Autumn touches in our Little Cottage Kitchen

Hello, happy Friday friends! Got any great plans for the weekend?

Last weekend we stole away to the cottage for a couple of days. An hour and a half north of here, the wind was howling and the rain lashed at the windows. Perfect weather for cosying up indoors beside the fire! In Sweden each season is so powerful and in contrast to the one before that I think it's important to embrace each and every one in all its glory! Is it the same where you are? 

Along with our fireside tea, we also made some small Autumn updates to the cottage kitchen - I hope you like them (my favourite was Per's apple pie!). 

Per is definitely the baker of the family. He whipped up this apple and cinnamon pie with apples from our neighbour's garden - it tasted divine! 

I picked up the ceramic bowl at Mölle Krukmakeri in nearby Kullaberg and the candle holder was made by a local ceramicist. 

We recently swapped out the faux brass handles from IKEA for these solid brass knobs (I was fortunate enough that it was part of an instagram collaboration last week). They've made a difference to the entire experience of the kitchen. 

I've noticed that one of the most important investments in the kitchen are the items you touch: handles, taps, utensils etc. Do you agree? 

I love bringing in Autumn foliage! At the back you can see The Little Swedish Kitchen cookbook, which was a present from my Mother. I dip into it all the time! 

Hooks are so useful in the kitchen (these wooden ones are from H&M Home) - the display here is forever changing too.

When we renovated the kitchen, the curtain was the last thing to be installed. My mother-in-law was a bit unsure to begin with but she's really grown to love the way it billows in the wind and creates a sense of drama and privacy even when the door is open. 

We're lucky enough to have a huge stack of firewood in the garage (last winter there was a shortage due to the rising price of electricity!), it's looking the same for this year. 

I hope you like these touches. 

Have you also updated your home for the season? If so, I'd love to hear how!

Feel inspired by other Autumnal homes here: 

Cosy autumn ideas from Laura and Nora's homes

11 autumn ideas to steal from a hyggeligt danish home

5 cosy autumn ideas from a Swedish home

What are you up to this weekend? We're heading to Västerås for Allie's gymnastics competition. I'm so excited as I love to watch her and her team do their gymnastics. I've never been to the Swedish city before either so I hope I'll have some time to explore! 

Trevlig helg! Have a fabulous weekend! 

Niki

// This post is not sponsored. Some of the items seen are press gifts but I was under no obligation to mention them here on the blog. 

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Scandinavian Design Icons: CH07 Shell Chair

Sponsored by Carl Hansen & Søn, with thanks

One of the things I appreciate most about good Scandinavian design, is the dedication to making furniture that is both practical and aesthetic. Combine this with high quality natural materials and a timeless appeal and you have a masterpiece on your hands that can be loved for generations to come. 

Danish furniture designer Hans J.Wegner was one of the distinguished designers of all, and helped to put Danish design on the world map. His work is widely recognised for its organic functionality and with items such as the Wishbone chair, CH25 Lounge Chair and Elbow Chair part of his portfolio, it's little wonder he's known as the 'King of Chairs'! 

Today I'd like to pay homage to one of his finest designs: the iconic CH07 Shell Chair. 

The three-legged chair was designed in 1963, but despite positive reviews for it's avante-garde look and feel, it was only when Carl Hansen & Søn reintroduced the Shell Chair in 1998 that the general public appreciated its distinct expression. Twenty-five years on it's one of the most well-loved, iconic chairs of our time!  

The Shell chair is instantly recognised by it's wing-like seat and curved backrest which is supported by three arched legs. Its testimony to Wegner's mission to ensure a chair should be beautiful from every angle. 

The chair has been around for sixty years, and to celebrate the occasion Carl Hansen & Søn have launched this 60th anniversary edition of the Shell Chair in rosewood and oak (with the option of adding seat cushions) - available until December 31st 2023. A small brass plate with Hans J.Wegner's signature can be seen back making it a true collector's item! 

Imagine having a piece like this in your home? I've certainly loved looking after this masterpiece in our sitting room these past few days (sadly it's only on loan!). 

It looks mighty fine beside some of my favourite smaller items which include a vase by my dear artist friend Jennifer Idrizi in nearby Lund and two darling figurines by local Malmö artist Simon Vendin - the latter of whom keep a good eye on things when we're not home! 

I hope you enjoyed reading about the magnificent CH07 Shell Chair! If you're curious, read more about it over at Carl Hansen & Søn.

I have had the great privilege of capturing quite a few iconic danish design pieces in my home over the past few years - here are some of my favourites: 

Wishbone chairs in my dining room

The Plico chair in our cabin sitting room

The Windsor chair in our cabin dining room

Do you have a favourite item of furniture that you dream of owning one day? If so, do tell us more below! 

I hope you have a 'trevlig helg' (lovely weekend)! See you Monday!

Niki

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Our DIY Budget Powder Room Makeover

Not your standard opening picture. But I thought I'd show an honest 'before' picture of our downstairs bathroom - swimsuits and all. 

We've been putting off renovating this room ever since we moved in fifteen years ago and it's still sporting the same red ceiling and blank walls. There was nothing wrong with it per se, it was just very plain and a little dated. Nothing that warrants ripping the entire room out and starting from scratch at least. Even so, it had become unloved and a dumping ground - there were even some skis in the shower! 

Renovating a bathroom, no matter how small, can be hugely expensive. But having painted the tiles in our laundry room, I felt optimistic that something could be done to our downstairs loo on a budget too!

Here is what we did. 

The first step was to paint the ceiling (I can't tell you how satisfying it was!). We used a white from the Jotun Lady Aqua range. The floor also got a makeover with 3V3 tile paint in Tarmac. 

And then came the rest:

Ta daaaa! 

There's quite a lot at play here. We removed the glass shower door and hung up an L-shaped shower rod (we bought a simple white one and then painted it in the same paint as the floor). The shower curtain (light stone from Humdakin) and rattan matt add a softness to the room and help to dampen the sound - always good in a guest bathroom!  

We kept the wall tiles (one of the biggest costs when renovating bathrooms is the work that goes into replacing tiles) - but since the walls were so vast and blank, we decided to put up a glass cabinet (Hastrup from Jysk). It was no easy feat; we had to use a special sensor to detect what was behind the wall. The last thing we wanted to do was drill through a pipe or electric cable. This is a major danger when drilling into bathroom walls, I'd highly recommend calling in an expert to avoid any accidents! 

When it comes to budget makeovers, I am a firm believer that the devil is in the details. Picking out smart pieces really help to elevate a room. The brushed brass toilet brush and toilet roll holder are both from Danish brand D-line. 

I've had the little rustic stool for years (pick up a similar antique stool here*). And the art is by Swedish painter Carola Kastman. 

The next step was to give this corner an overhaul:  

Here is the result, drum roll please....

We tried to keep the existing bathroom cabinet and sink but it simply wasn't practical for numerous reasons, so in the end we swapped it out for this very reasonably priced cabinet, sink and tap from Hornbach. 

I updated the colour on the cabinet using Mohair from Jotun Lady (thinking about it now, I probably should have used a specific bathroom paint, so let's see how it fairs!) and added knobs and a towel rail from D-line. 

I have never liked the plastic silver lights that were here when we moved in. The problem was we didn't want the faff and expense of changing the mirror so we had to find a light that exactly fitted the holes! I was very relieved to finally stumble across this bathroom light in Bauhaus! 

The final corner to get a simple makeover was this one: 

We swapped out the existing aluminium towel hooks for pretty handcrafted ones from D-Line (which match the other details). 

I'm a big fan of baskets (these are from Granit and IKEA) - they make each hook go a lot further and now we have a lot more space for bits and bobs like swimwear, slippers (from Humdakin), hair stuff etc. 

This is how this corner looks now: 

Right folks. That covers everything I think!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about our budget DIY bathroom makeover! If you have any questions just give me a shout below and I'll do my best to help. 

By the way, have you noticed how tidy it looks? I'd love for it to stay this way. But will I still find empty loo roll cartridges on the side when I go in? Definitely (does this drive anyone else nuts?). Will it be filled with drying swimwear and ten thousand towels within 24 hours? No doubt! 

But for today at least, I will be enjoying it in all its neat and tidy glory!

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend! 

Niki

A big thank you to Per for helping with so much of the DIY - I'm so lucky to have a handyman and physicist in the house! So much appreciation for the brainstorming and advice from Helen Sturesson too! 

Also, thank you for the press gifts D-line, Humdakin and IKEA.  

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A Peek at the Lights in My home and Studio!

Sponsored by HVLG International. All words and pictures are my own.

Do you find that when it comes to decorating a home, there's always some items that are easier to buy than others? And it's so personal! While I might be less good at sourcing rugs, I have a huge passion for lighting and it's one area of our home that I have fully covered! Could it be the dark Swedish winter? Or perhaps that I see lighting like art? Or maybe it's the huge variation waiting to be discovered. Either way, I'm always on the hunt!

Last week, I added three beautiful new gems to my home and studio from Hudson Valley Lighting Group International. While this was purely an instagram collaboration, I'm so happy with them, I thought maybe you'd like to see the gems here on the blog too! 

At home

In the corner of our sitting room I added the Nora wall sconce by Mitzi. I was drawn to it because it's like a jewel, brightening up what can be a fairly dark corner. It's also not too big which is great, as behind that curtain is our flatscreen TV and my children wouldn't be very happy with me if something were to obscure their latest series! Oh, the decorating struggles! 

This is the brass version, but it also comes in nickel if you prefer a silvery finish! Oh, and it's also suitable for use in the bathroom. You might recognise the style as Liv has a matching Nora pendant in her room (take a peek here). 

In the studio

A few years ago I made the big move out of my home office to a studio in the centre of Malmö, and I've never looked back! It certainly helps that I share my studio with two lovely, talented ladies (so many laughs as well as support and words of encouragement). 

Last week, I set up this Curves No.1 table lamp on my desk, and I have to say there was a lot of excitement 'Oohing and Ahhing' as we gathered around to admire it. The brass, rattan and linen details are beautiful! It's not all only aesthetics though - the height is adjustable and the lamp swivels, so it's highly practical too! 

Here's a closer look at the fine brass base and details.

You might also be excited (I was) to discover this table lamp has a sister - the  Curves No.1 floor lamp. Which now stands proudly beside the studio sofa. 

I was so happy to discover that this lamp was equally easy to put together - it took seconds for it to be up and running (I'm not one for a major amount of fuss, are you?). 

The lamp features the same brass and rattan details. And I love that it combines traditional touches with a modern aesthetic. It could fit in anywhere and be moved around at whim! 

It also features a foot button to turn it on and off - big bonus in my eyes! 

I hope you like these lamps as much as I do - and have enjoyed a peek inside my home and studio today.

You can read discover more about them and see the full collection at Hudson Valley Lighting Group International (ships worldwide).

You can also see more of their lamps throughout my home and cabin here: 

A new wall sconce from HVLG International

3 new lamps at home from Hudson Valley Lighting

Lighting up at home with these lovely lights

Bright ideas: lighting up our cabin and my friends' bathroom

Feel free to ask about any other details you see in my home and studio and I'll be happy to help in the comments below! 

I'll be back on Friday with a beeeeeautiful home tour. See you then! 

Stor kram!

Niki

All words and photography my own ( Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home) 

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4

The New Wishbone Chair in Slate in my Home!

Paid partnership with Carl Hansen & Søn, all words are my own and I only work with brands I love and think you will too. This post has been edited with a correction. 

I love chairs. People often think that you need to buy a whole set, and that they're specifically designed to go round a dining table. But in my mind, chairs are like art. Functional art. And they can look just as beautiful and be practical anywhere in the home. Especially when they are as iconic as the Wishbone chair CH24. This classic Danish beauty, designed by  Hans J. Wegner is over 70 years-old, but you'd never know it thanks to its timeless design. 

I of course love the oak version, but I was also very excited to hear about a new collaboration between danish furniture company Carl Hansen & Søn and London-based designer Ilse Crawford. A partnership which resulted in nine new colour variants of the Wishbone Chair which include soothing earthy tones of Pewter, Hollyhock, Barley, Seaweed, Terracotta, Clay, North Sea, Slate and Falu.

This fine specimen in my bedroom is the 'Slate' variation. 

The chairs have then be finished in a translucent, non-toxic, water-based paint for depth to the familiar shape and also to allow the natural grain to shine through. Everything else about the chair remains intact including the FSC certified beech and natural cord (on a recent trip to Copenhagen, I watched the weavers in action and the level of craftsmanship was immense!). 

It's been a while since I've shown this little corner of my home. Per built these shelves over 15 years ago and they are still going strong! They're not very solid though, hence why they only hold a whittled down curated display including clay figures by local artists Simon Vendin and a bowl by Helena Gorne, a piece of drift wood picked up on a volcanic beach in Iceland, art by my children and lots of plants and photos! 

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I think chairs can look lovely in pretty much all rooms of the home. Perhaps my favourite spot for this one is simply against the wall in my bedroom (beside the desk). I like that it means you can more clearly see the outline of the shape. 

Until of course, I cover it in clothes - I give it two days! 

I know it would look beautiful by the table too - either as an entire set or one at the end, perhaps one day I'll move it down, we'll see! 

Are you a fan of the wishbone chair too? 

If you're tempted, see the complete collection over at Carl Hansen & Søn. 

It's been ages since I've featured my home here, if you'd like to see more corners, check out my home  although, I'm starting to feel some updates are needed so maybe you're better off looking at my cabin or better still, there are also lots of beautiful home tours to discover in the archive if you'd like some inspiration this weekend! 

I hope you a relaxing couple of days, thank you so much for stopping by.  

Vi ses på måndag! 

Niki

NOTE I previously stated that this was a limited edition collection, which was an error. The nine CH24 Sift collection will be permanent. The post has been corrected accordingly. Sorry for any confusion! 

Photography & styling: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. 

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