from Sandberg wallpaper for the launch of their spring summer collection Arboretum at the beautiful Holmanäs Gård in Trelleborg. Small side note: if you're looking to get married in Southern Sweden, this place is your gig. It's so beautiful! I love everything Sandberg does so I knew I'd be in for a treat. Here's a sneak peak of the new wallpaper and some behind the scenes from the prettiest of evenings....

“This spring, we want verdant and patterned wallpaper on the walls. We have moved on from four white walls and we are much more adventurous in both pattern and colour. In our new collection, Arboretum, you can find everything from crisp to more dramatic colours which create a soft and fresh ambience in the home."

"We are leaning towards wallpapering the whole room. but there is absolutely nothing wrong with just papering one or two walls to give more life to the room." 

Wallpaper in order of appearance: 1. Harsyra 2. Harsyra 3. Hassel 4. Ek 5. Notebooks 6. Arboret 

Do you have a favourite? Being a softer tone kind of girl, my heart is set on the last one (Arboretet) -  it would look so pretty in one of my daughters rooms, don't you think?

The party was styled by the Sandberg team, led by creative director Katrin Bååth - who's studio I once featured (I sat next to Katrin on the night and she's so much fun too!). The food was created by the amazingly talented Diana Dontsova (AKA Diadonna) - such a treat!

Thank you so much to Sandberg for a wonderful evening!

(If you're feeling inspired and looking for more wallpaper ideas - there's lots in this archive. If this pops up first just scroll past!). Tempted?

Have a lovely day! 

Photography: Wallpapers styled by Sarah Widman and captured by Kristofer Johnsson courtesy of Sandberg. Party courtesy of Katrin Bååth. 

READ MORE...

3