A beautifully serene Norwegian space

I've had the pleasure of visiting Norway twice in the last six months. Both times I've been truly amazed; not only is it the most beautiful country on earth, the people are so warm too! I've been welcomed into many homes - and felt truly inspired by what was within (you can see the results in my book The Scandinavian Home: Interiors inspired by light out soon - exciting!). Although I've never had the pleasure of meeting Norwegian architect and blogger Katerina Dima in person, we've been in regular contact over mail (us bloggers do like to keep in touch!). Originally from sunny Athens, Greece, Katerina lives in Sogndal with her husband and cat. Despite her background, she has always been drawn to the Scandinavian aesthetic and chosen to decorate her home in a 'cool tone palette' using soft greys and fresh white, adding a touch of yellow to the paint to add warmth. Sheer fabrics and natural textures such as wood, cotton, linen and wool add a wonderful softness to the space. Let's take a peek inside!

Photography: Katerina Dima / Only Deco Love.

I absolutely love the canopy over the bed - it's dream like!

Is there anything you love in particular about Katerina's home?

Get the look: bedroom - Skagerak mirror and Georg stool, relaxed light linen bedding and valence, (absolutely love this!),  Flowerpot lamp, Petits Papiers Mad et Len scented candle,
The Kinfolk Table. sitting room - le lampe gras wall light (also seen in Katerina's office), grey ruffled pillow (so lovely!), belly basket, Landmarks print.

You can keep up with Katerina's latest projects,  houses renovations, interior design ideas and whatever captures her eye in the interior world over at her lovely blog Only Deco Love and Instagram.

Got you in the Norwegian mood? You might also like to check out a cosy Norwegian home in the country, a serene home on a hill, the home of a Norwegian blogger - all beautiful in their own way!

Have a lovely day!

PS Looking for a new watch or a present for a friend? Don't miss the 15% discount off an Abbott & Mosley watch with a dial made from real Italian marble!).

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A fabulous Finnish home revisited

I thought I'd return to the home of one my favourite Finnish bloggers today - Musta Ovi. Maja is constantly updating her home in new and beautiful ways so it's changed a lot since we last saw it here. Simplicity is key in this monochrome space which is filled with Scandinavian and international design pieces against a white and concrete grey background. Sadly we can't all have a home with architect as magnificent as this, but we can certainly take inspiration from some of Maja's wonderful ideas. Let's take a look...

 

Photography: Maja / Musta Ovi. Shared with kind permission.

Scandinavian simplicity at it's best, don't you think?!

A note on where a few items are from: Hay lounge chair,  vita wire chair is similar (15% discount with code MYSCAN),  Flos 265 wall light, Tivoli radio, many items by Iittala, Cove print, Remix blanket (I also love this grey geometric one). Cushions by Saana Ja Olli. I haven't managed to find an industrial drinks cart - but I did stumble a vintage / industrial coffee table...

Lots of other fabulous Finnish homes to be drooled over here today (scroll passed this one). And if you're up for a little more inspiration today here's my round up of favourite Finnish blogs: Varpunen, Projekti Verkeranta, Time of the Aquarius, and Weekday Carnival. Do you have any to add? If so, please let us know in the comment section below!

Have a lovely day! 

PS I was really pleased to be interviewed by designer Megan Guise  for her blog. Her cushions are absolutely gorgeous - loving this banana leaf one. The post is live here if you'd like to take a peek.

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2019 Colour Trend: Rust And Other Earthy Tones

I have just arrived back from a fun, yet massively intense few days in Germany, attending Domotex floor-covering fair and IMM Cologne. I caught up with a load of brands, met inspiring people from the world of interiors, chatted with bloggers and journalists and checked out the latest design news on the stands (cue biggest step count ever - bonus!). It was a great way to get the low down on what to expect in 2019 and it was the colours that really struck me. As always there are a fair few different directions, but the one I felt super excited about was the palette I'm going to refer to as 'Earth Year'!

Reflecting Nature
There's no denying the climate is changing at an alarming rate and we need to act, fast. Sustainability will continue to be a key focus in 2019 (thankfully!). This could be why we're looking to the 1970's for inspiration (it's the decade in which 'Earth day' was. born and homes were awash with earthy brown, rust, beige, harvest gold and greens. Yep, the trend colours for 2019 are all about nature and climate change - from rust (symbolising decay), terracotta (meaning 'baked earth'),  harvest gold (to reflect the sun), green (plants), and teal / blue (the oceans).  Nature also has a calming effect on our soul. In a world where we feel permanently connected and more than a little stressed, these gentle, earthy tones will help turn our home into a temple: creating a calm sanctuary in which to unwind.

Rust
Out of all the brown tones, rust seemed to be a firm favourite this year - it was everywhere at the fair - from velvet sofas and armchairs to table lamps and book shelves - this tone has hit the big time!

A touch of orange
As a throw-back to the 70's era, orange will most certainly pop up here and there. I have to say I've never been a fan, but when I see it in combination with rust and mustard yellow I could well be swayed, how about you?!

In the pink 
Every revival has a modern twist - and the dusty rose / dirty pink accent will continue to provide a pretty touch to interiors. As we've seen, it fits beautifully with the earthy browns - but also helps to soften the look. Go all out with a subtle tone on tone and you'll be bang on trend!

Feel the Teal
A new addition to the look, teal offers a fresh, spa-like feeling and helps to create a space where we can breathe thanks to it's gentle, nurturing tone.

Ocean blue

A mid-tone grey-blue is also in the mix. Whether in the form of paint (try Denim Drift by Dulux), accessories (the baby duvet below is called Ferm Living Moon*) or wallpaper (Raphael by Sandberg),  it offers a subtle retro vibe and is a fine match with rust, dusty pink and harvest gold. 

Finally, if you're feeling bold - you could throw in an electric blue. As mentioned in Friday's home tour, the 1990's is a rising trend - and you may remember (depending on your age!) there was a 70's revival in the 90's, so it all ties together!

What do you think? Are there any accents you're thinking of adding to your home. this year? Any shades you think will be big? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Niki

Credits: Jotun lady / Design Seeds / Unknown / Ferm Living / Ferm Living / Unknown / Dulux / Dulux / Ferm Living / Unknown / Ferm Living / Wunderblumen

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A Gothenburg apartment with a mid-century touch

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend? (Did you get a chance to enter the Danish design piece give-away yet?!). I spent my weekend at The Hive and met so many wonderful, inspiring bloggers and brands, more of which later. But first: today's home tour. I think this is the perfect apartment to ease us into the week don't you? I love the mid-century touch but also how adding a single bunch of flowers can transform a space (in this case, the wild flowers on the kitchen table). Now that's something we can all do on a Monday, right? Hurrah!

Stadshem

Have you noticed vintage black leather sofas are everywhere right now? It's a case of the battered the better! Love that relaxed feel. For your own version try LiveAuctioneers (spotted: Le Corbusier black leather sofa under auction now!).

If you love a mid-century Scandinavian feel, you'll also drool over this, this and this home - *sigh*.

So, The Hive European Blog Conference in Copenhagen. If you're a blogger and haven't been I can recommend it. I learnt so much about photography, filming, styling, travel and even mindfulness and cooking from fellow bloggers like Travelling Mama, The Inner Interior, April & May, Anne's Kitchen and Paul et Paula to name but a few. I also got tips from brands like Farrow & Ball (do you know the perfect white for your home?) and Pinterest (yes, I have an addiction but I realise I'm only just getting started!). If none of this sells it to you, they gave out free Nutella. Yes.

Have a wonderful Monday, chocolate spread and all....

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A Rare Peek Behind The 'Handwoven' Scenes of Tisca Rugs in Transylvania

There's something extremely special about rugs, especially in Scandinavia where hard wood floors are the norm. Not only do rugs help to add cosiness and warmth, when chosen well, they can also bring a room to life. There's something particularly special about handwoven rugs: they possess a unique quality that tell a story. This is one of the reasons I'm a big a fan of Austrian brand Tisca. Tisca has been making handwoven rugs from high quality wool for nearly 50 years. Every rug is unique - and if you take care of it, it can be passed from one generation to the next. It helps of course, that they are beautiful too! A few weeks ago fellow bloggers Decor8, Happy Interior Blog, Vosgesparis, Monster Circus, Passion Shake and I were given the rare opportunity to visit Transylvania to discover more about the craftsmanship that goes into every rug, discover the historic centre steeped in the tradition of weaving - and of course go in search of Count Dracula!  

We stayed at Casa Belvedere in the small village of Cisnadioara which is idyllically situated at the foot of the medieval Kirchenburg. It was the perfect base from which to explore the untouched beauty of the Transylvanian countryside, Romanian culture, history, food and crafts. 

Tisca rugs are made in the lush, hilly district of Cisnădie - a historic centre for the manufacturing of textiles not far from our guesthouse. Although much of the industry has disappeared, local people remain steeped in the tradition of weaving and are highly skilled in crafting beautiful rugs by hand. I was fascinated to discover how Tisca combines cutting-edge knowledge with centuries old tradition to create a variety of unique rugs. 

The Beauty of Wool

Wool has been the preferred raw material used to make rugs thanks to its strength, beauty and that it's easy to clean. When Tisca rugs are woven with a plain weave, wool rugs can be used on both sides - perfect when you have little kids running around - or friends who are occasionally a little unsteady with a red wine! 

Weaving techniques

Tisca use two different weaving techniques - either woven or braided. With the handwoven rugs in Transylvania, the classic plain weave approach is used - which allowed for two-sided use with both flat-woven and pile rugs. 

96 colours!

If the pictures above are anything to go by it would appear you can have any rug you like as long as it's white, blue or grey - but that's far from reality! In fact, with Tisca you can design your own rug - choosing from 96 colours, a variety of yarn thickness and 26 possible textures - yielding never-ending possibilities! And then of course there's the size and configuration (the colours and the weaving techniques can be freely chosen!) with a width up to 6 metres and any length. So handy! 

Social projects

I loved that Tisca textile maintains two small workshops near the factory in Cisnadie. In Bogatu Roman, around 12 women make high quality rugs from waste yarn (from the main plant). The women take pride in running the site themselves, managing their work and holiday schedules. The rugs are incredibly popular thanks to the excellent quality and reasonable prices. In 2014 Tisca opened another small workshop in Tichindeal, a small Roma village as part of the 'Elijah' social project in collaboration with Father Sporschill, where high quality woollen yarns are woven into standard-sized rugs. 

Weaving our own rugs!

Towards the end of our factory visit we got the opportunity to weave our own rug. It was such a satisfying, mindful process. It also gave me a glimpse into what's required to weave a rug - and a new-found respect for the skill of the craftspeople working for Tisca. Weaving a rug requires attention to detail, skill and concentration that I found I didn't quite possess! And the craftspeople I met were always cheerful and passionate about their work. It was wonderful to see! 

Visiting Sibiu

Our trip wouldn't have been complete without visiting the beautiful city of Sibiu. It's not somewhere I would have thought about going, and I was mesmerised by the beauty of it, don't you love it when that happens? It's known for it's Germanic architecture - the legacy of 12th century Saxon settlers. We strolled passed the remains of medieval walls and towers and took in the atmosphere while sipping coffee at one of the many cafés. 

Bran castle

What would a visit to Transylvania be without a visit to Dracula's 'Bran castle'? Despite the journey, it was well a visit (just make sure you're loaded with garlic first - Mwah ha ha haaaa!). But if your schedule is tight, I also recommend Brukenthal Palace which is nearer to Sibiu (and has a great hotel and restaurant attached to it!).  

Thank you so much to Tisca for an amazing trip. I hope to return one day to see more of Romania with my family. What a beautiful country! 

You can read more about Tisca rugs and commission your own one here. I'm sure you will enjoy it for decades to come!

Niki

This is a paid partnership with Tisca, however all words and pictures 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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