Nordic pastels and neons

For those of you with IKEA furniture (err, anyone out there who doesn't own a piece?!) you'll be as excited as I am about Swedish store Bemz and their latest Collection: Nordic Pastels. Bemz promises to give your IKEA sofa, chairs, cushions etc a new lease of life with custom made textiles in the latest spring colours, just add a lick of neon paint! Bemz actually makes me want to go out and buy an IKEA sofa just so I can cover it in apricot fabric and paint the legs neon yellow, what?

Bemz

How about painting your bed / sofa / chair legs in hot neon for a super cool, super quick make-over?

It's a bank holiday here today so I'm off to enjoy the sunshine with my family, I'm tempted to run passed the paint shop too....:)

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My daybed update

Sponsored post:

I love how small updates can make a big impact. Recently I've grown a little tired of the original IKEA cover in pale grey on our Söderhamn chaise longue (in the window nook), plus it was starting to look, well, a bit manky (think foot marks, splashes of hot chocolate, you name it!). So earlier this week I swapped it for a new Bemz Loose Fit Urban slipcover in Rosendal Pure washed Linen - Medium Grey and I'm soooo happy with the result! Not only does it feel extra cosy (I love the darker colour!) it also matches the rest of my sitting room - perfect! 

I already had the Söderhamn chaise longue with a cover, but if you're ordering a new one from IKEA you can buy one without the cover for less and then add the Bemz cover at home (it's so easy to put on!). A quick side-note: I bought the baby's breath wreath at a flower shop in town back in December - it's been in the hall for ages but I think I might just have found a new spot for it, what do you think?

You may remember the touch of chestnut from my bedroom make-over. I think the 40 x 60 cushion in Malmen velvet chestnut adds a lovely warm touch to the window nook too. I love the exposed seams and relaxed look of the Loose Fit Urban - it's what drew me to this style. 

In this last pic you can catch a glimpse of my Chinese Money plant (I love the shape of the leaves!) and my book The Scandinavian Home (not that I sit and read my own book....but I do like to dip and out for inspiration, press interviews etc). After all - there's no such thing as a cosy corner without plants and books, don't you agree?! 

Photography: ©Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Aaaaah, so pleased with it! If anyone's looking for me I'll be cosying up here for the rest of the day!

Have a cosy day!


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.

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My bedroom make-over in detail

I hope you had a great weekend?! Thank you so much for all your kind words about my bedroom make-over (feeling the love guys, feeling the love!). I promised to come back with info about all the items yesterday and then my family and I took an impromptu trip out to the forest to chop down our Christmas tree which was soooo fun but also meant I completely ran out of time! So, a little late, but here it is.....

The accent wall is painted in Jotun Lady Pure 'Blushing Peach' which I think makes the room feel so cosy, and warmer too (something of a necessity in the Swedish winter!!). It also makes a great backdrop for deep rust and chestnut hues as well as lighter off-white / wheat tones - thank you so much to My Scandinavian Home interior designer / stylist Gen for finding this colour for us! The big 'ole waffle throw is from Granit.

I love a big old fluffy bed with tonnes of pillows, cushions and throws, it makes it look so much more inviting don't you think?! The white pillow case is from John Lewis, the off-white linen pillow is part of a bed set from H&M Home and the dark rust from Granit.

We were looking for prints with a relatively calm feel.  I'm so happy with the limited edition New Form 4 print by Riikka Kantinkoski and Noon print by Kristina Krogh from the The Poster Club. The bedside lamp was handmade by someone in the UK years and years ago, and sadly (as far as I'm aware) is no longer made.

When we moved in, we couldn't find shelves to span the height of the four metre wall that would also hold a load of heavy objects. In the end my husband designed and built the shelves himself! If you look closely there are support brackets on the back and side wall for each shelf and then they are also suspended on a strong wire which runs from floor to ceiling. If you've got any questions about it just give me a shout (the man's super proud of them so he loves to help anyone looking to do the same!).

The four metre long Washed white linen curtains were made-to-measure by small, independent online shop notPERFECTLINEN. These guys also made the curtains in my window nook and are so wonderful to work with (they ship worldwide too!).

The pendant over the bed is the Feriel drop light by Paris Au Mois D'août - it really pulled the whole look together. I absolutely love it (and it's as light as a feather too). 

Here's a complete run down of all the items for you...

GET THE LOOK

1. Granit Maroon Linen Cushion
2. Nordal Candle holder
3. The Poster Club Noon print by Kristina Krogh
4. Jotun  Blushing peach 20047
5. Granit Waffled Maroon Bedspread
6. NordicWoolCompany Gotland sheepskin
7. Paris au mois d'août Feriel drop light
8. Bemz Loose Fit Urban unbleached linen Bedspread and Bemz Loose Fit Urban Bed Skirt 
9. The Poster Club New Form 4 print by Riikka Kantinkoski
10. notPERFECTLINEN Washed white linen curtains
11. Ikea Söderhamn armchair - covered with Bemz Loose Fit Urban Armchair cover


If I've missed anything - give me a shout below and I'll be happy to advise! I hope you like the make-over as much as we do!

Have a great start to the week!

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

Some of the items were generously gifted from companies across Europe - thank you! 
This post contains affiliate links.

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Dream stay: The Bower, Byron Bay

I seem to be suffering from a real case of wanderlust right now - and the more I travel, the more I realise there's just so much out there I haven't seen. Do you feel this way too?!  One country high up on my list is Australia. Over the past few years, this country has been taunting me from afar with beautiful design, awe-inspiring nature and fabulous places to stay. I mean, take this new hotel for instance! The Bower in Byron Bay, New South Wales was recently converted from a motel into a luxury boutique hotel by eight creatives - all of whom shared a desire to combine urban style with a laid-back beach-side vibe. Made up of 14 suites, a barn, cottage and family house, the calm and laid-back hotel opened it's doors last month - and it's waiting for us to come along and hang-out for a few days. Race you there?!

The cottage

The barn

Photography: Jessie Prince

Soooo. Tempted?! 

Just in case it'll be a while before any one of us make it out there - here's a little guide on where things are from (hey, who's to say we can't re-create that minimalist, Byron Bay beach-side vibe in our own homes?). 

The cottage: dining area - white bentwood chairs, rattan pendant. Sitting room - Moroccan pouf, the Bemz Loose Fit Urban sofa covers are similar to this (see mine here!), this mudcloth cushion is lovely! Bedroom - I like this light grey pillow cover (the ruffles!) and this plain one. Outdoor dining - pick up a similar stool from Lovely & Co (used as bedside tables in my home!).

The barn: buy similar made-to-measure white linen curtains here, try Bemz for chair covers like these. Source vintage school posters here. I like this linen duvet cover (select 'charcoal' for similar).

Oh, and you can make a reservation at The Bower here - on the condition that you make us all jealous by sharing lots of snaps on Instagram - we want to see more! 

Have a lovely day!

PS if you're planning a wedding you might like to read my piece in Ultimate Wedding (sometimes I wish I had another wedding to plan - same guy of course!).

PPS Nest.co.uk are offering the chance to win a copy of my new book Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life together with a fab handmade Giannina Capitani Tic-Tac cushion (just add coffee and you're all set for a very cosy Autumn day!). Find out how to enter here!

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My sitting room - in detail!

Do you find that you suddenly get really tired of a room (or area) in your home? I'd been thinking about changing my sitting room for over 6 months as it just didn't feel cosy enough (see the before pictures here), and isn't that what this part of the home is all about?! You might recall from a post a few weeks back that I finally got around to shaking it up (with a little help from my friend Gen). The first thing I did was sell my old sofa and replace it with a Söderhamn three-seat sofa with chaise-longues with a Bemz urban loose fit cover in Rosendal pure washed linen in silver grey. We also felt that to turn this little corner of my home into a true Autumn haven it would need a few other changes too - some old, some new. By popular demand (feeling the love friends, feeling the love!), here is a guide to where everything is from...

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. Design / Styling - Genevieve Jorn.

Where to buy:

Söderhamn three-seat sofa with chaise longues with Bemz urban loose fit cover in Rosendal pure washed linen in silver grey / light and grey cushions / purple-grey cushion / rug / Z1 pendant lamp / Prints:  Blue Waters by Trine Holbaek / Paris 01 by Hilde Mork / Adoray by Nicoline A. Milton / Portofino by Peytil / The lady in the bathroom by Francois Fontaine / picture frames / vintage scissor lamp / grey gradvis vase / bench / Sinnerlig jar with lid / test tube and stand from Hamburg chemistry lab -1930s (find similar here), linen curtains / Muuto side-table / Arv bowl.

If I've missed anything just give me a shout in the comment section below!

You can see more corners of my home (past and present) here (if this post comes up first, just scroll passed to reach others!).

I'd love to hear more about your home - is there anything you're dying to change?

Have a lovely day!

PS I'm feeling a little bleary eyed after four incredible days in the Arctic. It's such an amazing part of the world. At times you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in the Caribbean. It was also so far out into the wilderness that I almost felt like a an imposter - and we were occasinally joined by curious porpoises, sea otters, fish, and sea birds. Today I'm heading off for a photoshoot at Gen's - keep an eye on instagram stories for a peek behind the scenes! 

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A Dated Home Becomes a Fresh, Modern Farmhouse

Ever since I stumbled across the portfolio of Pittsburgh based interior designer Leanne Ford and featured this incredible home, I've been a huge fan of her work! Leanne is currently the star, along with her brother and contractor Steve Ford, of Restored by the Fords on HGTV, which follows the siblings as they turn some of Pittsburgh's most dated buildings into magazine-worthy homes. Their latest project was to transform the Faraci family's pokey ground floor (made up of three rooms) into a fresh, open-plan space. I caught up with Leanne to find out more about the project...

What was the design brief?

I loved the Faraci family! They are so lovely and loving and their demands were rather simple! They wanted a simple and well designed home to be together as a family and to entertain in. The first floor of their house was separated by three walls when we got our hands on it. And of course, I removed them ALL. We wanted those in the kitchen to be able to see out the front window. And we wanted a more welcome communal living space for them.

What style were the family after and how did you achieve it? 

"They wanted a fresh and modern farmhouse style. We gave them all the classic fixings; subway tile, butcher block counters, classic white cabinets, open shelving, farm table down the center of the kitchen, simple design and decor. And I played with all of these features over the original and very beat up wooden floors. Though they started out as a kind of disaster to try to make them work, they ended up being my favorite feature of the home. Ain't that how it happens. The rough and vintage floor really adds life to the clean lines of the new kitchen." 

 Do you have a favourite feature from the make-over?  

That amazing modern "sculpture" of a stair case that Ed Zeiler from Wood N Wrench made us! We had to totally reconfigure where the staircase went after ripping walls out, so we played with the new "railing/wall" And made it a design feature.

 Did you experiment with anything new? 

"We did Board and Batton on the INSIDE of the home for a change. It was a simple and economical way to bring texture and character into this home. Over the coffee table you see a white chandelier that I TRIED to make... I would say this is one of those examples of letting art evolve...I certainly never set out to make the light look like that, but let's just say it really "wanted to" ;) The family made me feel better when they said it looks like something from the MOMA. I don't know about that, but... I'll take it!"

Photography: Alexandra Ribar

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful make-over with us Leanne!

If you love this look and want to steal a few ideas (I certainly will be!) - here's a quick guide:

Get the look

1. Nuvo lighting, warehouse shade
2. Vintage chopping board
3. Glass cake stand
4. Natural linen napkins
5. L:A Bruket liquid soap
6. Drip Glaze 16-Piece Place Setting
7. Tour Eiffel brackets  
8. IKEA armchair with Bemz Loose Fit Country cover (get 15% off design covers for IKEA furniture at Bemz with code '15myscandinavianhome' until 11th Feb - ships worldwide!).
9. Woven basket pendant light
10. Sisal natural jute rug

Ahhh, so inspired by this space - the statement basket lamp, the asymmetry of the chairs and bench around the table, the open shelves. So much to love. I hope it's inspired you too!

Have a lovely day.

****

Complete Source list:

Kitchen: Cabinets / Miter Box (custom built),  Farmhouse 3018 sink in pearl / Native Trails, Trinsic kitchen faucet in champagne bronze / Delta, White subway tile / Jeffrey Court,  Butcher Block countertop / IKEA. Cutting boards / Whitney Jurgovan of Kinsey Vintage market, Small white rug in bleached jute ivory / world market*, Wooden shelving with Tour Eiffel brackets / Anthropologie*,  Napkins and Tea towels, Parachute home, Vintage Mirror / Garden Style Living, wooden kitchen table / Weisshouse, Woven Basket Pendant / World market. Wooden chairs / 1stdibs. 

Family room (with fireplace): Cloud sofa in beligan linen natural / RH Modern,  Sisal natural jute rug / World market. White linen armchair / Weisshouse. Blue Tin Washer // Kinsey Vintage Market, coffee table / weisshouse, Metal Locker Boxes // Urge Studio.

Living room: White rug in bleached ivory jute / World market, Burlap sofa / Weisshouse,
wooden coffee table / IKEA, Chandlier custom made by Leanne, Green credenza / Urge Studio.

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