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Makeover: Creating My Dream Wardrobe From Start to Finish!


Paid partnership with Elfa, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love. 

Remember I said this was going to the year I finally organise my home? I've moved one step closer - my new wardrobe is finished! 

Allow me to paint the scene. My previous wardrobe was sandwiched between the girls' bedrooms on the floor below, it was really small and cramped and I had to tip-toe through their rooms at night. I could never find anything; it simply wasn't practical in any shape or form and honestly, a total mess!

The far side of our bedroom on the top floor seemed like the obvious choice for a new one. In the past, this corner a reading corner, yoga studio and even once graced the cover of a book as my home office! But I've never really felt it's been put to great use - until now! 

The problem was, it's a slightly awkward spot: sandwiched between the stairs and a large radiator - plus it has a sloped ceiling. 

Here's how I transformed it with the help of international Swedish brand Elfa

The brief
I had an entire jumble of items that needed a home - from maxi dresses, jumpsuits, sweaters, jeans and gym kit, to hats, tights, jewellery and lingerie! Since we share a bathroom between five of us (two of which are teenagers) I was also keen to incorporate a little spot to do my hair and make-up. A girl can dream!

The obstacles


Radiator
This mighty radiator was in the way. To be honest, we hadn't used it all winter since I like to keep the area cool for my beloved lemon tree (AKA my fourth child!) while it winters indoors. Removing it was a no-brainer, so we called the plumber in. It left a gaping hole which we plugged and painted over.  

Bannisters
The bannisters to the left of the space were also an obstacle. In the end we decided to build a short floor-to-ceiling wall to frame the side of the wardrobe. 

Angled ceiling
Probably one of the most common problems when building a wardrobe is an awkward sloped ceiling. We hired a builder to insert a made-to-measure triangular shaped wood piece above the open-topped wardrobe. It was painted the same colour for a seamless look. The best thing about this is that we can use the full height of the room for storage. 

The design
The beauty of Elfa is that the system is fully flexible and can be adapted to fit your space and your needs. Plus, they offer a great online planning tool which enables you to easily design and plan your wardrobe to the exact measurements of your room - love that!  

The system is centred around a series of vertical rods from which you 'click-in' your choice of shelves, sliding shoe racks, trouser rails, tie racks, rods, drawers, mirrors, hooks etc. 

Since it's in our bedroom, I wanted to go for a slightly smarter option, choosing a few items from the Décor assortment which combines function and flexibility with the style and luxury of wood. I combined open and closed solutions together with extra features such as a gliding shoe and trouser rack and somewhere to hang shorter and longer clothes. 

Door selection

I chose Forma doors in melamine satin white - a three door sliding solution. There are countless others to choose from (for those of you who live in Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Finland) - or you could go wild and opt for an open solution (I'm WAY too messy for that!).

The results

Once the vertical rods had been installed, everything else could just be clicked into place. Most of my wardrobe is made up of wire shelves with Décor fascia for a sleek, smart finish. 


I don't know how good you are at folding, but I think Marie Kondo would describe mine as distinctly sub-par! If you're the same, let me tell you, these click-in wire shelf dividers are a game changer. Not only do they condense the width of your folded sweaters making them appear more neat - they also allow you to double up on each shelf so you have room for more clothes. 


A long closet rod means I have place for longer and shorter clothes. And I placed some of my smarter sweaters in boxes from the Elfa studio - love that they can be dust free but still visible. 


I particularly love the Décor gliding pant rack and gliding shoe mesh shelf. How smart and practical are they? Only the best for my gold sparkly boots! 


Over to the opposite side of my wardrobe and guess what? 


Tadaaa! I have a special place to do my hair and make-up!


This is thanks to a click-in Décor mirror and accessory shelf for all my brushes, make-up, perfume etc. I also picked up a jewellery box from the Elfa studio in Malmö

So much more relaxing to get ready without someone else on the loo behind me (not kidding!). 


Underneath, two different sized mesh drawers with Décor drawer fronts provide storage for everything from scarves, sunglasses and purses to lingerie and nightwear. I chose the knob with leather pull.

I added a soft drawer accessories tray to the upper drawers and then simple mesh metal dividers to the lower drawers - all of which help to keep the drawers neat and organised! 


Don't mind me while I hang out around my new dream wardrobe picking out jungle-style clothes and generally admiring ow neat it is! I've got no excuses now not to use a wardrobe instead of a chair at night (gaaah!) and up my style game. Oh, the pressure! 

I hope you found this wardrobe build interesting / inspiring - especially if you are looking to organise a room in your home. If so, check out Elfa and find your nearest store here - they ship pretty much worldwide. 

Next step: Allie's bedroom. Back to the planning tool! 

I look forward to sharing the results with you in early June!

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark

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A Dated Property is Restored to a Dream Swedish Country House

From a summer cottage on an island in southern Jutland, Denmark yesterday - to the fields of Skåne, South Sweden today: welcome to Marie and Eric's beautiful country home. The pair have been painstakingly restoring their dream home for over four years - transforming both the interior and exterior.  To say they had vision would be an understatement. In fact, the facade alone will inspire any house hunter out there to see beyond less attractive exteriors! Step inside, and you're transported into a cosy world of exposed wood beams, arched windows, DIY cabinets and antique furniture. Ready to feel inspired? Let's take the tour. 

Exterior before

A red brick house has been given a complete make-over with the help of a new facade, windows and doors.

Exterior after

Entrance before

Entrance after

Main kitchen after the renovation


The beautiful black glass cabinet was made using a built-in structure fitted with antique pains. It reminds me of the DIY cabinet in the Montana home of Jana Roach

Main living area before 

Previously a warren of small, modern rooms, Eric and Marie completely gutted the space, knocking down walls, ripping out the floor and stripping back the ceiling to reveal the original wood beams and original architecture. 


Main living area after
The cosy open-plan living room and dining area is bathed in light from arched windows, while wood beam ceilings add warmth and an intimate feel to the spacious room. 





Mezzanine floor after

Bathroom before

The bathroom is pretty much unrecognisable, with the ceiling completely knocked through and smaller windows exchanged for arched glass doors in keeping with traditional Skåne architecture. 

Bathroom after

Quite the transformation!

I love it when a house is restored to its former glory like this, it requires so much dedication, but the results are so worth it! 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

You can see more of Marie and Eric's wonderful home and their ongoing renovation over at @oliverogård

There are a ton more 'before and after' tours in this archive if you feel like hanging around for a while (if this pops up first, just scroll past!). 

I'm very excited about sharing my new dream wardrobe with you tomorrow including the before pictures, the design and results. I hope you're going to like it as much as I do - hopefully it might inspire anyone out there looking to create some more storage! 

Vi ses imorgon!

Niki 

Photography courtesy of @oliverogård, shared with kind permission. 

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Before & after: A Copenhagen Town House Is Transformed Into a Fresh Family Home


I love seeing the before and after shots of a space, do you? It really demonstrates the vision and level of work that has gone into an interior. Today, I thought I'd take you on a tour of Maria Elisabeth's house in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. I once had the pleasure of visiting a house on the same street for my book The Scandinavian Home - and fell in love with the leafy neighbourhood. 

When Maria Elisabeth and her boyfriend Niels bought the house in 2019 it needed work. "It was in a state and was in really bad shape," Marie Elisabeth recalls. "There was a hole in the roof, water damage etc." The pair set about renovating every room single in the house, putting in a new kitchen and bathroom as well replacing the floors in the process. The couple moved in in 2020 and now enjoy a beautiful home with their three children Carl Oscar (7). Esther Emilie (5) and Wilmar Emil (1). Here are some snapshots of how it looked before they started, and how it looks today: 

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

The kitchen was completely gutted. Today cabinets from Stilleben Architects - who pride themselves on kitchens and interiors made to last for generations - add a beautiful, timeless touch, while the bare upper walls help to bring the look up to date. 

The walls have been painted in Clunch Farrow & Ball


Living room before

Living room after

The sitting room areas were also given a total overhaul - with the exception of the beautiful parquet floor which was carefully maintained. 

The custom-built cabinetry and shelves around the doorway are a classic Danish trick for displaying books, art and other items.

The walls have been painted in colour code NCS 1000-N. 



Hallway / stairs before

Hallway after

A fitted carpet was stripped away to reveal the wood, which has then been given a fresh lick of white paint. The walls have been painted in Raw Canvas by Jotun

Guest bedroom before

Guest bedroom after

The A-frame ceiling has been partly filled in to seal the hole in the roof and add insulation, while part of the beam structure (which has been stained white) adds character to the space. 

The walls have been painted in Touch of Grey by File Under Pop

Bathroom before

Bathroom after


The dated tiles were swapped out in favour of a cleaner finish - including a terrazzo floor from Råform- and the shower was reduced in size to make space for a loo. 

The love taps, shower head and loo flush are all by Vola. The walls have been painted in Cream by File Under Pop and the lamp is from Flos


Garden before

Garden after

The garden was reconfigured to include a storage unit with a turf roof - as well as two separate social areas, one for dining and one for relaxing! 

All in all, a beautiful, fresh transformation - which I understand, was a lengthy labour of love - but so worth it! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Maria Elisabeth's renovation? You can see more pics over at @husetpaafrederiksberg and also find out more details about every room in her instagram highlights. 

Would you like to see a few other Danish before and after tours today? I love these: 

A dated 1950s danish house gets a fabulous makeover 

I hope you have felt as inspired by all these renovations as much as I have been! Got to love the Danish flair for design! 

Niki

Photography @husetpaafrederiksberg - shared with kind permission. 

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