Lovely Christmas Touches In A Calm Berlin Home

Friday friends, FRIDAY! And it's a special one in Sweden today: as we're celebrating Lucia. Alongside midsummer, the Lucia celebrations is one of my favourite. In case you're not familiar with the concept, Lucia is an ancient mythical figure and a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters. This morning parents across the country (myself included) waited in the dark, cameras at the ready, while our children participated in a special Lucia procession - wearing candles in their hair (gingerbread men, 'tomten' (Father Christmas) and other characters were also involved!). It's a sight to behold! White must be on my mind - as I was immediately drawn to Katharina's beautiful home in Berlin, Germany this morning. Katharina sells beautiful homeware pieces through her online shop Edel Weiss. Many of the pieces she sells can be spotted in her home, and jostle for position with a fab array of  Scandinavian design lamps and cultural objects. Look out for the pretty festive touches too! Enjoy the tour! 

Print from wall of art, IKEA Nockeby sofa with a Bemz Belgian linen cover in soft white*. Z1 lamp, Cuba chair

"This year I have decorated a lot with paper stars and natural materials. There are also candles and small lights everywhere."

Woodland trees from Arboretum

Stoff nagel candleholder, Louis Poulsen table lamp*

Eve II limestone sculpture, Kizu table lamp, try the 'Snö' candle by Skandinavisk - smells divine! (20% off with code nikijul20 until 16th December too). 

"This year, our tree will be decorated with white Christmas baubles and pendants made of paper." 

Thonet chair*, candleholder

Vertigo pendant light, AJ Lamp*

What a beautiful apartment! 

I love the wooden trees - I've just been over at the Arboretum site, they sell such a great selection too (got my eye on the forest!). 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Katharina's home?

If you live in Germany, check out Katharina's shop, it's full of beautiful pieces! 

Right folks. That's it from me for the week! If you're looking for Christmas inspiration over the weekend, have a delve through the Christmas and Christmas decorations archives. 

I'm heading to London today to see my sisters and parents - ALL BY MYSELF! Luxury! 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! 

Niki 

PS If you want to give someone the gift of a home that smells like a Scandinavian Christmas, don't forget to make the most of the 20% discount on seasonal candles from Skandinavisk with code nikijul20.

Photography by Katharina and shared with kind permission

*Affiliate links

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Swantje's Beautiful, Quirky, Colourful and Unique Home

I thought I'd shake things up a little today with a move away from Scandinavian summer cottages to a fabulous house in Münster, North West Germany. Outside of Scandinavia it may be, but a quick search on google maps tells me the city is a mere 4-hour drive from the Danish border - which may explain the hint of Scandinavian design! I caught up with art director, graphic designer and illustrator Swantje Hinrichsen to find out more about her beautiful, quirky, colourful and unique home. 

Swantje has painted the Danish design Kristina Dam coffee table in NCS 4050 Y60R. A Hay Danish design sofa can be seen in the background. 

From what period is your house?

My boyfriend and I live in an old house built in 1928 in Münster, close to the canal. 

The bright yellow shelf by Dutch designer Mickey Philips is an example of the many quirky and unique touches in Swantje's home. Source similar abstract prints from The Poster Club*. 

Can you tell us a little more about the layout?

The house is 145 sqm (1560 square feet), laid out over three floors. When you walk through the door you are greeted with a colourful hallway with bikes on the wall. The stairs lead to the first floor which has an open-plan living space with a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom. The second floor is under the roof and contains the bedroom, a workspace and closet room (we call it 'the everything room', a second bathroom and a small balcony. 

How would you describe your style? 

Very graphic, colourful, warm, natural, conceptual and intuitive - with a touch of Scandinavian design. 

The freestanding kitchen units are from IKEA and the back wall has been painted in Kolorat K711-17-34-25/T. Ceramics from Studio Hear Hear, Studio Oyama, Mette Duedahl and TYBO Art and Craft line the shelves. 

The dining room wall has been painted in Kolorat K/0-0-15-54/T. 

There are some beautiful, fun details in your home, what do you look for when acquiring items?

I love craftsmanship, contrasts, materials and artisan ceramics. 

I love the road bikes, are you and your boyfriend keen cyclists? 

My boyfriend totally is. He is super passionate about it and also restores vintage road bikes from the 70s / 80s and 90s in his spare time using a workshop that he shares with others. 

Colourful racers like these are starting to be a big trend among the young and hip in Sweden right now (whether they are just used for peddling around town or into proper racing). I particularly love the ones with an eighty's vibe - they remind of the bikes my sister and I used to ride to school on! Have you ever owned a racer? 

Source similar bike wall brackets here*. 

Would you say your interior is a reflection of your personality?

My home, work and colours are kind of my way to express myself. They help me stay true to myself, help me change perspectives, charge my batteries and transfer emotions and thoughts. They are my visual language. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home for a virtual tour today Swantje! 

If you'd like to see some more snapshots of Swantje's house, check out her wonderful instagram @swantjeundfrieda or for more info about her work, hop over here: www.swantjehinrichsen.de. 

Other German homes to love today: a delightful, colourful farmhouse in Northern Germany,  a pared-back, yet warm family home with handcrafted pieces and a serene family home in Berlin.

On a completely separate note: my children are enjoying their fourth day of the Swedish school summer holidays. All I can say is, I have total respect for all parents around the world who have been juggling the children being at home AND home schooling while trying to work over the past few months. How on earth did you do it? It's only 11am, the house is a mess, I've been asked over 100 questions (by each child) and we've completely run out of food. Thank goodness the sun is shining! 

On that note, I'd better get to the supermarket! But I'll be back tomorrow with one final post before Midsummer's Eve on Friday (will you the celebrating it?) - see you tomorrow! 

Niki

Photography: Swantje Hinrichsen

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Holly Becker's Fab Hannover Home, Podcast and Magazine!

When I first started blogging, I remember reading about people meeting friends online - and often wondered how! Fast forward 8 years, and I am proud to say I have made many friends through my blog. Have you found that over time you've met friends online too? I feel particularly lucky to be a part of the interior design blog community - it's an incredibly supportive gang! A few years back one of my online blogger friends - Holly Becker of Decor8, became a great offline friend when we met at Habitare in Helsinki. This lady amazes me and is so inspiring in every way! Not only does Holly curate one of the world's top design blogs, she's also a best-selling author and editor of HOLLY magazine. And now she's started a podcast series to boot (because clearly, she wasn't busy enough....!) read on to have a listen! Originally from Boston, USA, Holly lives in Hannover, Germany with her husband Thorsten and five-year-old son, Aidan. Their home has crazy high ceilings, beautiful period features and a wonderful minimalist vibe with trademark touches of pastel. Welcome to Holly's world! 

Above: Z1 pendant, Menu chair*

Rest sofa by Muuto, Panthella lamp*

'Leaf me' art print* by Silke Bonde

Bed from Fennobed / headboard from Matri, Flowerpot lamp*

Bed from Oliver Furniture

Such a lovely home - it's got a really calm feel about it, don't you think?

Our podcast recording 

Last month Holly invited me to Hamburg to participate in the first ever episode of her new podcast series HELLO HOLLY. We had so much fun chatting about Scandinavian design, blogging and well, life! I couldn't resist a peek behind the scenes of HOLLY magazine too. 

In case you're curious to hear our chat, it's now available on Spotify, AudioNow and iTunes and I've also embedded it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it! 

PODCAST

Holly's magazine

Having seen the moodboards, it felt extra special to see Holly's magazine hit the shelves last week. It's also available online here (in German).  Don't speak German? What?! ;) The English version will be out at the end of the month (can't wait!).  

Thank you for a great time in Germany, Holly. 

Here's to friends, near and far! 

Niki

Photography credits: Holly Becker / Decor8

This post contains affiliate links (marked with *)

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Anyone Else Rather be on Svenja's Balcony Today?!

Why hello there! Hope you had a good weekend? I'm slowly cranking into action (mondays, huh?!) - but I think I've found where I'd really love to be right now - on Svenja's balcony in beautiful Vienna! In fact, I'd quite happily be relaxing anywhere in her entire apartment right now! Originally from Germany, Svenja worked as a style editor before moving to Vienna with her boyfriend. Today she shares her passion for interior design on Traumzuhaus and her delightful instagram feed (check out her enviable trips to Bali, Greece and Thailand - gah!)- where she frequently shares snapshots of their monochrome-themed home. I spy a whole load of beautiful design pieces too! Enjoy the tour!

Above Ground print, Hank vertical Chandelier (wall candle), Mantis floor lamp, B&B Italia sofa

Her Side print, AJ lamp, Ljungby vase, ECM espresso machine.

Luceplan Stochastic Suspension light

Petite Friture Vertigo Suspension light, Flos 265 wall lamp.

Eye Eye Print, Korbo handwired basket

Simplicity at it's finest, don't you agree? And how about that balcony?!

I love the idea of having a coffee machine in the sitting room too - there's something so decadent about it! Sort of like - 'I'm just going to drift on over and make myself an espresso without missing a single second of Games Of Throne'!

Is there anything that caught your eye?

I do believe this is the first ever apartment I've featured from Vienna! I'm not sure why since I'm sure there are lots of fabulous homes in Austria's capital city - tips / submissions welcome!

You can see more of Svenja's apartment here - and check out a load of beeeeautiful monochrome spaces in this archive.

Have a great start to the week!

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A Bright and Beautiful, Light-Filled Loft

Recently I've been showing a lot of eclectic homes with splashes of colour (and even a black bathroom!). So, today I thought I'd reign it in a little and feature a beautiful, light-coloured loft in Hanover, Germany. A white, minimalist scheme is often in danger of coming across as cold and uninviting, especially in an open-plan living space, but when you have incredible exposed beams, pillars and a mezzanin floor like Sandra, a simple, pared-back look allows the architecture to sing! Oh and how this space sings!

// affiliate links marked with * //

Tobias Grau OH 9 pendant lights, basket bag* (similar), Source a chain from a DIY shop for a simple way to hang coats.

Wishbone chair*, Eames DSW chair*, Eames DFAW chair*, Hee dining chair*

AJ Floor lamp*, Menu Turning Table*,  Eames lounge Chair*

Samsung The Frame (how long have we been waiting for a TV that looks like art?! I've been totally in love with it ever since I worked on that Greenhouse make-over!).

 How fabulous is this Undressed tea-set?!

Oooooh wow. This is my dream loft. Can you imagine having a space like this to play with?!

As mentioned above, open-plan minimalist spaces can come across as a little cold at times - but I think Sandra's totally nailed it. 

Why the light colour, minimalist scheme works here:

- The beautiful architectural elements take centre-stage to create a wow factor
- Although pared-back, no two pieces are the same which adds interest
- The wood and concrete floors, stairs, pillars and beams add texture
- Black details and accents help to balance the look and focus the eye
- Concrete floors in the kitchen and bathroom break-up the uniformed look, help create separate zones and add diversity
- Look closely and you'll spot fresh flowers in every single picture - a simple yet lovely way to bring a space to life

Does this look appeal to your senses?!

If so, you might also like to check out Sandra's instagram feed which is awash with beautiful sand and white images, this fabulous loft in Arnhem (available to rent!), a bright and airy Paris loft, a light Danish home with a stunning bedroom.

Our family sailing tour of Sweden's West coast came to an end yesterday - boooo! Does it sound strange to say I miss the sea? After four weeks afloat it felt like an old friend by the end. On Monday I'll be back at my desk so I'm thinking daily posts again - what d'ya think? I'll also be working on an exciting photograph commission for a jewellery brand (feeling the pressure but so looking forward to it! More on stories!).

But first - the weekend. And there's an Anholt gin and tonic, sunshine and a swim waiting for me! I hope you have a load of fun plans too!

Niki

PS - to create this tour I've combined a load of images taken by Sandra over time - as a result, some items might appear twice and rooms might look marginally different in the sequence!

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