A Beautiful Rustic Swedish Home Where Old Meets New

Why, hello there friends! How are you today? The sun is still shining in Southern Sweden, which is just what we need right now! I thought I'd kick off the week with a beautiful home tour which could have easily have hopped straight out of the pages of The World Of Interiors. It's got this wonderful, old school, rustic, romantic feel about it. Located in central Umeå, East Sweden the house belongs to Soraya Forsberg, a Mother to six children (yes, SIX!) and the founder of Byn Collective - a creative design studio in North Sweden. Soraya is unsure when the house was built since the records were destroyed in a fire, but it's thought to date back to 1800. The living space has been decorated and furnished with a wonderful nod to both the past and present. Look out for textured walls, bare wood ceilings and a wealth of vintage and antique pieces! 

I've looked back through these images a few times and every time I spot something new. It's full of wonderful details! Make sure you take your time to linger on each image, there's so much to feel inspired by!

Did anything stand out to you in particular?

You can see more lovely pics of Soraya's home over on her instagram here.

I've searched archives for similar home tours - so if you're loving this vibe, pour yourself a coffee, put your feet up and enjoy a cosy country home in rural north sweden (the picture of Nicole watching salmon jump in the river from her atelier is etched in my mind - so beautiful!) and a Rustic mill on the shores of lake Rinnen, Sweden.

Have a great start to the week!

Niki

Photography: Soraya Forsberg, shared with kind permission

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Plant Tribe: An Inspiring New Coffee Table Book

It's Friday! Woohoo! Not that I have any wild plans ahead - but it will still be nice to put my feet up this weekend, how about you?! One thing I'll definitely be doing is reading my friend Igor Josifovic's new book - PLANT TRIBE. Launched a few weeks ago, Igor co-wrote the book with Judith de Graaff. It's their second book after the best-selling debut Urban Jungle and the pair also run the popular community Urban Jungle Bloggers). If you love plants, you'll love PLANT TRIBE. Igor and Judith delve into the many ways that nurturing plants help nurture the soul and offer inspiring advice for using plants to increase energy, creativity and well-being - and even attract love and prosperity. Say, what?! I'd better pay close attention! The book is also beautifully illustrated with photography by Jules Villbrandt. Here's a sneak peek at Tim Labenda's Berlin home which features in the book - and a few words from Igor! 

What was the idea behind PLANT TRIBE?

We wanted to write a book that changes our perspective on plants from merely decorating our homes and caring for them. We wanted to highlight how plants actually take care of us - making us happier, more creative, more balanced and more at peace with ourselves. All by making our homes more natural and beautiful. 

It takes a huge amount of work to create a book, but the process can be really rewarding. Is there anything that stood out to you?

We travelled throughout the USA, Brazil and Europe to make this book and we visited some amazing creative people in their plant-filled homes. We wanted to hear their personal stories, their bonds to plants, and why plants improved their lives on so many levels. 

We heard stories that made us laugh out loud and moved us to tears. These personal plant stories make the heart and soul of PLANT TRIBE. We hope this will inspire people to look at houseplants in a new and different way. 

Holding your book in your hands for the first time is such a special moment.  What are you most proud of? 

For the book, we worked with our friend and photographer Jules Villbrandt from Berlin. She managed to capture the magic moments, the personal bonds and emotions through her photography. To me, this book is a compound of good energy and positive vibes - just what we need right now more than ever before. 

Igor Josifovic

If you'd like to treat yourself to a copy of PLANT TRIBE, it's available through Amazon, Book Depositary as well as many other online retailers. You can also ask your local bookstore to order a copy or send a request to your library to stock it! 

Having seen a peek inside Tom's Berlin home in the book, I have a really strong urge to fill my home with plants now - how about you?! In case you'd like a little more inspirationt: 

Igor's happy plant-filled home

At Home with the Arctic Gardener

A guide to indoor climbers

Oh, and how did I not talk about that sculptural light in the first picture? - It's incredible, don't you think?! 

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend friends - see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography credits: Jules Villbrandt for Urban Jungle Bloggers except for the final two which were by Igor Josifovic. 

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A White Danish Home Full Of Art and Scandinavian Design Classics

It's a beautiful sunny day today in Sweden - and I'm dreaming of hopping over the bridge to Copenhagen. The borders are sadly closed (except for those working there), BUT there's no reason why we can't go on a virtual trip, right?! Mathilde Engelund lives in the hip neighbourhood of Vesterbro - one of my favourite parts of town, known for its offbeat shops, art galleries and bars. It's also near the meatpacking district - which is a perfect place to grab a beer in the sunshine (can you tell I'm missing the city?!). Mathilde has a passion for interior design and recycling - which shines through in her choice of art, iconic Scandinavian design classics and eclectic blend of furniture picked up at flea markets, antique fairs and other secondhand sources. As a result, the spacious living space is filled with light and has a wonderful relaxed feel. A perfect family home for Mathilde, her partner and their son Hugo. Velkommen in! 

 

 

 

Oh wow! This home has put a real smile on my face. I love the relaxed vibe, how about you?

Is there anything that caught your eye? 

You can see more pics of Mathilde's lovely home on her Instagram @hjemv. 

It would be kinda rude not to share a few more Danish home tours today don't you think? After all, we've made the effort to take the virtual trip!! Here are a few others I love: 

A cosy danish loft full of plants and other treasures

Johanne's and Lukas' beautiful Danish townhouse

The timeless home of a Danish jeweller and vintage furniture collector

In the words of our Danish friends: Ha en dejlige dag! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Mathilde Engelund and Another Studio

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Oh, How I'd Love to Buy This Swedish Island Summer Oasis!

Last night I was scrolling through Swedish real estate (a favourite past time of mine - does that make me weird, or do you do the same in your country?!) and I discovered Emma Sundh's wonderful summer cottage has been placed on the market - complete with caravan! I turned to Per and said, 'we need to buy this'. I mean, I've been dreaming about this little red, white and blue cottage since I featured it two summers ago - and our visit to the beautiful island of Gotland last summer. Built in the late 1800s, the future buyer would benefit from relaxing in the cosy wooden cottage (which has two bedrooms plus the caravan!) and enjoy beautiful views over the garden which is bursting with lilac, clematis and roses throughout summer. Sadly, Per isn't quite ready to take the plunge (story of my life - te he he!) - so I'm hoping that one of you might snap it up and enjoy this lovely summer haven on my behalf! 

Any takers?

It's available through Bertwig (just sayin'!).

If you do snap it up, can I stop by for a cup of tea next time I'm on Gotland?

In case you're as curious as I am about this idyllic Swedish island in the Baltic, here are a few other of my favourite houses:

A rustic summer cottage with a lovely pool - for rent!
A charming 19th century house on Gotland
Swedish island life in a limestone cottage

You know what? I was feeling a little low before writing today's post (I try to stay positive, but I have to admit this whole thing gets to me every now and again, do you feel the same?) but dreaming about this lovely cottage on Gotland has perked me up no end and given me a spring in my step once again.

Here's to dreaming about long summer days!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bertwig

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