Laura Luoto's Inspiring Second-hand & DIY Helsinki Home

So finally, THAT Finnish apartment I promised to share with you! The beautiful 1950s apartment is nestled in the heart of Helsinki (such a great city - I can't wait to go back one day!) and belongs to interior designer Laura Luoto and her boyfriend Ville. Laura has had a passion for all things second-hand ever since she was a child and the pair have decorated the 43 m2 space using a blend of wonderful flea market finds as well as pieces she has built herself and the odd contemporary piece. I couldn't resist reaching out to Laura to find out more. 

What do you do for a living?

I am an interior designer - with a passion for designing well thought-out homes for my clients. I strive to create high quality, practical spaces with a beautiful aesthetic. It's important to me that a living space feels harmonious so that the mind can rest. 

Can you tell us about your passion for second-hand?

My passion for second hand started when I was very young from when we used to visit flea markets as a family. At that time, I would spend all my money buying clothes from thrift stores but at some point, I started to become more interested in purchasing cool and eclectic items for my own room. When I moved into my own apartment, my budget was small, so buying second-hand allowed me to fill up my apartment with cool finds. 

What's the best thing about buying secondhand things for your home? 

I love the idea that no one has a home like mine since most of the pieces are one-of-a-kind. The uniqueness is what makes this apartment feel like home to me. 

Do you need adjust the pieces you find second-hand?

Absolutely. I love leaving my own mark on pieces - and when I adapt them, I feel even more connected to my home because I've worked hard to make it my own. 

I see from your website that you also make your own furniture occasionally?

Yes, when I can't find something I am looking for within my budget, I sometimes make it myself. For example the coffee table in the first picture is handmade! 

See Laura's instagram highlights for more information on how to make a table like this. 

Lovely home! 

It's also so inspiring to learn that you don't need to spend a fortune to create a beautiful and unique living space. Time to hit those flea markets - and get the toolbox out! 

See more of Laura's home over at @Laura_luoto (there are some great DIY ideas there) and find out more about her work / services as an interior designer here. 

Feel inspired by other second-hand homes here (don't miss Ida's home, a Norwegian cottage with a wabi sabi vibe and a hyggeligt Danish home on Jutland!- or join the Finnish home love fest in this archive! 

That's it from me this week. I've got a photoshoot at home today for Carpe Diem Beds for which I'll be transforming my bedroom into a luxury winter haven. Sounds heavenly, don't you think? It's no coincidence that I've timed the shoot right before the weekend!

Have a great one guys, see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography:  All pictures by Krista Keltanen and Jonna Kivilahti except 2 & 4 which are by Laura Luoto - shared with kind permission

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A Heavenly Stay On Sweden’s West Coast

// Paid partnership with Carpe Diem Beds, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love

Have you been able to travel recently? This time last week I made my way up to Fiskebäckskil on the West coast of Sweden - and although it wasn't far away, boy did it feel like luxury! I consider the Gothenburg archipelagos one of Sweden's best key secrets. Characterised by a rugged coastline dotted with hundreds of islands and skerries (see my island hopping guide!), the natural beauty of this part of the world has inspired many a poet, artist and design idea. And it's the latter which brought me here this Autumn. 

Around 120 kilometres from Gothenburg (and a short rib boat ride from where I was staying) you'll find the tiny, picturesque island of Stora Kornö. Accessible by boat, the harbour was once a thriving fishing port, with fishermen and other locals residing in one of the 52 houses. Today, no one lives here year-round. Instead, it's a popular summer destination for those who own cottages, sailors (like Per and I) and day trippers. Locals also flock to the island in the Autumn to celebrate the start of lobster season, and as we pulled up in the rib, many had gathered in the harbour ready to lay their pots. 

But we were here for a different reason: to walk in the footsteps of the brilliant Carpe Diem Beds founder, chiropractor Börje Thuleskär!

Story has it that Börje was relaxing on a bed of heather on the cliffs on the Southwestern shore, feeling happy and relaxed - and most importantly, supremely comfortable. He'd been disappointed by his inability to find a comfortable bed and marvelled at how the heather moulded to his body and gave him an incredible feeling of weightlessness. He immediately struck upon the idea of building his own bed - and the idea for Carpe Diem Beds was born. 

Today, the Swedish brand offers a range of luxury made-to-order, supremely comfortable beds (I'm not just saying that, I've had one for years and slept like a baby ever since!). Hand-built in nearby Lysekil, each bed is named after a local island and individually signed by the crafstperson - high quality Swedish design at it's finest! 

Back on the island of Skaftö and relaxing in my room at Gullmarsstrand Hotel, I marvelled at how a local business, has grown into a globally recognised brand, and sold in over 20 countries. You'll likely know someone who owns one of their beds - or might have been lucky enough to sleep in one at a design hotel as far and wide as Mauritious and the USA - or even the magnificent Ice Hotel (a dream of mine - have you ever been?). 

But this time, I didn't need to travel far. 

My room was heavenly! Sheer curtains bellowed in the fresh Autumn breeze and I could make out the church spire of Lysekil across the sound. Centre stage was the magnificent Vindö (AKA 'The Flying Bed') - the Carpe Diem Bed pièce de résistance, featuring several vibration massage programs, an automatic neck and lumbar support as well as adjustable head and foot rests! 

And best of all, I had it completely to myself. It was the perfect place to unwind, catch up on some much needed sleep surrounded by luxurious comfort and stay in bed on a Tuesday, with a coffee and a good book! How heavenly! 

All in all, a blissful few days and so hard to tear myself away from the wonderful rawness of the nature at this time of the year - and the cosiness and comfort of my room! Thank you Carpe Diem Beds and Gullmarsstrand Hotel! 

I only wish I could have stayed for lobster season. 

Next year!

If you're planning on visiting Sweden at some point, make sure you come to this part of the country - it's staggeringly beautiful! In the meantime, keep a look out for my post in the coming weeks about how to turn your own bedroom into a lap of luxury for the winter. I mean, if we're going to hibernate, we might as well do it in style, right?

Niki

This post is brought to you in paid collaboration with Carpe Diem Beds. All words are my own and I only ever recommend brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the Scandinavian businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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An Incredible 19th century Stockholm Home (With a Fascinating Treasure!)

You might have a bone to pick with me. I promised a Finnish home tour today. And then time ran away with me and I haven't been able to give that blog post the attention it deserves - so please bear with me, I promise to share it on Thursday. The good news is, I have another fine apartment up my sleeve - and I'm sure you won't be disappointed! Located in central Stockholm, the majestic property dates back to 1885 features large airy rooms and a fantastic ornate wood ceiling as well as parquet floors. The owners just happen to have fantastic taste too, filling the rooms with unique design pieces and small treasures. How they can bear to part with it is beyond me, but it's now on the market and waiting for a new owner. Could it be you? 

The star of the show: an incredible 'Vril skål' (burl bowl). I only discovered these recently via my good friend Sofie who just returned from a trip to North Sweden. I thought they were so beautiful I ordered two online immediately. They are handmade by North Swedish craftsmen using burl - a woody growth found on the trunk of a spruce, birch or other tree.  

It almost pains me to share the details as I love how unique they are at present (does that sound terrible?), but since we're all friends, I'll let you in on a secret.... you can source them online here* and here - although you'd need to be quick they are vintage one-offs! Otherwise keep an eye on Etsy for the latest birch burl bowl listings*.  Just don't tell anyone! 

The sofa is by Melimeli - the founder of whom's home I once featured here. 

A hot trend right now - painting ceilings a darker tone - like this! I love the lamps in this room, including a pair of Panthella* and a Snoopy. I also spy a fabulous Dora Maar vase* by Jonathan Adler and an iconic Karin armchair! 

All in all, such an incredible space! Oh, the things I could do with this place if it were mine. 

Could you imagine transforming this into your home? And what did you think of the Birch Burl bowl? 

Wishing you all a great day! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks.

*This post includes affiliate links.

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Colour tips and Inspiration from a Danish Interior Stylist's Home

A new dawn, a new day... and a whole new month! Let's kick off with some colour! What struck me most about the Danish home of Charlotte Kruse is her home office - a hot topic these days, and this one is very inspiring indeed! But there are some other corners of her home I love too - not least because they include some wonderful pastel hues. I caught up with the interior stylist in Herning, central Denmark, to find out more about her home, sources of inspiration and favourite online stores. 

What do you do for a living? 

I have my own company Studio Decor where I style and take pictures for interior and lifestyle companies. And I also teach small business owners and instagrammers how to style beautiful pictures. 

Who do you live with? 

I live with my boyfriend and our two dogs (Pomeranians) in a small house. 

The arch was added last week - what a lovely addition, I love the soft feel it adds to the space. The white opal glass pendant* is by Louis Poulsen. 

Your house has lovely high ceilings, when was it built, and can you tell us more about the size and layout? 

Our house is from 1926. It's 87 m2 (935 f2) and we also have a workshop that's 27 m2 (290 f2). It consists of a kitchen, living room, dining room, a master bedroom and a second bedroom which I use as a study - it's where I run my business from. 

I love that your home is so colourful, can you tell us more about the tones in your home?

I absolutely love colour and use it as much as I can in my home. Colours make me happy and give the room a special feeling. I really like pastel colours, rose and other warm tones. I love to play around with colour, mix my own (the colour in the kitchen is a mix of leftover paint) and see how the rooms turn out. For the most part, I love the result - if I don't, I'll just try again!

Would you say it's unusual for a Dane to have lots of colour in their home? 

Over the past few years, colourful homes have become more and more popular in Denmark, especially on instagram! We want our homes to be as full of life and personality as we are! 

What colours have you applied to the walls in your home? 

Bedroom: Green Harmony from Jotun Lady

Kitchen: a home-made blend of NCS s2010-Y50R and NCS S3020-Y70R (I used a little more of the latter). 

Living room: Hummus from Jotun Lady

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to apply more colour to their home?

If you'd like to add more colour to your home, opt for toned down hues. They are softer and add a pleasant feeling to the room.

 

You have lots of art in your home, where do you. buy your prints? 

Most of my prints are from instagram collaborations - they are from Desenio and Juniqe. I also have bought some from Permild-Rosengreen and Little Detroit. 

Can you share three styling tips? 

1. Give your home a whole new feel by adding colour

2. Always be on the lookout for cool inter items in thrift stores or Facebook marketplace. You can buy a lot of unique items for a little less! 

3. Use plants and fresh flowers in your home. They bring joy to the room and create a nice atmosphere. 

The patchwork curtains seen above are taking the Danish interior world by storm right now. They are made in Denmark by Arvestykke. I also spy a little wooden stool* just like the ones I have by my bed and vases by Ljungby. 

What are your three favourite online shops? 

Luxo Living, Fabrek and Sakura Copenhagen. 

Where do you do you find inspiration?

I like these instagram, including these Danish accounts: @mariaharmuth, @christinedelmar, @trinesblend and @danicachloedk - but also look a lot on Pinterest! 

Thank you so much for telling us more about your home and sharing all your styling tips, shops and sources of inspiration! 

***

If you'd like to see more snapshots of Charlotte's home and find out about her courses, hop on over to @decorstudiodk or Decor Studio. 

For a total colour fest today, you might also like: 

A fabulous Danish home in a plethora of colours

Home tour: how to add colour the Danish way

Lessons to learn from a colourful yet calm Norwegian home

Do you use lots off colour in your home, or do you prefer neutral tones? I'd love to know!

I'll be back tomorrow with a tour of a wonderful home in Finland, watch this space! 

Niki

Styling and photography: Charlotte Kruse / Decor Studio

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Update: Our Tiny House Interior Plans & Inspiration

It's been a while since I shared an update on the tiny house we're building in the garden of the summer cottage in southern Sweden. A lot has been going on behind the scenes, but most excitingly Per and I headed up there for a meeting with the builders last week and it's starting to feel VERY real! A while back, I shared our plans for the exterior. I'm looking forward to sharing the finer details of that soon (once we have settled on the wood finish). Until then, I thought I'd share the plans and inspiration for the interior! 

Layout: 

Our cabin is called a Komplementsbostad which is a special Swedish dwelling measuring 30 m2 (323 f2) and a maximum of 4 metres (13 feet) high. The idea is to use it as a place to unwind at the weekends and in the holidays. If we're staying in the main cottage, it will be a place for guests to stay and hopefully in the future, somewhere our children to come with their family and friends!

The cabin will contain a small kitchenette, social area, bathroom and two sleeping quarters. It's designed to sleep 4. I think I'll start with the latter! 

We decided to lay the sleeping zones out over two floors (which is fairly customary with this type of house). The 'master bedroom' will be in an alcove / nook on the lower floor, and a sleep loft will be placed over the bathroom and bedroom. 

The reason we decided to do it this way and not create a separate master bedroom is because we also wanted to create a nice social area in which to hang out - so we needed the extra space. For the same reason, we also decided not to have a formal entrance / hallway. 

Inspiration for the bedroom / sleep loft area: 

I absolutely love the look and feel of Lina Kjellvertz's cabin (the swede has impeccable taste - check out her house in Mallorca if you have the time!). Her attafallshus was designed by Sommernöjen and features white walls and a light wood ladder and sleep loft - something I am looking to emulate. The only difference is that the atelier / desk area will be exchanged for a bed. Basically like this: 

The bedroom nook will be fairly snug! The cosy danish bedroom below has also been a major source of inspiration for us. See the rest of the lovely cabin here. 

We are looking to convert the under section of the bed into two separate, very large drawers which will be used to store clothes, bed linen, towels etc. A little like the ones in this tiny Norwegian house on wheels.

We're also hoping to add shelving, but sadly we won't have space for a surface behind the bed like the one seen above since the nook is the exact length of the bed! 

Kitchenette

The kitchen and dining area is very much a work in progress! As with everything else, it will of course be small. Since space is of a premium, it will involve upper and lower cabinets. I love this kitchen by Swedish Nordiska Kök - it's clean and contemporary, but also features some beautiful natural elements including stone and wood, which would be a nice way to bring the surroundings inside. Do you like this look too? Clearly the island is a no go, as we simply don't have room! Instead, I'm hoping to find a small vintage table for four. Let the hunt begin! 

One big dilemma: we were hoping to put the boiler in the top right cabinet BUT the plumber told us it would be way too small. Instead it might need to be placed to one side of the sleep loft which is not ideal. I know my family, and they do love their showers! If you have any other ideas on where to place it, I'm all ears! 

Main living / social area

You might have noticed that all these inspiration images have something in common: wood panelling. I absolutely love wood panels, they bring a more relaxed feel to space and help to add a coastal touch.  Are you a fan of panelling too?

This panelling by Swedish brand Norrlands Trä seen in this Scandinavian cabin is spot on. I'm just in the process of ordering samples to see which style would look best (every panel option comes in an option of at least two different whites as well as various textures - I tell you, it's a minefield!).

Sitting room

I'm going to be honest, we still haven't decided which direction to go in with the sitting room. All thoughts are welcome at this stage! The only thing we do know is there are a LOT of windows and doors to contend with (see plan) and there'll definitely be a woodturning stove (more info to follow soon!).

But what we don't know, is what seating to go for. 

Do we go for some kind of built-in bench running from the kitchen units to the wall with storage underneath like in these lovely rooms?

Or do we opt for a sofa-bed with storage to make room for extra guests? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Looking at these images I'm wondering if I've over sold our cabin now!! I mean, some of these spaces are simply incredible and quite a lot bigger than our cabin! The pressure is on! 

I can't wait to share more plans with you soon including the bathroom, outdoors space and wood burning stove! Meanwhile, we're hoping the first spade will go in the ground this week - woohooo! 

For more tiny cabin inspiration check out: 

Opening doors vs folding doors - see the comments for the final reader verdict!

And the tiny house archive - which is full of inspiration for small spaces! 

Right guys, that's it from me this week, thank you for coming along for the ride - and for all your kind messages in yesterday's post, it really meant so much. 

Trevlig helg / have a great weekend!

Niki

Photography: 1. House Doctor. 2&3 Sommarnöjen 4, 5 & 10. Morten Holtum 6. Nordiska Kök 7. Norrlands Trä 8. Femina 9. My Domaine

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