Danila's Lovely, Earthy Home In A Finnish Rental

Quite often, the homes I show are blessed with dramatically high ceilings, beautiful stucco, original parquet flooring and other drool worthy period features. All very well if you are lucky enough to have these in your home, but what about the rest of us mere mortals? If you fall into the latter camp, you'll be as excited as I was to hear the owner of this Finnish apartment state in her instagram bio: "making the most of a not so glam 73m2 rental." Sound familiar? Read on for some beautiful inspiration from Danila Yonsini's lovely home!  

Danila has painted her walls in soothing earthy tones with a warm hint and added plenty of texture to break up the 'boxy' feel of the architecture.

IKEA rattan cupboard, Portrait H* is similar, Mantis table lamp*

Every time I see a Samsung The Frame TV it takes me straight back to that greenhouse make-over I did with Emily Henderson.  I love the one in my sitting room too - I always choose pictures like the one Daniela's chosen but my kids love to change it to more shall we say 'statement' art - just to wind me up!  

We're so used to seeing iconic String shelving in the sitting room, but I absolutely love it in the kitchen too (as seen here!!).  

Is it just our family, or is your hallway floor knee deep in shoes too? If you have the wall space for it, this storage from IKEA is really nifty! 

I spy a piece that has gone bananas on instagram lately: the round, white ceramic vase from HM Home (I couldn't find this in the online store so it might require a store visit if you're interested) . They're everywhere! 

I love the little sculpture next to the bed. Sadly, I don't know where this particular one is from, but I got sent a similar one recently by a Swedish artist and it's one of my favourite pieces! You can see a glimpse of it in my sitting room here and they're available here. 

I hope Danila's home has given you some inspiration for your own home! You can see more pictures here. 

Fancy delving into a few more Finnish homes today?

In case you missed it, I shared a stunning Finnish family home in a former schoolhouse yesterday (so dreamy!) and I also love the happy, vibrant home of a Finnish designer and Maiju's delightful home. Check out the entire archive here. 

Niki

Photography: Danila / @indivisualstyle

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10 ways To Transform Your Home Into a Sanctuary Like a Dane!

Yesterday I talked about one of the hot (or should I say cool?) colour trends of the year. And today I wanted to share another key trend that's been popping up - which centres around well-being. In my Lagom book I wrote about how, in an age where we're connected 24/7 and constantly feeling a little overwhelmed, it's become important to create a living space where you can find balance, switch off and relax. In essence the home has become our sanctuary. Not quite there with that spa-like feel yet? Don't worry, it's easier than you might thing! I was excited to discover the Danish home of Simone Østergaard which is a great example of how a family living space can be transformed into a calming oasis in 10 simple steps. Ready to dive in? 

1. Declutter: There's a big difference between having a minimalist home and one that is devoid of clutter. The essential aspect of creating a calming home is surrounding yourself with things you love and believe to be useful. Even if you have many! Everything else must go - they'll only make you feel disorganised and stressed. 

2. Texture: Keeping things clean doesn't mean boring. Simone has applied Kalkitir paint in powder form to her walls for a beautiful textured look. 

3. Plants and flowers: maybe a cliché but nature is like balm for the soul. Surrounding yourself with fresh or dried flowers and lots of greenery is an instant mood lifter! 

4. Sheer curtains: Sheer window dressings slip in soft, diffused light for instant calm. Source similar made-to-measure curtains here*. 

5. Candles: Where would a Scandinavian home be without candles?! Don't wait until night fall though - a naked flame in daylight hours is perfect for adding a spa-like feel! Add a beautiful scent to really get the senses going.

6. Natural textures: wood, rattan, sheepskin and other natural materials will instantly make a room feel cosier.

7. Calm bedroom: a bit of an obvious one, but for the best type of beauty sleep, your bedroom should be decluttered, calm and fairly cool. Since living in Scandinavia I've also become a real advocate for single duvets too - being able to choose your own down thickness and sticking a limb out in whichever direction you please are tantamount to a great night sleep! 

8. Cocoon: Children love to be cosy and feel safe. Creating a cocoon over their bed in the form of a canopy will sure to send them into a blissful slumber. 

N.B. make sure anything items you choose to place around a cot are child-safe! 

9. Fluffy towels and dressing gowns: Towels rolled up in a vintage wooden dough bowl* and a soft robe give the bathroom instant spa appeal! 

10. Contain your stuff! It's impossible not to have lots of bits and pieces in the bathroom (if you ask me!). Using trays and pretty containers for hair clips, cotton wool, moisturisers and other bits and bobs will help to create a calmer, more organised space and it'll look prettier too! Hay sells a similar marble tray*. 

I'm feeling more relaxed just looking at these pictures, how about you? 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular - or anything you might implement in your home? 

The first thing I'd like to do is organise our bathroom so there are more containers for all our stuff! It's out of control right now - and I'd sooooo love it to look like Simone's. I have a feeling that if I rolled up towels like that in our bathroom my 11-year-old daughter would use them all in one afternoon though! Guh! 

You can see more calming snapshots of Simone's home on her blog and instagram. 

Other serene homes to feel inspired by: 

A calm, elegant Stockholm apartment

Get the look from a serene family home in Berlin

A delightful green and white swedish home with a pretty bed nook

Have a relaxing day friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Simone Østergaard with thanks

This post contains affiliate links which means I might make a tiny amount of money if you click through and buy an item from one of the links marked with *

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Lovely Christmas Touches In A Calm Berlin Home

Friday friends, FRIDAY! And it's a special one in Sweden today: as we're celebrating Lucia. Alongside midsummer, the Lucia celebrations is one of my favourite. In case you're not familiar with the concept, Lucia is an ancient mythical figure and a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters. This morning parents across the country (myself included) waited in the dark, cameras at the ready, while our children participated in a special Lucia procession - wearing candles in their hair (gingerbread men, 'tomten' (Father Christmas) and other characters were also involved!). It's a sight to behold! White must be on my mind - as I was immediately drawn to Katharina's beautiful home in Berlin, Germany this morning. Katharina sells beautiful homeware pieces through her online shop Edel Weiss. Many of the pieces she sells can be spotted in her home, and jostle for position with a fab array of  Scandinavian design lamps and cultural objects. Look out for the pretty festive touches too! Enjoy the tour! 

Print from wall of art, IKEA Nockeby sofa with a Bemz Belgian linen cover in soft white*. Z1 lamp, Cuba chair

"This year I have decorated a lot with paper stars and natural materials. There are also candles and small lights everywhere."

Woodland trees from Arboretum

Stoff nagel candleholder, Louis Poulsen table lamp*

Eve II limestone sculpture, Kizu table lamp, try the 'Snö' candle by Skandinavisk - smells divine! (20% off with code nikijul20 until 16th December too). 

"This year, our tree will be decorated with white Christmas baubles and pendants made of paper." 

Thonet chair*, candleholder

Vertigo pendant light, AJ Lamp*

What a beautiful apartment! 

I love the wooden trees - I've just been over at the Arboretum site, they sell such a great selection too (got my eye on the forest!). 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Katharina's home?

If you live in Germany, check out Katharina's shop, it's full of beautiful pieces! 

Right folks. That's it from me for the week! If you're looking for Christmas inspiration over the weekend, have a delve through the Christmas and Christmas decorations archives. 

I'm heading to London today to see my sisters and parents - ALL BY MYSELF! Luxury! 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! 

Niki 

PS If you want to give someone the gift of a home that smells like a Scandinavian Christmas, don't forget to make the most of the 20% discount on seasonal candles from Skandinavisk with code nikijul20.

Photography by Katharina and shared with kind permission

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A Family Home With a Breath-taking View of The Austrian Alps

Sometimes it's the home you fall in love with, other times it's the setting. I can imagine that for the Sperrer family, it was both! When blogger, PR consultant and portrait photographer Lisa Sperrer, her husband and  two daughters (7 and 15) went to view this 1970s bungalow in the foothills of the alps back in 2015, they were amazed by the views. They also saw that the house had huge potential - despite the 1970s wallpaper! They set about transforming it into the light and airy living space it is today. I chatted with Lisa to find out a little more about the renovation, the inspiration behind the neutral scheme and THAT breath-taking view!

What was the house like when you bought it?
It was fresh out of the 70s - with outdated wallpapers, carpets and furniture. Everything was in good condition, so we were able to sell a lot of it, keeping a few special things.

Did you need to make any bigger changes too?

We stripped the wallpaper and carpets, laid solid wood floorboards and renovated the bathroom and the rest room. The house was designed with huge windows, which we loved, but we replaced the existing windows with wooden ones. We're honestly not finished yet, and I don't think we ever will be - there's always something to do and I love that! This week, for example, we got new doors. 

Was it love at first sight?

When I first stepped into the house, we immediately fell in love with the view. We love our window seat - it's like an ever changing painting. The mountain in front of our house is called 'kremsmauer' - and we have a lot of other mountains nearby. We love to hike with our daughter (meanwhile the teenie has different hobbies!!), we also love mountain biking. 

What is important to you when it comes to decorating? 

My husband and I fortunately share the same taste. We love the combination of white and solid wood, and the mix of old and new. For the last few years I've been focusing a lot on sustainability - with regards to food, clothes lifestyle and furniture.  

What inspires you?

I get inspired by a lot of things! Firstly, nature! Most of my ideas come to me while out walking in the woods. I also love to travel and soak up the culture and style of other countries. I like to look at old interior books from the mid-century. And last but not least, Instagram and Pinterest - there are so many creative people out there! 

I spy lots of designer pieces in your home - do you have a favourite piece? 

We have some classics from Vitra, Iittala, Fritz Hansen and Thonet but also items from new designers. I really love my shelves from Konstantin Slawinski - they are modular, so you can easily arrange them however you like - perfect for interior lovers who always like to change everything in their homes! We also have some IKEA furniture - like our kitchen and the solid wood items in my daughter's bedroom. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home this Monday Lisa - those views are just incredible! 

If you'd like to see more of Lisa's lovely home hop on over to her instagram feed: @wohnprojekt and blog: Wohn Projekt (I see she's also shared a great star / snowflake DIY!). 

This isn't the first Austrian house I've shown - a quick check in the archives revealed this fabulous ski chalet (which makes me so excited about our ski trip to the Austrian Alps in February! Have you been to Austria? If not, it's definitely one for the bucket list! 

Have a great start to the week friends! 

Niki

PS Did you stop by for Christmas inspiration? If so, head on over the Christmas and Christmas decoration archives - there are so many inspiring ideas waiting for you! 

Photography: Lisa Sperrer

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A Pared-back, Warm Family Home With Handcrafted Pieces

Why, hello there! Any plans to celebrate lil lördag (little Saturday) in style? Maybe this home tour will set you on the right path! Schirin lives in an old house dating back to 1928, in Bremen, North Germany with her husband Thomas and their two children Mattis (8) and Karlotta (4). Schirin works for a non-profit organisation by day - and at night pens Schmasonnen, a blog focusing on sustainable interiors. When Schirin and Thomas first bought their house over 7 years ago it was incredibly run down and in major need of repair. The duo set about renovating the property with a sustainable mindset, being careful to retain the original details. Today, the family enjoy a pared-back home which exudes warmth thanks to the abundance of natural materials, handcrafted pieces (Schirin and Thomas designed and built the kitchen table, shelving unit and children's climbing frame among other things! yep, I know!) and vintage finds. Step this way for the tour! 

There are so many pieces to love in Schirin's sitting room including: Nomad chair, Hay sofa, Kristina Dam table. I also love the woodturning stove tucked into the corner of the room - such a cosy touch in wintertime! 

Schirin and Thomas built the shelves (try Tylko for similar), Stockholm 2017 coffee table, Kristina Krogh print and Louis Poulsen Panthella lamp*. 

Schirin designed the climbing frame and slide, and Thomas, who is an engineer for wood technology, built it. Oh, how I'd have loved this when I was little! Lilla Gunga sells wonderful wooden indoor toys like this (Allie has the gymnastics rings in her bedroom and absolutely loves them!). 

Feeling very inspired by Schirin and Thomas's home - not least because of all the handmade pieces! 

Do you have any handmade pieces in your home? If so, I'd love to hear more about them! 

You can see more snapshots from Schirin's lovely Bremen home on her blog and instragram: @schmasonnen. 

Looking through the archives, this is actually the first time I've featured a home from Bremen (I'm guessing this won't be the last time, though!). But there are a load of other lovely homes from Northern Germany to drool over, including an inviting family home in a small village,  a charming home in kassel, North Germany and a playful home that will put a smile on your face! 

Have a wonderful day friends!

Niki

Photography: Schirin / Schmasonnen shared with kind permission

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