A Stockholm home full of inspiration

Iiiiiit's le weekend - yay! I'll be packing for my first ever trip to Finland tomorrow - just a flying visit for a two day photo shoot but I'm soooo excited as I've never been before - have you? Tips welcome! Today I'm taking inspiration from this lovely Stockholm space. The entire space is pretty great but it's the details that really caught my eye - namely the DIY light fixture (do you remember a similar one in the lovely home of Valentina Fussell?) wine glass rack (I'd say a necessity, wouldn't you?!), and that kitchen nook. I also love the open hallway storage (spot the beautiful wooden floor), the Swedish masonry oven and pretty much the entire bathroom (the window into the sitting room?!). Yes my list is long! Is there anything that catches your eye?

Source: Alexander White. Photos: Henrik Nero. Styling: Stylingbolaget found via Vosges Paris with thanks.

Could you live here?

Get the look: Chrome wine glass rack (note how I start in order of importance?!) vintage terracotta pots,  No.9 (or Vienna) chairs, glass bell jar. This sheepskin cushion. Brass planters in small and large.

Other spaces I love with window dividers include the fabulous family home of Petra Reger, an artist's home in Stockholm, and reclaimed windows in this home. I'd like an excuse to install some windows in my home, how about you? Racking my brain.....

And a little weekend link lovin':

Clever paint tricks that make a room.

Filling your home with natural textures like this. 

A pink door? Why not!

I need this Helsinki loud speaker in my life! 

Loving the Love Warriors of Sweden blog for inspo and shopping.

Thank you Bloglovin for including me in your list of 10 décor influencers to follow on Instagram right now - what an honour! 

And that, wonderful friends, is that from me this week.  I'm still on 'slow blogging summer time' next week which means I'll be dropping by every other day. Have a fab weekend and see you Monday!

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Inspiration from a Swedish Attic Apartment with Low Angled Ceilings

Good morning friends, how are you today? I'm stopping by to share this Swedish apartment which has some perfect inspiration for tight, angled spaces and how to fill darker homes with light! 

Nestled under the roof on the top floor of beautiful house dating back to 1913, the owners of this apartment have worked around the angled ceilings to ensure a truly lovely living space. Let's take a closer look at some of the elements at play. 

The kitchen units have a staggered height, and where no units would fit, a shelf has been used instead to ensure every inch of space can be used. 

Two skylights have been installed to ensure natural light. Try Velux for similar. 

Dormer windows are a perfect solution to draw in lots of light and carving out standing space. 

There are solutions available for every shape and sized space these days. A made-to-measure glass door and windows help to ensure a flow of light between the rooms to capitalise on any natural sunlight that enters the home, while a curtain can be pulled across for privacy and a cosy feel in the bedroom. 

The doors open right out for a light and airy feel. 

Low art in the bedroom adds a decorative touch while the bed is tucked under the ceiling and a dormer window. 

A closet can be seen tucked in behind the glass door above. 

In Sweden, it's common to find washing machines in the bathroom (another popular alternative for apartments is a communal washing room in the basement). In England, it's popular to have washing machines in the kitchen. Where do you tend to have your machines? 

I have always loved the idea of art in the bathroom, it adds such a cosy, personal touch. 

A window seat in the stairwell capitalised on natural light from the window. 

Such a pretty house - I love the garden with a communal outdoor dining area! 

It's very common for Swedish apartments to have an inner garden where you'll find a shared dining area, barbecue and children's play area. Some even have herb gardens! 

Working with awkward angles takes some extra thought and problem solving, but I think this home is a great example of how you can find a solution for every shape and size today! 

I particularly liked the glass wall and door designed to fit the sloped ceiling - this could be a perfect solution for our top floor! 

I hope you found some nice ideas for your own home here today!

Speaking of dark spaces, I'll be working on our windowless downstairs loo today. Per and I have been doing a budget make-over using a splash of tile paint as well as a few other touches. I am hoping to share the makeover with you on Friday, but we'll see how we get on, DIY updates always takes longer (and creates way more mess) than you think, right? 

Wishing you all a great Wednesday! 

Niki

Styling: Copparstad. Photography: Boukari. For sale via Historiska Hem. Found via Nordroom with thanks. 

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The Full Tour of Our Tiny Cabin in Sweden!

As the year is slowly coming to a close, I've been looking back at the last twelve months and some of my projects. The one I am most proud of and that gives my family and I an unbelievable amount of joy is our tiny cabin. I absolutely love it. It may only be 30m2 (322 f2), but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in soul! It's hard to imagine that this time last year it was a patch of grass! Here's the complete low down. 

Design

We had a clear vision of how we wanted the cabin to look both inside and out. We turned to talented local architect Anela Tahirovic to help us realise this. Anela was such a joy to work with and sketched a design which perfectly matched our minds eye! 

Inside, we wanted a space where we could be together as a family. We realised that having a separate master bedroom would eat into the main living space, so instead we decided to create an open-plan space with a lower bedroom and upper sleep loft. We also wanted a well-functioning kitchen and bathroom so that it would work as an independent living space. 

The tour!

The exterior of the cabin is clad in different widths of pine which have been treated with 'järnvitriol' (iron sulphate) to give the wood a long-lasting grey-brown weathered appearance. 

The glass doors and windows are from Danish brand Velfac. All the glass doors open up to create a seamlessness between the indoors and outdoors in summertime. In winter it's the perfect space for a little 'light therapy'! 

While we love having so much glass, the downside is that it can heat up incredibly quickly come on a hot summers day. To counter this we had to install a heater / air conditioner (from Electrolux). This wasn't in the original plan, but it's actually turned out to be great as we can maintain 10 degrees Celsius heat in winter to stop the pipes from freezing - and quickly cool the space down on very hot days (few and far between but necessary, especially in the upper sleep loft!). 

We also added bespoke blinds to reflect the sun and heat - and also of course, to block out the light at night. 

Meanwhile, in the kitchen... our Veddinge kitchen cabinets are from IKEA and we added bespoke wooden oak shelves, made from panels bought in a local hardware store. We had the cabinets spray painted in Blek Sand (NCS S2005-Y20R) by Swiss Metod prior to installation. The worktop is a simple laminate one from Hornbach. We installed Helix knobs in antique brass from Beslag Online and a tap from Cristina Rubinetterie.

The kitchen also contains a fridge, small freezer, sink, recycling unit and a portable plug-in stove (all from IKEA). See the complete design plans, more pictures and all the details here.  

The wooden slats and ladder were handmade by a local carpenter. The ladder is detachable and moveable so it can be used for accessing the sleep loft but also to reach items higher up in the kitchen. 

The wood floor and panelling are both from Norrlands Trä (read more about our selection here). 

The extendable table is by Skovby (see it extended here) and the chairs are from Carl Hansen & Søn (these were only on loan for a photoshoot sadly, aren't they lovely?!) but I can also recommend Skovby chairs and stackable Vega chairs for a table like this. 

One of the most essential features for us right form the start was a woodburning stove. We got ours from Swedish brand Contura (see more pictures and details here). There's nothing quite like waking up to a roaring fire on a cold winters day! It gives off an immense amount of heat so we haven't had to turn on the electric heating once this winter (bar the 10 degrees)! 

In the tiny sitting room area we have a Plico Chair (possibly my most treasured item of furniture, I love it!). 

We also went for a Folk sofa bed by Karup. It's ideal for extra guests, but also a cosy place to sleep by the fire come winter! 

We've had the rug for years, it's called 'Beni' from Barfuss Teppiche.

Our bed nook is just over 160 cm wide which provides a snug space for a double bed. We decided to have a built in bed with long drawers on wheels underneath for storage. Today we keep everything from our clothes and bed linen to towels, table cloths and games in the drawers. They are a godsend!  

The mistake we made was using a platform rather than slats. Mattresses need to be able to breathe, otherwise they can get damp and mouldy underneath. We try to air the mattress as much as possible to counter this, but at some point we'll need to drill holes in the platform. 

The sleep loft (which I've realised I've yet to photograph) has space for either three single mattresses or one double. The cabin is 4 metres high, which means there is still quite a lot of head room up there. The girls find it very cosy! 

The bathroom is kitted out with a sink, cabinet, mirror and loo from GSI ceramica and taps from Cristina Rubinetterie. The Tumbled Turtle floor tiles are from Stiltje (one of the areas we splurged). The walls were painted in Kalk by Jotun lady Aqua. 

We weren't sure whether to get a wall hung loo and taps or not as I was worried it would eat into the small space. But actually, wall hung was perfect as it create a natural shelf for all our bits and bobs! 

You can see the complete tour and get the full low down of our bathroom here. 

The hooks in the bathroom (from Norrgavel) serve as both bathroom storage and somewhere to hang our coats. The little stool is either used as a perch to take of your shoes on entering or drying off and moisturising after a shower (pick up a similar little wooden stool here*). 

Finally, the main entrance to the cabin is through the bathroom. We thought we had made a major mistake with this - and we certainly got some strange looks when we told other people about our plan. However, it turned out to be exactly the right decision. Not only do the hooks double up for towels and coats - but the tiled floor is ideal for wet / dirty shoes! Once inside, all the other doors open up so it can be exited and entered through those - it's just when you arrive! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour and seeing a little more of our cabin!

I think I've covered most things, but if you have any questions please do give me a shout below and I'll do my best to help! 

I'm so looking forward to spending a few days up at our little cabin this Christmas! 

Niki 

PS The next project is the garden (it was a complete mess after the build! Gaaaah!). Do you have any tips for me? It's a total blank canvas right now so a little overwhelming! Even so, it's fun to have something to focus on in 2023. 

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A Relaxed, Vintage Inspired Family Home in the French Countryside

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? It's been snowing all morning here in Malmö - such a perfect excuse to pad around at home in chunky knit socks! I was so happy to see many of you also loved graphic designer, artist and interior decorator Zoé de Las Cases' Paris apartment on Friday. There's something so special about her style. As mentioned Zoe and her lovely family: husband Benjamin, daughter Olya (6), son Sacha (4) and dog Napoleon (1!) divide their time between Paris' 2nd arrondissement and their country home in Normandy, near Vernuil-sur-Avre, around one and half hours from the capital. When they first acquired the country house, it was in desperate need of some TLC. The family have been painstakingly renovating it, adding their unique touch - while being careful to maintain the beautiful original features. Bienvenue!

Zoe is a big fan of flea markets and nearly all of the items you see are second hand (inspires me to get hunting, how about you?!). The eclectic blend of items and materials as well as the simple wall to wall open shelving adds to the casual vibe of their country home. 

Falcon range oven in china blue, vintage chopping boards*, Ikeas kitchen cabinets with Östernäs leather pulls 

Glass windows dividers are one of Zoé's signature design traits; she's used them in her Paris apartment, studio and country home. I absolutely love them too. They offer a perfect way to maintain a light and airy, open plan feel while creating more intimate zones. The ones in this kitchen appear to be vintage (source beautiful vintage panes here*).

Anyone else notice how much the firewood column adds to the room? Perfect inspiration! I need a fireplace first, but if my dream ever comes true, I'm stacking the wood like this!

Cute wall-mounted sink alert - no doubt a vintage find. It looks perfect matched with the light blue tiles too, don't you think?

I'm not sure, but guessing that the original tiled floors throughout the ground floor were one of the reasons the family fell in love with the home. Aren't they stunning?

Anyone else now considering looking for a home deep in the country to do up? I'll be dreaming about this all week now!

In cased you missed it, you can take a peek at the family's Paris home here and read more about Zoé's latest projects here (there's also a load more pics on her instagram).

So friends, shall we go all out French again today? Why not! Here are a few spaces I've featured in the past and love:
The fab home of a French photographer and stylist
An opulent Paris apartment in minimalist style
A French kitchen is given. a modern twist
Inside the home of a French chef and photographer

Have a fabulous start to the week!

Niki x

PS Oh and my Lagom book is available in French - just in case any of my wonderful French friends fancy a read. I have such fond memories of my time in Paris over the launch! What a great city / country!

Photography: Zoé de Las Cases shared with kind permission

// Affiliate links marked with *

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