In Malmö, An Artist's Home and Atelier In A Converted Workshop

Do you keep an eye out for homes for sale in your area, even if you're not looking to move? I love to obsess over the pages of Hemnet (Sweden's estate agent directory). Obviously, it's all in the name of work. OK, who am I kidding? It's like a glossy interior mag! But it also provides a rare and wonderful opportunity to peek behind the facade of properties you've walked past a hundreds times. And maybe, just maybe you'll stumble across the home of your dreams! This weekend, I discovered this artist's residence behind a discreet gate, inside a leafy courtyard in the Triangeln area of Malmö. It's a part of town I walk around regularly, but I've never even noticed the gate! Laid out over three levels, the old converted carpentry workshop features whitewashed brick walls, tall windows and rustic wood floors interspersed with soft-cut concrete. The charming house has been enjoyed by an artist and furry friend for many years, and now it's time for someone else to take the baton! Could it be you? Or me?! Or perhaps we could all go in together?!

Kind of magical, don't you think? I love how Nordic minimalism and industrial rawness come together. 

And boy, could you have some great parties in this place! 

The property is currently for sale here. Sadly, the handsome dog doesn't come with it!

Other homes in Malmö to love today: 

The white and wood home of a Malmö creative

A beautiful Malmö home

A striking and relaxed Malmö family home

Anyone would think I was trying to convince you to move to my town. Who, me?! Find my local guide here....

Wishing you a fabulous start to the week!

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Bolaget Fastighetsförmedling

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A Monochrome Swedish Home Where Creativity Shines Through

Maria Karlberg describes herself as a creative Mamma to her magical daughter, an interior designer and a furniture store salesperson. Looking at the wonderful monochrome apartment in Örebro, a few hours West of Stockholm, it's easy to appreciate this. Despite the pared-back nature of the space, Maria's home oozes creativity. Art, ceramics and sculptures appear on every wall and surface and there's something refreshing about the stacks of paper on the floor and desk. Keeping it real. Yay! Not tom mention making me feel way better about my own "filing system" or lack of! From now on, I'll be following Maria's instagram and blog - Studio Naya avidly. She has me sold! I hope you feel inspired by Maria's home too!

This is the second time this week we've seen a polished concrete floor (remember the fabulous Sydney home?!). I've always been a fan (if accompanied by under floor heating, especially in Sweden) - how about you?

Also spotted: a Marshall speaker*.

In Maria's home office candlestick holders, frames and sculptures (try Love Warriors) line a concrete worktop sourced from Conceptbetong. 

This is one of the stacks I was talking about! And guess what? It seems if you put a pretty vase of flowers on top, no one will notice it. Are you feeling as inspired as I am?!

Check out that candlestick holder to the right, too! It's available here. Just saying!

Cork boards are ideal for mood boards (Allie has one in her bedroom and loves it, and I've always been a little envious of it!) - try combining these tiles to create similar. 

I hope you feel inspired by Maria's home and have picked up lots of ideas! 

I'm so happy to have been reminded of the Swedish online shop Love Warriors. It's a PERFECT place to pick up art and sculptural pieces. It should come with a warning sign, if you're like me, you'll want everything in the shop! 

There are a load more pictures of Maria's home over on her instagram and blog (so worth a peek!). 

You might also like to take a peen at Anna Kvarnström's stunning home in the same Swedish city!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS I'm having so many problems with my blog comment section this week - GRRRRR! I can't seem to leave a comment, it just disappears, is anyone else finding this? If you have time to test it by leaving a comment and then send me a mail if it's not working, I'd be sooooo grateful. Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know that I'm enjoying reading your comments even if I can't respond!

Photography: Maria Karlberg shared with kind permission
*Affiliated links

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The Cosy Vintage-Inspired Home of a Swedish Artist

I love a home that feels truly personal. One of those cribs that has you marvelling at the details, a little like a (very relaxed) museum! I'm a firm believer that creating an entirely unique space takes years. Years of hunting for second hand pieces and offbeat furniture. Years of collecting art and little accessories that touch you in some way. It also takes a yearning to create a nest that's full of history and sometimes a certain artistic talent too. And that's when I stumbled across the home of Swedish artist Michaela Grut. Michaela lives in Lindingö, Stockholm with her two children and little kitten. Her style is very much about "decorating in a way that lasts" - opting for vintage furniture, interior details and art "that feels special, unique and a bit odd." The result is a rather eclectic home which blends colours, patterns and furniture from different moments in time to create a cosy family home in which to build new memories. Let's take a peek! 

A wood and marble vintage piece pops against Pomona wallpaper. 

When Michaela bought her first home she found it hard to find affordable art and began creating her own paintings and sculptures instead. her work immediately became popular among other and her online shop was born (I've just commissioned the sculpture in the above picture - I couldn't resist! Isn't it beautiful?!). 

Michaela's art is inspired by everything around her: "shapes, colours, structures... and the human body is a huge inspiration. I often exaggerate or understate the shapes to make it more interesting."

The children's room has been decorated in pretty Lilja wallpaper. Michaela designed the bunkbed herself and then got someone to build it. 

Take a closer at the 1940s kitchen (painted in Velvet 10246 by Jotun Lady) and you'll spot 'Staffan' a clay figure by Michaela casually perched on the open shelves! 

The sofa is in fact the IKEA Söderhamn wrapped beautifully in a loose fit Rosendal pure washed linen cover* from Bemz. The walls have been painted in Senses 2024 by Jotun lady. 

Both the artwork and clay bust are by Michaela and can be commissioned through her shop (particularly tempted by the bust, how about you?!). You can find all items in her shop or e-mail her directly to commission a piece (you can find her contact here and here). 

In fact, there are just SO many lovely pieces in this home. It makes me want to spend the whole of next weekend scouring flea markets and second hand shops for furniture and art, how about you? 

Other inspiring Scandinavian artist's homes to love today: 

The beautiful home of a Danish artist

The relaxed Oslo home of a Norwegian artist (I visited this home for my second book and still think about it today!).

Although not owned by an artist, this wonderful Copenhagen house is designed for an artist with its North facing windows (and lived in by an industrial designer) - that counts, right?! It's one of those places that never comes on the market, it's just passed down from generation to generation. 

This Stockholm home is also not own by an artist - but Karolina Modig is the author behind two art books so I think that totally counts - I love the way she's hung art really low in her home. 

Have a wonderful start to the week friends!

Niki

Photography: Michaela Grut - shared with kind permission.

*Affiliate links

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This Lovely 1930s Malmö Flat Could Be Yours!

I feel like I've been keeping very close to home lately on the blog - what with the beautiful house just over THE bridge in Copenhagen yesterday and another lovely Danish home just a short hop by sailboat on Friday. But today, I'm going even closer. This little number is situated right here in Malmö! In fact it's a stone's throw from my studio in the mysigt (cosy) Davidshall area. If I were to exchange my house for an apartment in the centre of town, this space could well be it (can you picture per getting nervous on the other side of town?!). It has everything on my list - from the 1930s period features, large windows, double doors leading from room to room, a beautiful parquet floor and a little balcony for morning coffees. Oh, and a load of little cafes, restaurants and boutiques just outside the door. What more could a girl want?! Ready to take a look around?

I think this cosy rug is from Tisca. I've actually ordered a similar one following my trip to Transylvania earlier this year (couldn't resist!). The classic shelves are by String (based right here in Malmö!).

These are the double 'spegeldörr' I was talking about - they are fairly common in old Swedish abodes and add such a wonderful element of grandeur to a space - don't you think?!

I'll never tire of dark blue walls - especially in the bedroom, how about you?! The Walton Ford print is from the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (I actually went to that exhibition and it was pretty amazing. Kicking myself now for not picking up a poster in the shop! Guh! (FYI this museum has the best shop E.V.E.R!). The bench - which understandably seems to be popping up in homes everywhere - is the Stockholm 2017 coffee table from IKEA.

What do you reckon, could you imagine living here too?

If you snap it up, let me know as you'll be just around the corner and we can go for a Swedish fika!

I'm so proud of my adopted home city - and have showed many Malmö home tours in the past. A few of my favourites include this magnificent pad (those tiled fireplaces!), a stunning family home (our daughters go to gymnastics together and I am always bowled over when I stop by Malin's home!) and an atmospheric home in dark tones (also lovely!).

If you're planning a visit, you might find my local Malmö guide helpful (and of course, you can always give me a shout in the comment section or by email if you need any tips!).

It's a rare double post day today. I'll be stopping by later to share a film about natural light that I made with VELUX. I hope you are going to like it. It's my Swedish debut - eeeek (we filmed in Swedish but with English subtitles)!

Until then, friends...

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bo-laget with thanks

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A Cosy Country Home in Rural North Sweden

Some of the homes I share on My Scandinavian Home are wonderful for interior inspiration, others tell a story. A story that transports you to another world and has you dreaming of faraway places where life is slow, cosy and remote. This is one of the latter kind. Chilean born Nicole Castillo lives in the countryside just outside Byske, Västerbotten, North Sweden with her husband and two children. When Nicole isn't running her online webshop Nicole's Lantgård, selling beautiful vintage and antique furniture, she's looking out of the window watching salmon jump in the Byske river, baking with her children, feeding the chickens or drinking hot chocolate around a woodburning stove. I caught up with Nicole to ask about life in the Swedish countryside, her love of antiques and how to create an incredibly cosy home! 

Your house looks very old, can you tell us more about it?

It's an old farm property from around 1860, that has been renovated and extended to look more like a traditional Västerbotten Manor House rather than the croft it used to be. 

Who do you live with - I spy some chickens...?! 

We are 11 living on the property: my husband, our four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, our crazy lady cat Svea, 6 chickens and myself, Nicole Castillo (27). 

Wow! Quite a crowd! Your home is full of beautiful antiques and vintage finds, have you always been passionate about second hand items? 

I am from Chile and I met my Swedish husband while he was working in Chile. When we decided to move to Sweden, he already had this place that he found thanks to his passion (fishing). I studied history in Chile and had only ever seen 'old things' in books (Chile is a young country), When I arrived in Sweden and started to experience old furniture and houses first hand, I felt inspired to create a home full of all the things I love. 

Moving from Chile to North Sweden must have been a big transition, did it take you a while to adjust?

The move from Chile to Sweden was very revealing. I thought I was strong and that I knew who I was, until I arrived here! The distractions of city life that I was used to were muted, and the silence surrounding our new home made me go deep inside myself and accept that I had to make a million changes to become a competent wife and Mother. It took me a while, but when I did adjust, I found I was in a beautiful place - surrounded by wildlife, a country steeped in tradition, amazing landscapes and one of the kindest people I have ever met. 

Do you have a favourite season? 

Today, one of the things I love the most is summer: to see the kids playing in the grass and climbing trees, going jogging while trying to overcome my fear that a bear might try to eat me, seeing my husband catch a salmon and the children helping him to put back in the water. 

Do you renovate the furniture or use 'as is'?

After having my daughter, I decided to paint furniture to give it a second chance, and my love for interior decor and creativity evolved along with this process. 

How did your online furniture shop come about?

I founded Nicole's Lantgård in order to create a job that allowed me to be at home to take care of the family. I started renovating old furniture as a hobby, but later I started to search everywhere for "wow" pieces! As my collection grew, my family and I decided to make my dream become a reality and I founded my online shop. Right now, it's growing in baby steps, we are very happy for it! 

Your home is so cosy! Can you share some tips with us on how to achieve that warm, 'hygge' vibe?! 

Our home is a place where we live, love create and rest from everything, therefore it has to be cosy! To achieve this, we try to create symmetry by matching elements in the room, like colour. We're also mindful of the number of decorative items in the room - and try to ensure everything has a purpose. Also, it's very important to leave empty spaces in a room so that your eyes can rest on 'air' - or create areas that don't have too much going on. 

It's amazing what a lovely atmosphere vintage and antique pieces create in a home, don't you think?

If you have the time, I can highly recommend taking a peek in Nicole's shop - there are some really beauties for sale including display cabinets and rugs to smaller pieces like urns, candlesticks and cutlery. You can see more snapshots of Nicole's home and life in the Swedish countryside here. 

How I'd love to swap my my desk in rainy Malmö for the spot by the window in Nicole's studio, watching salmon jump out of the Byske. Are you also dreaming of that very spot too?!

I guess you know what's coming. Yep! How did you guess?! A round-up of more Swedish country homes. Ha! But they are rather lovely, and now that we're on a roll... here are a few of my favourites: 

An idyllic Swedish country home is restored to its former glory

Step inside an idyllic Swedish country home on a hill

Snapshots from Ida's charming vintage-inspired home in Dalarna

Time to dream of cosy days by the fire, in a charming Swedish country home! 

Ha det så mysig! 

Niki

Photography: Nicola Castillo shared with kind permission

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