Beautiful Danish Lamps In My Study - In Shades of Toffee and Smoke

Brand news: 

A few weeks ago, I showed a beautiful photographer's home from the Danish island of Bornholm - and it was a perfect reminder of the sheer creativity on the island. As you're aware, one of my favourite 'makers' is located right there in the Baltic Sea: Pernille Bülow. I absolutely can't get enough of her mouth blown SKY lamps, and Per is mesmerised too (always helpful when the man is on board too, don't you think?!). A few weeks ago Pernille Bülow launched three new beautiful shades: Smoke, Toffee and Green. As a fan of all things earthy, I immediately reached out about the toffee and smoke variant to hang in my home office along with hate clear version I already have. It was like everything just fell into place. Don't you love it when a plan comes together?! 

The mouth blown glass pendants all have unique organic shapes and feel so beautifully smooth. I love the small imperfections too as they show that they are individually made in the atelier. 

For this cluster I have used: Smoke large, Toffee medium, Clear gold medium.  

You can choose between brass / gold or chrome / grey fittings (I love the former for my home) and if tones of brown aren't your thing there are 11 different colours to choose from (they also look great hung individually). 

I love it when a plan comes together! 

Could you imagine having the these beautiful lamps somewhere in your home? 

If you're curious about where else you might be able to hang them, check out how they look in other areas of my home (and in various shades):

Dining area

Over a vintage bar cart

In the kitchen

FYI they ship worldwide. 

I love my little home office even more now. In other news: Per is teaching from home right now and there's always a little tussle over who sits here. So, this week I'm turning the window nook in our bedroom into a home office / study just for him. Keep an eye on the blog for the results (and hopefully, one very happy man). 

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Pernille Bülow, however all words and pictures are my own. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible! 

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Three Simple And Refreshing Frozen Recipe Ideas For Balmy Summer days!

Kindly sponsored by Samsung:

The warm weather has finally arrived in Sweden (last week I actually wore short-sleeves for the first time outdoors - result!) and we dared to start dreaming about balmy, summer days after what's felt like a very long winter! Time to stock the freezer with some tantalisingly refreshing treats! Read on for three icy delights my family and I love - and they're super easy to make too.

Samsung Freezer RZ32M71357F / Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE

Pear and cinnamon ice cream

What would a summer be without 'glass' (ice cream)? And this homemade pear and cinnamon ice cream is divine, plus it's super easy to make without an ice cream machine. Perfect! 

Ingredients

5 dl (500ml) cream

1 can (397g) of condensed milk

2 small ripe pears, peeled and cut into quarters

Generous pinch of cinnamon

Method

Place pears and cinnamon in a blender and puree until you have a smoothie consistency.

Whisk the cream and condensed milk until its thick and fluffy.

Pour in the pureed pear and use a spatula to mix well.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased loaf tin.

Smooth out the top and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Take the ice cream out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Top tip

You can make this with berries instead. Just swap out the pears for 1 cup of strawberries,

raspberries or blueberries.

Ice cream popsicles

Once you've made the ice cream above, these popsicles are quick and easy to make, look super impressive, and best of all, taste delicious! 

Ingredients

Ice cream mixture (as above)

Your choice of toppings - desiccated coconut, nuts, melted chocolate, sprinkles.

Method

Make the ice cream recipe as above and divide the mixture between popsicle moulds or

large square ice cube moulds. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 2 hours or until

solid. Remove popsicles form the moulds and dip into your chosen topping. Place on a plate with

baking paper and back into the freezer until serving.

Top tip

The best way to remove the ice cream from the moulds is to place the moulds under warm

(not hot) running water for a few seconds. Allow them to stand for another 30 seconds and

they should release easily.

Flower ice cubes

One of my favourite midsummer tricks - ice cubes embedded with edible flowers look so pretty and look like you've gone that extra mile, even if they only take seconds extra to prepare!  

Ingredients

Edible flowers (I've used pansies which are perfect as they come in a variety of colours. If you are in doubt whether a flower is edible, always check prior to consuming)*

Herbs (I've used dill, rosemary and mint)

Method

Separate the flower heads from the stem and cut small sprigs from your favourite herbs. Dot them around an ice cube mould (I used the mould in my Slim Ice Maker - a really nifty feature that hardly takes up any space!). Add water until each compartment is full. Once set, drop the cubes in your drink for a pretty, refreshing summer drink!  

Berry and herb ice cubes

I love to spice up summer cocktails (and even ice cool glasses of water) with berry and herb ice cubes. They look really pretty in the glass, add a hint of flavour and smell lovely!  

Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, mint, rosemary and dill all make great ingredients and I also like to freeze lemon and lime slices separately. You can make a huge batch and use them to pep up drinks all summer long!

I hope you're feeling inspired by these simple ideas! Please feel free to add your own favourite freezer recipes below, I'd love to hear them! 

Roll on balmy summer days!

Niki

A big thank you to Sarah Brooks-Wilson for working with me on this shoot - such a fun day, plus we got to eat LOADS of ice cream! 

This is Kindly sponsored by Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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My New Home Office Gallery Wall (From Desenio!)

Kindly sponsored

Since I've been working from home a lot more than usual, I felt I needed to do a little extra with my home office. It's in the corner of my bedroom, so I am always keen to ensure it's pretty to look at too! The answer? Lots of art! I created this gallery wall using prints from Desenio - who sell a huge collection of affordable artwork and ship to over 30 countries worldwide - such a great online resource! As you'll know from other parts of my home - I love a great gallery wall, it's a perfect way to breathe life into a space. My new one has been made up of some beautiful pieces from the collection as well as a blend of different frames and other wall hanging solutions. Read on to find out more! I hope you like it as much I do! 

The art I chose is all fairly earthy for a calm look - and yet the style varies from portraits and landscapes to more abstract art. 

Do any stand out to you? In case you're curious, the prints include (from left to right): Weimar Shapes No1 (21 x 30) - hung with polka dot washi tape, Gobi Desert (30 x 40) in a light wood frame, Painted Shapes No2 (30 x 40) in a magnetic wood poster hanger, Opus No5 (30 x 40) in a black picture frame, Berlin Arches No2 (50 x 70) in a white picture frame, Tove Frank Hush (50 x 70) in a light wood frame and Stairs of Art No1 (30 x 40) in a white picture frame. 

I think it's always nice to add another element to a gallery wall - like a row of hooks or shelf, it brings the whole look to life and means you can swap in and out elements according to your mood (and without creating a load more holes in the wall! - Been there, done that!).

I particularly love the light wood picture frame. It's the lightest one I've seen, and it has a real warmth to it but it's also very subtle. I think the Stairs of Art No1 is my favourite out of all the artwork (tucked away int he corner) - I've always had a bit of a penchant for photographic architect photography! 

I think I'm going to be much happier in this little corner now. It's amazing what a difference artwork can make!

Did you like any of these prints in particular? perhaps something caught your eye for your own home? 

If so, I can highly recommend Desenio prints and frames, they're really affordable, yet very good quality and there's a massive selection to choose from. Hop on over to the online store to take a peek! 

Stor kram from Sweden! 

Niki

Thank you so much to interior designer / stylist Helen Sturresson for working with me on this shoot. 

This post was sponsored by Desenio, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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8 Cleaning Hacks for a Gleaming Refrigerator!

Sponsored post:
Since acquiring our new Samsung fridge and freezer I've been determined to keep them looking shiny and new - and most importantly, keep the funk out!! Know the feeling?! I chatted to friends across all generations here in Sweden to suss out great Scandi hacks which help to keep kitchen appliances clean. Several months down the line and I think I might just have nailed it! The front of our fridge is shiny and fingerprint free, and the inside sparkles like new. And best of all it smells super fresh too. I feel it would only be fair to share the 8 hacks I've learnt with you. Not only do most of them require tools and ingredients you most likely already have at home, they're organic and budget-friendly too!

1. Clean your fridge regularly: not so much a hack, as something to be mindful of. I've found that going over my fridge at least once a week helps to catch food before it goes off - and generally ensures the appliances stay clean. Every three months it's important to remove EVERYTHING and give the fridge a deep clean to keep it tip top inside (and prevent kids friends' from holding their nose every time they open the fridge door - trust me, it's happened in the past!). 

2. Clean refrigerator shelves with soap and water: remove the shelves and wait for them to reach room temperature before washing them with soap and warm water in the sink. A Swedish friend tipped me off about organic soap flakes which you buy in bulk, last forever and are completely chemical free. She even washes her clothes with them - and they're perfect for cleaning the fridge! 

3. Clean the inside of your fridge with baking soda and water: combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 10 dl of water and spray the inside of your fridge. Wipe down with a damp cloth and then dry thoroughly. This concoction will leave your fridge sparkling without your food smelling of detergent. Love that! 

4. Use a toothbrush for tiny edges: an old toothbrush will help you access the tiny areas in your fridge that you otherwise wouldn't have been able to reach. 

5. Freshen up the inside of your fridge with lemon: Soak cotton wool in lemon juice and then use it to wipe the inside of your fridge. You might even like to place a few slices on a plate and leave them inside. They'll help soak up unpleasant odours and leave your fridge smelling lovely and citrusy! 

6. Organise food in containers: containers are ideal for keeping food fresh and minimising odours! I was inspired by the 'Take-out' tray that came with my fridge, and have since added a few more containers. But I have a feeling this is only the start!

PS. No my fridge isn't always as neat and tidy as this, far from it! 

7. Set the right humidity level: if your vegetable / crisper drawers come with a Humidity Control Setting like mine does (FYI I opted for the RR39M73657F/EE model - partly because of this setting!), make sure you set it to the right level so that your fruit and veg stay fresher for longer. As a general rule, you'll want to use a high setting for leafy-green vegetables or anything that might wilt (like lettuce, cucumber, carrots and broccoli) and a low setting for fruits or anything that could rot (like kiwis, bananas and apples). 

8. Leave your stainlesssteel doors gleaming: Dab a non-abrasive rag in white vinegar and then apply it to the fridge following the grain. And then dab the cloth with a couple of drops of olive oil before polishing the stainless-steel following the grain - you'll leave your fridge and freezer gleaming! 

What do you reckon? Did you know about any of these cleaning hacks before? Perhaps you have some of your own - I'd love to hear about them below! 

Feeling pretty excited about these hacks - might just start exploring ideas for the rest of the kitchen now! Here's to a gleaming kitchen! 

Curious about other posts in this series? 

Our Sunday Evening tradition

My favourite healthy Swedish Easter recipe - perfect for this weekend! 

Wishing you a lovely day friends! 

Niki

This is a paid collaboration with Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

A big thank you to Sarah Brooks-Wilson for working with me on this shoot. 

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Sharing My Favourite Uplifting, Healthy Swedish Easter Recipe (Thanks To Samsung!)

Sponsored by Samsung

Spring is in the air in Sweden and Påsk (Easter) is around the corner - I can see it from my window! So, today I thought I'd share one of my favourite Swedish Easter dishes to lift the spirits! And the best thing about it: it's super quick and easy to make, requires only a knife, chopping board and bowl and when made in the right way, it's packed with nutrition. Plus, it can be whipped up as a light lunch or even just a snack (we've been known to eat it straight from the bowl in our house, shhhh!). But firstly, you might be curious about why I'm sharing my first ever recipe on MSH (Lagom book aside!). You might recall I acquired a new fridge and freezer a few weeks back (so happy with them - I can totally see why they won best in test at Elgiganten for the past three years!). And now Samsung has inspired me to share my favourite healthy holiday recipe. With many of us spending copious amounts of time at home right now, the timing couldn't be better!

Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE and Samsung Freezer RZ32M71357F

The Swedish Easter Feast

Before I dive into the details, I wanted to share a little more about the Swedish Påsk (I'd love to hear about what a spring holiday looks like in your country). Easter in Sweden is a big deal and traditions linger even if many Swedes are largely secular. Maundy Thursday 'påskkäarringar' aside (see Wednesday's post for details!), like all holidays here, the big event happens the day before - on Påskafton (Easter Saturday). And it's something I'm looking forward to at home this year even if it's just Per, I and the kids! In many ways, the Påsk feast bears many similarities to the Julbord (Christmas buffet) and Midsummer's Eve fare. Pickled herrings, new potatoes with dill, poached salmon, a cheese flan, knäckerbröd (crisp bread) and a strong cheese are all delicacies usually included in the Easter buffet - as are any dishes that contain egg. And that's where we come to my favourite: gubbröra! 

So, what is gubbröra?!

Loosely translated as 'old man's mix', gubbröra is a delicious, classic egg-anchovy salad. It can be eaten warm or cold (I prefer mine cold) and tastes best served on dark rye bread or a thin crisp bread and works great as a light lunch, starter or as part of a smörgåsbord!

Gubbröra light!

It always feels great to make something for the family that's both yummy and nutritious and the beauty of gubbröra is that it has both of these elements! Anchovies, for example, are packed with healthy fats such as Omega-3 fatty acids and hard boiled eggs contain vital nutrients such as metabolism boosting B vitamins as well as Vitamin D which helps calcium absorption. 

You might also like to up the amount of radish garnish - it's high on fibre, and if eaten regularly it helps guards the heart. It's also high on Vitamin C which helps boost the body's immune system. I also like to use low fat creme fraiche - it tastes equally as good! 

Fresh ingredients 

If you're lucky enough to have a garden with a great vegetable patch and a window sill lined with potted herbs - wonderful. Otherwise, I keep my herbs and vegetables in the fridge to keep them as fresh as possible. My Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE has a special drawer with a Humidity Control setting which helps them stay fresher for longer (a feature I love!)! It's also worth noting that Swedish anchovies differ from the ones you get in The Med and are actually known as 'sprats' elsewhere. Tinned, sprats have a shorter lifespan and need to be kept in the fridge. If you can't find sprats, no probs, normal tinned anchovies will suffice! 

Ready to get started? 

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

Mix:

4 hard-boiled eggs

1 tin sprats (or anchovies)

10 g chives 

10 g dill

1 small red onion (finely chopped)

2 tbsp light creme fraiche

Pepper

Salt

Garnish / serving:

1 radish (sliced)

5 g chives (chopped)

Half red onion (thinly sliced)

Directions:

Hard-boil four eggs and roughly chop before placing into a bowl. Chop the red onion, dill, chives and sprats (or anchovies) and then place everything in the bowl with the eggs. Add two tablespoons of light creme fraiche and mix everything together. Serve on rye bread or crisp bread and garnish with a slice of radish and a sprinkle of chopped chives. 

Why not serve it the Swedish way?!

Gubbröra tastes great washed down with a beer or a shot off schnapps - singing optional of course, but who can resist a round of 'helan går'?! 

Skål! 

Are you tempted to whip this dish up at home? If so, please do share the results, I'd love to see it! 

Roll on Påsk! 

Niki

PS would you like to see more simple Scandinavian dishes on My Scandinavian Home? Let me know if so! 

This is a paid collaboration with Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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A New Home For My Mouth Blown Lamps from the Danish Island of Bornholm

Hello friends. Friday - wooop! Thank you for sharing all your thoughts yesterday, hop on over if you'd like to join the discussion! On an entirely separate note, a few days ago, a local paper asked me if there were any items in my home I'd never part with. My answer was "yes, A TON!" Do you feel the same? My reasoning is firstly, because I'm a bit of a hoarder (admittedly!) and secondly, I really try hard to layer my home with meaningful, timeless pieces. But one thing in particular immediately sprung to mind: my set of three mouth blown limited edition bronze SKY lamps from Pernille Bülow. Made on the beautiful Danish island of Bornholm to mark the gallery's 30th anniversary, each lamp is mouth blown which makes every piece entirely unique. There's also something about the smoky glass and bronze combination that speaks to me. They used to hang over my vintage bar cart but today, they have a new home - over the kitchen island!

If you've never been to the Danish island of Bornholm, it's well worth a trip (you can get there by plane or ferry from Sweden or Denmark) - and we actually sailed there once (I'll never forget it since it was a really stormy day and we arrived utterly drenched!). It was well worth it though as the island is so pretty and dotted with little galleries and ateliers. One of which is the Pernille Bülow gallery in Svaneke where you can watch the liquid glass pulp being collected from a 1120 degree furnace and then blown into wooden moulds or shaped with wet newspaper pads, steel tweezers or paddles. 

If you can't make it in person, no worries, Pernille Bülow sells online too! You might need to be quick with these SKY lamps since they are limited edition. FYI my cluster is made up of small (14 cm), medium (18 cm) and large (22 cm). 

However, they also sell beautiful clear glass ones with a gold fixture (seen over my dining table) as well as various coloured options. I also love the SKY ceramic table lamps which I once photographed in this lovely home in Landskrona. 

What do you think? Do you have a place for these lamps in your home? Trust me, you won't want to ever part with them if so! 

Also, I'd love to know: What do you have in your home that you'd never part with? Family and pets aside, of course! 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Stay calm, be careful and in the words of the Italians: andrà tutto bene (everything will be all right).

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Pernille Bülow, however all words and pictures are my own - and I really would never part with them! Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible! 

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4

Our Kitchen Update: Got A Feeling This Will Be One Good Sunday Roast!

Paid partnership with Samsung

Our fridge and freezer have been on blink for a while now. I was therefore super grateful to Samsung for approaching me to participate in their 'Sunday Evenings' series which meant replacing our existing fridge and freezer with much needed new ones. Thanks for coming to the rescue Samsung! I was also happy because Sunday evenings mean Sunday roasts in our house - and Sunday roast is my middle name! Full disclosure: I'm admittedly, not much of a cook as you know - but Sunday roasts I can do! Are they a typically British thing - or do you also enjoy them in your country too? It's one of the few traditions I brought with me - as in my mind, there's no better way to end a weekend than gather round the table with the entire family! 

So first, the appliances. Which ones did I choose and why? After a lot of research, I opted for the Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE and Samsung Freezer RZ32M71357F - both of which have won 'best in test' at Swedish store Elgiganten for three years in a row! 

We loved that the insulation is really streamlined, which means you get more space for food (great for a family with three children who are getting bigger by the day!). We also liked that the freezer has a special Metal Cooling functionality which means you get an even temperature throughout (no more semi-frozen vegetables at the back!).  

And the vegetable drawer has a Humidity Control setting, which helps to ensure that our veggies stay fresher for longer - so less food waste, and an even better Sunday roast! In the words of the Swedes: Hurrah! 

Oh, and the fridge also comes with a water dispenser. It's a little luxury that I've been coveting for a while. Since we don't have any plumbing on that side of the kitchen, I was relieved to finally find a fridge that has a water dispenser that doesn't require any plumbing. The freezer also has a really nifty ice machine which hardly takes up any space.

After all, making a Sunday roast is thirsty work, right?!

This week I'm making roast chicken with roasted vegetables (and all the trimmings) - the girls are going to be so disappointed that this means no Yorkshire puddings, which is why I'm throwing in a pudding too! 

Do you have a special Sunday evening tradition in your home too? if so, I'd love to hear about it! 

Wishing you a lovely Sunday friends! 

Niki

PS I've learnt that there's a great second-hand market for old fridges and freezers. The ones we had might no longer have been efficient enough for daily family life, but they've gone to a great home!

A big thank you to Helen Sturesson for styling / interior design guidance. 

This is a paid collaboration with Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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