A Soothing Colour Palette of Blues and Greys in a Swedish Home

Tjena! Lately Per and I have been thinking about moving house - mainly to get a bigger garden (from my side), I think he said something about a tool shed....(maybe he's resigned to the fact that he's the My Scandinavian Home DIY main man!). But, having taken a few months to look around the ruthless housing market that is Malmö right now, we're getting major cold feet and considering making changes to our house instead - have you been through this thought process too?! If we stay put, one of the first things I'd update is our kitchen and open plan living area (potential mood boards to follow!). I think this is why this Swedish apartment appealed so much to me this morning. Look at that blue / brown combination! I also love how they've painted the underside of the dining table to match. The rest of the apartment has been painted in subtle nuances of grey which complement the blue in a beautiful way and help bring the entire look together. All in all, a truly inspiring palette! 

The kitchen cabinets and brass knobs are both IKEA.

This soothing colour palette from Jotun Lady is similar to the one in the kitchen:

On trend brown and amber tones compliment the greys and blues and add warmth. 

The Little Petra armchair looks like a big bear hug! I could totally do with a cup of tea in that very spot right now, fancy joining me?!

The same tones are carried through to the bedroom.

This cushion is very similar to the one seen (it appears slightly darker in the picture but I have the same one on my sofa and it's actually lighter in real life). Source a pretty ruffled bed skirt here*.

We were at the summer cottage this weekend and every other person at the 'morgonbrygga' (morning swimming bridge) was wearing an old dressing gown and pair of clogs like the ones in this hallway. Another observation: if you truly want to fit in the next time you're in Sweden you're going to need a fairly battered pair! Sadly I don't have any either - but a quick search uncovered a treasure trove of vintage clogs and even a pair of wood and leather Scholls*! 

Vintage Swedish footwear aside (!), is there anything you love about this home? Could you imagine going for a colour scheme like this? 

Pull up a chair and drool over a load more Swedish homes in this archive! 

Have a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Credits: Entrance

*Affiliate links

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In Sweden, Singing the Mid Blues In An Urban Apartment

I've been noticing mid blue is on the rise in homes in Scandinavia, and the good news is, its way easier to pull off than it's even darker cousins. This one-bedroom apartment in Gothenburg has been painted in Blåis by Jotun Lady, with touches of bright white for contrast, as well as subtle brown and beige accents. Look closely and you'll also spot many of the lovely original 1920s details, such as high ceilings, parquet flooring and a glass panel door. All in all, a truly lovely home, just waiting for someone to move in and make it their own! Gothenburg anyone?

The cabinet fronts have been spray painted in the same deep Blåis - Jotun Lady hue as the walls and for a cohesive, contemporary look.

Little Petra Armchair, Hay knot (sculpture), white linen curtains*

Try The Poster Club* for similar prints and frames (ships worldwide), Mirage blanket.

Hay Dot Cushion, Cooee Design Ball vase

What do you think? Tempted to go over to the dark side, even if it's just the one wall?! 

I love how this blue appears darker or lighter depending on how the light hits it. I actually thought each room was painted in a different colour at first glance, but Bon Interior assure me it's all one tone! 

In case you need a little more persuasion, here are some other lovely Scandinavian homes in dramatic, dark tones: 

Converted stables in dramatic tones, in Norway

A sophisticated Swedish homes in dark tones (love this one!)

A beautiful atmospheric Malmö home in dark tones

Or you could just snap up this apartment (it's for sale!). 

I'm off to take it easy after a very long day on set yesterday. It all went well though and I can't wait to share the results with you in October. Phew!

Do you have any fun plans for today? 

Niki

Photography: Alen Cordic

Styling: Bon Interior

For: Bjurfors

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Contemporary Meets Cosy In a 1920s Swedish Apartment

Why, hello there! I hope you had a great weekend! Ours was chaotic to say the least (with even a trip to A&E thrown in - my younger daughter hurt her foot poor thing, but all was OK - phew!). Don't you find, sometimes though, you only need to do one really nice thing to make the entire weekend feel special? Yesterday afternoon we went out fishing for a couple of hours just next to where we live and caught some herring for our supper. It was so relaxing - and rewarding! Speaking of sailing, I shared some snapshots from our island hopping on Sweden's south east coast yesterday. I hope the pictures might inspire you to visit this part of the world one day! Anyway, I'm sure what you really came by for today is the home tour, so I promise not to waffle on! Let's dive straight in!

I stumbled across this Swedish maisonette on Kvarteret Mäkleri earlier today. Built by architect Nernst Hanson in 1923, it's located in Gothenburg and has been carefully renovated to preserve all the original details such as serving cabinets, wood floorboards and high skirting boards. It also has some rather lovely modern touches -  striking just the right balance between contemporary and cosy!  

Grey-beige toned kitchen cabinets have been popping up a lot lately in Sweden. The beige adds a lovely warmth to the grey and yet the look is still very calm. I wish I had a colour code for these, if anyone can help please do add a comment below! 

String shelves, sinnerlig pendant lamp, Lilla Åland chairs

Karin chair by DUX, seagrass belly basket*

Gloria candle holder, Copenhagen plant pot

The master bedroom is down a flight of stairs. Although, it may feel slightly dark during the daytime (there's only one small window), I can imagine the white washed wood beam ceiling, stone walls and quietness more than make up for it! 

Mirrors are such a great way to add natural light to a darker space and make the room feel larger. It also gives us a small glimpse off the stairs which have been painted in fresh white - lovely!

I loved the simplicity of this space - kind off perfect for a Monday, don't you think?

Did anything stand out to you?

As always, you can enjoy a load more Swedish homes in this archive. There must be well over a thousand homes squirrelled away in there by now! Perfect for a rainy day! 

Have a great start to the week! 

Niki 

Photography / for sale through Kvarteret Mäkleri

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A Small, Yet Soothing Swedish Apartment In Grey-Beige Shades

It's Friday, friends! Yay! It's positively baking here in Sweden - is it sizzling where you are too?! I think this calls for a lovely cool, calm home tour, don't you?  Somewhere we can imagine kicking back with a magazine and an ice-cold drink, while a lovely breeze washed over us from the windows (OK, getting slightly carried away). The apartment in question may not be big, but what it lacks in size, Refine Design Studio has more than made up for in style. The Stockholm based interior design firm were tasked with fitting 21 apartments in a wooden house in Linköping, built by Wilzéns. Led by Natalie Strömberg, they selected a palette of soothing grey-beige and nutty brown with touches of black and white to highlight the incredible design elements. Let's dive in!

On the colour:

"Warm colour range of grey-beige shades together with accents in black and white to create a Scandinavian base with industrial elements."

On the kitchen:

"The kitchen has been given a nutty beige-brown tone with matt lacquered doors and the work surfaces are lined with a white terrazzo HT-Calacatta and chrome details."

On Terrazzo: 

"Terrazzo is an artificial stone made of crushed marble or even of hard rocks and cement. It is an old method which has recently made a comeback in Scandinavia with its vibrant expression and changeability with compound mixed rocks giving the kitchen character and playfulness."

I'm feeling revived just looking at this space. Plus, the neutral scheme would make it easy to make it your own too - perfect!

Is there anything you love about this home?

There's a load more beautiful Swedish homes to be found in this archive! If this pops up first, just scroll on passed. 

Right, that's it from me. I've got two little girls waiting to go for a dip in the sea! And then we're hoping to head up to the summer cottage (can't wait to potter around that kitchen!). 

I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend too - stay cool! 

Niki

Credits: Refine Design Studio / @refinedesignstudio

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A Beautiful, Atmospheric Malmö Home in Rich Dark Tones

Having ventured to far-flung places like Joshua Tree and Norway on the blog this week (only virtually, of course, although wouldn't it have been nice to have visited in person?!), it feels so good to round up the week with a home tour right here in the heart of Malmö. And it's a beauty too! Think deep, earthy tones, vintage finds in lovely dark wood, a vibrant mustard yellow accent and the odd fresh bloom. This charming Southern Sweden home is bound to put you in a perfectly serene mood just in time for the weekend - and there's so much inspiration to be taken from it too! 

Beautiful.  

To me, it holds a touch of nostalgia too. My Grandmother spent her thirties in the Punjab in India and brought back a lot of her dark wood / cane furniture with her when she returned to England. 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

If you'd love to see a few more homes in rich, dark tones over the weekend - take a look at these:

A Norwegian home gets the dark treatment - and it's beautiful! 

Make-over: a dated space becomes a tranquil bathroom

Converted stables become a dramatic Norwegian home full of contrast

Is this your kind of look, or do you prefer to decorate your home with a lighter touch?

Right. All that's left for me to say is: I hope you have a fabulous weekend!  Thank you for a brilliant week. I've loved reading all your comments and mails! 

Niki 

PS Speaking of Malmö, I'm excited to be spending the day at the home of the founder and designer behind Aveva Design today: Eva Gassna Jeckelmann. I'll be sharing snapshots from her fabulous home and studio over on Aveva instagram stories if you're curious to see what we're up to!

Photos courtesy of Bo-laget (where it is currently for sale!). Found via Trendenser with thanks.

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