Dreaming of a Cosy and Calm White Christmas In Johanna's Home

'Twas the last Friday before Christmas, and somewhere in Hamburg, Germany Johanna Wiemann's apartment is lit with the warm glow of candlelight. There may not be snow outside, but there sure is a lot of white inside - not to mention beautiful natural wood and soft, muted tones. Look closely and you'll also spot festive branches hung over the table, dripping with pretty ornaments, a simple sprig of pine displayed in a vase, star garlands and little houses lit with tea lights - and of course candles, lots of cosy candles! Ready for a tour of a dreamy, Scandinavian-inspired home at Christmas time? 

How lovely - the calmness, the warm glow that emits from every room, the magical display over the dining table - simply everything! 

Could you imagine spending the weekend here? 

See more pictures of Johanna's beautiful home over at @scandinavian.interior.

Feel like looking at other homes to give you that 'Jul' spirit? here are a few of my favourites: 

Dreaming off a White Christmas in Sandra's serene home

Janniche's delightful festive Swedish home

Cosy Christmas touches in the Swedish home of Anna Kubel

And if you feel like crafting this weekend - don't miss this decoration made from loo roll which I shared earlier this week! Could there be a more apt decoration for 2020? 

Wishing you a wonderful couple of days!

Niki

Photography: Johanna Wiemann, shared with kind permission. 

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11 Swedish Christmas Decorating Essentials (From Mari's Festive Home)

We're nearing the winter solstice, and I have to say, it's very dark here in Sweden right now. In fact, in the far North, the sun set a few days ago and will not reappear again for 24 days. Can you imagine? This is why the Scandinavians love to brighten up the darkness with levande ljus (candlelight) and delight the senses with the sweet smell off pepparkaka (gingerbread). Nature also plays a starring role - with moss, pine and fir, which is readily available in the forest - being a firm favourite.  In Mari Magnusson's home in Enköping, North West of Stockholm, candles light up her tables and sideboards and pine tree branches have been transformed into garlands, wreaths and simple yet pretty table displays. Welcome to Mari's mysigt (cosy) Christmas wonderland - and discover 11 swedish Jul essentials! 

1. Pepparkakshus: No Christmas in Sweden would be complete without a gingerbread house. Some buy kits, others go for their own handmade creation. Either way, they look pretty, smell divine, are fun to make and will likely leave you with burnt fingers (from the hot melted sugar 'glue'). You've been warned! Recipe available here. 

2. Pepparkaka hearts: all across the country children and adults alike will be rolling out gingerbread dough and cutting it into hearts (and other shapes). The sweet-smelling biscuits will then be hung from the tree, in the window, or arranged into a garland (or best of all, eaten!). 

3. Amaryllis: No Swedish home would be complete at an amaryllis - usually red but you also see white, and even a peach variety. 

4. Hyacinths: Whether planted in soil or wrapped in moss, these sweet smelling flowers are Jul staples! 

5. The pine (or fir) tree sapling: When you have little Christmas tree saplings going in your garden, it's just to go out and pick one and place it in water - and they look as pretty as can be. Plus, they can be re-planted once Christmas is over! Slightly tricker if you don't.  But little potted trees can look equally pretty and are more widely available. 

6. Sprigs of pine and alder cones: who needs expensive bouquets when a little sprig from a pine tree and alder tree cones can look equally pretty? Don't live next to a forest? Cut a few sprigs off the back of your Christmas - no one will ever notice! 

7. The wreath: Hung on the door, hanging from the ceiling, on the wall, in the window... there is no end to the different ways a Swede uses a wreath at Christmas! 

8. Candles: all hail the levande ljus. An essential element to any Scandinavian home in any shape or form - and the perfect way to brighten up the darkness!*

9. The Christmas flower and star: On the first Sunday of advent, pretty Christmas star lanterns appear in the window. Inside, paper flowers have become popular - and they're super simple to make! 

10. Adventsljusstakar: Not featured here (although, I'm sure Mari has one somewhere in the house!), these electric V-shaped candelabra have been placed in the windows of homes, schools and offices for centuries - and light up the windows throughout cities, towns and hamlets. 

11. The Christmas tree! No home would be complete without a Julgran - in whichever shape or size. Traditionally Swedes used real candles on a tree - and very occasionally still do**. But it's way more popular, practical and safe to use electric lights these days! 

So simply and so pretty! I love the essential Swedish Christmas decorations. 

Do you have any of these in your home?

I'd love to hear about the essential Christmas ingredients in your country too. 

See more pictures from Mari's home over on her lovely interior instagram feed @anangelinmyhome and baking feed: @anangelatmytable. 

Wishing you a cosy day!

Niki

Photography: Mari Magnusson 

*Important note with regards to candles: always place candles well away from anything flammable. Never leave a lit candle unattended (always blow them out before leaving a room). 

**Important note with regards to real Christmas tree candles: please be aware that using real candles on a tree requires a huge amount of vigilance. Only ever use real candles on a fresh tree (i.e. bring it in the day before Christmas). Place the candles well away from other branches. Never ever leave candles unattended, and always have sand or another type of fire extinguisher nearby. In all honesty, real candles look pretty but I would advise sticking to electric candles!  

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Before And After: Two Dated Apartments Are Transformed Into One Beautiful Home

2020 has been all about the home. It's been a place to live, a school, an office, a gym and above all else, a safe haven. Little wonder so many have decided to carry out home updates and make it their homes an even more cosy and personal place to be. But there can't be many who have taken on such a huge project as Izabella! 

Formerly owned by the Royal Marine, this beautiful building on the north coast of Germany dates back to 1870. Sadly, the previous owner had ripped out many of the period features, and what remained was buried under layers of tiles, wall-to-wall carpets and wallpaper. Even so, Izabella and her boyfriend could see its potential and decided to restore it to its former glory - room by room. Just in time for Christmas! 

Before:

"We love old houses, and it has always been our dream to renovate one. We fell in love with the high ceilings and the history. We also liked the road, it had an English feel," Izabella shares. "Unfortunately, the previous owner had removed some of the historic elements, but we could see its potential."

The renovation

Izabella and her boyfriend had a vision to turn the two apartments into one house. They were also keen to  restore the original details and add stucco, moldings, wooden floors as well as replace the windows and doors. It was a massive undertaking and involved completely gutting the place and starting again from scratch. Their vision and hard work completely paid off, as they peeled back the layers to reveal beautiful exposed brick and beautiful, high ceilings. 

"Our plan was to connect the two apartments. Downstairs we were looking to add a kitchen, dining room, living room and a small bathroom, and upstairs a master bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, workspace and guest room. To achieve this, we removed walls and changed the entire plan of the house," Izabella explains. 

"We did a lot ourselves since our budget wasn't very big," Izabella tells me. "We also lived on site during the construction. It was definitely more work than we thought, and we still haven't finished! Our philosophy was just to go for it, which worked out well, as I'm not sure that we would have taken the project on otherwise - it was a vast undertaking! Nevertheless, we are very happy that we did!"

The results

Needless to say, the pair have done an incredible job. Small, musty, dated rooms have been transformed into vast, spacious open-plan living spaces. And the house has been furnished with a wonderful blend of old and new.  The result is a calm, minimalist home which oozes elegance and character - and it's ready just in time for Christmas! 

"I think we are most happy with the wooden windows that open outwards," Izabella tells me. "They also have the most beautiful handles with gorgeous details. And you know, the beauty is in the detail! "We also love the herringbone flooring and all the stucco details and holdings. We are happy that we have been able to give the house back its historical flair!"

Kitchen cabinets from IKEA

"To be more sustainable, we chose natural materials and lime wash paint, which is marvellous!"

IKEA Södermalm sofa, Menu coffee table

"For Christmas, I like to decorate with natural materials, foliage and greens with touches of gold and red. It's classic with a modern touch. I also love paper ornaments and light lots of candles."

Wooden Christmas tree from byWirth

Limewash paint from Bauwerk Colour, Drift vase* by Cooee

Limewash paint from Bauwerk Colour

"If we hadn't done so much ourselves, the renovation wouldn't have been possible - so we are very pleased with this decision, even though it has been tough at times!"

Thank you so much for sharing your incredible renovation with us Izabella! I salute you for taking on such a huge project - your hard work has certainly paid off! 

What do you guys think? Would you consider taking on a project like this? 

And just how beautiful is Izabella's home?!*

You can see more pictures over @gruenderzeit_zeit

Having renovated the summer cottage kitchen by hand last year I can vouch for the sheer amount of work that goes into a renovation (and that was only the tip of an iceberg). Sometimes it's so nice to see what goes on behind the scenes, you somehow appreciate its beauty even more! 

Fancy taking a look at a few more before and after features? Here are a few incredible transformations: 

A run down flat becomes a stylish London home

A drab Cape Town home becomes a warm and cosy cottage

Before and after: a beach house in Australia

A beautiful handmade kitchen

And perhaps the most mind-blowing of all: an industrial welding plant becomes a family home and wedding venue! 

Who knows, perhaps this will be you in 2021! 

Niki

Photography: @gruenderzeit_zeit

This post contains affiliate links marked with *

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This Year's DIY Christmas Decoration (Made From Toilet Paper Rolls!)

If ever there was a DIY Christmas decoration of the year, this would be it! All you need is a toilet roll - and we all have A LOT of those! 

Read on to find out how to put your toilet paper rolls to good use and make the prettiest of Christmas decorations-

How to create a Christmas flower from toilet paper roll: 

What you need:

- 3 toilet rolls

- Ruler

- Pencil

- Scissors

- Glue gun

- String

What to do: 

1. Flatten one of the toilet rolls so that there is a fold on each side

2. Use the ruler and pencil to draw horizontal lines 1 centimetre apart.

3. Follow the lines to cut 1-centimetre strips (creating a series of loops)

3. Arrange the loops into a flower shape to form the centre of the flower and glue the tips together 

4. Flatten another toilet roll and repeat step 2. And then cut the strips in half horizontally and use the glue to create smaller loops. Attach these to the flower using glue

5. Flatten a third toilet roll and repeat step 2. Cut the loop open to create an arch and then attach these to the flower with glue. 

6. Add string to hang your decoration

There is no end to the creations you can make with toilet rolls - I also love the angels above, and have also seen stars and snowflakes, as well as a load of other shapes! 

Got quite a toilet paper roll hoard at home? Here are a few tutorials to get you started: 

How to make snowflakes and Christmas flowers

How to make a toilet paper roll angel

And one for the kids: 

How to make fun Christmas decorations from toilet roll

Will you be making one of these this Christmas? 

Niki

Photography: Thank you so much to Frida Ramstedt of Trendenser for allowing me to share these lovely pictures. Frida is the author of The Interior Design Handbook - in which she divulges the secrets of successful Scandinavian interior design. 

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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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