Inside Brigette’s Poetic Brooklyn Home: A Calm Oasis in the City

Poetic. Some homes feel like romantic words on a page, a living sonnet. It’s hard to explain exactly why—perhaps it’s the gentle touch of a hand or an eye for detail that wouldn’t be out of place in a still-life painting. Often earthy in tone and filled with beloved, time-worn pieces gathered over the years, these homes speak softly. They are full of contrast, rich textures, small imperfections, and a certain softness—all of which come together to give the space its poetic soul.

Brigette Muller’s home in Brooklyn, New York, is one of these rare places. She has approached her little 1928 apartment with quiet tenderness, layering it slowly with meaningful objects, abundant greenery, tactile fabrics, and sheer curtains that let the day’s light gently spill through the windows.

Despite the background hum of beeping horns, passersby, and the general bustle of the city (as a girl from London, I’ve always found that kind of noise oddly comforting!), there’s a cool calmness to her space. It’s a serene oasis nestled in the heart of the city.

Ready to feel inspired?

Beautiful!

The built-in seating with olive green cushions tucked into the corner of the kitchen, the oil paintings, the whitewashed wood floors, the linen sofa, and the cosy bed nook—complete with curtains to draw for privacy—this is just my kind of style!

Did you enjoy this tour of Brigette’s home too?

You can learn more about Brigette and her creative world here, and explore more charming corners of her home on her Instagram feed: @hummusbirrd. Brigette also rents out her apartment for film and photography shoots—more details on that here.

Was there anything that stood out to you about her lovely space?

Here are a few other homes I see as having that same poetic soul, perfect to enjoy this weekend:

My friend Ida's poetic 19th century home in southern sweden
A dreamy little cottage by the sea
Nina's earthy home in Edinburgh

Today, Per and I are off to a city just outside Stockholm to cheer on Alice and her team at a Team Gymnastics competition—so exciting! On the way, we’re making a little detour to one of my favourite garden centres, where I’ve booked a one-hour garden consultation for our summer cottage.

I usually love doing all the home-related planning myself, but this garden has been a bit of a mystery to me! Probably because I’ve never really tackled an outdoor space before. So, I’m hoping to come away with a solid plan from someone who knows what they’re doing—then I can get stuck into some Easter gardening with a bit more confidence (and hopefully fewer "why on earth is this plant looking so sad?" moments). 

Do you have any fun plans for your weekend? Are you a fellow garden lover? I’d love to hear any tips you might have for getting started!

Wishing you a wonderful, relaxing couple of days ahead!

Niki x

Photography courtesy of Brigette Muller, shared with kind permission. 

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A Peek Inside Galerie Storm’s Curated, Calming Home

Why, hi there, friends! Or should I say hej hej! Today is a very special day—the girls and I were up at the crack of dawn to prepare a birthday breakfast for Per. And what did he choose? Nope, not a classic Swedish fralla or smoked salmon, but a full English breakfast! It's lunchtime and I'm still full. Bring on the salmon! 

This afternoon, I need to nip out and buy him a present (nothing like leaving it to the last minute!). I wish I could pop over to Galerie Storm in Stockholm, but sadly, it's a little too far away.

Galerie Storm was founded by Carolina and Mattias Storm and offers a beautifully curated selection of art and objects—some of which can be spotted around their home. The family moved from an apartment (which I recently featured here) into this fairytale house in June 2022 and have been putting their personal stamp on it ever since. Calm yet filled with unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, the subtle earthy tones create a cohesive look with a touch of warmth and history.

Here are some angles I discovered on Carolina’s lovely Instagram feed:

Lovely! So calming and yet cosy too. 

Did you recognise the sofa? No, you're not dreaming–it's the same one we saw in Ebba's home last Friday. It's from IKEA, but it has a buttery yellow cover from Bemz. 

Two other standouts for me: the beautiful old dining chairs in the kitchen and the Gubi 9602 lamp in the sitting room (I've had my eye on that for a while). 

Is there anything you noticed in particular? 

You can see more snapshots of Carolina's home here. For more inspiration and news, why not follow the Storm Journal? 

On another note, recently Instagram changed the picture resolution. The channel is a great source for me to discover new and unique homes to share, and this has been a tricky development as it has meant the quality of the images is not always as high as I would like. Hopefully I can find a solution for this soon, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy the tours all the same. As always, thank you for all your support and for stopping by over at this little corner of the web, it really means the world! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @carolinastorm, shared with kind permission.

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An Earthy, Calm and Beautiful One Room Studio in Stockholm

Every now and again a home really leaps out at me, and this is one of them. Organic, mature and calm, the one room studio apartment is a perfect oasis in the heart of Swede's capital - and even has a cosy balcony full of Autumn blooms on which to enjoy a morning coffee. 

A mix of grainy woods, earthy 'unpolished' walls, coarse linen - the apartment might be void of bright colour, but it more than makes up for it in rich textures, all of which help the space to come alive. 

Keep an eye out for items that help to add the 'hygge' (cosiness) - such as a Sjöstrand espresso maker (we have one of these in our cabin!), teapots, vintage mugs, and a retro stereo system. And of course, there's the blend of mid-century and antique furniture too. 

So friends, pop the kettle on and curl up, there's plenty to feel inspired by in this beautiful Swedish studio apartment! 

The paint work is lovely - neutral yet lively. There's a good article about different paint finishes and how to achieve them on House Beautiful in case you'd like to create something similar. 

I forgot to mention in my previous small space post that many Swedish apartment blocks have storage in the basement which is perfect for storing out-of-season items. This one is no different. Even so, you can see in the last picture that it there is quite a lot of wardrobe space - and most likely space under the bed for clothes and other bits and bobs too. 

One of the things that really caught my eye in this home were the retro headphones. My wonderful dad, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago, used to love music and spent most of his spare time browsing record shops or going to gigs (when he wasn't ferrying us!). He had a huge record collection which all my friends used to admire (his taste was so down with the kids). He also had a set of headphones just like this! It's funny how a single item can bring back so many memories. I guess it's still quite raw for me as I reflect with sadness - but a wise friend told me that one day I'll be able to look back at my memories of my Dad with a smile and I look forward to that. Sending a big virtual hug out to anyone else who has also lost someone special. 

Did you spot anything in this apartment that you fell in love with or admire? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts below! 

Wishing you all a happy Wednesday, 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks

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A Swedish Home in A Former School with Warm Earthy Tones

Can you guess what this building used to be by looking at the pictures? The clue is in the high ceilings, large windows and abundance of light. Although, I have to say that doesn't necessarily narrow it down. This is an old school built in the 1950s with a funkis (functionalist) design - the character of which still shines through! 

The only studying that is done here today is in the cosy light-filled study beside the kitchen or at the desk in the children's room, since today it serves as a wonderful family home! The architecture combined with rich earthy tones and abundance of wood and other natural materials offers something unique and emits a wonderful warm feeling. 

I am especially drawn to the reddish-brown tone of the kitchen (not a shade often seen) and the cushions and beads which offer a hint of someone who loves to travel the world. I also love the pretty, shared children's bedroom which includes a smaller bed by the window and a loft bed (we've been seeing quite a few of these lately!). And finally keep an eye on the hallway which includes open shelving as well as handy pockets by Norrgavel - a popular staple in Swedish homes for gloves, hats and other small items! 

Old meets new in this Swedish home with trinkets collected from far and wide atop an IVAR storage from IKEA (which you can paint). A Swedish friend was telling me recently that many Gen X and millennials grew up in fairly cluttered homes and have taken the opposite step in adulthood, choosing to hide more unsightly items in closed storage. 

Patchwork has become big this past year as has embroidery and other time-honoured skills. Jou Quilts make beautiful wall hangings like this - they are great for filling large wall spaces while also helping to dampen sound. 

I love this children's room filled with textiles in florals, patterns and even a bird motif, it's playful yet calm and looks so cosy too! 

The owners have used the long hallway for storage and a gallery wall made up of unique art. A pinboard nearer the door is ideal for keeping track of the family's coming and goings (Ferm Living make a similar one, available here). 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of this warm space too? 

It's no easy feat to make a home with high ceilings and lots of windows feel warm - but the use of rich, earthy tones and wood has really done wonders! 

Is there anything that caught your eye? 

You can see all the school conversions I've shared in the past here (this might come up first, hop over if so) and also all types of conversions here (think bars, shops, warehouses and even a Swedish fire station!). 

Have a happy Lillördag (little saturday!),

Niki

Photography: Therese Jahnson / C Lindholm Design for Historiska Hem

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