Studio Update: Now We Have Shelving and a Coat Rack!

Sponsored by Maze Interior 

Last month I showed the picture above of my studio in Malmö. Since then, I've been doing a little reshuffling (never a dull moment around here, I tell you!). I'm not sure if I mentioned that I share the room with Helena who works for Maze Interior - a Swedish brand specialising in 'smart, playful and simplistic design that has the lowest possible impact on the environment'.  After the recent studio make-over we felt we were still missing storage, so we got to work (along with Helen Sturesson) with some items from the collection (easy when they have so many great things to choose from!). I thought I'd share the whole process with you, in case you're also looking to create wall-to-wall shelving in your home or office. Even if you're not - I hope you enjoy reading about the update all the same! 

Planning phase

For the shelves, we opted for the Pythagoras Collection - a shelving system which allows you to arrange brackets and shelves in numerous ways as well as choose between different colour and material combinations. 

For the design, we used the online Pythagoras Lab to plan the layout. 

We were keen to have both open and closed shelving and incorporated this into the plan using a series of shelves and drawers - all in white ( you know me!). 

Putting up the shelves

Once the shelving had arrived (it's made in Sweden so it was all pretty swift!), we marked out the wall using old school post-its and a ruler (yes, so old school, I know!). 

It's worth noting that the studio building is well over 100 years old so the concrete walls are pretty wonky, crumbly and all-round tricky! So, for the sake of creating a sleek look (and saving the walls from being at the mercy of my very basic DIY skills) - we roped in the help of a local carpenter. 

Contrary to the original design, we decided to place the triangular brackets in different ways, creating a subtle playful look. I'm so pleased with how that's turned out. 

Sidenote: I went out to buy a spot of lunch last week and came back with the print and frame from a second hand shop, such a find I think! 

The final look

I love it when a plan comes together! 

To finalise the look, the sofa was pulled out from the wall - ask a Dane about their favourite styling trick and many will tell you that you should never have your sofa flush against a wall (unless you live in a teeny space). Even moving it out 15 centimetres can make all the difference to a room! 

We decided to start the shelves quite high as we wanted to be able to store bigger items underneath - but if you don't have this as a requirement, you could also add one more shelf lower down. 

I particularly love the drawers - they're so handy.  

Another sidenote: The tile and wood floor samples are for my tiny cabin - I went for the stone on the left for the bathroom floor, I can't wait to see how it looks! Just above them you can see four figurines - all made by local artist Simon Vendin (the same guy who painted my new picture seen in the first and second to last pic of this post). Needless to say, I love this work! 

Magazine storage

We also felt it would be nice with some extra storage beside the desks (I don't know about you, but I always collect piles of paper, it seems to be my nemesis both at work and home!).  The wall-mounted Now S magazine rack is my new best friend! 

It's made from recycled wire and produced in Sweden and comes black, white or matt brass. If you have a ton of magazine and newspapers (or other paperwork) you might like the larger format, known simply as Now.  

Helena made the cup - she's so talented at pottery! 

Coat & Hat Hanger

We also added a much-needed place to hang our coats (rather than throwing them over the back of the sofa!). This is the Kite clothes hanger (which comes in white, black or grey). I love the barely there look, plus it offers just enough storage.  If you need something that holds more items, it's worth checking out the entire collection of hangers and hooks. 

The room is feeling so much more practical, neat and complete now. We hope you like the update as much as we do! 

If you have any questions about anything you see in the pictures, please do give me a shout and I'll do my best to supply info, links etc! 

Right, I'd better crack on with some work - I've got piles of paper to get through! 

Wishing you all a great start to the week!  

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark  Styling: Helen Sturesson

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8

An Incredible Workspace / Studio and Gallery in Delft Holland

Many moons ago interior designer and photographer Holly Marder of Avenue Design Studio came and shot my home for a magazine feature and we've been in touch ever since. Not only is Holly a lovely, funny person, she's also amazingly talented. Every interior she touches turns to gold and I've featured so much of her interior work here in the past. I was so excited to discover that Holly recently opened a new studio and gallery space in a Dutch canal house in Delft, Holland. The building itself is incredible and boasts soaring ceilings, sash windows and an original parquet floor. And true to style, Holly has used the natural light that floods through the windows as a backdrop for a gallery of "curated collection of art, objects, furniture and design" as well as a design studio. Ready to feel inspired? 

The design studio

I remember when Holly worked from an attic space which doubled up as a guest room. Naturally it was a lovely space - even so, I think we can all agree that the new Avenue Design Studio headquarters is a step up! Connected to the gallery via an outdoor patio, the space is used for presentations, meetings and consultations surrounded by a "rotating collection of curated objects and art which are collected for projects in the process of being finished" as well as samples and materials. 

The magnificent studio table is a travertine piece which has been custom made for the studio. A large mood board (try Ferm Living for similar pinboard) serves as inspiration for various residential interior design projects. 

Gallery by Avenue

Holly is forever sourcing unique pieces for projects as well as collaborating with artists, so a gallery space next door was a natural progression and a long-term ambition. 

The gallery, which is open to the public (I need to visit ASAP!), showcases a collection of vintage and contemporary design as well as furniture and objects designed in the studio. Think earthy tones, natural and tactile textures and a serene look and feel. 

How beautiful! To think people work in spaces like this - gaaaah!

I'd love to visit the gallery too - the only problem is I'd want to buy everything so it would be very dangerous! 

You can see more Avenue Design Studio projects here.

And Holly's own living spaces:

The kitchen

Previous living room

Current living room

Bedroom

Looking to revamp your home office or workspace? There's plenty of small space inspiration here: 

The black and white desk of a Finnish blogger

Vintage inspired home offices

Per's workspace (back when he was teaching from home last year!)

And other, larger studios / workspace inspiration here: 

A surfer's creative studio

An interior designer's studio

An inspiring light-filled workspace in Hannover

workspace envy: studio slow

A Norwegian design studio

And of course, I can't resist including a link to my own studio in Malmö. I moved in three years ago having worked from home for several years. It took me ages to decorate it, and I'm even doing a bit of a reshuffle here tomorrow (you know me!). I can't wait to share more pictures with you soon. In the meantime, you  might like to see the behind-the-scenes tomorrow over at @myscandinavianhome stories. 

That's it from me this week friends! Thank you for your kind comments, I'm so happy you've enjoyed the tours this week (if you've missed them, hit the 'older posts' button below - they're not to be missed!). 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Photography: Avenue Design Studio / Studio Artspret / Fanny Hååg / Rachel Terpstra 

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Happy New Year / Skiing In Åre

Happy new year! I hope you had a relaxing time over the holidays! I am finally back at my desk and feeling soooo slow (third coffee slow!) - which I guess is a good sign as it's meant I really managed to switch off over these past few weeks! But the good news is, I've got some really inspiring Scandi home tours and design news to share with you this week!

But before I launch into my usual Scandi design flow, I'd love to share a few pictures I snapped with my phone from beautiful Åre - I was so mesmerised by our visit and hope you might feel inspired to visit this incredible part of the world one day!

We usually head North for new year (what can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to the cold and dark!) - and this time, we decided to pay our first visit to the Swedish ski resort of Åre. Known for its downhill and cross-country skiing, the resort is located in Jämtland county which is around half way up Sweden and 250 km south of the Arctic Circle. 

They say fortune favours the brave - and I can say it was pretty chilly up there (the coldest day was minus 9 degrees celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit) without the wind chill factor - although friends have told me they've weathered minus 30 (-22 Fahrenheit) from the top. The days were also short (sunrise at 8.45 am and sunset at 2.30pm). But the pay off was a dawn light that cast a magical spell over the frozen fells and valleys.

Jämtland county is best known for it's moose, but there are a great many other animals who roam the frozen fells. For example, Northern Jämtland has the most densely populated brown bear habitat in the world (mercifully in hibernation right now!), and other wildlife such as lynx, wolverines, arctic foxes and golden eagles frequently roam the area. Although we didn't spot some of these more rare species - we did share the fells with a magnificent herd of reindeer! 

If you're an avid skier - or simply love to explore Scandinavia - I can highly recommend this stunning ski resort! Wrap up warm, stop for plenty of hot chocolates and stay somewhere with a roaring fire and wood burning sauna and you'll be just fine!

Could you imagine skiing here? If so, you can find more info about it here. I haven't really thought too much about it, but would it be interesting for me to share a complete guide to this ski resort - or perhaps all ski resorts in Scandinavia? 

Have you ever visited somewhere that you've felt is quite extreme with incredible wilderness? If so, I'd love to hear about it! 

Right folks, that's that out of my system! I am so looking forward to cracking on with some beautiful Scandinavian design inspiration tomorrow. It's great to be back! 

Niki

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9

My Studio Make-over (And How One Sofa Helped Transform the Space!)

Paid partnership with Bemz - thank you for supporting the Nordic brands which make My Scandinavian Home possible

When I first started my business I worked from home. I'd have the washing machine whirring in the background and other working-from-home neighbours stopping by for a cuppa (I'm sure many of you can relate these days)! For a while I loved it, but over the years I started to miss the companionship that comes with being around others and two years ago I moved into a beautiful studio space in town.  It's run by upholsterer extraordinaire Carina Grefmar and we also share the space with Helena who works for a Swedish furniture business called Maze. Needless to say a whole load of coffee goes down on a daily basis!

The only thing is, the room I share with Helena was still pretty much unfurnished save for one Söderhamn sofa and a whole load of boxes! It had becoming increasingly embarrassing, not least because we both work in the world of interiors! And then Bemz launched a Minimalist Fit design cover for IKEA sofas and everything was about to change! 

This side of the room had become a bit of a dumping ground for samples, props and other items. The problem is, once you start with one item, everything else seems to quickly gather - do you find this too?  

I sat down with My Scandinavian Home interior stylist Helen Sturesson (above with her trusty ruler!) and we hatched a plan. 

What we did

You are likely familiar with Bemz as I have partnered with the Swedish brand for many years. I simply love the entire concept. I mean, beautiful designer covers for IKEA armchairs and sofas in a choice of different high quality fabrics, what's not to love? It's the perfect way to give an old piece a whole new lease of life. 

The new Minimalist fit cover differs from their loose and regular fit covers as it doesn't require you to take apart the sofa, you simply pull it on over the top. And it comes with or without arms - in this case I decided to add arms to my sofa for a smarter look (cue a morning at IKEA!). 

I chose the Minimalist Fit cover in Brera Lino in Pebble by Designers Guild - made from 100% linen. 

I love the Pebble tone, the soft linen texture, the seams - everything! Isn't it pretty? I also picked out some cushion covers in Brera Lino Cocoa with French Seams. 

To finalise the look I also added quite a few pieces made by local Southern Sweden designers as well as friends from further afield. Here's a quick round-up in case you're curious:

'Landscape', vinyl paint on linen by local artist Simon Vendin, Design of Edge coffee table, Sculpture from the SANT series by Malmö based Karolina Brobeck & Mini Karami, branches from my friend Sarah's garden (she left secateurs on the doorstep!). 

And from further afield: Tense Lamp by New Works (thank you to local store Svenssons for sourcing this!) and the Palus rug from Armadillo. 

Our desk space in the window is made from several large planks from a local DIY store. I love looking out over the majestic buildings in central Malmö - there's always something interesting to see.

Finally a space we can be proud of! Wohooo! 

I'm so looking forward to plenty of fikas (swedish coffee with cake) - if you're in the area, please do drop by, there's always a coffee pot on the go!

Curious about getting a Bemz design cover for your sofa or armchair? Keep an eye out for the Black Friday sale over at Bemz this week. Here are some of my favourite covers in action: 

My sitting room three different ways

My sitting room refresh with Bemz

One Swedish sitting room, two cosy ways

My daybed update 

My autumn bedroom makeover 

I can't wait to show you the rest of the room once it's finished - this girl is on a mission now! 

Have a cosy day! 

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Styling: Helen Sturesson 

This post is brought to you in paid collaboration with Bemz and contains affiliate links. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the Nordic businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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8

A Small, Cosy Swedish Pad with Warm Tones

It's all very well showing incredible country houses with sweeping staircases or apartments made up of a myriad of large, spacious rooms - after all, I'm a firm believer that you can take inspiration from just about anywhere. BUT, if you are dealing with just one room to live in it can be a little tricker to achieve the look you're aiming for. Fear not, this delightful Swedish studio is proof that sometimes the best homes come in small packages. Designed by Emma Fischer, the Gothenburg living space is a sea of earthy, autumn tones and features an abundance of texture giving the home a lovely, relaxed look. Step this way for the tour!

After my post about round coffee tables last week, I've had many responses from readers saying how much they love theirs. In many ways they are so much practical than a square table: no corners to bang your shins on and they're great for entertaining - but also, from an aesthetic standpoint, the shape helps to soften the look of the room. 

Also, the fluffy rug makes the entire room feel real cosy. 

I love how this sofa has a built in shelf - multi-use furniture is always handy in a small space. 

I'm a huge fan of glass cabinets and this vintage one is a beauty, don't you think? It's important to keep clutter to a minimum in small spaces, and this cabinet helps to maintain a neat and tidy look. I am guessing there's a wardrobe on the hallway for clothes etc. And the bed skirt could also be hiding drawers. 

Book lovers would also need somewhere to store their tomes - I would suggest built in shelves above the sofa or over the bed. 

So pretty! 

I hope you felt inspired by this too! 

See a gazillion more small spaces in this archive. 

I haven't quite decided on the order of my posts this week - but I'm looking forward to sharing a cabin update and my first Christmas post of the year (yes, I know it's a tad early, but it's starting to get very Christmassy around here in Oslo, and it's got me in the mood for some 'Jul' inspiration!). 

Ha en fin dag! 

Niki 

Photo -Anders Bergstadt

Styling - Emma Fischer

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12

Surfs Up At A Boho Studio And Holiday Home Hideaway

How wonderful would it be to work for a few hours and then head out for a surf? That's exactly the set-up Dee Kawai Tang has created at Kawai Heart Studio! Located on the wild coast of Australia on the edge of Fremantle, the atelier was hand built in the 90's using recycled materials and has been lovingly converted into a light-filled photo studio and guest cabin - a few hundred metres from the sea. The family also rent out Lady California Bungalow a beautiful art-deco style property filled with natural light and birdsong. Here are a few snapshots of the two spaces. I could just imagine heading here to write a book (I've always loved the idea of a writer's cabin!), chill or simply head to the nearby beach - how about you? Oh and, please tread quietly - sleeping baby alert! 

How incredible! This relaxed style is right up my street. I'm pretty sure I could find a great rhythm of sleep, work, surf... how about you? 

See more of Kawa Heart Studio and take a peek inside Dee's own home over at @kawa_heart_studio. 

For more workspace / atelier inspiration check out:

The lovely home and atelier of a Swedish artist

A relaxed Danish artists cabin in Copenhagen

The boho home and atelier of a Swedish florist

Speaking of holiday home rentals, I'd be so happy if you could take the time to fill in this very quick questionnaire for me. It's a business idea I am thinking about developing and I'd absolutely love to get your thoughts if you have the time. You can find the survey here. 

Wishing you a lovely day!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @kawa_heart_studio found via SF Girl By Bay with thanks. 

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