A Swedish Apartment with a Mid-Century Vibe

It's so important to decorate your home in a way that feels just right for you (and your family). However, if you get stuck on something - like which dining chairs or overhead light to choose, it's helpful to look at the architecture and the period in which your dwelling was built. Case in point: my Mother lives in a house that was built in the 1960s and designed by a well-known architect and struggled to find a light to hang over the dining table. So I suggested the Gubi semi-pendant which was also designed in the 60s. And we were thrilled to find it worked perfectly! 

This Stockholm apartment is situated on the 3rd floor of a block that was originally built in the late 19th century. However, it went through a major renovation in 1939 - during the posgt first world war I 'funkis' period. A Swedish abbreviation for 'functionalism', 'funkis' architecture is designed purely for purpose and function.  The owners have stayed loyal to the funkis style and given the interior a mid-century vibe. The kitchen is also in the origional 'funkis' style (save for the range oven of course!). 

I love that this home is a little different from the ones I've been showing lately, I hope it fills you with inspiration! 

It's nice to see a children's desk with a monitor (usually this angle is skipped out!). It looks as though the entire desk set-up (tabletop, drawers and trolley) are all from IKEA. I love the box at the end of the bid which is used to store games. 

When was your home built and have you decorated it according to this period? Our house was built in 2001 so there wasn't so much to go on! 

See other funkis style homes here. 

Have a happy Friday and great weekend! 

Niki

PS written slightly in haste since I got almost zero hours sleep in the night, do you ever have nights like that? You feel like you're the only one in the world awake! Gaaaah! 

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks. 

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Timeless Charm and Dark Blue Walls in a Small Swedish Apartment

While colours in the fashion and interior design world come and go, there is always one that remains: dark blue. It's timeless. And I'm a huge fan. 

Softer than black but still striking, dark blue is a stalwart in the world of interiors and adds a cosy, cocoon like feel to a room. Combine it with fresh whites and warm earthy tones for a soft, elegant look, and throw in lots of natural materials in the form of wood, rattan, cane, linen and wool for a look that's bang up to date! 

This beautiful apartment in Gothenburg is a fine example of dark blue done right! Oh, and it's also great inspiration for anyone who has their bedroom in the living room too! Välkommen in! 

The Flos Sarfatti ceiling light is a design classic which you'll find in many Swedish homes. 

I don't think I'll ever tire of linen bedding - it's practical, catches the light in a beautiful way, and the more you wash it the softer it gets. Try Wonder Linen on Etsy* for similar! 

*affiliate link

Wooden hooks from Norrgavel are a Swedish bedroom essential! 

Contrast is continued in the kitchen with black units and off-white walls. Notice the copper piping, cabinet and painting too! 

Swedes are going crazy for range ovens right now! They're more widely available these days as you can get them in both gas and electric induction versions. 

Rule break alert: the rug version of 'messy hair, don't care'! I kind of like how this one extends onto the wood floor. It's a little like rolling out the red carpet - everyday!

A jute rug adds a softness to the black and white bathroom. We've also added one to our downstairs loo and it makes the world of difference! 

Such a lovely home full of contrast! Interestingly, the estate agent have presented two versions of how to divide up the sitting room / bedroom area - one open-plan, and one divided into two separate rooms (vardagsrum - living room, kök - kitchen, sovrum - bedroom): 

Which do you prefer?

Also, would you consider going for a dark colour in your home? In Albin's room we've painted two of the walls in dark blue, but I've always regretted not going for the entire room. Next project? 

Not quite convinced with the dark blue? See other homes with this feature here: 

A striking small Stockholm space in dark blue

5 ways to rock the dark blue and beige look

A stunning Norwegian home in many shades of blue

And for those of you planning a small space, here are some great examples of Scandinavian style studio apartments: 

An elegant Swedish 'ettan'

A small Swedish apartment packed with charm - and sunshine!

8 essential items for a Swedish studio apartment 

Happy Monday friends! 

Niki

Styling: Emma Fischer & Annica Clarmell

Photography: Walti Hösli

For sale via: Entrance

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Keeping it Simple in a Calm, White Swedish Home

Do you find sometimes we over complicate things? Sometimes the process of home decorating can feelv overwhelming and we end up doing nothing at all! Pictures remain unhung, a 'temporary' lampshade hangs for years, and you make do with the too few pieces you have. Are you guilty of this? I definitely am!

But how about if we just kept things simple? Often, this is the best solution! For example, using a neutral base sets a calm scene which can be added to in time (like we saw in Monday's home!). 

This Swedish apartment stood out to me for this very reason. The owners have used a simple palette of white mixed in with soft, earthy tones. Not only that, but they've conjured up practical solutions such as the wood shelves - which provide great storage in the sitting room. They've also added simple furnishings such as white rugs with a hint of pattern, which go with anything.  The result is a timeless, warm and inviting look that's also highly functional. Scandi design in a nutshell! 

I hope you feel inspired by the tour! 

Who says we're too old for mobiles? I've always loved this planet system (search Etsy for similar!). The Lisabo desk is from IKEA. 

Did you se what I meant about the simplicity of the scheme? And it created such a calm feel too - like a breath of fresh air! The wood and leather touches added just the right amount of warmth. 

Note how different shapes helped to give them space a greater impact too - so clever! 

Did anything catch your eye? 

I've got to run this morning as I'm heading to Lund to take my niece out for lunch. She is studying at Lund University. The city is my new favourite after I spent a weekend their to write a guide for a magazine. It's one of the oldest in Sweden and full of independent shops, cafes and restaurants centred around a millennium old cathedral! You can see pictures from my weekend there over on instagram highlights. And don't miss my latest Malmö guide too! 

See you Friday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Stadshem, with thanks. 

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A Beautiful Swedish Home in Beige and Klein Blue!

Why, hello there! Thank you for all your positive comments on my Malmö guide which I posted on Friday, it's always so fun to photograph and writer about my city! Today on the blog, we're heading a little further North to Stockholm. 

The open-plan apartment uses beige as a canvas and then wonderful elements including classic designer furniture, fluffy rugs and fabulous lighting have been layered over to create oodles of interest. But what I like most of all, are the on-trend pops of colour seen in the cushions on the sofa (lavender, orange, sky blue, green) and bed (Klein blue and cinnamon). 

There's been a lot of chatter lately about the lack of clothing seen in these Scandinavian homes, so I was excited to see that this apartment has a nicely filled walk-in-wardrobe - or at least plenty of space for clothes! It also gives a hint to the type of person that lives here - quite cool by the looks of things! 

Let's crack on with the tour!

The wall between the kitchen and sitting room has been removed to create a sociable living space. An well placed island works as the in-between. 

The marble backsplash is fabulous! I love that it goes all the way up to the shelves, creating a dramatic effect! 

Floor to ceiling sheer curtains allow a calming diffused light to enter the space and add softness to the room. 

Here you can catch a glimpse of the wall hung flat screen (not often seen in these tours!) and the hallway which enters straight out into the sitting room. 

If you're colour shy but love to stay on-trend or dabble with bright tones - bedding is a perfect way to add vibrancy! The Klein blue linen bedding breaks away from the sea of beige and looks fabulous with the dark brown wall! 

This Etsy store sells a similar duvet cover* and flat sheet*. 

When adding colour in this way, balance the look by adding another item in the same colour (in this instance a glass candle holder!). 

How pretty is the antique bedside table? 

Long rails provide plenty of hanging space for clothes. I would love to see some shelves and drawers here too - perhaps they are in the cupboard? 

I absolutely love this chair (any idea of the name?) - it's so decadent and raises the status quo from ordinary wardrobe to luxurious walk-in-wardrobe! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of this beautiful home in the Swedish capital! Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Would you like to see a few other homes today? Check out this archive! 

Have a fabulous start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Mia Borgelin

Styling: Petra Yngfalk

For: Historiska Hem

*affiliated links

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Mia's Serene Stockholm Apartment is Full of Texture

I forgot to say happy halloween yesterday! Here, it was absolutely tipping it down all say so we had some very wet witches and ghouls appearing at our door. Full cred to them for weathering the storm for a handful of sweets! 

With all this rain, more rain and then some, everyone except the 'trick or treaters' have been hiding at home under a blanket - and this is where I think Swedish homes really come into their own. They are just so lovely and serene - like an oasis of calm even on the stormiest of days! 

Mia, a psychologist, and her family have a beautiful apartment in Stockholm which is the epitome of calm. Think soft, natural tones, lovely paintings and floral displays. Plus the entire apartment is layered with texture in the form of natural materials such as marble, sheepskin,  wood, linen and a very fluffy rug! 

I hope Mia's home leaves you with plenty of ideas for your own living space, I for one love the kitchen bench - such a clever way to squeeze in a table for four in a narrow space! 

Enjoy the tour!  

Lovely!

The wall mounted desk is such a clever idea - you can find a similar one here*. 

And those of you who have been curious about where swedes store all their clothes (winter, summer etc) I hope this floor to ceiling closet has provided some closure! No doubt, there is some kind of extra storage in the apartment basement too - there usually is. 

See more of Mia's apartment and the family's summer cottage on her instagram @madebymor. 

See more serene living spaces here: 

A charming blend of old and new in a Stockholm home

A stunning Stockholm pad in calming greens and greys (love the kitchen!)

This is not in Stockholm, but I just stumbled over this 'sofa make-over' Helen and I shot in her apartment   - it was such a fun day! 

Despite the calm home tour, it's all a little frantic here today. I'm on the early morning train to the IKEA headquarters in the forest for a meeting, and then racing back as my youngest and I are heading to London later today to visit my mother, sister and family (it's half-term here). Plus I am hoping to visit my wonderful editor from Simply Scandi magazine for whom I write a regular column. Guess what's on the forecast? More rain of course! 

Hope you're having a great week and that means your sunshine! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Mia / @madebymor.

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