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
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12 Budget Friendly Ways To Transform Your Living Room Into a Cosy Winter Haven!

Are you starting to feel the winter chill? Here in Malmö, the temperatures are hovering around a very chilly zero degrees Celsius. BRRRRR! I heard somewhere that like flowers, people bloom at different times. My friend from Greenland comes into her own at this time of the year, while I've always been a summer person. When do you bloom?  Winter not your season either? Don't worry, there's so much we can do to brighten up the season and make our homes as toasty as possible. And it's all in the detail! Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan is one step ahead. The Sussex based photographer, stylist and online store owner has transformed her living room into a cosy winter haven. I spotted 11 very cosy, yet very simple and budget friendly ideas to steal. It's time to batten does the hatches and snuggle up, friends. 

1. Blankets in a basket: if there's one thing I've learned from living in Sweden, it's to always have blankets on standby! Walk around town and you'll spot fleece blankets draped over the backs of bistro chairs and just like in Jeska's home - a wicker basket full of blanket in the sitting room! 

2. Bring out the sheepskins: drape them over chairs or benches or use them on the floor as extra rugs! Haven't got one? Pick up a bundle of fluffiness here*.  

3. Throw in some extra cushions (preferably in warm autumn colours): Just so that you can really hunker down! 

4. Layer it up! One of your sofa's not so pretty? Or perhaps it's just not soft enough? Pick up some super soft fabric (you can buy linen by the metre here*) and chuck it over your least favourite sofa or chair and it might just become your favourite! 

5. Put logs on the fire! Nothing says hygge like a crackling log fire. But hang on, what happens if your fireplace isn't in working order? Simply fill it with pillar candles in all different sizes. No fireplace at all? Join the club - bah! - and light candles on every surface instead. So cosy, so very Scandi hygge! 

6. Double up on lamps! Hey, it's a dark time of year, there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to see passed your hand! Rather than going for high voltage over head lighting, do as our Nordic friends (and Jeska!) and dot extra lower level, indirect lighting around for a soft, warm glow. 

7. Bring the outside in: think about activities you love to do in the wild - like shell-seeking on windswept beaches or hiking through silent forests and bring home relics which instantly take you back. Just looking at them will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! 

8. Light 'feel good' incense': tap into all your senses - including smell! Have you noticed just how far home fragrances have come? The Autumn / winter ones are some of my favourites (I'm looking at you HYGGE candle and Eir natural incense). 

9. Lanterns that glow: this year I've been loving my oil lamps (there's one in Jeska's living room lurking just behind the arm of the sofa!), they last way longer than candles (you just need some lighter fuel handy) - plus you can change the amount of glow according to your mood! Pick up a vintage one here*, or invest in a Klong - it'll last you a lifetime! 

10. Bring in a touch of the forest: wood immediately adds warmth - even more so if the surface is rich with patina. A low table made from a tree stump like the one in Jeska's home is like warmth on a stick (or three sticks in this case!). 

11. Hot drinks all round: tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Irish whisky - a cup of something warm and delicious at your fingertips is never wrong I winter! 

12. A touch from the garden: the last leaves maybe about to fall, but there's beauty in decay too! Bring in some branches from your backyard or the ground of your local park and place them in a vase or hang them from the ceiling for instant cosiness!

Don't even get me started on the floor! But I did say 'instant' cosiness so let's just sit back and admire it for a few moments and move on! 

What do you reckon? Did you get any new ideas for your own sitting room? Perhaps you've got some tips of your own to add in the comment section below? (FYI I've been experiencing a few problems with comments disappearing over the last few days and working hard to fix this asap. Sorry for any inconvenience!).  

Or perhaps you just want to pop round to Jeska's and curl up on her sofa for a while (you might just find me there too!). 

As with all spaces in Jeska's home (check out her bathroom - such an incredible before and after transformation! - handmade kitchen and bedroom in autumn colours), there are so many other beautiful details to feel inspired by. I particularly like her sofa (from sofa.com), lamp from Olive and the Fox, Flower print by Lucy Auge Art and Invest print by Jai Bess. 

Here are a few other cosy ideas you might like: 

11 inspiring autumn updates to steal from a hyggelige Danish home

5 ways to cosy up your home this winter

5 simple ways to create a cosy corner

Perhaps we'll all become winter fiends after all! 

Niki

Photography: Dean & Jeska Hearne / Lobster & Swan shared with kind permission

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The Fabulous Sydney Home of A Photographic Interior Stylist

G'day! It's been a while! We were actually meant to be back in Sweden today, but Allie picked up a tummy bug in London a couple of days ago (poor little thing!) - so only half the family made it back! Guh! Has that ever happened to you? Hopefully we can head home this afternoon. ANYHOW, I thought I'd kick off November with a very special tour of the home of Australian interior stylist Kerrie-Ann Jones. Kerrie-Ann began her home decor career working for glossy interior magazines including Real Living. Today she works as a photographic interior stylist and creative director, counting some of Australia's leading furniture, art and homeware brands as her clients. Based on this intro, you can kind of guess that her own home - a Sydney terrace house in Darlinghurst - is pretty fabulous, and you wouldn't be wrong! The earthy, light-filled living space has been artfully curated using a blend of mid-century, contemporary vintage, art and handmade pieces against a cool back drop of polished concrete and white walls. Come and take a peek inside!

A series of skylights flood the open plan kitchen with great shafts of light - one of the reasons Kerrie-Ann fell in love with the house in the first place!

Peel back the layers and you'll find a cool polished concrete floor and whitewashed walls.

I do love a polished concrete floor - but they certainly need a lot of cosying up (especially in Sweden). This large, striped rug in the second living room does the trick, plus it's very pretty too!

I spotted a rattan chair like this one in the corner of Kerrie-Ann's daughter's room in the Swedish shop Granit the other day - isn't it fabulous? I also love the wooden bookshelves in the corner of the room - laying children's books flat against the room makes it so much easier for them to pick out their favourite books (usually the longest ones....!). 

Kerrie-Ann has decorated her own room with layers of texture in earthy hues and a simple rust accent. The guest bedroom is a little more vibrant with salmon pink linen bedding (what a difference a little coloured linen can make - source similar here*!). 

If you're thinking of renovating your bathroom - take heed! It can be pretty expensive to make-over a space like this so, in MHO it's way better to go for something timeless like a grey and white theme and then bring in the latest trends with accessories - just like Kerrie-Ann has done. The same goes for cushions in the sitting room, dishcloths in the kitchen etc. 

Love the bust! 

What did you think? Planning a complete overhaul of your own home? Or maybe just scouring second-hand rug* sites (like I am!)? 

I LOVED the gallery wall in the first picture (in case you missed them, scroll on up and take a look at the items on the rattan side-table too - each piece is like a work of art)! 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

You can see more of Kerrie-Ann's home and latest work on her instagram feed (warning, you could be stuck there for hours). You can also read a full interview with Karrie-Ann on Bed Threads and Domino. 

Shall we stick to Australia this bright and sunny Monday? I think it feels kind of apt - plus many of the homes I've featured from the land Down Under have been among my favourites! I'm loving this sleek bachelor pad with a rustic touch, a dreamy waterside home (that view!) and a vibrant, mid-century inspired family home (I remember the artwork caused some controversy when I posted this one!). 

Have a fabulous start to the week friends!

Niki

PS I'm so excited about tomorrow's post, there are just so many ideas to steal! See you then!  

Photography: Maree Homer

*Affiliate links (I earn a very tiny amount of money if you click and buy the item - probably enough for a biscuit to go with my coffee - it's the little things in life!). 

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6 Subtly Spooky Yet Stylish Halloween Ideas

It's only a couple of days until Halloween and my girls are getting so excited. Ok, me too! How about you? Perhaps you're the person who goes all out, adorning your home with cobwebs and coffins, goblins and goblets or like me, prefer to add a gentle, yet spooky nod to the occasion. No matter your Halloween style, I've rounded up 5 of my favourite simple yet bewitching halloween decorating ideas - from light and bright, to the very dark side. I hope you find something that tickles your fancy on 31st October! 

1. Add one more guest to the (console) table this halloween with a bone chilling display complete with carnivorous cobra lilies, black beauty roses and allium in a skull vase, for a deadly display! 

2. Put a little ssssspace between you and your latest pet  - snake charming optional! 

3. Not into the spooksville side of Halloween? This pretty Scandinavian window display by Anna Kvarnström will last all season long, and it's as pretty as a pumpkin! 

4. Ask your portraits to keep a close eye on guests by adding a black mask to the glass on the front of your pictures - for an instant haunted house! 

5. Enjoy a bewitching banquet with this black and white display. Dine on blood red apples dipped in sticky toffee and finished with bony, gnarled sticks. 

6. Go over to the (very) dark side with pumpkins, brass candlesticks and candles as black as the night sky. Ghosts optional. 

Did any of these ideas capture your imagination? I'm totally going to get up early on halloween at my parents' house and put masks on all the portraits (although some of my Mother's paintings are spooky enough already!). Mwah ha ha haaaaaa! 
If you're looking for more ideas - you might also like the 7 spookishly stylish halloween ideas I shared last year (the ghost cake!). We're busy packing here since we're heading to London today to hang out with my family for the school half term (and of course do a little trick or treating!). Eeeeeee! I can't wait!  I hope you have a wonderful few days. See you on Monday! Niki

Credits: 1. Addie Juel  2. Svenska Maklarhuset 3. Anna Kvarnström 4. Country Living 5. Stocksy 6. Agata Dimmich / Passion Shake

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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.

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