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Calm blue-green tones in a Swedish home

This Swedish apartment belonging to Emma Solveigsdotter is absolutely beautiful. Emma has used tones along a spectrum of blue-green to make every room different. The colour also cleverly enhances the period features which have been painted in crisp white. I particularly love the combination of deep blue-green with the teak mid-century furniture in the kitchen and bedroom - lovely! If you're thinking of injecting colour into your home but would still like a calm and elegant look, this is your bag!















So lovely don't you think?

It's currently for sale through Alvhem, so for one lucky person your home is already sorted! Imagine?

Get the look -Farrow & Ball offers a beautiful spectrum of blue-green shades.  The SINNERLIG plant pot is similar, source a bumling pendant in brass here. Bedroom - Hay mega dot quilt, white linen bedding, this is a good source for a vintage mid-century credenza.

You can keep up to date with Emma's latest projects on instagram (so inspiring!).

If you're feeling the blue today you might also like to check out this lovely Swedish space with a blue kitchen, the wonderful home of a Swedish food blogger and a danish apartment (a favourite of mine!). In fact, there might just be an archive dedicated to 'decorating with blue'... just saying!

Have a lovely day!

PS don't forget to make the most of your 20% discount at Feliz Home with code 'SCANDYLOVE' - valid until this Friday, 26th August!

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Danish Blues And Spring Pastels in a Danish living Area

Here in Southern Sweden, it's ice cold (minus 9 degrees Celsius - BRRRR!).  The sea has started to freeze and icicles cling to the rocks and swimming decks. On my walk yesterday evening I noticed how the world turned from dazzling white to pink and then an incredible blue as the sun went down over the frosty waters. A tone not unlike that seen in Maj Winther Træde's dining area and sitting room. In her sitting room Maj has painted the entire room pale blue and added a pale pink accent as well as touches of easter pastels such as yellow, lavender and turquoise. The theme is carried through to the dining area with one single statement shelving unit in dusty blue. Danish design pieces such as wishbone chairs, a panthella lamp and 7 series chair help to add an elegant vibe. A perfect spring oasis in the heart of a wintery Copenhagen! Welcome to Maj's world!   

In the dining area, Maj has combined an Eiremann 2 dining table from Please wait To Be Seated with classic wishbone chairs and a black and chrome chair. A shelving unit from Hay is used to display colourful glassware, vases and kitchen essentials. The rug is from IKEA. 


I wish I could tell you the tone of this blue, but Maj has mixed it herself. I am currently painting Liv's room blue (at her request!) and my one piece of advice, is to pick up as many different colour cards as possible. The colour you choose TOTALLY depends on the room. 


A pink Fritz Hansen 7 Series chair rests against the wall beside various prints including the Line by Hein Studio. The bench is from FDB Møbler (who've been hand crafting furniture in Denmark since 1942). 

How lovely - it makes me feel like spring is in the air, despite the snow outside! I hope you felt inspired by this dining area and sitting room too!

You can see more of Maj's wonderful world (including what she's wearing (pastels of course!), lifestyle shots and her latest interior projects) over at @majtraede


And a little colour palette inspiration from a feature I wrote last year: True blue baby, 2020 loves you (still proud off that title!). 

Are you feeling the chill where you are too? If so, stay warm out there friends (or if you're Down Under - stay cool - I hear you have the opposite issue!). 

Klem!

Niki

Photography: Another Studio DK / @anotherstudio.dk (accept the 5th picture which was shot by Maj). Shared with kind permission. 

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15 Coastal Living Ideas To Steal From a Breathtaking Danish Home


One of the things I truly admire about Scandinavians is their ability to draw nature indoors. And it's all about subtlety. Sure, in some homes you might find more obvious touches like a fishing net, sail boat or even an anchor, but more often than not, the outdoors is seamlessly brought in through barely-there touches - designed to create a calm sanctuary and a connection with nature. The breathtaking Danish home of freelance interior stylist and graphic designer Pernille Grønkjær Taatø is a fine example of this. Situated in the historical seaside village of Hornbæk, North Zealand, the home perfectly encapsulates the subtle off-white shade of the shifting sands and serene blue-grey of the Öresund. Light and airy and pared-back, the space is inspired by Pernille's passion for a simple Nordic way of life. Here are fifteen inspiring ideas to steal to create your own waterside sanctuary! 

1. Once you've got over just how stunning Pernille's kitchen is (*gasp*) look closely and you'll see items found in the great outdoors such as branches from the nearby beach or forest. They've been weaved under open shelving and used to dry herbs.

2. The family dining table has been fashioned out of a beautiful aged piece of wood reminiscent of drift wood and perched upon a sturdy wooden frame. The imperfect surface breathes life into the space. 

3. White washed wood cladding has long been associated with the coastal vibe  - and also helps to create a more relaxed feel in a contemporary setting.

4. When my sisters and I were little my Father used to take us swimming on the British south coast. The building was inspired by the hull of a ship (I still remember doing backstroke (badly) and pondering this!!). If you look closely at the A-frame ceiling in this house, you might also make out the shape of a hull!

5. When you have a light, 'washed-out' colour scheme, texture becomes incredibly important. A simple grey sheepskin* has been draped over a wishbone chair* to amp up the cosiness and comfort! 

6. In Scandinavia I always perceive the sea as a beautiful muted grey-blue (as a sailor you can imagine I've spent many, many hours gazing out over the water - more often than not, over the rim of a gin and tonic!). The white sofa and mix of muted grey-blue cushions in this window nook are are spot on. Pernille has kept the look relaxed by mixing up different cushion styles within the same blue colour spectre. 

7. Simple glass vases filled with shells and pebbles offer a decorative touch on the coffee table. 

8. The windowsill is a perfect spot to display age old driftwood washed up on the nearby beach. 

9. Accessories such as this pretty ceramic vase reflect the beautiful grey-blue of the Scandinavian waters.

10. Artists often comment on the wonderful light in this part of the world - I regularly find myself stopping and commenting on how sharp it is in the summer months (often met by eye-rolls from my kids but one day I'm sure they'll appreciated it too!). A butterfly chair* has been deliberately placed by the window as a place to sit and contemplate. There's even a rustic stool* for your feet (or coffee!). 

11. Designer furniture-wise nothing says 'coastal' like a Danish flag halyard chair, the name says it all! 

12. A haul of pebbles and shells have been laid out on a desk beside two stacked pebbles (have you ever tried stacking pebbles? It's actually harder than you might think!). If you find the right ones though, their subtle patinas and sculptural shape are akin to a beautiful work of art!


13. Same desk, different day. Pebbles in two tones of grey found on the local beach sit beside art by Pernille which was inspired by the sea (Pernille is the artist behind all work seen in the house).

14. The blue-grey hue has also been injected into the otherwise all-white hallway with a striped runner. A long rustic bench* also adds to the coastal feel. 

15. A striped rug, white panelled wainscoting and a white, blue and grey bedding theme bring the 'by-the-sea' feel to the bedroom. I'm also loving the simple industrial stool (source similar here*) used as a makeshift bedside table, isn't it lovely?! It looks wobble-free enough for a morning cuppa too - bonus!


Living by the sea myself I feel so incredibly inspired by Pernille's home! We often sail to Hornbæk in the summer time as it's just up the coast too - it's a lovely place!

But even if you're not living by the sea, there are so many ideas to steal from her lovely home.

Is there anything that caught your eye?

You can find out more about Pernille's freelance interior styling and graphic design work and take a peek at her blog over at Nordiskrum (she's also on instagram here).

I noticed Pernille rented her home out last summer via Airbnb - RESULT! If you're visiting Denmark this summer it's worth keeping an eye on the listing, just in case she decides to throw open her doors again. Imagine?!

I think it'd be rude not to leave you with a few more coastal Scandinavian homes do dream over today - these are a few of my favourites:

A dreamy Scandinavian-inspired beach house
A striking Danish home by the sea
A Former light-house keeper's cottage on Gotland

Happy 'Lilla Lördag' (Little Saturday),

Niki

PS If you'd really like to captured the essence of the Scandinavian coast in your home - try the Skandinavisk's newly re-launched range 'Hav' collection? The fragrance is divine!

Photography by Pernille Grønkjær Taatø and Trine Bukh
Affiliate links marked with *

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Before & After: Liv's Tween Bedroom Becomes a Teen Bedroom!

In Collaboraton with Nordal
My eldest daughter Liv is turning thirteen this summer. THIRTEEN! Where on earth has the time gone? I've noticed her bedroom has become more and more important to her - it's a place to hang out with friends (both in person and online), do homework, chill, spread clothes out ALL over the floor.... you name it! 

The upshot? It's time to transform her room from tween to teen. And the pink's gonna have to go! 

For this, I needed a partner. And who better than Danish brand Nordal - a family driven interior design business selling exciting furniture and accessories for the home and garden - and valued long-term partner of My Scandinavian home. 

Here's what we did:

Before

I didn't think of taking real 'before' pictures, these were snapped with my phone a little into the make-over process (hence the blank wall and tape!), but hopefully it'll give you a hint of what it looked like before. The pink has served Liv well over the years, but everything was starting to feel 'too young'. Plus, at 177 cm (the same height as me!) - and all her sleepovers, it was time to get a bigger bed!


The brief


Liv is a real water babe. She has ALWAYS loved the water. I'll never forget her first bath - it was as if she was suddenly in complete harmony and at one with her surroundings. Over time, she became really fond of swimming in the sea and going to the local pool. These days, she swims four times a week with a local club. Blue was therefore a natural choice for the walls - and natural materials such as rattan, linen and jute would help to bring the feel of the Swedish coastline she so loves, into her room. 

I headed to the store for some samples. Let me tell you now, pale blue isn't the easiest of shades to get right. Firstly, there are about a thousand to choose from (which was a little overwhelming!), and secondly, they never look the same once on the wall. have you found that too? Gaaah!

In the end we settled on Moln by Alcro. Meaning 'cloud', Moln was the palest of pale blue shades - yet on the wall it felt calm and created just the hint of pale blue Liv was after. 

In my world, there's nothing like the last minute (I'm known for it - just ask Per!). All the beautiful items arrived from Nordal the day before the shoot (amazing turn around by the Danish team - thank you guys!), and it was all hands on deck - with help from Per as well as the My Scandinavian Home stylist extraordinaire Helen Sturesson, and even Liv and Allie! A fun day, I have to say! 

After

Tadaaaa! From teen to tween in a matter of days! Let me talk you through the transformation:


There's nothing like rattan to bring a relaxed beach vibe to a space and this beautiful 180 cm headboard was just the ticket! It's a perfect piece as it's stand-alone, meaning it simply slots behind the bed with absolutely no installation required! Hooray! 


I love the imperfection, plus Liv tells me it's surprisingly soft to lean against as it's very smooth. I can already imagine her and her friends leaning against it, chatting into the night! 


A reading light is an absolute essential for any bedroom. Since the room is fairly small - and children tend to have a LOT of things - I thought it was important to go for something wall mounted to keep it out of the way. I love the brass touch of the Athene golden wall lamp - it fitted well with the rattan and can also be tilted and swivelled in order to provide light for both the bed and desk area. 

In the height of the summer, it really only gets dark for a few hours a day, so black-out blinds / curtains are essential. Liv has always been a bit of a poor sleeper too (although a little better these days thanks to all that swimming!) so I placed a lot of importance on getting the window dressing right! These black-out curtains are from HM Home (I got them adjusted to the right length at a local dry cleaners). If you look closely, you can also see blinds!  Yep, not taking any chances! 

The desk has been updated to a lighter look from IKEA (the old one is now in Allie's room!) - and she also has a new ergonomic desk chair (in the hope that she'll sit there for longer doing her homework, worth a shot!). 


Since her bed is also her hangout zone, we ramped up the cosiness with Nordal cushions - including the dark blue Capella, knitted off-white Lyra and beige Capella.

We also added a grey-brown linen bed cover and dark blue cotton yoga blanket for contrast and cold nights! helping to keep warm on cooler nights. 


Another bedroom essential: the side table (this one is the Victoria pillar side table in light blue) for her books, glasses of water, no doubt her phone, earrings and other bits and bobs! 

The wall basket was designed by my friend Maria Gustavsson from Swedish Ninja and made locally here in Southern Sweden. 

Oh yes, and I haven't mentioned the amazing lamp yet! How could I forget that? The oversized SIF lampshade is a real statement piece and instantly brought a relaxed, rustic beach vibe to the room! I can imagine it looking FAB over a dining table too (if you have high ceilings).  

And finally, the rug! This Ava hemp carpet in size 160 cm x 240 cm is so soft and completed the look beautifully. Love the fringe! 

Needless to say, Liv's thrilled with her new room! 

But it's not quite finished. 

On the opposite side of the room, some new shelves are needed (update to follow!). And most importantly of all, this is a mere 'backdrop' for whatever she'd like to do with the space - including layering the wall with posters and photographs and surrounding herself with all her favourite things. 

In other words, it's time for me to step back and let Liv take over!



I hope you enjoyed the make-over!

If you're curious about any of the items, please do ask away in the comment section below. I'd be happy to help! 

You can find Nordal items in these webshops

Right, I'm off downstairs to see what Liv's done to her room (I can hear her pottering about!). I'm sure some posters and prints have already gone up! 

See also Albin's teenage bedroom make-over and Allie's before and after bedroom make-over (they certainly don't look as tidy as that today!). 

What did your childhood bedroom look like? Mine was covered in Laura Ashley wallpaper and my clothes were stored in an antique chest-of-drawers (I remember having to pry the drawers open!). 

Naturally, I ruined the entire look my Mother had created with posters of Bros, Aha and the Pet Shop Boys (totally showing my age here!!). Later, I remember adding framed black and white Robert Doisneau photographs. 

Those were the days! 

Niki

Photography by me, shoot styling by Helen Sturesson

This was a paid partnership with Nordal - however, all words and products choices were mine and Liv's (with a little guidance from Helen!). Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that help make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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