Malmö city guide: hip places to eat, drink and shop (design)

Have you ever visited Malmö, Sweden? It's been my home for the past 12 years and I'm so incredibly proud of Sweden's third largest city! For those of you wondering about geography (let's face it, I wasn't entirely sure where it was before I moved here) - it's the hub of Southern Sweden (listed 9th place on the New York Times top 52 places to visit in 2016 - if that's not reason enough!), and just over the Öresund bridge (yes, that's The Bridge - apparently there's a special tour these days!), from Copenhagen.  With an abundance of cool new boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and bars popping up all over town, I invited my friend and photographer Valentina Fussell over for the day to capture some of my absolute places to eat, drink and shop in Malmö.....

 - Cafés, restaurants & bars: 

Noir: this is the perfect little café to start your tour (with a freshly brewed coffee of course!), on sunny days you can sit outside and watch the locals cycle by.

Johan P - a fabulous fish restaurant (and fish market) in a former factory just off Lilla Torg - and the perfect place to enjoy oysters, seafood platters and the local catch of the day. It's also great for an early evening apéritif (if only to marvel at the high ceilings, decor and Flos lights).

Bastard - In my mind you can't beat this restaurant for an evening out in Malmö. Not only is the food and service excellent, it's buzzing every night of the week and turns into a popular spot for late night cocktails too. You'll need to book in advance.

Lilla Torg - drinks (or light lunch) at an outdoor table in this old square is also a must (try Moosehead or mello yello). You might also end up at Koi nightclub later on in the evening too...(just as I have done on eh hem a few occasions). 

Boulebar - Another unique place (and a new favourite) - is this establishment on Drottningstorget which combines good food and drink with a game of Boule. Go for brunch on a saturday and sunday with family and friends - or in the evening (brilliant if you're travelling in a group).  Look out for local farmers / fleas markets (and Christmas markets) on the square outside too!

Central - shopping

Miloii is my go to shop for clothes (selling brands such as A.P.C, GANNI and Rodebjer) and lovely things for the home. If you need more convincing - this is the the owner's home.

Blomsterpigen - this is one beautiful flower shop, and even if blooms aren't the most practical item to take home with you, I can still recommend visiting if only to see their magical window display and the little upstairs oasis!

Granit - A firm fixture in my Malmö 'interior shop tour', this is the perfect place to pick up practical items for the home (especially if you love simple, clean style and monochrome). Other favourites (particularly for Scandinavian designer items) include Malmö Modern, Olsson & Gerthel, Norrgavel, DesignTorget, Form Design Centre (it's worth going in here for the building alone!) and Svenssons.

Formgruppen - a staple for locally made ceramics (and something unique to take home with you).

Mini Rodini - the cutest Swedish children's brand has opened up a shop just off Lilla Torg - because it would be mean to not pick up something for the little ones too!

St Knut Torg - restaurants & cafés 

This area of Malmö has a local village-feel and is well worth a visit for it's small, privately run cafes and bars. Hop on a bike (bike hire stations are located all over town) and enjoy.....

Söderberg & Sara - sit and read the paper alongside locals in this ecological bakery / cafe.

Spoonery - I often go here at lunchtime for the pared-back interior and chilli beef stew - mmmm!

No.6 Nip around the corner for a post-lunch coffee at this itsy, bitsy local cafe created by the previous owner of this home. He's since sold it but the decor and local vibe remains the same.

And if you like wine and cheese don't miss the neighbourhood hang-out- Kiez. There's a great write-up and a few of pictures of it here. For dancing the night away to live music - you can also head over the road to Cuba Café in Folkets park for a salsa (summer time only).

St. Knuts Torg - shopping

Flora Linea - Owned by Maja Ljungdahl, this little shop is a complete find! Well worth a visit if you love the idea of a hanging Kokedama (aka a Japanese bonsai where the root grows in a special soil wrapped in a moss ball) and seriously cute ceramics.

Kalbadhus / Ribbersborg - No visit to Malmö is complete without a visit to the sauna (this one's located out on a pier). When my family visit from London they call it 'the naked sauna', much to the bafflement of my Swedish husband - I mean, is there any other kind of sauna?! The traditional style saunas are divided up into female, male and a mixed section (note - don't make the mistake of thinking the teeny square cloth they hand to you when you go in is a towel - it's just for sitting on) after which a cold plunge into the Öresund strait is de rigueur! In the winter they'll cut a circle in the ice - so there's no excuse! Treat yourself to a hot chocolate (or something stronger) in the cafe / restaurant afterwards or enjoy the Sunday brunch (bentwood chairs alert!) with views over the sea and Ribbersborg beach.

I have to say this guide only scratches the surface of all the great places to eat, drink and shop in Malmö and we haven't even touched on Möllevången (with it's many, many fab restaurants and bars). Malmö guide II to follow imminently (once I've enticed Valentina back from Atlanta!).

In the meantime, here's a quick guide:

Möllevången (or 'Möllan')- Söder om Småland (ecological beers and great food), Malmö Brewing co. (Malmö brews for beer lovers), Tempo and Belle Epoche (for good food and cocktails).

Davidshallstorg: B.A.R (go for the taster menu!) and Escama (tapas on a balmy evening al fresco).

Places to stay:  a quick search on Air BnB has come up with some lovely little places including: a studio in Möllan, an apartment in Triangeln (great location, in walking distance of everything and near the tube). Or this beautiful home in Västra Hamnen, an area by the sea renowned for it's architecture and swimming (as well as a handful of cafés and restaurants) and 10 minutes by bike into the city centre.

Best time to visit - April to October (when the days are longer and the weather a little milder) or December (for the Christmas markets).

If you've visited Malmö and have some tips you'd like to share (or if you have any questions) you're so welcome to add them in the comments below.

I hope you make your way here soon. As they say in Sweden - Välkommen!

Credit: All photography by Valentina Fussell.

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5 Lessons to Learn About Adding An Accent Colour From A Lovely Malmö Home

Millennial pink. An earthy, powdery, achingly cool shade that the interior world never seems to tire of. And when you see apartments like this one (currently for sale in Malmö, Sweden) you can understand why. The owners have added subtle touches in a spectrum that range from pale powder to a deeper brown-pink in every room. Pink not your gig? There's still a load to learn about how to add an accent colour that gives your living space that seamless flow seen in the homes in interior magazines! And the good news is that you only really need one or two items in each room. You may find you've naturally already achieved a great flow, but in case your home needs a helping hand here are 5 'accent colour' lessons to learn from a lovely Southern Sweden home: 

1. One or two will do! It's tempting to go overboard and add your chosen colour to everything: walls, furniture and accessories, but actually it's enough just to go for one or two things such as a chair and a few accessories (like the cups seen on the shelf below) in each room.

2. Stay on the spectrum: There's no need to stick to the exact shade, slightly different tones of your accent colour will work as long as they're on the same spectrum. For example, in this Malmö home all the pink hues have a blue undertone and feel earthy and soft. 

3. Add balance: I was umming and ahing about including this picture because I didn't want the colour-coded books to distract from the pink (we all know there are a LOT of strong opinions out there about how to arrange books!). Anyhooo, check out the artwork on the sitting room wall, the int of pink picks up the colour in the chairs in the kitchen and helps to add balance and tie the rooms together. 

4. Pick a statement piece: To really set off your accent colour opt for one or two pieces that really make a statement - like the owners of this apartment have done with the Hay Mags sofa*. I understand many like to go for a safe bet when it comes to choosing a sofa or armchair since it's a rather large investment. Having said that, if you choose an accent colour that you're naturally drawn to and have always loved rather than an on-trend hue, you'll never tire of it. 

Tip: If in doubt, try an IKEA sofa (which you can pick up for a song second hand) and invest in a beautiful designer cover from Bemz* with you can swap out at any time (like I've done here). 

5. Something in every room: try to add at least one small thing in your accent colour to every room in your home, even if it's massively subtle like a cushion (seen below) or a vase (on the windowsill in the sitting room) or a few folded textiles (above the dresser in the last picture). This will help to tie your home together in a subtle way and create a cohesive look. 

What do you think? Has this been helpful? 

In my home I've used a rust / chestnut colour as an accent. I have to admit I haven't been entirely consequential with it and having seen this home I think it would be nice to do a little more.

Do you have a colour that you're particularly drawn to?

In case you're undecided, I love these archives for colour inspiration: 

Decorating with blue

Decorating with green

Oj oj oj! I do believe it's Friday people! I love it when the weekend comes around that fast, don't you?! I know it sounds strange, but I spent so much time with my little family over the holidays that I've kind of missed them this week, do you ever feel like that too? I'm looking forward to hanging out with them this weekend. 

I hope you have a great one! 

See you Monday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bo-laget

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This Lovely 1930s Malmö Flat Could Be Yours!

I feel like I've been keeping very close to home lately on the blog - what with the beautiful house just over THE bridge in Copenhagen yesterday and another lovely Danish home just a short hop by sailboat on Friday. But today, I'm going even closer. This little number is situated right here in Malmö! In fact it's a stone's throw from my studio in the mysigt (cosy) Davidshall area. If I were to exchange my house for an apartment in the centre of town, this space could well be it (can you picture per getting nervous on the other side of town?!). It has everything on my list - from the 1930s period features, large windows, double doors leading from room to room, a beautiful parquet floor and a little balcony for morning coffees. Oh, and a load of little cafes, restaurants and boutiques just outside the door. What more could a girl want?! Ready to take a look around?

I think this cosy rug is from Tisca. I've actually ordered a similar one following my trip to Transylvania earlier this year (couldn't resist!). The classic shelves are by String (based right here in Malmö!).

These are the double 'spegeldörr' I was talking about - they are fairly common in old Swedish abodes and add such a wonderful element of grandeur to a space - don't you think?!

I'll never tire of dark blue walls - especially in the bedroom, how about you?! The Walton Ford print is from the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (I actually went to that exhibition and it was pretty amazing. Kicking myself now for not picking up a poster in the shop! Guh! (FYI this museum has the best shop E.V.E.R!). The bench - which understandably seems to be popping up in homes everywhere - is the Stockholm 2017 coffee table from IKEA.

What do you reckon, could you imagine living here too?

If you snap it up, let me know as you'll be just around the corner and we can go for a Swedish fika!

I'm so proud of my adopted home city - and have showed many Malmö home tours in the past. A few of my favourites include this magnificent pad (those tiled fireplaces!), a stunning family home (our daughters go to gymnastics together and I am always bowled over when I stop by Malin's home!) and an atmospheric home in dark tones (also lovely!).

If you're planning a visit, you might find my local Malmö guide helpful (and of course, you can always give me a shout in the comment section or by email if you need any tips!).

It's a rare double post day today. I'll be stopping by later to share a film about natural light that I made with VELUX. I hope you are going to like it. It's my Swedish debut - eeeek (we filmed in Swedish but with English subtitles)!

Until then, friends...

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bo-laget with thanks

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