Gog morgon vännen! How was your weekend?! The official holiday month has started here in Sweden. Swedes everywhere are rushing off to summer cottages, mapping out road trips or simply wondering down to the nearest bathing desk in their dressing gown for a
morgon dopp (morning dip!). We're currently in Varberg on Sweden's West coast (a bit of a surfer's spot) and I'm enjoying an hour's respite from my family (eeek, is that mean?! I do love them really, it's just that, you know, school holidays and all that...!). I thought I'd take an hour, pour myself a coffee and we could virtually transport ourselves to Portland Oregon and the home of assistant interior, prop stylist and interior designer
Ezz Wilson, what do ya think?! Recently featured in
Rue Magazine, Ezz's bright and airy home is delightfully sepia (cue: white with touches of tan, rust and ochre) with natural textures throughout. I caught up with Ezz to find out more about it!
Can you tell us a little about the history of the house?
The
house is a 100-year-old, former farmhouse that was turned into a
multi-family building, and then back into a house, and then humbly
patched and slap-dashed together before we moved in. So, needless to say,
the layout is somewhat wonky! So much so that we almost didn't get the
house. But it felt so cozy and charming that we decided to adapt to the
layout as best we could. But there are days when you find a hidden
chimney stack in the TV room wall or a mysterious doorway outline
appears in the bedroom wall as the foundation settles over time and the
drywall cracks and you think to yourself, "What on earth??" The size of
the house is about 1500 square feet.
How would you describe your colour scheme?
Lots
of whites, creams, and wood tones, but lately I'm adding some earthy
colors like terracotta, rust, warm blush and ochre. I think that's
about as wild as it's gonna get at my house!
What inspires you?
I
grew up in a sunny climate in the U.S., in a Puerto Rican family, and
was heavily influenced by the Mediterranean and Caribbean, although I
didn't care for those styles as a kid. If you told me that when I grew
up, my house would end up full of rattan and wicker, I probably would've
cried! When I was 19, I moved to Sweden for about six months, and I
think that must have influenced my love for Scandinavian design as well.
For a long time, I've felt that my style was the love child between a
serene Swedish minimalist and a bohemian, beach-loving Spaniard, even
though I wasn't sure how to execute that combination at first. But I
finally narrowed in on what I really wanted this home to look and feel
like. I need lots of white, calm and clean lines in my home to feel
relaxed and clear-headed. Yet, I also need plenty of warmth, natural
fibers and folky 70s vibes to get me through the long, dark winters of
Portland and help me feel more connected to my roots and culture.
You have some beautiful pieces in your home, where do you shop?
I've found a lot of great pieces through my local thrift stores,
Craigslist,
World Market,
Urban Outfitters and
Target. I also love the following ethically minded companies:
Fine Life Co
- a beautifully curated shop in Arizona that mostly sells ethically
made clothing but has some lovely ceramics too (and the shop owner Emily
Benziger has a gorgeous home!),
Bohemia Designs for Moroccan straw bags, stools etc and
Bea Linen* for linen sheets.
Can you recommend three inspiring Instagram account 'must follows'?!
The loft space has been painted in the faintest hint of pink which goes beautifully with the rust coloured cushions!
Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home Ezz!
I'm curious, is this your kind of scheme, or do you need more colour?
Due to the (aforementioned) holiday here in Sweden my blogging is going minimalist and I'll be stopping in every other day instead of everyday (I hope that's OK?!).
Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Wednesday!
Niki
12
