A Beautiful Swedish Home As White As Its Snowy Surroundings!

We're seeing a load more colour seeping into Scandinavian homes right now. But who said we have to follow the trend? Anette's beautiful Swedish home is proof that white will always be right, too! Her tone on tone palette with subtle nuances of light grey and the odd touch of rustic is the epitome of calm and just like the blanket of snow, it's a picture of peace and tranquillity. Better still, the 'all white' look is super easy to achieve with a few clever tricks. Välkommen in! 

Anette has worked hard to break up the white in subtle ways. The nuanced texture in the tiles and marble worktop / back splash help to add interest and depth to the space, while a rustic wood stool* helps to add contrast and bring the space together.

A chrome toaster*, bin and sink carry the white and grey thread throughout the kitchen. 

The Gervasoni Ghost sofa is always a winner as the linen adds a lovely relaxed look. If you find the price a little out of your league, combining a Söderhamn sofa from IKEA with an absolute white loose fit linen cover from Bemz will give you a similar look for a fraction of the price (great hack!). 

 

White can appear cool - but Anette has used layers of texture to soften the look. Think soft rugs, linen and fluffy white sheepskins* galore! 

Playing with different shapes is also a great way to bring a white look to life. The Atollo lamp* is one of my favourites! Isn't it fab?

Is anyone else a fan of wide wood flooring? I have a sneaking suspicion this one is from Dinesen (one of my favourites!). 

The beauty of using white in the home, is that you can add pieces without really 'adding them'. Does that make sense? What I mean is, a bold colourful chair in the corner of this landing could make the area look cluttered, left empty and it could look, well... empty!! But a white eames chair* with a soft white sheepskin* adds something to the space, making it more homely without the visual clutter! Clever! I might just use this trick on my own landing!

This bathroom is divine, don't you think?! The wooden table is from Granit but sadly seems to be out of stock. Annoyingly. 

It's that white linen* and rustic bench* look I so love again. It reminds me a little of my old bedroom, a look I might return to one day. 

White string storage is perfect for hiding any clutter (and 'colourful' items!).

Surprise! All that white and the exterior is actually jet black. What a beautiful contrast. 

Let's take a moment to admire the breath-taking scenery too. 

Beautiful. Really beautiful. 

I love the simplicity. 

Does this all white look appeal to you? 

If in doubt, you can see more pictures of Anette's home over at @whitelivingetc and you might also like to check out the beautiful white home of Malin Nilsson. I can also recommend the book For the Love of White by Chrissie Rucker - it's one of my favourites. 

Oh, and there's an entire archive dedicated to white homes here - just saying! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography: Anette / @whitelivingetc shared with kind permission.

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7 Small Space Tricks To Learn From A Light-Filled Stockholm Family Home

Unless you're completely minted, you usually need to compromise somewhere on a property - whether that's location, size, outdoor space, aesthetics or layout. For this family in Stockholm, living in the hippest neighbourhood in town - South of Folkungagatan, Söderhamn (SoFo), an area buzzing with independent shops, quirky cafes and lively restaurants - meant compromising on living space. But despite measuring 44 m2 (473 f2)  - the occupants have made maximum use of every inch - carving out a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, master bedroom, children's room and even a library! So how do you create a charming family home in a small space? Here are 7 great tricks: 

1. Use the height: In small spaces it's important to think vertically and use every inch. In this home, bookshelves have been mounted above the dining area creating a family dining space and library in one! And it looks super cosy too, don't you think?

2. Leave a little breathing space! The blank space between the dining table and chairs and the bookshelves makes the space feel less cluttered even though there's a lot going on. 

3. Go wall to wall: built-in benches in dining rooms, kitchens and sitting rooms are perfect for small spaces since they help to maximise space, eke out a little extra seating and provide extra storage. 

4. Let the light flow: small spaces can be starved of light - widening doorways between rooms helps natural light to flow into even the darkest of corners! 

5. Use curtains for privacy: Sometimes there simply aren't enough bedrooms to accommodate every member of the family. In this lovely home, the living room doubles up as a master bedroom. A curtain helps to carve out a separate sleeping zone while still allowing the light to flow from the window. 

6. Internal windows: The little kitchen in this Stockholm home wouldn't have received any natural light had it not been for the glass room divider. At night, a curtain can help to shield the children's bedroom from lighting (we all know how important it is not to wake the crazies!). 

7. Create storage wherever you can: In this tiny bathroom, the tank top doubles up as storage and an extra freestanding unit has been installed for shampoo bottles, shower gel etc. 

I had another look through the pictures to see if I could establish where they keep clothes - and there are two storage cupboards in the hallway (not featured) - I wonder if they've stashed items in other unseen places too, like under the bed? 

Either way, there are so a many great ideas to steal from this home, don't you think?

Other small spaces providing great inspiration:

10 small space tricks to learn from a Swedish apartment

Small spaces, a dreamy Swedish pad!

16 ways to transform a tiny room into a dreamy, practical bedroom

Is your home small? What do you find the hardest thing about living in a small space? Have you got any space-saving tips? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I'm excited to be winding my way up to Stockholm by train today to visit the Stockholm Furniture Fair. This post has taken me way longer than usual to write as the snowy scenery flashing passed the train window is simply stunning! If you're curious to follow my journey / time in Stockholm I'll be sharing away on Instagram stories. 

Ha det fint! 

Niki

This home is for sale through Historiska Hem. Photography: Anna Malmberg

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Then And Now: An Iconic Swedish Home Six Years On!

One of the beauties of blogging over time (it's been eight years and counting!) - is that some homes pop up over and over again, each time revealing either drastic transformations or small tweaks. This is the third time this instantly recognisable Gothenburg maisonette has popped up in six years, and I'm happy to see it falls under the latter camp. Former owners Catarina Skoglund, husband Robert and daughter Stella left their mark with exposed brickwork, William Morris Wallpaper and fabulous tiles (among many other fabulous details) which I first featured here. They then sold it in 2016.  The new owners have made their own small mark while maintaining many of the original details that allow the architecture to shine.  Can you spot them? 

I don't know why but I've always felt this house has an English air to it - could it be the narrower rooms, or perhaps the wallpaper? Either way, it always makes me feel really nostalgic! 

How fabulous is this black radiator? I love that they've made a statement out of it. 

Those blue stairs! A bold move that completely paid off. Would you dare to paint your stairs in a different shade? 

I love seeing the contrasting walls, it gives the home a lovely relaxed vibe. Look out for more and more contrast in living spaces throughout 2020! 

I couldn't think of a more lovely spot to sit and work! Although the cane daybed would always be calling me...

It looks like a mid-century piece which has been given a new lease of life with new legs (potentially?) and a striped linen mattress cover (find similar linen here*). Please do give me a shout in the comment section below if you know anything more about this daybed - I'm curious! 

Spotted after several hours looking at the pictures: the pipe in the corner has been disguised using a tube wrapped in the same wallpaper as the wall behind.

I love how the floor is more of a grey tone than white. I've done something similar in my bedroom using 'strong white' by Farrow & Ball which is actually a very pale grey (beats me why they gave it such a misleading name!).

What a beautiful home. I loved in 2014 and I love it now. 

I can't wait to see what the next owners do, can you?  

It's for sale here - just saying!

Shall we take a look at a few more homes with William Morris wallpaper and textiles? Here are a few of my favourites: 

A cosy boho swedish family home

Old meets new in a charming swedish apartment

An eclectic 19th century Swedish house

A thoughtfully curated Dutch home (love this!)

A Warm and inviting Danish home with beautiful textiles

Oh, and curious to see what Catarina did with her next home? Check out her free-spirited family home on a Swedish island, it's so beautiful! 

Talk about free spirit. Can I let you in on a secret? I haven't made it into the studio yet. In fact, I'm not even dressed. Talk about breaking every rule in the 'how to successfully work for yourself' book. I have two say though, it feels great!  

Have a fabulous start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Kvarteret Mäkleri - and found via Coco Lapine with thanks! 

*Affiliate links which means I might make a tiny amount of money if you click on the link and buy the item. 

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A Soothing Swedish Home In Shades of Green and Grey

Updated:

Hej there vänner! I have to admit, I hit a bit of January bump on Saturday and felt so fed up with the relentless grey, cold, dark days (cue very grumpy wife and Mum!). And then - just when we needed it most, the sun came out and we were treated to a diamond of a day - PHEW! Spirits revived and feeling like I can do these winter months after all, I thought I'd kick off the week with a beautiful Swedish home. Formerly owned by Lovisa Kvist, it went on the market a few months back and was, understandably, snapped up within a matter of days (you've got to be quick over here!). Lovisa and her partner have furnished the home with some beautiful design pieces against a soothing backdrop of green, grey and the palest of pinks. Ready for the tour?  

Formakami pendant lamp*

Vertigo pendant lamp*, Pedrera coffee table*, source a similar rug here*

Bentwood and cane rocking chair*

William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper, IKEA Stockholm bench

This cane harbour bed* is similar. I've never seen this lamp before and am curious to know whether it's a DIY hack with a mosquito net? If so - what a fabulous idea!! Now that I've written this, I really hope it's not an eye-wateringly expensive designer lamp or I'll have caused major offence - eeeek! Please do chip in in the comment section if you know anything about it! 

Update: I received a lovely message from owner Lovisa who confirmed that she did indeed make this lamp using a mosquito net. In fact, she used two for extra fluffiness - which she bought from IKEA along with the pendant lamp inside. The bedroom wall has been painted in Thyme from Jotun. 

 Large shell pot*

So beautiful! 

I love the bathroom, it has a touch of old school glamour. My guess is that the curtain hides a washing machine - clever solution, don't you think? In the UK people tend to have their washing machines in the kitchen but in Sweden they are either housed in a communal area known as a 'tvättstuga' which you sign up to use each week, or people put them in their bathrooms. How's it done in your country?

Did you spot the cheeky picture in the bathroom, too?! 

Here are a few other tours which I think will help get your week off to a great start:

If you move to Gothenburg, you could live like this! 

A monochrome Swedish home where creativity shines through

The cosy vintage-inspired home of a Swedish artist

Ha det fint! 

Niki

Photography: Alen Cordic, Styling Emma Fischer. Sold through Bjurfors

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