my scandinavian home

Candles and Stars in A Cosy Swedish Home at Christmas

There are some homes which I find I come back to time and time again, simply because they are unique and utterly inspiring! This lovely one in Bagarmossen, Sweden is one of them! I have featured Janniche Kristoffersen's beautiful green and home before, but I couldn't resist sharing a few more with all the cosiness that December brings. Janniche's 'barely-there' festive touches perfectly blend with the green, caramel, rust and off-white backdrop and there are plenty of non-christmassy ideas to steal too!

IVAR cupboards from IKEA. RAR rocker. Cushion in Water Lilies fabric by Fine Little Day.

"I actually don't decorate every room, but there are some things I always use. The paper stars are important, adding some light to the dark Nordic days, other than that I use a string of fairy lights to add some more light to shelves and around windows. I also love to decorate with flowers, mainly amaryllis but also branches with red berries etc. I also dry orange slices in the oven and make garlands. Nice and a very easy thing to do!"
- Janniche Kristoffersen.

Woodburning stove from Morso, Snöblomma light from Watt & Veke.

Bedroom wall painted in Caramel by Alcro Crinkle Throw* by Hay. Natural linen curtains*. Bistro chair*, paper star and lights from Granit.

5 Festive Traditions In Janniche's Home

Baking - We bake a lot of things: Lussebullar (Saint Lucia saffron buns), ginger bread, saffron biscotti and different types of fudge. The kids love it!

Adventsfika - Our weekends are fully booked up until Christmas eating our home-baked goodies with friends at home.

Decorating the Christmas tree - With the children

Visiting the Christmas market at Skansen - It's such a lovely place to get in the Christmas spirit. I just wish for some more snow to add a little more magic!

Celebrating Christmas Eve - We visit our family in Norway or Piteå, Sweden to celebrate Christmas Eve, so this is our main chance to enjoy a white Christmas :).

I love the sound of all of these traditions, it almost makes me want too go home and start baking!

If you'd like to see more of Janniche's home, check out her fantastic blog bloggaibagis and instagram @bloggaibagis.

What traditions do you enjoy?

Other Swedish homes to brighten up the start of the week: peach and rust tones in an elegant Norwegian home, a free-spirited Swedish family home on an island and a charming German home with three mischievous cats!

Great if you can help me out a little - is there anything you'd like to see more or less of in the run up to Christmas? Looking for any particular round-ups? If so, give me a shout below and I'll see what I can do!

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography: all pictures by Janniche Kristoffersen except number 8 by David Jerner and Emma Wallmén for Granit.

Affiliate links marked with *

Holiday Gift Tip: 20% off at TRIWA!

Ever since my Nikki Watch give-away, people have been asking about a TRIWA discount code - well, your wish is my command friends! The Swedish timepiece brand contacted me from their (very cool) atelier in Stockholm to offer you all 20% off up until Christmas Day (type in the code NIKI20 at checkout)! I gift wrapped this Ivory Nikki watch this morning - it's a Christmas present for a friend (who shall remain anonymous as I don't want to give the game away - shhhhhh!). Luckily I have one myself too or I'd have found it impossible to give it away, isn't it pretty?!

The Nikki collection consists of three watches with different designs: Ivory Nikki, Gleam Nikki and Smoky Nikki - do you have a favourite?!

I also love their watches with organic leather straps (crafted by the Swedish tannery in Tärnsjö). The Rose Svalan is my wardrobe staple - it goes with everything!

Ruby Falken, Rose Svalan and Ivory Falken Black

It looks like 2019 could be one very punctual (and stylish)year thanks to TRIWA! What do you reckon?

TRIWA ship worldwide. The 20% discount code NIKI20 is valid until 25th December, 2018.

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with TRIWA. All words are my own and I am an extremely proud ambassador for this wonderful Swedish brand!

FILED UNDER: sponsored post

A Norwegian House By A Fjord

A friend of mine visited Zanzibar a few weeks ago and told me she's found her special place. "It was something to do with the light, I can't really explain it, but it gave me so much energy," she said. I understood immediately. I feel the same about Norway. If you haven't been, it's a MUST - the scenery is magical! One family who get to enjoy the power of the nature daily is Eldrid, Martin and their little son Aron. The family live in a house overlooking one of Norway's most stunning fjords in Stranda in the SunnmØre region of Western Norway. These snapshots from the main living room beautifully capture a home where nature is the order of the day - inside and out!

"Soon the snow will melt, the waterfalls will make music again and the green beauty of the fjord will spring forth." - Eldrid

Could you imagine looking out over this fjord? The weather changing every five minutes as it rolls in off the North Sea - so dramatic!

We're going skiing in Hemsedal in early January - I can't wait! If you have any tips I'd love to hear them!

You can see more pics for Eldrid's cabin here and read more about the region here (I see you can ski there in the winter!)

Naturally I can't wrap up the post without sharing a few more inspiring Norwegian cabins with you! Here are a few I love: a magical Norwegian mountain cabin, a rustic Norwegian cabin hide-away and a cosy Norwegian ski chalet.

Where's your special place?

Niki

Photography: House By The Fjord shared with kind permission

FILED UNDER: norwegian home

Understated (Yet Super Pretty) Christmas Decorations In a Swedish Home

I'm a little distracted this morning. There's a loads of Russian sweets in our kitchen and I keep going back for more. I could just bring the whole box over to my desk but then I'll have lost (obviously each time I go in is the last). This is exactly why I don't have treats in my home (not even a packet of Hobnobs!). How are you with things like this?! Another home that's full of treats - is this one in Norrtälje just outside Stockholm. Built in 1890, the house belongs to the talented Emily Slotte, her husband Christian, children Vinnie (1), Blake (4), Engla (13) and dog Franka. I'm talking a feast for the eyes, rather than sweet treats (although I'm pretty sure there are some hiding in Blake and Engla's advent calendars!). Not only is Emily a dab hand at interiors - decorating her home with beautiful furniture and accessories in a soft, muted colour palette she's also an amazing lifestyle photographer. Little wonder her subtle pared-back Christmas touches caught my eye. It's time to get festive friends...

Two candlelit wreaths replace an electric light to bring warmth and cosiness to the setting.

The family Christmas table is set with Ittala Essence Plus wine glasses, brass cutlery, a grey linen tablecloth* and dark grey napkins*. And of course schnapps glasses (altogether now: "helan går...!"). Simple branches of pine run along the centre and are dotted with white hyacinths.

I love the grey-blue of a eucalyptus leaf - it looks so pretty wrapped around a brass wreath, don't you think?

Sometimes simple brown wrapping paper and string is all you need for presents (see more rustic gift wrapping ideas here and here). It helps that Emily has an absolutely beautiful rustic table too!

Simple hyacinth vases like these (available here) are popular at Christmas time in Sweden - and look beautiful dotted around the house. I love how they fill a living space with a delicious scent too!