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A Beautiful, Space-Saving Family Home in Stockholm, Sweden

I'm still buzzing the Swedish country home yesterday (and judging by the 20,000 hits about it on my instagram I sense I'm not alone!) - did you fall in love too? There's only one thing for it. Move on. After all, a move to the country is not on the cards for the Brantmarks (being the city slickers we are)! So, today I thought I'd focus on living in the city - and how to deal with the space-limitations that so often come with it. On the surface this wonderful Swedish apartment looks pretty spacious. But add a few children to the mix and the tiny bedrooms become a bit of a conundrum. After all, kids demand quite a lot of their rooms: a bed, a desk, somewhere to hang out with friends and / or play and storage. In this wonderful Stockholm home, the owners have made maximum use of the height to create three loft bed solutions which help to maximise space in the children's bedrooms. They've also worked with internal windows to ensure natural light flows into the darkest of corners. Best of all, everything has been done with the utmost style and the entire home has a wonderful personal and relaxed feel! Ready to feel inspired?


The kitchen has been artfully arranged around a classic masonry oven / tiled stove - with a space for wood storage built into the cabinetry

Imagine how cosy this must be with the roaring fire at night? It's set up for some seriously cosy and romantic dinners! 

A more formal dining setting occupies the window area in the sitting room - with a wonderful Nelson Saucer Bubble lamp overhead! 


One of the biggest decorating mistakes people make is buying a rug which is too small for the space. Well, not in this room! 

As a rule of thumb, a sitting room rug should be at least 15 cm - 20 cm  (6" - 8") wider than your sofa on each side. You may then decide whether to place all four legs of your sofa on the rug, or just the front two. 

FYI: I'd never judge anyone for the size of rug they choose in their home - so this is just a helpful guide if you're struggling to decide. Otherwise, anything goes! 

The owners have made the most of a narrow passage - using it as a library and wardrobe space.

Oh, and check out that beautiful wood floor! 

A built-in shelf behind the bed has becoming increasingly popular and is especially useful in a smaller space. 


I love all three of these small space children bedroom solutions! The owners have capitalised on the tremendous ceiling height to create 'vertical' bedrooms complete with desks, storage and cosy seating areas. 

Fun touches include striped wallpaper, gymnastics rings (my daughter has the same ones from Finnish company Lillagunga - as do all her gymnast friends!) and a Ferm Living pineapple rug


I really appreciate the eclectic mix of pieces in this tiny room - including a round shelf from Ferm Living*, a vintage chair and terrazzo side table. 

It's not unusual for magnificent old apartment blocks in Scandinavia to have grand entryways like this. Look at those tiles and how paintwork has been used to highlight the period features. Wonderful! 

What a truly inspiring home - and great inspiration for anyone looking to maximise space in the city!

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Here are a few more Scandinavian city homes for you to enjoy today: 


Har det så fint! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem 

*Affiliate link (which means I may make a very tiny amount of money should you click on the link and buy something - at no extra cost to you). 

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A Swedish Home With a Magnificent Fireplace!

I have one word for this charming Swedish home: fireplace. It's so incredible, it's hard to see anything else. And for many of the people viewing this former brewery this weekend, I'm sure it will seal the deal. I mean, who wouldn't like to spend a cold, grey January day huddled around it with a great book? Styled by the talented Studio In team, the one-bedroom property just outside Gothenburg dates back to 1850 and is one of a pretty cluster of buildings not unlike an Astrid Lindgren tale! Välkommen in






If you close your eyes you can see the tree bursting with leaves and lunch laid out in the dappled sunlight. And I'm sure it would look equally pretty in the snow! 

Could you imagine living here?

I'm thinking this calls for a trip down memory lane to all the other 'conversions' I've shown on My Scandinavian Home. Get cosy, and tap into the archive - or take a peek inside some of my favourites below: 

My friend Louise's former home in a converted school (check out the snapshot I took of her cat in the last pic - I'd forgotten all about that!!).



And the one I'll never tire of....


And with that, the sun has just come out here in Southern Sweden. It's a sign! And a crew to get out there and soak up some much-needed Vitamin D! 

Vi ses imorgon! 

Niki

Photography: Janne Olander, Stylist Therese at Studio In for Stadshem

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Welcome to Emely's Calming Swedish Sanctuary

Well, hello there friends. It's the start of a brand-new week, and although we haven't seen much sun lately (in Stockholm they haven't actually had one single hour of sunshine in a month - and Malmö's not that much better! Pfuh!), I have a feeling this is going to be a good week! Let's kick off with the beautiful home of Emely Crona Stenberg.  Why have I chosen this particular Swedish home? It has everything I love - an abundance of art, a blend of old and new, tactile natural materials, a traditional masonry oven and a wonderful sense of calm. But so much more than that besides. It's a place from where Emely runs the incredible Heja Livet female network with over 85000 members. And above all else, it's her sanctuary. Photographer Mikael Lundblad was there to capture it. 





The wooden kitchen cabinets: one of 2020's biggest trends and only set to rise in 2021. There's no denying how beautiful they are either! 



I spy products by ByRedo. A friend gave me the Bibliothèque fragrance candle as a present and it is absolutely divine! 

Did you notice Emely's dark wood floor? You don't see these so often right now, but it adds a wonderful richness to the entire space as well as a great contrast with the lighter shades on the wall. 

I also loved that big fluffy rug in the sitting room and the glass coffee table. My Mother has a glass coffee table like this - and they are perfect for coffee table books (but not so good for little fingerprints from the grandchildren!).

Is there anything else that stood out to you? 

See more of Emely's lovely world over at @emmecrona and read an inspiring interview in which she opens up about the loss of her parents, and how she copes with her anxiety. 

Come here looking for Scandinavian Christmas inspiration today? Check out the archive! And stop by tomorrow for a touch ion festive spirit! 

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Mikael Lundblad, shared with kind permission.  

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A White Swedish Apartment in Stockholm In Winter Time

Not many cities are as beautiful as Stockholm in winter. And there to enjoy it is Marta Vargas, her fiancé Graeme and their English springer spaniel Summer. Located in Midsommarkransen (I love this name - it means 'Midsummer wreath'), the family of three (soon to be four!), live in a little apartment overlooking "a tiny forest, with deer, beautiful sunsets and many types of birds." Originally from Barcelona, Marta is a graphic designer, photographer and art director and combines her position in the design team at Spotify with other freelance endeavours. The one bedroom flat offers a pared-back yet warm and inviting base from which to explore the city and its surroundings. Here are some snapshots from Marta's wonderful snowy world in the Swedish capital! 




Marta and Graeme used their time during the pandemic to renovate their kitchen - investing in cabinets from Skandinaviska Shakerkök.  

Source a similar wooden clothes dryer* from River Bend Roes. 

A 'snöblomma' advent star* lights up the window, and you can catch a glimpse of the small forest beyond. 

A small space between the open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting room area provides the perfect spot for a Christmas tree, simply decorated in tones of off-white, gold and brown.



A cot from Baby Bay has been set up beside a Jotex headboard for the imminent arrival. 


How lovely! 

It makes me want to relocate to Stockholm, how about you? 

FYI the last picture is actually in Undersåker, 7 hours North of Stockholm. It was taken during a stay at a cottage overlooking a frozen lake for Marta's 30th birthday. Imagine! 

Feel inspired by more photos over at @imartavargas and www.martavargas.com today. 

And here are a few other lovely Stockholm homes: 


On another note, I mentioned that things have sort of piled up my end. I hope you don't mind that I skip tomorrow's post in order to catch up (and breath again!). I figured that Marta's lovely home and the landscape surrounding it offers enough dreamy Scandinavian inspiration to carry us through to Monday, what do you think?

If you're doing some final touches to your Christmas decorating (or just getting started), take a peek at the My Scandinavian Home Christmas archive - there are thousand of Scandi 'Jul' ideas in there! 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Photography: Marta Vargas, shared with kind permission.  
*This post contains affiliate links

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A Swedish Home In Soothing Shades of Blue and Green


Why hello there! We have a mid-week situation going on today and with that, I figured we could take a little break from Christmas decorations and focus on some vackert (beautiful) Swedish design. Up for that? If so, come and take a peek at this stunning Stockholm apartment. The living space is a lesson in earthy, blue, green and emerald jewel-like tones. Study the pictures carefully and you'll also spot ideas for a relaxed kitchen island, vertical bookshelves, how to arrange a small living room area, a 3D gallery wall, vignette styling and much, much more! Swedish photographer Jonas Ingerstedt was there to capture it...

Since the apartment has a dining room (which is fairly common in these turn-of-the-century Swedish homes), a raised breakfast bar in the kitchen serves as a spot to catch a quick bite to eat or simply sit and chat to the chef! The marble top transforms the simple bar (a great hack if you have an IKEA island) - and the mix and match stools help to give the kitchen a lovely, relaxed vibe. 

Many of us have rooms with multiple doors (in our landing we have no less than 5 doors plus a stairwell - gah!) - which can make furniture arranging really tricky. In the sitting room of this flat the two doors opposite each other creates a corridor that needs to be kept obstacles free. The owners have used rounded furniture, arranged in a compact, yet cosy way to carve out a lovely social area. 

A vertical bookshelf makes use of a corner (see - 11 ways to make use of an awkward corner). 



Notice how the owner has used the same tone of marble in the sitting room and kitchen, creating a 'rödtråd' (red thread) and connecting the rooms (see - 8 ways to create cohesion in your home, Danish style for more ideas). 

I love the vignette on the side table - made up of unique pieces such as art, an a-symmetric table lamp, ceramics, books and vases.  


The dining room doubles up as a formal dining setting and study. Stacks of coffee table books lay ready to be browsed, while a 3D gallery wall adds interest to the space. 




The bedroom has been painted in a soothing green - a colour symbolising nature and as sense of tranquillity.  Researchers have also found green can improve reading ability - something to think about if you're a bit of bookworm (or trying to get your children to read more!). 

Love the Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen as a home office piece! It's a favourite of mine, except I love the leather version. 


Such a lovely, calm apartment. 

I particularly love the green and blue tones and the art photography. Is there anything that stood out to you?

Are you ready for a little more festive inspiration tomorrow? Pop back to take a peek at the latest Christmas decorations from Georg Jensen (I particularly love the candleholders in Helen's little tree!). In the meantime, there's plenty of Scandinavian Jul inspiration in this archive.  

Happy lillördag (little Saturday). 

Niki

Photography: Jonas Ingerstedt, shared with kind permission. Found via Nordic Design with thanks.

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