A striking & relaxed family home in Malmö, Sweden

I'm sitting on the late afternoon train with my coffee, looking out over the Skåne farmlands and thinking back to a lovely day earlier on the summer when I visited Verket, a communal workspace here in Malmö. The industrial style studio is in a converted boxing ring and has magnificent tiled floors and an open plan room. One of the talented people I met was interior designer Helen Sturesson. Helen lives in the centre of town with her husband Kristoffer and two children, Unni and Tage. She has recently moved but I was excited to discover some beautiful pictures of her old home captured by Bodil Johansson (also at Verket).  The magnificent, turn of the century architecture including high ceilings, large windows, columns and pilasters contrasts with the wonderful mix of modern and vintage finds giving the entire space a personal and relaxed vibe. Enjoy!

Credits: home-owner & interior design Helen Sturesson. Photography: Bodil Johansson.

What an amazing home! Could you imagine living in a space like this? I love the way Helen and Kristoffer have turned it into such a warm and relaxed, family home.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look: sitting room - sofa, white armchair and rug are from IKEA. The large illustration over the piano is by Annika Carlsson. Bedroom - source a vintage decorators ladder here (I like this one!), throw on bed from Afroart. Kitchen: this glass cabinet is similar. Unnis room: Black string lights, pick up a children's vintage wicker chair here, pirum parum poster.

See Helen's latest work and snapshots of her new home over on Instagram. 

I also love this relaxed family home in Malmö and the serene home of a Swedish singer also in Sweden's third largest city.

If you're visiting - here's my Malmö City Guide....välkommen!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

PS So excited to be offering you the chance to win a vintage Beni Ourain rug over on instagram here this weekend courtesy of Maroc Tribal!

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A fresh and light apartment in Malmö

Hej hej! How are you today? It's been a while since I showed a home from here in Malmö - which is a shame since I'm very proud of living in this little corner of the world and being surrounded by so many talented people! This fresh and light apartment belongs to an interior stylist who has selected to soothing grey tones with a hint of warm wood, rattan and bamboo. The owners recently put the apartment up for sale through Bjurfors - and it's waiting for one very lucky new owner!

What a lovely feel this home has, don't you think?! I can feel the warmth of the sunlight seeping in through the windows from here!

I particularly like the corner nook with bamboo benches - what a great use of space! 

Get the look: dining area - string shelves, source a similar typography print from The Poster Club, Thonet chairs. Reading corner - bamboo bench. Bedroom - RANARP wall light from IKEA (love the DIY plyboard headboard too!).

See more pictures of this home over at Bjurfors here. 

I'm often getting mails from people looking for tips on things to do in Malmö. I produced a Malmö City Guide a while back but I'm starting to feel it's time for Guide number two as so many fab shops, cafes and bars have popped up since then! Watch this space!

If you're completely taken with this part of the world (here's hoping!) - come and join us! I've also spotted this charming house in Lund and a country home with sea views on the market too! Guh! Imagine? 

Have a great day!

Thank you to Bjurfors for sponsoring my book launch party a few weeks back - I'm such a fan of the many beautiful houses you sell and the work you do! 

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An elegant Malmö home in calming green

Tjoho! As you know, I'm very proud of my home city of Malmö (see my city guide here!) and I always feel a flutter of excitement when a beautiful home pops up in da hood! This 1920's apartment is located in Davidhalls Torg - a lovely square in the centre of town fringed with small independent businesses including an antiques shop, vintage clothes boutique, a barbers and a whole host of cafés and restaurants - with tables and chairs spilling out onto the pavement. And high above you'll find this oasis. Painted in soothing white and green, the owners have used glass cabinets to keep everything on display, yet safely hidden away. Wooden furniture adds warmth while soft linen textiles add a beautiful softness to the space which can only be described as a picture of a calm.

For sale through Bjurfors. 

Ahhhh, so lovely.

The owners have achieved the perfect balance, don't you think?

Did you see it's for sale too? Come and join us!

Get the look from this lovely Malmö apartment: IKEA sells a similar white glass cabinet. Le Sac en papier, This magenta kimono would look pretty against the green wall, white linen table cloth (beautiful!) and pure linen bedding (I love this off-white linen throw / blanket too).

The look and feel of the space reminds me a little of Artilleriet studio and the home of the owners behind the store. Beautiful!

Have a lovely day!

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Relaxed kitchen inspiration from Sweden (and a little shopping....)

The first thing that any of my friends in Copenhagen do when they come over the bridge to Malmö is visit the store Granit - right Valentina Fussell?! The Granit thing is beautifully 'simple' items which make life at home more organised - and well, nicer! I've been adding a few of their fab AW 2016 inspiration images to my moodboards this Autumn and it dawned on me that maybe you guys might like to see them too -  after all there's quite a lot of ideas to steal for your own home, even if they don't ship to your corner of your world (and mini pizza inspiration is always welcome, right?!).

Source: Granit. 

See what I mean?!

I've got my eye on those bamboo lights! How about you?

If they don't ship to your country, you'll just have to pay a visit in person (see my Malmö city guide here!) - and join me for a coffee (of course!)! 

Oh and there's that blue kitchen again (also seen in this home tour and the wonderful home of a Swedish food blogger - beautiful!).

Have a lovely day!

PS My lovely, talented friend Maria is offering 15% discount on all items in her shop - Swedish Ninja (including her fab 'Darling Light' collection until the end of October. To redeem enter the code 15RABATTSCANDI at checkout (ships to Europe). I've got my eye on this one for my hallway....

PPS Thank you so much to Luxury London for including me in your top four interior bloggers!  I see I'm in amazing company, check out the list here.

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A magnificent Malmö pad which could be yours!

I do love to keep an eye an eye on the Swedish property market (as I'm sure you've noticed!). Occasionally a home will reappear and it's fascinating to see the difference in the way it's been decorated. This fabulous space is one of them. As soon as I spotted the turn-of-the-century apartment on Malmö estate agent site Bo-laget, I instantly recognised it. The magnificent ceilings, tremendous ceiling height, original parquet floor and kakelugn (Swedish masonry oven) were a total give-away! The previous owners went for a relaxed vibe with mid-century and vintage finds (see the tour here). The new owners have kept the space equally minimalist, ensuring the architecture and period features take centre-stage, yet the furniture has a more contemporary feel. And now it's time for someone else to move in!

This apartment is for sale through Bo-laget. 

Could it be you?! If so, welcome to Malmö! 

Oh how I would love to take on this place too. The things I would do!

A few pieces I know and love: Togo sofa, Bertoia diamond armchair, source a similar Beni Ourain rug, Hay tray table, Bertoia side chair.

I'm so proud of the level of creativity in my adopted home town and have featured many, many fabulous homes from this city here in Southern Sweden over the years. Here are 5 of my favourites:

The relaxed family home of an interior designer
A stunning Malmö home
The atmospheric house with an ethnic touch
An elegant Malmö home in calming green
My neighbour's beautiful home!

Is there a style you like in particular?

Have a lovely day!

PS Make sure you stop by and visit us here in Malmö for a long weekend at some point - it's a perfect day trip from Copenhagen too. Just in case you do, here's a quick guide. Part II coming soon!

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An inviting apartment with warm tones in Södermalm

I love the warm tones in this lovely apartment in Södermalm, an area in central Stockholm known for it's relaxed and creative vibe. The yellow, burnt orange and deep red accents help to create an inviting feel. All that's missing is the warm glow from candles in the masonry oven and you're all set for a rainy day! Speaking of which, I like that there's a grey base to the space too - adding yet another dimension and a great contrast to the warmer hues.  Keep an eye out for all the different lighting it in every corner too)....

I love this home, it's kind of creative, elegant and sophisticated, yet relaxed at the same time. What are your thoughts?

Did you notice the ceiling in the kitchen? 

A few items I know and love from this Stockholm home? (Oh go on then!): Sitting room - Tiki sofa. Try Loom and Field for lovely kilm cushions / pillows (like this one), source a mid-century daybed here. Dining area: Artek chairs, AJ floor lamp, the light is from Örsjö - this industrial light is similar (love this!).

Link guide:

Pianos in the home - It's enough to want me to start lessons! 

This hallway.

Fascinated by these 15 surprising things about parenting in Iceland.

Following on from my Malmö city guide, why not make a weekend of it and pop over the bridge to visit these 5 inspiring showrooms in Copenhagen?!

I'd like to wake up at this little beach cottage everyday.


Have a lovely day!

Source: Husman & Hagberg.

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