The boho home and atelier of a Swedish artist & florist

I'm kind of loving the 'home visits' by Lovely Life right now. The way they capture homes is so natural and raw - almost like the owner has been caught off guard. The latest home belongs to Swedish artist and florist Marie Emilsson, Mikke and three year old Loui in the Lovely Life playground of Varberg on Sweden's west coast. When it comes to decorating, Marie gets her inspiration from nature, auctions, travel and meeting other people. Flowers and foliage are brought in from the garden year round to keep the space looking fresh and seasonal (spot the rhubarb in a vase). Let's take a tour of Marie's lovely life...

Styling: Johanna Bradford. Photo: Kristin Lagerkvist with thanks

What a lovely home, don't you think? Relaxed, unique and full of inspiration- black and white photos arranged on a gallery wall, painted and wallpapered accent walls, and many vintage finds. I also absolutely love the Loui's room with the owl wallpaper and ants painted on the floor - what a fab idea?!

One of Marie's biggest passions is her garden,  which you can see more of here. 

Could you live here? I certainly could! I'm often toying with the idea of moving out to the country, even just for a year or two. How about you? Do you live in the town or country?

The stylist Johanna Bradford and photographer Kristin Lagerkvist behind these pics are such a talented duo - see Johanna's former homes here and here and current home here and Kristin's home here. As well as the whimsical home of Sophia Bratt which they captured here. What a team?!

Have a lovely day! 

PS Thank you so much to Sarah (who I met at The Hive in Berlin) for featuring me on her fab blog yesterday!

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The lovely Swedish home of Johanna Bradford

Swedish interior stylist Johanna Bradford used to blog over at lovely life before moving on to new adventures with her wonderful blog. She recently welcomed her friend Kristin Lagerqvist into her home to take some snapshots. Kristin has a distinct signature style which is truly personal and unique, making you feel like you are in the home and looking at it with your own eyes. It helps that Johanna's home is truly relaxed and lovely too - with a blend of classic, contemporary and pretty patterns. Perfect home tour to celebrate the weekend, don't you agree?!

Photographer: Home owner Johanna Bradford. Photographer: Kristin Lagerqvist. Shared with kind permission. 

What a charming home, don't you think?! You might recognise the style as I've featured not one, not two but three of her past apartments here, here and here.

Get the look: The kitchen has been painted in light grey no.17 by Farrow & Ball. Row of hooks, Marshall speakers, wine glass rack, willow wallpaper, source a similar beautiful boucherouite rug, macrame wall hanging, Le Grand Air sofa, Gubi coffee table, Private rug.

See more pictures of Johanna's charming home here.

Other Friday finds:

This Danish home belonging to Cille Grut is simply stunning!

How to perfect the minimalist look (Ok, really what caught my eye was the most beautiful dark blue sofa E.V.E.R).

Possibly the prettiest wardrobe for a little girls bedroom I've seen.

I was so happy to wake up to 30,000 followers on Instagram. It's fast becoming one of my favourite social medias (not to mention addictive!), thanks for making it so much fun!

Here's Friday night supper sorted, mmmm! And they had me at the 'alioli' with this recipe.

That's all from me folks, now if I can peel myself away from Ella here in Sri Lanka, we've got a train to catch!

Have a wonderful weekend!

PS This home is filed under my 'International Homes archive' - not that I want to wile away a morning for you.....but just saying! 

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The lovely home and atelier of an artist

This Friday I'm part of the  'Makers Spaces' blog tour, a new book by Emily Quinton. And it got me thinking about the wonderful creative spaces people live and work in. Johanna Bradford  and Kristin Lagerqvist shot this simply beautiful home and atelier in Varberg on Sweden's West coast a while back. With a sea-view on one side and forests on the other, it's the perfect place for Lisa Burenius to paint and enjoy life with her family - Petter and Eddie. The artist describes her interior style as 1930's with a personal twist, and loves to surround herself with personal objects, books and ceramics. Her advice is to 'listen to the house and trust your instinct. A home should be personal and warm, it should tell a story about who you are'. I feel her home is a perfect example of this, don't you?

 

Stylist: Johanna Bradford (with kind permission). Photographer: Kristin Lagerqvist

It's wonderful to see an entirely unique home where the personality shines through. It's got soul.

Lisa has some great ideas too - I love the way the books have been arranged so that some are facing outwards and piled high. I also like the simplicity of the fern leaves in jam jars and the retro set of garden furniture outside. All in all, a truly inspiring home.

What do you love most about this space?

You can see more pictures here if you'd like. 

It's well worth checking out Lisa's website  too- I love the video showing her at work in the atelier.  Her work is available here.

I often dip into the art studio archive for ideas. And my office Pinterest board has oodles of work space inspiration. Hey, if we've gotta work we might as well make it pretty, don't you think?

Have a lovely day!

PS do you have a wonderful maker's space I can share on the blog this week? If so, drop me a mail!

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A truly idyllic Swedish 'kolonistuga' (allotment cottage)

With July just around the corner Swedes across the country are gearing up for the summer vacation. Some will go abroad, some to summer cottages. And some wile away the long days at a 'kolonistuga'; a small cottage on an allotment. This pretty, pared-back kolonistuga just outside Gothenburg, belongs to Elin Lannsjö and her boyfriend Viktor who enjoy relaxing summers bare-foot, tending to their garden and entertaining friends.  When it comes to decorating, Elin relies on her gut feeling, selecting items made from natural materials such as wood, stone, cermics (including her own creations) and natural colours. What a truly idyllic space! Could you spend your summer here?

Lovely Life: Styling Johanna Bradford. Photography Kristin Lagerqvist

Oh so lovely, don't you think?

Sadly we can't all have a Swedish 'kolonistuga' but the great thing is we can create a wall of chopping boards, straw hats or anything else that takes our fancy (do you have a collection gallery wall?). I also love the Thonet chairs painted in matt black leaving only the tip of the legs in natural wood - this trick could be used to spruce up flee market finds or items at home you've grown tired of (remember these beds and side table legs painted in neon?!). There's always Pretty Pegs too. I see a potential DIY project for the weekend, do you? And it's only Monday! 

See more images and read about this lovely home here (in swedish).

Other home tours beautifully captured by Kristin and Johanna include the boho home and atelier of a Swedish artist and a relaxed space with floaty linens. Or if you're after more 'kolonistuga' inspiration - how about this one?!

Have a great start to the week!

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