My sitting room refresh with Bemz

I'm super excited to reveal my new sitting room today. It's been a long time in the making since I simply couldn't decide which sofa to go for: I've been looking for something our entire family could get cosy on in this Autumn, and of course, a piece that looks beautiful too! The answer came in the form of a marriage between two brands: IKEA and Bemz! Of course, we're all familiar with the first, but have your heard of the latter?! Bemz makes the most beautiful customised, replacement covers for IKEA sofas and armchairs (as well as curtains, cushions and bedroom textiles).  It's such a simple process too. You basically pick out the piece you like from IKEA (or if you're lucky you can find it online second hand), better yet upgrade an existing IKEA piece at home, and then choose from over 250 Bemz colours and patterns, all of which are machine washable and sewn to order in Europe. How great is that?! Here's a sneak peak of what has officially become the most cosy corner in our house... and a little more information about the make-over.

I invited Gen (the wonderful My Scandinavian Home interior designer) over for a brainstorm (any excuse for a coffee and a chat!) and we opted for the SÖDERHAMN three-seat sofa with chaise longue with a Bemz Urban Loose Fit cover in Rosendal Pure Washed Linen in Silver Grey. I have a weakness for relaxed, natural textures and absolutely love the pronounced seams - such a beautiful touch, don't you think?! Not only that, but the Bemz loose fit slipcover completely transforms the look of the original IKEA SÖDERHAMN, giving it an exclusive touch - love that!

The cover was added to the sofa during the assembly process (admittedly I've never been great with an Allen key so I might just have got the man involved at this point!). Of course, while strolling through IKEA I also picked up a few accessories to match - including the Stockholm 2017 chair, GRADVIS vase, VILJESTARK vase, and ARV bowl (hey, the new IKEA catalogue 2018 came out this week, how could I not?!) - but some of the older, more rustic pieces at home fit really nicely with the look too. I hope you like the result as much as I do!

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. Interior design / styling: Genevieve Jorn

Roll on Autumn!

If you fancy giving an IKEA piece a new lease of life at home, it's well worth checking out the Bemz covers and slipcovers - there are some really beautiful ones. The great thing is IKEA sofas are built to last, and the SÖDERHAMN has a 10 year warranty so if you tire of it or spill your espresso martini, it is easy to update the cover - yay!

I think I might go for a headboard next...! 

Have a lovely day!

PS If you're wondering where anything is from, please do ask away in the comment section below!


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bemz. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too (#Ilovemyjob!). Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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My Sitting Room Three Different ways

Partnership. The most popular room in our home at this time of the year has to be our sitting room. It's where we chill out, watch TV (yes, there is one hiding in this room somewhere, can you guess where?!), play games and chat into the early hours all winter long.  

In my childhood home, my Mother insisted on two antique chesterfields which looked stunning - but didn't move an inch when you sat down - do you know the type?! God forbid if you were to sit on one of the arms (there'd be an almighty cracking sound!)! In our sitting room we might not benefit from the history that comes with antique sofas - but boy is our IKEA Söderhamn 3-seater, armchair and chaise longues comfy! 

We can also update the furniture whenever it starts to look tired thanks to Bemz (who create custom covers and legs for IKEA furniture in hundreds of high end fabrics that are made to order in Europe (LOVE THAT!). I tried out a few different looks in my sitting room to suss out which cover (and layout) works best for the chilly winter months ahead.  

I'd love to know which of the three you like the most!

Look One: Lovely Linen

The Design 
For the first look I wanted to create something that felt soft, floaty and snug. The Brera Lino linen in Dusk is a soft, middle blue with a very slight green tint to it (Per insists it is green... but then again, he also thinks pink is red sooo....). I liked the idea of combining it with Brera Lino Pebble and brown accents.


The Look

I've been a fan of the Bemz Loose Fit style cover ever since re-arranging my living room in 2017 (remember that look? I've since been through a few more styles including this one last autumn!) - you know me! I love the floaty, relaxed look and the contemporary seams, is this your kind of style too? This time I opted for a Bemz Loose Fit sofa cover in Dusk Brera Lino linen for the IKEA Söderhamn sofa. It was one of those instant matches with with my coffee table (an old workman's bench which I've had for years).  I love it when a plan comes together!

I've always loved the way linen catches the light - and also how it looks equally fine creased as it does flat ironed - perfect for a messy (or maybe I should say, very relaxed?) family like mine! 

I picked up the camel coloured wool and mohair blanket from online Swedish shop Granit.

The sitting room doubles up as a thoroughfare to our back garden which makes it kind of tricky to furnish! It was the first time I've tried a chaise longues in this position (it was Genevieve Jorn's idea) and it just seem to slot into place. Per might wonder where his bar cart has gone, along with the Hendricks - but the girls and I love it in this position! What do you think?

The Ikea Söderhamn chaise longues has been kitted out with a cover in Bemz Loose Fit cover in Pebble Brera Lino. 

When it comes to rugs, I say the fluffier the better at this time of the year, don't you? This Beni Spezial is from from the family-run company Natur Pur in Austria. 

There are so many details in my living room - some of which are fairly new, and others I've had for years. Here's a quick low down:

Get The Look

1. Z1 Cotton Lamp
2. Paris Print by Anna Johansson
3. Bemz Single Curtain panel in Belgian Linen Blend, Unbleached
4. Söderhamn 3 seater in Loose Fit Dusk
5. Colour Print by Maria Leinonen
6. Granit Wool & Mohair Blanket
7. Antique Chinese Bench
8. Söderhamn chaise longue in Pebble
9. Blue Print by Berit Mogensen Lopez
10. Bemz Cushion Cover in Belgian Linen Blend, Unbleached

Look two: Luxurious Velvet

The Design

While the Dusk look is ever so slightly darker than my previous cover, I felt I wanted to go even darker and create a seating area with a really luxurious feel. 

My Mother's infamous (and very lovely, I must say) antique sofas have always been upholstered in dark blue velvet - a look that never fails to make me feel nostalgic. In my own sitting room I wanted to incorporate this and explore a blend of Indigo, camel and soft grey. 

The Look

For this look I covered my Ikea Söderhamn sofa and armchair with a Bemz Regular Fit cover in Indigo Simply Velvet. The fabric has a wonderful soft feel and a sheen that changes with the light - so beautiful! 

I used to have sheer white linen curtains in the sitting room (you can catch a glimpse of them here) - for these two looks I swapped the white linen out for Curtain Panels in Unbleached Belgian Linen. It's a slightly thicker fabric and immediately made the room feel more cosy - it's funny how that can happen, don't you think?

I have to say, this look was so popular with my family (mainly because the sofa is so soft!). I also sent over a few pictures to my Mum and she absolutely loved it too!

Here's a quick round-up of some of the pieces: 

Get The Look

1. Zuiver Shady Iron Wall Lamp

2. Blue print by Berit Mogensen Lopez

3. Paris Print by Anna Johansson

4. Söderhamn 3 seater, regular fit, simply velvet, indigo

5. Sergel skinny Wooden Furniture Leg

6. Stockholm 2017 Rattan Chair

7. Wool & mohair throw

8. Söderhamn 1 seat section cover regular fit, simply velvet, indigo

9. Adoray Print by MiltonStudio

10. House Doctor Shelf

11. Bemz cushion cover, plain seam, simply velvet, Moleskin

Did I miss something? If so, please give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help!

Look Three - The Reading Corner

For the final layout we moved the Ikea Söderhamn chaise longue with a Bemz Loose Fit cover in Pebble to the corner to create a reading nook. It's been topped with matching pillows and a cushion cover in Belgian Linen Blend, Unbleached and Spice Linara by Romo. 

If you're looking for me this weekend you might just find me here. 

Or should I keep the velvet look. Or maybe the dusk linen? Hmmm. What to do?! Do you have a favourite? 

If you've got any questions about anything, please do ask away in the comment section below!

In the meantime, I might just go and snuggle up in my new sitting room! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home

Styling: Genevieve Jorn 

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bemz and contains affiliate links. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too (#Ilovemyjob!). Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Cosying up my bedroom with Bemz

Do you have a favourite room? A few years back we decided to turn the entire top floor of our house into our bedroom. It's become a little oasis among the rooftops of Malmö (if you peep out of the window you can see the sea too!). But with the drop in temperature we just weren't feeling the cosy vibe, and that's important right?! My Scandinavian Home interior designer Genevieve Jorn and I got together to make a plan  - yes, we take this kind of stuff very seriously! Having collaborated with Bemz before for my sitting room make-over (aaaaaah, I love that space - can I have two favourite rooms?!), we knew it would be easy to create an entirely new look without a whole load of hassle (and with all that's going on at this time of year, who needs that?!). If you're not familiar with Bemz, they make the most beautiful customised design covers for IKEA furniture (including sofas, armchairs, chairs etc) as well as curtains, cushions and bedroom textiles - in a choice of over 250 colours and patterns (machine washable and sewn to order too!). Read on to here more about the transformation!

  The Planning

Since we were aiming for a cocoon like feel, the room needed some some rich, warm tones, and yet at I also was keen to keep the Nordic aesthetic.

Bemz Rosendal Pure Washed Linen in White and Unbleached were the obvious choices to use for layers of soft textiles (linen has such a wonderful relaxed look and it's a great material since it's snug in the winter and helps keeps you cool in the summer). We combined it with Velvet Malmen in Chestnut cushion covers to ramp up the cosiness!  

I'm particularly pleased with the bedspread made in Rosendal Pure Washed Linen in Unbleached in their Loose Fit Urban style. It's beautifully made with exposed seams and a lining. Best of all? When I'm in a bit of a hurry in the morning (err, daily) I can just chuck it over the bed! Yasss!

I've had my eye on the bed skirt made in Rosendal Pure Washed Linen in Absolute White in their Loose Fit Urban style for a while. A bed skirt / valance is a great way to hide the box spring, under bed storage, and all other kinds of stuff that finds it's way under there! This one is so pretty too, don't you think? I love the detail!

The Söderhamn one seat section with Urban Loose Fit cover in Rosendal Pure Washed Linen - Unbleached was a must. Not only does it mean I finally have an armchair in my bedroom for all my clothes. Eh hem.  I mean, for reading, the linen slipcover adds much needed cosiness to the window nook (check out the seams too).  I kind of want to sink in and stay there all day drinking coffee and flipping through magazines (what kids?!).

 

Or maybe the chestnut?

What I love most about Bemz is that you can quickly update the look of an item of furniture by replacing the slipcover whenever the mood takes you. For example, check out how switching to the Söderhamn 1 seat section cover in Malmen Velvet Chestnut gives a new look to my reading corner! The only problem now I can't decide which I prefer - what do you reckon?

Photography / Production: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian home. Styling - Genevieve Jorn

So happy with the outcome, I hope you like it too.

If you're interested in getting a similar look in your home, you can shop the look at Bemz here. 

And in case you're wondering where any of the other items are from - there'll be a big follow-up post on Sunday covering all details - but feel free to ask away in the comment section below in the meantime!

Have a great weekend all! 

This post is brought to you in paid collaboration with Bemz and contains affiliate links, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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My Studio Make-over (And How One Sofa Helped Transform the Space!)

Paid partnership with Bemz - thank you for supporting the Nordic brands which make My Scandinavian Home possible

When I first started my business I worked from home. I'd have the washing machine whirring in the background and other working-from-home neighbours stopping by for a cuppa (I'm sure many of you can relate these days)! For a while I loved it, but over the years I started to miss the companionship that comes with being around others and two years ago I moved into a beautiful studio space in town.  It's run by upholsterer extraordinaire Carina Grefmar and we also share the space with Helena who works for a Swedish furniture business called Maze. Needless to say a whole load of coffee goes down on a daily basis!

The only thing is, the room I share with Helena was still pretty much unfurnished save for one Söderhamn sofa and a whole load of boxes! It had becoming increasingly embarrassing, not least because we both work in the world of interiors! And then Bemz launched a Minimalist Fit design cover for IKEA sofas and everything was about to change! 

This side of the room had become a bit of a dumping ground for samples, props and other items. The problem is, once you start with one item, everything else seems to quickly gather - do you find this too?  

I sat down with My Scandinavian Home interior stylist Helen Sturesson (above with her trusty ruler!) and we hatched a plan. 

What we did

You are likely familiar with Bemz as I have partnered with the Swedish brand for many years. I simply love the entire concept. I mean, beautiful designer covers for IKEA armchairs and sofas in a choice of different high quality fabrics, what's not to love? It's the perfect way to give an old piece a whole new lease of life. 

The new Minimalist fit cover differs from their loose and regular fit covers as it doesn't require you to take apart the sofa, you simply pull it on over the top. And it comes with or without arms - in this case I decided to add arms to my sofa for a smarter look (cue a morning at IKEA!). 

I chose the Minimalist Fit cover in Brera Lino in Pebble by Designers Guild - made from 100% linen. 

I love the Pebble tone, the soft linen texture, the seams - everything! Isn't it pretty? I also picked out some cushion covers in Brera Lino Cocoa with French Seams. 

To finalise the look I also added quite a few pieces made by local Southern Sweden designers as well as friends from further afield. Here's a quick round-up in case you're curious:

'Landscape', vinyl paint on linen by local artist Simon Vendin, Design of Edge coffee table, Sculpture from the SANT series by Malmö based Karolina Brobeck & Mini Karami, branches from my friend Sarah's garden (she left secateurs on the doorstep!). 

And from further afield: Tense Lamp by New Works (thank you to local store Svenssons for sourcing this!) and the Palus rug from Armadillo. 

Our desk space in the window is made from several large planks from a local DIY store. I love looking out over the majestic buildings in central Malmö - there's always something interesting to see.

Finally a space we can be proud of! Wohooo! 

I'm so looking forward to plenty of fikas (swedish coffee with cake) - if you're in the area, please do drop by, there's always a coffee pot on the go!

Curious about getting a Bemz design cover for your sofa or armchair? Keep an eye out for the Black Friday sale over at Bemz this week. Here are some of my favourite covers in action: 

My sitting room three different ways

My sitting room refresh with Bemz

One Swedish sitting room, two cosy ways

My daybed update 

My autumn bedroom makeover 

I can't wait to show you the rest of the room once it's finished - this girl is on a mission now! 

Have a cosy day! 

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Styling: Helen Sturesson 

This post is brought to you in paid collaboration with Bemz and contains affiliate links. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the Nordic businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Gen's Cosy Sitting Room Make-Over with Bemz!

Sponsored: 

Often, when you take a step in a new direction in one room, it has a knock-on effect on the next room - and before you know it you're re-doing the entire place! Have you noticed that too?! When my friend (and interior designer) Genevieve Jorn, renovated her bedroom here in Malmö a few months back, she was thrilled with the results and wanted to continue the look through to her sitting room. Her and husband Kasper, didn't want to invest a huge amount since it's fairly newly renovated, but still wanted to find a simple way to inject similar colours (sand, grey etc) and natural materials such as linen to give their living space a cohesive look. Since they already had a Karlstad sofa and were very happy with it, Bemz* - who make beautiful design covers for IKEA furniture - was the ideal solution to bring more linen into the space. Here's the low down...

 Before

The Design

Sample selection  

You might already be familiar with Bemz* (I've been a partner of theirs for a while and am a huge fan having used their design covers in my sitting room and bedroom). But, just in case you're not - the Swedish brand makes the most beautiful design covers for IKEA sofas and armchairs as well as cushions, curtains and bedroom fabrics (and have over 150 fabrics to choose from - I'm not kidding!).  Such an awesome way to make the most of what you already have and give it a whole new lease of life! 

Gen chose a cover in Simply Linen Graphite Grey which has a craaaazily soft 'peach-skin' finish.  It's also really durable and machine washable making it ideal for saucepan lids (for the non-British out there, that's cockney rhyming slang for ''kids'!).  Side-note: Gen's little girl Olivia is as cute as a button, but even the most angelic of children can leave a fingerprint or too (check-out Olivia's own bedroom here)!

Room design

Gen was keen for the area to feel cosy, personal and warm. She opted for a sandy wall colour (chosen to match her bedroom) as well as warm natural materials in the form of light wood, soft linen and rattan, with the slightest hint of black and grey (get the complete run down on the furniture, wall colours and light fittings here!). 

 After

...be still my beating heart!

The combination of natural textures (which include soft linens, cotton, wood, rattan and paper) and muted, earthy tones have such a calming, cosy effect - which was especially important since it's quite a large open plan room (the dining area is on the other side of the room).  

The majority of the sofa cushions* are also by Bemz. Combining different colours and textures is a perfect way to add warmth and somewhere you want to sink into and chill all day!

Isn't it beautiful?! I seriously could have stayed all evening, perhaps the week (like a true surf coucher!). However, we weren't quite finished with the shoot...

How about Ivy?

As I mentioned, one of the beauties of Bemz is that you can easily update your furniture. I have a spare linen cover for my sitting room sofa so that if something gets spilled (a regular occurrence in our house - bah!), we can whisk off the covers and throw them in the machine.

As a reserve (and an update as the mood takes her!), Gen went for the Loose Fit Urban Brero Lino Ivy. Here it is: same room, same setting:

Isn't it smart?! I love the loose fit urban style and beautiful Ivy hue. It's amazing how each of the colours pick out details in the room, making them more pronounced.

The cushions (covered in the same Pure Linen Brero Lino - Ivy*)  fabric are pretty too as you can really see the texture and piping.

Aaaaaa, such a lovely space. She's managed to achieve that illusive super calm, yet super cosy balance!

Which look do you prefer?

Could you imagine hanging out here watching one too many Netflix series too?

If you'd like to achieve a similar look (even if you don't have an old IKEA sofa or armchair knocking about, you can always pick one up second hand online!) you can find more details here.  Oh and Bemz are offering free shipping exclusively to My Scandinavian Home readers until the end of July with code freeshipmsh (right in time for the mid-season sale too - yay!).

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. Interior Design Genevieve Jorn. 

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bemz, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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