A Dutch guest house with red floors and vintage touches

Iiiiit's Friday - woohoo! I thought I'd celebrate with a flash of colour. Do you remember this striking Dutch home with red floors which we were all pleasantly surprised about? Well the architect and industrial designer owners have since moved and opened up their wonderful home as a guest house. The  'hostel in The Hague' was furnished by Holly Marder (in record time!) and the result is a bright fun space with cool vintage finds and a boho vibe. If I find myself in this Dutch city I know where I'll be staying, how about you?!

Hostel The Hague. Photos / styling: Holly Marder

What do you reckon about those red floors?!

A note on where a few items are from: Dining room: vintage dining chairs / Eye Eye poster /  magazine holder. Bedroom 1: wicker love seat / black and white cushion/ walnut candlestick/ black patterned cushion. Bedroom 2: vintage lamp / wicker stool / granite blanket / patterned cushion / blue and white cushion.

Other fabulous Dutch homes here.

Holly has such a great sense of style, I love her bedroom (one of the most popular posts on here ever) and studio. She's also photographed this fab black and white home and a whimsical family home.

The beauty of jet lag (I arrived back from New York yesterday) is it's meant I've managed to creep downstairs first thing and create this post before my girls are awake. There's something great about these quiet hours with just my coffee, laptop and a chunky knit blanket! Do you ever work/ study at first light?

Oh and I'm sooo excited to introduce you to my new sponsor Yorkelee today. Yorkelee is an online shop selling unique, creative, affordable Scandinavian style prints for the home and for kids (check out Yorkelee on IG). It's almost like these prints are made for My Scandinavian Home, think monochrome and pastels. I've got my eye on the Ampersand, you can and Perfection Home prints. I hope you find something you love too.

Have a great couple of days and see you Monday! 

PS This weekend I'm holding a give-away with a talented German artist, so don't forget to stop by! 

READ MORE...

6

Soothing Swedish Home with a Striking Dark Floor

Why, hello there! The Scandinavian school summer holidays start in a mere 6 weeks - eeeeek! How did that happen?  The thing is, my mind seems to think the long, gloriously slow days of summer have already arrived (it doesn't help that it's one of those diamond days with clear blue skies and the promise of an Aperol Spritz in the sunshine!). As a result I just don't seem to be getting anything done (do you ever feel like this too?!). This is where a maximalist home in a riot of colours might help jolt me back to reality. But nope, this soothing grey, white and neutral Swedish home fits my vibe in every way. I especially love the striking dark wood floor against the whites and pale greys. Come and dream with me (and perhaps pick up some ideas on the way!).

Going for a bolder colour in the bedroom is a fail safe way of injecting stronger tones into a home without going all out (and what a pretty colour it is too?!). I like how they've placed similar colours in the adjoining room (like the grey cabinet and rug) which help to create a cohesive look. 

The sitting room area is fairly awkward shape and yet the owners (designers?) have carved out a clever multipurpose space with a desk, social area and place to watch TV. I like the way the armchair (by Tine K Home) has been turned towards the sofa, taking the main focus away from the TV!

Rust, powder pink and amber accents are one of the key colour combinations of 2018 - I'm so happy about this I think there's something beautiful about these tones combined. The Poster Club sells similar abstract art and oak frames and you can pick up a pretty mustard throw here.

How clever is this little work space made up of a simple wall mounted desk and open shelving? The black chair is the Afteroom by Menu. Love how they've even added some greenery (perhaps they've been reading my lagom book?!).

The blue-grey hue in the bedroom creates an unbelievably calm feel. The hanging plant in the corner  (source a similar macrame planter here) adds some much needed height (an important thing to think about from a styling point of view - especially if you have high ceilings!). 

Look at all that natural light?!  Once again the dark wood floor adds a perfect amount of contrast to what is otherwise a very neutral space.

Photography Anders Bergstedt, Styling Nouvel Interior for Entrance.

Plants such as the fig tree and Rex Begonia seen on the balcony work equally well indoors or outdoors. In fact, I have a Rex Begonia in my office and they're practically impossible to kill (we like!). In fact they LOVE to dry out (and then you drench them before letting them dry out again - AKA my usual plant care routine!). Is it possible to have a plant as a best friend?!

Is there anything that stood out to you about this home?

If you'd like to see more homes with beautiful dark floors I can totally recommend having a whip round Si's lovely San Francisco Home, black floors in the home of a French stylist (possibly one of my favourite kitchens of all time!) and a striking dark and white swedish space.

Have a lovely day guys - I'm off to relax. No wait....

READ MORE...

2

A calm Swedish home in neutrals (and a fab fireplace)

Good morning Monday! The Swedish winters aren't always easy - and right now it's cooooold and dark. But occasionally the skies clear, the ground is blanketed with snow and everything sparkles like diamonds.  Yesterday was one of those magical days and we had such a wonderful day sledging and ice-skating on a frozen lake. Today is looking fab again but it's back to work for me - and a day at the IKEA headquarters - exciting! But first I wanted to share this Swedish apartment decorated in muted tones and for sale through Stadshem. I especially love the fireplace in the bedroom (imagine sleeping next to a roaring log fire - so romantic?!) and the reclaimed black wood floors in the kitchen and hallway - how beautiful?! Let's take a tour....

Photography: Jonas Berg. Stadshem.

What a perfect space. Is there anything that stands out to you in particular?

Get the look: kitchen - pendant light, Thonet chairs, Chemex glass coffee maker (I love these - perfect for slow mornings!). Sitting room - leaf light. Bedroom - Artek stool, source geometric cushions here (this one's especially lovely), white linen bedding, light grey throw. Hallway - black and walnut hang it all.

Other ideas from around the web today: 

This unusual brass vase is wonderful (I'll never tire of simple glass vases either). While on the subject, this picture is evidence that spring flowers look lovely against one of interiors hottest trends - dark blue walls.

 13 ways to re-think the foot of your bed I've been looking for a simple rustic bench for the foot of my bed for I don't know how long. Do you have anything at the end of your bed?

I'm such a big fan of cabins with a black exterior - we photographed several for my book, and I've been in awe ever since. In case you're undecided here are 30 houses in black. Or how about this A-frame house (the light)?

I'm on a mission to find the perfect pink / blush hue for my daughter's bedroom (loving the idea of a half/half wall like this). But so far I've been through 4 different test samples and it's still eluding me. Any tips?!

Do you have any of your own decorating conundrums right now? If so fire away in the comment section below, perhaps someone can help?

Have a great start to the week! 

READ MORE...

9

A fabulous black and white Swedish home

I do love to start the month (and week) with a fabulous home. And just look what I found.... I'm actually not sure where to start with what I love most about this space. The black floors? The cornicing? The designer / on trend pieces? Whatever it is about this home, it's for sale here in Sweden and I'm incredibly tempted, how about you?!

 

Stadshem via Coco Lapine

Could you live here?

I'll try not to go to town on the 'I spy', but here are a few pieces that caught my eye: Muuto dot clothes hooks, Gubi semi-pendant light, string shelving, moroccan poufs, Thonet 214 chair, Hay industrial light, IKEA 365 BRASA reading light and Carl Hansen CH24 wishbone chairs.

Other utterly incredible monochrome homes to brighten up a Monday found here, here and here....

Have a wonderful start to the week!

READ MORE...

14

Emilie's Charming Family Home Among the Rooftops of Strasbourg

It's Friday people - woohoooo! I hope you've got some fun plans for the weekend. Perhaps a little interior 'zhuzhing' in the mix? If so, I've got plenty of inspiration for you here on MSH! 

Today, we're heading to Emilie's home high up in the rooftops of Strasbourg, France which she shares with her husband and two young children Jeanne and Gustave. Emilie loves to surround herself with beauty - and has created a wonderful home to return to after a day working as a general practitioner doctor. Despite the tricky angles and beams, every room feels spacious and full of light (keep a look out for cover use of dormer windows and skylights) - and there's somewhere to relax around every corner. 

Ready to take a peek? Bienvenue! 

The dining room and sitting room is all one room and a glass partition separates the home office from the main living space. I am often asked about glass room dividers - if you're a dab hand, you could build one yourself, if not, I'd recommend a company like Elfa or Velfac. 

There's something about a piano in a home, don't you think? - just the sight of one is enough to make me feel relaxed. Alice used to play, and I loved hearing her practise (so much better than a recorder!). 

A close up of the room partition - a smart solution if you have one large room which needs dividing but you still want to keep the light. 

I really like how Emilie has included accent walls throughout her home. The colour in the master bedroom is not unlike the 'Blushing peach' we used to have in our bedroom. 

Emilie's prettiest summer dresses hang from a DIY open rail. 

The children share a bunkbed (from Oliver Furniture). Pretty wallpaper from Sandberg adds interest on the side away from the windows. 

I love the black radiator here.

The vintage school desk provides plenty of space for creating (there is some fantastic vintage school furniture available on Etsy*).

*affiliate link.

Skylights fill the bathroom with light and a shelf allows for art or other items in a tight space. 

Very charming! 

I think my favourite thing is how the light dances off a disco ball in the main room (it's Friday after all!), and of course the children's room - I'd have loved a room like this when I was little! 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

See more corners of Emilie's home over at @lunettesetsalopettes. 

And here are a few other wonderful French homes from the archives to explore this weekend: 

A relaxed, vintage style family home in the French countryside

The fabulous eclectic home of a French antique dealer

A dreamy vintage-inspired home in the French Riviera

Lovely black floors in the home of a French stylist

Alexandra's home in the French countryside

There are even a couple of homes belonging to Swedes (something special happens when two cultures combine!): 

The home of a Swedish photographer and French milliner

A charming Swedish home in the South of France

I hope this has given you plenty of ideas for your own home!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @lunettesetsalopettes with kind permission

READ MORE...

7