10 Ways To Turn a Pokey Top Floor Flat Into A Swoon-Worthy Living Space

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? I thought we could kick off the week with something a little more down-to-earth. After all, it's lovely to sit back and enjoy incredible homes with towering ceilings, impeccably preserved stucco, and large, spacious rooms - but when you live somewhere that's not big enough to swing a cat, they can just feel well, a little too far from reality sometimes. And the beauty of this itsy-bitsy 35 metre square (376 feet square) top floor flat, is that it's proof that a pokey living space, with tricky angled ceilings and limited natural light can be swoon-worthy and highly practical too!  Here are a few clever interior tricks to steal from this small attic space in Gothenburg:

1. Keep it simple: It's easy for a small open-plan living space to feel cluttered - so try to stick to a simple colour scheme throughout (in this case white, charcoal and brown). It's enough to just stick to this colour scheme for bigger items - sofa, rug, bedding etc to create the impact you're after.

2. Use art to create different zones: In the open-plan living space, a carefully placed gallery wall creates a focal division between the bedroom and living room area. Note how they've been placed at all different heights - a popular styling trick!

Above: The Wise Man by Hein Studio*, Her Side by Nord Projects*, Grain pendant light by Muuto*

3. Let in the light: In a small space with limited windows, it's important to keep the flow of natural light as unobstructed as possible I.e. knock down dividing walls to create an open-plan space and avoid heavy curtains or clumsy-light-blocking pieces of furniture (note the cane chair!).

 4. Put it on a pedestal: Plinths are no longer reserved for galleries and museums. I've been seeing an increasing number of them in humble homes like ours! They are perfect for highlighting an item you really love such as a plant, sculpture or even a pile of books.

Above: Muuto nerd bar stool*, pick up a similar plinth here - or keep a look out on Ebay.

5. Make the most of every inch: angled ceilings can be tricky, but with some clever custom-made storage, you can make the most of every single centimetre of your apartment! IKEA has some great solutions and will help you design the space.

6. Somewhere to reflect: Use mirrors to bounce light around and also reflect items you love!

7. Play with shapes: Monochrome it maybe, but this little bathroom is far from boring thanks to the fabulous chevron and square tiles. Note the contrasting grouting in both cases! The plant adds a touch of harmony too! 

8. Space under the window: in a flat measuring 35 metre square you've got to maximise floor space! This otherwise redundant area under the window has been used for a washing machine and recessed storage - and I noticed they have done the same with shelving in the main living room too.

9. Get a look-in:  These internal windows allow light to flood into what would have been an otherwise dark stairway / entrance hall.

10. Extra storage: Recessed shelving in the stairwell is ideal for providing a little spot for keys, glasses etc (in my house they'd no doubt be loaded with a ton of other random stuff too - honestly, the things my girls pick up during the day!).

Bonus tip! I was chatting to a friend the other day who lives in a tiny apartment- we're talking shoe box size. And he said 'everyone is raving about 'tiny homes' right now,  but there is one major drawback (space limitations aside) - and that's how everything suffers from more wear and tear - the floors, the furniture etc - since it is used more. If you're in the process of decorating a small space, he recommended making sure you invest in high quality, durable flooring, rugs and furniture that can withstand a lot of use. Wise words!

I'm sure I've missed a load of things, so please feel free to add anything in the comment section below - I'd love to hear your thoughts / observations!

If you found this home inspiring, you might also want to have a rifle through the small space archive - it's one of the most popular!

Have a fabulous start to the week!

Niki

Photography: Alen Cordic
Styling: Emma Fischer
For sale through Bjurfors 

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A new build home that dreams are made of

Have you ever dreamt of buying a plot of land and building the home of your dreams? Anne, a midwife, single-mum and co-founder of Birkaboo, a Swedish company providing quality homes at an affordable price, has done exactly that. Villa Birkeland in Saltsjö-Boo was built and decorated in just four months and pays homage to the company's promise: build your own place where you can live, gather strength and meet tomorrow.  I think I could do just that in Anne's wonderful home, don't you? Now, where's that plot of land...

Home: Birkaboo Photography Patric Johansson. Styling Myrica Bergqvist. Post inspired by Planete-Deco. 

Could you live here?

Do you dream about building your own home one day? Or perhaps you have already, in which case we'd love to see some pictures!

If you like the cabin feel, I'll never tire of this sustainable Finnish cabin, or scrolling though this archive of wood cabins. One day….

Before I head off….I'm so excited to welcome new sponsor Occa-Home - a fab online interior design store selling items from some of my absolute favorite scandinavian brands such as &Tradition, By Nord, and Design House Stockholm among others.  Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses who make this blog possible. 

Have a lovely day! 

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Pretty patterns in a children's bedroom

My little girls share a room and my cheeky youngest one has just moved out of her cot which has given me the perfect excuse for some re-decorating, ANY EXCUSE! This means I'm looking for a little new inspiration (cue: an excuse to spend hours on Pinterest, other fab blogs and beautiful online children's shops. One of my favourite stores (as well as my sponsor), Ferm Living is never short of ideas for little children's rooms. I love this space for example. 

Ferm Living

What do you think? I love the pretty colours, patterns and wall displays. The one thing I'd add though is a huge rug for some warmth. My girls have the same brio oven and the Minnen bed is from IKEA.

I'm also looking for gorgeous matching bedding;  the pretty yellow Dotty bedding from Ferm Living or the 'deer' bedding from By Nord. Hmm. What do you think? Or perhaps another tip?! One thing I have definitely decided on is the Inke Heiland April tree for their wall, so pretty!

PS This is not a sponsored post, I just loved this little room and had to share the space and my ideas :)

PPS For those of you more interested in big people things - how about this fab online shop 'rock n roll London' for vintage statement pieces in brass and metallics where 'more is more'?!

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The beautiful Stockholm home of a Swedish creative

I hope you're having a great start to the week? It's the Swedish holidays here and I'm writing this from my husband's family's summer cottage (love being here, it's so great to get a change of scenery). I bought several magazines on my way up - The Way We Play (TWWP) - beautiful - and Elle Decoration Sweden (a long term favourite). Online, Swedish interior magazines often host a clutch of fab bloggers, of which Elle Decoration has a great line-up. Their latest recruit is DIY extroadinaire Helena Nord. By way of introduction Helena invited readers into her home in Stockholm, which she shares with her partner and two children. Helena is an artist and designer and partner of En Form av Nord which holds creative workshops in DIY and photography among other things.  Helena's beautiful home is pared-back with soft grey-green tones and a wonderful mix of textures, creating a rich contrast. Let's take a tour....

Source: photography Helena Nord, Elle Decoration.

A few items I love in Helena's home: sitting room - stonewashed white linen bedding, jute rug, I love this and this plant pot. Bedroom- rustic stool, white linen curtain (lovely!). Studio - Beni Ourain rug. Children's room: Helena shows how she created the wall here.

Three DIY tips from Helena (in Swedish but often with a picture guide):

Using newspaper clips for framed art.
DIY art
And one for the kids - how to make an elephant out of loo rolls.

You can also keep up to date with Helena's latest projects on instagram here. 

And a couple of my favourite, incredibly simple DIY ideas from the MSH archives: a cloud doormat, go dotty at home and update a wall in an instant!

What a great way to kick off the week?

PS I am looking for a couple of homes (apartments, houses, cabins) to photograph next week in West Norway and West Finland. If you have any tips at all I'd be so grateful if you could send me a mail - thank you soooo much!

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Flower bed

Keeping with today's plant theme, I LOVE this bedroom shown in Bo Bedre. The tree bedding is from By Nord. In scandinavia it's more usual for couples to have their own single duvet rather than share a double, which is why this symmetrical tree design is so clever.....what do you think?

Picture: Bo Bedre, Andreas Mikkel Hansen

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Guest post: La Maison D'Anna G

Hi, this is Anna from La Maison d'Anna G., a French-English blog and webshop dedicated to Scandinavian design and interior decorating. As I normally only show Scandinavian interiors on my own blog, I thought I'd take this opportunity to go outside Scandinavia for a change!

I've visited Brussels many times, as my parents used to live in Belgium some years back, but I haven't yet had the opportunity to enjoy the place where I'm taking you today. ICI is a "canteen" restaurant that was opened only months ago by Marine Gobled and Saskia Félix. I've been following Marine's blog Studio Nord for quite some time and have always admired her beautiful photos. I really like what I see from ICI too: laid back atmoshpere, cool interiors and fresh food... definitely on my list of places to go for a breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea the next time I'm in Brussels. I hope it inspires you as well!

I wish you all a wonderful day and thanks Niki for having me!

Photo credit Studio Nord, except nr 2 Brussels kitchen

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A stunning home on an island outside Stockholm

Do you have a dream home in mind? Or perhaps you are lucky enough to already live in it? I like my home and there are some great things about a modern space - can you see the 'but' coming?! But I do dream of living in an old house one day. And in my mind it looks exactly like Mari Stregnheilm Nord's home in the Stockholm archipelago. Just in case you need a reminder, here are some more pictures of Mari's beautiful home captured by Lina Östling. Mari's home, which she shares with hr husband and two young children, has been renovated using a palette of white, grey and green and furnished with a beautiful mix of vintage and antique finds as well as items found on travels. Let's take a tour...

Photography: Lina Östling (shared with kind permission). Stylist and home-owner: Mari Strengheilm Nord. Found via The Style Files with thanks.

So beautiful don't you think?

I especially love the kitchen (the table and chairs!). Since this picture was taken Mari has renovated and it now looks like this (with the floor painted in S 2000-N from Nordsjö. I also like the curtain room divider - perfect way of stopping room to room drafts and also adding a touch of cosiness!

This 'how to paint diamonds on the floor' guide is really helpful to get the same effect on your hallway (or elsewhere in your home). 

Source beautiful vintage industrial pendant lights like the ones shown in Mari's home here.

Another space that falls into my dream home category is this artist's home in a former school - the light! Could you live here?!

What does your dream home look like?

Have a lovely day!

PS Lina has such a beautiful blog. 

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