Duvet Day In This Cosy 'Forever Autumn' Bedroom?

The walls in my bedroom were white for years (take a peek here) and it always felt so fresh and light. But it's only when I painted the back wall in a 'blushing peach' hue that I realised the power of colour - and how much more cosy a room feels with slightly darker, warm tones (I'm sure you've seen it, but just in case, there's a tour of it here). It's funny how that can happen don't you think? Yesterday I came across a tour of this beautiful bedroom belonging to Jeska Herne of Lobster & Swan and it reminds me so much of the colour in my bedroom - except she's gone all out. All four walls and the radiator have been painted in Warm Mud Brown by Cassandra Ellis. The result is a bedroom with a calm yet inviting 'forever autumn' feel and a warm, relaxed vibe.

Oh my word - while searching this picture for details to write about I spotted my very own book 'The Scandinavian Home' - what an honour! Thank you Jeska!

The pair are a big fan of antiques and many of the pieces have been collected on their travels to places like India. They also like to shop for fair-trade antiques at Ian Snow.

When it comes to DIY, Jeska and Dean are on a whole other level (their garden retreat which they created on a shoe-string budget is a fine example of this!). Dean made the bedside shelves in this room and Jeska pieced the lights together with various items collected over time. You can find similar pretty vintage lights like this on Etsy* (I particularly love this hand cut glass lamp*  and art deco vintage lamp* but you'd need to be super quick, there's only one of each!).

Sheer lace curtains (source similar here*) slip in a soft pool of filtered light giving a calm feel to the space and glass cabinets provide a place to store magazines and bed linen while keeping them dust free. 

Layers of linen complete the relaxed feel of the space (I love the look of this linen bedding*!). The picture above the bed is vintage. 

It seems like Jeska and Dean's cat Marlo looks totally at home in their new bedroom - and who can blame him?

Is it me or have feline friends been stealing the show in home tours lately? Just look at yesterday's home and Audrey Rivet's lovely apartment!

Are you a cat person? I grew up with rescue cats and my husband and I used to have a cat called Fredrik-Bo. He was a real character - he used to go to the local cafe and eat muffins. He was really charming when he wanted to be (namely when he wanted a muffin!) but was also massively vicious, to the extent that we had to run passed him when he wasn't looking for fear of being attacked!! Needless to say, my husband has vetoed ever getting a cat again. Bah! I miss them purring away while curled up on my lap and climbing over my keyboard as I type!

Back to this bedroom though - could you imagine spending a duvet day here? There's something so calm about it and it makes me feel really nostalgic - it reminds me a little of my grandmother's home on the South Coast of England, which was really lovely!

Oh and if you love the look of the Cassandra Ellis paint - Jeska's holding a very exciting give-away to win 10 litres of it on her blog here! Hurrah!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS Only three days to go before the launch of my online interior design service - scary Mary! There's only a couple of spaces left for the big discount - thank you so much to everyone who has signed up so far! If you'd like to be one of the first twenty to get help re-designing a room in your home from the My Scandinavian Home Studio team just send me a mail and I'll add you to the list and notify you as soon as it launches!

Photography: Dean Hearne for Lobster & Swan
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The Charming Creative Home of a Polish Artist

Hej hej! How are you?! We had such a wonderful time in the Alps (I can highly recommend Obergurgl in Austria if you love skiing!) - and now we're back it feels like spring is in the air in Sweden - woohoo! (although I'm not going to get my hopes up just yet). I hope you've had a great week too! I'm excited to get cracking with my daily posts again and thought I'd kick off with a very special home. This lovely, relaxed apartment belongs to Polish artist Margo Hupert - and doubles up as a living space and creative studio. Think white floors, art (including some of Margo's own nature inspired pieces), interesting trinkets, plants, vintage finds and the cutest furry friends. Step this way for the tour!

Just how lovely is that vintage filing cabinet / plan chest? I did a little search and found similar ones  here*.

Margo makes use of light from her window to sketch. The sitting room area occupies the same space (try the Söderhamn sofa with a Bemz Urban Loose Fit cover for a similar look). 

 The shelves are from Tylko. Source a similar vintage industrial stool here*.

Hello there gorgeous!

That cat looks like he might have spotted something out of the window (my money's on a bird?!). My eyes are on the beautiful dining space full of one-off pieces, natural materials and plants. Just lovely!

Still gazing out of that window, huh?!

How lovely! There's just so much warmth oozing from this home, don't you think?

It's a perfect place to get creative too - there's so much light!

Is there anything that stood out to you?

Source Margo's art here and see more pictures of her lovely home here.

Would you like to take a peek at more artist's homes today? I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday, can you?! Certainly eases the pain! Here are a few of my favourites: a fabulous vintage inspired loft in a former textile factory, the lovely home of a Danish artist and an artist's studio and home in Stockholm. Time to pour a coffee!

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

PS In case you missed it, the My Scandinavian Home online interior design service launches this Friday - weeee! So exciting (and of course a little nerve-racking too!). Thank you so much for the overwhelmingly positive response, you've made my week! By way of thank you, I'd like to offer the first 20 people to sign-up a very big discount (200 euros instead of 300 euros) on a room design! If you'd love to be one of the first please send me a mail and I'll reply with a discount code and notify you as soon as the service launches. 

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A Present From Me To You: A Special Discount On Your New Room Design!

Tjena! Thank you so much for the hugely positive response to the new My Scandinavian Home Studio online interior design service! I've been smiling all week!

I loved hearing about which room you would like to re-design and why in the previous post as well as on Instagram and Facebook. We now have two sterling testers: Jodie Sperling and Nina Pethers!

Don't worry if that's not you! To celebrate the launch this Friday (1st March) we're thrilled to offer the first twenty people to sign up to a new room design a third off the usual rate (i.e. 200 euros instead of 300 euros).  All you need to do is send me a mail and I'll notify you as soon as the interior design service (and website) launches together with a special discount code. The service is available to everyone, pretty much anywhere in the world.

We're so looking forward to helping you turn your home into a beautiful Scandinavian haven, one room at a time!

Niki

PS Sorry for the radio silence this week, I'm so happy to be back after the holidays.  I thought I'd kick off the week with a beautiful home tour - see you tomorrow! 

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My Scandinavian Home Studio - Room By Room Online Interior Design Help!

Guys! I have some exciting news to share with you. Last January I sent out a survey to find out what you'd like to see more of on My Scandinavian Home - and I received so many wonderful, helpful replies! I noticed many said that although you enjoyed the inspiration, you still sometimes feel a little stuck with how to arrange a room, which colours to choose, or simply how to complete the look in a beautiful way (don't I know that feeling!). I also receive a flood of mails each week asking for similar advice. So, I put on my thinking cap.

One of the key philosophies of Scandinavian design is that everyone should have access to good design. And I felt the same should be the case with interior design.

So, I have launched an affordable My Scandinavian Home online interior design service from this fab studio. For a small fee, the team of highly qualified, passionate, über talented Scandinavian interior designers are waiting to help you pretty much wherever you are in the world!

All you'd need to do is visit the studio website, fill in a simple online form about the room you'd like decorate and complete a fun style survey on the bus home from work or from the comfort of your sofa.  One of the members of the team will then contact you to discuss your needs, before sending you a room layout, mood board and product list (if required) so you can get decorating and create the room of your dreams!

I hope you feel as excited as I am! If you are stuck on a room, We're so looking forward to helping you transform your home, one room at a time!

Niki

PS It's half term in Sweden next week so I am going to be giving my husband and little girls my full screen-free attention - do you think they'll recognise me?!  I won't be blogging but I might just sneak on to instagram stories from time to time (yes, I know, but!). I hope you have a really lovely, relaxing week too! 

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Embracing The Blues In The Fabulous Danish Home of Michael Schmidt

There's no mistaking Michael Schmidt's favourite colour. The thirty year old Danish creative consultant and business owner (with a background in fashion and interiors) acquired his 74 sqm  (796 sq ft) apartment six years ago as a student. "It had more space than I needed, but I fell completely in love with it's quirky layout and the great location - it's literally a few metres down the street from the Copenhagen lakes in the lively Nørrebro area." Michael has shared the apartment with various flatmates and partners, but today lives alone giving him a free hand on how he decorates the bedroom, dining room, living room, kitchen and bathroom. Not only is the home full of bold, yet harmonious contrast, it's also full of fascinating collector's items including art, design classics and sculptural pieces. I caught up with Michael to find out a little more about his wonderful, colourful Copenhagen home! 

Rhythm & Blues Dhurrie rug, teak credenza*, Knoll diamond chair*, vase by Helle Mardahl (seen in top picture)

How did the apartment look when you first bought it?
It actually had a lot of colour in each room - but a mix of purple, red, terracotta and beige - far from my liking! So I started from scratch by renovating it and painting everything white to create a blank canvas.

When did you start adding colour?

Over the years I have added more and more colour, as I feel it can be a great way to highlight different things. My apartment is very long, with an extended view through three rooms so I decided to highlight this by painting one wall in each room in three different colours, which elongates the layout even more. 

Art by Fabian Treiber, Karl Monies, Vintage poster from Vintage Cph. 

In what other ways has colours helped to create the atmosphere you were looking for?

I have a very small kitchen and it looked a bit dull in white, so I opted for a rich green to give the room a moody expression. People tend to be frightened of adding colour to small spaces but it can actually bring them to life in a totally new way.

How else have you added colour to your home?

Of course colour in the home is not only about walls, it's about furniture, accessories and art. Art especially can create a unique mix of colours in every room - I buy all my art from the heart, but I do think about how it would fit into my home, how it will work with the other colours, the light etc. 

Eiermann2 table, Montana shelves, VP Globe pendant* Photo by Martin Solyst

I notice you also have some fabulous, bold textiles!
I find another great way to add colour is with rich fabrics such as curtains or cushions. I have collected a number of cushions by designer Raf Simons for Kvadrat - his eye for colour and texture is amazing.

What are your go-to colours - I guess blue...?!

Blue is one of my favourite colours, as demonstrated. by my wardrobe and home! But I try to be careful not to overdo it with one colour, so I add a lot of green, grey and some red to my interior as well. I love to create a contrast between a green wall and a red shelf, or a blue wall and yellow vases. Maybe it sounds like a loud combination, but I spend a lot of time finding the exact shades to create contrast but maintain a calm atmosphere. Most of the colours I choose have a dusty tone. 

Poster from Louisiana museum, painting by Michael's great grandfather, Strøm Collection vase / jug. 

Where do you find inspiration for colour combinations?

One of my biggest inspirations is the Bauhaus movement. It is known for its functional design and use of primary colours like red and blue which help to highlight function and form. When I started painting the walls in my home, I made a collage of five Vilhelm Lundstrøm paintings, which gave me ideas on how to combine contrasting colours in a harmonious way. 

Kitchen by Reform, Boucherouite rug* 

Recently we've been admiring the colourful Danish homes of Celine Hallas, Sofie Amalie and Trine Brunsvig. Do you think we'll see more and more colour in Danish homes? If so, what do you think is behind this movement?

I think Danish homes are much more colourful than they were ten years ago. The internet and social media provide amazing inspiration from all over the world. I also think Scandinavian countries have always created trend-forward homes, so why wouldn't they be adventurous with colour as too?  

Le creuset pot*

Do you think the way Scandinavians use bolder colours differs from other parts of the world?

I think the shades of colours will be tailored to our climate, our light and our way of living - so even a colourful Danish home will probably appear different from a colour-filled Spanish or French home. We use muted colours to create our famous hygge, and add bolder colours to create contrasts and personal splashes of colour in our homes. 

Fine Merino Plaid Blanket in blue / black, Lato side table, 

Thank you so much for telling us more about your home Michael! It's totally inspired me to start playing around with colour contrasts, how about you? 

See more pics of Michael's interior and fab style on instagram: @danskmode. 

Meanwhile, I'm off to find out more about the Strøm Collection and pieces by Helle Mardahl - they look fabulous! 

Is there anything that stands out to you?

We're busy packing for a half-term ski trip today (I always forget how much stuff there is to do before you go away - help! We're bound to forget something important too (we've forgotten my elder daughters' ski jacket two years in a row now, not popular! Bah!). 

I'll be nipping in tomorrow as I've got some super exciting news to share with you!!! 

Have a lovely evening, see you tomorrow!

Niki

Photography by Martin Solyst & Michael Schmidt
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