My Home: New Rattan Bed

 Sponsored (all words are my own)

How pretty are all the rattan beds floating around the blog and instagram world right now? They're actually surprisingly hard to find - so I was super excited when Danish brand Nordal introduced a rattan daybed into their range this summer. Such a perfect addition to Allie's new room! She'd been really keen to get rid of her bunk bed (and to be fair I was so tired of clambering up to the top bunk for bedtime stories!). So, just in time for her 8th birthday next month she has a very pretty new bed!

It's originally designed as a daybed so I pick up a 105 cm mattress to ensure my little pumpkin still gets her beauty sleep - which was easy enough.

To make the bed extra cosy I also added a load of pillows - including the BOHO cushion and also a linen bed cover in rose and burgundy (also from Nordal).

Allie's so happy with her new bed (as am I - and all her bears!). Here are the items in detail:

1. Rattan Daybed 2. Bed cover linen Burgundy / Rose 3. Cushion cover rose

In case you'd like any of these items - Nordal ship throughout Europe (checkout their stockists here).

A more detailed post with all items to follow soon - but please also feel free to ask away in the comment section below about any details!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography / shoot styling: Niki Brantmark, Interior design: Genevieve Jorn. 

This make-over was made possible with the help of Nordal. All design, styling and words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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18 Hot Headboards - For Every Budget and Style!

Scandinavians are known for their love of minimalism - and nowhere is more important than in the bedroom where the clean and decluttered aesthetic helps to creates an oasis of calm. Over the years, headboards have taken a distinct backseat - and in many cases banished altogether. But I've been noticing a welcomed change. Not only are headboards making a come back, they're taking centre stage! Think high, low, or super wide headboards in leather, linen, velvet, rattan, cane and wood. Go vintage or contemporary - or get crafting and make your own. There's something out there for every taste and budget. Here are 18 looks I love right now:

Leather

1. DIY cotton and leather hanging headboard: if you want to keep the bed you have but looking for a quick headboard fix, this DIY idea by Paulsvera with leather straps and two standard pillows could be the perfect solution - plus it's easy to clean and looks super comfy! 

2. Hung up on leather: Another hanging solution, this headboard from Citizenry goes all out leather. Love the cognac finish! 

Velvet

3. The cushion hack: In this Brooklyn apartment, the owner has attached a simple cushion from Urban Outfitters to the wall for a makeshift headboard. I love the moss tone - and it looks kinda cosy too, don't you think? 

4. The wrap around velvet: Once we've got over the beautiful colours (how fabulous is the combination of olive green, millennial pink and a touch of gold?) zoom in and imagine reclining against this velvet beauty. There's even a ledge to rest your head.  

5. The scallop: still on the pink - but with a different form and kind of relaxed. There's a similar headboard to this one currently available at Walmart! Oh, how I wish I lived in America right now. Loving this look, how about you? 

Linen

6. Freestanding linen: I bet you knew it was only a matter of time before linen appeared in this line-up - and this Ghost bed in the home of the owner of Artilleriet is an absolute beauty! You might just want to check out the full tour of this beautiful Gothenburg home too. Just saying. 

7. Simply Linen: If the Ghost linen bed featured in no.6 is a little over budget (*eyes water*) - a simple standalone linen headboard like this one in the home of Elin Kickén might be more your thing. I love the ones handmade by Fabricat.se. 

Wool

8. Quilted wool: A classic headboard that is super comfy and will never go out of style. This one's the Malö bed by luxury swedish bed manufactured Carpe Diem Beds - timeless and cosy! 

Cane

9. Rounded cane: If Finnish interior stylist Susanna Vento has chosen this cane headboard from Matri by Fennobed for her home, we should probably take note. 

10. Classic cane: keep an eye out for a classic cane headboard like this one at flea markets and second hand shops. It's the kind of piece you'll never tire of (Etsy* have a few great ones). 

11. Romantic cane: I'm all for adding a little romance to the bedroom - and this pretty antique cane headboard is as pretty as can be. Keep an eye out for headboards with old school glamour like this at antique fairs. 

12. DIY cane: yes, still on the cane, sorry! But I couldn't quite drop the style before I linked to this wonderful Ikea hack made using an Ivar unit and a sheet of cane. Follow September Edit's guide and you could have a new headboard in hours! 

Wood

13. White wood: probably the most standard headboard / bed frame in the mix - but I do love how a simple white bed can form the basis for any look. Dress in earthy linens and other textured, natural materials for a cosy look that still feels fresh. 

14. Contemporary light wood: a headboard that extends the width of the bedroom. Why not? Plus, wood allows you to add electrical outlets. To achieve a similar look either nip to your local DIY store for supplies and get crafting (she says.... having not touched a saw since school!) - OR ask a local carpenter to cut wood to size. This would look great in a kid's room too, don't you think?

15. The statement headboard: Now, this is fabulous. Yes, the room happens to have beautiful bones (massively high ceilings, concrete floor...) - but there's nothing to stop us from making full use of the height of a space - and these wood slats are the business! 

16. The add-on headboard: Remember this home? Sarah Shabacon created a birch headboard using a series of Mandal headboards from IKEA - so simple, yet so clever! 

Rattan

17. Simple rattan: palm headboards are everywhere right now - and there's a style to fit every boho heart! This one from Tiretta Living in the home of Studio Elwa is simple, yet still decorative and looks pretty against a soft peach wall. Side note: don't miss the full tour of Elin's home here!

18. Decorative rattan: or you could go a little more decorative and opt for a curved rattan headboard like this one from Silka Design. 

Do you have a favourite? 

Or perhaps I missed a style you love - if so, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below! 

More bedroom inspiration today: 

This bedroom tour is one of my top five most popular posts ever. It never gets old!

My latest bedroom revamp. 

6 clever tricks to learn from a Swedish box bedroom.

4 cosy Norwegian bedrooms.

A delightfully simple Norwegian bedroom in the attic

16 ways to transform a tiny room into a practical, yet dreamy bedroom

Sov gott! 

Niki

Credits: 1. Paulsvera 2. Citizenry 3. Cody Guilfoyle for Domino 4. Petra Tungården. 5. Walmart 6. Artilleriet / Kristofer Johnsson 7. Elin Kickén / Mikael Lundblad  8. Carpe Diem Beds 9. Susanna Vento / Rikka Kantinkoski 10. This picture has been separated from its owner online - can you help with credits? 11. Jason Busch / This is glamorous 12. September Edit 13. Alvhem 14. Zrobym Architects 15. Fantastic Frank found via Vosgesparis 16.Sarah Shabacon 17. Studio Elwa 18. Silka Design

*Affiliate links

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Small Space Inspiration: A Delightful Green and White Swedish Flat With a Pretty Bed Nook

If you're looking for a soft, calm, earthy colour palette for your home- this could well be it! I mean, just how pretty are the shades of earthy green with white, cream and pale grey in this two room Swedish apartment? I love all the textures too: hand knotted wall hangings, fluffy rugs, knitted blankets and floaty linens all of which help to ramp up the cosiness. Imagine escaping here each day?!

When a bed nook is too small for anything except for a bed - a simple rail in the main living room creates space for everyday clothes (even better if they're coordinated with the look and feel of the room - ha! But since we know this isn't always the case, a back-up cupboard in the hallway works as a perfect overflow!).

I'm loving these irregular shaped mirrors. I also spy the Ärod floor lamp from IKEA (we've got this in our home and it goes with everything so is always being moved from room to room!

How lovely is this bed nook? It just goes to show that no matter how small the space, you can still create somewhere cosy and private to turn in each night. A curtained off bed is fairly common in Sweden (especially in more traditional homes and summer cottages) - check out this and this home for more pretty examples! I sourced made-to-measure linen curtains in my bedroom and sitting room like these from Not Perfect Linen*. 

Speaking of linen, the bed nook features layer upon layer of it in soft greens, whites and greys. Just a small reminder (spoken from experience!) - that it's really important to invest in high quality linen bedding with a high flax content to avoid that uncomfortable scratchy feel (not a good thing when it comes to pillows!). High quality linen will also soften with age.  I love linen bedding from Secrets and Things* for that reason.  

Could you imagine hanging about here this weekend? It looks so calm!

I know this apartment has ben styled for sale and you'd have loads more clobber than this in reality but it is a great source of colour inspiration!

If you fancy checking out other homes with a similar scheme you might also like to check out this beautiful family home (I love the green and pink accents), a calm green, grey and white apartment and a Gothenburg home with an English vibe (one of my all time favourites - hmmm, wonder why?!).

Our four day retro VW Camper Van tour of Cornwall, England has come to an end - sniff sniff! Despite a rocky start (driving on the wrong side of the road, map reader not knowing their right and left and a broken radio antenna - not all necessarily connected!), we're really going to miss Scarlett! Now it's time to go and say a quick hi to my family before we fly home.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

Niki

Photos courtesy of Kvarteret Makleri 

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Alpine bed by Modernica

Hello, I hope you're having a lovely weekend! I'm popping in today with some exciting news - Modernica, producer of high-end modern furnishings such as Fiberglass Chairs, Bubble lamps, and the fabulous Papa bear Chair, (I know, right?!) have re-created their most popular classic Case Study Alpine bed in North American ash. Designed by Jay Novak, the inspiration for the bed comes from a respect and appreciation of the traditional craftsmanship of vintage-sporting equipment; such as bentwood tennis rackets, wooden skis and even a wooden kayak (how cool!).

I love the simple and fluid lines. I have to say, I think I might just stay in bed all day reading and drinking coffee if I had one of these Alpine beds, how about you?!

There's more good news, the fab team at Modernica are offering all My Scandinavian Home readers a 10% discount on this bed (sorry, the discount is only redeemable within the United States, however the bed is available globally through Modernica distributors). To redeem your voucher just tap in the code ALPINEBED at check-out. Valid until 13th March 2016.

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Modernica. All words and opinions are my own and I only ever partner with brands and recommend products I love. Thank you for supporting the brands that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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Tiny Cabin Update: Panelling, Wood floors & Our Cosy Bed Nook

Disclosure: Norrlands Trä have kindly agreed to collaborate with us on this project

Things are taking shape in our little cabin at a rapid pace, so I felt it was time for an update!

Here's the lowdown and a few snapshots - plus I'm looking for some advice on the mattress situation further down the post (looking at you van owners!), please feel free to share your tips in the comment section and ask any questions!

Wall and ceiling panels

As you know, we were adamant about having panelling as we felt it would be a great way to create a relaxed coastal cabin feel. Are you a fan too? 

Having researched the various different styles of panelling - from contemporary to traditional we settled on the more modern Borstad Slätspont in white S0502-Y from Swedish brand Norrlands Trä. 

The wall and ceiling panelling gave the cabin an instant lift and feels contemporary yet coastal, smart yet relaxed - I love it when a plan comes together! 

Wood floor

The day I took the above picture it was freezing outside, and I couldn't help thinking how 'cold' the cabin felt with the concrete foundation. So, I quickly got to work on finding a wood floor.

We decided on the primed parquet pine floor in ultra protect white, also from Norrlands Trä. Light pine is a classic choice for Swedish summer cottages as it has a pared back, understated feel yet still has that wonderful softness and warmth. 

Side note: Pine is soft, which means it can be dented / marked quite easily. If you do go for this type of flooring, it's something you ned to bear in mind. We figured that wood is a living, breathing material which changes with time, and we'd embrace any marks the family make! Having said that, we'll be laying rugs in 'high flow' spots such as the kitchen, living room and dining area to protect the floor and add that all important hygge! 

After: 

I love that you can clearly see the grain and knots in the wood, it really helps to draw nature indoors and adds texture and depth to the space. 

The bed nook

In our plans, we included a nook for a 160 cm bed (with more space bunks in the loft). Since the cabin is small (30 m2 / 322 sq ft) it would also need to double up as storage without compromising on aesthetics (you know me!). Below is how the space looked during the build (while being surveyed by Per!):

This is how it looked once the panelling, floor and railings went in:

And finally, The bed nook

I did a ton of research into 160 cm beds with front storage but couldn't find anything! So, in the end we designed a wall-mounted bed platform with central legs and two VERY long pull-out drawers on wheels (see below). Leftover panels were used for the fronts for a seamless look. 

And we finally had a bed! 

Sidenote: we're working on the air circulation -most likely, we'll drill holes in the base and also add a special air circulator layer under the mattress (without this, bacteria can build up and a mattress can quickly become mouldy underneath). This still a work in progress though, so tips are very welcome! 

In the meantime, we're so looking forward to sleeping and hanging out right here. So excited!

I hope you enjoyed this update! Please do give me a shout below if you have any questions. 

I'm so looking forward to sharing other areas of the cabin with you soon. 

Wishing you a trevlig helg! (lovely weekend!), 

Niki 

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Update: Our Tiny House Interior Plans & Inspiration

It's been a while since I shared an update on the tiny house we're building in the garden of the summer cottage in southern Sweden. A lot has been going on behind the scenes, but most excitingly Per and I headed up there for a meeting with the builders last week and it's starting to feel VERY real! A while back, I shared our plans for the exterior. I'm looking forward to sharing the finer details of that soon (once we have settled on the wood finish). Until then, I thought I'd share the plans and inspiration for the interior! 

Layout: 

Our cabin is called a Komplementsbostad which is a special Swedish dwelling measuring 30 m2 (323 f2) and a maximum of 4 metres (13 feet) high. The idea is to use it as a place to unwind at the weekends and in the holidays. If we're staying in the main cottage, it will be a place for guests to stay and hopefully in the future, somewhere our children to come with their family and friends!

The cabin will contain a small kitchenette, social area, bathroom and two sleeping quarters. It's designed to sleep 4. I think I'll start with the latter! 

We decided to lay the sleeping zones out over two floors (which is fairly customary with this type of house). The 'master bedroom' will be in an alcove / nook on the lower floor, and a sleep loft will be placed over the bathroom and bedroom. 

The reason we decided to do it this way and not create a separate master bedroom is because we also wanted to create a nice social area in which to hang out - so we needed the extra space. For the same reason, we also decided not to have a formal entrance / hallway. 

Inspiration for the bedroom / sleep loft area: 

I absolutely love the look and feel of Lina Kjellvertz's cabin (the swede has impeccable taste - check out her house in Mallorca if you have the time!). Her attafallshus was designed by Sommernöjen and features white walls and a light wood ladder and sleep loft - something I am looking to emulate. The only difference is that the atelier / desk area will be exchanged for a bed. Basically like this: 

The bedroom nook will be fairly snug! The cosy danish bedroom below has also been a major source of inspiration for us. See the rest of the lovely cabin here. 

We are looking to convert the under section of the bed into two separate, very large drawers which will be used to store clothes, bed linen, towels etc. A little like the ones in this tiny Norwegian house on wheels.

We're also hoping to add shelving, but sadly we won't have space for a surface behind the bed like the one seen above since the nook is the exact length of the bed! 

Kitchenette

The kitchen and dining area is very much a work in progress! As with everything else, it will of course be small. Since space is of a premium, it will involve upper and lower cabinets. I love this kitchen by Swedish Nordiska Kök - it's clean and contemporary, but also features some beautiful natural elements including stone and wood, which would be a nice way to bring the surroundings inside. Do you like this look too? Clearly the island is a no go, as we simply don't have room! Instead, I'm hoping to find a small vintage table for four. Let the hunt begin! 

One big dilemma: we were hoping to put the boiler in the top right cabinet BUT the plumber told us it would be way too small. Instead it might need to be placed to one side of the sleep loft which is not ideal. I know my family, and they do love their showers! If you have any other ideas on where to place it, I'm all ears! 

Main living / social area

You might have noticed that all these inspiration images have something in common: wood panelling. I absolutely love wood panels, they bring a more relaxed feel to space and help to add a coastal touch.  Are you a fan of panelling too?

This panelling by Swedish brand Norrlands Trä seen in this Scandinavian cabin is spot on. I'm just in the process of ordering samples to see which style would look best (every panel option comes in an option of at least two different whites as well as various textures - I tell you, it's a minefield!).

Sitting room

I'm going to be honest, we still haven't decided which direction to go in with the sitting room. All thoughts are welcome at this stage! The only thing we do know is there are a LOT of windows and doors to contend with (see plan) and there'll definitely be a woodturning stove (more info to follow soon!).

But what we don't know, is what seating to go for. 

Do we go for some kind of built-in bench running from the kitchen units to the wall with storage underneath like in these lovely rooms?

Or do we opt for a sofa-bed with storage to make room for extra guests? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Looking at these images I'm wondering if I've over sold our cabin now!! I mean, some of these spaces are simply incredible and quite a lot bigger than our cabin! The pressure is on! 

I can't wait to share more plans with you soon including the bathroom, outdoors space and wood burning stove! Meanwhile, we're hoping the first spade will go in the ground this week - woohooo! 

For more tiny cabin inspiration check out: 

Opening doors vs folding doors - see the comments for the final reader verdict!

And the tiny house archive - which is full of inspiration for small spaces! 

Right guys, that's it from me this week, thank you for coming along for the ride - and for all your kind messages in yesterday's post, it really meant so much. 

Trevlig helg / have a great weekend!

Niki

Photography: 1. House Doctor. 2&3 Sommarnöjen 4, 5 & 10. Morten Holtum 6. Nordiska Kök 7. Norrlands Trä 8. Femina 9. My Domaine

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