A Cosy Small Swedish Apartment With Earthy tones

It's back to the city for today's post - and a tour of a charming boho Swedish apartment. 

The cosy space measures a mere 49 square metres (527 square feet) but it's been kitted out for maximum comfort with a kitchen, small dining area, sitting room and bedroom.

As with all small spaces, flow of light is important, and wide doorways and open shelving allow natural light to leak into every corner and create an airy feel. But for me, what really steals the show are the use of rich tones, and earthy patterns, all of which make the space warm and inviting!  

I especially love the nook in the dining area - made from an antique bench - I'd happily sit there drinking coffee and chatting for hours! 

Enjoy the tour! 

The apartment building dates back to the 1940s - evidence of which can be seen in the kitchen cabinets, windows and windowsills. 

Plants, books, art and other treasures give the home a personal feel, while plenty of storage ensures everything else can be hidden away to avoid a cluttered feel. 

A green corduroy sofa, amber cushion and dusty pink cushion add a hint of colour to the sitting room, while a sculptured table and ceiling light add plenty of personality! 

Spider plants (seen hanging beside the window) remind me so much of my Dad! He used to love them and they'd be everywhere in our home - even the bathroom! Do you have a plant that makes you feel nostalgic? 

Such a lovely home. The more you look, the more details you discover. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

If you'd like to see more small city apartment inspiration from Scandinavia this weekend, check out: 

A light and airy open-plan Swedish loft

A small Swedish apartment packed with charm and sunlight

A calm one room Swedish apartment in the city

Sasa Antic's small Stockholm apartment 

I think that's it from me. It's 26 degrees celsius (78 F) in Sweden today, which is crazy, so even the badkruka (meaning swim pot, a Swedish word to describe someone that is wimpy about getting in cold water) in me might go for a swim. Watch this space! 

Have a wonderful weekend, thank you so much for stopping by! 

Niki

Photos: Johanson, photography: Lindholm for Historiska Hem. Found via Nordroom with thanks. 

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A White Swedish Apartment with A Small Space Hack

Anyone in need of a little calm this Monday? This elegant apartment in Södermalm, Stockholm is blessed with 3.30 metre high ceilings and beautiful period features. Plus, if you're looking to make an extra bedroom out of your living space or work wonders with paint, this is the inspiration for you! Let's take a look at what's at play in this 75 metres square (807 ftsq) apartment. 

In an open-plan space, it makes sense to place the table in the natural light of the window and the sofa in a cosier spot with less light. I love how the living room is full of contrasting textures too - something you'll see throughout the apartment. 

A subtle hint of colour in the children's bedroom does wonders to the overall look and feel of the space. 

I'm guessing the kitchen previously occupied the entire space just off the living room and now carved into two - a children's bedroom and a small space to cook. Once again, contrasts are at play - with the use of both industrial stainless steel and painted wood cabinets. 

Old wood windows allow the flow of light into the kitchen. 

Paint is a budget-friendly way to breathe new life into a space. In the hallway, the owners have painted a geometric pattern on the hall floor and also added a fun modern twist to the doors and cabinets by painting the lower section green. I love this! 

The owners have adopted the same industrial feel in the bathroom for a cohesive look. 

The children's bedroom may be small, but it's certainly pretty, cosy and well organised! The use of white helps the storage to melt in while splashed of colour draw the eye in. 

Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out a layout from the pictures, so here's some more info courtesy of Historiska Hem: 

Glossary: sovrum - bedroom, kök - kitchen, vardagsrum - sitting room, badrum - bathroom.

Absolutely lovely space - it's a total breath of fresh air and I really like the mix of materials. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

The room shuffle reminds me a little of the home I featured recently in Copenhagen here.  

Have a fabulous start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Historiska Hem

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A Beautiful Swedish Loft With Fabulous Dormer Windows!

Godmorgon! After my offbeat post on Monday (check out the amazing before and after pictures of a Swedish camper!), I am reigning it in a little today and landing back to earth. Not quite back to earth though, as this lovely home is high up among the rooftops of Gothenburg's Rosengatan neighbourhood.  

Sometimes great views come at a price - sloped ceilings. But the owners (or designer?) behind this beautiful apartment have worked around this in a magnificent way: creating bespoke cabinets and turning dormer windows into a wonderful feature. An open-plan living space, the bedroom alcove is separated by a glass wall - providing privacy while ensuring a flow of light throughout the home. Oh, and there are plants around every corner, so nature is never far away! 

Välkommen in! 

A perfect example that awkward shape spaces can also be beautiful, don't you think?

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Looking for more inspiration similar to this? Check out: 

Inspiration from a Swedish attic apartment with low sloped ceilings

A mini but mighty one room Swedish apartment

A light and airy Swedish loft with low angled ceilings

I also love this home - with it's stairwell library! 

Today is a public holiday in Sweden (we welcomed in spring yesterday with 'Valborg' - an evening of bonfires, marshmallows and singing!), so we're heading to Torekov for the day to enjoy a little sunshine - and I've also got a photoshoot for Skandinavisk (if you haven't discovered their Skog (forest) scented candle and Hav (ocean) body wash, you need to get on it, they smell absolutely divine! And that's not me being biased, I promise! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Alvhem, with thanks

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A Clever Small Space Hack in a Beautiful Danish Apartment

Hey friends! How are you this fine day? 

One of the things I have always admired about Scandinavians is how practical and resourceful they are. Something needs fixing? Out comes the toolbox. Car tyres need changing? Out comes the jack! And this practical approach transcends to the home too. Scandinavian homes might be beautiful, but they're also user-friendly and comfortable. 

This comes particularly in handy in a small space, where every inch counts.  

A few days ago I was browsing Simply Scandi magazine (if you don't already subscribe, it's a must! And I'm not just saying that because I'm a proud contributor, honest!) - and stumbled across Vasia Moragianni's home. 

After her divorce, Vasia and her young son Emil moved into a one bedroom flat in Copenhagen. Determined to ensure privacy and maximise space, Vasia devised a plan to turn the 60 sq.m (645 sq.ft) space into a spacious and bright two bedroom apartment. Read on to discover how! 

The original floor plan:

When they first moved in, Vasia and her young son Emil shared a bedroom. 

Glossary: værelse - bedroom, stue - sitting room, køkken - kitchen, bad - bathroom, entré - hallway

Floor plan after: 

Vasia swapped the bedroom and sitting room areas and removed a wall between the kitchen and sitting room to create one large room. A wall was erected to divide the bedroom into two separate rooms. 

Kitchen before 

This is how the kitchen looked before the wall was removed:  

And this is how the room looked after the renovation: 

The open-plan space includes a small sitting room and dining room area. 

One bedroom becomes two

Vasia was particularly keen to ensure Emil had his own room. The answer was to divide the single room into two.

In order to maximise floorspace, the bed can be rolled through a hatch into the adjacent room, fitting neatly under the raised bed in the adjacent room.  

While, initially the larger room doubled up as a bedroom and office. These days, the rooms have been swapped and Emil occupies the larger room. When the bed is removed, he has plenty of space to play! 

What a clever idea - so unique! 

The best thing about this renovation is that it ticks all the boxes for small space living: it's multifunctional, flexible, has zones for all activities and allows a wonderful flow of light for a spacious feel. 

Could you imagine doing something like this in your home? Or perhaps you have a friend dealing with a similar conundrum? If so, please do share this post with them in case the idea comes in handy! 

For other small space solutions today, check out: 

10 small space tricks to learn from a Swedish apartment

A small Stockholm apartment with a clever library solution!

11 small space hacks to learn from a beautiful Danish home

You might also like to scroll through the entire small space archive which includes ideas for studio apartments, smart room dividers and more! 

Thanks so much for dropping by this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Niki

Photography: 11& 13 Christina Kayser, the remainder by @small_nordic_tales 

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